Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news...Letters... Where your views make the news

Separation of Church from State: The fallen kingdom is on an impossible mission The evolution speeds up DEAR EDITOR, Recent pledges by the President that he will not impose his religion on anyone and that he will be guided by events in other countries is quite a welcome remark in view of the history not only of Guyana but of Western Civilization.

If he is seeking guidance he can find it in a decision of THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA dated APRIL 15, 2015.

Alain Simoneau, an atheist and resident of Saguenay, Quebec, and a regular at council meetings objected to the practice of the recitation of Catholic prayers by the mayor and councillor.

A sacred heart statue and a crucifix also adorned the walls of council.

This, he testified, caused him to experience feelings of isolation and exclusion thus violating his rights to freedom of religion and conscience as outlined in both the Quebec Charter and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

With the help of Movement laique Quebecois (MLQ) he took his grievances to the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal which agreed with him. However the Quebec Court of Appeal felt otherwise. It reasoned that prayers expressed universal values and that the sacred heart statue and crucifix were works of art and not religious.

The Supreme Court of Canada in a unanimous decision rendered on April 15, 2015 ruled that the practice of reciting any form of prayers at the start of council meetings constituted a violation of Charter rights.

In doing so the highest court in the land rejected the argument the prayers were

justified on the basis of tradition and that council’s attempt at reasonable accommodation by inviting those with objections to leave the chambers during prayers and then re enter, far from tempering the discrimination only exacerbated it.

This identifies and stigmatises the non-believer.

Quebec has a long tradition of the Catholic and Anglican churches being quite influential in government policies and practices but the court felt it was time to change a practice even though it was followed since the nineteenth century.

Justice LeBel writing for the court, stated that Canadian Society has given rise to a concept of NEUTRALITY, according to which the State must not interfere with religion and beliefs. This requires that the State neither favours nor hinders any particular belief or non-belief.

Canadian Cultural landscape includes many traditional and heritage practices that are religious in nature.

Sponsorship of one religious tradition by the State in breach of its duty of neutrality amounts to discrimination against all other such traditions as it creates a distinction, exclusion or preference that has the effect of nullifying or impairing the right to full and equal recognition and exercise of freedom of conscience and religion.

The court looked at the purpose and effect of the practice and opined that even a Non-denominational PRAYER is a religious practice that excludes atheists and agnostics and the interference is more than TRIVIAL or

INSUBSTANTIAL. Any form of religious expression under the guise of cultural and historical reality or heritage breaches the duty of NEUTRALITY. Furthermore, the expression “Supremacy of God‘ in the preamble of the Charter cannot be relied on to deny the guarantees expressly provided in the Charter.

Pursuit of the ideal in a free and democratic society requires the state to encourage everyone to participate freely in public life regardless of their beliefs thus preserving the multicultural nature of Canadian society.

In response to the argument that this would now give atheists and agnostics preference the court stated that True Neutrality presupposes abstention, but it does not amount to a stand favouring one view over another.

Some public bodies have replaced their prayers with a moment of silent reflection to show respect for cultural diversity.

Any country, in particular the Western democracies that are members States of the United Nations, may now have to remind themselves of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states in part “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion...”

Finally, if they profess to be secular and have a Constitutional Document protecting freedom of conscience and religion this decision may guide them towards that long elusive ideal of separating Church from State.

Ramnarine Sahadeo Lawyer and author

DEAR EDITOR, It is sad to know that those who claimed to bring democracy to Guyana are destroying it. Now they are on a mission to destroy Guyana at all cost.

The PPP\C must understand that Guyana belongs to the people and the people have the power to choose\elect any government of their choice of their own free will.

And the only legal body that can declare a winner of an election in Guyana is GECOM, and we must as Guyanese accept its findings at the end of an elections.

But it is sad that this same PPP\C that brought Jimmy Carter and his Centre in 1992 to have free and fair elections, now in 2015 is accusing that great man of joining hands with GECOM to rig the May 11, 2015 elections.

How cruel is the PPP\C to accuse this credible institution of involving in rigging!

The PPP\C has also accused all the international observers of being part of the rigging. There is desperation in the PPP\C camp to hold on to power knowing that they have done injustice to Guyana since Bharrat Jagdeo took power and lead his nation into being the most corrupted in the Caribbean under their watch.

The PPP\C will have to accept the results and its leaders should stop jumping around the country talking nonsense and inciting problems in Guyana. The people of this land have spoken and they have choosen a government of national unity, unlike the PPP\C which is divided since Bharrat took the party in his hands.

The PPP\C should be ashamed of destroying democracy in Guyana today.

Shame seems to be nothing for the PPP\C. Abel Seetaram

Criminalising sex workers DEAR EDITOR, Everything is right that Guyana would have laws and systems in place to ensure that no woman or man is held against their will and coerced or forced into doing any kind of labour. Every person should have their passport and be free to go to get their stamp renewed or to come and go when they want (including the nurses and teachers).

The well publicized ‘sweep’ in Bartica, with all the innuendo, left no doubt as to the kind of labour the people, the women especially might have been involved in.

What is not right though, is the naming and shaming of some women in the newspapers for “overstaying their welcome” in Guyana.

While reports might have been clear to not link the two incidents, the public is now very aware and many persons are disgusted that the women could not be given their passports and allowed safe passage home.

There are complex realities facing persons who are

involved in sex work. In Guyana, people might have known that sex workers themselves are not criminalised.

However, it is a crime to own a brothel or to be a ‘pimp and to pay for the services. There are more nuances to the law.

In Guyana, however, there have never been raids which have publicized which have resulted in people , mostly men, who procure sex work services, even from unwilling sex workers, having their pictures and names published in the media.

Many Guyanese have overstayed their welcome abroad. The movement of

people who seek better living as they deal with the stigma of being ‘illegal’ persons even as they uphold other laws in their countries and try to send money back home to support their families.

There is no need to publish the names of women and men in the Guyanese media whose only crime has been to “overstay their welcome” especially if they did not have their passports in their possession.

While the law must do its work, the media and the society can also be compassionate and give space for ‘illegal’ migrants to recover themselves.

Vidyaratha Kissoon

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Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

The corrupt can run but they can’t hide By: Kiana Wilburg They can run but they can’t hide.

That’s the reassurance that Economist Dr. Clive Thomas is giving the nation regarding corrupt Guyanese officials who may try to escape prosecution after fleecing the nation of billions.

While the new government is investing in forensic audits into almost 30 state agencies, national projects and funds, there has been some fear that the perpetrators could flee to safer pastures and escape prosecution.

It’s an understandable apprehension, says Dr. Thomas. But he believes that this should not be the case.

He opined that the forensic auditors should, in accordance with the law, ensure that suspects of the financial crimes be questioned and asked to cooperate by not leaving the country.

But should those under investigation still try to escape to other territories where they stashed their ill gotten cash; there is still no need to despair.

Dr. Thomas noted that Guyana has signed onto two conventions against corruption, which ensure corrupt officials cannot be insulated from prosecution regardless of where they seek refuge.

“So even though there is the fear that when the forensic audits are done we wouldn’t be able to find the culprits, don’t worry, they can run but they can’t hide.

Wherever they go, the conventions give us the power to find them and bring them back to face the law.”

Dr. Thomas reminded that it was under the previous administration that Guyana became a signatory to the Inter American Convention

- anti-corruption conventions give Govt. power to find them - Economist

Economist, Dr. Clive Thomas Against Corruption and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

He added, “We signed onto the conventions which demand of us certain obligations like rooting out corruption. So we don’t have to go and draft legislation to ensure that we hold certain persons accountable for their actions.

The very conventions require this and since it was signed by the previous administration it puts the liability on them.”

The economist asserted that the new government, in taking such a step would only be enforcing an obligation Guyana took solemnly by signing on to the two conventions.

He said that should Government pursue this, it would turn out to be a “winwin” situation for the nation.

Economist, Dr. Clive Thomas believes that in the pursuit of justice for the nation, there is a need for government to demonstrate its intolerance of corruption by sending a strong message to those who stole from the country and those who landed the country into the financial mess that it is currently in.

He emphasized that those of the previous administration found culpable will have to recompense in some way. Dr.

Thomas said it is important for the full extent of the law to be allowed to manifest but in a timely manner.

“If the APNU+AFC Government wants to demonstrate that it is serious about the war against corruption, then we need to see them making tangible efforts to ensure that those who did the crime do the time.

Otherwise it is just campaign talk all over again,” he added.

He noted that forensic audits can be completed in about a week to one month or can last longer depending on the complexity of the agency.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, has placed Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, in charge of organizing the teams to conduct the forensic audits.

He said that Government will be going after the “big fishes” which have been listed among the first batch of agencies to be audited.

These include the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Jordan said that the audits are being conducted to determine how the assets of the state were sold, disposed of or transferred under the previous administration.

Chartered Accountants, Chris Ram and Anand Goolsarran have already been drafted into the forensic auditing team.

While there have been several contentions over GGMC funds, the Finance Minister made it clear that everything will be done to

ensure that all monies flow to the right place—The Consolidated Fund.

He had also conducted preliminary discussions with NICIL’s Head Winston Brassington and GRA Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur on the said audits.

Apart from being accused of having a “family affair” at the tax office, Sattaur was also bashed by the APNU+AFC when it was in the opposition for misusing his powers.

On October 6, 2014, APNU threatened that it would bring a malfeasance in office charge against Sattaur. This came after the revelation of the Commissioner General sending emails containing the tax information of several media houses to former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

This information was then forwarded to former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had contended that that action is, without a doubt, an undeniable breach of the Oath of Secrecy that was taken by the Chartered Accountant.

He had said, “He (Sattaur) has inflicted diseases on the GRA, those being—disregard for professional ethics, disregard for the rights of citizens to confidentiality, disregard for integrity that his office should have, and most of all a blatant disrespect to the fourth estate’s right to freedom of speech and the country’s right to democracy.

They are now spreading to the other Ministries.”

Asked recently if government is willing to make its systems work even if it means working along with people it had accused of malfeasance in office, Harmon answered, “Certainly not.”

As for NICIL’s Head, Winston Brassington, the APNU+AFC was also relentless in condemning the official for his involvement in several alleged corrupt activities.

On numerous occasions, calls were made for him to hit the road too. He has been at the helm of some of the most controversial projects including the Marriott Hotel, funded with mostly taxpayers’ money.

Brassington has been blamed as well for being unable to deal with the significant line losses incurred by the Guyana Power and Light.

Though some may feel that the democratic process is actually holding the nation

back from seeing justice in quick time, he noted that one must seek comfort in the fact that the legal procedures are in place to prevent those seeking justice from being consumed by the traits of the very evil they are trying to rid the society of.

“We have to follow the democratic ways outlined, those ways designed to ensure that we arrest, prosecute and jail the perpetrators, but through due process. But Guyana really needs to utilize the Convention which China is doing,” The economist noted.

He said that in China, there is a war on financial dishonesty.

Dr. Thomas noted that China has sought foreign aid to help in locating corrupt

officials who have fled the country with taxpayers’ money.

In fact, China has moved towards setting up an anticorruption and transparency network. The initiative was endorsed by the leaders of Asia-Pacific countries and will allow for member states to exchange information on corruption cases. The USA also threw its support behind the programme.

But China’s efforts did not stop there. The country then created a programme called Sky Net to prevent corrupt officials under investigation from leaving the country and bring an end to monies being transferred to offshore accounts.

Dr. Thomas said that China was able to do this due to the use of its membership in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. He said that should Guyana utilize its membership it would be able to do the same.

Monday June 15, 2015

Territorial claim...

Ralph Ramkarran, a veteran politician who is quite au fait with the long history of the Guyana/Venezuela territorial dispute, believes that Venezuela has set itself in a position that allows it to literally starve Guyana into submission.

On May 27, 2015, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro issued a decree, extending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters.

A map which was issued, accompanying the decree, shows that the claim includes the area where the US giant oil company, ExxonMobil is currently drilling for oil.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, had revealed that the decree indicates the potential use of force to deprive Guyana its territory.

In his most recent column, published on his website, Ramkarran stated that Venezuela’s decree means that Guyana could potentially have no access to ship its exports or receive its imports without Venezuela’s permission. In this regard, Ramkarran said the fact that the Bolivarian government has given its warships power to stop and search vessels within Guyana’s maritime area.

Ramkarran noted that in 2013, Venezuela had seized a vessel, the Teknik Perdana, and said that “further aggression against Guyana is to be expected.” The politician said that with such control over Guyana’s maritime territory, Venezuela has acquired the power to starve Guyana into submission, if not to retard its development.”

