Guyana chronicle epaper 09 28 2016

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

Price: $80

More CCTV cameras for city streets No. 104688

(VAT Inclusive)

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Canje farmer executed Page

Dead: Ramnarine Itwaru

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Cops hunt three for ‘Rio’ killing Page

Jail for Dataram

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… also fined $164M for drug trafficking

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Dead: Ryan ‘Harry’ Sargeant

Romanex cleared 3 to resume mining at Marudi Mountain Page

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10% pay hike very good

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

- GCCI says economic climate does not allow for bigger increase

PUBLIC servants should be appreciative of the increases being offered by the Government, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Vishnu Doerga said on Tuesday.

In August, the Government said it was prepared to pay a 10 per cent increase to persons earning $99,000 or less; six per cent to persons who earn between $100,000 and $299,000; five per cent to public servants earning between $300,000 and $799,000; two per cent for those earning between $800,000 and $999,000; and one per cent for those earning above $1M. H o w e v e r, t h e G u y ana Public Service Union (GPSU) has rejected what Government said was its “final offer,” and just last week expressed a desire to enter into conciliation. Weighing in on the issue during a press conference at GCCI’s

Waterloo Street Head office, Doerga said such an increase would not have been possible if the country was being run as a private entity.

“If we were to look at Guyana as a private entity, there would have been no way there could have been a salary increase, given that we are just 2% ahead of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth,” Doerga explained.

In August when the midyear economic report was compiled and presented by the Finance Ministry, the country had only recorded a 2 per cent growth during the first six months of the year, primarily due to the Extractive Sector. Though the economy is in recovery mode, the GCCI President, from the private sector perspective, said it would have been extremely difficult to offer such an increase.

“I am happy I am not the Minister of Finance because

GCCI President Vishnu Doerga there would not have been any (increase)…because the 2% came from gold which is not circulating within the economy,” he posited.

Doerga questioned how is it possible to pay 10% on wages and salaries for public servants when there is just a 2% growth in the economy. Cognizant of the state of the economy, he is of the opinion that public servants should be appreciative of the offer being

placed on the table by the Government.

“From a purely private sector perspective, they should be very appreciative of the offer. I know they wouldn’t like that but from

a private sector perspective there is no way that the private sector would have been able to offer that,” he said.

Nevertheless, amid major objections from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the increases on wages and salaries intended to be paid out by Government next month will mean well for the economy, Doerga contended. He said unlike gold where there is little or no multiplier effective, when the increases are paid, the monies will be circulated through the various sectors.

The multiplier effect refers to the increase in final income arising from any new injection of spending. However, the size of the multiplier depends upon the household’s marginal decisions to spend or to save. Alluding to the state of the economy, the GCCI President said Government is moving along the right path in its quest to further diversify the econo-

my but said there is need for more “urgency.”

In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had urged Guyana to expand its economic diversification programme. However, this has long been the vision of President David Granger, who had told Parliament back in January that 2016 presents a new opportunity for Guyana to “hasten economic development” by diversifying the traditional sectors and getting into more value-added enterprises.

“It is time for a fresh start–a new beginning. It is time to redouble our efforts to eradicate poverty.

Our government is committed to promoting sustained economic growth with enhanced distributive justice so that inequalities are reduced and opportunities are increased,” the President said, in an address to the Eleventh Parliament.

Cops hunt three for ‘Rio’ killing INVESTIGATORS are yet to make an arrest in the fatal shooting of 19-yearold Ryan Sargeant, who met his demise outside the Rio nightclub on Forshaw and Oronoque streets in Queenstown, Georgetown on Monday morning.

Sargeant, called “Harry”, of Lot 25 Layou Street, North Ruimveldt, was reportedly shot to the head while 48-year-old Jeffrey Ferrell was shot to the neck and shoulder. Ferrell remains hospitalised.

‘A’ Division Police Commander Clifton Hicken told the Guyana Chronicle that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is working to fully enhance the images captured on surveillance footage.

According to Hicken, police have obtained camera footage from the nightclub and from several other businesses in the vicinity.

He said investigators are working around the clock to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice, and several raids will take place in different areas.

The Commander disclosed that the police are looking for three suspects, whom they want to question in the relation to the shooting.

The shooting took place at about 02:30h

Dead: Ryan ‘Harry’ Sargeant outside the Rio club, and the police have closed circuit television video (CCTV) footage of the incident. Sleuths reported that they know who they are looking for to question in relation to the incident, and are trying to contact those persons, one of whom was seen exiting the nightclub with a gun in his hand.

Investigators were told that several men armed with guns were observed exiting the nightclub discharging rounds when a fight broke out inside the bar.

It was then the group left the bar and went outside, and the teenager was shot and killed in the crossfire.

More CCTV cameras for city streets

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

GOVERNMENT will soon add more closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) across the city as part of its Safe City Project.

In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Project Manager of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), Clement Henry, said his unit was seeking to collaborate with the E-Governance Unit to realise the Safe City Project, and a recommendation has already been made for storage and connectivity.

Henry explained that the Safe City Project is a surveillance project that is integrated with patrol management.

It essentially aims to aid in reducing crime by utilising technology, but is currently in the formulation stages.

“In this phase we’re structuring a way forward,” Henry said, adding that two study tours have been undertaken

as part of this phase.

The Crime Chief had, earlier this year, visited Mexico City to observe the operations of that country’s Safe City programme; and Henry was more recently part of a delegation from the Ministry of Telecommunications to visit China as part of a fact finding mission.

“In the way forward, we are looking to set up a unified command centre. The idea is that squad cars will have cameras,” Henry told GINA. This is where the high speed connectivity through the E-Governance Unit will be facilitated.

The proposed command centre will monitor cameras across the city, and coordinate police response to reported crime. Government is seeking to source an additional 300 closed circuit television cameras to aid in crime fighting. The command centre will also handle emer-

Clement Henry is Project Manager of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme gency calls.

Meanwhile, Henry explained that the information gathered from the cameras is expected to be stored in a National Data Centre which

the E-Governance Unit is in the process of setting up. The information could be analysed by the police and the Ministry of Public Security’s Crime Observatory to better

aid in the fight against crime.

Funding for this project would be facilitated through the CSSP, a fiveyear programme which has secured US$15M from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and from the Government of Guyana. Back in October last year, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had told a forum in Toronto, Canada that as part of the administration’s overall fight against rampant gun crimes, 300 television monitors covering cameras on every street in the capital city would be installed.

Ramjattan has acknowledged that the crime situation needs to be taken seriously.

He has pointed out that it is obviously a Herculean task, but has vowed that the APNU+AFC coalition government would be the Hercules in surmounting it.

He had also said back in October that a decision would

have been made regarding where the command centre would be located. Ramjattan had described the initiative as a huge development, since 66 per cent of the crimes in Guyana are committed in Georgetown.

“We are going to have many cameras all around the city streets, and a command centre that would see what is happening,” Minister Ramjattan had said. According to Ramjattan, the centre will have many mounted television cameras that could be used to trace incidents and link those with ambulances, the Fire Service and police responses.

“On that screen you will actually know where a police car is, and if there is a robbery you will divert immediately the closest patrol vehicle to the scene of the crime; and as well call 911 or the Fire Service,” the minister explained.

thereto.

The Marudi Mining Licence (ML) /1-2009 had been in regulatory suspension since October 16, 2014 for issues of non-compliance. Thereafter, Arctex, et al, entered into an agreement to purchase the shares of Romanex on March 13, 2015. Arctex became the de facto owner of the mining licence subject to technical and financial scrutiny. Following a technical presenta-

tion by Arctex/Romanex on April 10, 2015, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) presented Arctex/Romanex with an MOU in July 2015. The resumption of Romanex’s activities will be done according to an approved work plan, which will be monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the GGMC, and is expected to see increased economic activity in the Rupununi.

Romanex cleared to resume mining at Marudi Mountain … small miners will be allowed to operate under strict rules

THE Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman has formally ordered the reactivation of the mining licence of Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd., thus paving the way for that company to undertake exploration and mining activities in the Marudi Mountain area of Mining District No. 6 Rupununi.

The area had been characterised by irregular mining, with persons occupying lands in the area after operations of Romanex had ceased operations some time ago, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement.

According to the ministry’s Trotman’s decision to approve the operations follows on a process of verifications, meetings and engagements held between the mining company, the Rupununi Miners Association and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation on the best way forward.

More than 300 smallscale gold miners, who had

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman been operating in and around the Marudi Mountain area, had called on the government to take urgent action to regularise their operations in light of recent moves by the Canadian-owned company to resume operations in the area.

Additionally, the residents of South Rupununi have lodged complaints of illicit movement of people, weapons and narcotics in the area. As a result of this

call, and the concerns and complaints made, the Ministry of Natural Resources appointed Major General (Retired) Joe Singh to hold mediation discussions between the aggrieved parties during the period April 22 to 25, 2016 and an agreement was successfully brokered between the various stakeholders. One of the agreed terms of this agreement is that the company, on commencement of exploration and mining, would accommodate miners seeking to mine in the area; provided that

they abide by the rules of the company and the laws of Guyana, including the non-use of mercury in their recovery.

Minster Trotman was in Lethem over the past weekend, and gave an undertaking that within one month, members of the Closed Areas Committee (CAC) and officers of the GGMC will be visiting the area to meet with residents and miners to give anyone displaced

by Romanex’s operations an opportunity to submit applications for lands and/or raise other matters connected

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Clinton seeks to keep Trump on defensive after presidential debate

(Reuters)-Democrat Hillary Clinton sought on Tuesday to keep Republican rival Donald Trump on the defensive a day after the first U.S. presidential debate with accusations he is a sexist, racist and tax dodger, while Trump suggested he would “hit her harder” next time by bringing up her husband’s infidelity.

While the New York real estate mogul found himself in another controversy over his fresh insults about the weight of a former beauty pageant winner, Clinton tried to keep up the momentum after her forceful debate performance.

She told reporters that during the debate, Trump “was mak-

ing charges and claims that were demonstrably untrue, offering opinions that I think a lot of people would find offensive and off-putting.”

Monday night’s face-off between Clinton, with decades of experience in public life, and Trump, famous as a television personality but running for office for the first time, attracted a record audience for a U.S. presidential debate. Nielsen data showed 84 million people watched the debate on U.S. television, topping the 80.6 million viewers for the Jimmy Carter-Ronald Reagan TV presidential debate in 1980.

Trump praised himself for not attacking Clinton during

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the debate about the marital infidelity of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, but said he may take up the attack line going forward.

There are two more debates scheduled, on Oct. 9 in St. Louis and Oct. 19 in Las Vegas, ahead of the Nov. 8 election. “I may hit her harder in certain ways. I really eased up because I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings,” Trump said in an interview on the Fox News program “Fox & Friends.”

He added that when Clinton criticized him for his treatment of women, he held back, saying: “I was going to hit her with her husband’s women. And I decided I shouldn’t do it because her daughter was in the room.”

Clinton brushed off Trump’s vow, saying: “He can run his campaign however he chooses.” She added that “the real point is about temperament and fitness and qualification to hold the most important, hardest job in the world.” Trump himself was still married to his first wife, Ivana Trump, when he had a

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high-profile affair with Marla Maples, who became his second wife. He eventually divorced Maples and married his third and current wife, Melania Trump.

In the interview with Fox News, Trump sought to deflect criticism of his debate performance, saying the debate moderator, Lester Holt of NBC News, asked him “very unfair questions” and that he was given a “very bad” microphone. “I don’t want to believe in conspiracy theories, of course, but it was much lower than hers and it was crackling,” Trump said of the microphone.

BEAUTY QUEEN Clinton, 68, excoriated Trump, 70, during the debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, for having called women “pigs, slobs and dogs.” But Trump leveled new and highly personal criticism on Tuesday toward Venezuelan-born beauty queen Alicia Machado, who won the 1996 Miss Universe title and is now a U.S. citizen.

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“She was the winner and she gained a massive amount of weight,” said Trump, the former owner of the Miss Universe pageants. “And it was a real problem. We had a real problem. Not only that - her attitude - and we had a real problem with her.”

Clinton, the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party, seemed to pique Trump when she brought up during the debate how Trump had insulted women, mentioning Machado by name.

