Guyana chronicle e paper april 12 2018

THURSDAY 12th April, 2018

CHARGED

No.105242

–– SOCU files criminal charges for alleged misconduct in public office against Dr Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington 03 PAGE

Overseas experts for Energy 04 Department PAGE

Weeding out corruption is everybody’s business – attorney general 09 PAGE

Scandal-hit Linden 07 pageant cancelled PAGE

Former NICIL Head Winston Brassington

Former Finance Minister Ashni Singh

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

Robbery suspects had ‘shiny’ guns

FOUR firearms seized by police during a roadblock on the East Bank of Demerara on Tuesday evening are all brand new weapons.

The serial numbers for two of the weapons have been filed out and the police are confident that they would be able to at least trace the origin of the weapons and be able to say whether they were linked to any crime committed.

The police have also found during the roadblock in response to a

robbery along the East Bank of Demerara, One Glock 9mm pistol with serial number FKA 452 and 11 rounds; one black Glock 9mm pistol with its serial number filed out and 11 rounds; one black Beretta Pistol with serial number PY 1467150 and 11 rounds; and one Taurus pistol with serial number filed out and six live rounds.

In addition, they found less than $1500 in the vehicle, a sledge hammer, two pairs of unused gloves

The six men who were nabbed Tuesday night

Arms and ammunition and other items police seized from the men on Tuesday evening

and two trade plates belonging to a popular auto dealer.

Last weekend, police arrested three persons including a teenager who admitted that he has been transporting small arms from the interior of Guyana to the coastland in exchange for gold.

The police are trying to get to the bottom of that matter.

On Tuesday evening, six men were arrested when police set up a roadblock to nab suspects who were fleeing a robbery scene.

Those persons have been identified as taxi driver Steve Hercules, 30, of Lot 2-3 Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara; Nabidigi Gobin, 33, a trader of Lot 181 Charlotte Street, Bourda; Renard Khan, 31, a fish vendor of 147 Cooper Street, Albouystown; Mark Prince, 39, a taxi driver of Lot 52 Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara; Edward Skeete, 30, a trader of Lot 309 Independence Boulevard; and Marvin Blackman, 27, of Lot 89 Dars Street, South Ruimveldt.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the men were

in the process of robbing the home of a Chinese national, who was at home with his two sons, when they heard a suspicious sound.

On checking, the Chinese found persons trying to break into their property and raised an alarm, causing the men to flee the area.

A senior police officer attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) who was informed of the incident, quickly contacted the police in ‘A’ Division who promptly setup a roadblock and

nabbed the suspects.

A police source has indicated that Blackman is a known character and had appeared before the courts in the past for similar activities.

The vehicle in which the men were nabbed on Tuesday night bore registration number PVV 6204.

It was later discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen. A resident of 99 Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara, Shawn Liverpool, claimed that his vehicle was stolen on March 25, 2018.

CHARGED

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

–– SOCU files criminal charges for alleged misconduct in public office against Dr Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington

FORMER Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and former head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington have been charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with gross misconduct in public office and will today be arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, top sources have confirmed.

The charge has already been laid against the duo, who have retained Mark Waldron and Anil Nandlall as their lawyers. The Guyana Chronicle has not been apprised of the specifics of the charge, but sources said that it relates to the sale of lands where at least one of the beneficiaries is the Bauxite Company Guyana Inc, a subsidiary of Russian United Company RUSAL Limited.

Both Dr Singh and Brassington had been at the centre of a number of alleged scandals that embroiled the former PPP government. Since the current government took office back in 2015, they were being sought in relation to these allega-

tions, some stemming from the many forensic audits.

Brassington in December of 2015 had said he was willing to undergo public scrutiny in the courts of law, maintaining that he is a man of integrity.

One of the forensic audit reports on the operations of NICIL suggests that under the watch of People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, NICIL engaged in malpractices, and had made poor decisions on behalf of the people of Guyana.

The audit which was conducted by former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran had recommended criminal and/ or disciplinary action against all those responsible for the interception of state revenues totalling $26.858 billion, in violation of the constitution. Goolsarran had said that several laws were broken.

Brassington had left Guyana in December 2015 and was said to be living in Florida, where he is said to be operating a business, while Dr Singh was said to be

living in Dubai.

The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) which has filed the charge against the two men had been trying since 2015 to get in touch with both of them. However, although the men were abroad, SOCU was conducting its investigations. The Stabroek News had reported in June last year that among the issues being dealt with by SOCU are the $26.8 billion which was used to meet expenditure without parliamentary approval – this sum represents dividends received from public corporations, as well as proceeds from the sale of state institutions and properties; the agency’s inability to account for $1.3 billion out of $3.7 billion disbursed for the maintenance of interior roads; the $346.4 million for the construction of the High Street building; government’s inability to recover from Clico the bond lodged as security for satisfactory performance and the $51 million the contractor owes government; the $678.6 million paid out for the 2007 Cricket World Cup; amounts

totalling over $749 million which were expended on activities unrelated to the operation of NICIL, but were charged to the agency’s accounts; the money spent on the Sparendaam Housing Project (Pradoville 2); negotiations with bidders for construction of the Marriot Hotel and the accountability of money paid out to meet expenses associated with Carifesta X. The Goolsarran report found confiscating of the $26.8 billion by NICIL between 2002 and 2014 to be a violation of Article 216 of the constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA).

It also called for disciplinary action to be instituted against all those responsible for flouting National Assembly Resolution No. 32 of 17 December 2012, requiring NICIL to pay over to the Consolidated Fund “all revenues and proceeds from the sale of all state properties, except for those necessary administrative costs for maintaining and running its operations annually.”

Six parties committed to coalition politics –– President Granger THE consultation process has started in relation to the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) contesting local government elections, President David Granger has said.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event Wednesday at State House, the Head of State explained to media operatives that “we are still consulting with our partners to ensure that we come up with a pathway forward.”

The Head of State noted that in

2015 when the coalition government was formed, it was quite a historic and remarkable time for the nation.

He further added that all six parties – the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Working People’s Alliance (WPA),the Justice For All Party (JFAP), the Guyana Action Party (GAP), and the National Front Alliance (NFA) “are committed to coalition politics”.

President Granger stated that the

administration is strongly committed to ensuring the delivery of what is in the best interest of the electorate. He noted that the modalities are to be worked out.

The President said he did receive a letter from the AFC on the matter of contesting the local government elections, and discussions are currently ongoing internally.

AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan, on April 4, 2018, told reporters that a letter was sent to the Head of

State to contest the LGE jointly. At the last municipal elections, APNU captured both positions of mayor and deputy mayor, a change from previous years when the AFC councilors had received positions.

Ramjattan noted that a number of issues would have to be ironed out “preferably, it will be in relation to candidacies, candidates and a number of other things”, if the parties go to the local polls together.

(DPI)

Overseas experts for energy department

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A HIGH-LEVEL planning committee is currently reviewing a 10-point plan aimed at ensuring that the new Department of Energy to be set up within the Ministry of the Presidency is effectively positioned to manage the potentially massive and transformative emergent petroleum sector.

This is according to President David Granger, who points out that the committee members include the ministers of business, finance, natural resources, public infrastructure and state and the presidential adviser on petroleum.

The President said the 10-point plan is aimed at ensuring that matters such as organisational struc-

Denies stealing milk and shaving set from Bounty

ture, legislation and capacity-building measures are effectively addressed as Guyana works toward developing a world-class oil and gas industry.

Speaking to journalists at State House on Wednesday, at the conclusion of the accreditation ceremony for the new High Commissioner of Pakistan to Guyana, the President said the administration is committed to attracting the best qualified professionals to staff the department.

“We have to identify personnel, we have to identify buildings, we have to start advertising to attract the quality personnel that can lead this important department into the future. So we are being very careful.

Right now, the preparatory work is being done.

It is bound to be a challenge, because this is

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

an international industry. We are looking at a world-class industry, so we have to get the best persons. As you know, Guyana has no experience in the field and we have a very small Petroleum Unit, which is now in the Ministry of Natural Resources and we obviously have to attract the best people from around the world, so we are not attempting to avoid that responsibility,” he said.

The head of state added that government is open to advertising and recruiting technical experts locally, regionally and internationally through a highly competitive and transparent process to attract the most qualified and experienced professionals available, since careful and effective management of the sector is critical to the

On February 27, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman announced Cabinet’s approval for the setting up of the

Department of Energy, based on his recommendation, to be housed in the Ministry of the Presidency. (Ministry of the Presidency )

President David Granger future of Guyana.

Experts, he said, can be drawn from countries within the Region, which have existing oil and gas operations, from among members of the diaspora, who have worked in the field and any person who has the requisite qualifications and experience, internationally.

PAUL McKenzie appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Wednesday on a simple larceny charge.

It is alleged that on April 7, 2018 at the Regent Street, Bounty Supermarket, McK-

Thursday April 12th, 13:30 - 02:30hrs Friday April 13th, 14:30 - 03:00hrs Paul McKenzie enzie stole one tin of milk valued $240 and a Gillette shaving set worth $3,000.

The 27-year-old man pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor offered no objection to bail being granted and this was set by Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the sum of $5,000.

The matter was adjourned to April 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

RUSAL management assures staff that work will continue

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… in light of US sanctions against Russian metals magnate and consequent surge in aluminium prices

AS the news spread of the United States sanctions against Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska, which has caused aluminium prices to surge, local workers of the Bauxite

Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) have been told by their superiors on Wednesday, that they have nothing to worry about and were given all assurance that works will

Teen burned by ex-boyfriend recovering THE Charity, Essequibo Coast teen who was badly burnt and disfigured by her ex-boyfriend, now has a new lease on life after undergoing a life-changing surgery in the US recently.

Susan Culpepper spoke to the Guyana Chronicle in New York as she was preparing to return home to Guyana with her mother by her side. She is grateful for her speedy recovery following her surgeries which were a painful experience.

and be somebody great in this life,” she said.

Susan is urging girls to leave abusive relationships.

“That is not right, he is not supposed to hit you. So just walk out of the relationship.

For some of them it may hurt, but abuse is not right.”

Her mother Cherlyn Benn said the healing process from this ordeal is something she is always going through since she was in a state of shock and sadness for her daughter.

Susan Culpepper and her mother Cherlyn Benn with Pandit Tillackdharry Seerattan The sixteen-year-old was doused with gasolene and set on fire after leaving her abusive boyfriend and moving on with someone else.

Susan arrived in the US in a wheelchair and underwent skin-grafting surgeries and is now back on her feet.

“It was very rough after the surgery because I was in bed three days without moving and that was my second surgery; but it is getting better daily... I was given great medication and in two weeks I am back on my feet and feeling great... I came here in a wheelchair and I am walking going home,” she said.

Her immediate focus now is a full recovery and to complete her education at the secondary level.

“My big dream is to finish high school

Efforts to contact the company’s Russian management proved futile. A release, however, noted, “The Company intends to continue to fulfil its existing commitments in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.”

go on.

This is according to an employee of RUSAL who, in a telephone interview with this publication on Wednesday, said that a meeting was held with

She is urging young girls to educate themselves and “walk away from abusive relationships and finish their schooling or get a job and be independent”.

