Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 27 04 2017

British Minister of State to visit Guyana

Page 2

– on heels of President’s trip to UK

Historic meeting No. 104895

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

Queen Elizabeth II, President meet at Windsor Castle Guyana’s ‘green state’ agenda discussed Page 3

Queen Elizabeth II and President David Granger sat down on Wednesday at Windsor Castle where discussions were held in the context of President Granger’s ‘green’ State development agenda (Getty Images photo)

Passenger vessel sinks near Hogg Island Page 4

Urgent review – Jordan urges revamp of formula used to measure Page 15 Guyana’s development

Man accused of killing wife, her lover walks free

Page 8

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

British Minister of State to visit Guyana – on heels of President’s trip to UK

pounds UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund announced just three years ago, which will fund infrastructure projects to support economic growth and prosperity. Mr. President, not only in your speech a few moments ago, but also in our discussions earlier today, I was impressed, of course, by the work you have already done to analyse which infrastructure projects will be needed, not only to support the delivery of the discovery of oil and the delivery of that to the commercial sector, but also infrastructural projects

part to the number of Caribbean people, who have made their home in this country and who very much, make such a strong contribution to our country today,” she said.

Dr. Angus McCoss, Exploration Director and a Member of the Board of Tullow Oil, which is conducting oil exploration on the edge of the Guiana-Suriname basin, which he described as the ‘industry’s hottest exploration hot spot’ and the Orinduik-Kanuku area, also spoke at the event and emphasised his company’s commitment

noted that Tullow Oil is committed to ensuring that Guyanese benefit from any oil production it is involved in.

“We understand that the oil exploration industry is still relatively new to the Guianas and the broader Caribbean region, although it is a highly prospective region. Ensuring the nationals of our host countries directly participate in the country’s oil industry is one of the key ways in which we work. We create shared prosperity. Now we have a strong track record, ahead of any legislative requirements,

President David Granger tells British national and multilateral investors that Guyana is an exciting prospect as Baroness Anelay listens intently

A section of the large audience at the event

Baroness Anelay announced her visit to Guyana during her speech at the Caribbean Council’s House of Lords Reception

THE Right Honourable Baroness Anelay of St. Johns has announced that she will be visiting Guyana from May 1-3, 2017 as part of a three-country tour, which includes Trinidad and Venezuela.

The British Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office made this announcement at the Caribbean Council’s House of Lords Annual Reception, last night, where President David Granger also delivered an address outlining Guyana’s abundant resources, investment potential and its strengthened legal and regulatory framework for the national and multilateral investors, who attended the event.

The Guyanese head of

state said he believes such investors are beginning to see Guyana as a new horizon that does not diminish the opportunities in other Caribbean States but adds to the overall value of the region as an investment destination.

“They could combine the benefits of having investments in the Caribbean with those in Guyana. Guyana has got tremendous advantages as the only English speaking country on the continent, as a law-abiding country as opposed to a lawless country, as a country with significant land space and possibilities of developing infrastructure and eco-tourism… I think they were quite impressed and I am very confident that we will be receiving more inquiries and

investments,” he said.

Baroness Anelay, who during her visit to Guyana, will meet with the Guyanese head of state, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General and members of the private sector, said at the reception, that British investors want to share in those investment opportunities and the future described by the President and added that she looks forward to seeing those developments.

She also said that the United Kingdom’s commitment to strong relationships in the Caribbean is demonstrated by the fact that it is the largest bilateral donor to the region and noted that Guyana is a beneficiary of that commitment.

“Our regional programme for the Caribbean led by the Department for International Development (DFID) amounts to £400 million for the period 2015-2020 and that support includes the £300M

President David Granger interacting with guests at the event

that support the development of tourism,” she said.

COMMITTED TO CARIBBEAN Emphasising the importance of maintaining strong bilateral relationships between the UK and Caribbean States, Baroness Anelay said that even as the country prepares to leave the European Union (EU), it remains absolutely committed to its relationship with the Caribbean.

“Mr. President you stressed the fact that Guyana is the only English-Speaking country on mainland South America, we should remember our shared values because our partnership is strengthened also by our strong personal ties, thanks of course in

to respecting President Granger’s push for environmental protection.

“A country rich with natural resources is both a great opportunity and a great responsibility for all stakeholders involved and as an oil and gas operator we must be careful to explore, develop and produce oil in the most responsible way [with] respect for both the natural environment, the health and safety of our workers and the communities of our host countries. The economic risks that oil and gas companies take up front are very significant… Once oil begins to flow that’s when the revenues start for both Government and the oil company,” he said.

The oil executive also

This gentleman won a bottle of Eldorado 12-year-old rum as part of a fund raising raffle organised by the Caribbean Council

of doing this in our countries of operation. Our support of local business development has also been part of our longstanding commitment to shared prosperity.”

President Granger, Wednesday afternoon wrapped up his engagements with the Caribbean Council, attending their Advisory Board meeting.

The head of state, along with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge took questions on security, infrastructural development and transparency from board members representing Mott MacDonald, Tullow Oil, DART Enterprises Limited, European External Action Service (EEAS), Virgin Atlantic, among others. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Historic meeting 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Queen Elizabeth II, President meet at Windsor Castle Guyana’s ‘green state’ agenda discussed

PRESIDENT David Granger on Wednesday met with the Queen of England, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England in a private meeting during which he said discussions centered on the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC), a network of forest conservation initiatives, which involves all 52 countries of the Commonwealth.

According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, these discussions were held in the context of President Granger’s ‘green’ State development agenda.

The meeting marks the first time a Guyanese Head of State has met with Queen

Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom (UK) and President Granger believes that relations between the two countries are ‘becoming warmer’.

He added that the relationship between Her Majesty’s Government and Guyana has benefited immensely from the interactions, during his visit.

He said that the meeting is significant because, though he is not on an official State visit, he was able to meet with Her Majesty, who remains an influential world leader.

“The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. When she adopts a programme, which is a ‘green’ programme, which is entirely consistent with Guyana’s

President David Granger and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle during his first official visit to the United Kingdom. (Getty Images)

Man charged with attempted murder of Police Constable

A BETERVERWAGTING, East Coast Demerara resident was remanded to prison on Wednesday after he was charged with the attempted murder of a female Police Constable.

Warren Dennis appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead to the

indictable charge, which alleged that on April 23, 2017 at Beterverwagting, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Alana Hazel with intent to commit murder.

He was unrepresented and was remanded to prison until May 8, 2017.

Reports indicate that Hazel, 28, who is attached to the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary was on her

way to give her son some school supplies on the day in question, when Dennis allegedly attacked her.

He escaped but was subsequently taken into police custody by his brother. Hazel, who is still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital, suffered from several chop wounds about her body and her left wrist was severed.

‘green’ agenda, it is very significant for Guyana and Guyanese and of course she is a very influential person from a moral point of view; intellectual, philosophical point of view around the world… I can say that it was of the utmost significance for me and for Guyana that she, since 2015 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, laid out this policy of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy…

As Head of State, it was an honour for me to meet the Queen and to share the vision of, not only a Green State; a Green Guyana, but also a Green Commonwealth,” he

said.

According to the release, the President said that he will continue to promote the concept of environmental protection and preservation as Chairman of CARICOM, while ensuring Guyana’s commitment to becoming a ‘green’ state remains undiminished. “[The Queen] is convinced that this is the way to save the earth, to save the Commonwealth, to save our country and I’m in full support of her,” he said.

The President also expressed Guyana’s gratitude to Her Majesty for Britain’s support on the implementa-

tion of the Security Sector Reform Action Plan in Guyana. In January this year, the UK military officer, Mr. Russell Combe arrived in Guyana to oversee the implementation of the Plan. This matter was also emphasised during President Granger’s meeting with Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson, which was held yesterday at the House of Lords.

The President said that these meetings have augured well for Guyana’s relationship with the UK at both a governmental and private sector level.

“The main takeaway is Guyana’s commitment to continuing as a member of the Commonwealth and as a State that is attractive to investment from British investors; a State that is organised and administered on the principles of accountability and transparency and a State that is friendly to investors.

And in meeting with Foreign Secretary Johnson, he is quite aware of the issues affecting Guyana and we saw eye to eye on those issues,” the President said.

Queen Elizabeth II visited British Guiana first in the year of the former colony’s Independence; February 1966 and then again in February 1994, which was the first post-Independence trip she has made to Guyana.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Police move to obtain phone records …as investigations continue into alleged plot to shoot President

CRIME Chief Wendell Blanhum has noted that investigators have been taking all the appropriate steps to expedite the investigation into the alleged plot to shoot President David Granger.

During an interview with members of the media on Wednesday, the Crime Chief explained that the investigation department returned the case file to the

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

Police Legal Advisor and that she indicated to them

that they needed to obtain the telephone records of two individuals.

“I spoke with the telephone company, and I indicated to them the urgency (of getting the records),” he said, adding that the department expects to receive those documents before the end of the day.

“We are expecting to have those records by 3:30 this afternoon [Wednesday],

then, we are going to do an analysis and the first thing next morning we are going to send that file back to the police legal advisor for her legal opinion,” he said.

Blanhum pointed out that the investigators had made some recommendations pertaining to their initial findings, but he did not disclose what these recommendations were.

On April 20, Minister

of State Joseph Harmon disclosed at a post-Cabinet press briefing that Cabinet and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were aware of a reported threat made against President Granger’s life. The Minister gave this answer in response to a question posed by reporters about the claims of a plot to shoot the Head of State for a bounty of $7M. The media was informed that the threat,

which was discussed at the last Cabinet meeting on April 18, has garnered the attention of the GPF which had launched an investigation. The Minister had also stated that legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution’s Chambers has also been sought on the issue, but declined to give further details, noting that an investigation was already underway. (GINA)

3 years jail, $1.4M fine for Chef who ingested cocaine pellets Passenger vessel

AN EAST Ruimveldt, Georgetown man was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $1.4 million after he admitted to being in possession of 548 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Anthony Gibson, 26, a former Chef of Royal Castle, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He was

arrested on April 24, 2017 at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport (CJIA) after ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch observed that he was acting in a suspicious manner as he was preparing to board a Caribbean Airlines flight to The Bahamas.

When he was questioned, he admitted to the authorities that he had ingested cocaine pellets. The police report stated that he had ingest-

Thursday, April 27, 2017 Friday, April 28, 2017 Saturday, April 29, 2017 Sunday, April 30, 2017

-

Anthony Gibson

05:00 hrs 05:00 hrs 05:30 hrs 05:30 hrs

DATE: 26-Apr-2017 B

ed a total of 52 cocaine pellets, weighing 548 grammes in total. When the magistrate asked Gibson why he ingested the substance, he told her that he turned to cocaine trafficking because he needed to take care of his girlfriend and their son.

Gibson claimed that a man, whom he knows as Jermaine, gave him the cocaine pellets to take to The Bahamas, with a promise of cash payments.

