GUYANA
The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com
‘Man under the bed’ No. 104335
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER
…triggers murder/ suicide P.7
PRICE: $80
Resheena Amanda Mohan
Fisherman killed at sea P.8
INCLUDING VAT
Mark Anthony Moses
El Niño Committee working to combat …dry-weather impact in Region 9
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The two brothers arrested for the murder of one of their mates Ronald Emanuel Reid (inset) during a fishing trip
Probe into Jagdeo-era killings still on front burner – Harmon says 2 P.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Probe into Jagdeo-era killings still on front burner …Harmon says govt awaiting completion of ongoing CoIs
GOVERNMENT remains committed to providing closure to the families of the hundreds of Guyanese killed during the 2002-2008 crime wave, State Minister Joseph Harmon has said. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, Harmon said that the issue is on the “front burner” for the government but with all of the Commission of Inquiries ongoing; it is a matter of the “allocation of government resources.” “The President has said, and remains committed, that there must be an inquiry into the killings… they are serious crimes,” said Harmon who only on Tuesday asserted that government will be taking up an offer by the United States to access the testimony of convicted drug trafficker, Shaheed Roger Khan. Harmon told this newspaper that the new government has not forgotten its promise to the people and will make
Minister of State Joseph Harmon
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
good on them. “We have not given up…it is on the front burner where the President is concerned… we want to bring closure to the families,” the Minister of State added. Harmon said such investigations are important, noting that people must be held accountable for crimes committed. Granger, in August like Harmon had said that the extrajudicial killings that had beleaguered the nation during the 2002-2008 periods must be investigated thoroughly. The President had said that his government is currently in the process of ensuring that there is an efficient and effective Cor-
oner Department in place to investigate the crimes of that period. He stressed that all cases must be investigated as every loss of life is worrisome. Harmon assured that “it is going to happen; I can’t say when… as you know we have several inquiries on-going…but it has to happen.” But while government remains adamant that the investigations must be done, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has raised concerns. The party has questioned the value of conducting investigations only within the period outlined by the administration. It noted that the government should launch investigations
Shaheed Roger Khan
dating back to the 1970s. Broadening and the scope of extrajudicial killings, the party said is important to a thorough investigation. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had accused the APNU/AFC coalition of being selective in its calls for investigations and suggested instead that the probe be done into all the murders and all the missing weaponry. “We should have an inquiry into everything, maybe the mother of all inquiries,” Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had said. The Opposition party has also called on government to examine the findings of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI). On Monday, new U.S.
Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, was asked whether Washington would facilitate handing over testimony given by Khan during his trial. Holloway told reporters that there are certain agreements that exist both through the UN, the OAS, “and quite possibly Guyana, (which) do allow that in certain cases, if the rules and regulations of the agreement are done with Guyana, or we have signed up under the UN or OAS to allow for such a thing, we would be sure to be disposed to cooperating within the framework of the rule of law.” He added that a lot of time the requirements for such requests are pretty high for what you have to be able to provide to be able to go further. “We don’t allow fishing expeditions, we actually need something sort of concrete and (that) we could see on paper and touch; but within the agreements that we have -- and we have done multilateral or international forums -- we cooperate with any country in the world,” he said. Quizzed on the U.S. offer, Harmon told Guyana Chronicle on Monday: “Definitely! We would have an interest in what came out of the trial because it points to some levels of collusion with the past administration and the criminal elements; that
is where the evidence is. If it is there, we would be happy to have it, because they have always said, ‘where is the evidence? Where is it?’ Well, that is where it is, and if that is where it is, we will go and get it and let the Guyanese people know who was doing what at that time,” Harmon declared. Back in 2003-2006 Khan, had set up a criminal network here, including active policemen and a number of former ranks, ostensibly to go after criminals, but at the same time protecting his narco-trafficking interests. He was nabbed in neighbouring Suriname in 2006 while fleeing local police, and was later handed over to U.S. authorities. Although the PPP Government has sought to distance itself from Khan, the drug trafficker had stated publicly in an advertisement in local newspapers that he was fighting crime on behalf of the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government. Khan had also implicated former Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy in his escapades, and documents bearing the then minister’s signature authorising the purchase of a sophisticated wiretapping device were produced in U.S. courts during Khan’s trial.
Venezuela tells U.S. not to meddle in border controversy Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is calling on the United States to stop interfering into the border
controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. Maduro’s plea publicised by Venezuelan media, Telesur English news Television on Tuesday, came following newly accredited Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway’s statement that the border controversy was decided upon via the 1899 Tribunal Award and both countries should respect that ruling. On Monday, at his first press conference at the US Embassy in Guyana, Hol-
loway said “we call on all parties to continue to respect the 1899 arbitral award ruling and boundary unless or until a competent legal body decides otherwise or both parties agree on something else.” Maduro was quoted as saying, “United States, take your hands off of the Guyana Essequibo” sating that Venezuela “will not accept your interference any longer.” The Venezuelan government is asking the U.S to not get involved “in matters that ex-
clusively belong to the parties involved.” “It is clear that the provision of the US government to be linked as an interested party in a matter that does not compete either legally or politically, reflects a calculated strategy that aims to validate, by way of summons, the rights for Exxon Mobil extractive activities”, the Venezuelan government said. The Venezuelan government said “further evidence of intrusion on the part of the U.S. government in the issues that concern only Venezuela and Guyana, in its obsession to damage brotherly relations between the countries of the Caribbean.” The 1899 ruling, the Venezuelan Government said was as a result of “senior U.S. officials in collusion with right-wing mercenaries of the old British Empire.” The U.S interference, the statement
said stems from a “calculated strategy to try to validate, by way of intimidation, the null rights of Exxon Mobil to carry out extractive activities in a disputed territory and regulated by the Agreement Geneva 1966.” The government believes that the U.S is responsible for “the arbitral fraud against Venezuela and therefore responsible for the existence of the dispute itself.” Just two weeks ago, Presidents Granger and Maduro agreed to allow the United Nations to mediate on the border controversy. This agreement followed heightened military activities at the Guyana-Venezuela border and in Guyana’s Cuyuni River. Venezuela’s illegitimate claims to Guyana’s Essequibo Region and Maritime space came following the discovery of significant oil by U.S. by ExxoonMobil.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
‘El Nino Committee’ working to combat dry-weather impact on Region 9
– Rupununi River 13 feet below normal
By Svetlana Marshall AS residents of Lethem and the rest of Region 9 grapple with the effects of a mild El Nino weather, officials there are exploring a number of projects to cushion the impact while a broad-based ‘El Nino Committee’ is working out a drought mitigation and response plan. “Some places have creeks, but the creeks are drying out. Some places have lakes, but the lakes are drying out; the river has already gone to rock bottom,” Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock said, as he painted a grim picture of the current situation to the Guyana Chronicle yesterday. It was explained that the volume of water in the wells is approximately 15 meters, 3 meters less than the average while the Rupununi River is now 13 feet below its normal height. “If it continues like this, by January we will really be looking for water to supply the people,” Allicock posited. REDUCING IMPACT However, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is exploring a number of avenues to reduce the impact, one of which is the installation of additional standpipes in villages that are severely affected. The Regional Chairman explained that when the standpipes are erected, water can be sourced from the drilled wells, noting that while the water levels in the wells may drop, they will not dry out completely. Currently, there are 55 wells across Region 9 with more than 90% being photovoltaic (PV) system wells while the remaining 10% includes hand dug windmill
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in discussion with regional officials at the administrative Office in Lethem (Photo courtesy Ministry of the Presidency)
wells and hand dug shallow wells with Mark 11 hand pumps. Additionally, he said the regional officials are in discussion with a Trinidadian firm to source a solar system that has a combination of units, including a pump, a sanitizer and a filtration system. The utilisation of this unit will allow for the regional authority to access water from a well in Takutu that “never runs dry,” according to Allicock. “We will pump water from a place in Takutu, behind the police station that is in Lethem, a place that has never run dry, but when we reach that stage, we would have to filter and purify the water in order to put it into the main for consumption,” he explained. These proposals, Allicock said, will soon be placed before the Ministry of Communities, the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). “The engineer was telling us that up to December we are sure of having water but if we
Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock
have no rain we are in trouble from now to May next year. So we will be convincing them that these projects are important and that we really need this.” CASSAVA PRODUCTION Meanwhile, in addressing the impact of the dry season on the production of cassava, Allicock said the situation is worrying but his office is encouraging farmers to plant their cassavas in low lining
A resident of Sand Creek, Region 9 sharing her views on steps that can be taken by government to assist them during this drought season (Photo courtesy Ministry of the Presidency)
areas as against on the hill, until the Amazon sticks can be sourced from Brazil. “We have to get the four months maturity stage cassava, we have a few in the region but we have to link up with EMBRAPA, the Brazilian counterpart because they are producing the four months maturity cassava,” he said. It was further explained that the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) has developed the Amazon stick (or a maturity cassava stick) which
grows to full maturity within four months. But Allicock said such a partnership with EMBRAPA must be recreated through the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Ministries. If a partnership is established and EMBRAPA is willing to provide the Amazon sticks, Allicock said three to four Bedford trucks would be needed to do the distribution to farmers across the region. ‘EL NINO COMMITTEE’ In response to the impending El Nino drought,
Allicock, Rene Edwards of Conservation International, Roger King of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce, and Clairmont Lye of Beacon Foundation have formed themselves into a committee called the ‘El Nino Committee’. Minister of State Joseph Harmon and members of the CDC among other officials were in Lethem yesterday assessing the situation.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Russia backs Syrian forces in major assault on insurgents (Reuters) SYRIAN troops and militia backed by Russian warplanes mounted what appeared to be their first major coordinated assault on Syrian insurgents on Wednesday and Moscow said its warships fired a barrage of missiles at them from the Caspian Sea, a sign of its new military reach. The combined operation hit towns close to the main north-south highway that runs through major cities in the mainly government-held west of Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group which tracks the conflict via
a network of sources within the country. Ground attacks by Syrian government forces and their militia allies using heavy surface-to-surface missile bombardments hit at least four insurgent positions and there were heavy clashes, the head of the Observatory, Rami Abdulrahman, said. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia took part in the fighting, according to a regional source who is familiar with the military situation in Syria. Abdulrahman said later there was no sign that Syrian troops and their allies had made any tangible advances
on the ground. They briefly entered one town, but were forced to pull back, he said, and around 15 of their tanks or armored vehicles had been either destroyed or disabled. Islamic State militants have seized much of Syria since civil war grew out of anti-government protests in 2011, but the areas targeted in Wednesday’s combined assault are held by other rebels, some U.S.-backed, fuelling accusations by Russia’s critics that its real aim is to help the government. Moscow says it shares the West’s aim of preventing the spread of Islamic State, and
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Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting that four Russian warships in the Caspian Sea had launched 26 missiles at Islamic State in Syria earlier in the day. The missiles would have passed over Iran and Iraq to reach their targets, covering what Shoigu described as a distance of almost 1,500 km (900 miles), the latest display of Russian military power at a time when relations with the West are at a post-Cold War low over Ukraine. The terrain-hugging Kalibr cruise missiles, known by NATO by the codename Sizzler, fly at an altitude of 50 meters and are accurate to within three meters, the Russian defense ministry said. The air campaign in Syria has caught Washington and its allies on the back foot and alarmed Syria’s northern neighbor Turkey, which says its air space has been repeatedly violated by Russian jets. Ankara summoned Russia’s ambassador for the third time in four days over the reported violations, which NATO has said appeared to be deliberate and were “extremely dangerous”.
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Obama apologizes for Kunduz attack, MSF demands independent probe ( R e u t e r s ) U . S . P re s i dent Barack Obama on Wednesday apologized to Medecins Sans Frontieres for the deadly bombing of its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, while the medical charity pressed its demand for an international commission to investigate what it calls a war crime. MSF said that an independent humanitarian commission created under the Geneva Conventions in 1991 should be activated for the first time to handle the inquiry. Three investigations have already begun into Saturday’s air strike that killed 22 people, including 12 MSF staff. Obama telephoned MSF, or Doctors Without Borders, International President Joanne Liu to apologize and express his condolences, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Asked whether Obama offered some explanation to Liu, Earnest said no. “He merely offered his heartfelt apology” and a commitment to find out what went wrong, he said. Earnest said Obama told
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Liu that a U.S. investigation would “provide a transparent, thorough and objective accounting of the facts and circumstances of the incident. And that, if necessary, the president would implement changes to make tragedies like this one less likely to occur in the future.” MSF said that the commission’s inquiry would gather facts and evidence from the United States, NATO and Afghanistan, as well as testimony from MSF staff and patients who survived. Only then would MSF consider whether to bring criminal charges for loss of life and partial destruction of its trauma hospital, which has left tens of thousands of Afghans without access to health care, it said. “If we let this go, as if it was a non-event, we are basically giving a blank check to any countries who are at war,” Liu told a news briefing in Geneva. “If we don’t safeguard that medical space for us to do our activities, then it is impossible to work in other contexts like Syria, South Sudan, like Yemen.” Neither the United States nor Afghanistan were signatories to the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC) but Jason Cone, executive director of MSF in the United States, called on Obama to consent to the commission.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Call for laws to fight corruption ( Tr i n i d a d G u a r d i a n ) CRIME continues to be a major concern for business in T&T and while the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce has wholeheartedly concurred with the strengthening of the national security infrastructure, there is a similar need to enhance the regulatory framework, urged the chamber’s president Robert Trestrail. He was speaking at the chamber’s annual post-Budget panel discussion at the Hyatt Regency, Port-ofSpain, yesterday. Saying the chamber noted that national security has been the recipient of the largest allocation in the 2015/2016 Budget, Trestrail said the experience of Clico and HCU had mandated a commitment to put in place the right governance struc-
tures and legislative reforms that would address all types of crime and corruption. He added: “The T&T Chamber is heartened that the Government has signalled its intention to lay out its full legislative agenda within the fiscal year. “Among the pieces of legislation to be addressed will be the long awaited Insurance Bill. At present, we are functioning under an Insurance Act that was enacted some 35 years ago. “This along with changes to the credit union legislation is long overdue and need to be addressed expeditiously. “Other legislations to enhance regulatory oversight have also been identified, including those governing the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Central Bank,” Trestrail added.