Ramkarran noted the fact that Venezuela is now inviting Guyana to talk, “to go cap in hand, on bended knee.” He said that in light of the current circumstances surrounding the moves that Venezuela made, “No self-respecting nation will indulge (in talks).”

Ramkarran, like Minister Greenidge, said that Venezuela’s claim violates the Geneva Agreement which Venezuela had signed with

Kaieteur News

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Venezuela holds power to starve Guyana into submission - Ralph Ramkarran - “No self-respecting nation would indulge in talks with Venezuela under those circumstances” Guyana and the United Nations. He said that it also violates international law and threatens the peace, security and stability of the Region.

Ramkarran cited that Article V (2) of the Geneva Agreement states that “no new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in those territories shall be asserted while this Agreement is in force, nor shall any claim whatsoever be asserted otherwise than in the Mixed Commission while that Commission is in being.”

With that Article cited, Ramkarran pointed out that Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s Atlantic front is a ‘new claim or enlargement of an existing claim’ and therefore violates the Geneva Agreement.

He said that Venezuela has never cited any provision in the Geneva Agreement that prohibits, or gives it power to object to, foreign investment in territory which is the subject of the Agreement or in Guyana’s maritime space.

The veteran politician added that the heirs to “Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s late transformative leader, have damaged the credibility of his legacy. They are attempting to take by force, and at Guyana’s expense, the Atlantic outlet they have always craved and with it Guyana’s newly discovered petroleum resources.”

Ramkarran noted that it was Chavez who, in 2004 in Guyana, declared that the border controversy was a legacy of colonialism and was the subject of imperialist intrigue to create enmity

between Guyana and Venezuela.

Ramkarran reminded that during that successful and popular visit, Chavez announced that Venezuela would no longer object to the economic development of Essequibo.

The former government official said that Chavez’s policy resulted in mutually beneficial economic relations, but Chavez’s policy has now been abandoned by the Venezuelan Government and military.

“Beset by economic problems and pressured by its military, Venezuela has chosen to victimize Guyana to detract from rising internal dissent. It does this by seeking to perpetuate the same legacy of colonialism and imperialism, and big power tactics against the weak that Chavez denounced. Venezuela’s decree by a supposedly progressive government against a small, peaceful and friendly neighbor is reminiscent of the worst acts of hostility and aggression against Guyana committed by earlier governments, whose rule Chavez had condemned,” said Ramkarran.

He added that nevertheless, “Venezuela is now inviting Guyana to talk, to go cap in hand, on bended knee. (But), no self-respecting nation will indulge.”

Ramkarran said that Former Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett had invited Venezuela for talks on the issue since 2011 without any success. “The only subject, if discourse is to take place, should be the withdrawal of its unlawful

decree and settlement by judicial means of Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 is null and void, as provided for in the Geneva Agreement,” said Ramkarran.

The veteran politician, who was appointed Guyana’s facilitator to the Good Officer Process, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government said that “The time for good offices, negotiation or mediation has been brought to an end by Venezuela’s hostile act…Venezuela action is not merely greed for our resources, even though Venezuela already has the largest oil deposits in the world, which it cannot fully exploit. It is more sinister. It needs a diversion from its desperate economic and political crises that a claim of this magnitude against Guyana can provide. It needs to satisfy or appease its military’s militancy over and appetite for Guyana’s territory. It is a cynical ploy,

Ralph Ramkarran unknown in relations between countries in this modern era.”

Ramkarran said that the objective of intimidating potential investors in the forestry, mining and infrastructural areas east of the Essequibo River was and is also to pressure Guyana to surrender its territory. That

having failed, it now brings additional pressure by claiming Guyana’s maritime space.

The politician also pointed out that Venezuela seeks to dissuade investors so as to ensure that Guyana remains poor and undeveloped. In this way it hopes that Guyana will eventually succumb to its threats.

“Guyana must no longer accept that Venezuela has, or can ever have, while the controversy is maintained by Venezuela, good or honourable intentions, whatever the nature of its government or its platitudes about peace and friendship.

Old hands in foreign affairs had been cautious all along about Chavez’s overtures.

They believed him but figured that he would not have been president forever. What would happen thereafter, they asked? That question has now been answered.”

(Abena Rocklciffe)

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood.

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Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Dormant and scrap metal accounts The headline spoke about ten billion dollars being found in dormant accounts held by the previous government.

The impression created in the minds of those not fully knowledgeable about how the finances of government operate was that this money was somehow stashed away by the PPP administration for God knows what purposes.

The public got carried away by the reports on these dormant accounts. One taxi driver asked another taxi

driver “What them man (PPP) gun do with all that moneyten billion dollars?” It did not dawn on him that the fact that the monies were in dormant accounts and were found meant that the funds were not “missing.”

The public needed to be edified. The PPP did issue a statement indicating that what all this means is that the present government was continuing what it, the PPP, had been doing all along, and that was to close a number of

Dem boys seh...

IRONY OF LIFE! (Strange but true...)

When de Soulja Bai was out of office he had no friends or family. None contractah even know he much less talk to him. As soon as de man tun president, one contractah seh that Soulja Bai was always de man of he heart.

Another one seh that he love Soulja Bai, more than he wife. Soulja Bai wife want to know is who wife he really talking bout, and who can love she man more than she.—Strange but true.

Lawyers like de Chat-3 hope you always get into trouble. Doctor like Babbie always hope that you get sick because you always got to use he drug supply, whether it cure or send you to you grave. Strange but true.

The Police Commissioner Seeall hope you become a criminal because he got excuse to shoot you down.

Teachers hope you are born stupid suh dem can rob you mudda and you fadda giving you private lesson all you life.

Landlords like Bee Kay hope that you never build a house or get a prospective licence. You must pay he fuh de rest of you life. Strange but true.

Then dem boys seh you have de prostitutes who always hope and pray that you don’t marry so that dem can always get a small piece fuh a small piece. Fair exchange no robbery. Strange but true.

Dentist like Joey hope that you always got rotten teeth in you mouth so he can haul out you toe nail instead of you jaw fuh another piece.

Mechanics always hope that yuh car break down suh dem can always bleed you foot bottom and you pocket fuh put in second hand parts and charge you fuh new parts.

Then you have de coffinmaker like Sandy, Lyken, Merriman, Jerrick and Ezekiel and de others who praying

fuh yuh dead so dem can get a fortune from you family fuh dem expenses. Strange but true.

Last but never de least.

Only a thief does wish you wealth and prosperity in Life!

That is why Jagdeo, at de end of every speech, use to wish everyone in Guyana wealth and prosperity. Donald did start fuh do de same thing like he till dem boys tell ee to stop that stupidness. Strange but true. Ask Donald.

Talk half and hope that dem coffin-maker don’t charge dem boys family nuff money when dem dead.

outstanding accounts.

It pointed to previous reports of the Auditor General which has called for many of these dormant accounts to be closed and which had reported on the progress made in closing these accounts.

If you go as far back as 1970, you will find that the reports of the Auditor General had pointed to the existence of numerous dormant accounts in the accounting system. There was also a number of accounts for which no reconciliation were done.

We therefore have to be careful in jumping to conclusions about the 10 billion dollars that was “discovered”. There has been a process, instituted now for years to allow for dormant accounts to be closed.

This is simply an accounting process that is taking place. It is not a discovery of funds that were somehow stashed away as some people believe.

Most of the accounts relate to statutory agencies and therefore one has to question whether these agencies are involved in the process of closing these accounts because these accounts should not be intermingled with those of Central Government.

This of course is a conundrum that the present

government will find itself in because during the PPP’s time in office it had taken the position that outstanding balances held by corporate bodies should not be held by these bodies but be passed through the Consolidated Fund.

This column had argued that this position had no basis in law. The argument for example was that the funds held by NICIL should be passed through the Consolidated Fund.

This would have allowed for uses of these funds to be subject to parliamentary approval.

This column had argued that there is no basis in law for that, and had pointed out that if this were indeed the case then there would have been no need for a sugar levy to have been instituted in the years when Guysuco was a profitable concern and billions were extracted from its profits and paid into the national coffers.

If the principle had been that corporate bodies should automatically transfer their outstanding balances to the treasury, there should have been no need for a levy and all the expenditure of Guysuco would have had to have been approved by the parliament and not the Board of the corporation.

It is therefore important that these dormant accounts, most of which belong to statutory bodies outside of the public service, most of which are subvention agencies, should rightly be closed by the agencies themselves and not necessarily by Central Government.

If monies are available as a result of the closure of these funds, lawfully these monies belong to the statutory bodies and not to central government.

People may be assuming that the discovery of these accounts means that the coffers of the treasury are flush with ten billion dollars and therefore the government can spend as it pleases.

Not necessarily so and therefore there is a need for someone within the government to explain to the public what the closure of these dormant accounts mean.

Now we come to the two hundred million dollars which was said to have been transferred from the Bank of Guyana to a private bank.

There may be reason for this.

Accounts in Bank of Guyana are profit earning accounts and therefore moving it to a private bank would allow for it to earn profits. But there could also be some other reason also why the money was moved.

It is more important to ask whether any funds were ever withdrawn from this account and to what uses it was put.

It is also important to question why the money was collected in the first place from those involved in the scrap metal trade.

Were these funds legally obtained and if so why put a tax/ fee on the export of scrap metal trade? This is not a natural resource where a small tax may be necessary.

We should be encouraging the export of scrap metal not digging two hundred million dollars out of the proceeds of exporters. In this case, there are more questions than answers.

Strength does not come from winning.

Your struggles develop your strengths.

When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Health Minister wants major overhaul of Suddie hospital

Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton interacting with doctors at the Suddie Hospital.

Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, has been familiarising himself with the public health system and general operational conditions, through several visits to regional hospitals and other medical institutions.

His latest visit took him and his team to the Suddie Hospital, Region 2, where he expressed disappointment with the state of the institution’s infrastructure, and the non-availability of key medical equipment.

There is also the situation of the operating theatre which was constructed over five years ago, and is not functioning, due to the shabby work done by the contractor. The tiled walls are hollow and electrical works were badly done.

The theatre of this hospital can best be described as “scandalous” Minister Norton said. “…it is a disgrace to see what persons might have approved and written off as work they were paid so much to do…the walls are literally hollow, even though it is tiled, and my impression

is that you’ve got to break everything down. I am one of the persons who said we are not here to break and build over, but I think in this case, if we want the best for the citizens of the Region, then we have got to do better, we got to break down this theatre, and build a new one.”

This, he said will be discussed at the level of the Ministry of Health, and insisted that there will be an investigation as to who signed off on the contract.

Minister Norton said that the Suddie Hospital should be on par with the Linden, West Demerara and the New Amsterdam Hospitals, and “there is no justification for the condition Suddie is in at the moment.”

Several parts of the hospital’s roof are also leaking, and there are also issues of inadequate water and electrical supply, posing danger to the staff. The Minister also spoke of equipment not being properly maintained.

“The mere fact that you can have those wards of your Paediatric Department soaked

with a stream, actually running across the floor, tells you that we need a major overhaul in this entire hospital…I am not at all pleased with the hospital. A major step was taken to rebuild the Linden Hospital, and as such, steps must now follow,” Minister Norton pointed out.

The maintenance of medical equipment is not only contained to Suddie. “We have got to do better at what we are doing across the country in terms of maintaining and servicing of medical equipment.” There are also cases of equipment being bought that are unsuitable. The hospital has a portable x-ray machine that was bought and cannot function because it is not suitable.

There is also the case of non-availability of important medical equipment, no ventilators, insufficient number of monitors and reagents. ”We have got to get those things in place if we are serious about improving the medical services that we Continued on page 23

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Govt. to implement international standard TIP task force

By Jarryl Bryan Following on the heels of a raid launched by the Junior Minister of Social Protection, Simona Broomes which netted 29 foreign nationals from Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela and Dominica who were suspected to be the victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIP), plans are on stream for the implementation of a TIP unit specialized in dealing with the trafficking scourge.

This is according to Broomes, who won recognition internationally as a TIP hero for her efforts in rescuing women and girls from being victims of trafficking and who was recently installed as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection.

According to Broomes, her personal involvement in the raid allowed her an objective view into what was lacking in the system to counter trafficking.

The raid, launched on June 7 was a spontaneous operation in response to tips from public spirited citizens.

Of the 29 non-nationals who were found under suspicious circumstances, 11 later faced charges of illegal entry and overstaying their time.

Among her observations following the raid was how ill equipped the current TIP police unit is to deal with the women or getting a report from them in a timely manner.

Broomes was eventually forced to call a colleague from the Guyana Women Miners Organization (GWMO), who was bilingual and able to speak Portuguese in order to get a viable report from the girls.