26-Apr-2017

25 2 12 19 20 26 28 13

4

sinks near Hogg Island

By Alva Solomon SEVERAL persons are counting themselves lucky after a passenger vessel bound for Parika from Supenaam sank shortly after departure on Wednesday morning.

Reports are that the vessel, which was captained by one “Fidel”, experienced a “spring leak”, a term which boat operators described for the instance when water enters a vessel via a leak.

According to a source at Parika, the boat was one of several which departed Supenaam during the 7:00hrs rush hour on Wednesday morning and while en-route, persons onboard observed water near their feet. The captain then maneuvered the boat close to Hogg Island, where the passengers clambered to safety as the vessel drifted and sank.

Several vessels which were passing at the time came to the aid of the stranded passengers. The

26-Apr-2017

6

5

24

2

6

26-Apr-2017

7

0

5

operator of the vessel later made arrangements to haul the vessel out of the water. Boat operators at Parika told the Guyana Chronicle that the captain of the vessel experienced similar incidents in the past, including one close to Roden Rust where the vessel he was piloting at the time encountered rough waters and sank following seepages.

Meanwhile, persons at Parika called on the maritime authorities to enforce stringent measures to ensure boat operators comply with the regulations.

It was noted that persons would “hide” their vessels whenever there are inspection exercises by the maritime officials.

They said vessels with structural faults are usually hidden by their owners.

In addition, reports are that there are at least five passenger vessels which are not fitted with sheds. The vessels ply the Parika- Supenaam route daily, a boat operator noted.

26-Apr-2017

0

19

20

7

15 1

18 4

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Be the change Harmon charges public servants, administrators at annual meet MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday charged a gathering of public servants to be the change in shaping the public service here.

“You contribute significantly to the way in which your organisation is perceived; many of you are the first point of contact between your organisation and the public,” he said.

“You, therefore, can be powerful change-agents when you look to the perception and the reality of public service in our country,” he told an audience that was almost entirely made up of women.

The occasion was the Annual Administration and Professionals Seminar, now in its 21st year, which was held at the Pegasus Hotel and saw in attendance representatives from over 41 agencies from all across Guyana.

Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony, Minister Harmon

Participants at the Annual Administration and Professionals Seminar on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel

welcomed the inclusion of representatives from Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) for the first time.

Apart from the three regions at reference, the event also saw first-time attendance from representatives of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana

Prison Service, Dynamic Engineering, the Division of Health Sciences, and President’s College.

Seeing the seminar as an investment in improving the quality of the public service, Minister Harmon said: “These training programmes have had a direct impact on the quality of performance which we see in government and in public service.

“The benefits will en-

Body found tied to tree at Onverwagt Foreshore THE decomposed body of a male was discovered on Wednesday on the Number 28, Onverwagt Foreshore, West Coast Berbice,tied to a tree with a wound to the chest.

Commander of ‘B’ Division, Ian Amsterdam, confirmed to Guyana Chronicle that the police

are investigating the incident and foul play is suspected. Police are still trying to ascertain the identity of the man. The discovery was made by a Community Policing Officer who then alerted the police at approximately 15:00hrs.

According to the Commander, the body

is in a terrible state of decomposition and it is difficult for the police to figure out what kind of wound was inflicted on the man at the time. The Commander said that investigators will check reports of missing persons in an effort to identify the man.

dure long after you’ve attended this program, and your organisation will be the better for your attending here today.”

The training was administered by Zoywins Consultancy and Training Institute under the theme: “Look in

the Mirror”.

The opening ceremony also saw remarks from a number of notables, including Guyana Water Inc’s Dr. Richard Van-West Charles; University of Guyana’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Michael Scott; and for-

mer Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Frank Narine.

Zoywins Consultancy CEO, Mavis Benn, during her opening statements told the audience that the seminar’s focus is on areas where participants can work on self-improvement, not only in their professional environment but in their personal lives as well.

The day’s agenda included a presentation on “Micro-managing vs Macro-managing against a Professional Back Drop”

by Dr. Van-West Charles, while Benn took participants through an analysis of the seminar’s theme.

There was also a panel discussion, following which participants were presented with memorabilia and certificates.

6

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

The Law Books

M O N D AY t h e S t a t e Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) felt the need to question former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, on the law volumes that were purchased with State funds during his tenure, which he admitted he has in his possession and also offered to purchase for the state.

This information coming from the proverbial horse’s mouth is admittance to Guyanese that the books belong to the state and were purchased to do the work of the state. When the Attorney General Chambers, that legally advises the Executive, is empowered with contemporary legal understanding of issues, it improves the delivery of decision-making and justice.

Mr. Nandlall, who is presently a Member of Parliament representing the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), has taken

umbrage for having to subject himself to being questioned by a branch of law enforcement. It is hoped in the polarised polity, where opportunity is often sought to make political mileage, that this former legal advisor to government and current lawmaker is not offended by being interrogated. From his utterances Mr. Nandlall never saw himself subjected to the Laws of Guyana, which is frightening, for he was chief legal advisor to the former government.

The laws are pret ty straightforward of the consequences that will be borne by taking what does not belong to you. If the average man will be held and charged by the police on allegations that he stole his neighbour’s mangoes, a former AG being brought in for questioning, where he himself accepted he has taken the law volumes, he cannot expect to be treated differently. It is a fallacious

defence on the part of Mr. Nandlall to say that the books only cost US$2000, which is less than the value of his two cellphones.

The intonation that seeking to ask question and hopefully moving to reclaim US$2000 that belongs to the state is unworthy of attention and the state is expending more cost through investigation, the same could also be said for the person who allegedly steals GYD$200 worth of his neighbour’s mangoes. Mr. Nandlall is either playing petty partisan politics or as a member of the legal fraternity, insulting the importance of pursuing justice to the stability of law and order in society.

The new morphing political decadency, should it take roots, will lead us down a slippery slope.

Guyanese must not only feel, but also be assured that where any allegation exists or is made about theft or misappropriation of an-

other person’s property, the state will pursue it to bring about justice, irrespective of who is involved. When it is known that the state will pursue persons, be they of the lowest or highest socio-economic order, in government or not, with connections or not, irrespective of the cost to the state, it forewarns that none will be spared and justice will be given a chance to prevail.

The PPP/C has thought it most appropriate to create a maelstrom about SOCU doing its job, crying victimisation, even in the face of Mr. Nandlall’s admittance that he has the books that were purchased for the office during the presidency of Donald Ramotar. It is not unreasonable to think, though for benefit of the development of society that it would to be taken as not so, that people can be wrong and strong. Compounding the appeal of victimhood is insertion of

the ongoing spat between the former and current AG. Trying to impress the society that were it not for the spat between the two Mr. Nandlall would have been allowed to take the books without being questioned by the state does not say much for him. The integrity of his name could have been assured had he taken the sober decision to leave those books in the Chambers when he demitted the office. Where the books were bought by the state means they are the property of the state and cannot be disposed of unless authorised by the state.

Since then Mr. Nand-

lall has taken to social media to invoke Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s name and desecrate his legacy. According to him, “The PPP is a party whose leaders see arrest and imprisonment as part of our struggle.

Many of my political forebearers, including, Dr. Cheddi Jagan have travelled this road. I am prepared to follow suit.” Dr. Jagan maybe many things to the society and mean many things to different people, but to give impression of imprisonment for unlawful acquisition of state property, he was never so accused or incarcerated.

Bostwick’s motion should not be allowed to succeed

Dear Editor,

I REFER to an article in the Stabroek News of Tuesday, April 25th, 2017, captioned “APNU councilor tables motion aimed at sanctioning gross misconduct against Mayor.” Let me say at the outset that speaking as a political activist I see no wisdom in this pending motion that was tabled by my friend and comrade Mr. Heston Bostwick.

The motion has its genesis in the parking meter project which I believe, was correctly rejected by citizens and the central government. It is on public record that the way the Mayor and the Town Clerk dealt with this important

matter, in and out of the council chambers, was nothing short of disastrous and was more damaging to the reputation of the council than any of the negative criticisms which would have been made by dissenting councilors.

I have known comrade Bostwick for many years. We worked closely in the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) and in demonstrations organised by the People’s Movement for Justice (PMJ) against acts of oppression by the former PPPC regime. Mr. Bostwick is a serious political activist and a party loyalist and is known to have independent positions on matters of national politics. My experience

with comrade Bostwick indicates that he can at times be strong-headed and is politically unpredictable.

I have no doubt that the opinions he expressed in the motion are very strongly held views of his.

But what took place in the Council chambers in relation to this very unfortunate project does not justify such a motion and even if it does, is it the correct thing to do politically? The parking meter project had promised much -bringing order to the city’s streets and financial gains to the cash strapped council, but ended up delivering little on both scores. What it did was to open up political space for the opposition PPP and other government

detractors.

My advice to Bostwick in so far as his motion is concerned is that as presently constructed, it is dictatorial and out of sync with the modern sense of democracy. One cannot ignore the feeling that the intention here is to drive fear into the minds of persons who may disagree with positions advocated by certain elements in the Council, both within and outside of the Council.

This is a retrograde step, it is self-defeating and is politically backward to believe that threats to impose disciplinary measures on non-compliant members of the Council is the way to go and are the solutions in every situation. There are times in political struggle

when playing to the rules is counterproductive to national interests, especially when those who are interpreting the rules are doing so with their self-interests in mind.

Inherent in this motion and the circumstances that led to it are political undercurrents that can negatively impact the existence of the APNU+AFC coalition.

While I strongly support personal initiatives by political activists and I recognise that Mr. Bostwick has the right to pursue his conviction, he at the same time has to be mindful that others in the council are also inclined and have the right to take strong personal initiatives. He must remember, and if he doesn’t, he should be reminded that

he is involved in a political process which involves other political forces and he represents not the PNC in the council but the APNU+AFC. And while iron fist discipline may be a feature of the PNCR political culture, it is certainly not part of the WPA’s or may be not even the AFC’s political culture.

I end by saying that my political judgement is that as much as there are elements in the PNC who supports comrade Bostwick’s motion and its intentions, I will be a most surprised political activist if the party allows this motion to pass as it is presented.

Regards TACUMA OGUNSEYE

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

PM calls for cohesiveness in govt’s PR machinery

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Wednesday called on government’s public relations departments to work as a cohesive team in highlighting the successes and achievements of the government.

The Prime Minister was at the time delivering the feature address at the inaugural Government Public Relations Conference held at the National Racket Centre on Woolford Avenue. He called on the personnel at the Public Relations (PR) departments to strive to improve their performance in the execution of their duties and in highlighting the work, policies, programmes and initiatives of their respective ministries, departments and agencies.

He spoke about the traditional PR functions and alluded to information landscape which has changed significantly and he noted that the departments need to adjust accordingly to meet the modern demands of com-

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo during his address at the conference

munications and information dissemination, particularly with regard to new media and social media.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; Director of Public Information, Imran Khan; and Director of Communications, Ministry of the Presidency, Mark Archer, also made presentations on various topics during the five hour session.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo, along with Ministers Harmon and Hughes all acknowledged that there have been constructive criticisms of government’s public relations efforts and that it has been operating at a less than optimum level.