In identifying a few initiatives that immediately stood out during the Budget presentation, Trestrail said Government must be congratulated for its promise to amend the existing procedures for appointment of a Commissioner of Police and his deputies and allowing for video-conferencing facilities at the Remand Yard and giving the Judiciary the ability to manage its own resources. “All of these are due to begin implementation in 2016 and the T&T Chamber trusts that wherever applicable, proper governance procedures will be put in place to ensure accountability,” Trestrail added. He said while the Budget identified a number of positive initiatives, a main concern for the T&T Chamber was the unsustainable deficit of $21.4 billion.
Brazil court to probe Dilma Rousseff’s election campaign BRAZIL’S top electoral authority said on Tuesday that it would re-open an investigation into alleged misuse of funds during President Dilma Rousseff ’s re-election campaign. The Supreme Electoral Court will try to determine if Ms Rousseff’s and Vice-President Michel Temer’s campaign drew on donations from illegal sources. The probe was requested by the opposition PSDB party. It comes at a time when Ms Rousseff ’s approval rating is at a record low. If it were to uncover irregularities, the court could invalidate Ms Rousseff’s and Mr Temer’s election and trigger fresh polls. But experts say in order for that to happen the irregularities would have to be
so serious that the judges deem them to have endangered the legitimacy of the election. Moreover, the inquiry is likely to take many months, if not years, and a fresh election is therefore an unlikely scenario, electoral law experts said. The case was shelved in February when a judge ruled there was not enough evidence to proceed, but the PSDB appealed against the decision. The opposition party alleges that there are indications that construction firms involved in a massive corruption scandal donated money to Ms Rousseff’s campaign. The construction firms allegedly bribed politicians and the state oil company, Petrobras, to secure contracts. The court ruled five to
two to re-open the investigation. Ms Rousseff’s popularity has fallen to single digits since her re-election last year, as the economy has gone into recession and corruption scandals involving members of her governing Workers’ Party have widened. In August, hundreds of thousands of people took part in protests across Brazil calling for her impeachment. There have also been demonstrations backing Ms Rousseff.
Mother claims daughter stripped of head girl post because of religion
(Jamaica Gleaner) THE mother of a 16-year-old student at St Hilda’s Diocesan High School in Brown’s Town, St Ann, is charging discrimination after her daughter was stripped of the head girl position at the Anglican school, allegedly because she is a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses organisation. At the same time, Rhonda Clarke, the mother of the student, Jade Bascoe, says while her daughter is not a member of the organisation, she has attended the Kingdom Hall a number of times. In an interview with The Gleaner on Monday, Clarke
admitted she had written ‘Jehovah’s Witness’ as her daughter’s religion on the application form when her daughter started attending the top-rated girls’ school. Efforts to speak with principal Heather Reid-Johnson were unsuccessful as she was said to be in meetings when the school was contacted on Monday and yesterday. Clarke said she has not made a written complaint to the Ministry of Education, but believes the ministry should investigate the actions of the principal. The mother said she was reminded that she was the one who wrote Jehovah’s
Witness on the school form and that the school can only go by that information. “I am not a Witness, Jade is not a Witness. We only visit occasionally. I made a mistake and put it on the form,” Clarke contends. Clarke said it was the school’s fault why the issue has reached the media as they could have acted differently. She said her daughter was appointed to the post of head girl on Monday, September 21, and during a session when she was speaking, she used the word ‘Jehovah’ and that allegedly prompted the school authorities to check her file.
El Faro: Search on for missing US ship’s black box
(BBC News) AUTHORITIES are trying to retrieve the data recorder from a cargo ship that sunk during Hurricane Joaquin. The US Coast Guard is continuing to search for the El Faro, which sank in the Bahamas with 33 people on board. Investigators said the data recorder, which pings when wet, has a 30-day battery life. The 224m (735ft) vessel and its crew have been missing since issuing a distress call on Thursday. Only one body has been found so far. It is not clear why the captain decided to lead the ship into waters near the storm. On Wednesday morning, the search continued, focusing on communications between the captain and the vessel’s owner and the workers in the ship’s engine room. Search planes have found debris including life jackets, containers and oil in the water. A n e m p t y, h e a v i l y
damaged life boat was also found. “We are still looking for survivors or any signs of life,” US Coast Guard Capt Mark Fedor said, but added the crew faced “challenging conditions to survive”. The coast guard said it
has searched 70,000 sq nautical miles attempting to find the crew of 28 Americans and five Poles. The ship, which was travelling from Florida to Puerto Rico, was taking on water before it sank according to the distress call.
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Guyana
Thorough probe needed into Frank Anthony-led Culture Ministry Dear Editor
EDITORIAL Venezuela’s EDITORIAL
“expansionist ambitions” is a national obsession
PRESIDENT David Granger was resolute and forceful at last week’s United Nations General Assembly gathering where he made his case for a judicial settlement of Venezuela’s spurious claims of our Essequibo region. “Guyana does not wish that this obnoxious territorial claim should…obstruct the possibility of [Guyana’s economic] growth for the next 50 years. We need a permanent solution in order to avoid the fate of perpetual peril and penury. Guyana seeks a judicial settlement to the controversy,” President Granger declared before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 29. Later that same day, at a press conference in the United Nations Secretariat Building, Mr. Granger explained that the UN Good Offices process, which facilitated dialogue between Guyana and Venezuela over the last 50 years with the aim to settle the matter, is now “exhausted.” The options of mediation and arbitration having been exhausted, it is now the responsibility of UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, to select the judicial route to settlement. To underscore Venezuela’s pettifoggery, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, at the same press conference, exposed the legal quagmire in which Venezuela has placed itself: “There is no international legislation, which supports or embraces Venezuela’s sovereignty claims of Essequibo.” Alluding to the 1994 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, ratified by over 165 countries, Vice President Greenidge said that the Convention does not “grant Venezuela sovereignty over Guyana’s sea-space.” He added that “there is no formula devised by the Convention which supports Venezuela’s claims” on Guyana’s territory. In fact, Venezuela violates the Convention by deploying gunboats in Guyana’s territorial waters and threatening the use of force against the sovereignty of our nation. President Maduro, on the other hand, is completely oblivious to his country’s obligations under international law. One UN journalist described the Venezuelan president as “delusional” because of his casuistry. Referring to his meeting with the UN Secretary General and President Granger, President Maduro declared that “the diplomacy of peace did prevail and we were able to take a positive decision and resolve the issue.” The resolution to which Maduro referred was not the judicial settlement which President Granger demands but some fantasy playing around in his head. Venezuela’s expansionist ambitions is not only a Maduro obsession, it is also the obsession of all of Venezuela’s opposition leaders. Lilian Tintori, wife of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez Tintori, who heads the political party, Voluntad Popular, visited the United States recently to garner support for her husband’s release. She met with
The revelations that CARIFESTA X (2008) was estimated to have cost $1 billion, as opposed to the $500 million claimed by former Minister of Culture Dr. Frank Anthony come as no surprise to me, considering the studied and perennial reluctance of Anthony to provide answers not only on this issue, but on several others. Most notably, he has yet to provide any significant accountability on the Caribbean Press and has left office promising to do so in the National Assembly without any effort made to fulfil that promise. I repeat my calls, now under the new dispensation, for a thorough audit of the cultural activities and initiatives under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport during the tenure of the previous Minister. Special attention needs to be paid to the Sports and Arts Development Fund, the Caribbean Press, the Guyana Prize, spending on infrastructure, and the country’s participation in overseas-based festivals. The estimated hundreds of millions wasted or having disappeared could have been spent on both policy formulation including the national consultation that has long been needed on cultural policy, and on the very programmes that could have been put in place to create a better environment for cultural and creative arts development. In my mind, these recent revelations represent the tip of the iceberg with regard to the gross mismanagement of culture over the previous nine years at the very least. However, it was not simply an indictment of the former minister’s incompetence and lack of integrity, but of all the stakeholders who could have prevented it but chose the path of complicity either by their silence or direct collusion. If the current government is indeed serious about building a better society, it has to begin with a baseline of holding the previous administration accountable in far more concrete terms than simple rhetoric. At present, we are faced with the absurdity not only of the principal people involved in the Carifesta fiasco escaping accountability, but two of them, the former Minister as well as Carifesta X CEO Nigel Dharamlall, comfortably occupying seats in the National Assembly as PPP members of Parliament. A motion needs to be moved when the Assembly resumes seeking accountability on this issue with serious questions posed to both Dharamlall and Anthony. Additionally, the legal system has to be used to its full extent as a tool for holding people accountable. Those presently in government that essentially repeatedly gave the Minister a free pass while in opposition have been presented with a chance at redemption. As for the other stakeholders - those involved in creative and cultural work - the abdication of the responsibilities of citizenship that occurred under the previous administration cannot be corrected, but those responsibilities can and should be taken up under the new regime. I maintain that our problems are primarily cultural and it will take our best creative minds operating in the best possible environment to reverse the decline as we head into our second half-century of independence. That environment was deliberately sabotaged, exploited and suppressed under the PPP, and unless decisive, clear-cut and concrete measures are put in place to fix it, we will get nowhere. Ruel Johnson U.S. Vice President, Joe Biden, and members of the American national security establishment. Ms. Tintori is a spokesperson for all of the opposition parties in Venezuela and is in “constant communication” with all of the leaders. Asked whether, if the opposition wins the next election in December, her country will renounce its claims of the Essequibo region, she equivocated and explained President Maduro threats against Guyana as “a distraction to sabotage the electoral process.” Asked whether her husband if victorious, will submit Venezuela’s claim against Guyana to the International Court of Justice for a judicial settlement, Ms. Tintori refused to answer the question. It is clear that Guyana’s problem is not only with the Maduro administration, it is with the entire Venezuelan political establishment, a pusillanimous cabal that refuses to submit its spurious claim to the International Court of Justice for a full and final judicial settlement. Guyanese must remain resolute and steadfast in the face of this existential threat to our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Justifiable or not, “Wrong Timing” THE Walter Rodney Youth Movement wishes to state our dissatisfaction with the method and timing of the increase in the salaries of Ministers and the Members of Parliament. The electorate, most of whom voted for this government, had expectations that this current administration would ensure that the needs of the people would be met before the needs of the individuals in power. From the perspective of the youth, the non- convening of the National Youth Council and National Youth Conference along with some other yet to be completed plans that were stipulated in the APNU+AFC Action Programme for the first 100 days along with what some may call marginal increases to public servants salaries can be perceived as rewarding self while not accomplishing what was promised. While we understand the reasoning of Minister of State Mr. Joseph Harmon, we would like to remind him that corruption does not only occur at the top echelons of our society. Thus, the same reasoning that was given to justify the increase in salaries for the Ministers and MPs can be used to justify why public servants such as the police, nurses and teachers deserve a meaningful increase as well. We are of the firm belief that this decision and the method by which the public was made aware will add a bitter taste to the mouths of many supporters of the government, since it strays away from the many messages preached during the campaign season that dealt with real change, transparency and accountability. We also wish to alert the current administration that the perception of the public must not be taken for granted when making decisions and that their first duty is to serve the people and not self. Clayon Halley Walter Rodney Youth Movement
Audits proving huge problem for government
The audits are obviously proving a huge problem for the current administration. There is proof that monies were misappropriated and siphoned off by the last government ministers but proving who is criminally culpable for such activities is the challenge. And what is being noticed by the current leaders is the millions and billions of dollars that went into the pockets of the former ministers. The contracts which were handed out without proper procurement oversight, were legitimately awarded, though with grossly inflated price-tags. Then significant portions of those monies were kicked back to the awarders of those contracts. Those MPs were being rewarded for their efforts with funds coming in from multiple streams of incomes. They were raking in the dough!!! But while this is unethical, the question is, is it criminal? The new administration wants this practice to cease. However, the fact that one could make the kinds of money the former ministers made - with impunity - is obviously not lost on the current administrators. So the reasoning is simple; we will stop the shenanigans, substantially raise our salaries, and the country will roll on without such raises negatively affecting the national purse. I honestly believe that the government would like to proportionately raise all the public servants salaries. That would surely help to offset this current political fall-out. But if they substantially increase the salaries for all public servants it would hurt the national purse. So for now, the governing MPs will take a little larger bite out of the country’s financial apple and as the tree grows, the apple will get bigger and there will be other opportunities for the rest of us to bite, later. And don’t think that there were no calculations of the political implications of this move. Come next time you vote, your choice will be between those who took the monies ethically and those who did it unethically (or criminally). The political gamble for this administration is the hope that commonsense will prevail when that time comes. Pastor W. P. Jeffrey
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
‘Man under the bed’ triggers murder/suicide
By Leroy Smith TWENTY-year-old Resheena Amanda Mohan of 248 Pike Street, Kitty, was shot dead yesterday morning by her fiancé, 25-year-old Mark Anthony Moses. A football player with the Milerock Football Club in Linden, Region 10, Moses later turned the unlicensed 9mm pistol on himself. The incident, which took place just before 06:00hrs, unfolded in the bedroom of the Pike Street, Kitty home
the young woman shared with her mother, grandmother and other relatives. According to family members, just before sunrise yesterday, Mohan allowed Moses into the house after he had returned to trash out a misunderstanding from the night before. The two are engaged, and have a 9-monthold baby girl named Maria. It was during that encounter that Moses is believed to have whipped out the unlicensed weapon and discharged several rounds at
What’s the rationale for selecting Green for O. R.