“Coming out of the raid, we were privileged to identify that there’s nothing there to work with. So we are putting up our own structure, building

a TIP unit. I had talked with the Minister (of Public Security) of building a task force and having a system in place, having trained police to deal with raids.”

According to her, talks centered on having a special police unit, with officers who were bilingual to focus on human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is not dealing with drugs or simple larceny. So we will have a unit focused on human trafficking, a unit within the police force.

So we are establishing a structure and with my experience and my exposure internationally, we will have a structure that fits into the international standard.”

The junior Minister explained that the task force would fall directly under Public Security. She also expressed optimism that this time around, next year, with the advent of the June 2016 TIP report, it would place Guyana in a much more favorable light.

“The US would not stop their investigation because there is a new Government.

This (TIP) is a serious problem right here in Guyana. So their report alone could guide what the Government is doing or if we are not doing anything.”

According to Broomes, some of the things she had repeatedly called for under the previous administration, such as the pay out of financial compensation to TIP victims in keeping with The Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005, would also be on her agenda in the new administration.

Under the TIP act of 2005, section 18’s stipulation within the act states “the Ministry of Home Affairs in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour, Human

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes Services and Social Security shall develop plans, in consultation with nonGovernmental Organisations and other representatives of civil society for the provision of appropriate services from Governmental and nongovernmental sources, for victims of trafficking and dependent children accompanying the victims.”

However, Guyana has been consistently rated low on its efforts to combat human trafficking, leading the country to be placed on tier 2 watch list for TIP. Low prosecution rates for persons accused of trafficking in humans have also added to Guyana’s gloomy rating.

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Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

Aurora Gold Mines Project gets green light from GGDMA, GGMC

By Jarryl Bryan Ten years after the preliminary closure of OMAI gold mines, the largest ever gold mine in Guyana, the impending mid-2015 opening of the Guyana Gold Fields’ Aurora mine is promising to dwarf OMAI in size, according to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Mining Association (GGDMA).

The GGDMA attested to being satisfied that work, which is at an estimated 85 percent completion, was proceeding according to International best practices.

The Commission, which visited the mine in August 2014, has also lauded the construction already covered, declaring it as “enormous and astounding.”

According to the GGDMA, their visit was in keeping with their oversight of the mining sector and to also serve as a forum to address certain issues of concern.

According to observations by the GGMC, it was observed that renovation works were being conducted at the Aurora Airstrip. In addition, the base camp was relocated in order to accommodate preparation works for protective dikes between the Cuyuni River and the pit mining areas.

It was also observed that rushing, milling, mineral separation and cyanide plant infrastructures were already assembled and the tailings management area was also nearing completion, with the pipelines already in place.

At the time of the visit, the electrical power generation equipment and distribution network were being installed with the supporting fuel storage systems being fabricated on-site.

The visiting delegation was allowed access to every

facet of the construction, with explanations and rationale proffered for the various designs and best practices.

Guyana Gold fields are on target for the estimated completion of construction of the mine in June 2015 with mining operations commencing in early July 2015.

PROJECTED BENEFITS OF GUYANAGOLD FIELDS ON ECONOMY The Mining sector has continuously contributed to the national economy and the development of Guyana. The development and progress of the mining sector after the closure of OMAI in 2005, was as a direct result of the performance of the small and medium scale gold mining operations which declared a record 438,645 and 481,103 ounces of gold in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Gold declarations have continuously increased from 2003 to 2013 until the low price of gold impacted on the sector.

The Commission has always sought to work in the best interest of all miners and the sector. In this regard, a commitment was made to continue working with GGDMA to assist small miners in the adoption of new technologies to increase gold recoveries while phasing out the use of mercury.

According to the GGDMA, these initiatives will be supported by the Commission and a sum of GYD$1 Billion has been earmarked to assist the processes which are even more critical given the low gold recovery rate, high cost of production and current low price of gold.

In this regard, the Chairman of the GGMC has reportedly extended an invitation to the Goldfields to

Visiting Team

Storage and fuel tanks, feeder system, power generation, conveyor system, mill and processing participate in a Mercury Free and Improved Gold Recovery Workshop which the Commission has planned in June, 2015. This would ensure a forum for the dissemination of expertise and knowledge by the Goldfield’s consultants in the area of recovery technologies.

For the large scale mining

Workers Accommodation

operations set to come on stream, the Commission has worked in order to foster and promote relationships between Goldfields and entities/Ministries of the Government to ensure that undue delays are not experienced, that could jeopardize the mining project.

Interventions were made after requests by Goldfields, who

were experiencing lengthy delays which would have impacted on the timeline for completion. The company expressed its appreciation for the intervention of the Commission and the Ministry to avoid and/or minimize such delays.

According to the Commission, the importance of the bringing the Goldfields

Aurora mines on stream cannot be overstated since the sector can benefit from the estimated proved reserves of approximately 3.29 million ounces of gold over an estimated mine life of 17 years.

They also stated that the gold production and declaration will be a tremendous boost to the mining sector and greatly benefit the nation as a whole.

The sector will also benefit from the royalties that will be paid on production, in addition to eligible corporation tax payments.

Further, the importance of the transfer of technology and international best practices to Guyanese and other mining operations, the time of construction to operation should not be overlooked and taken for granted.

Goldfield’s operations will be processing both saprolite and hard rock material for gold and can do so both simultaneously or separate.

Local Employment The construction and operation of the Aurora mine has in addition proved to be (Continued on page 24)

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 21

LAWSUITS AND TIGHT THONGS Earlier this week I saw the Trinidad and Tobago Senate discussing the management and better legislation of gambling and it took me back to the old days when we took a chance to play rummy under the neighbourhood street-lamp and police raided.

Everybody ran but someone I knew only as “Broko” because he had a leg injury that forced him to hobble along on a crutch.

The police grabbed him, hit him a couple blows with a “bull pizzle”, threw him into the van and took him to the station. Next day he appeared before a magistrate but by that time his mother had secured a lawyer so that when the charge was read the lawyer objected and the case was dismissed.

The Laws of Trinidad and Tobago make it clear that “All persons found at any time gambling, or assembled together for such purpose in any public or open place are liable on summary conviction to a fine of seven hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment for six months.” The police had charged Broko with

“assembling” and, as his lawyer pointed out, Broko was the only person charged and one man by himself cannot assemble for any purpose whatsoever. They had to Lego him.

While some police charges are ridiculous some lawsuits I have read about recently are even worse. A surfer recently sued another surfer for “taking his wave.”

The case was ultimately dismissed because the jury was unable to put a price on “pain and suffering” endured by watching someone ride the wave that was “intended for you.” Someone clearly swallowed or inhaled too much seawater. A man who previously changed his name to “Jack Ass” sued media giant Viacom saying the MTV show “Jackass” plagiarized his name.

Organizers of an Olympics event were ordered to pay damages to a man who missed the event due to heavy traffic. In Japan, a court ordered the organizers of the Nagano Winter Olympics to pay damages for mental anguish to a spectator who was delayed by heavy traffic.

Had I known about this before I would have sued both the Trinidad Government and the organisers of a OneDay match between the West Indies and Australia because both the Water Authority and the Works Department chose to dig-up the road on the same morning that the match was due to start. But then the judge would have ruled that instead of compensation for me I should have compensated for the time delay because the road works and resulting traffic jams were, in those days, daily events in Trinidad.

When I was young, there was a calypso with the chorus, “The weatherman lying…” Now, even though we know that there is a “chaos” effect which could be triggered by a butterfly’s wings somewhere in the air in Australia and cause all weather predictions to fail, a woman in Israel is suing a TV station and its weatherman for $1,000 after he predicted a sunny day and it rained. The woman claims the forecast caused her to leave home lightly dressed. As a result, she caught the flu, missed 4

days of work, spent $38 on medication and suffered stress. I kept wondering if that was stressful, how much she would sue Hamas for?

Even more inaccurate than a weatherman’s predictions is a clumsy, visually impaired person. A minister and his wife sued a guide-dog school for $160,000 after a blind man learning to use a seeing-eye dog stepped on the woman’s toe. She sought $80,000 for medical bills, pain and suffering, humiliation and disability. Her husband sought the same amount for loss of his wife’s care, comfort and consortium. I particularly like the word “consortium” since it sounds like a group thing.

The one that takes the fruitcake and the nuts is the strange case of a woman who was banned from selling plots on the Sun on eBay but has now won the right to take the auction site to court. Maria Duran has been claiming ownership of part of the star since 2010 when she threatened to bill solar power users. SKY news reported that the woman registered the star

in her name at a notary office in Spain before opening an eBay account selling squaremetre plots for one euro each.

Two years later eBay pulled her listings, saying they violated its intangible goods policy, and her account was blocked.

She threatened to sue, and a Spanish court has recognised her claim. A trial will take place next month, with Ms Duran demanding around £7,500 for payments she says she has not received. Apart from the suspicion that the Judge must have been suffering from sunstroke is the news that Ms Duran has rejected an attempt by eBay to settle the case out of court. Given eBay’s history (one man paid for a penis enlarger and got a magnifying glass) one would think that it would be able to stand the heat and tell her, “We’ll trade it for Uranus.”

Since we started with the police, we should end with them (not literally of course).

In a widely reported case, Marcy Noriega, a California police officer decided to use her taser on a suspect who was misbehaving in the back of her car.

Noriega drew her taser from her belt and fired it at the man. It turned out that the officer had drawn her gun instead and shot the man in the chest. He died.

The city sued the taser company, arguing that any reasonable officer could mistakenly draw and shoot their gun instead of their taser.

Some guns are more intelligent than police – they carry magazines with them that tell them why they are different from tasers. *Tony Deyal was last seen recounting the case of a 52 year old L.A. traffic cop who sued Victoria’s Secret for damaging her eye. She was trying on a new thong and the tight fit caused a metal clip to fly off hitting her in the eye.

Clearly this is neither a joke nor a wisecrack.

Father seeks help in Cop shot in head recovering finding missing daughter - Mom cites improvement

Noel Mansfield is very worried about his missing 16 year old daughter, Jamila Mansfield.

The girl went missing since May 25, 2015 and has not been seen since.

Mr. Mansfield told Kaieteur News that shortly before Jamila disappeared, he had scolded her over some disturbing photos he had found in her cellular phone.

He said that he threatened to tell the girl’s mother about the photos and, knowing that she will be scolded by her mother, the child went to her North Sophia home after school, packed a bag with her clothing and disappeared.

The worried dad has since been making every effort to locate his daughter.

Missing, Jamila Mansfield While the child’s father is of the opinion that his daughter is missing, her mother has reportedly disclosed that she knows who the girl is with but doesn’t know the exact location. “She is with a boy

(name given), but I just don’t know where.”

Kaieteur News understands that the same day the teen disappeared, the child messaged her mother informing her of who she is with and assured that she is fine.

Mr. Mansfield told this publication that this is the first time Jamila has done something of this nature. He said that she has not given the parents any problems in the past; “just regular teenage stuff”.

He is calling on the public and police for assistance in finding her. Anyone with information that may lead to the location of the teen is asked to contact 629-5533, 612-1195 or the nearest police station.

Potential of Guyanese Diaspora...

(From page 3) Diaspora would adopt it. In speaking about the framework, he said it is one “where people can safely put their money into Guyana, get the money here without the exorbitant cost associated with money transfers, get the money here and say invest in apartments for middle or low and middle income groups, flats, apartments, condominiums, and not find themselves once they are separated from Guyana by

some space, losing their property to some con-man who sells it illegally, or a state agent who isn’t bound by any properly enforced laws.”

Once the negative possibilities can be negated and “They can operate in such a space, we will have taken advantage of our Diaspora.”

Minister Greenidge said that while some may ask, how come that’s foreign policy, it should be noted that some parts such as the framework, and the vision are ones for

foreign policy.

“In terms of putting together the legislation that stops estate agents from doing nonsense with other people’s property, that stops tenants from abusing a market, being in rented property and not paying for it and so forth, destroying it without any sanctions, we will have provided an opportunity for Guyana to take advantage of its massive Diaspora outside”.

(A GINA feature)

to consistent prayers Prayer works.

That’s the fervent belief of Marcel Bobb, the mother o f C o n s t a b l e Vi c t o r Fausette, who was shot in the head by a mentally u n stable prisoner last Sunday at the Wisroc Police Outpost in Linden.

Marcel Bobb has been bombarding God with prayers for her son following the shooting. She believes God had answered.

Victor, according to his mother, has shown major signs of improvement. He is even speaking a little to relatives.

He has a long way to go, but he’s been transferred from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the High Dependency Unit (HDU). His condition is listed as critical but stable.

