Guyana chronicle e paper 05 07 2018

MONDAY 7th May, 2018

No.105267

Suspect confesses to killing fishermen – several Guyanese fishermen operating illegally in Suriname deported 03 PAGE

Home of relatives of missing fisherman robbed 03 09 Ex-top cop –– as efforts intensify to nab denies pirates in deadly attack handling missing diamonds

Ramjattan holds ‘heart-to-heart’ with survivors, relatives

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Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname Keith George meeting on Sunday with the survivors and relatives of victims of the deadly pirate attack

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Security officer killed in Land of Canaan crash

A SECURITY guard attached to Federal Management Systems was killed after the car in which he was travelling crashed into a trench on the Land of Canaan Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Sunday morning at 06:20 hrs.

Dead is Garfield McPherson, 47, of Lot 27

Norton Street, Georgetown.

Other occupants in the car were identified as Diana Mc Garrell, 35, of Lot 160 Bachelors Adventure, East Coast Demerara and the driver Dellon Dublin, 28, of lot 7A Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara.

Enquiries disclosed that the motor car PRR 6380 owned by Federal

Management Systems was proceeding north along the western side of the Land of Canaan Public Road, when it is alleged by the driver that a blue vehicle which was proceeding in the opposite direction swerved from a cow and ended up in his path.

He moved farther west, lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a

nearby trench.

As a result of the impact, they all received injuries and were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where McPherson, who was seated in the left rear seat, was pronounced dead on arrival.

The other two injured persons are in stable condition at the hospital.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Man kills brother during drinking spree THE police in ‘F’ Division are hunting for a man who allegedly murdered his 34-year-old brother on Saturday.

In a press statement Sunday, the police said Clinton Henry of Yambay, Eclipse Falls Top, North West District (NWD) was imbibing with his brother in front of their parents’ home at Yambay when the incident occurred.

Henry was found by his wife with a wound to his head and was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident occurred around midnight and the suspect has since gone into hiding.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Suspect confesses to killing fishermen –– several Guyanese fishermen operating illegally in Suriname deported

A SUSPECT in the piracy attack in Surinamese waters just over a week ago on four fishing vessels with some 20 fishermen, most of whom are Guyanese, has confessed to killing at least five of the men.

The confession has come in wake of a visit by a local high-level team to the neighbouring country led

by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

A source close to the investigation said the man identified as “Crackhead” was taken in custody by Surinamese law-enforcement officials on Sunday.

The suspect was initially pointed out by survivors as being among alleged notorious pirates Sinbad, Bolo and Dick.

According to information, during interrogation, “Crackhead” initially admitted to killing one of the

A Surinamese police officer searches a boat that was brought in from sea

The suspect identified as “Crackhead” was nabbed on Sunday

fisherman but under intense questioning, confessed to killing five of them.

Fishermen in Paramaribo, Suriname, captured and handed over the suspect to local police officials.

A reliable source told the Guyana Chronicle that “Crackhead” was captured in Commewijne, Niew Amsterdam after he went there looking for work.

He was recognised by the fishermen who notified the police.

“The fishermen recognised him but acted smartly. They alerted the authorities but before they arrived, they beat him mercilessly,” the source said.

Reports indicate that “Crackhead” was reported-

ly tied up and made to lie on the ground until police arrived on the scene.

One of the survivors while recounting the ordeal, said the fishermen were beaten with a machete, chopped, burnt with hot oil and set alight.

A crew member, the survivor recalled, was made to lie in the boat and was chopped “chunk by chunk” by the pirates.

As the investigation continues, Suriname Maritime Police and Coastguards have been patrolling the seas and conducting searches on fishing boats and their crew members.

A number of Guyanese fishermen were found to be in the country illegally and

were taken into custody.

Those with no documents were immediately deported.

On Saturday, Suriname handed over eight men to Guyana. The men are said to have no links to the piracy attack.

Over the weekend, Surinamese police have arrested close to 30 persons as they intensify their investigation into the attack.

Those arrested include an immediate family member of Somnauth Manohar, the man who was gunned down in Suriname on March 30.

Manohar’s brother, Nakool Manohar called “Fyah,” was also arrested in Guyana and remains in police custody.

By Sunday evening,

close to 20 persons remained in police custody in Suriname, 10 of whom are said to have direct involvement in the April 27 attack, one of the deadliest pirate attacks off the Atlantic Coast in recent times.

Investigators are working on the theory that the attack was an act of revenge in an ongoing disagreement among Guyanese fishermen who are the main suppliers of fish to the Suriname market.

Today, family members of the missing men will continue to provide samples to the Surinamese authorities to determine the identities of the men whose bodies were recovered.

Home of relatives of missing fisherman robbed THE Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home of relatives of missing and presumed dead fisherman Ramesh Sancharia was burglarised Saturday evening.

The family members, who have all travelled to neighbouring Suriname, told the Guyana Chronicle that they received a call sometime after midnight from neighbours who relat-

ed that their home had been robbed.

Efforts to contact the police were unsuccessful.

One of the relatives, who spoke under condition of anonymity, related that since everyone was seeking answers about his father, they all locked the house and travelled to Suriname, asking neighbours to keep an eye on it for them.

“We neighbour call last

night and tell we how the place get rob that some boys did coming home from a party and they see some men fetching out things from we place; them call out for thief and them men escape.”

He continued that from what he understands, the men had already taken a load of stuff and were returning to take more when they were spotted.

The relative also said calls to the Vigilance Police Station went unanswered.

This, the relative said, was communicated to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and he promised to look into the matter.

The son, who works in the construction industry, said a number of tools he recently bought were carted away, in addition to a brand new music set and

jewellery.

“Right now we are stressed out because we come here to deal with one thing and then is double worries, the place get rob.

We get some people gone to check it out, but they won’t know what we lost,” the relative said.

Ramesh Sanchara is among 20 fishermen who were brutally attacked by pirates in Surinamese wa-

ters some nine days ago.

His relatives believe that his body is among the three bodies that were recovered a few days ago

by Surinamese authorities.

The bodies were mutilated and were in a decomposed state. Sanchara’s family was advised to submit samples for a DNA test to confirm the identity of the body discovered.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Anger in France, Britain over Trump’s gun law speech

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump caused anger in France and Britain by suggesting looser gun laws could have helped prevent deadly attacks in Paris in 2015 and linking knife crimes in London to a handgun ban.

In a speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Friday, Trump mimicked the shooting of victims in the Paris rampage and said if civilians had been armed “it would have been a whole different story.”

The French government issued its strongest criticism of Trump since he took office and one minister urged the leader to apologise, at a time when President Emmanuel Macron has been reinforcing bilateral ties following a state visit.

“France expresses its firm disapproval of President

Trump’s comments about the Paris attacks on Nov. 13, 2015 and demands that the memory of the victims be respected,” the foreign office said in a statement.

“France is proud to be a country where acquiring and carrying firearms is strictly regulated.”

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he hoped Trump “would come back on his words and express regret”.

“His comments are shocking and not worthy of the president of the world’s greatest superpower,” Le Maire told BFM television on Sunday.

Other French politicians, including the mayor of Paris, took issue with Trump’s comments, after he acted out the scene of the massacre by Islamist assailants at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall, where 90 of the 130 victims of the attacks died.

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“They took their time and gunned them down one by one. Boom! Come over here. Boom! Come over here.

Boom!,” Trump said, using his hands in a gun gesture.

Francois Hollande, who was French president at the time, said on Twitter Trump’s remarks were “shameful” and “obscene”.

‘KNIVES, KNIVES, KNIVES, KNIVES’ Trauma surgeons in London, meanwhile, said Trump had missed the point when, in the same speech, he linked knife crime there to an absence of guns.

Comments by Trump have caused upset before in Britain.

Relations with Prime Minister Theresa May cooled last year after she criticised him for retweeting anti-Islam videos by a British far-right group.

Trump, who is due to visit Britain on July 13, told NRA

members that a “once very prestigious” London hospital, which he did not name, had become overwhelmed with knife attack victims.

“They don’t have guns.

They have knives and instead there’s blood all over the floors of this hospital,” he said. “They say it’s as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives, knives,” he said, making stabbing gestures.

London suffered a spike in knife crime early this year, and saw more murders during February and March than New York.

Last month, trauma surgeon Martin Griffiths told the BBC some of his colleagues had likened the Royal London Hospital in east London where he works to the former British military base Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

But on Saturday he indicated Trump had drawn the

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wrong conclusion from his remarks.

Griffiths posted his comment next to an animation of a stick figure with the phrase “The Point” flying over its head and also linked to a statement on the hospital’s website by fellow trauma surgeon Karim Brohi.

“There is more we can all do to combat this violence,

but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous.

Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair,” Brohi said in the statement on Saturday.

Britain’s government effectively banned handgun ownership in England, Scotland and Wales after a school shooting in 1996.

At least 45 dead in attack on Nigerian village, police say ABUJA (Reuters) - At least 45 people died in an attack on a village in northern Nigeria, a police official told Reuters on Sunday, the latest in a string of incidents underscoring insecurity in parts of the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari won Nigeria’s 2015 elections partly on promises to bring security to Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, but has struggled to fulfill those pledges. He is now seeking a second term in February 2019.

His critics and opponents question his track record tackling the multitude of conflicts that plague Nigeria, from Boko Haram and a thriving Islamic State West Africa insurgency in the northeast, to clashes between farmers and herders in the hinterlands that have left hundreds dead.

It was not immediately clear why the Gwaska village in the northern state of Kaduna was attacked on Saturday.

“Yesterday (Saturday) we recovered 12 corpses and today (Sunday) we retrieved 33,” Austin Iwar, Kaduna’s commissioner of police, told Reuters by phone.

The village, in the Birnin-Gwari area of Kaduna, lies near an area known for banditry, where thick forests provide remote hideouts from law enforcement.

Those groups of bandits have for years frustrated authorities’ attempts to apprehend them, and in some cases have amassed thousands of stolen cattle and fought off security agent task forces sent to deal with them.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Trini faces death in Iraq Wife, 3 daughters jailed for 20 years for joining ISIS

TRINIDAD NEWSDAY - In the wake of 20-year jail sentences imposed two Sundays ago in an Iraqi court on Rio Claro mother Anisa Mohammed, 53, and just a week earlier on each of her three daughters, the family now fears that Anisa’s husband faces the death sentence in the next few weeks.

Daud Mohammed, 56, will go on trial in the same Baghdad criminal court where his wife was, on April 22, jailed for 20 years after surrendering to Iraqi authorities as ISIS insurgents from a foreign country. The entire Mohammed family along with three other TT nationals, admitted to entering Iraq illegally in August last year during the height of ISIS’ reign of terror in Iraqi cities.

Anisa’s daughters who are also from Navet Village, Rio Claro, have begun to serve their 20-year prison term. They are Sabira, 29, Azizah, 32, and Aiydah Firdaws Waheed-Hasib, 23.

They are all married and Sunday Newsday was told

by Anisa’s father on Saturday, that their husbands have not been accounted for. He thinks they may have been executed without trial.

Sunday Newsday contacted judicial authorities in Iraq on Saturday who confirmed the Iraqi authorities had made attempts to obtain travel documents from the Trinidad Government for Anisa and her three daughters prior to their trial.

