CARIFESTA XIII team announced
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Guyana shines No. 104957
WEDNESDAY , JUNE 28, 2017
Price: $80
(VAT Inclusive)
… Gov’t hails TIP ‘Tier 1’ ranking as testament to hard work
Pages 2&3
Gunmen attack Parfaite grocery
centre page
Students of Kawal Primary, Conservancy Dam, Canal No. 2 Polder, West Bank Demerara disembarking from this boat, a mode of transportation which is normal to them (Samuel Maughn photo)
New wharf for Kumaka
Australian firm to set up lithium mines
No hike in housing allowance
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Proof of political will … Gov’t hails TIP ‘Tier 1’ ranking as testament to hard work
AFTER being placed on the ‘Tier 2 Watch List’ for three consecutive years from 2013-2015, Guyana has been reclassified to a ‘Tier 1’ country in the United States’ Department of State’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which was released on Tuesday. Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally, said that this classification is testament to the hard work that the Government has been doing to delink Guyana from the notoriety associated with being a known source and destination country for which men, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour. The work of the Government, particularly the Ministry of Social Protection has resulted in Guyana being placed in the bracket of countries that fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,
making it only the second Caribbean country to reach this milestone. Guyana had been moved from the watch list in 2016, but remained on ‘Tier 2’ because, according to the report, the country had not fully met “the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. However, it [was] making significant efforts to do so.” “Under the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report on Guyana, mention was made on the limited Government presence in the interior regions, which left little scope for the full extent to which Trafficking in Persons crimes occur within these regions. There seemed to be an inability of the previous administration to adequately combat trafficking in person in these areas,” Minister Ally said. When the coalition Government took office, immediate actions were taken, which resulted in the reformation of the
Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence Anti-Trafficking Inter-Ministerial Taskforce. That body includes several Government agencies and non-governmental bodies, including the lead anti-trafficking group, the Guyana Women Miners Organisation. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, who held the
portfolio of Minister of Social Protection up to January 2017, said that the latest report vindicates the Government and is proof of the political will to fight this scourge. “We have made great strides in addressing TIP since we came into Government and, as I said last year, it is the political will that is needed to address this issue. This is not a Guyana issue. It is a worldwide issue and, hence, it is the political will that will help to bring this particular form of what they call ‘modern-day slavery’ to an end,” Minister Lawrence said. She explained that the first thing the Government did was recognise and acknowledge that there is human trafficking in Guyana, then moved to strengthen the department that deals with trafficking in the Ministry of Social Protection. “Where there were just two persons, we beefed it up we ensured
Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally that all the requisite personnel were in place and also we sought to build partnerships. We worked with the Guyana Police Force. There was some training done in terms of investigative skills and also a police officer was assigned to the department.” The report highlights key country achievements,
which were made during the reporting year, including the approving the 20172018 national action plan for combating trafficking in persons; increasing the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions; and identifying and assisting more victims for the second year in a row. In its recommendations, this year’s report called on the Government to fund specialised victim services, vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour-trafficking cases, impose more stringent sentences, training for law enforcement, judiciary officials, and frontline responders, finalise the written identification procedures to better guide law-enforcement officials, provide additional protection for victims and provide training for diplomatic personnel on human trafficking. Minister Ally said that the Government has “increased collaboration with anti-trafficking non-governmental organisations by instituting procedures to refer victims to the shelter. These efforts have been sustained with significant strides being made to employ additional personnel. She also informed that the Ministry of Social Protection completed several awareness and training sessions in high-risk areas. Training sessions were also conducted with front line officers and medical practitioners to build capacity in identifying possible instances of TIP.” This point was supported by Minister Lawrence, who said that all of the recommendations in the report are on the Government’s agenda. “When we came in we built this section [TIP department See page 3
Guyana shines 3
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
… moves to Tier 1 after robust fight against TIP
GUYANA has climbed to Tier 1 in the U.S. Department of Statement Trafficking in Persons (TIP), ranking, which signifies that this country has fully met the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards. Guyana’s new ranking was announced when the State Department published its 2017 TIP report on Tuesday. Guyana’s latest rank was at Tier 2. With Guyana putting into practice the recommendations listed in the 2016 report, the 2017 report highlighted that the government has made key achievements during the 11 months, thus resulting in its upgrade. These achievements include approving the 20172018 national action plan for combating TIP; increasing the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions; and identifying and assisting more victims for the second year in a row. The Ministry of Social Pro-
tection’s Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU) added three new officers responsible for planning and executing the unit’s site visits and victim-extraction exercises. The government’s inter-ministerial taskforce coordinated a number of successful police operations, which resulted in a number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions. Since last year, more stringent penalties were enacted for the traffickers. These ranged from three years to life imprisonment and were commensurate with those prescribed for other serious offences such as rape. The ATU, in coordination with the Guyana Police Force also developed identification procedures that field officers used informally during the reporting period, pending their formal review and approval from the taskforce. These procedures allowed for the identification of 98 trafficking victims in 2016 (80 for sex-trafficking and 18 for la-
Proof of political ... From page 2 in the Ministry of Social Protection], we got the task force going, we came up with an action plan… It’s a work in progress. We started out on ‘Tier 2 Watch List’ then we went to ‘Tier 2’, today we are on Tier 1 and it tells you that the Government is doing what it is mandated to do and that is to protect its citizens. We have not been able to accomplish everything, but we believe that our focus and the plan which we have will certainly get us there,” she said. She added that the fact that the Ministers of Public Security, Social Protection and Indigenous People’s Affairs are all sitting on the TIP task force speaks to the seriousness and commitment which the Government attaches to the fight against human trafficking. While this improved ranking is significant and should be celebrated, the Government recognises that much more needs to be done. Minister Ally said that some of the areas, which continue to engage their attention, include awareness programmes targeting children and vulnerable groups, impromptu inspections in the capital and interior locations, anti-trafficking training for members of the public service, improvement in staffing capacity at the Ministry of Social Protection to bolster the reach of the TIP unit and counselling and support for victims. This year’s report stated that there were a total of 19 trafficking investigations, 19 prosecutions and two convictions in 2016, compared to 15 trafficking investigations, seven prosecutions, and one conviction in 2015, and seven investigations, four prosecutions, and one conviction in 2014. (Ministry of the Presidency)
Secretary of State , Rex Tillerson presenting the 2017 TIP report bour trafficking), compared with 56 in 2015. The government signed a MOU with an anti-trafficking NGO during the previous reporting period and committed public funding to the NGO-run shelter for the provision of enhanced psycho-social services to adult female
trafficking victims referred by the government. MORE WORK TO BE DONE Despite being upgraded, the report stated that all TIP issues have not been eradicated and therefore the fight continues. The 2017 report listed new recommendations
and highlighted areas that need more attention. The report highlighted that the government did not increase protection and services for victims outside the capital or provide adequate protection and shelter for child and male victims. Recommendations were made for more funding towards specialised victim services, including those offered by NGOs. It also mandated for continuous vigorous investigation, prosecution of sex and labour-trafficking cases and hold convicted traffickers, including complicit public officials accountable, by imposing sufficiently stringent sentences. More training should also be given to law-enforcement officers, judiciary officials, and frontline responders. The report called for more victim assistance, especially in areas outside the capital and for male victims. More effort should be put in place for the reduction of the demand for commercial sex acts. Guyana continues to be seen as a source and destina-
tion country for men, women, and children subjected to sex-trafficking and forced labour. Women and children from Guyana, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Venezuela are subjected to sex-trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas. The U.S. Government uses the TIP Report to engage foreign governments in dialogues to advance anti-trafficking reforms and to combat trafficking and to target resources on prevention, protection and prosecution programmes. In the TIP Report, the Department of State places each country onto one of three tiers based on the extent of their governments’ efforts to comply with the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” The Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complies with the TVPA’s minimum standards.
School teacher bound, gagged, robbed of over $1 million in valuables A SCHOOL teacher was, on Tuesday morning, awakened, threatened and robbed of about one million dollars by two armed bandits just after 02:015hrs at her Lot 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam home, Berbice. Divisional Commander Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam, told reporters that the teacher, Melissa Ramdhan, was awakened by the intruders who were armed with knives and cutlasses. The bandits, who are of mixed race and of African descent respectively, carted off gold jewellery, a laptop computer, a wristwatch, a shoulder bag and cash. The Guyana Chronicle was told that the bandits, after attacking the teacher, gagged her mouth and tied her hands to the bed frame before raising the volume of the television, prior to demanding the valuables. At the time of incident, the teacher was occupying the lower flat of the two-storey
building. After entering the home, the bandits demanded the valuables from Ramdhan then sprayed the woman with an irritant resulting in her becoming unconscious. After regaining consciousness, the men reportedly untied her before forcing her to the upper flat where her relatives lived. Sanjeev Rambaran, the woman’s nephew, told reporters that he was awakened following a loud banging at their door, and upon looking through the window, observed that his uncle Khrishna Sukhoo had sustained a wound to his head. “He said somebody lashed [him] across his head with a cutlass. I called out to neighbours, but no one responded. I then call for the police who came 30 minutes later,” he said. Meanwhile, neighbours revealed that fear fell over them after being awakened by the noise. “ ’This time nah lang time.’ We can’t take any chances with bandits today. The incident was unfortunate,
but we too have families to protect,” says a resident who has been living in the area for
over 40 years . Investigations are continuing.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Flood-affected Port Mourant residents call on authorities for assistance
RESIDENTS of Area ‘R’ Ankerville, Port Mourant are seeking assistance from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Government of Guyana following severe flooding which has left the community inundated with water for over five days. The residents have reported that though there has been no rain for three days, the water has not receded. As a result, they said that the stagnant water has further become infested with snakes, frogs as well as bacteria and has started to give off a foul scent. According to the Regional Vice-Chairman, Dennis Deroop, the flooding has occurred as a result of the accumulation of water from heavy rainfall coupled with the high tides over the past few days. He told
Poultry seeks safety in a flooded yard at Area R Ankerville, Port Mourant
this publication that based on his assessment of the situation, the area should
be getting some relief by this afternoon since the area is a low lying one and is
heavily dependent on the GuySuCo Drainage Pump in Port Mourant to get the
water off the lands. “This area is lower than the surrounding villages like Tain and Bloomfield, so you will find that the water in those areas run off quickly when the sluices are open. However, here is very low and it takes longer to recede. The entire area from Johns to Port Mourant relies on the Guysuco drainage pump to get the water off the lands,” he said. Deroop further noted that before the heavy rains came there was a mini excavator in the community that was doing routine cleaning of all drains. This, he explained has helped the situation a bit as the drains were clogged with garbage. The flood has taken such a toll on the community that some residents were forced to move out, while
others lamented loss of livestock, crops, groceries and damage to property. Banmattie Mohabir, 55, said that she woke up to use the washroom last Friday morning at approximately 03:00hrs, only to find water inches away from the matrass. “When I put my foot down, water reach past my knee. A littlemore and it would have reach the bed. I say we can’t bail this water because it start rushing in from the door .This is the first time something like this happen,” she said. Mohabir said that the water damaged her household appliances, including her television and refrigerator. She explained this has hampered her livelihood since she uses the refrigerTurm to Page 5
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Flood-affected Port ...
ator to make ice and icicles, which she sells to help pay their bills. Next door to Mohabir, Parbattie Bissoon, 52, said she is extremely stressed. She told this publication that her husband recently had a major surgery so she made a bed for him in the lower flat because he could not walk
up the stairs, and on Friday at around 04:00hrs flood waters had reached the bed, forcing her to have to lift him upstairs by herself. She said the lower flat was where her kitchen and groceries were and they were all damaged due to the water. Meanwhile Tara Charran, a single parent who
is unable to work due to an illness, said she had to move out of her home on Friday since the water was over three feet high in her house. “All my electrical appliances damaged along with the sofa ,water dispenser, clothing and mattresses. Water was waist height and I had to move out and come back
The Sohan’s family remains high to protect the children
FROM PAGE 4 [yesterday] but could not do much as the water remain at ankle height with tadpoles, snakes and fish swimming in the house,� she said. Deonarine Sohan, 46, a cane harvester, said he has two children in school who are currently sitting the exams and he has had to lift them from the stairs to the street twice daily to ensure they get to school. He further lamented that the water has started to smell and he is afraid of the children becoming ill. The residents are calling on the authorities to render assistance as quickly as possible as they fear for their health and their livelihoods. The Regional Vice-chairman has assured that every resource available to their disposal is being used to assist to ease the situation.