Dear Editor
Could the President of Guyana, acting in his capacity as the Chancellor of the Orders of Guyana, explain the rationale and give justification to the Guyanese public for selecting Hamilton Green to be the recipient of the second highest national award? According to the details of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Guyana, the Order of Roraima of Guyana (O.R.) is limited to only thirty five living Guyanese recipients and is awarded to any citizen of Guyana who has given outstanding service to the nation. Specifically it is reserved for Guyanese who have gained distinction and eminence in any field of endeavour of national or international importance. On bestowing the honour on Green , it was stated that it was for his “long and outstanding involvement in the struggle for independence and for his role in providing public service for three generations.” Now this must be a joke. What about distinguished gentlemen the likes of Fenton Ramsahoye and Balram Singh Rai, of the same era who contributed significantly more to the independence struggle than Hamilton Green without his controversial past? What about the iconic political figure Eusi Kwayana? Is he not more deserving than Green for his independence contributions? None of these gentlemen were considered and one wonders whether these awards are reserved for friends of politicians who are in power. And on to the second part, ‘providing public service for three generations’? Is this award merely for political endurance and prolonged existence? Let us look at Hamilton Green’s prolonged and macabre political life. As Mayor of Georgetown, the only distinction he probably has is that of being the world’s longest serving Mayor, whilst Georgetown deteriorated to the filthiest and most lawless capital city in this hemisphere. Is this award for converting Georgetown from the “Garden City of the Caribbean” to the “Garbage City of the Caribbean”?. Is this award to recognize his role as the official “enforcer” as he headed several Ministries eventually becoming Prime Minister. If he provided such sterling public service for three generations, why did Forbes Burnham remove him as First Vice President – and replace him with Desmond Hoyte? Why did Desmond Hoyte kick him out of the party? What kind of message is the President sending to the young people of Guyana? That they should emulate Hamilton Green? Mark Roopan
Dead: 20-year-old Resheena Amanda Mohan
Dead: 25-year-old Mark Anthony Moses
Mohan before shooting himself in the chest. She died on her way to the Georgetown Public Hospital while Moses succumbed there while receiving medical attention. According to the couple’s relatives, Moses, who spends most of his time working in the interior area of Region 10, made an unannounced visit to the home of his fiancée on Tuesday evening. He was given access to the house by another relative who opened the door for him. As is customary when the man arrives in Georgetown, he would go to the home and spend time with Mohan and their baby, and is well known by her family, including the young woman’s mother. As Moses entered the room which he shares with Mohan, he observed a shirtless man hiding under the bed. Moses confronted the woman and asked her to explain the presence of the stranger who, up to press time, was still unidentified, although he is said to be known to the rest of the family, and would usually visit when Moses is out of town. Mohan told Moses that the young man under the bed was only a friend, and that he had nothing to worry about since he was not there for any extraordinary reason. Moses, however, became incensed, stormed out of the home, and went to
sleep at his cousin’s place in Liliendaal. There, he reportedly cried and related to one of his older female cousins what he had encountered when he visited the Pike Street home to check on his daughter and fiancée. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital in tears, Lavina Ross, the female cousin whom Moses had confided in explained that her cousin was really hurting. According to the woman, her cousin showed up at her home to sleep on Tuesday evening and after relating to her what transpired she encouraged him, as she has been doing for several months now, to leave the woman and move on with his life. “My cousin came by me last night to sleep and he left to go and collect something from a friend right in the area where the young woman lives. So when he left I had a bad feeling and I called a car and I went behind like 10 minutes after,” Ross told this newspaper. She said that by the time she arrived at the home of the young woman it was too late. “When I reach I saw people standing on the road and holding their head and I jumped out of the taxi and I asked what was happening and a woman told me that
The house in which the murder/suicide occurred.
he shot himself and he shot her, so I ran up the stairs and the back bedroom door was open and he was lying on the ground and Amanda was next to him,” she added. This newspaper was told by the grieving cousin that she started screaming as she summoned persons to help get the two out of the house. However, Mohan’s younger brother was unable to locate the keys to a vehicle the family has, so they had to resort to using two separate cars to take the two to the hospital. Efforts were first made to have Moses taken to the hospital as he was still breathing. The cousin also spoke of an incident earlier this year when Mohan stabbed Moses several times about the body, causing him to be in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital. This newspaper learnt that the incident stemmed from him receiving a call from an overseas-based woman. Mohan reportedly questioned him about the number
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waste his life over the young woman as it was causing him too much stress. He had assured her on Tuesday evening after seeing the woman and the stranger under the bed that he was finished with her Also speaking to this publication was Ray Mohan, the deceased’s woman’s brother. He admitted to this publication that at the time Moses visited their home Tuesday evening his sister indeed had another man in her room. Ray Mohan said that the man was a frequent visitor to their home and he was also their mother’s friend. Ray stated that there was a misunderstanding between his sister and Moses and the man stormed out of the house on Tuesday evening, the night he saw the stranger under the bed. He recalled being awakened to the sounds of gunfire followed by screams from his mother. When he approached the room, Mohan and Moses were both on the
The body of Amanda being wheeled to the GPHC morgue. and soon after she began stabbing him about the body, leaving him in a pool of blood. It was her mother who picked him up and rushed him to the hospital where he was admitted for several days. Ross said further that it was only yesterday that she had visited Mohan’s home for the first time. She reiterated, however, that she had urged her cousin not to
ground in pools of blood. “I think they had a lil misunderstanding. He see her with a next boy and he did not like that and I don’t know what this next boy name - is my mother’s friend they were in a game, he, my little cousins and my sister,” Ray Mohan told the Chronicle. Asked if his sister would normally have boys coming to “play games” at the house, the young man responded in the negative. He even stated that the stranger attempted to talk to Moses, assuring him that he was just the young woman’s friend but Moses would not settle for that explanation. At the home where the incident took place, Nazleem Khan, the grandmother of the 20-year-old also confirmed that she heard the gunshots shortly after her granddaughter had opened the door to allow Moses into the house.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Fisherman stabbed to death at sea
By Rabindra Rooplall
PANDEMONIUM broke out yesterday at the Guyana Fisheries Limited wharf at Houston, on the lower East Bank at the sight of the remains of a popular fisherman reportedly killed at sea. The dead fisherman, who has been positively identified as 27-year-old Ronald Emanuel Reid, of Costello Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was brought ashore, under police escort, by the very vessel on which he worked and was killed while fishing off Lichfield, West Coast Berbice. So, too, were his assailants, 39-year-old Gregory Nohar of Paradise, Essequibo Coast, and his brother, Roy, who was also on the vessel when the incident occurred. It is still not clear what may have led to the killing. ANGER AND GRIEF The mere sight of Reid’s body wrapped in tarpaulin caused many of the scores gathered on the wharf, among them fellow fishermen and Reid’s own relatives, to just vent there anger or cry out in grief. Many thought Reid did not deserve to die the way he did, as he was not a trouble-maker; many could not wait to get their hands on the men who killed him, which made getting them off the vessel extremely difficult. “All ah we can just jump pon de boat and kill dem right now,” one irate friend of Reid’s declared in the presence of several policemen as the crowd grew uncontrollable. Another, called ‘Put-
Dead: Ronald Emanuel Reid tagee’, whipped out a knife from his waist and jumped onto the fishing vessel in which the brothers were being held under police guard. Thankfully, a policeman was able to subdue him and wrest the knife from him. In the end, the police had to resort to putting the brothers on a speedboat and taking them to a different location from whence they were shuttled to the Ruimveldt Police Station. BACKGROUND According to one of the crew members of the vessel, it was Roy Nohar who started the altercation with Reid, and his brother, Gregory, who plunged the knife into him. Relating what transpired, the captain of the fishing vessel, Ron Kumar, said it was the first time Reid had ever gone to sea with him. He said, too, that even before Gregory stabbed Reid, he’d called his family and told them to meet him at the wharf, as the boat was coming in. To him, it was a clear indication that he’d made up his mind to to kill Reid. “Is like he already plan to
do what he wanted,” Kumar said, adding: “Roy Nohar been ah hold back Reid from fighting, and like he brother decide fuh stab he then… The whole trip dem man picking at each other.” He quoted Reid, who has a young wife and a baby on the way, as saying to Roy: “Father, me ain’t want no story wid you; I done wid you. Y’all lef me alone, bhai; I done. All two a’we stupid; so leh we done...” But Nohar wouldn’t let up; he just kept prolonging the issue, Kumar said. Gregory Nohar, who is being accused of murder, said: “The whole thing start when dem start smoking dem dope and dem start get flashes; yuh know, when yuh smoking, is anything yuh does flash pun. That is what start this whole thing; now, look how it end.” According to Reid’s father, Brian, he received a call Tuesday evening from the boat saying that his son was stabbed and had bled to death. “I say, ‘Man, is joke you all mekkin?’ Then the captain take the phone and said, ‘Brother, this is ‘wine-up’ telling yuh ‘Manni’ dead; dem them man jook he and he lie down in a corner and dead,’” Reid’s dad recalled. Noting that his son had been going to sea for the past seven years, Brian Reid said, “My son don’t deh in problem; he big and strong and he don’t mess around people. You can ask anybody about dis man; he don’t deh in problem at all.
The man who jumped onto the vessel to attack the brothers with a knife, but was subdued by a vigilant policeman
The two brothers handcuffed together under heavy police guard on the fishing vessel before they were removed and taken to the police station Anybody can tell dis man anything, and he don’t really get vex; like I never hear my son cuss nobody.”
Explaining what he learnt of what transpired, Brian Reid said: “I hear that he and de man that stabb him had
a talkin’ and de talkin’ did done; and then when they went to pick up the seine and pull in the bow line, he stab he wid a knife.”
Attorney-General declares...
PPP ‘Red House deal’ criminal
THE ‘Red House’ deal, which was done under the previous administration, can be considered criminal, as State land was transferred under the guise of a lease which was grossly undervalued, according to Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams. “On a first real look at the deal, it shows we had a sale of state lands under the guise of a lease which was grossly undervalued… as such the state suffered a loss since its prime property and the market value in that area would be very high. So under the guise of a lease for 99 years is virtually a transport.” Noting that all misfeasance of public office is equally treated as a criminal charge, the Attorney General explained that misfeasance is the wilful, inappropriate action or intentional incorrect action or advice. Minister of State Joseph Harmon had indicated government’s intention for the ‘Red House’ to be soon returned to the people of Guyana. In August of this year Harmon had shockingly revealed to the nation via the National Assembly that the former PPP/C Administration had privatised ‘Red House’, otherwise known as the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre. He said that the matter has since been referred to Attorney General and Legal Af-
Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams fairs Minister Basil Williams with a clear direction that he is to examine all the ways in which the lease can be terminated, resulting in the ‘Red House’ being returned to the people of Guyana. Harmon added that the building must be taken out of the hands of a company to which government feels it was unreasonably transferred. The Minister of State further revealed that the Attorney General has sent for all the documentation and is examining options available to government. Harmon insists that the clear direction from President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Brigadier David Granger is that there must be ways of
bringing that “unreasonable situation” to an end even if it means taking legal action. In 2012 a company was established named ‘Cheddi Jagan Research Inc.’ and the building was leased by the PPP to that company. The lease agreement has a duration of 99 years at a cost of only $1,000 monthly. This will add up to $12,000 per year and $1,188,000 over the 99-year period. However this will not be even a quarter of what was spent to build, renovate and maintain the building over the years. Apart from this, Harmon said that the entity’s staff remained on the job and were still being paid by the state.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Search on for ‘Nasty Man’ remanded over ‘Warlock’ hit Chief Justice ...as Chang heads into pre-retirement By Leroy Smith
THE post of Chief Justice will soon become vacant as Ian Chang who is currently acting in the position is set to retire in February 2016. Chang was appointed to his current post in 2000. He however will be forced to proceed on pre-retirement leave as public servants will no longer be allowed to accumulate leave and negotiate for payment in lieu. This is as a result of a decision taken by Cabinet that public servants who do not take their annual vacation leave for an extended period will have it forfeited. This was disclosed on Wednesday by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams at a press conference on Wednesday. Williams said when the Chief Justice proceeds on leave there is supposed to be someone acting in his
Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang
position. “Someone will act in the position until a person is appointed by the President after meaningful consultation with the Opposition Leader,” the Attorney General noted. He said discussions are being held with President David Granger on filling the position of office of the
Chief Justice. For well over a decade the country’s two top judicial officers have not been confirmed in their posts. Recently the Guyana Bar Association said the time has come for action to be taken to remedy the situation, especially given the crucial nature of the Chancellor and Chief Justice posts which have been held by Justices Carl Singh and Ian Chang respectively. In a piece dubbed, “Time to act on those acting appointments,” the body had stated that the David Granger administration has now had more than four months to bring some order to this messy situation but it has done nothing they know of. The Guyana Bar Association called on the APNU+AFC-led administration to act immediately.
Agriculture Minister...
