Whistleblower: CIA Blocked, Spied on COVID Investigators

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BY: Hem Kumar 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

A senior intelligence official has accused the CIA of obstructing the U.S. government’s own investigation into the origins of COVID-19—alleging withheld records, retaliation against cooperating staff, and surveillance of investigators.

Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, James Erdman III, who led the ODNI probe under the Trump administration, said agency personnel were “spied upon illegally” while carrying out directives authorized at the highest levels of government.
Erdman further claimed the CIA suppressed internal assessments pointing to a lab leak and punished analysts who refused to abandon that conclusion.

His testimony comes amid a shifting official stance. In January 2025, the CIA—under Director John Ratcliffe—publicly stated that a lab leak is now the most likely origin of the pandemic, reversing years of ambiguity. Earlier intelligence summaries released under the Biden administration showed a divided community, with agencies split between natural origin, lab leak, and inconclusive positions.
Erdman also pointed to the influence of former COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, alleging that scientists consulted by intelligence agencies were not neutral, but closely tied to gain-of-function research—the very field under scrutiny.

Congress had mandated full disclosure of intelligence findings in 2023, yet only a brief, partially redacted summary was released. Now, according to Erdman, efforts by ODNI under Director Tulsi Gabbard to declassify roughly 2,000 documents are being slowed by resistance from the CIA and State Department.
He cited the firing of a CIA contractor just one day after speaking with investigators as further evidence of institutional pushback.

“The deep state still resists this congressional mandate,” said Senator Rand Paul, who has long argued that a lab leak is the most plausible explanation and is pushing for stricter oversight of high-risk research.
Meanwhile, a promised policy to restrict gain-of-function research—ordered by the Trump administration for release by September 2025—remains outstanding.

Erdman warned that continued resistance from both intelligence and public health agencies is now stalling reforms aimed at preventing future pandemics.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Billions in the Shadows: The Procurement Questions No One Is Answering

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BY: Staff- Writer 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

The controversy now engulfing Guyana’s small contractors’ programme is no longer about administrative delays or technical glitches. What has been exposed points to something far more serious: a system that appears compromised at its very foundation, raising urgent questions about fairness, transparency, and the politicisation of public resources.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s attempt to defend the initiative has done little to contain the fallout. Instead, it has drawn sharper attention to the contradictions at the heart of the programme—particularly the claim that “every legitimately prequalified contractor” will receive work, even as evidence continues to surface that the process itself may have been neither open nor equitable.

At the centre of this growing storm is a fundamental breach of principle. Public procurement—especially at a time of unprecedented national wealth—is supposed to operate on openness and equal access. Yet multiple reports indicate that the initial invitation to participate in this programme was not widely publicised to the general public. Instead, awareness appears to have been concentrated within select networks, with broader disclosure only emerging after information was leaked and subsequently raised by the Leader of the Opposition.

If true, that alone undermines the credibility of the entire exercise. A programme that begins without equal access cannot credibly claim equal opportunity.

But the concerns do not stop there.

Equally troubling are reports that several government ministers were actively compiling and submitting lists of individuals for consideration under the programme. This revelation cuts to the core of the issue. Procurement is meant to be governed by objective criteria—technical capacity, financial soundness, and proven ability to deliver. It is not supposed to be filtered through political offices or influenced by ministerial recommendations.

The obvious question arises: under what authority were ministers assembling lists of preferred participants in a supposedly structured procurement process?

And more importantly, what does that say about how contracts were intended to be distributed?

The existence of such lists suggests that the programme may have been operating less as a transparent economic initiative and more as a curated allocation exercise—one where access could be shaped, guided, or influenced long before any formal evaluation took place. Reports of conflicts between these lists and whatever criteria existed only deepen the concern, pointing to a system struggling to reconcile political inputs with procedural requirements.

It is therefore no surprise that the process ultimately stalled and spilled into the public domain. What is surprising is that it took this long.

