Category: CANA News

Police say the body of a 46-year-old fire officer, who had been abducted from his home last weekend, had been found off the Arima to Blanchisseuse Road, east of here on Tuesday.

Bruce Lezama

They said that Bruce Lezama had not reported for work on December 27 and was last seen on Christmas Day.

Police said CCTV footage showed two men entering Lezama’s yard, assaulting him, tying him up, placing a hood over his head, and forcing him into his car before driving off. His vehicle was later found abandoned and TT$2,500 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) had been withdrawn from his bank account.

His body was found at the three-mile mark by his colleagues who organised a search team overnight.

The Suriname government has declared Friday as a day of national mourning following the tragic incident that occurred on Sunday in the Commewijne district where a 42 year-old man killed nine people, including four of his own children.

The man, Dennis Aroma, later committed suicide, while in police custody.

In a statement, the Ministry of the Interior said that Friday is intended to express sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims, their bereaved relatives, and Surinamese society as a whole.

It said that flags on all public government buildings, as well as on vessels flying the Surinamese flag, will be flown at half-mast from 6:00 am (local time) to sunset and that businesses and citizens are urged to observe the day of mourning.

The government said that all radio and television stations are being asked to adapt their programming for that day to reflect the sober and respectful atmosphere that befits a day of national mourning.

Police said that Aroma was found hanging in his cell on Monday morning after he had been discharged from the Academic Hospital Paramaribo (AZP) on Sunday evening and transferred to the cell house at the Centrum police station, where he was placed in an observation cell as a precaution.

They said the 42-year-old man had been shot by law enforcement officials who had gone to the Commewijne district located on the right bank of the Suriname River, on Sunday after receiving reports of the murders.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect was a mentally disturbed person, who had had been arguing over the phone with his wife, who he had been separated from. The conflict centered on picking up the children after the woman reportedly indicated that she did not want to come to the address herself and would send someone else to pick them up.

After this conversation, the suspect became completely distraught, allegedly attacked 11 people with a knife killing nine victims, including his own children. Neighbours who came to help were also stabbed. Two of the victims, including the man’s eldest daughter, have since been hospitalised with stab wounds.

Meanwhile, psychologist Headly Binderhagel, says Aroma’s death is not an isolated incident, but a warning sign pointing to fundamental shortcomings in oversight, decision-making, and accountability within the judicial system.

‘A suspect in police custody cannot leave, cannot seek help, and has no control over their environment. That’s precisely why the government has a responsibility to actively protect that person’s life, regardless of the severity of the crime,’ says Binderhagel.

He said the fact that the suspect sustained gunshot wounds during his arrest makes the case even more serious and that the man was not only a detainee, but also a patient. Medical treatment alone is insufficient in such a situation.

Binderhagel rejects the idea that suicide in custody is inevitable, saying ‘a suicide in a police cell is not fate. It’s a warning sign that cannot be ignored.

‘This isn’t a matter of pitying a perpetrator, but of remaining true to the core of the rule of law,” he said, adding ‘anyone who dismisses this incident as a tragic detail misses the point: not only a life was lost here, but also a piece of constitutional credibility.that cannot be restored with silence, but only with openness, responsibility, investigation, and reform’.

If the Kieron Pollard-led MI Emirates are to advance to the final of the International League T20, they will have to do so through a second Qualifier, after they were thoroughly dispatched by 45 runs by the Desert Vipers in the first Qualifier here on Tuesday.

Led by a sensational batting display by Andries Gous, the Vipers posted a mammoth 233 for one in their 20 overs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, after being sent in to bat.

Despite a promising start, the Emirates never really posed a serious threat and were eventually restricted to 188 for seven.

Gous’ unbeaten 120 off just 58 balls was the highest ever score in the ILT20. During his 98-minute knock, Gous lashed nine sixes and seven fours in a memorable performance.

Romario Shepherd made 39 not out off 23 balls for the MI Emirates in their loss to the Desert Vipers

He shared a match-winning opening partnership of 157 in 16

He shared a match-winning opening partnership of 157 in 16 overs with Fakhar Zaman, who made 69 off 50 balls.

And once Zaman was dismissed, captain Sam Curran belted a boundary-laden 38 off 12 deliveries, with four sixes and two fours, to propel the Vipers to their eventual total.

Needing a solid start, the Emirates lost Andre Fletcher for just four, before a partnership of 81 between Muhammad Waseem, who made 41 and Tom Banton, who scored 63, carried them to 108 for one in the 11th over.