Clinton said Trump called her “Miss Piggy” and also “Miss Housekeeping” because she was a Latina. The Clinton campaign held a call with reporters making Machado available for questions and released a video in which she offered her account of Trump’s behavior toward her.

‘GAMING THE SYSTEM’ Clinton, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, stepped up her criticism of Trump for refusing to release his tax returns, as presidential candidates have done

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for decades, and for saying during the debate that not paying federal income tax “makes me smart.” “He actually bragged about gaming the system to get out of paying his fair share of taxes. In fact, I think there’s a strong probability he hasn’t paid federal taxes a lot of years,” she said at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, a pivotal state in the election.

“He probably hasn’t paid a penny to support our troops or our vets or our schools or our healthcare system.”

Trump held his own campaign event in Miami’s Little Havana, aiming to shore up support among Hispanic voters. He also said on Twitter that he raised $13 million in 24 hours from online donations. Trump earlier complained that issues from Clinton’s 2009-2013 tenure as secretary of state were not addressed on Monday night, including topics such as her use of a private computer server for government emails, the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, and the Clinton Foundation charity.

In one of their more heated exchanges, Clinton accused Trump of promulgating a “racist lie” by questioning the citizenship of Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, saying he was not born in the United States. Obama lent his support again to Clinton’s bid to become his successor, telling a radio interviewer she was serious and well-prepared, possessed the right temperament for the job and was well-respected around the world.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Tuesday labeled as “preposterous” Trump’s comments during the debate that the U.S. Federal Reserve and its chair, Janet Yellen, were “doing political things” by keeping interest rates at current levels, saying Obama had demonstrated his commitment to protecting the Fed’s independence.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Carmona defers response on wine claims

PRESIDENT Anthony Carmona has deferred his response to questions now in the public domain relating to issues at President’s House. His response will be given on Wednesday.

Last week President’s House announced that Carmona would have responded to questions about alleged purchases of wine, jewelry, the Auditor General’s report and the meeting with the National Security minister by Monday.

Even as the country awaited his explanation the President turned his guns on the media in his Republic Day speech criticising those whom he called “armchair journalists” who he said attacked others without evidence. It was hoped that the President would have set the records straight on Monday almost ten days after the allegations were first made, but shortly after 11 am yesterday a statement from President’s

House said that “very recent additional matters have arisen in the public domain warranting a more comprehensive response from the Office of

the President.”

In the circumstances, the statement said, Carmona “must defer his intended response from today to

President Anthony Carmona leaves the Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, with his wife Reema following the funeral service for President’s House butler Choy (Trinidad Guardian photo)

Wednesday.” There was no explanation of what were the “very recent additional matters” which had arisen.

The President is expected to respond to questions about why bottles of wine are carrying a label of the President’s House seal, whether jewelry was purchased using state funds allocated to President’s House, questions about a $28,000 housing allowance although he gets state accommodation, the employment of relatives at President’s House, the issue of stylist Primati Noe being employed as his personal secretary and also the issue of a meeting which he called with the National Security Minister Edmund Dillon to discuss national security matters.

The T&T Guardian understands that while Carmona intends to give a lengthy response in the presence of the media cameras no questions would be entertained. It was the latest Auditor General’s

Missing Penal man found murdered ELEVEN days of hopeful searches for Michael Shastri Dookie ended tragically on Monday when police found his decomposing body near an oil well in Santa Flora.

Some relatives were still learning about the tragic news last night and they said his mother, Cynthia, was in an inconsolable state. Based on days of intelligence gathering, officers from the Penal CID, including Sgt Ramsingh, Cpl Thompson, PC Singh and PC Hosein went to a Petrotrin Field Road. After trekking some 100 metres off the road, they found Dookie’s body wrapped in a tarpaulin around 1.30 pm.

He was identified through his coverall which bore his name. Although the

cause of death is yet to be determined, investigators believe he was murdered the day he went missing. An autopsy was expected to be done at the Forensic Science Centre, St James on Tuesday to determine the cause of his death.

His Hyundai H100 truck is yet to be found, leading police to believe he was robbed and killed. Last week, his mother told the T&T Guardian closed circuit television footage showed Dookie, 28, leaving his home at Bhimull Trace, San Francique, Woodland, around 11 am on September 15. She said she spoke to him around 7 am as he was leaving for work at Jokhan’s Contractors.

She said she left home around 8 am

and when she returned around 11.30 am she noticed his garage gate was opened. She called out to him and after getting no response, she went to her home and called his cellphone.

However, all calls to his phone were unanswered and when he did not return home that night she reported his disappearance to the police. Checks with his supervisor the following morning showed that he did not report to work.

The last his colleagues saw of him was when he left work that same day to make a delivery in San Francique for his supervisor. The murder toll for the year now stands at 335. (Trinidad Guardian)

report, dated April 29, which first raised questions about expenditure at President’s House.

“There were 85 instances of incorrect classification of expenditure totalling $2,685,236.90 in contravention of Financial Regulation 65 which stipulates that a vote may not be applied to a purpose for which it was

not intended,” the report stated. Auditor General Majeed Ali said a management letter was sent to the Head of Expenditure by letter dated March 15, seeking responses but the response remained outstanding up to April 29, when the report was laid in Parliament. (Excerpted from Trinidad Guardian)

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

The Town Clerk’s role COMMUNITIES Minister Ronald Bulkan’s letter to Georgetown Mayor Mrs. Patricia Chase-Green on a matter of law in conducting Council’s business -- specifically the removal of vendors from Bourda -- is timely.

For quite some time now, City Hall has been getting bad press. For some apparent reason, criticisms of some decisions taken by the Council at the behest of its councillors, or the Town Clerk acting on his own, are being viewed as attacks and not wanting the Council to do its work.

It cannot be overstated that every right thinking person wants Georgetown to return to law and order, aesthetics and environment. Where the controversy lies -- which some in City Hall seem bent on ignoring – is in the manner in which they are going about making decisions. When there is absence of regard for laws and by-laws and respect for people, acrimonious relationships and non-cooperation inevitably follow.

This is a point that citizens have been trying to get across to City Hall. It is hoped that, with the minister’s intervention, albeit some may say overdue, good sense would prevail.

Local government is the most basic form of democracy. After citizens had, for more than two decades, been denied the right to elect their leaders, when this was restored in March, citizens went to the polls and voted.

Lest it be forgotten, there was much clamouring, locally and internationally, to restore local government democracy. Many felt -- particularly for Georgetown -- that the PPP/C Administration had deliberately implemented policies to undermine the local government authority.

Those policies had seen the city falling into disrepair and earning the sobriquet the Garbage City. Coming out of this experience, which also had to do with petty political partisanship, the showing the PPP/C received in the March polls was a resounding signal of rejection for what it had done, real or perceived, to the Council the past years.

This newspaper has editorialised on the management style of the Town Clerk and the Council, calling for a humane approach to getting things done; being mindful of the laws, by-laws and rights of all involved in framing and guiding decision-making. This is done in recognition that a different approach to governance is needed if a nation with historical experiences of division, mistrust and repressive practices is to live up to the motto “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.

National unity and social cohesion can never be

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Revitalising the Bank of Guyana Dear Editor, I THANK you for publishing my letter advocating for the revitalization of the Bank of Guyana. Permit a brief response to Vishnu Bisram, published in another section of the media on Sept 25th. This gentleman has plagued the letters’ columns of the local press with specious polls, analyses, and fabrications of reality that have served to perpetuate ethnic insecurities and ignorance of the masses through the spread of misinformation.

Here, again, Bisram has obviously been secured to serve as an apologist and beggar to the masses for the PPP. He may, of course, be forgiven for his ignorance about economics, but his deliberate misrepresentation of facts generally is something which should not be excused or encouraged.

In summary, I am confident that readers can easily discern for themselves the numerous inaccuracies contained in Bisram’s letter, so I shall refrain from these. In response to his questions on the current governor’s qualification as an able and effective governor, I wish to state categorically that my recommendation of Dr. Terence Smith as the Bank’s new Governor was not because I consider the current Governor a political appointee.

I invite Bisram and interested sections of the media to approach Dr. Ganga himself for copies of memoranda which detail allegations of unprofessionalism which make him unsuitable to serve as Governor of the Bank of Guyana.

The recent cover for these was dated on or around January 07th, 2016 and addressed to His Excellency, President Granger. They contained information filed originally with the then Minister of Finance in 2008 and copied to the then President, the late L. T. Williams, Governor of the Bank of Guyana at the time; and Dr. Ganga himself, Deputy Governor at the time. These detail the mess Ganga made of the Bank’s monetary policy in 2007, and his sordid management style which he used to dismember the Bank’s Research Department.

The contents of the initial cover to the former Minister of Finance may be found in the comments section to the letter on the Bank of Guyana in Stabroek News published Sept 23/16.

A thorough formal investigation will reveal much more.

In respect to Bisram’s assertion of economic growth under the stewardship of Ganga, he is encouraged to be more cautious in interpreting economic statistics in general. The growth of which Bisram speaks includes economic activities supported by the narcotics trade; money laundering; wilful overt government corruption, including the close to US$40 million in expenditures on the Amaila Falls road, overpriced contracts like the CJIA affair, and output from companies like Bai Shan Lin, which facilitated the plunder of Guyana’s natural resources and was accompanied by tremendous losses in revenues to Central Government through the granting of fiscally imprudent concessions.

These latter activities were in fact propaganda, a great show of a buoyant, vibrant economy which yielded little or nothing for Guyana’s economy in welfare terms, while the PPP and its cronies continued to bleed Central Government.

The point here is that the so-called economic growth to which Bisram refers was a sham. After two decades of PPP administration, even with Ganga at the Bank of Guyana for the last decade or so, there is no official record on unemployment in Guyana, with youth unemployment placed at around 40 per cent for more than a decade by a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) study released in May of last year. This is because that would expose the PPP’s absolute failure and mismanagement of the Guyana economy.

But this is not to infer that Ganga was responsible for the PPP’s ills.

The stink of the PPP’s corruption had reached the corners of the world, so that few global enterprises risked significant investments and relations with the PPP government because their home countries tracked down and charged company officials engaged in corruption in other countries.

forged and achieved when persons are not treated as equals and with deserving respect. Also, conceptualisation, development, and implementation of policies, programmes and actions should not be done without regard for due diligence and laws. It is believed that the City Fathers and Mothers at heart have the best of intent and desire for the development of Georgetown. This is applauded, supported and encouraged.

Further, it is the belief that Mayor Chase-Green and Town Clerk King should take Minister Bulkan’s letter through the lens of providing needed guidance according to the laws in conducting the business of the Council.

Sober thoughts and the good intentions behind this letter must prevail.

There is no need for a Letter to the Editor or press statement from City Hall’s Public Relations Department as follow-up to the Minister’s letter. What is needed is realignment by the Council, consistent with the Municipal

Bisram could refer to my earlier letters to the press, which assisted in shedding light on the atrocities of the PPP administration in the few years prior to May 15, 2015.

His referral to economic activity in the PNC years -- which are intended to politicize the issue and lead to the fueling of ethnic tensions -- are completely irrelevant to the case for a new Governor at the Bank of Guyana.

Bisram further urges me to address perceived racial and political discriminatory policies against non-PNC supporters. If he is really serious, then he should strongly consider my advice to him, which is to desist from publishing opinion pieces aimed at perpetuating ignorance and ethnic insecurity in Guyana with fabrications and misinterpretation of facts.

Finally, I commented recently on social media that Burnham was a great man who was possessed with a vision for Guyana. Guyanese have, in the main, disconnected with his ideas and vision, and shunned the venalities of our national politics; preferring the easy, decent road to life in other countries. We most probably neglect to reflect on an important aspect of Burnham’s life -- he was a social fighter for progress. He, alongside Jagan, struggled with colonial forces and other international interests through Independence. He subsequently battled with our political and economic crises up to his death.

Burnham learnt his history, our history; overcame his own personal challenges, and sought to deliver a better life for us. In this many of us are so far removed from him.

It is time we pick up Burnham’s and Cheddi’s mantles and take up the fight for economic and social progress; for change, for the vision of the better life that they envisioned for us; that is ours to take. It is time to remove from our path the obstacles which would keep us ensnared in our past.