Minister Hughes in a comprehensive presentation on the role and functions of government public relations, implored the packed audience

A section of the participants at the conference

of public relations personnel to be bold and fearless in executing their functions, while ensuring that they remain accessible to the media and the public at all times.

Minister Hughes reiterated that government allows PR officers to speak on behalf of ministries, departments and agencies, a marked departure from restrictions of the past.

She urged those gathered to seek out the interesting stories

within their ministries and highlight them in as wide a range of ways as possible so that the information can reach diverse audiences.

The draft White Paper on Public Information was presented to the wide-ranging group comprising public relations personnel from all the government ministries, but also inclusive of public relations officers from the Guyana Power & Light, Guyana Rev-

enue Authority, the Guyana Tourism Authority and the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana Post Office Corporation, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, among other government agencies and semi-autonomous organisations.

Meanwhile, several concerns were raised during the interactive session as regards the access to policy information and challenges in disseminating information to the public. According to the release, a recurring concern which was raised was government’s seeming limited access to state media, particularly NCN radio and television. It was noted that the medium provided a dearth of informative programmes relating to government’s policies, programmes and initiatives.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo and Minister Hughes acknowledged and made a commitment to examine and address the concerns.

Poor engineering blamed for collapse of Indian Monument structure THE structure at Palmyra, to house the Indian Arrival Monument on Tuesday afternoon, came crashing down as workers were busy trying to complete it for Indian Arrival Day celebrated on May 5.

Guyana Chronicle understands that the walls of structure collapsed while workers were at work. An eyewitness who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity said the interior of the structure was being filled with sand when it

ment have voiced their displeasure over the non-payments of earnings by project contractor, Oswald Wilson called “Skinny”, or Orin Wilson, who allegedly visits the site periodically.

Just moments after airing their grievances, the base of the structure collapsed after a compacting exercise. Fortunately, none of the eight employees who were on the site was injured. Since the commencement of construction of the monument, workers have repeatedly

man. We worked through all the national holidays hoping we would be paid, but nothing is fort coming. Right now they got about six men ‘mamaguying’ themselves, say them working.

This place ain’t got no workforce because the contractor is not paying the men any money.

All I want is my money. I was also a driver by day. I used to transport the workers form the site to their place of residence.

I had to stop. He made me lose my first car as it had belonged

The concrete structure after it came crashing down

gave way. The source, who is an engineer, revealed that from his observations, the concrete work was fairly fresh and proper engineering procedures were not observed.

“They were backfilling the inside of the building but they did not tie the structure to avoid what happened. The concrete is still not yet fully cured and they should have used steel to tie the walls from the insides to keep the structure in place. The other option would have been to secure it from the outside,” the engineer said.

Meanwhile, skilled and semi-skilled workers tasked with constructing the $35M Bronze Indian Arrival Monu-

complained about the non-payment of wages which has resulted in the 22-member workforce being reduced to just eight men.

Grantley Montoute, who works as a security guard, told reporters that he has been employed at the site since February and is yet to be paid.

“Every time he promises to pay and he would get me waiting at the Berbice Bridge (which is in close proximity to the site), saying he will send the money. Up to now I have not received a cent. I have children who attend school, but they can’t because of insufficient money.

“That contractor lies so much, he is a scamp, a heartless

to someone else and after I was not being paid for its service, the owner repossessed the car. I got a second car.... I had to stop the service again, as the man is not paying, although he had promised to pay weekly.”

Another employee, labourer Leroy Dixon said he is owed $54,000. He was told two weeks ago that his money would have been sent, but he is yet to receive the cash. Dixon told reporters that initially many persons were employed at the site but that amount has dwindled significantly in recent weeks. Glen Morrison, who used to work at the site as a steel bender, also lamented not being paid. He related that he

was promised the payment of his remaining wages ($30,000) three weeks ago but is yet to receive same. The former employee said the contractor would always telephone and make promises, but to no avail.

Wilson when contacted asked this newspaper not to have the issue of non-payment of wages published as he will ensure that all outstanding sums are paid

on Friday.

Some $97M is expected to be expended as preparatory works on the one acre plot of land to house a US$150,000 bronze edifice which was donated by the Indian Government.

The six-foot statue depicting six bronze figures of three men, two women and a child was

designed by Philbert Gajadhar and Winslow Craig.

The statue illustrates Indians in their everyday life.

On March 15, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingham unveiled the site for the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra Village, East Berbice, Corentyne.

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Gov’t open to stakeholder criticisms of Code of Conduct

– chides opposition for non-participation

THE Government of Guyana (GoG) remains open to constructive criticism of the draft Code of Conduct for Ministers and Senior Public Servants, says Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

And this is in spite of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s outright refusal to contribute to the crafting of the document, a position that the government is not too happy with.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Annual Administrative and Professional Seminar held at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Minister Harmon said:“The government has noted with great disappointment the outright rejection of the draft Code of Conduct by the parliamentary opposition, and its decision not to participate in the process to arrive at a final version.”

The purpose of the draft Code of Conduct, which is currently the subject of stakeholder consultations, he said, is to ensure maximum professionalism and high standards of ethics in public office.

The invitation extended to all stakeholders, including the Opposition, he said, provided an opportunity to contribute positively to the enhancement of ethics within public office.

In the circumstances, he has a very dim view of the stance taken by the Opposition.

“It can only be concluded that the Opposition’s refusal to participate in the process is yet another of its efforts to

thwart the establishment of transparency and probity in public life in our country,” Minister Harmon declared.

The Minister of State made it clear that with improved professional ethics in public office, public confidence and trust will be engendered.

He said the feedback that has been received by way of press release from the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), as well as Transparency Institute Guyana Incorporated (TIGI) have all highlighted a number of issues, but he did not eleborate on the matter.

THE NEXT MOVE Asked at the end of the seminar what might be the government’s next move, given the opposition’s position on the draft Code of Conduct, Minister Harmon said:“Once the consultations have been finished; once we have got the opinion expressed by civil society, we will make whatever amendments need to be made to the document and have it laid in the National Assembly.”

And while he was not in a position to say when the revised document would be laid in the National Assembly, he gave every assurance that stakeholders will be given enough time “to have their say, and for us to take on board the opinions that have been expressed before we actually proceed with the next step.”

As to the Opposition’s concerns about the powers

being vested in President David Granger and himself, Minister Harmon said it is important that the Opposition members read the document in a holistic manner so as to understand that the authority given is not inimical to the interest of the development of a sound Public Service, or inimical to the interest of probity and transparency in public life.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

Meanwhile, the GHRA has described the revised Draft Code of Conduct for ministers and other public officers as “too bland and generalised”, and had stressed last month that the document makes no mention of the declaration of assets.

In a statement to the media, the GHRA had said that it was only by reference to the Integrity Commission that inference could be drawn about assets, and noted that while it is not illegal, the absence of explicit reference to the issue is peculiar, as “in the public’s mind, it is

the raison d’etre of a Code of Conduct”.

WHOLLY UNACCEPTABLE The GHRA, like other stakeholders, among them TIGI, has publicly stated its concerns with the draft Code.

One section in particular that the body found unacceptable is Article 8, which speaks to Sexual Misconduct. The GHRA believes that it is unacceptable in its entirety, as sexual harassment, or misconduct, ought to disqualify a person from holding public office.

TIGI has also assessed the Articles contained in the proposed Code of Conduct and noted that Article 3, which stipulates that public officials shall not receive gifts that have the potential to compromise unbiased execution of their duties or as rewards, should be examined keenly.

The body has noted that Guyana is currently in a poor state as it relates to corruption perception, and believes it would be “fair to establish a policy of accepting no gifts at all (except those on behalf of the State) for at least the next 10 years”.

Article 4 of the Code focuses on conflict of interest. In addition to making non-specific references to timeframes for resolving conflict of interest, with phrases such as “as soon as practicable” and “as soon as possible” which can lead to abuse, it confers responsibility on the public official to take reasonable steps to avoid, resolve and disclose any material conflicts of interest that

arise or are likely to arise.

“Placing the responsibility on the person in the conflict of interest situation to take reasonable steps to address it may thwart the efficacy of the provision,” the organisation said, and as such has recommended that conflict of interest be reported to a relevant body, or individual, and that a decision on how to proceed be made for that person.

“This should apply especially in cases where there is a blood relationship or social relationship existing between a decision-maker and the object of the decision,” it said.

In the case of Article 8, which deals with sexual misconduct, the TIGI believes that it is an unnecessary and undesirable restriction, in that “sexual misconduct on or off duty must disqualify anyone from continuing to hold the post as a public official.”

DISCIPLINARY ACTION TIGI has noted, too, that while Article 12 focuses on breaches of the Code, and identifies the President and the Minister of State as the relevant authorities for administering disciplinary actions, “it is silent on specific penalties for breaches, thereby leaving such determinations entirely up to these individuals.”

That aside, TIGI noted that the identification of the Minister of State as one of the persons to administer disciplinary action “neglects the potentially temporary nature of this post”.

“The Act itself refers to the ‘relevant authority charged with the exercise of

disciplinary control’, and this should be maintained in the Code of Conduct to accommodate the flexible nature of public administration in the country.”

Additionally, the TIGI believes that penalties for some breaches should be enshrined in the Code, so that the efficacy of the Code itself does not rely entirely on the will or caprice of the responsible individuals.

“This will improve public confidence in the process,” the organisation says, adding: “The Code itself needs to be fleshed out in much greater detail, and we strongly recommend taking guidance from model legislation such as the UN Convention against Corruption.”

It has also been recommended that Section 31, subsection (4) of the Principal Act be modified to guarantee that disciplinary actions under the Act will be taken pursuant to the specifications of the Code or to the recommendations of the Integrity Commission in the absence of such prescriptions. “TIGI believes that administration of the Code of Conduct which is part of the Integrity Commission Act must require a functional Integrity Commission and this link should be solidified now.”

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo invited stakeholders to review both the Integrity Commission Act and the revised draft Code of Conduct for Government Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and public office holders.

Man accused of killing wife, her lover walks free IAN Boodhoo walked out of the Whim Magistrate’s Court a free man on Wednesday, after Magistrate Charlyn Artiga ruled that there is not enough evidence to link him to the murders of his reputed wife, Parbattie Vijrauen and her United Statesbased lover, Ramdat Persaud.

The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the June 3, 2015 murders concluded on Wednesday and according to the Magistrate, a prima facie case was not made out against the accused.

His lawyer, Sasha Roberts had submitted to the court that the prosecution

Freed: Ian Boodhoo

Dead: Parbattie Vijrauen

Ramdat Persaud

failed to submit physical evidence linking the suspect to the crime. She said there were no eye witnesses, no weapon and no circumstan-

tial evidence that linked her client to the crime.

Roberts revealed that the only evidence presented was a caution statement, which

was ruled inadmissible by the court, given the fact that its contents were ventilated in the media. Further, two witnesses had testified for

the defence and had revealed that the suspect was at home and then at work during the time the crime was committed.

