Chronicle 14 10 2015

GUYANA

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Amnesty guns turn up ‘clean’ No. 104341

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… Top Cop says no crimes linked to weapons handed in

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PPP farmed out MMA/ADA lands to outsiders …legitimate WCB owners hail revocation order

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Linking up!

This city worker takes a break from his tree-trimming task outside Castellani House, Vlissengen Road, Georgetown to answer his cellphone (Delano Williams photo)

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Rape toll up by 19%

… 224 cases reported up to September this year Page

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Cops probe 20 gang-rape of 13-yr-old girl Page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Amnesty guns turn up ‘clean’ …Top Cop says no crimes linked to weapons turned in

NONE of the 171 illegal guns that were turned in during the amnesty programme has been linked to any crime here, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud told a community meeting held at the Tagore Memorial Secondary School at Number 62 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) in Berbice on Tuesday.

In fact, he said, the Force never expected criminals to surrender their weapons during the programme, which ends today. “It was not our expectation that the thieves who go around earning their living by robbing people would hand in their guns; we never expected that,” Persaud declared.

Back in September, Persaud had told reporters that if a weapon was used in commission of a crime, that factor would be discovered through ballistics testing, which was being done on all weapons handed in. He has also assured that the Police Force would not go after persons who had surrendered weapons, since those persons were immune from prosecution for possession of any illegal firearm.

“That person has absolute immunity, so he/she would not be prosecuted for possession of firearm. Immunity is only for the possession of the firearm, not for other crimes,” the Police Commissioner had said.

Further elaborating on the issue, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had told residents that none of the weapons handed in during the amnesty had been traced to a crime scene. He said that, of the 171 guns handed in, 90 percent has been processed. “None of them has been linked…. The spent shells that we have been retrieving from crime scenes, predominantly they are not from shotguns. They are 9mm, and (in) a few instances, we get AK-47. Only one AK-47 has come in so far.”

The amnesty programme which commenced on September 1 was given a two-week extension until October 14, 2015.

All police divisions have been able to record some amount of success in the collection of illegal arms and ammunition.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had warned that the administration will apply the full force of the law against gun runners and holders of illegal firearms who have

refused to hand in their weapons.

The police have at their disposal the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2013 which was passed in the National Assembly on January 17, 2014. The then PPP/C government had amended the antiquated law to include stricter penalties for offenders in an effort to curb trafficking and possession of illegal firearms.

The law stipulates that traffickers of firearms, ammunition,

explosives and/or related components must face the maximum penalty of up to five million dollars in fines and 10 years in jail upon conviction and indictment at the level of the High Court.

However, a maximum penalty of $500,000 in fines and five years in prison can be meted out to offenders if the matter has been summarily tried in a magistrate’s court.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, on Monday inspected the firearms and ammunition that have so far been handed over to the Police Force. Some 1457 live rounds and over 30 firearms have thus far been surrendered by citizens. “Immediately after the month ends, there will be a crackdown on all illegal weapons in a harsh manner; so bring them (illegal guns) out now, because the full force of the law will be applied to all (persons) caught (with illegal arms and ammunition) after (the amnesty has ended),” Minister Ramjattan had advised.

Ramjattan had said it was disappointing that no assault rifle has been handed in, but he underscored that the amnesty is of a voluntary nature and is not a buy-back process.

Adding his perspective as a legal mind, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had said he is of the view that the courts must review the granting of bail involving repeat offenders arraigned for illegal possession of firearms, or for the use of firearms in the execution of robberies.

“The Firearms Amnesty opens the door to those with illegal firearms to come forward and surrender their weapons. In the remaining days, I hope to see the delivery of more weapons, and that family members of holders of illegal weapons would plead with them to come clean,” Nagamootoo explained.

JSC could name Supreme Court Registrar, deputy today THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is meeting today to discuss, among other things, the appointment of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court Registry.

A source close to the commission told the Guyana Chronicle that the meeting

was summoned by Chairman, Chancellor Carl Singh. The meeting comes after Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, visited the Supreme Court Registry on Monday morning. Williams chided the former administration for allowing the court to be run without a Registrar and

Deputy.

“The registry seems to be headless …we don’t have a registrar. Ms. Mohamed’s contract just expired a day or so ago, and there is no Deputy Registrar, no Assistant Registrar for the Supreme Court Registry, and our new government must be concerned about this situation,” Williams told the media.

He explained that it is not government’s responsibility for running the day-to-day activities of the registry. “The government is responsible for the administration and delivery of justice to our people. It must be important to us that the system of administration runs smoothly.

“The Judicial Service Commission is the body empowered to appoint the registrar and deputy.

They have to meet certain

qualifications. I don’t know why that hasn’t been done in years. We have to investigate the matter and speak with the chancellor when he comes in,” he said on Monday.

The attorney general said he could not understand why the previous administration would “allow a situation like this to develop.”

The situation, Williams said, must be remedied quickly. “It is clear that people don’t want us to talk about the deficiencies of the system, but insofar as we have the remit of the people of Guyana, we have our duty to discharge. We will be as transparent as possible, and people can’t call for transparency in one area and don’t want it in another area, so we will continue to ensure that we have a justice system.”

He added, “You would recall when I first took office, one of the things I said is that we have to make regular things that are irregular. This is the most irregular situation you could have, where there is no succession plan or provision made to have an early and smooth transition in a structure. The Constitution requires that the registrar and Deputy Registrar be appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, and where they should both be lawyers.”

Williams stressed that government is now being called upon to remedy the situation in the interest of the administration of justice.

Asked whether government is overstepping into the role of the judiciary, the attorney general replied, “I don’t believe this has anything to

do with interfering with the judiciary, and it was long held by the Judicial Service Commission that questions of leave and the questions of the administration of justice being administrative is not within the domain of the Chancellor… Once things are administrative and not judicial, the government of the day has a right to ensure that the people of Guyana are well served.”

Rashid Mohamed, former Registrar of the Supreme Court, acted in the position for the past three years. His contract expired last week. Mohamed was responsible for managing the affairs of the registry for those three years. He was appointed by contract when the law has not made provision for an acting Registrar.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

PPP farmed out MMA/ADA lands to outsiders

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…legitimate WCB owners hail revocation order

RESIDENTS of No. 40 and Seafield Villages on the West Coast of Berbice are up in arms against statements by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Clement Rohee, claiming that they are “invading” and “staking out rice lands “ and terrorising other legitimate rice- farmers. And the residents maintained that in fact the lands were illegally leased to several outsiders by the former PPP administration.

“The lands Mr Rohee was referring to as mentioned in the Guyana Times newspaper dated October 13th 2015 are lands which belong to the No. 40 Rice Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd and Seafield Rice Farmers Cooperatives since 1972. The “legitimate” farmers that he is referring to are people who were given leases for these self-same lands less than a year ago,” an irate farmer explained.

JUST RESOLUTION He said that a recent decision by the Mahaica/ Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) to cancel these leases and return the land to the co-operative societies was a just resolution to an injustice meted out to members by the previous administration in its final months in office. “It was a gross injustice to us; a gross act of oppression against us by those acting under orders of the previous administration. Thank God it is over,” the farmer said.

In the case of the Seafield Coop, the MMA/ADA cancelled the almost one-year-old leases in September this year after admitting that these granted by then President Donald Ramotar on October 31st, 2014 had been contrary to a court order on the matter dated October 15, 2014.

The MMA/ADA in a notice in the Kaieteur News dated September 27, 2015 had said inter alia: “The MMA/ ADA had issued leases for state lands situated in the rear of Seafield Village, West Coast Berbice. The leases issued are contrary to an Order of Court dated October 15, 2014 in Action No. 2014-HC-DEM-CIV-M-114. In the circumstances notice is hereby given that all the leases as described hereunder have been cancelled with immediate effect.”

“The MMA/ADA admitted violating a court order in taking away the co-op lands and giving it to others of their own choosing. So what’s legitimate about those Johnnycome- lately Mr Clement Rohee?” he queried.

LEGAL BATTLE In the case of the No. 40 Cooperative, members had since October 2014 fought an expensive legal battle against the MMA/ADA to regain ownership of its 247.37 acres of land. One member detailed for the Guyana Chronicle an emotionally painful process, starting in March last year and culminating on October 21 last year, during which the MMA/ADA under the previous administration, arbitrarily cancelled the lease of the No. 40 Village Cooperative, reduced the holdings of some members, completely dispossessed other members and brought in selected people from other villages onto their West Coast Berbice lands, some from as far away as Essequibo.

The society had expended in excess of $10M in clearing bushes and maintaining the secondary dams, supplying PVC tubing for drainage and irrigation, and clearing and empoldering the said land over the years of its occupation.

The MMA/ADA had collected rent and drainage and irrigation charges from the society over the years. The problem started in March 2014 last, the farmer said, when the MMA/ADA issued the society with a notice reminding them that they owed in excess of $3M in rates and taxes and they should pay promptly or their lands would be repossessed. The spokesman said that members complied and paid more than 80% of the sum owed, but it was after this that an MMA/ADA official told them that notwithstanding that they had paid most of their monies due, the MMA would still proceed to take the lands away from them and regularise occupation.

LEASES TO OUTSIDERS “So it started off as pay up your outstanding rates or lose the land, we paid 80%; then it went to we will regularise

your land anyway and then finally we [are] cancelling your lease and reallocating your lands as we see fit,” the farmer said. “This started in March. And on October 31, 2014 they issued new leases signed by President Donald Ramotar; many to outsiders.”

“They never called us in; they never gave our members a hearing or a notice,” he said. “In addition, those lands which they gave leases for even if they were justified in doing so, should have been handled by a Land Selection Committee; there was no Land Selection Committee hearing to grant our lands to those “legitimate” farmers . They seemed to have done the reallocations on the basis of advice from a chosen few and needless to say, those chosen few were handsomely rewarded,” the farmer declared.

The bitterly disputed leases were finally revoked by the MMA/ADA, according to the same Kaieteur News publication dated September 27, 2015. The spokesman said that at the moment the situation is that the new leases had been cancelled after the newcomers had already planted crops. “They have paddy on the ground, planted at great expense. We have not made any attempts to prevent these illegitimate farmers from harvesting,” he said.

FAR FROM THE TRUTH He said that statements about “invasion” and “terrorising” those with cancelled leases were far from the truth. He disclosed that members of the No. 40 Society had agreed for those illegitimately on the land to harvest their crops and then vacate the land. They had not requested any compensation. With respect to the Seafield Co-operative, members had told their illegitimate farmers that they needed to pay a rent to the cooperative or reach an agreement to pay before they harvest.

“They are co-operating so far,” a member of that society said. He also stressed that the lands have been returned to the co-ops and not to big rice farmers whom Mr Rohee alleged were being given lands as a reward for bankrolling the APNU+AFC government elections campaign.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 14, 2015

Flight MH17 shot down by Russian-built Buk missile, Dutch report says (Reuters) MALAYSIA Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made Buk missile, the Dutch Safety Board concluded on Tuesday in its final report on the crash in July 2014 that killed all 298 people on board, most of them Dutch.

But the long-awaited findings of the board, which was not empowered to address questions of responsibility, did not point the finger at any group or party for launching the missile.

A bitter war was raging in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian Government forces when the aircraft was downed and, amid a huge international outcry, many Western experts and governments immediately blamed the rebels.

“A 9N314M warhead detonated outside the aeroplane to the left side of the cockpit. This fits the kind of warhead installed in the Buk surface-to-air missile system,” said Safety Board head Tjibbe Joustra, present-

ing the report.

Russia, for its part, disputes that a Buk may have been used. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov responded to the report by saying there had been “an obvious attempt to draw a biased conclusion and carry out political orders”, according to Russian news agencies.

The Safety Board report said that simulations of the missile’s trajectory showed it came from somewhere in an area covering some 320 kilometers southeast of Grabovo,

The reconstructed wreckage of the MH17 airplane is seen after the presentation of the final report into the crash of July 2014 of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, in Gilze Rijen, the Netherlands, October 13, 2015. Reuters/Michael Kooren Ukraine -- an area mostly controlled by separatists.

The makers of the Buk said their tests had shown that the aircraft could not have been hit by a missile fired from rebel-controlled territory.