But the Emirates would lose five wickets for just 27 runs to slump to 135 for six in the 16th over to end any chances they had of reaching their target.

Pollard made just 15, while Romario Shepherd cracked an unbeaten 39 off 23 balls in a losing effort.

For the Desert Vipers, Usman Tariq grabbed 3-33, while David Payne took 2-52.

The attorney for the former chief executive officer of the failed investment firm, Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), Zachary Harding, is calling on all parties ‘to allow the justice system to function based on facts, rather than unverified assertions and assumptions’.

In a statement issued on his behalf on Monday night, King Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, said her client on December 27, ‘voluntarily attended the offices of the Financial Investigations Division (FID)’ and that since the issues at SSL first came to light in 2023, ‘Harding communicated with the police through his attorney, assuring them of his availability and willingness to assist with any investigations’.

Samuels-Brown said that his attendance at the FID last weekend ‘was in keeping with that position, as he has always acted in compliance with the law and with the highest level of integrity’.

The attorney said that despite certain media reports, ‘Harding was not arrested in any ‘pre-dawn raid’ and that the proceedings and question and answer session mark the first time in three years that her client has been interviewed by any investigative body.

Samuels-Brown said that in light of recent developments, both Harding and herself want to clarify several critical points, noting that ‘based on the questioning and information provided by investigators, there was no allegation that Mr. Harding was the beneficiary of, or involved in any way with any misappropriation of funds or theft of money from Usain Bolt’s account or that of any other SSL clients’ accounts’.

The statement said that official records from the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) will confirm that during his tenure, Harding prioritised legal and regulatory compliance.

‘He maintained open communication with regulators, adhered to their directives, and acted under the guidance of reputable legal counsel and independent external auditors. He proactively engaged the FSC, implemented clear corrective plans, and worked under their ongoing oversight to address long-standing issues that existed before Mr. Harding’s involvement with SSL.

‘As these matters are now before the court, we will not comment further on any specific evidentiary details and await the dispensation of justice through the courts,’ the statement said, adding ‘in the interim, we strongly caution against the continuation of spreading misinformation.

‘This in no way helps in achieving fair resolution and justice. We urge all parties to allow the justice system to function based on facts, rather than unverified assertions and assumptions,’ the statement added.

Harding, along with SSL founding director Hugh Croskery, and Croskery’s daughter, Sarah Meany, were last Saturday charged with breaching key laws governing the financial sector, the FID reported.

The SSL fraud saga first came to light in January 2023 and since then former SSL employee Jean-Ann Panton has been slapped with multiple offences. In December 2023, the FID submitted a case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, signalling the possibility of additional charges, though officials later noted that outstanding issues had affected the assessment of the file.

Welljen Limited, a company owned by sports legend Usain Bolt, is among more than 200 clients affected by the firm’s collapse, according to law enforcement sources.

Chief Justice Navindra Singh is expected to deliver a ruling on Monday, January 5, next year, as to whether or not the extradition hearing involving the leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed should continue before a local magistrate.

Lawyers for the Mohameds are seeking an order to temporarily halt an extradition hearing in the magistrates’ court pending the outcome of a constitutional challenge to the Fugitive Offenders Act.

If the Chief Justice rules against them, the matter is expected to continue before Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman on January 6 and 8 next year.

Attorney Siand Dhurjon , who is one of the lawyers for the Mohameds presented their arguments on Tuesday morning, while Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall delivered his arguments in the afternoon.

According to an affidavit, filed on December 29, 2025, in answer to the notice of application for the High Court to hear the challenge to the Fugitive Offenders Act, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards said ‘these proceedings are an abuse of the process, as the Fugitive Offenders Act provides an adequate regime of due process to which the applicants are entitled, if aggrieved by the ultimate decision of the Learned Magistrate’.

She said that ‘public interest and the legislative intent dictate that extradition proceedings be concluded with due expedition’.

The United States government had on October 30, this year, requested the extradition of the 73 year-old businessman and his 38 year-old son on multiple charges in the United States that were unsealed on October 6, 2025, by a Southern District of Florida Grand Jury.

The indictment includes wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and customs-related violations connected to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.