On June 3, 2015 the partly naked body of Parbattie Vijrauen, 37 of Lot 1 ‘B’ Kilcoy, Corentyne and her lover, Ramdat Persaud, 56, of Lot 62, Tain Village, were discovered with marks of violence at a house at John’s, Tain Settlement, Corentyne.

As a result Boodhoo, a mason of No.3 Settlement, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice, was charged with two counts of murder. Hours after the discovery of the couple, police had revealed

that Boodhoo confessed to killing his reputed wife and her lover.

Reports indicate that on the day in question, the woman and her lover had retired to bed, when an intruder gained entry into the lower flat of the two-storey building and crept to an inner stairway, and into a north eastern bedroom, where the couple laid asleep on a mattress.

Armed with a cutlass, which the murderer had grabbed from Persaud’s kitchen, a blow was first fired at Vijrauen’s neck, while her naked companion Persaud, sustained an incised wound to his head.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

State closes case against duo accused of Hairdresser’s murder THE Prosecution on Tuesday closed its case against two men who are on trial for the execution-style murder of Lusignan hairdresser, Ashmini Hariram.

Lennox Wayne called “Two Colours” and Melroy Doris, are on trial in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a 12-member jury.

It is alleged that on July 10, 2014 at Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, they murdered Hariram called Munesha Hariram.

More than 16 witnesses were called by the State to testify; the prosecutors include Tameika Clarke and Shawnette Austin, while the defence attorneys are Nigel Hughes and Stanley Moore.

When asked to lead his defence, Wayne chose to remain in the prisoner’s box and stated that he is innocent of the charge since he did not shoot anybody. He told the court that he had filtered information to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) about his whereabouts on the day in question. Wayne said he was engaged in an activity with a Police Sergeant at Force headquarters after he received a call stating he must go in for details.

According to Wayne, when he got there, the allegation of murder was put to him by the police and he denied same. Wayne told the court that he was taken to Sparendaam Police Station

Green multi-stakeholder steering committee to meet soon IN recognition of the need for an inclusive and participatory approach to national development, President David Granger has commissioned the Green Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee (GMSSC).

The GMSSC serves as an integral stakeholder mechanism for the elaboration and monitoring of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), while addressing matters related to the agreement between Norway and Guyana.

In a statement, the Ministry of the Presidency said the GMSSC is mandated to provide guidance on plans and proposals related to the development of the GSDS, along with implementation activities which may include actions from under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). The committee will also oversee the progress under all national Agreements, especially the Memorandum of Understanding between Guyana-Norway. It also provides guidance and oversight in the planning and execution of ongoing national stakeholder consultations to mitigate the need and use of ad hoc consultative platforms.

Members of the GMSSC represent stakeholders at all

President David Granger

levels of society. These representatives come from the private sector, public sector, the opposition and civil society actors. The secretariat of the committee is under the purview of the Office of Climate Change with coordination assistance from the Department of Environment and Project Management Office – Ministry of the Presidency.

The first meeting of the GMSSC is scheduled for May 3, 2017 and will be chaired by President Granger. The initial meeting will set the agenda for ensuring the continuous engagement of all stakeholders, while mainstreaming Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) projects with national and sustainable development targets.

Dead: Ashmini Hariram

and later transported to the Vigilance Police Station, where he was held before forcibly affixing his signature to a statement recorded by the police.

His lawyer, Nigel Hughes when asked by the trial judge if he had any witnesses, responded in the affirmative and called Detective Sergeant Satesh Roopnarine to take the stand on Wednesday. Roopnarine testified that during May 2015, he was stationed at Force headquarters attached to the Major Crimes Unit where he conducted the interview with Wayne and recorded a statement. When questioned by Hughes, the police witness said Wayne gave an alibi for the day in question but his whereabouts was not verified by the police.

Meanwhile, the number 2 accused, Melroy Doris was also asked to lead his defence and after conferring

with his attorney, Stanley Moore, he chose to remain in the prisoner’s box. He told the court that he is innocent of the crime and he is relying on the statement he gave to the police.

His attorney said he has no witnesses and as such Justice Barlow told the court that the defence will present their closing addresses, followed by the State on Thursday at 09:30hrs.

HAIRDRESSER’S EXECUTION Wayne is alleged to be the triggerman, while Doris is alleged to be the taxi driver who drove him to the location and pointed out the 18-year-old, who was walking along the Lusignan Railway Embankment with a female friend.

It was reported that Wayne got out of the car

and pointed a gun in the direction of Hariram and shot her to the head and after she fell to the ground, he took her cell phone and fled the scene. Following the act, Doris allegedly transported Wayne back to the city and collected the victim’s phone. It is alleged that the phone was handed over to one of two persons who contracted Wayne and Doris to carry out the murderous act for a price tag of $2.5 million.

The two men were reportedly contracted by a male relative of the hairdresser and an accomplice who wanted her dead after they suspected that she had snitched on them and informed the police of a drug operation they were engaged in, which resulted in seizure of the drugs by law enforcement officers.

“Unanticipated” expenditure grow, says Jordan FINANCE Minister Winston Jordan said while Guyana has achieved its target for the first quarter of the year, it has had some “unanticipated” expenditure.

“Unanticipated expenditure, that is expenditure outside the budget, seems to be growing every day to be quite honest…. It is quite a bit, quite a bit,” Minister Jordan told reporters on the sideline of the launch of the 2016 Human Development Report at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus on Wednesday.

He said Government

will have to review its budget, noting that some of the expenditures must be accommodated as he pointed to the Marriott Hotel. “We now have to take that over.”

In March, Minister Jordan had disclosed that Government had to find an “unbudgeted” US$1.1M to bail the Marriott Hotel out as the controversial hotel’s loan due to Republic Bank.

The Marriott Hotel, which is a US$30M investment by the Government, through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), is owned by Atlantic Hotel

Inc. (AHI) and was reported to have been financed by a US$27M loan raised from a consortium of businesses.

Republic Bank had assumed responsibility for managing the loan, which with interest and other costs would see the hotel repaying US$26M in 26 installments. It was disclosed that neither AHI nor NICIL had the money to repay the loan.

Additionally,Minister of State Joseph Harmon in March had disclosed that the Government was cutting on its expenses. He had

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

noted that Government was in the process of implementing certain measures to ensure that the funds allocated in the $250B Budget last longer.

Hicken takes command of police operations ASSISTANT Commissioner, Clifton Hicken has taken command of Police Operations as Assistant Commissioner, Christopher Griffith, proceeds on pre-retirement leave, the Guyana Police Force announced on Wednesday.

Further, Commander ‘C’ Division, Assistant Commissioner, Marlon Chapman is now in command of ‘A’ Division, whilst his deputy, Senior Superintendent Kevin Adonis takes over the helm of ‘C’ Division.

Clifton Hicken

Kevin Adonis

Marlan Chapman

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

ASP refuses to testify in Crum-Ewing PI ASSISTANT Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mitchell Caesar, who is also Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Unit, refused to testify in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing on Wednesday.

The ASP appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court as a witness for the Prosecution, but refused to testify after the accused, Regan Rodrigues known as ‘Grey Boy’ hurled a series of derogatory remarks against

him.

The PI is being heard by Magistrate Judy Latchman, while well-known attorney Nigel Hughes is the Special Prosecutor. ASP Caesar was the first witness to be called to the stand by Hughes and as he began to testify, Rodrigues stood up in the prisoners’ dock and hurled insulting remarks at the police officer.

The ASP then informed the court that he would not continue his testimony until Rodrigues desist from his

actions. Magistrate Latchman then cleared the courtroom and tried to calm Rodrigues.

“You need to stop behaving like this and let Mr. Caesar give his evidence,” Magistrate Latchman pleaded with the murder accused. The Magistrate explained to him that if there is not sufficient evidence against him she will discharge the matter again.

She further explained that if a prima facie case is made out she will send the matter up to the High Court for a judge and jury to decide.

Rodrigues’s mother was also called in to calm him down.

Meanwhile, ASP Caesar was instructed by the Magistrate to remain in the periphery of the court room.

However, when the matter was recalled and ASP Caesar was called to the witness stand, he had already left the court’s compound.

Magistrate Latchman voiced her disappointment in ASP Caesar as a senior officer of the Guyana Police Force. She stated that he ought to know better as a law

ASP, Mitchell Caesar

enforcement officer and as a senior rank. The matter was adjourned until May 3.

In September 2016, Rodrigues was freed of the murder charge by Magistrate Latchman due to the lack of evidence. The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided to re-open the case for further evidence from police witnesses and for the Magistrate to rule on the oral statements made by Rodrigues.

The bullet-riddled body of Crum-Ewing was found at Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme, EBD, days before the May 11, 2015 elections. The 40-year-old was shot twice to the temple, once to the back of the head

Regan Rodrigues known as ‘Grey Boy’

and twice to the stomach.

The police in a statement had stated that the political activist was accosted by four men in a car, one of whom discharged several rounds, hitting him about the body.

It was reported that the killer (s) used a .32 pistol to execute Crum-Ewing.

The political activist was well known for his one-man protest outside the office of former Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall. Minutes before he was gunned down, he was reportedly heard via bullhorn urging residents of the neighbourhood to vote against the then ruling PPP/C party.

Gaspar hoping to unseat Yarde today GUYANA Public Service Union (GPSU) branch chairman at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)Gregory Gaspar,is hoping to replace Patrick Yarde as president of the union when the votes at today’s elections are tallied up.

Gaspar, who has been with the GGMC for the past 25 years and currently serves in a senior supervisory position at the agency, has been described as very competent, dedicated and hardworking.

He has been GPSU Branch Chairman at the GGMC for the past 15 years.

A number of GPSU members have been making persistent calls for long-standing GPSU president Patrick Yarde to step aside and allow for fresh faces to run the influential trade union.

Yarde has been president of GPSU for decades and every challenge to his presidency by younger members has proven futile.

The other members campaigning for member-

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

ship in Gaspar’s leadership team are Sandrene Abrams, who is running for1st Vice President; Unata DeFreitas for 2nd Vice President; Gordon Nestor for 3rd Vice President; Lance Persaud for Deputy General Secretary; Ronda Floris for Principal Assistant Secretary; Colin Ault for Assistant Secretary; Calvin Hamer for Organising Secretary; Trevor Hicks and Lance Persaud for Assistant Organising Secretary; Gopaul Ramatulla for Assistant Education Officer; and Delisa Henry, Victor Pellew, Lance Persaud, Trevor Hicks, Colin Ault and Calvin Hamer as general members.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

GAWU gets permission to hold public meeting restructured and embrace crop diversification.

Frequent protests and strikes have also compounded the issues faced by GuySuCo. Earlier this month Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo noted that within the first 20 months of assuming office, the coalition Government has advanced a total of $32B to

GAWU President , Komal Chand ( centre) , flanked by the union’s General Secretary , Seepaul Narine ( left) and Assistant General Secretary, Aslim Singh ( right)

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will be holding a public meeting this evening at Non Pareil East Coast Demerara on the situation in the sugar industry although it has complained about not being granted permission by the police to hold a march on Tuesday.