Although the report did not assign blame, it is almost

certain to further strain diplomatic ties between the Netherlands and its allies and Russia.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged Russia to cooperate fully with a separate criminal investigation that the Netherlands is leading, with participation from

Malaysia, Australia, Ukraine and Belgium.

“IMPORTANT MILESTONE” The White House called the report an “important milestone in the effort to hold accountable those responsible”.

Syrian rebels fortify frontline with anti-tank missiles

(Reuters) SYRIAN insurgents are deploying extensive supplies of anti-tank missiles provided by their foreign backers to counter ground attacks by the Syrian army and its allies, backed by heavy Russian air strikes, rebel commanders said on Tuesday.

Two rebel commanders contacted by Reuters declined to confirm whether they had received additional missiles since the Russian air strikes began, but said they had “excellent” supplies and were stationing them along a 30 km (20 mile) front to halt the ground offensive.

Activists however said supplies had been stepped up since the Russian air strikes began on Sept. 30.

With the Russian air support and help from Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iranian soldiers, the Syrian army is trying to

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drive insurgents from western areas that are crucial to President Bashar al-Assad’s survival, and has recaptured a number of towns in the provinces of Hama and Latakia.

Russia’s two-week-old air campaign has bolstered Assad and left the United States struggling to adjust its troubled military support program for Assad’s opponents.

On the ground, however, the Syrian army is not making rapid gains.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group tracking the war, said a battle was in progress for control of the town of Kafr Nabuda in Hama province, which the army said it captured on Monday. At least 25 fighters on the government’s side were killed, it said.

The town marks the western edge of the defensive line

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along which the rebels have stationed a dozen anti-tank missile launch platforms, said Ahmed al-Seoud, head of the 13th Division, a foreign-backed faction fighting under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army.

“They are highly effective.

They are breaking the Russian-Iranian and Syrian army,” he said. “The situation in terms of ammunition and weapons with the Syrian opposition is excellent.”

Foreign states opposed to Assad have supplied the TOW guided missiles to a number of rebel groups via an operations room in Turkey, one of the states in the region that wants Assad gone.

The missiles have been widely seen as important to rebel advances earlier this year that had put Assad under pressure.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

State Witness Kamla

(Newsday) ATTORNEY General Faris Al-Rawi Monday disclosed he has instructed State attorneys to take steps to subpoena Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar to testify in a lawsuit brought against the State, in relation to the detention of persons accused in 2011, of being involved in a plot to murder Per-

sad-Bissessar (who was then prime minister) and high-ranking members of the People’s Partnership Cabinet.

The AG’s move would appear to raise the prospect of the current Opposition Leader being brought to testify on behalf of the State, in court proceedings due to be heard in coming weeks.

In an immediate response, Persad-Bissessar said that up to yesterday she received no formal request to testify in any matter, but warned that the Attorney General’s presentation in Parliament risked violation of the sub judice principle, which seeks to prevent pressure being exerted on the outcome of cases before the court.

She denied any direct role in the detention of persons in relation to matters raised in 2011 and said any actions which took place would have been done properly by law enforcement agencies and on the basis of intelligence gathered by operational agencies acting independently of the Executive.

Mixed views on new Parliament prayer

(Newsday) HOUSE Speaker Bridgid AnnisetteGeorge has introduced a small variation to the prayer which opens each sitting of the Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago, making it more reflective of a wider pool of religious bodies.

H o w e v e r, w h i l e t h e change has been welcomed in some quarters, others have criticised the move, arguing the terminology now deployed is imprecise.

The prayer which opens every sitting of the P a r l i a m e n t r e a d s , “ A l-

Turkey warns U.S., Russia against backing Kurdish militia in Syria TURKEY has warned the United States and Russia it will not tolerate Kurdish territorial gains by Kurdish militia close to its frontiers in north-western Syria, two senior officials said.

“This is clear cut for us and there is no joking about it,” one official said of the possibility of Syrian Kurdish militia crossing the Euphrates to extend control along Turkish borders from Iraq’s Kurdistan region towards the Mediterranean coast.

Turkey fears advances by Kurdish YPG militia, backed by its PYD political wing, on the Syrian side of its 900 km (560-mile) border will fuel separatist ambitions among Kurds in its own southeastern territories. But Washington has supported YPG fighters as an effective force in combating Islamic State.

“The PYD has been getting closer with both the United States and Russia of late. We view the PYD as a terrorist group and we want all countries to consider the consequences of their cooperation,” one of the Turkish officials said.

Turkey suspects Russia, which launched air strikes in Syria two weeks ago, has also been lending support to the YPG and PYD. “With support from Russia,

the PYD is trying to capture land between Jarablus and Azaz, going west of the Euphrates. We will never accept this,” the official said.

H e s a i d Tu r k e y h a d raised its concerns at high level meetings with the U.S., European Union and Russia.

mighty God, we give thanks to you the Creator of the Universe and humbly beseech you to direct and prosper the deliberations of the members of this House here assembled for the advancement of your glory and the trust and welfare of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Grant that peace and happiness, truth and justice may be established among us for all generations.” The Speaker has traditionally said, “Amen” at the end of this prayer.

H o w e v e r, s i n c e l a s t week Monday when the Budget was first read, Annisette-George has ended the prayer saying, “Amen,

ameen, namaste.” The three words – which the Speaker yesterday kept in a alphabetical order – invoke the Christian, Islamic and Hindu faiths respectively.

Imam Haji Abzal Mohammed of ASJA, yesterday welcomed the change to the prayer.

“When we are offering prayer we say ameen which means so let it be,” he explained. “That is the islamic meaning, I welcome this change.” However, President of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) Brother Harrypersad Maharaj said the use of namaste is incorrect as it is a salutation.

Senator blames poor facilities for lack of interest in jury service

LEADER of Opposition Business in the Senate Tom Tavares-Finson says attempts being made to improve the availability of jurors will be defeated by a lack of facilities to accommodate jurors.

“It does not matter what penalty you put on people to serve, it doesn’t matter the process you put people through, if they do not voluntarily come, you cannot force people to come and do jury service,” Tavares-Finson told the Senate last Friday.

“You might be able to intimidate a few, but the vast majority, if they say that they are not coming downtown, for example, to serve, there is nothing you can do to get them to come downtown,” he commented, as he made his contribution to the debate on the Jury (Amendment) Act. Tavares-Finson blamed the poor accommodation for jurors in the area and in the court buildings, including lack of parking space, poor security and lack of a proper cafeteria.

The Bill seeks to improve the efficiency of the administration of the criminal justice system in Jamaica, through reform of the jury system, to address perennial problems affecting the availability of jurors.

It seeks to amend the Act to provide for an expanded list of potential jurors from a combination of the voters’ list and people registered with Tax Registration Numbers (TRN) issued under the Revenue Administration Act. It also includes provisions for an array of seven jurors for all jury trials, other than for treason or murder trials where capital punishment may be imposed; modification of the rules regarding the number of peremptory challenges to jurors which is allowed; an amendment to the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act to provide for trial by a judge alone, where the prosecution and the defence so agree; and also provides statutory protection for employees summoned to serve as jurors against adverse action by their employees.

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Guyana

What is good for the goose must be good for the gander Dear Mr Editor

EDITORIAL

CARICOM’s viability and survival

CARICOM’s less than emphatic support for Guyana in its ongoing struggle against Venezuela’s unjust attack on our territorial integrity has again brought into focus the viability and survival of that regional body.

Since the Federation of 1958-62, the Anglophone Caribbean has struggled to balance the imperatives of regional integration with the sub-nationalism that has rapidly grown since independence. In this regard, we are in no way different from other groupings which have attempted to integrate.

While integration may be politically and economically necessary, its viability is ultimately determined by the capacity of the countries involved to marry national interests to these regional imperatives.

Given our common experiences of enslavement and other forms of colonialism, and given our cultural similarities, many have contended that regionalism should be an almost natural inclination for us. While that observation has some merit, it does ignore our simultaneous cultural diversity -- a diversity in sameness.

But even if one allows for a high degree of cultural sameness, the same cannot be said for politics.

Whether or not we admit it, the fact is that we have developed separate political identities, which in turn has served to obstruct a robust regional integration.

Like any political phenomenon, regional integration is situational. On some issues we have been able to reach consensus much quicker than on others; but, in the final analysis, the intensity of our integration has been influenced in no small way by our individual ability to withstand pressures from powerful countries with whom we have bilateral economic and political relations. That pressure is two-way-direct: pressure from the powerful country, and self-induced pressure aimed at protecting economic benefits.

This is where CARICOM’s full-throttled solidarity for Guyana becomes problematic. Over the last couple of decades, a new group of countries have developed economic relations with the Caribbean — China, Taiwan, Venezuela and Brazil. These relations have, for the most

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 14, 2015

WITH all that was brought to light after the 2015 election, much more is hidden that must be brought to the public’s attention.

Between 2014 and 2015, some workers at the GPL Berbice Loss Reduction Department were dismissed for corrupt transactions, which did not affect us as workers at the time. Low and behold, in 2015, two of these workers were brought back on the job in the same department.

These two were seen visiting the supervisor’s office even though they were not supposed to enter the office

area in the Loss Reduction Department.

Sir, workers are peeved over this, and wish for an investigation to be conducted on this issue. There were two other workers who were sent off for less serious offences, but they remain off the job. They are of different ethnicities than those mentioned above. We would like to know the position regarding Mr Aubrey Collins, a most eloquent and effective supervisor, who was sent off the job without any specific reason.

Concerned Worker

Green not right man for CH&PA Dear Editor, I COULD not believe my eyes when I read in the October 3 edition of the Official Gazette that the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

S u r e l y, t h e p e r s o n s making the recommendations and appointments of persons to state boards must realise that this is a clear conflict of interest situation. How can the mayor, who chairs statutory meetings of the city council, also be Chairman of the Central Housing and Planning Authority?

When one wishes to erect a building, one has to submit three copies of the plan to

the Mayor and City Council to begin the application process. After the Mayor and City Council, chaired by the mayor, approves this plan, it is then forwarded to the Central Housing and Planning Authority for their approval.

Here again, it will run into Hamilton Green, who will this time be wearing the hat of the CH&PA Chairman, as the plan seeks to get its second approval. Where will the checks and balances be?

There is no separation of powers.

Hamilton Green can approve a faulty plan at City Hall, and then go over to the Central Housing and Planning Authority and approve it a second time. This madness has to stop.

NADINE JERRICK

Salary hike for ministers cannot be justified Dear Editor, THE APNU/AFC Government is planning to reward itself with a substantial 50 percent salary increase amidst funding cuts for children (government vouchers each worth Gy$10,000, low wages for teachers, ultra-low pension payments and sky-high joblessness. The majority of Guyanese are barely surviving under harsh economic conditions, with no relief in sight. Out of despair, they are resorting to drugs, crime, and soliciting handouts among other means of survival. Those who cannot make it are often sucked into suicide.

No one deserves a life like this. Pension payments this low is a serious violation of the rights of seniors,

but government bluntly refuses to address this problem. Instead, it is focusing on its own welfare. How can this ever be morally right? Editor, our country runs on donations and remittances for the most part.

Just recently, our Prime Minister was publicly begging for international donations to buoy an agency.

It is our responsibility as an independent nation to provide for ourselves.

Most of our agencies have gone bankrupt, or are on the verge of becoming so, because we do not have a proper attitude towards development.

Development comes with hard work and delayed gratification. Can we take pride in our actions when we beg for money to support our lifestyle?

This should not be a way

part, been characterised by much-needed economic aid to our countries. Unfortunately, this has been our lot since independence; we are post-plantation societies caught in the dependency syndrome, replete with the begging bowl habit.

Ironically, many of our scholars and policy people have contended that regional integration offers us perhaps the best route out of that dependency.

So where do we go from here? Venezuela has been able to use its relatively formidable economic power to buy political influence. That’s the way of international relations. Although our leaders would never say it publicly, and maybe should never so do, they must have been

of life. How long will the world continue to shoulder our burden? Governments’ actions are typically authoritarian.

Assaults like these have destroyed our country and have eclipsed the lives of innocent Guyanese. Dollars allotted to pamper Government can be meaningfully redirected to pay school teachers a decent salary, so as to attract and retain the best in providing a quality education. This will guarantee us a path out of poverty.