The scale of the programme makes these concerns impossible to dismiss. With an estimated 1,200 contracts valued at up to G$15 million each, the initiative represents approximately G$18 billion in public spending. That is a substantial pool of national resources being distributed through a mechanism that is now facing serious questions about its integrity.

The structuring of these contracts just below the G$15 million threshold further intensifies scrutiny. While such thresholds are not unusual in procurement frameworks, their use at this scale raises legitimate concerns about whether the system was deliberately designed to reduce oversight. When billions of dollars are broken into smaller parcels that attract less stringent scrutiny, the cumulative effect can be the quiet weakening of accountability.

Vice President Jagdeo’s explanation—that the delays stem largely from applicants attempting to “cheat the system”—does not sufficiently address these structural concerns. Even if instances of manipulation occurred, they would only have been possible within a system that allowed for it. 

Responsibility, therefore, cannot be shifted entirely onto applicants when the design itself appears vulnerable.

More critically, there are growing questions about whether the process being described as “prequalification” meets any meaningful standard of vetting. If, as reported, entry into the programme required little more than basic registration, then the risk is not only unfair allocation but also poor execution. Contracts awarded without rigorous assessment of capacity are contracts that carry a high probability of delays, substandard work, and waste.

Overlaying all of this is the unmistakable political context. With Local Government Elections approaching, the distribution of hundreds of small contracts across communities is not a politically neutral act. Even in the absence of explicit intent, the optics are powerful: state resources flowing directly to individuals and networks at a time of electoral significance.

This is precisely why procurement systems must be insulated from political influence—not entangled with it.

The role of Vice President Jagdeo in addressing the issue has also reinforced longstanding concerns about the concentration of authority within the administration. As General Secretary of the ruling party and a dominant figure within its internal structures, his public intervention—rather than that of the President or the line Minister—signals where decisive influence is perceived to reside. In a system where party machinery and state operations are closely linked, that perception carries real implications.

Yet perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this entire episode is the weakness of oversight at a time when it is needed most.

Guyana’s Parliament remains effectively dormant, with the Public Accounts Committee unable to perform its constitutional function of scrutinising public expenditure. This creates a vacuum of accountability just as billions of dollars are being channelled through programmes like this one. Without active oversight, even well-intentioned initiatives can drift into mismanagement. In less benign circumstances, they can become vehicles for systemic abuse.

And the risks are not abstract.

At a programme value of G$18 billion, even modest inefficiencies or irregularities translate into enormous sums. A leakage rate of just 10 percent—whether through poor oversight, inflated costs, or other forms of abuse—would amount to G$1.8 billion. That is not a theoretical concern; it is a reflection of what weak systems routinely produce.

Equally concerning is the manner in which the issue has been communicated to the public. State media coverage that largely echoes official explanations, without incorporating independent perspectives or critical voices, does little to inspire confidence. 

Transparency is not achieved by controlling the narrative—it is achieved by opening it to scrutiny.

Taken together, these developments point to a deeper and more unsettling reality. What is being contested is not just a programme, but a pattern—one in which access to state resources risks becoming increasingly mediated by political structures, informal networks, and discretionary influence.

Guyana’s oil wealth has created an opportunity unlike any in its history. 

But it has also exposed the fragility of its institutions. If programmes of this magnitude can be launched without full transparency, influenced by political actors, and executed without robust oversight, then the country is not simply facing isolated governance failures—it is confronting the early formation of a system where public funds are neither fully public nor fully protected.

And that is a trajectory that, once entrenched, becomes exceedingly difficult to reverse.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Court Orders City Hall to Remove Hospital Vendors After Months of Inaction

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Staff— Writer

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Georgetown, Guyana – May 13, 2026
The High Court has ordered the immediate removal of vendors operating outside the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), with a compliance deadline set for May 31, 2026.
The ruling was handed down on Wednesday by Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty, following the failure of Town Clerk Candace Nelson to file an affidavit in defence in response to legal proceedings initiated by GPHC. Despite the absence of a filed defence, attorneys representing both the hospital and the Town Clerk presented oral arguments before the court.