The union believes its constitutional right has been breached after the police refused to grant the body and its members permission for the march on Tuesday.

GAWU President Komal Chand told reporters at the union’s headquarters on High Street in Kingston that the union had applied for permission from the police for the activity on April 18th. He said that an application was also made for a public meeting to be held on Thursday, April 27th at Non Pareil and according to him, permission was sought to advertise the meeting during the proposed march on Tuesday.

He said when the union representative visited the Cove and John Police Station on Tuesday he was told that permission was not granted for both events. Chand said he spoke to Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Kevin Adonis on Wednesday morning and informed him of the denial of permission. He said that Adonis informed that permission would be granted for the public meeting and the police informed during the day that a written response would be given on a positive note.

Chand said that the union is concerned about the situation.

He said that there have been past experiences where workers were denied to assemble and march. “We do not expect a return, to almost three decades of this kind of situation,” he said. He said the union is uncertain if the decision by the police for Tuesday’s event is a “one-off situation”.

On Tuesday, GAWU said

the police, in ensuring that their decision was enforced, turned up at the point where the march was scheduled to commence with more than seven armed officers, one of whom filmed the situation on the ground.

The union said a large number of workers and residents who turned out to participate in the march were most upset by the police’s denial and noted that the refusal was tantamount to a denial of their ‘inalienable and constitutional right’, as well as ‘an affront to Freedom of Expression’.

Chand, GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine; Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) President, Carvil Duncan and Treasurer of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Bhagmat Hochand subsequently addressed the sugar workers and residents in a nearby yard.

GAWU said that the truncated march was organised to draw attention to the situation in the industry which workers and residents face, should the authorities go ahead with plans for further closure of sugar estates.

“Our union, while being respectful of the laws of the land, at the same time wishes to register its strongest condemnation at this refusal, “GAWU stated.

The outlook of the sugar industry looks grim. The industry has received criticisms from all levels, including a report which was presented to the Parliamentary Economic Services Committee in January by top officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), including Chairman, Clive Thomas and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Errol Hanoman.

Facing a debt in billions of dollars and consecutive losses, officials have advised that the industry is not worth investing in unless it is reorganised,

save the jobs and livelihoods of sugar workers.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced earlier this month that several private sector bodies have expressed interest in management of the sugar industry as it advances its divestment plan, which incorporates dairy and seed paddy production, among others.

Members of the East Berbice Development Association met with and had dialogue with Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, when a number of issues were discussed. Among those is the “freeing up’ of the industry to the private sector, a release from the Agriculture Ministry said.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

City councillor laments sick reports – 32 City police reported sick in one month

By Telesha Ramnarine IN just one month, 32 members of the City Constabulary Department stayed home from work, Team Legacy Councillor,Malcolm Ferreira pointed out on Monday.

With the department short of staff for the longest while, Ferreira, at the Council’s most recent statutory meeting, raised the issue of the

“unusually high” number of absent and sick days that were recorded in a recent month.

He questioned if it was something in the environment that was causing so many persons to become ill at the same time, or whether it was simply an excuse to stay off the job.

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen responded that this seems to be a pattern in the

Constabulary Department and that Chief Constable,Andrew Foo ought to take a grip of his officers.

The mayor said it is necessary for those constables who are stationed at the markets and outposts to be rotated regularly so that they do not have to remain at one location for more than three or four months.

“They become complacent and feel they can stay

Councillor Malcolm Ferreira

home,” she noted.

The chief constable had told a recent statutory meeting that the department is currently short of 138 staff members.

The Constabulary has responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime in Georgetown and has similar powers and privileges of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

It also has authority to prosecute persons for offences such as assault, disorderly behaviour, urinating in public places, using indecent lan-

guage and encumbering the pavements, among others.

The department also provides security for municipal markets, day-care centres, koker pumps and City Hall buildings, among others. Providing security alone takes up much of the department’s resources, Foo had once told the Chronicle.

The Enforcement Unit, which deals with itinerant vending and other breaches of the laws, is also very small and short of its full complement of staff.

Former Police Force dog handler passes away THE Guyana Ex-Police Association of Canada (GEPAC) is mourning the loss of one of its stalwart members in Roger Anthony Mattar, who served as president during the period 2009-2011.

The 75-year-old Mattar passed away at his residence in Whitby, Ontario, Canada last Sunday after a prolonged illness. Mattar, who was previously vice-president and earned quite a reputation as a dog-handler while a member of the Guyana Police Force, is credited with being one of the founding members of GEPAC when it was registered in October 1997.

Prior to migrating to Canada, Mattar, who joined the then British Guiana Police Force in 1961, was first stationed at the Ruimveldt Police Station before being transferred to Berbice, serv-

Roger Anthony Mattar

ing in New Amsterdam, West Berbice and Corentyne. In New Amsterdam, Roger was also an active field hockey player and coach of the women’s team.

He later joined the canine section in Georgetown, where he served for many years and was the first dog-handler to be posted to the Ancient County. On his return to Georgetown, Mattar was seconded for a month to the Montserrat Police Force, working with his former instructor, Guyanese Galton St

John who was then Commissioner of Police on the island.

A keen community worker, Mattar joined the Jaycees of South Georgetown and held several posts, including that of convention director, president of South Georgetown, and vice-president of the Jaycees of Guyana.

Moving up the ladder, Mattar was promoted to the rank of Detective Inspector and reassigned to the Price Control Squad where he served until his resignation and subsequent migration. Mattar, who will be interred on Thursday, leaves to mourn his wife of 48 years,Waveny, children and grand-children and other close relatives.

GEPAC expressed sincere condolences to the late Mattar’s wife, children and other close family members.

(Frederick Halley).

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

THURSDAY APRIL 27 2017

13

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Value your contributions to society – First Lady tells women’s confab FIRST Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger has noted that it is important for women to recognise and value their contributions to society, as she encouraged them to make good use of the skills which they possess.

At the time of her remarks, the First Lady was addressing the opening ceremony of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), women’s conference, which is being held at the Georgetown Club. According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, the First Lady alluded to the fact that women in leadership roles play a vital

role in moulding society and it is important that they understand the task given to them as leaders.

“I always tell women that they must recongnise and admire the qualities [that] they have in themselves, even though it might not be heralded or commended. They are economists, counsellors, and they are also good at other practical things,”Mrs. Granger was quoted as saying in the release.

According to the release, Mrs. Granger noted that although women continue to speak less of what they do in the homes, they continue to be

the family’s backbone.

“We must not be embarrassed to ask for fees for the things we do… very often women feel that the things they do they must not [add a price to it],” Mrs. Granger said.

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Perry Holloway, in his remarks encouraged the women to become leaders of tomorrow’s generation for the advancement of their nation.

“Guyana is at the crossroads of transforming from being one of the poorest nations on the western hemisphere to one of the wealthiest. It will take great leaders, men and women to help Guyana navi-

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger expresses her gratitude to Ms. Jacquelyn Shipe, after she presented her with a token of appreciation at the conference

Participants at the YLAI Women’s Conference interacting during one of their ‘icebreaker’ exercises

gate through and address the challenges of the future.

“Women are a vibrant force in business, civil society, government and every place else as you work to advance social and economic causes and safeguard human rights.

Women’s participation and investing in young people are key areas that are essential to building stronger, more prosperous and a more inclusive country. It is a simple fact that no country can fully develop if half of its citizens are left behind. Progress for women and progress for the country go hand in hand,” he was quoted as saying by the Ministry of the Presidency.

The Ambassador also praised the 2016 recipient of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Award, Ms. Abbigale Loncke, Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Health Care whom he noted is an inspiration to young leaders of Guyana. Ms. Loncke represented Guyana at the YLAI’s 2016 seminar in Peru, where she shared her business module with young leaders across the world.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Ties Alabama and Soaring LLC, Ms. Jacquelyn Shipe, also attended the conference. With its focus on women’s work in the public sector, private sector and also on the youth perspective, the event was well attended by several women entrepreneurs and budding entrepreneurs throughout Guyana. It is being held under the theme ‘Empowered leadership in 2017’.

$18M upgrade for Belladrum Secondary School THE Belladrum Secondary School in Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) will benefit from a long-overdue $18M upgrade in physical infrastructure this year.

Superintendent of Works for the Regional Administration, Mr Delton Benjamin said that $12M is slated to be spent on maintenance and a facelift of the building and its environs, while $6M will be spent on capital works. He said that the Regional Administration intends to focus on eradicating a bat-infestation problem which has plagued the school for years.

The facelift will also include painting of the building, installation of grills to

Belladrum Secondary School slated for major upgrades

prevent unauthorised access to the main stairways, tiling of the auditorium, fixing of the gutters, and repairs and upgrade of the plumbing,

electrical facilities and sanitary facilities.

Benjamin said that the upgrades of the sanitary facilities will be supported

by the installation of ten water tanks to take the total amount to seventeen for the school to capture rain water for use by students and staff

in addition to or in lieu of water provided by the Guyana Water Inc. It was also noted that $4M is to be expended on construction of two fences which will separate the school compound from the community ground for the purpose of strengthening the security of the school. Money will also be spent on the establishment of a tarmac which will double up as the area where the students will keep their general assembly and also serve as a multipurpose court where they can play basketball, volleyball and be involved in other elements of physical education.

“The reality is that much more work needs to be done to bring this school up to

standard,so we are hoping to get additional funding in next years’ budget to continue the upgrade of other parts of the building,” Benjamin said.

He disclosed that construction of the fence and the tarmac will be the first two activities on the site,since these can be done without disruption of the school’s academic program.

“The work that we can do while school is in progress will be done at evenings and weekends and the contract has already been awarded, “he said.

The major activities of the school’s maintenance and facelift will take place during the upcoming August holidays.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Urgent review

– Jordan urges revamp of formula used to measure Guyana’s development

By Svetlana Marshall FINANCE Minister, Winston Jordan, has called for a radical change in the way Guyana’s development is measured, contending that the current formula is archaic, resulting in the country losing critical development and financial support.

Out of 188 countries, Guyana has been ranked 127 and listed as a ‘Developing Country’ in the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Due to the country’s development level, it has now become difficult for it to access concessional resources.

The report was launched in Guyana on Wednesday at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus by UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Shabnam Mallick in the presence of UNDP Programme Specialist, Dr. Patrick Chesney, the Finance Minister; and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith.

Other high ranking government officials were also present, along with members of the diplomatic community.

Delivering the feature address, Minister Jordan said the 2016 Human Development Report examines key issues that compromise the achievement of universalism within the existing development paradigm. However, he noted that Chapter Five – Transforming Global Institutions – has failed to address the loopholes in measuring development.

“Defining a country’s

The 2016 Human Development Report being presented to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, by UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Shabnam Mallick. Also in photo are UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith (L) and Finance Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts (R)

development level must not be solely driven by a one-dimensional formula, that is, the total money earned by the country divided by the total number of persons living in the country,” he stated, while pointing out that economists and development planners have long recognised the archaic and distortive effects of such a measure.

