Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, told the court Tuesday afternoon that he felt “somewhat intimidated” after a photograph of his family was posted on the Facebook page of the Opposition Leader along with derogatory comments.

Narine made the comment while continuing under cross-examination in the extradition proceedings involving Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The afternoon session has just commenced when the Special Branch head called Magistrate Latchman’s attention to the social-media post featuring members of his family, including his 11-year-old child.

Narine expressed particular concern because of his child’s age and vulnerability. He said that while the picture also included the President and was first published by him, the caption now accompanying the picture was of concern to him.

He said he was “somewhat intimidated” by the situation and indicated that his concern was linked to the potential exposure of his child on social media.

Latchman subsequently objected to the practice of posting photographs of other people, particularly children, on social media platforms.

“Especially of children and exposing people’s children’s faces on Facebook and social media,” she said, stressing that children are innocent parties who should be kept out of the matter.

The issue arose as defence attorney Roysdale Forde, SC, continued questioning Narine in the ongoing extradition case. Narine has been a central prosecution witness in the proceedings and has faced sustained cross-examination over the Special Branch’s intelligence concerning Mohamed, surveillance and the circumstances surrounding Mohamed’s arrest.

The extradition proceedings are continuing before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

The Government of Guyana wants a major airline operator to capitalise on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s forthcoming Terminal Two — making it their hub.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali highlighted this on Tuesday while addressing a global aviation safety conference hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal, Georgetown.

Furthermore, the Guyanese Head of State said he has tasked local authorities with engaging major operators, ranging from those who operate in West Africa to players in South America.

“We have to ensure that we have a major player utilising Terminal Two as a major hub,” the President said.

BHM, an international company part of the United Kingdom’s Mowlem Group, is constructing the second terminal at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The project should be completed sometime in 2027.

President Ali spoke at the joint ICAO/EASA Third Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisations and Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organisations Forum for Aviation Safety. For context, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the global standard-setting body for international civil aviation, while the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the legally binding regional regulatory agency for the European Union.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Police Force Assistant Superintendent Travis Ansel Cush, who has served in law enforcement for more than 16 years, was admitted to the Bar in Guyana to practise as an attorney on Tuesday.

The new attorney was admitted before Chief Justice Navindra Singh after taking the requisite Oath of Office. His petition was presented by attorneys Selwyn Pieters, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and Dellon Fraser.

Cush joined the Police force as a constable on May 17, 2010. He currently serves as officer-in-charge of the Administrative Section of the Tactical Services Unit at Police Headquarters in Eve Leary.

Alongside his Police career, Cush pursued studies in public management and law. He holds a Diploma in Public Management, a Bachelor of Social Science in Public Management and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Guyana. He subsequently completed professional legal training at the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas, earning the Legal Education Certificate required for admission to practise.

He was also recognised for his performance during legal training at the Presentation of Graduates Ceremony for the Class of 2026. Cush received the Council’s Prize for Most Outstanding Student in the Legal Aid Clinic and the Callenders & Co. Save The Bays Environmental Law Clinic Prize for outstanding performance and contribution to the clinic.

Cush also holds a Certificate in Advocacy and Evidence for Summary Courts Prosecutors.

His admission to the Bar comes after years of combining police duties with academic and professional legal training. The qualification gives Cush experience in both law enforcement and legal practice as he continues to serve with the Guyana Police Force. For Cush, his progression from police constable to practicing attorney marks a new chapter of professional service and he has expressed a commitment to uphold the dignity of the legal profession and serve with integrity, professionalism and respect for the rule of law.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Statement by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

Guyana’s cricket is set to receive a major boost with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lahore Qalandars of the Pakistan Super League.

The Lahore Qalandars is the most successful team in PSL winning three PSL Championships (2022, 2023, and 2025).

The MoU, signed by the Owner and Team Director of the Lahore Qalandars, Mr. Sameen Rana, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson, M.P., and Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Steven Jacobs, M.P., establishes a framework for cooperation in high-performance cricket, athlete and coach development, technical exchange, and international collaboration.

