Category: CANA News

President of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Daniel Best, Tuesday said that corruption represents one of the most significant barriers to sustainable development

In a statement marking International Anti-Corruption Day, Best said that the region’s premier financial institution is using the occasion to renew its commitment to the principles that underpin effective development: transparency, integrity, and accountability

He quoted the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, as saying that one trillion US dollars are paid in bribes annually, while another US2.6 trillion are stolen through corruption.

‘These staggering losses drain resources that could transform lives and build prosperous societies,’ Best said, adding that for Caribbean countries operating with constrained fiscal space, substantial debt obligation.

‘Any resources lost due to corrupt practices translate directly into lost essential infrastructure, curtailed education and health services, and missed opportunities for economic advancement.’

Best said consequently, CDB views anti-corruption not as an ancillary concern but as central to fulfilling our development mandate.

‘As a development finance institution serving some of the world’s most vulnerable small island states, maintaining the highest standards of integrity is essential to securing continued access to the resources our Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) require.

‘Strong governance frameworks and robust anti-corruption mechanisms directly enable the Bank to achieve its core objectives: advancing economic growth, reducing poverty, and building sustainable, resilient societies across the region.’

Best said for the last decade, CDB’s Office of Integrity, Compliance, and Accountability has served as the institutional anchor for our governance framework, encompassing institutional integrity, ethics, accountability, and compliance.

He said through this office, the CDB has demonstrated regional leadership through sustained capacity-building initiatives for its BMCs, including training and knowledge-sharing on anti-corruption practices, compliance frameworks, and good governance standards.

This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day theme, ‘Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity’, and Best said it aligns directly with CDB’s institutional priorities and our vision for the region’s future.

‘As an institution with youth development embedded in its operational strategy, CDB recognizes that empowering the next generation requires equipping young people with the values, knowledge, and tools to champion integrity in all spheres.

‘The region’s young people bring fresh perspectives, technological fluency, and a determination to challenge outdated practices that have impeded progress. By investing in youth-led initiatives and creating platforms for young voices in governance discussions, the Bank supports the emergence of a generation that will demand and deliver higher standards of institutional integrity.’

Best said as global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) remains critically off-track, the CDB reaffirms its commitment to serving as a champion for anti-corruption and good governance.

He said effective anti-corruption systems enable institutions to operate more effectively, attract sustainable financing, and deliver development outcomes that genuinely transform lives.

‘Now, as the urgency of strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms has never been greater, the Bank will continue to work alongside governments, civil society, and especially young people to build a Caribbean where development resources fulfill their promise, where institutions operate with unwavering integrity, and where every citizen can trust that development serves the public good,’ Best added.

National Security Minister, St. Clair Leacock, says former prime minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is not entitled to the detail of six police officers and that he will only be given what he is entitled to from the state.

‘I hope by the weekend that had been trimmed because that conversation took place. He had a detail with as many as six policemen with the senior person in that detail being an inspector. He’s not entitled to that,’ Leacock said.

Gonsalves, who served as prime minister from March 2001 to November this year, said recently that he was expecting ‘usual courtesies and privileges attendant upon the former holders of this high office in St. Vincent and the Grenadines consonant with the practices of civilised nations’.

The former prime minister did not elaborate but said, ‘any derogation therefrom ‘will be brought to the attention of the national, regional and international communities for corrective action.’

Leacock, who is also deputy prime minister, told a radio programme that he understood that for a short time, a police detail of six officers had been assigned to the former prime minister.

‘Then the protocol that has to be confirmed is that if an opposition leader is functioning and you’re still active in politics, you’re still politically active, you are not entitled to that security blanket. So, he will have to make up his mind as to what degree of courtesy you will extend to him,’ Leacock said.

‘Clearly, if he’s retired to active politics, the courtesy of a security or a driver to facilitate his going about his business is in order but you can’t have it both ways. Nor must he have those securities in a way to pretend that it’s business as usual, nothing has changed.’

Leacock said that the six officers had been reduced to two.

‘And if that is not in place, then the commissioner of police will have to give an accountability as to why this large entourage.’

The National Security Minister said that he would prefer that any security detail assigned to the former prime minister not wear their uniform so as not to ‘give a sense that the police forces at work in his charge’.

He said the officers could be assigned to Gonsalves to provide any assistance that is necessary, either as driver or security, ‘but he is not going to have a party of six’.

After leaving politics, the late Sir James Mitchell, who was prime minister from 1984 to October 2000, was assigned a police driver to transport him to official functions only, and the officer drove the former prime minister’s personal vehicle.