Minister Jordan said one would have hoped that by now a multi-dimensional measure would have been adopted by financial and global institutions.

QUERY “Let me pose the following questions: Should a middle income country, like Guyana, based purely on per capita income and ranked 127 on the 2016 HDI, be considered ineligible for development partner support?

Should the Guyana be denied continued access to concessional resources because its per capita income has increased, even though significant geographical and

other inequalities exist, even as the Government continues to grapple with, for example, an education system that leaves 87 per cent of our 11 year olds unable to accomplish the most basic of numeracy skills, while another 75 per cent is unable to comprehend their own language?,” he questioned.

Obviously, he said, the answer is “No”, emphasising that a single-dimension indicator should not be used to determine a country’s development level.

Nevertheless, he said Guyana will continue to champion the cause for the refashioning of the measure to one which is more appropriate, all-embracing and universally accepted.

However, he said the administration has been taking critical steps to address many of the challenges facing its people. Notably, Government has increased its allocations to the social sector with emphasis on health and education.

“We have undertaken a

sweeping tax reform programme; increased real wages, including raising incomes by 38 per cent, adjusting the income tax threshold by a minimum 20 per cent, increased old age pensions and social assistance,” Minister Jordan told the launch.

BRIDGING DEVELOPMENT DIVIDE Government, he added, is passionate about bridging the development divide between the coast and the hinterland regions, and as such, has begun to improve the road and bridge networks in the affected communities with added focus on providing equitable access to all in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Additionally, the Government continues to work on the framework document for a Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), which will ultimately capture the national development thrust until 2030. It was the first in the Caribbean to launch the

United Nations Multi-country Sustainable Development Framework and to sign its corresponding Country Implementation Plan.

“As we go forward, with the anticipation of new resources on our national horizon from oil and gas, work has advanced towards the preparation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure that the country’s natural resources are utilised in a responsible and sustainable manner, so that present and future generations can benefit,” he noted.

Meanwhile, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Shabnam Mallick said the 2016 Human Development Report, which was published under the theme – Human Development for Everyone, focuses on securing equitable development, explaining that it builds on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Human development progress over the past 25 years has been impressive on many fronts. But the gains have not been universal.

There are imbalances across countries; socioeconomic, ethnic and racial groups; urban and rural areas; women and men. Millions of people are unable to reach their full potential in life because they suffer deprivations in multiple dimensions of human development,” Mallick explained.

Zooming in on Guyana, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative noted that the country is in the Medium Human Development Category – with a Human Development Index of 0.0638, which it has maintained since 2014.

Its latest position is at 127 out of 188 countries and

territories.

CHRONIC DIFFICULTIES “After 50 years of Independence, while we see good progress in many aspects in this country, a situation of chronic difficulties continues in three areas,” she posited, while pointing out to the country’s difficulty in transforming its natural wealth into human development; accelerating development efforts in hinterland, remote and poor areas and pursuing social inclusion and social cohesion measures.

“Natural wealth is a resource; it is the bicycle; it needs to be transformed into capabilities which can be used for advancing human development… accelerating development efforts in hinterland, remote and poor areas – this is about distribution of resources and capabilities, which, as we noted earlier, is more critical than just having resources concentrated only in certain areas,” she explained.

However, Guyana’s Finance Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts, said the Human Development Index on Guyana should be taken with a “pinch of salt”.

He explained that the index should not be seen as evaluative because of the all statistical data problems, but rather illustrative. Guyana has been taking the necessary steps to improve access to data.

The 2016 report was represented to Finance Minister Jordan and UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith.

Lisa Ramotar distances self from Rasul …gives voluntary statement to SOCU GENERAL Manager of the Guyana Gold Board, Lisaveta Ramotar has denied any wrongdoing one week after being sent on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation into the operations of the Board based on a forensic audit report and a simultaneous police investigation into an alleged money-laundering ring by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Ramotar, who is the daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, in a statement to Head of SOCU, Sydney James, on Wednesday said while she has not

been called to an interview by the Unit, she is providing a “voluntary statement.”

Her statement was submitted to James in the presence of her attorney, Anil Nandlall.

“On April 20, 2017, I was sent on Administrative Leave to facilitate the investigation as mentioned above.

I wish to assert strongly that I am absolutely innocent of any wrong doings. I have discharged my duties at the Guyana Gold Board professionally and based on the important metric of declaration it was under my tenure that the Cooperative Republic of Guyana obtained its

highest ever declaration to date,” Ramotar said in her statement.

She said she was officially informed on April 20 that SOCU was conducting an investigation into allegations of money laundering and suspected involvement of staff members of the Gold Board with gold dealer, Saddiqi Rasul.

Rasul, the owner of SSS Minerals Trading Enterprise, was earlier this month charged with six counts of obtaining money by false pretense and released on $3M bail. It is alleged that the gold dealer was involved in a $956M fraud at the

General Manager, Guyana Gold Board, Lisaveta Ramotar

Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI). The charges alleged that between March 21 and 22,

2017 at Bartica, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $290M, $298M, $138M, $45M, $89M and $96M from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) by falsely pretending he had cash in his account at Citizens Bank to honour the cheques he en-cashed.

However, in her missive to James, Ramotar who served at the helm of the Guyana Gold Board from January 2, 2015, sought to clear what she believes are misconceptions being publicised in the media. She denied ever giving instructions to Suzanne Bullen, Compliance Officer to incorporate Rasul’s company.

“I wish to strongly deny

that I ever gave instructions to Ms. Bullen to incorporate Mr. Rasul’s company. In fact, the first time I learnt of her incorporating the company is on April 20, 2017, when she indicated that she should resign her position at the Guyana Gold Board because she incorporated the company,” said Ramotar.

It was discovered that Bullen was the attorney who was engaged in the formation of Rasul’s company. She was one of three persons, including Ramotar who was sent on administrative leave by the Ministry of Natural Resources to facilitate SOCU’s investigation. The other person is Ramotar’s deputy Andrea Seelochan.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

THURSDAY APRIL 27 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

17

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Police capture Balram Ragbubir T20 cricket trophy GDF lost opener Quacy McPherson (0|) and Doris Nedd (14) off the bowling of Grisean Grant, at 24-2, but Andrews shared 36 runs for the third-wicket with Isaiah Bijadder (19) and 32 runs for the fourth-wicket, with Damion Waldron (16), to stage the much-needed recovery.

Thereafter, GDF lost four quick wickets, including Andrews who hit three

fours and a six in his stay at the crease.

Grant (2-13), Heyliger (2-32) and Trevon Benn (1-18) were the successful bowlers for Police.

In reply, Police lost Sherwin McPherson off the bowling of Jomal Chisolm for 14 at 15-1 but fellow opener Odennel Hill then opened up and played some awesome shots, dominating the 38run second-wicket stand

with Paul Tyndall who contributed only five runs before he was bowled by Andres.

Rawle Browne was then run-out in a mix-up with Hill, to leave the batting side 58-3 when a short shower interrupted play.

Upon resumption, Andres struck two telling blows in the 11th over. He first trapped Hill leg-before-wicket for a 29-ball 37, inclusive of six fours and

AAG has a new treasurer CITING personal reasons and steadfastly denying any possible hidden rea-

sons, treasurer of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Niall Stanton, resigned from the post to which he was elected last January.

The resignation has been in effect since February, and according to another AAG executive, Citizens Bank Senior Manager Kwabina Griffith has taken over the post since March.

When contacted yesterday, Stanton confirmed the resignation noting, however, that he remains on several committees for the AAG, including the committee organising the upcoming South American

a six, before he had Kevin Leitch caught down the legside without scoring.

With 52 needed off nine overs Heyliger was joined by Benn, and the duo took the score within eight runs from the winning total before Benn departed.

However, Heyliger and Randy Knights sealed the win comfortably. Heyliger hit four fours and a six in this knock.

… Stanton says nothing amiss about resignation

Junior Championships set to be held in Guyana in June.

“No I am not (the Treasurer). I’m just on the technical committee, the finance committee, I would do a little PR every now and then for them, and I’m on the committee that is planning the South American Championships here, and that’s basically it,” Stanton explained.

He went on to resolutely deny any claims that he may have resigned for clandestine reasons. Another section of the media had reported sources who claimed that Stanton’s resignation had been “more

than what it seems on the surface” and that the AAG was keeping the resignation on quiet so as to not draw attention that anything was amiss.

Stanton, however, says the resignation has never been a secret and he doesn’t know why persons would want to infer that he had other reasons to resign.

“Honestly I don’t know where people getting that idea from, and running away with these different things,” Stanton remarked.

“I must say, though, that I have left the financial statement in a very good position.”

Ninvalle inks two-year sponsorship deal with Colours Boutique CHASE Academy student and 2016 Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year Kaysan Ninvalle, yesterday signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Colours Boutique, one of Guyana’s leading sports and goods outlets.

The 11-year-old table tennis star rose to prominence last year during his excellent showing at several regional and local tournaments.

He is said to be the youngest athlete to be crowned Junior Sportsmanof-the-Year.

South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:50 hrs Flying Russian 09:25 hrs State Star 09:55 hrs Romi’s Boy 10:30 hrs Cedrus Libani 11:05 hrs Tangerine Lady English Racing Tips Beverley 08:40 hrs Lucky Beggar 09:10 hrs Emilia James 09:45 hrs Starlight Romance 10:15 hrs Our Charlie Brown 10:50 hrs Bit Of A Quirke 11:25 hrs Gaelic Tiger 12:00 hrs Alnasl

Ninvalle thanked the entity for supporting his passion for the sport, while noting that his coach Linden Johnson was instrumental in his success, having only started playing the game at age five.

Colours Sales Representative, Creanna Damon, disclosed that as the country’s leading footwear and fashion outlet, it was a natural progression to join forces with the Caribbean’s leading young table tennis player.

Damon stated that over the next two years Colours Taunton 08:50 hrs Mr Caffrey 09:20 hrs Faction 09:55 hrs Hermarna 10:25 hrs Volpone Jelois 11:00 hrs Lined With Silver 11:30 hrs Cockney Wren Perth 09:00 hrs Top Ville Ben 09:35 hrs Ut Majeur Aulmes 10:05 hrs Mash Potato 10:35 hrs Spiculas 11:10 hrs Special Catch 11:45 hrs Hello George 12:20 hrs Twist On Ginge Irish Racing Tips Punchestown

will take care of the 11-yearold Chase Academy student’s training footwear and other table tennis attire.

Colours will also assist with overseas travelling for the Caribbean championship.

Meanwhile, Chase Academy principal Henry Chase, who afforded Ninvalle a full scholarship at his school, spoke of how proud he is to see the young table tennis stalwart being honoured in the most appropriate way. He hopes other entities would emulate Colours Boutique.

