Guyana chronicle epaper 12 31 2016

Bounty Farm 16 invested US$46M over past five years Page

No. 104780

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2016

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

Red House back with gov’t – court did not grant order to prevent eviction

Pages 3 &18 – PPP holds vigil – Lawrence says building must not be used for party purposes

An APNU+AFC supporter passionately makes a point to a visibly angry PPP/C supporter on Friday night during a counter-vigil held outside of the Red House, High Street, Kingston. Also in photo are several media representatives. (Delano Williams photo)

Gold tops 700,000 ozs

Page 9

Three-year-old dies in early-morning 14 fire

Police probe disappearance of HIV kits 13 Page

Page

Bianca Sancho

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Notable year for public telecommunications –– Guyana on threshold of transformation in public services

JUST shy of being a year old, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MPT) has had a progressive year in 2016. Guyana has been put on the threshold of transformation in public services, and the way these services were provided to citizens is drastically being transformed.

Conceived and Gazetted in January 2016, the fundamental purpose of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications has been to develop an enabling environment at the policy and infrastructure level to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is fully utilised for national development and economic advancement.

The overall vision of the MPT is the creation of a

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, interacting with Team Code Ops at the launch of the Hackathon.

knowledge-based society that is globally competitive and productive; one that will give rise to the strategic placement of Guyana as a premier ICT hub in the region. The vision also includes an enabling environment for the creation of a viable private sector that will create wealth, employment, and contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The MPT has had quite a number of achievements throughout the year.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL On July 18, 2016, the Telecommunications Bill was passed in the National Assembly without any amendments. The Bill sets out the administration’s policy paper to effectively bring to an end a monopoly enjoyed by one agent in the telecommunication sector.

The position taken by the present Administration confirms to its regional com-

mitment, as established in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which speaks specifically to establishing an enabling environment to promote competition and fair trade.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has said the legislation would allow other companies to ensure the local market offers a variety of services and benefits, including more mobile rates, land lines, and a host of other Internet-related services.

ONE LAPTOP PER TEACHER This initiative forms part of the larger Improving Digital Equity Access and Learning (IDEAL) programme, which also includes schools’ connectivity to the Internet. The programme was launched in September by President See page 3

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Red House back with gov’t –– court did not grant order to prevent eviction

By Ariana Gordon

THE Government of Guyana has taken possession of the state-owned Red House one day after President David Granger ordered the revocation of a 99-year lease of the property granted under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration in 2012. And a conservatory order which was sought by Chairman of the Management Committee of the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc., Hydar Ally, preventing this was not granted by the High Court on Friday.

Ally on Friday moved to the courts requesting Conservatory Orders to restrain or prevent the government from taking possession of the Red House which has housed the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc, but government had already taken possession of the building once the lease was cancelled. The President on Thursday ordered that the occupants of the property vacate by today and announced that the National Trust of Guyana will be housed at the Kingston location.

By way of an Ex-Parte Application, affidavit for Conservatory Orders, Ally called on Chief Justice (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards to declare that the lease of government land for educational and research purposes issued under

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams Section 10 of the Lands Department Act, Chapter 59:01 and executed on March 30, 2012 between Doerga Persaud, Commissioner of Lands and Surveys in respect of the Red House which houses the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre for a term of 99 years from the said date is valid, binding and in force.

The application also called for a declaration that the revocation or likely revocation of lease of Government Land for educational or research purposes issued under Section 10 of the Lands Department is illegal, unlaw-

ful and contrary to and in contravention of the fundamental rights and freedoms as guaranteed and secured

by Articles 40 and 142 of the Constitution of Guyana.

Additionally, an order is being sought for damages in excess of $1M for breach of lease of government land for educational or research purposes; damages in excess of $1M for breach of the applicant’s fundamental rights and freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution of Guyana.

Conservatory Orders preventing and or restraining the government or state from ejecting or evicting the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc. until the hearing and determination of this action and preventing or restraining the Government from removing any documents, photographs, artifacts, souvenirs, furniture, fixtures, appliances and or any other property from the property were also requested.

The Acting Chief Justice summoned both the Attorney General and Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission on Friday to appear before her.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams appeared before the Chief Justice and indicated that the declarations requested by Ally are unfounded.

Williams told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday that he informed the Chief Justice that the lease was already cancelled and government

has taken possession of the Red House.

“As a result, the Chief Justice asked for an undertaking that the Jagan materials would not be thrown out,” he said, noting that a commitment was made that same would not be done. Twenty One days leave was granted to the Attorney General to file an answer, while the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc was given 14 days leave to file a reply.

As such, the matter has been adjourned to February 20.

“I told the Chief Justice that being a historian, the President would never consider destroying the materials belonging to Dr Jagan,” said Williams.

The Attorney General has expressed confidence that his government will win the case and explained that a heritage site cannot be leased. According to the Attorney General, the transaction was “shrouded in darkness” and noted that the rule is that a lease executed over 21 years must be done in the same manner as a transport.

He explained that according to the rules, it is mandatory for such leases to be advertised in the Gazette as well as newspapers of wide circulation.

“You can’t lease a heritage site and alienate it,” argued Williams, who cited Section 13 of the Deeds Registry Act, which states inter alia that no lease of immovable property expressed to be for a term of 21 years or

Notable year for public ...

From page 2

David Granger as the beginning of a process of ICT transformation throughout the education system – a system which embraces over a quarter of a million Guyanese.

Since the launch of the programme in September, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, through the E-Government Agency, has distributed 7,444 laptops to teachers in regions One, Two, Five, Six, Seven and Eight, which benefited all Guyanese, including students, their teachers and parents, young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes explained that the goal of the MPT goes further than the distribution of laptops in the region. She said the MPT is working to create a series of ICT hubs across the region, where members of the communities, including teachers and students, can go and have Internet access

and connectivity.

The teachers have also been assured that, in the first quarter of 2017, the MPT will be rolling out satellite-based Internet access for the provision of better Internet connectivity to the larger communities, particularly those with a large student population.

HACKATHON The MPT hosted its first Hackathon during the period November 4 to 6, 2016, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

It was a 48–hour event wherein programmers/coders were able to compete in teams to develop applications for possible use in the public and private sectors.

Minister Hughes said the MPT saw the Hackathon as an opportunity for young ICT entrepreneurs to be creative.

“Our people -- the young and not so young -- can learn and earn; establish new businesses; create linkages in and

new skills and upgrading existing technological talent.

In addition, the team participated in “Huawei Connect 2016”, a three-day global integrated technology conference in Shanghai, which attracted about 20,000 ICT leaders and experts from more than 120 countries. The conference provided a platform for leaders in the ICT industry around the world to view the latest technologiICT TRAINING Minister Hughes de- cal developments in action, scribed the visit to China and to attend information as an exceptionally success- workshops on cutting-edge ful “fact-finding mission.” solutions, such as Cloud She said the visit afforded Computing. the team several opporFIBER-OPTIC CABLE tunities, which included This has seen several meeting with key officials of Huawei, a reputable ministries and agencies being global company, to discuss added to the E- Governance all aspects of the ongoing Project in the year 2016, acmaintenance and expan- cording to Minister Hughes. sion of Guyana’s US$32M She said the objective is to E-Government network; improve the quality of social and to explore opportuni- services, to fight crime, to ties for training – creating boost the standard of educaout of Guyana, and ultimately contribute to the drive to digitise our nation,” Hughes stated.

Te a m V 7 5 w o n t h e Hackathon. The MPT will be hosting five such events during 2017. Hackathons are events typically lasting several days, during which large numbers of people meet to engage in collaborative computer programming.

more shall be good, valid or effectual in law or pleadable in any Court of Justice in Guyana unless passed and executed before the Court in like manner as a transport and filed as of record in the registry. Section 13 (3) provides that every long lease mentioned in subsection (1) passed and executed before the Court and filed as of record in the Registry shall be annotated by the Registrar against the property leased.

Section 13 (2) provides that failure to file the lease of immovable property as of record in the Registry renders it not, “good, valid or effectual in law or pleadable in any Court of Justice in Guyana.”

M o r e o v e r, Wi l l i a m s said the lease is void on the grounds that Section 10 (1) of the Lands Department Act chapter 59:01 Laws of Guyana provides Government Lands shall only be rented or sold with the sanction of the President and on the terms and conditions determined by him.

“The President must approve the lease,” he declared, noting that government lands are created when the President issues a grant of State Land to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys.

Section 4 of the State Lands Act, Chapter 62:01, states that whenever the President deems it convenient any State Lands could be converted into Government Lands and he may issue a grant of

those lands to the Commissioner and his successors in office for and on behalf of the State as Government Lands.

“The Commissioner of Lands is the custodian of all government lands…there must be evidence of the President approving leases under Section 10 of the Lands Department Act.” As such, the Attorney General argued that the attorneys who filed the affidavit for Conservatory Orders are misguided, as they have equated state lands and government lands. “Government lands are like private lands, state lands are converted to government lands by the President issuing the authority to the Commissioner of Lands. The Commissioner of Lands can enter a lease agreement with you.”

Additionally, Williams argued that there is no formal evidence of sanction or approval by the President at the time the lease was granted in 2012 and therefore the lease is invalid. The Red House was established under the National Trust of Guyana’s Monuments Register as a public building, national monument and heritage site.

The National trust is a body Corporate established under the National Trust Act Chapter 20:03 Laws of Guyana which is an, “Act to make provision for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and objects of historic interest

tion, to promote digital literacy, and provide an ICT path.

Among the ministries that have been linked to the network for this year are: Natural Resources, Agriculture, Communities, Public Infrastructure, Business, Legal Affairs, Finance, Public Health, Public Security, Education, Foreign Affairs, Presidency, Public Telecommunications, Indigenous Peo-

ples’ Affairs, and Social Protection. The Department of Public Service, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Citizen Security Programme, Parliament Office, the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, and the headquarters of the G u y a n a P o l i c e F o rc e have also been connected.

(GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday , December 31, 2016

Trump praises Putin for holding back in spy dispute U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber-attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow.

Putin earlier on Friday said he would not hit back for the U.S. expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies by President Barack Obama, at least until Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

“Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!” Trump wrote on Twitter from Florida, where he is on vacation.

Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of the Russians and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking political groups in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election.

“We will not expel anyone,” Putin said in a statement, adding that Russia reserved the right to retaliate.

“Further steps toward the restoration of Russian-American relations will be built on the basis of the policy which the administration of President D. Trump will carry out,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly

toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama’s actions, which mark a postCold War low in U.S.-Russian ties.

Trump has brushed aside allegations from the CIA and other intelligence agencies that Russia was behind the cyber-attacks.

“It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” Trump said on Thursday, though he said he would meet with intelligence officials next week.

U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organisations and operatives before the presidential election.

Moscow denies this. U.S. intelligence officials say the Russian cyber- attacks aimed to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Russian officials have portrayed the sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested Trump could reverse them when he takes over from Obama, a Democrat.

A senior U.S. official on Thursday said that Trump could reverse Obama’s executive order, but doing so would be inadvisable.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk into a photo opportunity before their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

administration “a group of embittered and dim witted foreign policy losers.”

REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION Should Trump seek to heal the rift with Russia, he might encounter opposition in Congress, including from fellow Republicans.

Republican John Mc-

Cain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Friday that Russia must face a penalty for the cyber-attacks and that is was possible to impose many sanctions.

“When you attack a country, it’s an act of war,” McCain said in an interview with the Ukrainian TV channel “1+1” while on a visit to

Kiev.

“And so we have to make sure that there is a price to pay, so that we can perhaps persuade the Russians to stop these kind of attacks on our very fundamentals of democracy.” added McCain, who has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats.

Other senior Republicans, as well as Democrats, have urged a tough response to Moscow.

A total of 96 Russians are expected to leave the United States including expelled diplomats and their families.

Trump will find it very difficult to reverse the expulsions and lift the sanctions given that they were based on a unanimous conclusion

by U.S. intelligence agencies, said Eugene Rumer, who was the top U.S. intelligence analyst for Russia from 2010 until 2014.

But that might not prevent Trump from improving ties to Russia, said Rumer, now director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a policy institute. “If Mr. Trump wants to start the relationship anew, I don’t think he needs to walk these sanctions back. He can just say this was Obama’s decision,” said Rumer.

As part of the sanctions, Obama told Russia to close two compounds in the United States that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for “intelligence-related purposes.”

Russia was given until noon on Friday to vacate both premises. Convoys of trucks,

buses and black sedans with diplomatic license plates left the countryside vacation retreats outside Washington and New York City without fanfare.

A former Russian Foreign Ministry employee told Reuters that the facility in Maryland was a dacha used by diplomatic staff and their children. The 45-acre complex includes a Georgian-style brick mansion, swimming pool, tennis courts and cottages for embassy staff.

Neighbors said the Russians were a lively bunch, seen water-skiing in summer and known for throwing a large, annual Labor Day party.

The Russian consulate in San Francisco said on its Facebook page, “We hate to have to say goodbye to close to a dozen of our colleagues, our friends.” Among those expelled was the consulate chef.

Putin said he was inviting all children of American diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas party in the Kremlin.

Obama had promised consequences after U.S. intelligence officials blamed Russia for hacks intended to influence the 2016 election.

Officials accused Putin of personally directing the efforts and primarily targeting Democrats.

Washington also put sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies, the GRU and the FSB, four GRU officers and three companies that Obama said “provided material support to the GRU’s cyber operations.” (Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday , December 31, 2016

Venezuela extends Brazil policeman money swap deadline ‘killed Greek envoy’

Hundreds of people queued when the Colombia-Venezuela border was eventually reopened

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has again extended the deadline to withdraw from circulation the country’s most common currency note.

The deadline had been set for 2 January but will now be on 20 January.

Mr Maduro said he did not want Venezuelans to worry about exchanging the currency near the New Year festivities.

Venezuelans had been initially given 72 hours in mid-December to swap their 100 bolivar notes, sparking chaos.

The borders with Colombia and Brazil were also closed for eight days as part of a coordinated action against what Mr Maduro called “smuggling mafias”.

They sell products subsidised by Venezuela’s socialist government, including petrol and medicines, at high profit margins.

Mr Maduro also said that the gangs had hoarded huge amounts of cash in warehouses abroad, They would lose most of that money once it was withdrawn, as it would be

impractical for them to repatriate truckloads of currency notes and swap them at bank branches, he said.

After Mr Maduro’s announcement on 11 December, most shop owners in Venezuela began rejecting the notes.

culation.

Venezuela has one of the highest inflation rates in the world.

The government last published figures for inflation in December 2015, putting it at 180 per cent, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates next year’s prices will rise by more than 2,000 per cent.

The 100-bolivar note has lost most of its value and is now worth around 2 US cents on the black market.

The Venezuelan economy has been hit hard by the fall in the price of oil, its main source of income.

It also has had strict currency controls in place since 2003. (BBC)

have been paid about 80,000 reais ($25,000; £20,000) to

act as a lookout. The three suspects are being questioned at a police station.

The 59-year-old ambassador had travelled from Mr Amiridis’s body was found in a burnt-out car on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro

Police in Brazil say the Greek ambassador to the country was killed by a local police officer who was having an affair with the envoy’s wife.

Kyriakos Amiridis had been missing since Monday.

His body was found in a burnt-out car on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday.

Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho confessed to strangling him to death, police said.

The ambassador’s Brazilian wife Francoise Amiridis has been detained along with

Protests against the measure have prompted the government to delay the swap twice

Long queues formed outside bank branches, while in some areas supermarkets and shops were looted.

Mr Maduro then decided to delay the deadline to scrap the 100-bolivar note.

He has ordered new higher denomination notes, but they are not yet in cir-

Mr Filho and his cousin.

Eduardo Melo is said to

Brasilia to the city of Nova Iguacu, north of Rio, to spend the Christmas holidays there with his wife and her parents.

The couple had been living together for 15 years and their daughter is 10 years old, local reports said.

Mrs Amiridis, 40, reported her husband missing on Wednesday.

She told police that he had left on Monday in a car he had rented. The burnt-out vehicle was found on Thursday under a flyover on one of the main access roads to Rio with a body inside.

The body was burned

Francoise Amiridis had been living together with the ambassador for 15 years

beyond recognition, but police said it was that of Mr Amiridis.

Investigators also said that they had found blood stains on the sofa in the flat where the couple was staying and told local media they believed Mr Amiridis had been killed in the flat.

Mr Amiridis served as consul in Rio de Janeiro between 2001 and 2004 and returned to the country as ambassador earlier this year. (BBC)

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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

Reflecting on the Year of Renaissance THE curtain comes down on the Year of National Renaissance. This designation was apt, given the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary and importance of learning from, and reflecting on, our history preand post-independence. A revisitation of this cannot escape the contributions of all the people who came -- voluntarily or involuntarily -- to these shores, and have called it home.

Each group has helped to enrich this nation with its unique way of life; inclusive of religious practices, foods, mores, dress, knowledge system, and so forth. Together, through various forms and systems, each fought for the right to self-determination. And whereas our enslaved, indentured and colonised forebears have valiantly fought against systems of oppression, the oppressors have also fought similar systems at some point in their history.

Every civilisation or group of people fought for their freedom, independence and identity. For instance, the British fought the Greeks to establish their individual identity, and Europe became a continent of diversity as opposed to being a continent considered one country.

Diversity creates new cultures, languages, interpretations of civilization, which all create healthy competition that moves the world forward. Without healthy competition there would be no progress. Civilisation will stand still without diversity, from which springs different perspectives and the avoidance of stagnation is ensured. Different people look at the world through different lenses, which allows the utilisation of others’ experiences and inexperience as a gauge on how to progress.

Ours is a society of at least six peoples, all of whom have formed the foundation of a rich diversity. Should this be properly harnessed, respected, and allowed to bloom and grow in harmony, it can be very productive to our development. As we reflect on the various contributions of each group, put them in correct perspective and build on them, the possibilities are endless. The possibilities from the foundational premises which are identified in our national ethos, such as National Anthem, motto, symbols and songs, education system, dishes, topography, natural resources, territory, language, economic sectors, and system of governance, are endless. These must be relied on in the continuous process of building this great nation that belongs to us.

Where our forebears, through struggle and hard work, fought for equality, dignity and respect, and toppled systems of oppression, fortifying these require from every one of us further action. Their experiences and achievements must not only be used to sing their praise and reflect on their bravery. These must at all times serve as impetus to progress; reminders why it is our responsibility to protect, deepen, and strengthen them to further our growth and development; and enable us to bequeath to future generations a world better than what we have inherited.

As with human nature, there will be missteps, but where resides a preference to focus more on the negative, not as lessons to learn from but to wallow in, we must

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday , December 31, 2016

Whatever happened to the Aurora Land Project?

Dear Editor,

I CAUSED to appear in the Stabroek News of Monday, 19th December, 2011 a letter in which I was basically finding out the status of the Aurora Land Development Project; and this was after more than five years since then president Bharat Jagdeo, early in 2006, accompanied by former of Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and other senior national and regional officials, had held a meeting at the Aurora Primary School and had promised the residents of that community to have more than 5,500 (five thousand, five hundred) acres of arable land developed and distributed to them, the landless, and who would have met the criteria. And all of this was to happen six months from that day.

It is important to note that, during my tenure as a Regional Democratic Councillor from the Alliance For Change (AFC) List of Candidates, the question about the progress of this much-touted project was asked at many RDC meetings, and also of the Agri-

culture and Works Committee, a statutory committee of the RDC on which I also served; but, on each occasion, the answers were neither informative nor encouraging, and at times I got the distinct impression that the persons answering the questions were not honest in their replies or responses.

In 2011, on the 8th April, Mr. Jagdeo returned to the same venue, accompanied again by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, other senior agriculture officials and one newcomer in the person of Mr. Donald Ramotar. Of course this was shortly after he was selected to be the People’s Progressive Party presidential candidate. This time, both Mr. Jagdeo and Mr. Ramotar repeated the promise that was made to the more than five hundred (500) persons more than five years ago.

Both men spoke at length about this much important and long-overdue project. Their speeches were consistently punctuated by raucous applause, and the hope and joy of the people were evident by their facial expressions and body language, mine included.

But after more than 10 years, there is no evidence to suggest or indicate that positive things had begun to happen, or are happening, in regard to this project that would have benefited thousands of people directly and indirectly.

In the Kaieteur News, on page 5 of the Wednesday, 1st July, 2015 issue, I again, by way of a letter to the editor, enquired about the land promised to the people by a current Head of State. That letter appeared under the caption “The Project that never was”, and my hope was that a comment by those who had made those promises would have been made; but from then to now, the deafening silence continues, and the hopes of the people have faded. The question to be asked is: Were these promises real?

The old adage ‘promises are made to be broken’ seemingly applies. Promises are comforting words, but only to fools. A promise is a debt; what are we to believe? This piece of information may help readers to form an opinion.

In 2006, Mr Jagdeo was seeking a second term; and

in 2011, Mr Ramotar, with the help of Mr Jagdeo, was seeking his first. We, the people who were there in 2006 and 2011, were seeking to have a piece of land.

Jagdeo got his second, Ramotar got his first, but what did we, the people, get?

In retrospect, it is reasonable to conclude that it was indeed a project that never was. I would bet my last penny that, come 2020, more or similar types of promises would be made. In 2017, the budget holds good for the agriculture sector, and there are high hopes for the people who are involved in the crops and livestock area. But producing more means getting more persons involved, and occupation of the land by the landless.

The fruition of this much-needed and touted project becomes more important, and cannot be overemphasised. Perhaps the Honourable Agriculture Minister Noel Holder can say if anything was or is in the pipeline regarding this project.

Regards, ARCHIE W. CORDIS Former AFC Councillor Region Two

Comedy show on NCN, Ch. 65 was immoral

Dear Editor,

I AM not a very great fan of comedy shows, but on Boxing Day I was watching television on NCN Channel 11 and on Channel 65: the same Richard Narine comedy show.

