https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/mabaruma-man-spurns-5m-offer-by-govt-for-six-relatives-killed-in-mv-barima-tragedy/
Mabaruma man spurns $5m offer by gov’t for six relatives killed in MV Barima tragedy
Leon Murray, who lost six members of his family in the MV Barima tragedy last July 18, says he has rejected a proposed $5 million payment from the government because he was being asked to accept the amount for the loss of all six relatives.
Murray, of Mabaruma, Region One (Barima/Waini) said he was approached by a lawyer about the payment but refused to accept it, saying he is seeking justice for his family.
“I said no, me ain’t deh pon duh cause I lost nuff family. I said no and just walked out. I am not doing that; I am looking for justice,” Murray expressed.
Just last week, the family of MV Barima chief engineer Paul Seepersad, from Berbice, had also been presented with a document and was reportedly asked to sign it in connection with compensation, but the Seepersad family was concerned that signing the document could absolve the Government of responsibility and potentially affect the family’s ability to pursue legal action or additional claims. The family has said it will not sign away its rights.
Lawyers and others involved in assisting affected families have cautioned relatives against signing settlement or release documents without first obtaining independent legal advice.
Meanwhile, families have also expressed concerns that the government’s promised long-term assistance has not reached them consistently. Diane Cort, whose husband Neil Cort remains missing, said even a social worker who had previously visited her home had not returned.
These concerns have also drawn comparisons with the 2023 Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire, where families of children who died have subsequently challenged settlement arrangements in court.
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed made that comparison while speaking about Murray’s experience in a video on his Facebook page yesterday.
He alleged that Indigenous families affected by the Mahdia tragedy were pressured into signing documents accepting $5 million for each child who died. Those claims are however disputed by the State, which has maintained in the Mahdia litigation that the families were not compelled to accept the agreements.
Mohamed described the reported offer to Murray as “cruel” and questioned how $5 million could be offered for the loss of six members of one family.
He also criticised the continued delay in salvaging the vessel.
The MV Barima sank off Guyana’s north-western coast while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Seventy-three people have been confirmed dead, while 76 survived. Around 30 people remained unaccounted for after the active search and recovery operation ended.
The tragedy has generated continuing demands from families for answers, compensation, long-term assistance and the recovery of the vessel.
The Government has established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking, including the causes of the disaster, possible failures, compliance with maritime safety requirements and issues of accountability. The delayed proceedings of the COI have also drawn criticism from family members and the public.
The wreck remains submerged as the Government pursues a process to secure a contractor to salvage it. Relatives of missing passengers have repeatedly called for the vessel to be brought up although no updates on the salvaging have been forthcoming from the government.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Citizenship reform should be fair and grounded in Guyana’s needs
https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/citizenship-reform-should-be-fair-and-grounded-in-guyanas-needs/
Citizenship reform should be fair and grounded in Guyana’s needs
Dear Editor,
Attorney General Hon. Anil Nandlall deserves credit for initiating a review of Guyana’s citizenship and immigration laws. His call for stronger checks and greater scrutiny is commendable and timely. Citizenship carries force, lasting rights and responsibilities, and Guyana must not be reluctant to assert its sovereignty over this issue, and set the standards by which it is granted.
I urge the Attorney General to publish proposals that require five continuous years of lawful residence before a discretionary grant of citizenship by naturalisation, verified through reliable immigration records. Applicants should demonstrate good character and lawful conduct, provide proof that they have filed returns and paid taxes where legally required, and show a practical ability to communicate in English, with accessible instruction and reasonable exceptions. Decisions should follow published criteria, individual assessment and a fair process, similar to US standards.
The review must address the law as it stands. Guyana already imposes residence and good-character requirements for naturalisation; the Citizenship Act provides for five years of residence in aggregate within an earlier seven-year period, followed by twelve months of residence immediately before application, while allowing ministerial exceptions. Citizenship by birth, descent and marriage follows distinct legal rules, including constitutional protections. Mr. Nandlall is the most learned functionary to identify which changes Parliament can make by ordinary law and which would require constitutional reform.
Guyana also needs a separate, transparent skilled-worker programme. Employers should identify genuine shortages, advertise opportunities to Guyanese first, verify foreign qualifications and employment terms, and meet tax and labour obligations. Recruitment can reach the Caribbean, Suriname, Brazil, India and other countries, not only Venezuela. Proven skills should be central to a targeted work-permit programme; they should not become a blanket test that excludes spouses or other people who qualify for citizenship under different laws. Guyana’s employment-permit process already calls for documents including credentials, a vacancy advertisement and tax-compliance information.
