Category: CANA News

Prime Minister John Briceño Tuesday announced a re-shuffle of his cabinet eight months after he led his ruling People’s United Party (PUP) to a convincing victory, winning 26 of the 31 seats with the remainder going to the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).

According to the announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Foreign Trade, Culture and Immigration Minister, Francis Fonseca has been given the added portfolios of Education and Technology.

Prime Minister John Briceño

The statement said Jose Abelardo Mai, will remain as Minister of Agriculture, Food Security with the added portfolio of New Growth Industries.

Kareem Musa, who previously was the Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries will now be responsible for Immigration, Governance and Labour with the new Minister of Home Affairs and Enterprise being Henry Charles Usher, the former Public Service and Governance and NEMO Minister.

Oscar Requena, who was the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, will now assume the portfolios of Rural Transformation Local Government and Community Development, while Florencio Marin, the Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government is now the Minister of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management.

The announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister did not give any reasons for the cabinet changes, noting only that they will become effective from Monday, November 17.

The 65-year-old Briceño was re-elected as prime minister in March this year.

The Assistant Principal of the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS) in Grand Bay, south of here, died at a health center, after complaining of feeling unwell while at school.

Claudia Toussaint, who was also an assistant examiner with the Barbados-based Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), had collapsed at the school on Monday afternoon after complaining of feeling unwell.

The head of the modern language department at the school was rushed to the Grand Bay Health Center, but efforts to revive her failed, and she was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

The teacher with 23 years experience is survived by her daughter. Police say they are investigating the death.

The Grenada National Swim Team is once again atop the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), having dethroned reigning champion Antigua and Barbuda at the OECS Swimming Championships this past weekend.

Held from November 7-9 at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Centre, the competition saw Team Grenada end a five-year title drought, securing its first championship since 2019 after a hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The victory was decisive. Grenada amassed a massive total of 1,263.50 points, powered by a staggering haul of 84 medals.

Their closest rivals, St. Lucia, finished second with 1,239 points, while the former champions from Antigua and Barbuda settled for third with 1,117 points.

The rest of the field included St. Kitts and Nevis (160), Dominica (72), and Anguilla (8).

The team’s dominance extended beyond the overall title, as Grenadian swimmers captured five age-group championships. The individual champions are: Brianne De Roche (8 and Under Girls), Mateo Thomas (9-10 Boys), Kristin Gresham (13-14 Girls), Jacob Collymore (13-14 Boys), Zackary Gresham (18 and Over Males).

Adding to the medal rush, three other Grenadians secured overall third-place finishes in their age groups: Sydney Joseph (8 and Under Girls), Ethan Chu Fook (11-12 Boys), and Anaika Otway (18 and Over Females).

-Guyana has called for enhanced security cooperation, urgent climate financing, and stronger multilateral mechanisms as representatives from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries met with European Union (EU) officials as part of the IV Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) -EU Summit here.

Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips told the EU-Caribbean Leaders meeting, convened by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, that his country is committed to maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace, while emphasising that the region share a collective interest in addressing existing and emerging security threats.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips addressing EU-Caribbean Leaders meeting

He said these include threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity, issues of transnational crime, cybersecurity, and risks associated with inequality and irregular migration.

‘Just yesterday, our country buried a six-year-old girl, Soraya Bourne, innocent victim of what we believe to be a terrorist bombing at a gas station in our nation’s capital linked to migrants. It could have been much worse! But this is one too many. Guyana is now on a new level of alert to prevent a recurrence,’ Phillip told the meeting that brought together leaders of Caribbean CELAC countries to exchange views on matters of critical importance to both regions and the world at large.

He said that combating these threats requires cooperation and collaboration at multiple levels and across several fronts, which include information and intelligence sharing, capacity building, joint research, and norm-setting.

Phillips said also that the world is now much more integrated and interconnected, demanding enhanced coordinated responses.

‘The UN Charter and international law provide an essential safeguard and we must continue to advocate for and insist on this. but today’s increasingly complex environment demands a more effective multilateralism, through strengthened international cooperation and enhanced governance supported by more agile and responsive mechanisms.’

The Guyana prime minister said this becomes increasingly pervasive due to the misuse of artificial intelligence and threats posed by disinformation and misinformation.