Pandit Tillackdharry Seerattan who is president of the Shri Devi Mandir Global Humanitarian Foundation Inc. believes that some young people are involved in relationships at an early age instead of educating themselves to become independent and wholesome individuals. He is advising young girls to place more emphasis on educating themselves and helping to eradicate domestic violence.

The Shri Devi Mandir Global Humanitarian Foundation Inc. and Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) facilitated travel and treatment for Susan and her mother.

Region 10 Vice Chairman, Elroy Adolph staff members after they expressed anxiety over what was reported in the media about the mother company.

The employee said that a directive was given to stop the loading of barges but every other operation is going on as per normal.

“Everything is normal, workers still working normal and so, all the shifts coming in but they told us that something happen outside (overseas) and the ship wouldn’t come in now, so they stop the loading,” the worker said. He added that Management related to the staff that they are expected to get word by the 15th April on the way forward but the workers should remain optimistic that nothing will change.

Giving a contradicting report, however, was a senior superintendent who also spoke to this publication via telephone. He said that no meeting was held with the staff, since no information was trickled down thus far to do so.

“That’s not true, no meeting was kept with employees, no directive was given from HR (Human Resource) Department or nothing, people are looking at the world news and taking things into their own perspective,” the superintendent said. When asked about the loading of the barges being halted, he said that the ship has already departed and currently mining and stripping are being done.

REMAINING HOPEFUL BCGI has its operations in the Upper Berbice river communities of Aroaima and Kwakwani.

It currently employs over 500 workers, most of whom are from Linden. The rest of the workforce resides in Kwakwani, Ituni, Aroaima and Haruru. Regional Vice Chairman for Region 10, Elroy Adolph, who has responsibility for Kwakwani said that he is remaining hopeful that no overwhelming impact is brought on the operations of the local company because not only will the workers be affected but also several persons living in the communities who earn a living from the company’s operations. “They don’t have so much persons from Kwakwani working at RUSAL, but there are persons contracted to do many things, like take workers to work, make lunch for workers and so forth; so it will affect the community as a whole,” Adolph pointed out. In addition, he said that RUSAL does live up to its corporate obligation of assisting with community projects. “Anything you ask them to do, minor things and so, they would do it,” Adolph said.

Russia Metals Magnate, Oleg Deripaska All of the company’s assets have been frozen under the US jurisdiction, causing the stocks and US dollar bonds to flatter, plunging shares 41.8% on the world market. In a quick fix, RUSAL then requested that customers pay in Euros instead of US dollars.

Deripaska, RUSAL’s owner, is said to be paying the price for Russian interference in the US general elections in 2016. According to Reuters, Deripaska said that the US decision is groundless, ridiculous and absurd. Since the sanction, Reuters reported that two of the company’s non-executive directors resigned.

“Maksim Goldman and Daniel Lesin Wolfe stepped down from their positions due to the sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the company said.

This follows the resignation of Glencore Chief Executive, Ivan Glasenberg from his role as a RUSAL director,” the report said. In addition to Guyana, RUSAL also has companies in Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Nigeria and Guinea.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

No place for corruption ANY police force, as a law enforcement agency should always be perceived by those whom it has sworn to protect, as ideal. After all, since it has been constituted to protect society against criminal perpetrators of all kinds, it is understood to be an undeniable representative of the law, prepared always to uphold its tenets without fear or favour; an expectation that every law-abiding citizen should have of their national police force, no more or less.

But, such utopian understanding of police forces has gradually been dissipated with the passage of time, in so many regions, due to reasons which have become universal.

Of course, wherever the Rule of Law is observed, condign action is automatically taken, reflecting not only society’s condemnation, but also the law’s uncompromising stance against those who run afoul of the laws.

A police force is seminally important in any state where it is established for the principal purpose of maintaining law and order. Its functions, wherever it exists, are expected to constitute the embodiment of society’s morality in terms of what it purports to represent as a nation.

Most important, is that its corps of personnel are to be seen and expected as absolute in their daily functions, ensuring that there is no compromise as to their executions of their mandate as law enforcement officers.

This means that every police officer, male and female, from the junior to the most senior rank, is expected to be above board, in his/her integrity in the investigation of whatever type of crime that becomes their remit.

Such an expectation guarantees a proper and full investigation, free from inducements such as bribes and other forms of corrupt practices which will ensure appropriate charges and prosecution, and the certainty of judicial conviction against

the person accused.

Any police force, and by extension its allied agencies whose officers allow themselves to be compromised, by seeking favours, or accepting same in return for a certain outcome or course of action, is guilty of the serious offence of perverting the course of justice. In abetting this, it means a wrongdoer is allowed to escape justice, with every opportunity to re-offend.

No person with such an outlook and understanding of policing, and who in the course of his/her duties, offend the very oath in upholding the law, ought to be spared serious judicial sanction. He/she is not worthy to be a representative of the law in any sphere of its execution.

Since 2015, and with the scale of the massive state corruption in all forms, being unearthed by way of audits, there have been numerous initiatives that are being implemented in re-fashioning the Guyana Police Force in removing itself from a past that had made its methodology and operations come under daily scrutiny and questioning by the public. And this has assumed an even greater urgency, given the numerous cases that are currently engaging its investigative arms such as the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), and the Special Assets Recovery Agency(SARA).

The current, British-sponsored two-week workshop on fraud, bribery and corruption, is another segment of its multi-billion-dollar Security Sector Reform Programme, requested by the government of Guyana, which is designed to effect a new-look Guyana Police Force.

There are participants from four principal state security agencies, inclusive of the Customs and Anti-Narcotics Agency(CANU), and the Criminal Investigations Department(CID), attending this course, that is not only timely for a

better understanding of the criminal dynamics of bribery and corruption, but also a reminder as to how pivotal is their role in executing proper investigative strategies in combatting such challenges.

Corruption in any state is a challenge to the national well-being. Among its most known manifestations are bribery, fraud and money laundering, chronic attributes of the criminal state in Guyana that are gradually being dismantled.

But when it becomes a deep-set malaise, to the point of becoming a part of the operational fabric of any police force, then serious action has to be taken with regards re-forming the core ethical values and esprit de corps of such a key institution.

We are reminded by the words of the British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn that, “There is no place for corruption within the security agencies in Guyana. If individuals cannot work with honesty and integrity then they should be drummed out, prosecuted and imprisoned as necessary”.

In fact, rogue cops are already being removed from the precincts of the Guyana Police Force; but such a forthright statement must also serve as a grim reminder and warning to those engaged in the current endeavour, as well as to other personnel.

Internal efforts must be made to resolve disputes REFERENCE is being made to letters by Coretta McDonald (No one was authorised to issue a joint statement on GuySuCo by FITUG and GTUC- SN, 11th April 2018) and Eon Andrews (GTUC executive had no knowledge of joint statement with FITUG- CG, 11th April 2018) A time-honoured principle of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is that where there exit differences on issues, rules, roles, etc, internal efforts are first made to reconcile these.

The trade union operates by universally acceptable principles. The same standard Eon Andrews, GTUC vice-president, is suggesting was breached in the release of the GTUC/ FITUG joint statement should have guided his decision to write on this matter in the public domain without consultation of the executive membership.

The trade union has always advo-

cated the implementation and respect for due process in the work place by management, in its leadership, and in the management of society. As an organisation and part of its leadership it is dangerous and counterproductive to be advocating and demanding standards for workers, employers, government, etc. and be operating differently. The same standards the trade union expect, advocate for and demand we must be able to practice at our highest level of decision-making.

The principle of solidarity, whereby a trade union gives support to fellow trade unions, workers and all, on matters of universal principles and the rule of law is sacrosanct and cuts across the board. The GTUC and FITUG met on Friday, 7th April at the GTUC Boardroom where a range of issues was discussed and agreed upon. Included in those are May Day March and Rally, and the sugar industry vis-à-vis the state

of these workers and their affected communities.

In attendance at the special engagement the GTUC’s delegation comprised of Coretta McDonald (President), Lincoln Lewis (General Secretary), Sherwood Clarke (Executive Council Member), Eon Andrews (Vice-President), Vanessa Phillips (Executive Council Member), and Collis Nicholson (Vice-President).

The FITUG’s delegation comprised of Seepaul Narine (Vice-President), Nagasar (General Secretary), Haslin Singh (Executive Council Member) and Gordon Thomas (Executive Council Member).

On the sugar issue it was agreed that the GTUC and FITUG shall issue a joint statement supporting the sugar unions’ (GAWU and NAACIE) position that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) remains under the administration of the Ministry of Finance. The reason for this and GTUC’s support being,

that the unions have reported that notwithstanding challenges there has been engagement between the Special Project Unit management and them.

The GTUC recognises the importance of Article 149C of the Guyana Constitution that requires an inclusionary approach in the management and decision-making processes on matters that impact the welfare of the trade union, hence the support, for it augurs well in shared decision-making and ownership for decisions taken.

The GTUC/FITUG statement released to the media by FITUG, which was agreed to by the parties, was prepared by both federations.

As General Secretary of the GTUC, which is the executive head of the organisation, that statement was seen by me before release and in principle the content supported, given that it reflected what was discussed and agreed on at the

meeting. Further, it did not represent a departure from any of the universally acceptable principles the trade union stands for.

On the notion that authorisation for release of this statement had to come from the president, the GTUC has never been managed in this manner, nor does the structure so dictate. The executive responsibility of the GTUC is that of the General Secretary, and in the instance under focus after the delegation would have agreed on the matters under discussion and the issuance of a joint statement, the responsibility for execution of the latter is that of the General Secretary. GTUC President would too be apprised of this according to time-honoured principles and best practices.

Notes of the instant meeting were taken by both parties and can be corroborated.

Lincoln Lewis, GTUC General Secretary

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

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Scandal-hit Linden pageant cancelled

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE highly-anticipated Linden Town Week (LTW) Pageant 2018 has been cancelled, leaving the seven delegates who would have been ardently preparing over the past few months disappointed.

The decision was made late Wednesday evening by the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) after councillors were told to put the decision to a vote.

According to LTW Project Coordinator, Devin Sears, the majority of councillors voted for the pageant to be cancelled and the LMTC will have an official press release on the decision.

The decision to cancel the pageant came after alle-

gations surfaced of sexual misconduct on a delegate by a popular Linden businessman while the delegate was seeking sponsorship. The incident which allegedly occurred at the business man’s home on March 3rd 2018, is now being investigated by the police and according to Commander of E’ Division, Anthony Vandehygen, the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice on the way forward.

On Tuesday, former Mayor of Linden, Calwyn Holland called for the pageant to be cancelled following the revelation of sexual exploitation. “Let’s crown all of these young ladies as municipal ambassadors in which they can spread various messages to our young girls across our

municipality,” Holland said.

He described the revelations as troubling and called on the young women to resist the pressure to be demoralised and abused.

Not in agreement with the cancelling of the pageant was its coordinator, Crystal Lam, who said, “We have to start somewhere and the solution cannot be to end all pageants. We have to come up with more creative ways in finding solutions. In my opinion the pageant should go on. Give these women a chance to be role models in society. Give them a chance to change society’s misconception of pageantry. Our women must not feel like selling one’s self to potential sponsors is an undeniable

part of pageantry.”

Also speaking out on the issue was Minister of Government and women rights’ advocate, Simona Broomes, who called for the police investigation to go on unhindered, even as she expressed disappointment at the handling of the matter by local leaders.

