Guyana News

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Winning tickets in the nearly $1.6-billion Powerball lottery were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, officials said today, leaving at least three people to split the record-setting jackpot.

Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and current PPP/C Members of Parliament Gail Teixeira, Irfaan Ali and Nigel Dharamlall have been questioned by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in relation to the findings of the forensic audit into government’s holding company NICIL.

Two teenagers accused of a gruesome fatal chopping of a Bush Lot, Berbice couple appeared at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with murder and were remanded to prison.

Town Clerk Royston King yesterday announced that the city council would no longer allow new vendors to trade on Georgetown’s pavements and vendors who do not adhere to regulations would be permanently banned from selling on the city’s streets.

Even as the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is under fire over a botched intelligence operation that resulted in three deaths, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NICIL, Marcia Nadir-Sharma has filed a complaint with the police of being constantly followed by unknown men.

The post-mortem examination on the body of the Helena, Mahaica woman that was found partly decomposed in a trench on Sunday, revealed that she died from drowning but she was also found with several hits on her head and the case is now being treated as one of murder.

At yesterday’s commencement of the trial into her daughter’s killing, Carol Kennedy recalled seeing the accused, Jermaine Maynard reaching for a gun with which he shot Carlisa Matthews to the back of her head.

Tucville resident Winston Cramer was yesterday found guilty of causing the death of Lennox Allicock as a result of dangerous driving but sentencing has been deferred until the presentation of a probation report.

A new arrangement has been hammered out between Region One (Barima-Waini) and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to ease major water woes at the Mabaruma Hospital.

Mohamed Chan, the husband of Land Court judge Nicola Pierre, yesterday testified that the violent attack at their home occurred hours before he was scheduled to travel to Miami and the bandits took the money set aside for the trip.

Spanish oil company Repsol has asked for more time to do exploratory work on its Kanuku block offshore Guyana before drilling, the Ministry of the Presidency announced yesterday.

Visiting Falkland Islands representatives are optimistic that the new APNU+AFC coalition government will stand with them in their fight for self-determination, unlike the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) administration.

Residents of Diamond, East Bank Demerara remain dissatisfied with the condition of several roads in the community that have been in a deplorable condition for a long time.

Mayor Hamilton Green on Monday said that the City Council was not responsible for the mutilating of trees on Brickdam though the contractor told Stabroek News he had been contracted by the city to do that task and had been at it for 21 years.

A 13-year-old schoolgirl of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo ended her life on Tuesday, leaving a suicide note behind.

An autopsy performed on the remains of French national Mocbel Robert Lois Bozier yesterday revealed that he died as a result of a gunshot injury he sustained to his head and from all indications the case is being treated as suicide.

Stephen Martindale, the miner arrested on Monday for allegedly having an unlicensed gun in his possession at Arangoy, Mazaruni, appeared before a city court yesterday and was granted bail.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings yesterday told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the number of cases of gastroenteritis  in Baramita in the north west has risen to 80.

Water utility, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), is exploring the possibility of recycling the sludge which remains after the treatment of water.

A North Sophia man who was last September fined for stealing from his father, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with stealing machinery from his uncle and was fined.