However, his mother’s faith in God has given her the assurance that all will be well as she continues to bug God’s ears with her consistent prayers daily.

Despite the severity of Fausette’s injury and the speculations of his survival being “slim”, the mother said that she had always expected her son to recover.

“I prayed a lot and I know that God is able to bring my son through. Every day I am

praying, even on my way to the hospital I am praying,” said the mother.

She related that although her son is not fully recovered and is under the close watch of doctors, she is happy that her prayers are being heard as his condition continues to improve daily.

“He is eating a little and speaking a little.”

On June 7, 2015, Victor Fausette, of Belladrum, Berbice, was shot above the left ear at around 19:00hrs by a ‘berserk’ prisoner, Regan Richards, 18, after being relieved of his service revolver, at the Wisroc Police Outpost.

Richards, who fled the scene, was later shot dead by police ranks, after they cornered him at his One Mile Extension, Wismar home.

Police recovered Fausette’s service revolver.

Constable Fausette was attempting to place Richards in the lockups, when the mentally ill man attacked the rank, relieved him of his firearm and shot him in the

Victor Fausette head.

Nearby residents reportedly heard the gunshot and saw Fausette stagger out of the Police Outpost before collapsing.

He was rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital, before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Sources indicated that his chances of survival were slim.

A police release stated that at around 18.05hrs, police ranks responded to a report of threatening behaviour in which Regan Richards, who is reported to have been mentally unstable, was armed with a cutlass and was chasing down residents.

Page 22

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Kaieteur News

HEALTH Follow-me male enhancers, diabetic, hypertension and more. Sickness free sample treatment- Tel: 696-2957

VEHICLE FOR SALE

VACANCY

FOR SALE

Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257

1 L-Touring Wagon, excellent condition - A.C Alarm & Remote start, flair kit, CD player, 16" mags, price -$1.3M - Tel: 626-2884

Cutter/straight stitch/ button tack/hole operators.

Call: 222-2541 (8:00am4:00pm Mon-Fri)

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

1 Maid, 40years and older to work in SurinameContact: (+597) 322-5442; (+597) 651-6666 Need an advisor to help with setting up a new Private School, email details to mozatart@yahoo.com

LAND FOR SALE Commercial lots available at Eccles E.B.D $14M - Tel:592227-2913 or 592-689-3033

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50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front -reasonable offer accepted, serious enquiries only! - Tel: 695-3493

Salesgirls to work in Grocery stall in Stabroek market.

Experience is an asset- Call: 226-9800

Prime land in Corriverton 1.3 acres roadside land suitable for Gas station, hotel, Shopping mall etc.- Call: 6266245, 335-3347

Experienced pastry makers, Roti/Puri & Curry, cook, cleaners, apply @ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce Street.

Immediate opening for entry level office assistant, construction or technical background preferred. Must be computer literate – Call: 685-1001 1 gas welder- Call: 628-1756, 228-5655 Truck drivers, security guard, office staff: 5 CXC subjects minimum & computer literate, to work in Georgetown - Tel: 218-5105 Salesgirls and porters, apply to Best Buy Food Supplies, at 1E Dennis & Middleton Street, Campbellville with written application.

Luxury gated communitypool, mall, swipe card entry, underground irrigation.

Selling @ $6USD per sq.ftCall: 609-0783 1500 acres transported land 4½ miles from Bartica Rock, Quarry, Forestry, Agriculture.

Contact Mark: 603-1266; 6259788

1 Live- in domestic, salary $50,000- Call: 688-5409, 6741767 Female assistant for interior.

Salary $80,000 monthly- Call: 674-1767, 688-5409, 664-5199

(1)Mechanic to work in the interior.

Must have knowledge with perkins engine Call: 611-4495, 6290037, 226-9768 2 Accounts clerk with Grades 1 & 2 in Maths & English.

Apply at Technical Services, Eccles Industrial Site, E.B.D. One live in maid –Tel: 6755256 Contract cars & HC drivers @ A1 taxi Service - Call: 2201000

Star Cars Auto Sales: In Stock, Premio, Vitz, Bluebird, IST, Alteeza, Benz C200, Spacio - Tel: 679-3140 Don’t Miss! Venus Auto Sale: pre-order, specials on Toyota IST, Vitz, Ractis, Passo, Raum- $1.9M, $1.8M Call: 624-5617 One Toyota Allion PNN SERIES & 1 new & unregistered Mazda Axela, excellent condition -Tel: 649-0956 2004 Spacio -$2M 2008 Fielder (new shape) -$2.5M unregistered –Tel: 617-2891 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma - Call: 680-3154 Just Arrived! TM Trucks from UK, excellent condition –Tel: 679-7587; 695-3188 Toyota Prado, Price$4.4M Neg. Call: 643-2403 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms - Call: 680-3154 1 beige Toyota spacio 2003 model. PMM series. Lady driven in excellent condition.

1st owner- Call: 628-5828

WANTED 1 farm worker & 1 clerk- Call: 265-3586 Carpenter and mason- Call: 668-9863, 675-6136, 602-9469

One Noah registered in BTT series, never used. Reasonable price- Call:698-8617 Fantasy Auto Sales: 38 Alexander Street Kitty. Get $100,000 discount on perorders- Tel: 611-1833

Experienced female accounts clerk, must have four years experienced.

Apply @ Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling Stabroek.

Work from home, earn $5,000-$20,000 daily Call Monday-Friday 9am-5pm #233-6517, 638-0595 www.jobfairworldwide.com I N T E R N AT I O N A L EMPLOYMENT: NURSE, TEACHERS,CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS, COOK, WAITERS, BELL BOYS, HOUSEKEEPERS, STOREKEEPERS, SECURITIES. CONTACT: 231-6296; 650-9880/ www.plzrecruitme.com Male security guards, male desk staff & male supervisorcall: 225-0198 or 233 South road, Lacytown Security guard @ Coverden E.B.D, Apply in person to Alabama Trading Georgetown Ferry Stelling Stabroek Sales representative for Pureguard oils and heavy duty equipment, excavator, etc- Contact: 223-5273/4 Porters, moulder & re-saw operators, Eccles Industrial site, E.B.D- Call: 609-7675, 233-2614, 674-1705 One welder/ fabricator- Tel: 642-7898 Vacancy exists for (1) one DJ/ Entertainer/ Promoter to work at a club in EssequiboContact: 226-9768, 615-6172

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1 General domestic to take care of guest house in Interior. Must know how to cook- Tel: 231-0363

Maid/ cleaner- apply at Wieting & Richter Ltd.

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997

SALON

WANTED

Cook must know to bake, able body cleaner, housekeeper & general domestic, waitress Tel: 679-5993

Monday June 15, 2015

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/WWW. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM EDUCATION Register now with Alpha foundation for child care, care for elderly, cosmetology, dressmaking, cake decoration & more –Phone: 264-1052; 663-7930 CXC Adults classes: day & evening. Phonics class, grade 2,4,6,9 lessons- Call: 231-1209, 690-5008, 657-7398

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Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, phone games & applications. Delivery also.

Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Pure breed pitbull puppies 7 weeks- Call: 661-1715 or 6692434 Electronic and battery operated snow cone machines- Call: 266-2711, 609-4594 Rare and expensive stamps, first covers/post cards with stamps, coins & paper money, etc –Tel: 227-6817; 624-7341 XBOX One, XBOX 360, PS2, PS3, PSP and Nintendo DS system, plastic barrels $6,000-Call: 603-8643; 6217497; 649-3277 10 Acres of land roadside at Kuru Kururu for business.

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FOR SALE/RENT

Pneumatic roller – 9 wheels, 2,500 GLS, steel tank, 2,000 GLS, steel tank , 428 CAT Back-Hoe Call: 275-0538; 6937105 German shepherd pupsContact: 615-0513 Continued on page 23

Unregistered Corolla Fielder 2003, body kit, fog, rear spoiler, dark interior, roof rack Call: 617-5536.

For Sale: Rush, household items: TV, etc. For Rent: house. Tel: 628-7884

1 RZ EFI minibus. BKK 7634Call: 226-9530, 651-2274

3 Storey established business at 220 south roadCall: 601-3369

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Letters... Where your views make the news...Letters... Where your views make the news

The PPP/C needs to retire old time leaders DEAR EDITOR, As the emotional phase of the 2015 elections winds down, the PPP/C leadership must take stock of why it was edged out of office. It must begin the process of rebuilding the party to address areas in which it went wrong so as to improve its chance of winning the next election. A frank, incisive stocktaking is needed.

The party must take cognizant of the fact that since almost 50 per cent of the population voted against the party two times in a row, something was amiss – perhaps its policies and implementation was/is in need of rehabilitation and its personnel (leadership included) replaced. A reconfiguration of the party is badly needed if it is to reattract those who left brining about the party’s defeat.

As many complained during the 2011 and 2015 campaigns, the PPP/C failed to ensure that almost the entire population benefited from its economic focus and the many initiatives it undertook.

Supporters complained that they were neglected and many did not vote, particularly in 2011. In addition, the party allowed its leadership, some Ministers and other lower governmental officials to become all too powerful, ignoring the wants of the people and dismissing their complaints.

In going into the 2015 elections, the party seemed to have learned nothing from its 2011 defeat. The party erred in not making necessary changes to its leadership after the 2011 election fiasco. It did not bring in significant new faces to its parliamentary line up after 2011 and it made several blunders in parliament, not least working with the opposition majority in parliament.

It unwisely fought the

ambassadors of the major Western countries.

In addition, credible individuals from the civic were not courted or recruited to show the party has changed although supporters were crying out for change and pleading for service.

Not surprisingly, the party lost a sufficient number of supporters (failed to re-attract them) to prevent what took place on May 11. Because of so many unforced blunders, it will be a long haul for the party to return to government.

The leadership has to be creative and innovative in trying to woo back those who abandoned the party and to win over those who voted for APNU+AFC. Unless the party reinvents and reengineers itself with new leadership, it will go the way of the PNC after its defeat in 1992 – out of power for a long time.

For the party to make a comeback politically, it must appoint credible young faces in its parliamentary line up and leadership as well begin the process of internal reform as part of a rebuilding process.

The latter requires a new wave of political thinking that centers on “accommodative politicking” or coalition building which is opposed by the old timers and hardliners.

To make way for the newer generation, the party has to retire the old timers and those who are holdovers from the 1990s and those hardliners who find it an honor to oppose the major western powers; the latter are still stuck in a cold war mentality while the world has moved on.

The party must move on to its second tier leadership to spearhead the reform and rebuilding process. The old timers can hold the fort for an interim period till the party holds a special election to choose new leadership (new blood).

Digicel gave me back my Megabytes DEAR EDITOR, With reference to a letter written by yours truly entitled “Digicel needs to stop exploiting its customers,” which was printed in your newspaper’s letter column on June 10, 2015, I wish to state that Digicel has rebated me with my megabytes.

Additionally, I was provided with credits due to the frustration experienced during the period. I am most grateful that Digicel would have recognized their error and has vouched to revisit the service and make the necessary changes as it sees fit. I must also mention that Digicel’s customer care unit had been very courteous to me during the period.

Notwithstanding the above, I have recognized that no matter how excellent your service as a company may be, hiccups are expected but the manner in which you deal with the hiccups will define your company.

Digicel has dealt with my issue very professionally and courteously of course after it was published in your newspaper.

Let us continue to support the bigger better network.

Ganesh Mahipaul

There are a few strong young leaders within the party who can be a nucleus to bring needed changes and move the party into a modern era, moving it away from the 1960s model of struggles.

Ashni Singh, Irfaan Ali, Anil Nandlall, Priya Manikchand, and Robert Persaud were rated very highly as Minister as well as a Members of Parliament. The party will have to find someone in the mould of a Cheddi Jagan who dedicates himself full time to politics.

There are not many like him around.

Persaud has indicated a lack of interest in politics and Nandlall, one of the most brilliant lawyers and a rising star, recently ran into problems with political gaffes and may find it difficult to recover his one-time leading stature. The party can tap into its civic component where there are several professionals with strong potential for parliamentary representation and leadership. Professionals from the civic have a greater ability to win over the critical business community and floating voters as well as draw cross ethnic support that will be needed for any future

electoral victory because of the party’s declining support base.

Individuals like Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, Elisabeth Harper, Dr. Mahinder Sharma, Joe Hamilton, and Africo Selman, among others, should be encouraged to play a leading role in the party especially since they were on the civic list.