To be honest, I am not very much interested in all these comedy shows, but Mr. Narine mentioned some immoral things on his show that made me think very deeply.

He always talks on the phone to a person he refers to as Uncle George, but on Boxing Day he went to the extreme and mentioned the President’s and Prime Minister’s private parts, and also other previous Guyanese Presidents.

I don’t know who this man Richard Narine is, but

he is stepping beyond his boundary by the foolishness he articulates on national television and radio. How can this man disrespect the President and Prime Minister by talking about their private parts?

He also mentioned lots of political and sarcastic stuff on his insane show. It is my firm opinion that Richard Narine should apologise to the President and Prime Minister. Also, his shows should be banned from television and radio. I also note with a great deal of interest that many of these link shows at the Cultural Centre and many plays make mockery of the Christian religion and other religions. It is time we have a censor board to scrutinise all link shows, comedy shows and drama before they go

strive to overcome. Overcoming means experiences that have shaped this civilisation are not only worthy of being told, the negatives eschewed, but the infrastructures and institutions that have made us who we are must be equally preserved and respected.

Our history comprises of those held in bondage and their captors. The cultures of both groups have created a fusion called the Guyanese culture, which is unique to us and is worthy of our pride. As with the Romans and Greeks, who have been around long before the current calendar, where their civilisations -conquered and conquest - have been retained for

public. Many of these shows have lots of defamatory and immoral speeches, including curse words, sexual overtures, and tons of racial and political remarks.

When our young people see these shows, more racial, political and religious problems are created in our society. It is my firm view that many of our “so-called” playwrights here should do more reading and receive more teachings if they wish to produce plays of substance.

Many who sing calypsos, too, for Mash awards also sing songs of racial discrimination and songs that degrade our leaders. And we give them awards for such immoral renditions.

Democracy is good, but sometimes it can mean “do what you like, say what you

like, and live how you like”.

If we have on national television more shows such as Richard Narine’s show -- that degrades the President, Prime Minister and past Presidents -- I think we are really going down the road of immorality.

I call upon the Minister of Social Protection and the Minister of Citizenship, also the Minister of Public Security, to take a look at Mr. Narine’s show that was aired on Boxing Day, to make their evaluation.

I also call on the management of these TV stations to look at every programme first before they are aired.

Richard Narine owes the President and Prime Minister a public apology.

Regards, REV. GIDEON CECIL

prosperity and knowledge, so, too, much we seek to preserve our history and accomplishments.

As a people, we have more in common that unite us than divide us. And these we must make important pillars of our civilisation. No group is without reproach.

More importantly, each wants a piece of the nation’s pie and to be treated as its sons and daughters. This sense of ownership is well placed, and with it comes corresponding responsibility to protect and preserve what is within and treat each other as we would like to be treated. The infrastructures - laws, time honoured principles, international conventions and charters are already in place to make this happen.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday , December 31, 2016

Peace can’t be achieved without respect for the equality of others

Dear Editor,

REFERENCE is made to Roshan Khan’s letter: “Afro-Guyanese are historically indomitable and resourceful” (GC December 7, 2016), which is a response to my letter: “Afro community has a right to form any community that would advance and protect their interest” (GC November 25, 2016).

These letters have their genesis in Khan’s expressed disapproval of the African community forming a chamber to advance their business interest. Where he considers my disagreement to his clairvoyant position as “a racist and ethnic rant” without providing any evidence in my letter to prove so is true to his character.

Let me from the outset say that throwing around terms such as “apartheid” and that he “does not see race,” to mask a thinking that is outright intolerant of the rights of another is non-acceptable. I make no apology for my statement: that Africans in this country, as in every country, enjoy the universal fundamental right to economic self-determination. If one avenue of advancing and securing

this right is by establishing a business chamber, then it must be respected.

Apartheid speaks to a system where one group assumes superiority over others, and would fortify this discriminatory thinking by putting structures in place to oppress others. The principle under which the African chamber of commerce has been established is not in keeping with apartheid.

Establishing an organisation consistent with the right to freedom of association in pursuing a group’s right to economic self-determination is different from putting structures in place to oppress others.

It may be all well on Khan’s part to claim that he does not see race. On my part, to do so is to deny race as a major factor that breeds and sustains oppression in society; contributes to war; leads to occupation, as seen in the Israel/Palestine conflict; and, more importantly, derecognizes the existence of the United Nations (UN).

One of the major principles that lead to the formation of the UN is that of racial equality, wherein its Human Rights Declaration recognises that all men are created equal, and should be treated with dignity and respect.

RPA misleading farmers in Region 5 Dear Editor,

IT IS very sad that the Rice Producers Association is misleading farmers in Region 5 by claiming that it has the farmers’ interests at heart.

I met with several rice farmers in the region over the past weeks, to listen to their concerns; be it in D&I, paddy availability, state of dams, etc. Many of the farmers said that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) does not have seed paddy available.

When I asked who told them or provided them with the information, they said the Were there not the recognition of the practices of race and other inequities, there would have been no need for the UN and this declaration.

The tendency in society to throw around terms to justify denying others what’s rightly theirs must stop. Peace can never be achieved without recognition and respect for the equality of others in all forms. And the universal framework outlining these is grounded in UN declarations, international conventions and charters, and the Guyana Constitution.

Regards, LINCOLN LEWIS

RPA Reps.

I contacted GRDB at Burma to know the facts, and was told a different story; I was told that there are almost five thousand bags of seed paddy in store presently, and that the information provided to the farmers is far from the truth.

Firstly, let me state that RPA Reps are not employees of GRDB or the Government. This is a PPP agency headed by someone whom we know always misleads the public on the rice sector.

Secondly, farmers believe the RPA Reps because they are visiting GRDB at Burma twice weekly, so the

farmers take their words for granted. Why is it that RPA Reps are allowed at GRDB facilities twice weekly when they are not government employees? Please, GRDB, educate me and the public on this.

Thirdly, it’s a shame that, because of RPA misinformation, many of the farmers have had to source seed paddy elsewhere. Some didn’t even get the amount they were looking for.

How can an association which claims to represent rice farmers be so misleading? Is this a tactic that is being used by RPA to ensure that farmers suffer?

Is this a plan to see that the rice industry is crippled, or is this a way to bad-mouth the Government on the rice sector? Dr. Mahendra and staff at GRDB Burma are working all crops in and out to ensure that farmers have the best, and for RPA to be so misleading is in itself discrediting to those workers.

I call on GRDB to ensure that those RPA Reps stay within their limits, so that they can stop misleading the farmers in Region 5.

Regards, ABEL SEETARAM APNU+AFC Regional Councillor Region 5

8

AG’s statement on Red House lease

FACTUAL MATRIX THE Red House is comprised of Lots 65, 66, and 67 Area A, High Street, Kingston, and is held by Transport No. 915/1925 in the name of “The Colony of British Guiana,” and the lands called Colony lands.

The new owner is “the Government of Guyana”, and the lands are “Government Lands.”

The status of being transported Government lands has not changed, as is reflected in the Register at the Deeds Registry, the last entry therein being the 1st September, 1925 date of transport. At all material times there was a building on the said lots of land, now called “Red House”, being subject to the transport.

On the 21st March, 2000, the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Inc (CJRCI) was incorporated by Janet Jagan, Nadira Jagan-Brancier and Donald Ramotar as “A NOT FOR PROFIT COMPANY.” One of the objects of the company was “to establish a library and research facilities to contain the books, records and documents owned

by Cheddi Jagan.” Also in 2000, a lease between the Government of Guyana and the National Trust as lessors and CJRCI as lessees was drawn up, but not executed.

On May 3, 2006, Mr. Donald Ramotar, on be-

half of the CJRCI, made application to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys (CL&S) for a lease of Red House lands, and a file was opened and numbered 413112/11 in the Guyana Lands & Surveys Commission (GL&SC). In 2010, a resubmission of the application was made on a revised schedule (8/2006-Backlog Revision one - August 30, 2010) to the then Office of the President.

On January 11, 2011, this resubmission was also not approved, as there is no evidence of any signature of the President on the purported Schedule, only those of Doorga Persaud, then CL&S, and the Manager, Land Administration, Mr. Menzie.

On the 30th March 2012, a lease entered by Mr. Doorga Persaud, CL&S, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, and Mr. Ralph Ramkarran SC., on behalf of the CJRCI, was issued under Section 10 of the Lands Department Act, Chapter 59:01. Under the lease, the Government purportedly leased to the CJRCI “all that piece or parcel of Government Land situate at Kingston, Georgetown more fully described as follows: “Area “A”, now called Red House, comprising Lots 65, 66, and 67 High Street Kingston, situate in the City of Georgetown, County of

Demerara.”

To hold the said premises for educational & research purposes for a term of ninety-nine (99) years, commencing from the 1st day of January, 2012, at an annual rental of $12,000.00 (twelve thousand) dollars for the first three years.

It was further provided that the Government of Guyana could revise the annual rent payable at the end of every three years.

THE RED HOUSE LEASE It is submitted that the said lease is void for the following reasons: - Section 10 (1) of the Lands Department Act chapter 59:01 Laws of Guyana provides: - Government Lands shall only be rented or sold with the sanction of the President and on the terms and conditions determined by him.

This means that the President of Guyana must approve the Lease. The question is how is the President’s sanction of the creation of a lease under the said section 10 manifested?

Government Lands are created when the President issues a grant of State Land to the CL&S and his successors.

Section 4 of the State Lands Act Chapter 62:01 provides: - Whenever the President deems it expedient that any State Lands should be converted into Government Lands, the President

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

may issue a grant of those lands…to the Commissioner and his successors in office for and on behalf of the State as Government Lands, and thereupon such lands shall be held by the Commissioner and his successors in office as Government Lands.

The CL&S is the custodian of all Government Lands, and since by the nature of a lease he would be the Lessor, he can create a lease once he has a lessee.

That is why there must be evidence of the President approving leases under Section 10 of the Lands Department Act Chapter 59:01.

It is apposite to note that the Land Department under the Lands Department Act Chapter 59:01 and under the State Lands Act Chapter 62:01 are one and the same, as is the Commissioner of Lands. It is submitted that upon a proper perusal of file#413112/11 there is no formal evidence of sanction or approval by the President of the day, and the lease is invalid.

NATIONAL TRUST The Red House is established in the National Trust of Guyana Monuments Register (updated October 2016) as a Public Building/National Monument /Heritage Site. The National Trust is a body corporate established under the National Trust Act Chapter 20:03 Laws of Guyana, which is an “Act to make provision for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and objects of historic interest or national importance.”

Under Section 2 of the said Act “Monument” includes “any building, structure, object, or other work of man or of nature, whether above or below the surface of the land or the floor of the sea within the territorial waters of Guyana any site, cave or excavation.”

Section 2 of the said Act further provides: - “the National Monument” means any monument declared to be a national monument under section 15, and includes any land comprising or adjacent to such a monument, which in the opinion of the National Trust is reasonably required for the purpose of maintaining the monument or the amenities thereof, or for providing or facilitating access thereto, or for the exercise of proper control or management with respect thereto.