The application, filed by GPHC on March 17, 2026, sought judicial intervention to remove vendors’ stalls, mobile units, and other obstructions from areas surrounding the hospital.
Under the court’s order, the Town Clerk, along with her agents and servants, is required to remove or cause the removal of all vendors and associated structures. This includes food and beverage vendors, hucksters, mobile trucks, carts, and any encumbrances such as vehicles, push-carts, drays, barrels, boxes, dust bins, pallets, and other items placed or stored on public parapets and pavements.

The affected areas include:
• Lamaha Street between Thomas Street and East Street
• East Street between Lamaha Street and New Market Street
• New Market Street between Thomas Street and East Street
• Middle Street between Thomas Street and East Street

In an affidavit submitted to the court, GPHC Chief Executive Officer Robbie Rambarran outlined the hospital’s concerns. He stated that the presence of vendors and their structures has significantly impeded access to the hospital, affecting both staff and patients, including emergency vehicles.

Rambarran further noted that the situation has led to unsanitary conditions, with vendors leaving waste and debris along the pavements and surrounding streets. He emphasized that repeated efforts since April 2024 to have the Mayor and City Council address the issue had yielded no meaningful results.

The court’s order now compels the City Council to take definitive action to clear the hospital’s perimeter and restore safe and unobstructed access to the facility.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

CARICOM at a Crossroads: Trinidad and Tobago’s Unprecedented Break

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Staff – Writer

An unprecedented fracture has emerged at the heart of Caribbean integration.
In a move without parallel in CARICOM’s 52-year history, Trinidad and Tobago has declared it will not recognise Dr. Carla Barnett as Secretary-General beyond the end of her current term in August 2026—flatly rejecting what regional leaders insist is a valid reappointment.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s position is not merely dissent; it is outright derecognition. That distinction matters. CARICOM has weathered disagreements before—over trade, free movement, and foreign policy—but never has a member state openly refused to acknowledge the authority of the Community’s chief administrative officer.

This is not a procedural quibble. It is an institutional rupture.
At the center of the dispute are allegations that strike at the credibility of the organisation’s governance: claims that the Secretary-General influenced or authored an official communiqué defending her own reappointment, and that Trinidad and Tobago’s representation was deliberately excluded from a decisive retreat via informal communication.

Whether proven or not, the mere plausibility of such claims has already inflicted reputational damage on the Community’s decision-making processes.
Equally troubling is the response—or lack thereof—from CARICOM leadership. Silence, deflection, and an apparent unwillingness to revisit the February decision have only deepened the perception of opacity. In regional governance, process is legitimacy. Once that is compromised, authority becomes contestable.

Persad-Bissessar’s stance goes further still. By signaling indifference to potential expulsion and openly pivoting toward alternative trade alliances in the Middle East, Africa, India, and South America, Trinidad and Tobago is testing the practical value of CARICOM membership itself. That is a dangerous precedent for a bloc already struggling with implementation deficits and uneven commitment among its members.
So, is this the beginning of the end for CARICOM?
Not necessarily—but it may well be the beginning of its most serious credibility crisis.

Regional integration has always depended less on treaties and more on political will and mutual trust. What is now unfolding suggests a breakdown in both. If one of CARICOM’s most economically significant members can reject a core institutional authority without consequence, the Community risks drifting from a rules-based arrangement into a loose, voluntary association vulnerable to fragmentation.

The real question is no longer about Dr. Barnett’s tenure. It is whether CARICOM’s governance architecture is robust enough to withstand open defiance—or whether it will buckle under the weight of its own unresolved contradictions.