Skeldon Factory a hard sell – without reliable for GuySuCo source of electricity By Svetlana Marshall AGRICULTURE Minister Noel Holder says there is no way the Government of Guyana could sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory with the current arrangement in place for the supply of electricity, so it is important to reverse the US$30M sale of its energy assets. He told reporters on Monday that the former administration’s decision to sell the co-generation plant to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) in April “made no sense from an agricultural standpoint, because that would have removed a big source of income to the fortunes of Skeldon.” He said that instead of selling bagasse, a very cheap commodity, to GPL for the production of electricity, and then having to purchase electricity back at a very high price, it would have been wise and economically viable for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to sell its electricity to GPL. “There is no way that we could sell Skeldon to a potential buyer, because they would say that it makes no sense; we can’t do this; we are not going to put in low-
Agriculture Minister Noel Holder speaking to the press on Monday
cost material and buy highprice power,” he declared. In an effort to remedy the situation, Minister Holder said “probably we [government] can give them [GPL] back the little money they would have paid and reclaim it.” Thus far, approximately GYD$1B has been paid to GuySuCo through a sale agreement. REVERSAL However, in September, GuySuCo’s Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas confirmed that the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between GuySuCo and GPL would be reversed. He had told the press that GuySuCo’s former Chief Executive Officer Rajendra Singh had agreed with the People’s Progressive Party/
Civic (PPP/C) administration to sell the energy assets without the consent of the board. Singh has since been fired. In April, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) announced that GuySuCo’s energy assets at Skeldon, along with the PPA – between the GPL and GuySuCo – had been transferred to the Skeldon Energy Inc., a special purpose company. T h e n e w c o m p a n y, which is currently owed by GPL and NICIL, was expected to be managed by Wartsila Guyana Inc. The company is funded by equity financing of US$9M and debt financing to the tune of US$21M, secured from local and international financial institutions.
DELLON Henry, 25, infamously known as ‘Nasty Man’, of Houston, East Bank Demerara was yesterday remanded to prison until October 9 when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Fabio Azore charged with the execution-style murder of Dexter Griffith in East Ruimveldt on September 29, 2015. The accused was not required to plead to the indictable charge. However, he pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of an unlicensed firearm and was again remanded to prison. On the first charge, the prosecution told the court that on the day in question, at approximately 19.30hrs, Dexter Griffith was sitting on a chair in front of his home in East Ruimveldt when the accused went up to him with a firearm and shot him. Griffith managed to get up and tried to run, but fell into a drain and was picked up and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The prosecution said that the accused was contacted about the murder but denied any knowledge of the matter. The court was informed that the investigations into that particular matter were still ongoing. After asking the court’s
permission to explain a few things, ‘Nasty Man’ said that he was never afforded the opportunity to read or sign the statement prepared by the police in relation to the matter. According to him, he was also not placed on an identification parade. He also lamented that his right to a phone call after he was picked up by the police on Sunday was denied by the investigating ranks. The murder accused said also that the police officer who swore to the statements provided to the court was never around him during the time of his detention, and he was seeing the officer for the first time in court. Henry told Magistrate Azore that he was beaten while in custody, and the magistrate said a written note would be made of that. ‘Nasty Man’ told the court that he has an alibi for the night that Dexter Griffith was murdered, and there are people who can attest to that. He said that he also shared that information with the investigating ranks, but they refused to double check it. Meanwhile, before the magistrate wrapped up the proceedings on the murder charge, ‘Nasty Man’ wasted no time in flattering her as he expressed his desire for her to continue hearing the matter. He said that based on the reviews that he received while he was previously locked down in prison, he’s learnt that “Magistrate Azore is a fair woman and listens to the accused and
Dellon Henry
passes the right judgment.” The magistrate smiled, but quickly made it clear to the accused that she has to transfer the matter to Court 2 and from there she was not sure which court the matter will be referred to, once it passes through that court tomorrow. Henry also told the court that he could not understand how he was being charged for possession of ammunition and an unlicensed weapon when he saw a police officer toss a weapon into a trench in Agricola and then retrieve it in an effort to suggest that he, ‘Nasty Man’, had tossed it away after spotting them. On Sunday, Henry was arrested in Agricola outside a house during a police sweep, after receiving word that wanted men were inside the building. The police arrested two other young men, and also picked up a bullet-proof vest and other items which were in the house. The police are presently awaiting advice from the DPP in relation to any charges against them.
Andrew Albert murder trial begins By George Barclay JUSTICE Navindra Singh yesterday began taking evidence in the murder trial of Andrew Albert who allegedly murdered Nandalall Bopat, called Lloydy, on August 10, 2010. Mrs. Teshana Lake and Miss Narissa Leandra are prosecuting A t t o r n e y - a t - l a w M r. George Thomas is defending. Prosecutrix Miss Leandra who delivered the opening address to the jury told them
that on the 10th of August 2010, Nandalall Bopat, the deceased, left his home at De Groot around 12 o’ clock to charge his phone. Shortly after his grandson Salim Amin left the home to buy chicken. Miss Leandra told the jury that they would hear from Salim that he was in a car when he saw Andrew Albert at Culvert Corner with his grandfather. At the time the accused had a knife in his hand and the other hand behind the deceased’s neck.
“Salim will tell you that he went to tell his grandmother and when he returned, the accused was still holding his grandfather and he observed blood coming down from his grandfather’s side, back and shoulder and some white thing coming out of his grandfather’s side.” The grandfather was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he died on the 13th of August, 2010. A post-mortem examination was done on the body and the cause of death was given as perforation of the spleen and blood vessels due to stab wounds . The hearing continues this afternoon.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Chancellor still fine-tuning rules for Family Court THE delayed opening of the Family Court lies directly in the bosom of the Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Carl Singh, Attorney General, Basil Williams has said. Williams made the comment during a news conference held at his office on Wednesday. “The Chancellor at a conference said he was fine-tuning the Family Court rules which he thought he would have been able to do in a month so that I could take it to Parliament, again over the weekend the Chancellor reiterated that they are still fine-tuning the rules,” The Attorney General told the media when asked for an update on the project. Former Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall had recently blamed the new government for not operationalising the Family Court to which Williams reflected that when he was “shadow Attorney General he had always complained about the PPP administration’s failure
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams
to open the court. “All the time we heard excuses of furniture and some other pieces of furniture here and there, so I don’t know how the new government can be blamed for not operationalising the Family Court which they failed to do in all those years that they were in the government,” Williams had said. Chancellor of the Judi-
Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Carl Singh
ciary (ag), Justice Carl Singh had recently said that the final touches are being made to the revised Rules of Law that will be used to govern the practices and procedures of the much anticipated Family Court. He said that currently, a panel comprising of five High Court Judges are tasked with reviewing and putting “finishing touches” to the revised laws. “They are near-
ing the end of this process… so I figured they will be finished and the revised laws will be ready,” he indicated. The Chancellor explained that when the laws are completed then it will be handed over to the Attorney General for him to present to the National Assembly for approval. After almost five years since the building was completed and handed over to the previous government, the opening and operationalisation of the Family Court remains in limbo. The upper flat of the building will accommodate the courtrooms, the judges’ chambers, and a children waiting facility, while the lower flat, where the inquiry is being held, will be the Family Court’s Registry. COURT BACK LOG Meanwhile, on another issues, Williams told reported that government will be looking at the appointment of temporary judges to deal with the backlog of cases in the Supreme Court. “If we
have four judges working for six months this would contribute to the ending of the backlog…the backlog could also be ended by the introduction of the new civil rules…” he noted. He explained that the new civil rule has a provision which will see a judge handling each case until it is ready for hearing. In this manner lengthy periods of time would not be wasted for the prosecution to deliver its case. Under the Modernisation of Justice Administration System Programme issues on reducing the backlog of cases; strengthening the Judicial Service Commission; enhancing the skills and productivity of judges; High Court administration; rehabilitation and physical improvement of court rooms and improvement to civil and criminal law procedures among other areas had been looked at. Legal experts have agreed that the current complement of judges and magistrates cannot effectively
dispose of the backlog of cases in the courts. Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Carl Singh had said courtroom management is a critical area to consider when addressing the backlog. The Chancellor had noted that the lax approach by judges in granting adjournments as soon as they are requested has contributed to delays in a significant way. He said judges need to recognise that they are responsible for what takes place in their courts, and that it is entirely within their control to resist frequent applications for adjournments. He explained that the judge who grants an adjournment and has some free time as result, is still faced with the case when it comes up on the adjourned date. “So all it does is result in the deferral of what should have been done on a particular date and that is how the accumulation of adjourned cases is creating the backlog.”
PPP mulls taking salary increase for MPs By Svetlana Marshall IN what is considered to be a contradictory move, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) yesterday announced its intention to consider the 19% increase being offered to its Members of Parliament, although it is up in arms against the decision to increase the salaries of Cabinet ministers. “We haven’t made any decision whether we will accept or reject as a political party- there has to be consultation on this matter with our MPs,” PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee told the press. As part of the Ministers, Members of Parliament and Special Offices (Emoluments) Order of 2015, the APNU+AFC government through the Finance Ministry has included a 19% increase for MPs. MPs are now slated to receive $2.4M per annum. Additionally, the PPP/C General Secretary declined to respond to the 50% increase that has been placed on the table for Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo. Jagdeo is now in line to
PPP/C MP Jennifer Westford
PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee
receive $10.4M per annum as against $6.9M; however, just days before officially taking up the post as Leader of the Opposition, Jagdeo, a former President, had signalled his intention to reject his monthly salary which was $500,000 at the time for his $1.4M pension. Meanwhile, Rohee, while speaking at Freedom House, condemned the decision by government to increase the salaries of the prime minister, vice presidents, and senior and junior ministers, even as he called on the David Granger-led administration to rescind the decision.
With the order in place, the prime minister will now receive a salary of $20,580, 000 per annum while every vice president with the exception of the prime minister will receive a salary of $11,135,065 per annum. Additionally, Cabinet members will receive $10,439,124 annually or approximately $869,927 monthly, while junior ministers are in line to receive approximately $695,000 monthly or $8,346,492 per annum. “To grant such astronomical increases in salaries to functionaries in a government that is only four months
old is unconscionable, precipitous and insensitive,” Rohee opined. In expressing the party’s disappointment, the General Secretary pointed out that it was Minister of State Joseph Harmon who declared in June, 2015 that “APNU+AFC had essentially found the cupboard bare, meaning the public treasury had no money and that the country was bankrupt.” “Now with the public disclosure of the ugly increases to the APNU+AFC Cabinet and non-Cabinet members, the question now being asked is how, with a bankrupt economy and an empty treasury can such whopping increases in salaries be afforded?” He argued that Guyanese tax payers will have to bear the burden of the increases. On Tuesday, the Minister of State said that the increases are justifiable and well-deserved, arguing that PPP/C Ministers were willing to accept low salaries because they were thieving from “all over the place.” But Rohee while failing to negate such a point of view, said that the government must provide the evidence. “I don’t nec-
essarily agree that because you are drawing down on one pay packet, you ought to draw another pay packet somewhere else.” The general-secretary made these comments at a time when the party’s former Public Service Minister and sitting Member of Parliament, Jennifer Westford has been named in a $600M police investigation. The former minister, along with the personnel officer at the Public Service Ministry, Margaret Cummings, appeared in late July of this year before City Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to charges laid against them. The former minister answered to four counts of attempt to commit a felony, one of which said that between July 17, 2014, and June 23, 2015, at the Public Service Ministry in Georgetown, she attempted to have motor vehicles PJJ 8113 and PKK 2175 transferred to the name of Wayne Walker, although those vehicles belonged to the Government of Guyana. Another charge stated that during the same period,
at the Public Service Ministry, in an attempt to commit larceny, Westford also sought to transfer motor vehicle PFF 1780 to the name of Delroy Lewis, being the property of the Government of Guyana. The third charge was that Westford, during the same period at the Public Service Ministry, attempted to commit larceny as she sought to transfer motor vehicle PJJ 3444 to her name. She further denied that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, at the Public Service Ministry, she also attempted to commit larceny in seeking to transfer motor vehicles PKK 6400, PEE 8783 and PJJ 6675 to the name of Gary Beaton. Westford was placed on $200,000 bail for each of the charges against her. The Opposition MP was also fingered in the disappearance of $400M supposedly disbursed into her safekeeping from the then Office of the President for work to be done by her ministry. The sum was subsequently said to be $600M, according to a police source with knowledge of the investigation.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
PSC should handle all public sector recruitment CoI hears...
TO avoid corruption in the hiring of public sector employees, the Public Service Department within the Ministry of the Presidency should hand over its recruitment responsibilities to the Public Service Commission (PSC). Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Integrity Commission Amanda Jaisingh made the recommendation yesterday when she appeared before the Public Service Commission of Inquiry (CoI). Jaisingh told the commission that the Public Service Commission (PSC) should be the only agency tasked with the recruitment of public servants, and as such the (former) Public Service Ministry (PSM) should hand over responsibility for recruiting of-
ficers on contract to the PSC. However, ministries and agencies can utilise recruitment and placement agencies as permitted by the Constitution of Guyana to assist in the process of recruiting staff who are not furnished by the PSC. Jaisingh, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management from the University of Guyana and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Planning and Development from the Guru Gobind Indraprastha Singh University in India, said she pioneered a project report titled, ‘The Recruitment Process in the Public Service in Guyana,’ and its findings revealed that the PSC recruits traditional public servants, while the then Public Service
Ministry had the responsibility of recruiting contract employees within the public sector. She believes such a system causes corruption. Jaisingh also observed that the recruitment process of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) while she studied there and concluded that India has a more structured civil service sector which Guyana can adopt in the remodelling of its own public sector. NO MORE CONTRACTS She recommended that government should ensure all public servants are employed on a permanent and pensionable basis, eliminating contract employment, since the incorporation of the temporary employment system and positions in which per-
sons are retained on a status of “acting” can be de-motivating. The CEO also proposed a system of moderation in which officers are supervised to ensure accurate presentation and training and modernisation of the public service giving it an ‘elite’ culture. EDUCATION UPGRADES Regular education upgrades and examinations should be given and a system of deputation should be adopted, where a permanent commission to oversee the work of the public sector is installed, providing an annual report to the country’s President. She said training of work-
ers is important, since not many public servants are properly equipped with the necessary technological skills that are required in today’s global era. The maintenance of a proper human resource information system at the macro level is important and can be used to get correct, updated information for the regular recruitment process. “This human resources planning should be a basis for administrative, action so as to avoid the situation of shortages and surplus of human resources in the public service. (It) would determine the status of the recent supply of available personnel and assess the future requirements of the human resource silence, since human resource planning is the pre-
requisite and essential before recruitment takes place in any agency.” VIDEOCONFERENCING She said the PSC must also improve on its technology so as to conduct recruitment via videoconferencing, especially with hinterland applicants who may find it expensive to travel to the city at the time. Jaisingh also recommended that those seeking employment in the Public Service should be medically fit and put through oral and written examinations and interviewed accordingly. This, she said, “would lead to the recruitment of the best and also gives a chance to make the best choice.”