I am sure if Government leaders were not the beneficiaries of this salary increase, they would have condemned it. This story gets even more ridiculous when one realises that government has been in office for less than six months and the country is on a downward spiral.

How can a salary increase be justified under these circumstances? It seems that we have jumped from the frying pan, escaping the PPP/C, right into the fire under the APNU/AFC Government. We did not expect unpatriotic behaviours to be markers of change.

Is this what Government meant by change?

Joseph Harmon wasted no time in spinning propaganda that this salary increase is an anti-corruption strategy. Who does Mr Harmon think he is tricking? No Guyanese will believe him. As citizens, we need to kill this idea of a pay hike by all means. It is not good at all, especially not for social cohesion.

DR. CECIL DILIPKUMAR

surprised that their colleagues were not emphatic in their support of our cause. After all, despite our internal political challenges, Guyana has never faltered in its support of regional causes.

Having said that, we should not be seen to be undermining the regional movement; it is too vital to our survival as a Caribbean civilisation. There is a brighter light in the OECS sub-regional body where the solidarity seems to be more robust. Perhaps we should try to emulate some of what is happening there. In the meantime, Guyana must continue to quietly push our regional colleagues to make them see that it is possible to better balance national interests with regional obligations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Lack of water exacerbating woes in La Parfaite Harmonie Dear Editor,

I WRITE this letter out of sheer exasperation, hoping that the powers-that-be at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) read it and do something urgently and quickly to alleviate an existing water problem affecting us, the residents of Schoonord, La Parfaite Harmonie.

I live at 329 Schoonord, La Parfaite Harmonie, which is situated immediately north of the new access road linking the West Bank Demerara main road with Parfaite Harmonie.

The problem is that, for the past four weeks and counting, households within my community have not been receiving any potable water, except on a few isolated occasions, when it trickled at ground level at hours after midnight and lasted for about an hour or thereabouts.

For most, if not all of us, this situation occurring in the midst of the current dry weather has resulted in our black tanks

and other reservoirs of water running dry from the process of constant usage and non-replenishment.

We are now at our wits’ end trying to determine what to do next to counter our predicament, since no help seems to be forthcoming from GWI. Talk about praying for rain!

Editor, practically all the affected residents that I’ve spoken to claim that they called the GWI office at Pouderoyen and reported the matter, but to no avail. I myself called on many occasions. Jointly and severally, we were given a plethora of varying reasons for the extant situation.

Some of us were told that the problem lies with Guyana Power and Light (GPL), whilst others, including myself, were informed that it is a pump problem.

The point here is that officials at the GWI Pouderoyen office are aware of our plight, yet there is a palpable indifference towards resolving the issue.

Of note is that the problem affects just about 30 to 40

households in the Schoonord area, since I’m aware that residents in other parts of Schoonord, and indeed in the remainder of Parfaite Harmonie, are not in any way afflicted by the daily non-supply of potable water similar to what we are currently experiencing. It means therefore that the problem is localised to just the section of Schoonord where I live.

Another point of note is that, ever since this crisis started, GWI has not seen it fit to alleviate the situation by sending in water trucks to deliver water to residents. But they found it fit to send estimated water bills for the very period during which they fully well knew we were not receiving any water. How more cynical or ridiculous can one get?

Editor, on Saturday, 10th instant, as I was jogging through the community at about 05:30 hrs, I saw a few residents drawing water from the stagnant drains in front of their homes to do their household chores.

Here I am talking about decent,

proud, middle-class citizens living in well-appointed houses, who have been reduced to scavenging for the precious commodity in unhealthy places because of the prevailing circumstance. Notwithstanding, it’s a practice that can have dire health consequences.

Incidentally, the sight of my fellow residents foraging in the gutters for water transported me back in time to the year 1985, when I vividly recall collecting trench water on one occasion to carry out

ablution and other household cleansing duties. Surely, it begs the question as to whether we have made any measurable progress as a nation in terms of quality of life between then and now.

Finally, as we all know, part of GWI’s slogan reads “Water is Life…” but it seems that only some lives matter in this country. I am not a betting person, but I’m willing to make an exception in this instance to wager that if the problem outlined above were

located in Prashad Nagar, Bel Air, Pradoville, or any of the other upscale communities in this country, it would have been fixed pronto after the first phone call. The optimist that I am however, I’m hoping that the publication of this letter will move GWI to sort out in a timely manner whatever problem there is that is preventing us from getting water in our homes.

REMINGTON EASTMAN

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Jagdeo’s doling out of radio licences was ‘indecent’ … new GNBA chair promises review, not necessarily revocation

By Ariana Gordon THE reviewing of radio licences issued by former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2011 does not necessarily speak to revocation. Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Leonard Craig yesterday cautioned that while the authority will be reviewing all licences issued, they will not necessarily be revoked.

“All licences will be reviewed, but review is not necessarily synonymous with revocation. Whatever is done here, during the review process, will be fair, transparent and above board. I am not in a position to say what form or shape it would look like, that is a decision the entire board would have to make,” said Craig.

The GNBA Chairman told this publication that he believes the move by former President Jagdeo to issue 12 radio licences was wrong. “Yes, I think it was not done based on the agreement between the political parties that existed then.

There was an agreement that all licensing should be stopped until the Broadcast Act came into being and the then President Jagdeo took it upon himself, which is an indecent thing to do…”

many independent media entities, including Stabroek News, Capitol News, CNS 6, HBTV and Kaieteur News, were denied licences and asked to re-apply.

FAVOURITISM The move saw repeated protests by those who felt sidelined and this followed a High Court action in 2013 by the National Media Broadcasting Company (NMBC) and the Guyana Media Proprietors Association (GMPA) and Enrico Woolford, Managing Director/Editor for EMW Communications. Jagdeo’s granting of licences under the Post and Telegraph Act was described by the group as favouritism.

WIDESPREAD CRITICISM Jagdeo had granted licences under the colonial Post and Telegraph Act just before the November 2011 General and Regional elections, a move that saw widespread criticism from the public. The former president and the leader of the People’s National Congress, Robert Corbin in 2003 agreed that additional licences would not have been issued until modern broadcasting legislation and an authority were established.

That agreement was breached by Jagdeo.

Notwithstanding his view, Craig says with the Broadcast Act in place, all licencees were asked to reapply. With approximately 20 applications before the Authority, he said many are compliant with the legal requirements for application. “Yes, those new applicants that came in complied largely with the requirements of the law but that does not go for 100 per cent of the applicants,” he noted.

He explained that while he cannot “divulge which applicants did not comply” with the requirements, representatives of the GNBA have been in meetings with those who were not fully compliant. “… We have been meeting with all of them and where the applications and licence fell short, we outlined that…so the relevant licencees, they know and they understand what their shortcomings are and we have asked them to fix that,” Craig disclosed.

Several radio licences were given to persons aligned with the now opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) while

Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Leonard Craig “By the granting of licences by the Minister and the National Frequency Management Unit to friends, supporters, family members and to members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic who would clearly reasonably be expected to propagate the political views and opinions consistent with the said party, correspondingly applicants are being deprived and denied their right to freedom of expression and to communicate opinions and the inequality amounts in itself to a contravention,” the

court document said.

Earlier this year, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced that his administration would be moving to have all licences distributed by Jagdeo reviewed. However, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee in response said his party is not moved by Harmon’s utterances. He maintained that “all licences were legally granted” and as such his party has nothing to fear.

Vision for GNBA Meanwhile, Craig during his three-year term in office plans on reviewing and updating broadcast legislation, codes and advisories which should include, among other things, rules on compulsory quota for local and Caribbean content; content rules for cable operators; guidelines on advertisements; broadcast content rating system both for individual programme format and for broadcasting houses; compulsory subtitling of foreign language content and a policy for internet broadcasting. ****Additionally, the GNBA intends to rework the generic licensing template used to issue broadcast licences; amend the Broadcast Act; review all licences in line with the new regulations based on a system of fairness and equity; provide enabling mechanisms to re-establish, reconstitute an Association of Broadcasters where a representative group can advocate general outcomes on behalf of members; set up a full-fledged Broadcast Authority with a duly appointed Secretary and CEO; develop a reward mechanism for creative local programming in collaboration with the department of culture and other stakeholders; collaborate with the National Commission on Disabilities to assist with sourcing funds and expertise to set up closed captioning of live newscasts and other local content; establish a broadcast college of international repute that offers postgraduate certification in broadcasting with possible internships at international broadcast agencies; set a timetable and framework for switching from analog to digital broadcasting and instigate a framework for common Caribbean broadcasting standards and an affiliate organisation for broadcast regulators.

Craig explained that it is difficult to make long-term plans given the many changes that can occur over the next three years. “You can’t make long-term plans at GNBA or too many plans because the landscape changes so quickly that you have to roll with the technology.” The GNBA chairman stressed that while he has a vision for the authority and broadcast sector, there is no guarantee that all outlined would be accomplished by the end of his tenure. “Some obviously will be completed and others will be put in the breach so to speak,” said Craig.

Speaker and delegation to visit Suriname Parliament A 14-member team from the National Assembly is slated to leave for Suriname today for four days to visit the Parliament of the Dutch-speaking nation, in an effort to build relations between the two parliamentary systems.

In a statement released by Parliament Office last evening, it was noted that the intended purpose of the trip is to compare and contrast the two parliamentary systems to see how both parliaments could learn from each other and adopt best practices where applicable. That would,

inter alia, create a structured “contact programme” between the parliaments of Guyana and Suriname; and to establish a formal relationship between the two parliaments and peoples, so that the many similar issues faced can be better understood and dealt with, among other things.

The delegation will be led by Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland and includes Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs; members from both the government and opposition; and supporting staff from

Parliament Office.

The visit comes as a fulfilment to a commitment made by former Speaker Raphael Trotman to pay a return visit to the Parliament of Suriname.

This visit succeeds one paid by Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname, along with a delegation of 11, who visited Guyana from the 24th to 26th October 2013, following an extended invitation by then Speaker,Raphael Trotman.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Venezuelan envoy blames U.S. for stoking fire

JORGE Alfonzo Guerrero Veloz, Venezuela’s Ambassador to Grenada, is accusing the United States of fuelling the ongoing territorial controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

He made the ridiculous claim last Friday at a press briefing in Grenada, which was widely broadcast by Grenada’s MTV News, even on social media.

Asked to specify who the third party he claims was responsible for fuelling the controversy, Veloz said without faltering that it was the United Stetes to which he was referring.

He gave as his reason for blaming the U.S. for the further souring of relations between the two neighbouring South American countries its declaration in March of this year that Venezuela is a threat to its national security. The declaration at reference is an executive order issued and signed by U.S. President Barack Obama, which, in addition to calling Venezuela a national security

threat, ordered sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials in what is widely believed to be “the

Newly accredited US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway. worst bilateral diplomatic dispute” since President Nicolas Maduro took office in 2013.

Another reason for saying what he did, Veloz said, is the fact that ExxonMobil, the company currently drilling for oil in Guyana’s waters and responsible for raising up all this bad blood between

Guyana and Venezuela, is American.

In early May, ExxonMobil announced out of the blue that it had found significant deposits of oil in the Stabroek Bloc, located 120 miles offshore Guyana.

As if that was not bad enough, what perhaps nettled Venezuela the most was the actual arrival of ExxonMobil’s Deepwater Champion oil drilling rig.

It’s an assumption that Veloz vehemently denies.

As he told Grenadian reporters Friday, “Nobody can guarantee that there is oil as they [ExxonMobil] says there is.” He bases his argument on the fact that oil explorations can take a number of years to determine whether there is oil or not.

Though acknowledging that the controversy goes back to the 1800s during the Spanish and British rule of South American countries, Veloz failed to reference the 1899 Tribunal Award, which granted most of the land at the centre of the controversy, what Guyanese know as the County

of Essequibo, to Guyana.

Rather, he is insinuating that Guyana’s continued exploitation of the

Venezuelan Ambassador to Grenada, Jorge Alfonzo Guerrero Veloz.

Essequibo territory is a contravention of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

In so doing, he conveniently fails to say how it is that it is ExxonMobil’s activity, and not Guyana, that violates the Geneva Agreement.

