Source: Village Voice News

Amanza Walton, the lone parliamentarian of the Forward Guyana Movement, (FGM) is demanding answers, accountability and justice over fresh allegations of sexual assault involving a senior Guyana Police Force officer, while questioning how previous complaints against the same officer were handled.

Walton is calling for a full and independent investigation into allegations made by a female police inspector against Deputy Commissioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh, head of the Special Organised Crime Unit.

The inspector has reportedly alleged that Karimbaksh sexually assaulted her on two occasions and threatened to shoot her. The allegations have not been tested in court, and Karimbaksh has not been charged in connection with them.

According to Walton, the inspector disclosed the allegations to Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond on September 20, 2026, giving the minister direct knowledge of the complaint.

The MP said the allegations must be investigated fully and without interference.

“These allegations have not been tested, and they must be investigated fully and without interference.”

The controversy has also revived questions about an earlier investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse of authority and misconduct at the Guyana Police Force Academy.

On January 20, 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the Criminal Investigation Department and the Office of Professional Responsibility had been directed to conduct full investigations into those allegations.

During consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Budget Estimates in the National Assembly on February 13, Walton said she asked Minister Walrond whether the investigation had commenced.

According to the MP, Walrond assured the House that she was certain it had.

Walton then sought to ask a straightforward follow-up question about when the investigation would be completed. She said Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir disallowed the question before it could be put.

The incident, she argues, raises broader concerns about transparency when allegations of sexual misconduct involve the Police Force.

“A Member of Parliament sought to ask when an investigation into sexual abuse within the Police Force would be completed, and the Speaker prevented the question from being asked.”

Walton said the episode was particularly troubling given the history surrounding Karimbaksh.

In March 2020, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean reportedly submitted a report to the Police Service Commission concerning complaints made by two female trainees at the Felix Austin Police College against Karimbaksh, who was then Deputy Force Training Officer.

According to Walton, the report found that nothing presented had disproved or discredited the women’s allegations and that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to support a criminal charge of sexual harassment under the Prevention of Discrimination Act.

Karimbaksh was never criminally charged in relation to those allegations. He has since risen through the ranks to become a Deputy Commissioner of Police and head of SOCU.

Walton said that history makes the current allegations particularly serious, while stressing that the latest claims must be tested through a proper investigation.

“The investigation into Fizal Karimbaksh must go wherever the evidence leads. If the evidence permits, he must be charged.”

She also condemned sexual harassment and sexual assault in the strongest terms, arguing that rank and authority cannot shield anyone from accountability.

“There is no rank, no title and no political connection that entitles any man to prey upon the women who work beneath him.”

The MP said allegations involving individuals who control the training, postings, promotions or livelihoods of subordinate officers are especially serious because of the inherent power imbalance.

“No woman in this country should ever be made to choose between her safety and her job, and no woman should be punished for refusing.”

Walton is also challenging the institutions responsible for investigating misconduct within the Police Force to demonstrate that complaints involving senior officers will be treated with the same seriousness as allegations against anyone else.

The latest allegations remain allegations and have not been adjudicated. Karimbaksh is entitled to due process, and any investigation must establish the facts based on evidence.

For Walton, however, the central issue is whether women who report alleged sexual abuse can have confidence that the institutions responsible for protecting them will act promptly and independently.

“The women who have come forward deserve justice, and they deserve it without further delay.”

Source: Village Voice News

Social commentator and columnist GHK Lall is challenging the murder charges brought against three crew members of the MV Barima, arguing that the prosecution must not become a substitute for a wider examination of the government officials, agencies and decisions responsible for the vessel’s operation and oversight.

In a sharply worded column, Lall questioned why Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondell Roberts and Goods Superintendent Deleon Granderson are facing murder charges following the July 18 disaster while, in his view, those higher up the chain of responsibility remain untouched.

“Why charge these three, while the real murderers self-immunize?”

The Barima sank while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Government figures presented to the National Assembly established that 179 passengers and crew were eventually accounted for, 76 survived, 73 bodies were recovered and 30 people remained unaccounted for.

The three accused remain before the courts and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Lall argues that the circumstances surrounding the vessel should be examined before responsibility is placed exclusively on the crew.