Our country has every right to manage migration responsibly, protect its labour market and plan for the demands on housing, schools and public services. It should publish reliable figures on arrivals, permits, naturalisations and workforce needs. Venezuela’s territorial claim must be opposed firmly, and Venezuelan individuals should be judged by the same lawful standards as everyone else, not held responsible for their government’s actions.
Our nation must, nevertheless, be careful not to allow the proverbial Venezuelan Trojan horse to manifest itself, and avoid running the risk of an overrun by allowing a disproportionate number of Venezuelans to plant roots in Guyana.
I commend Attorney General Nandlall for opening this review. Mr. Nandlall, let its result be a clear, enforceable and fair framework that safeguards Guyanese citizenship while welcoming the people and skills Guyana genuinely needs.
Yours faithfully,
Hon. Albert Baldeo
Community Leader and Judicial Delegate, LITTLE GUYANA, New York;
President, Guyana Beyond Borders; Fmr. Magistrate, Senior State Counsel, Police Legal Advisor, Guyana
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Prosecution witness pleads guilty to manslaughter in Henry cousins case
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/prosecution-witness-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-in-henry-cousins-case/
Prosecution witness pleads guilty to manslaughter in Henry cousins case
Akash Singh, whose testimony was central to the prosecution’s case against the two men convicted of murdering cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry, yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter at the Berbice Assizes.
Singh, of Zeelugt Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo, denied the murder charges when he appeared before Justice Gino Persaud but admitted the lesser offences. Sentencing was adjourned to November 25.
Vinod Gopaul and Anil Sancharra were found guilty of the cousins’ murders in June and sentenced the following month to life imprisonment. They must each serve 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. Singh was the prosecution’s principal witness at their trial.
Joel Henry, 18, and Isaiah Henry, 16, of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice, left home on September 5, 2020, for the backlands. Their mutilated bodies were found the following day. The killings sparked protests and unrest along the West Coast Berbice.
State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards told the court that Singh was at a marijuana camp in the Cotton Tree backdam with Gopaul and Sancharra when he awoke to the sound of people talking. He saw the two men with boys later identified as the Henry cousins.
According to the prosecution’s account, one of the men said the marijuana farm had been sprayed, prompting the boys to laugh. One cousin was chopped when he tried to stand and the other when he attempted to flee.
Edwards said Gopaul and Sancharra threatened Singh with the same fate if he did not help them. Singh then took a cutlass and chopped one of the boys on the head. At a co-offender’s direction, he also marked an X on a victim’s head, the court heard.
After the cousins stopped moving, Singh helped tie their bodies onto horses so they could be removed from the camp, the prosecutor said. He later burned the camp and disposed of the cutlasses and clothing in a koker on the instructions of the other men.
Post-mortem examinations found that both cousins died from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple incised wounds. Edwards said Singh subsequently gave investigators an audio-video interview under caution and took them to the scene, where he recounted what had happened.
Singh was represented by attorney Horatio Edmondson. After accepting the guilty pleas, Justice Persaud requested victim impact statements, submissions on aggravating factors, and probation, prison conduct and psychiatric reports ahead of sentencing.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Guyana finish 132nd in Open, 152nd in women’s Chess Olympiad
https://kiskadeewatch.com/sports/guyana-finish-132nd-in-open-152nd-in-womens-chess-olympiad/
Guyana finish 132nd in Open, 152nd in women’s Chess Olympiad
Guyana ended the 2026 Chess Olympiad with contrasting final-round results, finishing 132nd in the Open division and 152nd in the women’s competition after play concluded on Sunday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The Open team beat Jersey 2½–1½ to close with 10 match points among 206 teams. The women lost 3–1 to The Bahamas and finished with eight match points in a field of 189.
Guyana’s Open placing was five positions above their starting rank of 137th. The women, who began ranked 146th, finished six places lower.
Sasha Shariff provided the women’s lone victory in their closing match. Playing with black on board three, the Woman Candidate Master defeated fellow Woman Candidate Master Daijah Johnson.