“Guyana has no documents as owners of the land,” he said. “We be-

lieve that it is an aggression with a third party; that is their trans-national, ExxonMobil, that is behind the manipulating,” Veloz told reporters at the press conference Friday.

He even boasted how Guyana was able for 10 years, to benefit from the PetroCaribe deal, which, to him, is a clear indication that Venezuela bears no ill will against Guyana.

“Venezuela has no intention of attacking or taking anything away from Guyana,” he said.

However, in July, following a visit to Venezuela by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, it was revealed that Venezuela had indicated, in no uncertain terms, that the country will no longer be interested in renewing the oilfor-rice barter under the PetroCaribe agreement, which comes to an end on November 16. This, too, Veloz conveniently forgot to mention during the course of his press conference.

Since the escalation of this controversy, which was revived by the Maduro administration, Guy-

ana’s President David Granger has garnered the support of regional bodies, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Union of South American Nations (UNUSUR), the Commonwealth of Nations and the Organisation of American States (OAS) against the aggression from Venezuela.

Even newly accredited U.S Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway has weighed in on the issue, saying that the two countries should push for “a peaceful resolution, continued dialogue and respect for international law.”

Prior to this official appointment, too, Holloway had told the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate that any country making claims to territory must respect the law of the sea and international obligations which govern same.

Holloway had further disclosed that the U.S. remains committed to encouraging both countries to reach a “peaceful resolution.”

Police probing teen’s death at Bushy Park resort ––autopsy set for today

THE police are investigating the circumstances under which a teenager died on Sunday while on a family outing at a resort at Bushy Park, Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Dead is 14-year-old Charles Anthony Pross of Lot 676 La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), who was pronounced dead at the Leonora Cottage Hospital. A post- mortem will be done today to determine the cause of death.

Meanwhile, the lad’s mother Shellon Henry, is alleging that her son was given a small fish by a strange man at Bushy Park, and she suspects that the man was responsible for her son being submerged in the water at the beach.

“While I walking, my son come to me and show me a red and black fish and tell me that the man (who works at the resort) give it to him,” Henry said.

The woman said

Dead: Fourteen-yearold Charles Anthony Pross

after she had scolded her son about taking things from strangers, she planned to return with him to the stranger who gave him the fish. However, before doing so, she visited the washroom and upon returning outside, she learned that her brother who was celebrating his 39th birthday with the family, had sent the teen to return the fish to the stranger.

While going in search of her son, Henry said the

stranger who had given her son the fish told her that the teen went into the water and the tide had pulled him out.

An alarm was raised and the lad’s uncle then started swimming in search of the teen, whose raised hand was seen and he was pulled out of the water. His eyes were twitching as he was being transported to the hospital, the newspaper was told.

Henry said that she performed CPR (cardio-

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pulmonary resuscitation) on her son continuously until he reached to the hospital.

Another sad twist in this unfortunate incident is that Henry is also claiming that her teenaged son was left on the Leonora Cottage Hospital floor to die.

The devastated mother said that the hospital could have done something to save her son’s life instead of leaving him unattended on the floor.

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Juvenile ordered to do 200 hrs community service …fined $5,000 for ganja possession

CITY Magistrate Dylon Bess yesterday ordered a 17-year-old unrepresented juvenile to perform 200 hours of community service, and fined him $5000 for being in possession of one gramme of cannabis-sativa (marijuana) on October 11 at East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The juvenile pleaded guilty to the charge laid against him, and the prosecutor detailed that, on the day in question, the police were on motorcycle patrol when they saw him acting suspiciously. The ranks searched him and found the narcotic on his person. He was informed of the offence and charged.

The juvenile was expected to report to the East Ruimveldt Police Station yesterday at 1 o’clock to begin his community service. (Sherah Alleyne)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Elderly woman jailed for ganja trafficking C AT H E R I N E R o s s aged 60 of Lot 701 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown was on Sunday, October 11, busted with 4.612 kilogrammes of cocaine and 3.826 kilogrammes of cannabis-sativa (marijuana) at the Ogle International Airport (OIA), East Coast Demerara.

Unrepresented by legal counsel, she appeared yesterday before Sparendaam Magistrate

Zameena Ali, pleaded guilty to two drug trafficking charges, and was sentenced to four years imprisonment.

Police ranks attached to the Narcotics Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were, on the day in question, requested to carry out routine searches of outgoing passengers at the OIA. An outgoing passenger bound for St. Kitts-Nevis, Ross was searched, and the ranks

found in a black canvas haversack four brick-like objects wrapped in brown tape, suspected to be marijuana. An additional search was conducted on Ross’s luggage, and three black plastic bags, each containing 200 transparent pellets of creamish powder suspected to be cocaine, were unearthed.

The sentences resulting from the two charges willrunn concurrently.

(Sherah Alleyne)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Baby in Sunday smash-up suffers fractured skull - was to undergo surgery yesterday

By Shirley Thomas

RECAP

INJURED in a motor vehicle collision at the junction of David and Alexander Streets, Kitty, on Sunday last, four-month-old Jonique Abrams remains warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), being treated for a fractured skull and lacerations to the body, according to her tearful mother Svetlana Marshall.

The mother remained riveted to her child’s bedside yesterday afternoon, holding tightly to the infant’s hand as she prayed for her perfect recovery. Marshall said the child’s lung has also been affected, but that injury is nothing significant. She is hoping to be re-united with her baby at home in the near future.

The accident happened shortly before 15:00 hrs on Sunday, when motor car PTT 4022 driven by the baby’s father, Jude Abrams of Zes Kenderen, and PNN 3404, driven by a person who gave his name as Mervin Moses of Alexander Street, Kitty, collided.

Jude Abrams, his fourmonth-old baby, Jonique, and the child’s aunt, Lena Moore, were all injured and had to be rushed to hospital.

Mervin Moses reportedly escaped unhurt.

At time of the accident, Jonique was in a baby’s contraption strapped in the back seat of the car, with her father’s sister at her side. Jude Abrams sustained injuries to his head, two fractured ribs, and a dislocated shoulder.

Lena Moore was flung out of the car on impact, and had to be treated for lacerations about the body. Baby Jonique was expected to be operated on late yesterday, Marshall said.

Marshall, who owns the car, hurried to the scene on learning of the collision. She has expressed disappointment at the way the police handled the matter, both at the scene of the accident and at the Kitty Police Station.

She is now calling on the police to discharge their duties in a professional and responsible manner.

Marshall opined that the ranks seemed more interested in their colleague, who was apparently the driver of the other motor car, while showing no interest whatever in the baby, who had suffered a fractured skull.

“Imagine, my child suffering a fractured skull and the police, instead of looking in my child’s direction, were busy asking their colleague if he’s working today,” she told this reporter. She is grateful to public-spirited persons who came on the scene and helped to dispatch her injured family to hospital.

Lena Moore (the baby’s aunt) recalled that as their car proceeded west along David Street, her brother reached Alexander Street and slowed down, looking left; looking right; then looked left again before proceeding. “Then, all of a sudden, this car came from nowhere and crashed

into the left side of Jude’s car.

The baby was on the back seat along with me. She was on the left, I was on the right, and the car just hit the back of our car; and by the time I could have shouted out for Jude, I was out of the car.”

She recalled that she began shouting, “The baby! The baby and my brother!” She and the baby were picked up by some women and placed in a jeep that had just driven up, and they were taken to the hospital.

She recalls that her brother was temporarily unconscious in the car, but was later taken to hospital.

Moore claims the police, in doing their investigation,

were attempting to “mix her up,” which she considers an insult to her intelligence.

Meanwhile, witnesses say Jude Abrams, who was driving PTT 4022 at a moderate speed, had just crossed two speed humps in the vicinity of a school on David Street, and was moving off again when he was struck by PNN 3404.

On impact, the car flipped several times before turning turtle.

Abrams maintains he was driving straight west along David Street; at no time did he turn, nor was he preparing to turn when he was hit by the other car.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

PPP denounces official move to recover leased lands from Region 5 farmers THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has denounced what it called the “arbitrary” and “politically” motivated act by the government to re-possess farm lands leased to farmers in Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice).

Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference on Monday, PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee said, “The move to the court to revoke leases through the MMA/ADA follows the publication of notices in the local media, giving notice of the cancellation of all the leases granted to farmers.”

No notices were served to the farmers personally.

They were notified by the media, which Rohee described as a “slap in their faces and a mark of disrespect towards them.”

According to Rohee, almost immediately following publication of the notice in the newspapers, political activists began invading and occupying farm lands already under cultivation; and that at high cost to farmers. The “invaders” began staking out plots of land for themselves with a view to occupying those permanently, thus displacing farmers who had legally occupied the lands before.

He said the arbitrary action executed through the MMA/ADA is w ro n g f u l a n d s h o r t sighted, and will deprive Guyanese farmers of their legitimate right to do their work.

PPP/C General “ T h e M M A / A D A’s Secretary, Clement Rohee actions will prove disastrous for Region 5 in particular, and will deal another blow to the agricultural sector in Guyana,” the PPP/C General Secretary contended, while asserting that the government’s policy appears aimed at displacing legitimate farmers who produce, and to discriminate in favour of the politically connected, who own hundreds of acres but prefer to rent in order to produce.

His contention is that the government of Guyana (GoG) must take urgent steps to request support from the Regional Development Fund, “which forms part of the special regime for disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors.”

In addition, the GoG, he said, must press for the further opening up of CARICOM countries’ markets for increased quantities of Guyana’s rice. Moreover, the GoG must press for imposition of the Common External Tariff (CET) and quantitative restrictions of a temporary nature on extra-regional rice imports, having regard to the “threat to domestic producers of live or directly competitive products from extra-regional sources.”

Rohee said the current administration is obligated to find solutions for the rice industry, utilising the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas -- the regional inter-governmental agreement to facilitate the free movement of goods and services between member states of the Caribbean Community. (Navendra Seoraj)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

‘Housing’ clearing applications backlog from 2003 MINISTER within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott, has indicated that the Housing Department of that ministry is in the process of clearing the backlog of houselot applications which, in some cases, date as far back as in 2003.

The delay, he said, is one of the bugbears the current administration inherited from its predecessor, but is working assiduously to “clean up.”

“The process of house lots distribution was always ongoing, but so far we are cleaning up the incompetence of the last government, and that is why we are looking into [the situation of] persons

who would have applied since 2003 and so on,” Minister Scott explained.

This backlog, he said, should be completed soon.

Minister Keith Scott

Several persons were within the compound of the Housing Department last Wednesday, bitterly complaining of the sloth in getting approval for their houselots. Minister Scott said the process has been somewhat delayed because the department does not want to distribute house lots in a willy-nilly manner. “ We c a n n o t p a s s hous lots to everyone like that; it is not about the numbers, but the quality,” the minister explained.

He also said that untimely receipt of the 2015 budget allocation had contributed to the backlog.

Some 90 houselots have

been distributed since the May 11 elections. With receipt of the $1.9B allocated to the sector, Scott said, the money would be used to

enhance the system.

Over the next five years, the Housing Department intends to build approximately

4,000 houses in cohesive communities to benefit more than 4,000 households and approximately 16,000 persons. (Shivanie Sugrim)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 14, 2015

Murder charge brewing for constables in Cane Grove shooting death THE Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) is yet to advise the Criminal Investigation Department of the Guyana Police Force on what charges it should lay against two police constables who have been accused of shooting dead an unarmed, mentally unstable man in Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara earlier this year.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on the matter yesterday, Justice Cecil Kennard, head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), confirmed that he had completed reviewing the file that was sent to him by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility earlier this year.

Justice Kennard said it is clear to him that the police constables had shot an unarmed man dead. He explained that the information in the file suggested that when the ranks returned to the area where they had earlier gone in response to a report of threatening behaviour, they encountered the same person whom they had first gone there to arrest.

During that first encounter with the man, he was armed with a cutlass and had threatened them, causing them to seek refuge in their vehicle as they left the scene. Having uplifted two weapons othroughapproval of a station sergeant, they returned to the scene, confronted the man and shot him dead although he was then unarmed.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum was also contacted yesterday. He confirmed that he had sent the file concerning the matter, including recommendations of the chairman of the PCA, to the DPP. He was, however, quick to report that the file has not yet been returned to the police, and that the two male constables involved in the matter remain at the Tactical Services Unit base in the Police Headquarters Compound at Eve Leary, while the female sergeant who had approved the ranks uplifting firearms remains on the job at that very police station.

Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman has also confirmed that the female sergeant is on the job, and is carrying out her normal duties. He said that no file pertaining to the advice proffered by Chairman of the PCA was sent to him, and he could not act in the absence of same.

This newspaper was told that the Chairman of the PCA has also recommended disciplinary charges for that sergeant.

RECAP On July 4, 2015, police constables (name provided) shot dead the mentally unstable Junior Gulliver, 30, of Strathavon, Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara while responding to a case of threatening language and threatening behaviour.

Residents of the area have claimed that the cops had shot Gulliver while he was unarmed, but the ranks have reported that they were attacked by the man, hence they resorted to the use of force.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Gov’t talks township, boundaries with Region One THE Ministry of Communities has initiated discussions with the Region One (Barima/Waini) Regional Democratic Council to define the boundaries of Mabaruma, a hinterland community Government has identified to be transformed into a township.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams and a

team of representatives from the Ministry of Communities and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission were given a warm welcome when they recently made a twoday visit to the North-West community to hold discussions with regional officials and interact with residents of several communities, including Wauna, Tobago, Kumaka and Hosororo, who

have all expressed interest in having their communities included in the boundaries of Mabaruma.

These residents also offered many ideas for the development of their communities. In fact, many issues affecting them, such as the inadequacy of the healthcare system, the delivery of education, and living conditions were raised by citizens at a

public meeting.

To better understand the challenges facing the health sector in the NorthWest community, the Minister visited the Mabaruma Regional Hospital, and also met with the regional member of parliament and the regional chairman, who both expressed commitment to working with the administration of the hos-

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams pital, the regional executive officer, and the minister of public health to address the needs of the hospital and the residents.

The minister is of the view that a lot of work

needs to transform Mabaruma into a township.

However, this is a task the government is prepared to undertake with the people of Region One to bring development to the hinterland, she said.

Being a former head teacher, Minister Hastings-Williams is of the opinion that education is critical for development. And therefore improving healthcare delivery and education in the hinterland have been prioritised.

A tree-planting exercise at the Mabaruma Secondary School was among the number of activities carried out by the minister. (Navendra Seoraj)

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Rape toll up by 19% …224 cases reported up to September this year

A STAGGERING 224 reports of rape were made to the police at the end of September, representing a 19% increase in the crime, the police disclosed on Tuesday.

Police here have struggled to secure convictions against rapists over the years. In its periodic crime statistics update, the Guyana Police Force said that there has been an increase of 19% in the number of reports of rape, with 224 reports at the end of September this year compared to 188 for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the GPF stated that there has been a 10 percent increase in serious crimes. The force looks at offences such as murders, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter, larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping. While at the end of September last year 109 murders were recorded, 2015 saw a five percent increase with 114 murders at the end of September. In addition, police unfortunately recorded an additional three murders as of October 12, 2015. The Guyana Police’s press statement confirmed that the offence of robbery under arms had an overall increase of three percent this year compared to last year. While there was a decrease of one percent in the number of armed robberies where the use of instruments other than a firearm was the choice for perpetrators, a four percent increase was recorded for armed robberies involving the use of firearms.

It was also reported that break and enter and larceny as well as burglary has seen an overall increase of 14 percent, while at the end of September, the police have been able to recover 89 illegal firearms inclusive or 1 submachine gun, 47 pistols, 24 revolvers, 10 shotguns, 6 rifles and I pen gun. Those guns were recovered as part of the ongoing amnesty programme, which ends today. The recoveries are compared to the 60 illegal firearms which were recovered unto the corresponding period for 2014.

On the issue of traffic enforcement, police records are showing 90 fatal accident which is up from the 76 accidents recorded at the end of September 2015 compared to 101 fatalities from 93 accidents for the same period in 2014. According to the police, they have recorded a decrease in serious and minor categories of road accidents and a 6% increase in damage accidents.

Pedestrians have been the main category of road users affected in road fatalities with thirteen of them having lost their lives at the end of September 2015. Additionally, eight pedal cyclists and twenty three persons in motor vehicles, 13 motor cyclists, 11 drivers, three pillion riders and one person who were being towed on a bicycle also lost their lives. Speeding has been the major contributory factor to fatal accidents, having been the cause of 36 of the 76 fatal accidents unto September 2015. Traffic enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 43,071 cases for this year being made against errant motorists at the end of September 2015; of this total 17,582 cases were for speeding, 1,666 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 489 for using cell phone while driving and 1,156 for failing to wear seat belt, the Guyana Police Force added.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 14, 2015

Biker succumbs after accident on Corentyne Highway

Dead: Anthony Persaud POLICE are investigating a fatal accident that occurred at about 21:30 hrs on Sunday at Number 58 Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, which resulted in the death of motor cyclist Anthony Persaud, 20 years, of Number 58 Village, Corentyne.

In a release police said that investigations have revealed that Anthony Persaud collided with a horse that was on the roadway. He received injuries and was taken to the Skeldon Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed during Monday.

The bike Persaud was riding when he crashed into a horse

Walton Hall housewife reaps eight-pound tannia A WALTON Hall Village, Essequibo Coast housewife has proudly harvested a tannia which weighs in excess of eight pounds.

According to Mrs Jenetta Lall,the tannia was planted in a cool place several months ago in her garden and was harvested during Agriculture Month. She said that her prized tannia comes out of the government’s grow more food drive.

And Mrs Lall is encouraging all housewives to follow the government’s grow more food drive and plant in order to become self-sufficient in farm fresh food.

The tannia harvested from Ms Jenetta Lall’s garden at Walton Hall Village, Essequibo Coast

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Man, woman now jointly charged with Youth on $75,000 bail murder of Herstelling block maker on narcotics charge

SHOPKEEPER Beverly Persaud and mason Oswald Junior Yaw, also known as Leow or Jason, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who are separately charged with the murder of Persaud’s husband, Herstelling Block Maker Nathan Persaud, made their second court appearance yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Hitman-for-hire, Police Prosecutor Sargent Oswald Junior Yaw Neville Jeffers requested of The application was the magistrate that the separate charges be withdrawn granted, and the joint charge and a joint charge instituted. was instituted. It read that Yaw, on September 10, 2015,

Man on ‘lil hustle’ remanded on drug trafficking charge

PAUL Anthony Punch, a Charlestown mason who was recently busted with narcotics in his home, was yesterday remanded to prison by City Magistrate Judy Latchman on a drug trafficking charge.

It is alleged that on October 10, the 40-yearold father of three, of Lot 84 Sussex and Adelaide Streets, Charlestown had 120 grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Punch denied the charge.

Attorney-at-law Mr. Clyde Forde, representing Punch in an application for reasonable bail, explained that his client was in an apartment building which was raided by the police and narcotics were found.

However, according to police prosecutor Keri Bostwick, the ranks had

Drug trafficking accused, Paul Punch raided the defendant’s home and were directed to the drug, which was unearthed in a Fernleaf milk tin. And under caution, the defendant had told the officers, “It’s a lil hustle I doin; see wah yuh can do fuh meh”. Punch was remanded, and will make his next court appearance on October 30 for statements. (Clestine Juan)

Alleged husband murderess, Beverly Persaud at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, murdered Nathan Persaud in pursuance of a financial arrangement with Beverly Persaud to murder her husband. The two persons were not required to plead to the charge. They were further remanded, and will make their next court appearance on October 20.

Nathan Persaud’s bloodied body was discovered lying face down in his house at Lot 66 Herstelling New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara on September 10 last. The body bore a stab wound to the chest, and the back of his head was bashed in. Police recovered from the crime scene a hammer, two knives and a piece of rock, all of which had blood stains.

Yaw was later arrested at a city location, and reportedly confessed to beating the block maker to death with a hammer. He allegedly stated that he was promised $1.7M to kill Persaud. He had reportedly collected $30,000 and a further $35,000 in advance.

After Nathan Persaud was killed, the accused was reportedly paid $10,000 and promised $100,000 in weekly payments. (Clestine Juan)

NARCOTICS possession accused Selwyn Dawson of Lot 170 First Field, Caneville, Grove, EBD was yesterday placed on $75,000 bail after appearing before Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer a charge that he had nine grammes of cannabis in his possession on October 10 at Grove, EBD. The 19-year-old Dawson pleaded not guilty to the charge, but Police Prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones detailed that ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on a ‘tipoff’, went to an alleged drug yard in Grove at about 13:30hrs on October

Nineteen-year-old Selwyn Dawson

10 last, where Dawson was spotted but started to run. The officers managed to chase him down and apprehend him, and he was observed throwing something over the

fence before his apprehension.

The officers retrieved six transparent Ziplock plastic bags from over the fence, and when Dawson was shown the drug, he denied ownership and told the lawmen that he had gone to the fence to urinate.

The prosecutor objected to bail, saying that special reasons must be advanced for its grant.

Magistrate MacLennan overruled the prosecution’s objections and granted the defendant bail. Dawson will make his next appearance before the Providence Magistrate on October 23.(Clestine Juan)

Miner on $100,000 bail for wounding friend during bar brawl DESMOND Monroe, a 23-year-old miner accused of wounding his friend during a bar brawl, was yesterday placed on $100,000 bail

by Georgetown Magistrate Ann McLennan when, before her, he pleaded not guilty to the wounding charge, which alleged that he unlawfully and mali-

Post-Mortem reveals...

ciously wounded Oswald Jordon on October 11 at 111 Miles, Mahdia.

The miner pleaded not guilty to the charge when the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied by the Magistrate by request of the prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones.

According to Jones, the defendant and Jordon were consuming alcohol at a local bar in Mahdia when an argu-

ment ensued. Enraged, Munroe broke a bottle and dealt the victim several stabs about his body. The magistrate released Monroe on bail after the prosecutor had raised no objection to the defendant being granted bail. The matter was adjourned until October 20, when it will be heard by the Mahdia Magistrate.

Pomeroon woman Man remanded Worker accused of stealing for simple was stabbed --baby died from drowning $180,000 from Popeye’s larceny

THE cause of death of 22-year-old Attika Sukhai, whose body was found floating in the Pomeroon River on Sunday morning was given as an incised wound to the neck, while her two-year-old daughter Xolani Sukhai whose body was also in the river died from asphyxiation due to drowning.

The Guyana Police Force yesterday released these results of the post-mortem which were performed by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh.

However the police in Essequibo who have arrested a suspect as they continue their investigations are not receiving the man’s co-operation.

One police source told the Guyana Chronicle that the woman and the man might have known each other but the man so far has denied this.

(Clestine Juan)

placed on $30,000 bail

TWENTY-five-year-old Anthony Charles of Lot 110 Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, charged for simple larceny, appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Ann McLennan. The charge read that on October 9, at Lombard Street Georgetown, he stole one HD Cellular phone and $10,000 cash from Odessa Fraser. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

TWENTY-five-year-old Niketa Wilson of lot 11 Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Ann McLennan, charged with allegedly stealing $180,000 cash from her workplace, Guyana restaurant- Popeyes, on October 10 last.

The items allegedly were not recovered, but the defendant was positively identified during an identification parade. He was remanded and will return to court on October 29. (Clestine Juan)

She pleaded not guilty to the charge, was placed on $30,000 bail, and is expected to appear before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on October 5.

(Clestine Juan)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Gov’t concerned about El Nino effects on agri sector

By Rabindra Rooplall AS government steps up efforts to secure overseas markets for Guyana’s rice, the administration is concerned over the effects of El Nino on the agriculture sector, especially the impact on rice farmers if the rain does not fall in November, according to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder.

El Nino is a phenomenon which occurs every three

to seven years,and lasts for a period of six to 18 months.

During the period of El Nino in Guyana, reduced rainfall, increased temperature, and evapotranspiration along with a reduced level in conservancies and salt water intrusion were all experienced and, more significantly, affected the agricultural sector. The rice industry had previously suffered tremendously and saw a reduction of the acres being sown.