The Mayor and Town Council, however, noted in a statement that upon being informed of what transpired, quick action was taken to have the incident investigated.

“The mayor did not in any way attempt to trivialise the issue or to sweep anything under the carpet.

The Council stands resolute in its position against any sexual misconduct, sexual

abuse or harassment, and will advocate for justice if the individuals involved are found culpable,” the statement said However, Minister Broomes cautioned that leaders should be responsible in their actions, especially when dealing with such cases.

Also implicated in the scandal is Alliance for Change (AFC) Executive and Region 10 Representative, Vladimir Glasgow who allegedly coerced the victim into covering up the issue by not making a report.

When contacted on Monday, Glasgow said that the allegations are untrue. Said he: “Propaganda has its work to do, and at this point, I won’t be making any comment on the issue. People have their own ambition and aim…. As

far as I know, two people had an issue and they decided to settle the issue, and it is not my place to comment.”

In a statement on Monday, the AFC said that the party is aware of the situation and will be launching its own investigation into the issue.

“The AFC reiterates its strong revulsion of any mistreatment of females, and will take appropriate action should any misconduct in this or any other regard be proven,” the party said in its statement. Lindeners can now look forward to the “Big, Bold and Beautiful” Pageant slated for April 25 at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground as well as the other 60 plus activities on the LTW 2018 calendar.

Stabroek News editorial misleading Dear Editor, STABROEK News editorial of March 20, 2018, on the late Cheddi Jagan was timely, given that it was his 100th birth anniversary.

It seems that the names Jagan and Burnham are symbiotic in that any reference to one always seems to occasion the mention of the other. Your editorial was no different. It is in relation to that reference that I pen this letter.

Your editorial stated that: “Cheddi Jagan founded the People`s Progressive Party, fashioned out of a merger of the PAC (Political Action Committee) and the then British Guiana Labour Party (BGLP) led by Forbes Burnham”. The correctness of that assertion is hereby questioned and the truth proffered based the following irrefutable facts.

1. The BGLP`s formation predated Burnham`s return to Guyana.

2. There was no merger between the PAC and the BGLP. The two were established in the same

year. Ashton Chase was a founding member of both.

Nanda Gopaul in the Bengal Tiger, his biographic work on Ashton Chase, in reference to the BGLP noted that “The party went out of existence shortly after the 1947 Elections”, in which it had participated.

3. The PAC remained in existence until 1949.

4. Burnham returned to Guyana in 1949 and the PPP was formed in 1950.

5. The PPP`S website (www.ppp-civic.org) in the article “History of the People`s Progressive Party” does not acknowledge any such merger between the BGLP and the PAC to form the PPP. In fact, three years had elapsed between the expiration of the BGLP and the formation of the PPP. 6. Burnham was a co-founder of the PPP and its first chairman. He did not transition from the BGLP to the PPP. 7. Burnham`s role as co-founder/chairman of the PPP was essayed before his return home when Ashton Chase, a founding

member of the BGLP and the PAC, declined the offer and eminent Caribbean leaders proposed Burnham as being best suited, in view of the potential that he portrayed as a student leader in the West Indian community, in London; and his political and progressive activism, while in London.

8. In preparation for his activist role in the anti-colonial struggle in British Guiana, Burnham detoured to Jamaica, on his way home, for an induction into, and orientation on, the anti-colonial struggle in the West Indies. His political association, upon his return home, was with the PPP, as a founding member.

Unfortunately, Stabroek News` version seemed to have been culled from Wikipedia which facilitates lay versions and discourses on matters of public interest.

Wikipedia is not a credible nor authentic academic source of information It is my sincere hope that Stabroek News acknowledges that it would

have been revisionist and thus misinformed its readership on an important matter in the country`s

history; and the biography of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

Regards, Vincent Alexander Chairperson Burnham Foundation

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

Bartica shows benevolence to the disabled

By Ariana Gordon

MEMBERS of the Disabled Persons’ Committee in Bartica have expressed much optimism that they are likely to benefit from a new building where they can conduct training and capacity-building activities.

Chairman of the Committee, Godfrey Mc Donald in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle said the Bartica Mayor and Town Council, through its Mayor, Gifford Marshall, has promised to provide a new building for the committee.

Mc Donald said the grouping of about 40 differently-abled members have been “tossed around” for years, as they searched tirelessly for accommodation.

“Persons are frustrated… they keep dropping out of the group due to their frustration. Many of them said we are only holding meetings and talking, but can’t do anything else.”

The visually-impaired man told the Guyana Chronicle that over the past few years, he has solicited assistance from the regional administration but to no avail.

He explained that the options provided to his group were not helpful for persons who have disabilities.

“Work has been progressing slowly. We don’t have our own building and right now we are just using a

classroom in a private school to meet,” he explained.

The 63-year-old man who served as chairman of the committee for about five years, explained that on several occasions the group had lobbied for a permanent place to conduct their business, but to no avail.

“The regional administration, they are the ones who are supposed to assist us. They keep turning us down. At first, they told us we could use the bottom flat of the Bartica Community Centre which was about to be pulled down. I told them I won’t accept that. It would have cost us over $500,000 to rehabilitate the room they were giving us --- I refused.

“Then they told us we could use the top flat of the Career Centre, but then they told us if we took chairs and tables we would have to remove them after every meeting,” Mc Donald stated.

FINALLY SOME LIGHT Letters were also sent to the regional executive officer (REO) but now, with the promise by the Bartica Town Council, Mc Donald believes there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“The Mayor and Town Council has promised to assist us with the construction of a building,” he said proudly, while quickly noting that sometimes it is best to wait until in receipt of the

gifts promised.

“I am extremely elated… having a new building would be a dream come through,” he stated.

Though a cost is yet to be attached to the edifice that is to be constructed, Mc Donald told the Guyana Chronicle that as soon as the Town Council is ready to work on the project, there will be a meeting to flesh out details of the project.

“I think they will keep their word,” he said with much optimism. Mayor Gifford Marshall told the Guyana Chronicle that efforts are being made through the town council to provide the disability group with a building. He noted that while the council does not have the requisite funds to construct the facility, assistance will be solicited from all stakeholders.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that differently-abled persons have needs and those needs should be met, as is the case of any other citizen.

“For years, they have been suffering, moving from place to place and we have to change that. We need a centre for them; we started efforts last year, but we have not gone as far as we would love to, but it is something we will continue to work [on] and [will] make representation for them. Hopefully before Local Government Elections, we can start that

Rice boils over in first crop WITH reports of higher yields from farmers’ paddy cultivation, over 530,000 tonnes of paddy is projected to be produced. This is up nine per cent from the 488,833 tonnes that was projected for the first crop of 2018.

For the year, 51,280 hectares of the 87,539 hectares sown has been harvested and General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board, Nizam Hassan, noted that production thus far bodes well for the rice industry.

“Thus far, we’ve seen an excellent performance in the first rice crop of 2018. To date, we have harvested 59 per cent across the country and we have seen an increase in yields. Yield increases have moved from two bags per acre to as much as nine bags per acre; this has been really good for the farmers since they also have been receiving higher prices for their production. So, overall, we have seen higher yields, better prices and also better paddy coming out of the fields, in terms of production,” Hassan related.

The general manager also noted that there is much more to come, since the projected yield for the first crop of 2018 was 5.6 metric

tonnes per hectare. However, with the identified performance and average yield so far being 6.1 tonnes per hectare and one area reporting as much as 7.1 tonnes per hectare, the crop will close with record-breaking yields. As of Sunday, 310,748 tonnes of paddy equivalent to 201,986 tonnes of rice has been harvested.

“This fares very well for the sector and very well for the industry, because we’ve been getting increases in terms of inquiries and increased opportunities to market our products, and all of the increased production we have seen has been committed to markets which is a good thing for our producers and the business persons involved in the sale. All of the production has been committed to the market, so we’re able to fulfil our markets,” Hassan stated.

Over the years, the industry has been resilient, seeing significant increases in its first crops. Since the first crop of 2018 is yet to be completed, the over 530,000 tonnes of paddy projected to be produced is set to outstrip paddy production in 2017, which was recorded at 518,667 metric tonnes. (DPI)

The harvest for the year is as follows: Regions Hectares Harvested Percentage of hectares thus far Region Two 9,792 hectares 73 per cent of its cultivation Region Three 6,153 hectares 76 per cent of its cultivation Region Four 2,773 hectares 80 per cent of its cultivation Region Five 19,713 hectares 50 per cent of its cultivation Region Six 12,849 hectares 56 per cent of its cultivation

Chairman of Bartica’s Disabled Persons Committee, Godfrey Mc Donald project,” Marshall told the Guyana Chronicle.

Meanwhile, Mc Donald is eyeing a two-storey building where the lower flat will contain a conference room, training area and kitchen, while the upper flat will have a recreational hall and rooms which can accommodate persons who travel to Bartica.

He told this publication that it is his hope that training programmes can begin in the near future, as there are many challenges facing persons living with disabilities in Bartica.

IN DENIAL According to Mc Donald, whose sight started

deteriorating in the 1990s, many persons in Bartica are living in denial. He said parents deny that their children need help and adults refute that they have disabilities.

“There are members in the organisation, since because disabled they kinda gone back in a shell -- certain things they are afraid to do… we want to get them comfortable to help themselves,” he said, noting that many of the differentlyabled persons in Bartica are heavily dependent on their relatives because of the fears they have.

Another point noted by Mc Donald is that there is currently no special needs teacher in the mining town.

He said there was one teacher, but that teacher has since resigned.

“There are children who are also suffering — there is no special needs teacher. There are many special needs children, but at this day and age persons are still in denial, especially the parents. The child is disabled and when you tell them, they say the child has no problem, whether autistic etc,” he told the Guyana Chronicle, while noting that for years he and others have been trying to get parents to seek help for their differently-abled children.

“We went on television, we visited schools, homes, but they still won’t accept

that these children are disabled,” he stated.

While he understands the challenges that persons living with disabilities face, Mc Donald said communicating with the right persons can help them overcome their fears. He said when he started losing his sight, he too was living in denial, but because of the persistence of a few persons, he was able to face his fears.

The father of six said he is now in a position to do all of his household chores without the assistance of anyone. “After a time you get accustomed to it. It is not easy but now, I can cook, clean and do all my chores unassisted.”

Mc Donald said when he became visually-impaired, he did not receive counselling and being rendered physically unfit, he felt as though his world was crumbling.

Notwithstanding those challenges, he took the advice from persons within the disability commission and he stepped out and embraced his new life.

It is his desire to see those who are differently-abled and living in Bartica do the same. “Do not be ashamed… relatives do not be ashamed of your loved ones… don’t hide them away,” he urged, adding that “The future is still bright for us, we may not be able to see or hear, but we can do many other things.”

Sophia man remanded on another robbery charge

A 24-year-old man of North Sophia, Georgetown, was on Wednesday remanded to prison on a robbery charge.

It is alleged that on February 25, 2018 at Pike Street, Kitty, Patrick Goodluck, while being armed with a gun, robbed Falisapy Carmichael of $55,000 cash and other items valued$ 218,000.

The mason entered a not guilty plea to the charge that was read out to him in court.

The prosecutor objected to bail based on the seriousness of the offence and also took into consideration that a dangerous weapon was used to commit the act. It was also stated that the file was incomplete.

