https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/boy-6-fatally-chopped-at-parika/
Boy, 6, fatally chopped at Parika
A six-year-old Chinese boy was fatally attacked shortly after returning from school yesterday afternoon at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, with a male Chinese national now in Police custody.
The child, identified as Zi Feng Cao, was attacked outside his family’s business, Ocean Restaurant, at Parika.
Sources confirmed to Kiskadee Watch that Cao had just returned from school before the fatal attack and that the suspect was known to his family.
Police said that at about 15:45 hrs yesterday, the child sustained a chop wound to his neck during an incident involving the male suspect.
Cao was rushed to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor. His body was subsequently taken to Ezekiel Funeral Home.
As news of his death spread, Cao was remembered by members of the Parika community as a kind-hearted boy who was always willing to help others.
He was also remembered by members of the Hydronie Nursery School, which he attended.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Human Services met with Cao’s family following the tragedy and pledged her support to his parents as they grapple with the loss of their son.
The suspect was subsequently arrested and remains in Police custody as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Investigations are ongoing.
The Ministry of Education issued the following statement:
“Hon. Sonia Parag, Minister of Education, and the entire Ministry of Education extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences on the devastating and senseless loss of little Zi Feng Cao of Hydronie Nursery School. He was just six years old.
“Words cannot ease such profound grief, but our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt love are with his family, especially his parents, teachers, and classmates, during this unimaginably painful time.
“May his sweet, beautiful soul find eternal rest”.
On Facebook, Sonia Boodhoo wrote the following:
I don’t know what to say right now.
..imagine a little baby who comes with his mommy to do deliveries by my house got murdered today.
It’s one thing when you read the news. Another when it’s someone you know.
He always wants to see the puppies when he comes. I remind my kids sometimes to take them downstairs when they’re picking up the order.
They chat with our puppies before leaving. I always admire the way he goes with his mommy on the bike and I would think to myself, someday he would become quite a savvy businessman.
RIP little one.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Nandlall questions Courtney Abel’s reasoning on judge’s visa issue
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/nandlall-questions-courtney-abels-reasoning-on-judges-visa-issue/
Nandlall questions Courtney Abel’s reasoning on judge’s visa issue
Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC on Tuesday night questioned retired Justice Courtney Abel’s reasoning in connecting Justice Gino Persaud’s reported US visa difficulties with his judicial decisions, saying the chronology of events alone could not establish such a link.
Speaking on his weekly Issues in the News programme, Nandlall said he still lacked sufficient information from either Justice Persaud or the United States to offer an informed opinion on the matter.
He nevertheless criticised remarks attributed to Abel, a former Belize High Court judge and head of the University of Guyana’s Department of Law, at a judicial conference in Jamaica.
“For a judge, a former judge, to make such a serious finding on the chronology of events is quite spectacular,” Nandlall said.
He argued that the sequence of two events could not, without further evidence, establish that one had caused the other.
Justice Persaud was unable to board a Miami-bound flight from Guyana on September 19 after airline representatives informed him that his US visa was “under review”. He had been travelling to Jamaica for the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association annual conference. He subsequently reached the conference by another route.
In his presentation, Abel raised concerns about the implications of an unexplained foreign travel restriction on a serving judge who had delivered politically sensitive rulings.
However, he expressly acknowledged that allegations of Guyanese government involvement were unproved and that no reason for the US action had been publicly provided.
“There is chronology. There is context. There is concern. There is not yet proof. Suspicion is not evidence,” Abel had said.
He cited Persaud’s decisions in revenue proceedings involving the Mohamed family and the taxation of imported luxury vehicles, together with public criticism of aspects of those decisions by senior government figures. Abel’s concern was that unexplained restrictions could affect judicial independence, including by sending a message to other judges,
Nandlall said his position remained that he did not have enough information to explain Persaud’s visa difficulties. The previous week, he had denied that the Guyana government had played any role in the reported review.