By virtue of Section 3 (1) of the said Act “……

The National Trust shall not transfer, mortgage, lease, charge or dispose of any land without the approval of the Minister.”

It is submitted that there is no evidence of a formal approval by the Minister/President to lease the “Red House” a Public Building/National Monument/Heritage Site to the CJRCI. The unsigned draft lease agreement of 2000 suggests a disinclination on the part of the Minister/President to approve such a transaction.

SECTION 13 DEEDS REGISTRY ACT CHAPTER 5:01 It is submitted that the said lease is invalid for failure to conform to the provisions of Section 13 of the Deeds Registry Act Chapter 5:01 Laws of Guyana relating to a lease for a term of 21 (twenty-one) or more years.

Section 13 (1) provides, inter alia: - No lease of immovable property expressed to be for a term of 21 (twenty-one) years or more……………………… shall…………be good, valid or effectual in law, or pleadable in any Court of Justice in Guyana, unless passed and executed before the Court in like manner as a transport, and filed as of record in the Registry.

Sections 13 (3) provides that every long lease mentioned in subsection (1) passed and executed before the Court and filed as of record in the Registry shall be annotated by the Registrar against the property leased.

Section 13 (2) provides that failure to file the lease of immovable property as of record in the Registry renders it not “good, valid or effectual in law, or pleadable in any Court of Justice in Guyana.”

It is submitted that the ‘Red House’ Lease of 99 years was not executed in the manner of a transport; that is, advertised and passed before the Court.

Nor was it filed as of record and annotation made against the Property by the Registrar of Deeds.

CONCLUSION In conclusion, all parties knew that Red House at all material times was a heritage site, both building and lands, under the National Trust Act Chapter 20:03. The Lessors, in 2000, refused to sign a purported lease between the Government of Guyana, the National Trust as Lessors, and the CJRCI as the Lessee.

After application was made by Donald Ramotar on behalf of the CJRCI in May 2006, and file #413112/11 opened, no approval was granted by any President of the day.

On 30th day of March 2012, the Red House lease was purportedly executed by the CL&S and Mr. Ralph Ramkarran S.C., for the lessees. Again, there was no formal approval by the President of the day, or the National Trust, rendering the lease invalid and a nullity in law. The President can properly revoke it.

The Red House lease was birthed in darkness to hide its unlawfulness from the scrutiny of justice.

9

Gold tops 700,000 ozs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

GOLD declaration for 2016 has reached a record high of 705,000 ounces as at the close of business on Friday.

When contacted, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), Simona Broomes, confirmed the historic declaration and dubbed 2016 “a good year”. She told Guyana Chronicle that the increase in gold declaration is a manifestation of the true potential of the industry, and is the collaborative efforts of miners and the MNRE. “I want to thank the miners for their hard work… It is as a result of their hard work that we have been able to witness a historic milestone,” Minister Broomes said as she hailed the industry.

She explained that for years it has been said that gold is yet to reach its true potential, and she believes that 2016 will set the stage for greater

things to come for the mining sector.

“2016 has been a good year for the sector, and I expect that, with this historic declaration, in years to come, even more gold will be declared at the Guyana Gold Board,” the minister stated.

She reminded that the industry has helped to

ment is looking forward to all miners producing and declaring high numbers in 2017, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has pledged to continue supporting the industry.

The minister explained at a year-end press conference that, in 2016, the Ministry of Finance had

Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) privately worked towards a higher target of 650,000 ounces.

“As announced in the National Assembly recently, we surpassed that target. Today, I am ecstatic to announce that declarations stand at an unprecedented and whopping

medium scale miners, who he said delivered the majority of the gold, along with the Guyana Goldfields and Troy Resources, which contributed 70 per cent of the gold declared, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

M i n i s t e r Tr o t m a n recalled that when the

keep the country afloat while other industries experienced challenging times, and declared that the country must be grateful to miners.

Declaring that Govern-

projected a gold declaration target of 550,000 ounces, an increase of 21.8 per cent over the previous year’s target; but the MNRE, the Guyana Geology and Mines

690,000 ounces -- the highest gold declaration figure in any calendar year in the history of gold mining in Guyana,” Minister Trotman declared.

He praised small and

Coalition Administration took office in 2015, it recognised that some changes were needed in the regulation and management of the industry, especially since the GGB

had for years had a deficit of more than $9B. “This demanded a comprehensive review of the 35-year-old organization; which, upon completion, informed us that the Board has to transition into the role of regulator and diminish its role as a purchaser of gold,” Minister Trotman said.

The MNRE will therefore shortly be meeting with miners, miners associations, and gold dealers to define the way forward.

Minister Trotman emphasised that the MNRE has fought tirelessly for the continued existence of the GGB, since that ministry believes there is merit in having the organisation function as a regulator, to monitor gold dealers.

The minister commended miners for their performance thus far, and noted that the Government will continue to explore best practices to enhance the GGB, GINA has reported.

Main suspects in Corentyne murder on the run THE police are hunting two main suspects in the murder of Corentyne handyman Mohan Ball, popularly known as “Uncle Ball” as they deepen their investigations.

Two other persons were detained and released, a police source told the Guyana Chronicle.

According to a police source, the wanted men being sought were last seen with the victim and are believed to be the ones responsible for his murder.

Ball was discovered around 13:30 hrs by a group of children who were playing in the area where his body was found.

His body, which was pulled from the banks of the Williamsburg Side-

line trench, bore several wounds about his back and abdomen.

Residents who spoke with this publication on condition of anonymity on Thursday said that the victim was involved in an altercation with two men named “Andy” and “Rocky” and was reportedly beaten to death.

His attackers apparently attempted to dispose of his body over the main drainage canal, popularly called the “sideline trench,’’ to conceal it among the bushes but fell short, since the banks of the canal were steep.

Sister of the deceased, Annie Fraser, said her brother worked as a handyman and would usually stay at her home, since

Mohan Ball (right) with his niece in happier times he has no fixed place of abode. She last saw her brother alive on Tuesday, December 20, when he visited her and she learnt of his demise from

a lad in the village.

“One lil boy come and ask fuh Aunty Annie, so me husband ask what he want and he asked who am me to ‘Uncle Ball’ and

me husband tell am a me brother then he say ‘Uncle Ball’ dead, Andy and Rocky kill am.”

Fraser said her brother did not know how to swim and could not have gotten over the trench by himself.

“Mohan nah know fuh swim, suh he couldn’t get over the sideline it too big, even me husband who strong and know fuh swim good had a hard time fuh go over. The current strong, so Mohan would ah get carry away wid the current,” the distraught sister said on Thursday.

The location where her brother was found had tracks that showed that his body was dragged out of the trench.

The woman also said she was told that her broth-

er was killed elsewhere and she was able to identify his hat, shoes and chain at the location which she pointed out to the police.

She related that one of the accused, “Andy”, was at the scene in wet clothes, but she did not take much notice at the time.

“When we reach me see “Andy” clothes wet, but me husband seh leh we see wha happed to Mohan fuss and by time we confirm he dead, “Andy” disappear.”

Fraser related that the men who are accused of her brother’s murder were his drinking buddies and it is unclear what may have led to his murder, since he was not known to be violent nor dishonest.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Let’s look at proposals to save sugar industry –– GAWU president, Komal Chand

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is optimistic that today’s meeting with the Government and GuySuCo would allow for proposals for the betterment of the sugar industry.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan recently described money invested in sugar as a waste of time.

Sharing his optimism, GAWU president, Komal Chand, disclosed: “We hope to hear ideas and proposals to give us time to reflect, and reach with the Government and GuySuCo to decide the way forward for the industry as well as (regarding) the closure of the Wales Estate.”

Alleging that no document had been shared with the union in relation to studies that GuySuCo might have conducted to come to conclusions on various projG AW U p r e s i d e n t , K o m a l ects, Chand deChand, speaking to members clared: “So far, of the media on Friday there has been no engagement leading to positions that the Government (wishes) to take in the industry; thus we hope that the meeting will not be an exercise (merely for) public consumption.”

GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Glenn Hanoman, has met with Cabinet to discuss certain steps the corporation would be taking; however, the news that reached the union is that the GuySuCo Board was supposed to have met with the Cabinet, but the CEO was the only one to have done so. This, Chand said, is evidence of GAWU being excluded in the past from decision making and consultations.

He said that when the union gets opportunity tomorrow, it would pose its proposals and suggestions so that workers and the people would not be disappointed if there is a done deal.

The GAWU president is speculating that issues such as the divestment of the industry will be discussed, as well as the alleged intention to close the Rose Hall Estate factory in East Berbice and a great part of the sugar cultivation at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

That apart, the cessation of cultivation at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara is another issue in the pipeline for discussion, as well as the prospective sale of the Skeldon and Enmore Sugar factories.

GAWU also intends to highlight that, for the second consecutive year, employees have been denied a pay increase.

With a debt of $87B, GuySuCo had said it will not be able to accommodate pay increases.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Marriott unable to service its loan

By Ravin Singh

EVEN with a “good” occupancy rate, the controversial 197-room Marriott Hotel is currently unable to service its loan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Horace James, has said.

James’s revelation was made on Friday during an end-of-year press conference held at NICIL’s boardroom, Kingston.

The Marriott Hotel, which is a US$30M investment by the Government through NICIL, is owned by Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) and was reported to have been financed by a US$27M loan raised from a consortium of businesses.

It was also reported that Republic Bank had

assumed responsibility for managing the loan, which with interest and other costs, would see the hotel repaying US$26M in 26 installments.

According to James however, at a recently held Annual General Meeting (AGM) for The Marriott, the Board of Directors disclosed that the hotel was unable to service its debt.

“They [the board] say they are not able to service their debt,” he said, adding that there are still some outstanding loans from Republic Bank that the hotel might be able to access.

However, the CEO pointed out that AHI would “obviously” need to revise its plan to access those loans. He added too that he believes this process of revising the plan has begun.

In relation to the hotel being unable to service its

Chief Executive Officer for NICIL, Horace James loan though, James said that this is not a result of low occupancy rates. In fact, he reasoned that the “occupancy rate is good,” and that the financial woes with the Marriott are not a

result of the operations of the actual hotel.

He posited rather, that the additional revenue the hotel could have been generating from its Entertainment Complex and Casi-

no, is not there. As such, James noted that the board has expressed its intention to have the Entertainment Complex and Casino up and running at the soonest possible time.

“We attended the AGM for Marriott a few weeks ago and the board believes that is the way to go, in terms of the entertainment centre and that should be able to get [them] through the financial hurdle. They are hoping to make a decision to get the entertainment centre running,” he said.

Meanwhile, to deal with the hotel’s inability to service its loans, James said that both the Minister of Finance and Republic Bank have been informed about the situation. He added too, that NICIL remains hopeful that the Finance Minister will be able to assist in this area.

When quizzed however, the CEO could not say what amount is due at the end of this year.

