Guyana chronicle e paper 29 05 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

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TUESDAY 29th May, 2018

No.105289

Goldfields paid $168.7B in taxes

…knocks media reports as a ‘vicious, politically-motivated campaign’ 03 PAGE

Teen gets three years for ganja trafficking 11 PAGE

GPSCCU objects to takeover of credit union PAGE

13 GPSCCU Chairman Patricia Went

The Youth Department’s Exhibition and Display in Region Three on Monday officially brought the curtains down on this year’s National Youth Week activities. Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael-Haynes explained that the exhibition, hosted at the West Demerara Secondary School, provided students with an opportunity to learn about the numerous programmes and funding that are available at the department. In this Department of Public Information photo, students from various secondary schools scan the reading materials at the exhibition

GPSU First Vice President Dawn Gardener

Key records for murder 18 years ago can’t be found 02 PAGE

TIGI dismisses PPP claims of racial bias …backs corruption charges against former gov’t officials

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

Key records for murder 18 years ago can’t be found --relatives of deceased cite political interference

By Leroy Smith AS the police continue their investigation into the murder 18 years ago of Enmore resident, Daniel Singh, relatives of the deceased are concerned whether justice will prevail, even though the suspect is in custody.

And the reason for their anxiety, according to reliable sources, is that checks conducted Monday in the police ‘C’ Division found that key particulars to support the successful prosecution of the suspect are missing.

Among those particulars are statements taken from witnesses to the May 21, 2000 chopping to death of Daniel Singh in his yard by the suspect, Deonarine Bhikari, and not Deonarine Singh as was inadvertently reported in Monday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle.

There is also reason to believe that books which contained diary entries and other vital information pertaining to the matter could not be immediately located

by detectives.

What is even more worrying about this investigation is that many of the persons who served in that Division at the time this crime was committed have either retired or gone on to serve in other capacities within the Force, some in senior positions.

On Monday Crime Chief, Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams was asked about the apparent missing pieces of the investigation, and he made it clear that the police will be turning up every possible desk and filing cabinet in the Division in an effort to ensure that everything that is supposed to support this case is located.

There is also a certain position being adopted by detectives in the division as they go forward on this matter, but due to the nature of the investigation and in the interest of allowing the police to do their work unhindered, the Guyana Chronicle will not divulge those details at this point in time.

POLITICAL CLOUT But on Sunday when this publication interviewed the deceased’s son, he alleged that the reason the man who killed his father managed to remain a fugitive for as long as he did, is because of the political clout the family had and still has. “... Because his father was affiliated with the then PPP government as the chairman of the Enmore-Hope NDC and the party chairman for Enmore,” Deochan Singh told this publication, “he got his free escape.”

He further stated that it was a very close associate of the same Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), who at one time served as Editor-in-Chief of a certain newspaper, that first showed up in Bhikari’s company right in the same Enmore Village a few weeks ago to attend a funeral.

That former Editor-in Chief also lived in the said community, and reportedly had a close relationship with Bhikari as they were childhood friends.

“My father was affiliated with the PNC and he was affiliated with the PPP,” Singh said, “and due to that aspect, the PPP have covered up everything; the man went away and he took his life to Venezuela.”

The young man said that because of his connection with the present administration, which he supported even while they were in the opposition, solving the death of his father was made harder.

In fact, he said that it was the father of the very suspect who on Sunday took the fugitive of 18 years to see another relative.

When the Guyana Chron-

icle paid a visit Sunday to the home of the suspect’s sister, where he was arrested, she said that the one person who had all the answers we sought as to what really transpired between the daughter of the deceased and her brother was her mother, and she is now dead.

CLAMMED UP However, when it was pointed out to her that the apparent relationship the suspect shared with the deceased’s daughter was not the issue at hand but the crime that was committed, the woman clammed up.

But not before maintaining that her brother was in-

nocent of the crime of which he is being accused, and that contrary to what is being said, he was not on the run from the law, as he had long planned to leave the country.

She, however, could not explain her brother’s decision to leave the country illegally.

“To live among these things, it was very painful to know that the PPP was never urged to bring their comrade to justice; knowing what this man has done,” Daniel Singh’s son, Deochan said between tears.

He was ten years old when his father was murdered right before the very eyes of he and his two siblings.

Totaltec readies 22 for oil-and-gas jobs – with 24 more already in training

The 22 ‘Oilfield Safety’ graduates with Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman (standing centre back row) and representatives of Totaltec and other international oil firms

By Lisa Hamilton TWENTY-two Guyanese are now equipped to land jobs in the local oil-andgas industry following their successful completion of the Oilfield Safety and Operator Training and Development Programme.

The graduation ceremony was held on Monday at the International Petroleum and Maritime Academy (IPMA) in Houston, on the East Bank Demerara while the programme was facilitated by Totaltec Oilfield Services Inc. The company is contracted by ExxonMobil to provide shore base services.

The graduation marks the first batch of recruits to have completed the nine-

week programme, which saw a 100 per cent pass rate, and students being rigorously trained to meet internationally-recognised standards.

In his opening remarks, Totaltec Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lars Mangal said that Guyana will soon be armed to meet the demands of the energy industry with a world-class workforce much like the one his company hopes to create.

Speaking to the length and success of the programme, Mangal said: “I think it’s a milestone; I’ve never experienced this in my 28 years around the world, working in the oil-and-gas industry where something like this has been done.

“We wanted to make

sure that we could build on not only the pioneering spirit that we see in the young men here, but also a best-inclass attitude and behaviour, and a professionalism that will be recognised by all the international companies coming into Guyana.”

He revealed that requests have already been made, which will see several of the graduates being placed in jobs with overseas-based companies such as Halliburton, Schlumberger and local company, Jaguar Oilfield Services.

Mangal thanked Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman for showing a keen interest in the programme, and expressed appreciation to the community and other individuals for their support towards making the ceremony a success.

One of the graduates, Antwone Branch, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, described Turn to page 5

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

Goldfields paid $168.7B in taxes

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…knocks media reports as a ‘vicious, politically-motivated campaign

CANADIAN mining company, Guyana Goldfields on Monday said since opening up here in January, 2015, it has paid over to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) some $168.7B even as it labelled reports of its operations as a “vicious and seemingly politically-motivated campaign to discredit the company and mislead the public.”

In a lengthy statement, the mining firm said too that it appears that this campaign is being orchestrated by the selective production of information “as well as through outright lies with the deliberate attempt to mislead…” The privately-owned Kaieteur News has been reporting daily on the company’s operations and concessions it received from the state. The newspaper has also questioned the company’s policy on local content, citing its resort to purchasing its own aircraft rather than utilising local airline services.

However, Goldfields said it has been pumping billions into the local economy, noting that in addition to its payments to the GRA, it has over the said period paid $119,000,627 to the Guyana Police Force and a further $173,057,776 to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. The company said its total Income Tax (pay as you earn) for employees for the period January 01, 2016 to April 30, 2018 was G$1,256,393,311; total payments to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) G$417,191,266 and the maintenance of the Buckhall to Tapir road was G$820,000,000. Total donations of G$21,125,526 were also made over the period January 01, 2015 to April 30, 2018.

Investments agreements Touching on Investment Development Agreements (IDA’s), the company said the

submissions of IDA lists are the agreed-upon method instituted by the Guyana Revenue Authority that most companies must follow in order to be considered for duty-free concessions as outlined in their agreements.

“All items that a company anticipates that will be used in the fulfillment of their work must be listed. These lists can cover periods sometimes of 1-5 years. These lists are in no way linked to a company’s financial statements, so the spurious statement of items on an IDA list “will have an impact on its shareholder’s dividends .” can only be interpreted as being malicious and meant to bring disrepute to AGM. A forensic investigation into all items imported by AGM into Guyana under the IDA process will reveal that these items are used in and for the Aurora Mine Project. Our IDA records are open books.”

Explaining the IDA process, AGM said all heads of departments do projections of the equipment and items that would be needed for the smooth running of their departments. These lists are often prepared for 1-5 years. Further, upon receipt of all these projected lists, the Procurement Division compiles a master list and sends it to the Country Office for submission to the various Government agencies.

AGM further explained that the master list is then submitted to the Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, who distributes the list to the Remission Department. That department then sends it to the Mines Division that is tasked to check the list and determine that the items are for use in the Mines project. Upon completion of their checks, enquiries and changes, the list then makes its way back to the Remission Department, then back to the Commissioner’s Office

where a letter is prepared and attached.

Additionally, AGM said the Master list with the GGMC Commissioner’s letter is then sent to the Ministry of Natural

commit murder on April 11, 2018 at Coverden, East Bank Demerara.

Knox, after undergoing a preliminary inquiry (PI) at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, was committed to stand trial before a judge and jury due to sufficient evidence being found. He will remain on $250,000 bail.

with the rest of the world. “It can come in land price, in the form of duty free concessions or in the form of future taxes to make an exercise viable’ he explained. If the investment

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman (third from right) and Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma (right) being given an overview of the Aurora Gold Mine by General Manager, Victor Rozon (second from right) during a recent visit to the company’s Aurora mines. (DPI photo)

Resources where it is perused against the Mineral Agreement and then returned to the Commissioner of GGMC. Upon receipt of the approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the GGMC Commissioner then sends the list to the GRA Remissions Department where it is checked against the relevant tax laws. Most times after more queries and changes (if queries are made the GRA does not communicate directly to the requesting Company but the list is returned to the GGMC where the process begins all over again), if the list is ok, then the Remission Department forwards it to the Commissioner General whose office then forwards it to the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance, after processing the list, then returns it to the Commissioner General whose staff then returns

Footballer committed to stand trial for stabbing CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday committed a 25-year-old footballer to stand trial at the High Court for attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed another player with a broken bottle.

Julian Knox is charged with unlawfully wounding Keith Darton with intent to

the Master list to the GGMC. The GGMC then sends the approved list to the requesting company.

“What is quickly apparent is that the IDA process is a

According to the prosecution’s facts, the two men who are known to each other and play football together had an argument on the day in question. The defendant, Knox, armed himself with a broken bottle and gave Darton several stabs about the body, causing him to be hospitalised for three days.

very lengthy and laborious one. It certainly does not speed up business for the Foreign or Local Investor. This process can sometimes take up to six months before an approval is obtained,” AGM explained.

Duty-free concessions AGM said it should be pointed out that prior to the first gold pour in 2015, it had sunken investment into the Aurora project of over Guy $1,602,000,000.

Referring to a Stabroek News article of May 27th, AGM said it was reported that the leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in “noting concerns expressed about concessions given to foreign investors …said governments give concessions to make an investment viable or attractive, which includes ensuring a rate of return that is competitive

does not take place because the government is too paltry with the concessions, he said that the country loses out on jobs and linkages…He further said “if you don’t give Guyana Goldfields duty-free concessions to bring in their equipment for their project, there is much the country could lose as numbers often work against them.”

Aircraft service The Kaieteur News has also reported on the company’s decision to purchase a Twin Otter Aircraft, citing that local airlines, which previously benefitted, have now been left out.

However, AGM said in 2017, it decided to purchase a Twin Aircraft to transport its workers into the Aurora Mine located in Region 7 in the Cuyuni.

This decision, the company said, was based primarily on

economic considerations. “The Twin Otter is owned by AGM and is operated by Canadian Flyers--a company that manages and operates the aircraft with Canadian and Guyanese crews, pilots and mechanics.

This company has current experience in operating Twin Otters at the highest regulatory standards in Canada and other parts of the world“.

The company also provided figures showing that it had spent over $1B from 2015 to 2017 on air travel with local airlines. “Surely, any responsible business, whether foreign or local, should have the right to make business decisions on starting or discontinuing a service that becomes too expensive to be maintained by that company,” AGM said in its release.

In further addressing the issue of local content, the company said payments to local suppliers, contractors and other payments were pegged at GYD$31,654,494,568 over the period January 01, 2015 to April 30, 2018. These services include purchase of material and parts, food, fuel and lubricants; education and scholarships; contractors and government services. The AGM said a total of 295 suppliers were engaged.

Noting that its operations has been of tremendous benefits to Guyanese, AGM said its workforce is comprised of 816 employees, which includes 756 locals and 32 expats as at May 10, 2018.

“Total payment made to the GTM Insurance Company for the period January 01, 2015 to April 30, 2018 for employees Health Insurance Plan was G$57,677,223. Total Gross Salaries paid to Local employees for the period January 01, 2016 to April 30, 2018 was G$5,772,418,073,” AGM noted.

Communities Ministry gives $57M towards constituency projects THE Ministry of Communities has made available more than $57M for works in various constituencies, Town Clerk Royston King announced on Monday.

Speaking at the fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall, King said the ministry has a spreadsheet with all of the projects to be executed, which are being

funded under the ‘Restoration Grant’.

King said $24M has been set aside for the fiscal transfer plan and that the ministry has since asked that all procurement procedures be followed.

