Guyana chronicle e paper 05 03 2018

THURSDAY 3rd May, 2018

No.105263

Four bodies recovered …as Suriname intensifies search for missing fishermen

Ralph Anthony Couchman

Tilacknauth Mohabir

Danesh Persaud called Vicky and Crank

Bobby Ibrahim

Dr. Jagan commemorative stamps unveiled

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Missing - Glenroy Jones

Sandy is fit for trial

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PM urges media to play role in 15 national development PAGE

Dr Barbara Jagan, sister of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Chairman of Board of Directors of the GPOC Dr. Raphael Massiah unveil the commemorative stamps Wednesday (Adrian Narine photo)

‘Let the case go on’

…High Court nixes PPP bid to halt charges against Ashni, Brassington 02 PAGE

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‘Let the case go on’ GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

…High Court nixes PPP bid to halt charges against Ashni, Brassington

By Svetlana Marshall THE High Court has refused to grant an interim order to halt the case brought against former Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh and Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington for alleged misconduct in public office, even as it proceeds to hear an application for dismissal of the charges.

It therefore means that Dr. Singh and Brassington will be required to appear in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday May 7, 2018, to answer to the charges of misconduct in public office, which were first read two weeks ago.

In the High Court on Wednesday, a battery of lawyers led by Anil Nandlall made an oral application before Justice Franklin Holder for an interim order to restrain the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan or any other magistrate from hearing the case or taking any

further steps in respect of the Information Upon Oath of Munilall Persaud, Corporal of Police of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on April 12, 2018, brought against Brassington and Dr. Singh.

The oral application entered by attorneys Stanley Moore, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Mark Waldron, Ronald Burch-Smith and Sase Gunraj was done on the grounds that it is “an abuse of the process, arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, malicious, biased, [and] without any proper evidential basis, made in bad faith, influenced by irrelevant and improper considerations and motives, unreasonable, discriminatory, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

SOCU is alleging that Dr. Singh and Brassington while performing the duties of Minister of Finance and Chairman of NICIL, and NICIL Chief Executive Officer, respectively, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase acted recklessly when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited a

Solicitor-General Kim Kyte-Thomas (centre), Principal Legal Advisers Judy Stuart-Adonis and Onika Archer of the Attorney General’s Chambers, leaving the High Court on Wednesday

(sic) tract of land for the sum of $598,659,398 without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.

This is one of three charges brought against the duo for the common law offence of misconduct in public office.

In the presence of Solicitor-General Kim Kyte-Thomas and Principal Legal Advisers Judy Stuart-Adonis and Onika Archer of the Attorney General’s Chambers representing the interest of the government, the applicants’ attorneys also filed a ‘Fixed Date Application’ for an Order or Writ of Certiorari to be issued quashing the case brought against Dr. Singh and Brassington in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by SOCU, based on sworn infor-

mation by Corporal Persaud.

The application was made on the grounds that it is “an abuse of the process, arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, malicious, biased, [and] without any proper evidential basis, made in bad faith, influenced by irrelevant and improper considerations and motives, unreasonable, discriminatory, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

In that “Fixed Date Application,” which is the substantive application, the legal team representing Dr. Singh and Brassington also among other things applied for an “interim order restraining the learned chief magistrate or any other magistrate within the Georgetown Magisterial District from hearing or attempting to hear or determine or taking any further steps in the case.

The hearing was in chamber, however, outside of the courtroom. The solicitor-general disclosed that the oral application filed by Nandlall and team for an immediate

interim stay was not granted

by Justice Holder. “An interim application was made this morning by Nandlall for the judge to grant an interim stay of the proceedings. After listening to arguments from Mr. Nandlall and team, and state and team, the application was refused, so the magistrate can proceed to hear the matter,” the solicitor-general explained.

Kyte noted that leave was granted by Justice Holder for

Head of SOCU, Sydney James, at the High Court (Samuel Maughn photos)

Mohabir Anil Nandlall, who is representing former Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington, speaking to reporters shortly after exiting the courtroom

the State to file an Affidavit of Defence. Nandlall and team were also granted leave to file a reply. On May 16, 2018 at 13:30hrs, both parties will return to the High Court to present their argu-

ments on the request for an interim stay which forms part of the “Fixed Date Application.” Nandlall and team are seeking to have an interim stay, thereby preventing the chief magistrate from proceeding with the case until a determination is made in the substantive case.

However, the solicitor-general made it clear that the oral application for an immediate interim stay was not granted. “It was not granted. The magistrate can proceed, the judge has given us leave to file an Affidavit of Defence in relation to what they are contending in their fixed-date application and we return to court on the 16th May for arguments,” she stated.

“The magistrate can proceed with the charges, no application was granted, the charges must continue,” she emphasised.

CHALLENGE Nandlall in a separate interview with reporters, said: “We have filed proceedings challenging the legality and validity of the charges and that will take some time to determine; and while we await the determination of that substantive matter, in the meanwhile [sic] we want an interim order, staying the hands of the magistrate from going forward.”

Nandlall, however, did not disclose that his oral application for an interim stay to prevent the magistrate from proceeding with the case involving Brassington and Dr. Singh was not granted.

Head of SOCU, Sydney James and Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Teshana James-Lake, were also present at the High Court on Wednesday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Four bodies recovered …as Suriname intensifies search for missing fishermen

By Nafeeza Yahya WITH the recovery of four bodies believed to be those of the missing fishermen in Friday’s piracy attack, relatives of the other missing men are growing more and more uneasy with less hope of finding their loved ones alive.

The bodies were spotted within 30 miles from Zorgen-Hoop, an area off the WaiWai bank by an airline pilot attached to Suriname domestic carrier, Gumair Airlines. The information was radioed in to the ground crew and the bodies were retrieved. Up to press time, efforts were being made to bring the bodies to shore as relatives waited anxiously.

So far Guyana Chronicle has been able to confirm the names of nine of the 16 persons who went missing after the attack. They are Vickey Persaud, 23; Ramesh Sanchara, 51; Glenroy Jones, 20; Tikaknauth Mohabir, 50; Randy Burnette, 19; Bobby Ibrahim; Bharat Heralall; Ganesh Persaud, 27, of Number 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice, and his cousin, Ralph Anthony Couchman, 19, also of Number 2 Village, East

Canje. The body that was retrieved earlier in the day, Wednesday, has been positively identified by relatives as that of Ganesh Persaud, 27 of Number 2 Village, East Canje and a father of two.

According to his sister, Yurajwattie Hussein called “Yonette”, her brother joined the fishing industry from the age of 13, initially patching seins and doing odd work.

At age 14 he left Guyana and went to neighbouring Suriname to work on fishing boats, initially earning just US$20 per trip. In January this year, he turned 27. He has two children--Devin and Jayon--ages 5 and 2 respectively.

A MEAL OF FISH CURRY Like most fishermen, he would spend a few months out at sea and then return to Guyana to spend some time.

He had left for Suriname in January and was scheduled to return after he would have completed this trip; he never made it home. According to information from Hussein, the piracy attack on her brother’s boat would have occurred sometime after midnight on Friday as he called his wife, Kavita, around then

and told her he was about to go cook a “catfish” he had just caught. “When them find the boat, the engine did damage and the boat had thick, thick blood. Them find the catfish curry and vermicelli what he tell she he did cooking”, the grieving sister related.

His body was positively identified by relatives while arrangements are being made to bring the others to shore and have them identified.

Meanwhile, the relatives of Ralph Anthony Coachman said they believe he did not survive the attack, since he was on the same boat as his cousin, Ganesh Persaud, and are hoping to retrieve his body to bring closure and give him a “proper send off.”

The family is planning to travel to Suriname as soon as they can get their Yellow Fever vaccines. Couchman left with Persaud in January in search of a better life.

Among the persons planning to make the trip is his 75-year-old grandmother who shared a special bond with him. According to Radica Ramnarace--a cousin--the grandmother has been ill since the incident and wants to be able to “send off” (bury)

her grandson herself and is adamant she is going to Suriname.

STILL HOPING FOR A WORD Additionally, Kuntie Bishop, mother of Bobby Ibrahim, said she is still to get word from her son, whom she said is among the sixteen missing fishermen. In a Facebook post, Bishop is pleading with anyone with information to assist her in locating her son. The post states: ”Help me find Bobby Ibrahim, he was among the fishermen who was attacked by pirates in Suriname on Friday. I am his mother”. According to a source in Suriname, the aerial search was conducted privately by the airline to help the relatives of victims find their missing loved ones in what has been described as the most gruesome and largest pirate attack within recent times.

De Ware Tijd newspaper reported that Jerry Slijnagard , Director of the National Coordination Centre for Disaster Management in Suriname reported that assistance from Guyana is now being considered. He said too that the Surinamese authorities have contacted their counterparts in French Guiana for assistance since Friday night’s attack occurred closer to

the maritime boundary between the two countries.” They have been asked to help find the robbers on the French side, because information about this exists and we have shared this information with them,” Slijnard said.

Suriname’s Justice Minister, Stuart Getrouw stated on Tuesday afternoon that the search for the missing men has not stopped. He also promised that better protection of fishermen in Suriname waters is on the cards. Relatives of the missing fishermen, most of whom are Guyanese, continue to be critical of the attention given by the Surinamese authorities thus far to the gruesome incident. The search was reportedly called off on Monday, but due to intense pressure from relatives and heightened regional publicity, the exercise reconvened and several private companies, such as Gumair, have joined forces to help locate the missing fishermen.

Suriname media reports stated on Wednesday that of the 16 missing men, four may be of Surinamese nationality. On Wednesday evening, families, relatives and fishermen waited at the dock where the fishermen usually depart and lit candles and said prayers as they await word. The pirate attack on Friday has left relatives fearing the worst. The men were reportedly chopped about their bodies,

struck with bamboos and other objects to get them to comply with the demands of the criminals as their boats were looted.

Still after complying, the men were tied to anchors, batteries and other heavy objects and thrown overboard as their boats were destroyed.

PPP CONCERNED The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in a statement said it remains gravely concerned about the matter involving the fate of the 16 fishermen who have been reported missing after an attack off the coast of Suriname. “This is a tragedy and we empathize with the families who continue to be in anguish, given the state of affairs. The horror that reportedly unfolded once again highlights the danger that our country’s fisherfolk face every day to earn their livelihoods and to provide for their families,” the PPP said.

The party calls on the government to make every effort and take urgent steps to ensure that fishermen are found.

“In addition, our party urges the government to ensure that the families are kept informed of the efforts being made. We hope for a swift resolution of the situation and that the families can be comforted during their time of distress.”

PriceSmart exploring possible investment in Guyana PriceSmart Incorporated, a publicly traded company in the United States has expressed an interest in investing in Guyana, Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) announced Wednesday following a courtesy call by the Company’s founder and chairman of board of directors on Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

The company’s Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors Robert Price as well as other Board members who are currently in Guyana to explore opportunities for investment met with Minister Harmon during a break from Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

The Minister of State told the potential investors that Guyana remains open for business and his Government will continue to ensure that the right conditions are put in place to promote Guyana as an investment destination.

“I consider this to be important because anytime we have foreign investors

coming to Guyana; we consider that to be an important enough event for the Minister to disrupt his usual schedule to ensure that you understand that we welcome investment in Guyana and that we fully support your investment. It is important enough for me to take time off from Cabinet to meet with you. I want to welcome you and you will find that while we are not as advanced as the other countries where you operate, you will find a willingness on the part of our people to work with you and on the part of the Government to create favourable conditions for businesses to succeed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Price, in an invited comment, said that the company is cognisant of the fact that Guyana is poised for a prosperous future and as such, consideration is being given to the setup of a location here.

“We are very, very interested in exploring the opportunity of locating PriceSmart in Guyana. We have to do our due diligence but we

From Left: Mr. Brud Drachman, Executive Vice President, PriceSmart Incorporated, Mr. Andron Alphonson, the local contact, Mr. Leon Janks, Board Member, PriceSmart, Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, Mr. Robert Price, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mr. David Price, President of PriceSmart Incorporated during the meeting today

hope we can eventually have a PriceSmart in Guyana.

We have PriceSmart in the English-speaking Caribbean and we think that given the

future prosperity in Guyana, that it is time to consider locating here,” he said.

Price was accompanied by his son and President of

the company, David Price, Executive Vice-President, Brud Drachman, Leon Janks, Board Member and their local contact, Andron Al-

phonso.

PriceSmart operates 40 membership warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one United States territory.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

‘Toughest’ abortion bill approved in US The US state of Iowa has approved an abortion law banning most abortions once a foetal heartbeat is detected.

Republican lawmakers passed the bill in back-toback votes, sending it to the governor’s desk to sign into law. If it comes into effect the bill will ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, and rights groups say it will be the country’s most restrictive.

Critics argue it will make having an abortion illegal before most women even realise they are pregnant.

Iowa’s Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has not said if she will sign the bill. Last year, Iowa Republicans successfully banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

What new restrictions have been approved?

The so-called “heartbeat” bill would require any woman seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound to screen for a foetal heartbeat.

If one is detected, she will be barred from obtaining a termination. Some exceptions have been introduced - in cases of rape and incest, where it has been reported to authorities, and to save the woman’s life.

“We’re in the majority for a reason and that includes advancing the pro-life cause,” Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

“We are alive when our hearts start beating and our

life is over when it stops,” Dawn Pettengil, another Republican Representative from Iowa, told CBS News.

