Four drivers recently appeared before the courts this week on various traffic-related charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous driving, and failing to report an accident.

At the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 33-year-old Kathleen Fredricks of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi, appeared before Magistrate Nikkisha Logan.

Fredricks, who was driving motor car #NAQ 6799, pleaded guilty to three offences committed on September 27, 2026, on Barrack Retreat Public Road, Central Rupununi.

She was fined $100,000 for driving a motor vehicle while her breath alcohol level exceeded the prescribed limit, $25,000 for dangerous driving and $30,000 for recovery of damage to property.

Fredricks was ordered to pay a total of $155,000 or two weeks’ imprisonment.

Also on Monday, 23-year-old Sylvan George of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi, appeared before Magistrate Nikkisha Logan at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.

George, the driver of motorcycle #CP 6706, pleaded guilty to four offences committed on September 20, 2026, on the Kumu Public Road.

He was fined $100,000 for driving while his breath alcohol level exceeded the prescribed limit, $20,000 for driving while unlicensed, $25,000 for breach of insurance and $25,000 for dangerous driving.

The total fines amounted to $170,000 or 16 weeks’ imprisonment in default of payment.

Meanwhile, at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, 46-year-old Keoma Ted Fraser of Three and a Half Miles, Potaro Road, Bartica, appeared before Magistrate Caressa Henry.

Fraser pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while his breath alcohol level exceeded the prescribed limit. He was fined $200,000 or three months’ imprisonment in default of payment.

In a separate matter, 22-year-old Shaquan Johnson of Cummings Park, Sophia, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs on Monday. He pleaded guilty to careless driving and failure to report an accident.

Johnson was fined $50,000 for careless driving and $30,000 for failing to report an accident, with two weeks’ imprisonment applicable in default of payment for each offence.

He was subsequently sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

See full release issued by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority:

The Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, A.A., presided over the 29th Board of Directors Meeting of the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Aiden by Best Western Hotel in Georgetown. This inaugural session under his Chairmanship established a strong platform for advancing regional aviation priorities and strategic objectives.

All member states were represented at the meeting. The agenda included the full implementation of the CARICOM Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA), strategic organizational restructuring, measures to enhance CASSOS’s financial sustainability, and the progression of the One Stop Security initiative. The deliberations reflected a shared resolve to advance regional aviation standards and reinforce cooperation among Caribbean nations.

CASSOS, a specialized unit within CARICOM, remains instrumental in enhancing aviation safety and security oversight throughout the Caribbean. The organization is committed to maintaining the region’s leadership in global aviation standards and best practices.

Guyana will hold the Chairmanship of CASSOS for the 2026–2028 term, further positioning the nation at the forefront of regional aviation leadership.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

See below the full release from Inversiones Atlántida:

Inversiones Atlántida S.A., (“Inversiones Atlántida”) the holding company of Grupo Financiero Atlántida, one of Latin America’s leading financial services groups, today announced it will host a series of high-level private events throughout the Caribbean to introduce BancAtlantic Capital, its newly launched New York-based merchant and investment bank.

The invitation-only events, titled Caribbean Currents, will feature Guillermo Bueso Anduray, Chairman & CEO of Inversiones Atlántida, and John Tonelli, Chairman & CEO of BancAtlantic Capital, and are meant to strengthen the Group’s connectivity with its clients and partners across the Caribbean. The events will take place in:

• Suriname on October 5th;
• Guyana on October 6th;
• Trinidad and Tobago on October 7th; and
• Jamaica on October 8th.

Grupo Financiero Atlántida intends to expand its Caribbean business through BancAtlantic, led by co-founder and veteran Wall Street investment banker John Tonelli, the Group’s longtime banker and formerly Global Head of Debt Capital Markets at Oppenheimer, who brings three decades of experience in the Caribbean. BancAtlantic will focus on providing financing for emerging economies that have long been underserved by global investment banks and historically excluded from the international capital markets. BancAtlantic Capital, backed by the financial strength of Grupo Financiero Atlántida, is distinctly positioned to structure complex financings and provide direct capital support to its clients in the Caribbean.