Parbattie Bissoon
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Editorial Dealing with a ripple effect
MANY may take it for granted, but the job of teachers is quite challenging as the behavioural patterns of students today require them to be more than just deliverers of the curriculum. Today, society has changed considerably. The strong family values and discipline that existed about 45 years ago have faced erosion and at times the ripple effects of indiscipline manifest among learners. In fact, it was less than two years ago that former Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, had posited that unbecoming conduct in the society has been having an effect on the school system. In an interview with this newspaper, he said thusly: “The breakdown in discipline is unfortunately not just in the schools, but in society as a whole. The violence and indiscipline in society [are] leaking into the school system. Schools are not isolated from their communities, where personal violence and robbery occur; and it is getting into the schools, making our work more difficult.” He was at the time speaking soon after a violent fight between two city students. The two 13-year-old students -- one from Charlestown Secondary and the other from St George’s Secondary -- were hospitalised following the fight that reportedly stemmed from an incident that occurred when they were in primary school. One student was reportedly stabbed on the shoulder
with a broken bottle, while the other suffered blows to the mouth and thumb in the fight that occurred on Church Street, Georgetown. This is just one of several incidents that have gained public attention in recent times, but there are others which were never reported. And in many cases, these are students teachers find very difficult to control. Generally speaking, in many instances, the indiscipline is believed to have a nexus with inadequate supervision in the home and an erosion of acceptable norms. This is an area that requires research and one which researchers would find interesting. But some have been attributing the breakdown in values and discipline to the introduction of television here; openly verbal and physically abusive parents; the absence of strong family support systems; and the rise in single-parent families, where single-parent mothers have to work to provide for their children. Many see the latter as an established fact. With lack of family support, these parents, some of whom were not in the first place prepared to be parents, find it too burdensome to manage work and keep tabs on their children, while dealing with the other stresses of life. This lack of supervision in many instances result in the children not being properly schooled in good behaviour, respect for authority and the value of education, among
Vision of a more efficient Guyana Dear Editor YESTERDAY’S (26/6/17) media reports quoted our President’s ‘vision of a more efficient Guyana’ in the context of procurement spending and greater supervision of projects etc. and that in his scheduled meeting with Cabinet on the 27th June, he plans to include the permanent secretaries and accounting staff to ‘discuss the adoption of cost-cutting measures within their spheres of operation.’ This is indeed very com-
mendable and must be music to the ears of beleaguered taxpayers and the citizenry at large, on whose behalf I thank the President for his welcome initiative and wish him well for the benefit of all Guyanese. Additionally, I cannot let this opportunity slip by and trust that it is not too late to implore the President, the Cabinet and senior staff in Government to extend their focus beyond “procurement and spending” to include the recruitment, deployment
and management of human resources and, very urgently, ‘systems and modus operandi’ with particular reference to digitization and all other aspects of Information Technology (IT) for a leaner, more focused, efficient and motivated public service. I have had the privilege of some inside experience of the service which informs me, without any doubt, that there is definite room for the latter focus in a big way. Regards Nowrang Persaud
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
other important values necessary for their growth and development. These shortcomings oftentimes are the causes for teachers to be much more that role models and people who transmit the formal education curricula. For the students who are experiencing social problems, they have to serve the role as guidance counsellors. For those who are indisciplined and disruptive, they are required to be gentle but firm disciplinarians; coach for those weak in self-esteem and mediators for classroom quarrels, while doing their work diligently and managing their challenges outside the work environment. Given the challenges they encounter in doing their jobs, they require support, and it is good to know that the Ministry of Education has not so long ago moved to provide much-needed support with the establishment of 10 counselling rooms in Georgetown which work every school day. Encouragingly too, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, who has been in the education system for years, has also seen the need to extend the service to hinterland schools and the vision to provide all schools with counsellors. This will go a long way in helping dedicated teachers to function in the classroom without any unnecessary disruption, which by extension affects willing learners.
Pleased that wildlife trade reopened Dear Editor I WAS very pleased to read the announcement in the Guyana Chronicle, which confirms that the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016 has commenced and is now law. As a wildlife exporter from Maruranau, deep South Rupununi and a Waspishana, I look forward to working closely with the Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission. I am aware that Guyana has been a signatory to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species from 1977. Since February 2017, no export licences or ex-
port permits were renewed and this has led to a loss of income and work for me and my village members and other villages in the Rupununi. Approximately 5,000 persons in the indigenous communities who provide most of the wildlife species for export, our employees, the producers and veterinarians have not been able to earn an income from this renewable resource for the past six months. Concerning the incident of the pumas found being transported to Georgetown, I want to assure the Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission and the public in advance
that I and our villagers do not condone nor uphold illegal practices of capturing and transportation of our wildlife. Our community here in the Rupununi welcomes the commission’s mandate to promote the wildlife trade as a holistic, sustainable and renewable economic resource with special emphasis on our indigenous communities. We also look forward to cooperating with the commission, so that all concerned with this trade can work towards fulfilling this mandate. Regards Elizabeth Perry
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Cyclist killed while ‘walking out’ birds
A 59-YEAR-OLD man lost his life after he was struck off his bicycle by a canter truck on the Skeldon Public Road yesterday, while out on a morning outing with his pet birds. Dead is Yatandeo Heralall of Lot 7, Line Path Skeldon, an Operator at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Skeldon Estate. The accident occurred at approximately 07:30hrs. According to a police release,
the cyclist was proceeding north along the western side of the Public Road when he was struck by the rear of the motor lorry, which was in the process of overtaking. He was subsequently picked up and taken to the Skeldon Hospital, where he succumbed at around 11:00hrs. The man’s wife Ramdai Heralall said that her husband left their home on his bicycle to take his birds for their customary morning
outing but failed to return home. She said that when she did not see him home at about 08:00hrs, she became worried. Soon after, she said that someone came by and alerted her that her husband met with an accident and was in the hospital. Mrs.Heralall explained that she left the hospital and went home to pack some clothes and returned only to find several doctors in
the room and her husband’s urinal bag filled with blood. “I ask them what’s going on and they say he get internal bleeding and I ask where is the ambulance and they say in 40 minutes it will reach but by time it finally reach he died,” she said. She expressed dissatisfaction over the time the ambulance took to arrive, stating that had it been earlier she believes her husband’s life could have been saved.
Meanwhile, according to an eyewitness, Andrew Crookchan, he was alerted by a loud sound and upon enquiring, saw Heralall’s body lying motionless next to a nearby drain, while his broken bicycle was in another direction and the driver of the canter speeding away. “I run go outside and the man lying down there and the driver didn’t stop. He continued driving. Is when people start come out, I see
he turn back and then stop at the scene so we just hurry and pick up the man and carry he to the hospital,” he said. Meanwwhile, the driver of the vehicle, GKK 7698, a 76 year old man identified as “Gangram”, of Rampur Village,Corriverton is currently in custody assisting with investigations. A blood alcohol test was done and it was found be zero percent.
Region Five chairman misleading residents Dear Editor, I AM very concerned about the misinformation being peddled by the regional chairman of Region Five over the past few months. I am very much amazed as to the way this man would lie to the residents, just to feel good as if he is truly doing what he ought to. Recently, the regional administration held a meeting with some residents of Mahaicony concerning the new nursery school that will be built in the area. However, before the REO and team reached the area, the regional chairman organised a picketing exercise with some of the residents. He had the attention of the residents when he misinformed them that the new nursery school would be
built one mile farther down than the area they plan to build it. This is a total lie and the chairman is very wicked in doing that. When the REO and team met the residents and told them the truth, then the residents realised that the regional chairman is creating problems for his own political gains. The regional administration lately embarked on a beautification and enhancement project on the Mahaica Old Road where the secondary school is. The entire stretch from the Old Bridge to the Double Road is being enhanced presently. Yet the chairman went into the area telling the residents that the REO and team wanted to take away their lands to build a drainage canal; this is another lie and the residents realised
that he was lying to them and ignored him. Mr. Editor, since the rain started to fall heavily over the last few days, the REO has been on the ground. Myself, the REO and engineer have been visiting across Region Five every day since, be it from Ithaca on the West Bank of Berbice to Mahaica Creek, be it day or night. During those days, the regional chairman didn’t think of the residents. All of a sudden on Saturday 24th June, 2017 he woke up and saw rains and the areas flooded. All of a sudden, he wants a meeting with the Regional Disaster Management Committee (which by the way has never met since 2015, although in 2016 there were areas that were flooded and
State of healthcare in Guyana Dear Editor, MY hope is that this letter will help to sensitise people to the deplorable state of medical care in Guyana. The recent death of a loved one brought into focus the professional and ethical limitations of private doctors and medical institutions in Guyana. Medical care is beyond the reach of the poor; those who scrape enough to visit a private doctor are more often than not exposed to misdiagnoses, unnecessary and exorbitantly priced diagnostic tests for which doctors often fail to properly interpret and treat patients accordingly. For instance, my deceased relative had gone to a popular doctor at St Ann Street, New Amsterdam, complaining of chest pains and vomiting blood. The doctor prescribed an ECG and lipid panel blood work.
However, he failed to see the clearly indicated high ST Elevation and low pulse rate of the ECG and failed to exercise due diligence, recommending any biomarkers test to rule out any cardiac distress. He mistreated the patient for gastric pain. The patient was rushed the same night to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital complaining of and physically indicating pain in the chest area. The attending physician recommended an ECG and treated the patient for gastritis. Again the ECG was misread and the doctor later revealed that the patient was not symptomatic of cardiac distress. The patient died a week later at the same hospital after emergency procedures showed that he had multivessel blockage and a totally calcified left anterior descending artery. The same doctor, in a meeting a week later, presented an ECG result that’s dubious
and highly questionable at best and also revealed that the patient had the vitals of an athletic young man. Any semi-literate person can see something manifestly wrong with this picture. I am sure that this particular case mirrors myriad others and the obvious and pertinent questions swirling around it are: how can doctors so blatantly misread an objective diagnostic test? Are they not trained to look beyond subjective responses patients purportedly gave them? Is there any collusion between private doctors and hospitals which are inimical to the public’s interest? Guyanese must, out of necessity, prod their health care providers with questions since many are either incompetent or negligent or both. Regards Satrohan Mahadeo
affected by heavy rainfall). Let me state that the Region Five chairman need to wake up or shape up and out because he only wanted to call that meeting because his PPP MP was in the area and he wants to show as if he cares. He doesn’t care anything about the residents of Region Five. He told the media that the REO don’t want to meet with him on that committee. This man is such a liar. Even if the REO had decided not to meet with him, the meeting could have still taken place. The REO is not the only member of that committee. The REO and team (including myself) early that morning was in the fields. This man is lying barefacedly to residents. He (chairman) didn’t even know
that pumps were put in place in some areas along Region Five. Shame on this man. Here are some questions for this unsuccessful and lying regional chairman. Where were you since the rains started?. Before Saturday, 24th June, 2017 name the areas you visited during the rainy season?. Why is it that you are lying to the residents of the region when projects and progress are happening?. Why since 2015 the Regional Disaster Management Committee (RDMC) has never met? Why is it that you are hampering progress and development in the region?. Why is it that the (RDMC) didn’t meet without the REO?. Mr. Chairman stop this nonsense and work for the
residents of the region, so that there can be progress and development. I must also let you know that without you development will still take place and works will be done to enhance the lives of the people. Mr. chairman, if you don’t know or are trying to turn your ear from hearing positive things happening in Region Five, then you can read the papers because the invitation to tenders is once again being invited to do works in Region Five. This government and administration will continue to work as hard as possible in ensuring that there is a better life for all. Regards Abel Seetaram
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Australian firm to set up lithium mines … discovers rare earths in commercial quantities
By Svetlana Marshall GREENPOWER Energy, an Australian company that confirmed the existence of lithium in Guyana, is gearing up to commence phase two of its Morabisi Lithium and Tantalum Project, even as it eyes the establishment of Lithium mines here. In April, Greenpower Energy (ASX:GPP) received results of up to 1.04% lithium from a rock chip sampling programme at its Morabisi Lithium and Tantalum Project here. The project is located within a mineral-rich greenstone belt located within the Turesi Ridge area. On Tuesday, Greenpower Energy Executive Chairman Gerard King, AEFS Consultant to Greenpower Energy John Watts and Leandro Pires of Guyana Strategic Metals met with Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, at her Kingston office. Shortly after that meeting, King told the Guyana Chronicle that results from the first phase of the project, which was conducted in March and April, 2017, showed promising results. “It not only confirmed that
Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, shaking hands with Greenpower Energy Executive Chairman Gerard King, in the presence of AEFS Consultant to Greenpower Energy John Watts (left) and Leandro Pires of Guyana Strategic Metals (right). there is lithium in the area, but we found something that we were not even looking for – rare earths.” In addition to Lithium, 17 different elements considered to be rare earths were discovered, many of
which have commercial value. As such, the executive chairman said the Australian company is awaiting the start of the dry season to initiate the second phase of the project – an initiative
estimated to cost US$1M upon its completion at the end of the year. “What we found was very encouraging, so what we will do is, go forward and measure the quantity,” King said.