The funds will be made available before the end of this week, he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

France to reward heroic Malian immigrant ‒ for saving child from falling to his death

PARIS (Reuters) - France on Monday offered citizenship to an illegal immigrant from Mali who scaled the façade of a Paris apartment block to save a boy who was about to fall from a fourthfloor balcony, President Emmanuel Macron said.

Video shows Mamoudou Gassama, 22, risking his life on Sunday as he climbed up the balconies to rescue the four-year-old who is clinging to a railing and glancing at the ground below, while horrified onlookers watched.

The video went viral, and Gassama, who has been nicknamed “Spider-Man” for reaching the boy in the nick of time, was swiftly granted a meeting at the Elysee Palace.

“I did it because it was a child,” French newspaper Le Parisien quoted Gassama as saying. “I climbed... Thank

God I saved him.”

Macron congratulated Gassama for “an exceptional act”, and said France would give him a job in the emergency services.

“We’ll obviously be setting all your papers straight, and if you wish it, we will start the process of naturalization so that you can become French,” he added.

“What you have done corresponds with what firefighters do; if this fits your wishes, you could join the firefighters’ corps so that you can do (such acts) on a daily basis,” he said.

Gassama told Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo by phone on Sunday he arrived from Mali a few months ago and wished to stay in France.

“I replied that his heroic gesture was an example for all citizens and that the City of Paris will obviously be keen

French President Emmanuel Macron meeting Monday with Mamoudou Gassama

to support him in his efforts to settle in France,” Hidalgo said.

The boy’s father was arrested and told police he had left his son alone to go shopping and returned home later than planned because he was playing Pokemon Go, an enhanced reality game, on his smartphone.

His behaviour reportedly

constitutes an offence; failing to honour parental responsibilities, which carries a possible sentence of two years in jail.

Gassama is being offered a spell of community service work at the Paris emergency services. An official website says the work pays about 480 euros ($558) a month for a fixed 11-month period.

US braces for first hurricane season storm THOUSANDS have been evacuated from the coast of Florida as the region braces for subtropical storm Alberto.

Anticipated to make landfall on Monday, Alberto is the first storm ahead of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which formally starts on June 1.

It will bring heavy rain and winds of 100kmh (65mph) across southern states, the US National Hurricane Center said.

It was centred about 185km (115 miles) southwest of Florida’s Panama City, at 01:00 CET (6:00GMT).

Alberto had picked up strength as it headed north through the Gulf of Mexico, bringing with it the warning of life-threatening inundation, said the Miami-based

hurricane centre.

It is forecast to drop as much as 30cm (12in) of rain across Mississippi to western Georgia, and to bring storm swells of about 60-120cm (24ft) to low-lying areas.

Alberto comes during the Memorial Day weekend, and was expected to affect travel on Monday, when many people were returning from their holidays.

It is the first named storm of the season, with 21 other names still to be used, including Beryl, Ernesto, Kirk, Nadine and Rafael.

Last year, a number of deadly hurricanes hit the US and the Caribbean. Puerto Rico, for example, is still struggling with its recovery efforts following major infrastructure damage from Hurricane Maria in October. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Border security officials in 3-day meet in Jamaica KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Discussions aimed at enhancing the regional fight against crime, and to strengthen the security agenda, will take place during the three-day Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Joint Standing Committees of Chiefs of Immigration and Comp-

trollers of Customs (CICC) that begins here today.

The meeting will be attended by Caribbean regional border security officials who will be reviewing the immigration processes, determining the current status of regional security structures, and assessing the need for modification in view of new

and emerging trends.

The meeting will also address security challenges being faced by CARICOM member states that are contributing to the rising levels of criminal activities such as the illegal drug trade, trafficking in firearms, human trafficking and smuggling, gang warfare, the deportation

of criminals, unemployment, and corruption.

“The meeting brings together all the heads of Immigration and Customs across the region to review and update existing MOUs (memorandum of understandings) and legislation relating to deportation of criminal offenders and the strategies to

deal with deportees,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Andrew Wynter.

He said that the officials would also consider technological improvements in border security and immigration, and how these could be introduced to countries that

are lagging behind.

Wnyter said that another anticipated outcome of the CICC meeting would be the recommendations that would “be presented to the Council of National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), an entity with all the ministers of national security in the region”.

Totaltec readies 22...

FROM PAGE 2

how the training experience impacted their lives.

‘WE ARE FAMILY’ “Nine weeks ago,” he began, “me and my colleagues entered Totaltec as strangers.

Today, I stand before you to proudly say that we aren’t strangers; we aren’t friends or workmates; we are family.

“This is truly a testimony to the fact that the development and utilisation of local content is a priority.

“I am very proud to say that as a member of the first batch of graduates, that I, along with my colleagues, are now part of these developments which can only be considered a great achievement for Guyana.”

Moved by these words, Minister Trotman, who serves as patron of the newly- established training acad-

emy, congratulated the young men and encouraged the next batch to do even better than their predecessors.

“You are pioneers,” the minister said. “The class that is coming behind you will learn from your standards.

And so, what standards you leave will be the ones that they will inculcate.”

The minister presented the best graduating students from the class with gifts, and those individuals are: Mark Bihkhari, Dexter Vangronigen and Courtney John, who placed first to third respectively.

Among the graduates were six men formerly employed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) who spoke of their switch to oil and gas, and encouraged others to do likewise.

One of those six former GuySuCo men so happens

to be the best graduating student, 26-year-old Mark Bihkhari.

Said he: “It was something new to me, because I was a part of the sugar industry. So joining the oiland-gas industry was a big opportunity for me; also a new endeavour and a new journey.

“I’m very, very happy I came out on top.”

A WELCOME EXPERIENCE Another is Leovert Paul, who said: “This experience has been a great one for me after being a part of GuySuCo. “And now coming into the oil sector is something really difficult to adapt to, but at the end of the day, we adapted very well and it was great.

Four of the six ex-GuySuCo workers. They are, from left: Leovert Paul, Mark Bihkhari, Vishwapremie Ramkhelawan, and Duvendr Lala (Photos by Adrian Narine)

“I would recommend it to any other GuySuCo worker.”

So, too, is Duvendr Lala, and he said: “We adapted very quickly because of the lecturers; they brought us to their level and also adapted to our level, and it was really nice.”

The 22 men are now fulltime employees of Totaltec, and the first in a long line to come as a second batch of recruits, numbering 24, was also present at the ceremony to witness a preview of what to expect.

The next progamme

has been set for June 11, and Totaltec would like to encourage women and hinterland residents to apply, as there are works being done to double their current intake of trainees, providing the facilities are made available.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Guiding our young to a better Guyana DAILY we are reminded of the nation’s most precious asset: our children.

Whether in the home as sons and daughters and grandchildren; as we go past the many school playgrounds throughout our coastlands and regions, and through various television programmes, whether educational, religious or cultural, Guyana’s children are beautifully portrayed, innocently playing and having fun, enjoying the mirth of their youth.

Last Friday’s cultural performance at D’Urban Park as part of the 52nd Independence Anniversary celebrations was a truly beautiful and magnificent diverse cultural performance, done by a reported 2,500 of the nation’s school children.

It was an innovative, national artistic spectacle which those who were present in the stands can consider themselves very privileged to have watched, inclusive of their own children and

grandchildren displaying their God-given talent.

How many of us, when watching children, inclusive of our own, think of what kind of country we will bequeath to them? Of course, this is taking into consideration already plans for their future growth and development, most naturally spearheaded by plans for a good education, that will provide for a life of material comfort. Such is good, as far as taking their rightful places in the milieu of being responsible citizens. But in what kind of country, given our history of race and its challenges, that would have given rise to periods of communal strife that has led to fear, and suspicion? Are such considerations ever part of our thinking as far as a future Guyana for our children are concerned?

It is always said that youth is the future; and there are so many variations of this phrase, that we cannot claim to escape what

it should mean as adults, whether as parents, guardians, especially.

But such takes greater significance and meaning in a country that is as multicultural and diverse as our own. It is about preparing our children to appreciate our differences, accepting them, while respecting the right to such individuality as Guyanese. It must not mean, using culture and customs to disrespect each other because of the colour of one’s skin, or the texture of one’s hair, under the guise of religious-cultural education.

In subjecting our children to such cultural poison, is to begin to imprison their young, innocent, and free minds to an abyss, and their eyes to a dark cloud, that have been our own national experience for most of our lives. And rather than letting them build bonds of genuine friendship from their tender years, as some of us would have done when young, we begin to subvert their im-

pressionable minds, often leading them to a distorted interpretation of life, and of humanity – the dangerous extremes, as they begin to claim their place in society.

Our task as parents and adults, is to guide our children not along the dangerous, narrow lanes of hatred for their fellow men, but rather allow them the right and liberty of the bonds of youthful friendship.

For our current generation of political leaders, of all shades, it is about seeking in an urgent manner, solutions to the highly contentious nature of our politics that are incited by those who continuously appeal to race through the subtle use of cultural diversity for selfish ends. The latter collective cannot hope to continue in this self–suicidal vein without inflicting mental harm on the psyche of our young, even the children of their political supporters, and on the nation in the process. For if we believe that our children

are as daft as not having a basic understanding/realisation of the daily dynamics of national life then we are highly mistaken. They do, as can be gleaned from their little conversations. For since we of this generation would have witnessed early turbulence, then we must not allow our current young who will transition to the next generation of adulthood to have the same experience. If we do not, then the latter will have the right to damn us.

Ours must be the current task of settling our many differences with lasting solutions that will be a guiding light for our future generation of leaders, who are among the current very young. Why burden them

with problems which with political will can be remedied today? It explains the current existence of a Ministry of Social Cohesion; and, again its relevance is so necessary and encouraging, as was illustrated by the recently held second edition of Harmony Village. It shows how similar we are as Guyanese, and that despite our fractious politics being true Guyanese is achievable The task of a better future for our young is already underway, but it is the political landscape with all of the dangerous pot holes that must be filled, for a future unified and peaceful country for our young; for they must inherit no less.

Remembering the struggle for independence Dear Editor, RECENTLY I enjoyed reminiscing with those of the older generation and hearing their stories of the struggles and sacrifices that took place during the fight for the independence of our great nation Guyana.

The story’s setting began in the living room of a small home on Camp Street where plans were being laid to shut down the ferries, train and buses (i.e. the transportation system of Guyana) during 1952. In attendance were Mr. John Ivan Edwards, trade unionist of the Transport Workers Union and Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham. At the time all were very close friends and active members at the forefront of the PPP. They were

also fully aligned and committed to the fight for our nation’s independence. However, the British team being led by Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Sir Charles Campbell Woolley the then Governor of British Guiana and Sir Alfred William Lungley Savage, the Governor of the British Colony of Barbados, were focused on ending the disturbance of the independence movement in what was considered to be a key Colony of the British Empire. It was only five years prior, in 1947, that the United Kingdom had lost India to independence and the pressure was building to stop such movements within the remaining colonies. The following year, in 1953, Winston Churchill would transfer

Sir Savage to British Guiana to place increased pressure on the independence movement.

Returning to 1952, the trio of Edwards, Jagan and Burnham was beginning to make inroads into disrupting the transportation networks, and thus also disrupting the business of the Crown in British Guiana. This would have a significant impact on the PPP obtaining control of British Guiana in 1953. In order to end the problem, it is said that the UK lured trade unionist Mr. John Ivan Edwards to Barbados to attend a seminar where he drowned in knee-deep water on the beach, thus ending his interference in the Crown’s business via the Transport Workers Union.

What was interesting in the discussion was how the older generation mentioned

that the three men, (Edwards, Jagan and Burnham), would work tirelessly together in good teamwork to accomplish their objectives. The British astutely dismantled this team starting with Mr. John Ivan Edwards who was in a multiracial marriage and had influence across various races and socio-economic classes. His funeral was a display of a sea of red when they walked his casket from the funeral home in Georgetown to the Le Repentir cemetery. This sea of red was the result of him being embraced by his fellow PPP members, the Transport Workers Union and his Lodge colleagues. Both Burnham and Jagan were also present and the comraderie between the two men was still alive and well in 1952. After all, the three families had grown

close over the years via their joint efforts to obtain independence for Guyana.

In 1953, after Sir Alfred Savage’s success in Barbados with Mr. Edwards, Sir Winston Churchill would appoint Sir Alfred Savage to British Guiana where he was successful in dismissing the newly elected PPP government which was led by Dr. Jagan (Chief Minister) and supported by PPP member Burnham (Minister of Education). The British also called the PPP government communist and suspended the constitution, taking back full control of the British Guiana colony with the help of British troops.

The strong alliance between the two PPP ministers would never return and their separation due to race,

would take over for years to come. Mr. Edwards’ multicultural perspective was now missing and a clear divide could easily be made between the two gentlemen. It would be a great achievement today, if we the Guyanese people could recapture the union of our nation’s will, especially for the betterment of future generations in this current difficult economic environment and in an environment of strong opposition from Venezuela. Dedicated to the memory of Mr. John Ivan Edwards. We forgive as we remember. Thank you for your sacrifices Daada, Thank you for your sacrifices grandfather, Regards Jamil Changlee

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Derrick Patterson departed Guyana using the regular departure area Dear Editor, I REFER to Sasenarine Singh’s letter in Stabroek News captioned, “Questions for Minister Patterson.” Editor, this is just another of those malicious, libelous missives bent on distorting a matter which has been clearly explained and clarified both by Minister Patterson and the government.