On the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Phillips said that Hurricane Melissa has provided a stark illustration of the existential threat facing the region, emphasising that the need for critical support in enabling adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and building resilience cannot be overstated.

He reiterated that climate response is inextricably linked to the availability and accessibility of financing at scale, and to the treatment of debt caused or compounded by climate disasters.

‘The global financial system must become nimbler in mobilising short-term equity for crisis response and long-term funding for sustainable development, as proposed in the Bridgetown Initiative.’

He also urged greater political support for the application of the multidimensional vulnerability index, noting that it directly affects access to concessional financing for climate-affected states.

In his address, Prime Minister Phillips acknowledged the long history of collaboration between the EU and the Caribbean, including through facilities such as the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement and expressed Guyana’s appreciation for the cooperation both bilaterally and through regional and global frameworks, including the Global Gateway initiative.

Suriname also pledged support for deepening the CELAC-EU partnership, with the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation (BIS), Melvin Bouva, noting the importance of regular dialogue on shared challenges such as climate, security, and peace. He said both regions should also take further action to promote trade relations, including the movement of people and goods.

Bouva said that the two-day summit which ended on Monday, represented an important opportunity to strengthen long-term cooperation between the two regions, based on shared interests and economic, social, and cultural ties.

Bouva also expressed concern about the rising tensions in the Caribbean and spoke out clearly against any form of military presence from outside the region that could threaten stability.

He said that as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Suriname has called for peaceful coexistence, regional cooperation, and adherence to the principle of non-interference.

He said Paramaribo remains committed to maintaining peace and security in the region, in accordance with the UN Charter.

‘In the lead-up to the celebration of 50 years of independence on November 25th, Suriname is focusing on sustainable growth, strengthening both bilateral and multilateral relations, and deploying economic and climate diplomacy.

‘Our country, as one of the most forested countries in the world, with over 90 per cent forest cover, absorbs more carbon than it emits,’ Bouva said, indicating also that countries with high emissions must take responsibility by compensating countries like Suriname for their contributions to forest conservation. Access to climate finance was also emphasized at this forum.

The building housing the Office of Prime Minister (OPM) Kamla Persad Bissessar was evacuated after a bomb threat had been discovered on Tuesday morning, the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Darrell P. Allahar has said.

He told the state-owned Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) News that those responsible for the threat will be found and dealt with.

Police and security officials outside the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday following bomb threat

He confirmed that the building’s evacuation protocol had been immediately activated as soon as the threat was discovered, shortly after 9.00 am (local time) and that the authorities were immediately informed.

‘At about 12:40 pm we received the all clear and myself and the staff returned to the building to resume work,’ said Allahar, who said he had accompanied staff to their muster point at Nelson Mandela Park to await further instructions from the authorities.

‘The incident not only affected operations at the OPM, but other buildings and institutions in the immediate vicinity. Traffic in the area was restricted. Investigations are being conducted and the person or persons behind what occurred today shall be dealt with appropriately and to the fullest extent of the law.

‘Their irresponsible actions have inconvenienced many and kept back the work of the nation. I wish to warn those responsible for today’s unfortunate incident that such actions shall never be tolerated, and they will be found and dealt with by the appropriate authorities,’ Allahar said.

The police have so far made no statement on the issue.

The Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE) says it will host later this month, the third edition of the Caribbean Days, which is a series of business and cultural events to showcase ‘The Best of the Caribbean’ through the creative industries, including arts, culinary arts, fashion, film, literature and poetry.

The CCCE says the events will form part of the overall ‘Brussels’ Winter Days’ from November 22-28.

The Caribbean Days will also feature business-to-business workshops designed to promote premium Caribbean products, like cocoa, coffee, condiments, spices and rum, spirits, as well as West Indian sea island cotton.

‘We are thrilled to host the Caribbean Days this year at Brussels’ landmark hotel, the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s. Together with our partners we have created an exciting programme that has expanded, year after year, to offer -locals and visitors alike- the Caribbean’s rich cultural heritage through the region’s finest gastronomic flavours, premium products and high-quality services,’ said Jo Spalburg, CCCE’s secretary general and executive director.

The Caribbean Film Days, the first ever Caribbean Film Festival in Belgium, will include a wide range of documentaries, movies and shorts from across the Caribbean, including Dutch-, English, French- and Spanish speaking productions.