Iraq had wanted to deport them to Trinidad but documentation to ascertain their identities, since their arrived illegally in Iraq via Turkey, had not been forthcoming.

Whether the Government received correspondence and responded, the Sunday Newsday was unable to confirm with Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses or National Security Minister Edmund Dillon on Saturday. A court protocol officer at the Baghdad criminal court who gave only his first name, Saif, confirmed the trial and jail sentences by Judge Suhail Abdullah. Saif, who spoke incoherently in English, said contact was made with the Government through diplomatic channels before

the April 22 court hearings.

Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General Stuart Young, when contacted, said, “Our national securi-

London also carried the story about the thousands of foreigners facing trial in Baghdad as ISIS insurgents, in which it highlighted Anisa

Anisa Mohammed, 53, and her husband Daud, 56

ty apparatus is monitoring these developments that we have seen in the international media.”

But Umar Abdullah of the Islamic Front said since the sentencing, he had been liaising with other nationals legally in Iraq via Facebook, who confirmed the Iraqi authorities had opted to deport all nationals associated with ISIS. “I was told that our authorities here did not respond,” Umar said.

Anisa’s father, Nazim Mohammed of Rio Claro, who was among the 114 members of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen in the 1990 attempted coup, and Umar, provided Sunday Newsday with a sequence of events which led to the arrests. The Telegraph in

of other foreign women, Anisa, Daud, her daughters and their husbands, were detained last August, 30 kilometres south of Mosul.

Aiydah Firdaws Waheed-Hasib.

Daughters Azizah Mohammed, 32, (left) and Sabira Mohammed, 29

and her sentence, mentioning as well, the jail term imposed on daughters Sabira, Azizah and Aiydah Firdaws Waheed-Hasib.

Along with hundreds

Rio Claro family who had travelled from their home countries to Turkey, crossed the Syrian border and then into Iraq. The women and

In September they were transferred to a detention centre. Human Rights Watch visited the centre and discovered the foreign ISIS fighters, among them the

the men were separated.

Umar said Anisa and her daughters have not seen their husbands since.

The Telegraph said several women were lined up to face judge Abdullah who conducted the trial lasting not more than seven minutes.

Anisa was asked in Arabic, “Have you entered Iraq illegally? Do you believe in the ideology of the Islamic State?” Standing in the dock and through an interpreter, Anisa answered in the affirmative to the first question and “No” to the second.

As to why she arrived in Iraq, the article quoted her as saying, “I had watched ISIL videos with my husband and two daughters and we decided we wanted to go and

be part of an Islamic society.

I did not know it was a war zone. When we arrive, all we saw was Iraqis killing Iraqis, Russians killing Russians and Turks killing Turks. We did not find Islam here.”

Anisa went on to plead that she is a housewife who remained home with her children and when the judge pronounced the 20-year jail sentence, she cried and held on to the iron bars of the cell. She pleaded that she was diabetic and wanted to return to her home in Trinidad. “I’m old, I’m no threat to anyone. I can’t do 20 years in jail here,” she sobbed.

Duad, arrested by Kurdish soldiers, will be similarly tried. The Iraqi justice system views more harshly foreign fighters for ISIS, than their own and Duad faces possible death by hanging or firing squad.

Nizam, who is imam of the Navet mosque, said he will continue to seek the assistance from the Red Cross to intervene and he did not expect help from local authorities. “I am praying every day for my daughter and granddaughters. It is all I can do. I beg Allah to help them.”

Young said he was personally unaware of any request to Government to intervene but added that the situation regarding the families were being monitored.

Umar said despite the 20-year sentence, Government has a moral obligation to intervene. Referring to Duad, he said the death penalty hangs over his head for a crime of arriving in a country illegally. Umar said, “Government has the legal and moral obligation to its citizens wherever they are and should ensure that justice is done to them.”

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Ready to beat malaria FROM the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, Guyana was the most malaria-infected territory in the Caribbean. The Caribbean islands, since they were all above sea-level and enjoyed natural drainage were comparatively free of malaria as compared with Guyana. Until the 1950s, all surviving Guyanese would have been infected with malaria at some stage of their lives.

In those years, malaria sent up the death rate and in areas of poor sanitation such as the sugar estates, malaria decimated the population. Death by malaria was one of the main reasons indentured immigration had to be continuous to replace the workforce.

Then Dr George Giglioli, an Italian doctor who had made Guyana his home devised a malaria campaign in 1946 for the sugar estates and next year for the whole country.

Two of the main elements of Dr Giglioli’s campaigns were to eliminate all stagnant water near to populated areas, since the malaria mosquito bred in stagnant

water and to spray every habitation with DDT. His campaigns were highly successful and malaria was eradicated. For years, malaria cases were rare in Guyana.

In the last several years however, in the Interior, especially in the mining districts malaria has shown a resurgence with a new and more dangerous parasite - the plasmodium falciparum. This strain of malaria could kill an infected person in a short time, unlike the former strains which allowed a fairly long period of debilitation. All malaria parasites are transmitted to human beings by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. The modern treatment, unlike in Dr Giglioli’s day when it was largely quinine, is now Coartem and Primaquine.

When President Granger attended the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting recently, he also attended the Malaria Summit which was linked to the conference. Like Prince Charles, President Granger addressed the summit which showed the Commonwealth at its best.

The nations attending the summit evinced fraternal concern for those countries affected by malaria and especially the six most affected: Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and India. One of the major commitments emerging from the summit was to halve the number of malaria cases over the next five years.

President Granger pointed out that in Guyana, malaria was one of the leading causes of death from communicable diseases. In 2015 there were approximately 8,400 cases of malaria and it seemed that the country was moving towards its eradication, since between 2010 and 2015 there was a 60% decline in new cases. But there was a resurgence of the disease, especially in the mining areas of the interior and in 2016, a 5 per cent increase in new cases was recorded and in 2017 a 5 per cent increase was also recorded. Most of these new cases were in the mining areas and the type of parasite was the plasmodium falciparum which was rarely, if ever,

found on the coast. The newness of the strain and the fact that its highest incidence is in the interior where health facilities are fewer, makes the challenge greater. Though the Ministry of Public Health has been assiduously working for the lessening and eradication of the disease, President Granger felt that there was still room for external assistance.

In reducing the number of new cases in Guyana and moving towards eradication, he suggested a number of ideas. The first was disseminating relevant information how to eliminate vectors which are responsible for spreading malaria. This is to be combined with the Public Health Ministry ensuring that stagnant water near human habitations is drained off, since the mosquito breeds in stagnant water.

The next step in the President’s words “involves providing improved tools for identifying and diagnosing active cases of malaria regardless of species”.

The modern methods

of identifying and diagnosing the disease are much quicker and more accurate than the older methods.

The effective modern treatment, the final step in confronting the disease, the President advises: “Procuring high-quality combination malaria treatment to ensure cure of infected persons including drug-resistant malaria.” These modern drugs have been successfully used against falciparum. Despite the fact Guyana has been trying to keep up with modern methods and has been making good progress over the years in eliminating the disease, there is still room for advice and assistance from the more advanced countries.

Guyana recently commemorated World Malaria Day which is annually promoted by the World Health Orga-

nization. The motto for this year’s commemoration is “Ready to Beat Malaria” and the Ministry of Public Health has adopted it as its guiding slogan. The ministry is committed to decreasing the number of new cases by 40 per cent by 2020 and in this drive it will train more health personnel and volunteers, educate the public as to main drug used to treat the disease and to make available such drugs free of charge to all patients who need them.

The ministry in its education programe, has recommended Coartem and Primaquine to treat plasmodium falciparum and has also warned against Artecom and Artefan. The ministry’s efforts would be largely concentrated in Regions One and Eight, where most of the affected populations live.

Media must play constructive role in national development Dear Editor,

IN observance of World Press Freedom Day on May 03 2018, the government has already assured of its commitment in relation to the free flow of information in Guyana.

Prime Minister of Guyana Moses Nagamootoo, who also holds responsibility for information has

already declared the government’s commitment to strengthening press freedom and to protect journalists, in keeping with the expectation 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”.

Since the APNU+AFC

coalition government came into office, Guyana has improved its press freedom ranking by moving up five places in the latest Reporters Without Borders, World Press Freedom Index. Guyana now ranks 55 among 180 countries.

The prime minister also highlighted that, “Guyanese journalists are free once again to

practise 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.”

It must be noted that

a stop has been put to the corrupt and indiscriminate distribution practices by the PPP/C administration of broadcast licences to its political cronies and friends.

The reforming of Media Practices is a step in the right direction by the state and this is also commendable. Therefore, the opening of the media becoming the fiefdoms of

vested corporate interests and political parties is something that is being cautioned against by the Information arm of the government.

The media must be seen as playing a constructive role in the promotion of national development.

Best Regards, Dillon Goring

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Police force must be friends with citizens Dear Editor, TRAINING is the main root of development in the Guyana Police Force. Other sectors, even though very important, are just the branches of the tree. Cut the main root and the tree dies. Recently, the media reported on a two-week anti-corruption training funded by the United Kingdom. The police and other members of some investigative agencies participated.

Information received is that apart from training to be conducted by the Felix Austin Police College, The Richard Fikal Police College and the Felix Austin Police College, ‘B’ Division, numerous other training programmes will be done by overseas facilitators. It is imperative that the police be adequately trained to efficiently and effectively execute their mandate as set out under Section 3 (2) of the Police Act Chapter16:01; what society expects from their protectors; to cater for first-oil; securing our western border and emerging security issues

and concerns. However, the police’s paradigm has shifted towards them being more community-oriented.

They are now required to not only solve crimes, but also problems in the various communities they serve. Hence, the community-oriented policing and problem-solving (COPPS) approach. His Excellency President Brig. David A. Granger in his address to the Annual Police Officers’ Conference 2017, puts the role of the police succinctly, “But we must go beyond and find the causes of crime. Why is there piracy, why is there suicide, why is there murder, why is there rape, why is there trafficking in my division, what are the causes. So stop boasting about how many cases you made, find out how many causes you are able to discover, and let us stamp out the causes, then you stamp out the crime. If you do not know the cause of crimes, then the crime will continue to repeat over and over again..... So that is what we have to embark on, a new programme of building

partnerships; we have to work with community. We have to know what people in the community need and think so that they can become partners and not our opponents. The police force has to be friends with the people, so you must be friends with the people and build a partnership between the police and the communities and this will help you to get information and to build intelligence network.

“To be effective, the police must develop excellent people skills and display good interpersonal relations with the various stakeholders. They are required to interact with their peers, superiors, subordinates, members of the public, their friends and family. Hence, the need for them to develop effective people skills. Technical competence - the knowledge of law, police practice and procedure is critical for the police to be effective, but that is not enough. According to Bennett and Hess (2002), “Technical competence used to be most important. Now and the years ahead people

IAC holds successful grand cultural Arrival Day mela at Albion Dear Editor,

THE Indian Action Committee (IAC) held a successful 15th Annual Grand Cultural mela in Berbice at the Albion Sports Complex to commemorate the 180th Anniversary of the arrival of immigrants from India, most of whom were Indentured labourers.