The US Embassy has not publicly confirmed Justice Persaud’s visa status or the reason for his reported travel restriction.
Kiskadee Watch reported that Embassy Public Affairs Officer Jarrod Crockett declined to confirm or deny the account, citing the confidentiality of visa information.
Asked about the matter on September 23, US Ambassador Nicole Theriot gave a general explanation that a visa review could follow receipt of information causing US authorities to reconsider the holder’s eligibility. She said reviews took place within the US government and the embassy was not necessarily informed before a decision.
Theriot did not name Justice Persaud or confirm whether his visa was under review or had been revoked. Referring to the case reporters appeared to be asking about, she said the embassy had not been aware of the information.
Nandlall also drew attention on Tuesday night to a report on a new US visa restriction policy, questioning whether the chronological reasoning he attributed to Abel could be applied to that development.
The State Department announced measures on September 28 targeting foreign nationals and their immediate families whom it accused of undermining democratically elected governments through corruption or narco-trafficking. The announcement identified actions concerning Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and linked them to commitments under the Shield of the Americas initiative.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Arakaka miner killed; nephew in custody
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/arakaka-miner-killed-nephew-in-custody/
Arakaka miner killed; nephew in custody
A 41-year-old pork knocker died yesterday following a confrontation with his nephew at 14 Miles, Arakaka, North WestDistrict, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Morvin George, of the same area. His 26-year-old nephew is in police custody.
According to police, preliminary investigations indicate that the two were involved in an argument at about 8.40 am which escalated into a confrontation. George sustained injuries about his body and subsequently became motionless.
A doctor examined him at the scene and pronounced him dead. His body was taken to the Matthews Ridge Hospital mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Police recovered a cutlass and a piece of wood from the scene and lodged them as evidence.
Investigations are continuing.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Let a thousand Meetups bloom!
https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/let-a-thousand-meetups-bloom/
Let a thousand Meetups bloom!
Dear Editor,
All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. Everyone knows about Facebook but have you heard of Meetup? In brief, after nine eleven, a young man in New York was very impressed with how strangers came together, were there for each other and had each other’s backs – much more so than in normal day to day living. After pondering on the phenomena, he locked himself in a room with other developers and, after some weeks, Meetup was born.
Facebook connects people virtually. Meetup brings people together for fun events in the real world. There are Meetups on just about anything; dance, yoga, hiking, golf, book clubs and I suppose it can even be used for (groan!) political get-togethers. I was one of the early Meetup organizers in Canada. I ran a free Meetup social club here in Mississauga for over five years. During that period, about a thousand people were members of my club at one time or another and many attended the events. We had one event a month, ranging from brunches, lunches, dinners, walks, picnics, dances, bowling, boat cruise, dragon boating, karaoke and other activities. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so click on this link to see a gazillion photos from events my club had:
Over time, I came to see my free social club as a service. Many immigrants, isolated, shy and socially awkward people became members and thereby got a chance to interact with others. My wife attended most of the events. In a country like Guyana, Meetups can play a significant part in fostering social cohesion. On top of that, restaurants and other venues love it as it gives them business.
As an organizer, I would always check out the venue prior to the event. For example, if it was a restaurant, I would speak to the manager and select a nice table, suitable for the size of the group I intended to bring. I would make it clear that there would be separate bills. This avoided the (rare) scenario where someone left without paying their bill. That would be the restaurant’s responsibility, not the organizer’s. People are generally decent and it almost never happened.
One of the good things about being a Meetup organizer is that it does not require you to have a physical location or building. You are basically provided with a webpage which has special features, such as a RSVP system for events, group mailing to members, members rating of events etc. For those who may be interested in becoming a Meetup Organizer, here are the steps. Register on meetup.com. Opt to start your own Meetup group. Choose the name of your group. Here is a name suggestion: Georgetown Social Club. Grab that one fast! Do a write-up on your Meetup page, describing what your Meetup group is about. Set your first event, do a short write-up about it, set the number limit of guests for the event (when the limit is reached a waitlist automatically kicks in), announce the event (Meetup automatically sends out an email notifying your members), wait for RSVP’s to come in and take it from there.