The indictment alleges that between 2017 and June 2024, the accused conspired to defraud the Guyana government by evading export taxes and royalties on over 10 000 kilogrammes of gold, using falsified customs declarations and re-used export seals to disguise unpaid duties. The indictment further references the attempted shipment of US$5.3 million in undeclared gold seized at Miami International Airport, and the alleged under-invoicing of a luxury vehicle valued at over US$680 000.

The Mohameds’ challenge to the Fugitive Offenders Act followed a decision not to transfer those of similar grounds to the High Court on the grounds that they were ‘frivolous and vexatious’.

The magistrate then set January 6 and 8, 2026 for a hearing on whether the Mohameds should be extradited to the United States to face trial in a Florida federal court.

The High Court is being asked to order that several sections of the Fugitive Offenders Act individually and collectively breach the principles of the separation of powers doctrine and the rule of law.

Further, the Mohameds, through their lawyer, Roysdale Forde, are also arguing that those provisions of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 2009 infringe the constitutional principles that regulate the independence of the judiciary pursuant to Article 122A of the Constitution of Guyana, their rights to liberty as guaranteed by Article 139 of the Constitution of Guyana, due process of law as guaranteed by Article 139 of Guyana’s Constitution and that the courts are not to rely upon those amending provisions when dealing with the applicants extradition.

The Mohameds have filed separate proceedings challenging Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond’s issuance of an Authority To Proceed (ATP) with hearing the extradition request.

Speaking with reporters following the court proceedings, Nandlall described the challenge brought by the Mohameds as nothing more than a delaying tactic.

‘In my view, no serious issues have been raised.we got to go through the arguments though [but] I believe this is part and parcel of the expressed intent of one of the applications, Azruddin Mohamed, to delay this matter.I don’t think that they will succeed.

‘Extradition law is quite settled; it’s a straightforward area of law now. There are complicated extradition cases. This is certainly not one of them,’ Nandlall told reporters.

He said that the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act provides mechanisms through which the magistrate’s ruling in extradition cases can be appealed.

‘The law itself, that is to say, the Fugitive Offenders Act, which governs extradition in Guyana, has in it, a very elaborate and comprehensive system by which a person who is aggrieved by a decision in the extradition proceedings can challenge that decision.

‘So, after the magistrate rules, for example, there is a right to challenge the magistrate’s decision in the High Court and then there’s a right to appeal that decision to the Court of Appeal and every time the challenge is made, the law says, that proceedings are stayed until those challenges are heard and determined.

‘The point that I’m making is that the extradition law itself, the Fugitive Offenders Act, has in it, built-in mechanism, that provides a comprehensive regime of safeguards and due process for persons who are affected by extradition proceedings. And there is no need therefore, for these collateral excursions and challenges to be filed in the High Court and elsewhere. They are intended, I think, to delay and hopefully they will not succeed,’ he added.

National Security Minister, Wayne Munroe, says while he is pleased with a 30 per cent decline in the number of murders in The Bahamas so far this year, he remains dissatisfied at the level of crime in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

Munroe told the Nassau Guardian newspaper that as of December 29, the country had recorded 83 as to compared with 120 murders in 2024 attributing the decrease to measures aimed at reducing crime.

‘I’m still not satisfied with the numbers,’ he said, adding ‘there’s still too much violent crime. Bearing in mind, I’m 57, and I remember what it was like when I was a child.

‘To see it get to this over that period is what isn’t encouraging, even though the numbers are trending in the right direction. So I’ll never be happy with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 Bahamians being murdered. I could never be satisfied with that.’

In 2023, the country recorded 110 murders and with 2020 being the year with the lowest number of murders in recent years when 73 people were killed.

Observers say that the low figure was due primarily to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which was marked by months of strict lockdowns and curfew measures to combat the spread of COVID.

Munroe yesterday said the Phillip Davis government has been ‘steadfast’ with its five-pillar crime plan, which outlined initiatives in prevention, policing, prosecution, punishment and rehabilitation.

It included a focus on community policing, intervention programs, increasing policing manpower and improving technology on the force, measures to speed up the judicial process and reduce court backlogs, and the expansion of rehabilitation programs for offenders.

The National Security Minister also made reference to the continued investments for prevention, including in community centers and youth programmes as well as the legislative changes.

‘We did some work with the courts in terms of the judge alone trial, in terms of the Bail Amendment Bill that may be bearing some fruit . You would remember a lot of the persons who were murdered used to be people on bail. I think that number has fallen.’

Munroe said that anti-gang legislation that increased penalties for gang activity.