If this moment is not met with transparency, accountability, and institutional reform, it will not be remembered as an isolated dispute. It will be seen as the point at which the Caribbean Community began to quietly unravel.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Massive 11,000-Carat Ruby Discovered in Myanmar’s Conflict Zone

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𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Bangkok, Thailand — May 12, 2026 — A rare and exceptionally large ruby weighing approximately 11,000 carats (2.2 kilograms or 4.8 pounds) has been discovered in Myanmar’s famed Mogok gem region, marking one of the most significant gemstone finds in recent decades.


According to state-run media, the rough ruby was unearthed in mid-April near Mogok, located in the upper Mandalay region — an area long regarded as the epicenter of Myanmar’s lucrative ruby mining industry. The discovery occurred shortly after the country’s traditional New Year celebrations.
The newly found gemstone is considered the second-largest ruby ever discovered in Myanmar by weight. While it is roughly half the size of a 21,450-carat ruby uncovered in 1996, experts suggest it may be of greater value due to its superior quality. The stone reportedly exhibits a purplish-red hue with yellowish undertones, moderate transparency, and a highly reflective surface — characteristics associated with high-grade rubies.


Myanmar remains the world’s dominant source of rubies, accounting for up to 90% of global supply, with most originating from Mogok and Mong Hsu. However, the gemstone trade has long been mired in controversy, as both legal and illicit sales have historically provided substantial revenue to military authorities and armed groups.


Human rights organizations, including Global Witness, have repeatedly called on transnational jewelers to halt the purchase of Myanmar-sourced gemstones, citing concerns that proceeds contribute to ongoing conflict and human right.


The discovery comes amid continued political instability in Myanmar. Earlier this year, a new government was installed following elections widely criticized by opposition groups and international observers as lacking credibility. President Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who seized power in 2021, remains at the helm. He and members of his cabinet recently inspected the ruby in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital.
Gemstone mining continues to play a dual role in Myanmar’s prolonged internal conflict, serving as a major revenue source for both the military establishment and ethnic armed groups seeking autonomy.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

 

 

Crossing the Floor—or Chasing the Oil?

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BY: Staff — Writer

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

In a political culture where loyalty has long been worn as a badge of honour, the sudden migration of former APNU/PNC figures into the arms of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is not just unusual—it is deeply revealing.

This is not the slow evolution of political thinking. It is not the result of ideological awakening. It is something far more transactional.
When former Members of Parliament and sitting Regional Councillors—individuals who once stood firmly opposed to the PPP’s governance model—now line up to praise that very same administration as visionary, inclusive, and transformative, the Guyanese public is entitled to ask a simple question: what changed?
Guyana changed.

More specifically, Guyana’s oil economy changed the stakes of political alignment. With billions flowing through the state and unprecedented infrastructure expansion underway, proximity to power now carries rewards unlike anything in the country’s history. Access, influence, contracts, and opportunity are no longer abstract—they are tangible, immediate, and immensely valuable.

Against that backdrop, this wave of defections begins to look less like patriotism and more like positioning.
The language used by the defectors—speaking glowingly of “technical expertise,” “inclusive governance,” and “national development”—reads less like conviction and more like careful calibration. These are not new arguments being discovered; they are new advantages being embraced.

And let us be clear: political parties are not social clubs. They are built on ideology, principles, and competing visions for national development. When individuals who once campaigned vigorously against the PPP suddenly find its philosophy appealing, it raises serious questions about whether those principles were ever genuinely held.
Because if ideology can be discarded this easily, what exactly was being defended in the first place?

This is not a story of APNU losing its footing. It is a story of individuals revealing theirs.
In reality, APNU may not have lost loyalists—it may have shed opportunists. And those opportunists have now aligned themselves where they believe the greatest personal benefit lies.

The PPP, for its part, will frame this as validation—proof of its growing national appeal and governance success. But political expansion built on crossovers of convenience carries its own risks. When allegiance is driven by opportunity rather than belief, it is as fluid as the conditions that created it.
Today’s allies can become tomorrow’s critics, just as easily as yesterday’s critics became today’s allies.