“Give three men a boat without a bottom, then charge them. Give them only a paddle, then hold them responsible.”

His argument goes directly to questions now before the Commission of Inquiry, which has been mandated to determine the immediate, contributing and systemic causes of the disaster, assess compliance with maritime and safety requirements, identify shortcomings or failures and recommend accountability where warranted.

The Commission has already begun examining documentation concerning the Barima’s seaworthiness and the conditions under which it sailed, while obtaining records from agencies including the Maritime Administration Department, the Transport and Harbours Division and the Guyana Coast Guard.

Lall contends that those questions cannot be separated from political and institutional responsibility.

“When men are charged for murder due to their being on duty on a boat with anemic engines, porous floors, paper walls, and probably heavy overload, those charges conceal the real murderers in government offices.”

Protests Target Edghill and Indar

Lall’s criticism comes as families of victims, civil society activists and opposition politicians have staged several protests demanding accountability and calling for Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar to leave office.

Those demands first became prominent during protests surrounding the July 27 sitting of the National Assembly, when opposition parliamentarians repeatedly called for the resignations of the two ministers over the sinking.

The demonstrations have continued in the months since the tragedy.

On September 22, grieving relatives, civil society members and opposition politicians protested outside the Public Works Ministry, demanding the resignations of Edghill and Indar, the recovery of the sunken vessel and greater transparency surrounding the disaster.

The reasons cited by protesters centre on ministerial responsibility, the condition and maintenance of the state-owned vessel, maritime oversight and the government’s handling of the recovery operation.

Edghill has rejected claims that the Barima was known to be unseaworthy, saying after the disaster that there had been no report declaring the vessel unseaworthy and that it had been scheduled for dry docking in 2026.

The Commission is now tasked with determining whether there were failures in maintenance, seaworthiness, regulatory compliance, loading, passenger management, crew operations or institutional oversight. Its terms of reference specifically allow it to examine whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or institutional failures contributed to the disaster.

“Charge the Right Ones”

Lall argues that the criminal case against the three crew members must not obscure those wider questions.

“There’s a law for the poor, unconnected and uncoddled. There’s another law for those who are a law onto themselves.”

He accuses the government of using the crew as scapegoats and argues that accountability must reach beyond the people who were physically aboard the vessel when it went down.

Those are Lall’s allegations and political characterisations, not findings established by a court or the Commission of Inquiry.

The Commission has invited victims’ families, survivors and other persons with relevant information to seek standing in the proceedings, potentially giving those directly affected an opportunity to participate in the examination of what happened.

For families still waiting for answers and the recovery of loved ones, the question remains whether the eventual reckoning will stop with the three men facing criminal charges or extend throughout the chain of responsibility.

Lall’s challenge is blunt:

“The right ones rise high. Charge them, damnit!”

Source: Village Voice News

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday said the government is closely monitoring food supplies in hinterland communities as the El Niño phenomenon continues. Mustapha said an initiative is in place to supply communities with basic food items regularly and as the prolonged dry weather persists, the ministry will continue to provide support.

“We are currently monitoring the situation,” the minister said.

For weeks now, farmers and residents in the hinterland regions have been advised to prepare for heightened drought risks in the coming months. Crops, livestock and water supply are also at risk during this period.

Mustapha said the ministry has been working closely with communities in the interior and has maintained support programmes over the years to ensure this dry-spell will not cause major loss of produce or livestock.

“We have a lot of catchment areas in the hinterland and over the years we have a regular programme with them in terms of certain basics,” Mustapha said.

Regions Seven, Eight, Nine and parts of Region Six are areas of particular concern for drought conditions by the end of November.

Mustapha has also urged farmers to pay greater attention to the welfare and nutrition of animals during the period of extreme heat. Farmers are urged to utilise the Farmers ConnectGY application to access information and updates as authorities continue monitoring conditions.

The drier conditions started in September and is expected to continue until November, 2026.

Guyana’s main rainfall peaks typically occur during the May-June and September-December periods. However, the Hydromet Office has said the country may experience below-normal rainfall during the latter part of 2026 and into the first quarter of 2027.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Quan Sheng Li, the 76-year-old Chinese national, who is accused of brutally murdering six-year-old Zi Feng Cao at Parika, East Bank Essequibo on Wednesday has reportedly told investigators that he committed the act over a money dispute with the boy’s parents.

