Hotel owners, Venezuelans among 22 charged for breaking curfew

By Andrew Carmichael

As curfew measures remain in place for the next month, Police in Berbice have brought some 22 persons before the court for breaking the curfew, and among those charged are the owners of the Mahogany Hotel in Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne) and seven Venezuelan nationals.
Owners of the Mahogany Hotel, Sherwin Paterson and Carlos Angel, appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to answer the charge of breach of restriction on social activity. Charged with the same offence were Venezuelan nationals Buonetina Hanrigues Nellivi; Teleedo Mandoza Maria DeJesus, and Zorrill Yanklidy Caroline, all of the Mahogany Hotel.
Also charged with the same offence were Nikol Rodrigues of 50 Public Road, Number 78 Village; Mopta Guzman Poola Yanireth, Moita Guzman Fabiola Yanireth, and Brehopat Revhow Joshua of Little Africa in Corriverton. Mopta, Moita and Brehopat were additionally charged with breach of restriction to home.
Besides those named above, Vikash Singh of Mahogany; Mario Dave of 50 Public Road, Number 78 Village; Bertly Small of Rahaman’s Park, Corriverton; Oncil Lewis of Line Path, Skeldon; Tameshwar Basdeo of Number 64 Village; Lennox Ronaldeo of Number 79 Village; Calvin Douglas of Number 54 Village; Arjan Jagdeo of Corriverton; Savitri Maniran of Crabwood Creek; Ramnarine Simmonds of Number 69 Village, and Kevin Rambarran and Richard Jeffrey, both of Number 78 Village, where also charged for breaching curfew measures.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Orin Joseph, told the court that the plaintiffs were all at a party held at the Mahogany Hotel on Tuesday evening.
They were each placed on $10,000 bail, and will make their next court appearance on Thursday, May 14.
Police at Springlands have been collaborating with the Community Policing Group (CPG) and the Corriverton Municipality to enforce the curfew measures. They have been using mobile loudspeakers to inform persons about the regulations governing adherence to the curfew and social distancing, and have been visiting congested areas like commercial banks and utility companies to advise persons about the need to maintain the physical distance stipulated.
Corriverton Mayor Winston Roberts, in an invited comment, said persons who operate beauty salons have not been adhering to the measures outlined by the NCTF. However, he noted that while hotels are considered essential businesses, many of those have been violating the curfew measures.
“One evening, I passed and saw a crowd in front of Reno Hotel and Mahogany Hotel, and I went and informed the Police. The proprietors were called in, and the Police spoke with them. Shortly after, the crowd was dispersed,” Mayor Roberts said.
He noted that some roadside food vendors had also not been adhering to the guidelines.
Meanwhile, Prime Ministerial Regional Representative Gobin Harbhajan, weighing in on the issue, has said he supports the efforts by the Police in the Region to enforce the law and charge violators.
“Some people in Berbice — especially on the Corentyne — are going about their business as normal; a few ‘rum shops’ and ‘barbershops’ are still operating. The Police can only do so much, but proprietors and individuals must be health conscious and not put other people’s lives at risk,” he said.
He added that some persons seem not to understand the seriousness of COVID-19.
“I also want to highlight that, over the past few months, many Guyanese have died abroad (New York) and their families in Guyana are doing services for the deceased, and these pandits and priests are performing these services, which will see large gatherings,” Harbhajan noted.
Those religious leaders, he posited, need to use their influence to educate persons, rather than try to make money in a way that is against the COVID- 19 guidelines.