WHAT DO OPPONENTS SAY? Democratic Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell spoke against the legislation on the floor of the Iowa House of Representatives on Tuesday. “All

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland’s director of public affairs in an online statement released in February, when the bill was first introduced. “So-called ‘heartbeat protection’ bills are actually bans on safe, legal abortion, and they threaten to set reproductive rights back by decades.” Elizabeth Nash, of the sexual and reproductive health policy group the

The struggle over abortion rights, always an impassioned affair in the US, has intensified since Donald Trump came into the White House

women, regardless of age, income or race, should be able to obtain reproductive health services, including abortion, free from political and economic barriers,” Ms Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Iowa’s Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union groups have also spoken out against the bill. “These extreme attempts to ban abortion fly in the face of both medical and legal standards, as well as common sense and public opinion among Iowans,” said Erin Davison-Rippey,

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Guttmacher Institute, told the BBC this was “the most restrictive abortion ban in the country”.

She and Iowa Democrats have suggested the bill is in-

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tentionally unconstitutional.

If Ms Reynolds signs the bill into law, it will likely be challenged in court for possibly violating Roe v Wade, the US Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion in 1973. The ruling states some women have a right to terminate pregnancies until a foetus is viable.

A string of US states have enacted abortion bans or stringent restrictions over recent decades only to have them overturned by the courts, prompting some conservatives to take aim at the landmark ruling.

“We created an opportunity to take a run at Roe v Wade,” Republican state Senator Rick Bertrand acknowledged. Iowa is among a number of states, including Mississippi and Kentucky, that have triggered court challenges by imposing tight restrictions on abortion. President Donald Trump supports an abortion ban and has indicated that this is a priority, and Republicans are seizing the opportunity that creates, say commentators. (BBC)

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Guinea opposition calls for parliamentary inquiry into Bollore

Opposition lawmakers in Guinea on Wednesday called for a parliamentary inquiry into billionaire tycoon Vincent Bollore’s dealings in the West African nation, which are under investigation in France.

French authorities are looking into allegations that a unit of his company Groupe Bollore undercharged for work on behalf of presidential candidates in Guinea and Togo in return for port contracts. Guinea’s Justice Minister Cheick Sako told Reuters last week that it would cooperate with the French investigation.

Guinea’s opposition holds just 37 of a total of 114 seats in parliament so will require support from at least some of Conde’s allies in order to move forward with an inquiry, but the call shows the risk of a public backlash in West Africa to the news. “We demand the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry to shine light on the Bollore affair,” Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, an MP from opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo’s Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), told Reuters.

“We made a proposal for this and it will be before the office of the speaker of the National Assembly tomorrow morning,” he said. Bollore’s lawyer, Olivier Baratelli, has denied any wrongdoing by his client, who is under formal investigation for allegations including corrupting foreign public officials and complicity in breach of trust, forgery and use of forgery, according to a French judicial source.

Groupe Bollore, whose Chief Executive Gilles Alix, is also a target of the investigation, has denied the allegations as well.

The sprawling company has confirmed that its African business interests were being investigated over the billing of work by its communications business Havas Worldwide in Guinea and Togo between 2009 and 2010. Allegations in Guinea center on a concession to manage and expand the container terminal in the capital Conakry. France’s Getma International won the contract in a 2008 tender, beating rivals including Bollore - the dominant port and rail operator across French-speaking West and Central Africa.

Guinea’s current President Alpha Conde came to power after narrowly defeating Diallo in a 2010 election and canceled the agreement with Getma in March of the following year.

Bollore took over the concession the same month. Former transport minister Alpha Ibrahima Keira said last week that Havas’ work during the election had nothing to do with the decision, which the government says was the result of a legal tendering process. Bollore Group has also denied any link between the communications consultancy and the port business. “As with all the proposals made by the opposition since the start of this legislature, we know that this could be abandoned in a desk drawer, but we are committed to clarifying this matter,” opposition MP Gaoual Diallo said. (Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Barbados PM defends stewardship …optimistic of retaining power in general election PRIME Minister Freundel Stuart Wednesday defended the stewardship of his ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) over the last five years and said he remained optimistic it would be returned to power in the May 24 general election.

“We are quite optimistic of our chances in this election, we have done our preparatory work and the team is working very hard on the ground doing house to house and other work necessary,” Stuart told reporters after he and other DLP members paid their BDS$250 (One Barbados dollar=US$0.50 cents) deposit ahead of Nomination Day on Monday.

Stuart, who led the party to a 16-14 victory in

the 2013 general election against the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), told reporters that unlike the opposition party, all the DLP candidates were prepared to contest the polls. “We are ready and we are looking forward to the upcoming elections campaign (with) a clear message for the people of Barbados,” Stuart said, adding that he expects the electorate to use the question of leadership as a guide to their vote.

The BLP is led by attorney Mia Mottley, who could become the first woman here to head a government joining Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana, where in the past women had been elected to head the governments in those countries. “All the elections I have witnessed

in Barbados going back to 1961 were fought on leadership, there is nothing new on that,” he said, adding “there is nothing new on fighting an election on leadership, all election campaigns all across the world are fought on leadership because it is generally thought that if you are going to kill a centipede you don’t step on its tail, you step on its head.

“So the thing to do according to the theory is go for the leader and if you could destroy the leader… then you have made substantial progress in the battle.” Prime Minister Stuart brushed aside suggestions that his administration had been incapable of administering the affairs of the country over the last five

years, telling reporters “I say poppycock, nonsense …rubbish. “We have done this country proud over the last 10 years, we have had to govern Barbados in the most challenging decade the western world has seen since the great depression and we have managed to not only keep Barbados stable but to ensure that those basic amenities to which Barbadians have become accustomed were made available to them on an uninterrupted basis “ He acknowledged that because of the challenging environment in which his administration had to operate “we have had to ask the population to hold hands with us and to trust,” he told reporters.

(CMC)

Government and opposition legislators Tuesday apologised to Jamaicans and more specifically secondary school students for their behaviour recently that led to a private sector group saying it would no longer be sending representatives as spectators to the House of Representatives until parliamentarians adjust “undemocratic, vulgar and embarrassing” behaviour.

The Leader of Government Business, Karl Samuda and the Leader of Opposition Business, Phillip Paulwell, both issued apologies on behalf of their respective sides while acknowledging that the entire episode was regrettable.

Last week several students in the Corporate Area and Clarendon walked out of the House of Representatives as both government and opposition legislators shouted down each other over the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) issue.

The students had in-

tended to hear their parliamentary representatives speak in the opening of the Sectoral Debate, which had to be postponed because the meeting could not move beyond the noisy and threatening exchanges that followed a statement by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.

Samuda told legislators that as leader of Government Business he will ensure that there is no recurrence of the situation while Paulwell said he felt “terrible and I thank the students for returning”. The two legislators –the Jamaica labour Party’s Daryl Vaz and the People’s National Party’s Dr Dayton Campbell – whose

verbal clash sparked the incident, also apologised and the Speaker of House Pearnel Charles said he hoped that order will be in the House from now on.

On Monday, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) said the incident, which caused some students to walk-out of Gordon House, was a cause for concern. “That this display of crass and boorish conduct was televised and occurred in the presence of school children and repre-

sentatives of the diplomatic core is deplorable and a stain on our national image.

However, to make it worse, it is further alleged to have been a deliberate strategy to subvert the normal process of Parliamentary debate.”

The PSOJ called on the leadership of both political parties to take “strong and immediate steps” to ensure the non -recurrence of this type of undemocratic, vulgar and embarrassing behaviour”.

(CMC)

Jamaica MPs apologise for behaviour in House

Belize set referendum date on border dispute with Guatemala THE people of Belize will vote in a referendum on April 10 next year to determine whether or not the country should take its border dispute with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A government statement said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “has already commenced and will step up its public awareness campaign which is being launched under the banner – “ICJ, Be Informed.” It said the nationwide campaign will include various approaches in an effort to reach citizens in every corner of the country.

“Belizeans are encouraged to learn more about this very important issue that they will be asked to decide upon,” the statement said. Last month, the Dean Barrow government congratulated Guatemala for conducting its referendum regarding the centuries old border dispute between the two countries.

The referendum was held in accordance with

the Special Agreement of 2008 between the two countries. Under Article V of the Special Agreement, the parties have agreed to “accept the decision of the Court as final and binding, and undertake to comply with and implement it in full and in good faith”.

Since 1821, Guatemala has laid claim to more than half of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country. It has recognized Belize’s independence in 1991, but continues to claim more than half of the Belizean territory, including various cayes on the Caribbean Sea. In the brief statement, the Belize government said “Cabinet has set the date for the referendum where Belize will decide whether or not to take the dispute arising from Guatemala’s claim to Belize’s land and insular territories, and to the maritime areas pertaining to them, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for final settlement.”

(CMC)

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editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 3, 2018

PAC not for political showboating and convenience

GUYANA, now in the post-People’s Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C) administration period of governance, has since been privy to a brand of hypocrisy that is conveniently egregious for its purveyors’ new-found understanding that the nation’s various procedures and laws must be punctiliously followed; that failure to observe the latter conveys evidence of wrongdoing.

These pronouncements are made by former high-ranking officials of state, who had been very much present and been part and parcel of the day-to-day administration of a country that had descended to levels of state criminality in which every public service department became part of very grave financial improprieties, as used to be illustrated by the many annual Auditor General’s Reports.

The coalition-ordered audits confirmed the criminal scandal and its scope of what took place

in Guyana. The interesting features of these auditor general exercises and results, were their clear and unambiguous identification of the desecration of the standard financial procedures, from which flowed questionable financial payments that were not supported by proper proof of documentation. Numerous overpayments were common, with very few efforts to reclaim same; questionable methodology of awarding of contracts, and other financial venalities that became the masthead of a new understanding of governance.

It is instructive to note that these serious breaches were not investigated and continued year after year. Such a breakdown certainly led to the institutionalised culture of unaccountability that became a perfect cover for deliberate acts of financial impropriety. This is what is being discovered by the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) during its current sittings, at

which officers from the administrative regions especially, have been appearing to answer, not only for their stewardship of public finances, but also issues pertaining to their respective regions that have arisen from the Auditor General’s Reports.

In its many official enquiries, departures from procedures and questionable payments have been found, for which there have been conflicting answers as to their occurrence. This anarchical state of affairs should not be surprising, given the culture that had been allowed to permeate, grow and develop for over two decades. It would seem that there is an attempt to convey the impression that these serious observations and transgressions have only begun as from the coming to government of the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). We find this as attempting to gain cheap political mileage from a

situation that needs clear directions and remedies for whatever discrepancies that are flagged by the Auditor General’s Reports, which engage the committee’s attention.

Now there has been an announcement from the PAC’s chairperson that persons appearing before the committee will have to do so by oath.

Naturally, we ask, why this rule had not been instituted during the PPP/C administration. Of course, we support such a measure, since it is proper and meant to remind public officers as to the seriousness of their responsibilities; their personal honesty and integrity; and propriety.

But we discern the measure as one of political convenience.

What has been confronting the PAC is the continuation of questionable practices that have had their genesis in a gradual degradation of systems in the last PPP/C admin-

istration. Many of the perpetrators who have developed expertise in irregularities, over the years, are still within the system and have continued their ways that are criminal in every way and not in the best interests of Guyana.

In supporting this view, we refer to a Kaieteur News, April 08 article, captioned, “PAC recommends sacking [of] compromised accounting and engineering officers.”

This is in relation to Auditor General’s Reports for 2012, 2013, 2014. The article stated in part, “all point to one thing – the financial system is awash with dishonest accounting and engineering officers. They need to be removed”.

It must be reminded that the PAC is a parliamentary

bi-partisan body, the business of which is the seminal function of overseeing public money and how it has been expended. Where there are indeed serious breaches, then it has the right to pronounce on same, offering solutions/remedies, and other appropriate measures.

But political showboating and convenience are not part of its functions, as well as attempts to turn its meetings into one of political partisanship, by attempting to introduce matters of a political nature that are rightly the subject of the National Assembly. The Honourable Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, sounded this reminder at one of the committee’s sittings.

Attacks against media and journalists are attacks against democracy

ON this day, we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day in a difficult context for journalism. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are being threatened around the world.

Attacks against media and journalists are attacks against democracy, against the freedom of all of us. We pay tribute to all journalists in Europe and worldwide who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. We call on all states to

condemn violence against journalists, to take action to improve the safety of journalists with particular attention to women journalists, and to bring perpetrators and instigators of such violence to justice.

The European Union is founded on the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, on free and pluralistic media as enshrined in the EU’s fundamental rights charter. Press freedom plays a crucial role

in promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability. Independent journalism is vital to hold states accountable and to monitor democratic processes. Free, diverse and independent media, both online and offline, are pillars of a pluralistic and open society, and they bear the great responsibility to guarantee checked and correct news to the public.

Respect for freedom of expression is integrated in

all EU policies and development programmes. EU legislation, policies and instruments have been designed to strengthen media freedom across the union and to improve transparency, credibility and diversity of information online. The EU will continue funding targeted projects in third countries enhancing quality of journalism, access to public information and freedom of expression.

We will consistently

condemn violence against journalists and oppose – in bilateral contacts with third countries as well as in multilateral and regional fora – any legislation, regulation or political pressure that limit freedom of expression and will take concrete steps to prevent and respond to attacks against journalists and bloggers, including emergency assistance to protect human rights defenders at high risk, sometimes by means

of relocation. Today we reaffirm the EU’s determination to keep protecting and promoting freedom of opinion and of expression as rights to be exercised by everyone, everywhere, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality, through any media, within our borders and beyond.

Regards Federica Mogherini EU High Representative

PPP still trying to hoodwink Guyanese Dear Editor MR Mark Benschop has made a very timely intervention in the ongoing debate about the Cyber Crime Bill. Benschop’s letter to the Stabroek News which was reproduced in an article in the Guyana Chronicle,

rightly exposes the hypocrisy of the People’s Progressive Party in trying to whitewash its own dismal failure in governing this country.