Mr. Singh are you aware that in addition to Minister Patterson’s statement, that the government also flatly rejected the false reports peddled by the PPP/C aligned media houses, “that the minister facilitated his brother’s departure from Guyana”?

As the official departure records of the immigration authorities shows, Mr. Derrick Patterson departed Guyana via the Cheddi Jagan

International Airport (CJIA), Timehri on April 17, 2018.

He utilised the regular departure area, while being subject to the standard security and all other requisite procedures for departing passengers.

Further, that he was not arrested on arrival in Grenada, as reports from Grenada state that Derrick Patterson was arrested on May 02, 2018; some two weeks after his arrival, which puts paid to the argument that the drug was trafficked from Guyana.

It would appear to me that had Mr. Singh have the basic decency to, in addition to reading the minister’s statement on the matter, avail himself with the Government’s statement , he could have saved himself the time and space of having to repeat in a letter to the editor questions to which answers are already in the public

sphere. For his information and guidance, the protocol is already in place for checking outgoing passengers even those holding VIP passes.

You may recall that in 2015, a couple, Mahindra Ramsuchit and his spouse, Rohbina Basdeoram, were busted with a large quantity of cocaine at the CJIA, while attempting to smuggle it on a flight bound for Canada through the VIP section. I trust this is sufficient information for you Mr. Singh to stop clutching at straws while attempting to besmirch the name of Minister Patterson.

Editor, it is also strange that all this information above has been published in the Stabroek News but you failed to make a notation on this letter.

Regards Dillion Goring

I did not complain about Guyana Goldfields Dear Editor, IT IS with utter disgust and disbelief that I read a letter in the local Kaieteur newspapers last week, suggesting that I was one of the contractors who hold a grouse against Guyana Goldfields which is very much untrue.

For the past few years, I have been retained as a private contractor to the company, hauling fuel and other supplies from Buck Hall in the Essequibo Region to the Aroura mine in the Cuyuni, of which I have received full payments for the work carried out in the stipulated time frame.

My relations with the company have always been cordial, making me well known to both the local and expatriate managers and personnel. So I was taken aback when I saw a published letter with my name, Winston Morrison, in the papers this week complaining about be-

ing cast aside by the company because of greed, because it was less interested in its local content obligations to grow local businesses. I wish to categorically state that I did not pen such a letter nor did anyone associated with my company.

The allegations contained in the letter are far from the truth as I have already been informed to be prepared for a massive project involving lead Peruvian contractors which will begin soon. This project would involve the stripping off the top layers of ore to prepare for underground mining. I am one of the pre-qualified and trusted contractors who have already been signaled to prepare to bid for contracts to haul away waste from stripping of ore.

After seeing the article in the paper alleging that I was one of those attacking Guyana Goldfields, I immediately stopped in by the office and chatted with senior officials. Luckily, they

were aware that a vindictive person with a hidden agenda wanted to include me in attacking them for purely selfish reasons. I have no need to do so.

I remain willing and available to do contract work for the company as my partner, Mr. Jaisingh and I, are well equipped to handle any challenge Aroura Mines throw at us. We have available heavy duty Caterpillar haulage trucks, excavators, haulers, tankers and cargo trucks to supply any needs of the company. In closing, I would like to clarify that I do not wish to be involved in any way with those with hidden agendas that are participating in attacking the company, or in making inaccurate claims against the firm as I cherish my relations with Guyana Goldfields.

Regards, Winston Morrison Contractor

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

Forest resources must be utilised to reduce poverty …Trotman says project launched to build capacity in forest communities

THE Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) with aid from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) and the European Union (EU) on Monday launched a project that targets the improvement of the livelihoods of forest communities.

Titled “Improving FELGT Readiness of 69 Community Forestry Organisations (CFO) through increased awareness of related regulations,” the project also aims at strengthening their compliance with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Department of Labour.

Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman delivering the feature remarks, noted that the EU FAO FLEGT Programme is part of a global effort that is supported by the EU to implement the FLEGT Action Plan, adopted in 2003 by EU member states in response to the global environmental, economic and social consequences of the illegal timber trade. The Action Plan outlines a series of supply-and demand-side measures to improve forest governance and legality in the forest sector and ultimately enable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).

Grants of up to €100 000 are channeled through the EU FAO FLEGT Programme to government institutions, private sector organisations and “grassroots” civil society in timber-producing developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, to support locally driven processes that put the FLEGT Action Plan into practice.

By only supporting actions that are requested directly by stakeholders, the programme enables local ownership of the FLEGT process.

“In these few simple sentences, we find an objective that is succinctly laid out - one in which through individual, community, national and global efforts, the sustainable development goals are achieved one, by one, from country to country; thus ensuring that the future of planet and its peoples is

safeguarded and thus guaranteed.”

According to Trotman, the importance of the sustainable utilisation of our forest resources cannot be underscored enough.

He said we see forests the world over, having increasing significance, especially natural tropical forests.

“Guyana’s forests therefore have enormous national, regional and internation-

erators contribute over 60 per cent of the total production in the forest sector. “I am informed that this afternoon the GFC Board will approve some more concessions, which will benefit some communities directly.

Additionally, these community stakeholders employ over 2,000 persons and are exporting forest produce to many markets. Many of our value-added manufacturers

forest resources are put to the best possible use, whilst not compromising environmental sustainability. We are therefore very pleased that this effort to build capacity at the community level on FLEGT-related compliance is being supported by our international partners at the EU and FAO,” Minister Trotman said.

He noted that Guyana’s work with the EU Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman

Participants at the project launch at the GFC Monday

al significance in terms of economic benefits and employment generated, foreign exchange earnings at the national level, and perhaps most importantly, contribution to the mitigation of adverse climate change effects at the global level. We remain grounded though, in the recognition that this vast resource must be used for the equitable sustainable development of our people, the stewards and users of the forest – importantly at community level. This therefore requires forest resources especially at the level of communities, to be utilised in keeping with environmentally sound practices, for the provision of food, employment and income generation that would be necessary to support community livelihoods.“ The Natural Resources Minister said in Guyana, 133 forest concessions totaling over 1.2 million acres or 500,000 hectares of forest lands have been allocated to 69 community forestry groups; these small and medium-scale community op-

and exporters rely largely on community level production to sustain their operations. As an enabling and responsible Government, we believe that benefits need to flow directly and quickly to forest users and communities, and access must not be restricted to just large operators. “ Trotman told the gathering that two 2018 initiatives supporting this policy position are the establishment of a consolidated stock yard, which will over time give rise to a guaranteed market once certain criteria are met, and a National Forest Inventory which will help forest concessionaires in better planning of their harvesting, extraction and marketing activities. This budgetary support is in the sum of $50M and $125M respectively, for a total of $175M. This support for the forestry sector came after rounds of engagements with the GMSA that were initiated by the Ministry of Finance “We must continue to intensify our efforts for poverty reduction and improve livelihoods by ensuring that

on FLEGT provides the necessary high quality accreditation the market is looking for and gives the assurance that sustainable forest management protocols and legality standards are being followed. He recognised the EU as a long standing and reliable partner for Guyana as well as the FAO. “Our partnership with the FAO dates back to the very early work on the first national scale forest inventory, and participatory forestry. Currently, the FAO is also contributing to other FLEGT initiatives. Guyana expresses its gratitude to you both for your tangible support and we look forward to other international partners also becoming very engaged in similar initiatives.”

This project will see a joint effort of the GFC, working with local partners, the GRA, NIS and the Department of Labour to expand training and awareness on mandatory requirements for forest operators that go beyond those typically included in forest training exercises such as log tracking and

reduced impact logging, to areas of compliance with tax laws, insurance requirements, and labour laws.

It is expected that this partnership will see a stronger, more integrated and synergistic implementation of agreed legality standards, Trotman said, adding that the beneficiaries of this outcome will be community operators and residents in forest-based areas. “The GFC has a national mandate to promote Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) in Guyana, in keeping with national laws and international standards and agreements and has been successful in this regard, evident by Guyana’s rate of deforestation still being one of the lowest globally. In the year 2016, this rate was verified by international auditors at a mere 0.05 per cent. As such, Guyana has long been recognised internationally as a country that practices SFM at the concession management unit level. We are also considered to be a global leader in the fight against climate change and our Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System (MRVS) is second to none, another achievement that was born through partnership – this time with the Kingdom of Norway.”

Despite these advances, however, Trotman said the country remains committed to reviewing and revising its legislative and policy framework when necessary, to ensure that the sector operates in the best governance framework. Accordingly, in April 2018, after a thorough stakeholder engagement process Cabinet approved the revised visionary National

Forest Plan and Policy Statement laying the platform for the next phase of forest development activities. To further advance this already robust Sustainable Forest Management environment in Guyana, new forestry regulations and the Code of Practice for Forest Operations were tabled on May 11, 2018 in the National Assembly. The achievements in the governance of the Forestry sector have been qualitative, the minister asserted. He said the EU FLEGT is another critical aspect of this governance framework, noting that it is anticipated that by August 2018 “we will be able to initial the FLEGT VPA agreement after some six years of national and international stakeholder engagement.”

This, he said will start the formal implementation of the preparedness stage following which FLEGT licenses will be issued.

GFC’s Planning and Development head Pradeepa Bholnath, explained the project will advance the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade which started several years ago. Previously areas of NIS, Department of Labour and GRA regulations were considered to on the periphery forestry sector compliance requirements. While there has been an improvement in several areas of compliance, a forest monitoring audit showed that there are some areas that could be strengthened. Bholnath said, “Now there is an even greater importance and prominence that is given to the NIS, taxation and labour requirements. It is for this reason that we are expanding our scope on what is required for compliance.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

TIGI backs charges against Ashni, Brassington TRANSPARENCY Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) said that the charges for misconduct in office against the former Minister of Finance and the former head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited is a welcome disruption to impunity for corruption and malfeasance in office that exists in Guyana.

In a statement on Monday, TIGI said it is neither taking a position against Dr. Ashni Singh and Mr. Winston Brassington nor attempting to pronounce on their guilt. However, TIGI said given that charges have been filed, “we leave it to the court to determine the outcome. In this regard, the pronouncements made by

politicians on these matters, even while the cases are before the courts, are improper and appear as attempts to pervert the course of justice and play on the emotions of the citizens,” TIGI said.

TIGI also welcomed the attempt to institute charges against current ministers of government for their conduct in office. There are legitimate questions to be answered in relation to the Sussex Street pharmaceutical bond deal, procurement in the health sector and the Durban Park project. With respect to these matters, private charges against Dr. George Norton (former Minister of Health, now Minister of Social Cohesion), Ms. Volda Lawrence (Health), Winston Jordan (Finance), David Patterson

According to the body, in order to end impunity for corruption, the undocumented buddy system in which the major political camps agree to criticise but not prosecute each other for malfeasance must end.

“Public officers must know that they will be held accountable for what they do with public resources.”

Former Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Former head of NICIL, Winston Brassington

(Public Infrastructure) and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine (Public Service) were filed but were disallowed by the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) on procedural grounds.

“TIGI believes that any

current or former government official or employee who mismanaged or misappropriated state resources should be held accountable and, where appropriate, be made to make amends, inclusive of returning what was taken or given away. As long as there is merit in the matters identified, the currency of alternative motives is of little importance. Hence, given the matters involved, we hold to our view, whether or not it is perceived that the charges stemmed from retaliatory politics,” TIGI said.

Region 10 REO calls for increase in stipend for councillors RECENTLY appointed Region 10, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon, has made a public call at the most recent RDC statutory meeting for an increase in stipends for regional councillors, tender evaluators and members of the tender board.

Currently regional councillors are paid a monthly stipend of $10, 000 while members of the tender board are paid a stipend of $8, 000. Evaluators are paid $3, 000 per session. Gordon believes that these rates are archaic and need to be increased if diligence and efficiency should be expected from their performances.

He said that the Councillors of Region 10 are mandated to make decisions on behalf of an entire region, spanning all three rivers and work assiduously to make sure that residents receive government funds in the best way possible.

In this regard, they must be properly compensated for their time and resources.

“That not right, that is not fair and I don’t care what government system you have, it must ensure that they paying the people, it is asking to deliver, it must pay the people properly and that is not good.” Gordon exclaimed.

This is not the first time that noise has been made over increase in councillors’

Region 10, REO Orrin Gordon

stipend. The $10, 000 has not been increased in over a decade and the very same councillors, previously solicited an increase, in addition to the provision of cell phones. In making the demand, the councillors compared their stipend to those of Toshaos and councillors of hinterland regions whose job description is similar.

“For the councillors who are working, this may not be important to them, but for us who look forward to this $10,000 because that is our only means of income and we have monthly expenses, we need an increase,” Councillor Gordon Callender posited. Regional Chairman Renis Morian had promised that the issue would have been looked into after the 2016 local government elections; however it remains

the same.