Meanwhile, he revealed that approximately 30 entities currently owe NICIL for services provided to them. Sitting in the top bracket of that list is the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, which currently owes $174M for Battery Road,which leads up to the Marriott . The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) owes $74M for work done at Sparendaam, while the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) owes $61M for rental of a property at 199 Camp Street. Bobby Ramoop’s New GPC (Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation) also owes NICIL over $5M and has been written to about this debt.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Bartica Massacre …

Attorney Juman-Yassin takes the stand

By Michel Outridge

AS the Bartica Massacre trial continued in the High Court on Friday before Justice Roxane George and a 12-member jury, Attorney Kalam Juman-Yassin, who was appointed the Special Prosecutor in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) in the Magistrates Court in the matter, testified, reading from the depositions of the two deceased police

officers, who had given evidence then.

Juman-Yassin told the court that after the PI before the then Magistrate Fazil Azeez, a prima facie case was made out against the accused persons; as such, the matter was sent to the High Court for trial.

An application was then made by the state prosecutor for the depositions to be shown to Juman-Yassin, who said he recognised it

by the signature of the then Magistrate Fazil Azeez, who has been his friend for many years.

They have been around each other a lot and Juman-Yassin related that he is familiar with the handwriting and signatures of the witnesses, Leroy Alexander and Gerald Nieunkirk.

The depositions were then admitted and tendered as evidence in the trial, then Juman-Yassin

read the depositions of Leroy Alexander, which stated that on February 18, 2008, about 21:30hrs, he was in his room, which is located six houses away from the Bartica Police Station and was watching cricket when suddenly he heard gunshots ringing out.

He went outside to see what was happening and saw persons running, after which he tried to make contact with the station, but could not.

Alexander then contacted Corporal Winter by cellphone and he told him ‘something’ and they met and decided to stay away from the Bartica Police Station and the gunshots continued for half an hour.

They then visited the station and observed that the safes and cupboards storing the force’s arms and ammunition had been broken into and the arms and ammunition were missing and there were holes in the doors and walls of the building.

Inspector Alexander and Corporal Winter went into the yard and saw Ron Osborne, clad in his uniform, lying motionless by the gate, after which they went into the barrack room and with the aid of a torch light observed cops Zaheer Zakir and Shane Fredericks, both of whom appeared to be dead.

Alexander picked up spent shells and live rounds and placed them in evidence bags, while Corporal Winter photographed the scene.

They then went in front of the station and saw the force’s land rover parked there with a rifle and spent shells inside.

Acting on information, they then went to the Bartica stelling where they saw five men lying motionless on the wharf with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the back of their heads.

Inspector Alexander and Corporal Winter then went to the home of Chunilall

Baboolall at 67 First Avenue, entered the two-storey house and saw the watchman Irving Ferreira lying near a freezer. He appeared to be dead.

Spent shells were picked up by Alexander and on their way out they saw motorcar HA 4792 with the windscreen shattered, parked in front the house and the body of Dexter Adrian was slumped over the steering wheel.

They then went to the home of Gurudat Singh and observed three windows on the lower flat shattered and there were holes in the walls, a door was damaged and the room had been ransacked.

Spent shells and one live round were picked up and bagged.

RIDDLED WITH BULLETS Alexander and Winter then went to Banks DIH on First Avenue and observed that the building was riddled with bullets and blood was in the compound.

The duo then received some information and went to the Bartica Hospital where they saw security guard Edwin Gilkes lying motionless on a bed and appeared to be dead.

Alexander and Winter also saw Lisa Narine and Melrose Allicock, both of whom had gunshot wounds.

A team from the city arrived and examined the scene, after which 10 envelopes which contained the spent shells and live rounds recovered from the crime scenes were sealed and marked by Alexander.

Reading from the deposition of Gerald Nieunkirk, Attorney-at-law Juman-Yassin said the Inspector of Police conducted an identification parade which was held at CID Eve Leary, in which Roger Simon called “Goat Man” was a participant.

He was among seven men of similar features and

height and he was picked out by the witness. He was informed of such and that was the only part Nieunkirk played in the matter.

On trial are Mark Royden Williams called “Smallie”, Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” and Roger Simon called “Goat Man,” each indicted on 12 counts for the murder of nine civilians and three policemen at Bartica on February 17, 2008.

However, two of the five accused, Michael Caesar and Clebert Reece have since pleaded guilty to manslaughter separately and have been sentenced.

Mark Royden Williams is being represented by Roger Yearwood, Dennis Williams’ lawyer is Saphier Hussain and Roger Simon’s attorney is Peter Hugh.

During the February 17, 2008 rampage, nine civilians and three cops were gunned down by a group of heavily armed men, who descended on Bartica at nightfall.

Those who lost their lives were Bartica residents Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian and Irving Ferreira; policemen stationed at the Bartica Police Station, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam; Ronald Gomes of Kuru Kururu; Ashraf Khan of Middlesex, Essequibo Coast; Abdool Yasseen and Errol Thomas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo; and Baldeo Singh of Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins, according to the police, had led the gang on the rampage in Bartica, as well as the one that converged on Lusignan on January 26, 2008.

Rawlins was killed during a Joint Services operation on August 28, 2008.

With his death and the arrest and prosecution of the five suspects, it appeared as though the police had closed the investigation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Police probe disappearance of HIV kits

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) is probing the disappearance of HIV rapid testing kits in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

This has been confirmed

by Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton when he addressed members of the media on the sidelines of the Public Health Ministry’s year-end press conference on Friday.

“I am not happy with what is happening where drug shortages are concerned… We have a report right now that rapid test kits left the Materials Management Unit (MMU) to go up to Region Six, but disappeared in thin air,” Dr. Norton said.

Reports of similar mysterious occurrences have come out of regions One (Barima/ Waini) and Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni). The authorities in Region One, he said, distribute the drugs and do not bring a receipt. This recurring issue will be dealt with, the minister said, and

Minister Norton at Friday’s press briefing he will not sit idly by and let injustice and inefficiencies in the system prevail.

The Public Health Ministry has also received complaints regarding the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). “We received complaints that the length of time a patient has to wait for attention is absurd; persons are not getting medication…; we are getting complaints from

the laundry room and even persons in the kitchen,” Dr. Norton said.

In a recent visit, officials discovered numerous issues at the hospital, including broken tiles in the children’s ward and sewage overflowing in certain places.

These matters, Dr. Norton said, are being investigated, and the hospital is expected to soon have a new board of directors.

TIP task force hails conviction of human trafficker

THE Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons has hailed the recent decision of a magistrate’s court to jail a woman who was found guilty of trafficking in person.

The Task Force said it had on September 8, 2016, voiced its concern regarding the conviction of Ms. Joyce Lawrence of Plantation Grove, due to the fact that no jail time was ordered in accompaniment with the restitution ordered on the charge of ‘trafficking a 16-year-old female for labour exploitation’ and a fine levied on the charge of ‘unlawful withholding of an identification document’.

However, the Task Force expressed its satisfaction with the latest conviction for trafficking in persons in the Magistrates’ Court. On December 22, 2016, Ms. Sharleen Oxley, residing in Pattenson, Greater Georgetown, Guyana and Cayenne, French Guiana, was convicted of the offence of trafficking in persons in Georgetown Magistrates’ Court One. The sentence given was three years imprisonment together with restitution for the survivor in the sum of two million Guyana Dollars (G$2M).

“The Task Force is pleased that the

prosecution was successful in establishing a case beyond a reasonable doubt against the perpetrator of the crime, that a conviction was achieved, and that the penalties meted out were in accordance with the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act No. 2 of 2005.”

The Task Force said it continues to contend that it is essential that verdicts in cases of trafficking in persons in Guyana are in line with local legislation and commensurate with the crime committed. “In this particular case, the Task Force is of the opinion that the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court through Her Worship, the Chief Magistrate, has set a satisfactory precedent which can serve as a deterrent to potential offenders and should become a standard from which there is no regression.”

The Task Force said too that it remains committed to working with the judicial and prosecutorial authorities in Guyana to improve efforts in ensuring successful prosecutions in cases of trafficking in persons, just penalties for perpetrators and last, but certainly not least, fair treatment and compensation for victims/survivors of the crime.

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Three-year-old dies in early-morning fire

The now deceased, Bianca Sancho

A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl was on Friday morning burnt to death in a house at Triumph Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara (ECD) while six persons have been left homeless.

Dead is Bianca Sancho, who died while asleep in the two-storey wooden structure where she lived with her parents and siblings. According to the police, an investigation has been launched into the fire which reportedly began about 07:00hrs.

In a statement to the media, the Guyana Police Force said the mother of Bianca and her three other children were asleep in the house when she was awakened by the smell of smoke. By the time she awoke, the house was partly engulfed in flames.

The woman, in a bid to save her children, rushed three of her four children out of the house but, failed to rescue Bianca as the upper flat of the house caved in, preventing her from entering.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

The fire in progress earlier yesterday morning.

When the firefighters from the Campbellville and Mahaica fire stations arrived, the house was already engulfed in flames.

According to the police, Bianca’s body was retrieved about 09:00hrs with severe burns and she was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC) but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene, neighbours revealed that the victims of the fire have travelled to Linden. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

13 maternal deaths in 2016

THIRTEEN cases of maternal deaths have been recorded in 2016 and disciplinary action for negligent behaviour have commenced.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, said in light of these deaths, one person has already been disciplined while two others are currently before the Medical Council.

Junior Public Health Four persons were M i n i s t e r, D r K a r e n disciplined in relation to Cummings maternal deaths in 2015.

Minister Cummings said the Public Health Ministry is committed to maternal health and baby-friendly initiatives.

Under the baby-friendly initiative, 11 hospitals were accredited with ‘baby-friendly’ status.

“Guyana is the only country in [the] Anglophone Caribbean with hospitals accredited with the baby-friendly hospital status,” Cummings said, adding that this achievement is of “immense national pride.”

“However, complacency is not an option, since there are 20 more hospitals which have to be accredited,” the minister said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Business Minister meets Regent Street store owners –– Receives mixed reviews on business during Christmas season

BUSINESS Minister Dominic Gaskin met on Friday with several business owners along Regent Street and the Bourda Market area to find out firsthand how business had gone on during the Christmas season.

After discussions with the business owners, the minister disclosed that he received mixed reviews, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported on Friday. Gaskin said many attributed challenges to the heavy rainfall, which resulted in severe flooding across the city last week.

But while there were those who cited the heavy rainfall as a major setback for them, other owners said they were prepared for the rains, as it is customary in December.

Minister Gaskin said he “was happy to just walk around and say ‘Hi!’ to some people who have been the driving force behind the centre of commercial activities.” He explained that the tour was a courtesy visit, and was not to give the business owners any false hopes or promise, but to greet them for the Christmas Season.

Noting that the mixed

responses received from the store owners is understandable, he expressed optimism that sales would increase come 2017.

Meanwhile, a representative of Beepat’s store on Regent Street said that, like previous years, sales have been excellent for the Christmas Season; while the owner of Bollywood Fashion Store said sales in the past were good, but this year’s sales -- especially for the Christmas season -- have decreased rapidly.

Many of the store owners said the influx of Cubans here over the past few months has helped to drive sales. In that light, the Minister of Business said foreign shoppers are welcome to Guyana, as they boost businesses here.