The audience was treated by the music of Shakti Strings led by Maestro Avinash Roopchan and backed up by Traveller’s Sound System.

There were excellent

performances by the Shelita Dance Troupe, Ryan Dance Troupe and the recently formed Vanie Vanatya Dance Academy and a solo performer which provided a mixture of different Indian dance form.

The High Commission of India was represented

by Second Secretary Mr Sashi Mohan Joshi, who delivered a brief address.

The crowd was well behaved and abided by the IAC’s policy of no alcohol consumption during the show.

The IAC wishes to thank the following spon-

sors and donors of this year’s Essequibo and Berbice Melas: GTT; AGM Inc; Texila American University; Banks DIH; Rohan’s Auto Spares’ Grand Coastal Inn; S. Jagmohan General Supplies and Constructing Services; El Dorado Trading; Innovative Mining Inc; Silvie’s Variety Store; Samaroo Investment; NT Computeac; Roopan Ramotar Investments; Vincent Persaud and Rafeek Khan.

Regards, Indian Action Committee

A small but giant step Dear Editor,

IT is good to see the Regional Chairman of Region Six calling for the

putting aside of differences and working together in order to realise the dreams of our foreparents.

A small step, but a giant leap for national unity.

Regards, Shamshun Mohamed

skills are most important.”

Woodward and Buchholz (1987) explain, “One way to visualize this tactical, people-oriented approach is with a bicycle. The two wheels of a bicycle have different purposes. The back wheel powers the bike, the front wheel steers it. Extending this analogy to an organisation, ‘ back - wheel skills’ are technical and organisational skills needed for the organisation to function. ‘Frontwheel skills’ are interpersonal ‘ people management’ skills. Cooperation tends to rely in their back -wheel, that is, their technical skills.

Typically, however, when change comes, the response of the organisation is primarily back-wheel response - do what we know best. But the real need is for front-wheel skills. That is helping people understand and adapt to the changing environment.

“Strategic management is about change. Reform is about change. Change is inevitable. No person or organisation can stop it. View it as opportunity. Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb.

That’s where the fruit is.

Managers must pay attention to change in their environment and adapt-or perish.

The boiled-frog phenomenon is very instructive. A classic experiment was done. A frog is dropped in a pan of boiling water and immediately jumps out, saving its life. Next a frog is placed in a pan of room-temperature water that is gradually heated to boiling point. Because the temperature rise is so gradual, the frog does not notice it and sits contentedly in the bottom of the pan. The gradual rising temperature initially makes the frog comfortable, but eventually saps its energy.

As the water becomes too hot, the frog has no strength to jump out. It boils to death.

The boiled-frog phenomenon suggests that leaders must pay attention to change in their environment and adapt-or perish. I do not know what the Strategic Management Unit of the Guyana Police Force and the Reform Process have in place to deal with change. The former has been quietly doing some

excellent work, but not sharing it with the stakeholders, while the latter went into labour recently.

We expect an excellent delivery. Their plans appear to be top secret. I may be jumping the gun, but I have been on the starting block for some time now and am a bit nervous.

Many reform projects fail because a heavy emphasis is placed on the agents of change, while the victims of change are neglected. Organisational change takes centre stage while little or no attention is paid to personal change. I hope that the movers and shakers of the GPF will ensure that those who will be affected by the imminent change will be given the necessary coping skills to grapple with the situation. Inculcating people skills in the minds of the police is a sine qua non.

Yours faithfully, Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Reputed wife of piracy survivor dies –– aggrieved fisherman vows never to return to sea again

By Nafeeza Yahya THE reputed wife of Sherwin Lovell, the rescued survivor of the barbaric pirate attack passed away suddenly Sunday morning, reportedly from an illness after hearing that her husband was among those killed in the incident.

Barely able to console himself, Sherwin related to the Guyana Chronicle that after the news of the pirate attack surfaced, his reputed wife Michelle Carol became ill.

“After this whole pirate attack happen and like she hear I dead, she tek on and she stress out she self and she had to go to the doctor and get treatment. When I come home and she know I alive she still sick bad,” Lovell related.

As he sat staring at an album of pictures with Carol in happier times and wiping away his tears, the fisherman said despite living together for just a short time, their love was real as he reminisced on how he “had e eye on she long now”.

Carol lived in the same compound where he resides.

He said because of the love and bond they shared, he could not stay in hospital despite being advised by doctors to remain there for at least three days to recuperate.

“You know when you

Michelle Carol love somebody you just can’t leave them like dat, so I come home and try to take care of her, I make soup and them things but she ain’t able eat it and this morning when I mek tea to give her and she just gone. Since I come out the hospital me ain’t really sleep, me hand all hurting but I love she bad so I had to take care of she, cause she does do the same for me,” a weeping Lovell said.

The heartbroken fisherman is trying to make contact with Carol’s relatives at Mocha, East Bank Demerara, the village where she was born and bred.

DARKEST DAYS Saying he is going through the darkest days of his life, the fisherman said it is with a very heavy

heart that he would be returning to Guyana with the body of his wife and an empty pocket.

Lovell is appealing to the public for some financial support.

Her death has taken a toll on him.

“I can’t work. I don’t really have anything and now my wife die,” he said.

Lovell, 33, has been a fisherman for over 10 years and is originally from Craig Village, East Bank Demerara, but has been residing in Suriname for several years now.

The fisherman, who is nursing several chop wounds about the body, burns on his back, a broken arm, dehydration and has nightmares whenever he closes his eyes, said she is done with the seas and fishing and vows to never go there again.

Recounting the horrific ordeal, he said he and his colleagues were asleep when they were awoken to the sound of cutlasses banging on the sides of their boat.

He related that he then heard the men jumping onto the boat. Before his colleagues could realise what was happening, they heard what appeared to be gunshots and the men started to chop and broadside them with cutlasses.

“Them start asking how much fish we got and take

we out of the cabin and put we in the paro (storage bin) and start beat we up. One a dem tek the oil we had two container cooking oil and put it the pot and hot it, them start beat we fuh empty the fish.

We had like 57snapper, 200 something catfish and a set a small fish like banga, mackerel and a set of other fish,” he said.

GRUESOME Grimacing in pain, he continued that the men chopped them while they were emptying the fish and another at the said time poured the hot oil on their backs.

Others destroyed their boat engines and sprayed the gasoline on them.

Recognising death was imminent; Lovell said he decided to jump overboard.

“After I see me friends them getting chopped up and them man start spray gas on we and hot oil, I jump overboard and dive.

When I reach a lil distance away I raise up and the current carry me away from them. The salt water start burn me, then is when I realise is how much chop and cut me had. I drift fuh two days till I reach shore.

When I reach, me ain’t had no energy; the tide just carry me up and up the bank whenever the wave come in. When I reach the hard

Sherwin Lovell flips through an album with photographs of his late reputed wife spot, I try to get up and start walking to see if could find anybody,” he said.

Lovell recalled that he mustered strength for two days until he found someone and a call was made to a police station and soon after he collapsed from dizziness. When he awoke, he found himself in hospital

and thanked “Father God for being alive”.

Due to the death of his wife, Lovell was unable to meet Minister Ramjattan who met with relatives of the other men on Saturday.

Persons interested in helping Lovell can make contact with him on telephone 597-850-4503.

DHBC to meet with vessel operators in light of barge incident –– traffic reopened to all vehicles

THE Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) is expected to meet with operators of vessels that use barges, in light of the accident which occurred on Saturday evening.

According to reports on Saturday, a tug and barge laden with stone crashed into the bridge after it was detached from the towline.

Pontoons and four anchors were severely damaged after being hit by the barge.

The reports further indicated that four transoms were dislodged and a beam on a temporary pontoon was damaged.

General Manager of the DHBC, Rawlston Adams, said they will be meeting with operators to remind them about the importance of complying with the corporation’s regulations in order to ensure a safe transit through the river.

“Each barge transiting should have two tugs in order to avoid the line from getting

cut,” said Adams during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

A barge is defined as a long, flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers, either under its own power or towed by another.

Despite the magnitude of the damage caused by the barge, workers of the corporation were able to quickly repair parts of the bridge, so that cars and small vehicles could cross on the same night, but larger vehicles had to wait.

Although the bridge has not been repaired fully, it was reopened to motor-lorries, trucks and laden canters.

“We completed some more repairs around 11:30am today [Sunday], but we have another three anchors to repair tomorrow [today],” he explained, adding that the damaged pontoons were repaired on Saturday night.

The barge after it had crashed into the pontoon at the Demerara Harbour Bridge on Saturday evening

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Ramjattan holds ‘heart-to-heart’ with survivors, relatives

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–– as efforts intensify to nab pirates in deadly attack

PUBLIC Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Sunday morning met with relatives and survivors of the missing Guyanese fishermen at the Guyana Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname, as efforts intensify to nab the pirates in the attack.

The two countries are working around the clock to ensure that those responsible for last weekend’s brutal piracy attack off the Suriname coast are caught and brought to justice.

The minister who travelled to Suriname on Sunday morning, held a closed-door, “heart-to-heart” discussion with the small gathering in the presence of Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle after the three-

hour meeting, Ramjattan disclosed that three senior officers of the Guyana Police Force who accompanied him on the visit are working closely with their Surinamese counterparts to help capture and to bring to justice, the men who orchestrated the deadly attack.

Minster Ramjattan confirmed that as of Sunday morning, three bodies were recovered and identified, but the names have not yet been made public.

He further revealed that there are five survivors and the remaining 12 fishermen are presumed dead, based on information from meeting.

“This whole episode is basically murder of the most gruesome circumstances, where pirate boats attacked four other innocent boats with 20 crew members in

total. The pirate boat, the members therein, believed that these boats had done something wrong to them and they went out there to do in the most brutal and horrific fashion the killing of all those members of those boats which total about 20.

Thank God there were some survivors that managed to tell the tale,” the public security minister said.

The minister said the main reason he travelled to the neighbouring country was to stand in solidarity with the families of those affected and to share information gathered by the security forces of the two countries to them.

“What we did was to make sure as much family as possible came to the embassy here today, so we can have a very direct chat with them and I wanted a heart-

‘Government proud of the contributions of Indians to nation’s development’ – Min Amna Ally MINISTER of Social Protection, Amna Ally, told residents of Leguan that the government is proud of contributions made by the descendants of Indians to national development and highlighted the importance of social cohesion.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony marking the commemoration of Arrival Day on the island of Leguan, which held a grand cultural celebration. Also in attendance were Minister within the Ministry of Finance Jaipaul Sharma, senior officials of the region and special invitees.

In her remarks, Minister Ally saluted the contributions of Indians and urged residents to put aside class, religion and political perspectives and unite as a plural society for the

equitable development of the nation. She reminded those present of the government’s commitment to all the nation’s people and applauded the residents for their continued support.

“The history of any country teaches us that it is the spirit of community development that is often crucial to preserving our heritage and thus shaping our positive values and policies as a nation,” she said.

Minister Ally told the residents that as Guyanese, we should stand together, proud of our forefathers, who through their struggles bequeathed this land to all.