Regards, CRAIG SYLVESTER

and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, upon which the minister based his advice.

The avoidable conflict between the councils and clerks in the discharge of duties and responsibilities, while more manifest in the Georgetown municipality, is not singular to the capital. The Linden Town Council and other local government authorities are experiencing difficulties in understanding and respecting the divergent roles of policy makers and administrators. Though understandable, given the newness of most office holders, similar intervention is needed to nip it in the bud.

Faith in the local government system must be ensured, given its importance in society. When persons are empowered with knowledge, they are more inclined to manage better and be held accountable by their counterparts to so do. City Hall is being piloted in the right, and it is hoped that past distasteful experiences are now behind us.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Minister Gaskin Nothing done to improve responds to GPSU situation after dredge sank

Dear Editor, I REFER to a recent statement from the Guyana Public Service Union, reported in sections of the media, which criticized my remarks made at an Alliance For Change press conference held on Friday, September 23rd, 2016.

In the interest of fullness, please find below a transcript of the discussion to which the statement refers. This represents the totality of my public comments on this matter.

QUESTION FROM KN REPORTER: On the issue of spending power and Minister Jordan’s initiative, would you say that the final offer to the public servants would help regular Guyanese to improve their spending power…?

MY RESPONSE: Yes, I think a 10 percent increase certainly…certainly does increase spending power…. It’s 10 percent more money at the disposal…

INTERRUPTION BY REPORTER: Is it sufficient?

MY RESPONSE: It’s *pause* sufficient is a difficult word…. Profits for businesses are never sufficient, you know; that is the nature of business. Businesses always need bigger

and bigger profits, and I assume that human nature is no different. We want bigger and bigger salaries every year if we can get it so.

No wage increase would ever be sufficient, it has to do more with what can be afforded…

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION FROM REPORTER: But is it livable? Is it a livable wage? Can it be considered a livable wage?

MY RESPONSE:…it depends on how we want to live. In many countries, you know, compared to a lot of countries, Guyanese earn considerably more than in a lot of developing countries. That doesn’t mean that it’s sufficient. You know, a lot of things are relative; we are still…we are not a rich country as yet.

We have great natural wealth, and I think part of our job as a Government is to find ways to make sure that that natural wealth is spread among everyone, and that it creates opportunities for everyone; and I think this is what we are working towards.”

Regards, MINISTER OF BUSINESS DOMINIC GASKIN

Dear Editor, I READ with great humour the report published in Kaieteur News of 23rd September 2016 quoting the Maritime Administration as saying that there are alternate routes for boats traversing the Piremap Falls.

Amazing! I acknowledge there are. One way is to unload all cargo and lug them from below the falls to the top, and then haul your boat manually over the iron rails that are installed for that purpose to the top of the falls, reload your boat and be on your way, adding eight hours to your travel time. Otherwise, you wait for the rains and high water.

I would love to see the experts at MARAD take a boat and do a trip, do a video and let the Guyanese public see these alternate routes.

The report goes on to say that Crown Mining Supplies have “assiduously commenced efforts” to remove this obstruction.

The fact is that Crown Mining Supplies have a camp some distance downstream, and their workers are enjoying TV shows and relaxing.

I reiterate: For the month of September, absolutely nothing has been done to improve the situation. Neither the Crown Mining Company nor the relevant authorities have been fully truthful or forthcoming on this issue.

This situation cannot continue much longer, as a lot of miners, boaters, fuel suppliers, farmers, fishermen, and school children are greatly affected by this ugly situation. I am also willing to pay for a boat to take your reporters to the location to get a firsthand look at what are really the facts, just email me.

Let us make it a trip in which we can also take the experts from MARAD to show us their routes.

Thank you, RALPH PERSAUD

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Child sexual abuse

By Akola Thompson DEFINED as an act wherein an adult, adolescent or child uses their power or authority to involve a child in sexual activity, child sexual abuse is a common occurrence worldwide.

Often fuelling a perpetual sense of betrayal and distrust, as an abuser generally tends to be a family member or someone whom the victim knows closely, victims of child sexual abuse often experience not only physical pain, but severe emotional and psychological pain; which, if not addressed and coped with, can lead to the victim taking drastic measures, such as selfabuse, in an effort to forget the abuse.

Here, in Guyana, the media is often inundated with stories or allegations of child sexual abuse; but for every one story that gets reported, there are often several which do not make it into the sphere of public knowledge, or even the confidence of those closest to the victim.

There are, however, instances when victims break through the cloak of secrecy concerning child sexual abuse and divulge to family members or those close to them details about the abuse they would have suffered; but those cases are often allowed to go unreported for reasons such as refusal to believe, or because the abuser is someone whom the confidant/confidante respects or is dependent upon.

Unreported child sexual abuse cases are especially disturbing. More than 300 sexual abuse cases were reported to the Ministry of Social Protection last year September; and while the statistics for this year have not been released as yet, there stands the high probability that these numbers have not substantially dropped.

Reluctance to break this silence not only stems from fear on part of the victim, but also due to conditioned impulses and thoughts. There is also the fact that not many adults point out the dangers which perpetually exist

around children, and this often results in children blaming themselves for what has happened, believing that they had some part to play in being abused.

In an effort to tackle the issue of silence regarding child sexual abuse, Tinninben Animation Studios and Tagman Media have, through the use of animation, created two short films, the last of which is Nancy’s Story: Boys, too, showed that boys can also be victims of sexual abuse. These short films, geared specifically towards children, are a step in the right direction; as the content, relatable to children, teaches them about what child sexual abuse is, and what to do in cases when a boy or someone close is being abused.

There, however, exists a collective way people tend to think about rape.

With hundreds of cases being reported every year, many trivialize and normalize child sexual abuse as they believe that the culture of abuse is not as thriving as it appears. This belief exists not only at a community level,

but also at the level of institutions, as has been seen fairly recently in Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence’s unwavering support for alleged child molester Winston Harding, and in a release sent out from her ministry -- tasked with child safety, protection and helping victims of rape -- labelling child sexual abuse as an act of “deflowering.”

If not properly addressed, Guyana’s high level of child sexual abuse will continue to fester and become worse over the years. The onus is not only on persons at a community level to report on, and expose, rapists, but also on the Government to ensure that there should never be a desensitization of rape, as that would further hinder progress being made by those on the ground. While several programmes and centres cater for victims of child sexual abuse, efforts to effectively educate on, and eradicate, this scourge should never be stopped.

Guyana must up PR campaign on border controversy Dear Editor, “SECRETARY General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, yesterday declared ‘I have to make an assessment by November’ on the way forward with regard to the Venezuela border controversy with Guyana’.”

This quote is taken from an article in last Sunday’s edition of the Kaieteur News, which had as its headline “Guyana/Venezuela Controversy-Decision in November, UN Chief”.

I am a bit confused by that headline, since the Secretary General said, “I have to make an assessment”. He did not say a decision. If an assessment on the way forward is in fact, or turns out to be, a decision to or not to refer this matter to the International Court of Justice, then the Secretary General would have fulfilled his responsibility.

However, as I indicated in an earlier letter, I don’t expect the SG to rule on this matter prior to leaving office in December. So what will it mean for Guyana if there is no clear decision by the current SG? Before I attempt an answer to my own question, I should point out that, based on an English translation of the speech by Venezuela

at the recent UN General Assembly, I see no reference in that speech to the controversy with Guyana. The omission of any reference to the controversy in the Venezuelan UN speech must be examined from a public communication/public diplomacy perspective, as Guyana seeks to have this matter solved via judicial settlement. The absence of reference to the controversy must be seen as a strategy on the part of Venezuela to give the SG some comfort. It sends a signal to the international community that one of the parties to the controversy, and in this case the “aggrieved “ party, is in no hurry to have the SG act, and that it is quite “reasonable” for him to have this issue passed on to his successor.

Guyana has been pushing through various channels in as dignified and diplomatically correct a way as possible to have Ban Kimoon make a decision before leaving office… utilising bilateral and multilateral meetings, speeches etc.

However, in my view (and I have expressed this view many times in the past), our failure has been in employing an effective public diplomacy/outreach campaign designed to “pressure” the SG into making

a decision. To use Guyanese parlance, “boat gone a falls” in terms of using such a strategy to have Ban Ki-moon make a decision before he leaves office. But we must embark now on this public diplomacy campaign, so that his successor would be “obliged” to recognise that while Venezuela might not be urging resolution of its own claim, and while the international community may not be crying out for an end to this controversy, public opinion wants a resolution of this controversy, so that a small developing country could push ahead uninhibited with its development plans, including oil production in the area claimed by Venezuela.

To be able to have public opinion demonstrate its desire for the resolution of this matter, and to influence a new SG accordingly, we need to have influential media in small and big countries devote attention to this issue; ultimately having editorials and columns written in favour of this matter being referred urgently to the International Court; having reputable electronic media, including radio and television, air news and opinion pieces with documentary evidence to explain how this controversy is thwarting investment in

Guyana and negatively impacting our economic development; having international human rights, religious, indigenous peoples and other relevant organizations issue statements pointing to the need for resolution of the issue, so that the people of Guyana -- especially the poor -- could aspire to a better quality of life.

If we are really serious about having a judicial settlement of the Venezuela claim -- and I have no doubt we are -- we should embark on such a campaign now, as a matter of urgent national importance, so as to have this referral to the world court early in the new SG’s tenure. It must be made to become an important issue on his/her agenda on the assumption of office.

And if, God forbid, a man becomes the next president of the United States, who knows what support Maduro might get from a like-minded incompetent; and how he might be emboldened, if not empowered, to act in violation of international law. This is no joke.

Regards, WESLEY KIRTON

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Obama names U.S. Envoy to Cuba

(REUTERS)-PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than five decades, setting up a fierce confirmation battle with Republicans in Congress opposed to Obama’s opening with the communist-ruled island.

The appointment of DeLaurentis, the top American official at the U.S. embassy in Havana since relations were restored last year, marked Obama’s latest move to go as far as he can in normalising ties between the former Cold War foes before he leaves office in January.

The nomination must be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, which is seen as a long shot, especially in a presidential election year and given expected strong resistance from Cuban-American senators including Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Rubio, in a blistering statement, derid-

ed the nomination as a “last-ditch legacy project” by Obama and said it “should go nowhere.” An individual senator has the power - one that is often invoked - to put a “hold” on an ambassadorial nomination to delay a full Senate vote. In a veiled appeal to lawmakers, Obama praised DeLaurentis for his leadership during the normalisation process. “We only hurt ourselves by not being represented by an ambassador” in Havana, he said in a statement.

“Having an ambassador will make it easier to advocate for our interests and will deepen our understanding even when we know that we will continue to have differences with the Cuban government,” Obama said. DeLaurentis had been widely tipped for the post. But the president held off naming him until now even as Cuba appointed its own ambassador to Washington shortly after embassies were reopened in both countries’ capitals in July of last year.

He would be the first U.S. envoy since

United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle stand with U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Jeffrey DeLaurentis (L), as they meet with embassy staff in a hotel in Havana March 20, 2016. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria) Philip Bonsal, an appointee of President Dwight Eisenhower, left the post vacant in late 1960. Obama traveled to Havana in March, the first visit by a U.S. president in 88 years. The trip was made possible by his breakthrough agreement with Cuban President Raul Castro in December 2014 to cast aside decades of hostility that began soon after Cuba’s 1959 revolution. Since the opening, Obama has repeatedly used his executive powers to relax trade and travel restrictions, while pushing Cuba to accelerate cautious market-style reforms and allow

greater political and economic freedom.

Even so, the U.S. embargo against Cuba remains in place, a major irritant in relations. Only Congress can lift the embargo, and the Republican leadership is not expected to allow such a move anytime soon. DeLaurentis has been U.S. chief of mission in Cuba since August 2014, his third posting in Havana.

He has also held diplomatic posts at the State Department in Washington, at the U.S. mission to the United Nations and in Bogota.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Canje farmer executed

THE bullet-riddled body of a cattle farmer was found Tuesday afternoon on a road at Gangaram Settlement, East Canje Berbice.

Dead is Ramnarine Itwaru, 38 called “Bill” of Lot 84 Gangaram Settlement. His body was found lying face down on Ring Road, Estate Dam Gangaram Settlement East Canje Berbice around 15:00h a few streets away from his residence.