“Obviously they find the shopping here attractive. I think they find the prices are good. I think Guyana is a place that they can travel to easier than perhaps some of the other countries, so it’s a good thing. It’s always good to have people come to your country and shop,” said Gaskin, who has called on foreign investors to come here and conduct business.

The minister disclosed

Man who brutally killed estranged wife to be charged with murder ––To appear in court on January 3

SHELDON Prince, the estranged husband of 24year-old Lonnet Nicholson-Prince, will be charged with murder and is expected to appear before the Magistrates Court in Berbice on January 3.

The Director of Public Prosecutions on Friday advised that Prince be charged with murder. Prince, a trainee prison warden attached to the New Amsterdam Prison, on December 29 brutally stabbed to death Nicholson, a mother of one at her workplace after she had refused to speak with him.

Prince allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed her 11 times about the body in the presence of co-workers.

After committing the brutal act, he reportedly fled through the eastern fence of the hospital and escaped.

His blood-stained pants were found some distance away under the Canje Bridge. The 30-year-old later turned himself in at the Central Police station in the company of Attorney-at-Law, Mursuline Bacchus.

Meanwhile, Government Pathologist, Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan, has revealed that Nicholson died from a stab wound to the heart, along with two other stab wounds which punctured her lungs. Dr. Brijmohan said too that the hairdresser died as a result of shock and haemorrhage resulting from the multiple stab wounds.

Nicholson, who had been married to Prince for five years, will be buried on Thursday.

that his administration needs to strategise a plan to build from foreign investors that visit Guyana to conduct business.

“It’s something we haven’t had in a long time to ponder, because this is a relatively new development and we are still trying to see or figure out exactly what is driving it,” he stated.

Minister of Business and Tourism, Dominic Gaskin, speaking with a representative of Beepat’s Store on Regent St.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Bounty Farm invested US$46M over past five years –– agriculture minister lauds investment during tour of Timehri facility

THE proprietors of Bounty Farm have invested US$46M over the past five years to ensure Guyana has a functioning poultry industry and in addition, provided farmers with a state-of-the-art hatchery, a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture stated on Friday.

Apart from the hatching facility, the company boasts a state-of-the-art feed factory which augments the local feed supply needs.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Richard Nigel Cumberbatch, toured Bounty Farm headquartered at Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

During his tour of the facility, Minister Holder underscored the contributions of the entity to the country’s economic development. The Agriculture Minister met with Peter De Groot, Managing- Director of Bounty Farm Limited and David Fernandez, who provided the minister and his team with a first-hand look at the company’s operations.

“I am extremely pleasured with the operations here and the investment which has been made over the year to ensure that the local poultry and feed industry continues to thrive,” Minister Holder said.

Guyana’s poultry industry has recorded significant growth over the past five years and the Government has committed to ensuring that the necessary incentives are provided to ensure the sustenance of the industry.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder and his team listen to Peter De Groot , Managing Director of Bounty Farm Limited, and David Fernandes, during a tour of the Timehri facility.

Stacks of eggs at Bounty Farm Timehri, East Bank Demerara

A row of chickens at Bounty Farm, Timehri

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

PPP holds vigil for Red House

–– Lawrence says building must not be used for party purposes AMIDST all year-end celebrations, the PPP/C, represented by a number of loyal party supporters, came out last night to hold a candlelight vigil outside the premises of the Red House in Kingston, Georgetown known as the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

Former President Donald Ramotar told the media at the vigil: “This is a completely lawless action on the part of the Government! This vigil is to highlight the nature and the vindictive nature of this APNU+AFU regime!”

He promised that the PPP/C would assess the situ-

A section of the PPP/C supporters seen during the vigil held outside the Cheddi Jagan Research Center/ Red House ation and then take whatever “Leasehold interest is step is necessary. “All we are considered property in law, asking is that people respect and the Constitution protects the laws of this country!” he that. You can’t take away a declared. person’s proprietary interest Ramotar claimed, too, without paying him compenthat it is “utter hypocrisy” on sation, and that is protected the part of the Government by Article 142 of the Conto claim to be promoting so- stitution,” Nandlall said, as cial cohesion and to set up a he contended that “the PresMinistry of Social Cohesion, ident’s action is a violation but still act in this manner. of the Constitution.”

The conversation between a supporter of the PPP/C vigil and the APNU+AFC counter-picket gets heated Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall also had this to say: “The Chief Executive Officer of the land, in his conduct and in his statement issued last night, has disregarded all the protection which the law accords to a tenant, and similarly terminated a 99- year lease unilaterally, without giving any notice whatsoever, and ordered the tenant to vacate the premise within 24 hours.”

Contending that several steps must be taken before a tenant is ejected, he declared that the law must take its course. He also noted that ever since the APNU+AFC coalition Administration took office, Government has been receiving rental payments for this heritage building, and he contended that maintaining the building comes at no cost to the treasury.

“This is just an act of spite, an act of political vendetta and an act of political vindictiveness; and of course it is an assault on the rule of law and on the constitutional right to property,” Nandlall said.

A few APNU+ AFC supporters were present at this vigil, but they formed a “counter-picket” against the initial vigil. Current Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Volda Lawrence, when addressing members of the media, noted that they fully agree with the President’s decision.

“We are saying that, as the present Government, this must become a State building once more,” she said. “Tonight we are here to stand in solidarity with our President: that this building must be used for all Guyanese,” Lawrence said.

She added: “We did make a statement earlier, when we took office, about this building and several other buildings that were used for party purposes…State buildings being used for political purposes!

“This move shouldn’t come as a surprise, because we did indicate that it was wrong then, and it is still wrong now… So us moving to ensure that this building is used for the Guyanese nation shouldn’t come as a surprise,” she contended.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday December 31, 2016

Eight-year-old victim of freak accident laid to rest

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Nina Taka Ajeni Blair, who was injured in a freak accident at the Alpha Children’s Home at Gay Park, Greater New Amsterdam on Christmas Eve Day and died on Christmas Day, was laid to rest on Friday.

The child was playing in the yard of the institution when a stump wall fell on her at about 14:00h on the day in question. According to reports, a 16-year-old orphan who also resides at the Home had sneaked into a car belonging to the institution, started its engine and pressed the accelerator, causing the vehicle to slam into the stump wall, and making it fall on the eightyear-old.

Pulled from under the rubble of the wall by Mrs. Esther Bruyning and other children, the child and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where she received treatment; but due to the severity of her injuries, she was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she died.

The sixteen-year-old has appeared before New Amsterdam Magistrate Marissa Mithelholzer, charged with manslaughter. He has been granted $350,000 bail, and is expected to appear in court on February 27 next, for report and fixture of his case.

Blair, meanwhile, has been laid to rest at the Stanleytown cemetery following a church service at the Rehma World Harvest Mission Church, which she attended regularly.

John Adams, Member of Parliament and advisor to Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, expressed sympathy on behalf of President David Granger, Minister Lawrence, and the entire Government. He said lessons should be learnt

ed that this accident has been the very first incident of this nature.

However, Venus Lalloo, mother of Nina Blair, expressed outrage at the loss of her child, and said that while she struggled to maintain her thirteen children, such a situation had never befallen

Nina Taka Ajeni Blair from the death of the child, who had been taken away from her mother by officials of the Social Protection Ministry about six months ago.

He also said that the Ministry of Social Protection would continue to work collaboratively with the child’s mother, Venus Lalloo, to empower her so that she can be better equipped to take care of her children when they are reunited.

Child Protection Officer Rosita De Castro, in the eulogy, said Nina was born to Cecil Blair and Venus Laloo on November 25, 2008. She grew up with her mother and siblings under tough conditions at Angoy’s Avenue on the eastern fringe of New Amsterdam.

The family later moved to Edinburgh Village, where the girl attended the Edinburgh Primary School before being placed at the Alpha Children’s Home following allegations of physical violations.

Caregiver at the Alpha Home, Mrs. Esther Bruyning, said Nina and her siblings brought ‘light’ at the children home, as they were very loving.

Bruyning said the orphanage has been in existence for twenty-five years, and has dealt with countless children with varying illness and disabilities, but she not-

Corrections THE Guyana Chronicle in its December 30, 2016 edition carried a story headlined “Portion of BCL concessions for small miners,” which appeared on Page 11. While the content of the story was correct, the headline was misleading as it should have read “small loggers” and not “small miners”.

There was also an error in another story, in the same edition, headlined “Closer to oil production- construction of US1.2B onshore petroleum facility next year”.

The sum quoted for construction of the plant was incorrect. Construction of the petroleum facility would be done to the tune of US$500M. The Guyana Chronicle sincerely apologises for these errors and the inconvenience they may have caused.

her. She pleaded with the Ministry of Social Protection to return her two daughters who are currently housed at the orphanage, and her eight-month-old baby, who is being cared for by a nurse.

But while she is pleading for her schoolage children, her older offspring prefer their

siblings to remain in protective custody.

Meanwhile, the two-hour funeral service was officiated by Pastor Briget Jordon, while several biblical choruses were sung by the children of Alpha Home and several tributes were made by teachers, family

members, caregivers, and the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage.

Also attending the funeral were Child Protection Officers from the Ministry of Social Protection and members of the Guyana Police Force Berbice divisions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, December 31, 2016

Being a chess player has made me the type of person that I love – National Junior Chess

Champion Saeed Ali Reigning national junior chess champion, Saeed Ali, is grateful for how being a chess player has helped to mould him into a better person.

Chess is my game.

The former Queen’s College student shared that the level of tolerance that he has learned from chess is something that he has been able to utilize in varying other aspects of his life.

“Being a chess player has made me the type of

person that I love. There is nothing that bothers me and I could wait a 100 years for something because it has taught me patience and patience means discipline. And without discipline you’re not your real.self.” Ali said with a smile.

“Chess is the best activity to get in during curricular time.

If you like fighting and you like winning a battle and like being outstanding than others get a chess board and fight your war.”.

It was the serene nature of the game that first attracted him to it. Saeed used to watch on intrigued as his grandfather submerged in the game. So when he was twelve years old he began playing.

“Before someone should consider whether or not to be a chess player the most important skill they should have is being patient and being calm about things even in the hardest situations. Patience tells you if you are smart enough to withhold a chess career.” He commented.

Saeed has always enjoyed the opportunities that being a national chess player afforded him.

“The thing I love most about being a chess player is that it makes you get to travel

Studing the next move. the world and see many different places and many other cultures; and having a chess background and going anywhere in the world you will always have a heads up above other competitors, like example when you apply for a job,” He noted As he began getting better he saw himself being selected to represent Guyana on the chess team at the trination Inter Guiana Games. He was also representing his first alma mater, Richard Ishmael at several tournaments locally.

However his love for the game though the aspiring physician took a two year break in 2013 to focus more on his academic pursuits.

Ali says the break was

very much necessary, because despite chess being only a battle of wits, Ali says, it requires just as much dedication and focus just as much as being involved in sport.

That’s why Ali was just yearning to get back into the game, and determined to capture his first national title when he did so. And when the 19 year old entered the National Junior Chess Championships last month he finally achieved his goal.

Now the budding entrepreneur has his eyes set of higher heights – the World Junior Chess Championships to be exact. Since he’s 19 Saeed only has one more year in the junior category.