Their likeability ratings are extremely high. Ramsaroop and Sharma should be encouraged to play a front line role in the new parliament as he is well liked by both the PPP and APNU base. It should not go unnoticed that Ramsaroop helped formulate the National Front Alliance whose leader Keith Scott is now a Minister in the coalition government.

Also, Ramsaroop was a key executive in the REFORM which started change in the PNC that has captured the government from the PPP. He was also a key initiator in the formation of the Third Force that morphed into the AFC and a key player in JOPP which ultimately transformed into APNU that is now in government with AFC. Ramsaroop, Sharma, Selman, and Hamilton,

Health Minister wants...

From page 11 are giving to the population.”

The hospital is equipped with close to 30 doctors who complain of working under very unsuitable conditions, dwelling in a very cramped room, while on call, with no bathroom facility, television or microwave. The Administrator explained that a house was made available to them a month ago; however, the doctors are claiming that no one informed them of that arrangement.

Dr Norton said that the Government will do what is necessary to better the situation; however, the local officers and the Hospital Administration have to do their part to improve the working conditions of heath care providers.

“While I agree that salary scale has to be revisited, especially in terms of remuneration, nurses graduating from different courses and receiving the same salaries, we have to look into that, and all in all give the health workers job satisfaction. If we do not give the nurses, doctors, technicians and cleaners job satisfaction, we will continue to see the same work ethics being displayed, where technicians who are on 24 hour call duty are questioning the nurses as to why they should come out to work,” Minister Norton explained.

He said that the system needs to be monitored more stringently, and his approach would be to deal closely with all Hospital Administrators. Regional Health Officers, he said, should play a more integral part in the whole system.

The Minister also visited the Oscar Joseph Hospital in Charity, and the Kabakaburi, Karawab, Abram’s Creek, Siriki and St. Monica Health posts. (A GINA feature)

understands each of their politics and can play strategic roles in the rebuilding of the PPP. Now that it is a de facto opposition, the party should consider appointing shadow ministers to keep track of government undertakings regardless of whether it sits in parliament.

Leadership is about courage and the PPP indisputably needs new

leaders that can demonstrate they are once again ready to lead the nation as Dr. Jagan did in the 1950s and 1992. The PPP/C needs to articulate an attractive vision and all efforts must be made to get out of the 1960s model politics driven by some old timers and embrace the modern approach to unity politics needed to win elections and govern diverse Guyana.

Vishnu Bisram

From page 22

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Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

South Africa court bars indicted Sudan leader from leaving

Omar al-Bashir (centre) lines up with Congo’s Denis Sasso-Nguesso (right) and Abdelkader Taleb Oumar of the Sahrawi Arab Republic during a photo call at the African Union Summit in Sandton, South Africa yesterday.

(AFP Photo/Gianluigi Guercia) JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African judge barred Sudan’s indicted president from leaving the country yesterday, in a deepening rift between Africa and the West over what Pretoria called anti-poor country bias in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

President Omar al-Bashir, visiting South Africa for an African Union summit, stands accused in an ICC arrest warrant of war crimes and crimes against humanity over atrocities committed in the Darfur conflict. He was first indicted in 2009.

A judge is expected today to hear an application calling

for Bashir’s arrest, though this appears unlikely as South Africa’s government has granted legal immunity to all African Union delegates.

South African President Jacob Zuma’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) responded furiously to yesterday’s court order, accusing the Hague-based

Britain pulls out spies as Russia, China crack Snowden files – report LONDON (Reuters) Britain has pulled out agents from live operations in “hostile countries” after Russia and China cracked top-secret information contained in files leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Sunday Times reported.

Security service MI6, which operates overseas and is tasked with defending British interests, has removed agents from certain countries, the newspaper said, citing unnamed officials at the office of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Home Office (interior ministry) and security services.

Snowden downloaded more than 1.7 million secret files from security agencies in the United States and Britain in 2013, and leaked details about mass surveillance of phone and internet communications.

The United States wants Snowden to stand trial after he leaked classified documents, fled the country and was eventually granted asylum in Moscow in 2013.

He went to Russia via Hong Kong, and although he

Edward Snowden claimed in 2013 that the encrypted files remained secure, Britain believed both Russia and China had cracked documents which contain details that could allow British and American spies to be identified, the newspaper said, citing officials.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Snowden had done a huge amount of damage to the West’s ability to protect its citizens.

“As to the specific allegations this morning, we never comment on operational intelligence

matters so I’m not going to talk about what we have or haven’t done in order to mitigate the effect of the Snowden revelations, but nobody should be in any doubt that Edward Snowden has caused immense damage,” he told Sky News.

An official at Cameron’s office was quoted, however, as saying that there was “no evidence of anyone being harmed.” A spokeswoman at Cameron’s office declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

A Home Office source told the newspaper that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not grant Snowden asylum for nothing.

“His documents were encrypted but they weren’t completely secure and we have now seen our agents and assets being targeted,” the source said.

A British intelligence source said Snowden had done “incalculable damage”.

“In some cases the agencies have been forced to intervene and lift their agents from operations to stop them being identified and killed,” the source was quoted as saying.

British security agencies declined to comment.

ICC of seeking to impose selective Western justice by singling out Africans.

“The ANC holds the view that the International Criminal Court is no longer useful for the purposes for which it was intended,” the ANC said in a statement.

“Countries, mainly in Africa and Eastern Europe ... continue to unjustifiably bear the brunt of the decisions of the ICC, with Sudan being the latest example.”

A human rights group, the Southern African Litigation Center, earlier petitioned the Pretoria High Court to force the government to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir.

Judge Hans Fabricius postponed the hearing until 0930 GMT (5:30 a.m. EDT) today to allow the government time to prepare its case, urging South African authorities to “take all necessary steps” to prevent Bashir leaving the country.

Sudan’s government said that Bashir had not slipped out of the country, despite some media reports to the

contrary. “President Bashir is here in Johannesburg,” presidency spokesman Mohammed Hatem told Reuters from the South African commercial capital.

Earlier, Khartoum defended the South African visit by Bashir, who was sworn in this month for another five-year term, and said the court order had “no value”.

“We contacted South Africa in advance and informed them that the president would participate and they highly welcomed his participation,” Sudan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kamal Ismail, told reporters in Khartoum.

“What is being mentioned in the media is a propaganda campaign against Sudan,” Ismail added.

The conflict in Darfur has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2 million, the United Nations says.

“He (Bashir) would be a fool if he had not sought guarantees that he would not

be transferred before leaving for South Africa,” one ICC official told Reuters, asking not to be named.

The ICC issued a statement asking Pretoria “to spare no effort in ensuring the execution of the arrest warrants”.

It said the court’s members had “deep concern” about the negative consequences if any signatory state failed to assist in detaining Bashir.

A foreign ministry spokesman in South Africa, which is an ICC signatory and therefore obliged to implement arrest warrants, did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

The ANC called for a review of ICC statutes to make them apply to all United Nations members to ensure a “fair and independent court for universal and equitable justice”.

The United States’ decision not to sign the ICC’s Rome Statute has caused resentment among African states.

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Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

U.S. plans to store heavy arms in Greece and creditors fail in Baltic, Eastern Europe – source ‘last attempt’ to reach deal WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The United States plans to store heavy military equipment in the Baltics and Eastern European nations to reassure allies unnerved by Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and to deter further aggression, U.S. officials said.

The move would be the first time Washington has stationed heavy military equipment in the newer NATO member states that were once in the Soviet sphere of influence or - in the case of the three Baltic republics - part of the Soviet Union.

Though no final decision has been taken, the Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 troops, one U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The official said the proposal envisages storing a company’s worth of equipment, enough for 150 soldiers, in each of the three Baltic nations: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Enough equipment for a company or

possibly a battalion, or about 750 soldiers, would also be located in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and possibly Hungary.

“We will pre-position significant equipment,” a second U.S. official said.

Both officials were confirming an article yesterday in the New York Times, which first reported on the U.S. plans.

Poland and Lithuania confirmed they were in talks with Washington on stationing heavy arms in warehouses in the region.

“The threats to the Baltic region have increased. This has been discussed many times and I view positively (the fact) that talks lead to concrete decisions which, I think, will become a reality,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius told Reuters.

Poland’s defense minister said he expected a decision soon.

“During talks in Washington in May I have been assured that the decision will be taken soon,” said a ministry tweet, quoting

Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. “This is another step to increase U.S. presence in Poland and the region.”

The proposal, which seeks to reassure European allies in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in March 2014, is expected to be approved by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the White House before a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels this month, the report said, quoting senior officials.

Asked about the article, a Pentagon spokesman said no decision had been made about the equipment.

“Over the last few years, the United States military has increased the pre-positioning of equipment for training and exercises with our NATO allies and partners,” Colonel Steve Warren said.

“The U.S. military continues to review the best location to store these materials in consultation with our allies,” he said in a statement. “At this time, we have made no decision about if or when to move to this equipment.”

Syrian Kurds battle Islamic State for town at Turkish border

Turkish soldiers stand guard as Syrian refugees wait for transportation after crossing into Turkey from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey. Reuters/Osman Orsal Reuters - Kurdish-led militia backed by U.S.-led air strikes fought Islamic State near a Syrian town at the Turkish border yesterday, a monitoring group and a Kurdish official said, in an advance that has worried Turkey.

Concerned about an expansion of Kurdish sway in Syria, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish groups were taking over areas evacuated by Arabs and Turkmen, saying that might eventually threaten Turkey’s borders.

The Kurdish-led YPG,

working with the U.S.-led alliance and small Syrian rebel groups, has pushed into Islamic State’s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa province, threatening one of its supply lines to the jihadists’ de facto capital, Raqqa city.

While dealing a blow to Islamic State, seizing Tel Abyad would also help the YPG to link up Kurdishcontrolled areas of northern Syria. Turkey is worried about the risk of separatist sentiment among its own Kurdish minority in the southwest.

At least 13,000 people have fled into Turkey over the

past week to escape the fighting near Tel Abyad.

Yesterday, Turkish authorities reopened the border after a few days of closure, a security source said, adding that they expected as many as 10,000 people to come across.

Local media said Islamic State militants had tried to prevent refugees from crossing into Turkey. “(Islamic State) doesn’t want people to flee. They are telling them the coalition forces would bomb the town if the civilians left,” the security source said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) shakes hands with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (R) at the start of an EU-CELAC Latin America summit in Brussels, Belgium last weeki. REUTERS/Yves Herman BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) - Talks on ending a deadlock between Greece and its international creditors broke up in failure yesterday, with European leaders venting their frustration as Athens stumbled closer toward a debt default that threatens its future in the euro.

European Union officials blamed the collapse on Athens, saying it had failed to offer anything new to secure the funding it needs to repay 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) to the International Monetary Fund by the end of this month.

Greece retorted it was still ready to talk, but that EU and IMF officials had said they were not authorized to negotiate further.

Athens insists it will never give in to demands for more pension and wage cuts.

“This is very

disappointing and sad. It was a last attempt to bridge our differences but the gap is too large. One can discuss a gap, but this is an ocean,” said a person who was close to the talks.

Both sides acknowledged the talks had lasted less than an hour, although even here accounts differed: Greece put the length at 45 minutes, EU officials at half an hour.

Following what it called this “last attempt” at a solution, the EU’s executive Commission said euro zone finance ministers would now tackle the issue when they meet on Thursday.

With no technical deal apparently possible, the ministers are likely to have to make difficult political decisions on Greece’s membership of the currency bloc.

Failure to keep Greece in the euro, after years of

arduous negotiations and two emergency bailouts totaling 240 billion euros, would send it lurching into the unknown and mark a historic blow to the EU’s most ambitious project.

Last Friday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had indicated he would accept painful compromises on demands for austerity and reform in return for debt relief.

But the Commission said after the talks, which also involved the European Central Bank, that “the Greek proposals remain incomplete”.

“While some progress was made, the talks did not succeed as there remains a significant gap between the plans of the Greek authorities and the joint requirements of Commission, ECB and IMF,” it said. These amounted to up to 2 billion euros a year in permanent budget savings.

Iran’s Rouhani aims to limit nuclear inspections, warns of talks delay DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday a comprehensive nuclear deal could be delayed if world powers brought new issues into play, and he would not accept a U.N. inspections regime that jeopardized state secrets.

Iran is aiming to strike an accord with six powers by June 30 that would curtail its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. But negotiators have hit an impasse in part over how much enhanced access International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors should have to Iranian sites.

“Iran will absolutely not allow its national secrets to fall into the hands of foreigners through the Additional Protocol or any other means,” Rouhani said in a televised news conference, referring to an IAEA provision that would allow more intrusive inspections in the Islamic Republic.