Women miners body accuses police of sloth in charging rape suspect By Shauna Jemmott GUYANA Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) President Urica Primus has expressed dissatisfaction over the slothfulness of the police in relation to charging a rape suspect who had been positively identified by the victim. Primus who on Monday dispatched a letter to ‘A’ Division Commander, Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken, said she is surprised that a rape charge has not yet been laid against one of the two men accused of breaking into the dwelling of a woman at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and robbing and raping her at gunpoint, in the presence of her two young children. While Hicken on Monday told the Guyana Chronicle that the police can charge the man within a 90day period, the complainant said police at Brickdam told her they first have to send the file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. The 26-year-old mother of two approached Primus at her office in Brickdam, Georgetown two weeks ago and complained of being insulted and rejected by police, even after suffering at the hands of a gun-toting duo, who woke her up at 04.00hrs to launch their brutal assault three Fridays ago. One was positively iden-
tified during an identification parade and has since been charged with ‘break and enter and larceny’ at Providence Magistrate’s Court and remanded to prison until October 20. Police is still searching for the other suspect as another identification parade proved fruitless last week. Meanwhile, Primus and the distraught woman are scheduled to meet with Minister of Social Security Volda Lawrence this week. Primus said she had lodged a complaint with Minister Lawrence’s Personal Assistant Ms. Williams and was later told that a meeting is possible. Minister Lawrence in a brief talk with Guyana Chronicle at Public Buildings yesterday said she had not received formal complaints from the 26-year-old woman, but has extended an invitation for a meeting with her along with the Guyana Women Miners Organisation. With regard to reports lodged against several police officers at two different police stations, and the police doctor located at Brickdam station compound, Police Public Relations Officer Ivelaw Whittaker said he had not yet received a complete report on the issue and therefore was not in a position to comment. Police handling of rape
Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams
report Whittaker however said he had a basic knowledge of the reports levelled against Criminal Investigation Department police on patrol, other officers at Golden Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara and Brickdam Police Station and the police doctor in the police compound. He said he was also told that the police doctor had refuted allegations levelled against him. When Guyana Chronicle contacted the abused woman earlier this week, she said although she feels good about one man being charged for one of the crimes, she is jumpy whenever she sees a man with a close resemblance to the other attacker.
Police at Golden Grove assured her that if the man is ever caught, he will be charged but she still finds it difficult to rest. “If I can go out there and (find him) honestly I would go and do it not just to get back my stuff but to get justice because I cannot move on just knowing that one of them is out there,” she told Chronicle Tuesday. She as well as teachers observed changes in her children’s deportment since the incident and her nineyear-old is having a difficult time sleeping. She received counselling by a professional counsellor attached to GWMO and a doctor at a city hospital prescribed medication for depression and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). After being further traumatized during the rape kit procedures, she is of the view that urgent changes should be made at the police doctor’s office and the rape kit service offered by police at Brickdam should be improved. “He (police doctor) should be sent home and a female doctor “who would understand” should be hired to deal with rape kits.” EU to assist in strengthening local justice sector THE European Union (EU) has offered to assist Guyana in developing and
implementing major reforms in the justice sector. This commitment was made on Monday when Jernej Videtic, the New Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, met with the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and discussed ideas for the justice sector reforms that are in the pipeline. “We are very pleased to share the areas of reform that are in line with the Human Rights aspect of everything that is done in the courts…we heard also the possibilities where the European Union could come as a development partner… where we could do more to help Guyana,” Ambassador Videtic explained. He added that already there is a new regional programme called Crime and Security which is a multi-country programme that can be financed by the EU. A regional conference on the ‘Abolition of the death penalty’ will be organised for November by the EU. Minister Williams is expected to attend and present Guyana’s position. Minister Williams remarked that Guyana was appraised of the various aspects of the EU’s programme
with which they can apply for loans, and which will go towards the delivery of justice and the Crime and Security Programme. Other areas discussed at Monday morning’s meeting relate to the question of case backlog, the programme for the Attorney General’s Chamber as proposed in the 2016 budget, cyber-crime and the establishment of a permanent law reform commission, and law revision. “…Cybercrime has a regimen of its own…investigators will have to understand what’s a cyber-offence, prosecutors will have to be trained and equally magistrates and judges,” Minister Williams explained. Further, where the backlog of cases is concerned, he said the Administration intends to utilise the constitutional provision which allows for the appointment of part-time judges. “If we have four judges working for six months this would contribute to the ending of the backlog…the backlog could also be ended by the introduction of the new civil rules…,” Minister Williams explained. The new civil rule has a provision which will see a judge handling each case until it is ready for hearing. In this manner, lengthy periods of time would not be wasted for the prosecution to deliver its case.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Guyana, FAO in pact to help fight poverty THE Guyana Government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have joined forces to help reduce poverty here pegged at 36 per cent and representing some 274,000 Guyanese. The strategy unveiled last Friday morning at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown under the theme, ‘Governance for Food and Nutrition Security in Guyana,’ will focus heavily on hinterland communities which Minister of Social Protection Ms Volda Lawrence said historically “have been short-changed.” In a release, Minister Lawrence is quoted as announcing that the government will shortly roll out new programmes to train hinterland residents as social work specialists, who will be the administration’s “point persons to take the [public] assistance to the hinterland residents” as part of her government’s strategy to beat the
From left: Jorge O’Ryan; Dr Karen Cummings, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health;Mr Reuben Robertson; Mr Sydney Allicock, Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs; Ms Volda Lawrence, Minister of Social Protection and Ms Nicolette Henry, Minister within the Ministry of Education
poverty pinch. She said her ministry will shift the focus of assistance “from individuals to families.” The move means that children of beneficiary
families must be enrolled and attending school and also must be fully immunised, the minister said pointing to some details of the plan which is expected to be en-
hanced from 2016. “This is a larger package [and] we are on track to give the family a rounded support to break the cycle of poverty in Guyana, [because] the joint GOG/FAO initiative is an excellent programme to remove people from poverty,” Lawrence said. FAO Representative in Guyana Mr Reuben Robertson endorsed Lawrence’s plan, dubbing it “a road map” for the future which can be emulated in the rest of the hemisphere continually strangled by poverty and now poor dietary habits. “We are eating ourselves to death,” Jorge O’Ryan warned. O’Ryan, who is the FAO Governance Officer for the Caribbean, is concerned that processed foods have become part of “the natural diet of Guyanese and this is worrying.” He wants a shift in local taste and called for the eating of more fruits and vegetables here. The FAO official said that although undernourishment among Guyanese has fallen from 9.2 to 5 percent the persistence “needs to be addressed.” He said alongside a dip
in nutritional intake in Latin America and the Caribbean is an “amazing level of poverty,” which persists in the hemisphere. This, O’Ryan said, is worsened by the scale of annual natural disasters experienced by several countries. Of concern too to him is the steep climb predicted for the Region’s food import bill for the next 15 years, although Guyana is still viewed as the potential bread basket. Currently, the Region buys some $US5B in food from non-Caribbean countries and this figure is expected to soar to $US22B by 2030. The bourgeoning of the food-import bill has been attributed to skewed income distribution, not surprisingly favouring the well-off. “Our Region has one of the most unequal distributions of income: for several countries the richest 10 per cent of the population consumes 10 times more than the poorest 10 per cent,” O’Ryan said. He challenged regional authorities to be good stewards of the territory’s food security programme, paying
attention to its four pillars: food availability, food access, nutritional adequacy and stability. Under the first pillar, security strategies must be coordinated “through the development and management of national and regional public policies to meet the challenges of food security with a gender perspective and incorporating a human rights approach, in particular the Human Right to Food. Pillar two calls for a “timely and sustainable access to safe, adequate, sufficient, nutritious and culturally relevant food for all people, especially the most vulnerable, in order to develop and fully maintain their physical and mental faculties.” According to the third pillar, the diversity of eating habits must be respected, assuring there is “nutritional well-being and assurance of nutrients for all vulnerable groups.” The final pillar points to stable production and timely attention to socio-natural disasters likely to affect food availability.
‘Give of your best’
– town clerk admonishes Municipal Day Care employees GEORGETOWN Town Clerk Royston King recently held a meeting with workers of the Municipal Day Care Services, during which he stressed the importance of their services to the M&CC and to the citizens of Georgetown. He noted that the Day Care contributes to the social and economic functions of the family, since assistants play a crucial role in influencing the minds of the young ones; and Day Care staffers have an opportunity
to impart core values such as discipline, respect, obedience and teamwork to the children they nurture and care for in the absence of their parents. King said it is a popular belief that the Municipal Day Care services should be closed, since these have to be subsidised by the M&CC, but he feels that the Day Care services provided by the council should be extended to accommodate more children and to help parents in need of these services. This suggestion was met
with loud applause from the staffers. He implored the staff to give of their best. “It is important to deliver a service of excellence,” King said. The City Council manages five Day Care centres, located at Festival City; Bourda; Charlestown; East Ruimveldt; and Industrial Site, Ruimveldt. Total enrolment at all five of the Day Care centres stands at approximately 280 persons. The South Road Care Turn to page 15 ►
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
New opportunities for hinterland youth – through agri schools, vocational training By Rabindra Rooplall THE Hinterland Employment and Youth Service is aiming to improve the situation of youth in hinterland communities who face many challenges because of the underdeveloped nature of their geographic locality, according to Advisor on Indigenous People’s Affairs Mervyn Williams. “It is the plan of government to have in place in every region of Guyana agricultural schools, tech-
nical colleges and generally institutions where vocational learning [will] take place. With the advent of these institutions, skills-training of the hinterland youth will be guaranteed,” he said. Williams, in an interview with the Chronicle, explained that the project would entail the training of 3,000 youths from hinterland communities. These youths will be shortlisted by the relevant Village Councils with final approval by the Ministry of Indigenous
People’s Affairs. The participants will then be trained and it is expected that afterwards they will either seek employment in their new skill area or be self-employed. For those youth who are so inclined, they would attend the Guyana School of Agriculture, Kuru Kuru College, Government Technical Institute, or any other formal institution of learning, Williams said. The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs in collaboration with the
Advisor on Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams
relevant Village Council will facilitate them during their training and subsequently have them placed in jobs upon successful completion of their training. STIPENDS Underscoring that during training all youth will receive stipends that will be enough for their basic personal expenses, Williams said the stipends would be administered by the relevant Village Councils, which would have the role of ensuring attendance and com-
pliance. He said that there is a situation where skilled persons are needed in various industries, but the hinterland youth are unable to fill these positions because they do not have the skills. “They do not have the skills because there was no opportunity to acquire it in the first place…As a result, persons are brought from the coast to fill these vacancies and the hinterland youth have to settle for the labourer positions. With the mechanisation of the industries this situation is even more pronounced.
In addition to this, the entire landscape is changing and is leaving the hinterland youth behind,” Williams noted. It is of utmost importance that some form of affirmative action be taken to address the plight of the most vulnerable and increasing indigenous youth population, he said. To do this, he said it is necessary to take training that is available to youth on
the coast to those in the hinterland, thus removing the geographic constraint.
PARTNERS This activity would be carried out by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs with support from the Village Councils and other indigenous people’s organisations, including The Amerindian People’s Association (APA), Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP), The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) and the National Toshaos Council. Together with the main implementing partners will be the NGOs and the donor community. The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs will partner with these entities, which will be engaged in the studies and consultations which will then be evaluated by the ministry. In addition, funding will also come from these entities, in particular the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Indigenous People’s Fund.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Support for LGE will be given if requested
– U.S. Ambassador AS the International community continues to advocate the holding of local government elections (LGE) in Guyana, U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway said if government requests assistance or support for the hosting of such elections then it will be granted. “Right now Guyana has a lot of goodwill in the international community and having local government elections will cement the goodwill that has been created over the last few months,” the newly accredited ambassador disclosed. Adding that he does not
know the amount of support the U.S. will offer Guyana, the U.S. envoy said: “I don’t know the exact amount but we have always supported national elections…Guyana has not had local elections in a long time so it’s hard to say what we are going to support but if the government asks I’m sure we can find some support and we will also be helping if the government asks us to try and convince other donors where appropriate.” Guyana has not held local government elections since 1994, even though it is supposed to be held every four years. In the lead-up to the
U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway
‘Give of your...
From page 12
M&CC employees during the meeting with Town Clerk Royston King
Centre was the first centre opened. It began operating in 1933 as part of the maternal and child welfare service to the citizens of Georgetown, and was established as a place for the care of the children of domestic servants. It has remained the only child-care facility for over four decades. However, with the election of Ms Beryl
Simon as Mayor, more emphasis was placed on child care, and a second centre was opened in East Ruimveldt in 1974. Also, in 1983, under the mayorship of Mavis Benn, another day care centre was opened in Charlestown. Children of these Day Care centres are subdivided into age groups in a staff-to-
child ratio, and their activities include routine resting, eating, health checks, and structured and unstructured play for early stimulation. Parents are organised into parent/staff committees to help organise and implement programmes for children for the development of the centres. (Michel Outridge)
General and Regional Elections of 2011, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration had promised to ensure the holding of local government elections by 2012. However, after the party had formed the first minority government in Guyana, the then President Donald Ramotar decided that it was “risky” to hold local government elections while his party had such a political standing. At that time, David Granger, who was the then Leader of the Opposition, led several picketing exercises calling for the holding of the local government elections. He had promised that he would hold Local Government Elections when he
got into office. Granger now heads an APNU+AFC coalition government. Recently, the Carter Center released a report on its observer mission to Guyana during the 2015 General and Regional Elections. The Centre said, “Guyana has not held local government elections since 1994, and the repercussions for development and the ability of government to serve its people are visible at the local level throughout the coastal region. The government should recommit to holding local government elections utilising the legislation that was approved in the last parliament as the foundation for a new consensus law.”