From all indications the man whose body bore four gunshot wounds was making his way home after tending to his cattle. He was clad in a pair of long boots and working gear. His backpack

Dead: Ramnarine Itwaru

remained intact while his motorcycle CE 4274 was found about two feet away.

His helmet also remained on his head.

Residents told the Guyana Chronicle that around 14:30h they recalled hearing several gunshots. Meanwhile, at the dead man’s residence family members and villagers had gathered to offer their sympathy when this newspaper visited.

Many expressed shock and disbelief over the gruesome killing of “Bill” who they described as a quiet and hardworking individual.

The man’s wife Rosie Hemraj was inconsolable and was unable to speak

The residence of Ramnarine Itwaru to the media. Amid tears she could be heard crying out for justice since the assailant is still at large.

“Me want justice. Me want Justice. He doesn’t trouble nobody,” the woman cried.

A sister-in-law of Itwaru, Sharada Hemraj told the Guyana Chronicle that she had initially received a call informing her that “Bill” was involved in an accident.

“I couldn’t go so I send my father during that time people were just calling all the time to find out what happened, then we finally get a message that somebody shoot he,” Hemraj related.

She believes his killing is as a result of a decision he made recently to impose a no trespassing zone on his private lands where he rears his cattle. Hemraj explained

also that recently Itwaru lost several cows and had placed some information on the Internet. This she noted may have triggered the horrific crime committed on her brother-in-law.

Another relative related that Itwaru had left his home around 13:00h to cut grass for his cattle.

He would do so on a daily basis.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

City takes aim at derelict Waterloo St. building

WHEN the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) begins its campaign of demolishing derelict buildings in the City, the first one to go would be a building on Waterloo Street, a few doors away from John Lewis Styles.

At the Council’s fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall on Monday, Town Clerk Royston King

informed that numerous complaints have been received about this very building, and because people are very fearful for their lives, this one would be the first to be demolished.

City Hall is currently trying to ascertain the owners of some 52 buildings located in North Ruimveldt, Kingston, Campbellville, Werk-en-Rust, Lacytown,

… several others on radar for demolition

and several other areas in order to serve them the requisite notices.

The City Engineer ’s Department, King said, had conducted inspections and had found each of these buildings a threat to life and limb. While four of these buildings were taken down

last year, City Hall will begin demolishing the current set during the first week of October.

King explained that the municipality would be taking down the unoccupied buildings first, and then would be moving to deal with the occupied ones.

However, he said the municipality would be seeking the support of other agencies in relocating the occupants of these condemned buildings.

“Many of these (condemned buildings) do not have the basic sanitary facilities; they are extremely dangerous,” he said. King also said that once the buildings are taken down, City Council would attach the cost of demolition to the rates and taxes of those concerned.

The Town Clerk had previously told this newspaper that the decision to remove derelict buildings follows the launch of the Green City initiative which is intended to restore Georgetown to its

This building on Waterloo Street, a few doors away from John Lewis Styles, is to be demolished former glory.

“We’re having a holistic approach to cleaning up Georgetown and to pushing this whole concept of a clean and green city. It is an inter-departmental approach

wherein all the departments will be involved, including the Constabulary, Engineers and Public Health departments, along with the volunteer corps as part of the Green City initiative,” King had said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Witness Protection Programme for public consultation soon – Minister Ramjattan

THE Draft Bill for Guyana’s witness protection programme is currently being fine-tuned at the Attorney General’s Chambers, and will be the focus of a public consultation on Monday, October 10, at 9:00hours at the Pegasus Hotel.

The Draft Bill, which was first brought to the National Assembly by the APNU+AFC government in 2015, provides for the establishment of three agencies to deal with the

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Additionally, the administrative arm of the agency is tasked with providing the client with documents to establish a new identity whenever necessary; providing financial assistance to the client for meeting costs associated with relocation; and ensuring the client gets assistance to ensure self-sustenance, among other matters.

“The need for witness protection came long before forensic audits, not because of the white collar crimes that the forensic audits might have revealed, but long before that. People (giving evidence) in narcotics offences were saying they wanted some protection because they feel narcotics persons (persons connected to the drugs trade) can kill them.”

- Minister Ramjattan administrative, investigative and protective aspects of the witness protection programme, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported yesterday.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, according to GINA, recently told media operatives, “That Bill is currently at the Attorney General’s Chambers to be fine-tuned, after which Cabinet will look at it…,” and “…then the recommendations that we will make in relation to that Bill will go back to the draftsperson, Cecil Durjohn (Chief Parliamentary Counsel), and then be brought to the National Assembly.”

ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE The Bill provides for establishment of three agencies through which witnesses will be processed and protected. According to Part II of the Draft Bill, the Administrative Centre will be responsible for the development and management of the Witness Protection Programme. It also bears responsibility for deciding on the persons who need protection or assistance under the programme, and signing a memorandum of understanding between the “client” for protection and the agency, among other things.

Meanwhile, the agency’s investigative arm will be tasked with, among other things, investigating prospective clients of the programme, and submitting its findings to the administrative agency. The investigative agency’s assessment must include a valuation of the threat and risk to which the client may be exposed.

The protective arm of the agency of the Witness Protection Programme will be responsible for submitting reports on the suitability of clients; interviewing clients to determine suitability for the programme; conducting a threat-and-risk assessment; relocating the client for protection; and carrying out periodic reviews of the threats and risks, among other things.

GINA said further that, when passed, the Draft Bill would aid in the prosecution of high profile criminal cases for which witnesses are usually too scared to come forward.

“The need for witness protection came long before forensic audits. Not because of the white collar crime that the forensic audits might have revealed, but long before that.

People (giving evidence) in narcotics offences were saying they wanted some protection because they feel narcotics persons (persons connected to the drugs trade) can kill them,”

Teen bandit shot by off-duty police A SENIOR police officer of the Guyana Police Force was shot and injured by a teenage bandit when he came under fire Monday night after intercepting a robbery in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The officer was exiting his vehicle when he witnessed the robbery and the bandit began to fire at him. He retaliated hitting the bandit about his body.

Police said at about 23:00h Monday an 18-year-old suspect, who in the company of another armed accomplice

robbed a resident of West Ruimveldt of cell phones.

He said the bandit opened fire on the off-duty officer who returned fire hitting him. A .32 revolver with two live rounds and four spent shells were found at the scene. A cell phone, property of the victim of the robbery was found in the possession of the 18 year old suspect.

The suspect is under police guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The teenager’s accomplice escaped.

Minister Ramjattan explained.

Witness Protection protects from harm witnesses involved in high profile criminal matters before the courts. While a witness may require protection only until the conclusion of a trial, some witnesses are provided with a new identity, and may live the rest of their lives under protection.

“What the witness plan might do will need a lot of finances, because some of the witnesses might have to be put up in Trinidad and

far-off places because they might not be safe in Guyana. That will be very expensive an exercise,” the Public Security Minister noted.

When fully implemented, Guyana would join several other Caribbean nations in enacting such a programme. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have active witness protection programmes -- in which witnesses are moved out of the country before and after trials -- to protect them, GINA has added.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

60 months’ jail, $164M fine for Barry Dataram

-found guilty of cocaine possession SELF-CONFESSED drug lord Barry Dataram, who has since fled the country, was found guilty of being in possession of a quantity of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

In his absence, he was

sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and fined GYD$164,268,000. However, the charge was dismissed against his common-law wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, Kevin Charran and Trevor Gouveia.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Dataram and Boodnarine, who failed to turned up at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on September 20 and September 23. They have not been seen or heard from since; reports indicate that they have fled to neighbouring Suriname with forged travel documents.

They were on bail pending the outcome of the case.

Meanwhile, in her ruling, Magistrate Latchman stated

that the evidence presented by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson, proved Dataram’s guilt.

However, the Magistrate noted that there was insufficient evidence against the three other accused, noting that they were only present at the premises when the cocaine was found.

On April 16, 2015 at Dataram’s house located

at 661 Silver Dam, Fourth Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, 33 parcels of cocaine substance were found in an upstairs bathroom, 180 pieces in a blue baby tub and 92 pieces in a black garbage bag in the downstairs dining room, and 142 pieces in a freezer with shrimp in the outer yard area.

The cocaine amounted to 129.230 kilograms, which is equivalent to 284 pounds

CoI to probe mystery plane at Yupukari airstrip PRESIDENT David Granger has mandated that a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) be established to investigate, examine, advise and report on the circumstances under which a plane, which was discovered near the village of Yupukari, Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu on September 13 entered into the country.

dicated that the aircraft might be linked to drug trafficking.

They also reported that the abandoned aircraft had previously been sighted circling the area on numerous occasions in the past.

The plane, bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials on September 13 by a resident

The twin-engine Cessna which has been secured by the Joint Services A release from the Ministry of the Presidency revealed that Brigadier Edward Collins has been identified and appointed as Commissioner of the CoI. Brigadier Collins will be sworn in today before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

The release noted that a preliminary report will be submitted on October 17 and the final report will be submitted on November 16. The police and army have already spoken with nearby residents who reported ‘suspicious activity,’ such as the presence of motorcycles frequenting at midnight in the area. Reports had also in-

of the area.

The following day, a joint army and police team, inclusive of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), were dispatched to the location to conduct a full investigation and it was later revealed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon that the United States registration was bogus, since there is another active aircraft in the U.S. with the same registration number.

During a search of the aircraft, several pieces of communication equipment were discovered. These have been secured to be further examined for any potential leads.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

PPP pickets GECOM, High Court

THE Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Tuesday staged a protest outside the High Court, and later moved same to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), expressing concerns over the delay in hearing of the election petition, filed months ago.

Scores of protestors bearing placards marched in front of the High Court in Georgetown. Some of those placards read: “PPP says Justice is denied”, “Too many irregularities. Let the Petition be heard”, “I want to know what happened to my vote”.

“The petition was filed many months now, and is still to be heard by the High Court. I think there are many Guyanese out there who would like to know that the petition has been heard and a determination is made,” said PPP MP Ganga Persaud.

“The delay in (hearing) this petition is not auguring well for the justice system in our country,” he opined.

Persaud compared the PPP’s case with what had obtained in Trinidad and Tobago after that country’s general elections in September last year, and said several petitions were filed in that twin-island republic in regard to the situation.

He said a number of those petitions have already been determined by the courts in Trinidad, whereas the PPP is still awaiting a response from the High Court in Guyana. He added, “Only the Chief Justice would be able to comment on the holdup of

the petition.”

According to PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, that party’s election petition has been filed in the High Court for now more than a year, but the justice system in Guyana does not see it fit to expedite a petition which is related to the party’s concerns and the reservations of more than half of the voting population of Guyana.

“If the courts can ignore half of the voting population of this country (which is) supporting the PPP, then I would consider that to be unacceptable”, he said.

Rohee said the party has heard remarks about a second term for President David Granger, as well as changes at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). “It is the right of the people to elect a government of their choice. It is a constitutional right which many people believe they have been denied. Therefore, the petition should be given priority”, Rohee said.

The PPP says it has put together a powerful batch of lawyers to fight its case, and is very optimistic that despite what the court rules, it will open a new chapter of struggle for the party.

The opposition party had, on August 23, staged another picketing exercise at the High Court for the proceedings on its elections petition to be expedited. The ex-parte application was filed by PPP/C MP Ganga Persaud last June, and its several grounds included claims of multiple voting; voting by

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee and concerned protestors agitate in front of the High Court unregistered persons; unsealed or improperly sealed ballot boxes; the prevention of PPP/C ballot attendants and counting agents from accompanying ballot boxes; and the counting of PPP/C votes in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition.

Following the High Court protest, the PPP moved to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), calling for non-renewal of the contract of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield. Rohee told reporters that that protest was because the party wanted Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Dr. Surujbally, to demit office, and the contract of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowefield to not be renewed.

Rohee declared that the party would continue to mount protests in relation to reforms it needs to see at GECOM. “Our quarrel

Bus park shooting

Relatives want police rank fired

RELATIVES of Jean Rodrigues, who was shot in the lower back after being caught in the crossfire between police and suspected thieves, are not happy with the pace of investigations into the incident and are calling for the police rank involved to be fired.