The Agriculture Ministry has since issued an El

Nino watch after taking into consideration predictions by various regional and international forecasting and weather agencies.

EXPORTS Meanwhile, Minister Holder said although Panama is receiving rice from Guyana through a government-togovernment deal, this country exports to 50 countries, including Portugal, which is a bigger market than Venezuela.

Over 30% of the rice production is sent to Portugal and Guyana also exports to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder the Netherlands, which is another major market.

“If you really look at it, the farmers in Region 6 are not complaining. Region 5, which has the biggest producer through Mahaica, Mahaicony Abary-Agricultural Development Authority - it’s only Region 2, which has the smallest percentage of rice farmers, and they are actually having problems with the millers paying them,” Holder said He said recently the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) made available $500M to millers to pay farmers based on what was exported to the Panama market, since government does not pay the farmers.

With late payments and the pricing of paddy being only two of several critical issues that continue to affect rice farmers, the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) has been leading farmers in various protests in Essequibo, Berbice and Georgetown.

MILLER-FARMER PROBLEM However, President David Granger believes that the paddy farmers should be protesting in front of the people who owe them monies. “We don’t owe them money, there are elements instigating protests to create the illusion that the government is at fault, the government did not buy paddy, we are looking for markets to help the millers and farmers,” the President said. “We want the industry to survive and to prosper.

It is a miller-farmer problem, not a government rice problem.”

Cops probe gang-rape of 13-yr-old girl POLICE on the Essequibo Coast are said to be investigating a report that a 13-year-old girl was recently raped by several men.

According to reports, the girl, who is a secondary school student has said that several young men as well as an elderly man-had sexually assaulted her.

Meanwhile, Region 2 APNU+AFC Councillor Naithram is calling on the Probation and Welfare officers of the Pomeroon - Supenaam region to pursue the matter.

The councillor, speaking at the statutory meeting of the RDC yesterday, said the terrified child and her relatives need to be given more attention in terms of counselling.

Region 2 Chairman Devanand Ramdatt has also called for the matter to be properly investigated.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Vincent Alexander appointed NAC Chairman

FORMER Registrar of the University of Guyana (UG) Vincent Alexander will be chairing the National Accreditation Council (NAC) which comprises 10 members.

This was approved and gazetted on October 5, 2015 through an amended Cabinet decision submitted by Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. The Board will be effective for one year, from September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016.

The National Accreditation Council members include: Winifred James Kippins, who was previously tipped to head the council, Archibald Clifton, Clem D u n c a n , M a r k Ly t e , Sophia Hunte, Andrew Grant, Camille Robertson, Jennifer Cumberbatch and Dawn Fox. NAC Chairman, The NAC of Guyana Vincent Alexander was established by an Act of Parliament in 2004. The council is the principal body in Guyana for conducting and advising on the accreditation and recognition of educational and training institutions, providers, programmes and awards, whether foreign or national and for the promotion of the quality and standards of education and training in Guyana.

As one of the functions of the NAC, quality assurance at the post-secondary or tertiary level is done. These include registration of institutions within and outside of Guyana which offer courses in Guyana, accreditation of programmes, advice on the recognition of foreign institutions of education and training and their awards and to determine equivalency of programmes and qualifications in accordance with the framework established for the Caribbean Community. The Chairman and members of the Council are all representatives of Stakeholders of Education in Guyana.

Wednesday October 14th, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Thursday October 15th, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Friday October 16th, 2015 - 05:00 hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

EMPRETEC to hold management, business development workshops

By Shirley Thomas AS the close of 2015 draws near, EMPRETEC Guyana is in the process of conducting workshops that will help businesses to conclude the year on a high note and ring in 2016 with fresh ideas for continued success.

Organisers of this United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) capacity - building programme for entrepreneurs are of the view, that in preparing to close a productive year, it is beneficial for businesses to analyse, evaluate and forecast inventory for the upcoming year.

To this end, EMPRETEC Guyana has designed a Forecasting and Inventory Management Workshop, offering a range of tools and techniques to manage every inventory item according to its individual characteristics and the application of forecasting techniques in the planning process.

This workshop, scheduled for October 28 and 29, 2015, is aimed at improving the performance of businesses and helping companies to save annually on production and stock.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT And in today’s highly competitive business environment, staff development training is extremely essential. In keeping with this trend, therefore, EMPRETEC Guyana offers a range of business-development services that can be customised, based on the needs and budget of its clients.

Confident that staff development can be measured in its simplest form - profit, results oriented - EMPRETEC is proud to introduce its Leadership, Planning and Time Management Workshop, scheduled for November 3, 2015.

The workshop will give participants a fresh perspective on their approach to work, techniques for time management and self-motivation.

Participants benefiting from these programmes will close the year with a fresh perspective on their roles in their workplaces and how they can improve their performance on the job. This is an investment for businesses that will net positive returns, in terms of job performance, productivity and ultimately increased profits for businesses, the EMPRETEC official said.

EMPRETEC Guyana is a (UNCTAD) capacity building programme for entrepreneurs and is offering the ISO-Certified Supply Chain Management Programme under licence from the International Trade Centre (ITC). This programme can also be customised to meet the specific needs of organisations.

For details of EMPRETEC’s programmes and to register for EMPRETEC’s upcoming workshops, kindly contact the EMPRETEC office on telephone number 2251219 or email: empretecguyanainc@gmail.com

An EMPRETEC workshop in progress

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Slingerz FC pull out ...

From back page

transfer.

The players would have played in every match so far for the ‘West Side’ club and the club’s General Manager Collin Aaron told the GFF’s General Secretary his team had no ineligible players on its registration list submitted to the Federation.

“The ITC request for the above-mentioned players was confirmed by all stakeholders within the FIFA TMS Transfer Matching System within the GFF Transfer Open Window Period.

“However, it was the GFF that was encountering internet problems during that time that caused the GFF TMS Manager Mr (Lyndon) France not having access to accept the ITC request, despite I brought him over to the Kashif & Shanghai Office to login and he was still encountering problems getting into his TMS Account,” Aaron said to the GFF in his letter.

Aaron is of the view that “it would be unfair at this time after five rounds of the Elite League to now tell us (Slingerz FC) that the players are ineligible due to the GFF negligence in the entire process.

The Slingerz FC was asking the GFF to rescheduled tonight fixture against the GDF, while the issue is being sorted out.

“I found this action to be unfair, thus putting the club at risk to play without the above-mentioned players who all starters and considering the closeness of the league points.”

Chronicle Sport in a subsequent edition, will publish the details and findings from the Slingerz FC scenario.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Record-breaker Younis overshadows Malik’s returning ton ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - Younis Khan became Pakistan’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket and Shoaib Malik scored his first century in almost six years, as the home side posted 286-4 at the end of the opening day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi.

The 37-year-old Younis clobbered Moeen Ali for six over mid-wicket early in the evening session to surpass the 8 832-run marker set

by Javed Miandad, the man considered Pakistan’s greatest-ever batsman.

The few Pakistan fans in a sparse crowd in the United Arab Emirates broke the

Shoaib Malik compiled his third Test hundred in Abu Dhabi on the first day.

subdued atmosphere to cheer their man, while the Pakistan dressing room gave him a standing ovation for the feat achieved in his 102nd match - 22 fewer than Miandad, who played the last of his 124 Test matches in December 1993.

Younis was eventually out for 38, caught by England skipper Alastair Cook off the bowling of Stuart Broad, with Asad Shafiq (11 not out) and Malik (124 not out) unbeaten at the close.

If it was not for Younis, it would have been Malik’s day.

Returning to the side after a five-year absence, Malik hit his third Test century overall and his first since 2009.

It was a steady knock but one which contained one large moment of fortune: Broad overstepping in the first over after lunch rendered the edge to Joe Root in the gully irrelevant.

It was one of three gifts afforded to Pakistan during

a day when England threatened to shoot themselves in the foot after being asked to bowl in hot conditions and on a track which offered little assistance to bowlers.

In the penultimate over of the day, Shafiq edged James Anderson to Ian Bell at second slip. It was the simplest of chances but Bell dropped it.

It wasn’t his only offence of the day.

Mohammad Hafeez breezed to 98 with some smart stroke-play, particularly against England’s debutant spinner Adil Rashid, before succumbing leg-before, to Ben Stokes’ last ball before tea.

However, the Pakistani opener should have been out for seven when Bell dropped him off the bowling of Anderson - who had already bizarrely dismissed Shan Masood for two with a bouncer which hit his helmet and deflected onto the stumps.

Pakistan’s Younis Khan raises his bat after becoming Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason O’BrienLivepic)

Also cursing his luck was Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq after being given out by the TV umpire for edging Anderson to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler but without any assistance from Snicko or Hotspot, which are not in used in this series.

The wicket would have been seen as reward for England, who having been plundered for 74 runs off 96 balls at the start of the evening session by Younis and Malik, tightened things up in the last hour of play.

The visitors were also boosted before a ball had been bowled, with Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah ruled out of the match with a back injury sustained in final prac-

tice on Monday.

Yasir was the fastest man to 50 Test wickets in Pakistan history and England had been ripped apart by spin during the last series in 2012.

SCOREBOARD PAKISTAN 1st innings M. Hafeez lbw b Stokes 98 S. Masood b Anderson 2 S. Malik not out 124 Y. Khan c Cook b Broad 38 Misbah-ul-Haq c Buttler b Anderson 3 A. Shafiq not out 11 Extras: (b-4, lb-5, nb-1) 10 Total: (for 4 wickets, 87 overs) 286 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-173, 3-247, 4-251.

Bowling: J. Anderson 14-3-292, S. Broad 14-5-30-1 (nb-1), B. Stokes 10-1-35-1, M. Wood 13-334-0, A. Rashid 17-0-76-0, M. Ali 19-2-73-0.

Mobile Wizard 10/10 softball set for Sunday bowl-off THE opening day for the Mobile Wizard 10/10 softball tournament is Sunday October 18, 2015 at the Leonora Primary School ground.

Region 3 Chairman Julius Faerber is expected to witness the day’s proceedings which will also feature Halim Khan, president of the Guyana Softball League, Dev Hira, vice-president and M Leonard Harprashad, executive secretary and tournament sponsor Mr Syed Ali. The first match on the

programme will be an exhibition match between two top female teams in Georgetown and Linden, the second match will involve two schoolboy teams (Leonora Primary School and MetenMeer-Zorg Primary School), followed by a police team against a village team combined.

Only one match will be played to mark the start in the tournament and the teams will be chosen from those present. Teams are asked to be there at 09:00hrs. There-

fore the first come, first serve system will be applied.

There will be lunch at the venue for all the teams in attendance while the sponsor will display the range of cell phones and services that he has to offer and purchases will be accompanied by discounts and giveaways to the public.

The tournament which has attracted some 31 teams so far is seen as the revival of softball cricket in the West Demerara.

The tournament will offer

some $100 000 in prizes and a chance to represent West Demerara in an upcoming major tournament by GSL. Teams are reminded that no short pants or bare-foot will be allowed. The rules of 10/10 as per normal will be applied.

Additionally the West Demerara will select a combined male team to challenge a Linden combined midway in the tournament under lights with GSL in attendance.

Another Linden female team will be able to challenge

another Georgetown team on that day. The GSL is hoping to have a Linden school team take on West Demerara also on that day.

Meanwhile, Georgetown and Linden have named their female team for the opening encounter. The teams will come from: Georgetown: Abena Parker (capt), Amanda Bobb-Semple, Haseena Mohamed, Ceylon Daniels, Averita La Rose, Joann Van Sertima, Shaneeza Saywack, La Toya Smith,

Renika Isaacs, Zola Telford, Susan Davenand, Monique Benn.

Linden: Remona Stellingburg (capt), Romona Stellingburg, Zanette Da Silva, Lavern Cornelius, Basmattie Ramdeo, Sharlene Stellingburg, Dianne Cornelius, Ashanh Stellingburg, Shenessa Cornelius, Sharon Cornelius, Lucila Da Silva, Kelly Porter, Shavine Joseph, Verna Lorrimer, Lyhn Cornelius, Shenika Chattergoon.

FIFA, UEFA kept in dark about Platini’s Blatter deal

- Johansson

By Simon Evans

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former UEFA president Lennart Johansson says that the European football body was never told about the payment of 2 million Swiss francs (1 million pounds) from Sepp Blatter to current UEFA boss Michel Platini.