The defence attorney

Patrick Goodluck asked for reasonable bail to be granted, adding that her client was not a flight risk Bail was refused by Magistrate Fabayo Azore and Goodluck was remanded to prison. The matter was adjourned for May 2, 2018.

It was stated that two years ago Patrick Goodluck was remanded to prison on

a similar charge. He was one of two young men who were badly beaten on an allegation that they had attempted to rob North Ruimveldt barber, Roger Lovell.

He was remanded when he appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer to the charge of attempting to commit a felony. He denied the allegation, but the police prosecutor objected to bail, stating that Goodluck and another person had walked into Lovell’s house and attempted to rob him of his gold chain and motorcycle while being armed with a gun.

The prosecutor said Lovell raised an alarm and public-spirited citizens caught the bandits and beat them severely.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

Weeding out corruption is everybody’s business – attorney general

ANTI-corruption is everybody’s business, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams SC, said as he enlisted the support of public and private office-holders to aid the eradication of the scourge.

Minister Williams was at the time delivering remarks during an Anti-Corruption Sensitization Seminar on Wednesday at the Region Three Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Head Office at Vreed-en-Hoop. The seminar, which focused on key anti-corruption legislation such as the State Asset Recovery Act, the Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower) Act, and the Witness Protection Act, was organized by the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Legal Affairs in collaboration with the Regional Administration.

While stating that the Government is serious in its quest to reduce corruption in the country, Minister Williams said all must get involved. A reduction in corruption would also aid in a reduction in poverty, he posited while noting that these two are correlated.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Aubrey

Heath-Retemyer said corrupted activities in the country have reduced since 2015 but emphasized that there is much more work to be done to stamp out corruption.

He reported that between 2010 and 2014, the country’s development was significantly hampered as a result of procurement fraud, illicit capital flights and the underground economy.

According to him, during that period, between $28B and $35B was lost to procurement fraud every year. Today, he said, the Government has been putting the necessary systems in place to prevent such corrupt activities.

Currently, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with support from the United Kingdom is facilitating a rigorous two-week anti-corruption training course, targeting participants from SOCU, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the State’s Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Illicit capital flight was running in the vicinity of $90B every year, the SARU CEO added.

The underground economy, he further posited, accounted for over $100B and

were paying peanuts at the end of the year in royalty or leases. One such company was just paying for one acre …$25 per annum and they had some 99 years leases too,” he said.

SARU with the help of other stakeholders, took back approximately two million acres of state lands from various companies and individuals, Heath-Retemyer

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are ‘watertight,’ before the perpetrators are taken before the courts.

In addition to Heath-Retemyer, Legislative Drafting Consultant Ananda Dhurjon gave an overview of the State Asset Recovery Act while Parliamentary Counsel Ronetta Sargent gave a detailed presentation on the Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower) Act. An overview

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams while some people believed that it helped, he said one must not forget its damaging effects on society.

In an effort to root out corruption, Heath-Retemyer said that SARU, since its establishment, has been working with Regional Democratic Councils and their Regional Executive Officers (REOs).

Preliminary findings have revealed that some moveable assets such as state vehicles and machines could not have been accounted for because the inventories were total

chaos, he reported.

There were and continue to be issues surrounding “fixed assets” such as government houses in the regions, he added while explaining that government officials have either overstayed their time, or vacated but left their families inside, or have renovated to the extent that the ownership is being questioned.

“SARA is not only talking….There are a number of companies in this country that had large tracts of lands assigned to them, and they

Participants at the Anti-Corruption Seminar (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Aubrey Heath-Retemyer reported.

Stating that SARU’s mission is to reduce corruption and simultaneously increase transparency within government agencies, he assured that with time, Guyanese will feel the effects of SARU’s work.

“We expect that over time the accumulative effect of our work will be felt by each Guyanese. We know that it will take time, but if you ask us, those figures, every one of them, from the time this new administration started, we have been able to reduce those numbers so that they are declining every day that we speak,” Heath-Retemyer assured.

He noted that presently SARU is building a number of cases to ensure that they

of the Witness Protection Act was given by Joan Bond – the Principal Parliamentary Counsel while Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Teshana James-Lake, like many of the presenters, asked holders of public offices to desist from corrupt activities and/or report any case of corruption within their agencies.

The REO Dennis Jaikaran was among regional officials present.

The anti-corruption sensitization seminar formed part of a nationwide movement by the AG’s Chambers aimed at bringing much-needed awareness about a menu of legislation that would aid in corrupt persons being brought to justice, and the recovery of state resources.

GGB has GGMC’s full support in trying to find solutions to its operations. In regards to the GGB move to outsourcing, Dennison said the GGMC is “happy” with whatever solution the agency takes to rectify the current situation.

“I know they are looking at options and I have already undertaken to give support to the gold board in trying to find suitable options. We must have a long-term solution,” Dennison said.

Measures already taken and ongoing to address the mercury concerns in-

cluded a comprehensive inspection of the entire emissions control system, timely refurbishing of all areas and aspects of related systems, physical extension of emissions chimney, satisfactory testing of work and resulting emissions, arranging for written assurances (warranties) as to work performed, continuing with an aggressive maintenance schedule, recruiting external monitoring parties for safety certification purposes and continuous monitoring to detect any suspicious levels.

Gold Board likely to outsource some work COMMISSIONER of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Newell Dennison said consideration is being given to have the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) submit certain aspects of its operations to external sources.

GGMC staffers have demanded that the GGB laboratory be removed from the GGMC compound as high mercury levels have been found in numerous workers.

The staffers were told that the GGB has indicated that it has nowhere else to house its operations and is looking at

ways to make its operations safer.

“I know that one such possible solution is that the gold board relinquishes the way in which it does its business to an external agency that does refining and so on.

In fact, I understand that one such interested company should be in the country before the end of the month,” Dennison said.

This publication was told that several companies have expressed interest in providing refining services to the GGB and it is likely that those proposals would be

entertained.

It is assumed, however, that the refining aspect of things would include some change to the way mercury is used in the operation, but the Guyana Gold Board has promised to provide more information in this regard.

In a lot of artisanal and small-scale gold mining, mercury is mixed with gold containing materials to form a mercury-gold amalgam.

This mixture is then heated to vaporise the mercury, leaving the gold behind. It is during this burning process at the GGB that some amount

of the vaporised mercury escapes and enters the atmosphere.

It was reported that equipment was sourced to test the air and determine the levels of mercury emission in the compound. This equipment was said to have been out of order.

When staffers were tested, unsafe mercury levels were found, prompting the commission to deliver some 200 letters, urging staffers to get tested for contamination of the harmful element.

The commissioner told Guyana Chronicle that the

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

PI into ‘money changer’ murder begins

A POLICE crime scene photographer was the first witness to take the stand on Wednesday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman as the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of America Street money-changer, Shawn Nurse called ‘Fabulous’, commenced.

Kerwin DaSantos called ‘Buffy’ and George Hope called “Gregory”, both 24-year-olds, are currently on remand for the indictment , which alleged that on February 4 at America Street, they murdered 47-year-old Nurse during a robbery.

The PI commenced with the testimony of Corporal Orlando Alleyne, who is attached to the Criminal Investigations

Department of the Guyana Police Force.

The matter is being prosecuted by Corporal Shawn Gonsalves and was adjourned until April 20.

On Sunday, February 4, Nurse was shot in the head after he refused to comply with the suspects’ demand that he turn over whatever cash he had on his person.

Reports are that after Nurse was shot to his face, the robbers escaped.

The police were able to make the arrests after reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding buildings.

Just last year, Nurse was robbed, but was later able to identify two of the persons who had allegedly committed the offence.

US extradition hearing awaits High Court motion THE magisterial hearing of the extradition inquest of Troy Anthony Thomas, who is wanted in the United States in connection with a 2011 murder has been adjourned pending the hearing of a motion in the High Court to stop the processing of the extradition matter, which is currently being heard at the Providence Magistrate's Court.

This decision was made when the matter was called up before presiding magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Wednesday. The magistrate was forced to adjourn the matter until May 10 pending the outcome of the motion.

The attorneys, Nigel Hughes, Bernard DaSilva and Darren Wade last Friday filed the application at the High Court, where it is fixed to be heard before Justice JoAnn Barlow on April 13 at 10:30hrs.

The lawyers made an application for a declaration that Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus possesses no authority in law or otherwise to enforce the provision of the treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America for the mutual extradition of the fugitive criminals signed on

Troy Anthony Thomas December 22, 1931.

Additionally, a conservatory order to restrain the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and/or the Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus from proceeding with any process leading to and which may result in the extradition of the applicant from Guyana (Thomas).

The application further listed a declaration that the extradition proceedings conducted by the magistrate in relation to the applicant was a breach of his fundamental, protected rights as guaranteed by article 139 and 1474 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The grounds of the application made by the lawyer is that the magistrate, being

a creature of statute, is not empowered to interpret and or apply the provisions of a treaty which had not been incorporated into the provision of the domestic laws of Guyana.

Thomas, 31, of South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, was nabbed by police during an operation on Wednesday, March 14, which had commenced since January 31, 2018. According to reports, on December 11, 2011, 20-year-old Keith Frank was shot once in the torso in a flash of violence outside a South Richmond Hill party.

Frank, who moved to Queens from Guyana when he was 12, died exactly two months before his 21st birthday.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) began looking for Thomas in connection with the shooting.

However, within hours of the shooting, he allegedly fled the jurisdiction and crossed over to Canada from New York State.

In Canada, he is said to have used travel documents belonging to a relative and boarded a Caribbean Airlines flight, arriving in Guyana in the early hours of the morning before the bulletin could reach Interpol. (International police)

Rape sentencing in two weeks A SEEMINGLY calm Trevon Giles was remanded to prison after his sentencing was deferred to April 26, 2018, after his attorney Clyde Forde requested a probation report, Giles having been found guilty on one of two counts of rape of a child.

The accused was found guilty on one of two counts of rape of a girl under age 16 when a 12-member jury deliberated for more than

two hours on Wednesday in the Sexual Offences Court of the Georgetown High Court before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.

On the first count, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict and on the second count they arrived at a unanimous not guilty verdict.

The charge is that on the first count, Giles engaged in sexual penetration on January 14, 2016 in the county of Demerara with a

child under age 16.

On the second count, Giles engaged in sexual penetration with a child under age 16 on January 17, 2016 in the county of Demerara.

The state was represented by Abigail Gibbs and Tiffini Lyken.

Giles will be sentenced on April 26, 2018, by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the Sexual Offences Court after the presentation of a probation report.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

Stay of proceedings in Westford’s case discharged

By Ariana Gordon

THE Court of Appeal on Wednesday discharged a stay of proceedings granted

by Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory on July 26, 2017

in relation to the Jennifer Westford and Margaret Cummings criminal cases.

Justice Gregory had granted an order stopping the magisterial proceeding in the matter against former

Minister of Public Service, Dr. Jennifer Westford in relation to eight state vehicles for which she has been charged with forgery of documents and attempting to transfer same to other persons.

UG Berbice Campus Career Day fair attracts hundreds UNIVERSITY of Guyana Berbice Campus Open/Career Day opened on Wednesday with hundreds of students in attendance.

The event held under the theme ‘Expanding Your Horizons: Exploring the Possibilities’ featured some 40 booths from various companies across Guyana.