The 54-year-old mother of 10 was accidentally shot on September 20 at the Timehri Bus Park when a traffic rank was chasing a suspected 17-year-old bandit.

The rank, who is a police constable attached to the Brickdam Police Station, has since been removed from active duty after ballistics results found gun-powder residue on his hands. Gun-powder residue was also found on the teen suspect’s hand but he has since been released from police custody.

The rank is maintaining his story that he did not shoot the

Jean Rodrigues woman and is blaming the teenager. However, this newspaper had reported that the rank subsequently admitted he fired one shot from his service revolver while chasing the suspect.

From the inception, relatives of the woman had claimed that it was the police constable who shot her and given the results of the ballistics report, they are calling for him to be

criminally charged and dismissed from the Guyana Police Force.

Daughter of the victim, Sophia Ramnarain told the Guyana Chronicle that her mother is in tremendous pain and is unable to walk or stand up for a long period of time.

She related that since the incident, there have been constant visits to the hospital for follow up treatment. Ramnarain maintained that the rank needs to be punished for his actions.

A senior police officer told this newspaper that the Force decided to give the traffic rank a weapon because his life was threatened many times.

This newspaper understands that the rank once served in the interior, and was shot once in the line of duty.

He was described by his colleagues as a rigid enforcer of traffic rules and regulations.

with GECOM has nothing to do with personality; it has to do with the system that GECOM uses to supervise the conduct of elections,”

Rohee said.

The party believes that some of its objectives were achieved with Dr. Surujbally’s announcement that

he intends to resign. “If Surujbally is leaving, implicit in that is that all of our objectives have been achieved,” Rohee declared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Two charged with murder of Better Hope pensioner

TWO men were remanded to prison on Tuesday for the murder of 76-yearold David Ramkissoon who was found with his throat slit in his Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on August 21.

Sherwin Clerk, 27, of

Lot 100, South Better Hope, ECD and Godfrey Gill, 22, of Lot 65 Prince William Street Plaisance, ECD were charged jointly and remanded to prison by Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul during their appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

According to the prosecution’s case, on the day in question the victim was at home when the two defendants along with two others invaded the home and robbed him, while one of the suspects slit his throat.

The matter was reported to the police after relatives

returned from the creek.

Prosecutor David Goodridge said that police subsequently received certain information about the two accused since there was a dispute about dividing the loot. As a result police were tipped off and the accused were arrested and were told of the allegation.

Police had initially arrested Annand Ramkissoon, son of the deceased; his employer and another person in connection with the murder, but they were subsequently released.

Detectives who visited the scene on the day of the murder saw footprints in the mud at the back of the pensioner’s yard leading to an alleyway.

They also spotted drops of blood that led straight to a shack located a short distance from the slain man’s home.

ROBBERY CHARGES Meanwhile, the duo was also jointly charged for a robbery that occurred on August 16, 2016 where Branton Charles was robbed of one Samsung Galaxy cell phone valued $100,000, one pair of sneakers valued $7,000, one Dell laptop valued $60,000 and $120,000 in cash. They pleaded not

A relative assists with hiding the face of Godfrey Gill. On the right is Sherwin Clerk guilty to the charge.

The prosecution explained that both defendants attacked Charles when he left the Plaisance Guinness bar. The victim later reported the incident and identified the perpetrators.

It is also alleged that Sherwin Clerk on September 7, 2016 at Better Hope, ECD robbed Abigail Thornhill of one gold chain valued $100,000 and one Iphone 5S valued $85,000. He pleaded not guilty. Clerk was unrepresented while Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd represented Godfrey Gill.

In addressing the court the attorney said that the only

evidence against his client is a caution statement. He told the court that the accused was in custody since Friday last and was beaten in the abdomen while in custody at the Vigilance Police Station.

The lawyer said that he had requested medical attention for his client but this was not done. However, the prosecution disputed the allegations and noted that there is a medical certificate to prove otherwise.

According to the prosecution, Clerk was previously charged before with larceny and the cased was dismissed because the virtual complaint died.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Educate a woman to educate a nation -First Lady tells Essequibo Self Reliance workshop

Regional Executive Officer Mr. Rupert Hopkinson delivering his remarks at the opening of the Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop. Also in photo are First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger and another official of the region FIRST LADY, Mrs. Sandra Granger on Monday told the women participating in the seventh session of the Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop that she has high hopes for them, as women have the ability to change a nation.

The First Lady made these remarks at the opening of the workshop, in Essequibo, Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two). “I am focusing on Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop for women because all the data shows, throughout the world, that if… a woman succeeds economically she takes her whole family [with her],” the First Lady said.

Mrs. Granger also noted that her main priority at the close of each workshop is to always ensure that each participant is given a certificate that is recognised by the Ministry of Business. “I take this [West African] proverb, which my husband has quoted, ‘you educate a man and you educate an individual. You educate a woman and you educate a nation’. I have very high hopes for you here… if you have been in business for a while you [will] be able to understand a bit more, how you can drive yourselves forward. It is for your independence and for your self-confidence,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Yohann Sanjay Pooran, facilitator at Interweave Solutions Incorporated, recalled that at a recently concluded workshop held in Port Kaituma, Bari-

ma-Waini (Region One) the First Lady had emphasised the importance of women speaking up for themselves, even as Mr Pooran noted that this is an important part of them taking ownership of their success. “Speaking for yourself can encompass so many aspects of your life … your pocket, your family, the quality of life that you live… I believe that empowerment element, that ability to speak for yourself forms the major emphasis of this programme,” Mr. Pooran said.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer, Mr Rupert Hopkinson said that every successful business has a chain of spending which it follows and businesswomen have an important role to play.

“You are contributors to the development of the nation… When you see yourself as a contributor to national development, you see yourself as being part of the process… [and] you must see yourself as part of the development of ‘the good life’.

The Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop has, to date, benefited over 200 women across the regions and from all walks of life.

(Ministry of the Presidency)

Some of the women who are participating in the Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

NDIA urges overhaul of Bartica drainage system

BARTICA’S drainage system is in dire need of overhauling, an investigation conducted by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has found.

NDIA conducted the assessment of the drainage network in Bartica on September 13, after two major rainstorms had caused significant flooding, resulting in major losses by residents and businesses.

The investigation was facilitated based on a request

made by the Mayor, Gifford Marshall, who had pointed out that residents residing in the first five Avenues were seriously affected, along with those living from 1st Street to 9th Street.

In a report recently submitted to the Bartica Mayor and Town Council, NDIA explained that the area affected is drained by three main outlets – a manually operated sluice and two self-acting doors, which are located in close proximity to the river and operate on a tidal basis.

Additionally, it was found that the existing drains vary from concrete to earthen, running parallel to the roadway on each side. There is also a collector drain that passes between two avenues.

“In most cases the drains are silted and non-existent in some cases. It was noted also that the concrete drains parallel to the roads varies from 1 to 3 feet width, with similar depth,” the report stated.

Additionally, the concrete collector drains measure approximately 5ft in

The heavily silted and vegetated Mongrippa Creek

A badly silted drain along First Avenue Bartica

width with similar depth. It was noted that approximately 150 feet of the collector drain located between 1st and 2nd Avenue (between 6th and 7th Street) had collapsed, restricting the flow of water.

The Mongrippa Creek is in dire need of desilting. It is used as an earthen drain, one which is larger than the others, but it is heavily silted preventing the free flow of water. Heavy siltation was also visible in many of the other drains and culverts, NDIA reported.

“It was noted that there is no storage area in event of a heavy down pour. The water running off the hill areas will flood the low lying areas. This was the case that resulted in flooding on September 11. The concrete roadside drains are small

and do not have the capacity to accommodate the runoff water during high tide, thus the result of flooding,” the authority further explained.

Given the situation, NDIA has recommended that the Mongrippa Creek undergo rehabilitation with the use of a long reach excavator. The authority said too that mini excavators should be used to clear the earthen roadside drains, while the culverts and concrete drains should be cleared manually.

Given the urgency of the situation, NDIA is currently examining its financial status to determine if it could offer much needed assistance to the Municipality of Bartica.

Meanwhile, the Mayor in an interview with Guyana Chronicle, said the NDIA’s

report “vindicates” the council. Following the heavy down pour, a Regional Official had lashed out at the Municipality, saying that the flood was as a result of negligence due to the untimely opening of the koker.

Nevertheless, he said the Municipality has begun the desilting of the drains as it awaits assistance from NDIA in clearing the Mongrippa Creek/outfall.

“The Mayor and Councillors wish to assure residents that while we inherited very poor drainage networks, we will insure that the necessary corrective infrastructure measures are applied at the soonest.

This in return will avoid the reoccurrence of September 11, 2016,” Marshall assured.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Tabatinga road in desperate need of repair

DEPLORABLE and extremely inconveniencing were the terms used to describe the roads in the village of Tabatinga, located in Constituency Two in

Tabatinga is located on the outskirts of Lethem, in vicinity of the Takutu Bridge that links Guyana and Brazil.

Upon approaching the village, the eye is greeted with

Lethem Mayor Carlton Beckles speaks to the Guyana Chronicle while standing on one of the ‘threelane’ roads, as can be seen in the background the municipality of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

what appears to be a “threelane road”, as was described

by Lethem Mayor Carlton

Beckles.

But this “three-lane road” was not designed to facilitate three lanes of traffic; instead, the description applies because the road is eroded on the two sides, with just a strip of the actual road remaining.

The mayor explained that the road which was built under the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) Administration did not have any shoulders or drains, and the material was strictly double bituminous surface treatment (DBST), which deteriorated rapidly.

“This is the only part of the country where we have a three-lane road,” Mayor Beckles said, adding that the road has been of great inconvenience to the people of that village. “Fixing this road would be greatly appreciated by the residents who traverse these roads every day, because a lot of them have to use it for economic activities, and in its deplorable state it

Another one of the deplorable roads in Tabatinga affects them tremendously.

So the people are in dire need of having these roads rebuilt in a proper way,” Beckles said.

And the Mayor said that because of the non-consultative approach the PPP had adopted when this road was built, he is recommending this approach not be repeated when efforts are

made to repair this road.

“What we would like to see happening, going forward, is the Ministry of Public Infrastructure collaborating with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Municipality to discuss the type of roads needed, and where they are to be built,” he said.

He went on to state that

the region would greatly appreciate asphalt-built roads, particularly the main roads, because of the frequency of vehicular movement in that village.

Additionally, he noted that proper drainage in that area is needed to support the survivability of the roads, once completed.

(Ravin Singh)

Linden Mayor’s office burglarised for third time THE office of Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland was burglarised and vandalised for the third time since he took office in March, the latest episode being last Tuesday evening.

The Mayor was at the time in China on official business, but he was notified of the incident by Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindell, who informed the police about what occurred on Wednesday morning. Arrindell on Monday told media operatives that the police responded promptly to the scene, and investigations are ongoing into the matter. She is positive that police will find the perpetrators.

Though nothing seems to be missing, the entire office was ransacked and vandalised. The perpetrators reportedly stuck a thumb tack through the forehead of the Mayor’s photograph and stuck it to the wall. Deputy Mayor Arrindell said this is not only an attack on the Mayor, but on the entire Council, and security officers need to be questioned to determine how these breakages occurred three times within months.

The Linden Mayor’s office has been left ransacked after Tuesday’s break-in

“Our security needs to be more vigilant in their work, so that this Council can be secured…. The security needs to be questioned, and we really need to get to the bottom of how this happened for the third time,” Arrindell said.

She said that though the police could not determine from where the bandits had entered the building, the exterior window of the office is most likely the place they had used.

Mayor Holland has said he does not regard the breakins as a personal threat, but believes that security needs to be beefed up. He said the perpetrators are trying to intimidate him, and by extension the Council, but their efforts are unsuccessful. “I think it’s to drive fear in the Council, (and prevent us) from doing our job,” he stressed.

The Mayor is of the opinion that the perpetrator was looking for files and documents concerning the Council.

Inspector Chabinaught Singh of the Mackenzie Police Station told the Guyana Chronicle that there have been no leads, but the investigation is active.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Arrest warrant issued for cocaine mule

A MOTHER of four was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by Sparendaam Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul after she was found guilty of trafficking cocaine.