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Minister Ally says…
Church must play role in eradicating poverty
- and fostering social cohesion MINISTER of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, has charged the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church to lead efforts in eradicating poverty and fostering social cohesion in Guyana. The charge was made at the 219th anniversary celebration of the founding of the church, on Sunday morning. Addressing the gathering, Minister Ally said that the church has always played a role in the promotion of peace, assisting the poor and impoverished and bringing people of different backgrounds together. She said that the observation of 219 years serves to celebrate the rich history of the church, counter despair and cynicism and calls for the recognition and reaffirmation of that which is great and generous and caring in the human spirit. She noted also that it is
still a responsibility of the church to ensure that the basic tenets of humanity are upheld. “Biblically it was the church which had initiated the process of assisting those in poverty, the elderly, the sick and promoting the notion of a socially cohesive community, where persons would love each other as themselves. The church should address racial justice peace and harmony and this government has that on the agenda. It is of utmost importance to have the churches involved in the democratic process of a country. Now more than ever, religion will have a critical role to play in humanity and eradicating the challenges we face in the society,” Minister Ally told the congregation. She further added that the church must ensure that it maintains a relationship with its society, which can
aid in the achievement of the goal of the eradication of poverty and the promotion of harmony. “The church should have a positive relationship with human kind. Our government has indicated that it is ready and willing to work with all religious organisations as well as members of civil society to build a society where everyone is given equal access to social services such as health, social services and education, towards the reduction of poverty,” Minister Ally said. The Minister of Social Cohesion told the church that the new government was cognisant of the fact that religion plays a major role in society and as such, was prepared to ensure that this right is protected. “I would like to assure you that the David Granger administration respects religious freedom
Minister Amna Ally delivering her remarks to the congregation and believes that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This is evident in
MACORP launches Hose Fabrication Shop
- to promote cleanliness and quality
MACORP, official distributor of Caterpillar (CAT) products, launched last Monday its Hose Fabrication Shop aimed at providing, as per factory specification, the services of rebuilding, cleaning, and providing durable hoses for CAT and non-CAT equipment. Located at the company’s head office at Providence, East Bank Demerara, this hose fabrication shop has boasted the ability to provide durable hoses for any CAT machine and for any other type of machine, such as automotive, cars, fire trucks, and so forth. Parts Manager Asif Sahid said that by serving a mass market and by keeping in mind that any particle can damage equipment, the shop
the Constitution, which addresses ethnic, religious and racial insecurities and prohibits discrimination.
We will continue to work to see that these are fully implemented and upheld,” she said.
GPOC plans week of activities to observe World Post Day - mini health clinic held at H/Q, activities planned for other offices
THE Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) has undertaken a week of activities to commemorate World Post Day 2015. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the GPOC on Monday hosted a mini health clinic for pensioners at its headquarters, which saw a large gathering of mostly elderly persons in attendance. The clinic concluded at 14:00 hrs Monday, but similar mini health clinics are to be held at the Anna Regina, Mackenzie and New Amsterdam Post Offices. World Post Day will be commemorated on Friday, October 9, under the theme ‘Innovation, Integration and Inclusion are the key drivers for the future of the Post.’
Asif Sahid (left), along with an employee, displays how the hoses are fabricated provides a superior product to be used on any equipment, given that the MACORP process uses a standard procedure to make sure hoses are cleaned. He said: “Once it gets into the system, it can be damaged.” Through a computerised process, the hose shop will ensure that everything is intact and of
superior quality. The process was observed during a tour of the fabrication shop. Currently competing with the roadside shops, Sahid said the hose fabrication shop has the upper hand because its process stresses a lot on cleanliness. And the prices are also competitive, given that the shop does not charge for labour,
but just for the item. MACORP continues to invest, regardless of the alleged economic decline much-touted by private investors and public officials. This comes as an encouragement to other investors who are interested in investing in Guyana’s market. (Navendra Seoraj)
Pensioners being tended to by health personnel on Monday during the mini health clinic at the GPOC headquarters
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Agri Minister to discuss T&T’s investment in Guyana - at upcoming Int’l Agri Conference in Mexico
By Svetlana Marshall
TRINIDAD and Tobago has not signalled its intention to invest in the Intermediate Savannah and the Canje Basin since the formation of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government; a matter in which the Agriculture Minister Noel Holder intends to raise in Mexico during the convening of the International Agriculture Conference later this month. According to Minister Holder, discussions between the Agriculture Ministry and
Trinidad’s Food Production Ministry have been at a standstill for months. Nevertheless, given the economic benefits that could be derived from such a partnership, he said the proposal will be placed high on the agenda. “We are CARICOM partners and so we prefer to have that kind of investment than even investment farther afield, at least the money going out will be within CARICOM,” he told the Chronicle. Last December, investors representing more than 15 commercial entities from
the twin-island republic had started screening Guyana’s economic landscape in the field of agriculture. Under the stewardship of the then Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Trinidad’s Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj the investors were granted the opportunity to consult with officials from the Agriculture Ministry, Go-Invest and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission on the availability of land, soil types and market trade logistics. Additionally, information was presented on rainfall data for the last five (5) years and the
EU to assist in strengthening local justice sector THE European Union (EU) has offered to assist Guyana in developing and implementing major reforms in the justice sector. This commitment was made on Monday when Jernej Videtic, the New Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, met with the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and discussed ideas for the justice sector reforms that are in the pipeline. “We are very pleased to share the areas of reform that are in line with the Human Rights aspect of everything that is done in the courts…we heard also the possibilities where the European Union could come as a development partner…where we could do more to help Guyana,” Ambassador Videtic explained. He added that already there is a new regional programme called Crime and Security which is a multi-country programme that can be financed by the EU. A regional conference on the ‘Abolition of the death penalty’ will be organised for November by the EU. Minister Williams is expected to attend and present Guyana’s position. Minister Williams remarked that Guyana was appraised of the various aspects of the EU’s programme with which they can apply for loans, and which will go to-
Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams wards the delivery of justice and the Crime and Security Programme. Other areas discussed at Monday morning’s meeting relate to the question of case backlog, the programme for the Attorney General’s Chamber as proposed in the 2016 budget, cyber-crime and the establishment of a permanent law reform commission, and law revision. “…Cybercrime has a regimen of its own…investigators will have to understand what’s a cyber-offence, prosecutors will have to be trained and equally magistrates and judges,” Minister Williams explained. Further, where the backlog of cases is concerned,
he said the Administration intends to utilise the constitutional provision which allows for the appointment of part-time judges. “If we have four judges working for six months this would contribute to the ending of the backlog…the backlog could also be ended by the introduction of the new civil rules…,” Minister Williams explained. The new civil rule has a provision which will see a judge handling each case until it is ready for hearing. In this manner, lengthy periods of time would not be wasted for the prosecution to deliver its case.
climate of the potential sites. It was agreed by the two ministries that subsequent to the visit, the investors would have submitted their scope of work but this is yet to be done. In September 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two countries to facilitate T&T’s investors in Guyana for agricultural production. However, it has since expired. The Trinidadian Food Production Ministry had expressed an interest in utilising 10,000 acres of land in Guyana for the purpose of
Agriculture Minister Noel Holder sustainable food production, but the Guyana Government had signalled its willingness to provide 1,000 acres during the initial stage had the MoU evolved into an agreement. The MoU had addressed programmes and activities, core areas of cooperation,
monitoring and coordinating mechanism, mutual responsibility, commitments and settlements, rights and obligations and scope for termination. Recognising that global food insecurity remains a major problem across the world due to rising food prices amid declining food production levels due to climate change, the parties had signed the agreement in their quest to reduce their food import bills. For Trinidad, this plan is in keeping with its National Food Production Action Plan 2012-2015.
Essequibo Night set for Oct 30/31
THE Region 2 administration will be holding its annual Essequibo Night Exhibition and Fair on October 30th and 31st at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground. A release from the administrative office at Anna Regina has said that the twonight activity, usually held under the theme ‘Made in Guyana, Grown in Guyana,’ is expected to showcase the country’s locally grown produce and manufactured products, especially from the Pomeroon/Supenaam region. At a first planning meeting on Monday, Region 2 Chairman Mr Devanand Ramdatt said the activity will give businesses, manufacturers and farmers an opportunity to showcase their products and produce. He said Essequibo Night, which has become very popular, will also provide entertainment and a grand cultural show for the thousands who will attend. The chairman said several committees have been formed to look at safety and security, public relations and marketing, booths and the exhibition site and sanitation and health.
Local produce on display at last year’s Essequibo Nite at Anna Regina The Essequibo Night Exhibition and Fair was first started by the late Minister of Agriculture Mr Satyadeo Sawh several years ago, and was also held under the theme, ‘Made in Guyana, Grown in Guyana.’ Over the years, the activity has grown tremendously and Essequibians and overseas-based Guyanese generally always look forward to Essequibo Night
entertainment each year. The activity also promotes and opens new markets for local products and crops grown. At last year’s activity, more than 100 booths were constructed and occupied by farmers, businesses, manufacturers, agencies and government ministries to showcase their products and produce on the ground.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Region 6 to soon tender for capital projects THE Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 6 is set to go out to tender for its 2015 capital projects as early as next week, Regional Chairman David Armogan has confirmed. Armogan said $260M has been provided as capital budget for the region in the 2015 National Budget. The sum will cater for the completion of the outpatient building at
the New Amsterdam Hospital and the upgrade of the theatre at the Skeldon Hospital. The region will also tender for the purchase of ambulances, rehabilitation of the Leeds Primary School and construction and rehabilitation of sanitary blocks at Skeldon and Black Bush Polder Secondary Schools. Other capital projects for the region include the
completion of the RDC building at Springlands, the construction of revetment at Siparuta, Grant 1805 and Orealla, bridges at Mibicuri and Lesbeholden, excavation of facade from Light Town to Plegtanker, construction of bridges at Angoy’s Avenue, Courtland Village, New Amsterdam, Grant 1708/1802, Yakusari, Warren and Number 69/70 Villages, Armogan
explained. He said that the roads at Mibicuri South, Savannah Park, Tucber, Caracas and Grant 1803 are scheduled to be rehabilitated, as are the streets at Tucber and Cumberland. As it awaits the execution of its capital projects, the region has been executing its on-going maintenance works. According to Armogan, the Region 6 Chairman, David Armogan region has completed its road maintenance projects for 2015.
Contracts for repairs to five of the region’s schools are at present out for tender. These are the Fort Ordnance, Belvedere and Gibraltar/ Courtland Primary Schools and the Port Mourant and Manchester Secondary Schools. Armogan explained that these are part of the routine buildings maintenance that is carried out every two years. He added that the interventions will chiefly target repairs to the roofs, walls and steps, replacement of windows and addressing bat infestation.
Thursday, October 08, 2015. - 14:30 hrs Friday, October 09, 2015. - 14:30 hrs
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Starr Computer participates in Charlestown Secondary Career Day WITH the advancements in computer technology, classrooms are being transformed. Computer programmes, social media and online resources have opened a new window of development for students. This was disclosed by Starr Computer President Michael Mohan, on Tuesday, during a career day at the Charlestown Secondary School at 44 ‘A’ Howes and Charles Streets, Georgetown, where activities were conducted in observance of the school’s 50th anniversary. The company had a booth set up in a classroom, showing the stages of the computer, and
how miniature it eventually became while being ever more powerful. The school commenced a calendar of activities to usher in its golden jubilee observance. Through the joint efforts of the head teacher, the staff, the Parent-Teacher Association and the overseas alumni, a week of activities was planned. Students who attended the STARR Computer booth yesterday learned that determination is the path to success. Mr Mohan, the tech giant who was a former student of the school, said: “I was young and I always wanted to be successful, and nothing was going
to stop me. I began reading all I could, and I took the opportunities offered to me in life.” He explained to a packed classroom that education is one of the most important factors for youths, and it should never be taken for granted. Informing the students of the technology field, Mohan explained that if a school’s library is outdated or lacking in a selection of titles, a student might find it difficult to compile the necessary research for an essay or research paper. As long as the school has a computer lab, students are able to use the Internet and digital encyclopedias to obtain the research they need.
He advised the students that technology is driving the way teachers teach and students learn. Technology-based learning and assessment systems will be pivotal in improving student learning, and generating data that can be used to continuously improve the education system at all levels. Mohan noted that technology will help in execution of collaborative teaching strategies combined with professional learning that better prepare and enhance educators’ competencies and expertise over the course of their careers. In other words, what works for the business world should work in the classroom.