“So as we join today to commemorate the arrival of our Indian ancestors, we must endeavour to recommit to work together, so that we can achieve political stability, national unity

Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally delivering remarks at Leguan and social and economic progress,” Minister Ally also stated.

She noted that the government has committed to major capital projects in Leguan, inclusive of the refurbishing of the island’s stelling which will aid in the enhancement of the economic development of Guyana.

to- heart as it also helps them in their moment of despair.

They had a lot to tell me and I will be conveying this to the Minister of Justice and will be communicating through the policemen that I brought to the commissioner of police,” he said.

COLLABORATION He underscored the importance of collaboration by the two counties in tackling the heinous crime.

“When crimes like this, of an international level like this happens, whereby you may have Guyanese operatives, Guyanese victims, in Surinamese waters, we need to collaborate. We have managed and we have been congratulating ourselves only months ago that we have managed to bring piracy almost down to negligible amount and that’s the truth, only now to hear Guyanese in a neighbouring territory are being brutalised this way,” the minister said.

When quizzed on what he hopes to achieve at the end of the trip, Ramjattan

expressed the desire to not only help solve this case together with Suriname, but take lessons from this case to spot and help prevent future occurrences.

He further indicated that he has a meeting with the Surinamese minister of defence and they will have discussions on several key points, such as early detection systems, information sharing, resource sharing, among others, and will host a joint press conference today on the progress of the investigation.

He expressed satisfaction with the manner the Surinamese have been handling the retrieval of the bodies and the investigation thus far and stated that he was given assurance by the minister of defence that all efforts are being made to solve the case as soon as possible.

“While some Guyanese have expressed dissatisfaction, I must say that the Surinamese methods are a little different from what we are accustomed to and we may feel they are taking long, but

they want to be 100 per cent sure before they make a pronouncement, for example, the bodies are in a state where family members can identify them, but the authorities here want DNA tests to confirm since the bodies are mangled and facial recognition is not possible; so families are being a bit impatient, but overall I am pleased with the progress thus far,” he said.

The police have their theories according to which they are working and arrests have been made by both countries. In Guyana, police sources have confirmed three persons are in custody, two in Berbice and the other in ‘C’ Division. The minister confirmed that the time for detention of those arrested has been extended beyond the normal 72 hours.

An appeal was made to the families, survivors and other fishermen to divulge every piece of information they have on the attack, since it is critical and can be used to bring those responsible to justice.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Pornography is not for children NOT so long-ago people used to say, ‘You can’t hide from children nowadays’: meaning that children were not only maturing earlier, but becoming more sexually aware,some of them even before reaching pre-adolescence.

Well times have changed yet again and now it is the other way around, as children are now hiding from their parents. Yes parents, all of you who allow your children to have free range of the internet, you should not be shocked to find out that some primary school children are watching pornography on their ‘smart’ phones and other devices; and as if that

is not bad enough, what these youngsters are also doing is sharing their ‘finds’ with other children in their schools or vicinity.

It is almost impossible for a child to grow up nowadays without encountering some form of sexually explicit material. When it’s not music with vulgar lyrics, it’s in the unsuspecting content of films and videos or advertising.

Advertisers use sex (scantily dressed women) to sell everything from cars and beer to power tools for men. But all this fades in comparison to the level of debauchery available on the internet at the click of a button. The first thing parents need to

realise about the internet is, whatever fantasy or desire a person may have, it is readily available through the ‘net’.

The internet is created to meet a vast array of ‘tastes’ across the universe. It is the most powerful tool created for distraction and addiction and it is as easily accessible as a toy.

Therefore, we must protect our children by preserving their innocence for as long as possible. In some cases, it may be too late: your child may have not only been exposed to ‘porn’, but already be addicted to it.

Teenagers especially become curious about the hype, so it would be naïve to believe

that your teenager has never or will never search for pornographic sites to fulfil his/ her curiosity.

In bygone days, parents were embarrassed to tackle the subject of the ‘birds and the bees’, but today there is a lot more that parents have to contend with. They must be internet savvy enough to help their children navigate their way through the cyber world unblemished. The internet is a useful information tool when used correctly.

There is a wide selection of entertainment and things to find and do that seem endless. But the internet also holds potential dangers to a child’s development and sense of well-being.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO DO Parents must warn children about inappropriate or sexual materials.

Firstly, that they are out there in cyber world but

not intended for children or adolescent viewing and secondly, what to do if they come across such materials.

Children (of all ages) can quite innocently end up watching adult material that can disrupt their mindsets, because they don’t know how to deal with it.

Build a trusting relationship with your child, one in which he/she would not be afraid to tell you if they hear or see something improper on line.

This gives you the opportunity to deal with the matter, rather than remain in the dark about what your child has been exposed to.

Parents must warn children about sexual predators.

There are strangers on line that ask children to send or post pictures of their private parts and engage with children in adult conversations.

It is a parental responsibility to talk to children seriously about these things.

Parents have a duty to ensure that their children never visit adult chat rooms or post inappropriate pictures of themselves on line.

Parents need to set rules and guidelines with regard to internet use (tablet, phone, laptop etc.) and stick to them.

Two hours screen time a day is plenty. Exercise parental control.

Yes, times have changed and continue to change, but one thing that remains constant is the fact that children need guidance; they also need nurturing, love and protection and the best persons to administer these things for maximum effect, are parents.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child ring the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION, CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Guyanese JFK Airport security killed after car flips, catches fire

A GUYANESE man who left with his family to take up residency in the United States of America as a security officer at the JFK International Air-

Dead: Dayanand Shamsundar port, was killed Sunday after the car he was driving flipped, crashed and burst into flames.

Dead is Dayanand Shamsundar, formerly of Newtown, Enmore, East Coast Demerara. He was

reportedly driving near the intersection of Lefferts Boulevard and Pan-Am Road in Queens, when his SUV careened through a fence and into several parked cars in the John F. Kennedy International Airport’s parking lot.

It was reported by the New York Daily News that the guard, an employee of Allied Universal, smashed into several cars parked in a long-term parking lot before his vehicle flipped and burst into flames.

First responders worked to free the man from the burning wreckage. He was rushed to the Jamaica Hospital in traumatic arrest, but could not be saved, officials said. No one else was injured as a result of the crash, authorities said.

The vehicle flipped as it struck the other cars and ultimately landed in section A11 of the lot, where it then caught fire, according to witnesses.

It was not immediately

First responders worked to free the man from the burning wreckage. (Marc A. Hermann/New York Daily News photo) clear what caused the man to lose control of the vehicle.

A representative for Allied Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

‘Supply facilities, helipads to support growing oil industry’ – Minister Trotman – to be decentralised

MINISTER of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said that modular supply facilities and helipads will soon be constructed across the country to support the inevitable growth of the budding oil and gas industry.

“It is obvious we are transitioning and there will be thousands of people at work on vessels on and offshore, so we will have to get more space and facilities because what we have now is to service the Liza 1 development which will start us off,” said the Minister during a recent discussion with recruits of the TotalTec International Petroleum and Maritime Academy.

ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase 1 development is approximately 190 kilometres offshore in water depths of 1500 – 1900 metres. The development plan includes completion of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

So far the Guyana Shore Base Incorporated (GYSBI) was established to provide onshore services to Liza 1 operation.

GYSBI’s Houston, East Bank Demerara facility provides ExxonMobil with secure, open and covered storage space, a 600-foot concrete wharf, personnel and loading/unloading logistics support.

Although the minister said only modular supply facilities and helipads will be built, he noted that they will be very important because of the growing interest in Guyana’s oil blocks. French Oil Company, Total, CGX and other companies have already signalled their interest to start operations in the country’s oil blocks.

Those operations will be complemented by the other wells developed by ExxonMobil and its exploration partners HESS and CNOOC. “We want small ‘built to size and purpose’ facilities from Berbice to Essequibo to support these oper-

Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman ations; some facilities will be greater inland because we cannot have everything concentrated in one area,” said Minister Trotman.

Government, he said, will also welcome proposals from the private sector for the establishment of large shore bases across the country.

“There is enough for everyone; what we would not want to see is all the development concentrated in Georgetown; we want to ensure that other regions and counties benefit,” said the minister.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Ex-top cop denies handlin

FORMER Commissioner of Police Floyd McDonald on Sunday denied any knowledge of the disappearance of diamonds belonging to Ronald Khan, a miner, while he served as crime chief. Khan has since filed a civil suit against the state to recover approximately $54M, the approximate value of the

missing diamonds.

McDonald, along with a former Deputy Crime Chief Harley Davidson, and former Inspector Maison all denied handling the diamonds in the said matter. In fact, they have all indicated that at the time the diamonds were discovered missing, they were either no longer serving in the force, or were

attached to other departments.

In a statement to the Guyana Chronicle, McDonald said he joined the Guyana Police Force on July 19, 1967 and retired in 2004.

“During the period stated I never received, saw, examined, sent to examine any diamonds in relation to Ronald Khan, he de-

clared in his statement.”

He also refuted giving instructions or diamonds to Inspector Maison.

“Inspector Maison therefore never returned any diamonds to me. It is my view therefore that the article’s corrosive nature is aimed at my character,” the statement, said while calling on this newspaper to correct “his poisonous

article with like coverage”.

Subsequent to his response to the article, McDonald told reporters at his Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home that from information he has received, the time when the diamonds belonging to Khan went missing, he was no longer in the police force.

“When I checked with the police, it appears as though when the diamonds were allegedly found missing some investigation was launched or investigations; I was out of the force then. The police would have more information on it.”

URGENT PUBLIC NOTICE The Ministry of Legal Affairs on Saturday issued an urgent public notice for nine former policemen to explain why some $54M worth of diamonds has disappeared.

The diamonds reportedly belong to Ronald Khan, a miner, who has since filed a suit against the state to reclaim the diamonds, and/or its value.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the matter dates back to 1994.

According to the notice published in the Guyana Chronicle newspaper on Saturday, May 5, 2018, former Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald, who back in 1994 served as Crime Chief; Harley Davidson, Deputy Crime Chief; Eon Sandy, formerly stationed at the Supreme Criminal Court Police Outpost; Alwyn Wilson, stationed at then ‘E’ and

‘F’ Division headquarters, Eve Leary; Terrence Semple, last stationed at Mahdia Police Station; Courtney Ramsey, last stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), police Headquarters, Eve Leary; Desmond Leitch, last stationed at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary; Constable Fraser, Reg#10881 and Ex-detective Sergeant Carl Wilson, Reg # 7797 are being asked to make urgent contact with the the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Khan, who is being represented by the Hughes, Fields and Stoby law firm, had initially started proceedings sometime in 2011 to retrieve his diamonds, the Guyana Chronicle understands.

Meanwhile, the former top cop who now serves as chairman of the New Building Society (NBS), said he is somewhat concerned that after some 20 years the matter has resurfaced. “I am very concerned, because there is apparently a gap between the [Attorney General] AG’s Chambers and the police.”

McDonald in the presence of his wife, said the police would supply information to the AG’s Chambers in such matters.

“I was not even in the force when the diamond [sic] was apparently discovered missing. I am just speaking based on my knowledge… it is not a matter I would deal with at CID headquarters; we don’t keep exhibits at CID headquarters,” he explained.