Zainab Muhammed, 30, of 197 Pineapple Street, South Ruimveldt was sentenced in absentia after she failed to make an appearance in court, which caused the magistrate to issue a warrant for her arrest.

The woman was convicted for having 1.426 kg of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking at the then Ogle International Airport, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on May 21, 2015.

The trial commenced and

ended on Monday after four witnesses were called by Police Prosecutor David Go-

Convicted: Zainab Muhammed

Albouystown teen charged with murder AFTER almost three months on the run, Kevin Garraway, accused of stabbing a man at ‘Plaisance Line-top’, was on Monday charged with murder when he appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Garraway, 19, of Calendar Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was not required to plead to the charge, which alleged that on June 3, at Plaisance Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, he murdered 28-year-old Orette West, of Guyhoc Park.

Police Prosecutor David Goodridge detailed that on the day in question, at about 00:30hrs, Garraway had a misunderstanding with West’s girlfriend. It is alleged that the girlfriend had walked up to the accused and asked “if he wanted Kevin Garraway hides a problem.” A confronhis face as he enters tation ensued, and West reportedly pushed Garthe prison van raway, which resulted in the two men scuffling.

Garraway then stabbed West with a knife about the body, and West was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A post mortem performed on West revealed that he died of shock and haemorrhage due to stab wounds to his neck.

Police arrested Garraway last Thursday at a house in Albouystown. The suspect reportedly confessed to investigators that he had committed the murder.

This matter has been adjourned until October 27 for report.

odridge. Thereafter, the accused was found guilty and was immediately sentenced by the magistrate.

The defendant’s lawyer, Dexter Todd, was not present during the trial, but arrived after the sentencing and recused himself from the case.

The mother of four was reportedly arrested at the airport after she was discovered with 1.5 kilogrammes of cocaine strapped to her body. She was an outgoing passenger on a LIAT flight destined for Barbados.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

ARIES Your frustration is quick to show if people are either unclear or unreliable today, prompting you to possibly lose faith in them. If you’re unhappy about a lack of support from your coworkers, don’t let despair lead to finger-pointing; instead, allow your thoughts to simmer before sharing them with others. The harder you push for clarity now, the fuzzier your reality becomes. Although you might feel discouraged by the process, there’s no reason to give up hope. Refine your dreams, readjust your sites and alter your tactics; you’re closer to satisfaction than you think.

TAURUS You’re all too aware of the gulf between your romantic fantasies and the current reality of your relationships. Although you may be motivated to communicate exactly how you feel today, it’s tricky when the stable ground begins to shift. Don’t let annoyance get the best of you; remember that your attitude will impact the coming events in ways that you cannot yet understand. Your best strategy now is to surrender control and trust the process that you began earlier in the month. Keep calm and have faith that things will work out for the best.

GEMINI You can make measurable headway today while addressing a persistent issue if you’re willing to confront a difficult situation. You may feel overwhelmed by the circumstances, but rest assured the large waves of change will settle down in the weeks ahead. Relationships act as an anchor for you now, offering you something to hold onto as your foundations dissolve. You might be a little less confident exploring your feelings, but this is a rare opportunity to learn more about your heart.

CANCER Adhering to a healthy diet and a steady exercise routine may seem like an elusive goal now, but one that will be quite rewarding if you make a sincere effort. A wide variety of physical activities and delicious foods to choose from allow you to jump from one to another whenever you feel like it. Although you can improve your well-being by changing your habits, limiting your exposure to negative vibrations could be even more important today. Protect yourself by withdrawing from pessimistic people before you feel energetically drained by them. Your boundaries, your choice.

LEO Although you fiery Leos enjoy the spontaneity of play, this is no time to make snap judgments in your personal life. You may think you possess enough information to make a decision with clear purpose and direction while you’re in this period of twists and turns. However, you are wise to treat your biggest dreams with the utmost care now. Be patient and let reality squeeze the life out of old delusions to make way for new inspiration. Have faith in your goals and hold onto them in spite of any doubts you might experience.

VIRGO You might feel restricted by domestic responsibilities today but, paradoxically, you’re also freer to use your imagination to step beyond all the constraints. Expect more of yourself, but be gentle enough to feel the pleasure of growth, rather than setting goals which you then must drive yourself relentlessly to achieve. Nevertheless, it’s still wise to be discriminating when you share your ideas with others because they could feel threatened by the breadth of your vision. Talk less; dream more.

LIBRA You are caught in a time warp today as discouragement from earlier in the month returns to dampen your ambitions. You may not realise that your trajectory is still on the rise as the most solid bedrock temporarily turns into shifting sand. Thankfully, there is a higher spiritual purpose to the changes you are now experiencing. Remember, even if you haven’t reached your destination yet, you are still gaining wisdom along the way.

Instead of wallowing in self-doubt, gather your thoughts and create new dreams to inspire the next chapter of your life.

SCORPIO You may have reached an impasse in a disagreement and feel as if you need to take drastic action today. You are driven by a desire for stability, but are painfully aware of all the emotions you suppress to maintain harmony in personal and business relationships.

Something needs to give, for you can’t sustain the illusions that have carried you to this point any longer. You have seen fascinating glimpses of what the future might bring; telling the truth inspires others to do the same.

SAGITTARIUS Old dreams and persistent illusions hit the end of the road today as new opportunities allow you to put your ideas into motion. You may be at a point of no return, increasing your concern about completing a project. However, your dilemma is more complicated than just meeting a deadline; you could doubt your own ability to deliver the goods.

Those people and institutions you normally trust might not be very dependable now.

Although careful analysis of the facts can send you in one direction, it’s best to follow your feelings even if they indicate a different path.

CAPRICORN You’re on a mission now and are blessed with the energy and resources to reach your goal. Although you’re all charged up and ready to go, you still might experience a twinge of uncertainty today as the Moon stirs conflict between your concrete ambitions and your nebulous dreams. If you doubt a decision you made earlier in the month, draw comfort from the knowledge that clarity will return in the days ahead. In the meantime, reconnecting with your most supportive friends gives you the boost of enthusiasm you need to keep moving forward.

AQUARIUS There is little room for self-deception now, especially if there are unresolved money matters still on the table. Perhaps you thought you could maintain your idealistic values, only to realise they may need to be adjusted in light of changing circumstances. No matter how your emotional or financial fortune plays out, authenticity is more important than anything else. Author Brian Tracy says, “Confidence on the outside begins with integrity on the inside.”

PISCES You’re excited about the prospects at work these days, but you may also be experiencing an underlying uneasiness if you’re unsure of how to meet your obligations. The value of a relationship could be called into question as the ground continues to shift beneath your feet. The energy is particularly tricky to navigate now because you’re uncertain about how to best assert your individuality. Don’t let your fear of the judgement of others get in the way of your honesty. Be true to yourself and you will ring true to the world.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

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Wednesday September 28th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Thursday September 29th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Friday September 30th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Rugby America North Finals

Green Machine pumped up for Mexico

By Stephan Sookram “WE do this all the time, we always bring it home and we are going to bring this one home.”

Those were the words of the Guyana Rugby 15s team vice-captain Avery Corbin as the team departed for Mexico to battle the home side for the Rugby America North (RAN) 15s trophy.

The players, who departed yesterday afternoon for Mexico City, are pumped ahead of the encounter set for Saturday, with Corbin noting that his side will be expecting a battle.

He was quick, however, to praise the management and coaches of the team, specifically highlighting the work done by head coach Lawrence Adonis and his Argentine counterpart Deiego Giannantonio.

“For the last two months, preparations have been good, great, especially with the Argentine coach.

We will definitely be using some of what he has taught

us in preparation for the game,” Corbin said.

He continued, “The mood is good so far, everyone is great; everyone is bonding and we are one. It took us a while but it’s going good so far.”

Meanwhile Corbin was reserved on their plan.

“We plan to play tight, stay focused, keep the communication and don’t get complacent. Stick to the coach’s game plan. I’ve never played them (Mexico) in the 15s. We’ve played them

in the 7s. They come running hard but once you keep tackling them, they start to break.”

President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union, Peter Green, had less to say.

“We are going to win,” said the president who disclosed nothing about his team’s agenda in the North American state.

The team will spend the next few days getting acclimatised in the Mexican capital before Saturday’s game.

Imad puts Windies in a spinas Pakistan ...

From back page 103-5.

Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 43 ensured Pakistan reached their victory target with 29 balls left, as thoughts now turn to the three-match ODI series with the Windies.

Imad grabbed two wickets in the third over, Johnson Charles (5) paying the price for a dreadful shot as he was bowled, with Chadwick Walton departing for a first-ball duck in similar fashion.

A mix-up between Andre Fletcher (9) and Marlon Samuels (42 not out) saw the former run-out despite a poor throw from Rumman Raees and Dwayne Bravo fell to a flatter Imad delivery for 11 after the tide of wickets was briefly stemmed.

Samuels’ show of defiance ensured the Windies did not completely collapse, but his pedestrian 59-ball innings was nowhere near enough to give the visitors a defendable total.

Debutant Kesrick Williams claimed the wickets of both Sharjeel Khan (11) and Khalid Latif (21) to leave Pakistan on 40-2 but Malik, who hit four boundaries and a six in 34 balls, and Babar Azam’s unbeaten 27 from 24 deliveries guided Pakistan to an easy win.

(Omnisport.com)

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES innings J. Charles b Imad Wasim 5 A. Fletcher run-out 9 C. Walton b Imad Wasim 0 M. Samuels not out 42 DJ Bravo b Imad Wasim 11 N. Pooran c Shoaib Malik b M. Nawaz 16 K. Pollard not out 16 Extras: (lb-3, w-1) 4 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 103 Fall of wickets 1-12, 2-12, 3-17, 4-31, 5-66.

Bowling: Wasim 4-1-21-3, Tanvir 4-0-22-0, Nawaz 3-0-16-1 (w-1), Amir 4-0-20-0, Malik 2-0-11-0, Raees 3-0-10-0.

PAKISTAN innings Sharjeel Khan c Fletcher b Williams 11 Khalid Latif b Williams 21 Babar Azam not out 27 Shoaib Malik not out 43 Extras: (lb-4, w-2) 6 Total: (2 wickets, 15.1 overs) 108 Fall of wickets 1-36, 2-40.

Bowling: Taylor 2-0-19-0 (w-1), Williams 4-0-15-2,(w-1), DJ Bravo 4-031-0, Narine 4-0-21-0, Brathwaite 1.1-0-18-0.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Injury rules AB de Villiers out of tour to Australia

SOUTH Africa captain AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the home ODI series and away Test series against Australia because of a persistent elbow injury.

He will have surgery early next week and will need eight to ten weeks of recovery time.

“AB has failed to come through his fitness test this morning,” Mohammad Moosajee, SA team manager said. “Although the physio strapped his elbow while he was batting and he did have some relief with some shots, the elbow pain has not gone away completely.

“When the initial injury was discovered, the issue was that he was having impingement with certain shots. With that in mind, we advocated a period of rest, he has seen the physiotherapist for treatment, he received some bio-kinetics and rehab, and also saw an elbow specialist for the infiltration of cortisone.

In most cases, you get re-

solving of symptoms within six weeks. This did not take place, so we gave him an extra week to see if it would recover.

This morning, he had a couple of throw-downs. The elbow was strapped and he had some symptom relief.

He probably felt about 80% better than without the strapping. But knowing AB, the complete cricketer that he is, he wants to make sure none of his shots are restricted.

With that in mind, we decided on surgery and to give

AB de Villiers has not led South Africa in a Test since he was named captain.

him adequate time to recover so he doesn’t hamper his career going forward.

“The recovery is anything between eight to ten weeks and we are hopeful he will recover for the Sri Lanka series in December.” de Villiers will sit out the five home ODIs - beginning on September 30 - and the three Tests in Australia in November, one of which will be South Africa’s maiden day-night fixture. He also missed the two Tests against New Zealand in August and the one-off ODI against Ireland because of the injury.

Moosajee clarified that de Villiers’ injury was not a tennis elbow, a condition that former cricketers Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar had suffered from during their careers.

He said that the workload for top players was a concern and Cricket South Africa was looking into how to manage them better.