REO Gordon believes that something should be done about the matter expeditiously. “People have to be paid properly for their service, it is not something to be taken very lightly, something has to be done about the matter, I don’t know where we have to take it but is has to be taken to some level,” he said.

Gordon revealed that in the space of one month, the tender board would have met for about four to five times and is it tedious work that has to be done.

The $3, 000 per session for evaluators is far from encouraging and now the region only has three persons working in this capacity, which is insufficient to thoroughly evaluate all the tenders in a timely manner. Gordon said that this is affecting a number of projects to be done as work is being held back causing gridlock. “We need to have more evaluators and people competent enough to ensure that those tenders are done properly, $3000 per session cannot work, you have to scrutinize every one and ensure that the calculation is correct and that kind of work is taxing work,” he said. He is hoping that the relevant authorities look into the situation earliest.

Disallowed Charges Meanwhile, as it relates to the private criminal charges that were filed against government ministers, TIGI agrees that the proper procedures must be followed in all legal matters.

“However, there are unanswered questions about the path taken by the DPP to disallow the charges against current ministers of Government. The DPP is reported as indicating that “These charges concern a grave issue under the criminal law in relation to two serving Ministers. In the interest of good governance in the State of Guyana, such allegations ought first to have been reported to the Guyana Police

Force for an investigation to be launched and the advice of the DPP sought.”

In response, the former Attorney General and member of the political opposition has indicated that there is no law requiring the steps identified by the DPP. “We have also been unable to verify that such provisions are made in the law, notwithstanding the powers of the DPP articulated in Section 187 of the constitution. We therefore believe that the decision of the DPP can and should be challenged in court. Such a challenge will clarify the appropriate procedure and serve as a guide for future actions,” TIGI said.

Nevertheless, the body said even if a challenge to the decision of the DPP is made, there is nothing preventing Mr. Anil Nandalall, in his capacity as the attorney who filed the private criminal charge, from following what was indicated by the DPP and reporting the matters to the police to begin a new process.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

AG leads 15-member delegation to CFATF confab

Attorney General Basil Williams addressing staff of the Guyana Consulate in Port of Spain as well as other members of the diaspora.

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and a 15 member delegation are

presently attending the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) XLVII Working Groups

and Plenary Meetings in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

In a press statement on

Monday, the Attorney General Chambers disclosed that the Working Groups Meetings are being held

from May 27-29 while the Plenary will commence on Wednesday May 30 up until May 31, 2018.

During the (CFATF) Steering Group and the Plenary Meetings, which are being chaired by AG Williams, who is the Chairman of CFATF, several pertinent issues surround the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will be discussed.

The working groups include a CFATF/ -International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) Forum for Heads of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and Steering Group Meetings.

T h e G u y a n e s e d e l egation is made up of officials from agencies includ-

ing the Attorney General Chambers, Bank of Guyana (BOG), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); DPP Chambers, Gaming Authority, Guyana Gold Board (GGB), Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer.

In Trinidad, Minister Williams participated in a flag raising ceremony at the Guyana High Commission, hosted by Guyana's High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Bishwaishwar Cammie Ramsaroop, in observance of Guyana’s 52nd Independence Anniversary.

CT scanners for NA, Bartica hospitals by third quarter TWO years after acquiring Computerised Tomography (CT scan) machines, the New Amsterdam and Bartica Regional Hospitals will finally be able to provide the much-needed service to residents.

Following budgetary allocations, modifications had to be made to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital to house this highly radiative machine whilst a new building was constructed at Bartica Regional Hospital. Director of Health Services Region Six, Jevaughn Stephen, highlighted that the availability of this service in the region is quite significant. This comes as the Health Department is working on reducing referrals of critical cases to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

“From July 1, these services will be made available to the public, not only in New Amsterdam but the entire East Berbice. We find that half of our transfers to the GPH are as a result of injuries to the head that cannot be diagnosed and treated here because we did not have the CT scan machine. However, with the new machines we will be reducing those transfers”, Stephen explained.

Meanwhile, Minis-

ter within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings, recently conducted a supervisory visit to the Bartica Regional Hospital. There, she received an update on the construction of the new building to facilitate the CT scan machine. Based on details provided by the regional officials, the new facility will be completed in another month.

“I saw the building where we are going to house the CT scan. It’s about 80 per cent complete. What’s left to be done is the installation of some doors and windows, a little tiling and electrical work”, Minister Cummings explained.

Together, these machines when functioning will contribute to equal access health care delivery, modernisation of health services in communities outside of Georgetown and economically and beneficially to persons in, and around Regions Six and Seven.

RAD-AID in 2016, handed over the two CT scanners valued at approximately US$200,000 to the public health ministry.

The two machines are currently being stored at a central location in Georgetown until they can be dispatched to the two facilities. (DPI)

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

No rearing of pigs in the cemetery --Court throws out farmer’s application for injunction

TOWN Clerk Royston King reported on Monday that the application for injunction against the City Council by the Princes Street pig farmer has been denied.

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen subsequently noted that the Council has exercised enough patience, and has allowed the pig farmer, Jean Bacchus more than five months to remove her pigs.

Bacchus, in applying for an injunction, wanted to prevent the M&CC officers from entering that portion of the cemetery and moving her pigs.

With the application thrown out, Chase-Green said the Council now has to apply the laws in getting the pigs removed.

Providing all of the legal

matters are out of the court, she said the administration will move forward with taking action.

Bacchus, of 76 Princes Street, Lodge, has been illegally rearing pigs for sale in a section of the cemetery for some years now. Councillors had heard how the woman had been rearing the pigs there for as many as 15 years now, and has also begun slaughtering them there for sale, allegedly at the Bourda Market.

Chase-Green told city councillors at a previous meeting that the M&CC sought to show the resident a humane face in not seizing her pigs, but allowing her time to remove from the area.

“Councillors were giving support to her and asking to give her more time; more

time to file an injunction,” the Mayor said.

The City Council, she noted, was now in expense to find money to pay a lawyer when the case comes up in court.

Town Clerk Royston King had painted a rather graphic picture of what is happening in Le Repentir Cemetery at the moment, calling to mind the many reports that circulate about broken tombs.

“Can you imagine a pig pulling at a human bone?” he asked, as he called for immediate attention to be paid to this issue.

Councillor Heston Bostwick suggested that the farmer be removed immediately, as opposed to Councillor Oscar Clarke’s plea for leniency to be extended. Clarke argued

that it is the farmer’s livelihood, and that she should first be spoken to. But the mayor reminded him that she was already asked to remove.

Clarke said it would be heartless to simply throw the farmer out, and referred to the fact that she had been allowed for a long time without anyone objecting. He also suggested that the City Council help the farmer find an alternative location.

The mayor had directed the town clerk to send a written notice to the farmer to remove after no more than 14 days, after which the administration said it was going to take any action permitted by the law.

It is within that ‘leniency’ period that the woman applied for an injunction.

Teenager admits trafficking, gets three years’ jail A TEENAGER, who was caught last Thursday trafficking 297 grams of compressed cannabis, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and also fined $445,000.

Nickey Nermal, 18, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, was arrested and charged with pos-

session of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. He appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court where he said he was guilty.

Reports are that he was a passenger in a route 43 minibus in Linden when an off-duty policeman, who was a passenger, observed

the suspicious behavior of another passenger who was in possession of a bulky 10kg rice bag.

The constable caused the vehicle to stop at the Amelia’s Ward Police Outpost where a search of the bag revealed 297 grams of compressed cannabis.

Jailed: Nickey Nermal

Foreign Affairs Ministry concerned about distorted map THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has not ruled out the strong possibility that the release of a controversial map could be a cyber-attack.

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed deep concern over the disturbing image that surfaced on certain websites, depicting Guyana without its known internationally recognised borders. This image appeared on the website of the American Home and Beauty Centre and also on that of the Guyana Chronicle.

“The shape of Guyana’s 83,000 square miles is unmistakable. From the dawn of our independence to this day, we have spared no effort to preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Ministry stated.

The Ministry said the act which occurred on the country’s 52nd Anniversary of Independence should serve as a sobering reminder that the threats to its territory remain real and dangerous.

“The Ministry has noted with appreciation and pride the immediate and defensive responses by our citizens over this despicable image,” the statement noted.

On the basis that it could have been a cyber-attack, the Ministry assured that it is looking into the matter.

Meanwhile on Saturday, the Guyana Chronicle after realising that the controversial map was published on its website, removed it and offered an apology. “The Guyana Chronicle deeply apologises for the inexplicable publication of a map which annexed the Essequibo on our webpage this morning. Based on our internal checks such a map is not in our photograph database and it would seem that some mischievous person might have uploaded this distorted image of the Guyana map,” the apology read.

The American Home and Beauty Centre has also apologised for publishing the image in an ad.

80% of prisoners never completed secondary school – survey EIGHTY per cent of prisoners lack the basic levels of education (ranging from never attending school to not completing secondary education), as findings suggest a possible link between a low level of social control at home when the inmates were children and subsequent criminal behaviour.

This is according to the “Guyana Prison Service Inmates Survey” which was released on Monday at the Police Training Centre, Camp Street, Georgetown.

The study which was conducted by the Citizens Security Strengthening Programme showed that more than half (54.3 per cent) of persons incarcerated, did not complete secondary education while 3.7 per cent did not attend school, 13.4 per cent had incomplete primary education, and 8.6 per cent had only completed primary education.

The goal of the study is

to inform public officials on implementing adequate policies and to evaluate the current ones in dealing with the overcrowded prison system in Guyana.

As several criminological theories predict, the family and social environment where youngsters grow up may affect their proclivity to engage in anti-social behaviour, and some of them later on in crime.

The findings reveal that for a good share of the prisoners, their childhoods seem to have been conducive to the development of anti-social behaviour.

According to the responses in the study of a significant number of the inmates, it can be claimed they had been exposed to different criminalistic contexts during childhood.

For example, inmates said that they had been victims of violence in their homes, and/or they had had childhood friends who com-

mitted crimes.

It was also underscored that three out of 10 inmates (32.9 per cent) said that their parents had not lived together when they were very young.

Additionally, two out of 10 inmates (21.1 per cent) said that their parents had lived together on and off.

Both findings suggest that broken homes correlate in many cases with criminal behaviour?

When asked up to what age they had lived with their mothers, the report stated that one out of three (32.4 per cent) said they had done so until they were 15 years old, 4.8 per cent until they were between one and six years old; 8.7 per cent until they were seven to 12 years old; 11.8 per cent until they were between 13 and 15 years old.

On the question of up to what age they had lived with their father, more than half of the inmates (55.1 per

cent) said they had done so until they were 15 years old or younger. Furthermore, a good share of the inmates (29.4 per cent) said they had never lived with their father.

Both findings suggest, like other previous variables, that inmates grew up in a context of family fragmentation.

Further, the life of the inmates as adults was found to be difficult too. Results show that a large share of the inmates used drugs or alcohol.

As regards drug consumption, inmates were asked which drugs they had used - the largest group (58 per cent) corresponds to inmates who said that they had used marijuana, while other types of drugs were consumed by a much smaller percentage of inmates.

The findings also suggest that, like in their childhoods, a good share of the inmates seemed to have lived in unstructured homes during

their adult life.

In this vein, it is possible to infer that prisoners had suffered great economic hardship and found it hard to support and sustain their households.

However, underemployment or poor quality jobs, including jobs vastly exceeding 40 hours a week, was widespread among a large share of those who had a job at the time they committed the crime for which they were arrested.

Meanwhile, most inmates (69.1 per cent) reported having children. Almost four out of 10 of the inmates (35.9 per cent) who are parents said that their children were with different partners.

Like in their childhood, a good share of inmates seemed to live in a context of unstructured homes during their adult life. This finding may indicate that prisoners have suffered economic hardship and were thus unable to support and

sustain different homes.

Inmates who reported having children were also asked about the age they became parents. Almost one out of three inmates with children (27.7 per cent) said they were 18 years old or younger.

Furthermore, more than half of them (55.9 per cent) had had their first child when they were 21 years’ old or younger. Having children at such early age might have limited job opportunities for a good share of the inmates.

During 2016, the Government of Guyana with the support of IADB agreed to develop and carry out an inmate survey for the country.

Guyana had then five penitentiary centres that housed close to 2000 inmates (257 per 100,000, a high rate in the region).

Participation in the survey was strictly voluntary.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

Repsol agreement reveals profit oil margin as high as 60 per cent …contingent on level of production

Repsol Exploration Guyana is on schedule to drill its first exploration well in 2019 in the Kanuku Block to determine if hydrocarbons are present. If its exploration is found to be feasible, the country could benefit from as much as 60 per cent in oil profit, according to a Petroleum Agreement signed between the Government of Guyana and Repsol Exploration S.A. Present in Guyana since 1997, Repsol is an international energy company, with branches in 37 countries. Its operations include exploration, production, refining, chemicals, retail sales and the development of new energy solutions. The company’s mission is to provide energy safely and responsibly, and build a more sustainable energy future.