Several persons in our recent history were charged with sedition, yet that party’s chief legal spokesperson,

Anil Nandlall, lied to the nation by boldly proclaiming that no one has been charged with sedition for nearly 130 years. Benschop reminded Nandlall thatl he (Benschop, the late Ronald Waddell and Oliver Hinckson) were charged under the same law,

while Bharrat Jagdeo was President not so long ago.

This is the sort of duplicity that the PPP must not be allowed to get away with and Mr Benschop must be commended for this. There are several other instances when the PPP in recent times

have tried to hoodwink the nation, with a form of bornagain morality, speaking out against alleged corruption and the likes, when these issues were never confronted by that party whilst in government.

As we celebrate World

Press Freedom day today, the media must now take up its rightful role in challenging some of the statements being put out by Freedom House.

Regards Troy Garraway

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Caricom ministers commit to actions to advance HR development strategy The 34th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) opened at Theatre Guild on Wednesday with Regional Education Ministers and Officials considering the Regional Action Plan for the Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque; CARICOM Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Douglas Slater; COHSOD Chair and Minister of Education, Youth and Culture – Suriname, Lillian Ferrier; Guyana’s Education Minister, Nicolette Henry; Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Youth Affairs and Sport – Montserrat; and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith were among those present at the opening ceremony.

The Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy was endorsed by Heads of Government last July. Subsequently, a Regional Action Plan for the Strategy for the period 2018-2020 was developed.

O n We d n e s d a y, t h e CARICOM General Secretary said the COHSOD Meeting creates a platform for Ministers to agree on the regional actions and on a coordinated approach to advance the implementation of the overall strategy.

“Implementation is key so that we can address the deficiencies at all levels in

the education system: in early childhood development, at both the primary and secondary levels, in tertiary education; and lifelong

are adequately equipped with 21st century skills and competencies,” LaRocque told those present.

He noted that significant

CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque

For him, the strategy can be seen as another step in the evolution of the development of the region’s human capital.

quality education is the right of every child.

Health and education, she said, must remain high on the agendas for govern-

Education Minister Nicolette Henry

Some of the school children who were present at the opening ceremony of The 34th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) [Photos by Adrian Narine]

learning. This is to ensure that the people of the Region

A free press is essential for peace, justice and human rights for all

IT is crucial to building transparent and democratic societies and keeping those in power accountable. It is vital for sustainable development. Journalists and media workers shine a light on local and global challenges and tell the stories that need to be told. Their service to the public is invaluable.

Laws that protect independent journalism, freedom of expression and the right to information need to be adopted, implemented and enforced. Crimes against journalists must be prosecuted.

On World Press Freedom Day 2018, I call on governments to strengthen press freedom, and to protect journalists. Promoting a free press is standing up for our right to truth.

Thank you.

Regards, General António Guterres United Nations Secretary-General

progress has been made in region since the advent of self-governance, explaining that Caribbean nationals inherited an education system which was not tailored for their peculiar needs, and attempts at stifling their inherent creativity. Despite the obstacles and challenges faced, LaRocque said the region now has literacy rates about 90 percent.

“It seeks to develop the ideal Caribbean person in all of us, but especially in our youth. With such a grounding our people will be able to demonstrate the attributes of good citizenship, integrity, professionalism and innovativeness,” the CARICOM Secretary General noted.

Guyana’s Education Minister, in delivering brief remarks, noted that access to

ments as they develop their countries at a time when human resources are scarce.

In Guyana, she said, the Government has recognised that quality education is reflected in an education system that provides the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes which respond to national and global needs and expectations.

“Educating a nation is

a cross cutting endeavour.

When your nations are educated on all aspects of life; academically, economically and socially then our citizens will be able to create a society that is powerfully confident in its existence,” she said.

Minister Henry noted too that at the Ministerial level she and her officers are working on arriving at policies and programmes designed to respond to the needs of other countries and improve efficiency and effectiveness and quality in both health and education sectors. “In the education sector we have enjoyed fruitful valuable partnership with local regional and international partners,” she posited.

Over the next two days there is a lot of work to do as the organs of the Caribbean Community work together to fulfill the requirements of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she emphasized.

Chair of COHSOD and Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Suriname, Lillian Ferrier noted too that the Strategy addresses several of the issues articulated not only by the region’s youth but by their parents, teachers and the wider community.

The successful implementation of the Human Resource Development Strategy is critical part of the Region’s response to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 which seeks to ensure “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

The two-day COHSOD meeting is being held under the theme “Positioning Human Resource Development as Central to Caribbean Resilience and Development.”

Apology IN our Wednesday, May 2, 2018 edition, we carried an article headlined “Two die in Loo Creek smash-up” containing a photograph of the likeness of Jermaine Samuel Thomas. The article stated that Thomas suffered injuries in the accident and has been hospitalised.

Thomas, a police constable attached to the Tactical Service Unit, is currently on sick leave and has since contacted this newspaper, indicating that he was not involved in the accident as was reported.

The Guyana Chronicle sincerely apologises to Thomas for the distress and inconvenience this inaccurate information may have caused him, his family and professional associates.

7

Jermaine Samuels Thomas

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

15-yr-old loses baby AG in move to salvage outsourced state cases hours after delivery …calls on private attorneys to return matters

A WEST Demerara family is seeking answers and justice after a 15-year-old member of the family lost her baby hours after giving birth at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the young lady was enrolled in a clinic in West Demerara and after some time, she was considered a high-risk case and began attending the high-risk clinic.

This was after ultrasound performed on the teenager found that she did not have enough passage to deliver the baby normally.

“We were advised that her due date was initially set for April 24, but she was rushed to the hospital hours before that after complaining of contraction pains. She was then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital after doctors in West Demerara informed relatives that in addition to a non-working theatre and the child’s lack of passage, she needed to have the child delivered by C-section. On Thursday April 27, the teenager delivered the baby after it was reportedly forced out of her by constant pressing on her tommy. This was against the advice of doctors at the West Demerara hospital, who, when they transferred the pregnant girl to the Georgetown Public Hospital, recommended that she deliver via C-Section,” a

close relative said.

NO PROPER COMMUNICATION The teen’s family also said that the atmosphere at the GPHC Maternity Ward was not accommodating and accused medical personnel there of not properly communicating with the teen and her relatives.

The teenager’s mother said she was able to speak with the head of the Maternity Ward who indicated to her that the baby died because the water bag of the young mother broke.

She said the head of department related that during delivery, a machine was attached to the young mother and that was supposed to provide a visual of what was going on in her tommy and guide medical personnel on how to treat with the difficult delivery.

However, during that process, the mother of the teen was told that the machine broke down and when the baby was delivered, it was found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the child’s neck. The woman said the doctor admitted to her that had the machine been up and working, they would have been able to detect this problem.

PULLED OUT Asked about her experience, the teenage mother said

that it was a horrible experience, as medical personnel had pressed her tommy and pulled the infant out of her.

She said it was very uncomfortable and even indicated to the personnel that she was unable to deliver the baby, but they kept telling her that the pressing was necessary. The young lady said at the end of it, she had to receive internal and exterior stitches caused by the baby being forced out of her.

“We were advised that the baby was delivered alive, but after some hours he died in the incubator,” the young lady said. The family had already named the child Joshua.

The teenager became pregnant in August last year and soon after the matter reached the police, child care, welfare and social workers.

The police conducted an investigation, but the young lady explained that she did not know who the father was.

As a result of this, no arrest was made.

According to the sexual Offences Act, anyone who has sex with a child below age 16 would be guilty of rape. The law clearly states that no child below age 16 can consent to sex. The death of the baby has since been reported to the Public Health Ministry which has launched an investigation into the matter.

BEST take-away lunch May 5 THE take-away lunch sponsored by the Burnham Educational Scholarship Trust which was scheduled for Sunday, April 1, 2018, will now be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018.

It will now come off at the residence of Alan Munroe, Thorne’s Drive, Durban Backlands.

Original tickets are valid for Sunday’s function with food coming off the grill from noon.

The Burnham Trust provides money to high school students in Guyana for school books, uniforms and transportation throughout their academic years.

Labourer granted bail for robbery with violence ULWIN Boston, 57, of Westbury Village, Essequibo Coast, was on Monday charged for robbery with violence when he appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

The charge stated that on April 27, he

robbed Chaitwattie Sooknanan of cash and jewellery using violence in the process.

The court heard that he choked the woman and took away her gold jewellery and cash amounting to $155 000.

Boston pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of $250 000. The case will be heard again on May 21.

ATTORNEYS who are currently working on or have been assigned cases through the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers prior to May 2015 have been asked to submit in writing a list of said cases before May 7 to the Chambers.

In a notice published in the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, the AG’s Chambers said those not authorised by the current AG, Basil Williams, SC to represent the chambers in outstanding matters are required to “immediately notify the chambers of the said matters.” “You are asked to give a written report to the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senior Counsel Basil Williams, MP, regarding the status of each case for which you have conduct,” the notice stated.

Over the past few months, Williams said that in many cases inherited from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration, no documentation can be sourced at his office. He said oftentimes cases had been outsourced, but no reports were filed at the AG’s Chambers, an act he described as in contravention of norms.

In the November 2017 Dipcon Engineering Limited case against the government, where the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed an appeal by the AG of Guyana in the $446M contractual dispute, Williams told reporters that the case is one of several inherited from the PPP. He stressed that no notice was given to the APNU+AFC coalition government until the period allotted under the rules of the Court of Appeal to appeal, had expired. “Further to that, there was no evidence of the file at the AG’s chambers – it is a new AG and it wasn’t until February at the budget that I was informed by the leader of the opposition about the case.”

The CCJ dismissed the AG’s request and awarded costs to the Trinidad company to the tune of US$2.2M and ordered that the judgment delivered more than two years prior be enforced.

The CCJ ruled that the appeal concerns a procedural issue

Attorney General Basil Williams

and does not fall within the ambit of Section 6 of the CCJ Act. In fact, the court said Section 6 does not give a right of appeal against the Court of Appeal’s refusal to enlarge time for appealing and that the appropriate recourse in such a situation is to apply to the CCJ for special leave to appeal, pursuant to section 8 of the CCJ Act. “In the absence of acceptable justification for failing to file these applications, the court concluded that it had no jurisdiction to allow the state to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s refusal to grant an extension of time,” the summary stated.

Notwithstanding that, the court acknowledged that it may, in a proper case, grant an extension of time to comply with the rules to avert a clear miscarriage of justice. Back then, the AG had indicated that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) would be asked to probe cases where attorneys recruited to act on behalf of the state, in turn represent the intended opponent.

Similarly, last month’s ruling by the High Court to have government pay over $1.7B in damages to Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) after losing its challenge to that company’s ownership of land at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara (ECD), resulted in a similar claim by the AG. Part of the land in question houses land occupied by MovieTowne cinema and shopping mall. “There is no way we are going to allow that 1.7B judgment to stand without scrutiny,” said Wil-

liams, who indicated that the state would appeal the case. On the sidelines of the 3rd annual International Commercial Arbitration Conference held here last week, the AG indicated that the TPL case mirrors that of Dipcon Engineering Limited, which was inherited by the APNU+AFC coalition government.

“The Toolsie Persaud case is just like the Dipcon case. My chambers had no knowledge of the case, there is no file in the chambers … we are surprised that we are represented by the old regime under Mr Nandlall.”The state was represented by Ashton Chase. “We are investigating it now and of course we will appeal it,” he assured, noting that his office had requested a list of cases outstanding from the chief justice and the Court of Appeal as well as certain practitioners.

Williams said it is unusual for the state to outsource a case and not have any record of same. He told the Guyana Chronicle that while he had received responses from the chief justice, Court of Appeal and the practitioners asked, none made mention of the case. “Yes, but no case like that. We weren’t told they had the case…we have to examine now, look at it and read the records.

If you had a case since 2008, weren’t you supposed to bring in the case?” Williams said too that the crime chief was asked to probe cases where attorneys recruited to act on behalf of the state, in turn represent the intended opponent.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Dr. Jagan commemorative stamps unveiled

Members of Dr Cheddi Jagan’s family stand alongside the unveiled commemorative stamps Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency (Adrian Narine photo)

THE Government of Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) and the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC) on Wednesday unveiled commemorative stamps in honour of the 100th birth anniversary of former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The unveiling ceremony took place in the Mazaruni Room of the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) in the presence of Dr Jagan’s relatives, members of the GPOC and staff of the MoTP. Director of the CJRC, Hydar Ally, said the stamps represent a fitting tribute to Dr Jagan, who served as the country’s third executive president.

“This year, 2018, is a very special year, the 100th birth anniversary of Dr Jagan,” said Ally, who described Dr Jagan as a man who dedicated his entire life to a peaceful, progressive and democratic Guyana. “It was his steadfast dedication to free his people from the yoke of colonialism and poverty that really distinguished him from others of his type…Dr Jagan has left us a rich and enduring legacy of struggle for a better Guyana and I may add, a better world,” he said.

Ally, who outlined Dr Jagan’s life, expressed elation that the commemorative stamps and First Day Covers have been launched.

“We feel good about the launch, I think it is a very rewarding experience to have reached this point ---to have the handing-over ceremony,” he said, while reminding that it was the CJRC’s expectation that the handing-over ceremony would have been held in March, the month of Dr Jagan’s birth.

President David Granger had said earlier this year that his Cabinet took a decision that commemorative stamps, which are national symbols, must adhere to national criteria. He said such symbols must not be used for private, partisan or political messages, but ought to be used for national purposes.

The printing of the commemo-

Chief Protocol Officer at MoTP, Colonel Francis Abraham

rative stamps to honour Dr Jagan was scheduled to mark his 100th birth anniversary in March, but was placed on hold. Government had said that it had no objection to honouring the life and legacy of Dr. Jagan, but noted that there should be equity in the printing of such commemorative stamps, which are national symbols.