Police say a couple are assisting their investigations after a newborn baby was found in the trunk of a vehicle over the last weekend.

They said they had received a distress call of a child crying from within the trunk of a vehicle and that officers on arrival located the vehicle ‘from which the sound of a crying child could be heard.

‘Officers gained entry to the vehicle by breaking a window and discovered a newborn male infant wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a box in the trunk.

‘A 38-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man later arrived at the scene, identified themselves as the vehicle’s owners, and were confirmed to be the child’s parents. Both individuals were arrested and cautioned in connection with the offense of child cruelty,’ the police said in a statement.

They said that the infant was transported to the hospital for medical attention and that the baby, who is believed to be approximately five days old, has been admitted to the Children’s Ward Nursery for ongoing care.

The police also said that two other children at the residence, ages six and one, were placed into the care of their uncle for welfare reasons and that the mother was also transported to the hospital for medical evaluation.

The following is the CANANews Schedule for Tuesday, December 30, 2025.

PORT OF SPAIN -The Trinidad and Tobago government is exploring the possibility of regional and international partners being involved in the re-start of the state-owned oil refinery that was shut down in 2018 when the former government said the cost of upgrading the refinery would have loaded the company with an unsustainable debt burden estimated at TT$12 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) of which TT$5.780 billion is due in August 2019.

PARAMARIBO – The Suriname government has declared Friday as a day of national mourning following the tragic incident that occurred on Sunday in the Commewijne district where a 42 year-old man killed nine people, including four of his own children.

KINGSTON -The attprmey for the former chief executive officer of the failed investment firm, Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), Zachary Harding, is calling on all parties ‘to allow the justice system to function based on facts, rather than unverified assertions and assumptions’.

ST. GEORGE’S – Health authorities say there is no evidence of an ‘unusual disease outbreak’ at this time in Grenada, noting that the claims made on social media ‘do not reflect the current epidemiological situation based on routine national surveillance data’.

KINGSTOWN – Police have issued wanted bulletins for two people after a member of the British Royal Navy was left with nursing an injury to her eye and a vehicle riddled with bullets in a kidnapping attempt on Monday.

The US oil and energy giant, ExxonMobil has been granted an environmental clearance from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) for a major seismic survey off the east coast.

The EMA issued the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) to ExxonMobil Trinidad and Tobago Deepwater Ltd (ExxonMobil) for the conduct of a three-dimensional seismic survey with a total area of 8,825 square kilometres within Block TTUD-1, located off Trinidad’s east coast.

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, third from left, hands over the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) to local advisor Alex Almandoz, the in-country representative for ExxonMobil on Monday.

‘This approval marks a significant milestone, as it is the first CEC issued for activities related to the exploration for hydrocarbon resources within the ultra-deepwater marine area, and is the second CEC issued for the offshore exploration for oil and gas under the newly appointed board of directors,’ the Ministry of Planning said in a statement.

‘This approval was granted well within the EMA’s statutory timeframe, underscoring the Authority’s commitment to efficient, transparent, and timely decision-making processes,’ it added.

TTUD-1, a combination of seven blocks east of TT, spans beyond TT’s 5,128km surface area at 7,165 square km and is set to cost Exxon US$42.5 million in the first phase.

Per the block’s product-sharing contract, development cost is estimated at between US$16.4 billion and US$21.7 billion, with the potential to bring over US$21.7 billion in investment.

This was attributed to advancements in technology, which have expanded the depths of drilling capabilities with the design of drill ships, semi-submersibles and other high-pressure temperature technologies, addressing many of the issues in deep-water exploration.

ExxonMobil’s agreement covers the drilling of two exploration wells, with one well in each of the optional second and third phases of the exploration period. The company also agreed to administrative charges, minimum payment, training contributions, research and development contributions, technical assistance, equipment bonus as well as scholarships.

The CEC was handed to local advisor Alex Almandoz, the in-country representative for ExxonMobil, and Planning Minister, Kennedy Swaratsingh, told the ceremony on Monday that the ministry was focused on balancing development opportunities with environmental sustainability.

EMA’s deputy chairman Neeala Mongroo said the CEC marked an important milestone for Trinidad and Tobago as it is the first CEC granted for exploration activity in the country’s ultra-deepwater marine environment.

‘The EMA undertook a thorough, science-based and transparent assessment process, supported by inter-agency collaboration and detailed technical review. This decision reflects careful consideration of environmental protection, regulatory compliance, and national development priorities.