Both Platini and Blatter were suspended from football for 90 days by FIFA’s Ethics

Committee last week with a 2011 payment from FIFA to Platini under scrutiny. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Platini has said the payment was for work he carried out under a contract for FIFA as an adviser to Blatter between 1999 and 2002. He said the nine-year delay in payment was due to FIFA’s financial situation.

The Frenchman’s bid to replace Blatter at the helm of FIFA in February’s election

Former UEFA president Lennart Johansson

has been thrown into serious doubt by the affair and UEFA members gather in Nyon tomorrow to discuss the crisis.

Swede Johansson, who was UEFA president from 1990 to 2007, says that the FIFA executive committee, which he served on, was not told about Platini’s hiring by Blatter.

“I was a member of the FIFA executive then and Blatter should have reported it to the executive but he never did. I never heard about this arrangement in FIFA. “This is quite a lot of money, not a small amount. I

have only learnt through the media that Platini claims that he has a contract with FIFA,” the 85-year-old told the website Inside World Football.

By the time Platini received the payment in 2011 he had replaced Johansson as UEFA president but the Swede continued to attend UEFA executive meetings as honorary president, and he says the payment was never disclosed.

“I would have expected this payment to be reported to UEFA. Platini should have mentioned it to the executive. I would have done

so. I would have said to the executive, ‘I have a contract with Blatter which you may criticise. But this is the truth, this is the money I received and you should know about it.’”

A spokesman for Platini said: “The president is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigations and feels there is nothing more he wants to say publicly for the moment.”

The payments will be on the agenda at UEFA’s crisis meeting in Nyon which Platini will be unable to attend due to his suspension from all football activities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

ICC increases funding for Associates and Affiliates THE International Cricket Council (ICC) board has approved an increase in funding available to its Associate and Affiliate Members from $125M in the previous cycle to $208M for the period 2016-2023.

Prize money for the top-ranked Test sides and for ICC events has also gone up substantially.

The increased funding was in line with the ICC’s new strategy, which aims to assist the development o f m o re c o m p e t i t i v e teams in international cricket, an ICC release stated. The annual funding pool for the Associates and Affiliates will go up from $20M in 2015 to $26M in 2016.

The board has allocated

The annual funding pool for the Associates and Affiliates will go up from $20M in 2015 to $26M in 2016. $65M as prize money for the top-ranked Test sides and for men’s and women’s ICC events for 2016-2023, representing a 41 per cent increase compared to the amount paid in the previous eight-year cycle.

T h e n u m b e r- o n e ranked Test team on the cut-off date of April 1 will henceforth receive $1M, which is double the existing amount.

The board also “recognised the improved standard and professionalism in women’s cricket” by approving a five-fold increase in the prize money for the six ICC women’s events during 2016-2023.

The prize money now stands at $4.4M, including $1M for the Women’s World Cup 2017.

The eight-team Women’s World Cup will be played on a round-robin basis, with the top four sides progressing to the semi-finals. The change in the format means there will be a total of 31 matches (compared to 25 in 2013), with each side guaranteed a minimum of seven games during the tournament.

There will also be a second edition of the Women’s Championship post 2017.

The ICC noted that the tournament has “signifi-

cantly enhanced the standard of women’s cricket” with each side guaranteed a minimum of 21 ODIs over a two-year period.

To encourage attacking play in women’s ODIs, all changes that were introduced to the men’s playing conditions in June 2015 except two will also apply. The batting PowerPlay will remain in women’s ODIs, and there will still only be four fielders outside the circle between overs 41 and 50.

These amendments will come into effect from this week’s series between West Indies and Pakistan.

Dutch fail to qualify for Euro 2016 as Czechs top group

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) - The Netherlands’ hopes of a dramatic rescue act in Euro 2016 qualification evaporated as they conceded two firsthalf goals and eventually lost 3-2 at home to 10-man Czech Republic yesterday.

The Dutch, third at the World Cup in Brazil last year, had to win their final qualifier and hope Turkey lost at home to Iceland to sneak into third place in Group A and book a slot in next month’s playoffs.

However, defeat consigned the Netherlands to fourth spot behind the Turks, who won 1-0 to secure a place at the finals as the best third-placed team, while the Czechs topped the group.

A second-half change in tactics by the Dutch to full-out attack failed to turn around a dire situation despite the Czechs being down to 10 men after the sending off of Marek Suchy just before halftime for a last-man tackle. Goals from Pavel Kaderabek and Josef Sural stunned the hosts in the first period and the game was over

when substitute Robin van Persie headed into his own net in the 66th minute.

The Dutch consolation goals came from Klaas-an Huntelaar and van Persie.

The Netherlands were

crowned European champions in 1988 and were third in 1992, 2000 and 2004.

They went out at the group stage of the last edition in Poland and Ukraine in 2012.

Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands reacts after the lost match against Czech Republic during their Euro 2016 group A qualifying soccer match in Amsterdam, Netherlands , yesterday Reuters/ Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

McDonald triumphs in Bakewell Junior Championship IT WAS obvious that Mark McDonald had lots to prove in Saturday’s Boys U-18 final against Heimraj Resaul, after being defeated by Resaul 2-4, 4-0, (10-4), the previous day in the Boys U-14 final at the GBTI Recreational Centre, Bel Air. In the Boys U-18, McDonald had his revenge against Resaul 2-6, 6-2, (106) to claim Bakewell Boys U-18 Championship title, which adds to his 2015 GBTI Boys U-18 title.

It was clear that McDonald fought to set himself apart from his new rivals and secure a spot in this month’s Tennis Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) to be held in Suriname and it was also clear that both players showed signs of nerves as the battle started for the prestigious title.

In the Girls U-14 Shivani Persaud tried her best to force the match against Afruica Gentle. The tiny Persaud matched the powerful hitting

by Gentle but ended as runner-up after Gentle displayed her thirst for the win and secured the championship title at 4-1, 4/4 (7-5).

Gentle won both the Girls U-14 and Girls U-18 categories. In the Boys U-12 the promising Joshua Kalekyezi emerged as champion over Viraj Shar-

ma in straight sets 4-0, 4-2 to take the title.

CEO of Bakewell, Rajindranauth Ganga was able to witness the last match of the day. He recognised that the tournament was bigger than its first year last year and congratulated the GTA on its effort to make tennis a prominent sport and the tournament a greater success.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Regional Development Officer for the Caribbean, John Goede emphasised that the development of Tennis Guyana is not exclusive to the executive of the Guyana Tennis Association, but there is heavy dependency on parents, players, sports administrative bodies and the wider Guyana.

Goede said that through partnership and hard effort among those stakeholders we can “attain and get to a quality that is an irresistible product, like Bakewell.”

He highlighted to the players after watching them play that there needs to be a strategy or a plan in life and this should also apply to playing a match on court.

Aggression and fitness, he pointed out were key areas to be worked on.

The ITF official said for tennis to take off in Guyana, there needs to be more

ITF Regional Development Officer (left) and sponsor CEO of Bakewell, Rajindranauth Ganga (right) stand with the participants of the recent camp. courts. “These two courts are not enough. Probably we need about 24 courts in Georgetown with lighting. We need about three hundred players.” This, he said, would improve the quality of competition and players in general.

President of the GTA, Grace McCalman, on that note, announced plans to develop tennis in Berbice, Linden and outlying regions. This would significantly contribute to a bigger tournament by expanding competitions and drawing entries from a wider cross section of players.

The ITF Regional Development Officer will be meeting with sports stakeholders, parents and will conduct clinics with players during his visit to Guyana.

Tuffey ‘furious at Cairns non-payment’, Vincent tells court TWO years after allegedly being part of Chris Cairns’ match-fixing operation, Daryl Tuffey, his fellow New Zealand international, was so furious he had not been paid that he threatened to kill him, Lou Vincent has told Southwark Crown Court.

Vincent, a former New Zealand team-mate, was giving evidence for a second day of a trial in which Cairns has pleaded not guilty to one count of perjury and perverting the course of justice in relation to a successful 2012 libel case against Lalit Modi, the Indian businessman and cricket entrepreneur.

On the opening day, Vincent had accused Cairns of being the “orchestrator” of a match-fixing ring in India.

When proceedings reopened, he said he had been “clearly used” by Cairns. “He used and abused me. Spat me up and threw me out and went running and hiding.”

Asked whether he had talked to Tuffey about payment in 2008 he said there was no need. “I didn’t need to, I believed Chris would look after us,” he said.

Vincent said he waited

two years to question Tuffey about match-fixing and that he was told that he “hadn’t received a cent” from Cairns after agreeing to help fix games at Chandigarh Lions in 2008 in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.

During his libel case, Cairns proclaimed he had “never, ever cheated at cricket”. Tuffey provided a witness statement on his behalf.

Vincent questioned yesterday whether that would be followed up during the current trial. “Where is he today? Is he going to help Chris this time round?” he asked.

He repeatedly denied under cross-examination having invented his account of Cairns’s alleged involvement in match-fixing. Repeatedly pressed by Orlando QC, for the defence, about supposed inconsistencies in statements he had given to various authorities and his failure to recall certain details, his increasingly emotional state of mind persuaded Mr Justice Sweeney to adjourn the court an hour early.

Pownall asked why Vincent had not reported Cairns as a match-fixer when he was obliged to do by the ICC. The

ICL was an unsanctioned tournament, not recognised by the ICC. “I wasn’t going to report Chris Cairns: he was my captain, my coach, my mentor,” Vincent said.

Pownall accused him of: “An account that’s been rehearsed over the years and isn’t true,” saying: “Your lies have been not only extensive, but in some cases quite clever when you’ve sidestepped the question.” He asked Vincent if he was working as a match-fixing double agent.

Pownall also inquired into the witness’s betting habits, enquiring why he had Paddy Power and a BetFair gambling accounts, and why in July 2011 and May 2013 they had been used to place bets on the method of dismissal in two Test matches.

Vincent said he was not interested in gambling, and could not recall using the accounts to bet. “I can’t recall something I’m not really interested in.”

Vincent’s first-day testimony described his history of depression after being dropped by New Zealand and his use of anti-depressants. (ESPN Cricinfo)

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

North Georgetown Inter-School Championships

Queen’s College rule as Champion of Champions in Zone One

By Tamica Garnett QUEEN’S College were last Monday crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ of Zone One of the North Georgetown Inter-School Championships, after ruling in the track competition which concluded at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

Having captured the swimming and field events, Queen’s College amassed 389 points in the track competition to surpass Chase Academy, who ended with 349 points for second place.

Third place for the track competition went to Kingston Secondary with 306 points.

With 269 points, Richard Ishmael Secondary ended fourth in the track competition. However, Richard Ishmael still celebrated a second place win behind QC in the overall event.

It was Richard Ishmael who claimed the win in the cycling competition earlier last week. Their team had finished third in the swimming, and second in the field events.

Overall QC ended with 75 points, just enough to take the title ahead of Richard Ishmael, who finished with 65 points. Marian Academy just

made it for third place with 56 points after Guyana Technical Institute (GTI) finished fourth with 54 points.

Despite their second

400m sprints, and in the Boys’ Under-12, Ronneil Lord was at the top of his game, winning the 100 and 200m sprints.

4x100m relay, it was QC who ruled while Chase were even further behind in third after Richard Ishmael took second.

In the 4x400m relays QC

And they’re off! The Boys’ 4x400m relay ended the day’s activities at the North Georgetown Inter-School Championships on Monday. place in the track competition, Chase Academy ended in fifth place overall with 44 points, while Kingston Secondary finished in sixth with 15 points. Kingston suffered heavily by not participating in the swimming, cycling or field events.

Top performing athletes for QC included Damesha McIntosh in the Girls’ Under-12, where she ran away with the 100m, 200m and

In the Girls’ Under-18, QC were well inspired by national squash player Larissa Wiltshire.

For Chase, leading athletes included Claudrice McKoy, Samuel Lynch, Mathew McKenzie, Elson Bradford, Jeremy Garrett and Sese Norville.

In the relays, Chase won the Boys’ 4x100m relay, where QC brought second place. However in the Girls

and Chase were head-to-head again, with Chase winning for the boys and QC triumphing for the girls.

