A teenager was on Sunday afternoon rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after being stabbed in a brawl at Norton Street, Worthmanville, Georgetown.
Seventeen-year-old Cordell Whyte, of John and Durban Streets, Georgetown, is now left nursing several wounds following the incident.
According to reports reaching Guyana Times, Whyte along with his friends were at the time sitting on the step of his Norton Street residence when the suspect approached with a knife and dealt him three blows about the body. The teenager was stabbed once to his back, abdomen and then to his shoulder.
This publication understands that the incident stemmed from the suspect being denied the use of a bicycle which belongs to the now injured teen.
Meanwhile, the suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Akeemo Franklin of Lot 9 Norton Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown.
Whyte, a former student of the St Johns College, remains hospitalised and has been listed as stable while Franklin is said to be on the run.
However, an investigation has been launched

– reportedly beaten with a spade

A 53-year-old father of one is now dead after he was beaten with a spade at the Potaro Backdam, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), following a drunken argument. The 35-year-old suspect is in custody assisting the Police with their investigation.
According to reports, Mohabeer Gangadeen Kooblall of GAC Old Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara, was imbibing at Potaro Backdam with his coworker when an argument ensued. F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Senior Superintendent Ravindranauth Budhram told this publication that during the argument, the suspect picked up a spade and dealt h Kooblall several blows in his head and about his body.
The incident occurred on Saturday between 17:30h and 18:00h and Kooblall died immediately. Budhram said the Police responded promptly after receiving the call and the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody.
The dead man’s mother, Ramdasie Ramlall, said her son called her at around 12:30h telling her that he needed to come home since he was in the area for over four months. She said that her son is a miner and a cook and that the dredge he was working on was closed for a few weeks but his employer, Alvin Rambarran, allegedly refused to transport him out of the area.
“Them leff he inside to watchman (guard) this dredge and when me ask he who and he deh pon the drudge, he tell me he and a next man and me must call the boss man (since) he want come out from the bush. He nah want stay deh no more pon the water top,” the grieving 71-year-old said.
She related that later that evening, she received a call that her daughter took but they refused to divulge any information pertaining to the call.
“I hear that me son get murder. That is all and until now me hear nothing from the boss man and me nah hear nothing about me son life and they come and say that they want he brother to go and one of me grandson to bring back he body,” Ramlall lamented.
The grieving woman said her son has been working in the mining industry for over 20 years and have been working with the Rambarran’s for over 15 years.
Kooblall was the sole breadwinner and took care of his mother. His body is being transported to Georgetown for a post-mortem examination, while Police investigations are ongoing. (Lakhram Baghirat

Almost two weeks after an illegal airstrip was discovered at Santa Fe North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); the Police on Sunday evening intercepted an illegal aircraft minutes after it landed.
Prior to the discovery of the aircraft, members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have been monitoring events after a foreign aircraft was seen frequenting the Santa Fe area.
However, on Sunday evening, Police ranks went to the area and conducted a search during which over a dozen 10-gallon jars were found hidden in the bushes.
The party also observed that a long strip of land measuring one mile in length and about 50 feet in width was cleared. In addition, as the team was leaving the area, it observed an aircraft circling and immediately went back to the location.
There, they saw three men running from the landed aircraft. While the men escaped, the aircraft was secured by the Police.
Sometime later, F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Ravindradat Budhram arrived at the location and a search was conducted on the aircraft. The search unearthed a quantity of dry ration, medical supplies, gents clothing and footwear, two hand-held radios, flashlights, cellular phones and an identification card amongst other items.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has been notified and a team was deployed to the area to conduct further investigations. Just two weeks ago, an illegal airstrip was unearthed about five kilometres West of Santa Fe, Rupununi, Region Nine, by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who were patrolling the area.
The ranks were conducting a reconnaissance mission when they stumbled upon the seeming newly built airstrip. Following a closer inspection of the perimeter of the airstrip, several dug out trenches were found. They were covered with black plastic and dried branches.
Upon removing the plastic and branches, several items were found concealed in the holes including a chainsaw and fuel drums. In addition, a ¼ drum of aviation fuel was also found at the site.
At least 12 abandoned camps were also found in close proximity of the airstrip. These camps were reportedly used by farmers over a period of time.
In September 2016, a Joint Services patrol discovered an illegal aircraft hidden just off of the Yupukari Airstrip, Rupununi with United States registration N-767-Z.
Subsequently, a team of investigators from the GDF, GPF, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority was deployed from Georgetown to the area to conduct investigations and were able to determine that the registration number was bogus.
Moreover, investigators had discovered during interviews with nearby residents that the aircraft had been sighted circling the area on numerous occasions in the past.
Additionally, a number of residents shared information they deemed as “suspicious activity”, including the presence of motorcycles or ATVs frequenting the area at midnight.
It was reported that a leak was discovered in the fuel tank of the aircraft. This, investigators believe, may have caused the aircraft to land in Guyana.
However, it has been reported that one of the local law enforcement agencies was aware of the aircraft at least three weeks before the disclosure was made. It was reported that the security officials were monitoring the aircraft to see if anyone would return to salvage it.
Meanwhile, President David Granger has established a one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to probe the discovery of the illegal aircraft and appointed retired Brigadier Edward Collins to investigate, examine, advice and report on all aspects under which the foreign aircraft had entered the country.
During the CoI, public meetings were held in several villages including Katoka, Kaicumbay, Yupukari and other villages. The CoI proved that the aircraft entered Guyana illegally.
The illegal twin-engine Cessna aircraft was subsequently flown from Yupukari to Lethem initially, before it was flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where it remains to date. (Bhisham Mohamed)