Starr Computer President Michael Mohan exciting students with the computer stick, as he explains how it works Mohan, during his demonstration, showed how simple the device was to use. By simply plugging the stick into a computer monitor or television with HDMI, your Windows-based computer is up and running similar to any
desktop computer. Mohan noted that some of the beneficiaries of this inexpensive device are low income families, students, small businesses, and corporate employees. (Rabindra
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 8, 2015
Guyana returns to UN Rights Committee - after 20 years
AFTER a 20-year absence, Guyana has demonstrated its commitment to the preservation of the rights of all citizens by appearing at the 56th Working Session of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, held on September 28-29, 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the commitment of presenting its next periodic report in five years. The Review was hosted to examine Guyana’s Human Rights Report, which was submitted in 2012 and the administration’s treatment of Guyana’s indigenous peoples, particularly their levels of access to social services; the steps being taken to respect the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-sexual and Intersex (LGBTI) community in Guyana; the dearth of good-quality statistical information; and the reportedly high levels of corruption in the country. According to the rules of the Convention, each member state is required to submit five-year periodic written reports on implementation and observance of the Convention for review and comment by a Committee established by the Convention for this purpose. Guyana’s written submission, made in 2012, covered a period of 17 years from 1995 to 2012 with Guyana’s last appearance before the Committee being in 1995. The Committee Chairman said he was satisfied not only with Guyana’s appearance after 20 years, but the delegation’s frankness, and willingness to address the concerns, which arose out of the Report. Members of the delegation, which included Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, Technical Officer - Governance, Teresa Gaime, and First Secretary of the Guyana Embassy - Belgium, Ms. Bevon McDonald, were able to respond to all questions posed by the Committee, highlighting the efforts and commitments being made by the new government to address the gaps, which had existed in the fulfilment of rights. The 18-member UN Committee was pleased with the steps that are being taken by the David Granger administration to tackle Human Rights issues. Of particular interest to the Committee, was the renaming of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs as well as President Granger’s recent announcement of a plan to preserve Amerindian languages and culture. In response to the continuous stream of concerns raised with regard to statistical misrepresentations within the report, the Guyanese delegation was able to identify the steps the Ministry of Finance has begun to take to enhance the capacity and credibility of the previously neglected Statistical Bureau through a 2015 budgetary allocation. The Committee’s concerns on corruption afforded the delegation the opportunity to share updates on the establishment of the State Asset Recovery Unit and the engagement of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which can possibly lead to the setting up of an office here. Civil society shadow reports were also submitted to the Committee months prior to the country review. These included reports from the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and three international Non-Governmental Organisations examining Guyana’s current status in addressing indigenous people’s rights, LGBTI community rights and corporal punishment. The Guyanese delegation reiterated the new government’s efforts to ensure that the rights of all Guyanese are respected; noting that the upcoming constitutional reform process will inevitably examine the laws that are considered discriminatory to the LGBTI community. The Committee expressed the hope that this would be the new pattern with respect to all of the United Nations’ and other international organisations obligations. The concluding observations, prepared by the Committee following the review of Guyana’s Human Rights Report and contribution at the meeting, are expected to be released on Friday by the United Nations. It will be shared with and reviewed by Guyana for acceptance and will thereafter pave the way for the implementation of measures to address issues coming out of that report. (GINA)
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Pacquiao likely to retire after one more fight next year MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao, a winner of world titles in eight different weight categories, said he is likely to retire from the sport after one more fight next year. Pacquiao, 36, last fought in May when he lost to American Floyd Mayweather Junior in a long-awaited
bout between the sport’s best two fighters, dubbed the Fight of the Century that failed to match the hype. Pacquiao underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff after the fight and had been expected to retire with little left to prove after achieving his long-stated goal of getting in the ring with Mayweather.
“I think I’m ready. I’ve been in boxing for more than 20 years,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN yesterday. The Filipino said he wanted one more bout but it is unlikely to be against Mayweather, who has announced plans to retire after beating Andre Berto in September to improve
his record to 49 wins and no losses. “We cannot say if there is a rematch or not. It depends, it depends,” Pacquiao said. Pacquiao’s long-term manager Bob Arum said last month he expected
Pacquiao to fight again in February, with Briton Amir Khan and American Terence Crawford among the possible opponents. The Filipino southpaw, who boasts a fight record of 57 wins, six losses and two
draws, said he wanted to focus more on his political career. Pacquiao is already a member of the country’s lower House of Representatives and announced plans on Monday to run for a seat in the senate next year.
Guyana gear up for Venezuelan Pan Am hockey battle GUYANA will tomorrow take on Venezuela in the semi-final stages of the of the Pan American Challenge in Chiclayo, Peru from 16:15hrs Guyana Time (GYT). This comes as the Guyanese finished as one of the top two teams in the Group A following their 2-2 draw with Brazil, the Group A leaders, on Tuesday. By virtue of topping the Group A, Brazil have to play Group B second-placed
Uruguay (14:00) while second-placed Group A team Guyana have been paired with Group B winners Venezuela. In the crossover games for places 5-8, Puerto Rico will take on Ecuador (9:30) while Panama take on Peru in the first round of matches from 10:45hrs In Guyana’s most recent 2-2 draw, Aroydy Bradford in the 12th minute through a field goal (FG) opened the scoring, putting the Golden Arrowhead ahead and
exerting early pressure on favourites Brazil. However, two quickfire penalty corners from Stephane Vehrle-Smith and Lucas Paixão (42ne and 43rd) gave the Brazilians a slim lead, with the Guyanese having to chase to level the game. Bradford again proved the determining factor as he converted a penalty shot to goal in the 51st, the last of the goals scored in this match as either team failed to convert any more shots.
Rugby season scrum-off on Sunday THE new-look Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) will kick off their season this Sunday at the University of Guyana ground. According to a release from the GRFU, the schedule was made after the first meeting of the new executive on Monday. Set for the University of Guyana ground at Turkeyen, the GRFU 7s tournament will feature the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Hornets, Caribs,
UG Wolves and the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The five teams will play each other once in a round-robin, and then the top two teams will face-off in the final. The aforementioned teams will then take the week off before turning their attention to the Banks Sevens at the National Park Rugby Field on Sunday October 18. Like the GRFU 7s Tournament, the Banks
DIH-sponsored event will take a similar format to come up with a winner. Meanwhile, today, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) will announce the details of its partnership with the GRFU for the development of the game. The local telecommunication company’s partnership will pave the way for the GT&T 10-a-side Rugby tournament, set for November 7-22.
ESPN joins hands with India’s MSM to launch channels By Sudipto Ganguly MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Sports fans in the Indian subcontinent will be spoilt for choice after Indian Premier League (IPL) rights holder Multi Screen Media (MSM) and sports broadcaster ESPN announced plans yesterday to launch new channels and foray into digital market. ESPN, a Walt Disney unit, exited India in 2012, after a split with Rupert Murdoch-owned Star TV, which owns the rights to cricket-crazy India’s home inter-
national matches and domestic tournaments, excluding the annual IPL Twenty20 competition. As part of the “long-term” deal, Sony Corp-owned MSM will rebrand its sports channel KIX as SONY ESPN and the two broadcasters will also launch new channels in the coming months. In collaboration with MSM, ESPN will start a multisport website and app, which will provide coverage of cricket, football, tennis, the NBA and several other sports. “It brings together two of the most respected brands in the media world,” Prasana Krishnan, vice-president and business head of sports for
MSM, told Reuters. “It will be a combined portfolio of their expertise in sports coverage and our reach and penetration and market position we bring in this particular territory. “I see it as a win-win combination from a sports fan’s perspective.” Besides broadcasting the popular IPL and the NBA, MSM also holds rights for the Rugby World Cup, Euro 2016, the Under-17 World Cup to be held in India, soccer leagues such as Spanish La Liga, the Serie A and the FA Cup and the Australian Open tennis.
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BCCI seeks report from state unit on crowd trouble MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has sought a report from its state unit on the crowd trouble during Monday’s Twenty20 match against South Africa which has prompted calls for a ban on the venue. Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar led calls for a ban on Cuttack after supporters at the sold-out Barabati Stadium in Orissa threw bottles during the change of innings and again when South Africa were batting. The match suffered a delay of close to an hour and resumed only after police cleared an upper stand of the stadium as South Africa went on to record their second successive victory to seal the three-match series with a game to spare. “BCCI President Shashank Manohar has asked the Secretary of Orissa Cricket Association Ashirwad Behera to submit a report on the incident within two days,” the board said in a statement on its website (www.bcci.tv). “Mr Manohar has asked the state association to explain why the spectators were
Sunil Gavaskar leads calls for a ban on the Cuttack venue. allowed to carry the bottles inside the stadium, which is against the ICC Guidelines.” In India most stadiums do not allow bottles, and other objects that can be used as projectiles, but Behera has been quoted in the local media as saying that fans were allowed to carry water bottles to cope with the heat. The teams play the third and final match at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens today. The two sides will also play five one-day internationals and four Test matches in what is South Africa’s longest tour of India.
Rain forces WI warm-up postponement COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - West Indies’ three-day practice match at the SSC has been postponed by one day due to bad weather in Colombo. The match against Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI, led by Lahiru Thirimanne, had been scheduled to begin on Thursday, but will now begin tomorrow. The postponement means West Indies are left only two clear days between the end of the practice match and the start of the first Test which is scheduled to begin October 14. West Indies had arrived in Sri Lanka on October 1, and had largely been forced to practice indoors, thanks to almost daily showers in Colombo. The northeast monsoon brings island-wide rain in October and November, but scheduling difficulties often force Sri Lanka to host international sides during these months. Prior to the postponement, West Indies captain Jason Holder had said the three-day match would be particularly vital to his team’s preparation, as most of the West Indies squad have not played Tests in Sri Lanka before. “The warm-up is our first game since we have been here and we can gauge where we are in these conditions. Hopefully the rain stays away and we can get the practice we want ahead of the Test match. Our batsmen and bowlers need to spend some time in the middle and hopefully we can make use of this match and be ready for the first Test on October 14.” The first Test is set to be played in Galle before the teams return to Colombo to play the second Test at the P Sara Oval.
GSSF/Archery Guyana joins with Heritage Games 2015 FOLLOWING the recent launch of Archery Guyana by the Guyana Sport Shooting Federation, the organisation is extremely happy to be involved in the Heritage Games 2015, held at the National Aquatic Centre, on September 20, 2015. The 2015 edition saw the inauguration of Swimming and Archery as competitive sports for the Indigenous communities with the archery competition seeing many eager participants, some of whom had never even used a bow before but were encouraged by the fact that there were trophies to be won. Before the start of the competition, everyone present was advised of the strict safety rules which are a standard of the World Archery and its affiliated organisations. The enthusiastic archers enjoyed the competition, each shooting 2 rounds at 25 metres, with locally made indigenous bows and arrows and 2 rounds at 18 metres with their own bows and arrows, in both male and female categories. There was only one junior participant who was in the male category. The Overall prize winners Male category: 1st place Roy Persaud 27 pts, 2nd place Eric Hing 25 pts, 3rd place Manley Thomas 17 pts. Junior category: Michael Hing 11 pts
Prize-winners pose with Heritage Games 2015 officials and GSSF members Messrs Nicholas Hing and Liddon Kellman. Female category: 1st tion and development of shot. The GSSF, in collaboplace Reneta Thomas 7 pts, sport and recreation amongst 2nd place Margaret Pearson all Guyanese through con- ration with World Archery tinued collaboration with Americas, recently conclud5 pts. President of the Feder- the government, respective ed its inaugural Archery ation, Ms Vidushi Persaud ministries and all sporting Development Seminar in Georgetown which was also expressed her delight and organisations. Also speaking at the conducted by Torres. enthusiasm at the collaboraThe focus of all of the tion between the organising Opening Ceremony were Mr committee of the Games Ivan Persaud, Coordinator Federation’s seminars as to and Archery Guyana’s team of the Heritage Games 2015 the fabrication of PVC bows and expressed her pleasure and Nicholas Hing, mem- and teaching the correct form at working with Ivan Per- ber GSSF/Archery Guyana. for target archery is primarsaud, the Coordinator of the Hing, assisted by fellow ily safety. member Liddon Kellman Seminars have been Games. This was alluded to by also had on display their geared to give participants both Prime Minister Mo- newly-made Olympic-styled the knowledge as to how to ses Nagamootoo and Junior PVC target archery bows, further develop this longMinister within the Minis- complete with the stabiliser standing Olympic sport by making these low-cost bows try of Indigenous Affairs, system. The design is by Colom- which are to be used for Valerie Garrido-Lowe in their feature addresses to bian Archer Diego Torres training and local competithe crowd of competitors and the bow was assembled tions such as the Heritage Archery Games 2015. and fans who gathered at the in Guyana. These were on hand for Discussions are taking National Aquatic Centre at anyone who wished to in- place to have such semiLiliendaal. The GSSF through its spect and test so Prime Min- nars on a scheduled basis president reiterated its total ister Nagamootoo stepped for members of affiliated commitment to the promo- forward and took the first organisations.
United States closing the gap despite SA drubbing - Tolkin By Padraic Halpin LONDON, England (Reuters) - The United States suffered the biggest defeat of the Rugby World Cup when a near second-string side went down 64-0 to South Africa yesterday but their coach said it would have been worse in previous tournaments. With a four-day turnaround until their last Pool B game, the U.S. made 12 changes from the team that led Scotland for 40 minutes before being overrun and were only 14 points down at halftime until the twice world champions cut loose. But whereas New
Zealand once regularly ran up 100-point winning margins and the widest at the last World Cup was South Africa’s 87-0 demolition of Namibia, U.S. coach Mike Tolkin said the narrower losses were proof progress was being made. “I think moving forward, at this World Cup you don’t see any 80-, 90-, 100-point scores,” Tolkin told a news conference. “We had a side out there with virtually no experience in a World Cup and they played against just about a full Springboks side and it’s happened on many occasions in this World Cup already so four years’ time, it will be really interesting to see what
happens in these types of matches.” Tolkin said it would have been just as interesting to see how a full-strength side would have done and that he was not alone in being frustrated at a timetable that he believed would be looked at for future tournaments. However, he said his side were developing a belief that the more they play the top teams, realising that they are not super human and the professional set-up he expected to be established in the United States soon would help them to catch up further. “It’s money, when we leave this tournament our roster of 31, probably about
15 will have to go to work on Monday,” the former English teacher said. “I think a full-time professional environment for all the players is the first step, I think more exposure to tier one teams has been a benefit for us within the last year we’ve played New Zealand, Australia, South Africa. “As soon as we get all those guys into a professional environment and the infrastructure is in place and World Rugby continues to invest in tier-two nations, we’ll continue to get a better and more even competition.” The Americans play Japan in their final game on Sunday.