“In any sportsman’s life,

he is going to encounter some form of injury. There is no doubt that sometimes it’s overload or overuse,” Moosajee said. “But the load of cricket there is, is something CSA is looking at seriously.

“Generally, our season is eight to nine months. Most of the guys go and play in the IPL as well. We need to make sure the guys are injury-free, that they have no niggles before we release them, and we need to make sure we restrict them from playing in the other leagues if they are carrying a niggle, or if workload dictates that they need a rest.”

Rilee Rossouw will remain with the ODI squad for the series against Australia, while Faf du Plessis is likely to lead the Test squad in Australia. “Faf has led the team; he will do the same in the ODI series against Australia,” Moosajee said. “And I have no doubt he will carry on for another series.” (ESPN cricinfo)

Khawaja, Zampa guide Aussies to dominant win

USMAN Khawaja and Adam Zampa starred for Australia as they claimed an emphatic nine-wicket one-day international win over Ireland yesterday.

Zampa continued his fantastic form in limitedovers cricket, taking 3-37 - his second-best figures in the 50-over format - as Ireland were bowled out for 198 in Benoni.

Australia had no difficulty in cantering to victory, losing just one wicket in pursuit of their target. Khawaja led the way with an unbeaten 82, while captain Steven Smith was 59 not out.

Khawaja hit the

winning run with 119 balls still remaining, Australia producing a dominant performance going into the ODI series with South Africa, which starts on Friday in Centurion.

Ireland captain William Porterfield (24) and Paul Stirling (30) put on 47 for the opening wicket before the latter fell to Scott Boland (242), who accounted for John Anderson (39) after Zampa struck to remove the skipper.

Anderson’s dismissal was the first of three in seven deliveries as Gary Wilson (14) edged ODI debutant Daniel Worrall (1-43) to wicketkeeper

Matthew Wade and Sean Terry paid the price for wandering from his crease following an lbw shout as he was run-out for a duck,

Usman Khawaja thanks to some quick thinking from Smith.

That bizarre exit left Ireland on 123-5 and, though the lower order provided some resistance, the collapse was completed as the last wicket fell with 37

balls to spare.

Khawaja and David Warner attacked from the start of Australia’s reply, scoring at a rate of more than eight-an-over in an opening stand of 73 before Warner (48) was caught-and-bowled by Tim Murtagh (1-21).

But there was no further joy for the Ireland attack as Khawaja and Smith combined for 126, the former racking up eight fours and two maximums in an innings that marked his fourth ODI half-century and clipping a single to leg side to seal victory.

(Omnisport.com)

Gambhir back in India’s Test team after two years

NEW DELHI, India Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir yesterday made a comeback into India’s Test squad two years after playing his last international. He replaced the injured KL Rahul, for the remaining home Tests against New Zealand.

Gautam Gambhir Rahul injured his right hamstring while running between the wickets during the first Test in Kanpur.

“BCCI medical team has confirmed that team India opener KL Rahul has an injury in his right hamstring and he is ruled out for the remainder of the Paytm Test series against New Zealand,” BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said in a release.

“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Gautam Gambhir as Rahul’s replacement for the next two Test matches,” he added.

The BCCI also named a replacement for fast

bowler Ishant Sharma, who missed the first Test with chikungunya. As he is yet to recover fully, Ishant will also miss the second Test.

Uncapped Haryana offspinner Jayant Yadav will replace Ishant in the squad for the second Test to be played in Kolkata from September 30.

“Medium pacer Ishant Sharma is recovering and won’t be available for the second Test of the series to be played in Kolkata,” the release said.

“BCCI medical team will continue to monitor his progress. Off-spinner Jayant Yadav will replace Ishant for the second Test.”

In a press release, the BCCI said that it would “continue to monitor Ishant’s progress”.

Gambhir was rewarded for showing good form in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy. He scored 356 runs in the tournament from five innings at 71.20.

He scored four half-century and was twice dismissed in the 90s.

The 34-year-old Delhi lad played his last Test in August 2014, on India’s tour to England. He aggregated 25 runs on that tour, from four innings. It was a comeback series for Gambhir as he was also dropped in 2012.

Top horses for Sunday’s

race meet at Port Mourant

A NUMBER of Guyana’s top horses will compete against one another when the ‘Best of the Best President’s Cup horserace meet is staged this Sunday at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Corentyne, Berbice.

Organised by the Port Mourant Turf Club, in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and the KP Jagdeo Construction Company, the event has attracted close to 80 horses.

Information reaching Chronicle Sport revealed that the G1 and Lower event has been upgraded to an F3 and Lower race, while the I3 and Lower race will now be a race for I2 and Lower and J class horses.

Eight races are listed for the day with over $8M at stake including cash, trophies and other incentives. The feature race is for horses classified A and Lower, with horses such as Princess She Not, Lady Budapest, Just Call Me Bass, C P Got Even, Plum Plum, Jack in My Style, Golden Blue Ecko and Keep On Swinging. They will do battle for the hefty $1.5M along with the Best of the Best President’s Cup. The other events are the D3 Maiden and E and Lower, Three-yearolds for Guyana-bred horses, H3 Maiden and I and Lower, Two-yearolds Guyana and West Indies-bred horses, I3 and J and Lower and L and Lower.

The race meet will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Race time is 12:30hrs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Guyana Sports Club, Royals claim OMSCC titles James, Curry will stand

By Frederick Halley TO R O N TO , C a n a d a -- After claiming the runner-up spot for four consecutive years, including a narrow one-run loss to Our Own in last year’s final, Guyana Sports Club (GSC) broke the jinx on Sunday when they emerged winners of the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs

Miracles who were fourth in the standings in their division.

Eager to enter winners’ row after coming close on a few occasions, GSC seemed a determined bunch and from the word go had Hustlers on the back foot, ripping through the top order which included the likes of the team’s leading run-getter Rovendra Madholall,

ported with 17. For GSC, Farouk Inshan claimed three for 10 from three overs and Khemraj Budhai two for seven from 1.2.

Despite losing Inshan with just 12 on the board, GSC cruised to an emphatic seven-wicket victory in 13.4 overs with Jito Narine blasting three sixes and four fours in an unbeaten 42 and also earning the Most Valu-

Victorious Division One winners Guyana Sports Club (OMSCC) Division One tournament at St Bede’s ground, Scarborough.

Entering the final as the

who was brilliantly bowled

by Terry Mathura in the third over after his team was inserted to take first strike.

able Player (MVP) for his side. Skipper Rakesh Dyal finished with two for 18 from three overs and Ram-

out their innings, Miracles needed seven off the last over but were left high and dry on 175 for five, after a brilliant last over from Suresh Keso which yielded just four runs.

MVP Matbar Singh, who was mainly responsible for his team reaching the final following a last-ball boundary in the semi-final versus Ramblers, was again among the runs, slamming four fours and a six in a top score of 44 while Hazari Girdhari made 33. Extras contributed a healthy 62, including some 40 wides.

Four run-outs did little to help Miracles’ cause.

When Royals batted, they were indebted to half-centuries from MVP Deonarine Sukhoo (55) and Abdool Azeeze (54) as they reached a formidable 177 for five in their 20 overs.

Deonarine struck six fours and two sixes while Azeeze counted six sixes and a four in his knock. Rabindranauth Persaud claimed two for 16.

Both finals once again attracted hundreds of spectators and at the presentation ceremony, OMSCC president Azeem Khan lauded the efforts of the participating teams and the commitment shown throughout the season. The OMSCC presentation dinner and dance is set for Saturday, October 15.

for U.S. national anthem

NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry will not join the U.S. national anthem protest by American football player Colin Kaepernick.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick, 28, has been refusing to stand for the anthem in protest against the plight of black people.

The NBA has a rule stating players must stand for the national anthem.

form. Kaepernick took a bold step to continue the conversation.”

Racial tensions are mounting in the U.S., where a string of recent police killings and subsequent revenge killings have sparked protests across the nation.

Father-of-three James said he feared for the safety of his own children when he watched reports of shoot-

The NBA has a league rule which requires players to stand for the national anthem.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ James, 31, said it “doesn’t mean I don’t respect and don’t agree with what Kaepernick is doing”.

He added: “Standing for the national anthem is something I will do.

“You have the right to voice your opinion, stand for your opinion and he’s (Kaepernick) doing it in the most peaceful way I’ve ever seen someone do something.”

Golden State Warriors guard Curry, 28, praised Kaepernick’s actions, adding: “I respect everybody’s voice, everybody’s plat-

ings.

“My son had just started the sixth grade,” he added.

“You see these videos that continue to come out, it’s a scary situation. If my son calls me and said he got pulled over I’m not that confident that things are gonna go well and my son is going to return home.”

Despite its rule on standing for the national anthem, the NBA has written to players saying it wants to work with them on how to address the issue ahead of the start of the season on October 25.

(BBC Sport)

RACING TIPS

Division Two champions Royals celebrate their win. number four seed, GSC turned back the challenge of second seeded East Coast Hustlers after earlier creating a stir by trouncing favourites and defending champions Our Own in the semi-final the previous weekend.

The Division Two final saw Royals live up to their number one billing in a tense two-run victory over

By the end of the 10th over, Hustlers were reduced to 38 for six and despite putting up some resistance in the remaining 10, an insufficient 99 all out was all they could muster in 19.2 overs.

Abinash Ramnarayan (48) was the only batsman to offer any resistance, hitting three fours and a six while Avinash Singh sup-

karran Seegobin one for five runs from one. Ramnarayan was voted MVP for Hustlers.

In a more competitive Division Two final, Miracles almost pulled off a miraculous win after being set a challenging 178 for victory in their allotted 20 overs.

Keeping pace with the required target through-

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30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Sir Viv bats for expansion of

cricket in non-traditional nations WEST Indies batting legend Sir Vivian Richards is in support of expanding cricket to non-traditional nations. He believes it is important that the sport grows all over the globe and is pushed into new markets.

The 64-year-old who is considered one the greatest batsman of all time revealed that many Asians and West Indians are currently residing in non-traditional cricket nations and therefore it was imperative that cricket’s legacy is preserved and introduced to new countries.

“The influence of Asians like Indians and Pakistanis is huge in cricket. Despite leaving their country, they want to be a part of cricket. So folks from these countries who live in this part of the world have brought cricket culture here and in the process cricket has spread its wings.”

“Cricket should reach countries which have no cricketing tradition. There are folks from all over the

cerned”, Richards said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The International Cricket Council (ICC)

Sir Vivian Richards world who love cricket living in America. They have been missing the game after they left home. If it can be brought to America in a big way, there is going to be a wide clientele especially as far as Twenty20 is con-

have taken steps to spread cricket across various parts of the globe. The West Indies and India created history when they took part in a two-match Twenty20 International series at the Central Bro-

ward Regional Park Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, United States.

This series marked the first time that the two nations had played a bilateral series in North America.

Richards who scored 8,540 runs from 121 Test matches and 6,721 runs from 187 One Day Internationals (ODIs) during a 17year career also hailed the impact that the Middle East has had on the development of cricket.

“I have been impressed in coming back to the UAE to see not just that stadium in Sharjah but two more in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For me, Emirates have become sort of huge as far as cricket is concerned. Other stadiums came up in the UAE mainly due to the influence from Sharjah. Today the UAE has done a world of good for cricket”, the batting legend added.

Uitvlugt, Stewartville record Stag Beer wins UITVLUGT Warriors and Stewartville recorded their fourth wins when play in the West Demerara Football Association/STAG Beer Senior League continued at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground, West Coast Demerara.

Uitvlugt brushed aside Beavers 4-1, while Stewartville beat Wales United 2-0.

The victories for the two teams take them both to 13 points in the points table but Uitvlugt are placed ahead of Stewartville by virtue of a better goal difference.

Uitvlugt have a plus 10 goal difference after five matches to date, having won four and drawn the other and have so far scored 11 goals while conceding one.

Stewartville, on the other hand, have so far played eight matches and won four, lost three and drawn the other, scoring 13 goals and conceding nine for a plus four goal difference.

In the Uitvlugt versus Beavers encounter, Uitvlugt went into the lead in the 34th minute, compliments of a Beavers own goal and four minutes later, the eventual winners’ Kevin Duke

doubled the score which remained unchanged for the remainder of the first session.