The second phase includes an airborne geophysical survey to assist in identifying additional areas that may host pegmatites similar to the Turesi Ridge area. The lithium mineral has been provisionally identified from field inspection as a pale green variety of spodumene, hiddenite. The assay results received to date, in addition to the identification of spodumene, confirm that the area has the potential to host a significant lithium deposit. The company has exclusive rights to earn up to a 74% interest in the project and is fully funded for all earn-in stages. Watts said the second phase is critical. “We know the lithium is there, we know the rare earth is there in two separate areas, so we now have to quantify, so this is the next stage -- the start of the quantification,” the Greenpower Energy Consultant said. The company is hoping to initiate this phase by July. Based on its findings at the end of 2017, Watts said the company will conduct a feasibility study into the establishment of a lithium mine here. “If everything is good at the end of the second phase, then we start looking
into the feasibility studies to put either the Lithium or rare earth into production,” he said. Watts added, “the best way is the cheapest, most economic, most socially acceptable and environmentally friendly.” Pires has been playing a critical part in the project. He is part of the company Guyana Strategic Metals (GSM) which has been executing the project on the ground. GSM is a private Canadian company established by a group of mining professionals with significant Guyanese experience and in-country expertise. Over the past two and a half years, GSM has undertaken a substantial amount of work in terms of identifying areas within Guyana which are prospective for lithium and tantalum (including compiling, interpreting and undertaking desktop work in relation to historical information). In an invited comment, Minister Broomes said that Government is pleased with the progress made by the Australian company. While major attention was placed on gold and diamond in the past, the Junior Natural Resources Minister said this administration is open to developing the 40-plus elements existing in Guyana. “As a Government we are looking at all the other minerals and sectors in this country that will develop our country…So to have a company coming forward with the findings and looking at lithium, and wants to move to other rare earth, is just pushing on an opened door, fitting into government’s policy and the direction it is moving,” she said Like Watts, Minister Broomes believes that phase two – the quantification process – is critical to the future of the project. Greenpower Energy Limited was incorporated in 1899 as ‘Gunnedah Colliery Company’, changed to Gunnedah Coal Company (GCC) in 1985, and GCC mined coal at Gunnedah, in NSW, continuously, until 1997, when it sold the Gunnedah coal mine. In May 2007 GCC changed its name to Greenpower Energy Limited (Greenpower).
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Photographs of murder scene tendered
FOURTEEN photographs of the murder scene of Simone Hackett, who was found with her throat slit in a trench at Cummings Lodge, was tendered into evidence Tuesday as the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into her murder continues at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts. The father of the dead woman’s child, Cleavaughn Hamilton, 30, of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and taxi driver, Ranachal Singh, 31, of Good Hope, ECD, allegedly committed the offence between April 16 and 19, 2016 at Cummings Lodge, Georgetown. Police Photographer, Corporal Patrick Benjamin testified before Mag-
istrate Alisha George that he was the police photographer present on the crime scene when Hackett’s body was being pulled from the trench. Fourteen photographs taken by Benjamin were tendered in court. During Tuesday’s hearing, the dead woman’s aunt, Shelly Green, also testified. Green had identified Hackett’s body, while at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary. Police Inspector Devon Lowe, a detective attached to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit and woman constable McBean also testified during Tuesday’s hearing. The matter is being prosecuted by Prosecutor David Goodridge and is adjourned
Cleavaughn Hamilton
Simone Hackett
Taxi Driver, Ranachal Singh
until July 13. According to reports during the evening of April 16, 2016 Singh, along with the woman’s child-father, picked up Hackett from UG Access Road. The court
heard that Hackett was taken further down the said road, and was killed. Singh is said to have known that the man had killed Hackett, but still transported him to Mahdia,
after the woman’s body was dumped. The taxi driver was detained after his bloodstained vehicle was found in Mahdia. The taxi driver had reportedly instructed his girlfriend to wash his car.
The mother of one was reported missing by relatives on April 17, 2016 after she had not returned the previous night from going to collect a package allegedly sent from Mahdia by Hamilton. Investigators had questioned a bus driver and conductor who had transported Hamilton to the City a day before Hackett went missing. T h e re p o r t o f t h e post-mortem performed on Hackett indicated that she died as a result of incised wounds to the neck. Her body was discovered by two schoolboys on their way to school, and was positively identified by relatives.
Rape gang tormenting Bartica teens … probe launched, group urges action By Shauna Jemmott RESIDENTS of Bartica, in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni administrative region have expressed disgust over a prevailing situation of sexual exploitation in which teenage girls as young as 13 are being gang-raped, some even drugged with ecstasy, by a group of men in the area. The Guyana Chronicle was alerted by a post on social media by a Bartica man Tuesday highlighting what he called the “real dangers” faced by young women, whom he listed as “13, 14, 15 year-old schoolgirls”. “So in Bartica there is this gang of men, who goes
around luring these 13,14, 15 year old schoolgirls, picking them up from school and taking them to various places including hotels, then having a ball with them.. part of the process include giving them Ecstasy,” part of the man’s post read. When the Guyana Chronicle contacted Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall Tuesday afternoon he confirmed the reports to be true. Marshall said his office is aware of the situation and has launched an investigation. He is expected to give a statement on the issue in a few days after he would have gathered adequate information. Another official in Bartica also told the Guyana
Chronicle that investigations reveal that some of the same men are involved repeatedly in the series of rape which has been happening for a while. The source said the latest two cases which were reported involved, two teenaged school girls – ages 13 and 14 respectively - who complained of being gang raped on separate occasions. The Guyana Chronicle understands that one of the girls, a 13-year-old complained that five adult men had gang-raped her before letting her go. Police are investigating the matter. “Around Christmas time there was one that they drugged and she was naked. She ran out of the house and
ran out on the road naked,” a reliable source told the Guyana Chronicle. According to the source, a video of the naked girl on the street was also circulating on social media. She was only 15 years old. “Some of the cases are in court, some are back and forth. Social workers are aware of it,” the source said. Sometimes the girls are being lured and at other times they are bullied. According to the source, “Bartica is a society which is fast pace, so at this stage they might offer them a phone or some time to lure them.” President of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) Urica Primus, who is also a Bartician, expressed disgust and said the issue is not a new one. She told the Guyana Chronicle that rape in Bartica is on a steady in-
crease, but few persons report cases, since many of such cases end prematurely. “Rape in Bartica is steadily increasing, with less person’s reporting due to many cases not going to trial. For a number of cases the victims are told that their files are with the DPP and when we check, the files aren’t there… This is a matter that we brought to the attention of the Hinterland Intelligence Committee, which we are a part of, and a complaint that we heard as recent as Saturday during our TIP Sensitization Rescue and Rehabilitation programme at Port Kaituma,” the GWMO President told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday. She said too that with little or no support services available to victims in some rural communities, perpe-
trators walk free and have opportunities to threaten or bribe the victim in many cases. The GWMO is working aggressively with little resource to render as much help as they can to victims of sexual exploitation, and all other forms of abuse against children and women across Guyana, she said. “We will continue to assist the communities and the parents in an effort for them to get justice for their children, whether it is relaying between them and the DPP, following up with the police and also following the process all the way through court to ensure that the children and adults, whoever the victims are, get justice for the crimes which happened to them,” Primus told the Guyana Chronicle.
Ex-cop facing perjury charge A 28-YEAR-OLD ex-police officer was on Tuesday charged with perjury in relation to a drug trafficking case in which he had allegedly lied under oath and deliberately gave contradictory evidence in court, thereby facilitating the dismissal of charges. Ex-Police Constable 2309, Marlon Bharat Chatterpaul, of #67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charge. It is alleged that Chatterpaul on July 28, 2016 at Weldaad Magistrates’ Court, Berbice, while being a witness in the matter of Police vs. Victor Edwards and Kenson Charles, he falsely swore to evidence in-chief of the said
matter. Police Prosecutor Arwin Moore opposed the ex-cop being released on bail since the accused is being investigated in similar matters and he might want to flee the jurisdiction. However the Chief Magistrate overruled the prosecutor’s objection and released Chatterpaul on $25,000 bail. The matter is transferred to the Weldaad Magistrates’ Court for July 22. According to reports Constable Chatterpaul was the main witness in a drug trafficking case when he allegedly lied under oath and deliberately gave contradictory evidence during trial which led to the dismissal of charges against two men implicated in
the trafficking of over seven kilograms of cannabis sativa. The matter was however later dismissed against Victor Edwards, 20, of Canefield, Canje and Kenson Charles, 24, of Lot 7677 Sheet Anchor Village by Magistrate Rhondell Weever at the Weldaad Magistrates’ Court in September 2016. Magistrate Weever laid the blame for her release of them directly on “the deliberate and blatant lies and inconsistent evidence” given by Police Constable Chatterpaul. The magistrate had said: “The prosecution failed miserably in establishing its case all because Constable Chatterpaul deliberately and blatantly gave false evidence under oath.” Chatterpaul, she
said, had even admitted under cross-examination that he had been guided by one Corporal Foo to write his statement in such a way as to frame or entrap the two defendants for trafficking in narcotics. Edwards and Charles had been accused of committing the offence at Washington Public Road on May 31, 2016. Kenson Charles was the owner of the motor car in which the narcotics had allegedly been found. In initial evidence, the magistrate heard that the main witness, Constable Chatterpaul, was en route to New Amsterdam when he saw a white motor car parked on the Washington Public Road a few hundred yards east of the Weldaad Police Station
with a man whom he later identified as Victor Edwards standing three feet away from the vehicle. Chatterpaul said in his evidence-in-chief that he had seen a road block in progress at the Weldaad Police Station and suspected that the occupants of the car were seeking to avoid driving up to it. He said he became suspicious and approached Edwards, searched him but found nothing. He then searched the vehicle where he found the seven kilograms and 225 grammes of cannabis sativa hidden in plastic bags behind the driver’s seat. In freeing the men, Magistrate Weever noted that under cross-examination, Chatterpaul gave a completely differ-
ent story. Then he had stated that it was not true that Edwards was standing three feet away from the car; It was put to him that Edwards was not standing but walking and he answered yes, an answer inconsistent with the evidence he gave when he said that he had seen the defendant standing alongside the motor car. When asked whether Edwards told him that he was in a car that broke down at Seafield Village farther east, he said yes. When asked why he had not divulged that information to the court, his answer was that he had been guided to write the statement by one Corporal Foo and had been told to leave that information out.