Screened through Yard Vibes, the on-line platform operated by Caribbean Creativity, some award-winning titles will be premièred in Belgium and the European Union.

The CCCE said that for the third Caribbean Culinary Days, celebrity Chef, Orlando, will fly in from St. Lucia to prepare a special three-course Caribbean Gourmet Menu, a unique opportunity to experience the finest Caribbean cuisine, while a special Caribbean Cocktail menu of Angostura Caribbean Rum, will also be available.

The Caribbean Arts exhibition, organised in conjunction with Art Gallery ‘Les Iles’ will feature works from Trinidadian artist Brian Ashing and some other Caribbean painters, which accompanied

A High Court judge has granted a former police officer permission to challenge his dismissal after he was accused by United States prosecutors of being involved in the illegal drug trade.

Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette was fired on December 12, last year, after the United States had alleged that on October 18, 2023, he had accepted approximately US$10,000 in bribe payments as a down payment for his assistance in what he understood to be an upcoming 600-kilogram cocaine shipment to The Bahamas through the Nassau Airport, for eventual distribution to the United States.

Symonette learned that he was named in the indictment on November 27, 2024, through social media and mainstream media.

Acting Justice Cheryl Bazard, KC, in allowing Symonette permission to challenge his dismissal said ‘I am satisfied on the evidence before me that there is an arguable case that the claimant was not afforded due process and the decision itself may have been taken without neither proper regard for the First Defendant’s obligations to the claimant nor adherence to the principles of natural justice.

‘On the face of it, it appears that the First Defendant paid no heed to his statutory obligations’ the judge said, adding ‘having regard to the evidence before this court, and the foregoing authorities, I am satisfied that this case constitutes exceptional circumstances’ the judge added.

Symonette has asked the court to find that the commissioner’s decision to discharge him from the Royal Bahamas Police Force was unlawful, and in violation of his right to a fair hearing and due process.

He is also seeking a declaration that his constitutional rights were breached and an order that he receive compensation for the loss of salary from the date of his dismissal to present.

The commissioner of police, the attorney general and minister of legal affairs are named as defendants.

Symonette joined the force on July 1, 1994, and served for 30 years and five months until his discharge. He became pensionable in 2019 and completed four consecutive 12-month contracts under the Police Act 2009.

On December 8, 2024, Symonette was told to attend a meeting with the commissioner on December 12, 2024 where he was relieved of his police warrant card, firearms certificate, police pistol and given a discharge certificate dated December 2, 2024.

In an affidavit, Fernander said Symonette was on a discretionary year-to-year contract and that senior executives unanimously decided that Symonette would be dismissed since his contract had expired.

Fernander also admitted that he told Symonette that he was ‘disappointed to learn of the allegations made against him’ and that the allegations had caused the public to view the police force negatively.

He denied accusing Symonette of corruption and attacking him verbally but said he wished him well.

On the other hand, Symonette alleged that Fernander verbally attacked him and that the top cop took it upon himself to discharge him.

He said Fernander handed him a discharge certificate without giving him a chance to respond to any accusation or appear before a fair disciplinary hearing that is called for in the Police Act 2009.

Police are probing the death of a 65-year-old Canadian national, whose body was found with several stab wounds outside her home at Bullet Tree Falls, a village in the Cayo District of Belize.

Marty Thorne.

Police said the body of Marty Thorne, the owner of Raw Spa Cabanas, and a well-known member of the community, was was discovered on Monday by one of her employees.

‘Police are investigating the death of 65-year-old Canadian national Marthy Ann Thorn,’ said Assistant Superintendent of Police, Stacy Smith, adding that the caretaker of a property owned by the Canadian said he had not able to locate her.

Smith said that the authorities are now awaiting a postmortem examinatio to determine the cause of death.

The Canadian national, had been living in Belize for several years and had become a familiar face among the Bullet Tree community. Her husband and children lived in Canada.

Justice and Police Minister, Harish Monorath, says he was unaware that he was still receiving payment as a member of the Foreign Exchange Commission (FCO) despite being appointed a government minister.

‘I formally resigned, and protocol dictates that when a member resigns, their name is crossed out and payments are stopped. I’m surprised that funds are still being deposited into my account,’ Monorath told the National Assembly in response to a question asked by opposition legislator, Asiskumar Gajadien, during the General Political Debate (APB) on Monday.