Twenty-five minutes into the second period, Duke’s sibling Kevon added to the score and one minute later, Casper Evans sealed the issue.

Meanwhile, Paul Hector and Orette Stephenson scored in the 22nd and 43rd minutes respectively to see their team – Stewartville – to a 2-0 win against Wales United.

Beavers remain at the bottom of the WDFA points standing with one point from four matches, having drawn just one match while conceding eight goals.

Wales United are currently placed seventh with eight points from as many matches. They won two, lost four and drew two, with eight goals for and 11 against.

Den Amstel continue to lead the points race with 19 from seven matches, having won six and were held to a draw in the other.

Pouderoyen are second with 13 points from five matches and a plus 14 goal difference.

Gareth Southgate will replace the former Sunderland manager for the team's final four matches of 2016, beginning with the October 8 World Cup qualifier against Malta at Wembley – the costly rebuilding of which Allardyce also seemingly labelled as "stupid" in the Telegraph video.

FA c h i e f e x e c u t i v e Martin Glenn, who oversaw Allardyce's appointment, described the episode as "really painful", while former England captain Alan Shearer told the BBC his nation were now "a laughing stock of world football" (Sportsmax)

Telegraph passes findings to FA after further corruption claims THE Daily Telegraph has agreed to give all relevant transcripts to the Football Association (FA) following further revelations in its investigation into alleged corruption in English football that brought down England manager Sam Allardyce.

Yesterday, the UK newspaper alleged eight current or former Premier League managers stand accused of receiving illegal payments

or "bungs" as part of player transfers.

The Telegraph, which claims to have found "widespread evidence of corruption in the English game", obtained its information from Pino Pagliara, who was banned from football for five years for match-fixing in 2005, the Italian agent's business partner Dax Price and two other unnamed agents during meetings with undercover

reporters.

According to the report two Championship managers are also said to be implicated.

The latest part of the Telegraph investigation emerged less than two hours after the FA parted company with Allardyce by mutual agreement on account of the 61-year-old being filmed allegedly telling undercover reporters how they could "get around" FA transfer

CICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday September 28, 2016)

Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

10 overs (5 overs per side)

(2)

40 overs (20 overs per side)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who top-scored in the final T20 International in the recent 3-match series between the WI and Pakistan?

(2) Who was declared ‘Man of the Series’ in the just-concluded 3-match T20 WI/ PAK engagement?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

rules regarding third-party ownership of players.

Footage also appeared to show Allardyce discuss a £400,000 fee to work for the reporters' fictitious Far East investment group, while criticising his immediate predecessor Roy Hodgson and Gary Neville.

England Under-21 boss

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday September 28, 2016

Kelsey Benjamin is innocent - GFC declares

By Ras Wadada

THE Georgetown Football Club (GFC) yesterday held a press brief at the club’s pavilion where their talented 17-year-old player Kelsey Benjamin faced the media since being released from Police custody last Friday.

The Chase Academy student was being held and accused of exchanging gunfire with the Police at Stabroek Square that resulted in a woman being shot last week.

Addressing the media in the presence of his parents, head teacher and General Secretary (GS) of GFC, Faizal Khan, Benjamin declared his innocence, “A lot of people have been telling me a lot of bad things, but I know to myself that I am innocent. Everywhere I go people looking at me as though I am a criminal, but I know that I am not a criminal.”

Benjamin, who has been recently called to the senior National selection also shared his experience and ordeal, ”Being in custody was very hard. At Diamond, I had

to sleep on cold concrete in the nights, and in there is full of mosquitoes. The toilet is full of mess and smells real bad. I had three nights of that and I don’t want that experience again.

“I have never been through anything like this before and it caused me to lose three days of school, so I have some catching up to do,” the soft-spoken Benjamin shared.

The club’s GS Faizal Khan who worked tirelessly to free his prized player also commented his feelings on Benjamin’s innocence.

“What we are keen to get across is that Kelsey is innocent. He thanked the Police for doing their job and we respect that the Police have a very difficult job to do, here, in Guyana. We thank Mr Hicken and Attorney-at-Law Mark Waldron for doing a very good job, especially in a case like this.

“What’s important is that Kelsey’s side of the story is heard and that this unsavoury chain of events will not hamper this young man this minor,

Infantino plays down Asian election postponement

By Sudipto Ganguly PANAJI, India(Reuters)-FIFA president Gianni Infantino played down the significance of yesterday’s postponement of Asian elections for seats on the new FIFA Council, saying it was all part of the reform process at soccer’s scandal-hit world governing body.

Upset at FIFA’s last minute disqualification of a Qatari candidate, delegates overwhelmingly voted down the agenda of an Asian Football Confederation extraordinary congress in Goa at which three members of the world governing body’s new Council were to be elected.

FIFA banned Qatari Saoud Al-Mohannadi from the election on Sunday because of an ongoing ethics investigation, leaving insufficient time for new candidates to join the six remaining in the field.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the voting down of the agenda was “a loud and clear message” to FIFA. Infantino, who was attending the congress, said the vote was all part of an ongoing reform process within the sport’s governing bodies.

“We are going through a reform process in FIFA, the confederations are going through a reform process as well,” Infantino told reporters after unveiling the logo for next year’s under-17 World Cup in India.

“This takes discussions, this takes time, this takes meetings, postponement of meetings as well. This is simply part of a process football is going through these days.”

FIFA had set a Sept. 30 deadline for elections to the Council, which replaces the Executive Committee under reforms instituted in the wake of the corruption scandal which has engulfed soccer’s governing body over the last 16 months.

Kelsey Benjamin (centre) flanked by his parents on his right, Kelsey Benjamin Snr.and Linda Forde and to his left, Head Teacher, Henry Chase and GFC’s General Secretary, Faizal Khan.at yesterday’s Press brief. as he progresses and continues to try to fulfil his dreams which is to become a professional footballer.”

Khan also informed that Benjamin has not been charged, but it is the desire to have the matter closed as soon as possible.

Head Teacher of Chase Academy, Henry Chase, also expressed dissatisfaction with the press and the image being painted of his student, “The media’s portrayal of Kelsey is uncharacteristic of Kelsey. It is sad in this country that we destroy talent. We are not a nurturing society, instead of building people, we break people and when I look at some athletes, not Kelsey

alone, because I know of an athlete who is expected to represent the country shortly and she is homeless.

“We ignore our human talents. Kelsey is a national asset. Instead of trying to shoot him and kill him, we have got to find systems to help him. He is being portrayed as a villain and he is not a villain. He is a youth that just needs guidance. I often tell my children and students, this is an oppressive society and Kelsey’s case is a classic example of the type of society that we live in,” a fuming Chase stated.

Chase also disclosed that the school is already making

arrangements to provide professional counselling for both Kelsey and his mom.

Benjamin, who is nicknamed Neymar, has been an inspiration to his school, leading them to ‘back-toback’ titles in the Milo schools football, as the competition’s top goalscorer for the 2015 and 2016 championships and was also pivotal in the school dethroning 4-peat champions Wismar/ Christianburg Secondary in the DIGICEL nationwide schools KO tournament this year. Add to that his 5 goals in the inaugural Elite League at sixteen years last season.

Khan also reminded

how important Benjamin is to the club, “He is a very talented player who knows he has a lot of work to do.

He knows he has a team of staff and teammates who believe in him. When he was released from custody the first place he came to was GFC to see his teammates train, and everybody ran off the field and came and hugged him. That’s what he means to us. We’ll do everything in our power to make sure that this does not hang around his neck,”, Khan stated.

Khan further said that the pint-size left winger has the potential to be Guyana’s best footballer of the decade.

Ming closes off NACAM F4 with podium finish GUYANESE driver Calvin Ming closed off the FIA Formula 4 NACAM series with a podium finish last weekend at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin Texas.

Practice, qualifying and three races for the Formula 4 cars, were originally programmed for Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th. However, due to inclement weather the two races that were originally scheduled for Saturday had to be postponed, and all 3 races were held on Sunday Calvin qualified in P4 for the first race and from the get-go quickly moved into P2 shortly after the start. Closing rapidly on the race leader, Calvin encountered gear selection problems around the half-way point in the race.

This caused him to lose the significant lead he had over the driver in P3 by almost 3 seconds per lap.

He eventually finished the race in third place.

The second race start-

Calvin Ming (3rd from right) celebrates after placing third. ed in dry conditions, with all 14 cars on slick tyres. Calvin started in P6 on the grid.

However, by the end of lap 1, it started to rain on some sections of the track which became quite slippery. Calvin was able to use the wet track to his advantage and managed to move up to P1 by lap #3 which he held to the half-way point in

the race.

Then the heavens opened and the drivers started to make pit stops to change from slicks to wet tyres.

The drivers who pitted first benefited from a slight advantage, which resulted in Calvin finishing in P3, by the end of the race.

For the third race, Calvin started in P4, but lost

ground throughout the race, due to the engine losing power. He, however, finished the race in P6.

The (COTA) was constructed just 3 years ago, to host the American round of the Formula 1 World Championship, and Moto GP. Of the 14 drivers who participated 12 were Mexicans, 1 Panamanian and 1 Guyanese.

Kelsey Benjamin is innocent

See story on page 31

- GFC declares Rugby America North Finals

Green Machine pumped up for Mexico See story on page 27

The Green Machine, Guyana’s rugby team pose for a picture before departing yesterday morning for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

I am just thankful, says Clive Atwell … returns home after successful surgery

By Daniel Haynes GUYANESE boxer Clive Atwell has expressed his appreciation to all those who have supported and helped him on his road to recovery.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club pavilion, the boxer lauded the Guyana American Heritage Foundation, who was instrumental in helping him to get his second surgery.

The boxer had his first surgery last October after fainting in the ninth round of his title fight against T&Tbased Dexter Gonzales at the Giftland Mall. He was rushed to the hospital and doctors found that he had subdural hematomas haemorrhaging or simply put: bleeding in his head.

His first successful surgery was done in Trinidad and Tobago but he was told after he needed a second surgery, which would cost G$5M. This prompted the fundraising process for the 27-year-old.

A committee was formed to raise the funds for the boxer, who needed his second surgery within six

months. His fundraising had taken him out of Guyana to the United States and with help he was able to raise the funds he needed.

It was out of Guyana

of the risk.

“The doctor told me of the complications and risks that there could be bleeding in the brain, and I would have an increased risk of

Clive Atwell and his wife Altadi Atwell where he met Lady Ira Lewis from Guyana American Heritage Foundation who spearheaded the fundraising for Atwell while he was in New York. The boxer also expressed his thanks to this committee.

According to Atwell, going into the second surgery, which he completed on August 18 at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York, the doctor informed him

seizures, since the medical timeline had passed. “I told him ‘doc, you do your part and my God will do the rest’,” he added.

Atwell has said he is fully recovered and despite not being able to ever box again, he would be helping others follow their dreams in the sport.

The boxer was also a guest speaker at UNESCO’s African Sports Summit where he was able to speak

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

about his journey and everything he endured in an effort to give athletes across the region an inside look at the journey.

“I was recently a speaker at UNESCO’s African Sports Summit and I was able to speak to many athletes but as for now I’ll be training persons in boxing, my time has come and gone and this is how I could help.

I’ll help anyone, if they would want my help,” he added.

The boxer plans to also go back to plumbing, since he was a Guyana Industrial Training Centre best graduating student in plumbing in 2004. Chronicle Sport was able to speak with his wife Altadi, who spoke about the entire progress.

“For me, seeing him like this is bittersweet, knowing everything that we went through. Before the surgeries. I was the one who was caring for him round the clock and I gave up my job.

I’m now opening my own business in documentation services,” Altadi stated.

For the two, life has returned to normalcy and that is a blessing they both believe.

Imad puts Windies in a spin as Pakistan seal whitewash IMAD Wasim produced an excellent performance with the ball as Pakistan completed a series whitewash over World Twenty20 champions West Indies yesterday.

Pakistan had already secured the three-match series and a dominant display in Abu Dhabi ensured a 3-0 margin of victory.

And it was the left-arm spin of all-rounder Imad that proved the difference in the eight-wicket win as he took 3-21 to reduce the Windies to See page 27

Player-of-the-match Imad Wasim celebrates after taking a wicket.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016