What Guyanese citizens are witnessing is not merely political movement—it is a recalibration of ambition in an oil-rich state. The danger lies in mistaking this for unity or progress. True national cohesion is built on shared values and trust, not on the gravitational pull of economic gain.
Oil was supposed to transform Guyana. It has—but perhaps not in the way many hoped.
It has exposed, with uncomfortable clarity, the line between patriotism and opportunism.
And in this moment, that line appears to be shifting.

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮’𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙞𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙤-𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 “𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜” 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚—𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.

Free Gas or Costly Lie? Questions Mount Over Hidden Exxon Agreement

/in /by

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo says there is no agreement for Guyana to buy gas from ExxonMobil. According to him, the gas for the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project is “free.” That claim, however, raises more questions than it answers—especially in a context where the government continues to withhold the very documents that could settle the issue once and for all.

If the gas is truly free, where are the agreements to prove it?
For years, the public has been told that the viability of the GTE project rests heavily on this “free gas” arrangement. It was the cornerstone of the promise: cheaper electricity, reduced dependence on heavy fuel oil, and long-term energy stability. But now, credible reports suggest that a Gas Sales Agreement may exist—one that could mean Guyana is paying for its own resource. The government denies this, yet refuses to produce the contracts.
That contradiction is not just troubling—it is unacceptable.
This is not a minor administrative matter. The financial structure of the GTE project will determine electricity tariffs, potential subsidies, and the long-term burden on taxpayers. If Guyana is required to pay commercial rates for gas, the entire economic foundation of the project shifts.

Will electricity still be cut by 50 percent? Or will citizens be forced to subsidize a project they were told would save them money?
The public cannot be expected to rely on verbal assurances while critical documents remain hidden.
Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan is right to demand clarity. If there is no agreement to purchase gas, then publish the evidence. If there is, then explain why the narrative has changed. Either way, the government has an obligation to come clean.
The continued secrecy surrounding the GTE project fuels speculation, erodes trust, and undermines confidence in public management of the country’s most significant energy initiative.

This is not about politics. It is about transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national resources.
Guyana’s citizens do not need snippets, soundbites, or selective disclosures. They need the full picture.

Publish the agreements. Let the facts speak.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Key Witness Alleges Henry Boys Were Killed Over Destroyed Marijuana Farm

/in , /by

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

The High Court trial into the brutal murders of cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry took a disturbing turn on Tuesday, as key witness Akash Singh delivered chilling testimony linking the killings to a dispute over destroyed marijuana crops in the Berbice backlands.

Singh, who appeared as one of the prosecution’s main witnesses, told the court that he accompanied the two accused—Anil Sancharra, also known as “Dan Pole” or “Rasta,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder—into the backdam to plant marijuana seedlings.
According to Singh, the group returned to the area approximately three weeks later, only to discover that their plants had been destroyed, allegedly by pesticide. He further claimed that additional crops at another nearby farm had also been damaged.

Singh testified that while the men were discussing the losses, two teenage boys approached their camp. He alleged that when the issue of the destroyed crops was mentioned, one of the teens laughed—an action that reportedly triggered suspicion.
He told the court that Gopaul confronted the boys, questioning whether they knew anything about the damaged plants. At that point, Singh claimed, one of the teens attempted to flee, prompting a violent response.

“The taller one tried to run,” Singh recounted, alleging that Gopaul attacked him with a cutlass, while Sancharra simultaneously assaulted the other teen.
Although Singh said he could not recall the exact number of blows inflicted, he described the aftermath as gruesome. He testified that he was instructed to assist in tying the bodies onto horses, after which the accused men transported them away from the scene.