Against The Grain
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
The CSEC cap By Akola Thompson
ON June 17, 2017, the Min-
istry of Education (MoE) announced that they would be exploring the possibility
of limiting the number of subjects students can write at the Caribbean Second-
ary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Currently, anyone hoping
to write CSEC is not limited in how many subjects they can pursue, but if the MoE is to go ahead with it’s plan, students of List A, B or Sixth Form Secondary school must not exceed 10 subjects. Meanwhile, students of List C, D or E Secondary School must not exceed six. Mathematics and English must be included in both of these cases. I found this section of the circular particularly interesting. Because, what this does is not only acknowledge how bad education is in certain schools, but also comments upon the privilege of the schools listed in the A/B categories. A/B categories would be schools such as Queen’s and Bishop’s, while C/D/E categories would be schools such as Dolphin Secondary. There is the general consensus that children in A/B categories are smarter and more likely to achieve more academically than those from other categories. After all, these students would have received the required high marks at their Common Entrance Examinations that would have sent them to these schools. Whereas, those with lower grades were sent to lower schools. As a country hoping to improve our education sector, we must make more effort to deconstruct the privilege that is implicit in the first category schools. One can even go so far to say that one of the reasons so many children from the lower category schools perform so badly is because they are taken care of last. They get the least experienced teachers in several cases, they often have poorer infrastructure, less subjects being offered and far less activities that can create rounded children, while the situation in the A/B categories is the exact opposite. A prerequisite was also included in the circular that was sent out. It stated that “The number of subjects a student can offer at the Caribbean Secondary Education certificate examinations will depend on his/ her performance at the National Grade 9 Assessment and/or the Annual Examinations administered at the end of Grade 10.” The ministry’s main con-
cern if they are serious about the education of our nation’s children should not be limiting the subjects students are allowed to take, particularly if these numbers differ from school to school. The ministry should seek to ensure that these students are receiving the knowledge and life skills that often go un-gained in their institutions, particularly those considered lower categories of schools. How did we even end up with such privilege in state-run institutions? When free education was implemented during the Burnham era, the reasoning behind it was not to ensure that certain sections of society or students received better or worse education. It was so that everyone had equal opportunities and were not held back because they could not afford it, or belonged to a specific religion as was popular during the days when most schools were run by churches. Personally, I do not see the sense in writing more than 10 subjects. I wrote nine and if I were to go back, I would write less. Mainly, that is just because of how lazy I am as a person though. Several folk I know wrote 15 plus subjects because they felt they could do it and they did. I also know that one of the main reasons why these students do 20 plus subjects is not merely because they want to prove some point, but rather because, coming from a third world country with limited opportunities for advancement, they know that their scholarship opportunities are limited. Scholarships are the main reasons so many students decide to write so many subjects. So unless the government would be actively giving out scholarships to those who did well in their 10 or six CSEC exams, I think they should give this a bit more thought. What this should come down to is not a mandate set out by the ministry, but rather a collective approach with inputs from the student themselves, the teachers and the parents, because these are the people who know the progress and development of the child more than some ministry official doing random surveys.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
CARIFESTA XIII participants announced The names of the Guyanese participants who will represent the country at the culturally explosive Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) XIII in August has been announced by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture. The thirteenth edition of this festival is being held from August 17-27, 2017, under the theme: “Asserting Our Culture, Celebrating Ourselves”. According to the Department in a statement, the 70-member official contingent wing out to Barbados on August 16 under the theme ‘Guyana an Emerging Green State: As We Assert Our Culture and Celebrate Ourselves’. To ensure this goal is realized, the Culture Department said that a meeting was facilitated on Monday and reports on the auditions/ jurying process for selection were presented along with updates on logistics and codes of conduct. The meeting was attended by convenors of the various categories and Education Minister Nicolette Henry, Director of Culture and Head of the Delegation, Tamika Boatswain and National Events Coordinator, Lt. Colonel Godfrey Bess. Also in attendance were Linda Griffith, Vivienne Daniel, Andrew Tyndall, Burchmore Simon, Jubilante Cutting, Penelope Harris, Ohene Koama, Olympia Small-Sonoram, Ivor Thom, Margaret Lawrence, Al Creighton and Patricia Helwig. According to the statement from the Department, Ms. Cutting, Convenor for Film and Animation shared that for the Film and animation team only Bonny Alves and Michael James responded to the public calls for submission. She said that she reached out to studios and animators who subsequently submitted their work and ultimately, seven pieces were selected. For film, Cine Guyana submitted eight films which will all be taken to CARIFESTA XIII in addition to two independent films produced by local filmmaker Kojo McPherson. It was announced by the Department that the Fashion sub-contingent will be headed by Mrs. Small-Sonoram and will feature approximately five sets of creations from various designers. In relation to craft, Mrs. Patricia Helwig who is the convenor informed the meeting that after judging the submissions, eight designers’ works will be representing Guyana officially in the areas of Craft/Home Décor. Additionally eleven other booths were paid for by private individuals bringing
the total representation to 15 persons in the area of craft. Meanwhile, music convenor, Andrew Tyndal announced that a band of 13 steelpan players will represent Guyana under the Performing Arts banner. These individuals it was told, comprise winners of the minor categories of the 2017 Republic Bank Steel band Pan-O-Rama competition who have been rehearsing since March of this year. With regards to drumming, the Culture Department said that two groups, Otishka Drummers and Subraj Tassa Group, auditioned and two drummers from each group were selected. In relation to dance, a team of 12 dancers was chosen by the judges and will be paid for by the Government, while an additional group of nine is raising funds to be part of the total dance contingent. For drama, “Masque” which was and directed by Subraj Singh, will be the signature dramatic item and will be performed by eight members of the National Drama Company (NDC), supplemented by other NDC members who are also raising funds. The play won Best New Guyanese Play, Open Short category in the 2016 National Drama Festival. Speaking for the Literary Arts, convenor Ruel Johnson informed the meeting that six applicants submitted works to three judges. He said that initially, three persons were shortlisted and of these three, one applicant opted out because of other commitments. As such, Johnson said that the person who ranked fourth after the judging, was then elevated to the final list. Guyana will be represented in Literary Arts by four persons led by Johnson who is a winner of the Guyana Prize for Literature. A public showing of the programme planned for Guyana Night is slated for August 11 at 20.00hrs at the National Cultural Centre. See full list of participants below: Tamika Boatswain (D.O.C.) Melissa Tucker (P.S.) Col. Godfrey Bess Dr. Seeta Shah Roath VISUAL ARTS Ivor Thom Ohene Koama Philbert Gajadhar Laron Gulliver Winslow Craig LITERARY ARTS Akola Thompson Gabrielle Mohammed Andrew Hutson
CULINARY ARTS Penelope Harris Joy Ann Harry Odetta Green Joylyn Ann Bagot FASHION Olympia Small Sonoram Marcie De Santos CRAFT Patricia Helwig Kim Gordon FILM/ANIMATION Burchmore Simon Jubilante Cutting Symposia
Gentian Miller
PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC Andrew Tyndall Bisram Dubraj Aditya Dubraj Mark Cyrus Trevor Blackett Tennicia De Freitas Darius Austin Jamal Johnson Akeem Pompey Pier Clements Nickel Pinkerton Javier Marks Jovanka Williams Don Johnson
Kellisha Edwards Detroy Dey Hanani Lewi Michael Smith (jr.)
DANCE Tamisha Bayley Mariela Bennett Joseph Bobb Emperor Brummell Shonnett Cain Jerusha Dos Santos Raynicka Griffith Soprano Hendricks Susanna Pile Chevon Seaton Indira Itwaru Rewattie Datt DaCosta
DRAMA Esther Hamer Ackeem Joseph Tashandra Inniss Onix Duncan LeTisha DaSilva Nicohlas Singh Nirmala Narine Ayanna Waddell
SUPPORT STAFF Tevin Erskine Tanya Alexander Bibi Aneiza Hamid Mondale Smith Ruel Johnson Ranetta La Fleur Adrian Persaud Andrew Fletchman
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NGSA results on Friday SOME 13,657 pupils are anticipating the results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations and Chief Education Officer (CEO), Marcel Hutson, said those results will be released during a news conference at the Boardroom of the Ministry of Education on Friday afternoon. Hutson told the Guyana Chronicle during a telephone interview Tuesday morning that the ministry is currently making arrange-
ments to release the results before the weekend. “We are working towards the end of the week. By the end of the week John Public will know,” Hutson told the Guyana Chronicle. The Ministry of Education announced earlier this year that over 13,000 students from hundreds of primary schools across the country wrote the NGSA examinations on April 12 and 13. The education ministry came up with ways to improve performance of
students in the exam after President David Granger expressed concerns about the poor performance in Mathematics at the NGSA level. With government’s introduction of the Mathematics Intervention program in 2016 to help students develop clearer understanding in the arithmetic subject area, those who wrote the NGSA exam this year are expected to perform better, especially in Mathematics. For months the pupils and their teachers
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson were exposed to the special program, which introduced a number of innovative ways to teach and practice
Mathematics. Additionally, the Grade Six students participated in three separate mock exams prior to NGSA, also in preparation for the actual examination. “This response by the Education Ministry follows President David Granger’s expressed concerns about the poor performance in Mathematics by students sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA)… This initiative is a continuous process that will see positive results in the years to come that will also impact pupils’ performance at the CSEC and CAPE levels,” the Ministry said on its website. Apart from that, for-
mer Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine visited several schools and gave motivational talks, guiding students on the rules and other necessary things preparing them for sitting of the exams. Meanwhile, thousands of pupils also wrote the National Grades Four and Two examinations. The CEO said those exams are now diagnostic in nature and results are now being used for remediation purposes. Results of the Grades Four and Two examinations are no longer included to make up the total NGSA examination scores.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Bandits force engineer to make withdrawal at ATM
A MAN sitting on the seawall Monday night at Ogle, East Coast Demerara relaxing, was robbed by three armed bandits who also bundled him in his car and took him to a Robb Street ATM to withdraw cash. Reports indicate that the aircraft engineer was robbed of $60,000 cash and one Samsung cell phone. He was at the time sitting on the seawall at 22:00hrs when the
men approached him with a gun pointed in his direction. The engineer then handed over 20,000 in cash that he had in his possession, along with his cell phone, but the bandits demanded more. He was then taken to his vehicle PVV 17 32, where he was restrained in the back seat while the men drove to a Robb Street ATM. One of the bandits then exited the vehicle and visited the
ATM where a withdrawal of $40,000 was done using the engineer’s bank card. The bandits then used the vehicle with the engineer inside to go on a joy ride, later abandoning the vehicle with the victim at Regent and Cummings Streets, Georgetown. The matter was reported to the police on Tuesday and investigations continue.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Gold Board withdraws proposed hike in processing fee THE proposed increase in processing fees to $4,000 per ounce of gold has been withdrawn by the Guyana Gold Board (GGB). This decision was taken following a meeting with officials of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Tuesday, said General Manager of the Association, Avalon Jagnandan. A recent notice from the Gold Board stated, for all Miners/Dealers selling gold to the Guyana Gold Board, a processing fee of G$4,000 per ounce will be charged on every transaction. “This comes into effect July 1, 2017,” stated the notice. “The association is not in agreement with such an increase…It was confirmed during our meeting with the Gold Board that the proposed increase has been withdrawn,” he said. Processing fees are currently at $1,000 per ounce of gold and the Guyana Chronicle was further told that an increase would be “burdensome” to miners. Although the industry is performing well, Jagnandan lamented the struggle that miners face on a daily basis. He pointed out that an example of their struggle is the high operational and transportation costs they suffer because of the deplorable roads. “We are not against an increase, but we are hoping
that the increase would not be $4,000, because it would be a further burden on small and medium-scale miners,” he said. The GGB is expected to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman to further consult on the issue. Finance Manager of theGGB, Eondrene Thompson, reportedly said
General Manager of the GGDMA, Avalon Jagnandan the increase is necessary to keep the Gold Board afloat. A Stabroek News article on Tuesday June 27 stated that the notice was however only “an alert,” as the board is still to decide whether it is going to take effect. Thompson nevertheless said there was need for the fees to be adjusted in order to generate more income for the Gold Board.
Man killed during ‘threesome’ still to be identified THE body of a man who was beaten to death Monday morning on Third Avenue,Bartica, after refusing to leave the scene of a sexual act that was being performed by three persons is yet to be formally identified, police have confirmed. Known only by the alias “Radika,” the body is at the Bartica Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. According to the police, three persons inclusive of a female are in custody assisting with the murder investigation. The incident occurred between 04:00-08:00hrs Monday on Third Avenue Beach, Bartica. Investigations have revealed that because the victim refused to remove from the beach, the suspects, who were involved in a “threesome act,” allegedly gave him a severe beating. According to the police, a public-spirited citizen who witnessed the incident summoned the police who responded promptly and arrested the suspects and escorted the victim who was in an unconscious state, to the Bartica Public Hospital where he succumbed whilst receiving treatment.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
No hike in housing allowance … Parliament raps SN for fake article
THE housing allowance for Government ministers was never increased to $500, 000 per month, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs said as he rubbished a Stabroek News article deeming it a deliberate act. In its lead story on Tuesday June 27, 2017, under the headline, “Cap on ministers’ housing allowance was increased to $500, 000 in 2015,” Stabroek News reported that the allowance was increased from $25, 000 per month to $500,000 under the government in 2015. In the article, attribution was made to the Clerk of the National Assembly, but on Tuesday Isaacs told the Guyana Chronicle that he was misrepresented. “I never indicated that the housing allowance was increased from $25, 000 to $500,000. I never said that,” Isaacs told this newspaper. According to him, the article was a deliberate act.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs “It was incorrect. I think that they did it for sensational purposes, some newspapers are like that,” he stated. To bring clarity to the situation, the Clerk explained that according to the Handbook for Members of the National Assembly, “the Speaker, the Prime Minister, Vice-Presidents, the Attorney General and the Senior Ministers are each entitled to occupy, free of rent, a furnished residence provided by the Government or, in lieu thereof, to be paid a house allowance.” While ministers and the leader of the opposition are not entitled to be provided with residences, they are each entitled to a house allowance. That allowance, according to the Handbook, has been set at $25, 000. Isaacs made it clear that once the housing allowance of $25, 000 is paid to a minister, he or she is not entitled to accommodation. He said
both of whom reside out of Georgetown. Minister Broomes hails from Bartica, Region Seven, while Minister Adams-Patterson hails from Linden, Region 10. According to the clerk, months after signing contracts for the rental of the two properties, he was advised by the Finance Minister to reduce the ceiling to $300,000. “Minis-
Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes it is common practice that once there are no available housing quarters in Echilibar Villas, houses would be rented for ministers. “Where can you find a house for $25, 000? The last administration rented, as far as I am aware, for Mrs. Sukhai, Mr. Rohee, and Mr. Robert Persaud… and a number of other ministers,” the Clerk pointed out. NO CAP UNDER PPP It was noted that under the previous administration – the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) – there was no ceiling for the rental of houses for Government ministers. At the time, these payments were issued by the Office of the President, now renamed Ministry of the Presidency. However, Isaacs said when the decision was taken, under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration, to have the Parliament Office pay the housing allowances and rental fees among other payments, Finance Minister Winston Jordan advised that a ceiling be put in place for the rental of properties. According to Isaacs, the ceiling was set at $500, 000 because the Parliament Office found is difficult to find suitable houses for less. “There was never a ceiling. During the last administration, the office of the President paid the rent, and this administration the Parliament Office pays the rent, but there was never a ceiling or a cap in place,” he emphasised Currently, houses are being rented for two ministers, the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes; and the Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson;
ter Jordan told me to reduce it to $300, 000 some months ago. But we had already signed the contracts,” Isaacs said. Because the information was related to him verbally, he said in the near future he would return to the Finance Ministry to have further discussions on the ceiling and to have it formalised. But any changes, he maintained, will have to be done after the contracts have expired.