‘The EMA remains committed to strong oversight and ongoing monitoring to ensure that all approved activities are conducted in strict accordance with the conditions of the certificate and the laws of Trinidad and Tobago,’ she said, adding ‘advancing sustainable development while safeguarding the nation’s environment remains a central priority of the new board of directors, which is focused on improving the efficiency of regulatory processes’.

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, said while ExxonMobil’s return to Trinidad and Tobago could be part of reshaping the country’s economic future, the slow pace of project processes is costing it billions of dollars in revenue.

He told reporters that since ExxonMobil’s return, the Trinidad and Tobago government has worked with other major oil companies, paying particular attention to fast-tracking TTUD-1 development.

‘Data that came to me very early suggested that if we just take decisions faster, we can actually earn, as a country, US$120 million per year.Our ministry works across the board with 16 other state agencies and ministries for licenses for approvals, amendments, legal orders and so on, so there is an enormous amount of co-ordination that we do,’ he said.

‘One of the problems over the years that we have heard of is related to the EMA and the length of time some of these processes take. So, this morning, we are particularly pleased that we can sign a production-sharing contract in August and before the end of December, we can be here to collect our CEC.We have enormous other matters before us that will require fast pace.’

Moonilal said to encourage this, the ministry is developing an energy hub to ease logistical processes in the secto and that with Cabinet approval, the hub will include entities within and outside of the ministry.

‘This will co-ordinate the problems and complaints in real time to sort out some of the problems that we face. The energy sector has a myriad of challenges: it could be a lease operator on land waiting too long for a particular bureaucratic process to take place; it can be an international oil and gas company waiting a long time for legal matters to be sought out.for example, work permits.

‘It will shock you to know that whether you are cooking at a restaurant or you are the president of BP or Shell, you still need to line up and get your permit,’ Moonilal said, adding ‘those things take time, and that creates a problem along the way’.

The Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC), saying it supports a ‘fair and balanced’ approach to minimum wage determinations, Tuesday called for all future minimum wage adjustments to go through the Minimum Wage Board MGB).

‘Let the Board do the work it was established to do-so decisions concerning minimum wage are fair, sustainable, and truly serve the best interest of workers, employers and the national economy,’ the BEC said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector indicated its intention to increase the national minimum wage and the sectoral minimum wage for security guards by two per cent, effective January 21, 2026.

The proposed changes will move the national minimum wage from BDS$10.50 (One BDS$=US$0.50 cents) to BDS$10.71 per hour and raise the minimum for security guards from BDS$11.43 to BDS$11.66 per hour.

Labour Minister Colin Jordan said the increase is intended to ease pressure on the lowest-paid workers without destabilising businesses and that Cabinet had signalled its intention to introduce annual indexation months ago as part of the 2025 Budget framework.

He also disclosed that work is under way through the Minimum Wage Board to assess the impact of the June 2025 increase and to develop a more scientific, Barbados-specific indexation model, with Cabinet ultimately expected to consider the Board’s recommendations.

But in its statement, the BEC said that it supports a fair and balanced approach to minimum wage determinations, one that protects the welfare of workers while safeguarding the viability of businesses across the nation.

‘However, we note with concern the recent Budget announcement of predetermined minimum wage increases scheduled for 2025 and 2026. This decision, made before the Minimum Wage Board has completed its mandated review, departs from the established process of tripartite engagement and pre-empts the Board’s critical role in analysing economic data, consulting stakeholders, and subsequently presenting recommendations for any proposed minimum wage adjustments based on the evidence’.

The BEC said that the importance of respecting this process noting the MWB was created to ensure decisions are informed, inclusive and sustainable.

‘Implementing increases without comprehensive analysis risks significant economic consequences. Minimum wage changes do not occur in isolation-they create ripple effects that raise operating costs, which might put a strain on business sustainability, and, regrettably, threaten job creation – or, in severe cases, result in job losses.

‘We reaffirm our commitment to fair and equitable pay. At the same time, adjustments to the minimum wage must be approached with careful consideration, ensuring they are balanced against broader economic realities and sector-specific factors critical to sustaining growth and employment.’

The BEC said that if the minimum wage is subject to frequent, unreviewed annual increases, ‘it introduces instability and unpredictability into the market, which ultimately risks placing undue pressure on the very businesses and workers the policy is designed to support’.