Last Wednesday, Director of Global New Ventures, Mikel Erquiaga and a team of officials met with Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman. During that meeting, the company reiterated its commitment to its Guyana

operations, disclosing that an aggressive programme of activities is in the pipeline that would move swiftly from seismic surveys to exploratory drilling.

“The company is targeting an oil prospect in the Kanuku blocks, where it plans to drill the first exploration well in 2019 to determine if hydrocarbons are present.

The internal and external ESHIA (Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment) process will begin in 2018,” the Natural Resources Ministry said in a statement late Sunday night. Kanuku Block is located 150 kilometers offshore Guyana.

Also on Sunday evening, the Ministry, in keeping with its commitment to release major contracts between the Guyanese Government and companies in the petroleum sector, released a Petroleum Prospecting License issued to Repsol Exploration Guyana S.A and Tullow Guyana B.V on May 14, 2013, in addition to a Petroleum Agreement between the Government of Guyana and Repsol Exploration.

According to Article 11 – Cost Recovery and Production Sharing – of the Petroleum Agreement, Guyana stands to benefit from as much as 60 per cent in oil profit.

Based on the agreement, the contractor will bear and pay all contract costs incurred in carrying out Petroleum Operations, and will recover same only from Cost Petroleum.

“All Recoverable Contract Costs incurred by the Contractor shall, subject to the terms and conditions of any agreement relating to Non-Associated Gas made pursuant to Article 12, be recovered from the value, determined in accordance with Article 13, of a volume of Petroleum (hereinafter referred to as “Cost Petroleum”) produced and sold from the Contract Area and limited in any Month to an amount which equals seventy-five percent (75%) of the total production from the Contract Area for such month excluding any Crude Oil and or Natural Gas used in Petroleum Operations or which is

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman (extreme right) standing with Repsol’s Director Global New Ventures, Mikel Erquiaga, and other officials of the country

lost,” a section of Article 11 explains.

It was noted if the Recoverable Contract Costs, in any month, exceed the value of Cost Petroleum, the unrecoverable amount will be carried forward, and recovered in the subsequent month.

The balance of the Crude Oil and or Natural Gas, according to the agreement, will be shared between the Government and the Contractor in varying proportions.

For the first 20, 000 Barrels of Oil Per Day (BOPD),

the contractor and government will both received a 50% share of the profit while for the next 20, 000 BOPD, Government will receive 52.5% of the profit while the contractor will receive 47.5%. For the third set of 20, 000 BOPD, the country is in line to receive 55% share of the profit while the contractor will receive 45%. By the fourth batch, the country will be receiving a whopping 57.5% of the shares while the contractor will receive the remainder. Once the BOPD

exceeds 80,000, Guyana, according to the agreement, will receive 60% with the contractor receiving 40% of the profit.

Contracts entered into with ExxonMobil and its joint-venture partners, HESS and CNOOC Nexen, Ratio Guyana Inc., Tullow Guyana B.V and Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc and CGX Energy are among those that have been released to date and are on the ministry’s website.

Transforming business model to match postal needs a priority- Min. Hughes Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes

THE need for a technologically advanced postage system was on Monday highlighted as regional and international representatives gathered at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) for the second round of the Operational Readiness for E-Commerce Workshop.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, underscored the importance of having a postal system that matches the technological advances taking place worldwide. In this vein, Minister Hughes

called for a transformation of the existing business model, changing the way postal services are delivered locally. “The foundation of this transformation … is E-Commerce. This alone will determine our survival rate, given today’s seemingly insurmountable costs,” she opined.

This transformation, the Public Telecommunications Minister said, can be achieved if the change is embraced, plans put in place and staff and citizens re-educated to accommodate the change. The Min-

ister reminded those gathered that they represent the key postal organisations within the Caribbean region; therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their respective countries transition to this “new and dynamic age.”

“And most importantly, we must be able when we talk about development and transformation in our countries, we must be able to learn, embrace and to ensure we can take our countries forward,” the minister added. Deputy Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Hema Khan said the Authority is taking the necessary steps to ensure an efficient service, with the launching of the electronic Single Administrative Document (SAD) slated for August, as another step in this direction.

A section of the audience at the Operational Readiness for E-Commerce Workshop

According to Khan, this will be executed as a pilot project, followed by the individual implementation of each module later in the year. “I find this workshop

comes at an opportune time to ensure we get our requirements right for the implementation of the EDS interface,” she posited.

The workshop will last five

days and includes representatives of the World Customs Organisation, Universal Postal Union and the Caribbean Postal Union, among others. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

GPSCCU objects to takeover of credit union

By Svetlana Marshall

THE EMBATTLED Management Committee of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union (GPSCCU) is plotting its next move as it objects to a takeover by the Department of Cooperatives, Ministry of Social Protection.

Late last week, the Social Protection Ministry announced that the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) will take immediate control over the GPSCCU. It was explained that the decision is as a result of poor performance on the part of the management team. But on Monday, GPSCCU Chairman Patricia Went, backed by GPSU First Vice President Dawn Gardener, registered the management committee’s objection to the ministry’s decision as she refuted claims of unsatisfactory performance.

According to Went, the decision of the ministry is rooted in the demand by the Department of Co-operatives for “an undue payment of the Audit and Supervision Fund for the years 2002-2013 of an alleged balance of $49,691, 682.”

On the eve of Guyana’s 52nd Independence Anniversary, the chairman and members of the management committee were served with letters from the CCDO Perlina Gifth, advising that in keeping with Regulation 56(2) of the Cooperative Society Act, Chapter 88:01, she assumes with immediate effect, the credit union.

In the letter to the chairman and members, no reason was given for the cease order, however, in a press statement issued the same day, the ministry said that the laws provide for the accounts of every Credit Union (Society) to be audited at least once annually, after which an

Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be held to discuss important matters including the determination and payment of dividends to members.

However, according to the Ministry, GPSCCU audits were not done expediently.

But the Chairman of the embattled committee maintained that the takeover is as a result of the refusal on the part of her committee to issue the undue payments to the Department of Co-operatives. “The Credit Union contends that the Department of Cooperatives’ claim to outstanding payments towards the Audit and Supervision Fund could not be justified given that the already audited Accounts of the Credit Union for the years 2002 to 2010 reflected no such balance, as was claimed,” Went told reporters during a press conference at the Critchlow Labour College (CLC).

The situation, Went said, is further compounded by the Department of Co-operatives refusal to acknowledge waivers which were approved and granted by the previous Minister of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, which to date is still in effect.

On the issue of the GPSCCU’s accounts, the chairman told reporters that it was the CCDO, who in a letter dated February 20, 2014, authorised the Audit of Financial Statements for the years 2011 to 2013; however, the process was subsequently halted.

“During the course of the Audit, the Credit Union was informed by the Guyana Credit Union League (GCUL) that the Ministry through the Assistant CCDO wrote the League advising that all Audits in progress for cooperatives were to be halted, until further advised,” Went recalled.

As a result of the delays in the

process, the management committee in a letter to the CCDO dated August 31, 2016 requested that audits up to and including the year 2015 be undertaken on resumption but the

“Audit and Supervision Fund” being reportedly incorrect, the Department of Cooperatives has reportedly refused to acknowledge waivers of contribution to the Audit and Super-

The padlocked Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union (GPSCCU) Hadfield Street office, with an ISS security guard safeguarding the premises. (Photos by Delano Williams)

CCDO rejected. That resulted in the planned November 22, 2016 AGM being postponed. “…more delays ensued following the failure of the said officer to release the audited financial statements for the years 2011 to 2013.

To date these statements have not been released by her to trigger the much-delayed AGM,” Went further explained.

“The responsibility for preparation of financial statements rests with the management of the Credit Union, yet the Department of Co-operatives claimed to have found some flaws, which were to be adjusted by the Auditor, Maurice Solomon on the insistence of Ms. Gifth,” the Chairman added.

In addition to the figure on the

vision Fund which was authorised by then Minister of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Nanda Gopaul.

Waived funds were used by the GPSCCU to finance its Education and Development Programme but now the department is demanding that the monies be paid over, spanning a number of years.

Although the former labour minister in a letter to the Social Protection Minister Amna Ally on February 10, 2017, confirmed that he granted the waivers to the credit union, the ministry and the Department of Co-operatives as recent as April 28, 2018 called for the monies to be repaid.

In an April 20, 2018 meeting, Minister Keith Scott, who has re-

sponsibility for Labour, requested that the Committee of Management sign the Adjusted Audited Reports showing a balance of $49.691M as owed to the Audit and Supervision Fund.

According to Went, in that meeting Minister Scott said that once the amended reports are signed, he would approve the holding of the AGM for the years 2011-2013 immediately, and that negotiations will commence after the AGM on an amount of $24.3M. “The Committee of Management considers the threat by the leadership of the Cooperatives Department as unprofessional and the use of bullism to achieve the objective of grabbing the funds of the Credit Union, showing scant regard for the payment of dividend rightfully due to its shareholders,” Went said. She noted that the management of the Credit Union will meet and decide on the way forward.

Weighing in on the issue, the GPSU First Vice President said it is hoped that the Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally takes control of the issue as against a junior minister. Minister Ally had given an undertaking to “get back” to the management on the issue.

Gardener said because of the decision of the Ministry and Department of Co-operatives the operations of the union will impacted negatively. “Nobody will have access to borrow, neither nobody will have access to repay, so it will affect negatively, both sides,” she posited.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the GPSCCU Hadfield Street office it was closed for business with notices indicating that the office will be reopened on May 30, and that workers should visit the Social Protection Ministry.

Minister Ferguson delivers message of love to Region Two …during Independence commemoration in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast

MINISTER within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, has brought the message of love and peace to the residents of Region Two. She was at the time speaking at the 52nd Independence Anniversary and flag-raising ceremony held Friday evening at the Anna Regina car park.

Addressing the gathering of Regional Democratic councillors, Regional Officials, members from the disciplined forces, school children and residents of Region Two, Ferguson said love should always prevail in order for unity and progress to continue. On that note, she took the opportunity to quote from the Bible which

explains the meaning of love, in a verse that says, " The scripture says let us love one another; love is God and God is love".

She therefore called upon Essequibians not to allow politicial leaders to divide them and called upon residents to stand up against such and to join hands fostering unity and togetherness. Ferguson said that the foundation of a good life is now beginning to take shape and urged Guyanese to look to the future with optimism and hope.

"Local Governance" Speaking on changes, Minister Ferguson said that since the Coalition was elected, the Government had

brought about positive changes and Essequibo was part of those. She urged persons to make wise decision during the Local Government elections slated for November, so that local communities can continue to develop and prosper. Educating persons on development in Region Two, Ferguson said that approximately $1 billion was spent on the region to improve its infrastructure. Today, she said villages such as Aurora and Dartmouth are blessed with electricity--something they were yearning for in the past.

She said that over $100M will be spent to upgrade the Supenaam waterfront and soon the region will experience a boost

Minister Annette Ferguson speaking at the flag-raising ceremony

in electricity, since a power plant will soon be commissioned with new generators at Anna Regina.

She also said that the Government had recently received a grant from the Japanese

Government which has gifted Guyana with 10,000 lamps of which 1000 lamps have already arrived in Guyana.

Some of these will be sent to Essequibo with a view to improving security.

Ferguson therefore called on Essequibians to remain steadfast and to join hands with the Government towards enjoying a better life. The programme featured calypso, chutney, patriotic melodies and dances from the Mainstay Dance Troupe.

The Guard of Honour was inspected by Minister Ferguson, accompanied

by Member of Parliament, Rajkumar Haimraj and Commander of ‘G’ Division, Khalid Pareshram. Before the end of the programme, the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted after which the parade marched off.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

M&CC worried about CHPA announcement

– about handing Sophia over to municipality

Town Clerk Royston King

GEORGETOWN Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday expressed concern over announcements made by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) lately that it is moving towards handing over the Sophia community to the municipality.

Chase-Green, in an invited comment, told the Guyana

Chronicle on the sidelines of Monday’s statutory meeting that the M&CC is concerned about the move, especially as the City Council is cashstrapped.

The CHPA told this publication recently that it wants to hand over Constituencies Five and Six (Cummings Lodge to Sophia) to the M&CC before the end of

2018.

Chase-Green noted that there are many homes in those areas that do not pay taxes to the council.

“But when they are handed over, it is now our responsibility to provide garbage collection, street lights, roads, water,” she said, adding: “Whatever it is that council has that core responsibility for, we will have to provide.How do we get more money for the expenses?”

Presently, residents in those communities are paying privately for garbage collection,as much as $500 per barrel.

Chase-Green said she is looking forward to a meeting with the CHPA before the handing-over, so that all of the modalities can be worked out.

Chief Executive Officer of CHPA Lelon Saul

has said, that the agency is presently going through the areas and doing an inventory of the roads etc, and that the infrastructure in Sophia is slated to be upgraded under a reformulated Inter-American Bank (IDB) loan.