In a very interactive presentation, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith gave away two $50,000 scholarships to aid with tuition at the university and urged students to be agents of change by focusing on excellence and being honest while striving for the best.

“If you are interested in just being a B student or a C student and just making it through, don’t come to the University of Guyana; we don’t want students who are interested in mediocrity. If you want to be an excellent student, if you want to be a change agent and want to achieve the high bar, then do well in

opportunity as an excellent one to educate and impact people outside of the capital city.

“We have given out in excess of over 300 recruitment cards with our detailed information and have encouraged people to submit CVs for us to review so whenever opportunities arise, we revisit them to become candidates for the opening,” said Yearwood.

Meanwhile, Shonna Glasgow, Senior Recruitment and Manpower Officer at the Ministry of Social Protection who has an office in Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, said she was pleasantly surprised that not a lot of people are aware of their recruitment office in Berbice.

She was grateful for the opportunity to participate and expects a massive influx of applications based on responses.

Among the participants were several commercial banks, the Guyana Post Office Corporation; Guyana Sugar Cor-

Students interact with officers of the Guyana Police Force at the Career Day fair your primary school and secondary school so when you come to the university, you would be adequately prepared for excellence,” said Professor Griffith.

He also warned students against plagiarism and urged those present to use the opportunity presented by the university through the career day to explore their options and work towards achieving said goal.

Among the booths that received a lot of attention were ExxonMobil and their partners, El Dorado Offshore and JSL International.

Speaking with Guyana Chronicle, Communications Analyst for ExxonMobil, Nicholas Yearwood said his company was extremely pleased to have been invited by the University of Guyana to participate, as they saw the

poration estates and training school; the Regional Health Authority, Region Six; Department of Public Information; Guyana Rice Development Board; Nand Persaud and Company; Massy Group of Companies; the Guyana Police Force; and several others.

The UGBC Education faculty also had on display a large booth that teachers created under the theme “Improvisation”. The educational pieces on display were made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles, cups, old DVDs etc.

The career day also featured cultural pieces as well as a display at the Natural Science Faculty where several experiments were done, including dissection of frogs, much to the amazement of students.

Former Minister of the Public Service, Dr Jennifer Westford Dr. Westford of Lot 55 ‘AA’ Victoria Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Margaret Cummings, former Personnel Officer at the Ministry of Public Service and of Lot 709 Section ‘A’ Diamond, EBD, were on trial before City Magistrate Fabayo Azore for the charges.

Attorneys for the duo were forced to take the motion to the Court of Appeal following a High Court ruling to quash a Constitutional Motion to examine the issue of amnesty. The order granted also prevented the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and police from prosecuting the two women until the Appeal Court proceedings is completed.

In August 2015, the former minister was placed on a total of $800,000 bail after

she pleaded not guilty to the charges, which state that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, she attempted to transfer eight state-owned vehicles to four persons.

Westford’s former aide, Margaret Cummings was also slapped with four counts of forgery. Cummings also pleaded not guilty to four charges which alleged that she forged documents for the purchase of the eight motor vehicles. She was also released on a total of $1.2M bail.

The Stay of Proceedings was appealed by the Attorney General (AG) to the full bench of the Court of Appeal.

The AG called for the orders granted by Justice Gregory to be discharged or varied, and to grant any such other order as it deems fit.

Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud, Arif Bulkan and Rafeek Khan heard arguments Monday by Solicitor-General Kim Kyte. She argued on behalf of the State that Justice Gregory, the lone judge in Chambers of the Court of Appeal was without jurisdiction to grant the aforementioned orders. Kyte argued too that there was no appeal pending before the court in relation to the criminal matters pending before the Magistrate’s court.

Kyte noted that the only appeal which the court was charged with is an appeal from the order of Justice Cummings and the stay of that order was refused. As a result, the solicitor-general

argued that no appeal existed.

Additionally, she posited that a stay ought not to have been granted since the filed appeal had little prospect of success. Kyte argued that the principles governing the court’s power and discretion in granting and refusing a stay of execution pending appeal are trite and the appellant must show that the case put before the court has merit.

As such, she told the court that Justice Cummings-Edwards exercised her discretion judicially in refusing to grant the Orders Nisi as requested by Westford and Cummings in their appeal.

Moreover, it was argued that the DPP acted lawfully in prosecuting the criminal charges and noted that there are no exceptional circumstances in the said matter which warrants judicial intervention in the DPP’s discretion as exercised.

The applicant, the solicitor-general said was before the Magistrate’s Court, and its jurisdiction has been properly invoked, therefore, the criminal matter ought to be permitted to run its course.

Westford and Cummings were represented by Dexter Todd. Todd argued that Justice Gregory had properly exercised her discretion in granting the stay of proceedings.

The court nevertheless discharged the stay of proceedings and provided the reliefs sought by the State.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 12, 2018

Essequibians welcome proposed Supenaam waterfront project –– rate it ‘a prudent investment’

THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure has come in for high praise from Essequibians for the proposed Supenaam waterfront project, work on which is scheduled to commence in six months.

During consultations with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and Supenaam residents, both parties reportedly expressed their satisfaction with the project.

Consultations were conducted on Tuesday by officials from the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Communities, along with staff from the Sea and Defence Department.

During the meeting, residents and RDC members were briefed on the importance of the project and the impact it will have on the lives of Essequibians.

After listening to what the engineer had to say about the layout and design of the project, persons were noticeably pleased, and even seized the opportunity to make a few recommendations.

Some called for the installation of a ramp for the benefit of the differently-abled, while others felt a floating base was just as important.

Residents who were at the meeting,

which was held at Supenaam on Tuesday evening, said that they are happy that Region Two has been earmarked for such a major investment, and praised the government for making such a prudent decision.

Councillors from the opposition side of the government called for the Bill of Quantities to be made available, so that they can effectively monitor the project.

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said he welcomed the project, and that a special committee will be set up to ensure that it is completed within the specified deadline.

Morris James, a speedboat operator, said that he is very happy for the project, since the current structure is dilapidated and an inconvenience to passengers.

James said that the project will help boost tourism in the region, and that when done, those utilising the speedboat service will be able to do so with much more ease.

The project, which is pegged at more G$88M, is intended to have a new passenger waiting area, paved parking areas, organised vending spaces with standardised shops, paved waterfront promenade with rails, shaded public seating and lighting.

Among the major elements of the enhancement project are the rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing main road at the Supenaam waterfront; construction of a new anchored steel sheetpile revetment; and a paved waterfront promenade with rails.

MoPI officials in consultation with Supenaam residents on Tuesday

PSC forges ties with regional training institute THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute on Monday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see both parties partnering this year to host a series of corporate events.

According to a release, the signing took place at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The purpose of the agreement is to use the complementary objectives of both entities and arising synergies to foster exemplary models of corporate governance in Guyana.

Ramesh Dookhoo, Corporate Coordinator of the PSC and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute, Denise Deonarine, were at Monday’s forum.

Deonarine noted that “the institute is elated to join forces with the Private Sector Commission of Guyana through this MoU”.

Guyana, she said, is a critical part of the English-speaking Caribbean, which is the geographical focus of the institute’s mandate.

“In an era where both the private and public sectors are being asked to do more with less, it is critical to collaborate with like-minded organisations that want to preserve and foster the well-being of the Region. The Private Sector Commission of Guyana was the right for this, given their objectives and tenacity with pursuing them,” Deonarine said.

Dookhoo advised that “the commission is equally pleased to partner with the institute, given its independent work as a self-funded entity. Our focus remains on addressing national issues and influencing policies that will promote socio-economic growth and development.

Corporate governance is one of those issues that the commission wants to bring to the forefront. It is a must in Guyana and the Region as a whole. Fostering an even greater regard for corporate governance in practice in both the private and public sectors in Guyana is critical, given our commercial trajectory and the expectations of international bodies.”

alism, strategic and entrepreneurial thinking from the top.

It is in essence directing and not managing a business,” Deonarine said.

This year, the two bodies will be manifesting their partnership in a series of joint corporate governance events.

This includes its inaugural breakfast seminar on May 23, 2018 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, from 07:00 hrs to 11:30 hrs.

The Corporate Governance Seminar is entitled “Leading with a Progressive Perspective” that will be delivered by international faculty member of the institute and PSC Corporate Coordinator Ramesh Dookhoo and global expert of Corporate CEO of the Caribbean Corporate Governance Insti- Governance Alison Dillon tute, Denise Deonarine Kibirige.

According to the release, Deonarine went on to with defining how to go about share that organisational lead- achieving this in a value-add- Kibirige will be challenging the attendees to consider their ers on boards have a statutory ed manner. and fiduciary responsibility “At the heart of corporate perspectives on corporate to act in the best interests of governance is the premise that governance, global trends, the companies they serve, organisational trust amongst what makes an effective board and the third-party resources current or future shareholders, and if the expectations of entrusted in their care. international investors and board members are truly beCorporate governance, talent works in tedium [sic] ing met.

In July 2018, both entishe said, should be a core with corporate sustainability. ties will host a full-day corpillar of any serious-minded Corporate governance is more organisation because it assists than mere compliance, it is porate-governance seminar boards and executives alike about directorial profession- dedicated to family-owned

businesses with a focus on succession planning.

The Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute is a membership-based organisation for governance professionals. It is headquartered in Trinidad.

The institute is a duly incorporated, not-for-profit company that is self-funded.

Established in 2012, the institute is dedicated to being part of a solution-oriented ecosystem that fosters good corporate governance within the Caribbean Region.

The institute aspires to enhance professional standards in all boardrooms in the Caribbean. To this end, the institute focuses on executive education and professional programmes, co-authoring standards and guides and advocacy.

The institute has co-authored the Trinidad and Tobago Corporate Governance Code and has hosted corporate-governance events that have focused on family- owned governance, governance for state-owned enterprises and women in governance.

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Jamaican Praught makes history ...

GOLD COAST, Australia (CMC) – Aisha Praught produced a historic title for Jamaica in the women’s 3 000 metres steeplechase here yesterday, ending Kenya’s dominance in the event and earning the Caribbean nation its third gold at the Commonwealth Games.

The 28-year-old Praught trailed pre-race favourite Celliphine Chespol of Kenya entering the final lap and was still behind the World Under-20 record-holder coming off the final water jump.

Once in the final stretch, however, Praught unleashed a turn of speed to overtake Chespol and clinch Jamaica’s first-ever gold medal in the event.

“I just put in the work every day and believe that I can race anyone. We need medals. We need to band together as a nation,” the United States-born athlete said afterwards.

While Praught topped the podium, fellow Jamaicans Anastasia Le-Roy and Stephenie McPherson were forced to settle for the runner-up medals in the women’s 400m, after Botswana’s Amantle Montsho stormed to gold in a season-best 50.15.

Le-Roy remained steady to capture silver in 50.57 while defending champion McPherson took bronze in

50.93 In the men’s high jump, The Bahamas claimed their first medal when Jamal Wilson picked up silver with a jump of 2.30 metres.

He was edged out for gold by Brandon Starc – the younger brother of Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc – who posted a personal best 2.32m.

“It feels excellent. Thank God. I want to thank my family, thank everyone who supported me,” said the 29-yearold Wilson.

“I feel good. This is the first international medal that I got as a senior athlete and I want to just keep this moving forward and celebrate this one.”