Quan went to the parents’ restaurant to collect money which he claims he invested in the business. The incident occurred at approximately 15:20 hours on Wednesday, shortly after Zi had returned home from school. The family restaurant is situated in the lower flat of their Johnson Street, Parika, EBE house.

According to information gathered by the News Room, a 32-year-old female cook employed at the restaurant told police that she was sitting outside when she observed the suspect arriving with a bag on his shoulder and approaching Zi’s father.

The woman reportedly said that the suspect and Zi’s father were engaged in conversation when the young boy returned home from school.

She reportedly told investigators that Zi walked through the gate, approached the suspect and hugged Quan. Shortly afterwards, the child fell to the ground.

Quan then allegedly fled the yard carrying a silver-bladed chopper and was later arrested. He was questioned in the presence of a translator and he reportedly provided detectives with details about what transpired.

During questioning, Quan also claimed that he had previously visited the restaurant and was assaulted by Zi’s mother when he tried to get his money back.

According to the suspect’s reported account, the confrontation escalated and he felt “cornered” and believed he had no way out.

He reportedly told investigators that he asked the couple to give him his money so that he could return home to China but claimed that they continued chasing him out of the yard.

Quan allegedly took police to the location where he said he had discarded the weapon. A search was conducted and the weapon was recovered.

Police have reviewed and extracted CCTV footage from the scene as investigations continue.

Zi attended the Hydronie Nursery School. In a Facebook post, he was described as a someone with a “kind heart and gentle spirit.”

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Farmers in Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara) are receiving direct technical support from the Ministry of Agriculture, including extension services, land clearing, fertilisers and planting materials, as the government moves to strengthen production at the farm level.

Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Vikash Ramkissoon on Wednesday said the ministry is working closely with farmers in the region to ensure they have access to the technical assistance and resources needed to improve their operations.

“Throughout the region, Region Three in particular, I’ve been working very closely with the farmers on the ground to ensure that they get the extension services that they so require,” Ramkissoon said.

He said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority is also undertaking land-clearing works to assist farmers, while other support includes the provision of fertilisers and planting materials.

“The NDIA is doing a lot of land clearing to assist farmers, that they are assisted with fertilisers, planting materials and so on and so forth,” he said.

Ramkissoon said the goal is to give farmers the practical support they need to plan, produce and participate more effectively in the market.

“The entire machinery of the Ministry of Agriculture is geared towards ensuring that farmers can have what is needed from the government,” he said.

The push for greater technical support comes as Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has said there are efforts to increased use of technology, research, mechanisation and digital tools in farming.

Mustapha said farmers are increasingly benefiting from technologies such as drones and sensor-based irrigation, alongside investments in drainage and irrigation, farm-to-market roads, training and agricultural research.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Source: Village Voice News

Kaieteur News – A workplace accident at Albion Estate, Corentyne, Region Six, has claimed the life of 23-year-old Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) employee Latchman Raghoo, leaving the Albion community in shock and his family seeking answers.

Crushed by Forklift Latchman Raghoo,

Source: Kaieteur News

…male Chinese national arrested

(Kaieteur News) – A six-year-old Chinese boy was chopped to death at Parika, East Bank Essequibo Wednesday afternoon, police have confirmed.

Dead 6-year-old Ifeng Cao

Dead is Ifeng Cao. In a statement police said the incident occurred Wednesday afternoon. Initial enquiries revealed that at about 15:45hrs, the child sustained a chop wound to his neck during an incident involving a male Chinese national. The child was taken to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor. The male Chinese national was subsequently arrested and is presently in Police custody. Investigations are ongoing. “Further information will be provided as it becomes available,” police said in a statement.

The scene of the murder at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Minister Persaud speaking with Ifeng’s father on Thursday evening.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud, visited Cao’s family on Thursday evening.

While speaking with the family at the Ezekiel Funeral Home, Minister Persaud expressed her deepest condolences to his parents and family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. She assured them that the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security stands ready to provide the necessary support and assistance during this incredibly difficult time.

Minister Persaud was accompanied by Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Levine Gouveia.