Grupo Financiero Atlántida’s growth beyond Honduras has extended steadily across Central America, the Caribbean, South America, the United States and Europe (in 2024 the Group became the first Honduran financial institution to enter the Spanish financial market). Building on this track record of disciplined international expansion, the Group is now deepening its Caribbean presence through BancAtlantic, bringing dedicated investment banking capabilities to a region where it has long-standing ties.

“The expansion of Grupo Financiero Atlántida’s business into the broader Caribbean represents a natural progression of our platform and is consistent with our 113-year history of supporting clients and fostering economic growth,” stated Guillermo Bueso Anduray. “We recognize that establishing a strong Caribbean presence demands institutional commitment. By leveraging our affiliated commercial banks, insurance companies, and asset managers throughout Central and South America, and with John Tonelli’s leadership and vast experience in the Caribbean, we are uniquely suited to deploy our own capital and provide access to international capital markets for our clients in the region.”

Grupo Financiero Atlántida has grown under Guillermo Bueso Anduray’s leadership to encompass more than 40 companies across eight countries in the Americas and Europe. The Group’s conservative yet innovative approach to banking aligns seamlessly with Mr. Tonelli’s specialized capital markets expertise and experience in Caribbean markets.

“Corporate and state-owned enterprises in this region possess immense, untapped potential,” added John Tonelli. “Our objective during this series of events is to engage directly with regional leaders and our local partners to discuss opportunities and demonstrate how we can work together to accelerate economic diversification and increase access to capital markets.”

About Grupo Financiero Atlántida:

Grupo Financiero Atlántida is a leading financial conglomerate with over 113 years of history, managing more than US$26 billion in assets. Comprising over 40 companies with operations in Central America, South America, the United States, and Europe, the Group provides comprehensive commercial banking, insurance, and asset management services. Under the leadership of Chairman & CEO  Guillermo Bueso Anduray, the Group is committed to financial inclusion, digital innovation, and regional economic development.

About BancAtlantic Capital LLC

BancAtlantic is a New York-based investment and merchant banking firm providing innovative capital markets and strategic advisory solutions, together with principal investing in high-growth emerging markets. The firm’s core businesses include investment banking, institutional sales and trading, and principal investing. BancAtlantic combines deep Wall Street and global capital markets expertise, longstanding global institutional investor relationships, and the financial strength and resources of Grupo Financiero Atlántida to deliver differentiated financing, advisory, and investment solutions to our clients. BancAtlantic is backed by Inversiones Atlántida S.A., the holding company of Grupo Financiero Atlántida, one of Latin America’s leading diversified financial services groups.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

By GHK Lall- No objection!  There’s agreement with 592Guardian.  Mr. Daniel Seeram, Guyana’s Border Patrol Field Marshall has a right to move mountains and drain oceans in an effort to sidestep the pen post-conviction, presentencing.  I make a point or two.  Not to deny Mr. Seeram his petition for liberty, but in support of those who don’t carry Mr. Seeram’s weight, nor have his access.

In this matter of sensitivity, custody, and leniency relative to Mr. Seeram’s welfare, state of mind, and his pivotal role on behalf of the Guyanese people, the following is submitted.  Not to thwart this fine Guyanese in his quest for freedom, but to layout in human terms.

If freedom for the Border Patrol commander today, who else tomorrow?  If his pleading is given friendly reception, then what about others in a similar court boat?  Or for lesser or greater circumstances.  I go down before I go up.

The police constable in Georgetown, when under fire, could come up with a novel argument.  He must be on duty, it’s mandatory.  If not, Georgetown could be overrun by criminals bent on wreaking a world of havoc.  Sacking by Visigoths.  By the same token, the army lance corporal on guard at the Cuyuni River could make a claim identical to Mr. Seeram’s: if he has the book thrown at him, Venezuelan hordes could rampage across the border, and then what?  If for Mr. Seeram, then why not them?