Singh further claimed that he was ordered to dispose of evidence, including dismantling the cutlasses used in the attack and discarding them in a nearby canal, along with his blood-stained clothing.
He also told the court that both accused men threatened him with death if he reported what had happened. Despite these threats, Singh stated that he later disclosed the incident to others and eventually provided a full statement to police following his arrest in January 2021.
The trial, being heard in the Berbice High Court, is expected to continue today as the jury examines further testimony surrounding one of Guyana’s most shocking and controversial murder cases.

The gruesome deaths of the Henry cousins in September 2020 sparked nationwide outrage and protests, with calls for justice and accountability still resonating across the country.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

OPR Probes Alleged Interference by Deputy Police Commissioner in Anti-Crime Operation

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𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

The Guyana Police Force has launched an internal investigation into allegations that Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fizal Karimbaksh, may have improperly intervened in a recent anti-crime operation, Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has confirmed.
According to reports, police ranks were executing a lawful anti-crime exercise when they intercepted a heavily tinted white motor vehicle. Upon stopping the vehicle, a female occupant handed her cellphone to the officers. A male voice, identifying himself as Deputy Commissioner Karimbaksh, was heard questioning the ranks about the basis for the stop and reportedly advised them to focus on crime rather than traffic-related matters.


Addressing the issue during the Police Round Up programme on Sunday, Commissioner Hicken described the incident as “concerning,” noting that the intervention appeared to have been made without proper verification and outside of the established chain of command.
He emphasized that while senior officers are permitted to intervene in ongoing operations, such actions must be grounded in situational awareness and strictly adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and standing police orders. The Commissioner further underscored that under the Criminal Offences Act and the Summary Jurisdiction Act, ranks engaged in anti-crime duties are fully empowered to stop and search vehicles.


The incident, which was captured on camera and subsequently circulated on social media, has raised broader concerns about operational integrity and adherence to protocol within the Force. Commissioner Hicken reaffirmed that the officer conducting the stop-and-search was acting within the scope of the law.


He also reiterated the Force’s commitment to transparency and accountability, highlighting the continued use of body-worn cameras as part of an evidence-based policing approach. These devices, he noted, provide objective, real-time documentation of police interactions.
The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has since been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Commissioner Hicken made it clear that any interference in police operations outside established procedures will be addressed in accordance with the law and internal disciplinary frameworks.
The 592 Guardian will be following this investigation closely as it unfolds, in the interest of transparency, accountability, and public trust.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— 

Public Funds, Private Control: The Real Issue Behind Transport in Infrastructure Projects

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𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

The statement by the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Guyana attempts to reframe a legitimate public concern as a misunderstanding, but it fails to address the core issue at hand: compliance with local content laws and equitable participation in a tax-funded economy.

These projects are not private ventures operating in isolation—they are government contracts financed by the people of Guyana. As such, they are subject to local content requirements designed to ensure that Guyanese workers and businesses meaningfully benefit from national development. The concern is not about efficiency or project delivery; it is about whether those legal and economic safeguards are being upheld consistently and transparently.

While the Association argues that in-house transportation fleets were created due to capacity constraints, this explanation overlooks a critical point. Local providers were not given a fair opportunity to scale, partner, or adapt to increased demand. Instead, foreign-controlled fleets assumed a dominant role in a key segment of the supply chain. This risks displacing local enterprise rather than developing it.

Moreover, the claim that these fleets are not intended to “capture the market” is difficult to reconcile with the reality of sustained operational control in transportation. Intent does not negate impact. When a single group gains functional dominance in an industry tied to public contracts, it raises valid questions about market access, competition, and regulatory oversight.

Guyana’s development strategy was never meant to replace local participation with foreign control. Investment agreements were premised on job creation, knowledge transfer, and partnership—not the consolidation of industries under external entities. The spirit of those agreements must be respected as much as their letter.

This is not a call for exclusion, but for balance, accountability, and adherence to the laws that protect Guyanese interests. True partnership requires transparency, mutual benefit, and a commitment to strengthening—not sidelining—local capacity.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮,𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—