So he’s determined to make his 2017 year counted.

Paul Adams to step down as Cobras coach

PAUL ADAMS will step down as Cape Cobras coach from January 1 to be redeployed as Western Cape Cricket high performance manager and coach.

This follows a prolonged period of player unhappiness with Adams, who has been in charge for five seasons and won five trophies but faced several mutinies this season.

Cobras have not announced Adams’ successor but have on their staff Faiek Davids and former international batsman Ashwell Prince, who are likely to come into contention to take over. Being mid-season, they will need to find a solution soon because their next fixture is a first-class match starting January 5.

Adams’ troubles with the players began at the end of last season when several senior Cobras players complained to the management about what

they believed was a lack of tactical acumen on Adams’ part.

Adams had the backing of the Western Cape Cricket

Paul Adams

(WCC) Board, though, and the concerns were ignored.

Instead, Adams underwent management courses over the winter but returned to work to find the players still unhappy.

They filed a formal grievance on May 10, after learning that Adams had been offered a contract extension.

The WCC then agreed to an internal mediation under

Paddy Upton but rejected his report for what they termed “material deficiencies,” as he had failed to interview all the contracted players. The South African Cricketers’ Association then became involved in assisting the players in dealing with the issue.

The SACA confirmed that 10 out of the 17 contracted players wanted Adams removed and helped them take the matter to the country’s dispute resolution body, the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), where the players applied for the right to strike should Adams not be removed.

The CCMA granted them that right but they did not act on it. It appears as though their demands have now been met and neither party showed ill-feeling.

“Helping the team to succeed in ways which led to a

number of trophies and getting players going up to the Proteas was a very satisfying part of my five-season journey as Cobras coach,” Adams said. “I am looking forward very much to my new role.”

The new year will begin with Cobras searching for consistency after starting the season with three defeats in the first-class competition to lie at the bottom of the table halfway through the tournament. They fared slightly better in the T20 format and were in contention for a playoff place but failed to qualify.

They have also sent two senior players on loan to other franchises - first-class captain Omphile Ramela to Lions for part of the T20 competition and off-spinner Dane Piedt to Titans.

There was no indication if either would be back under a new coach.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, December 31, 2016

Andy Murray loses to David Goffin in season opener World number one Andy Murray started his new season with a surprise defeat to Belgian David Goffin in the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Murray, who had not conceded a set in his previous five encounters against the Belgian, was beaten 7-6 (74) 6-4.

After losing the opening

Andy Murray

set at the exhibition tournament, Murray recovered to go 3-2 up in the second set.

But the world number 11 broke back and piled the pressure on the Briton.

Goffin will face either Milos Raonic or Rafael Nadal in Saturday’s final, with Murray up against the loser of the semi-final.

Murray lost just nine matches in his entire 2016 season. (BBC Sport)

Serena lands in New Zealand ahead of season opener (REUTERS) Newly-engaged Serena Williams touched down in Auckland on Friday and quickly made her way to the court to hit some balls ahead of the start of her 2017 season.

The 22-times grand slam singles champion announced her engagement on Thursday to Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the social media company Reddit, who accompanied her to New Zealand for the ASB Classic which starts on Thursday.

American Williams, 35, is top seed for the tournament, a warm-up event for the Australian Open grand slam later in January, and she was whisked through a crowded airport, telling reporters she was excited to

Serena Williams

be in New Zealand for the first time.

“It’s fun to go to new places,” the world number two said.

Serena’s older sister Venus is also competing in Auckland, an event she won in 2015, and said she was

delighted to hear about her sibling’s engagement.

Serena said it was unlikely the duo, who have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, would team up to play in New Zealand.

“Probably not. I wish, we will see,” Serena said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, December 31, 2016

Azhar Ali retained as captain for Australia ODIs

AZHAR ALI has been retained as Pakistan’s ODI captain for the five-match series against Australia starting January 13 in Brisbane.

Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who missed the limited-overs as well as Test series against West Indies in the UAE, returns to the squad, while Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah, who were in the squad for the ODIs against West Indies, have been dropped.

PAKISTAN ODI SQUAD Azhar Ali (capt.), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafique, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wkp.), Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Wahab

Azhar Ali

Riaz, Hasan Ali, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan “The ODI team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions in Australia and the performances of players in the recent ODI series against West Indies and in domestic cricket,” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector, said.

“The team is a fine blend of experience and youth, and the selectors have decided to stick to the same combination of players selected for the West Indies series earlier. We believe that the team will do well in the tour.”

A day before the first Test against Australia, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan

said the board had lost trust in Azhar’s leadership skills.

Azhar responded with 324 runs in his next four innings, including an unbeaten 205 at the MCG. Azhar had reportedly refused to relinquish the captaincy after the PCB asked him to step down and focus on his batting following the 4-1 series defeat in England.

Azhar has had a tough 19 months since he was appointed ODI captain in March 2015, soon after the World Cup. During his tenure, Pakistan had slipped to ninth place on the ICC rankings, with 86 points, their lowest tally since the points system was introduced in 2001.

Irfan, who had been drafted into the squad for the ODIs in England as

Mali fail in bid to include Boro’s Adama Traore in squad MIDDLESBROUGH winger Adama Traore has not been included in Mali’s provisional squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations after opting not to commit himself to the West African country.

Adama Traore The Spain-born winger had been tipped to switch international allegiance to his parents’ homeland of Mali.

Brothers Sambou and Moustapha Yatabare are in the 26-man squad.

Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako is included despite having played only 87 minutes for his club this season.

Mali have never won the Africa Cup of Nations. They were runners-up in 1972 and finished third in 2012 and 2013.

They were knocked out of the last tournament in the group stage but defender Hamari Traore believes the current generation have sufficient firepower to do much bet-

ter in Gabon this time around.

“We know we are a young squad but we believe we can achieve success together as a team,” Traore told BBC Sport.

“Mali have never won this tournament; that is the extra motivation for us to make a good impression.

“Yes, there is no big star in our team because everybody is a star and that helps us mentally.”

Mali are in Group D alongside four-time winners Ghana, Egypt and debutants Uganda.

Their opening match is against seven-time winners Egypt on January 17.

The tournament kicks off on January 14 with the final on February 5.

MALI SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Soumaila Diakité and Djigui Diarra (Stade Malien de Bamako), Oumar Sissoko (Orléans, France) Defenders: Ousmane Coulibaly (Panathinaikos, Greece), Hamari Traore (Reims, France), Falaye Sacko (Vitória Guimarães, Portugal), Molla Wagué (Udinese, Italy), Salif Coulibaly (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Mohamed Oumar Konaté (RS Berkane, Morocco), Charles Blonda Traoré and Mahamadou N’Diaye (Troyes, France), Youssouf Koné (Lille, France) Midfielders: Yves Bissouma (Lille, France), Mamoutou N’Diaye (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Lassana Coulibaly

(Bastia, France), Yacouba Sylla (Montpellier, France), Samba Sow (Kayserispor, Turkey), Adama Traoré (AS Monaco, France), Sambou Yatabaré (Werder Bremen, Germany), Souleymane Diarra (Ujpest, Hungary), Moussa Doumbia (Rostov, Russia)

Forwards: Moussa Marega (Vitória Guimarães, Portugal), Kalifa Coulibaly (Gent, Belgium), Moustapha Yatabaré (Karabukspor, Turkey), Adama Traoré (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace, England)

a replacement for the injured Mohammad Hafeez, bowled only five overs in the fourth ODI at Headingley, before leaving the field with cramps. He was then ruled out of the rest of the series, with his fitness leaving coach Mickey Arthur frustrated.

Irfan regained fitness ahead of the series against West Indies in the UAE, but was ignored. He has now worked his way back into the squad at the expense of Sohail, having bowled 150.3 overs for 20 wickets, includ-

ing two five-wicket hauls, in WAPDA’s title-winning run in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Yasir’s exclusion means Pakistan have only two frontline spinners in the 15-member squad - Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz. Kamran Akmal, who was the only player to pass 1 000 runs in this season’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, was in contention for selection, but a reported disagreement between the team management and selectors saw him miss the cut.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, December 31, 2016

Starc, Lyon snatch unlikely win for Australia A DOUBLE-CENTURY from Azhar Ali. Pakistan batting until after lunch on day three. No fewer than 141 overs lost to rain.

Fifteen wickets in four days on a surface more concrete than pitch. Australia won the Boxing Day Test. Yep, really.

In a conjuring act to rival those of Sydney 2010 and Adelaide 2006, Steven Smith's men produced a Test and series-victory from seemingly nowhere.

Nowhere that is, apart from Pakistan's unrivalled propensity for either triumph or disaster, with little in-between.

This, we had been told, was a sturdier Pakistan, capable of fighting a match out in the manner they did at the Gabba after a horrid start. This was also the Pakistan side that had ascended to No.1 in the world earlier in the year.

But their descent from the summit has been just as rapid as Australia's: both sides know what it is like to lose five consecutive Tests from the moment they reached the top of the ICC's rankings.

From the opening moments of the day, Pakistan had looked a team worried about defeat, Australia a team alert to the prospect of victory. After Smith and Mitchell Starc supercharged their scoring rate

so effectively as to post the highest ever Test total in Melbourne, a pair of early wickets either side of lunch gave the hosts a glimmer of hope.

It was exploited brilliantly by Nathan Lyon, who in the space of a single spell unseated Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and

final blows were struck by the seamers. Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird and Starc all found deliveries incisive enough to cut through the tail, much to the delight of a final day crowd that swelled the total attendance to 142 188, a figure as admirable in the rain-affected circumstances as Australia's

able to contain even with the help of Misbah's often defensive fields.

So quickly did Smith and Starc score that the home captain had the luxury of declaring before the interval, meaning the visiting openers were compelled to survive two bursts of the new ball either side of

Mitchell Starc rips out Sarfraz Ahmed with reverse-swing Asad Shafiq. Under extreme pressure to hold his spot entering the final day, Lyon's response was emphatic, but not enough to cause Smith to keep him on after the tea break. He is not the first Australian spin bowler to struggle to retain the full confidence of his captain.

That being the case, the

charge to victory.

Much of Pakistan's early bowling and fielding had been lack-lustre when placed under pressure by Smith and Starc, personified

by Sohail Khan's wretched drop of Starc at long-off.

Sohail finished with three wickets but was one of four expensive bowlers, none

lunch.

In four overs before the interval, Pakistan lost the wicket of Sami Aslam, dragging a ball from Hazlewood onto the stumps via his body.

The first over of the afternoon brought another, when Babar Azam was struck on the pad by a Starc

inswinger that the umpire Ian Gould judged to be hitting leg stump – a decision the batsman’s referral showed to be marginal.

Younis scored freely enough until Lyon’s introduction, when a fraction of extra bounce saw him turn an off-break in the air towards short leg. Peter Handscomb moved forward to claim the chance a matter of millimetres above the turf.

Misbah, out of sorts with the bat all series so far, tried a sweep first ball and then repeated it to his second, the top edge well caught around the corner by Nic Maddinson.