The Community Policing Group man can be a must-have presence.  Locking away the sole breadwinner in a family can bring about starvation of its members.  A single parent imprisoned could contribute to a wayward child, juvenile delinquency.

In short, what Mr. Seeram seeks for himself, due to the primacy of his national role, can be applied to a whole host of situations involving lesser people and, perhaps, more consequentially.  I go higher.  A minister could claim monopoly rights over his portfolio due to unique skills.

A permanent secretary could swear to some extraordinary loyalty.  An agency head, or head of department, could submit testimony favorable to his or her cause.  Genuine, compelling, claims not to be in jail, because of the exposure to Guyana.  Bottom line: go low, go high, Mr. Seeram has a lot of company re those who could legitimately qualify to be out of jail, using his representations, different circumstances.  Where does this stop?  Who doesn’t make the grade for sympathetic consideration?  Now I go still further.

The Border Patrol, to take a leaf out of the 592Guardian book, has to have bench strength, contingency for emergency, so that there is continuity, without anyone detecting a difference.  I remind Mr. Seeram of this truism: no man is indispensable.

In the abrupt and unfortunate development that someone drops dead on the job, the work still must go on.  I go back almost 100 years to remind fellow Guyanese of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt who did just that and two atomic bombs were still detonated on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  In war and peace, a good border manager has in place just the right arrangements for such any eventuality.

Moreover, it was reported that, as part of his petition, Mr. Seeram meets with Mr. Ali, Guyana’s president, once weekly as a matter of routine.  Pres Ali could be guilty of a major mental lapse, if all he is comfortable with for management of Guyana’s hot-and cold borders is Mr. Seeram.

Suppose he has a change of heart, a rush of blood to the head, and decides to return to the PNC, or from wherever he came?  Look, I am not that stonehearted that I don’t empathize with Mr. Seeram in his precarious situation (in more ways than one).  But, as a practical matter, the relief he is seeking would empty the jails, leave prison wardens with time for mischief.

Last, I recommend that Minister Vindya Persaud, she of gender care and compassion, files a court brief.  The hon minister has a choice: the battered wife, or the Seeram-controlled border.  Politics or pain inflicted.  PPP-style justice, or what applies universally, without fear or friends, when a felony occurred.  No bail was the right decision.

Source: Village Voice News

(Kaieteur News) – The Government of Guyana (GoG) has officially launched its flagship development bank, offering loans up to $10 million for Guyanese looking to co-invest.

In the absence of a physical building, an online platform has been launched where applications can be made to support loans from as low as $50,000 to benefit small and medium-scale businesses looking to startup, sustain or grow operations. See link below:

https://gdb.gov.gy/

Government has set aside $20 billion in the 2026 budget, representing the first tranche of the bank’s $40 billion authorised share capital.

To this end, persons seeking ‘quick loans’ up to $300,000 can apply online, using their mobile phones. Requirements include one valid form of identification (ID) such as the National ID card, driver’s licence, passport or E-ID card; a cellphone number; short description of the business and what the loan will be used for and bank account details for disbursement.

Meanwhile, loans higher than $3 million will require additional documentation such as a business registration and Tax Payers Identification Number (TIN), business details and location, market, customers and financial information and details on how the funds will be used.

After an application is submitted online, a GDB credit officer will review the information and notify applicants if more information is required. A letter will then be issued informing the amount, term and installment offered. The letter of offer is accepted and signed online. The loan will then be paid into the applicant’s bank account.

According to the website, persons can view the application status online by signing in. It said each application shows the current status- under review, approved or declined, or loan disbursed- and any action required from the applicant.

Persons who wish to apply physically will be required to make an appointment with a GDB official and can book the appointment online.