Meanwhile, today’s men’s 200m final will boast three Caribbean sprinters after Jamaican Warren Weir, along with the Trinidadian pair of Jereem Richards and Kyle Greaux advanced from the semi-finals.

The 28-year-old Weir, an Olympic bronze medallist in London and who also took silver at the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finished fourth in semi-final one in 20.62 but qualified as one of two fastest losers.

Greaux clocked 20.66 to finish second in semi-final two behind Zharnel Hughes, formerly of Anguilla but now representing England and who won the race in 20.37.

Richards, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Championships in London, won the last semi-final in 20.31.

Jamaicans Kenroy Anderson (disqualified) and Rasheed Dwyer (20.82), Bahamian Teray Smith (20.71), Antiguan Tahir Walsh (21.13) and Barbadian Burkheart Ellis (20.79) all missed out.

In the women’s equivalent, Olympic champions Elaine Thompson and Shaunae Miller-Uibo set up a showdown in the final when they were two of five Caribbean sprinters to advance.

Thompson, the 200m champion, clocked 22.95 secs as she finished second to Miller-Uibo (22.48), the 400m champion, in semi-final two.

Jamaican Shericka Jackson also made her presence felt, racing to a personal best 22.28 to win semi-final one, with Trinidadian Semoy Hackett finishing third in 22.97 to also advance.

Jackson’s teammate Shashalee Forbes ran second in the last semi-final to book her spot in a time of 22.93.

There was no such luck for Bahamian Anthonique Strachan (23.62) and Trinidadians Kamaria Durant (23.83) and Kai Selvon (23.42).

In the women’s long jump, Bahamian Bianca Stuart and Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands qualified for today’s final.

“If we don’t win a gold in the 100, we’ll win one in the steeplechase. We’re just switching it up.”

Praught crossed the line in a time of nine minutes 21 seconds to stun the field, forcing Chespol into second in 9:22.61, with Kenyan teammate and defending champion Purity Kirui, taking bronze in 9:25.74.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

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63 DAYS TO GO ...

What made Johan Cruyff, hero of 1974, the greatest of all-time JOHAN Cruyff left this world at the age of 68 in 2016 after losing his battle with lung cancer.

“Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history,” former England and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker, who played under the Dutch master at Camp Nou, tweeted upon hearing the sad news.

Pele and Diego Maradona are the greatest of all-time.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will join them on that pedestal, if they haven’t already. But Cruyff was more.

He was not only an exceptional player, but a top coach, a shrewd tactician, an intelligent thinker and a genuine pioneer, whose lasting influence on the sport will still be felt for many years to come.

Born in Amsterdam in 1947, Cruyff joined the youth ranks at Ajax at the age of 10 at a time when football, even at the highest level, was still an amateur sport in the Netherlands. The professional era began in 1954, but even when a young Cruyff was establishing himself as a star in the late 1960s, amateur players were still very prevalent.

Cruyff was just 17 years old when he made his senior debut for Ajax in November 1964. In his first full season with the first-team a year later, the teenager scored 16 times in 19 Eredivisie games and collected the first of seven Dutch titles he won in the following eight seasons.

In 1969, he was part of the first Dutch team to contest the European Cup final as Ajax were soundly beaten

by AC Milan. A year later, Feyenoord took the honour of being the first Dutch club to win it, but as Dutch football began to flourish, Cruyff steered Ajax to three straight continental titles of their own in 1971, 1972 and 1973.

Ajax have announced the Amsterdam Arena will officially become known as the Johan Cruyff Arena from the beginning of next season.

After that third European triumph, he joined Barcelona in a world record deal for the equivalent of £922 -00.

Barça hadn’t won La Liga since 1960, but that drought ended in Cruyff’s first season. He quickly settled into life in Spain, even giving his first son, who was born in February of that debut 1973-

74 campaign, the distinctly Catalan name, Jordi.

Cruyff remained with Barça until 1978, at which point he made the leap to the United States to join the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and George Best in the glitzy North American Soccer League (NASL), playing for Los Angeles Aztecs and Washington Diplomats. He briefly returned to Spain in 1980 to join Levante, having come close to signing for Leicester City in England, before a second spell at Ajax from 1981 to 1983, and a controversial final season at fierce rivals Feyenoord.

Cruyff’s international career for the Netherlands had begun in late 1966, just under two years after playing his first game for Ajax. Having competed at the 1934 and 1938 World Cup tournaments, the Dutch declined to even participate in 1950 and 1954 after the Second World War and then failed to qualify in 1958, 1962 and 1966.

Even with Cruyff, the Orange were also absent from

Yohan Cruyff

agreeing to also take charge of the national team for the 1974 World Cup. Together Cruyff and Michels were central to the emergence of ‘Total Football’, the fluid style of football that drew influence from the positional freedom and versatility of Hungary’s 1954 ‘Magical Magyars’, and moved the game on from the defensive-minded Italian Catenaccio that had steered Internazionale to back-to-back European Cups in the 1960s.

‘Total Football’ relied on the principle that every play-

in ‘Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football. “How could anyone have imagined and executed something so dazzling?”

The 1974 tournament put Cruyff on another level. Al-

was sponsored by Puma and flatly refused to wear a shirt bearing the trademark three sleeve stripes of rival brand Adidas. The Dutch federation had little choice but to let their strong-willed star do as he wished, so he was given his own unique shirt that featured just two stripes instead.

And those two stripes adorned a jersey that had number 14 on the back, the digits that Cruyff has become synonymous with over the last half a century. Michels had wanted squad numbers for the tournament to be assigned by alphabetical order, a not uncommon practice.

It would have seen Cruyff given the number one shirt.

But he insisted on having 14

1973: FC Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. That was when Johan Cruyff scored the most famous goal of his career, also dubbed ‘The Phantom Goal’.

Johan Cruyff has Beckenbauer on the run during 1974 world cup final.

the 1970 tournament, and did not make the final bracket at Euro72. But with Ajax and Feyenoord among the best club sides in Europe in the decade, the Netherlands would not be denied their place at the 1974 World Cup in Germany - 13 members of the 22-man squad named

by Rinus Michels came from those two teams alone.

Michels had been Cruyff’s coach at Ajax, departing for Barcelona after the first European Cup triumph in 1971.

They again linked up when Cruyff arrived in Spain two years later, with Michels

er in a team was technically skilled enough to perform every role, meaning that defenders, midfielders and forwards could interchange at will, often making it impossible for opposing teams to pick individual players up. Defensively, Ajax and later the national team would press from the front and use the offside trap as a weapon.

It governed the way Cruyff and the Netherlands played at the 1974 World Cup. “The ‘Total Football’ the Dutch played that month in Germany was extraordinary,” author David Winner wrote

ready a Ballon d’Or winner in 1971 and 1973 - he went on to win a third after the World Cup, a record that wasn’t bettered until Lionel Messi won his fourth in 2012. This was a superstar at his very best on the biggest stage.

A 0-0 draw against Sweden in the opening group stage isn’t remembered for the score-line, but for the ‘Cruyff Turn’ that utterly bamboozled defender Jan Olsson. It was the first time the trick, feinting to play the ball to a team-mate before dragging it behind the standing leg instead, had been seen and it was marvellous. It was natural and spontaneous too, not the product of endless hours of practice.

As Cruyff noted in his posthumously-published autobiography, ‘My Turn’, “The idea came to me in a flash, because at that moment it was the best solution for the situation I was in.”

Aside from his technical brilliance, his personality also stood out in Germany. Cruyff

and a concession was made, placing him in between Johan Neeskens and Rob Rensenbrink in the list.

The reason that Cruyff wore 14 in the era of strict 1-11 was another act of stubbornness and defiance. Early in his career, he had typically worn nine or 10, but prior to one game for Ajax in 1970, team-mate Gerrie Muhren couldn’t find his usual number seven shirt. Cruyff gave his colleague his own and took another from the nearby kit basket, which turned out to be 14. Because Ajax won, he insisted on keeping it and the Dutch federation let him.

Later on, Spanish officials weren’t always as accommodating and he usually wore number nine at Barcelona.

En-route to the 1974 World Cup final, Cruyff scored his first goals at the tournament in the second round group game against Argentina, netting a brace in a 4-0 win. He then scored a further goal in a 2-0 win over reigning champions

Brazil that put the Dutch into the final against hosts West Germany.

It took just two minutes of the final for ‘Total Football’ to take over. Cruyff himself collected the ball as the deepest Dutch player and drove at the heart of the German defence.

He was brought down in the penalty area and Neeskens scored from the spot to give the Dutch an early lead. It didn’t last, however, with the Germans turning the game on its head before halftime and claiming a slim 2-1 win.

A scandalous German tabloid exposé the day before the final had unsettled the Dutch squad after it was claimed that four un-named players had engaged in a naked pool party with local women. The title read: ‘Cruyff, Champagne and Naked Girls’ and Cruyff apparently spent much of the night before the final on the phone explaining to his wife he had nothing to do with it.

Cruyff didn’t return to the World Cup in 1978. He had retired from international duty in 1977 upon helping the team qualify for the finals. At the time it was believed he was opposed to the military dictatorship in Argentina where the tournament was taking place, but many years later he confessed that his family had been the subject of an attempted kidnapping, prompting him to quit the national team so he could be at home more often.

After his playing days had finished in 1984, Cruyff turned to coaching and was handed the reins at Ajax.

He then returned to his adopted home in Barcelona in 1988 and created the ‘Dream Team’, largely using homegrown talent from the La Masia academy he himself had previously insisted the club invest in to deliver a first and long overdue European Cup to Camp Nou in 1992.

Cruyff’s influence, drawing from the principles of ‘Total Football’, gave Barça an unmistakable identity that continues to flourish. The tiki taka the club is famed for evolved in La Masia, where every young player is taught the same way to play as Cruyff dictated.

It is a philosophy. It is his philosophy. And it is why his legacy, beyond his status as one of the greatest players of all time, will continue to burn brightly for generations still to come.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

Blatter criticises FIFA’s World Cup bidding process

By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter says he is shocked at a rule which has been inserted into the World Cup bidding process that could allow a five-man task force to disqualify a candidate before a democratic vote is held.

In 2011 the FIFA Congress, where each of the global soccer body’s 211 member-associations hold one vote, was given the right to choose the World Cup hosts following a change proposed by Blatter while he was president.

The first hosting decision since then will be in June at the Congress in Moscow, where only two bids are in the running - a joint proposal from the United States/Canada/Mexico and one from Morocco.

However, the two bids must first pass a technical inspection from a five-man task force, which has the power to disqualify a candidate whose proposal is seen as not up to scratch.

Blatter, who was banned for six years in 2015 for unethical conduct but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and

believes he can get the suspension reversed, told Reuters that both candidates should have the right to present their bids to Congress.

The Swiss said he was concerned “that there is a movement” where a “special task force” will be given power “to decide who will be a candidate or not”. He added: “That is not possible.”

“You cannot deny one of the candidates (the chance) to go to Congress. This is a principle and I stick to this principle ... I was shocked.”

Before 2011, World Cup hosting was decided by FIFA’s executive committee, which had 24 members at the time.

But the previous bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments became embroiled in allegations of illegitimate attempts to influence the committee’s voting members.