U.S. and French diplomats have called for Iran to accept stringent measures including

granting inspectors access to its military sites as well as inspections on as little as two hours notice — access that the Protocol could encompass. Rouhani said Iran could embrace the Protocol, noting that other states that are signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) had done so without problem.

But he insisted Iran should not face especially far-reaching measures.

“A problem we face on many issues is that when we reach a framework in one meeting, our negotiating partners go back on it in the next meeting,” said Rouhani, a pragmatist elected in 2013 on a platform of limited Iranian engagement with the West, after many years of deepening hostility.

“If the other side sticks to the framework that has been established, and does not bring new issues into play, I believe it can be solved... But if they want to take the path of brinkmanship, the negotiations could take longer.”

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Jamaica is ‘stressed out’, says Shaw KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a media release yesterday, Opposition spokesman on Finance and Planning, Audley Shaw said that Jamaica is stressed.

He also said that unemployment is still too high and poverty is up.

“Those on fixed incomes just can’t make ends meet due to the savage devaluation of the Jamaican dollar, plunging our purchasing power by 40 per cent”, Shaw contended.

The Opposition spokesman stressed the importance of getting Jamaica’s economy to grow again.

“The solid positive yearafter-year growth rate that Jamaica saw in 1962 to 1971 period is a must. No government, other than the JLP, can lay claim to a six per cent, an eight per cent, a nine per cent, or 12 per cent

Audley Shaw economic growth rate in Jamaica’s post-independence period,” Shaw insisted.

Shaw also suggested having a run-away investment and growth, targeting six per cent annual growth over a sustained

period of time.

“It is no secret, a larger tax base can happen but we must increase employment.

Squeezing every last cent from businesses and individuals causes contraction in the economy, not growth”, Shaw pointed out.

“The JLP firmly believes that GCT, corporate and individual income taxes should be lowered over time.

High tax rates perpetuate noncompliance and causes a heavier tax burden on tax compliant persons”, Shaw stated.

He insisted: “The JLP has a track record of proven performance, we understand how a market economy works and we know how to attract investment and create jobs to move Jamaica from poverty to prosperity.”

(Jamaica Observer)

Fake goods worth US$60m seized in operations across Caribbean LYON, France, CMC – The international police organization (INTERPOL) says car parts, fuel, food, detergent, cigars, shampoo and steel were among fake goods worth nearly US$60 million seized in a two-week operation across the Americas and the Caribbean.

Code-named Maya II, INTERPOL said more than 2,000 interventions by police, customs, investigators and Intellectual Property (IP) units were carried out at key locations including markets, border control points and shops across 19 countries and territories.

INTERPOL said the operation was coordinated by its Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting unit.

Investigations carried out by national authorities led to the identification and dismantling of several organized crime networks, as well as entire businesses selling counterfeit goods, INTERPOL said.

In the Dominican Republic, where deforestation is an increasing problem, INTERPOL said authorities seized more than 100 bags of charcoal at the Haitian border, in addition to identifying and closing down two illegal factories manufacturing laundry detergent.

A bootleg distillery was also shut down, and tests on the illegal alcohol seized during the raids showed it to

Michael Ellis contain potentially lethal additives.

“In Cuba, the police, in their first operation targeting counterfeit goods, seized hundreds of fake boxes ready to be filled with fake brandname cigars.

It said other examples of seizures include counterfeit rifle scopes in Canada; fake electrical goods in Trinidad and Tobago; video game controllers in Mexico; and j e a n s a n d T- s h i r t s i n Curaçao.

“The success of this

operation is a result of the dedication and commitment of the involved countries, particularly those who took part in these specifically targeted actions for the first time,” said Michael Ellis, head of INTERPOL’s Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting unit.

“The results show the extent of the challenge faced by every country in combating the spread of fake and illicit goods, and INTERPOL will continue to support their efforts in dismantling these networks and bringing those involved to justice,” Ellis added.INTERPOL said the operation was supported by the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC).

It said countries and territories which took part in Operation Maya II included Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Canada; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Curaçao; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Puerto Rico; St. Lucia; Trinidad and Tobago; United States and Venezuela.

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Monday June 15, 2015

Squatter bill will return Warner admits to involvement in plan to conceal alleged ganja in PP’s second term find at T&T PM’s home

Trinidad Guardian - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar is assuring squatters that within 30 days of her second term, she will bring back the longanticipated State Land (Regularisation of Tenure) ( M i s c e l l a n e o u s Amendments) Bill, 2015, to Parliament.

Speaking to thousands of supporters at Paraiso Event Centre, Claxton Bay, weekend, Persad-Bissessar said she did not forget the squatters whom she had promised security of tenure.

The bill was one of four which could not be debated on Tuesday as the Senate ran out of time. However, PersadBissessar said regularising squatters remained one of her government’s top priorities.

Saying five years was not enough time to get all that she wanted done, Persad-Bissessar rallied her foot soldiers to help her get back into power for a second term.

“We must spend time creating a future together and we must talk about that future. Tonight, I commit to you we will continue the infrastructure development of all of T&T. We will continue to improve the healthcare system, education system and

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar greets supporters at the party’s political meeting at Paraiso Event Centre, Claxton Bay, Friday night.

PHOTO: KRISTIAN DE SILVA above all, we will make sure there is equality of treatment to all,” she said as the audience cheered.

Saying the last five years had given the PP enough experience, Persad-Bissessar said she was happy that her Government had weathered many serious challenges— including falling oil prices— to keep the economy afloat.

“Our country has never been more stable than it has been in this last five years. We inherited a treasury that was empty. We inherited the Clico fiasco, the HCU fiasco and we had to settle those debts, but we created 55,000 more jobs.

We were able to carry out all the projects and we did not cut any jobs, salaries, pensions or social programmes,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar also vowed that no wages or social programmes would be cut if her Government was given a second term.

She also said that the budget was due on October 31, and that the Government had enough time to prepare for it, although the election would be on September 7. She also urged citizens to register to vote and to check for their names at any of the UNC’s offices.

Thousands in Nicaragua protest Chinese canal plan Managua (AFP) Thousands of demonstrators gathered Saturday in a central Nicaraguan city to protest the construction of a $50 billion (44 billion euros) canal that will run through their land.

The protesters waved Nicaraguan flags and

shouted “No to the canal!”

They accused President Daniel Ortega of “selling the country” to China by allowing the waterway’s construction.

Chinese firm Hong Kong Nicaragua Development Investment (HKND) is behind the massive canal project.

Canal opponents, mainly farmers whose land lies on the waterway’s planned route, gathered from across the country in the central city of Juigalpa.

Estimates put the number of participants at around 15,000, although authorities were not able to confirm that figure.

HKND received a concession from Ortega in 2013 to build the 280-kilometre (175-mile) canal.

The project was inaugurated in December, but digging will not begin until 2016.

Scheduled for completion in 2019, the canal is expected to displace some 30,000 people, mainly poor farmers and indigenous peoples, but could be a major financial boon for the Central American nation.

HKND is expected to employ 50,000 people over five years of construction.

The canal route crosses Lake Nicaragua and runs through rainforest and at least 40 villages.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Embattled former FIFA executive and former national security minister, Jack Warner, has claimed that he was involved in a plan to bury the alleged discovery of marijuana at the home of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar in the Philippines.

Warner, in a statement dated June 6, said he and former deputy commissioner of police Mervyn Richardson planned to bury the drug that was found on April 12, 2013, while the prime minister was in New York.

Warner – the leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) - also named Gary Griffith, then adviser to prime minister and Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, as being part of the plan to ensure there was no criminal probe into the alleged marijuana discovery.

The Trinidad Express reports that a statement signed by a Justice of the Peace outlined how Richardson came to

Kamla Persad Bissessar

Jack Warner

Parliament and told him about the alleged drug find.

Warner’s statement forms part of a dossier of documents and taped conversations he has promised to deliver to selected attorneys for safe keeping to expose corruption in the Government.

Warner is currently on bail and will re-appear at the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court on July 9.

He has indicated he will be

contesting any request by the US to have him extradited to answer charges of racketeering and money laundering.

The indictment against Warner follows four years of investigations by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) authorities into allegations of “rampant and systemic” corruption and rich self-dealing by FIFA officials.

U.S., Venezuelan officials meet in Haiti, continue quiet diplomacy CARACAS (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy has met Venezuela’s second most powerful official in Haiti in a further sign of rapprochement between the ideological foes, according to Venezuelan state media.

Thomas Shannon, counselor to Secretary of State John Kerry, has emerged in recent months as a gobetween for Caracas and Washington, visiting Venezuela a couple of times for low-profile meetings with President Nicolas Maduro.

In the worst flare-up since Maduro came to power, Venezuela earlier this year accused Washington of plotting a coup, ordered it to reduce its embassy staff and imposed a visa requirement on U.S. visitors.

In turn, the United States declared Venezuela a national security threat and ordered sanctions against seven officials it accused of corruption and rights abuses.

But both sides have lowered the tone in recent weeks.

In the meeting on Saturday in Haiti, Shannon met National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, widely regarded as the No. 2 in Venezuela after Maduro, and Foreign Minister Delcy

Thomas Shannon Rodriguez.

The meeting lasted an hour and a half, according to state news agency AVN, and was mediated by Haitian President Michel Martelly.

“We held a working meeting in Haiti with Tom Shannon and the U.S. delegation en route to normalizing relations,” Rodriguez tweeted.

State-funded network Telesur quoted Cabello as saying that Venezuela and the United States both planned to cooperate with Haiti in fighting cholera.

Venezuela wants better relations with the United

States but unnamed “interests” are blocking that, he added.

“They have tried to attack and bomb this initiative in order to keep us from normalizing relations between the two countries,” Telesur quoted him as saying.

There was no further comment from U.S. officials.

The meeting came after reports in U.S. media that Washington is investigating Cabello over involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering, allegations he denies. The 52-year-old’s visit to Haiti came on the heels of a surprise trip to Brazil in which he met with President Dilma Rousseff as well as her predecessor, Lula.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been fiery since Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez became president of the OPEC nation in 1999. But oil shipments between them have never been under threat, and rhetoric has often surpassed reality.

Venezuela remains the fourth biggest crude provider to the United States, and the order to cut 80 percent of staff from the U.S. embassy in March has not been enforced.

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Williamson, Taylor Lorenzo cuts Rossi’s tons see NZ to victory MotoGP lead to one point ESPNcricinfo - There is more than one way to lodge a score of 300-plus in a one-day international. You can dash there with a state of delirium, as England did, staying true to a spirit of devil may care. Or you can chase it down with ease, as New Zealand did in response, displaying not excitement but merely the composure that grows from two centuries of draining authority.

By the time that Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor’s third-wicket partnership was broken, they had added 206 in 32 overs and New Zealand’s last seven wickets needed only 61 from 67 balls, the platform for what ultimately became a slightly edgy victory by three wickets with six balls to spare - a win which gave them a 2-1 lead in this five-match series.

Taylor - after his century at the Kia Oval achieved back-to-back ODI hundreds for the third time in his career. The pair also set a new benchmark in ODI’s for New Zealand’s third wicket, surpassing Geoff Howarth and Martin Crowe in Auckland in 1984.

Williamson could probably bungee jump without any measurable rise in his heartbeat or blood pressure. Few international batsmen proceed with such equanimity; he picked off Adil Rashid’s leg spin - a player he knows well from his time at Yorkshire - with aplomb.

Taylor’s classy strokeplay provided a perfect accompaniment.

England, who for long periods in the field looked resigned to their fate as the Ageas Bowl produced the latest in a succession of excellent batting surfaces, will be left to rue a calamitous end to their innings in which their last five wickets tumbled for 14 in 22 balls.

Conservatism does not enter England’s thinking at the moment as they try to reinvent themselves in a more attacking guise, but it was only with nine wickets down that they belatedly nodded to the virtue of batting out their overs and 28 deliveries went unused when the last man, Steven Finn, was cleaned up by Tim Southee. Those wasted deliveries proved hugely influential. They might have accepted the reality of their position a wicket earlier.

There were four dropped catches too, catches that might well have turned the game.

Taylor escaped twice in successive overs from Mark Wood, firstly on 67 when Jos Buttler might have gone two handed to his right in an attempt to take a catch well within range, and again on 72 when Ben Stokes could not hold a fierce pull, relatively close in at square leg.

Wood, fresh again after feeling the effect of back-to-back Tests, often surpassed 90mph and was the likeliest England bowler on view.

His return of 1 for 48 is the most economical so far in a series where batsmen have prospered extravagantly.