Saul said, too, that quite a few of the roads, open spaces and recreational areas will be upgraded, and that even after handing over the communities, the CHPA will endeavour to ensure that the infrastructure is up to standard, and will continue to finance the upgrading.

Currently, the Sophia area is not benefitting from any of the services provided by the M&CC, and hence for years, basic amenities such as water and electricity could not be extended to residents of North Pattensen, North Sophia, and Block ‘R’ Extension among other communities.

The CHPA had ideally wanted to hand over the communities on December 17,

City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green at Monday’s meeting

2017, but was unsuccessful in its attempt to do so.

Town Clerk Royston King had in the past made a call for the process to be expedited so that the community can benefit from vital municipal services.

“At the moment, it is out of the curtilage of the Council,” he’d said. “It’s a large community; it’s a valuable community, and we need to move ahead and have it brought under the careful

watch and service of the M&CC.” Mayor Chase-Green had supported King’s argument, saying that Sophia has three representatives on the Council, and hence some sort of assistance ought to be granted the community.

Both Chase-Green and King are now worried that the M&CC will not be able to assist the communities because of City Hall’s financial problems.

Mayor declares City Hall ‘a fire hazard’

--Fire Service calls for urgent intervention WITH Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green calling City Hall a fire hazard, with pieces of it often falling away, it is not clear at the moment just how safe the building is for workers and for citizens going there to do business.

The Mayor, a few days ago, called attention to the fact that given the deplorable state of the building, it can go up in flames “within seconds” at the slightest hint of an electrical problem.

Furthermore, she said the Guyana Fire Service

(GFS) had advised that the M&CC workers relocate from the building.

But after learning that that was not such a good idea, as it may deteriorate faster if everyone moves out, Chase-Green said they decided to remain.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment that the Service did some inspection on the building back in 2015 and made some recommendations.

He noted that urgent steps are needed to rectify the problems there, and that

the Service is standing by its recommendations.

The building has obviously gotten worse from 2015 to now, to the point where even from a layman’s view, there are clear signs of structural deficiencies.

Gentle observed that the current state of the building can pose a danger not only to M&CC staff, but to citizens going to pay their bills as well.

However, in an invited comment, City Engineer, Colvern Venture told this publication that he believes that City Hall’s physical

structure in itself is “fairly ok”. What is, however, contributing to the deterioration of the building, he said, is the leaky roof.

He said certain sections can indeed go up in flames easily, but for these areas, the M&CC has decided to shut off all electrical supplies.

Some sections of the building also have rotten boards which tend to come loose and fall off from time to time, Venture said. The possibility of someone falling through the floor doesn’t exist in Council Chamber, where statutory meetings are held twice per

month.

The likelihood of that happening, he said, is in the Concert Hall, located just above the Council Chamber on the third floor of the building, where persons are no longer allowed to go.

Town Clerk Royston King said just a few days ago that the M&CC would need more than $400M to effectively restore the City Hall to its former pristine state.

The European Union this past week teamed up with the National Trust of Guyana to fund a two-day stakeholder workshop for the Comprehensive Resto-

ration Plan and Sustainable Conservation Management Plan for City Hall.

Following the completion of the plan and its handing over to City Hall, Phase Two of the project will be to find funding to get the actual works done.

The mayor, in speaking at the event, said they have been trying with the building for more than 20 years now, and spoke about the extent of its deterioration by pointing out how pieces of the building are always falling off, and how the ladies shoe heels are often caught in the flooring.

Mayor, Town Clerk to visit Kitty Market today CITY Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday requested that Town Clerk Royston King accompany her today on a site visit to the Kitty Market, which she had hoped would have been opened in time for Independence Day, which was on Saturday.

After asking for an update on the long-awaited opening of the market at Monday’s statutory meeting, the Mayor said she wants to go on the ground to find out just what is happening there.

Assistant City Engineer Rasheed Kellman revealed that Phase One of the project, which was expected to be finished in early March, is yet to be completed.

All external stalls have been completed, he reported, but the decision for vendors to begin occupying them will have to be taken by the relevant authority.

The mayor noted that the new cost for stalls will have to be discussed by the Markets and Public Health Committee, along with the

Finance Committee.

Meanwhile, the M&CC has received in excess of 300 applications for vending, although the market can accommodate only 90 vendors.

The Ministry of Communities has partnered with the City Council to provide the funds needed for the completion of the market.

The upper flat of the market will house a health centre, a rates-and-taxes office, and office space for rental. The intention is to create a supermarket-like ar-

rangement with new designs and modern facilities, and to make it ‘drive-through’ friendly.

The plan also is for some services at the market to be offered on a 24-hour basis.

The upper flat of the market, located on Alexander and Barr Streets and Shell Road, Kitty also now boasts an auditorium for community events.

The Kitty Market has missed countless deadlines for its re-opening, with City Hall citing a lack of funds as

the reason for the delays.

A decentralisation of the Council’s work is expected when the market comes back on stream, as it will take into account the needs of communities between Cummings Lodge and Kitty.

“People from Cummings Lodge to Kitty don’t have to come all the way to City Hall to pay their rates and taxes.

We are aiming to re-introduce the system that was in place many years ago,” Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had told the Chronicle.

The Kitty Market was established in 1882, two years after the Bourda Market had come into being. And like Bourda, the Kitty Market was also made of timber.

The 19the Century edifice had suffered massive deterioration over the years prior to its renovation, causing vendors operating in its environs to lodge numerous complaints with the City Council.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

Murder accused further remanded Man jailed for cultivating THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAROLD Daniel Watson was on Monday further remanded to prison for the murder of his 32-year-old reputed wife, Lowtie Atwaroo, called “Mona”, whose lifeless body was discovered in a trench at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD)..

Watson appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to prison until June 18, after Police Prosecutor Inspector Neville Jeffers told the court that the police file was still incomplete.

The former porter at Massy Group of Companies is charged with the capital offence which alleges that on May 21 at Herstelling New Scheme, he murdered Atwaroo.

According to reports, the couple had been living together for a number of years at Herstelling, but had separated about two months ago because of the man’s alleged abusive behaviour.

prohibited plant

Daniel Watson

The woman had moved in with relatives at her father’s apartment, but on the night of her demise, she had gone to visit Watson when persons in the neighbourhood heard her crying out for help.

When they rushed to the scene, they reportedly saw Watson holding her down in a trench.

At the scene of the crime, the police found a black cap, a one-side slipper, a jersey and a black bag next to the woman’s body.

A close examination of the exposed parts of the

body, which was clad in a pair of long blue jeans and black jersey, showed no marks of violence.

Watson, who had fled the scene by the time the police arrived, was later apprehended.

The post-mortem report revealed that she died from drowning and a compression injury to the neck.

The autopsy was conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) mortuary

by Government pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh.

THREE acres of cannabis cultivation, two camps, a quantity of dried cannabis, along with dry ration and utensils were found at Ituni Road, Upper Demerara, last Saturday during an eradication exercise by police ranks stationed in ‘E’ Division.

Imtiaz “Sancho” Shaheed, 41, of La Grange, West Bank Demerara who according to reports was found tending to the illegal plants,

Jailed: Imtiaz Shaheed

was arrested and charged with cultivating a prohibited plant.

Police after obtaining samples as exhibits and taking photographs, set fire to the area.

Shaheed who appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Monday, pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fined $30,000.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Rowley conveys CARICOM position...

He was joined in the meeting by his Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister, Senator Dennis Moses, along with Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of the Attorney General, Stuart Young.

“The discussions surrounded the history of West Indies Cricket and the recent developments in West Indies cricket, including its current state,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

“The Prime Minister provided a briefing on the position of CARICOM

FROM BACK PAGE

leaders and how they collectively feel about the management of West Indian cricket.”

Rowley and CA also discussed the role of West Indies cricket in the development of the game in Australia, while agreeing on the need for the Caribbean side to return to “a dominant position in international cricket.”

Further, CA committed to supporting any efforts to help West Indies cricket in the future.

Rowley, who has been publicly critical of Cricket West Indies’ management, also discussed the role of cricket’s world governing body, the International

Cricket Council(ICC).

CARICOM is set to meet with the ICC during the Twenty20 Women’s World Cup in November, to also convey its position on West Indies cricket.

The regional national grouping has been at loggerheads with CWI ever since endorsing a 2015 Governance Report, authored

by UWI Cave Hill principal Professor Eudine Barriteau, which recommended “the immediate dissolution” of the governing body.

Commissioned by CARICOM, the report slammed CWI as “antiquated”, “obsolete” and “anachronistic”, while calling for the appointment

of an interim board “whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework.”

CWI have since put up staunch resistance to the report, labelling the recommendations “impractical” and an “unnecessary and intrusive demand.”

At the Intersessional in Haiti last February, CARICOM adopted legal advice suggesting there was a case to be argued on the basis of CWI, as a private entity, continuing to manage the “public good” of West Indies cricket.

‘Lady Jags’ coach disappointed...

FROM BACK PAGE

By Rawle Toney “SOMETIMES it doesn’t matter how pretty you look; up to that final point you have to make and deliver that final ball, and we were there and we couldn’t deliver it.

And it’s a shame because I think they had a chance, there were good opportunities,” the words of Dr Ivan Joseph, head coach of Guyana’s senior national football team, following his said failure to make it out Group E of the CONCACAF Caribbean Qualifier tournament.

The ‘Lady Jags’ as they are more popularly called, playing in their final game of the four-team group at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, entered the game needing a win where they would’ve been tied on seven points with eventual group winners, Bermuda, but held a superior goal advantage (+5).

Guyana and Bermuda played an entertaining 2 – 2 draw in the game that was the first meeting at

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the senior women’s level between the two countries.

Bermuda secured wins against Barbados (3 – 2) and Suriname (1 – 0), leaving the Lady Jags who copped a 6 – 1 win over Suriname in their second win, needing a win to send them through.

Against Barbados, Guyana failed to find the net on their many chances and result at the end of 90 minutes, (0 – 0) meant that Guyana, will for the first time since 2010, had failed to reach a CONCACAF tournament.

In April, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) had announced Canadian Dr Ivan Joseph will be the new head coach of the Lady Jags; the Federation’s most successful programme, with the aim of not only resuscitating women’s football, but also send Guyana back to the tournament they had first featured in 2010, the CONCACAF Gold Cup. “A 0-0 draw against Barbados is clearly not what we intended. Hats off to Barbados; they

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had six in the box, they sat back; we just didn’t have the composure in the final third. We changed formations, we changed formations and they had their athletes at the back,” said Joseph, who holds a PhD Sport Phycology.

“To me the biggest disappointment, the biggest reason for the loss was our inability to dot the ‘I’ and cross the ‘T’ in the final third.

Sometimes the stage is big, and the lights are bright, and you don’t get to deliver your biggest performance in those types of moments. I don’t think we played our best game, and that’s the biggest disappointment, but I think we need these experiences in order to be able to move forward,” Dr. Joseph said.

With dust settled, the Lady Jags will now have to pick up the pieces and move on, as Dr Joseph stated that the aim is to now close the gap between Guyana and the rest of the world with regards to Women’s football, adding “one of the things is I want to have a national team camp here (in Guyana) for all comers. I’m looking to come back some time later in the summer and really identify all the ladies, all the talent.”

“One of the things I’ve heard loud and clear is that people are feeling like they’re not picked up for the team or they’re not getting chosen. And so my challenge is to create a camp experience here that allows people to stay at home and come wherever the grounds are that we might have and have an audition, so we could have more players in our pool.

The next thing after that is that I want to make sure the team stays together and we have another friendly some time before the end of the year.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday May 29 2018

16 Days to go…

England survive ‘Group of Death’ while favourites fail WHEN England were drawn with Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria in Group F for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, it was immediately dubbed the ‘Group of Death’.

Favourites Argentina had qualified with considerable ease, while Sweden had won their qualifying group without losing a match. Oh, and

gasp free-kick from captain and midfield talisman, David Beckham.

When he broke a metatarsal bone in his foot in April, England’s chances of surviving the Group of Death suddenly seemed very slim.

They became even slimmer when right back, Gary Neville, and midfielder Steven Gerrard were both ruled out with injury.

David Beckham

England’s 2002 World Cup team England hadn’t beaten the Swedes for more than 30 years.

Nigeria also had an impressive World Cup pedigree, having reached the knockout stages in the previous two tournaments.

Whatever happened in Group F, two strong sides were going to crash out in the first round. No one would have expected Argentina to be one of them.

England’s inconsistency under Sven-Goran Eriksson was epitomised by their last three qualifiers. After thrashing Germany 5-1, courtesy of a Michael Owen hattrick in Berlin, the Three Lions struggled to beat Albania before snatching a thoroughly undeserved 2-2 draw against Greece at Old Trafford, thanks to a last-

In the end, Beckham did return in time, albeit some way short of full fitness.

The first two matches in the group didn’t bode well for England’s chances.

Argentina outplayed Nigeria in Ibaraki, with the 1-0 scoreline being a testament to the profligacy of goalscorer, Gabriel Batistuta, and the brilliance of Nigerian goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu.