Leacock said that Arnhim Eustace – who was prime minister from October 2000 to March 2001 and then opposition leader until November 2016 – got police assistance after he left politics in 2020 and then his health failed.

‘And a police officer was provided for him as a driver, and perhaps to the extent that they are police and you’re driver, they are intertwined. But he didn’t have two. And definitely, Dr. Friday had none.’

Godwin Friday, who is now prime minister, served as opposition leader from November 2016 to November 2025. Unlike Eustace and Gonsalves, he had not served as prime minister before becoming opposition leader.

Leacock said that the issue of security for Gonsalves is under investigation, and the government was awaiting a cabinet record that says that there should be a specific entitlement.

‘We are not so convinced, and therefore, to the extent that that cannot be provided, we will do the right thing,’ Leacock said.

Police have arrested a 55-year-old man on his return to Trinidad and Tobago for multiple firearm and ammunition offences stemming from incidents dating back to December 2023.

Police said that the suspect, who resides in both Texas in the United States and Sangre Grande, the largest town in northeastern Trinidad came to their attention following a domestic dispute report in December 2023.

They said during a search of his residence, officers discovered one Glock 26 pistol and 110 rounds of ammunition, which were reportedly acquired in Florida. On the same day, the accused departed Trinidad for Texas with his wife.

But police said that on December 1, this year, officers received information that the accused had returned to the country and that they proceeded to his Sangre Grande residence, where a search was conducted in his presence.

‘During the search, officers found 75 rounds of 12-gauge cartridges. Checks revealed that the accused was not the holder of a Firearm User’s Licence and was therefore in illegal possession of the ammunition. The items were seized, and he was arrested,’ the police statement said.

The police said that he has been charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition dating back to 2023 and a current charge of possession ammunition

The police said that the accused is due to appear in a magistrate court this week.

Grenada has opened an honorary consulate in Guyana as the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states seek to further deepen their relations in a wide range of areas ranging from tourism to agriculture.

President Irfaan Ali, speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday night, said Georgetown has proposed linking its tourism offerings with the spice island of Grenada, which will increase visitor numbers, revenue, and make the Caribbean a more connected and varied tourism region.

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, and his Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Joseph Andall, attended the opening ceremony of the consulate, with Mitchell recognising Guyana as a strong and reliable regional leader.

Praising Guyana for its ‘rock hard’ support in the aftermath of last year’s hurricane, Prime Minister Mitchell said that his government decided to establish a consulate in Guyana because of the beneficial relationship between the two countries.

‘All too often, we spend enormous amounts of money establishing embassies and consulates all over the world, often times with countries that have little in common with us or don’t come to our assistance, don’t come to our aid, that doesn’t have the partnership that we need and we ignore our very backyard.

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell (left) and President Irfaan Ali of Guyana unveiling the new Grenada consulate in Georgetown. Looking on his Grenada’s Honorary Consul,Dr Komal Singh.

‘And so, I am indeed honoured that we have taken far more concrete and deliberate steps to ensure that we foster closer diplomatic, political and economic ties on a bilateral level with Guyana,’ Mitchell said, urging those present, including foreign diplomats and business executives, to champion the immense opportunities for economic partnership led by Guyana.

Mitchell said that he and President Ali have already begun discussions on several areas of cooperation and integration.

President Ali singled out tourism as one of the most promising areas for deeper collaboration, noting that the relationship between the two countries holds immense untapped potential.

He said while the two countries offer two distinctive tourism products ‘these products are different enough to complement rather than compete with each other.

‘Grenada is globally recognised for its beaches, marine attractions, yachting sector, and spice-infused cultural charm that has earned it the nickname the Spice Isle,’ President Ali said.

‘Guyana, by contrast, offers a world-class eco-tourism product, rainforests, waterfalls, wildlife, river-based adventures. Together, these differences can become a powerful asset. we can create multi-destination packages that bring greater value to travellers and enhance regional competitiveness,’ Ali said.

But he acknowledged that for such integration to be successful, more must be done to expand air connectivity, and Guyana, he said, will chart this course.

President Ali spoke of the role of the Consulate as a communication channel, business facilitator and tourism advocate, enphasising that it is ‘opening a door’ to a future of expanded cooperation, built on people-to-people bonds between Guyana and Grenada.

Addressing the Grenadian prime minister, President Ali said, ‘we are investing heavily in regional food security, in every aspect of regional security.

‘And we hope that in the first quarter of next year, our two sides can sit down and sign an elaborate bilateral agreement where Guyana can be an important and your most trusted partner in supplying quality, consistent food at consistent prices ,’ President Ali added.