The former police

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

ng missing diamonds commissioner said evidence would have been kept at ‘F’ Division or at the court when the matter was being heard.

“In this case, it is Mahdia. I don’t know if they kept the exhibit at Mahdia or they kept it at ‘E’ and ‘F’ headquarters,” he said, maintaining that he had nothing to do with disappearance of the diamonds as the diamonds were never in his possession.

The Guyana Chronicle on Sunday reported that based on information provided by an ex-policeman who has also been asked to make contact with the AG’s Chambers, that at some point the diamonds were handed over to McDonald after it was inspected by a diamond dealer.

However, McDonald said “I don’t want to talk much about this matter, but the point I am making is that I am totally surprised that this allegation was made against me just like this. Nobody called me to find out anything.

Matters like these don’t be dealt with by the CID headquarters.”

He said he is not inclined to believe his name was placed in the mix because of grudges. “I don’t want to think so. It is how the AG’s Chambers dealt with this matter,” he said, while adding that he is unsure of the relationship between the AG’s Chambers and the police.

However, McDonald disclosed that the Office of Professional Responsibility had mounted an investigation into the matter either in 2006 or 2011.

He said too that based on information received, ‘F’ Division also carried out an investigation when the diamonds were found to be missing.

I WASN’T THERE “I wasn’t there and I wasn’t involved in any way. I am concerned that a person’s name is placed in the newspaper,” said a soft-spoken McDonald.

Further, the former top cop explained that the system which exists at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) requires that exhibits be kept separately from the actual cases.

“CID headquarters would have cases and they would keep the exhibit separately. I as a crime chief never kept any exhibits in my safe; that was not my function,” he said.

Similarly, Maison (only name provided) in an interview Sunday with the Guyana Chronicle denied handling any diamonds during the period referenced in this newspaper’s Sunday publication.

Maison told the Guyana Chronicle that he read the article online and laughed as he was not a member of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the time, and he had already left the ‘E’ and ‘F’ Division.

In fact, he said he had moved from that division since November 1992.

“There is no way I could have been involved; it is a lie. The person who said that probably knowing I was there during a period of time assumed I was there then, but I wasn’t.”

Maison explained that in November 1992, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Crime Scene Unit where he served until his retirement. “…I have no knowledge…I am very surprised. I used to be in charge of CID, but I had already left there at that time.”

Maison noted too that

in any event former top cop McDonald while serving as crime chief, would only have been informed about the matter but would not have had any direct dealings with the case or the exhibit.

“It is simply not true,” he declared. Similarly, former deputy crime chief at the time, Harley Davidson, told the Guy-

ana Chronicle that he too was not involved in any such matter. “I am not happy at all with what I saw in the papers…I know nothing of the incident. I know absolutely nothing about it,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the matter comes up today before Puisne Judge, Fidela Corbin-Lincoln.

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Former Top Cop Floyd McDonald

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Prisoners’ reintegration: Substance abuse contributes to recidivism – obstacles to legitimate employment a major snag

By Rabindra Rooplall PERSONS returning to society after incarceration, irrespective of their physical, mental or substance abuse challenges face a confusing transition of reintegration, regardless of their health condition.

This is the view of Forensic Psychologist Dianna Khan, who related that many former inmates face significant obstacles in gaining legitimate employment.

These obstacles, she said, include low levels of education, limited vocational skills and work experience and reluctance on the part of employers to hire “ex-prisoners.”

She said that the transition from prison to community differs for former inmates with health problems, and knowledge of these specific differences can be used to target interventions to improve reintegration outcomes.

“Reintegration outcomes vary by health status. Individuals with physical health, mental health, and substance abuse conditions usually follow distinct reintegration trajectories,” the forensic psychologist said.

She continued: “It has also been observed that dependent [sic] on the health issue, they have significantly different experiences with regard to housing, employment, family support, substance use, criminal involvement and period of recidivism.”

Khan said that former inmates who are substance abusers (marijuana use, alcohol intoxication, cocaine and other generic drugs) irrespective of their culture are most likely to relapse into substance use and recidivate.

“It should also be noted that the time of relapse is significantly shorter than those who have physical and mental health conditions.

Generally, the rate of relapse also differs by gender.

Post-prison substance use was reflective of pre-prison substance abuse patterns,” the psychologist noted.

Khan explained that inmates who return to society with substance abuse problems generally do not have evident physical conditions, yet they reported more criminal behaviour, having been more likely to earn money through illegal activities.

“Not only do they report more criminal activity, but the crimes they engage in

Forensic Psychologist Dianna Khan progressively increase in nature…. An example of this is first offence being robbery, second offence being armed robbery, third offence robbery with physical harm,” Khan noted.

Adding that unresolved substance abuse problems often complicate an already challenging reintegration transition, the psychologist noted that returning to society with health problems poses the danger of being unable to engage in work or other activities because of pain or sickness, and their families may be unwilling or unable to serve as a fallback support.

“Former inmates with physical and mental health conditions are conditioned to believe that their health problems would always interfere with their ability to work.

Hence, accountability of those instances when they return to crime after some time has elapsed. The timeframe in which those with physical and mental conditions return to crime is generally longer, as compared to those who report substance abuse addictions,” she noted.

Khan added that continuous substance abuse over time ultimately leads to persons having to manage newly acquired health problems acquired over a period of time. Moreover, long-term substance abuse can have damaging physiological effects.

She explained that addressing substance abuse post-release has the potential to improve individual health and re-entry outcomes. The benefits may also extend beyond the individual to the communities in which returning prisoners reside.

This special attention to the substance abuse treatment, she said, should be acknowledged concurrently with the dynamic that such persons upon release return in relatively high concentrations to a small number of socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

“Adverse effects of substance abuse increase the risk of violent behaviour, disrupt family relationships and employment, and ill effects on health. Substance use puts released inmates at risk for a number of adverse outcomes,” she said.

The forensic psychologist underscored that the possession of illegal drugs alone puts individuals at risk for arrest and re-incarceration. “This makes me think of Jamaican legislation on decriminalising possession of “smaller” amounts of marijuana…that was quite interesting.”

Moreover, she said that substance use may propel individuals to commit other crimes in order to finance drug purchases. Substance use also notably affects other outcomes, in that it can impede family relationships, employment, and health.

“Despite the hindrances for starters, to facilitate an easier transition I encourage fostering positive connections with family members and meaningful social networks….As alluded, some substance abuse addicts have been more likely to earn money through illegal activities because of the inability to self-support themselves,” she underscored.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) is considering the introduction of online training as efforts to rehabilitate inmates and reduce recidivism continue, Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels said.

The director said this practice is already being utilised in facilities around the world.

He noted that with the necessary precautions in place to prevent access to unauthorised websites, the introduction of technology-assisted training will reduce the hindrance caused by the unavailability of space for training within the prison facilities.

“I recognise as well, they are making adequate use of that sort of technology, internet-based training for inmates, where they have their own computer or tablet and a number of programmes are actually pre-downloaded

to the instrument, which are prevented from accessing unauthorised websites,” the director added.

According to Samuels, the institution is also focusing its energies on attracting a higher quality staff, while providing training oppor-

tunities for those currently on staff, to upgrade their skillset wherever necessary and possible.

Samuels noted that the Prison Service is in a better position to realise its role of inmate reform. It has re-

ceived assistance from the British-funded Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP) and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) toward this end.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Georgetown mayor to be grand marshal for independence anniversary parade in NY

THE Guyana Independence Anniversary Celebration Committee (New York) says the Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana, Patricia Chase-Green will be the grand marshal of the annual Guyanese Independence Parade in Brooklyn, New York on June 3.

On Saturday, the Committee said the parade is part of Guyana’s 52nd Indepen-

dence celebration in New York, which will be held from June 3 to 10.

Other invitees include Guyana’s Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Guyana’s Attorney General Basil Williams; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo; New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio; US congressional representatives Yvette Clarke and Hakeem Jeffries; Brook-

lyn Borough President Eric Adams; Guyana’s Consul General to New York, Barbara Atherly; Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN Michael Ten-Pow; and Guyana’s Ambassador to the US, Dr Riyad Insanally.

Committee chairman Rickford Burke, told the Caribbean Media Corporation that he and executive members have been meeting

with New York officials and members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) in finalising plans for the celebrations.

Burke particularly lauded Adams for his “exceptional efforts to endure a successful celebration and for donating US$5 000.00 towards the celebration.”

The parade commences at Church and Brooklyn Av-

enues in Brooklyn, culminating at the Brooklyn Museum on Washington Avenue and Eastern Parkway.

Burke said a Unity Concert will be held on the same day.

A flag-raising ceremony, to be conducted jointly by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyanese in the US Military, will precede the concert.

Other activities include the Independence Festival, to be held on Saturday, June 9.

Burke said, “Guyanese pride will be on full display when the New York Diaspora unites for one celebration.”

He said the celebration will be held under the theme, “Celebrate Guyana to the World.”

Nevlon Duguid, director of communications for the organising group, said the annual event is the second largest West Indian celebration in New York, after the Labour Day Carnival parade.

He said the historic 2016 jubilee celebration attracted over 20 000 Guyanese, while over 10 000 attended in 2017.

“Interest has peaked astronomically this year. We expect to mobilise a greater number of Guyanese in 2018,” Duguid said. (CMC)

PAHO urges C’bean countries to participate in regional health project WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — THE Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is urging Caribbean countries such as Guyana, Suriname and Haiti to respond to proposals aimed at supporting research that addresses the system-wide changes required to achieve regional health targets within the framework of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

PAHO said applications must be received by May 15 this year and that successful projects will receive a research grant for a maximum of US$30,000.

It said these grants are “intended for individuals responsible for programme implementation in a public institution in Latin America and/or the Caribbean.

The initiative, titled “Embedding Research for the Sustainable Development Goals (ER-SDG), is organised

by PAHO, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (Alliance HPSR) and the UNICEF/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/World Bank/ World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.

PAHO said the initiative “recognises the need for embedded research that strengthens health programmes, policies and systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Embedding research in real-world settings is a vital part of ensuring its relevance to specific health systems, so that government agencies, research institutions, donors and civil society can more effectively act on recommendations and address systemic gaps.

“Research questions must, therefore, originate from those working at the front-line of health delivery and implementation to ensure that existing health programmes, policies and systems can be improved in accordance with local settings, PAHO said, noting that applicants must submit a concept note on a programme, policy or systemlevel problem related to the SDGs. “This problem can focus on, but is not limited to, SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, and SDG 10: Reduce inequalities within and among countries,” it said.

PAHO said this includes projects on topics such as communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, child and maternal health, emergency preparedness and disaster relief, among others.

Funding should not be used to pay for additional staff, but can be used to cover the costs of researchers’ time, data- collection activities and other related research activities, PAHO said, noting that previous ER-SDG recipients include a programme on the prevention and control of tuberculosis in the incarcerated population; the implementation of a drug interchangeability policy; and the development of a critical path of women affected by Zika and the exercise of their sexual and reproductive rights

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

GDF boxers on course for successful defence of title

By Michael DaSilva BOXERS of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) continued their forward march in an effort to make a successful defence of the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis National Novice’s Championships which concluded last evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

There were eight fights carded for the night and of that number, the Army won six, but

two of those victories were by way of walk-overs, while the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym (VBG) won the other two, against their teammates.