10:40 HRS Soir De Chantenay 11:15 hrs Potters Point 11:50 hrs Cantlow 12:30 hrs Nichols Canyon 13:05 hrs No Comment 13:40 hrs Great Field 14:15 hrs Asthuria 14:45 hrs Next Destination American Racing Tips Gulfstream Park Race 1 A Square to Spare Race 2 Papa Pig Race 3 Overdriven Cat Race 4 Big Money Machine Race 5 Little Christina Race 6 J’s Indian Charm Race 7 Glotonasa Race 8 Check Out Gilda

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

GLTA planning multimillion dollar upgrade of … to receive part Racquet Centre tennis courts funding from ITF THE Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) is set to embark on a multimillion dollar project to bring the tennis facility at the National Racquet Centre (NRC) up to International Tennis Federation (ITF) standards, ahead of hosting the Inter-Guiana Games tennis tournament set for October.

Estimated to cost some US$200 000 (G$42 000 000), the upgrade will involve the tearing down of some of the current bleachers at the facility and the construction of three additional courts, to add to the two currently there. It will also see the installation of lights at the facility. However, this aspect will be catered to by the

The current tennis courts at the National Racquet Centre.

(Delano Williams photo) National Sports Commission (NSC) as part of their ‘Light It Up’ campaign.

To host ITF matches at a facility, the Federation re-

quires that a facility must have at least five courts, and Guyana currently has no such facility. The GLTA hopes that with this upgrade of the NRC

they can start bringing ITF tournaments here and develop the sport, beginning with the IGG tournament.

GLTA president Jamal Goodluck, is optimistic that the facility’s renovations can be completed in time for the October tournament. According to

him, consultants estimate that the works will take somewhere between 3 and 4 months to be completed; the real limitation will be garnering the necessary funds for the staggering price tag of the venture.

Towards that end the GLTA has already reached out to the ITF, applying for a grant that will see the project receive a maximum of US$50 000. However before that can be done the GLTA is required to submit to the ITF a Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the GLTA and the NSC. The NSC has authority over the government-built NRC, which also houses a squash court facility and the National Resource Centre.

The GLTA submitted the MoU in January, to be checked by the legal team

of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, before signing. The GLTA has since received back the document and was asked to make some changes, which Goodluck says the GLTA resubmitted after making the changes, and now await word from the NSC. As it pertains to the GLTA’s acquiring the rest of the money, Goodluck disclosed that following the entities Annual General Meeting (AGM), next week, a committee will be put together to look into that.

“We will reach out to our business partners as well as the Diaspora. Right now we’re nowhere near our target, but at the AGM we’re looking to form a group of business minds who can help in that process,” Goodluck relayed.

GYO, Blairmont register wins in Day/Night Under-13 cricket THE Well Teen, Trophy Stall, Tropical Springs & Nauth Motor Spares-sponsored Day/ Night Under-13 Cricket Tournament continued in fine style last Friday with wins for GYO and Blairmont.

In the first game, GYO beat Transport Sports Club (TSC) by four wickets.

Transport, winning the toss, opted to take first strike and made 65 runs off allotted 20 overs, Riyad Latiff and Jonathan Barton making seven each while extras accounted for 35 runs.

Bowling for GYO, Dilshan Roopnarine took 2 for 10 and Danesh Persaud took 4 for 20.

In their turn to bat, GYO made 66 in 18 overs thanks to Mavindra Dindyal who topscored with 33 while Alvin Mohabir took 2 for 15, bowling for TSC. In the second game, Blairmont beat DCC by 11 runs after being sent in to bat first.

The side’s 157-3 after 25 overs came from Zainul Ramsammy 52*, Jaden Trotz 31* and Shakir Saffie 20

Blairmont batsmen Zainul Ramsammy and Jaden Trotz were involved in a 102-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Romeo Deonarain of DCC was the only bowler with accuracy and penetration, gathering a hat-trick for 18 runs off his allotted 5 overs.

DCC, in response, could muster only 146-7 with Inderjeet Nanan making 50.

A. Sookra picked up 3-21 while Trotz bagged 2-7, and Ramsammy 1-15 got him the

man-of-the-match award.

Meanwhile Sunday’s match between Everest and GCC was not played after Everest requested it to be rescheduled.

Matches continue tomorrow with DCC taking on.

Maltenooes while on Saturday, Rose Hall Sports Club oppose GYO and on Sunday, GCC will play Everest.

Cuba edge Canada 2-1 in CONCACAF U-17 Championships CUBA moved a step closer to advancing to the next round of the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship with a 2-1 win over Canada on Tuesday afternoon at the Estadio Maracana.

Yandry Romero and Manuel Cruz scored their first goals of the competition on either side of halftime for the Caribbean runners-up, who moved provisionally

into first place in Group B. Cuba took a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute, when Romero converted a rebound of Brian Savigne’s shot from the right side past goalkeeper Gianluca Catalano.

Cruz doubled the advantage in the 59th minute, latching on to a right-wing cross from Carlos Ibarra.

He then beat two defenders and slotted the ball home past Catalano from six-

yards out.

The Canadians pulled one back in the 71st minute as second-half substitute Alessandro Hojabrpour slipped in an eight-yard shot to the lower left post past goalkeeper Danny Echeverria.

Both sides return to action tomorrow with Cuba taking on Costa Rica while Canada will look to bounce back against Suriname.

(Sportsmax)

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Uthappa’s aggressive 87 helps KKR to victory ROBIN Uthappa’s highest score of 87 in IPL 2017 helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to ease past Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) by 7 wickets in Match 30 at Pune.

With this win, KKR have inched closer to playoffs as they are at the top of the table with 12 points while RPS remain at No. 4 spot.

Chasing a target of 183, skipper Gautam Gambhir also notched a 46-ball 62 to provide support to the wick-

Robin Uthappa flayed 87 off 47 balls.

etkeeper-batsman.

While Uthappa decorated his knock with seven boundaries and six hits over the fence, Gambhir innings was laced with six fours and one six.

The duo stitched a partnership of 158 runs off just 85 balls for the second wicket to help KKR chase down the 183-run target with 11 balls to spare.

Earlier, Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to lift Pune to a challenging 182 for five.

Football clubs raided by HMRC, arrests made in tax probe (REUTERS) English football clubs were raided early yesterday morning by tax officials as part of a wide-sweeping probe, with several men arrested for suspected Income Tax and National Insurance fraud.

British media were reporting that West Ham United and Newcastle United were targets of the investigation.

The London club did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment, while a Newcastle spokesperson said she expected to issue a statement "in due course".

West Ham issued a state-

ment to local media, saying the club was "cooperating fully with HMRC to assist their enquiries".

The body responsible for United Kingdom's tax collection said: "180 HMRC officers have been deployed across the UK and France today.

"Investigators have searched a number of premises in the North East and South East of England and arrested the men and also seized business records, financial records, computers and mobile phones.

"This criminal investigation sends a clear message

that, whoever you are, if you commit tax fraud you can expect to face the consequences."

HMRC said French authorities were assisting the UK investigation, that they have made arrests and that several locations have been searched in France.

A French judicial source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to Reuters that a preliminary investigation has been opened and that operations were underway in France and in the UK. The source, who declined to be named, would not elaborate.

Well-trained Joshua ready to shine against Klitschko (REUTERS) - Anthony Joshua has said his 13 weeks of preparation has pushed him to a whole new level ahead of his world heavyweight title fight with Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Joshua, who is unbeaten in 18 bouts since turning professional in 2013, said he is not concerned about the punishment he could take in the ring because of his high-intensity training programme.

“I’ve been pushed to places I’ve never been pushed before,” Joshua told the BBC. “I think I take more punish-

ment in the gym than I do in the fights.”

“Sometimes I try things and it doesn’t work and I’ve broken my ribs, my hand, dislocated shoulders in the gym but we get it right for the fight.

“I’ve been training under the dark light so I can shine under the bright lights on April 29.”

Klitschko, 41, who went unbeaten for 11 years before losing the belts to Tyson Fury in 2015, has 64 wins against four defeats and will be hoping to seize Joshua’s IBF crown as well as the vacant WBA and IBO titles.

Joshua expects a tough

fight and saying it will be one of the defining fights of his career when he faces the Ukrainian in front of the largest British boxing crowd for nearly 80 years.

“It is one of them. If this was towards the end of my career, I would say: ‘This is the defining fight that’s going to write the history books,’” the London 2012 Olympics champion added.

“He’s coming game, he’s coming ready, and the body does what the mind tells it. His mind seems to be in the right place so I’m in for a tough fight.”

Costa Rica top Suriname, advance in CONCACAF Under-17 football

COSTA Rica (2W-0D-0L, 6 points) became the first team to book a place in the Classification Stage of the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship with a 3-0 win over Suriname (0-1-1, 1) on Tuesday at the Estadio Maracana.

Thanks to the result, the Ticos reclaimed first place in Group B by leapfrogging Cuba (1-1-0, 4), a 2-1 winner over Canada (0-0-2, 0) earlier in the day, and can finish no worse than second. The top two teams from each of the three groups

advance.

Julen Cordero gave Costa Rica a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, when he ran onto Christian Muñoz’s perfectly played through ball and slotted past goalkeeper Fhabrisio Saling from nine yards out.

In the 64th minute, Josue Abarca doubled the advantage with a hustle play. The Costa Ricans through numbers go forward as an overwhelmed Suriname defence struggled to clear.

Andres Gomez got posses-

sion and crossed from near the right-end line. Saling got his fingers on the ball, but Abarca swooped in to finish from close range.

Walter Cortes missed a penalty kick in the 73rd minute, but Costa Rica made it 3-0 seven minutes later through Justin Montero, who slammed home from three yards out.

Tomorrow, Costa Rica return to action against Cuba in a top-of-the table clash, while now-eliminated Canada will face Suriname. (Sportsmax)

Smith’s half-century came off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.

Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46 off 41 balls), Rahul Tripathi (38 off 23), MS Dhoni (23 off 11) and Daniel Christian (16 off 6) also made useful contributions for the home team.

Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for

KKR with figures of two for 31. Chasing the target, Sunil Narine (15 off 9 balls) once again got KKR off to a brisk start before he was run-out in the third over.

Then Uthappa and Gambhir joined forces and took control of the chase with a bit of luck in their favour.

Uthappa was lucky to have survived a close lbw call before he opened his

account and later when Jaydev Unadkat made a mess of a chance at deep midwicket, off Imran Tahir’s bowling, with the batsman on 12.

The stylish righthander grabbed the opportunities with both hands and thereafter opened his arms to strike boundaries and sixes at will.

(Cricket Country)

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Fourteen goals scored on second night of the Guinness Linden leg FOURTEEN goals were scored on night two of the Linden leg of the Colors/ Guinness Street football challenge on Tuesday.

In the first game of the night, Future Stars were victorious against Ariama Colo 2-0 with Dexter Garraway and Travon Archibald on target 12th and 18th minutes respectively.

Game two, however, required penalties to determine a winner, with Coomacka getting past Mile Star 2-0 on penalties after earlier ending at 2-2 in regulation time.

Coomacka had Kerston Thom and Keron Dow on target in the 5th and 18th minutes while their opponents saw the Johnsons, Donald (12th) and Brian (14th) add their names to the scorecard.