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Queen’s College, Bishops’ High and Saints dominate swimming events QUEEN’S College, Bishops’ High and St Stanislaus College made outstanding wins to champion their respective zones when the North Georgetown InterSchool Championships began with the swimming and cycling segments on Tuesday. With 84 points Queen’s College topped zone one in swimming, while in the same zone Richard Ishmael mastered the cycling with 208 points. Bishops’ High were too much for the other competitors, in zone two, reigning supreme in both the swimming and cycling divisions. Backed by the strength of
Action in the pool at the North Georgetown Inter-School Championships win in the cycling division. allist Accalia Khan led the national swimmers Accalia The swimming was held way for Bishops’ High in Khan, Amy Grant, and Dy- at the MCYS Colgrain the girls’ Under-18 category lan Nurse, Bishops’ did their Swimming Pool, while the where she landed first place usual take of dominating the cycling took place at the in the 50m freestyle (29.31s), swimming segment, racking National Park. 100m freestyle (1:07.63s) and up 219 points, while ending Goodwill Swimming the 50m backstroke (33.91s). with 283 points to take the Championship bronze medComing back to swimming after out for a number of weeks, national Girls’ 13-14 champion Amy Grant
took first place in the Girls’ Under-16 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly. However, Christ Church’s Anna Isaacs got the better of Grant in the 100m freestyle. Christ Church finished behind Bishops’ in the swimming with 179 points. Bishops’ also took leading wins in the Girls’ Under-12 category, where Liam Winter ruled the roost. In zone three, St Stanislaus College also excelled in both the swimming and cycling with 196 and 62 points, respectively. In the swimming, Saints gained high wins mainly on the male side, where the team contained national swimmers Nathon Hackett and Daniel Scott. The North Georgetown
District comprises 19 secondary schools and 12 primary schools, which are divided into four zones. The secondary schools are spread out across the first three zones while zone four includes all the primary schools in the district. The schools will first compete within their zones at the inter-school stage, where the top two athletes in each event go on to compete at the inter-zone level. Competition at the inter-school level continued yesterday, with the field events at the YMCA ground. Competition continues further today with the field events, while tomorrow will see zone 4 track event at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
GABA looks to the Diaspora support Chung takes aim at THE Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) is attempting a novel way of acquiring funds for its massive Caribbean Development Boxing Tournament. Next week its president Steve Ninvalle would be in the United States with the aim of raising much needed finance for the tournament. According to a GABA release, Ninvalle is scheduled to be in Doha, Qatar early in the week for the AIBA Extra Ordinary Meeting, and is expected to stop over in the USA on his return from the Middle East. Contacted yesterday Ninvalle said that all angles would be explored in order to make the tournament a success inclu-
Steve Ninvalle sive of local and overseas fund raising activities. He noted that the upcoming event would be the biggest held in decades in Guyana.
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday October 08, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz; Deryck Murray Jeff Dujon Today’s Quiz: Which WI wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals in Tests to date? How many? Which WI wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals in ODIs to date? How many? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
The GABA has planned the four-day tournament for next month that is expected to attract over 10 countries. The mega event is set for November 26-29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and has a budget of $6.5M. So far the association has been able to rise just about one third of the amount, mainly due to sponsorship from the Guyana Olympic Association. The tournament is geared towards serving as nursery for the production of boxers for Elite competitions staged by the AMBC and/or AIBA, and to give technical officials of the region an opportunity to get much-needed practice in preparation for moving forward in the AIBA training programme Already Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, French Guiana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed participation. GABA has invited top AIBA referee/ judge Trinidadian James Beckles to run a five-day workshop leading up next month’s competition. Beckles’ workshop is expected to whip local referees and judges into shape ahead of the Caribbean invasion. Meanwhile, association last statutory competition (National Open) is scheduled of October 29 to 31. Boxers wishing to represent Guyana at the Caribbean tournament would first have to participate in the National Open.
Blatter, brings up Prince William
(REUTERS) - FIFA presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon, who says he is facing a 15-year ban from the game, said yesterday that if he was guilty of attempted vote-rigging, then Britain’s Prime Minister and Prince William should face charges with him. Chung, who also said he would sue “hypocrite and liar” Sepp Blatter for embezzlement over his salary and expenses, denied he had behaved improperly during the awarding of World Cup hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Brushing aside claims he had attempted to strike a deal with England during that process, which saw Russia and Qatar win hosting rights, Chung said the meeting in question had been attended by David Cameron, the
Chung Mong-joon
British prince and then English FA representative Geoff Thompson. “Then they should try all these people, Prince William and Prime Minister Cameron too,” he told the ‘Leaders in Sport Business’ event in London. Chung said he was being charged with violating the FIFA ethics code on six counts. If found guilty, he would not be able to stand in the election to find a successor to Blatter.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee has declined to comment on Chung’s allegations. Turning his fire on the outgoing head of world football, Chung said he had called on Blatter to declare his salary and expenses during a FIFA meeting in 2002. The Swiss has never done so. “For him to get paid without Exco (executive committee) approval is embezzlement. This is why I am going to sue Mr Blatter,” Chung said. “Mr Blatter, in short, is a hypocrite and a liar,” Chung added, saying he would give back any amount he won in court to FIFA’s development programmes. FIFA declined to comment on Chung’s speech referring enquiries to Blatter’s lawyer, who was not immediately available for comment.
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Holder hopes for swift Simmons resolution WEST Indies captain Jason Holder said that the fate of suspended head coach Phil Simmons lies “with Phil and the board” but added that he had been a “wonderful inspiration” during his brief time in charge. Holder hoped for a swift resolution that would allow Simmons to return to the squad in Sri Lanka after his position was put in limbo when he expressed discontent over West Indies’ ODI squad for the tour. Simmons has since apologised for his remarks, but has been asked to answer for “breaches of confidentiality” by the WICB and is currently awaiting a HR hearing. “The comments made by Phil were by Phil, and I can’t comment on those things,” Holder said in Colombo. “It’s down to him and the board. We can only control the cricket because that’s what we came here to do.
Whatever his situation his fate lies with him and the board. Hopefully he can deal with that and be back to us as soon as possible.” The timing of Simmons’ suspension has posed a significant problem for West Indies, coming as it did only days before the squad was scheduled to assemble in Sri Lanka, and less than three weeks before the first Test. Simmons was appointed West Indies coach in March and the Sri Lanka tour would have been his first international foray with the outfit. It is also Holder’s first assignment as Test captain. “No doubt (Simmons’ suspension) is a bit of a setback for us, but at this present stage, all we can do is focus on the cricket. I just hope that the situation with him is solved quickly because we would love to have him back. He’s been a wonderful
… Windies, Sri Lanka to play for Sobers-Tissera trophy
Jason Holder and Angelo Mathews pose ahead of the Test series in Colombo on Tuesday. inspiration to our team pushed back 24 hours due series will be named the to poor weather, before Sobers-Tissera Trophy, after thus far.” West Indies are sched- moving to Galle for the West Indies great Garry Souled to begin their tour first Test, which begins on bers and Sri Lanka batsman with a three-day warm-up October 14. SLC announced on Tuesmatch which now begins on Friday, having been day that the two-match Test
Dant salvage pride with OSCL grand final title By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada - After taking their debut season by storm, winning all the major titles up for grabs, Dant became the obvious target for most of the other competing teams in the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) in the 2015 season. Until last Saturday, they had failed to win any titles, losing to archrivals Caribbean Sensation in the 10/10 white ball final and failing to reach the final of the 15-over tournament. In the interim, they were also given a sound thrashing by New York Enforcers in the Toronto Cup 1 in a lopsided final in the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) organised competition. Left with only the grand final to redeem themselves and salvage some pride, despite losing to nemesis Caribbean Sensation in the Conference A final last Sunday, Dant again proved that they are a force to be reckoned with, romping to a 11-run victory, thereby retaining the title they won last year. Winning the toss and batting under windy and blustery conditions and on an unusually cold October Saturday, Dant reached a challenging 126 all out in 19.5 overs with the main contributors being Shawn
Michael Tissera, who was among the island’s pre-eminent cricketers in the preTest era. “Having the trophy named after Sir Garfield Sobers is something truly special,” Holder said. “He was one of the greatest to play the game and he still makes a major contribution to the game. Only recently he joined us in Barbados and wished everyone the very best for this tour of Sri Lanka. “It is always good to see him and interact with him and it would be great for us to take home the trophy with his name on it. We got some pretty young faces in our squad and a lot of them look up to the past greats who played the game.” (ESPN Cricinfo)
Wade returns to boost Slingerz FC
TWENTY-Five year-old Dominican international Julian Wade has returned to Guyana to help boost his club Slingerz FC’s chances of coming out on top in the STAG Elite League. Wade, the former Caledonia AIA forward, had played last season with the Vergenoegen-based club but departed Guyana for England on a ‘tryout’. However, after being successful, his failure to obtain a work permit now sees him returning to Guyana to torment opponents in the STAG Elite League. Wade said that he’s happy to be back where he calls home, to help Slingerz FC not only to improve in their performance, but also to climb to the top of the league. The club who many believe are the best assembled in the league are struggling to find the net. Sitting fourth in the points standing behind Fruta Conquerors, Pele and Alpha United, Slingerz FC will be looking to come away with three points when they come up against Buxton United on Saturday at the No.5 ground, West Coast Berbice.
The victorious Dant players and OSCL executives pose following the team’s victory. OSCL president Albert Ramcharran is at far right (standing). Deonandan (23) and Imran Ali (16). At one stage, they were 115 for five before an inexplicable middle-order collapse ruined the bottom half of the innings. Anand Balwant, who engineered the middle-order collapse, finished with four for 22 from his four overs while Shane Murli supported with two for 25 from 3.5. Caribbean Sensation failed to get any meaningful partnerships going and were dismissed for 111 in 19.3 overs, going down by 15 runs. Skipper
Navin Singh hit 18 but failed to get the needed support from his top-order as Avi Singh led the bowlers with three for 17 which also earned him the Most Valuable Player for Dant. Two crucial run-outs also put paid to Caribbean Sensation’s hopes. Singh earned the MVP award for Caribbean Sensation. Both teams were hampered by the prevailing windy conditions with Dant conceding 64 extras and Caribbean Sensation 53, mostly wides.
At the presentation ceremony, which followed, OSCL president Albert Ramcharran praised the players for braving the cold conditions and for a very competitive encounter on the last day of the season. Ramcharran pointed out that the OSCL was once again happy to have concluded a successful season and disclosed that the league’s presentation, dinner and dance is set for Saturday, November 28 at the Eastown Banquet Hall in Scarborough.
Julian Wade is seen in action against Western Tigers in the final of the Mayor’s Cup earlier this year.
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Holder hopes for swift Simmons resolution
See story on page 31
Blatter faces 90-day suspension from FIFA By Simon Evans
Z
URICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter faces an imminent 90day suspension from football if the governing body’s ethics judge backs a prosecutor’s recommendation, a close friend and former adviser to Blatter told Reuters yesterday. B l a t t e r ’s l o n g - t e r m confidant Klaus Stoehlker said the decision by judge Hans-Joachim Eckert on the provisional suspension was expected by tomorrow. “There is no final decision; this is a recommendation from the lower part of the Ethics Committee to the upper part,” said Stoehlker, who added that Blatter had been informed of the development. “President Blatter will be in his office at FIFA tomorrow,” he said.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter
FIFA’s ethics code provides for a representative of the Investigatory Chamber to look into a case and make a request to Eckert’s Adjudicatory Chamber to take action. While Stoehlker said
Blatter was “very calm”, a suspension would be a humiliating outcome for the 79-year-old who has been at FIFA for 40 years. Even after the arrests of FIFA officials in May, which
plunged the organisation into crisis, Blatter promised to lead a reform process before standing down in February. If Eckert does opt for a suspension it would also leave the strife-ridden body without either of its top two officials. Secretary general Jerome Valcke, Blatter’s right-hand man for the past eight years, was suspended last month after allegations he was involved in a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price. Valcke denied the charges. Stoehlker’s comments were not able to be verified by FIFA bodies and FIFA’s media department directed enquiries to Blatter’s lawyers who said he had not been informed of any decision. “President Blatter has not been notified of any action taken by the FIFA Ethics Committee. We would expect that the Ethics Committee would want to hear from the president
Rugby season scrum-off on Sunday See Story on Page 28
and his counsel, and conduct a thorough review of the evidence, before making any recommendation to take disciplinary action,” said a joint statement from Swiss lawyer Lorenz Erni and Blatter’s U.S lawyer Richard Cullen. A spokesman for Eckert declined to comment. A spokesman for the Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee declined to comment citing FIFA’s rules which prohibit them discussing cases. If Blatter is suspended then under FIFA’s statutes the most senior vice-president, currently African football head Issa Hayatou from Cameroon, would become interim president until an election to choose Blatter’s replacement on February 26. The 79-year-old Swiss has been president of FIFA since 1998 and has worked for the organisation for 40
years, starting as a technical director before becoming secretary general under former president Joao Havelange in 1981. Swiss prosecutors last month opened a criminal investigation into Blatter over a Caribbean World Cup TV rights contract he signed, and a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.34M) to Platini, whose status the Swiss attorney general has described as being between a witness and an accused person. Both have denied any wrongdoing. Media reports have suggested that Platini is also being investigated by the Ethics Committee. Bound by confidentiality rules, FIFA’s Ethics Committee has not commented on whether Platini is under investigation. Platini’s spokesman declined to comment.
Guyana gear up for Venezuelan Pan Am hockey battle See Story on Page 28
The GRFU will kick off their season on Sunday. Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208
Guyana’s Marvin Dannett holds on to possession in the Group A match against Brazil. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015