The finals were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively at the same time after a vote in December 2010. A subsequent FIFA investigation detailed numerous attempts to influence the voting officials but there was no suggestion the race should be re-run.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter

NEW FORMAT Swiss Blatter, FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, was also wary of the new 48-team format to be used at the 2026 World Cup, when the tournament will be increased from 32 countries.

The teams will be divided into 16 groups of three in the first round, with the top two qualifying for the round of 32.

One team in each group will not play on a given match day.

“We will see what will happen with 48 teams but one thing cannot be done - to play in groups of three because we had this problem in 1982 in Spain,” Blatter said.

In that tournament the second round had four groups of three teams, with the winners

qualifying for the semi-finals.

The format was never used again during Blatter’s tenure.

“In groups of three, there is always one spectator (a team who will not be in action),” he added.

The 82-year-old was also wary of the video assistant referee (VAR) system which was approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB in March and will be used at this year’s World Cup. “For a purist in football as I am, I think it is an innovation which is going too fast,” said Blatter.

“Most of the referees have never worked this system and to go the World Cup and to introduce this

system in the World Cup, I think it is not very clever.”

Blatter said that when VAR was first mooted, the idea was to give teams the right to challenge decisions, as in tennis or cricket. But under the system approved in March, the referee or the video assistant decides when to review a decision.

“I don’t feel comfortable, definitely not, and spectators don’t feel comfortable,” he said.

Blatter remained confident he could overturn his ban, which was imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee shortly after the Swiss attorney general’s office began criminal proceedings against him on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.

No charges have yet been brought and Blatter has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

“So if they come to the solution (conclusion) that it is not criminal, then why, why have we been suspended?” he asked.

“There is a possibility that this suspension will be lifted, although I don’t think it will happen before the World Cup.”

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Stoinis, fast bowlers added to Australia central contracts list

English Racing Tips

… Banned trio missing from the list

09:20 hrs We Have A Dream

Alex Carey

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - All-rounder Marcus Stoinis and fast bowlers Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye have been awarded central contracts with Cricket Australia for the first time

as the team looks to focus on limited overs cricket over the next 12 months.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who made his international debut in both Twenty20 and one-day cricket earlier this year, was also given a central

contract for the first time.

Former captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft were all predictably missing from the 20-man list released yesterday following their role in the

recent ball-tampering scandal.

Smith and Warner were both banned for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine months for colluding to rough up the ball with sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa last month.

All three have said they would accept the bans.

Australia have a heavy limited-overs programme over the next 12 months, with the World Cup in England next June and July the focus, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.

“This period is set to include a significant amount of limited-overs cricket, including the ... Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales,” Hohns said.

“For that reason, there has been a bit of a focus in this contracting period on white-ball cricket, as we look ahead to trying to win backto-back World Cups.”

Batsman Shaun Marsh and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who assumed the captaincy from Smith during the South African series, also return to the central list.

Fast bowlers, Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers, both of whom featured for the Test team in the last six months, did not receive a central contract.

Injured bowlers James Pattinson and Nathan CoulterNile both also missed out, but all four remain in contention for upgraded domestic contracts if they are called into the national side, Hohns said.

“Jackson and Chadd have missed out on this occasion, but they remain in the frame for Australian honours moving forward and can be upgraded if selected,” Hohns said.

“We would like to see both James and Nathan now put some consistent games together for their states.

“They are both quality fast bowlers and we have no doubt that if they can play regularly and remain fit in the upcoming season, they will become very positive selection options for us.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

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Champions League

Narine wins Ronaldo penalty sends Real through 2nd annual Ray’s after thrilling Juve fightback Taxi Service 30-miler

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Cristiano showed nerves of steel to score an injury-time penalty and send holders Real Madrid into the semi-finals of the Champions League in extraordinary circumstances as they lost 3-1 to Juventus yesterday but won a thrilling tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Juventus looked to have staged a stunning revival at the Santiago Bernabeu to force extra time after Mario Mandzukic scored twice in the first half and Blaise Matuidi added a third on the hour mark after a goalkeeping clanger from Real’s Keylor Navas.

The goals cancelled out Real’s resounding 3-0 win in Turin a week earlier but Lucas Vazquez won a disputed injury-time penalty and Juventus goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Buffon was given a straight red card for pushing English referee Michael Oliver as he vented his fury at the decision.

The Italian veteran, who is set to leave Juventus at the end of the season, was given a standing ovation from the home fans as he walked off the pitch in what is likely to be his last act in a long and

a goal by the offside flag while Raphael Varane sent a header crashing against the bar from a free kick at the end of the half.

Cristiano Ronaldo

eventful career in the Champions League.

Juve’s substitute goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny came on but Ronaldo blasted into the top corner in the 98th minute to score for the 10th game running in this season’s competition, sending Real into the semi-finals for a record-extending eighth year in a row.

“My pulse was racing but I stayed calm, I knew it was decisive,” said Ronaldo.

“We suffered and this has to serve as a lesson for us that in football you can’t take anything for granted, you have to keep fighting until the end.”

Real were missing influential captain Sergio Ramos

through suspension and Mandzukic headed Juventus in front when the game was only 76 seconds old, meeting a sumptuous cross from former Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira.

The early strike offered the visitors hope of repeating compatriots AS Roma’s incredible second-leg turnaround against Barcelona the previous night and the Croatian struck again in the 37th minute, heading beyond Navas, who got a hand to the shot but could not prevent it going in.

Real had plenty of chances in the first half but Buffon made three strong saves to thwart Gareth Bale, Ronaldo and Isco, who was also denied

BITTER TASTE FOR JUVE Real settled down after the interval, taming the visitors and twice firing at Buffon but down the other end Navas spilled a cross from Douglas Costa right at the feet of Matuidi who rolled the ball in to level the tie.

Madrid soon woke up and produced their best spell of the game as Isco, Varane and Ronaldo all went close while Giorgio Chiellini narrowly avoided scoring an own goal.

Ronaldo finally got the vital goal they had craved to pile more misery on the Italians, who were beaten 4-1 by Madrid in last season’s final in Cardiff.

“I have a bitter taste as we didn’t have the chance to go to extra time,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“Small details changed the whole tie unfortunately.

I had two more substitutions planned for extra time and I was confident we could do it.”

BALRAM Narine returned one hour 40 minutes in winning the 2nd annual Roy’s Taxi Service 30-mile cycle road race in Berbice which was organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of Berbice last Sunday.

The event, which was opened to cyclists from Berbice only, saw 16 cyclists including two females face the starter in front of the sponsor’s business premises at Bennett Dam, Rosignol, West Coast Berbice.

From there, the participants proceeded to Lichfield also in WCB before turning back to finish at the place or origin.

The boys 12-14 years of age as well as the female riders wheeled off from Fort Wellington.

In the Open category, Narine broke from the

bunch at Fort Wellington on the upward journey and was never troubled by the peloton. He won all six of the sprint prizes.

Finishing second was 14-year-old David Hicks while Sybrone Fernandes, Clement Davis and Sanjav Bagot occupied the other top three places in that order.

Mario Washington won the 12-14 Boys’ category ahead of Shunarine Bhowandin.

Maria Carrington won the female category ahead of United States Volunteer Chrisine Miller.

Proprietor of Ray’s Taxi Service, Ray Kishore, presented the winners of the various categories as well as other prize winners with their cash and trophies immediately after the event.

England Women trio among Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year ... Essex Jamie Porter, Windies Shai Hope complete the list ENGLAND’S Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver and Anya Shrubsole are among Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year.

Shrubsole also becomes the first woman on the front cover of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack All three were in the national side, captained by Knight, which beat India in the final to win the 2017 World Cup. Essex seam bowler Jamie Porter and West Indies batsman Shai Hope complete the list.

Only two women had previously been chosen among Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year, with England’s Claire Taylor included in 2009 and compatriot Charlotte Edwards in 2014.

India captain Virat Kohli was named the leading crick-

eter in the world, while compatriot Mithali Raj was the world’s leading women’s cricketer.

In a new award, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, 19, was declared the leading Twenty20 cricketer.

The coveted awards, which began in 1889, are a central feature of the annual Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

“It means a huge amount to me personally,” Shrubsole told BBC Sport. “What I feel most about it is it’s just such a great reflection of where women’s cricket is, and also how much that World Cup win really captured the nation.

“You could have put any number of people from that World Cup-winning team on the front cover and it would’ve had exactly the same impact.”

ECB’S HANDLING

Shrubsole (left), Heather Knight (centre) and Natalie Sciver were all key to England Women winning the 2017 World Cup.

OF STOKES ‘SAD’ Wisden editor Lawrence Booth has criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board’s handling of Ben Stokes following an incident in September.

The England and Durham all-rounder was made unavailable for selection for the Ashes in Australia this winter after

being accused of fighting outside a Bristol nightclub.

Stokes appeared in court in February charged with affray before joining up again with the England team during their tour of New Zealand.

Stokes denies the charge and a trial date has been set for August 6.

“To suspend Stokes while

he awaited the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service was reasonable enough,” said Booth.

“To lift the suspension the moment he was charged was perverse. It was all so sad.”

THE WISDEN FIVE THE EDITOR’S VERDICT Booth said Knight’s lifting of the 2017 World Cup helped change women’s cricket forever, adding that her 364 runs at an average of 45 - including a century against Pakistan - were central to England’s success.

Booth was also full of praise for Sciver. He said: “No stroke in 2017 was more memorable than Nat Sciver’s deliberate deflection between her legs, instantly christened the Natmeg.

“But she was more than a one-trick pony. She hit 369 runs in the tournament at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 107, including hundreds

against Pakistan and New Zealand, took three for three against West Indies and scored a half-century in the final against India.”

India were 191-3 as they chased 229 for victory before Shrubsole sparked a collapse by taking 5-11.

Shrubsole finished with figures of 6-46 - the best in a World Cup final - and also achieved “the status of a national hero”, added Booth.

Booth said West Indies batsman Hope “produced one of the individual performances of the year”. Hope became the first man in history to score a hundred in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley during the second Test against England.

Porter was the leading wicket-taker in County Championship Division One last season with 75 wickets to “inspire his team” to their first title since 1992. (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

Pollard leaves ODI selection to CWI

By Sudipto Ganguly MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Kieron Pollard is available to play one-day internationals for West Indies but the 30-year-old all-rounder remains unsure what plans the board may have for him in the 50-over format.

Players have been embroiled in contractual disputes with Cricket West Indies (CWI) for several years, with the team even abandoning a 2014 tour of India midway the series over a payment structure row.

However, CWI reached an agreement with the players’ union for a ‘temporary amnesty’, paving the way

for high-profile players such as Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Pollard to return to the national one-day international side.

While Gayle and Marlon Samuels were part of the 15man squad for last month’s 2019 World Cup qualifiers, CWI informed that Narine, all-rounder Andre Russell, Pollard and batsman Darren Bravo had opted to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“I am actually happy in my life,” Pollard, who plays for the Mumbai franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), told Reuters in an interview.

“Whatever opportunity I

get to play I am happy.

“Now I am focusing on the IPL at the present time and after that there are a couple of international series.”

Considered a Twenty20 specialist, Pollard has played 101 ODIs for the West Indies, the last of them against Pakistan in October, 2016. The hard-hitting lower-order batsman and medium pace bowler hopes to add to that tally.

