Zoisa Fraser

Given that there is no evidence to show that for several years prior to 2014 the accounts of the Public Service Ministry (PSM) had been audited, former Auditor-General Anand Goolsarran is calling on his successor to provide an explanation.

Given the wording of the Treaty establishing the Council of Legal Education (CLE), a joint venture arrangement for the establishment of a law school in Guyana cannot be presented for approval, Chairman Reginal Armour SC said yesterday, while hinting that government will have to be listed as the only party before the proposal can be properly considered.

Though emphasising that the number of places available to Guyanese at the Hugh Wooding Law School is inadequate, President David Granger yesterday stopped short of calling on the Council of Legal Education (CLE) to grant Guyana permission to establish its own school.

Leslie James was yesterday appointed as the new Commissioner of Police and President David Granger has urged him to not only steer the force in the right direction but to also take the lead in the reform of the security sector.

Though describing Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams’ decision to comply with a High Court order to activate the Judicial Review Act (JRA) as commendable, attorney Anil Nandlall said yesterday that the contempt proceedings will remain unless the court decides otherwise.

Despite an apparent divide between APNU and the AFC on reforming the sentencing for possession of small amounts of cannabis, government Member of Parliament Michael Carrington says that a reworked bill will come before the National Assembly by next month end.

With Minister of State Joseph Harmon declaring his candidacy for the post of People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairman at its upcoming biennial congress, political analyst Dr. David Hinds says that the expected contest would likely signal which support base holds sway over the party.

Guyana last night moved closer to abolishing wandering and truancy as crimes with the unanimous passage of the landmark Juvenile Justice Bill, which will see significant reforms in the way juvenile offenders are treated by law enforcement and the judiciary.

Attorney General Basil Williams SC on Friday sounded a warning to both the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), saying that they need to secure convictions as they are critical to showing the effectiveness of measures Guyana has taken to combat money laundering.

Former acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh yesterday rejected claims by the Attorney General’s Chambers linking him to a purported about-face by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) on the establishment of a local law school.

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) is working to expand its self-enhancement programmes to give convicts a second chance to make something of themselves during their incarceration and to prepare them for life after prison, according to Prisons Director (ag) Gladwin Samuels.

Though awaiting legal advice on whether to appeal part of a court judgment which was relied on by President David Granger to unilaterally appoint a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom), businessman Marcel Gaskin says he is prepared to take the matter all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) if necessary.

Less than a day before the High Court is scheduled to hear an application from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) on the production of key documents, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) yesterday charged the bank’s directors with contempt and they are to appear in a Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday to answer.

Though questions have been raised about the monitoring of laptops distributed under the scrapped One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project, Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes says that there is nothing government can do, given that the initiative came to an end under the PPP/C administration.

Despite findings by the Auditor General to the contrary, Chief Election Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) Keith Lowenfield is maintaining that the entity did not deviate from procurement rules in the acquisition of items ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Within the last decade several large housing schemes have been developed along the East Bank corridor and while many are thankful for house lots there are increasing concerns about the police’s ability to respond promptly to reports of crime because of the few signs and their unfamiliarity with the areas.

Although President David Granger’s recent directive to the Police Service Com-mission to halt its consideration of promotions is unconstitutional, Chairman Omesh Satyanand yesterday said that some members of the body have decided to comply.

Joylyn Nicholson, one of the rice farmers who successfully challenged last year’s cancellation of their leases by President David Granger, says she feels vindicated by the judgement in the case although she remains convinced that the move against her was an act of political victimisation.

Hiring retired senior non-commissioned officers will result in less time being spent on training and will boost the human resources of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) but close attention will be paid to the ability of applicants to perform efficiently and effectively, acting Prison Director Gladwin Samuels said.

Following the admission by a Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited staffer earlier this month that he participated in a failed plot to rob the Water Street branch of its night deposit bags, the private sector is to seek a meeting with the bankers’ association on a range of security issues.