“We were disappointed… but I feel that the important thing for us is that we have gotten the First Day Covers,” while noting that the research centre had invested some $400,000 into the project. “It is kind of a business transaction between the centre and the post office,” Ally noted.

The stamp was produced and designed by the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation (IGPC), located in New Jersey in the United States of America (USA). Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, along with members of the opposition, including Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, Ally, Indra Chandarpal, Komal Chand and Neil Kumar were invited to the ceremony by the CJRC, but were no-shows. As part of an agreement between the MoTP and the CJRC, a list was submitted by the CJRC on April 30 to ensure their smooth access to the venue. But Ally did not view the absence of the PPP, the party which Dr Jagan formed, as the “breaking of ranks”. “There is a very close relationship between the centre and the party (PPP), so there is no question of breaking ranks. I am not seeing any kind

A section of the gathering at Wednesday’s unveiling of the commemorative stamps in honour of Dr Cheddi Jagan (Adrian Narine photo)

Director of the CJRC, Hydar Ally

of breaking of ranks as far as the occasion is concerned,” he told reporters just after the unveiling ceremony. “So we feel pleased that we have reached this point, so there is nothing we should feel bad about. What was felt bad about is what I already indicated and that is we didn’t get the launch at the time when the daughter of the former president was here,” he explained.

DEFINING OCCASION Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GPOC, Dr. Raphael Massiah, said the unveiling of the stamps represents a defining occasion befitting the former Guyanese leader. He said he was proud of observe the unveiling of the stamps in honour of Dr Jagan, whom he described as an honourable man. “He not only fixed the geo-political boundary, but he was born at a time when there was great struggle and he was in the forefront at that time even until his demise,” Massiah stated, while acknowledging the “little glitch” in relation to the initial launch of the commemorative stamps.

“The reset button was pressed and now rather than just a presentation and a launch that would have honoured him in a way that would only have reflected his work in a partial manner, we are now witnessing a launch that is truly reflective of his life and work being honoured by this nation,” said Massiah.

He characterised the launch as

Chairman of Board of Directors of the GPOC Dr. Raphael Massiah

a “sign of hope for this nation,” while urging Guyanese to work together for the advancement of Guyana. Representing government, Chief Protocol Officer at MoTP Colonel Francis Abraham applauded the CJRC for initiating the process to have a commemorative stamp printed in honour of Dr Jagan. He said while the stamp was not launched to coincide with Dr Jagan’s 100th birth anniversary as was the intention of the executive of the CJRC, the ceremony still holds great significance.

“However, this does not make this day any less fitting; it was always the government’s position that Cheddi Jagan should be so honoured in recognition of a life of national service and personal sacrifice. It was decided that the launch of the stamp would not merely be a poster event, but rather one which would have the approval of the National Awards Committee as these stamps are indeed national symbols,” said Abraham, who served as the Aidede-Camp for the duration of Dr Jagan’s presidency.

The symbolic stamps were also presented to the CJRC and the GPOC. The limited-edition stamps will be made available across the country at the GPOC’s locations for sale today.

Dr Jagan was born on March 22, 1918, at Plantation Port Mourant, British Guiana, and passed away on March 6, 1997.

He was first elected Chief Minister in 1953 and later Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964. He later served as president 1992-1997.

Wanted bulletin out for alleged killer of Uitvlugt man A WANTED bulletin has been issued for 47-year-old Sheldon Colin Abrams in connection with the murder of Colin Clark between November 25 and December 3, 2015 at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Clark, who at the time of his death was said to be operating his car at the Vreed-en-Hoop car park, disappeared on November 27. His body was later found on December 3, in a trench at Uitvlugt. Some three weeks after he had disappeared and a week after his decomposing body was found in a trench, Clark’s missing Toyota Allion motorcar was found under a house at Perth, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Abrams who is of African descent and of Lot 6 Supply, Mahaica, ECD, is asked

Wanted man, Sheldon Colin Abrams

to contact the police on telephone numbers 226-2870, 229-2655, 2292289, 227-1149, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station.

All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

‘Much more to come from education Man gets 33 years for killing hotel owner in Region 10’ – Marcia Paddy …as a result of the 2018 education capital work programme REGIONAL Education Officer of Region 10, Marcia Paddy, is of the opinion that the education sector is seeing progress and development and much more is expected as a result of the education 2018 works programme. In addition, she said they are implementing systems to boost the performance base of both students and teachers within the region.

With regards to capital works for Region 10, the main project is the construction of the Bamia Nursery and Primary School. The contract is currently at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board and the land is currently being cleared to commence construction. The school will cost the government $291 million and will be constructed in two phases. It will accommodate students residing in Bamia and surrounding communities on the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway as well as students living in Amelia’s Ward Phases 2 and 3 areas.

The Bamia students are currently housed in a small multi-complex community

centre which is very uncomfortable to both students and teachers. It will also alleviate the overcrowded situation at Amelia’s Ward Primary School. The nursery school will facilitate 149 children and the primary school will facilitate a maximum of 750 children. Currently, there are about 60 students attached to the nursery and primary schools with about 8 teachers. “Where they are right now in terms of physical activities and classroom delivery, it is very crowded because in that lower flat they have the nursery as well as the primary programme and we know that the nursery programme is separate from the primary…. so even though they have one teacher per class, they are very cramped,” Paddy had said in a previous interview. The school will also include a library, computer lab and playground, which will allow the children to have full exposure.

Another major capital work that has commenced in 2018 is the entire overhaul of the Christianburg- Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) to

the tune of $229M. “Rehabilitation work has begun there, so it is the entire building that will be done over along with the facilities in the school,” Paddy related. The work is being done in phases and the children are currently attending school in a shift system to accommodate the works.

Principal of CWSS, Cleveland Thomas, has been calling for the renovation of the school which was neglected for decades.

CWSS is one of the top performing schools in Linden and in 2015, for the first time, the school copped 7 of the top 10 places in Region 10 for CSEC and continues to acquire places in that top bracket. This performance was repeated in 2017. The school’s pass rate has also increased to 67%. It has also managed to extend its curriculum by adding Spanish, Economics, Theatre Arts and Physics to the list. CWSS has also been making headlines for its football team that has been repeated champions at the annual Digicel’s Schools Football Competition.

A bus was purchased to transfer the children from

the Christianburg to attend the St Aidens Primary School and positive news is in the pipeline for the construction of a brand new Christianburg Primary School.

At the Department of Education, Paddy said that there is now a full complement of officers and coordinators for all the work programmes. “In terms of capacity, in terms of staff, in regards to education officers, we have a full complement of staff and so what we have noticed is that in the first three months, we would have had an increase in visits to schools and we would have surpassed our targets,” Paddy said.

A fortnightly cluster has also been implemented for headteachers who now have the opportunity of sharing best practises. Relating to headteachers at schools in Kwakwani and the Upper Berbice River, a three-day workshop was held to aid them in capacity building, completion of records and literacy and numeracy.

That sub district also now has a resident officer to better manage the affairs of the schools in that area.

BRIAN LEITCH Leitch called “bigfoot” was on Wednesday sentenced to 33 years imprisonment by Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Demerara High Court for the murder of South Central proprietor, Joseph Jagdeo called ‘Joey’.

The prosecution’s case was that between the 13th and 14th of November, 2013, the accused murdered Jagdeo and stuffed his body under a bed in room 10 at the deceased’s own place of business.

A post-mortem revealed that 59-year-old Jagdeo died as a result of asphyxia due to manual strangulation. Leitch, who was19 years old at the time, had turned himself over to the police on November 30, 2013, after a wanted bulletin was issued for him. He was charged and remanded to prison to await his first court appearance.

On 4th April his trial began and on 16th April he denied being the killer in the presence of a 12-member jury but was later found guilty of manslaughter when the murder trial came to an end the following day. On Wednesday after all the calculations

Sentenced to 33 years: Brian Leitch called “bigfoot” (Samuel Maughn photo)

were made, the accused was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Speaking to the media, one of Leitch’s relatives said that the true killer is still at large and the police should do their job to find that person whom she believes committed the act with an ulterior motive. The state was represented by Mandel Moore and Lisa Cave while the defence attorneys were Lawrence Harris and Hewley Griffith.

Linden youths clamour for recreational facilities AT a meeting held by Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael and team at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground in Linden on Wednesday, young people representing various youth groups in Linden voiced their concerns over the lack of recreational facilities and empowerment programmes available in the region.

Municipal Councillor Elise Hall, whose constituency is Amelia’s Ward, related to the director that the community, which is the biggest in Linden, has no identified recreational facility, which poses grave negative impact for the youth. She related that residents were able to secure a double plot of land, but after many years, all that was achieved was the fencing of the land. “Residents continually made attempt to get things done, but everybody knows the challenges we faced in the past; it is sad to say that at this time, we are almost facing the same challenges, because we are

not getting anywhere,” Hall vented.

Similar frustration was aired by Regional Chairman Renis Morian, who said that the youth of Linden need not only facilities but programmes and activities into which they can channel positive energy, since there are a number of negative choices within the community, towards which they are gravitating. “[For] our young people in Region 10, there isn’t that enabling environment. What we got to bring to our young people? Where can they sit down and talk and share to people that they trust, not people that want to abuse them,” Morian said.

Several youths present expressed interest in becoming involved in youth empowerment and development activities but in many cases, they are stifled by the lack of resources as well as ineffective public relations. It is the view of many that the several programmes available are not properly advertised to capture Linden’s youth. Stephen

A section of the audience representing various youth groups in Linden listening keenly to Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael

Francis, who does volunteering at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground, believes that the core of the issue is creating stimulation among the youth. He believes that many of the youth in Linden need to find themselves before they can get involved in the various programmes the department will be rolling out.

“We need to do programmes that empower youth, let the youth see that they have the power… the youth don’t

know who they are, they are suffering from low self-esteem, they believe the system fails them, we have to get things to stimulate their potential,” Francis said.

VOLUNTEERISM AND PROACTIVE APPROACH The youth were encouraged to get involved in volunteerism and to be more proactive, since the Department of Youth cannot

provide everything that is needed for their ideas to materialise. One representative of the Linden Youth Corps, Lotoya Howard, encouraged the young people to seek various avenues to meet their needs, rather than just sit and wait for something to be done. “Our young people need to be re-educated about what volunteerism is and how they can get themselves involved; what we need to do is if we are not getting it, don’t let us just sit down and complain about it, we need to get it ourselves, we have to interact with the people in our community and then we can show them that we did all of this and we are looking for this now,” Howard said.

MINISTRY IS WILLING TO HELP The director said that though funding and resources may be limited and what is available has to be distributed across all 10 regions, she encouraged the youth to submit proposals for funding of

various projects early, so that they can be included in the budget. She chided the young people for not doing so, since it is within their best interest to make the first move, rather than wait until representatives of the department visit, to complain about what is not being done. She reiterated that the youth of Linden are always priority on the ministry’s agenda and several resources and programmes have benefited scores of youth in Linden in the past. “There is only so much we can do, but you will have to be willing to seize the opportunity, because sometimes the opportunity is right in front your face,” Carmichael urged. The youth were urged to get involved in the several National Youth Week activities slated for May 20th to 27th, as well as the upcoming business youth innovation project where young people will be awarded grants to start up businesses.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

GPA rails against fake news outlets …threatens to name and shame to protect public THE Guyana Press Association has warned against fake news operations here and threatened to name and shame the owners of such outlets in an effort to protect unsuspecting citizens.

In its World Press Freedom Day message, the GPA said the occasion allows it the opportunity to call on media workers and Guyanese of all walks of life to zealously guard against fake news operations, especially on the Internet. ”While the GPA promotes and is vigilant against anyone trampling on the sacred right of freedom of expression, we shall not allow the profession of journalism to be smeared by those who promote themselves as the local guardian under the guise of being a media outfit. The GPA will seriously consider whether, in the

interest of the promotion of high-quality journalism, we shall have to name fake news outlets in an effort to protect unsuspecting members of the public from being duped or adversely influenced by fabricated content,” the media body said in its statement.

It alluded to the World Press Freedom Day 2018 concept note, which states in part: “There have also been major attempts to fabricate news, and utilise social media, in order to polarise people and discredit authentic journalism. These problems highlight the importance of an independent, critical and pluralistic media environment, and the need for free and professional journalism.”

Moreover, the GPA said it is cognisant that in our society, lines of power, authority and decision-making in the media are blurred by

shared interests, goals and objectives and said the association is of the firm position that editors and other media managers need to stand up to those in authority and influence who seek to impose restrictions on freedom of expression because of their dislike of the opinions of others.

“Readily coming to mind is the decision by the stateowned and government-controlled Guyana Chronicle to discontinue the contributions by columnists Professor David Hinds and trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis. Similarly, the GPA has observed the increasing frequency among certain media houses of deliberately slanting their stories to fit certain political frames of reference, more often in keeping with their owners’ political preference.”

GRA to guard against inter-company manipulation of oil profits THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is keen on preventing the loss and reduction of profits from the oil and gas sector through inter-company manipulation of revenue associated with the sale of oil. This is according to Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia, during a presentation to the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industries (CAGI) on petroleum taxation.

Statia said that revenue associated with the sale of oil can be subject to manipulation through inter-company and related party transactions. He said exaggerated costs of services could result in a decrease in available profit-oil, while deliberately depressed oil prices or nonarm’s length transactions in the sale of oil can also lead to a reduced share to the government and a larger share to the contractor. Statia pointed out that differing tax rates in jurisdictions where the contractor or its subsidiaries operate, can also create the incentive to shift profits out of Guyana to zero or low-tax jurisdictions and shift costs into Guyana, thereby distorting the tax base and profit base for profit-oil sharing.

