Politics

Several government ministers did not vote for duty-free concessions for two officials of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) because the route that was being used was illegal, a number of ministers said Tuesay. Those abstaining were Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge who is a former Finance Minister.  ...

Former Public Service Minister, Jennifer Westford and the ministry’s former Principal Personnel Officer, Margaret Cummings should be freed of 24 counts of fraud amounting to GY$600 million, their defence lawyer, Dexter Todd told the court on Tuesday. In making no-case submissions before Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman, the lawyer told the court that the charge against Westford was bad in law ...

Guyana’s National Assembly on Monday ordered opposition People’s Progressive Party parliamentarian, Harry Gill to appear before the House Privileges Committee for criticising Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland in a newspaper letter. “Honourable Member Mr. Harry Gill will answer to the Committee of Privileges for his conduct in this matter,” Scotland said. In part,  Gill states that a number of parliamentarians were ...

The Court of Appeal on Friday fixed an earliest possible date for the hearing of an appeal of a High Court decision that upheld the appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice James Patterson. The appeal would be heard on October 4, 2018, just under one month of Local Government Elections set for November 12. ...

Junior Minister of Natural Resources Simona Broomes, her driver and two security guards, who were involved in the parking lot fracas, will not be charged. “The file was completed and sent for legal advice, which was obtained to the effect that based on all the Statements and video footage, no charges are advised,” the Guyana Police Force said. Earlier this ...

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Amna Ally does not believe that youths are being excluded from being elected to top positions in her party, but current and former senior leaders think that the PNCR has become an organisation that is top-heavy with  old persons. Ally made known her position ahead of the PNCR’s Biennial Delegates Congress ...

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday vowed that he and his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would not be muzzled in exchange for talks with President David Granger, but he is willing to go into the political negotiations. “We can’t be muzzled by talks but we want to give it a fair shot” he told a news conference. Jagdeo said due ...

The Ministry of Business’ Small Business Bureau on Wednesday announced that it was offering up to 70 percent guarantee of loans with the expectation that supporting commercial banks would take the risk on the remaining 30 percent. SSB Chief Executive Officer, Lowell Porter explained that at first the guarantee was 40 percent if borrowers fail to repay the banks, but ...

Attorney General, Basil Williams on Wednesday contended that a request for the Court of Appeal to urgently hear an appeal concerning the appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) would amount to a challenge to the validity of the Local Government Elections scheduled for November 12. Williams’ contention was in reaction to oral submissions by Attorney-at-Law, Anil ...

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is increasingly hammering government over spending billions of tapping into more GY$50 billion from the Bank of Guyana for public spending, the latest critic being parliamentary front-bencher Dr. Frank Anthony. “As a Member of Parliament, it is my responsibility to continue to use my office to bring light to these significant bread and butter ...