Nevertheless, Jay-Jay Okocha reminded the world of his prodigious talent, firing in a stunning strike which Argentina goalkeeper, Pablo Cavallero did well to save.

Neither side would have been afraid of England after watching the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Sweden in Saitama. After a first half dominated by Eriksson’s side, in which Sol

Campbell headed England in front, Niclas Alexandersson scored a deserved equaliser shortly before the hour mark, after a woeful back pass from Danny Mills had landed England in trouble.

From then on, Sweden looked the likely winners, and only a succession of fine saves from David Seaman denied them victory.

Nigeria were the first casualties of the Group of Death after their 2-1 defeat against Sweden in Kobe.

The Super Eagles opened the scoring against the run of play, but two strikes from Henrik Larsson were enough to sink them. First, the Celtic striker showed superb control to convert Arsenal midfielder, Freddie Ljungberg’s immaculate through ball. Then, not long after the hour mark, he scored from the penalty

spot after being cynically fouled.

Sweden’s victory meant that England knew they couldn’t afford to lose to Argentina in Sapporo, while their opponents knew they’d progress with a win. Neither side gave the other any quarter - nor were both fortunate to finish the match with all eleven players still on the pitch.

This was hardly surprising for such bitter rivals.

What was surprising was that England showed greater flair and cohesion than their opponents. They even came desperately close to taking an early lead when Michael Owen hit the post.

Meanwhile, Juan Sebastián Verón - who had impressed against Nigeria was neutralised by England’s midfield, three of whom Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt - were his Manchester United teammates.

The Argentina captain was so ineffectual that he was replaced at half time.

His England counterpart had a far more satisfying match, scoring the only goal of the game just before half time. Despite Diego Simeone’s attempts to distract him, Beckham blasted home

a penalty after Owen had gone down under Mauricio Pochettino’s clumsy challenge.

The Three Lions could even have won by more, with both Owen and Beckham missing presentable chances and Scholes and Teddy Sheringham forcing smart saves.

Sheringham’s volley was the culmination of a sublime passing move which emphasised England’s superiority.

Admittedly, the last twenty minutes of the match were dominated by Argentina.

Yet they produced few clear chances, and when they did, Seaman produced two world class saves. England held on for a deserved victory, and Beckham earned sweet revenge for his controversial dismissal against the same opponents in 1998.

After the Argentina game, the Three Lions’ final group match against Nigeria in Osaka was something of a damp squib.

There was one bright moment for England, when a fantastic long-range effort from Scholes drew an even better save from Shorunmu.

Other than that, the Three Lions looked sluggish in the afternoon heat. Not that it mattered - they only needed a point to ensure their progress.

The same couldn’t be said

of Argentina, who needed to defeat Sweden in Miyagi.

Despite wave after wave of attacks, La Albiceleste couldn’t force a way past the stubborn Swedes in the first half. Then, in the second period, disaster struck for the favourites when Anders Svensson curled in a sumptuous free-kick.

A late equaliser from Hernán Crespo was too little, too late to save Argentina from the humiliation of their worst World Cup performance since failing to qualify for the 1970 tournament, while Sweden won the group by virtue of scoring two more goals than England.

So England somehow survived the Group of Death, despite being just as inconsistent as they’d been in qualifying. Their inconsistency continued into the knockout stages, as they swept Denmark aside before slumping to defeat against Brazil.

Meanwhile, Sweden were eliminated in the round of 16, courtesy of a golden goal from Senegal, one of the tournament’s surprise packages.

It would take England another ten years to earn their first win over Sweden in a competitive match-- a 3-2 victory in the 2012 European Championships.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

LeBron carries Cavs back to NBA Finals (REUTERS) - LeBron James squeezed every last ounce of effort from his misfiring Cleveland team mates on Sunday to lead the Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals with an 87-79 victory over the Boston Celtics in their Game Seven Eastern Conference decider.

The 33-year-old has

reached the Finals for the eighth consecutive season but this campaign may be his crowning glory.

With point guard Kyrie Irving traded to Boston in the offseason, and a roster that required a revamp during the year, the Cavaliers were not expected to get this far, even with James operating at a different level.

The three-time NBA champion said he had focused on getting the best out of his team mates all season long.

“I tried to squeeze the orange until there was no more juice,” James told reporters after logging 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists while playing all 48 minutes of the series

finale. “We’ve been counted out a long time this season.

It’s a heck of an accomplishment for our ball club to (to win) without our All Star forward for basically two games.” The absence of Kevin Love, who was sidelined with a concussion suffered early in Game Six, left Cleveland without a true second scoring option alongside James.

Despite playing with one of his least reliable supporting casts, James still threw the ball around, firing passes for open three pointers despite the Cavs making just 9-of-35 from long range.

“As much as I was passing in the first half and guys weren’t knocking them down, I believed in the second half they would,” James said. “I kept

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates after drawing foul against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Eastern conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

faith in them and they did that.” James has already passed Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan as the alltime leading playoff scorer and the “greatest of all time” debate is raging once again.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said that amid all the upheaval with trades in and out, James had been a true leader.

“This whole year he led by example,” added Lue. “We had a lot of guys in and out. (LeBron) played all 82 games in his 15th season.

He’s unbelievable. He’s the best player in the world and I’m glad he’s on my side.”

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said getting to the Finals eight straight times was “ridiculous” “And he does it at this level with the pressure and scrutiny,” added Stevens.

Sri Lanka says pitch-fixing allegations hard to believe

By Shihar Aneez COLOMBO (Reuters) Sri Lanka’s top cricket administrators say it is difficult to believe allegations of pitch-fixing in a 2016 test match against Australia which have triggered a probe by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC launched an investigation after a documentary aired by news organisation Al Jazeera on Sunday showed a groundsman agreeing to doctor pitches for Test matches involving some of the world’s top teams.

In the second Test in Galle two years ago, Australia were bowled out for 106 and 183 and lost by 229 runs in less than three days.

“In that video, they only say that the Galle match ended in two-andhalf days. Players never complained. Nothing was mentioned in the captains’ reports. No complaints from umpires and match referee as well,” Mohan de Silva, the vice president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), told reporters in Colombo on Monday.

“So it is difficult for us to believe something wrong has happened. That is what the ICC is investigating.”

Ashley De Silva ,CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket speaks during a news conference after two people allegedly involved in matchfixing were suspended, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Monday. REUTERS/ Dinuka Liyanawatte

The SLC has appointed a committee to look into the matter, to assess if there was a failure in protocols and to take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The SLC has suspended former players Tharindu Mendis and Jeevantha Kulatunga, who have been working as provincial coaches. The assistant manager at the Galle cricket ground, who is implicated in Al Jazeera’s allegations, has also been suspended.

“We have taken measures and we have showed all the world that we are on top of it.

We will not tolerate this even in the future,” SLC CEO

Ashley De Silva said.

The documentary showed two men claiming to be the assistant manager at the Galle stadium and another former cricketer speaking to an undercover reporter and explaining how a pitch could be doctored.

Last year’s Test between Sri Lanka and India at Galle is also under suspicion and match-fixers have targeted England’s test at the same venue in November, The Australian newspaper reported.

The SLC CEO said the board was not under any pressure from the England Cricket Board regarding this year’s test.

Match-fixing has become a major concern for cricket in recent years.

In 2010, Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were part of a gamblinginspired plot to bowl no-balls at pre-arranged times during a test match against England at Lord’s.

The players served prison sentences and were handed multi-year bans from the game after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing.

Amir has now returned to the Pakistan team and helped them beat England in the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Kolisi to lead Boks in ‘historic moment’ for black South Africa South African flanker Siya Kolisi will become the country’s first black Test captain against England.

By Nick Said CAPE TOWN (Reuters) Siya Kolisi was appointed Springbok captain on Monday for the three-game home series against England, the first black leader in a full test match of a national rugby side criticised for failing to redress the racial imbalances of apartheid.

The Stormers flanker was named to lead the Boks against England in June, with previous skippers, loose-forward Warren Whiteley and lock Eben Etzebeth, both ruled out through injury.

The only other black player to lead South Africa was hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle, who was just 20 at the time, in a Springbok XV against a World XV in 2006.

Overlooked last year when then coach Allister Coetzee

preferred Etzebeth despite Kolisi being the lock’s captain at the Stormers, the move has significance beyond the field as South African rugby seeks to attract more black players.

Current Bok coach Rassie Erasmus says the decision was based purely on his history with Kolisi but is also aware that it will be a popular appointment with a majority of the South African population.

“I got Siya from the Eastern Cape to come play in the Western Cape. I’ve known him for a long time,” Erasmus told reporters on Monday. “I don’t want to look at this from a political or historical perspective.

“I coached Siya in his first training session at (Western) Province. I know him as a great rugby player. I’ve seen him go through good times and tough times as captain and a player. He’s a reliable

player that always gives his best.

“It’s only for the June tests for now as guys like Warren Whiteley and Eben Etzebeth still have to return. It was just common sense that he’d make a good option.

“In terms of what he does for our country is really just a bonus. I like him. He’s humble, quiet and gets the job done.” isi’s promotion will do no harm as rugby continues to break the shackles of its past image in a country where racial tensions in sport often spillover into politics.

Gwede Mantashe, chairman of the ruling African National Congress and a keen rugby supporter, called Kolisi’s appointment an “historic moment” but said more had to be done to increase the numbers of top-level black players.

“He is a good captain. He is a good person. It is quite encouraging. We must see more transformation,” Mantashe, who played rugby as a young man in his native Eastern Cape province, told Reuters.

More black players are now commonplace in toplevel teams and while Kolisi’s selection is landmark, it is also a natural progression of

French Open…

Djokovic beats qualifier Rogerio Dutra Silva to reach second round NOVAK Djokovic made the second round of the French Open tennis after beating Brazilian qualifier Rogerio Dutra Silva.

The former world number one, seeded 20th at Roland Garros, went 2-0 down at the start of the first two sets but recovered to come through 6-3 6-4 6-4.

The injury-hit Serb, 31, has not won a Grand Slam title since his victory in Paris in 2016.

Meanwhile Stan Wawrinka, another former champion who has struggled with injury, lost his opener.

The Swiss 23rd seed, who overcame Djokovic in the French Open final in 2015, was beaten 6-2 3-6 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

by Spaniard Guillermo GarciaLopez.

That defeat means Wawrinka will fall from world number 30 to outside

the top 250 when the new standings are released on 11 June.

Elsewhere, the match between number one seed and 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and Italian Simone Bolelli was suspended because of rain.

The Spaniard had a twoset lead but was 3-0 down in the third set against the impressive Bolelli when the weather started to worsen.

Austrian seventh seed Dominic Thiem overcame Ilya Ivashka of Belarus 6-2 6-4 6-1.

Thiem will now face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked 39th, while Djokovic takes on Spain’s Juame Munar, the world number 155.

Djokovic, now ranked 12th, said before the tournament that his confidence had been knocked after suffering a recurring elbow problem, which required surgery in January.

He returned to training in March and fell to successive first-round defeats at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

But the 12-time Grand Slam champion reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open earlier this month and looked fairly comfortable against Dutra Silva, the world number 134.

The Brazilian got off to the best possible start by breaking his opponent in the opening game, before Djokovic got into his stride.

Dutra Silva had his opponent rattled in the third set after they exchanged breaks, and Djokovic slammed a loose ball against the advertising boards in anger before apologising to the crowd for his reaction.

In the end, the Serb brought up three match points and served it out at the second attempt.(BBC Sport)

transformation efforts in the sport, where up until 1981 black players were barred from representing the Boks.

The 26-year-old will not be considered for Saturday’s international against Wales in Washington, however, with

his Super Rugby franchise team mate Pieter-Steph du Toit wearing the armband for that fixture.

Erasmus announced an extended squad of 43 players for the June tests on Saturday and suggested he would take a

number of fringe players to face Wales.

The Boks then host England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on June 9, before matches in Bloemfontein and Cape Town on the following Saturdays.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Forty coaches complete BCB’s c programme

The successful coaches after they received their certificates.

WITH the aim of strengthening the reservoir of coaches in Berbice, 40 potential cricket coaches in the Ancient County successfully completed the Brian Ramphal Coaching Programme at the Albion ground on Saturday last.

The coaches are now expected to go back to their respective clubs and assist others.

Ten of them would be selected by

the coaching panel to sit the Level 1 Coaching Programme of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Philbert Wilburgh of Police was selected as the best coach. The twoday programme was organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and was facilitated by Level III cricket coach, Winston Smith, who was assisted by Guyana/West Indies female all-rounder, Tremayne

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday May 29, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & Cummings Electrical Company Ltd. 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Dinesh Karthik (KKR)-16 (13 catches/3 stumpings) (2) 176* (2nd wicket)- Shikhar Dhawan & Kane Williamson (SH) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the 2018 IPL champions?

(2) Who is the IPL 2018 Man of

the Series?

Philbert Wilburgh of Police collects the best coach award from level III cricket coach, Winston Smith.