Under the framework, the Guyana Cricket Board will serve as the Ministry’s principal technical partner, providing technical expertise and support in the development and implementation of cricket-related programmes and initiatives.

The collaboration will provide opportunities for player and coach exchanges, high-performance training, coaching education, talent identification, and the sharing of technical knowledge and expertise.

It also provides for the potential establishment of joint cricket camps, coaching clinics, youth development programmes, women’s cricket initiatives, and other activities aimed at strengthening cricket at all levels.

A key focus of the partnership will be the exchange of technical expertise and international best practices.

This will strengthen Guyana’s capacity to develop and sustain high-performance cricket pathways, while providing athletes and coaches with greater exposure to international standards, methodologies, and practice.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport continues to pursue strategic international partnerships that advance talent development for Guyanese athletes and coaches, strengthen the country’s sporting systems, and contribute to the continued growth and international competitiveness of Guyana’s sport.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Twenty-four-year-old Alex Bacchus of Region Three was admitted to the Bar in Guyana to practise as an attorney-at-law and will be serving in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as State Counsel.

Bacchus was admitted before Chief Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Georgetown, after taking the requisite oath. His petition was presented by Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.

Bacchus is the first attorney-at-law in his family.

He initially encountered difficulties while studying at Nations Sixth Form College, and subsequently resat the examination before enrolling at the University of Guyana.

Bacchus studied International Relations in the Faculty of Social Sciences before transferring to the Faculty of Law in 2021. He graduated in October 2024 with a Bachelor of Laws degree with Distinction. Bacchus then completed the two-year Legal Education Certificate programme at the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas. His professional training also included in-service training at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Guyana and a judicial internship at the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago.

He was awarded his Legal Education Certificate by the Council of Legal Education on September 4, 2026, clearing the final academic requirement for admission to the Bar.

Speaking during his admission, Bacchus described becoming an attorney as a responsibility to the courts, the legal profession and the wider public, saying the title must be accompanied by character, competence, integrity and service.

“I am deeply conscious that admission to the Bar is not merely a personal achievement. It is the assumption of a solemn responsibility to the Court, to the profession, to the citizens of Guyana, and to the administration of justice,” he said.

Following his admission, Bacchus will join the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as State Counsel, where he will prosecute criminal matters.

His admission marks the latest stage in a legal career that he said was shaped by perseverance and the support of his family. Bacchus has said he hopes his experience will encourage other young Guyanese not to allow an early academic setback to determine their future.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

See below the full notice issued by the Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy: 

The Commission of Inquiry into the capsizing of the M/V “BARIMA” informs the general public that all persons wishing to participate in the Inquiry may apply to the Commission for standing by contacting the Secretary of the Commission:

Mr. Javed Shaddick
Secretary 
Commission of Inquiry into the Capsizing of the M/V “BARIMA”
Arthur Chung Conference Center, 5-E ½ Orchid Drive, Liliendaal, East Coast, Demerara
[email protected]
Tel: 592-674-7473

The Commission will consider all applications and may grant standing if it is satisfied that an applicant:

• has played or may have played, a direct and significant role in relation to the subject matter of the Inquiry or has relevant evidence or information relating to the subject matter of the Inquiry;
• has a substantial, personal or direct interest in the subject-matter of the Inquiry whether as a witness, survivor, family member of a victim or otherwise;
• may be subject to explicit or significant criticism during the proceedings of the Inquiry or in the Report;
• should participate in the Inquiry as his or her participation may be helpful to the Commission in fulfilling the Terms of Reference.

See full release issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources:

The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to advise that three miners, including two non-nationals, have been detained in connection with illegal mining along the Siparuni riverbank.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s (GGMC) Enforcement Team found that machinery had been placed on the bank and a river dredge directed into it to extract minerals. The operation damaged the riverbank, and the team is assessing the extent of that damage.

The team seized the river dredge and associated equipment, including a motor vehicle. The matter has been handed over to the Guyana Police Force for further investigation.