FAKE NEWS Meanwhile, Minister Broomes, who was also singled out in the Stabroek News article based on an ongoing legal battle with Peter Ramsaroop, said the story is fictitious. Ramsaroop had rented one of his properties to the Parliament Office at a cost of $500, 000 to be used by Minister Broomes. On Tuesday, Minister Broomes told the Guyana Chronicle that the article is
“absolute trash.” The minister made it clear that she does not receive a housing allowance. “What I receive is accommodation from Government. There is a clear difference,” she lamented. According to her, over the last two weeks there have been attempts to tarnish her reputation but she will not be discouraged. “I am here as a humble servant of the people of See page 16
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
‘Pay attention to the needs of the market’ … Min Gaskin tells SBDF AGM
MICRO and small business owners on Monday gathered at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street for the 14thAnnual General Meeting (AGM) of the Small Business Development Finance Trust Incorporated (SBDF.) Delivering the feature address, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin reiterated the need for these business owners to pay keen attention to the requirements of the marketplace, if they are to
succeed and grow their enterprises. He said that these businesses needed to have a good understanding of the requirements of the markets they wish to supply. “What qualities do they like in a particular product and what standards are in place for that product; and what are the regulations that they need to conform to, in order to supply their particular product in our local market”, the minister said. He told the entrepreneurs
that, “In a business they would have to make assumptions and prepare themselves for growth and not for hard times.” “Successful businesses don’t assume hard times. They assume growth and they plan for growth. You have to think positive in business, and that means preparing yourself for success and not for failure”, he further added. The Business Minister also spoke to the many disadvantages and challenges faced by small and medium busiParticipants who attended the Small business Development Finance Trust, Annual General Meeting nesses faced in getting off the ground. He particularly noted the major hurdles faced in accessing finances. “Some people are lucky enough to have savings, but most are not and will need some support to get up and running,” the minister said. He noted that this is where the SBDF comes in, and where, as a micro-credit provider, “the institution plays an important role in helping persons to overcome the challenges of raising finances for business activities.” Additionally, the Business Minister told those present that businesses big and small need to prepare for oil and the associated impacts. The minister explained that many persons have already begun preparing because, “They understand what is coming and they know what they have to do if they want a part of the action.” The Business Minister elaborated that more information will be provided to Guyanese over the coming months because, “Important things are happening in the industry that can positively impact local businesses, and local businesses need to pay attention to information that
is being put out and to seize available opportunities to prepare themselves for what lies ahead. Things are happening quickly and we need to pay attention, or we will miss out on important opportunities.” According to the 2016 AGM Report, “The plagues of 2015 followed the micro sector businesses in 2016 which affected the well-being of the organisations members.” Director, Mohamed Ali, noted that rice, cash crops, farming and fishing continue to be affected significantly. However, Ali pointed out that the way to prosperity includes all stakeholders -- both public and private -- working together to improve the life of every citizen in the country. He urged those present to put aside party affiliation and politics and decide upon a national strategic direction for Guyana, where all can participate and where all can benefit. During the AGM, a number of special prizes were given to organisations’ members. Fazal Fiddel received an award for the best male entrepreneur and Alana Whyte received the award for best female entrepreneur. (DPI/GINA)
No hike in house ... from page 15
Guyana. I work with the Government, I have my own home, I have nothing special or more, or nothing less. The Government is providing housing for me which they have a responsibility for,” she said. The minister said Guyanese must be reminded that the practice of providing housing for ministers, particularly those residing out of the capital city, is nothing new. “The PPP Government, and I don’t know how Guyanese are forgetting, they had to provide housing for their ministers. It was the same thing, in which they rented properties for their ministers. It is nothing new that this Government is doing.” Instead of targeting her, Minister Broomes said attention should be placed on the former PPP Government officials who “squandered” and stole state resources, much to the disadvantage of the hard-working taxpayers. “I will not steal taxpayers’ money, I would not squander it, but those who have done that should be jailed! There is where the focus should be,” said Minister Broomes.
Funeral fury
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… City Councillor slams wantonness during funeral at Le Repentir
DISRUPTION of traffic, noise, drunkenness, and wanton disposal of garbage are just some of the results when a funeral is being held at Le Repentir Cemetery, between Sussex and Princes Streets. Constituency 10 Councillor Malcolm Ferreira, on Monday raised the issue at City Hall’s statutory meeting prompting a number of other councillors to voice their concern on the matter. Ferreira also noted that the tomb builders continue to destroy the cemetery fence, mashing it to the ground in order to get the dead to the tomb site. Another Councillor Oscar Clarke offered that this is a matter that should not be overlooked or taken lightly. “We could be accused of encouraging lawlessness. We are encouraging lawlessness,” he stated. He recalled that in times past, large processions went into the cemetery with order and discipline and that City Hall should seek to return to such days. Apart from the traffic hazard associated with this practice, Clarke said a motorist is forced to remain in the traffic line until these persons finish with their lawlessness. He offered that it should be made compulsory for family of the deceased to first obtain permission before they play loud music on the
Councillor Malcolm Ferreira (standing) makes a point.
occasion. Clarke said this type of music attracts people who are not even associated with the funeral. “Some people go to dance up and wine up and they don’t even know who died,” he said. Furthermore, he offered that persons should not be allowed to vend inside the cemetery. Clarke is saying that if the M&CC cannot curb this situation on its own, then it should communicate with other agencies to put some order in place. Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said the issue of mobile vendors cannot be controlled as they seem to be those people who look at death announcements and then turn up at every funeral to sell. “I’m not going to stand in the way of anyone’s livelihood, but whatever is being done should be done orderly,” said the mayor. Chase-Green said too that sending a police officer out there or two constabulary officers would only cause confrontation and would not result in any relief. She suggested that the fence be repaired and that the cemetery be closed at a particular time each day. Councillor Ferreira suggested that the council take a decision to make vending between Sussex and Princes Streets illegal.
Councillor Oscar Clarke
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Gunmen attack Parfaite grocery … escape with over $1M in cash, jewels
By Michel Outridge FIVE gunmen early Tuesday morning robbed a Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara grocery of over $1M in cash and jewellery, during which they shot one of their victims and lashed another in the head. Three robbers terrorised the family, who owns White Shop, a landmark grocery in the community,
for half hour before they escaped with $400,000 in cash, two gold chains valued at $1M, two gold bands valued $60,000, two gold rings, two cellphones and other items. Police said in a statement that they are making “stringent and diligent efforts in apprehending five men who robbed the family of cellular phones, cash and jewellery at their West Minister, West Bank Demerara
home this morning and also a driver/salesman of his valuables and that of his motorcar, which was shortly after, found.” The shot victim, twenty years old, who is in a stable condition, is being treated at a medical institution. Police said investigations revealed that about 09:30hrs, the forty-eightyear-old self-employed businessman, who operates a grocery shop, was in his As the robbers walked off, home owner Takur Dutt Narine and his sons began pelting bottles at them
At this point, the bandits discharged a fusillade of bullets, one of which struck Navendra Narine in the foot ty-seven-year-old salesman, relived him of his cash, cellular phones and that of his vehicle and fled the scene. The vehicle was recovered in the said village. Crime scene investigators have retrieved several latent prints and seven spent shells from the crime scenes.
Tramautised: Shop owner, Saroj Singh and her youngest son, Navendra Narine, who was lashed in the head with a gun during the robbery shop along with his wife, which is situated in front of their premises, when suddenly; they were pounced upon by three armed men. The bandits escorted the victims into the lower flat of their house, where they also held the victims’ two adult sons, before ransacking the house and left with an undisclosed amount of cash and valuables aforementioned. Shortly after the
bandits departed, the grocer and his sons pursued them, during which encounter, the bandits discharged several rounds, one of which struck the twenty-year-old son, forcing them to abandon their chase. Further investigation revealed that the bandits, who whilst fleeing, were joined by two other armed accomplices. They stopped a motorcar driven by a for-
SCALE A FENCE Meanwhile, when Guyana Chronicle visited the scene businesswoman, Saroj Singh, related that as per norm, she opened for business and at about 09:30hrs three men walked in and asked to make a purchase of 2lbs of plantains. Mrs. Singh added that before she could tend to them, one of the men drew a handgun and ordered her, two sons and husband into the house. Realising it was a robbery she ran to the back of the yard and scaled a fence and went to a neighbour’s house while screaming for help, but people were afraid to render assistance since the men were armed. She related that the trio took her sons, Rakesh and Navendra Narine and husband, Takur Dutt Narine into the bottom flat of the house and they ransacked a bedroom for valuables. Mrs. Singh stated that the robbers spent some time in the house searching for
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
The bedroom on the lower flat of the house, which was ransacked by the bandits
money and jewels and in the process lashed her youngest son, Navendra Narine in his head with a gun: her husband was also beaten about the body. The men then calmly left the shop and joined by a fourth man began walking down the street as residents and other onlookers began converging on the scene. The homeowners rushed out behind them throwing glass bottles, to which the men retaliated by discharging a volley of bullets at them, with one bullet striking Rakesh Narine in the left foot. Eyewitnesses say that when vehicles gathered on the scene blocked the passage of an apparent getaway car, the bandits walked, hijacked a black X-Trail sport-utility vehicle, PWW 1516 driven by Republic Bank salesman, Gary Halley. They took away Halley’s wallet and two cell phones and ordered him out of the vehicle but exited it several streets away, where
The vehicle which was hijacked by the bandits after the robbery and abandoned several streets away (Michel Outridge photos)
a car arrived with two other armed men and they escaped. A resident said she saw four men exiting the black vehicle which they had hijacked and left it parked in front of her house, but did not take it for anything. It was after sometime she learnt there was a robbery in the village. She explained that she thought the men were construction workers because they all had
haversacks, but noticed one of them carrying a carton of Bristol cigarettes. Mrs. Singh, the owner of White Shop, told this newspaper that the last incident in which the shop was robbed was about five years ago, when the premises was broken into and some articles were taken, including gas bottles. She said that the bandits in Tuesday’s attack were not masked, but
were not known to her, even though she has been operating the small grocery in the area for the past ten years. In the aftermath of the incident, her shot son, Rakesh, was taken to the hospital for medical attention. According to ‘D’ Division Commander, Leslie James, no arrests have yet been made up to press time but they are following several leads.