Government has assured that Guyanese will not be required to pay interest on these loans as repayment will only include the amount borrowed.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance said the institution “will dramatically improve the access to and affordability of financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and will unlock boundless possibilities for businesses with credible and viable plans to be established and/or expand with the support of the financing provided through the GDB.”

It added that the bank will help facilitate the growth and expansion in SMEs across the entire productive spectrum.

Concerns were previously raised as the law governing the Guyana Development Bank fails to make hold possible corrupt banking officials to account.

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Terrence Campbell pointed out that while the act stipulates penalties for misleading the institution and leaking confidential information, it makes no provision for charging officials who seek kickbacks for approving loans.

To this end he had suggested changes to include penalties for those who corruptly demand favours in exchange for funding.

“I believe that the government may be relying on other pieces of legislation that can be used but I believe it would be a very good addition to add some clause there to prevent and if happens, to prosecute corrupt actions by bank executives and bank employees,” the MP stated.

Source: Kaieteur News

…High Court refuses pre-sentence bail application, as prosecution sides with defence in challenging magistrate’s ruling

(Kaieteur News) – High Court judge, Justice Joy Persaud has dismissed an application for judicial review brought on behalf of head of border patrol, Daniel Seeram, ruling that the decision of Magistrate Abigail Gibbs to refuse him bail following his conviction was neither unlawful nor irrational.

The ruling comes six months after Seeram’s appointment to lead the national border patrol unit and follows his conviction for assault causing actual bodily harm under Section 49 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.

Convicted wife beater, Daniel Seeram

Delivering the decision, Justice Persaud stated on Monday, that the application failed to meet the legal threshold required for judicial review, relying on long-standing legal precedent to ground the court’s position.

“This court finds that the application before it has not met the criteria for judicial review,” Justice Persaud declared. Citing former Chief Justice Chan in the Sherwin Samson case, Justice Persaud noted that the test “is not whether the court agreed with the decision which the magistrate reached, but whether their decision was so plainly rational and untenable that no reasonable bench of judges properly directed could have reached it.”

“The court finds no indication that the magistrate acted unlawfully, irrationally, or outside of their jurisdiction,” Justice Persaud ruled. “Accordingly, the application for judicial review is dismissed.”

 Defence counsel Nigel Hughes, representing Seeram, challenged the legal basis of the magistrate’s post-conviction orders, contending that the court had pre-judged the case. Hughes pointed out that after finding Seeram guilty, the magistrate ordered a probation report, a victim impact statement, and submissions on mitigating and aggravating factors ahead of a formal sentencing date set for 2^nd November. However, by remanding Seeram to prison in the interim, Hughes argued the magistrate effectively imposed a custodial sentence before holding the required sentencing hearing.

“It would have been on the assumption that those matters would have been considered before the pronouncement of the sentence,” Hughes said. “The court made a finding and said effectively imprisonment while waiting on the matters that the court ought to contemplate before sentence. So, it’s a clear bias by the court. I am putting you in prison even though I haven’t heard mitigation.”

Hughes further asserted that summary magistrates lack the statutory power to remand an accused person purely awaiting sentence, as opposed to remanding on a pending charge. He noted that high court judges possess original jurisdiction that allows pre-sentence remand, whereas magistrates are bound strictly by statutory provisions such as the Summary Jurisdiction (Procedure) Act, which contains no such mechanism.

He also criticised the magistrate’s reliance on Section 9 of the Bail Act, emphasising that Section 9 applies strictly to convicted persons who have already filed an appeal against conviction or sentence. Because no appeal had been lodged prior to sentencing, Hughes maintained Section 9 was wholly inapplicable and that the standard bail criteria under Section 7, such as flight risk, risk of reoffending, or witness tampering, were never established. “There was no issue of failing to surrender to custody… no suggestion at all that he was likely to commit an offence while on bail,” Hughes submitted, noting that Seeram had consistently attended all court dates and maintained significant national responsibilities.