THE Linden police are continuing their search for a taxi driver who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl on Saturday night.

The child was a passenger of the taxi driver. According to E’ Division Commander, Senior Superintendent, Fazil Karimbaksh, the incident allegedly took place at approximately 22:30 hrs at the Kara Kara ‘Back Road’, a few minutes after the victim and her three friends joined the car to be taken to Amelia’s Ward.

The teen was taken a police station and then to the Mackenzie Hospital where a medical examination was done which proved that she was raped. The alleged rapist, the commander said, has since been eluding the police who have been searching for him.
A relative of the girl told this newspaper that she had earlier attended a church function in Georgetown with her friends, and was at the time coming home when the driver, with whom she is familiar, refused to stop for her friends who told him where they were coming off.

After they realised something was amiss, the three friends forcefully exited the car but she was unlucky, since she was in the front seat and was strapped down with the seat beat. “After we hear what happen, we start searching all over the Ward for her, we even went back to the friends’ house because we thought she went hiding somewhere and while searching we see she walking coming up the hill in blood, could barely walk,” the relative said.

The girl then revealed to them that the driver had allegedly taken her back to Kara Kara, where he threw her in the back seat and raped her. “We took her to police station and a female police took her to the hospital and it show she was raped, all her underwear had blood, all she skin black and blue and bruise up,” the relative related.

They also alleged that the driver is a known serial rapist who had committed similar acts in the past. The teen continues to receive counselling. Relatives have commended the police for the work they have done so far and are encouraging young girls to be extra careful when travelling at nights in short-drop cars.

…say had no food supplies in 45 days
…issue apology to Joint Services

RESIDENTS of White Water Village, an Indigenous community close to the Venezuela border, are calling on the authorities to establish a police outpost in the area following a robbery committed by a group of Spanish-speaking soldiers last week.

The incident occurred during the day last Wednesday within the North West District village lands, located within two miles of the Amacuro River which separates Guyana from neighbouring Venezuela. Toshao of White Water, Cleveland De Souza, told the Guyana Chronicle that the incident occurred at the Kurasima Creek, a busy spot within the village where persons usually trade items. Kurasima Creek is a tributary of the Amacuro River.

Following the incident, a team of Joint Services ranks who are stationed at Mabaruma, Region One’s only town and administrative capital, travelled to the border and confronted the Venezuelans. The Spanish soldiers told their Guyana counterparts that they were hungry and that no food was supplied to them for 45 days. They then issued an apology to the Joint Services.

De Souza said that prior to Wednesday’s incident, he had received reports that the Venezuelan soldiers were at two locations along the border harassing Guyanese Indigenous Warraus. He explained that each Sunday, the Heart of Palm packaging company , AmCar, which is based in Region One (Barima-Waini) , would send an agent to White Water at an area called “Gajah Landing“ to purchase the palm product known as “cabbage” from the Warraus. He said that the Indigenous group would travel to the area and sell their products to the AmCar agent.

He noted that the village council had received reports that one Sunday in July, the Venezuelan soldiers had ventured up a creek inland to White Water and took away food stuff which the indigenous traders had bought with the proceeds of their Heart of Palm trade. “  ”They stopped the people and took away their things, while armed,” he said.
The armed soldiers repeated the act last Wednesday and De Souza said the police at the Mabaruma Police Station were notified.