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Broken koker at Poker Street Linden top priority for NDIA, CDC By Vanessa Braithwaite
AS with many other parts of the country, several communities on the Wismar shore of the mining town of Linden continue to battle floods resulting from heavy rain fall, coupled with high tides. The communities, many of which are located along Burnham Drive, are flooded every time the tide
rises, which has been occurring frequently over the past week. While Linden is not deemed a flood-prone area, since it is located in the Hilly Sand and Clay Region, what has been blamed for the flood is a faulty koker located on the corner of Burnham Drive and Poker Street and in its current state cannot effectively drain the water into the
Demerara River. The issue was highlighted to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) but the situation was not remedied in time for the May /June rains since the ministry was tending to several other projects in the town. Over the weekend, communities including Christianburg, Poker Street Area, the Alleys and Silver Town were all flooded and up
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
to Monday water remained high. According to Regional Chairman, Renis Morian, who visited the communities over the weekend, the situation will continue as long the tide raises and the koker is not fixed. On Tuesday Morian received a correspondence from Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Fred-
Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, inspecting the faulty koker on Burnham Drive that is in urgent need of repairs erick Flatts, who stated that the matter has been brought to the attention of the NDIA, as well as the CDC, and is being acted upon with urgency. Engineers from the MoPI are also expected to visit Linden on Wednesday to have a firsthand view of the flooding in an effort to remedy the situation earliest. Meanwhile, hundreds of residents are continuing to battle the flood waters, while some are battling the after effects of the flood. One of the major concerns of the residents is the unsanitary conditions that they are faced with and the water-borne diseases that they are exposed to. Residents are also calling for assistance from the relevant authorities to assist with
cleaning supplies and food stuff since much has been lost over the past few days. Resident of Third Alley, Shevon Adams, explained to the Guyana Chronicle that the flood is something she is experiencing for the first time and the loss is immense. “Sometimes the place use to flood yes, but not the house, never the house, right now ya can’t even bale ya just have to sit and watch because ya start to bale and rain fall and water come up again, right now I am so confused like I want to know if is a dream, the distraught resident said. Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, visited the Alleys on Monday and tried See page 21
A section of Third Alley Wismar continues to be inundated as the tide rises
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Aruba Airlines applies to fly here – company plans daily flights from July AIR travel to Guyana continues to attract attention as Oranjestad-based Aruba Airlines has applied to the aviation authorities here to operate weekly flights between the two destinations. According to a notice published by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) , the airline , which operates several Airbus aircraft , has applied to operate a scheduled service of direct flights between Guyana and Aruba starting in July. The airline operates under the name Arubaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. It has applied for a oneyear licence to operate flights daily except Fridays. The times planned by the airline are: departure from Aruba at 09:30hrs with arrival in Guyana at 11:45hrs. The flights will then depart Guyana at 12:45hrs midday and arrive in Aruba at 15:00hrs. Aruba Airlines was founded in January 31, 2006 and began charter operations with a seven-seat Piper PA-31 Navajo in 2010. The airline opened a new office at Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba and also opened smaller offices in Panama City and in the Venezuelan cities of Maracaibo, Valencia and Maracay. The carrier also operates between Aruba and Miami. In early 2011 the company attracted new investors,
leading to the upgrade of operations to jet aircraft. Having received an economic Airline Operation Certificate (AOC) in August 2012, the carrier leased two Airbus A320 twin-engine, 150-seat jet airliners; the first one arrived in Aruba in November 2012. The GCAA stated that members of the public may make representation and / or objections for the application. These shall state the specific grounds on which they are made and shall specify the desired conditions to be attached to the licence if granted by the aviation body. Such representations should be addressed to the Director-General of the GCAA at 73, High Street , Kingston , Georgetown. Air travel to Guyana has increased in recent years between destinations in the region and the Cheddi Jagan international Airport (CJIA). There has been a growing business interest in these shores and weekly dozens of travellers from Latin American destinations as well as Cuba and the Dutch Caribbean have been travelling to these shores on airlines such as COPA Airlines and EasySky, the latter which operate direct flights between Havana and the CJIA. The development has attracted the attention of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Broken koker at Poker Street ... From page 20 to give consolation to the residents while seeking assistance for donations. “I want to say thanks to Minister Harmon for responding to our concerns because persons are under severe stress dealing with the situation in the area, persons are complaining about their skin scratching them, in addition to medical practitioners coming to assess the situation, we need food items for the residents etc, I have made contact with several municipalities for help with whatever they can give,” Holland posited. Meanwhile, residents of the farming community of Speightland located on Mackenzie are also battling with the after effects of the flood since the water has not completely receded in some areas. Speightland was hit hard with the flood, as was Coomacka, and residents counted their losses in the hundreds of thousands. In addition to food stuff and household appliances, residents also lost crops, poultry and livestock. Chairman of Speightland’s Community Development Council, Kevon Lorrimer, said that about 35 residents were severely affected. “One resident, she lose two of she pig, they drown, she didn’t know the water was so high until she wake up and see the pig in the water and the pig done drown, another lady lose like over 100 chicken,” Lorrimer revealed, adding that the Speightland flood resulted from the mouth of the Kara Kara creek being silted with sand, thus allowing the water to back up instead of draining into the Demerara River.
(GCCI). At a recent press briefing, GCCI’s Executive Director, Kirk Hollingsworth, said the body is engaging their Cuban counterparts to develop a structured business relationship between the two countries. He said the move was made as there is an increasing number of Cubans who are conducting business here.
One of Aruba Airlines’ Airbus 320 aircraft which the company operates within the region.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
New wharf for Kumaka
WORKS are expected to commence soon on a new wharf at the Kumaka waterfront in the Mabaruma sub-region. Reports are that several stall-holders, who operated at the waterfront close to the location identified for the
project, have been relocated from the area to a nearby facility. A barge with building materials for the project is expected to travel to the North West District soon as the project is expected to start in the coming weeks.
In the 2017 National Budget, a sum of $8M was budgeted under infrastructural development for the construction of the wharf. The area where the wharf is expected to be constructed was previously threatened by erosion. In 2012, revetment
The area where the wharf is expected to be constructed at Kumaka. works were undertaken to reclaim a section of the waterfront which was being eroded into the nearby Aruka River. At the time water levels rose in the nearby river and persons who operate businesses in the area were being encouraged to
relocate from the waterfront as the landscape was threatened. Subsequent works, which included further backfilling of the area led to the landscape being stablised against the currents of the nearby river.
The Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) once operated a wharf in the area where the new structure will be built. In 2009, that facility collapsed under the eroding landscape.
Girl, 13, among four facing murder trial A 13-YEAR-OLD girl and her teen sister were among four persons committed to the High Court on Tuesday for the murder of a 64-year-old Non Pareil pensioner, whose lifeless body was found on the Coldingen Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara in 2016. Sparendaam Magistrate, Alisha George, committed Nalini Manikram and her boyfriend, Veeram Dias Lall, are charged with murder
DEAD: 64-year-old, Roger Manikram Nalini Manikram, 19; her 13 – year-old sister; 22-yearold Veeran Dias Lall, also known as Adam; and his friend, taxi driver, Devon Browne, 24, of Crane, West Coast Demerara.
The quartet is jointly charged for murdering Roger Manikram on April 3, 2016 at Coldingen Railway Embankment. Attorneys Dexter Todd and Collette Marks represented on behalf of Browne and the 13-year-old. There was no legal representation for Nalini Manikram and her boyfriend. The preliminary Inquiry was conducted in camera and was prosecuted by Police Prosecutor Hattie Anthony. According to reports, Lall, who is the boyfriend of the 19-year-old, was the mastermind behind the murder. It was also disclosed
that the two girls admitted to the murder during an interrogation by investigators. It is alleged that the 19-year-old lured her father to the kitchen, where she delivered the fatal blow to the man’s head, using an axe. Then with the help of Lall, they then wrapped the body in construction plastic and dumped it on the Railway Embankment at Coldingen. Browne was the person who allegedly helped to transport the body. The girls had initially claimed that they were verbally and physically abused by the man and also later claimed that they were also sexually assaulted by him.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday June 28, 2017
Relocation of Stabroek Market vendors
City Hall looking to gov’t for help By Telesha Ramnarine THE Finance and Markets’ Committees of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be meeting on Thursday to discuss the relocation of the Stabroek Market vendors, among other pressing issues. The meeting was fixed on Monday when councillors met for the fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall. Issues surrounding the Le Repentir Cemetery and drainage in Georgetown are also expected to come up. A source told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that because City Hall is in such a cash-strapped state, the way forward, regarding relocation, will depend heavily on assistance from government. Just last week, the source said a site visit was paid to the location and few suggestions are in hand. Earlier this month, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green lamented the “lackadaisical” attitude with which the Markets’ Public Health Committee is approaching the relocation of the vendors in order to facilitate repairs to the wharf. “I am not hearing from the [committee] and I hope that we can start consultations with those persons, so that they will be able to give us ideas of where they can be relocated while the wharf is being constructed,” she said. The mayor feared that should no action be taken in this direction, the money for it could be redirected. “Councillors, if we do not do that, we will not be able to get that wharf done and the money will be relocated and I don’t think under my stewardship I want that money to be relocated when we had been forewarned. “We have to be very vigilant and very alert and, ensure that that market rehabilitation is not [prolonged] because of the lackadaisical way in which we approach the relocation of vendors,” said Chase-Green. She offered, too, that the committee will have to do more than hold once-a- month meetings. In the past, the mayor had also expressed concern of finding adequate money to assist the relocation process. “If the wharf is going to start construction in the first quarter, we have to move all those people. We have to look; we have to find somewhere with sanitary facilities and running water, which puts a strain on Council’s finances. Where do we get the money to find a new site to put people with the limited cash we have?” Chase-Green had said that she was leaving it up to the Markets’ Public Health Committee to come up with a solution for the relocation problem. Meanwhile, approximately $400M is to be spent on rehabilitating the dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf, Town Clerk Royston King had told Chronicle. He had noted that the unsightly structure is soon to be torn down and replaced with a mall-like facility, complete with a boardwalk and entertainment area. “Vendors ought not to worry, as they will be given first preference to return, once the project has been completed. However, due to the modernisation, they will be asked to pay a little more rent,” King had explained at the time. The portion of the stelling which faces the Demerara River has, for years, been an eyesore for the thousands who use the speedboat service every day. The collapse of a portion of the roof three Septembers ago did not deter vendors from conducting business there. “The facility is not only an eyesore; it is ruinous and dangerous to the health and lives of persons who use it,” King said.
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Roraima Airways ...
Continued from back page therefore encourage Guyanese qualifying contests. “My department is enin general to explore the toursuring that the facilities in ism package.” The Director of Sport also Guyana are of a standard used the opportunity to high- that will attract regional and light the business potential international tournaments of sports tourism in Guyana, and of course, that too will be citing the increasing number twinned with exposing Guyof sport tourists to Guyana ana’s tourism products. “Therefore, the Departover the last five years as was referenced by the Guyana ment of Tourism and tourism Tourism Authority (GTA) at companies like Roraima Airthe inaugural Sports Tourism ways will be able to work on ensuring that in the next five Seminar held in April. Additionally, he stated years we can plan strategithat Guyana will host five cally for international tourna(5) international tourna- ments,” Jones said. Roraima’s partnership ments for the first time before the conclusion of 2017, with the Sports Department one of which will be held on forms part of the company’s July 15 when athletes from corporate social responsiapproximately 17 countries bility policy to promote the will visit to participate in Guyana’s Tourism product.
Shane Ally to ... suspension is an area that will need major time and some tweaking since it was originally setup by Factory LOTUS race team for the car to run a few hundred Pounds lighter than our rules allow; ‘on the other hand- their tracks are smoother and it previously ran slick which provide more grip. So the plan is to use this race meet and maybe the CMRC meets as testing grounds for the November "mother of all meets" races in Guyana,” the driver added. According to Ally, the feat of preparing the car for this meet was not done without help, adding, “We must Acknowledge Mr Dylan Fields and Industrial Fabrications Inc, Errol TenPow and Shahab (smallie) Ghanie without whose work; mostly subsidized or pro bono the car may never have gotten completed.” “There’s also also Shivo (Lusignan) Ultimate spray shop who will be doing the prettying up (provided that time allows) and last but not least Total Protection Systems Inc and Anasha Andrew and AlexanderAlly for the finances and support to make it all possible.” The event is sponsored by Ansa McAl, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mo-
Continued from back page
hamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC Batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio and Choke Gas Station.
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FIFA publishes Garcia World Cups report after leak By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - The global soccer body FIFA said yesterday it had decided to publish the Garcia report into the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively, more than two-and-a-half years after the investigation was completed. The 430-page report lists in great detail
Former chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia
Aussie cricketers ‘ facing unemployment’ over payments row
It is unclear whether Australia captain Steve Smith will be taking his team on a two-Test series in Bangladesh.
MORE than 200 of Australia’s senior cricketers will be “unemployed as of July 1”, says Australian Cricketers’ Association president Greg Dyer. The current agreement between Cricket Australia and the country’s top players expires on June 30 and no new deal has been struck. “It is extremely likely that as of July 1 we’ll be
jumping over the cliff together,” said Dyer. “The fundamentals of the deal are nowhere near to being resolved.” Former Test wicketkeeper Dyer added: “We will be assisting in whatever way we possibly can in that but they’re unemployed.” In March, Cricket Australia proposed salary increases for men and women
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (WEDNESDAY JUNE 28, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-BOURDA MARKET & THE CITY MALL (TEL: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 GARNETT STREET, CAMPBELLVILLE, GEORGETOWN (TEL: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO SUNDAY’S QUIZ: (1) FAKHAR ZAMAN-114 (PAK) (2) MOHAMMED AMIR-3/16 (PAK) TODAY’S QUIZ: (1) WHEN WAS THE FIRST WOMEN’S WORLD CUP HELD? (2) WHO ARE THE DEFENDING WOMEN’S WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE
as part of a revised memorandum of understanding, but that meant players would no longer receive a percentage of the organisation’s revenue. This was rejected by the Australian Cricketers’ Association, who also turned down a recent revised pay offer. The dispute has put a question mark over the Australian men’s team playing a two-Test series in Bangladesh scheduled for August, while they are scheduled to host England in the Ashes from November 23 to January 8, 2018. The women’s team is currently in England for the Women’s World Cup and players are under contract until the end of the tournament. (BBC Sport)
the wheeling and dealing which went on behind the scenes in the bidding race. It said that “flaws” in the process were caused by a “culture of expectation and entitlement” among FIFA executive committee members who held the right to vote for the hosts. FIFA said its decision to publish was made after the report, compiled by its former chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia in 2014, was “illegally leaked” to a German newspaper. “For the sake of transparency, FIFA welcomes the news that this report has now been finally published,” it said, adding that the decision was made “to avoid the dissemination of any misleading information.” Garcia, who is now an
associate judge at the Court of Appeals for the state of New York, spent 18 months and interviewed 75 witnesses as he investigated the convoluted bidding process for the two tournaments. His report was not published but instead handed to the-then FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who issued a 42-page summary which said there was not enough evidence to re-open the bidding process. Garcia publicly criticised Eckert’s summary and resigned one month later, in December 2014. FIFA then agreed the report could be published once all investigations against individuals had been completed. FIFA’s situation took a dramatic turn in 2015
when several dozen soccer officials were indicted on corruption-related charges in the United States, while the Swiss attorney general’s office opened a criminal investigation into the award. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was later banned for six years following an internal ethics investigation. The report said Blatter, who has denied any wrongdoing, bore “some responsibility for a flawed process that engendered deep public scepticism”, though it also praised him for implementing reforms including those which made the report itself possible. England, Spain/Portugal and the Netherlands/Belgium were the other countries bidding for the 2018 World Cup, while Australia, Japan, the United States and South Korea were Qatar’s rivals for the 2022 tournament.