Ali said he was also proposing a joint investment in rebuilding and modernising Grenada’s spice industry, including processing and packaging capacity to serve regional and global markets.

Grenada has appointed Dr Komal Singh, a well-known Guyanese businessman as the Honorary Consul.

He told the ceremony that he hopes to stimulate greater interest among Grenadians about opportunities in Guyana.

‘My goal is to ensure that Grenadians are more aware and are more involved in these opportunities whether in business, investment, education or cultural exchange. This office will serve as a bridge, a place where connections are made, support is given and the initiatives are built that benefit both Grenada and Guyana,’ he said.

Singh, a former chairman of the Private Sector Commission, had personally travelled to Grenada as part of Guyana’s relief efforts following damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Grenada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development hoped that the consulate would pave the way for ‘more deliberate steps’ to be taken to extend trade relations between Guyana and Grenada as well as the rest of CARICOM.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, December 9 ,2025

PORT AU Prince -The Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) says it hopes that next year’s elections in Haiti will be ‘democratic, inclusive and transparent’ and begin the process of healing in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

GEORGETOWN – Grenada has opened an honorary consulate in Guyana as the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states seek to further deepen their relations ina wide range of areas ranging from tourism to agriculture.

WASHINGTON -The Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Mission (OEM) says on the night of tne elections in St. Lucia on December1, the transmission process did not work precisely as anticipated with results ‘bypassing the verification stage in some instances’.

ST. JOHN’S – Embattled Housing and Works Minister, Maria Browne, has defended her role in the so-called ‘vehicle-gate’ scandal inissiting that it was her actions that brought the issue to the public attention.

KINGSTON – A junior government minister has filed a lawsuit against the Integrity Commission (IC) seeking multiple declarations including a recommendation that he be charged for breaching a section of the Integrity Commission Act.

SPORTS:

WELLINGTON – West Indies Test captain, Roston Chase is of the view that his side is heading into the second Test against New Zealand ‘on top’ after their heroics in last week’s drawn opening Test at Christchurch.

The main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) Tuesday said it had rejected the resignation of its leader, Allen Chastanet, saying he will continue to remain in the position ‘until the upcoming convention’.

In a statement, UWP public relations officer, Leonard Spider Montoute, said that the party had convened a meeting of the National Council, its highest decision making body on Monday ‘ to discuss recent political developments, including the resignation submitted’ by Chastanet.

Allen Chastanet and his wife show off their voting finger after casting their ballot in the December 1 general election.

‘After thorough deliberation, the body reached a clear and unanimous decision not to accept the resignation at this time. Allen Chastanet will therefore continue to serve as party leader until the upcoming convention.’

Chastanet had tendered his resignation less than a week after he led the party to a second consecutive defeat in general elections here on December 1.

Chastanet, 65, a former prime minister was the only candidate from the UWP to have won a seat in the elections, which was won by the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) headed by Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, who is expected to be sworn into office later on Friday.

The SLP won 14 of the 17 seats in the Parliament, while the two ‘independents’, Stephenson King, a former prime minister and Richard Frederick, both of whom served in the last Pierre administration regained their seats.

In the 2021 general election, the UWP under Chastanet won two seats.

In its brief statement on Tuesday, the UWP said that it ‘remains committed to serving the public interest, strengthening our organization and working constructively toward our shared goals.

‘We thank our members, supporters and the public for their continued trust,’ it added.

President Irfaan Ali Tuesday lauded the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for its ‘historic achievements’ this year, including achieving a 61.7 per cent crime clearance rate and reducing serious crimes by 25.2 per cent.

‘These numbers matter because they represent people, families who feel safer, communities that are more secure, and a country that is stronger,’ Ali said as he delivered the feature address at the GPF’s traditional Christmas breakfast.

President Irfaan Ali addressing members of the Guyana Police Force at their Christmas breakfast on Tuesday

Ali said the achievements reflect discipline, accountability, and a deep commitment to public safety, commending also the GPF’s initiative to establish five new real-time command centres and the deployment of 120 new patrol vehicles countrywide.

But he reminded the police that while Christmas is a time of togetherness for most Guyanese, it demands even greater sacrifice from law enforcement officers.

‘You give of yourselves every day, sacrificing time with loved ones, enduring harsh conditions, and facing risks most cannot imagine. In doing so, you live the true spirit of Christmas: selflessness, compassion, and commitment to others,’ he said, reaffirm his government’s dedication to improving the quality of life and long-term prospects for all police ranks.

‘Security is the most critical component of building prosperity and achieving human development. Your work is strategically woven into our digitisation, education, and justice reforms.’