Williamson was also dropped on 109, this time Wood the culprit at mid-off as he drove at David Willey. In Willey’s next over, the 200 partnership was raised, Williamson planted a six down the ground and finally England broke through when Wood this time leapt well at mid-off to hold the catch. Taylor got New Zealand within 13 runs of victory before he fell for 110, dragging Willey onto his stumps.

It proved close enough.

Earlier, Stokes had been in his most intimidating batting form for England, muscling England past 300 for the third successive match - unparallelled in their oneday history. There will be no more muscular shot all summer than Stokes’ strong-arm heave of Mitchell McClenaghan towards the midwicket burger vans. At a commanding 288 for 5 with 50 balls remaining, England had visions of 370.

When Sam Billings’ innovative 34 came to

Kane Williamson made his way to a 46-ball half-century, England v New Zealand, 3rd ODI. (Getty Images) grief, and Adil Rashid fell first ball, Stokes was in no mood to recognise a few complications, still seeking to be the King of the Swingers, the jungle VIP. He was bowled for 68 as he stepped away to batter Ben Wheeler to oblivion and David Willey, in his second ODI, and fresh from a productive release to his county, Northamptonshire, in the NatWest T20 Blast, also fell with what by then felt like naïve attacking intent. “Ooh-bi-do, I wanna be like you.” Not this time.

Instead, New Zealand’s pace attack had fought back strongly, with Wheeler returning a creditable 3 for 63 on debut, adding Stokes and Billings to his first-up wicket of Alex Hales.

It was a bowlers’ morning - at least it used to be. Overcast skies were not quite enough to persuade Eoin Morgan to field first, not with 1369 runs logged in the first two matches, batsmen on both sides feeling a million dollars and bowlers reduced as emphatically as they ever have been to the ranks of the poor bloody infantry.

There was swing for New Zealand in the first hour, and some bounce too, and they made decent use of it by removing both England openers, Alex Hales and Jason Roy, cheaply. England’s new-ball attack responded in kind, in less encouraging conditions, later in the day.

Wheeler was presented with his debut cap before play by his fellow left-armer Trent Boult, ruled out of the series with a stressrelated back condition. Boult’s part in the ceremony was appropriate because Wheeler is very much Boult Lite, finding some serene inswing.

Morgan cut a somewhat impotent figure in the World Cup, a captain unable to stamp his imprint on the side. His 71 as the sun burned the clouds away was an innings from a captain who now has a sense of purpose.

Add Joe Root’s crisp half-century and England’s third-wicket alliance was a productive one - 105 in 19 overs - before Santner cramped Root as he made room to leg and bowled him off his pads.

Scores: New Zealand 306 for 7 (Williamson 118, Taylor 110, Willey 3-69) beat England 302 (Morgan 71, Stokes 68, Root 54, Southee 3-44, Wheeler 3-63) by three wickets.

BARCELONA (Reuters) Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo slashed team mate Valentino Rossi’s championship lead to a single point on Sunday with his fourth win in a row at an eventful Catalan Grand Prix.

The victory on a scorching afternoon also handed the Spaniard a MotoGP record with 103 successive laps led, breaking Australian Casey Stoner’s previous benchmark of 88.

Rossi completed a onetwo finish for Yamaha, the team’s second of the season, while Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was third.

“The conditions were difficult as it was very hot,” Lorenzo told reporters.

“Valentino likes these conditions and performs better but it is the opposite for me.

“The bike was moving a lot but I didn’t make any mistakes and the hard work paid off.”

Rossi now has 138 points to Lorenzo’s 137.

World champion Marc Marquez’s poor season continued as he failed to finish for the second successive race, crashing out on the third lap while challenging Lorenzo for the lead.

“I was on my home circuit and I wanted to give 100 percent,” the Honda rider, now 69 points behind Rossi and with his hopes of a third successive title fading fast,

Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain gestures the number 4 while celebrating his victory in the Catalunya Grand Prix in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain. (Reuters/Albert Gea) told reporters.

“The thing is though that if you are not at your best then these things can happen. I felt strong but couldn’t brake into the corner.”

Rossi’s poor form in qualifying continued and he had to work his way through the pack, having started in seventh, but could not put any real pressure on Lorenzo once in second place.

“This time I was happy

with the bike. Starting on the third row meant that I lost time but I am pleased with my race,” Rossi told reporters.

“My speed was equal to Jorge’s today and so now after seven races there is only one point between us so it should be interesting.”

Local rider Alex Espargaro, on pole for Suzuki, dropped to ninth at the start and then crashed with only 16 riders finishing the race.

Schaefer’s Boyz give positive show even as they fall to Uruguay

Jamaica midfielder Jobi McAnuff (right) and Uruguay’s Nicolas Lodeiro battle for possession.

ANTOFAGASTA, Chile — It was more than the cliché ‘David vs Goliath’ story.

It was the unknown Caribbean champions Jamaica, ranked 65 on the Coca-Cola FIFA list, taking on

the two-time World Cup champions Uruguay, 15-time kings of South America.

Very few had given the invited guests from CONCACAF a winning chance against Uruguay in

the opening Group B game inside the Estadio Regional Calvo y Bascunan at this the 44th edition of Copa America Chile 2015.

In the end, the Reggae Boyz gave as much as they got, and even more in a very professional display, despite going down 0-1, courtesy of a second-half strike from Cristian Rodriquez.

The result left Jamaica bottom of the four-team group without a point, with Uruguay ahead, followed by Argentina and Paraguay on one point each, having played out a pulsating 2-2 result inside Estadio La Portada in La Serena.

Jamaica will oppose Paraguay at 6:00 pm (4:00 pm Jamaica time) on Tuesday at the same venue here, while Argentina will o p p ose Uruguay in a gigantic clash two-and-a-half hours later at the same stadium in La Serena.

(Jamaica Observer)

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Kaieteur News

Lady Andrade guides Colombia to biggest upset in Women’s World Cup history SBNation – (Yahoo Sports) Before Saturday, Colombia forward Lady Andrade was globally notable for two things: having a baller name and punching Abby Wambach in the face.

After her performance against France in the World Cup, a few more people might know her for being excellent at soccer.

She scored the winner against Les Bleus, finishing off this move in the first half to fire Colombia to a lead.

And it wasn’t just the goal — she showed off her skills all game, regularly making France’s defenders look bad.

Colombia went on to score another goal in stoppage time after France over-committed in an attempt to net an equalizer, Catalina Usme capitalized, sealing her team’s 2-0 win.

By FIFA ranking, this was the biggest upset in the history of the Women’s World Cup. France is ranked 3rd in

Monday June 15, 2015

Letter to the Sports Editor

Upper Demerara still languishing outside of national cricket structure DEAR SPORTS EDITOR, It is quickly approaching one (1) year since the Guyana Cricket Administration Act was passed unopposed in Parliament.

This Act finally gave the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) the long-overdue recognition it had unrelentingly fought for since 2000 and the UDCA in now officially and legally a constituent member of the Demerara Cricket Board.

Our inclusion in the national cricket fold will ensure that the UDCA can now be part of the County and National cricket programmes and competitions.

Upper Demerara in the past has produced top quality cricketers some of whom played for Guyana and we will now be in a position to further develop and strengthen our cricket

Lady Andrade (#16) (Matt Kryger USA Today) the world, while Colombia is ranked No. 28.

Though they’ve played regularly in the Olympics, Women’s World Cup and Copa America, Colombia had yet to record a major upset against a top opponent

structure at the various levels.

Sadly however, to date Upper Demerara has not been included in any aspect of Guyana’s cricket and our youngsters continue to be deprived of the opportunity to play and develop their cricket, themselves and by extension the community of Upper Demerara.

We therefore make an impassioned appeal to our Government to intervene on our behalf to bring an end to this injustice to Upper Demerara and to let us play our cricket unhindered.

The Guyana Cricket Administration Act is expected to bring order, transparency and accountability to our cricket including proper and legal elections.

Bradley Fredricks, President

Rooney and Wilshere seal England win in Slovenia

before this game, and should have lost their opener to Mexico.

They’re the second-best team in South America, but this is, truly, the biggest upset in the history of this tournament.

HBO boxing results: England’s Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring their third goal.

(Action Images via Reuters / John SibleyLivepic)

Nicholas Walters wins, Felix Verdejo excites (Yahoo Sports) Nicholas Walters and Miguel Marriaga had a decent main event fight Saturday ni g h t o n H B O Wo r l d Championship Boxing, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to the crowd at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, who were indifferent to both fighters and the action itself, and by the later rounds, were filing out of the arena.

Walters, who missed weight for the featherweight title bout, won a wide decision on scores of 117-110, 118-109, and 119-108.

The WBA “super” world featherweight title is now vacant. The Jamaician “Axe Man” improves his record to 26-0 (21 KO), while Marriaga falls to 20-1 (18 KO).

Felix Verdejo was definitely the real main event of the night to the majority of

the 3,321 in attendance in New York City, as he won a wide decision over Ivan Najera in the HBO co-feature.

Verdejo won the 10-round fight on scores of 100-88, 10088, and 99-89, dropping Najera (16-1, 8 KO) two times.

Verdejo, who is being groomed as Top Rank’s next big Puerto Rican superstar and is getting the fan backing to facilitate that, improves to 18-0 (13 KO).

Nicholas Walters got the win in the main event.

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) England striker Wayne Rooney moved within one goal of equalling their all-time scoring record when his late goal secured a 3-2 win in Slovenia and kept up the Group E leaders’ 100 percent record in Euro 2016 qualifying on Sunday.

Jack Wilshere earlier twice smashed the ball into the top corner from outside the area, his first international goals, as England moved within touching distance of the finals in France with 18 points from six Group E games, nine above second-placed Slovenia.

Milivoje Novakovic had coolly given the hosts a 37thminute lead after a series of England errors and Nejc Pecnik made it 2-2 late on before a defensive howler set up Rooney for his 48th England goal, one behind record holder Bobby Charlton.

“It was a long time ago when England last went a season unbeaten and we’re proud of that achievement,” Rooney told ITV after the Three Lions managed the feat

for the first time since 199091.

“We need to keep improving now over the next season and make sure we qualify for the Euros. We’re certainly a team that is progressing.”

Raheem Sterling missed a golden chance early on for England and also shot narrowly wide after 14 minutes with his mixed performance under particular scrutiny.

He was kept in the starting line-up despite being booed in the recent 0-0 friendly with Ireland because of an average display and his behaviour in requesting to leave Liverpool.

Novakovic then grabbed the opener against the run of play.

Right back Phil Jones bungled a throw-in and Slovenia quickly broke up field where England played too high a line and enabled the 36-year-old to amble on to a through ball and calmly slot beyond Joe Hart.

Jones was substituted for midfielder Adam Lallana at halftime, with media reports

blaming an ankle injury, and midfielder Jordan Henderson was employed at right back.

England made three starting changes from the bore draw in Dublin with Kieran Gibbs replacing Ryan Bertrand at left back and Fabian Delph and Andros Townsend coming into midfield.

The trio had their moments but Lallana’s introduction made the difference with the tricky player having a hand in both Wilshere’s wonderful strikes, in what was the best game in an England shirt for the Arsenal man.

Club team mate Gibbs was as fault for Slovenia’s equaliser with former Sheffield Wednesday player Nejc Pecnik climbing above him to head home after 84 minutes.

But just a minute later, Rooney latched on to misplaced intervention from Bojan Jokic and, having missed two easier chances earlier, fired home as England almost booked their passage to France with the top two qualifying automatically.

Monday June 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Froome sends Tour warning with Dauphine win

Race leader jersey holder Team Sky rider Christopher Froome of Britain cycles during the 204.5 km stage of the centenary Tour de France cycling race from Bourg d’Oisans to Le Grand Bornand, in the French Alps, July 19, 2013.

(Reuters/Jacky Naegelen) MODANE VALFREJUS, France (Reuters) Although not yet at his peak, Chris Froome sent a deafening warning to his Tour de France rivals by winning the Criterium du Dauphine with a trademark late attack to claim the final stage on Sunday.

The 2013 Tour champion, who will feature among the top favourites for the July 426 race, made his move 2.5 kilometres from the finish in the final climb to Valfrejus and never looked back. He quickly swallowed fellow Briton Stephen Cummings (MTN Qhubeka), who had spent the day in the breakaway, and distanced yellow jersey holder Tejay van Garderen.

Team Sky rider Froome, who also prevailed in Saturday’s uphill finish in St Gervais, beat another Briton, Simon Yates (Orica GreenEDGE), to take the day’s laurels with an 18second advantage.

At the end of Sunday’s 156.5-km trek from St Gervais, Van Garderen was fourth, behind Rui Costa, both 18 seconds behind Froome.