The GRA head said that it is not unusual for multinationals to incur legitimate costs in the form of business overheads for services such as accounting, human, mar-

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Godfrey Statia

keting, procurement and IT among others, but these costs should be fair, reasonable and in line with arm’s length principles, the commissioner-general related. He said, “Excessive debt financing and recoverable interest should also be subjected to scrutiny and be subjected to limitations, especially so when the loan transactions are between affiliated or associated companies. Thinly capitalised positions in the absence of rules aimed at limiting interest claims will be challenging and will require stringent policing efforts by the GRA.” Statia insisted.

He said on the revenue side, accurate reporting of the components of gross revenue such as volume of production and sale price (value) of production, would

have to be safeguarded. “The greater risk lies in accurately assessing the true market value of oil, especially when such a sale takes place between affiliated companies.

When the sale is between unrelated third parties, market values are easier discerned through international benchmarks after considering crude quality, upliftment and production methods,” Statia highlighted.

He said the ability to move revenues and shift costs between countries has become common for multinational companies. “Complex corporate structures are adopted by many multinational companies, often using a conduit company; subsidiary, incorporated in a low-tax or tax haven jurisdiction, as part of the chain of ownership leading to the main operator in the host country.”

Realising that GRA lacks the capacity to fully scrutinise the oil industry, Statia said international assistance has been sought. The GRA said it has reached out to the Office of Technical Assistance (OTA), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Kingdom, and Trinidad and Tobago, for training and secondment/ attachments to help deal with the related issues.

President of the GPA, Nazima Raghubir

According to the body, over the months it has had reports of government officials calling media houses to demand sources from reporters, to demand that media outlets refrain from providing coverage to other public officials and threatening to call the police to remove reporters from public meetings.

“These actions are not much different from the days when journalists were banned from

the Office of the President or State House and media houses found their economic viability threatened over the withdrawals of state advertisement,” the GPA said.

The body said none of this does the public “we serve any good because, instead of keeping power in check, they are provided information that amounts to half-baked truths that in the final analysis make them less informed and educated to arrive at rational conclusions or decisions. The endgame is the cultivation and perpetuation of a destructive media culture, in which media operatives see themselves as serving their political masters or other self-serving entities instead of the wider public.”

The GPA asserted that a truly independent media is vitally necessary to guard against human rights abuses, electoral malpractices, lack of transparen-

cy and accountability and gender-based inequalities.

“Our association takes this opportunity to publicly urge the Government of Guyana and the opposition to discuss and arrive at a consensus to delete from the proposed Cybercrime legislation, provisions that will amount to institutionalisation of criminal defamation. Those provisions, we contend, must be removed because they are not in accordance with the global shift towards the removal of criminal defamation from the law books of several countries, including a number of them in the Caribbean. Guyana will be retrogressing instead of progressing by entrenching the criminalisation of freedom of expression, if certain sections in the Cybercrime Bill are enacted into law,” the statement ended.

$10M seafood processing facility for Smith Creek THE selling of crab and fish is the main source of income for residents of Smith Creek, Morawhanna and Imbotero in Region One and plans to establish a processing facility will allow them to add value to their catches.

The $10M crab and fish-processing facility will be constructed in Smith Creek and will be supported

by Morawhanna and Imbotero. Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, during a meeting at Smith Creek noted that the undertaking is in keeping with an objective of the ministry to develop small industries in the hinterland regions that provide sources of incomes for residents.

“You need to be able to get the opportunity to earn your own money like everyone else,” the minister stated.

She noted that the ministry is carrying out a similar venture at Moruca in the region. In a move to re-develop the coffee industry in the sub-district, the ministry recently launched a $10M ground coffee project in the

community.

Twelve farmers were selected to each plant an acre of coffee for what is intended to be a “family-oriented project,” producing ground Robusta Coffee.

Minister Garrido-Lowe observed that the crab and fish-processing factory will resolve the challenges residents face in finding a market for their excess stocks not sold at the local market.

The residents’ catches would often be sold at the Kumaka Market, but oftentimes significant portions remain unsold and have gone to waste. The residents were given three weeks to find a suitable location on which to construct the facility.

The minister explained to the resident that they will also receive technical support from the Fisheries Department towards making the facility operational.

She underscored that the training is to ensure that the operations of the facility are in keeping with international standards.

“You have to have international standards if we want to sell our crab meat

and fish meat; we have to have everything hygienic,” she explained.

The initiative was widely welcomed by residents of the communities. Marlon Jerome of Imbetero said he cannot wait for the project to come on stream and is prepared to work “hand in hand” with the other two communities.

Ganesh Sookdeo of Smith Creek noted that the facility would be very beneficial.

“It will help a lot of old people, children, and everybody could own a little money to send their children to school and do other things,” he noted.

Other small industries ventures successfully executed by the ministry is the Pakaraimas Flavour project. This value-added project centred on the village of Paramakatoi and surrounding communities of Bamboo Creek and Mountain Foot, located deep in the Pakaraima highlands, in Region Eight, focuses on the production of organic, sundried tomatoes and salad dressings. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

GCCI throws support behind Cyber Bill …but urges removal of sedition clause THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) has called for removal of the sedition clause in the Cybercrime Bill, but offered its full support to

the overall intent of the proposed legislation.

In a statement on Wednesday, the GCCI said, “The overall thrust of the Bill which, seeks to give pa-

rameters, legal structure and regulations to a space where these are currently absent, is commendable. The chamber wishes to re-emphasise its support for the rule of law in

society and continues to remain supportive of the equal application of the rule of law, especially as it relates to matters of good governance,” the GCCI said.

However, the body said it is with this in mind that it would like to register its concern with elements of the Cyber Crime Bill, especially Section 18 which provides a structure for the charge of sedition, and more particularly 1A of Section 18.

“The GCCI is of the view that freedom of speech and expression of views through debate, discourse and discussion, underpin a healthy democracy and foster a conducive environment for a country’s development. The chamber believes that sedition as an offence impinges on an individual’s right to criticise and has no place in a well-functioning democracy,” the statement said.

The GCCI said as an institution dedicated to advocacy, “We stress that the right to freedom of expression is not only a right but a community responsibility. Therefore, we call on all legislators to remove Section 18(1) A of the Cyber Crime Bill and urge that this bill remain free

of [the] oppressive and archaic charge of sedition.”

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, said that he will be seeking Cabinet’s advice on the sedition clause of the Cybercrime Bill before making any further decisions, but he roasted the People’s Progressive Party for what he called its hypocrisy on the contentious issue.

There has been widespread opposition to Section 18 (1) of the Bill which states that a person commits an offence of sedition if the person, whether in or out of Guyana, intentionally publishes, transmits or circulates by use of a computer system a statement or words, whether spoken or written, a text, video, image, sign, visible representation, or other thing, that “bring or attempt to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite or attempt to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in Guyana.”

Although the AG said he will seek advice on the clause, he pointed out that careful thought was put into crafting the bill. “You have a bill that was drafted after a team from my chambers went

to America on a cybercrime conference…they drafted it and drew on other jurisdictions…the bill was also published on our website and comments were invited and people submitted comments,” said Williams in an invited comment on Tuesday. The comments were considered and the bill was adjusted, then reposted on their website, he said, adding that there was also a general consultation on the bill at the Pegasus Hotel before it was taken to the National Assembly.

According to the AG, the bill was open to further scrutiny at the level of the Parliamentary Select Committee, after it was first tabled in the National Assembly. “When it goes there [select committee] is to ensure that any slippage would be addressed; now it [select committee] had leading lights from the PPP, including Teixeira and Nandlall and even Rohee…they never raised any objection,” the AG asserted.

He went on to point out that the PPP/C members had in fact stopped turning up for the final meetings before the bill was completed by the committee and laid in Parliament.

50 professionals trained in radiation safety, regulation THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health hosted a five-day training workshop on ‘Basic Radiation Safety and the Regulation of Radiation Sources’ from April 16-20, 2018, at the Environmental Protection Agency’s boardroom, Ganges Street, Sophia.

The training saw 50 professionals from the public and private sectors involved in the use of radiation and radioactive sources and its management in attendance.

Users from the medical, industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as regulatory bodies in the fields of environment, customs and mining were trained in areas such as radiation sources and protection; legal framework and legislation, medical uses, public exposure, transport, industrial uses and consumer products. Participants were drawn from nine of the 10

administrative regions.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Environmental Protection Agency’s board, Dr. Patrick Williams, encouraged the participants to grasp as much as they could to guard against the dangers of radiation and to have the requisite systems in place to protect human health, biodiversity and the environment.

An overview of the national context was provided

by Tashana Redmond, Senior Environmental Officer, Environmental Protection Agency and Petal Surujpaul, Medical Physicist, Ministry of Public Health. Redmond indicated that the EPA currently regulates the industrial sources of radiation, while the Ministry of Public Health has responsibility for the medical sources.

Guyana is currently implementing Project RLA 9082, on Establishing and Strengthening Sustainable National Regulatory Infrastructures for the Control of

Radioactive Sources under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The goal of this project is to build the competence and expertise needed by national regulatory bodies to establish and operate an adequate regulatory programme for the safety and security of radiation sources. This comprehensive and robust training was conducted by consultants from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tasos Zodiates, of the United Kingdom and Bob Irwin, of Canada.

Participants received certificates upon successful completion. Further, recommendations for additional training of regulatory staff in radiation protection and authorisation, as well as strengthening capacity for radiation monitoring were made. The need for a Radiation Protection Act and Associated Regulations was also highlighted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Security guard walks free

By Lisa Hamilton

MARLON CALLENDER was on Wednesday found not guilty by Justice Sandil Kissoon for the 2015 killing of East Bank Demerara (EBD) fisherman, Envil Pollard called “Rastaman”.

On the morning of January 29, 2015, Callender, 27, a former security guard at Pritipaul Singh Investment, allegedly

shot and killed Pollard, 45, a father of eight, at the establishment’s wharf at Mc Doom, EBD. Callendar had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and a 12-member jury was selected for the case.

During a previous court appearance, the accused opted to give an unsworn statement from the box in which he admitted to shooting the de-

ceased but stated that it was in self-defense.

According to his account, on the day in question, he received two radio messages from his colleague, Terrence Philips, that the fisherman was under the company’s wharf and refused to remove despite several warnings.

The accused told the court that upon visiting the wharf, he had a verbal confrontation

with Pollard which led to him firing a warning shot. It resulted in the fisherman cursing and threating to kill him.

Callendar said Pollard had advanced to him with a knife at which point he shot him with his company-issued firearm, resulting in his death.

The jury examined witness statements, police evidence, reports and other facts surrounding the case and, following deliberations, arrived at a unanimous ‘not guilty’ verdict.

without a father? We don’t have any grievances or nothing against he [Callendar] but as I said, he get away from man but he won’t get away from God,” she said.

Wife of the deceased, Ashmoon Khan Freed: Marlon Callendar (photo by Samuel Maughn)

The State was represented by prosecutors Lisa Cave and Mandel Moore. Callender was represented by Attorney Everton Singh-Lammy.

Sister of the deceased, Sharon Pollard, who spoke to the media following the verdict, said justice was not served for her brother.

“Justice wasn’t handed down fairly because what happened to the eight children

Meanwhile, wife of the deceased, Ashmoon Khan collapsed on the floor of the courts’ hallway crying and clutching a photo of her children while saying: “This is not fair, they robbed my children their rights.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Media urged to play role in national development …PM warns against outlets becoming fiefdoms of political parties ON the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has urged the media here to play a constructive role in promoting national development, noting that the nation is faced with many serious challenges and journalists are crucial in helping to overcome them.

“I hope that journalists and their media would join in the national effort to protect our sovereignty, our environment and our national way of life. On its part, government has a duty to be transparent and it must partner with journalists and their media by providing information on a regular and timely basis,” Mr Nagamootoo said in his message.

He reaffirmed his gov-

ernment’s commitment to strengthening press freedom and to protect journalists, in keeping with the hope of United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

In his message, the Secretary General stated that “promoting a free press is standing up for our right to truth”.

Nagamoootoo said May 3 provides an opportunity to assess the state of press freedom in the world and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Observed under the theme ‘Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law’, World Press Freedom Day is a timely reminder of the important role of the media as a watchdog in our democracy by helping to keep government accountable by exposing any arbitrary use

of and abuse of power.

The Prime Minister said under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, Guyana has

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

improved its press freedom ranking in the latest Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Guyana has moved up five places and now ranks 55 among 180 countries.

“Guyanese journalists are

free once again to practice their profession without being subjected to state-sponsored physical attacks, terror threats to their publishing houses, or being branded “carrion crows” and “vultures”. No journalist has been prosecuted in recent years under any known criminal defamation law, or falsely imprisoned, tortured or killed in the line of duty.”

He mentioned that recently, several new private operatives of radio and television facilities have been licensed in a fair process. This has put a stop to the corrupt distribution by the previous government of broadcast licences to its political cronies as well as to the former ruling party. “The reform of the broadcasting legislation was intended to prevent

abuses of those types by setting proper broadcasting requirements and standards.

There is no credible report that anyone has been denied a broadcasting licence by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) on which body there is opposition representation,” the prime minister said.

He said today, Guyana has a preponderance of private media over the state, adding that Guyanese enjoy freedom to choose and to access information and entertainment without hindrance.

“The state media have been rescued from their previous servile role as purveyors of partisan political propaganda. The new government has provided six new radio relay stations to inform and serve the needs of rural and

hinterland communities,” the prime minister added.

He said while the State has taken steps to reform media practices, he cautions against private media becoming the fiefdoms of vested corporate interests and political parties. “It is a blemish to press freedom that already sections of the private media have branded themselves as anti-government broadsheets and opposition propaganda outlets. He said a former executive of the Union of Guyanese Journalists, the Caribbean Media Workers Association and the International Organisation of Journalists (IOJ), said “I urge the Guyana media to play a constructive role in promoting national development.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

American Airlines to make formal application next month AMERICAN Airlines (AA) is expected to deliver its application to provide flight service to Guyana next month, when representatives of the airline meet with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The

company had made contact with the authority to ascertain the procedure for conducting services here.