However, there were some highlights during the night’s proceeding that ensured that patrons got value for money.

One such fight was a bantamweight contest between Andrew Griffith (GDF) and Romano Hamblin of the Republican Gym (Rep).

From the start of the contest, Griffith, the taller of the two boxers, kept his opponent at bay with left jabs and right hand shots as Hamblin tried to step close to his opponent. But instead of working on Griffith’s mid-section, he chose to go to his head; it proved useless as Griffith continued to keep him (Hamblin) at bay with left jabs.

In round two, Griffith changed his approach and caught Hamblin with some telling straight rights that sent the Republican boxer to the canvas for an eight-count.

On resumption, Griffith started to pressure Hamblin even more and Hamblin received a further two eight

counts, forcing the referee to call a halt to the proceeding at two minutes, eight seconds of the second round.

The fourth fight saw a determined Deon Samuels (Rep) being stopped in the third round by GDF’s Troy Miggins; this was after Samuels went to the centre of the ring in a very aggressive mood, connecting to the soldiers’ body and head for most of the round.

Round two saw Miggins coming out intent on finishing the fight as early as possible, adapting a no-nonsense approach and earning an eightcount. However, Miggins was on the receiving end when the round continued, with Samuels sending him to the canvas for an eight-count also.

The fight looked even going into the third round which turned into a slug-fest, with Samuels looking more aggressive. Miggins held on for all he was worth and on separation by the referee, connected to Samuels’ head with a telling right that caused Samuels to become dazed and stumbled. The referee rightfully called a halt to the fight.

In other results, VBG’s

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

Christopher Moore defeated his gymmate, Shaquie Wright on points in their lightweight youth finals, while in the welterweight division of the Youth final, Trevon Elcock of VBG defeated Akeil Mounter of the same gym on points.

In the junior welterweight division of the Novices championships, Orlando Grenville (GDF) scored a first round technical win against Adrian Robertson (Rep). The fight ended at one minute 41 seconds of the round.

In the welterweight category, GDF’s Corlette Greenidge scored a second round knock-out win over Jamal Crawford. The fight ended at 45 seconds of the second round.

Angel Anys of the Young Achievers Boxing Gym then secured a walk-over victory from GDF’s Montel Fraser who had earlier injured his shoulder and Astion Niles (GDF) also secured a walkover victory from Shakeal Damon of the Forgotten Youth Foundation gym.

It was reported that Damon failed to turn up for the weigh-in Saturday morning.

(Monday May 07, 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) (1) (2)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 2012 (KKR) Andre Russell-KKR (2015)

(1) (2)

Today’s Quiz: Which pair of batsmen were the first to raise a 100-run partnership in IPL 2018?

Who claimed the first four-wicket haul in IPL 2018?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

South Africa Racing Tips Flamingo Park 08:50 hrs Aqua Blue 09:25 hrs Sussex 10:00 hrs Pretty Wendy 10:35 hrs Weskus Klong 11:10 hrs Caramito American Racing Tips Finger Lakes Race 1 Flatliner Race 2 One Summer Nite Race 3 The Rhythmisright Race 4 Escape To The Moon Race 5 Torn Apart Race 6 Cognac Cutie Race 7 Chief Assignment Race 8 U Rock It Irish Racing Tips Down Royal 08:50 hrs Judgement Day 09:25 hrs Pretty Little Liar

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

38 days to go …

Is Sir Bobby Robson England’s greatest Manager?

Manager Bobby Robson watches England as they thrash Turkey 8-0 in 1984 in Istanbul.

W

HEN mulling over the question of England’s greatest ever manager, Sir Alf Ramsey is the most prominent name that springs to mind. A strong-minded man who still to this day holds the title of leading the Three Lions to their only World Cup success.

Although things turned sour between himself and the football association in the end, legendary status will never be taken away from the Yorkshireman whose accomplishments may never be repeated.

However, there is another manager. Maybe one that did not reach the heights of Ramsey in terms of success, but certainly one that left a legacy of similar ilk; a manager whose influence on not just English football, but the sport around the world, will last throughout time – he is Sir Bobby Robson.

England’s failure to get past West Germany in the 1982 World Cup second round spelled the end of Ron Greenwood’s tenure as national boss; opening the door for a period of eight years that would be seen as the country’s most successful spell since Ramsey’s time, and yet defined by a single loose-tongued rant from football association chairman, Bert Millichip.

But despite Robson’s name sitting firmly in the conversation of England’s greatest manager, it was not always plain sailing under the north-eastener’s watch, particularly in the early days.

Still revelling in the recent fallout of UEFA Cup success with Ipswich Town, the Tractor Boys’ mana- gerial royalty stepped into the Wembley Stadium position with expectations high. But after dropping Kevin Keegan from the national squad and failing to qualify for the 1984 European Championships as a result of failing to overcome Denmark, it looked as though another false promise had been handed

to the English public.

The Sun newspaper, after recently adopting its self-made image as the pulse of the man on the street, made it their mission to oust Robson following the Three Lions’ failings, a campaign that would only fall on deaf ears with those at the FA, whose determination to spite the tabloid in a new, somewhat blameless era of journalism, effectively kept the Durham-born man in a job.

However, following his early setback at the hands of the Danes, Robson would go on to carry a tradition that remains today; dominance in qualification. The master tactician would never taste defeat again in a competitive match during the run-up to a major tournament, nor lead England to a football-free summer. And maybe that record played a small role in what ensued in 1986--Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’.

But then came the most inspiring chapter of Sir Bobby’s tenure; one that would restore both pride and excitement back into England’s football, yet a spell which concluded all too prematurely. Italia ‘90; the Three Lions’ most successful showing at a World Cup tournament since 1966, and masterminded by one man.

In truth, having arrived in Italy as underdogs, Robson’s men got off to a stuttering start against the Republic of Ireland, but steadily established momentum with wins against Egypt, Belgium and then, in dramatic fashion, Cameroon. West Germany, the outfit that would go on to win the tournament against a backdrop of reunification, was all that stood between England and only their second World Cup final in history.

What unfolded has often been described as the Three Lions’ best performance under Sir Bobby, yet it was not enough to see off the dominant Germans, with a penalty shoot-out proving the difference. However, maybe more significantly were the words of FA chairman, Millichip, leading up to the tournament in 1990.

“The irony was that just before the 1990 World Cup, the chairman, Bert Millichip finally lost patience, let his tongue run away with him, and said Robson either had to win the World Cup or go,” former FA secretary, Graham Kelly recalled. “Bobby reacted by approaching PSV Eindhoven. Had this not happened, he would have served another four years, believe me.”

Had those words not left the hierarchical-leading Londoner, England could have of been preparing for a time in history ad e h when the nation’s legacy to the game was rs a . layermany p re-written; a potential to don two starts over the e e h tG Three Lions crest this summer in Russia rather than only to t lks st Wes a t Ramsey’s. Yet, as it was, Robson indeed went to Holland, before n n i o a spells in Portugal, Spain and finally finishing his managerial obs ag y R i-final b b “ I t career at Newcastle United. o m B e wasn’t the Hand In 2009, Sir Bobby finally lost his long battle with canger he s ana e in t m of God, it was the hand of cer, passing away at the age of 76 at his home in the County m d i t n la raa rascal,” an incensed England of Durham. In a way, four years prior, it was quite fitting Eng ext manager retorted to the Estadio Azteca Robson would title his autobiography “Farewell, But Not press room after witnessing his side being Goodbye”. Even though one of the most loved football dumped out of the World Cup quarter-finals by two manager’s in the country’s history indeed has left us, his pieces of very different brilliance. The first being the ability to memories have not. successfully deceive the officials, and the second--a goal truly However, if one description sums the impact Sir Bobby worth a godly title. had on the game of football, its Paul Gascoine’s of his former In the two years that followed, England struggled to manager. get over the disappointment, albeit qualifying for the 1988 When mulling over the question of England’s greatest European Championships, yet crashing out of the then ever manager, there are indeed two names that come to eight-team tournament, ending bottom of their group after mind. However, in terms of the greatest English manager defeats by Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia. of all time, that title belongs to only one: Sir Bobby Robson.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Taylor says Smith can captain Australia again

CRICKET Australia director and former Australia skipper Mark Taylor has backed Steve Smith to return to the national captaincy after the ban on his leadership ends.

Smith returned home to Australia this week from a trip to the United States, and declared he was ready to get back to business after accepting his 12-month playing suspension as a result of his part in the ball-tampering scandal.

Smith is free to return to the Australian set up for next year’s World Cup and Ashes in England, but cannot fill a leadership position again until the end of March 2019.

Taylor said he expected Smith to get a chance at captaining the side again.

“I still think Steve Smith can captain Australia,” Taylor, who presented Smith with his captaincy blazer in 2014, told the Nine Network’s Sports Sunday when asked who the long-term captain should be.

“Steve Smith to me, and everyone wants to label people, is not a cheat. Steve Smith was guilty of negligence in my opinion.

“He saw something going on and he didn’t stamp it out.

That’s a mistake of negligence.

“He’s not a cheat, he’s a very good person.

“And to me that’s the biggest damage that’s happened over the past few months.”

Steve Smith is presented his Captain’s Blazer by former Test captain Mark Taylor in 2014.

Taylor’s position on Smith could prove crucial in the future, given the CA board must rubber-stamp any captaincy appointments.

The issue of leadership will again come to the fore this week, with Australia’s squad for the one-day series in England expected to be announced.

Tim Paine, 33, has been

confirmed as the ongoing leader of the Test team but it is unclear if he will lead the limited-overs team after fellow wicketkeeper Alex Carey was also handed a CA contract last month.

If Paine isn’t selected, 31-year-old Aaron Finch would be the likely be the front-runner given he has previously led the ODI and T20 sides.

Meanwhile, at age 28, Smith could still have the best part of his career ahead of him for Australia.

Recently-appointed Australia coach Justin Langer indicated this week he would welcome Smith, as well as fellow-banned players David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, back into the national team.

Rahul’s superb unbeaten 84 fires Punjab to six-wicket win LOKESH Rahul’s superb unbeaten 84 fired Kings XI Punjab to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

The Royals were reliant on Jos Buttler’s 51 to set a relatively modest target of 153 that Kings XI steadily chipped away at.

Jofra Archer’s death bowling has been key to Rajasthan’s successes in this tournament, but opener Rahul and Marcus Stoinis (23 not out) thrived when the fast bowler stepped up and edged nearer to victory.

It was Rahul who inevitably sealed the win with his best ever IPL total from 54 balls, but the beaten visitors will not have to wait long for revenge as the sides meet again in two days’ time.

Kings XI sent the visitors in to bat and the first wicket fell with just the third ball, D’Arcy Short (2) lifting Andrew Tye’s delivery up into the air and into the hands of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Buttler steadily plundered boundaries, but his partners’ attempts to match his efforts were large-

Pandya puts Mumbai back in top-four contention

ly as unsuccessful as Short’s and both Ajinkya Rahane (5) and Sanju Samson (28) were also caught.