The Bahamas won the other three boards. Woman FIDE Master Polina Karelina defeated Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi on board one, Woman Candidate Master Nelissa Thomas overcame Kataleya Sam on board two, and Woman Candidate Master Chika Pride beat Woman Candidate Master Jessica Callender on board four.
That result prevented Guyana from following up their 3–1 victory over San Marino in the previous round. The women, under captain Georg Mohr, finished with four wins, seven defeats and 18½ board points.
Their earlier victories came against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Somalia and Mali. The 4–0 win over Mali was their biggest success, with Joshi, Sam, Ciel Clement and Callender all contributing victories.
In the Open division, Kyle Couchman and FIDE Master Anthony Drayton supplied the two wins that helped Guyana recover from a narrow penultimate-round defeat to Jamaica.
Couchman defeated Paul Carpenter with black on board two, while Drayton won with white against Gary Clark on board three. Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber drew with Candidate Master Jem Gurner on the top board, giving Guyana the additional half-point needed for victory.
Jersey’s only win came on board four, where James Auckland defeated Keron Sandiford.
The result brought captain Aleksa Strikovic’s team to five victories and six defeats, with 19½ board points. Guyana’s other wins were against New Caledonia, Macau, China, Togo and Mali.
Couchman, Drayton and Pitamber each finished with 4½ individual points. Joshi and Clement led the women’s scoring with four apiece.
At the top of the final standings, Uzbekistan claimed the Open title, with India second and Germany third. China won the women’s competition ahead of Kazakhstan and India.
The 11-round Olympiad ran from September 16 to 27.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
MV Barima accused ask court to halt murder proceedings
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/mv-barima-accused-ask-court-to-halt-murder-proceedings/
MV Barima accused ask court to halt murder proceedings
Attorneys for two of the three men charged with the murder of 73 passengers in the MV Barima disaster are asking the Charity Magistrate’s Court to stay the criminal proceedings, arguing that the prosecution amounts to an abuse of the court’s process.
Written submissions filed on Monday, by attorneys Dexter Todd, Dexter Smartt, Eden Corbin, Keona Higgins and Acacia Carroll on behalf of Captain Kevin Price and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson argue that the State proceeded with the murder charges before the marine-casualty investigation contemplated under the Shipping Act had been properly undertaken.
The defence contends that the Shipping Act provides a specialised statutory framework for investigating the loss of a vessel and loss of life arising from a maritime accident, including powers to examine the vessel, its machinery and equipment and to determine issues such as serious negligence and compliance with statutory duties.
According to the submissions, the MV Barima disaster falls squarely within that framework.
The attorneys argue that issues central to the murder case including what caused the vessel to capsize, its condition and seaworthiness, its loading, navigation, safety requirements and the acts or omissions that contributed to the deaths are precisely the matters contemplated by the specialised marine-casualty investigation process.
They contend that requiring the accused to defend murder allegations while those underlying circumstances remain under investigation creates a risk of premature attribution of responsibility, conflicting findings and prejudice to the defence.
The defence is also pointing to the Commission of Inquiry established into the disaster, arguing that the criminal proceedings and the inquiry create overlapping investigative processes dealing with substantially the same factual circumstances.
“The defendants ought not to be required to navigate two parallel statutory processes concerning the same factual subject matter,” the attorneys submitted.
The defence, however, expressly acknowledges that the Director of Public Prosecutions has constitutional authority to institute criminal proceedings and says it is not asking the court to determine the accused men’s guilt or innocence.
Instead, the attorneys are asking Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir to stay the proceedings until the appropriate investigative mechanism is clarified and the outstanding maritime investigative issues are resolved.
The application follows a preliminary challenge raised by counsel at the September 14 court hearing. Magistrate Mohabir had directed the defence to file its written submissions by September 28, with the prosecution to respond by October 12.
The magistrate has indicated that he intends to rule on the application on October 19.
The defence submissions also state that the prosecution confirmed on September 7 that full disclosure had been made to the defence. The attorneys were given seven days to indicate whether statements would be filed, with any such statements due within 45 days, by October 19.
The paper committal proceedings are scheduled to commence on November 16.
Price, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts and Granderson were each charged with 73 counts of murder following the July 18 sinking of the MV Barima while the vessel was travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.
The charges were instituted following advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions after its review of the police investigation.
The defence’s application does not seek to terminate the prosecution, but rather to pause the proceedings pending what it describes as the “proper resolution” of the investigative issues arising from the disaster.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Discussion