The Officer-in-Charge, along with several police ranks and a team of soldiers from Camp Everad near Mabaruma , travelled into White Water on Friday, two days after the incident.

Accompanied by the villagers, the team ventured into the creek where the incident had occurred. Reports are that the team then headed farther to the Amacuro River and spoke with the Venezuelan military ranks stationed there.
“They made the excuse that they were hungry and had no food,” De Souza said, noting that the incident has left the village in fear. Following the incident, the Joint Services ranks camped out at White Water over the weekend and returned to Mabaruma on Monday.

A resident of the village noted that persons are fearful, especially at nights. She said that the border is within walking distance of the village and businessmen are concerned that elements from Venezuela would attack the village at any given moment. “They call them sindicatos (bandits) and we know how the situation is over in Venezuela,” De Souza said.
Reports are that two armed men were spotted in the village at a shop one night last week and residents quickly closed their doors.

The men in the village scoured the area for the men but came up empty –handed. In recent months, scores of persons who migrated to Venezuela in the past, have been returning to the North West District, some of whom have set up small businesses in the region. Venezuela’s economy has been in turmoil over the past three years. Tensions are high in Caracas as pro-government and opposition supporters of President Nicolas Maduro clash over the state of the Bolivarian Republic’s economy.

According to an Al Jazeera report published in May this year, Venezuela is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history, with an inflation rate of over 400 percent and a volatile exchange rate. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures, in 2016, the country had a negative growth rate of minus eight percent, an inflation rate of 481 per cent, and an unemployment rate of 17 percent that is expected to climb to 20 percent this year.

Over the past decade, it has been the region’s poorest performer in terms of growth of GDP per capita, even though the country sits on the world’s largest oil reserves. Oil prices have been falling since 2014, which has left the economic system unable to maintain the system of subsidies and price controls that functioned during the oil boom years.

By Ashraf Dabie

The reputed husband of a mother of five was taken into Police custody following the death of the woman whose body was found on the East Coast of Demerara on Wednesday evening with numerous injuries about her body.
The dead woman has been identified as 38-year-old Janice Edwards, of lot 121, C Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, while her lover was named as King Gerrad.
According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the mother of five and her reputed husband were on Wednesday evening proceeding along the UG Access Road, on motorcycle CJ 1830, when the light of an oncoming vehicle forced the man to swerve further, resulting in the motorcycle collided with a pile of mud.
As a result of the impact, Edwards was flung off the cycle and sustained severe injuries about her body.
The woman was picked up with multiple injuries and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
This publication on Thursday visited the residence of the couple, during which her mother-in-law, Ann Garnette, relayed her understanding of Edward’s demise.
Outlining a partially conflicting report from that which was published by the Guyana Police Force, Garnette noted that, “Right through of UG road full of hard mud, and he going and I just hear a message that a car hit he, hit the back of the bike and pitch he off and the two of them lying down on the road.”
The mother-in-law further relayed, “Some pick-up (vehicle) then rush she to the hospital cause like he (husband) halla for help.”
Continuing on the accident, a family friend of the couple who identified himself as “Buck”, indicated that he was informed of the incident shortly after the duo had left home, early Wednesday evening.
Moreover, Buck pointed out what took place after he had rushed to the scene, but indicated that there were no signs of the reputed husband, King Gerrad, when he arrived at scene on the UG road.
“By time I left here to go on the scene, it was nothing; no bike, I didn’t see he, I didn’t see she. But I left to come home back and after we reach was made to understand she was at the hospital.”
The close acquaintance went on to say, “When we left and go to the hospital, the doctor tell me that there is nothing they could’ve done; before she reach the hospital she done dead already.”
Meanwhile, this publication understands that the reputed husband of the now dead woman had fled the scene of the accident and was only discovered after he showed up at the hospital on Thursday morning.
This was after Police had ransacked the house of the couple, in search of the then missing man. However, the family members are refuting all claims that foul play was involved.
“Because he move off from the scene, people got it looking like it’s a murder but I don’t want people feel it’s a murder,” one close relative declared.
The relative justified his statement by positing, “I just assuming based on what people told me and how I go and see the scene that after the accident, he attend to her and realise it was no life so he just panic and he move off the scene.”
With that, the relatives of the couple held out that the two had no ongoing disputes and are known to resolve their disputes in a civil manner.
Of the five children mothered by Edwards, the duo shared five-year-old twins, while the remaining three were prior to their relationship.
The couple had been residing at their Sophia home for about 9 years, at which they operate a vending establishment.
Despite the family’s efforts to erase any thought of murder, Gerrad has been implicated in the death of his longstanding lover and mother of his children.
As such he was taken into Police custody where he remains as investigations into the matter continue