Director-General Captain Egbert Field told the Guyana Chronicle that a team from the company

will be coming to Guyana to have discussions with the authority next month, “but really they will be coming to deliver their application.”

Field said that AA has even apologised for advertising its pending service

Jamaican ‘try a thing’ with forged passport A JAMAICAN on Wednesday appeared before a city magistrate after he allegedly forged a Guyana passport.

It is alleged that on April 23, 2018 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, with intent to defraud, Ricardo Brown uttered to Kevin Grant, an immigration officer, a forged passport purporting same to be issued by the Immigration Office, knowing same to be forged.

The 36-year-old Jamaican pleaded guilty to the charge According to evidence presented in court by Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, on the day in question, Ricardo Brown entered Guyana via Copa Airlines and he presented his passport with the name Jermaine Samuels and a photo inside.

The immigration officer entered the said passport’s serial number in the Border Management System and the name Ashana Singh came up. The passport was reported to have been stolen or lost. Further examination showed that it was tampered with.

Brown was fined $100,000 by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and ordered deported back to his country.

before approaching the authority, but they have nonetheless extended a warm welcome to the airline to provide its service here.

AA had announced that it would start operations in Guyana by December, while ticket sales were to have commenced early last month. The December

operation would be just in time for the completion and opening for the well upgraded US$150M Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

AA said it is growing its presence in the Region with the addition of four new destinations in South America:

Georgetown, Guyana; Pereira, Colombia and Cordoba, Argentina, and one new city in Mexico, Oaxaca. The company had announced that it would fly four times a week between Miami and Guyana, using an Airbus A319 which carries some 160 passengers.

Electrician says ‘not me’ AN electrician appeared Wednesday before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on a robbery charge.

The allegation is that on April 25, 2018, Philbert McPherson robbed Jagdeo Ramnauth of a

Samsung Galaxy phone valued $160,000, one black leather wallet valued $15,000 and $ 50,000 in cash.

The 33-year-old man denied the charge that was read to him in court.

The prosecutor objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offence.

Bail was refused and the accused was remanded to prison. The matter was adjourned to May 30, 2018.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

LHC ‘lab’ back in business --now it has ‘bio-chem’ machine at its disposal

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) is now in possession of a biochemistry analyser, critical laboratory equipment that was out of order for several months, causing patients to have their various tests done privately.

The absence of a functioning machine was deemed a significant inconvenience to residents of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), since several of the tests done by the machine are critical to effectively treating and diagnosing patients for a wide spectrum of diseases, especially those being prepared for surgery.

These diagnoses include kidney function tests, liver function tests, lipide profile tests, enzyme tests and sugar tests.

“We need to have these

tests done in order to confirm diagnoses,” LHC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mohammed Riyasat explained.

“The results will also guide you to what treatment, or the level of treatment you have to use.

working or not.”

One of the major setbacks of not having the machine was the financial burden it placed on the residents of Linden and elsewhere in Region 10 to source these tests privately, with some

The bio-chemistry machine now in use e at the LHC

“Now that we have the machine running, right away we can have tests done, and then you can also know whether the treatment is

costing as much as $10,000.

“That financial burden was offset, and we are happy that the machine was loaned to us and we can use it,” Dr

Riyasat said, adding: “We have more efficiency, and it is less frustrating for the doctors too.”

The machine is currently on loan to the LHC by Caribbean Medical. Dr Riyasat explained that efforts were always made by the management of LHC to have their machine repaired, but because that could only be done by an agent of the company it was bought from, there was a problem.

The LHC then put the purchase of a new machine on the 2017 Budget, but since the hospital cannot purchase capital items unilaterally, it needed to be done through the national procurement process through the Ministry of Public Health.

But that is now all in the past, as the machine is expected to be purchased soon.

BACK TO NORMAL Another plus for LHC is that only a few weeks after nurses would have staged a sit-in because of not having medical surgical supplies and critical drugs, the issue has been resolved and the

LHC’s Dr. Mohammed Riyasat

hospital’s stock is now back to normal.

In an effort to resolve matter and to do so quickly, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence decided that the LHC would source drugs and supplies from the GPHC on a temporary basis.

That was done the very day the nurses staged the sit-in.

The supplies and drugs that were in shortage, according to Dr Riyasat, are now being sourced from the GPHC’s Materials Management Unit (MMU).

Those items include surgical tape, gloves, fusions,

gauze, diabetes test strips and a few critical drugs such as Gravol injections.

“Right now,” Dr Riyasat said, “the bond has a lot of medical surgical supplies...

Last week we sent our truck twice to the MMU bond; today again the truck went down...

“I must say we get a lot of drugs from the bond; that we have come a long way in resolving this problem. Our med-surgical supplies are almost back to normal; pharmaceuticals as well, somewhere around 85%.”

GDF Sandy fit to stand trial–psychiatric report FORMER Guyana Defence Force captain, Orwain Sandy is mentally fit to stand trial for the murder of his reported wife, a report by Government Psychiatrist, Dr Bhiro Harry has said.

Sandy, who is currently on remand for the murder of Reona Payne on March 31 at First Street, Alexander Village, appeared in court Wednesday for the report from Psychiatrist, Dr. Harry, which was not revealed to the court. However, Guyana Chronicle was told that the

report evaluated Sandy as being fit.

Attorney James Bond who is representing Sandy requested time for an independent psychiatric evaluation to be conducted on his client.

Magistrate Judy Latchman granted the request and the matter was adjourned to May 24.

Sandy, who served as Special Assistant to the Chief-ofStaff of the Guyana Defence Force, had planned to drop Payne off at her place of work when she received a phone

call from someone overseas.

When the soldier questioned her about the relationship status of the caller, an argument ensued in the vicinity of the mosque in First Street, Alexander Village. The woman is alleged to have then grabbed the soldier’s firearm and threw it out of the car. According to a source, Sandy stopped the vehicle to retrieve the weapon and Payne exited too. After picking up the gun, Sandy reportedly fired in Payne’s direction.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

FIFA proposes staging new miniWorld Cup every two years

By Simon Evans (REUTERS) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed staging what would effectively be a miniWorld Cup, featuring eight international teams, every two years in addition to the traditional event.

The tournament, known as the ‘Final 8’, would be the climax of a proposed global Nations League competition - part of an ambitious plan to reform international football which FIFA believes could be worth $25B (£18.3B) in a 12-year cycle.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Infantino, who has already overseen the enlargement of the existing World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026, suggested that the new tournament would take place every October and/or November of every odd year starting from 2021.

He said that a “solid and serious” group of investors were willing to spend $25B on the competition and a revamped version of the Club World Cup, which would also start in 2021 with 24 teams.

The Confederations Cup, currently staged every four years in a year before the World Cup, would be abolished.

The letter did not clearly indicate how many slots would be allocated to each region.

The plans were sent by Infantino to the members of FIFA’s decision-making Council which still has to approve them.

The new competition would run parallel to existing international tournaments such as the European Championship, Copa America, and African Nations Cup, plus the World Cup qualifying stages.

It could lead to criticism that FIFA is over-complicating international football and devaluing its flagship World Cup. FIFA could not immediately be reached for comment.

SIMILAR COMPETITIONS European soccer body

UEFA and its counterpart for North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONCACAF, have already set up Nations League contests in their own continents.

In both cases, the competitions involve all the national teams in their respective regions who are divided into divisions based on their rankings.

There is promotion and relegation between the divisions, as in conventional domestic club leagues. UEFA’s inaugural competition will begin in September this year. Other continents would have to set up similar competitions for the tournament to be viable.

Infantino suggested that similar intercontinental mini-tournaments to the Final 8 could also be organised for the top teams in the lower divisions.

Infantino’s letter said that

all revenue from the competition would be redistributed.

“This means that FIFA as an organisation would not benefit financially from this competition,” he said.

“We believe this offer is an excellent opportunity for the confederations and member associations as well as for football in general.”

In a separate proposal for Europe, the letter suggested that member associations could receive up to $50M for taking part in a single UEFA Nations League campaign although this amount would only be for the top-five ranking federations.

The next biggest five European countries would receive $15M to $20M while the 33 lowest-ranked associations would receive a more modest $7M. From back page ►

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Windies need enhancement in key areas to be ... playing in England because a lot of people tend to forget that back in the day we had seven to eight guys who were pro in county cricket so they were being professionals in their own right.

“Now we have seven to 10 guys in the T20 (leagues) and that’s where we are strong.

We are not strong in Test because we don’t have enough people with the exposure of playing the four-day game.”

Walsh is the West Indies record-holder for the most wickets in Tests with 519 victims from 132 matches.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

42 Days to go …

Austria humble West Germany after the ‘Miracle of Cordoba’ THREE minutes. All West Germany had to do was hold out for another three minutes to book their place in the 1978 World Cup third-place play-off. Standing in their way were their significantly smaller European neighbours Austria, a side who hadn’t beaten them in 47 years. It couldn’t be simpler.

If, however, the World Cup has proved anything in its long and illustrious history, it’s that nothing is ever simple. Giants can tumble and minnows can flourish, yet it never ceases to amaze when one of the so-called favourites are humbled.

On June 21, it was Austria’s turn to defy the odds in Argentina. Against their supposedly superior opponents and not having anything to play for, Helmut Senekowitsch’s side upset the apple cart, producing a performance known simply as the ‘Miracle of Cordoba’.

The paths of the two nations prior to the tournament could not have been any more different. Current World Cup holders, West Germany had reached their second successive European Championship final in 1976, losing out to Czechoslovakia on penalties, while Austria had managed to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.

A West Germany, without the talents of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller, began their defence in somewhat insipid fashion. Placed in Group 1, Die Mannschaft finished second in the opening group phase, as an emphatic 6-0 win against Mexico was sandwiched between a pair of 0-0 draws against Poland and Tunisia.

Austria began their World Cup adventure in Group 3 and, like West Germany, also qualified for the next phase of the tournament in second place. Wins against Spain and Sweden (2-1 and 1-0) were then met with a 1-0 defeat against serial World Cup winners Brazil, meaning they had to settle for runners up behind the South American giants.

The two would finally meet in Group A, alongside Italy and the much-fancied Netherlands. In a tough group, Austria appeared to assume the title of proverbial ‘whipping boys’, as a 5-1 defeat to Holland, followed by a 1-0 loss to Italy, meant they propped up the group after two games.

West Germany meanwhile continued to look a shadow of the side that won the competition four years prior, as a 0-0 draw

against Italy was followed up with a 2-2 stalemate against the Netherlands in a repeat of 1974’s final, leaving a whole number of permutations heading into the final group game, with first qualifying for the final and second qualifying for the third place play-off.

For West Germany, they would qualify for the final if Netherlands and Italy drew and they beat Austria 5-0 or greater. Should there be a winner in the other match, then West Germany would finish second in the group, provided they beat Austria, while a draw against Austria would be enough for second, should Italy lose. Austria had nothing to play for heading into the final group game, while West Germany’s fate hung in the balance.

With Holland’s game against Italy at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires and the apparent formality between West Germany and Austria at the Estadio Olimpico Chateau Carreras in Cordoba both kicking off at 13:45hrs local time, the stage was set for

for West Germany’s experienced goalkeeper Sepp Maier to collect; turned out that he simply missed the ball, which inadvertently rebounded off a helpless Berti Vogts and into an empty net.

Things went from bad to worse for the reigning championsm as seven minutes later the plucky underdogs by the name of Austria took a deserved lead with a magnificent finish from their star forward Johann ‘Hans’ Krankl. Eduard Krieger crossed from the left towards Krankl, who superbly controlled and volleyed with his left foot into Maier’s top right corner, stunning the favourites.

West Germany were now on the brink of leaving the 1978 World Cup prematurely at the hands of a side with nothing to play for.

Needing to find a response and quickly, it took all of two minutes before West Germany scored their second. In the 68th minute a deep free kick from Rainer Bonhof was met with a thunderous header by Bernd Hoelzenbein, and make it 2-2 in Cordoba.

Austria striker Johann ‘Hans’ Krankl in Argentina 1978 World Cup

1978 World Cup Hans Krankl scores for Austria against West Germany. Great goal!

Group 2 to be decided.

On June 21 1978, no one could have predicted what happened next.

West Germany’s slim chances of making the final became even slimmer after 18 minutes as Italy took the lead in Buenos Aires. Despite the setback, the 1974 winners knew they could only worry about matters in their game, and managed to make the crucial breakthrough a minute later.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Dieter Muller combined beautifully down the right, playing consecutive one-two past their Austrian opponents, before Rummenigge calmly slotted the ball past an onrushing Friedl Koncilia and entered halftime with a slender lead.

With only 45 minutes left to play in Group 2, it was to be in the second half that the crescendo of chaos and excitement would take place. It started well for Schone’s West Germany, as the Netherlands had drawn level against Italy five minutes after the restart, meaning the World Cup holders needed four goals to make yet another final.

Nine minutes later, however, Germany shot themselves in the foot, gifting Austria an equaliser. What should have been a routine cross

Needing a favour in Buenos Aires, it appeared that the footballing gods were shining down on the West Germans as Holland took the lead against Italy in the 75th minute. With their game ending 2-1 to the Dutch, all that West Germany had to achieve was a draw and a place in the third-place play-off was theirs. Austria however had not read the script.

With only three minutes remaining, another piece of magic from Krankl not only decided the game, but the eventual fate of West Germany.

Winning the ball after a poor attempted clearance from Rolf Ruessmann, Austria’s second all-time leading scorer raced towards West Germany’s goal, skipped past Manfred Kaltz and slotted underneath Maier, sealing the famous ‘Miracle of Cordoba’.