Smartt, along with Balram Samaroo and former Guyana all-rounder and current coach of the National Women’s team, Andre Percival.

Meanwhile, President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster hailed the Brian Ramphal Coaching Programme as a major investment.

Keys beat Vickery on day of huge upsets at French Open

By Rawle Toney DAY TWO of the 2018 French Open was filled with upsets and Sachia Vickery was made to join the list of top players who were left licking their wounds after their heart-breaking upsets.

Roland Gorros defending Jelena Ostapenko was beating in straight sets by Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova, 7-5 6-3, while seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams went down to world number 91 Wang Qiang of China 6-4, 7-5.

Vickery, playing as an automatic selection in the main draw at the French Open for the first time in her career, was playing Keys, last year’s US Open finalist for the second time, and the result was much like the first where the world number 76-ranked Vickery fell in straight sets, 6 – 3, 6 – 3.

The 23-year-old Vickery, who, despite being American, carries the Golden Arrowhead as a representation of her parents; Rawle Vickery and Paula Liverpool, had told Chronicle

Sachia Vickery went down 6 – 3, 6 – 3 to Madison Keys in the ladies singles first round match on day two of the 2018 French Open. sport that she was “really happy that I’ll be in the main draw at the French Open for the first time, off my own rankings and without any wild card or qualification; I’m really happy about that and I’ll also be in the main draw at Wimbledon this year with my ranking.”

Despite bowing out in the first round of the French Open, just as she did in 2016, Vickery said that presently, she intends to keep working hard with the aim of breaking into the top 50 by the end of the year.

England got it wrong and must learn quickly, says Root

By Ed Osmond LONDON (Reuters) England captain Joe Root admitted his team had been comprehensively outplayed by an inexperienced Pakistan side in their nine-wicket loss to the tourists in the first Test at Lord’s.

England were bowled out for 184 on the first day after Root won the toss and never recovered as they suffered their first defeat in a May Test at the home of cricket following series losses in Australia and New Zealand.

“We got it wrong, we know that,” Root told reporters on Sunday.

“These conditions suit us as well. It’s a talented team and there are guys in there who will do great things for England.”

Pakistan scored 363 in their first innings and England collapsed to 110 for six in their second before a seventh-wicket partnership of 126 between Jos Buttler and Dom Bess spared the embarrassment of an innings defeat and took the

England’s Joe Root looks dejected as he walks off after losing his wicket on the third day against Pakistan.

Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

match into the fourth day.

“We have been outperformed in all three departments, we have to be better,” Root said. “There have been a number of collapses recently and we have to find a way as a group.”

The last time England lost the first test in a home summer was in 1995 against West Indies and they only have four days to regroup before the second and final match at Headingley starting on Friday.

“We have to be more patient and take our opportunities when we get them. We can do that next week and we must take that chance,” Root said.

“We can’t ignore this, we have to learn from it quickly. A lot of the things that we do are very good.”

England, fifth in the world Test rankings, are unlikely to make changes to their side, although batsmen Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan are under particular pressure following lean runs.

“We are ambitious, we want to win but sometimes we make poor decisions,” Root said.

“It’s about the number of runs you score, not how long it takes you and maybe we need to absorb a bit more.

You have to recognise the right times to attack.”

England’s last home Test series loss came in 2014 against Sri Lanka and they have won five and two drawn two since.

They host top-ranked India in a five-Test series starting in August.

Score Board ENGLAND first innings 184, Pakistan first innings 363 England 2nd innings Alastair Cook lbw Mohammad Abbas Mark Stoneman b Shadab Khan Joe Root lbw Mohammad Abbas Dawid Malan c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Amir Jonny Bairstow b Mohammad Amir Ben Stokes c (Sub) b Shadab Khan Jos Buttler lbw Mohammad Abbas Dom Bess b Mohammad Amir Mark Wood c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Amir Stuart Broad c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Abbas James Anderson Not Out Extras 4b 9lb 0nb 0pen 2w Total (82.1 overs) 242 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Cook, 2-31 Stoneman, 3-91 Malan, 4-91 Bairstow, 5-104 Stokes, 6-110 Root, 7-236 Buttler, 8-241 Wood, 9-242 Broad, 10-242 Bess Bowling: Mohammad Amir 18.1-3- 36-4,

Mohammad Abbas 17-3-41-4, Faheem Ashraf 9 - 2 – 31-0, Hasan Ali 19 -3 -58-0, 2w, Shadab Khan 19 - 2 - 63 -2. ......................................

PAKISTAN 2nd innings Azhar Ali b James Anderson 4 Imam ul-Haq Not Ou t 18 Haris Sohail Not Ou t 39 Extras 3b 2lb 0nb 0pen 0w 5 Total (12.4 overs) 66-1 Fall of Wickets : 1-12 Ali Did Not Bat : Shafiq, Azam, Ahmed, Khan, Ashraf, Ali, Amir, Abbas

Bowling: James Anderson 3-0-12-1, Stuart Broad 3 -1-13 – 0, Dom Bess 3.4 - 0 – 29, Mark Wood 3 - 1- 7 -0.

1 9 68 12 0 9 67 57 4 0 0 15

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

‘Golden Jaguars’ captain Cox elated at UEFA A License success

By Rawle Toney SAMUEL Cox, captain of Guyana’s senior National Men’s team, popularly known as the ‘Golden Jaguars’, recently completed his Union of European Football A s s o c i a t i o n s ( U E F A ) A-level Licences programme, as he prepares for life after his playing career.

“I’m delighted to have fi n a l l y completed my A Licence (Level 4).

It’s been a tough year physically and mentally for me. Having to balance playing week in and week out, along with coaching at Tottenham and also having to knuckle down with my studies and Coach Education on this A Licence has been a challenge,” Cox told Guyana Chronicle in an exclusive interview.

A UEFA A Licence is a coaching licence mandated by UEFA, the official governing body of European football. The

licence is one level below the UEFA Pro Licence and allows holders to be head coaches of youth teams up to age 18, reserve teams (also known as ‘B’ teams) for top-flight clubs, and men’s professional second-tier clubs.

“A normal day would consist of me coaching at Spurs (Tottenham), then having to train or play a match with my Club Wealdstone and then come home and have to study a game or do theory work.

Combining that with trips up to the National Playing Centre, St George’s Park, and International duty with Guyana, It’s been pretty full on,” Cox said.

According to the 27-year-old Cox, who in 2016 completed his UEFA B Licence, the course was done over six blocks across the year and consists of part theory and part practical exercises.

“I was also getting FA tutor visits at Tottenham to get assessed on what I was

Golden Jaguars captain Samuel Cox shows off this UEFA A Licences

delivering at the academy.

Ultimately at the end of the 6th block I was signed off which was brilliant.

I’ve learnt a lot and built up and development my own coaching philosophy which hopefully will put

me in good stead for now and the future. I’ve built new relationships and learnt from some top coaches across the country (in England),” said Cox. Cox, who started his professional playing

career at the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, he was “fortunate that I get to learn from some of the best coaches in Europe at Spurs on a day to day basis. The club have been outstanding for me not only as a professional player but as a coach now to.

I owe a lot to Academy Director John McDermott (responsible for bringing through the likes of Harry Kane, Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend) and Justin Cochrane who were responsible for bringing me back to the club.”

He added “I’ve also learnt a lot from Ryan Hall, Gary Broadhurst and Tony Tillbrook who have also helped with my development. This season I’ve been with the u11’s and also done work with the u14’s. It’s a great environment to work in and for me is the best academy in England without a doubt.”

Looking ahead, Cox said that he intends to keep learning and keep being a student of the game, while working his way up through the age groups at Spurs and he’s now looking to further his education by taking a degree in Elite Coaching and an Advance Youth Award.

“I have hopes to one day manage and head coach at the highest level possible and would love to one day manage the Guyana national team. All in God’s time,” the usually upbeat Cox related.

Cox also intends to continue donning the colours of the Golden Jaguars, telling Chronicle Sport, “I’m still enjoying my playing and feel I still have a lot to give before I retire and go into management. I’ve got another year left on my contract at Wealdstone and I’m very much looking forward to leading the national team In the League of Nations.”

Running Brave Athletic Club cops Independence Relay Festival BUOYED by consistent podium finishes, the Running Brave Athletic Club copped the Guyana Overseas Based Sports Association’s (GOBSA) organised inaugural Independence Relay Festival on Sunday at the National Track and Field Facility (NTFC), Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

The club sprinted their way to two gold medals in the Girls U-15 4x100m and 4x400m relays respectively.

The quartet of Brianna Charles, Princess Brown, Shania Gardener and Kelize Smith got things under way for the Running Brave club clocking a combined 50.65s to claim Gold in the U-15 4x100 ahead of Police Athletics Club (Hanna Reid, Donna Lowe, Odessa France and Rosemon Solomon) who finished with 52.96s.

Meanwhile, the

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary team of Ashmally Lyken, Deon Richards, Trannica Williams and Shaquka Tyrell settled for Bronze crossing the finish line in 53.06s.

In the Girls U-15 4x400m, the Running Brave fielded three of the triumphant 4x100 team in Brown, Smith and Charles with the addition of Atoya Harvey.

They once again finished first with a combined time of four minutes 9.58s while Berbician club Hopetown Flames (Denesha Benjamin, Shantae George, Hadiya Porter and Safiya Goulding) were second in four minutes 25.39s.

The Police Athletics club were the bronze medalists in that event.

Over in the male competition, Running Brave had a clean sweep in the

4x100m events, copping gold in the U-15 and U-19 categories respectively.

Anchored by Blake Richards in the U-15 event, his Running Brave teammates Roland Hamilton, Shaquan Nelson and Wesley Tyndall ensured that he crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of their nearest competitors Police Athletics (David Higgins, Kerron Clarke, Osa Blair and Yohance Nedd).

The Running Brave quartet copped gold in 47.01s while Police settled for silver with 48.15s and Hopetown Flames bronze in 49.16s.

Meanwhile, in the U-19 event Running Brave’s quartet of Deron Roberts, Dennis Lewis, Devonte Campbell and Vince Haynes pipped Police Athletics Club across the finish line to triumph as gold medalists.

It was all action on Sunday at GOBSA’s inaugural Independence Relay Festival held at the National Track and Field Facility (NTFC), Leonora.

The Brave team finished in 45.87s while Police (Mark Soloman, Sheldon Christopher, Kevin DeSouza

and Denzil Forte) were second in 45.99s with Super Upcoming Runners (Kofie Gilead, Rawle Bourne,

Shemar Thom and Ronaldo Gobin) taking bronze with a combined time of 46.17s.

(Michelangelo Jacobus)

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 29, 2018

National Insurance Policy approved for players and officials at GFF Ordinary Congress -

GFF Financial Audit clean

Some members of the Executive Committee along with GFF President Wayne Forde (fourth from left) following the Congress.

By Michelangelo Jacobus THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) held its Ordinary Congress yesterday at the Sleep Inn International Hotel where a number of important issues were discussed.

Following the conclusion of the Congress, GFF President Wayne Forde revealed that some important decisions were made.

One of those matters was the presentation and

subsequent approval of a National Insurance Policy for players and officials.

He noted; “this is ground breaking for football, we now have a mechanism through our partnership with Assuria Insurance where we will be providing insurance coverage for players and officials throughout the footballing fraternity.”

“Over the next couple of weeks we will be meeting with each of our Regional

Members to work out the mechanics of implementing this programme as this is significant not only for football but for sports in Guyana and we’re hoping that we can have it implemented in the shortest possible time.”

Another crucial area that was tackled at the Congress was the appointment of an Auditing Compliance Committee.

“It is an important arm in world football, FIFA

Rowley conveys CARICOM position on Windies 18 cricket to CA PAGE

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has conveyed CARICOM’s position on West Indies cricket to Cricket Australia (CA), following a meeting in Melbourne.

Rowley, a member of CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial subcommittee on cricket, last Friday met with Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland along with other executive members.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.

has insisted as part of our compliance requirement, we have to have an Auditing Compliance Committee and we’ve done this today successfully.”

Clean Audit In December of 2017, there was a cloud of doubt following Audited Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2016, which was done by Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants, Professional Services Firm.

It was found by Ram and McRae that the GFF “did not maintain adequate documentation in respect of games and other income stated at $21,051,698 in the financial statements.

Of this amount, a total $16,834,029 was supported by receipts and other audit evidence.”

However Forde revealed that he was pleased with a clean audit that was presented by the federation and approved unanimously

by the Executive Committee.

“Most importantly, today the GFF Executive Committee presented a clean audit to the members.

We made a commitment to ourselves and to the members to present an audit that was free of all qualifications and we have put in hard work over the last couple of months since the last congress (December 2017). Today we were able to present a really good audit.”

‘Lady Jags’ coach disappointed at not advancing 18 PAGE

Guyana’s Mariam El-Masri (10) and Calaigh Copland (11) trying to make a move on the ‘Bajan’ defence during their scoreless draw at the Leonora Track and Field Centre. (Samuel Maughn photo)

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TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2018