Part of the action in the Guinness leg of Greatest in the Street football tournament

Barbados go top with fourth victory, Jamaica still winless ... Guyana post first success

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – Barbados brushed aside Windward Islands to take control of the Women’s Regional Super50 while Trinidad and Tobago kept Jamaica winless, following the fourth round of the competition here yesterday.

In a clash of the tournament’s two unbeaten teams, Barbados used their potent pace attack to good effect, to set up a comfortable six-wicket victory at Arnos Vale Stadium, and leapfrog their opponents to the top of the points standings.

Sent in, Windwards were restricted to 83 all out off 24.3 overs, with Nerissa Crafton getting 26 and Quiana Joseph, 25.

West Indies fast bowler Shamilia Connell extended her excellent form in the tournament by grabbing four for 15 from six overs while new-ball partner Shakera Selman, who also wears international colours, supported with two for 16.

The pair ripped the heart out of the Windwards with a devastating opening burst, reducing the innings to the strife of 15 for six in the 10th over before Crafton and Joseph put on a face-saving 58 for the eighth wicket.

In reply, Kyshona Knight steered Barbados to victory

Subrina Munroe

Shamilia Connell with an unbeaten 28 from 26 deliveries including four boundaries while teenage West Indies opener Hayley Matthews chipped in with 24, in a 37-run opening stand with Kycia Knight (13).

Windies leg-spinner Afy Fletcher picked up three for 19.

At Park Hill, T&T condemned the Stafanie Taylor-led Jamaica to their fourth straight defeat with a nine-run verdict.

In a game reduced to 24 overs per side, T&T rallied to 111 for eight off 24 overs with opener Reniece Boyce top-scoring with an unbeat-

en 31 off 38 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.

She put on 45 for the first wicket with Felicia Walters (13) before becoming the first casualty in the 11th over.

Jamaica were making a fist of it at 49 for one in the ninth over when Rashada Williams (15) and Shanel Daley (17) were involved in a 33-run stand.

But three wickets - including that of Taylor for three - fell for eight runs in the space of 26 deliveries and it was left to Chinelle Henry (18) and Chedean Nation (16) to revive the innings with a fifth-wicket stand of 31.

However, just when victory seemed to be beckoning, Jamaica suffered another slump, losing five wickets for eight runs to derail the run chase.

Slow medium bowler Karishma Ramharack was the best bowler with three for 10.

In the other game at Sion Hill, Guyana easily chased down a small target of 42 to beat Leeward Islands by seven wickets and post their first win.

Leeward Islands, batting first, were all out for 41 off 17.4 overs, with Subrina Munroe 3-10 and Akaze Thompson 3-14. Guyana in reply reached 43 for three.

Bourda All-stars gifted Amazings a walkover victory in game three, with Cherokee Park beating Hardknocks 3-1 on penalties after both teams failed

to score in regulation time.

D e s h a w n J o s e p h ’s 3rd minute strike was enough to get Good Fellas over the line against Goal Getters in game five with Young Stars winning against Attackers 1-0 on penalties.

The regulation time ended 2-2 with Attackers taking the lead in the 9th minute through R. Venture and K Boston slotting in the second. However, an almost instant response from Shaka Lewis (12th) and Denzil Pryce (15th) ensured that the game went to penalties.

Trainline had to also resort to penalties to beat Running Guns 1-0 after their game concluded 1-1 at regulation. Trainline had Kelon Adams on target in the 2nd minute before S. Joseph levelled things in the 7th minute.

In the final game of the evening Swag Entertainment beat Magic Stars 1-0 thanks to Colwyn Drakes’ 20th minute strike.

Braithwaite, Agard to officiate at OECS boxing championships RICHARD Braithwaite and Romona Agard, two of Guyana’s Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) Star One-certified referees/judges will wing out for St Lucia today to officiate in the Organisation of American States’ Boxing Championshipb which will get underway tonight and will conclude on Sunday.

According to information received, six countries from the eastern Caribbean will be represented.

Guyana Boxing Association president Steve Ninvalle is reported to have said the exposure for Braithwaite and Agard in St Lucia is most welcome as it will sharpen their skills as referee/judges in time for the second Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament, to be held here in Guyana from May 12 to 14.

A total of 12 countries from the Caribbean and Guyana have expressed an interest in being represented in the tournament and already Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have submitted the names of their team members.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday April 27, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 12 (2) Brian Lara & Curtly Ambrose Today’s Quiz: (1) How many WI have now captained against Pakistan in Tests?

(2) How many Pakistanis have now captained against the WI

in Tests?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 27, 2017

Foster calls on Government to intervene in cricket fiasco

By Rajiv Bisnauth

THE Guyana government has again been called upon to intervene in the current cricket fiasco, which continues to affect the administration of the sport, both at the county and national levels.

This plea was made by Secretary/CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Hilbert Foster last Sunday during his address at the RHTY&SC’s 27th annual awards ceremony.

Foster told the gathering, which included Prime Minister and Acting President Moses Nagamootoo, Director of Sport Christopher Jones and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, that as a country we owe it to ourselves to make sure

Hilbert Foster

that Berbice and Guyana cricket is preserved for the next generations.

“I would like to urge President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the government of Guyana to intervene in this situation before it is too late.

The Parliament of Guyana passed a Cricket Bill and it is

the Law of Guyana. Unless it is overturned, all parties should respect it and the time to act is now. Mr Prime Minister, as a Berbician and a proud uncle of one of our Test players, please assist us to save Berbice cricket. Let it be your legacy and I’m confident that every Berbician shall be proud of you,” Foster said.

Cricket locally over the years has brought into a virtual meltdown, and even though the Guyana Cricket Administration Act was passed in the National Assembly on May 15, 2014 and assented to by the-then President Donald Ramotar on August 4, 2014, the game continues to be in turmoil.

The aim of the Act is to bring about order in the administration of cricket and

to improve its governance and financial accountability arrangements.

However, the Act is yet to be implemented because of the-then acting Chief Justice’s ruling of April 29, 2015, that restrains the holding of elections under the Act in respect of the Guyana Cricket Board and the county boards of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice until the hearing and determination of the substantive action.

Further, Foster said,“Today, Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the lust for power at the county and national levels. People who have no vision, no capacity to manage are in charge, despite not being elected to do so. We as a country owe it to ourselves to make sure that Berbice and

Guyana cricket is preserved for our next generations. We cannot afford to let the legacy of Trim, Kanhai, Butcher, Madray, Fredericks, Solomon, Kallicharran and Nagamootoo be destroyed.”

“No cricket is being played for clubs in Berbice; no coaching or off-thefield activities organised; unqualified coaches are selected to coach Inter-county teams; five clubs moved an illegal motion to remove a hardworking, dedicated and honest female administrator, while unqualified umpires are used in practice and Inter-zone matches,” Foster highlighted.

He added, “Players are targeted because of their clubs. Coaches are told to leave certain clubs if they want to get coaching po-

sitions, while players are given homemade drinks and food with one piece of small chicken to survive for an entire day. Our players practise every day with no cricket in sight and clubs depend on the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club to organise tournaments.”

Foster pointed that while Guyana have won three consecutive three Regional four-day titles, it is because of the hard work of club officials at Georgetown Cricket Club, Demerara Cricket Club, Albion, Rose Hall Town, Everest, Tucber Park and Young Warriors, who work day in, day out to make a difference.

“Take these clubs away and Guyana’s cricket would be dead and buried,” he concluded.

Thompson defends women’s 100m win at Michael Johnson Invitational

Guyana’s Brenessa Thompson (right) charges to the women’s 100m win.

O LY M P I A N B re n e s s a Thompson took the women’s 100m win at the Michael Johnson Invitation-

al, in a wind-aided 11.15 seconds, last weekend at the Hart Track & Field Stadium.

The Texas A & M students topped a list of almost 40 athletes, and defended her title in the event, which

Kadecia Baird

she also won last year. This performance comes one week after Thompson qualified for the upcoming IAAF

World Championships women’s 200m. The 20-year-old clocked 23.08 seconds in the women’s 200m at the Jim

Bush Collegiate Invitational on April 15, also winning that race.

The time was only just inside the IAAF 23.10 seconds qualifying time (QT).

However, the national record-holder will have to continue striving to meet the 11.26 seconds QT for the World Championships women’s 100m.

Also performing at the MJ Invitational was Guyana’s Kadecia Baird. The world junior silver medallist finished fourth in the women’s 200m, where she clocked 24.07 seconds. Baird has already qualified for the World Championships women’s 200m earlier last month.

Baird also helped to lead the Texas A & M female 4x400m team to a second-place finish with a time of 3:40.76s.

Warner files US$40M countersuit against CONCACAF, Gulati FORMER CONCACAF and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has launched a US$40M countersuit against the regional football governing body and United States Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati.

The response comes just days after the announcement that the body had taken legal action in the form of a US$20M lawsuit against Warner and former CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer.

In a statement released

on Tuesday Warner, who resigned from FIFA in 2011 amidst the fallout of the infamous cash-for-votes scandal, accused the body of “persistent defamation” and claimed enough was enough.

“I have left the CONCACAF since 2011. Why the CONCACAF will not leave my family and me alone is simply mind-boggling. CONCACAF football is at its lowest today and the current threat to sue Warner and Blazer for US$20M is nothing more than a distraction to shift its pathet-

Former CONCACAF and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner

ic current state away from the management of this Confederation,” the release said.

Warner, who is also the target of an extradition request by the United States to answer charges of corruption and money-laundering, accused CONCACAF of “vindictiveness” and claims the actions against him stem in part from the inability of the USA to acquire the hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup. “All these false allegations filed in an American court

simply because the USA did not obtain the votes to host a FIFA World Cup will fall to nought,” Warner said.

“I have my name to protect and my family to defend and that I will do to the very end. I have been slaughtered for the past six years and have remained silent ignoring my legal options to respond to the atrocities that have been perpetrated against me by men of the lower ilk. And so the time has come for me to respond.”

Foster calls on Government to intervene in See page 23 cricket fiasco

Police capture Balram Ragbubir T20 cricket trophy THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) produced a disciplined all-round performance to be crowned the Balram Ragbubir T20 champions when they whipped Guyana Defence Force (GDF) by four wickets yesterday in the final, played at Police Sports Club ground.

Chasing 123 for victory, man-of-the-match Jason Heyliger stroked an unbeaten 33-ball 35 to seal the win, with 2.3 overs to spare after Police were reduced to 71-5 at one stage.

GDF, deciding to bat first, were restricted to 122-8. However, they were largely indebted to opener Leon Andrews who made a composed 44.

The victorious Guyana Police Force team

Turn to page 23

Ninvalle inks two-year sponsorship deal with Colours Boutique See story on page 23

AAG treasurer Niall Stanton

AAG has a new treasurer See story on page 23

‌ Stanton says nothing amiss about resignation

Colours Boutique representative Ms Creanna Damon makes a presentation to Kaysan Ninvalle, in the presence of store manager Robeson Brotherson (first from left) and Chase Academy principal Henry Chase.

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017