This double left the door ajar for Australia, and it opened further when Shafiq advanced and pushed Lyon directly to Handscomb, who this time hung on after a juggle.

Lyon, for so long this summer a harried figure, was now dictating terms, and his team could sense a remarkable result.

It was a surprise when Smith did not keep Lyon on when play resumed, preferring Starc from the Great Southern Stand End. Hazlewood had found a modicum of reverse-swing and his tight lines were rewarded with Azhar’s wicket, the opener’s guard finally let down after 476 deliveries across two innings.

Again, Gould ruled mar-

ginally in Australia’s favour on an lbw.

That opened up an end, and after Bird surprised Mohammad Amir with a quicker delivery that was dragged onto the stumps, an exultant Starc blasted out Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah in a fashion that would have impressed Wasim Akram.

Australian celebra tions were unrestrained and it was not hard to work out why. For most of the past five days it appeared that time was getting away from both sides; in the end Australia toasted victory with the last hour to spare.

SCOREBOARD Pakistan 2nd innings Sami Aslam b Hazlewood 2 Azhar Ali lbw b Hazlewood 43 Babar Azam lbw b Starc 3 Younis Khan c Handscomb b Lyon 24 Misbah-ul-Haq* c Maddinson b Lyon 0 Asad Shafiq c Handscomb b Lyon 16 Sarfraz Ahmed† b Starc 43 Mohammad Amir b Bird 11 Sohail Khan not out 10 Wahab Riaz b Starc 0 Yasir Shah c Bird b Starc 0 Extras: (b 4, lb 5, nb 2) 11 Total: (all out; 53.2 overs) 163 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-6, 3-63, 4-63, 5-89, 6-101, 7-143, 8-153, 9-159, 10-163.

Bowling: MA Starc 15.2-4-364, JR Hazlewood 13-3-39-2, JM Bird 11-2-46-1, NM Lyon 14-4-33-3

Abbott hastens South Africa’s crushing win South Africa made full use of the second new ball to rip through Sri Lanka’s last five wickets and complete a 206-run win in Port Elizabeth, an hour and 10 minutes into day five. Once Kyle Abbott broke through early to dismiss Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, there was little Sri Lanka’s lower order could do.

The margin of Sri Lanka’s defeat belied how comfortable their top-order batsmen had looked on day four, and reflected how so many of them had thrown their wickets away.

Chasing 488, Sri Lanka started the final day 248 adrift with five wickets in hand and their last two recognised batsmen at the crease, one of them batting on 58.

That man, Mathews, had added only one run to his score when Abbott nipped one in sharply and had a loud lbw shout upheld. Mathews had taken guard on off stump right

Kagiso Rabada got into the act next, finding away seam movement and extra bounce in the corridor to catch the shoulder of Dushmantha Chameera’s bat.

The last wicket went to Keshav Maharaj, who finished with a three-wicket

SCOREBOARD

South Africa celebrate Kagiso Rabada’s dismissal of Dushmantha Chameera, ©Getty Images

through the Test match, and this probably played a major role in his dismissal.

Jumping back and across, Mathews had to open up to access the ball that was jagging back into the stumps, and before his bat could come across to meet it, the ball had struck his retreating front pad, right in front. He reviewed more in desperation than hope.

A near-replay, down to the failed review, sent de Silva on his way 3.5 overs later. Again the batsman was standing on off stump,

and again was forced to play across the line. Again the review returned an umpire’s call verdict on height.

In between, Abbott had also dealt Rangana Herath a blow with a sharp lifter that struck him on the bottom hand. Having strapped up his fingers, Herath lasted a further nine balls before Vernon Philander had him caught and bowled, diving across the pitch to catch it low to his left, landing painfully on his arm, after getting the ball to stop on the batsman.

Sri Lanka 2nd innings FDM Karunaratne run out (Duminy/†de Kock) 43 JK Silva lbw b Rabada 48 MDKJ Perera c †de Kock b Maharaj 6 BKG Mendis c †de Kock b Rabada 58 AD Mathews* lbw b Abbott 59 LD Chandimal† c Rabada b Maharaj 8 DM de Silva lbw b Abbott 22 HMRKB Herath c&b Philander 3 PVD Chameera c †de Kock b Rabada 0 RAS Lakmal not out 19 N Pradeep b Maharaj 4 Extras: (b 4, lb 3, w 3, nb 1) 11 Total: (all out; 96.3 overs; 434 mins) 281 Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-93, 3-118, 4-193, 5-225, 6-246, 7-258, 8-258, 9-274, 10-281.

Bowling: VD Philander 22-565-1, KJ Abbott 20-6-38-2, K Rabada 21-4-77-3, KA Maharaj 30.3-7-86-3, JP Duminy 3-0-8-0

haul that was reward for some skillful, tight bowling while getting through 29 overs on day four.

He only needed to bowl nine balls on day

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five, the ninth an absolute ripper, turning past the outside edge of Nuwan Pradeep’s defensive bat to knock back off stump. (Cricinfo)

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31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 was breathtaking for the ‘Beautiful Game, says Game’ - football boss

By Ras Wadada

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde told the Media on Thursday that the ‘Beautiful Game’ in 2016 was incredible and that 2017 promises

Wayne Forde more solidifying of the foundation being laid for the sport.

“It has been a breathtaking year for football in Guyana and the Federation.

We are challenged each day to produce, under very, very challenging circumstances.

Football has been played in every Association, at almost every level”, Forde told a media gathering at the Federation’s boardroom.

The football boss in his overview of the GFF’s performance for the year 2016 thanked the media, sponsors, partners and the Secretariat in their support

throughout the year while singling out the five-year deal the Federation secured with NAMILCO for youth football: “The national intra-association NAMILCO U-17 tournament has been ground-breaking achievement for the executive of the GFF. It is the first time in Guyana’s football history that we have secured a sponsorship agreement that extends five years.

It is a $30M sponsorship agreement that the GFF and NAMILCO have brokered and we can now rest assured that U-17 League within every association will be played consistently for the next five years,” Forde promised.

Forde cited the vision that the GFF had for changes: “We have a very challenging road ahead of us.

There are many fundamental changes that football needs to undergo in order to get to a place of sustainable development, as in the case in any form of construction.

“If you are going to lay a foundation you sometimes have to do some excavating and that can be somewhat disruptive, but in our opinion at the Executive, it is all to better the game over time.”

Forde also gave an insight into the areas of priority which the Federation would be focusing on in the new year.

“In order for Guyana to get to the point where we are delivering, players from the junior level all the way

up to the senior level we have to invest in coaching education. We have to invest in facilities, we have to invest in the quality of refereeing, we have to lay good solid foundations and the NAMILCO U-17 tournament is the model we

will be using for all youth tournaments.

“Part of the model to be rolled out in 2017 is Youth Development officers being assigned to each association throughout Guyana.

The youth officers will be executing and coordinating the Technical Director ’s programme in each association. The idea is to have consistent training develop-

ment in every association,” Forde explained.

The chief of football also told the media that the fate of the four clubs who withdrew from the Elite League now lies in the hands of CONCACAF, while disclosing that on January 2 the Federation will announce the name of the appointed General Secretary of the GFF.

Breathtaking football in 2016 ge 31

See Pa

Minister Henry lauds GCB and reaffirms Government’s commitment

By Rajiv Bisnauth

MINISTER within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Nicolette Henry has lauded the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for its role in the development of the sport locally.

outstanding cricketers both male and female, who have gained not only regional, but international recognition, is a testimony of the commendable work that the GCB has done.

“I also wish to congratulate, particularly our cricketers, who have done well locally, regionally and internationally, you have made

Curator Chatterpaul Singh receives his accolade from Scotiabank Marketing Manager Jennifer Cipriani.

She also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working with the GCB in order to ensure continued success, building on the country’s recent performances at all levels of the game.

Minister Henry was speaking at the GCB annual awards ceremony on Thursday evening at the Umana Yana.

“Let me first of all congratulates the Guyana Cricket Board for the excellent work you has done over the years and continue to do in nurturing our cricketers; in fact that Guyana has produced so many

us proud,” Minister Henry said.

She also commended the other awardees for the roles they have played in making cricket such a popular and excited game locally.

Dr. Henry, while reaffirmed the government’s commitment in providing whatever assistance in order to develop the sport across the country, implored on the GCB to pursue talents and nurture them so that the rich legacy will preserve and pass on to the next generation.

“I wish to reaffirm the government’s commitment in

Laushana Toussaint receives the most improved female Cricketer-of-the-Year 2016 award from Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Nicolette Henry.

providing whatever little assistance we can provide in order to develop the sport across the country. There is cricketing talent in every region in this country and I challenge you the GCB to seek out these talents and nurture them so that the rich legacy that we

testimony.

Meanwhile, Leon Johnson won the Cricketer-of-the-Year award while Shemaine Campbelle was adjudged Female Cricketer-of-the-Year.

Johnson was also the winner of the Regional Senior Cricketer-of-the-Year,

Chairman of GCB junior selection panel Nazimul Drepaul presents Joshua Persaud with one of his trophy.

Devendra Bishoo receives his trophy from GCB Treasurer and WICB Director Anand Kalladeen.

Acting Prime Minister, Vice President and Minsiter of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge hands over the Lance Gibbs Trophy to Gudakesh Motie for been the most improved male Cricketer-of-the-Year 2016.

outstanding performances for the West Indies senior team, while Sachin Singh received awards for scoring the most runs in this year’s Regional Under-15 tournament and also the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Nigel Deodat, who took the most wickets in this year’s Regional Under-15 tournament also received an award, while Joshua Persaud won two awards, one for scoring the most runs in this year’s Regional Under-17 tournament and for being the Most Valuable Player in the said tournament.

The other individual winner was Keemo Paul who received an award for being the Most Valuable Player in the Regional Under-19 tournament.

Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club won the GCB President’s Trophy for

are enjoying now will preserve and pass on to the next generation,” the Minister pointed out.

In addition, Minister Henry further indicated that the strength and legacy of club cricket in Guyana is rice, and in many ways unparalleled in the region, and the recent good showing of the Guyana Jaguars is a

but it was 17-year-old Bhaskar Yadram, who was the star of the evening, winning four awards.

The opening batsman received the (late) Roy Fredericks Trophy for being adjudged Junior Cricketer-ofthe-Year.

He also received an award for being the Most

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Valuable Player in this year’s Regional Under-19 tournament and received two more awards for scoring the most runs in the Regional Under-19 tournament.

He also an award with Kevin Sinclair for the most wickets in the Regional Under-19 tournament.

Laushana Toussaint copped the most improved female Cricketer-of-the-Year award, while Gudakesh Motie, received the Lance Gibbs Trophy for being the most improved male Cricketerof-the-Year.

Devendra Bishoo was rewarded in recognition of his

being adjudged the Club of the Year.

Further Special Service Awards went to umpires, Shannon Crawford, Ryan Banwarie and Javed Persaud, cricket administrator Aotto Christiani, curator Chatterpaul Singh and cricket journalist Avenash Ramzan.

The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Acting Prime Minister Carl Greenidge, West Indies Cricket Board Director Conde Riley and Guyana Olympic Association president K.A Juman Yassin.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2016