Justice and Police Minister, Harish Monorath

‘I’m surprised that funds are still being deposited into my account. I will write to the Foreign Exchange Commission to inform them that unlawful funds have been paid to me, especially since the office of minister is incompatible with other public functions,’ Monorath told legislators.

Vice President Gregory Rusland promised an immediate investigation into the matter and President Jennifer Simons made an appearance in the Parliament to deal with the situation.

She told legislators that the investigation had shown that the transfers did not originate from the Ministry of Finance, but directly from the Foreign Exchange Commission and asked Monorath to provide his own explanation.

Monorath acknowledged that he had verbally, not in writing, resigned from the FCO when he was appointed a government minister.

Monorath further indicated that he hadn’t checked his bank account, where the funds were deposited, for months.

‘I haven’t been to the bank to check my finances for months, and I don’t have online banking. If it appears I’ve misappropriated any funds, they must be returned immediately,’ said Monorath.

But Gajadien said the case demonstrates the double standards of the government.

‘Whether it’s one month, three, four, or five months, the fact is, it shouldn’t have happened,’ he said, adding that documents from the investigation show that the Foreign Exchange Commission did indeed send a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting that payments to Monorath be halted.

The parliamentary leader of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), Rabin Parmessar, defended Monorath, saying the FCO was not at fault and that the Ministry of Finance should have stopped the payments.

He said a similar case had occurred under the last administration.

‘Former VHP minister Rishma Kuldipsingh also received double salary for months because the Ministry of Finance failed to stop her financial contribution from another public position. ‘Equal treatment, equal treatment-those funds should also be returned,’ Parmessar said.

The Guyana government has confirmed that it is meeting the legal expenses of the Jamaican-born lawyer representing the United States in the extradition matter involving billionaire businessman, Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, an opposition legislator.

The government has approved a payment of US$62,558 to Jamaican King’s Counsel Terrence F. Williams, who, along with attorneys Herbert McKenzie and Celine Deidrick, have been retained to represent the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the extradition matter.

They were retained following advice from Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who said that the arrangement aligns with international standards.

The United Kingdom-United States (US) Extradition Treaty that Guyana inherited at the time of independence in 1966 requires Guyana to pay the United States-hired prosecutors in the extradition case against the Mohameds.

Article 13 of the United Kingdom- United States Extradition Treaty states that ‘all expenses connected with the extradition shall be borne by the High Contracting Party making the application.

Further, the section of the US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual titled ‘the consular role in international extradition’ states that ‘most extradition treaties require the costs of extradition proceedings (other than translation of documents and costs associated with the transfer of the fugitive) to be borne by the requested country’.

Nandlall said Guyana opted to select foreign lawyers, with the US’ approval, in the case of the Mohameds so as to remove perceptions of bias.

‘In this case, because we wanted to insulate the process from the allegation of political interference, lawyers from outside of Guyana were brought in with the approval of the US government,’ Nandlall told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

‘It is an accepted and well-established principle of extradition law that domestic arrangements sometimes have to be adjusted to facilitate extradition,’ Nandlall said, adding ‘yes, the government of Guyana has to pay for that and anybody can challenge me and call around the Caribbean or anywhere else and find out if that is not the usual practice’.

He made it clear that the prosecutors appearing in the matter represent the Government of the United States, not the Guyana government.

‘That fact is not yet appreciated.The Jamaican attorneys who are in court are representing the interests of the U.S. government. This is standard practice.’

The younger Mohamed, who is the leader of opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has accused the Irfaan Ali government of being behind the moves to have him extradition.

The extradition case stems from a request by the US government for the surrender of the Mohameds, who were indicted by a US Grand Jury in the Southern District of Florida on multiple counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering linked to a gold export operation valued at approximately US$50 million.

While the Attorney General has denied any political motivation, a Facebook page under the heading ‘Team Mohamed,’ posted what it said ‘is the proof’ that the government is trying to fool the country regarding the extradition matter.

It showed a purported copy of an invoice regarding the payment to the foreign lawyers, adding ‘if this matter extends over a five-year period, which is common in cases of this nature, the total legal fees for only the Jamaicans would amount to over $810 Million Guyana dollars’.