Overall, Froome beat Van Garderen (BMC) by 10 seconds with Portugal’s Costa (Lampre) in third place, one minute 16 seconds off the pace.

“The Tour de France is the big objective,” said Froome, who achieved the DauphineTour double in 2013. “I think the team is ready and I think I’m almost ready. I’m really excited. “If you take the race by its horns like that, stick to the plan, sometimes it pays off. I could not be happier

right now.”

Van Garderen, fifth in the 2012 and 2014 Tours, told reporters: “Every race you go to you want to shoot for the top. I am certainly happy with second place and I am really happy with how I am stacking up to all of my Tour rivals. I think it is a good sign for July.”

Among Froome’s main Tour de France rivals, defending Tour champion Vincenzo Nibali looked far from his best. The Italian took 12th place, 4:32 behind Froome after being unable to follow the best in the climbs on Saturday and Sunday as well as in Thursday’s fifth stage to Pra Loup.

Nibali, however, also looked under-par last year in the Dauphine before going on to smash his rivals on the Tour. Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished ninth, 3:12 adrift. Exciting prospects Romain Bardet of France (AG2R La Mondiale) and Yates were sixth and fifth respectively.

Other Tour contenders were not racing the Dauphine, the most prestigious warm-up event for the three-week extravaganza.

Leading favourite Nairo Quintana (Movistar) of Colombia and double Tour winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) of Spain, who won last month’s Giro d’Italia, will take part in La Route du Sud in France next week.

Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), third in last year’s Tour, is riding the Tour de Suisse where he is among the leaders after two stages on Sunday.

Page 31

FIFA CORRUPTION:

South Africa cash ‘worrisome’ BBC News - A key figure in South Africa’s football World Cup bid has broken ranks with the government to suggest there might be some truth to a claim that a $10m bribe was paid to secure the 2010 tournament.

Tokyo Sexwale told the BBC the US allegations were “worrisome”.

The government says it paid $10m to accounts controlled by then Fifa vicepresident Jack Warner to support football development in the Caribbean. An official said the money, transferred by Fifa, was given without conditions.

But Mr Sexwale - a former Robben Island prisoner, government minister, and a member of both the World Cup bid team and local organising committee - has now openly questioned the credibility of the claim that the money was a “donation”.

“Where are the documents, where are the invoices, where are the budgets, where are the projects on the ground?” asked Mr Sexwale.

“If they are not there, you are going to leave the FBI [US Federal Bureau of Investigation] interpretation intact,” he said.

“I was part of the feeling at the time - it’s a good thing, this altruism (towards the African diaspora in the Caribbean). The question is going to be: ‘What was done to make sure that your good intentions - you as the giver have been realised?’”

Jack Warner has been indicted by the US FBI for corruption. (AFP) Although Mr Sexwale appears to be one of only a handful of South Africans

who could, theoretically, fit the FBI’s description of its unnamed alleged coconspirators #15 and #16, the ANC stalwart insisted he had no knowledge of, or involvement in, any bribery.

He declined to point fingers, and insisted that he and others in South Africa had no reason at the time to doubt Mr Warner’s intentions.

‘BEWILDERINGAND UNBELIEVABLE’ The opposition Democratic Alliance has demanded that other officials involved in the World Cup bid should account to parliament, but ANC MPs recently voted to prevent that from happening.

“For me it’s almost bewildering and unbelievable that it would be a gift without conditions. Ten million dollars is not pocket money,” said Solly Malatsi, the DA’s shadow sports minister.

The sports ministry did not respond over the weekend to phone and email requests for a response to Mr Sexwale’s comments.

Previously, when asked by the BBC whether it had been reckless of the South African government to give $10m “without conditions” to Mr Warner, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula said: “No, it was not reckless. It is upon those (in the Caribbean) who were supposed to administer it, to administer it properly.”

Tokyo Sexwale, centre, pictured in 2009 with Fifa President Sepp Blatter, denies any knowledge of wrongdoing. (Getty Images)

World Cup joy for Brazil and England, but France shocked MONTREAL Quebec, CAN; (Reuters) Brazil became the second team to qualify for the knockout round of the women’s World Cup on Saturday and England picked up a big win, but France suffered a shock defeat that could make their life at the tournament tougher.

Brazil joined defending champions Japan in the next stage with six points after a grim 1-0 win over Spain in a Montreal Group E game, striker Alessandro Alves tapping home in the 44th minute after a defensive error.

While Brazil rarely looked comfortable against a physical Spanish side and only managed two shots on target, coach Vadao brushed off questions about the lack of goals.

“I am not concerned about that ... our victories are what we’re concerned about,” he said after their second somewhat laborious win in a row.

Veteran striker Marta had a game to forget and Brazil will need to play much better if they are to equal their best ever World Cup performance, which was reaching the final of the tournament in 2007.

Although the standard of play was poor, organizers will no doubt be relieved that almost 29,000 people watched the game in Montreal’s cavernous Olympic Stadium after just 10,000 watched the opening fixtures.

South Korea and Costa Rica put on a much better performance in the second Group E contest, which ended 2-2 after the Latin

American side scored an 89th minute equalizer.

“It is not the three points we wanted. In South Korea there are many fans cheering for us and I feel very sorry,” said unhappy head coach Yoon Deok-yeo. Costa Rica are now second in the group with two points while South Korea and Spain have one each.

‘REAL BATTLERS’ Third-ranked France suffered the biggest shock of the tournament so far after going down 2-0 to Colombia.

Lady Andrade beat the offside trap to score in the 19th minute and Catalina Usme took advantage of a bad goalkeeper error in secondhalf stoppage time to give the South Americans the win in Moncton.

“There were numerous

aspects that weren’t quite right today. We weren’t accurate enough with our passes at key moments,” said French coach Philippe Bergeroo. Colombia, ranked 28th, now head Group F with four points and coach Fabian Taborda issued a warning to the other teams.

“We’ve proved that we’re not just here to make up the numbers ... my players are real battlers,” he said. France’s loss leaves them on three points and in third place, behind England on goal difference.

England, who lost to France in their group opener, got back on track with a 2-1 win over Mexico with two second-half goals from midfielder Fran Kirby and Karen Carney.

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Kaieteur News

Monday June 15, 2015

Ashwin five-for bright Brazil snatch late spot in damp draw winner against Peru

Virat Kohli shakes hands with Imrul Kayes after both teams settled for a draw, Bangladesh v India, only Test, 5th day. (AP) ESPNcricinfo - Once the first session of the final day was washed out, the draw was inevitable, but India gave a glimpse into the possibilities had this match not lost 248 overs to rain by bowling Bangladesh out for 256 and enforcing a follow-on.

Though he couldn’t help India avoid slipping to fourth in the ICC rankings thanks to this draw, the most impressive player of the match, R Ashwin, registered his first five-wicket haul outside India.

Bangladesh will be disappointed their first innings lasted only 65.5 overs on a pitch that India batted comfortably and lost wickets only when their batsmen went out of their way to score quick runs.

The final day’s play began with Bangladesh needing 152 to avoid the follow-on with seven wickets in hand. A maximum of 67 overs could have been bowled on the day. Had Bangladesh batted sensibly they would have avoided the drama of having to bat again and hanging in grimly.

Confronted with some excellent bowling from Ashwin but little else, Bangladesh failed to do so although theirs was a general air of just having a good time without having to worry about the result because it had been ruled out. In a live Test they might well have shown more application.

Shakib Al Hasan fell manufacturing a cut, Imrul Kayes and Mohammad Shahid jumped out of the crease to Harbhajan Singh all three of the returning offspinners’ victims were batsmen outside their crease - and Soumya Sarkar and others kept swinging away even when not quite in

control of the shots.

Ashwin, though, was in a different league, relying on his offbreak, getting it to drift and dip, drawing sharp turn and bounce, and brought some excitement into a match dulled by poor scheduling: the first in monsoon June in Bangladesh.

Even after Shakib fell early on in the day, the shots kept coming. Some of them came off - Sarkar managed an ungainly 37 - but they brought about wickets.

The bright spot for Bangladesh was debutant Litton Das’ 44 off 45, but he too struggled as Ashwin drifted the ball away from him.

After having found himself away from the pitch of the ball, Das eventually gloved one bouncing offbreak to

backward short leg. Das’ wicket made it 232 for 8, and it was followed by a poor shot from Mohammad Shahid and poor running from Taijul Islam and Jubair Hossain.

Intent to give it every possible shot, Virat Kohli asked Bangladesh to bat again, but there was never going to be enough time to force a result.

Hands were shaken the moment Bangladesh had batted out 15 overs in the second innings and the mandatory overs became due.

Scores: India 462 for 6 decl. (Dhawan 173, Vijay 150, Rahane 98, Shakib 4105) drew with Bangladesh 256 (Kayes 72, Ashwin 5-87, Harbhajan 3-64) and (f/o) 23 for 0.

BBC Sport - Douglas Costa’s late goal gave a Brazil side inspired by the brilliance of Neymar victory over Peru in their opening game of the 2015 Copa America.

In a frantic and errorstrewn start to the game Peru took a third-minute lead through forward Christian Cueva after lax play by the Brazil defence.

Barcelona forward Neymar equalised when he headed in moments later. The 23-year-old was a constant threat and turned provider in injury time when he teed up Costa to secure the points.

Dunga’s Brazil have now won their last 11 matches and conceded just three goals since their World Cup campaign on home soil ended in tears. However, they found themselves behind after some lacklustre defending.

The goal was reminiscent of the kind of play at last year’s World Cup which saw Germany humiliate Brazil 7-1 in the quarter-finals.

David Luiz put goalkeeper Jefferson under pressure with a dangerous back pass and his weak clearance went straight to Cueva, who made

Neymar won his 64th cap for Brazil against Peru in Temuco. (AFP) no mistake from 10 yards.

Brazil quickly got themselves back on terms, though, when Dani Alves crossed from the right for Neymar to head home completely unmarked.

After such an open start to the contest, the remainder of the first half was much tighter affair as the game became scrappy.

But there were fleeting moments of quality, and Neymar rattled the crossbar early in the second half with a superb curling shot.

Brazil, who last won the Copa America in 2007 when they beat Argentina in the final, secured the victory in injury time with a goal which owed much to Neymar’s vision. The forward picked out Costa with a superb pass from the left and the Shakhtar Donetsk forward finished clinically.

Elsewhere in Group C, Venezuela claimed a surprise 1-0 Colombia in their opening game in Rancagua thanks to Jose Salomon Rondon’s goal on the hour mark.

Douglas Costa scored his first int’l goal for for Brazil against Peru.

(AFP)

BLATTER MAY SEEK TO STAY AS FIFA BOSS, SOURCE TELLS SWISS PAPER GENEVA (Reuters) Sepp Blatter may seek to stay on as the president of FIFA, a Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday, less than two weeks after Blatter said he would step down over a major corruption scandal at the organization.

However, Domenico Scala, the official overseeing the process of choosing a new president, said that Blatter’s departure was an “indispensable” part of planned reforms to soccer’s governing body.

Blatter is under pressure to step down for good as U.S. and Swiss authorities widened their investigations into bribery and corruption at the sport’s global governing body. EU lawmakers are among those calling for his

Sepp Blatter immediate departure.

But according to the Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper, Blatter had received messages of support from African and Asian football associations, asking him to rethink his decision to step

down. Blatter was honored by the support and had not ruled out remaining in office, the newspaper said, citing an anonymous source close to him.

Blatter said on June 2 he would step down as FIFA president in the wake of the corruption investigation, having led soccer’s world governing body since 1998,, although he would stay on until a successor was elected.

FIFA, in an emailed statement, referred Reuters to the speech Blatter made on June 2 and said they had “no further comment to make”.

In his speech, Blatter said: “I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA President until that election.”

He also added: “Since I shall not be a candidate, and am therefore now free from the constraints that elections inevitably impose, I shall be able to focus on driving farreaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts.”

But Scala, head of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, said in a statement that Blatter needed to stick by his pledge that he would not stand again.

“For me, the reforms are the central topic,” he said, without referring to the interview directly. “That is why I think it is clearly indispensable to follow through with the initiated process of president’s change as has been announced.”

Blatter has changed his mind in the past. When he began his fourth mandate in 2011, he said it would be his last, but he later backed down, stood again and was re-elected in May. FIFA is expected to pick his replacement at an extraordinary congress in Zurich between December and February.. The exact date will be decided by an executive committee meeting on July 20.

Blatter’s renewed interest in the job was also a reason for the departure of Walter de Gregorio as FIFA’s director of communications, since he had argued for a completely new start and advised Blatter to go, the Swiss newspaper said. De Gregorio declined to comment to the newspaper.