The ministry extends heartfelt sympathy to Ifeng’s family and loved ones.

Source: Kaieteur News

By Khadidja Ba

(Kaieteur News) – After decades of carrying their grievances in quiet resilience, some Indigenous communities of Guyana’s interior have broken a long silence. In an unprecedented wave of coordinated, peaceful action, villages across Region One (Barima-Waini) and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) took to their titled lands and riverbanks in a display of collective resolve not seen in generations. From the dense forests of Chinese Landing and Tassawini to the riverine settlements of Kangaruma, Phillipai, Kamarang, Warawatta, Kako, and Isseneru, residents stood united to demand an immediate end to systemic neglect, environmental destruction, and unconsulted resource extraction.

Protestors in Kako

Protestors in Kamarang

For decades, remote communities faced encroaching illegal mining, environmental threats, and safety failures largely in isolation. That isolation dissolved on Wednesday as communities separated by vast distances joined in a single, organised movement. In Kangaruma, Region Seven, the atmosphere was solemn as Toshao of Kangaruma Raphael Joseph stood alongside his village council and residents to voice the core issues driving the national mobilisation.

“I stand firm today as a Toshao of Kangaruma Village, with my village council and my people, in a peaceful protest,” the Toshao declared. “We are not making noise- we are making a cry for justice. We march for four wounds that have not healed: We remember our daughters of the Mahdia dorms fire, we demand justice for the MV Barima, we stand with Chinese Landing, and we say no to uranium on our traditional lands. We are peaceful, but we are firm. We are the guardians of these forests. For generations we protect them. We will not be silent while our children burn in locked dorms, drown in old boats, and lose their lands to mining.”

Protestors in Kangaruma

The wave of demonstrations highlighted a unified front against ongoing environmental degradation and unapproved industrial projects. In Phillipai, located in the Upper Mazaruni, demonstrators gathered along the waterways under the banner “Water is life to us—no contamination,” urging an immediate halt to illegal mining activities threatening local rivers. Demonstrators insisted that the government strictly honor free, prior, and informed consent, demanding “Speak to us first” before any prospective uranium exploration or mining concessions are considered on traditional lands. Furthermore, Phillipai residents called for the protection of their 1959 boundaries, an end to new mining concessions, and full support to “Free Chinese Landing Village.”

Protestors in Isseneru

Joining the protest, residents of Isseneru mobilised to voice their own demands, calling specifically for the salvaging of the MV Barima, an end to mining encroachment on their lands, and an immediate halt to uranium exploration. Across Chinese Landing and Tassawini in Region One, residents led protests calling for urgent intervention against illegal mining in Jawalla, Isseneru, and their own communities. Protesters delivered a stark reminder to outside interests, asserting, “For you it’s a backdam but it’s our home.” The sentiment was echoed in Kako, Region Seven, where demonstrators rallied under the principle “Our land is not a mining block,” calling for a halt to illegal mining in Jawalla, Kako, and Chinese Landing, while demanding that authorities formally recognise indigenous residents as the primary protectors of their territorial waterways.

Protestors in Chinese Landing

Protestors in Kangaruma

Beyond land and environmental rights, the coordinated movement addressed urgent infrastructure, safety, and economic crises affecting interior families. Demonstrators across all participating villages called for a faster process to salvage the sunken MV Barima vessel, demanding that authorities “float the boat now” and “free Capt. Price and crew.” Protesters also demanded direct financial relief from the government to help families cope with the skyrocketing cost of living in remote regions. In Kako, residents specifically called for immediate state intervention to subsidise high air travel costs, while in Kamarang and Warawatta, protesters demanded the urgent replacement of the decrepit DC Caesar Fox Secondary School in Waramadong with a modern facility for the region’s youth.

What marks this historic mobilisation is not merely the wide scope of demands, but the organised solidarity demonstrated across administrative regions. From the Upper Mazaruni to Barima-Waini, residents emphasised accountability across every sector, asserting that every human life has equal value. By organising simultaneously across Region One and Region Seven, these communities have fundamentally reshaped the dialogue surrounding indigenous rights, resource extraction, and rural development in Guyana. The message from the guardians of the forest remains clear, firm, and collectively united, “Fix the system, it is broken.”

Source: Kaieteur News