– in robbery attempt

An alleged bandit was on Thursday afternoon shot to the abdomen during a scuffle with a Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, businessman in an attempted robbery.
Based on reports received, the businessman, Lloyd Thomas, the owner of Blue Mountain Night Spot at Grant Sand Road, Soesdyke, EBD had just returned home and he was about to park his car when the armed man confronted him.
Thomas reportedly put up a fight during which a single gunshot was fired. Soon after, the alleged bandit started to bleed. The firearm was subsequently retrieved by the Police who were summoned to the scene.
The injured man was picked up and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was treated. His condition is unknown.
A source told Guyana Times that Thomas went to purchase some items to complete construction at his home and as such, the workers witnessed the shooting incident but remained tight lipped when the Police arrived at the scene.
Investigations are on-going.

A Bartica miner is currently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), nursing a gunshot wound to his abdomen after he was shot during a scuffle with a Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara businessman.
The incident occurred sometime around 14:15h on Thursday. The injured man has been identified as Anthony Rogers, 26, of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Based on reports received, businessman Lloyd Thomas, the owner of Blue Mountain Night Spot at Grant Sand Road, Soesdyke, is claiming that he had just returned home and exited his vehicle to open the gate so that he could drive his vehicle into the yard, when an armed man confronted him.
Thomas told investigators that after he exited the car, a white 212 motor car with two female occupants pulled up and Rogers disembarked and confronted him.
At the time, the miner allegedly had a firearm in his pants waist and told the businessman, “is you I come for” as he withdrew the weapon. He reportedly then grabbed Thomas’ gold chain, valued some $620,000, from his neck resulting in a scuffle between the two.
The businessman further claimed that during the process of trying to disarm his alleged attacker, the firearm went off and Rogers was hit in the left region of his abdomen. On the contrary, however, Rogers’ fiancé told investigators that they had gone to Kuru Kururu to return his son to the child’s mother when the woman choked and stabbed her in the left arm. She added that Rogers went to her rescue and pulled his child’s mother out of the car before driving off to his cousin’s home at Grant Road, Soesdyke. Denise Ceres, the cousin, joined them as they headed to the hospital. However, on their way, they saw Thomas’ car parked on the road blocking their path.
Rogers reportedly exited the car to confront Thomas and they started arguing. The fiancé further claimed that a fight ensued during which Thomas pulled out a firearm from his pants waist which was wrapped in a black cloth and dealt Anthony a lash to his head before firing a shot at him.
The woman claimed that she rushed to Rogers and saw blood oozing from a wound to his abdomen. With the assistance of public spirited persons, the injured man was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre then transferred to the GPHC, where he was admitted as a patient.
Investigators have since found one spent shell and two live rounds at the entrance of Thomas’ gate and lodged same at the Timehri Police Station.
Several persons have since been questioned as investigations continue.

ACCORDING to a release by the Department of Public Information, Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels, confirmed that there was an incident at the Lusignan Prison where several prisoners in Holding Bay 2 scaled a fence and entered Holding Bay 1 with the stated intention of killing a fellow prisoner who they apparently considered to be an informant to prison authorities.
Shots were fired in the air by the prison authorities to restore order. No prisoner was injured by shots fired, however, a total of 18 prisoners were injured, mainly from razor wire. Five prisoners were sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital to be treated for serious but not life threatening injuries inflicted by the razor wire atop the fence separating the holding areas. The targeted prisoner was unharmed and has been placed in the main Lusignan Prison.
Those inmates injured and treated at Lusignan were: Calvin George, Saddash Singh, Nick Skeete, Suresh Ganesh, Omar Williams, Lendroy Stephens, Kevin Cumberbatch, Ajit Jittall, Ryan Gopaul, Anthony Persaud Ryan Banistes and Jayishwar Dhanai. Prisoners taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment were: Linden Lewis, Abdul Akeem, Anthony Joseph, Travis Sobers and Adrian Edwards.

POLICE on Friday evening found an AK-47 rifle and several rounds of various calibre of ammunition during a raid in Kingston, Georgetown.
In a release, the police said ranks acting on information, went to a bushy area in Kingston, Georgetown, about 18:30hrs on Friday and found in a haversack the following illegal items. An AK-47 rifle, an extended .380 magazine and one hundred and ninety -six (196) live rounds of 7.62by 39,. 40 and. 380 ammunition. No arrest has as yet been made. An investigation is in progress.