Deputy Solicitor General Shoshanna Lall, appearing for the state, agreed with the defence that the magistrate had fallen into grave legal error, even while acknowledging the narrow scope of the judicial review application before the high court. Lall addressed that while the state recognises domestic violence as a serious and prevalent issue in Guyana and accepts Seeram’s conviction, the magistrate misconstrued the statutory penalties under Section 49.

Lall pointed out that Section 49 states an offender is “liable to imprisonment for five years,” which establishes a maximum penalty rather than a mandatory custodial sentence. She cited Section 37 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Procedure) Act, which explicitly grants magistrates the power to impose a fine in lieu of imprisonment where the justice of the case warrants it.

“She has basically provided and confirmed that she has [proceeded to] sentencing pursuant to Section 49 and she didn’t think that the requirements of Section 9 of the Bail Act were met,” Lall submitted. “We respectfully say that she fell into grave error when she determined that the offence mandated a mandatory term of imprisonment.”

Lall argued that placing Seeram in prison prior to reviewing the probation report and hearing mitigating factors effectively predetermined a custodial sentence, running counter to Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) jurisprudence, including Pompey v. HPP and Tran v. HPP, which mandates a meaningful sentencing hearing before a court locks in a custodial outcome.

Lall added that because Seeram complied with all pre-trial bail conditions and posed no demonstrable flight risk, there was no evidential basis to disrupt the status quo by remanding him prior to sentence. Despite the shared arguments from both defence and prosecution highlighting the magistrate’s procedural errors, Justice Persaud’s ruling stands, the high court declined to intervene through judicial review, leaving the magistrate’s refusal of bail intact ahead of Seeram’s upcoming sentencing date.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken on Monday said the Guyana Police Force cannot utilise the services of officials outside the institution to probe allegations of sexual misconduct against head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Deputy Commissioner of Police Fazil Karimbaksh.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Monday, Hicken confirmed that the police force is leading the probe against the officer, who has been accused by a serving female police inspector of rape, sexual assault and threatening behaviour.

Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken

When asked about the independence of the investigation, Hicken said, “We have officers within the force doing the investigation; we can’t take people outside the force to do a criminal investigation.”

Hicken’s comments come days after Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond broke her silence on the matter.

Karimbaksh, head of SOCU, was accused of rape and threatening behaviour by a serving female police inspector. The accusations include multiple incidents of sexual assault, threats to her life and an alleged incident in which a firearm was pointed at her.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Fazil Karimbaksh

Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond on Friday revealed that an official investigation had commenced into the allegations against Karimbaksh.

Speaking during an online programme, Walrond said Hicken informed her that a team had been established to investigate the allegations.

“The investigation will entail getting statements from other persons whom they may think is appropriate to get statements from the accused, Deputy Commissioner Karimbaksh to hold a formal confrontation,” she said.

Meanwhile, civil society groups, including Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI) and the Women & Gender Equality Commission, have expressed concern over the handling of the allegations against Karimbaksh and called on the authorities to come clean on the details surrounding the probe.

TIGI noted that, given the circumstances, an investigation conducted by an undisclosed internal police team cannot simply be accepted as independent, impartial or capable of commanding public confidence.

Public Spirited citizens gathered outside of the Special Organised Crime Unit calling for its Head Fazil Karimbaksh to be charged following allegations of sexual assault and death threats involving a female officer.

TIGI therefore called for an immediate, credible and independent investigation, with investigators and oversight demonstrably outside the authority, professional orbit and institutional influence of Deputy Commissioner Karimbaksh.

The transparency body explained that while the Guyana Police Force has announced only that the Commissioner of Police established a team to investigate, it has not identified the composition of that team, its reporting structure, whether its members are junior to the deputy commissioner, the measures adopted to protect the complainant and witnesses, or the safeguards against interference—actual or perceived.