And Ben Stokes’ (12) frustrating tournament continued when his momentum was halted, with Mayank Agarwal catching

just before the rope and successfully offloading to Manoj Tiwary as he fell backwards.

The innings became more difficult still when Buttler went to Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3-27), whose third wicket came with the dis-

Lokesh Rahul paced his innings perfectly, scoring 42 off his last 15 balls to finish unbeaten on 84 ©BCCI

missal of Archer for a golden duck.

Even at that stage, with the Royals wobbling, it was clear they would be heavily reliant on Archer’s bowling later on to have any chance of holding off a Kings XI chase, with Rajasthan only able to reach 152-9.

The hosts’ pace was initially slow, too, but Rahul performed steadily - escaping when it was deemed Sanju Samson had not caught him - and it was he and Stoinis who delivered at the death.

Archer had earlier removed Chris Gayle and the Royals will have been hopeful that he could add further wickets when he stepped up to bowl the 17th over.

But 16 runs - including two boundaries - followed as Rahul passed his half-century and the match was instead turned in Kings XI’s favour, with another expensive over from Jaydev Unadkat to come.

That left the home side requiring only 12 runs from 12 balls and Rahul took delight in carrying his side over the line, ending with a six, a two and a four.

A flurry of boundaries from Hardik Pandya took Mumbai to 181 for 4 ©BCCI

HARDIK Pandya starred with bat and ball as the Mumbai Indians moved back into top-four contention with a 13-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Indians had been in danger of being cut adrift of the play-off qualification places after six defeats in nine matches, but Sunday’s narrow success gives them hope.

Pandya played a crucial role for Rohit Sharma’s men with an unbeaten 35 as they posted 181-4 from their 20 overs.

The all-rounder then returned figures of 2-19 from his four overs as Kolkata came up just short, despite a valiant effort from Dinesh Karthik.

A 91-run opening stand between Suryakumar Yadav (59) and Evin Lewis (43) set the Indians on their way, the pair peppering the boundary in the opening power play.

Pandya’s 35 off 20 balls helped lift them to a total that proved too much for Kolkata – who toiled in the middle of their reply.

Robin Uthappa (54) and skipper Karthik tried in vain to keep them in touch but the latter was left stranded on 36 as Mumbai recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Kolkata must have gone into Sunday’s clash thinking this was their chance to finally beat Mumbai, but their barren run goes on.

The Knight Riders have lost the last seven meetings between the two franchises, a run that stretches back 1,125 days to April 2015.

Pandya came to the crease with Mumbai well positioned on 106-2 and quickly set about the Kolkata attack, hitting Piyush Chawla for six over long-off on his third ball.

The boundaries continued to flow for the number four despite Mumbai stuttering slightly, a final maximum coming as Sunil Narine watched the ball soar over his head late on.

Narine got his revenge straight after, but the damage was done.

With the ball Pandya removed opener Shubman Gill cheaply, before halting Nitish Rana’s onslaught with six overs to play. (Yahoo Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

LeBron buzzer-beater gives Cavs 3-0 lead, Celtics on the cusp ALL hail LeBron James after his buzzer-beater gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a dramatic 105-103 win over the Toronto Raptors and a commanding 3-0 series lead.j James left Eastern Conference top seed the Raptors on the verge of a play-off exit with a running one-hander at the buzzer in Cleveland on Saturday.

The three-time NBA champion nailed a buzzer-beater against the Indiana Pacers in the first round and he was at it again to put the Cavaliers on the cusp of the conference finals.

James posted a workmanlike-line with 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 14-of-26 shooting. Even better, he finished nine of 11 from the free-throw line, while Kevin Love put up 21 points and 16 rebounds.

“They gave us everything they have and more,” James told ESPN after the game. “We could play so much better, but it’s a gutsy win.”

The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry’s 27 points, with game four on Monday.

Also in the east and the Boston Celtics boast a commanding 3-0 lead after trumping the Philadelphia 76ers 10198 in overtime.

For Boston, it came with a huge helping hand from veteran center Al Horford, who scored both the go-ahead basket in

overtime along with two free throws to all but seal the deal.

“He just makes everybody’s job so easy,” Terry Rozier told reporters after the game. “I’m just grateful to have him on our team. ... He’s just great. Just great. Future Hall of Famer.”

Joel Embiid had 22 points and 19 rebounds in a postseason-high 41 minutes. Embiid played more than 40 minutes just once in the regular season.

Philadelphia forward Robert Covington went 0-for-eight shooting with one point and two rebounds in 25 minutes.

champions the Golden State Warriors, but they can beat them. The series is now 2-1 in favour of Golden State, but the Pelicans have another home game and anything can happen in New Orleans where they are undefeated (3-0) in the postseason.

Curtly Ambrose steams in on the 1992-93 tour of Australia // Getty

By Adam Burnett

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. LeBron James produced another moment of magic for the Cavaliers but warned his fans not to try it at home.

No team have ever come back to win a series when down 3-0 in NBA history.

Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. The 20-year-old is averaging 24.3 points per game this series and 18.1 points in the playoffs.

The 76ers were also minus-12 with him on the court which was the single worst output for Philly and better than only Semi Ojeleye (minus-14) of the Celtics who played 21 less minutes.

The New Orleans Pelicans showed the NBA they cannot just compete with reigning

The Houston Rockets ended the Utah Jazz’s seven-game home winning streak with a dominant game-three performance and game four will be a great indicator as to whether this game was a backbreaker or a wake-up call for Utah.

Real's Bale denies 10-man Barca win in feisty Clasico

By Richard Martin

BARCELONA (Reuters) Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale lashed home to deny La Liga champions Barcelona victory in an ill-tempered ‘Clasico’ which finished 2-2 at the Nou Camp on Sunday after the home side had Sergi Roberto sent off at the end of the first half.

Luis Suarez volleyed unbeaten Barca into the lead after 10 minutes following a gut-busting run and cross from Roberto while Cristiano Ronaldo levelled for Champions League finalists Real five minutes later from close range.

However, the Portugal forward’s ankle was trodden on by Gerard Pique in the process and he was substituted at halftime.

Coach Zinedine Zidane said the injury was “a small thing” and Ronaldo will be fit for the Champions League final.

Bale had risked getting sent off for raking his studs against Samuel Umtiti’s leg but escaped without a booking on that occasion and Roberto was sent off moments later for hitting Marcelo following an off-the-ball tussle.

Lionel Messi scored a mesmerising, record-extending 26th Clasico goal to put 10-

Legends Month: Ambrose takes 7-1 at the WACA

man Barca back in front after 52 minutes but Bale, who had contributed little, silenced the Nou Camp with a thumping strike from the edge of the area in the 72nd.

Champions Barca have 87 points while Real are third in the Liga standings with 72 after 35 games. Atletico Madrid, who lost their unbeaten home record in a 2-0 defeat by Espanyol earlier on Sunday, are second on 75 but have played one game more.

EIGHT YELLOWS This was the first ‘Clasico’ in a decade which had no bearing on the title race but the game was still played with all the usual passion and tension which makes it the most famous club fixture in Europe.

Referee Alejando Hernandez Hernandez showed a total of eight yellow cards as well as the straight red for Roberto.

Bale was eventually booked as was the usually

Lionel Messi

“This was a Clasico with nothing at stake but we saw a great game,” Zidane told reporters. “We both went out to play well and win. We both played a great game and football is always the most important thing, not the controversy.”

even-tempered Messi, who made an uncharacteristically aggressive challenge on Sergio Ramos after the Real captain had an ugly confrontation with Suarez which led to both players getting yellow cards.

Suarez appeared to have

fouled Raphael Varane in the build-up to Messi’s goal and the Uruguayan forward had a goal ruled out for offside three minutes later.

“Clasicos should be played like this, it was a beautiful game,” Suarez told reporters.

“We wanted to win it, Sergi’s sending off damaged us, especially against a team like Real Madrid. But a draw also isn’t a bad result for us given how the game went.”

Both sides pushed for a winner and Real could have had a penalty when Jordi Alba caught Marcelo but Barca clung on to remain unbeaten in the league with three games to go.

Barcelona’s players remained on the pitch after the game to celebrate their double success with the home fans, having clinched the title last week at Deportivo La Coruna and won the King’s Cup final against Sevilla on April 21.

Real refused to offer the traditional guard of honour to the champions before the game so Barca defender Gerard Pique asked the Catalan club’s coaching staff to form two lines either side of his team mates as they left the pitch.

“I WAS in the kind of mood that, I don’t think anyone on planet earth could have stopped me that day – everything just felt right.”

As brash a statement as it may be, it’s difficult to form an argument against Curtly Ambrose when it comes to discussing one of the finest fast-bowling spells in Test history.

Ambrose, the giant West Indian who was perhaps the most feared fast bowler of his era, was a handful on a bad day; when the planets aligned, he truly was unstoppable.

It happened on January 30, 1993 when Australia and West Indies met in Perth to decide who would come out on top of an epic five-match series.

“When we left the Caribbean, no-one gave us a chance,” Ambrose recalled for cricket. com.au in 2015.

“Australia were a powerful team, led by Allan Border. They had the Waugh brothers, (David) Boon, (Ian) Healy.

“They had all these fantastic players, Shane Warne came in ... no-one gave us a chance.

“Because we’d lost Viv Richards the year before, Jeffrey Dujon, Malcolm Marshall, Gordon Greenidge – how can you replace those four legends, all at one time?

“We had an inexperienced team. Myself was there, Richie Richardson (had one Test as) captain, Desmond Haynes, Courtney Walsh … but most of the guys were rookies.”

The two teams had played out an all-time classic in Adelaide – won controversially by the West Indies by a single run – and four days later, when they convened at the WACA Ground in Perth, Ambrose sensed the opening play of the match would be pivotal.

“We looked at the pitch, and it looked ripe for fast bowling,” he said. “And I

remember clearing saying to Richardson, our captain, ‘Skipper, if we win this toss, we win the Test match and the series’.

“When Richie came back he said, ‘Border won the toss’.

“I said, ‘Well, better bat well here boys’.

“To our surprise, ‘AB’ decided to bat first. We couldn’t understand it. And you know how the game went. So for me, I thought it was a mistake on the part of the great Allan Border.”

Australia crawled to 2-59 at lunch with David Boon and Mark Waugh at the crease. Ian Bishop had removed hometown youngster Justin Langer, as well as Steve Waugh, with Ambrose struggling to make an impact.

“My first spell in the morning was a waste,” he recalled. “I didn’t really get it right – I was all over the place.

“I was very upset with myself because I mark myself very hard, and so do my teammates. So I went into lunch very, very upset with the way I bowled on a good pitch, and I thought, ‘Man I gotta get back here and do something special’.

“And everything just fell into place. Mark Waugh was first, and then that was it – I was basically unstoppable.”

With a precise and devastating line and length, Ambrose found his groove, and repeatedly found the edges of bats.

In the blink of an eye, he had completed a truly stunning spell: seven wickets for one run in 32 balls.

Australia were routed for 119, West Indies won the Test by an innings, and retained their status as the world’s dominant Test force with a 2-1 series victory.