Present information I have says that Meetup offers a basic Starter plan for free, which allows up to two events a month with 10 attendees each. For larger groups, organizer plans start at US $30 a month. One thing I cannot overemphasize: do not look to make money from Meetup. Do not charge an attendance fee for your events; it won’t work. Do it for the love and passion for it – or don’t do it at all. Sometimes you can negotiate a group discount with a restaurant. I never asked for a discount for myself. Always operate with the highest level of integrity.
My wish for Guyana and Guyanese worldwide? Let a thousand Meetups bloom!
Sincerely,
Sieyf Shahabuddeen
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Solomon calls for financial probes into illegal mining following INTERPOL warning
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/solomon-calls-for-financial-probes-into-illegal-mining-following-interpol-warning/
Solomon calls for financial probes into illegal mining following INTERPOL warning
APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon has called on the government to investigate the financiers behind illegal mining and publish details of its enforcement efforts, following an INTERPOL warning that criminal syndicates are moving cocaine profits into illegal gold mining.
In a statement, Solomon, APNU’s representative on natural resources, said Guyana could not continue to treat illegal mining solely as an environmental offence. Seizing dredges or gold shipments, he argued, was insufficient without investigations into those financing the operations and handling their proceeds.
“Are we policing the visible miner while the people financing the operation remain untouched?” he asked.
His comments followed remarks by INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza at the opening of the 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference in Georgetown on September 23. As reported by Kiskadee Watch, Urquiza said criminal syndicates were increasingly using illegal gold mining to move and conceal proceeds from the cocaine trade. He stressed the need to trace both illicit goods and the money behind them.
Solomon said the warning shifted attention from dredges operating in rivers to the people funding them. He contended that illegal mining was part of a wider problem involving narcotics, fuel and smuggling, with organised crime penetrating a legitimate national resource sector.
The authorities should establish who finances illegal operations, who purchases the gold and who moves the proceeds, he said. Investigations should also identify the businesses, bank accounts and intermediaries involved.
He questioned what information was being shared among the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Financial Intelligence Unit, Customs, the Guyana Revenue Authority, the police and international law enforcement agencies.
Solomon also called for the publication of figures on operations dismantled, seizures, prosecutions and financial investigations. Without these, he said, the public could not assess whether enforcement was effective.
“Without those figures, the country is left with announcements while the public remains unable to measure the effectiveness of enforcement,” he stated.
He argued that the management of Guyana’s natural resources was a national security concern as well as an economic one, and said policy must protect the environment and legitimate miners while preventing organised crime from benefiting from the country’s wealth.
Urquiza had pointed to Operation Guyana Shield as an example of the value of tracing criminal proceeds. Conducted in December 2025 by authorities in Guyana, Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname, the operation resulted in 198 arrests across the four jurisdictions, INTERPOL reported in January.
Among those detained were three men in Guyana suspected of gold smuggling and money laundering who were found carrying unprocessed gold and US$590,000 in cash. INTERPOL said the men were alleged to belong to an organised crime group. Mercury concealed in solar panels was also seized in Guyana and Suriname. Locally, the Ministry of Natural Resources has announced several recent enforcement actions.
Kiskadee Watch reported on September 29 that the GGMC had shut down a shop at Tamakay Landing in the Mazaruni Mining District after finding that it was trading gold without the required licences and approvals. According to the ministry, gold, equipment and cash were seized during the September 28 inspection, and two people were detained by police as investigations continued.
Earlier in September, the ministry reported the detention of five non-nationals following the dismantling of an illegal mining operation in the Potaro district. An expanded sweep subsequently resulted in the detention of four more non-nationals and the discovery of excavators and trucks concealed in the surrounding jungle. Dredges, generators, pumps, metal detectors and other mining equipment were also seized, Kiskadee Watch reported.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Discussion