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England Women thrash Pakistan with record World Cup total … Sciver, Knight hit centuries
ENGLAND bounced back from their opening defeat by India to make their highest Women’s World Cup total in a crushing win over Pakistan at Leicester. Natalie Sciver hit 137 off 92 balls and Heather Knight 106 off 109 - their maiden one-day international centuries - in a total of 377-7 at Grace Road. After they put on 213, Danielle Wyatt made a brisk unbeaten 42. Pakistan, who were 1073 from 29.2 overs when rain came, lost by 107 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system. England face Sri Lanka at Taunton on Sunday, a day when all eight teams
are in action, with Pakistan facing rivals India at Derby.
won the toss and a shower delayed the start by half an
Natalie Sciver exults after bringing up her maiden ODI century off only 76 balls
England had shown signs of nerves as they lost to India on Sunday, and after Pakistan
hour, Tammy Beaumont was dropped at slip off the first ball of the innings.
S a r a h Ta y l o r w a s trapped lbw by the erratic Kainat Imtiaz, who also had Beaumont caught behind for a scratchy 14. But with only two seamers available - and leg-spinner Bismah Maroof off the field with a hand injury - Pakistan captain Sana Mir had little margin for error. She was also let down by Pakistan’s poor ground fielding, while slow left-armer Nashra Sandhu failed to hold on to a return catch as Wyatt scored freely in the closing overs. Having come together at 42-2, Knight and Sciver took the game to Pakistan’s four-pronged spin attack, taking the route of steady accumulation before gradually cranking up the run rate. Captain Knight hit well through the off side, but was beaten to the half-century mark as Sciver drove and swept Nashra for four successive fours. The first six did not come until the 33rd over and, after Knight launched Sadia Yousaf and Mir over the leg side, Sciver eased to a 76-ball century. Knight brought up her ton with a reverse sweep for four, and her dismissal -
caught at long-off - was the cue for an astonishing display of hitting from Sciver. In the final over of the powerplay, the Surrey righthander clouted seamer Asmavia Iqbal for three successive sixes. Although Sciver fell next over, picking out substitute fielder Diana Baig at deep mid-wicket, Wyatt, whose unbeaten 42 came off 27 balls, and Fran Wilson (33 from 19) punished an increasingly ragged Pakistan. With rain forecast, England’s priority in the field was to get through 20 overs in order to constitute a match.
Strike bowler Katherine Brunt had been expensive at Derby, but struck with her seventh delivery as Nahida Khan popped a straightforward catch to Sciver at mid-wicket. A slower ball pegged back Javeria Khan’s middle stump as Brunt’s six-over opening spell cost only 21 runs, and spinner Alex Hartley, with an even more miserly economy rate, trapped Asmavia in front. Although opener Ayesha Zafar had compiled a patient half-century by the time rain returned, Pakistan were well adrift of the DLS par score.
Heather Knight raises her bat after notching up her maiden ODI century in Leicester yesterday.
Serena Williams says ‘heart dropped’ at surprise pregnancy (REUTERS) - Serena Williams was completely taken aback by her pregnancy, taking six home tests before believing she was expecting her first child, the tennis superstar told Vanity Fair magazine.
I having a baby?” Williams, 35, said in the interview released yesterday. The No. 1 ranked tennis player, interviewed in May when she was six months pregnant, said she had made no preparations.
Serena Williams (USA), Jill Smoller and Oracene Price in attendance for the Venus Williams (USA) and Elise Mertens (BEL) (not pictured) match on day six of the 2017 French Open tennis tournament at Stade Roland Garros.
Williams, who poses nude on the cover of the magazine for its August issue, said she still had not come to terms with the prospect of being a mother, and said she plans to be back on court in January. “It just doesn’t seem real. I don’t know why. Am
“I don’t know what to do with a baby ... I’ve done absolutely nothing for the baby room,” she said. Williams, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, confirmed in April that she was expecting a baby in the fall after posting on
Snapchat, and then deleting, a picture of herself in a swimsuit with the caption “20 weeks”. She said she would take maternity leave through the remainder of 2017. Williams told Vanity Fair she found out she was pregnant about a week before winning her record 23rd Grand Slam tournament singles title at the Australian Open in January. She said she had felt off her game but thought her hormones were acting up. A friend suggested she take a pregnancy test and when it came back positive she “did a double take and my heart dropped. Like literally, it dropped”. She took five more home tests and later presented all six to Ohanian, who was as shocked as she was. She said her fiance now was earnestly preparing and already has a tip jar he puts money into whenever he uses profanity so he will not utter it around the baby. Williams gave no dates but said she expects to return to the circuit as soon as January, adding “I don’t think my story is over yet.”
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Region 2 dominate Day of Sports at Lake Mainstay By Elroy Stephney DESPITE unfavourable weather conditions, Region 2 successfully hosted its day of sports and interaction last Saturday, at Lake Mainstay on the Essequibo Coast. Among the disciplines which formed part of the day’s activities were 10/10 softball cricket, 5-a-side football and a king dominoes competition involving sister Regions 3 and 4. The day began with a formal opening ceremony which was addressed by the Regional Executive Officer Derrick Persaud who welcomed the participants as he expressed the Region’s commitment and pride in promoting good working relationships, sharing of ideas, building friendships among the regions and fostering unity as a whole. The 10/10 softball cricket competition then took centre stage as Region 2 and 3 played for a trophy in the final. Earlier Region 3 defeated a Masters XI from Region 2 by three wickets. Batting first, Masters XI scored 67-5 from 10 overs with Boodram Laldass striking 31 including 3x4s and 1x6. In reply, Region 3 despite an early setback rallied to 68-3, thanks to an unbeaten 37 (5x4, 1x6) from Graham Miggins who hammered 21 in the last over to gain a thrilling victory by 7 wickets for the visitors. In the final which was reduced to 6 overs because of time, Region 2 secured 65-5 with Anthony Persaud top-scoring with 27, laced with 2x6s and
Gopaul Deen 16. Region 3 in response lost wickets regularly and were eventually reduced to 47-7 when the overs expired. Graham Miggins was again among the runs hitting 15. Leg-spinner
minute to seal victory for the office boys. Meanwhile the king dominoes was won by Jason Fredericks who marked 12 games to be crowned King. At the presentation, trophies were
Travis Simon of Region 2 receives the winning trophy for the cricket competition from Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt.
Hemand Sonina was exceptional claiming a hat-trick to end with figures of 3-6 from his single over while Gopaul Deen took 2-8 from his one over as well, to cap a fine all-round display. In the other disciplines, Regional Accounting Unit, Region 2 won the 5-a-side football against their Drainage and Irrigation counterparts, 4-0. The 30-minute affair saw a hat-trick from captain Jermain Springer who scored in the 4th, 9th, and 17th minutes of the game. Completing the score line was Yattesh Wickham who found the net in the 28th
presented to Region 2 as the winners of the cricket competition while Region 3 received the prize for the runners-up. Gopaul Deen of Region 2 was adjudged manof-the-match in the final while Graham Wiggins of Region 3 collected the trophy for the batsman scoring the most runs in the final. Leg-spinner Hemant Sonina from Region 2 copped the prize for the bowler with the most wickets including a hat-trick. Trophies were also given to the RAU football team for winning the title while Jason Fredericks
collected the trophies for winning the king dominoes competition and scoring the most sixes. Gracing the occasion were the Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, Regional Vice-Chairman Nandranie Coonjah, Deputy Regional Executive Officer Roopkumar Persaud, Principal Personnel Officer Bibi Rameeza Mullah, Member of Parliament Hemraj Rajkumar, RDC Councillors, staff of the various participating regions and special invitees. The organisers have undertaken to make the event an annual one with Region 2 expected to pay a return visit to Regions 3 and 4 next year. The Regional Administration, Region 2 sponsored the day of activities.
Suspended ban for Sri Lanka paceman Malinga
SRI Lanka quick Lasith Malinga has been given a oneyear ban, suspended by six months, and fined 50 per cent of his next one-day international match fee for a breach of contract. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday announced that the 33-year-old paceman would face a disciplinary inquiry for comments he made following the ICC Champions Trophy. Malinga spoke out against Sri Lanka sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, who questioned the national team’s fitness levels following a disappointing Champions Trophy in England. SLC wasted no time in conducting a hearing, finding Malinga guilty of breaching his tour contract, but ruling that he will still be available to face Zimbabwe in a five-match ODI series, which starts on Friday. “Sri Lanka Cricket today announced the outcome of the disciplinary inquiry held against national player Lasith Malinga with regard to his breach of tour contract,”
an SLC statement said. “The special inquiry panel comprised of SLC hony. secretary Mr. Mohan de Silva and SLC chief executive officer Ashley de Silva and chairman of the disciplinary committee Mr. Asela Rekawa AAL, found the player guilty of breach of contract after an inquiry held this afternoon at SLC headquarters where Malinga accepted the charges levelled against him and tendered a formal apology. “The findings were subsequently reported to a specially convened Executive Committee this evening, who imposed a sentence of a oneyear suspension, suspended by six months (whereby the punishment would be imposed in the event of a similar infraction within the stipulated 6 month period) and a 50 per cent fine of his next ODI match fee. “Accordingly, Malinga would be available for selection for the forthcoming Zimbabwe series.”
Shastri to apply for India coaching job RAVI Shastri, the former India all-rounder and team director, will apply for the role of the India’s head coach, according to the New Indian Express. “Yes, I have decided to apply for the job,” Shastri told the newspaper from London, while denying reports that he would apply for the role only if he was assured of getting it. The coach’s position has been vacant after Anil Kumble resigned last week, stating his partnership with India captain Virat Kohli had become “untenable”. Kumble’s original one-year contract ended with the Champions Trophy, but he was to continue with the team for the ongoing West Indies tour. In the wake of Kumble’s resignation, who had reapplied for the job in May, the BCCI decided to
invite fresh applications for the post to add to the five shortlisted candidates - Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Dodda Ganesh.
Ravi Shastri
The last date for submissions is July 9. The BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee - comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - has been tasked with selecting the team’s coach.
Shastri had applied for the role in 2016 too, and was disappointed he had missed out since the team had done well during his tenure as director. Shastri took over as team director in August 2014 and under him, India made it to semi-finals of successive global events - the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20, and also climbed to No. 1 on the Test rankings for a period of eight weeks until Australia took over in February 2016. During that period, India also won their first limited-overs bilateral series in Australia, whitewashing the hosts 3-0 in a T20I series. While he worked alongside Duncan Fletcher in the early part of his tenure, Shastri had sole responsibility after the 2015 World Cup. (ESPN Cricinfo)
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Over 30 players turn out for Bartica TT tourney
NSC Administrator Gervy Harry (centre) with the players at the Bartica Community Centre
ST ANTHONY’S Primary student Eugene Baptiste took down Rhys Belle 11-4, 11-8, 11-8, to win the Boys’ final while Two Mile Primary’s Ashley Arthur picked up the Girls’ win last Saturday in the Primary and Secondary Schools Novices Table Tennis Tournament, organised by the Bartica Table Tennis Steering Committee at the Bartica Community Centre. Over 30 players from across six schools participated in the tournament, cheered on by their parents and teachers who turned out in their numbers to support.
The tournament was sponsored by the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC), and marked the return of table tennis to the region after a long absence. Teachers and parents supported their children, the steering committee and the development of the sport. Baptiste had made his way to the final after earlier ousting Yohance Prowell 3-0 and Belle got past Romain Dower 3-0. Other players who had reached the quarter-finals
were Reon Hall, Jaswan Seenarine, Simon Phillips and Adrian Bobb. On the distaff end, Arthur was too much of a challenge for Kristie Rambharat, winning 11-4,11-5,11-7 to champion the category. For the secondary school category it was Emanuel Atherley who defeated Tyrese Gomes to take a 114,11-7,11-5 win in the final. Atherley had beaten Keenan Harper 3-0, and Gomes had defeated Sean Jones (3-2). Others who reached the quarter-finals were Harper, Jones, Wesley Franklin, Justin Rambharat, Clason Clemen-
son and Marcus McKenzie The players were presented with their prizes at the end of the event. NSC Administrator Mr Gervy Harry urged parents to continue to support the young players as they strive for success in the sport and reiterated the need for sports expansion outside of Georgetown.. This he said can be done through schools hence more teachers should be trained in the sport. He also assisted with the presentation of prizes and congratulated the steering committee for a job well done.