“I am still very much part of the West Indies international Twenty20 squad,” Pollard said at an event to launch the new AlphaBounce Beyond shoe by Adidas.

“The 50-over cricket is

Kieron Pollard

still a bit up in air as to what they (CWI) are thinking.

That is a question you need to ask them.

“But me as a cricketer, I am happy in life, I am happy in what I am doing and I

am just trying to perform in whichever continent I am playing my cricket.”

Two-time champions West Indies have qualified for the quadrennial 50-over World Cup in England and

Royals win rain-affected IPL homecoming

RAJASTAN Royals claimed a 10-run Duckworth-Lewis Indian Premier League (IPL) win over Delhi Daredevils in the early hours of this morning on their long-awaited return to fortress Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

The Royals, back in the IPL after a two-year ban, had not played at the Jaipur venue since 2013 and they made up for lost time in a rain-affected encounter to claim their first victory of the season.

Captain Ajinkya Rah-

ane top-scored with 45 in a Royals innings which was cut short due to the weather when they were 153-5 after 17.5 overs.

The Daredevils, who had also lost their first game of the season, were set 71 to win from six overs after a lengthy delay.

But they could only muster 60-4 in a frantic run chase, Ben Laughlin taking 2-20 in a contest which ended after midnight.

Trent Boult dismissed Ben Stokes twice in New

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday April 12, 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)

Mumbai Indians & Chennai Super Kings

(2)

CSK won by 1 wickets (1 ball remaining)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who was voted Man of the Match in the first game of IPL 2018?

(2) How many games are scheduled for IPL 2018?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Trent Boult’s ball jags away slightly, to take Ben Stokes’ outside edge. (BCCI)

Zealand’s recent Test series triumph over England and he got rid of the all-rounder again with a beauty.

Big-money signing Stokes, batting at number three, slapped Chris Morris for six over square leg in the previous over, but nibbled the Black Caps left-armer behind to fall for just 16.

D’Arcy Short was dismissed for single figures for the second time in as many innings, the Australia opener trudging off after he was run-out

by Vijay Shankar well short of his ground.

Shahbaz Nadeem came into the Delhi side

at the expense of Amit Mishra, who conceded 46 off his four overs in the Daredevils’ loss to Kings XI Punjab on Sunday.

Mishra might have to wait for a recall after Shahbaz took 2-34, removing Rahane and Sanju Samson (37 from 22 balls) when they were well set.

Rahane has scored more runs against the Daredevils than any other IPL side - averaging 63.20 before this match and struck five boundaries in a 40-ball knock before departing in the 14th over with his side 112-4.

Colin Munro is capable of producing the sort

of fireworks Delhi needed but he was run-out without facing a ball.

Munro set off for a run from the first ball of the innings, but Glenn Maxwell sent him back and the New Zealander was unable to get back in time.

Laughlin took the big wicket of Maxwell, who missed Delhi’s first game to attend Aaron Finch’s wedding, the all-rounder edging his fellow Australian behind for 17.

Morris smashed a quick-fire 17 from seven deliveries, but the Daredevils never really looked like getting home. (Yahoo Sport)

Wales, finishing runners-up to Afghanistan in a 10-team event hosted by Zimbabwe last month.

Pollard was happy for the team though he was disappointed that West Indies had to take the qualifying route to grab the two non-automatic spots in the 10-team tournament.

“Congratulations to them for qualifying for the World Cup,” the Trinidadian said.

“Obviously, as a West Indian cricketer it’s disappointing that we had to go through that sort of an avenue in order to get the World Cup. But I think the guys went and did a fantastic job.”

Benjamin gives back to sport, donates racing cycle to David Hicks FORMER national cyclist-turned-businessman Wilbert Benjamin continued his benevolence over the past weekend by donating a new racing cycle to 2017 national juvenile champion, Berbice’s David Hicks.

Last month, Benjamin who is based in Canada where he owns and operate a sports store and also owns a similar store located at Courtland Village, Corentyne, Berbice, donated cycles, spare parts and uniforms to several individuals and to his former club Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC).

Romello Crawford of Berbice was the recipient of a Fuji Carbon Fibre road bike and spare wheels.

Curtis Dey, another Berbice cyclist, received a new bike also and female cyclist Shenika Teixeira was presented with a pair of cycle wheels while the FACC got a new set of uniforms.

Hicks, who also rides for Team Rigtech Sonic of Trinidad and Tobago, represented Guyana in Barbados last year at the Junior Caribbean Championships.

Benjamin in brief remarks at the handing-over ceremony said he witnessed Hicks participating in several races and was impressed with the Chandisingh Secondary School student so much so that he wanted to lend his support to the youngster and as such he thought that a new, more modern bike would assist in assuring that Hicks achieves his true potential.

Hicks expressed his gratitude to Benjamin for the support and promised that he will take good care of the new machine and do his best while competing in further competitions.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday April 12, 2018

23

2018 GCB/Hand-in-Hand Insurance Under-19 Inter-county tournament

Yadram triple-century highlights day two … Essequibo overwhelmed at Lusignan

WHEN play resumed on the second day of the 2018 GCB/Hand-in-Hand Insurance Under-19 Inter-county tournament, West Indies U-19 and National player Bhaskar Yadram continued from his overnight 260 to reach his triple-century, hitting an unbeaten on 301 off 252 balls before Demerara declared their first innings at 489 for 8..

Bowling for the Guyana Select Under-17, Niron Bissu

picked up 4 for 69 with Nigel Deodat supporting with 2 for 90 while support also came from Gevon Shultz and Seon Glasgow with a wicket apiece.

Guyana Select Under-17 in reply totalled 180 all out in 67.1 overs with captain Sachin Singh top-scoring for the innings with 60 off 66 balls and Yeudistir Persaud 48 off 88.

At close of play, Demerara, leading by 298 runs, en-

forced the follow-on. Guyana Select Under-17s were 11 for 1 in 10 overs.

Over at the Lusignan ground, Berbice resumed at their 149 overnight and reached 222 all out from 84.5 overs in their first innings.

Opening batsman Alex Algoo top-scored with 111.

He gained support from middle-order batsmen Kevlon Anderson and Javid Karim who contributed 36 and 15 runs respectively. Essequibo

Bhaskar Yadram was left unbeaten on 301 when Demerara declared their first innings at 489 for 8.

in their second innings muster 145 all out in 55.2 overs Captain Kevin Christian put up 14 while Kurt Lovell and Quintin Sampson added 22 and 27 runs separately, but it was the number nine batsman, Joshua Jones, who top-scored with 39. The effort by the Essequibo team was not enough, giving Berbice their first win of the tournament. Berbice in their second innings were at 4 for 1 before winning by nine wickets.

Demerara and Select Under-17 will continue their battle today at Everest Cricket Club ground.

Grant-Stuart receives assistance for ICF Para-cycling event

By Stephan Sookram

NATIONAL cyclist and paralympic athlete Walter Grant-Stuart will attend the international cycling federation Para-cycling competition in Quebec, Canada.

Stuart, a seasoned campaigner on the local cycling circuit, garnered the support of the National Sport Commission ahead of the event.

During a brief handing-over ceremony yesterday, Grant-Stuart told media

operatives gathered that he is thankful for the assistance rendered.

“I’m very grateful and thankful to the National Sports Commission for making this possible for me.

I want to thank Mr Jones for making this very easy. I spoke to him one time and in a few days, everything was ready.

He noted that training-wise; he begins daily at 04:00hrs in an attempt to get accustomed to the cold weather and is also planning

Walter Grant-Stuart (right) collects his sponsorship from Director of Sport Christopher Jones..

to leave earlier to become acclimatised.

“So far, I feel I am ready, just a bit more fine-tuning on the cycle and I’ll be fine.”

According to Director of Sport Christopher Jones, his body was more than willing to provide the requirements at the first call.

“In 2017, we had encouraged a lot of the bodies to be associated with their international parents and through my office (NSC), we were able to see that coming into being because

we have a coach here at the NSC who is associated with the international body and as such any activity in any part of the world, when it comes to the differently-abled, an invitation will be extended to Guyana to participate in those games.”

The meet will have two stages with the Time Trials set for April 28 followed by the 70km Road Race on the 29.

GGRA/IPSC Level 2 Open Pistol Championships

… Harold ‘Topgun’ Hopkinson cops ‘C’ Class gold GUYANA’S most active Smallbore shooter on the international stage Harold ‘Topgun’ Hopkinson has continued to fly the Golden Arrowhead with great success, having won gold in the ‘C’ Class at the Grenada Gun and Rifle Association (GGRA), IPSC Level 2 Open Pistol Championship held in the Spice Isle last Sunday.

The 63-year-old Hopkinson, who is also the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Regional Director, said that the competition against younger shooters was intense but he

was able to maintain accuracy during the seven-stage shoot to come out with ‘C’ Class gold.

Hopkinson’s winning weapon was his 9mm/CZ Shadow 2 which was used for the first time in Grenada last year June when he won the ‘B’ Class of their Second Annual Six-Stage, Level 2 IPSC competition.

“It was a very competitive shoot and despite a few blunders on my part I was able to prevail over the younger physical shooters. I relied on my accuracy. They were faster but I was more accurate.”

ed were Keep Moving, Rapid Fire, Reverse Classifier 41, Swing Meets Swinger, CLC 65, Cradle to Heaven and Forest Monkey 11.

Hopkinson who competed in March in the Open Division at the Amazon Level 3 Shoot held in Suriname will next compete at the Tobago IPSC All Steel competition.

He is extending gratHarold ‘Topgun’ Hopkinson itude to acting Commisdisplays the Golden Arrow- sioner of Police Mr David head proudly.

Ramnarine DSM, Guyana Competitors from Trin- Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Mr idad and Tobago, Barbados Godfrey Statia AA and Mrs and hosts Grenada also par- Tricia Fiedtkou of Connecticipated. The stages compet- tions Travel.

NCN kicks off Russia 2018 World Cup countdown THE National Communications Network (NCN) officially kicked off its countdown to the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup, set for June 14 - July 15.

Scores gathered at the Stabroek Market Square yesterday as the official Broadcast Rights Holder for the 64-match tournament announced their plans for the world’s most popular and lucrative sporting event.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes joined others at the busy downtown Georgetown venue and participated in some novelty events.

The event, hosted by Sports journalist Rawle Toney and Radio personality Malcolm Ferreira, saw the Minister show off her football skills, scoring a penalty, much to the delight of the crowd.

Enrico Woolford, the company’s Board of Directors Chairman, said NCN, buying into the rights to be the only television station in Guyana, authorised to broadcast the FIFA World Cup, shows its social commitment to Guyana.

Woolford said the investment is worthwhile, since it could help to encourage a generation of future stars and added that NCN felt obligated to ensure all of Guyana is afforded the opportunity to witness the greatest sporting event.

Yesterday’s event was carried live on NCN’s CH11 and Vybz 100.1FM.

Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes celebrates after scoring a penalty at the Stabroek Market Square. (Adrian Narine photo)

Jamaican Praught makes history with 3000 metres steeplechase gold … Wilson delivers Bahamas’ first medal

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18

Aisha Praught celebrates after winning the women’s 3 000m steeplechase.

2018 GCB/Hand-in-Hand Insurance Under-19 Inter-county tournament

Yadram triple-century highlights day two … Essequibo overwhelmed at Lusignan

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23 THURSDAY APRIL 12, 2018