The teams have been competing for the past week in swimming, cycling, and track and field, to determine who would be the Champion of Champions of the zone.

QC are the second team to claim a Champion of Champions title in the North Georgetown District.

They follow Winfer Gardens Primary, who ruled supreme in zone four, when that zone completed competition last Friday.

In North Georgetown, there are two other zones where champions are still to be declared. Zone Two Champion of Champions were expected to be determined yesterday, after that zone’s rivalry climaxed with the track competition, which was also held at the Police Sports Club ground.

Bishops’ High stood poised for the win in zone two. Having already won the swimming, cycling and field events, a win of the track event would have given them the opportunity to boast straight wins in all four categories of the event.

Also looking to win all four categories are the St Stanislaus College (Saints) team over in zone four. With zone four’s track competition getting under way today, Saints already stand on a 28-point lead, after gaining 60 points from finishing first place in the swimming, cycling, and field events.

Saints’ nearest contenders are Brickdam Secondary, who have 32 points, from their swimming and field events. Brickdam

missed out on points in the cycling after they did not participate in that competition. Closely behind Brickdam are the Business School team with 28 points.

The top two athletes in each race of each zone will move on to the North Georgetown Inter-Zone Championships, set for Friday also at Police Sports Club ground.

At the Inter-Zone, athletes will earn the prestigious opportunity to move on to the North Georgetown District 11 team for the GTU/MOE National Schools Championships, where North Georgetown have reigned as the defending champions for a number of years.

Over the years, North has been in heated rivalry with Linden, District 10. North Georgetown won the title in 2013, and continued with the title after last year’s competition was called off due to inclement weather.

The date and venue for Nationals, as it is called, are still to be released, but with Guyana now boasting an all-weather synthetic track facility at the National Track and Field Centre, the possibility of inclement weather curtailing the event would be minimised should the event be held there.

NSC, Banks DIH support ‘A’ Division Commander Inter-youth group Track and Field Classic THE National Sports Commission (NSC) and Banks DIH, under their Rainforest Waters brand, yesterday announced their alliance with the ‘A’ Division Commander Inter-youth group Track and Field Classic at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

The field events will be held at the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) ground on Saturday, October 17, commencing from 10:00hrs; while the following day, from 09:30hrs, the track events will take place at the Eve Leary Sports ground.

Christopher Jones, Director of Sport, handed over the sponsorship cheque to Commander ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken, in the presence of Errol Nelson, Brand Manager

of Rainforest Waters.

The winning group will receive $100 000, which will go towards a community project of their choice, and

the second-placed team will pocket $65, 000 and thirdplacers $40, 000.

Banks DIH will be providing refreshment for the

officials and athletes over the two-day period.

Assistant Commissioner Hicken reiterated his division’s commitment to foster better

community relationships between members of the public and the Guyana Police Force.

According to the Director of Sport, the NSC is pleased

to support such ventures, and applauds the organisers for such initiatives, especially within the communities often categorised as “depressed.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday October 14, 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:

Moratuwa, 1993 Brian Lara-115 (St. Vincent, 1997)

Today’s Quiz:

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, hands over the NSC’s sponsorship cheque to ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken. Also in photo is (from L-R) Errol Nelson, Brand Manager of Rainforest Waters, and event coordinator Collin Haynes.

Who delivered the first ball in a WI/SL Test? Who faced it?

Who is the first SL to capture a five-wicket haul in a Test innings against the West Indies?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday October 14, 2015

Joint Services Championships

Forde, Foster win distance races as GDF close in on GPF

By Tamica Garnett THE Guyana Defence Force’s Cleveland Forde and Andrea Foster captured wins in the men’s 5 000m and women’s 3 000m, respectively, as the Army closed in on the Guyana Police Force’s lead when competition in the Inter-Service Annual Athletics Championships (ISAACs) continued with the track and field competition yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora.

The GPF had initially finished with a 47-point lead after the end of the first day of competition last Sunday, when the swimming and road relays were completed. However, after 20 finals at the end

of the second day of competition GPF stand with 315.5

ANDREA FOSTER points, while the GDF are just behind with 304 points

and way down in third place are the Guyana Fire Service with 35.5 points, Guyana Prison Service have 26 points and City Constabulary ended with 20 points.

GDF collected major points from their performance in the 5 000m and 3 000m. In the men’s 5000m, GDF claimed not only the first place but took a clean sweep of all the podium positions in the event. Forde clocked 18:05.2 for the win while just behind him Tyshon Bentick came in second in 18:05.5s and Jemoul Chisholm was third in 18:07.5s.

GDF also took the win i n w o m e n ’s l o n g j u m p where Aniquah Powley was able to overpower GPF’s

Cindy Fraser. Powley covered 5.48m, just enough to

CLEVELAND FORDE overcome Fraser’s 5.43m.

GPF came in third thanks to

Tandika Burgess who leapt to 5.27m.

However GDF picked up a few more points after having athletes finish fourth and fifth. In the men’s long jump, GDF’s Patrick King’s 6.85m prevailed.

GPF took another second place through Yoel Benjamin with a 6.70m best jump.

“Today (yesterday) was a very good day for us, an excellent day I must say. We won most of the events, and placed second and third.” GDF head coach, Robert Chisholm, commenting on the day’s activities.

Meanwhile head coach for the GPF is not intimidated by the GDF’s wins, and remains enthusiastic about his

team’s performance for the day despite disappointments.

“I think they’re sticking to the task. There were a few disappointments, especially in the 5 000; we were expecting to be among the top three but we weren’t, but that didn’t move me that much because I understand that they (GDF) have a good distance unit.

“We did gain some points that we didn’t expect to gain, like in the 3 000 where Boyer did well and got in on the medal hunt and the rest of the athletes finished the race.”

Wilson said after the day’s events.

Competition in the Championships continues today at the same venue.

The ‘Jackie Chan’ show Insatiable Ronaldo continues tonight ... Pele FC play Monedderlust, Fruta Conquerors clash with GFC

GREGORY ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson will lead Pele FC tonight against Monedderlust while the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Fruta Conquerors lock cleats when action in the STAG Elite League continues at the GFC ground.

Leading Pele to an unbeaten run so far in the league, scoring five of their ten goals, Richardson is having an ‘MVP’ season and tonight, against the Berbicians, the COURTS Player-of-the-Month recipient could put on another show.

The game, which starts at 18:00hrs, will see Pele FC enter as favourites, despite Monedderlust’s 2-1 win against GFC in their last game.

Richardson and his ‘wingman’ Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant have built a reputation for themselves since returning to Pele from Alpha United as the troublesome duo.

If Omallo Williams could score at least half of the chances afforded him in

the tournament so far against Monedderlust, then the Berbice club could be in for a long haul.

Monedderlust are not

P e l e F C ’s G r e g o r y ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson known for sturdy defending and the fact that they have conceded the most goals in the League so far (nine) suggests that Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite’s men will need to tighten up at the back, especially coming up against the League’s most

in-form striker.

Kevin Cottoy and Travis Henry are the players who tormented GFC’s defence in their clash at the #5 Ground over the weekend and the pair will be looking to replicate their performance.

Meanwhile, the second encounter should be mouth-watering if GFC could repeat the performance they produced against the GDF in their 2-1 win, which is their only taste of victory in the league so far.

But with Fruta Conquerors entering the clash and coming off back-to-back defeats suffered at the hands of Pele FC and Alpha United, certainly GFC will be in for a long night.

On paper, the Calvin Allen-coached Fruta Conquerors are the most talented and while GFC are not as technical to match the Tucville-based club in every department, the country’s oldest club (formed 1902) is expected to make up with their fighting spirit.

collects fourth Golden Shoe award

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo collected a record fourth Golden Shoe award as Europe’s top scorer yesterday for his 48-goal haul in La Liga last season and said he is hungry for more.

The Portugal captain and FIFA Ballon d’Or holder netted 61 times in all competitions in 2014-15, although Real missed out on the three main titles as arch rivals Barcelona swept to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King’s Cup triumphs.

Ronaldo, 30, is poised to become Real’s all-time top scorer ahead of former Spain striker Raul, with whom he is level on

323 goals, and has another chance to break the record in Saturday’s La Liga game at home to Levante.

“I never planned on winning four times,” Ronaldo said at a presentation ceremony in Madrid attended by his mother and son.

“Maybe one or two, yes, but never four,” he added.

“I always want more. I know I am the only one to have four but I want more.

“That implies winning trophies with the world’s greatest club. This year will be no different and we want to win La Liga, the Cup and the Champions League.

I hope we see each other again next year.”

Ronaldo has had a relatively subdued start to the latest La Liga campaign

with five goals in seven appearances. All five came in one match, a 6-0 romp at Espanyol last month.

He has a much better return in the Champions League, hitting five goals in two Group A outings, including a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk.

A global icon and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all-time, he is the leading marksman in Europe’s elite club competition with 82 goals, five ahead of Barca’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi.

Messi, who scored 58 goals in all competitions last term and 38 in La Liga, holds the record for the most in Spain’s top flight in one season of 50 set in 2011-12.

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Slingerz FC pull out of GDF clash

Joint Services Championships

Forde, Foster win distance races as GDF close in on GPF

See story on page 35

Alpha United goalscorer Delon Lanferman in action during his club’s 2-0 win over Buxton United at the GDF ground. (Samuel Maughn photos)

… Lanferman ‘brace’ Alpha United past Buxton United

Alpha United’s Dwayne Lawrence (right) battles Buxton United player for a loose ball during his side’s 2-0 win over the East Coast Club.

DELON Lanferman netted twice last evening to guide Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United to a 2-0 win over Buxton United at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Base Camp Ayanganna ground, when action in the STAG Elite League continued last night.

The brace pushed the forward’s goal tally in the league to five; tied with Pele FC’s Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson for the most among all players.

While the win also pushed Alpha United to the top of the table with 12 points, it was Buxton United’s second consecutive loss and their fifth in total and will see them remain at the bottom of the eight teams.

Meanwhile, the scores of persons who turned up at the venue left disappointed after the night’s second game didn’t come off after

the management of Slingerz FC pulled the club from their clash against the Army.

It would have been the third meeting between the two clubs and their first in the STAG Elite League but the Vergenoegen-based club protested a move by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

According to information reaching Chronicle Sport, the club was told by the GFF in a letter from the General Secretary Deidre Davis late yesterday, that the St Vincent and the Grenadines trio, brothers Winslow and Jolanshoy McDowall, Keith James and former Grove Hi-Tech striker Domini Garnett, were not eligible to further participate until the approval of their See page 30

Singh’s 123 keeps Johnson’s XI on top at Bourda VISHAUL Singh converted his overnight 50 into a solid 123 to ensure that the Leon Johnson’s XI continue to dominate the Shimron Hetmyer’s XI, who trail by 204 runs heading into the penultimate day of the national side’s fourday practice match currently being played at the GCC ground, Bourda.

The left-handed Singh

resumed his overnight score of 76 on his club ground and firmly pressed until he became the first batsman to register triple figures.

All-rounder Christopher Barnwell (43) struck four fours and a six but was unlucky to miss out on a half-century, sharing a 105-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Singh as the Johnson XI ended

Vishaul ‘Cheesy’ Singh

their first innings on 344.

Earlier in the day, Johnson’s XI resumed from a comfortable score of 238 for 5 from 84 overs with the centurion and Barnwell on 16. When Barnwell departed wickets began to tumble around Singh, as Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs and Veersammy Permaul all went cheaply.

Pacer Raun Johnson

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claimed 3-29, ending as the most successful bowler and was supported by fellow fast-bowler Keon Joseph with 2-60 while Gudakesh Motie, Steven Sankar and Javon Searles bagged a wicket each.

In reply, Shimron Hetmyer countered with a brisk 53 which included nine fours while Kevon Boodie supported with an unbeaten

41 and Tevin Imlach, 26. At stumps, Hetmyer’s XI were 140 for 6.

Johnson’s XI bowling was led by off-spinner Steven Jacobs (3-36) and there was a wicket each for Anthony Adams, Raymon Reifer and Veerasammy Permaul.

Day-three session bowls off at 09:00hrs today.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015