Late last month, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum and Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken reported that Guyana had recorded its lowest serious crime figures in a decade.

They said there were 801 reported serious crimes in 2025, which is 269 fewer incidents than the 1,070 recorded in 2024.

The 2025 figures represent the lowest serious crime levels in 10 years and the GPF said it achieved a 61.7 per cent clear-up rate for crimes this year, which Commissioner Hicken highlighted as a reflection of proactive and intelligence-led policing.

The police said they had removed 100 illegal firearms from the streets so far in 2025. But despite the overall positive trend, Blanhum noted that the country’s murder rate remains a concern, noting that domestic murders doubled in 2025 compared to last year, when 13 cases were reported.

A junior government minister has filed a lawsuit against the Integrity Commission (IC) seeking multiple declarations including a recommendation that he be charged for breaching a section of the Integrity Commission Act.

In addition, the State Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Zavia Mayne, is asking the Supreme Court to provide damages for breach of privacy, including stigma damages, negligent investigation, aggravated and vindicatory damages, and legal costs.

In his lawsuit filed on Monday, Mayne is targeting the IC and three of its senior directors: Craig Beresford, Roneiph Lawrence and Kevon Stephenson.

The application for judicial review follows an investigation report tabled in the House of Representatives last week, recommending that Mayne be charged for allegedly failing, without reasonable cause, to disclose financial information related to companies with which he is associated.

But Mayne is asking the Supreme Court to quash both the July 14, 2025 investigation report and the ruling of the director of corruption prosecution that he should be charged under Section 43(1)(b) of the Integrity Commission Act.

He also argues that the IC breached his right to privacy by releasing details about its investigation, including personal information and the fact that his case had been, or was intended to be, referred to prosecutors.

Mayne further claims that the IC acted in breach of natural justice by making adverse recommendations without giving him an opportunity to be heard, as required by common law and Section 16(2) of the Charter.

The IC had launched a probe to determine whether Mayne ,who is also an attorney, failed to submit information required to support his statutory declarations covering 2018 to 2022. Under the IC Act, public officials must supply additional information requested by the DoIC for verification of their declarations.

If convicted in the parish court, Mayne could face a fine of up to J$500,000 (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) or imprisonment for up to six months.

President pro tempore and Coordinator of the Transition Council, Laurent Saint-Cyr, has welcomed the latest batch of Kenyan troops who will reinforce the Gang Repression Force (FRG) in Haiti.

The fifth contingent of 230 specialized police officers was welcomed on the tarmac of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, and accompanied by Kenya’s Deputy National Security Advisor, Joseph Boinett, and Principal Deputy Inspector General James Kamau.

The latest batch of Kenyan troops arrive in Haiti on Monday

The GSF leadership, headed by Commander Godfrey Otunge; the Commander of the Armed Forces of Haiti, Lieutenant General Derby Guerrier; the Acting Director General of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Vladimir Paraison; members of the High Command; and members of the diplomatic corps, including Ambassadors André François Giroux (Canada) and Antoine Michon (France) and the Kenyan Consul General in Haiti, Noor Gabow were also present to greet the troops on their arrival on Monday.

The GSF, whichw as approved by the United Nations Security Council last September, is expected to eventually reach a force of 5,500 police and military personnel. The new force aims to dismantle gangs, secure humanitarian access, and build Haitian capacity, with a mandate for arrests and intelligence-led operations, signaling renewed international commitment to stabilising the country, where criminal gangs have been seeking to overthrow the interim government since the July 7, 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

The arrival of the new troops from Kenya coincided with the departure of 100 Kenyan police officers, at the end of their mission and President Saint-Cyr commended the departing officers for their service, assuring the remaining troops of harmonious collaboration between the Haitian authorities, the Armed Forces of Haiti and the PNH.

The GSF Commander also sought to assure that the Gang Supression Force will work in Haiti’s best interests, adding that they had learned from the experience of the MSS to make the new force more effective.

For his part, Boinett, conveyed the greetings of Kenyan President William Ruto to the Haitian leaders and people, reaffirming that ‘Kenya will stand with the Haitian people to guarantee peace and stability during this transitional phase’.

As the new troops joined their counterparts from Guatemala, El Salvador, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, Commander Otunge welcomed them to their missions, emphasising that their arrival comes at a critical time, following the expansion of the GSF’s mandate.

He said they will play a vital role in strengthening, consolidating, and accelerating the progress already achieved.

West Indies reached 92 for two at lunch against New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test here at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday.

WEST INDIES 92-2 in 27 overs (John Campbell 44 not out, Brandon King 33; Blair Tickner 2-14).