“When you’re in that kind of zone, you feel invincible,” Ambrose said. “And that was one of those periods where I felt I could do no wrong.”(Cricketcom.au)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

Better Hope cart off CDA tourney

Better Hope skipper Leo Brittania (left) receives the winning trophy from organiser, Ray Williams, in the presence of other players of the victorious side.

TORONTO, Canada – Better Hope emerged winners of the annual Canadian Dominoes Association (CDA) aggregate tournament which climaxed recently at Starlite Family Restaurant & Bar, Scarborough here.

By far the most consistent team in the 14-week tournament, Better Hope tallied 2143 games to run out victors

over Carr Tec who occupied the second spot on 2125 while Demerara had to settle for the third position with 2053.

Young Blood (2045), Titans (2010) and Empire (1986) were the other teams which participated.

Demerara’s Anthony Caesar displayed remarkable consistency throughout the tournament to end with 392 games with Bet-

ter Hope’s Jerry Brittania placing second on 371 while Rick Persaud of Young Blood ended with 364.

Nirad Lall (Young Blood), Reth Ally (Titans) and Prem Persaud (Better Hope) shared four loves each. However, Lall took the top prize for tallying 27 sixes.

Cash prizes were handed out to all the participating teams with the winners

collecting $1800 (C); first runner-up $1500; second runner-up $1000; fourth $500; fifth $400 and sixth $300.

Caesar received $200 for making the most games while Brittania and Persaud collected $150 and $100 respectively. Lall was awarded $100 for sharing the most loves.

Apart from their cash prize, Better Hope also took

Top player Anthony Caesar (left) collects his trophy from Williams.

a lien on the challenge trophy while their eight registered players were recipient of trophies. They will have a replica of the trophy while any team winning on three occasions will have the trophy for keeps.

The tournament was organised and run by Ray “Lance” Williams who also represented Titans. And according to him, the association will be aiming to have

nine teams when the tournament is played once more, commencing in December.

Williams expressed sincere thanks to the proprietors of Starlite for allowing the entity to stage the tournament at the venue while owner, Albert Ramcharran also pointed out that it was a pleasure hosting the annual competition. (Frederick Halley)

Manchester City lift Premier League Education is key component to take football forward–GFCA president trophy after draw with Huddersfield ...as EBFA host Coaches Awareness Workshop

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany lifts the Premier League trophy. (BBC Sport)

MANCHESTER City lifted the Premier League trophy amid jubilant scenes despite Huddersfield gaining a vital point in their battle to avoid relegation with a goalless draw at Etihad Stadium.

Walking out to a guard of honour as thousands of blue and white flags fluttered in the stands, Pep Guardiola’s side had been expected to collect a routine three points, as the champions faced the 16thplaced Terriers with celebration the tone of the day.

But City could not produce the style of football fans have become so accustomed to this season, with Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus going closest in a game of few clear-cut chances.

And while Huddersfield players will have watched the trophy presentation knowing their place in the top flight is

not yet secure, they produced a resolute performance worthy of a Premier League future.

As the final whistle sounded, City fans proved they cared little for the result on the day as they spilled on to the pitch on a special occasion for east Manchester, delaying the trophy presentation.

It was not quite a perfect performance for City on the podium either as the trophy was knocked off the plinth while players jumped on Yaya Toure, the veteran Ivory Coast midfielder who will depart the club at the end of the season.

But no harm was done as captain Vincent Kompany lifted the silverware aloft - his third Premier League title as a Man City player.

The Terriers had done their best to spoil the party and contained City in

the first half, although De Bruyne almost opened the scoring for the hosts on two occasions.

Alex Pritchard came agonisingly close for the visitors, unleashing a drive from 25 yards out that an outstretched Ederson could only push around the post.

There were few obvious chances for either side after the break as Huddersfield became ever more defensive in pursuit of a precious point, Jesus heading one of City’s better opportunities high over the bar as the clock approached 80 minutes.

And as the nerves started to get to the Huddersfield fans, City continued to press, and almost snatched the win three minutes into stoppage time when Nicolas Otamendi’s curled effort edged just wide of the post. (BBC Sport)

THE East Bank Football Association (EBFA), in its continuing effort to ensure that coaches attached to its affiliated clubs are conscious of their roles and responsibilities, on Saturday hosted a Coaches Awareness Workshop that was facilitated by the associations technical advisor, Winston Benons.

The activity was held at the Timehri Community Centre and saw participation from eight (8) of the association’s 12 clubs. President of the Guyana Football Coaches Association (GFCA), Sampson Gilbert delivered feature remarks and declared open the workshop.

Gilbert, who was recently elevated to the presidency of the association, sought to enlighten the participants on the direction his body will be going so as to heighten coaches training and eventual certification.

The National U-17 coach noted that the history of the game would show that Guyana has always been competitive and always produced good players: “But the one thing we could say from a national perspective is that the level of coaches education has caused us to realise where we were, where we are and where we could be in a few years.”

He alluded to the fact that the thirteen Academy Training Centres (ATC) that have been established around Guyana is an important pillar in local development and

coaches have an important role to play in its continued advancement; but they must subject themselves to be appropriately trained.

was achieved in that the participants are more aware of what is expected of them on and off the field of play. He also shared that the programme is designed

EBFA technical advisor, Winston Benons, emphasizes a point during yesterday’s workshop in the presence of GFCA president, Sampson Gilbert (in foreground) at the Timehri Community Centre.

“In order for you to be a good teacher you must be educated in how, what, where and when; and these academy training centres provide the opportunity for us as coaches to work and develop not only the players, but ourselves. It gives us the opportunity to work and be educated.”

The attendees were taken through their paces, roles and responsibilities as teachers of the world’s most beautiful game and the importance of being positive role models to their charges.

Benons, commenting on the outcome of the workshop, informed that the objective

to prepare coaches for eventual certification at the GFF level.

Gilbert also took the opportunity to answer questions from the participants in relation to coaches’ certification, pointing out that individuals desirous of pursuing such a career must show consistent interest by attending the many ATCs that are held on a weekly basis around Guyana.

He said that coaches also need to learn the art of communicating among themselves with the aim of sharing and learning from each other.

Integrity and trust, he noted, are also important attributes every coach should possess.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, May 7, 2018

`I will miss you’ - Wenger thanks Arsenal crowd after final home game ARSENE Wenger admitted he will miss being Arsenal manager during an emotional farewell to the club’s supporters after his final home game in charge.

The Frenchman saw his side secure sixth place in the Premier League with a resounding 5-0 triumph over nearest rivals Burnley at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Given a guard of honour prior to kick-off, Wenger was then presented with a gold-plated mini replica of the Premier League trophy - awarded initially to the club following their unbeat-

en 2003-04 season - in the aftermath.

He also addressed the crowd ahead of his departure at the end of the season, declaring his love for Arsenal while thanking the fans for their support during nearly 22 years at the helm.

“Thank you for having me for such a long time. I know that’s not easy. But, above all, I am like you. I am an Arsenal fan,” he said.

“That means this is more than just watching football.

It’s a way of life.

“It is caring about the beautiful game, the values

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger waves to the fans after the match REUTERS/Ian Walton

we cherish and as well, that something that goes through all of our bodies we care, we worry, we are desperate.

“I would like to thank everybody at the club that makes this club so special.”

Wenger also called on Arsenal’s following to get behind a “special” group of players that he will leave behind for his replacement.

“I would invite you to really push and support the players and the staff that remains behind me,” the 68-year-old added.

“For me this group of

players has a special quality, not only on the pitch but also off it. And please, support this team and push next season, because they deserve it.

“I would like to finish with one simple term. I will miss you. Thank you all for being such an important part of my life. I hope to see you soon. Well done and goodbye.”

While he will not oversee another Arsenal home game, Wenger still has trips to Leicester City and Huddersfield Town to round out his reign.

GAPLF Intermediates/Masters Championship set for Sunday THE Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) will host their Intermediate/ Masters Championship 2018 on Sunday (May 13) at St. Stanislaus College, starting with Flight A at 9:00hrs. The participating athletes are required to be at the venue for weigh- in at 7:00hrs.

One of Guyana’s oldest powerlifter, Narianjan Singh will be competing among the Masters, alongside Noel Cummings, Collin Chesney, Jacky Toney, Nadina Taharally and others.

Buddy’s Gym has made a great contribution to the upcoming event and aside from that has been able to support some of the athletes of the upcoming com-

of the business entity.

Registration for this event closes today at 18hrs.

The registration forms and monies can be submitted to Webster. Athletes who want to participate can fill out the registration form and make the payment to the federation’s Republic Bank account #6552194 and send

GAPLF Committee Member Martin Webster (left) receives the sponsorship package from Buddy’s Gym Manager, Mr Crush Pharbo.

petition by providing free membership to national athletes.

Martin Webster, commit-

tee member of the GAPLF received contributions on behalf of the GAPLF from Mr. Crush Pharbo, the manager

Demerara dominate Essequibo in GCB Female Inter-county opener WITH slightly overcast weather conditions yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda, a scattering of spectators saw Essequibo taking on Demerara in the first round of the 50-over format of the 2018 GCB Senior Female Inter-County tournament.

In a match dominated by bowlers, Demerara took command of the game, bowling out the Essequibo team for a meagre 39 in 16.5 overs.

Heema Singh and Keisha Shultz dominated the bowling, collecting 4 wickets each for 19 and 5 runs respectively.

Keisha Shultz was awarded MVP of the match.

D e m e r a r a i n r e p l y, reached their target in just 5.5 overs with 8 wickets to spare. Opening batters, Mandy Mangru top scored with 17 while Latoya Smith con-

tributed 15. Kimonie Persaud was the lone wicket-taker for Essequibo.

Today will see Berbice

doing battle with Essequibo at the Lusignan Community Centre ground from 09:30 hrs.

TDO administrative assistant of the GCB, Kavita Yadram, hands over the MVP trophy to Keisha Shultz.

images of both the registration form and deposit slip.

The admission fee for the event is $500.00.

GBA’s Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novices C/ships

GDF boxers on course for successful defence of title See Page 22

Jeffrey, Persaud & Ten-pow reign supreme in second Georgetown Grand Prix

Mikhail Persaud was among the champion drivers in the second round of the Georgetown Grand Prix yesterday

Jeremy Ten-Pow leads the pack! Nathan Rahaman is second (71) with Justin Ten-Pow (16) third and Paige Mendonca (15) fourth

Kristian Jeffrey waves his chequered flag after making a clean sweep of the Easy Cup Super Class (GTRidez Photos)

By Stephan Sookram

GDF’s Troy Miggins floors Republican Gym boxer, Deon Samuels as referee Ramona Agard rushes in to stop the fight in the final round(Sean Devers photo)

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

INTENSE and wheel to wheel driving is what the second round of the Georgetown Grand Prix, organised by GT Motorsports, was all about yesterday.

Held at the GT Motorsports Headquarters at Thomas Lands in Georgetown, the second round of the competition featured wins for Mikhail Persaud, Kristian Jeffrey and Jeremy Ten-Pow, among others in their respective classes.

Details in tomorrow’s edition

MONDAY, MAY 7, 2018