TIGI said it has no confidence in an unnamed police investigative unit tasked with examining allegations against one of the force’s most senior officers while he remains in office and continues to exercise rank, influence and institutional standing.

“A deputy commissioner cannot remain at work as though nothing has occurred while officers—who may be his juniors, colleagues or subordinates—are expected to investigate allegations against him. No credible anti-corruption, human-rights or rule-of-law framework would regard that as an adequate safeguard,” the organisation said in a statement.

TIGI emphasised that administrative leave is not punishment.

“It is not a finding of guilt. It is an essential protective measure to preserve evidence, protect witnesses and complainants, prevent real or perceived interference, and protect the integrity of a process whose credibility is already in question,” the organisation said.

The transparency body also noted Minister Walrond’s statement that a police team would investigate, take statements and conduct what she described as a “formal confrontation.”

TIGI expressed alarm at the minister’s reference to a “formal confrontation” between the complainant and the accused.

“Section 42 of Guyana’s Sexual Offences Act expressly protects complainants from being required to recount their complaint in the accused’s presence unless they wish to do so. It further restricts circumstances in which a complainant may be required to view or be in the presence of an alleged perpetrator,” TIGI said.

Alluding to the fact that the Police Service Commission, which has a constitutional role that includes disciplinary control over senior police officers, is not presently constituted, TIGI called on President Irfaan Ali, as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, to urgently exercise the leadership required to protect public confidence in the Guyana Police Force and the administration of justice.

“The president must ensure that the constitutional process to establish a functioning police service commission is completed without further delay. Public reporting has indicated that the appointment process for new constitutional commissions had been initiated after prior terms expired; that process must now be treated as urgent, not routine,” TIGI said.

In the same vein, the Women & Gender Equality Commission, in a statement, said it has taken note of the reports involving Karimbaksh.

Over the past several years, the commission noted that it has done extensive work to educate the public as a whole, but particularly people in the workplace, about the unlawfulness of sexual harassment and the gravity of sexual offences. It said it has urged persons to report such matters, recognising that in many instances victims are constrained by fear and embarrassment.

“What is particularly unacceptable in this instance is that serving members of the Guyana Police Force, who are mandated to serve and protect the public, are themselves subject to sexual abuse from within their own institution,” the Commission said.

The commission added that the police officer who made the accusations overcame fear and embarrassment and was brave enough to report the incidents to the Minister of Home Affairs.

The statement stressed that there are many questions surrounding the impartiality of the investigation.

“We are unable to confirm whether any appropriate actions were taken in response to the allegations of rape. Was the high-ranking officer relieved from duty as is customary in this type of case?” the Commission questioned.

The Women & Gender Equality Commission noted that it is the responsibility of everyone, but particularly those who bear a duty of care—including Ministers, agency heads and law enforcement—to ensure that the rights of all rights holders are protected and upheld.

“This case represents a test of Guyana’s institutions on whether they are capable of holding the ‘powerful’ accountable. It is therefore an imperative that we must not fail in this instance,” the commission added.

Source: Kaieteur News

(AL-JAZEERA) Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed a Russian drone attack for the sinking of a ship in Romania’s section of the Black Sea.

Romania reported that two people were killed and 11 rescued when a grain ship caught fire and sank in its waters on Monday. The Ukrainian president’s claim suggests the incident is the latest in a series of suspected incursions along NATO’s eastern flank, and will fuel concerns that Moscow’s war in Ukraine could spill over.

Firefighters and rescuers work near a helicopter at an emergency helicopter base in Constanta, Romania, October 5, 2026 [Romanian Interior Ministry/Reuters]

“A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkiye,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

According to the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the coastguard was alerted at about 11am local time (08:00 GMT) that a fire had broken out on the ship, adding that it was in the country’s “exclusive economic zone”.

The ministry did not identify the cause of the fire.

Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board the ship at the time of the attack, it is reported.