Sangakkara reaches 1,000 first-class runs for season KUMAR Sangakkara passed 1 000 first-class runs for the season on the way to his sixth century, an unbeaten 180, as Surrey dominated Yorkshire in County Championship Division One. Only 30 overs were bowled because of rain on day two at Headingley. But Sangakkara scored 91 of the 122 runs scored in a delayed first hour of play as Surrey raced from their overnight 374-6 to 516-7 declared. Yorkshire reached 27-1 in 10.5 overs before the rain returned. The hosts lost opener Adam Lyth, leg-before to Sam Curran, in the eighth over of their reply, while
England Test captain Joe Root ended the day unbeaten on 12. The day-night match is one of nine being played this week to trial floodlit championship cricket featuring a pink ball.
sixes in total. He shared a 158-run stand for the seventh wicket with new England T20 international Tom Curran (44) to ensure maximum batting bonus points. His 1000th champion-
Kumar Sangakkara has now hit six centuries in 11 Championship innings for Surrey this season.
Sri Lanka great Sangakkara, 39, reached his century off 136 balls and his 150 off only another 28, hitting 21 fours and four
ship run of 2017, making him the first to achieve that feat in English cricket this summer, came with a four off Tim Bresnan.
Sangakkara, who played 134 Tests for Sri Lanka between 2000 and 2015, scored the 100th century of his career this month. Yo r k s h i r e a s s i s t a n t coach Rich Pyrah told BBC Radio Leeds: “Kumar obviously played really well, but I didn’t think we hit our lengths as consistently as we can. It’s a little bit frustrating. “We know how important the new ball is with the pink one before it gets soft. We were inconsistent and let him get away again. “But he’s a class player. When he’s playing like that at the end, it’s very difficult to stop him scoring.” (BBC SPORT)
Drakes says senior players must play key role in WI women resurgence TA U N T O N , E n g l a n d (CMC) – Head coach Vasbert Drakes is optimistic West Indies Women can turn around their slump but believes the senior players must play a key role in the resurgence. The Caribbean side lost their opening game of the ongoing Women’s Cricket World Cup here Monday when they went down to reigning World champions Australia by eight wickets. That loss came on the heels of defeats in the two official warm-up matches last week and in three unofficial practice games prior, leaving them win-less on tour. Drakes said West Indies possessed the ability and the character to turn around their form as they had done several times already in the past. “Anyone who plays cricket will tell you that you get better the more you play and the constraints that we have is that we didn’t play competitive cricket but at this present moment I’m not going to use that as an excuse,” Drakes said here yesterday. “We’re going to draw on our natural resources and that is the ability to make smart decisions under pressure situations. We’ve done it before, it can be done again. “We’re going to use the experience of the senior players and ensure they accept that responsibility to take more ownership and bat deep. We were in a situation where in the first 22 overs we were in the game with Australia … it has shown we can bat. The challenge is to bat and do the basics for longer periods.” He added: “We had four
batters that got in and they got out also with soft dismissals so those are the areas that if we can improve on, I’m sure we will see a stronger performance from this unit.” West Indies got starts from teenage opener Hayley Matthews (46), captain Stafanie Taylor (45), Chedean Nation (39) and veteran Deandra Dottin (29) but none carried on to a significant score as the innings folded for 204 in the 48th over. The Aussies then easily chased down their target in a canter with left-handed opener Nicole Bolton striking a classy, unbeaten 107. Drakes said it was important that the key batsmen in the Windies squad make their presence felt in such a way that it forces a victory. “ We h a v e e n o u g h match-winners in the squad that if they take that responsibility to bat deep they can influence the game in a positive way,” the former West Indies seamer pointed out. “So we’re just hoping that some of these things we ask for as coaches, we can get the cricketers to make the contribution to allow us to be in the game and stay in the game.” West Indies will once again seek to turn the page on their ordinary form when they take on the India Women in their second match of the tournament at County Ground here tomorrow. Significantly, West Indies went down to the Indians by five wickets in a warm-up contest in Leicester 11 days ago and were also whitewashed 3-0 in a series in Vijayawada last November.
Experienced batsman and captain Stafanie Taylor bats in the nets during a training session. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 28, 2017
GLTA concerned about dwindling Novices numbers …calls for more support OVER six years ago, the Guyana Tennis Association rolled out a Novices development programme, which featured the inclusion of a Novices category at tournaments, allowing for persons new to the sport of tennis to get a taste of competition and to eventually graduate to the main categories of tournaments. However, over the years the initiative has been experiencing a reduction in the number of persons involved, and the GLTA, through support from other sectors, is hoping to see the programme re-invigorated. Though the inaugural Novices categories in 2011 had featured some 32 players, in the Novice Medley Singles of last month’s GBTI Open only 15 persons matched skills as males and females competed against each other. The GTA noted that the
decline can be attributed to the reduction of active clubs from 11 during that time down to 5 in 2017. “This is a stark indication that the sport needs facilities and clubs nationwide to grow. In this regard, the GLTA continues to press the authorities to be non-discriminatory in their support for the sport that has over the years managed to successfully hold its own with little or no support,” a press release from the entity read. President of the GTA, Jamal Goodluck, noted that a sort of brain drain of the administrators is what has been responsible for the dwindling club numbers, as well as unavailability of facilities. “There has been a dip because of the spaces to play and the migration of the top administrators of the clubs. There were some other tennis
Tennis novice Delon Fraser, Liaison to the Crime Chief (left) and U.S. Peace Corps Country Director Kury Cobham after a match.
courts that had clubs but no longer function or are in bad shape, e.g Pegasus, Corriverton and New Amsterdam. However, we have some emerging clubs and private facilities such as Linden and Transport,” Goodluck explained. Goodluck believes there’s still a role for the GLTA to play in helping to mitigate this blow somewhat. “We intend to offer more administrative support as well as competition among the clubs. We recognised that there is a need for more active engagement and rivalries to build and sustain growth of clubs,” he said. Since professional tennis is a sport with a very high learning curve, this is a way to increase participation in tennis in a rudimentary form. T h i s y e a r f e a t u re d prominent personalities, the likes of Delon Fras-
er, Liaison to the Crime Chief, who defeated Non Pareil Tennis Club president Surendra Khayyam 6-3 to take home the title. In their semis, Fraser defeated U.S. Peace Corps Country Director Kury Cobham, 6-3 in semis and Khayyam edged Leonie Sears (7-5) who has improved significantly with only one year of training from Men’s champ Anthony Downes. Fraser will now advance to Open categories. Ask any tennis player and they will tell you it’s like day and night playing someone in a friendly match as opposed to tournament conditions. The Novices certainly would welcome the opportunity to compete against their peers instead of seasoned players and it is hoped that more players would participate to keep the category alive in future tournaments.
Former CONCACAF boss allowed FIFA Goal Project renamed in to travel freely within U.S honour of late JFF president Captain Horace Burrell died on June 6 in the United States.
Jeffrey Webb has been under house arrest at his home in Georgia since 2015.
E M B AT T L E D f o r m e r CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb will be allowed to travel freely within the United States following a successful appeal to a U.S. district court. Webb, who is facing seven counts of criminal conduct, has been under house arrest at his home in Loganville, Georgia since September 2015. Initially the former CONCACAF boss was not allowed to be more than 20 miles from his home, but saw those
restrictions eased in May of last year when he was allowed to travel 50 miles between 08:00hrs. and 17:00hrs. seven days a week “for the purpose of running errands and to facilitate care of his infant son”. Webb, who was granted a fifth delay of sentence last week and is now scheduled to face the court in January 2018, has been granted further leniency and will be allowed to travel during the period, subject to the approval of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation. The former CONCACAF boss was also granted leave to travel to relatives’ homes within the state of Georgia during the period, again with the permission of federal authorities. The 52-year-old is also expected to relocate within the state after putting his Loganville mansion up for sale, with proceeds expected to go the United States Federal Government as part of a plea deal.
THE FIFA Goal Project in Jamaica situated on the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus was on Monday officially renamed the University of the West Indies/ Jamaica Football Federation/ Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence in honour of the late president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF). Captain Burrell died on June 6 in the United States after a year-long battle with cancer. Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of UWI Mona Cam-
pus, Professor Archibald McDonald, revealed during the unveiling ceremony that the Centre of Excellence will be incorporated into the soon-tobe established Faculty of Sport and will offer courses for local coaches and players. The ceremony was attended by several stakeholders in Jamaican football as well as former Technical Director Rene Simoes under whose guidance Jamaica qualified for the FIFA 1998 World Cup in France to become the first nation from the English-speaking Caribbean to do so.
The renaming ceremony forms part of a series of activities aimed at honouring the legacy of the late JFF president whose body lay in state at the National Arena in Kingston yesterday, June 27. No pictures were allowed to be taken during the event that took place between 10:00hrs and 14:00hrs (11:00hrs to 15:00hrs ECT). A Thanksgiving Service will also be held at the National Area today, starting at 10:00hrs (11:00hrs ECT) where a number of local artistes will deliver musical tributes.
GLTA concerned about dwindling Novices numbers See Page 35
Roraima Airways and Department of Sport partner on ‘Good Ambassadors’ initiative THE Department of Sport is working on adding Guyanese athletes to the pool of ‘Good Ambassadors’, as they become more exposed to and familiar with Guyana’s tourism product. This programme is being implemented with the help of corporate entities, including the Roraima Airways, according to Director of Sport Christopher Jones, during a visit to Arrowpoint Nature Resort over the weekend with 20 sports men and women. Jones commended Roraima’s partnership with his Department and noted that Roraima is the first corporate tourism entity to come on board as a sponsor since the launch of the Tourism Seminar in April of this year. “Roraima Airways is the
first tourism company which has come on board to support our athletes since the inaugural Sports Tourism Seminar. The Department of Tourism is currently working on the Tourism Policy which incorporates sport and tourism. We want to expose our athletes to our local tourism product, so when abroad they would be able to effectively promote Guyana,” said Jones. The Director of Sport added “By virtue of Roraima Airways coming on board, this would enhance athletes’ ability to market Guyana’s tourism product. On behalf of the Department, I would like to thank Roraima for supporting our athletes.” The Award-winning 2016 THAG Resort of the year, Arrowpoint, hosted 20 Sports
Awardees on Saturday June 24 – a first-time experience for the athletes. The Arrowpoint experience included a tour of the Indigenous Village, Sanata Aratak Mission, activities which showcased the way of life of the indigenous people and a brush with Guyana’s wildlife. Speaking on the exposure of the athletes to Arrowpoint Nature Resort, Jones said “It’s a worthy experience for our local athletes and Guyanese as a whole, because having experienced the best of Guyana’s tourism package, one can appreciate one’s own country more which would create the ripple effect of becoming quality ambassadors. I would
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Bolt unsure of exact Shane Ally to debut Lotus retirement Elise at Race of Champions date See Page 31
Usain Bolt is certain the World Championships will be his final appearance ata major games WORLD’S fastest man Usain Bolt will step away from the sport of track and field by the end of season, but his exact retirement date remains shrouded in mystery. The 30-year-old is certain that the London World Championships will be his final appearance at a major games, but has admitted he could still continue the farewell tour at one or two meets after that. “We haven’t fully made up our mind on what we’re doing yet,” revealed Bolt, who had previously suggested the 4x100m relay final on August 12 could be his final competitive race on a track anywhere. The dominant Jamaican sprinter, often plagued by injury, has typically competed in only a handful of races over the past several seasons and in several cases has closed the period following a big win at a major championship. The athletics calendar is normally significantly thinner at that time of year, but Bolt has, on occasion, gone on to make his final appearance of the year at the Brussels Diamond League meet. The sprinter was, however, quick to point out that the decision was not one that required primary focus at the moment. “I’m not worrying about that until the World Championships or at least getting close to it,” Bolt said. (Sportsmax)
Shane
By Stephan Sookram SUNDAY will witness the addition of a new member to the group three class, the Lotus Elise under the command of a returning driver, Shane Ally. Ally, who spoke to Chroni-
Ally’s L
otus
cle Sport recently believes that the time is right for his return, adding that the time is right for his return. “I stopped racing karts to start racing cars, the car was purchased one month after, however we've had challenges with rule changes and we
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rebuilt the car to fit the gp3 class with a different approach; the Colin Chapman Lotus approach.” “That took a bit longer than anticipated,” he noted, adding that the car is now ready to hit the track. “The car feels great; I just
need my Physical fitness catch up; right now I think the car is faster than I am. When I get back in the zone is when the deficiencies in the car setup will begin to show,” He added. He noted, “I believe the
Turn to page 30 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2017