Guyana-Brazil co-operation

GEORGETOWN — Guyana and Brazil have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen co-operation between the two border neighbours, including a programme of assistance for the Guyana Police Force by the Federative Police of Brazil.

Other areas of co-operation covered by the agreement, signed in Georgetown on Thursday, include technical assistance in agriculture, food security in Guyana’s hinterland regions, dairy cattle production, data base management and disease surveillance.

Signing of the co-operation agreement climaxed a three-day visit to Guyana by a 15-member delegation from Brazil headed by the secretary-general of the Ministry of External Relations, ambassador Osmar Vladimi Chohfi.

15 years for naughty grandpa

PORT-OF-SPAIN — A 64 year-old grandpa of 12 grandchildren has been jailed for 15 years after being found guilty on two counts of incest with a mentally challenged child who was nine years when she was first abused.

Balgobin Miller of Duncan Village, LaRomaine, yesterday completed his first full day in prison where he will be confined for the next 15 years since the jail sentences of 15 years on each count of incest would run concurrently. He will be 79 when released.

He had maintained his innocence throughout the trial and shouted to weeping relatives, “don’t worry, all yuh go home”, as he was led away from the court on Thursday.

According to evidence at his trial, Miller reportedly started his sexual abuse of the girl some months after his wife died.

Private sector support for crime fight

GEORGETOWN — Top officials of the Guyana private sector have been given a comprehensive briefing on the government’s anti-crime campaign and have pledged their own support to help in the fight against criminals.

The meeting of the private sector representatives was called by President Bharrat Jagdeo and participating in the briefing were Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj and Police Commissioner Flloyd McDonald.

According to a statement released yesterday by the Guyana Information Agency (GINA), President Jagdeo assured the business community that the Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force were working closely and “feverishly” to capture the five armed and dangerous criminals who escaped from the Georgetown Prison on February 23.

They killed a prison officer and critically wounded another in their escape and have since been implicated in a spate of car hijackings and armed robberies and the police believe they also had a hand in the shooting death on April 2 of the force’s best known and controversial crime buster, Superintendent Leon Fraser.

The business representatives committed themselves to providing whatever assistance possible to help in the capture of the five fugitives from justice as well as in the general anti-crime campaign.

A bounty of some GS$10 million (GS$185=US$1) has been placed by the police for the capture of the five prisoners at large.