Romania is among several NATO members to have reported incursions this year, as Russia and Ukraine have increasingly turned to launches of hundreds of drones and missiles.

In May, a Russian drone hit an apartment building. In June, a stray Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in the Black Sea port of Constanta. In July, Bucharest summoned Russia’s ambassador after air defences intercepted three drones within the span of one week.

The fire-damaged “Royad Mammadov” ship in the Black Sea after a fire aboard the vessel outside Romania’s territorial waters left two people dead and prompted a rescue operation [Handout/Romanian Interior Ministry via Reuters]

Incursions by Russian drones into eastern European airspace are seen by some as a test of NATO and the European Union’s defences and response capabilities.

The Baltic states have also seen drones enter their airspace throughout the war, with airspace violations contributing to the collapse of Latvia’s government in late May after a dispute over how to respond to the incursions.

The incursions have also prompted Poland to bolster its air defence posture after accusing Moscow of violating its airspace in September. Suspected drones were shot down twice in Moldova.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said the Romanian Naval Forces had destroyed nine drifting sea mines in the Black Sea since the start of the war.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – The Government of Guyana (GoG) has announced a seven-member board of directors to manage the Guyana Development Bank (GDB) where $20 billion in zero interest and zero collateral loans will be distributed to eligible citizens.

Abu Zaman who currently chairs the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) has been appointed the inaugural Chairman of the bank, given his senior leadership in Retail and Small Business Banking career which spans over a decade.

Meanwhile, the first female President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Vice Chairperson of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Kathy Smith has been named deputy chairperson of the board.

James Bond, a serving member of parliament for the ruling administration has been appointed director. Bond, an attorney for 24 years is also the senior legal advisor to the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation. He is the Managing Director of Bond Optimum and served as chairman of the Adoption Board from 2017 to 2020.

A Financial Analyst, Sukrishnalall Pasha is also a director on the board. He currently serves as Finance Secretary within the Ministry of Finance, Chairman of the Bureau of Statistics and Member of the Board of Governors of the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Council of the University of Guyana.

Dion Inniss, a senior corporate aviation manager with over 25 years of experience in the airline industry has been appointed to serve as Director. The Sales Executive for Guyana and Suriname at Caribbean Airlines Limited, leads commercial strategy and regional stakeholder engagement.

Meanwhile, Director Nalinie Singh, is a governance reform strategist specialising in institutional development, democratic governance and youth political inclusion. Her expertise spans policy analysis, strategic planning, institutional reform, civic engagement, and public administration.

Finally, Praem Rambharak, a former columnist and educator is now a director at the bank. He has been involved in the establishment of multiple SMEs over two decades. He is a member of the President’s Youth Advisory Council and a leader at the intersection of innovation, public service, and youth empowerment.

No independence

Lead Parliamentarian for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr. Terrence Campbell told Kaieteur News that he does not believe the board is independent.

“I see no one who is truly independent on the board. I am of the view that the private sector organisation have all been co-opted so notwithstanding the president Ms. Kathy Smith…I do not see this as being an independent board whatsoever,” he shared.

APNU Lead Parliamentarian, Dr. Terrence Campbell

Campbell raised concern over the lack of experienced professionals in law, finance and credit with the exception of a few members.

The MP said, “I do not see any chartered accountants on the board, I do not see a representative of the Guyana Association of Bankers…and last but certainly not least an opportunity was missed to have opposition representation on the board so I’m concerned about the depth and quality of the board to run an institution that’s going to be entrusted with so much state funding.”

Furthermore, he questioned the appointment of a sitting MP to the board, explaining that the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act prohibits an MP from being appointed to any of the boards. He suggested that the development bank should follow a similar pattern as this provision ensures that state institutions are not “overly politicised” offering an added layer of assurance to Guyanese.

Leader of the opposition and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed also shared similar concerns. He argued that the government has handed US$100 million to a board which has never been involved in operations of such scale.

Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed

He explained that the bank’s operations are extremely risky given that no interest or collateral is involved, requiring “expert oversight” to ensure the resources are not misused. Moreover, Mohamed said the bank is likely to attract first time borrowers, yet only its chairman has worked in the banking sector.

He said, “Nothing in the other bios shows experience in credit-risk management, loan recovery, fraud prevention, or digital lending. That gap matters because the bank’s main lending channel is a mobile platform, which will be a target for fake applications and for borrowers splitting one business into several to get more loans.”

Additionally, the leader noted that although the bank commits to prioritise agriculture, tourism, and hinterland and riverine communities, none of the directors’ bios show experience in rural or agricultural finance or close knowledge of those communities.

According to him, “The Act asks for directors with experience in finance, economics, banking, and law. What the public got is one banker, a lawyer, and five others whose bios show little or no lending experience.”

To this end, Mohamed said the board has one thing in abundance and that is “closeness to the government.”

“One director is a sitting PPP/C Member of Parliament. Another sits on the president’s youth advisory council. A third is the finance secretary, the minister’s own senior official, now sitting on a board the minister appoints, funds, and oversees. When the bank reports to the ministry, he will in effect be reviewing his own decisions,” the opposition leader cautioned.

He reminded that the Minister of Finance hand-picked each of the board members with no input from parliament and no criteria published or positions advertised.

Mohamed observed that the appointees are all tasked with heavy responsibilities outside of the bank, raising questions about whether the institution will get the attention it demands for proper management.

In fact, he said, “A new bank needs full attention, but this board can offer only part-time attention. Several directors lead groups whose members are likely to apply for loans, such as the Small Business Council and the Chamber of Commerce, and one director runs a private company. Yet the government has published no register of directors’ interests, no rule requiring directors to step aside from decisions that involve them, and no limits on lending to businesses connected to them.”

On the other hand, he pointed out that the directors’ salaries have not been made public. The party leader called for government to appoint experienced directors in credit risk and loan recovery, an independent credit committee and opposition and independent nominees, approved by parliament. He also pointed to the need for a published register of directors’ interests, supervision by the Bank of Guyana and publishing of quarterly reports to the public.

Mohamed insisted, “Without these, this bank looks like a lender but carries the risk of a slush fund.”

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Magistrate Omadatt Chandan on Monday further remanded 76-year-old Chinese businessman Quan Sheng Li to prison until 5^th November, 2026, following the chopping to death of six-year-old Ifeng Cao at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

When the matter was called, the court was informed that the police prosecution file is incomplete. Key documentation, including the Post-Mortem Examination (PME) report and several outstanding witness statements, is yet to be submitted to the court.

Killed; Six-year-old Ifeng Cao

Li is charged with the murder of young Ifeng Cao, who was fatally attacked on a Wednesday afternoon shortly after returning home from school.

According to initial police enquiries, the incident occurred at approximately 15:45 hrs when the child sustained a fatal chop wound to his neck. Investigators arrested Li shortly after the attack as the prime suspect.

Under police interrogation, the 76-year-old reportedly confessed to the killing, citing a bitter business dispute with the child’s parents involving US$3 million. Li claimed he had invested the substantial sum into the couple’s business, but they were refusing to repay him.

Police reports indicate that on the afternoon of the killing, Li visited the family’s residence to collect the outstanding funds. An argument ensued, and the child’s parents reportedly chased the elderly businessman out of their yard.

As Li was leaving the compound, six-year-old Ifeng Cao was arriving home from school. Li allegedly admitted to police that during the encounter, he struck the child with a chopper somewhere between his shoulder and head before walking out of the yard.

Li subsequently led police investigators to the Parika Junction, where officers recovered the alleged murder weapon, a brown-handled chopper.

The accused remains in custody as police continue to assemble the required evidence before the case resumes on 5^th November.

Source: Kaieteur News