Krankl himself remembers the game well, with his side desperate to win despite having nothing to play for, stating: “The greatest ambition of all for Austrians was beating West Germany. In 47 years it had not happened and to be honest we did not think we could beat them, because we are just their little brother. But somehow we made that dream come true too.

While Krankl’s goal sent the nation into

euphoria, the commentary of Austrian radio commentator Eduard ‘Edi’ Finger perhaps elevated the importance of Krankl’s late winner to historic proportions.

A snippet of the commentary, translated into English read: “Here comes Krankl … in space, he shoots … Goooal! Goooal! Goooal!

Goooal! Goooal! Goooal! I am going bonkers! Krankl has scored - 3-2 for Austria!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are hugging each other here, Rippel, my colleague, graduate engineer Posch, we’re kissing each other …

3-2 for Austria, by our Krankl’s magnificent goal. He beat all of them, ladies and gentlemen.”

Far from miraculous, the game for West Germany is infamously known as the ‘Disgrace of Cordoba’ following a loss. For a team with a host of World Cup winners from 1974, a tournament that started ordinarily ended embarrassingly, without even the silver lining of a bronze medal match.

The 1978 World Cup proved to be Schone’s final tournament in charge of West Germany, handing in his resignation to end his 14-year tenure in charge of the national team, failing to go out on a high after delivering two trophies in the shape of the 1972 European Championships and 1974 World Cup. While the good times would soon be back for West Germany in the not-too-distant future, their cataclysmic failure against Austria remains a low point in their footballing history, summed up fittingly in the words of Edi: “And now it is ooover! The end!

Finished! Done! It’s over!

Germany have been beaten!”

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Curry returns as Warriors take 2-0 lead; Raptors fold under pressure REIGNING MVP Stephen Curry made a triumphant return as the Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 in game two of their Western Conference semi-final.

Back in the line-up on Tuesday after recovering from a medial collateral ligament sprain, Curry came off the bench to score 28 points on eight-of-15 shooting as the reigning champions took a 2-0 series lead.

Even more importantly, Golden State were plus-26 with the sharpshooter on the court.

Curry’s performance helped negate solid supporting nights from Pelicans stars Nikola Mirotic (18 points, nine rebounds), Rajon Rondo (22 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists).

It was a forgettable night for Eastern Conference top seed the Toronto Raptors, who fell 113-112 to the

slowly, but dominated the fourth quarter and finished with 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Durant went five for six from the field and four for four from the line in the fourth quarter alone.

Stephen Curry came off the bench to score 28 points on return.

Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime.

Toronto led by as many as 13 points in the second half of the series opener, but they blew a four-point lead with less than two minutes remaining and went three for 20 to end the game.

LeBron James finished with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a triple-double performance, but it was J.R. Smith who truly stepped up to help with 20 points including five-of-six shooting from

three-point range.

Smith is the first teammate of James to eclipse 20 points in a game this postseason.

Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas was unstoppable in the paint all night, scoring 21 points and adding 21 rebounds.

Cavaliers forward Jeff Green was a perfect four for four from the floor with 16 points and seven-of-eight shooting from the free-throw line.

Kevin Durant started

VANVLEET MISSES CRUCIAL SHOTS Raptors guard Fred VanVleet did not have that bad of a line as he had nine points and three rebounds, but he missed shots, both at the end of regulation and overtime, the first to take the lead and the second for the win.

Warriors guard Nick Young got the start but managed just four points in 11 minutes.

LEBRON WITH THE SLAM! James threw down one of the best dunks of the playoffs on this beautiful inbounds pass from Green.

England go top of ODI rankings, India drop to second ENGLAND’S burgeoning status as a white-ball team has been confirmed by their ascent to the top of the latest ICC one-day rankings, with India slipping to No.2 on the list.

England’s ascent to the top spot was cemented by two impressive away victories this winter - they beat Australia 4-1 in January before seeing off New Zealand 3-2 in March.

However, they owe much of their rise to the removal from the permutations of their dismal run of form in 2014-15, when they won just seven out of 25 ODIs and bombed out of the World Cup at the group stages, following an infamous defeat against Bangladesh at Adelaide.

That 2014-15 season, which also featured the removal of Alastair Cook as ODI captain in the wake of a losing tour of Sri Lanka, is now widely recognised as a watershed moment for English cricket.

Eoin Morgan’s appointment as captain was unable to salvage their World Cup cam-

England beat New Zealand 3-2 in their most recent one-day series.

paign, but England’s form in the subsequent home summer was revelatory. Against New Zealand at Edgbaston, in their first completed fixture of the post-World Cup era, England posted their first 400-plus total in ODIs, and have made 300 or more in 27 of their 60 completed innings.

England, who last topped the ODI rankings in January 2013, have gained eight points and moved to 125 points. India, who were at the top before the update, have lost a solitary point and are in second place with a total of 122 points.

South Africa, who were second, have dropped down to third place after losing four points, from 117 to 113, leaving them nine points adrift of India and only one point ahead of fourth- placed New Zealand.

The remaining places remain unchanged, confirming that the current top 10 ranked sides are the ones who will be playing at next year’s World Cup in England. However, there have been some significant changes in points.

World champions Australia have lost eight points to go down to 104 in fifth position

and are only two points ahead Pakistan, last year’s Champions Trophy winners, who have gained six points.

In other changes, Bangladesh (93 points) have gained three points, Sri Lanka (77) have lost seven points, the Windies (69) have lost five points, Afghanistan (63) have gained five points, Zimbabwe (55) have gained four points and 12th-placed Ireland (38) have lost three points.

In the T20I rankings, led by Pakistan, there is no change in the top seven places but Afghanistan are now ahead of Sri Lanka in eighth slot.

Latest ODI rankings 1. England 125 (+8) 2. India 122 (-1) 3. South Africa 113 (-4) 4. New Zealand 112 (-2) 5. Australia 104 (-8) 6. Pakistan 102 (+6) 7. Bangladesh 93 (+3) 8. Sri Lanka 77 (-7) 9. Windies 69 (-5) 10. Afghanistan 63 (+5) 11. Zimbabwe 55 (+4) 12. Ireland 38 (-3)

Two Malaysian badminton players receive careerending bans

Zulfadli Zulkiffli was crowned world junior men’s singles champion in 2011

TWO Malaysian badminton players have been handed career-ending bans for match-fixing. Tan Chun Seang, 31, and former junior world champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 25, were banned for 15 and 20 years.

An independent panel found both players “engaged in corruption offences over a significant period and a significant number of tournaments” from 2013.

The bans also cover administrative, coaching, officiating and developmental roles within the sport.

It is the first case of its kind for both badminton and the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

The players’ actions were found to breach the BWF’s code of conduct relating to “betting, wagering and irregular match results”.

Tan and Zulkiffli have also been fined $15,000 (£11,002 ) and $25,000 (£18,337) respectively by a BWF Ethics Hearing Panel.

The BWF ruled Zulkiffli - who reached a career-high ranking of 30 in January 2017 - had manipulated the results of four matches, committing 31 violations in

total of the sport’s code of conducts between 2013 and 2016.

Tan - who in 2011 was banned from playing in Asian countries for two years due to his decision to quit the Malaysian national team committed 26 violations over a shorter period.

The investigation was launched after a whistleblower alleged Zulkiffli had approached him at a tournament in Brazil in 2016.

Zulkiffli, who was born in Los Angeles, was crowned world junior men’s singles champion in 2011, defeating the current world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final.

Their suspensions have been backdated from January 12, 2018 - the date they were both provisionally suspended by the BWF. The bans are the latest scandal to hit Malaysian badminton, after two Danish players alleged a Malaysian man had approached them to throw matches.

In 2015, former world number one Lee Chong Wei was banned from the sport for eight months for doping..(BBC Sport)

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Liverpool hold off brave Roma to face Real Madrid in Champions League final ROME, Italy (Reuters) - Liverpool reached the Champions League final after riding their luck to contain a fired-up AS Roma in a 4-2 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday that sent them through 7-6 on aggregate.

The five-time European champions, who will face holders Real Madrid in the May 26 final, suffered a nerve-shredding second half as the Italians pinned them back and scored twice late on through Radja Nainggolan.

Nainggolan’s second, which came from a stoppage-time penalty, moved Roma to within one goal of forcing extra time, but Liverpool, who clinched the last of their titles in 2005, held on to reach their 10th European Cup final.

They were far from their devastating attacking best, however, and a nervy defensive display saw them

lose their first match in this season’s competition, despite cruising in the first half having twice taken the lead.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane was their most potent attacking threat and put them ahead after nine minutes, but a bizarre own goal by James Milner levelled for Roma.

A Georginio Wijnaldum header put Liverpool back in front but Roma, who overturned a three-goal deficit to beat Barcelona in the last round, were given renewed belief when Edin Dzeko fired past Loris Karius early in the second half.

Nainggolan drilled in from distance after 86 minutes to make it 3-2 and smashed home from the spot but it was too late for the Italian side who lost the first leg of the semi-final 5-2 in Liverpool.

“We are deserved finalists 100 percent,” said Liver-

pool manager Juergen Klopp.

“You don’t come without luck. We needed it only one time tonight.

in Kiev was theirs.

Their 5-2 first-leg victory at Anfield was a scoreline that had never been over-

Liverpool players celebrate in the dressing room after reaching the Champions League final. (BBC Sport)

“The boys deserve it, the character they showed, the football they showed - it was just crazy. I forgot the score.

It was 7-6 right? Unbelievable.”

Liverpool’s task was seemingly straightforward avoid suffering a three-goal defeat and a place in the final

turned in the competition’s history, but Barcelona’s shock defeat in the same stadium had served as a warning against complacency.

The crowd certainly seemed to believe a repeat result was possible and the noise levels increased as Liverpool were pushed back

in the opening moments.

CLINICAL COUNTER Yet Roma’s spirits were dampened when Liverpool took the lead, capitalising on a catastrophic mistake with a typically clinical counter Roma midfielder Nainggolan played a suicidal square ball that was pounced on by Roberto Firmino, who drove forward and played it through to Mane who buried his left-footed finish past Roma’s Brazilian keeper Alisson.

That was the first goal Roma had conceded at home in the competition this season, but they were only behind for six minutes thanks to a calamitous own goal.

Dejan Lovren tried to clear a ball into the area but smashed his effort straight into the face of Milner and it ricocheted past Karius.

The home fans rediscovered their voice, but their renewed spirits lasted only

another 10 minutes before Liverpool retook the lead.

The hosts failed to clear a corner and the ball was headed back by Dzeko into the path of Wijnaldum who nodded past Alisson.

Roma levelled for the second time seven minutes after the break as Stephan El Shaarawy’s shot was pushed tamely into the path of Dzeko

by Karius and the Bosnian rifled his finish past the German keeper.

It was then backs to the wall for the Premier League side as Roma chances came and went before Nainggolan took aim from the edge of the area and rifled a shot in off the post.

He slammed home a penalty after substitute Ragnar Klavan was adjudged to have handled, but it was not enough to prevent Liverpool reaching the final for the first time since 2007.

RHTY&SC makes several donations Boult helps Daredevils defeat Royals

Raymond Khan collects his cricket gear.

GUYANA’S leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS (RHTY&SC) last Sunday made several donations under its Dare to Dream Programme.

Promising Under-15 player Raymond Khan, the Berbice Cricket Board, Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and residents from the Liverpool/Manchester area were the beneficiaries.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the club is always passionate about assisting others to fulfil their full potential.

He disclosed that the parents of Khan, a member of the Rose Hall Canje Club wrote to the club seeking cricket gear.

The long-serving club official, who is also the president of the

Club executive Keith Hicks hands over cricket gear to Liverpool/Manchester cricket leader.

BCB, encouraged Khan to always strive for excellence.

Foster committed the club’s support to Khan in his quest to fulfil his potential on the cricket field.

The teams also donated 20 cricket caps, medals, trophies and a bicycle to the BCB, while the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association benefited from a donation of eight trophies towards itd award ceremony.

Meanwhile, efforts by a group of dedicated community leaders to form a cricket club in the Liverpool/ Manchester area received a

massive donation of cricket gear.

Cricket was played at the Liverpool Community Centre over a decade ago. The club, in its efforts to use sports as a safe avenue for youths, agreed to assist.

Foster urged the group to develop a culture of discipline and hard work and pledged continued support of RHTY&SC. The BCB president also expressed gratitude to Food for the Poor (Guyana) Ltd for its continued support towards the development of the game in Berbice.

HALF-centuries from Rishabh Pant and captain Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi Daredevils defeat Rajasthan Royals by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method to move off the foot of the Indian Premier League table.

Delhi had only won two of their eight matches prior to the game at the Feroz Shah Kotla, which was shortened after persistent rain caused a delayed start.

Pant (69), Iyer (50) and Prithvi Shaw (47) helped the hosts to post 196-6, as Jaydev Unadkat (3-46) led Rajasthan’s wicket-takers.

Set a reduced target of 151 from 12 overs, the Royals made a strong start through Jos Buttler (67) and D’Arcy Short (44), but ultimately fell short during a tense final over.

Needing 14 runs from the final over, the Royals lost Rahul Tripathi to a run-out before edging closer to the winning tally in the face of Trent Boult’s death bowling.

Krishnappa Gowtham strained in search of a maximum off the penultimate delivery, but his attempt to go over long-on instead offered a chance to Iyer.

Leading the Rajasthan Royals onslaught was Jos Buttler who struck the fastest fifty - off 18 balls - in the history of the IPL. (BCCI)

Not only did the Daredevils captain put it down, the ball also bounced over the ropes for four, although a subsequent slice over cover for a single from the same batsman allowed Delhi to breathe a sigh of relief.