The miner responsible for the operation will be required to account for the gold mined in the area as well as cover the reclamation costs for the damaged site.

The ministry reiterates that mining must be conducted in accordance with the required approvals and environmental safeguards. Operators will be held accountable for illegal activities and the rehabilitation of areas damaged by their operations.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

The passport application and signatures of former Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield was in focus in court on Tuesday as the trial into the 2020 General and Regional Elections continued.

The trial is being heard before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

A handwriting expert was among four new witnesses who gave evidence on Tuesday.

The expert was accepted by the court as an expert in handwriting analysis and told the court that he had examined signatures appearing on documents connected to Lowenfield, including a passport application replacement form and an affidavit relating to a lost passport.

Lowenfield’s passport application became an issue in the 2020 election fraud trial because investigators used it to obtain a verified handwriting sample for comparison against official electoral documents.

During a recorded 2020 Police interview shown in court, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield declined to answer whether he owned a Guyanese passport.

Investigators had  informed Lowenfield that they had already secured his official passport application form.

The court heard on Tuesday that the passport application signature was therefore compared with signatures appearing on other documents related to the elections.

And, the expert told the court that he found similarities in the signatures and based on his examination, formed the opinion that they were written by the same person.

The court also heard evidence concerning a March 13 declaration, where a passport application form and a police station diary bearing the signature of Carol Smith-Joseph was also reviewed.

Both Lowenfield and Smith-Joseph are defendants in the case.

The handwriting expert said he compared the signatures on those documents and concluded that they too were authored by the same person.

The expert’s testimony is expected to continue on Wednesday.

Also giving evidence was Inspector Rochelle Peters, who testified about the passport application in Lowenfield’s name and the operation of the passport system.

Peters told the court that she had previously worked at the Central Immigration and Passport Office in the data-entry section, where she served as a supervisor. In October 2020, while stationed at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, she was summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department and interviewed about Lowenfield’s application for a new passport.

Peters told the court that the application had been accepted by then Constable Primo on August 20, 2012.

She explained that on that day she had entered her fingerprint into the passport system to allow then-Constable Crandon, who was a new staff member, to operate the system.

According to Peters, the passport system could not be activated without a fingerprint being entered and did not have a password feature.

She said her fingerprint activated the system, giving Crandon access to operate it and allowing the passport application process to proceed.

Peters further explained that she had been granted the relevant access privileges by technical personnel from Canadian Bank Note, which was responsible for technical aspects of the passport system at the time.

Tuesday’s proceedings also dealt with a separate legal issue concerning forensic financial analyst Terrence Jaskaran.

The defence attorneys requested an opportunity to present legal arguments on whether Jaskaran should be recognised as an expert in accountancy, effectively asking the court to revisit an earlier ruling on the issue.

The prosecution was given seven days to respond to the arguments. The court will then determine whether the previous ruling should be revisited or allowed to remain in force.

The elections trial continues on Wednesday with several witnesses expected to return to complete their evidence.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Press Release: Guyana’s aviation sector in “take-off mode” — President Ali

His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali emphasised that Guyana’s aviation sector is in “take-off mode” as he called for standardised transit measures across airports to eliminate perceived inequalities and discrimination against passengers in security protocols.

The President made the remarks during his feature address at the opening of the 3rd ICAO/EASA Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOOs) / Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organisations (RAIOs) Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

He stated that in discussions on safety and regulation, there must also be consideration for digital advances and the use of artificial intelligence to drive the future expansion of the aviation sector. He added that while regulators are crafting policies for safer air travel, partnerships and technical collaboration must be central to the modernisation of Guyana’s aviation regulatory framework.

Additionally, President Ali said Guyana is ready for partnerships to build an internationally accredited aviation educational institution. This, he said, will train and support the next generation of aviation professionals in every aspect of aviation.

The President also announced that Guyana is ready to partner and engage in discussions with airlines that view Guyana as home to their aviation hub at Terminal Two of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

First Lady Mrs Arya Ali and Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, along with members of Cabinet, also attended the opening ceremony.

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