Pant, the Daredevils young wicketkeeper batsman, was not in a patient mood following the delay caused by the inclement weather.

He clubbed five sixes and found the boundary ropes seven times as he reached 69 from just 29 balls faced, before he was undone by a slower Unadkat delivery and caught by Ben Stokes at long on.

The damage had already

been done, though, in a 92run partnership with Iyer, the highest of the match.

After Glenn Maxwell and Amit Mishra accounted for destructive openers Short and Buttler respectively, Boult pounced to prevent Rajasthan’s other specialists from building on the opening pair’s foundations.

The New Zealand quick’s full, on-stump delivery saw Sanju Samson caught by Colin Munro at cow corner.

And a waist-high full toss had Stokes snaffled

by Vijay Shankar at deep mid-wicket, Boult becoming the competition’s leading wicket-taker this season with 13. (Yahoo Sport)

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

Bacchus defends ECB, GCB on Beaton’s bowling ban

… says Beaton never listens to the ECB or GCB

By Rajiv Bisnauth DESPITE not having a system designed to detect possible deficiencies in bowlers, not only in Guyana but also in the entire region, acting president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and president of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), Fizul Bacchus, is of the opinion that Guyanese fast bowler Ronsford Beaton should accept full responsibility for his bowling action.

Beaton, the 25-year-old, was suspended from bowling in international cricket by the International Cricket Council

Fizul Bacchus

(ICC) on Tuesday after he failed an independent assessment over his bowling action.

The fast bowler had been reported with a suspect bowling action during the second

ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch on December 24.

“It’s simple. Beaton never listened to the Essequibo Cricket Board or the Guyana Cricket Board.

You can’t talk to Beaton.

He never listens to anyone.

He’s just not a disciplined player,” Bacchus said.

Bacchus comments came even after the local cricket board and by extension Cricket West Indies (CWI), failure over the years to implement a structure where players’ technical and tactical skills are closely monitored.

“While I am totally sorry

Ronsford Beaton

for him (Beaton), I will not blame anyone but Beaton himself,” Bacchus pointed out.

Beaton will join CWI’s ongoing fast-bowling camp in Antigua as part of his remedial programme, following which he will undergo reassessment.

Director of CWI, Jimmy Adams says the Board is fully committed to working with Beaton during this period of remedial work which will hopefully accelerate his successful re-admission to the professional game.

Meanwhile, Beaton may play domestic cricket in West Indies subject to Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) consent.

However, the suspension will

be enforced by all cricket boards for domestic events under them.

He, however, may still be able to play in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League starting in August, where he was a 10th round pick for reigning champions Trinbago Knight Riders at the recent draft.

However, CWI will have to approve his participation.

The Essequibian made his first-class debut in March 2011 but first caught eye during the 2012 Under-19 World Cup for his ability to bowl at a brisk pace. He has played two ODIs for West Indies, both in New Zealand in December 2017.

GCB/DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL

Parika-Salem snatch victory from the jaws of defeat THE 2017-2018 Guyana Cricket Board/ Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited/National Sport Commission/National Secondary School Cricket League (GCB/DMLAS/NSC/ NSSCL) continued with competitive action in the Essequibo Zone of the League.

Last Friday, Parika-Salem defeated Leguan Secondary by 10 runs. Parika-Salem won the toss and elected to bat first.

However, they found scoring against the Leguan Secondary bowlers a difficult task, and eventually folded for a meagre 46. Bowling for Leguan Secondary, Kamal Shaw grabbed 5 for 23 and Javal Sahoye 4 for 22.

With Leguan needing just 47 runs for victory, bowlers Wazim Mohamed and Travis Christian set out to defy the odds, by making early inroads into the Leguan batting line-up.

Mohamed and Christian were well supported by their fielders who created three runouts, eventually resulting in Parika-Salem clinching victory from the jaws of defeat, as Leguan were flattened for a paltry 36.

Opening batsman, Naresh Ragabeer with 11, was the only batsman to score double figures. For Parika-Salem, Wazim Mohamed grabbed 4 wickets, Travis Christian 2 and Sandave Singh 1. Parika-Salem won by 10 runs.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday May 03, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Anil Kumble (RCB)

(2)

Adam Gilchrist (DC)

Today’s Quiz: (1)

How many games were scheduled for IPL 2010?

(2) Who top-scored in the 2010 IPL final which was played between CSK & MI? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Travis Christian

Wazim Mohamed

On Friday, Bartica Secondary will visit Wakenaam Island to compete with Essequibo Islands Secondary at the Good Success ground from 10:00hrs in the Inter-Zone phase of the tournament.

The winners of this match will face Parika-Salem next Wednesday at the Good Success Community Centre ground

in Wakenaam, commencing at 10:00hrs.

Additionally, New Diamond Secondary will oppose Covent Garden at the YMCA ground in Thomas Lands, in the East Bank Demerara Inter-School Zone phase of the league today from 10:00hrs.

Motor-racing icon Pat Holder passes away

By Michael DaSilva PATRICK `Pat’ Holder, the motor-racing Icon and lifetime member of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) passed away yesterday after battling with multiple health complications for a few years.

He was 84 years of age and died at a city hospital.

Pat, as he was familiarly known, is a founding member of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club and, apart from participating as a motor-racer for many years, he was the official starter of motor races up to four years or so ago before handing over the flag to his nephew Suresh Singh.

Because of his dedication to the sport of motor-racing, the GMR&SC’s administration fulfilled the wishes of

former president, John Carpenter, to have the club house at the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri named in Holder’s honour.

After the decree some seven years ago, the GMR&SC re-painted the facility which is done yearly and renamed it boldly after Holder, who contributed immensely to not only motor-racing, but sports in general in Guyana.

Holder was not only a racecar driver but also a decorated veteran cyclist, motorcyclist and powerboat racer, who grew up in Queenstown - the same area as Guyana’s current President David Granger. He was also the recipient of a National Award.

In 2015, Holder paid a courtesy call on President Granger and presented him with a trophy he had won in 1949 in his second race as a cyclist.

In cycling, Holder was the first Guyanese to compete in Suriname, when he rode in an 85-mile race there in 1949 at the young age of 15 years. By then, he was the Under-16 cycling champion of British Guiana, In motorbike racing, he competed in the 250cc and 350cc classes and although he was never an overall champion, he had his fair share of victories.

Other contributions by Pat Holder, the former owner of Auto Electric (automobile company), to motor racing, besides competitively and administratively, is the fact that his company was the first to introduce the Ducati and Yamaha brands of motorcycles.

After successes in motorbike racing, he tried boat racing in 1960 on a whim after acquiring a 40HP engine at a good price.

BCB encourages U-15 cricketers to submit essays

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is encouraging Under-15 cricketers in the County of Berbice to submit two essays on how they plan to fulfil their dream of becoming a West

Indies player and who is their cricket role model.

These essays should contain between 250 and 300 words each and should be submitted to the BCB office, Charlotte Street,

New Amsterdam by May 15 or to Hilbert Foster at the Area H Ground, Rose Hall Town.

Please include your name, contact number and address. All essays must be

written by the child and not printed from the internet.

The winner will receive cricket gear while the runner-up will collect educational supplies.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 3, 2018

ECCC Carib Beer T20 championship to showcase talent

… Knockout format bowls off on Sunday

By Rajiv Bisnauth WITH the aim of providing the opportunity for over 250 young cricketers to showcase their T20 skills, the East Coast Cricket Committee (ECCC), and Ansa McAl last Tuesday launched the Carib Beer T20 championship.

Set to bowl off this Sunday at various venues on the East Coast corridor, the tournament will see the participation of eighteen teams.

The competition will be played on a knockout format, with one team drawing the bye from the second round.

At the official launch on Tuesday at the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club, Carib Beer Brand Manager

Sean Abel said the company is always pleased to be part of community-based sports.

“There is so much young talent on the East Coast, and one way to showcase that talent is when you guys come out and compete. We’re happy to be on board with the brand Carib Beer. We will continue to support the development of cricket in every community. Even if we start one by one we will get the job done,” Abel said.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, ECCC member Jitlall Jowharilall indicated that the tournament will allow players to showcase their T20 skills, and at the same time allow the fans to witness some competitive cricket.

Jowharilall indicated that

each team is allowed one guest player. However, it is not compulsory. He added that the preliminary phase of the competition will be played in white clothing, while the semi-finals and final would be played in coloured uniforms.

The champion team will receive $200 000, runners-up $75 000 and third place $50 000. All the cash prizes would be supplemented with trophies. Several individual awards are also at stake.

In the opening round, Better Hope-A will play Mahaica Cavaliers, Strathavon will face Mahaica Sports Club, Golden Achievers will match skills with Bee Hive, Anthony XI will take on Enterprise-A, Better Hope-B and Enterprise-B will compete, Enmore will

$700 000 in prizes up for grabs in`Transcend’ Independence Tape-ball competition … Banks DIH, NSC and Church’s Chicken on board TRANSCEND Entertainment will once again host its Independence Cricket Festival, Barbecue and Lime come this weekend (May 5 and 6) at the National Cultural Centre tarmac.

The tournament will see at least 20 teams, including defending champions, Village Rams, vying for cash prizes and trophies to the tune of $700 000 across the two days of competition. Up for grabs also will be prizes for Man-of-the-Match, Best Batsman and Best Bowler of the competition.

Teams will consist of seven players and each team will be allotted five overs to bat.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport, organiser of the event, Dwight Dodson, noted that so far there has been a great response to the festival. He pointed out that at least 15 teams have participated and noted that there is still space for interested persons to get on board.

He further urged teams to be registered by 08:00hrs

Director of Sport Christopher Jones hands over the trophies and medals to Transcend Entertainment’s Dwight Dodson.

on Saturday morning, as teams will be drawn by 08:30hrs with action starting at 09:00hrs.

Interested persons can call Dwight on 639-3785 or Kefa on 6645035 to register

their teams.

Sponsors on board include Oly’s Jewellery, Movement Auto Sale, Church’s Chicken, Banks DIH and the National Sports Commission.

Sean Abel (right) presents the sponsorship cheque to Jitlall Jowharilall.

oppose Ogle, Lusignan-B will come against Helena Sports Club, LBI and Paradise will do battle and Fairfield will

confront Lusignan-A. Matches will be played every Sunday, with some venues hosting two matches

per day, starting at 09:30hrs and 13:30hrs.

The final is tentatively set for a Sunday in June.

Langer replaces Darren Lehmann as Australia cricket head coach MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Justin Langer has been named Australia’s head coach on a fouryear contract, replacing Darren Lehmann following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa that rocked world cricket.

Long touted as Lehmann’s successor, former Test opener Langer has landed the role earlier than planned after his predecessor resigned following the Cape Town scandal despite being cleared of any wrongdoing himself.

He takes over a depleted team, with captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, the side’s two top batsmen, suspended for a year for their roles in the ball-tampering.

Young opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was also banned for nine months for his part in the incident.

“Whilst Darren Lehmann was not due to complete his term until next year, we have had a succession plan in place for this role for some time,” Cricket Australia (CA) CEO James Sutherland

… given four-year contract

Justin Langer

said in a media release today.

“We firmly believe Justin is the right person to lead this team and have huge confidence in what he will bring to the role.”

The 47-year-old Langer scored more than 7 500 runs, including 23 centuries in 105 Test matches and has enjoyed success coaching Western Australia state and the Perth Scorchers since November, 2012.

He has acted as Australia’s head coach on an interim basis, in a limited-overs series in the Caribbean in 2016, and at home against Sri Lanka last year.

“There will be some significant challenges ahead

for our group, but there is a wealth of talent in Australian cricket that I know will do us all proud,” Langer said.

One of Langer’s first jobs will be to participate in a players’ review launched

by CA after the ball-tampering scandal aimed at improving the culture of the team.

He will join men’s Test captain Tim Paine and the national women’s skipper Rachael Haynes on a panel along with other former cricketers to draft a players’ “charter of behaviour”.

Australia’s next international matches are an ODI series in England next month.

Windies need enhancement in key areas to be contenders for 2019 World Cup - Walsh ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh believes West Indies still need enhancement in key areas, if they are to become serious contenders, with next year’s Cricket World Cup in England on the horizon.

The Jamaican, currently the interim head coach of Bangladesh, identified competitiveness and consistency as the issues with the side, noting they needed “some fine-tuning” if they were to improve.

“I think consistency is the key. When I followed the games in the World Cup Qualifiers, I think we were up and down and a little bit inconsistent,” Walsh told Observer Radio’s Good Morning Jojo Sports Show.

“And I am not sure as to the structure they have or what they are looking to work towards but there (are things) when I look at (them) from the outside that definitely could do with some fine-tuning to sort of make them more competitive and a little bit more consistent.”

West Indies secured their berth in the 10-team World Cup from May 30 to July 14, after finishing in the top two of the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe last March.

However, though they lost just twice, they were far from convincing, and were forced to pull out the stops in order to book their place in the final.

The Windies have also struggled in the longest format where they are now ranked ninth – an all-time low – following another difficult campaign last year.

Walsh said, however, that while some structures were in place to facilitate the development of the Test side, the lack of players on the County circuit would inhibit the progress.

“I was happy they went back in the first class (tournament) of having two rounds so we have 10 games, so having all that being done then I can’t come back to criticise,” said the 55-year-old.

“Beforehand we only had five games and we didn’t have people Turn to page 22 ►

West Indies secured their berth in the 10-team World Cup after finishing in the top two of the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe last March.

FIFA proposes staging new mini-World Cup every two years

FIFA president Gianni Infantino delivers a speech at the 68th Ordinary CONMEBOL Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina April 12, 2018. (REUTERS/Martin Acosta)

Motor-racing icon Pat Holder passes away PAGE

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Flashback! Pat Holder stands with some of his silverware won over the years.

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018