Kaieteur News

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Saturday Edition

AIETEUR

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

April 06, 2019 - Vol. 13 No. 14

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Price $80

- Dr. Yesu Persaud

Online readership yesterday 94,563

Integrity Commission receives over 500 declarations from

officials Govt. responsible for getting experts to draft oil laws, not us

...but doesn’t have funds to hire investigative officers Youth between the ages of 8 and 14 will now be able to sign up for club membership at the local library in Lethem

- AG Chambers

Several Rusal employees refuse to work under current management

“Reading & Robotics” Programme launched in Lethem

Former cop gets 26 years’ Guyanese in jail for rape of girl, 7 man killed as EPA investigating cases of residents sickened by fumes from aluminum works

helicopter blade strikes pickup on Florida highway

Killed: Deodat Gangapersaud

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Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

Body in car trunk‌

Cops interview wife of slain fuel dealer following arrest at airport

Ramzan Alli

P

olice were up to late yesterday still questioning Milaimi Alli, the wife of slain fuel dealer Ramzan Alli, following her arrest at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday.

But according to Crime Chief Lyndon Alves, it is too early to say whether she will be charged. Police will be seeking legal advice once the interview is completed.

Mrs. Alli, 50, was held after returning from the US. Police had issued a wanted bulletin for her on Monday.

It had stated that she was wanted for questioning in relation to murder committed on Ramzan Alli between 11th and 12th July

Milaimi Alli 2009 at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara.

The bulletin gave Mrs. Alli's age as 50, and her last known address as Lot 29 Good Hope, East Coast Demerara; Gordon Street Kitty, Georgetown and 107-15 110 Street, Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, USA. A taxi driver, Sadeek Mohamed Mitchell, was charged last week for Alli's murder.

Police allege that he had given a caution statement in which he admitted to killing Alli on a woman's orders.

Ramzan Alli, 45, was discovered dead on Sunday, July 12, 2009, in the trunk of his rental car, which was on the Coldingen Railway Embankment Road.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

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Guyanese man killed as helicopter blade strikes pickup on Florida highway

A

Guyanese man was killed in Florida on Thursday, during a freak accident involving a helicopter. Dead is Deodat ' U n c l e H i l t o n ' Gangapersaud, 72, of Whim, Corentyne.

According to a Tampabay.com news report yesterday, the grandfather of eight and his son Ryan Persaud, 35, were travelling in a Chevrolet Silverado when a helicopter crashed onto the highway.

A piece of the helicopter's rotor blade flew across the intersection and sliced through the windshield of the Silverado, striking Gangapersaud, who was sitting in the passenger seat. He was killed instantly, authorities said.

A d a y l a t e r , Gangapersaud's family was still trying to process the loss of their patriarch.

"For all of us, it's just very surreal," his daughter Sharita Persaud said

yesterday. "It's so out of the blue, so sudden."

Authorities say there were two people in the helicopter. Bryan Thomas Messick, 38, of Bradenton was piloting the 2019 Robinson R44 II helicopter when it experienced what authorities called catastrophic engine failure.

Joshua James Wells, 21, of Pinellas Park, was a passenger. He was not injured.

Surveillance video captured by a nearby business shows the sleek blue four-seater dropping parallel to the southbound lanes of 50th Street just above a southbound semitrailer truck, then landing hard on the pavement.

As the copter slid to a stop, its main rotor blade struck a utility pole, snapping it like a toothpick.

A piece of the blade broke off and landed in the cab of the Chevy pickup, investigators said.

The scene of the horrific accident

"He really did about the best job you could do in this situation," Dan Boggs, an air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters at the scene. "I'm really proud of him."

Messick is certified by the FAA as a commercial helicopter pilot and helicopter flight instructor,

records show. Gangapersaud and his wife Grace were born in Guyana. They married in 1980, and went to the United States. Gangapersaud worked as a security guard at t h e Wo r l d B a n k i n Washington, D.C. while his wife worked as a bank teller.

They moved to Florida in 2005 after Gangapersaud retired.

Fraudster jailed in absence remanded after appearing on another charge

G

anraj Ragubeer w h o w a s previously charged with 45 counts of fraudulent conversion among many other court cases, yesterday finally found himself behind bars after evading the police for several months in relation to a charge he was convicted of in his absence.

Ragubeer, 29, of Lot 26 G o r d o n S t r e e t , K i t t y, Georgetown, showed up in court to answer a charge in which he is accused of stealing from a Lotto outlet of which he was an employee.

The apprentice electrician denied the allegation which read that between May 2018 and July 2018 at Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg, the accused stole $1,570,314 from his employer Kumar Chintaman.

The charge was read to the accused by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

Police prosecutor Sanj Singh indicated to the court that the accused was previously slapped with 45 c h a rg e s o f f r a u d u l e n t conversion in 2018. He allegedly obtained over $1M from several persons by

claiming he could get them United States (US) or Canadian visas. Singh went on to say that the court was

Ganraj Ragubeer

working along with the defendant to compensate the victims. However for one of (continued on page 7)

Killed: Deodat Gangapersaud

Kaieteur News

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Saturday April 06, 2019

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL As the Crisis in Venezuela Grows, the Options Narrow (Republished from The New York Times) For 10 weeks now, Venezuela has had two presidents playing a tense game of chicken. The United States and a host of other countries have arrayed themselves behind Juan Guaidó, the young challenger from the opposition, beginning a broad drive to force the disastrously incompetent and dictatorial Nicolás Maduro out of office.

But despite threats of intervention, calls on the military to rebel, economic sanctions, promises of aid for the longsuffering Venezuelans and long power failures, Mr. Maduro remains defiantly entrenched in the presidential palace, his corrupt generals at his side and his Russian and Cuban backers behind him.The confrontation ratcheted up when Russia demonstratively flew two military planes with roughly 100 military “advisers” into Caracas on March 23. That prompted an echo of the Monroe Doctrine from President Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, to the effect that the United States regards any military forces arriving from outside the Western Hemisphere as a “direct threat” to the region.

Upping the ante, Mr. Maduro had his legislature (there are also two of those) strip Mr. Guaidó of his parliamentary immunity as head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, opening the way to his potential arrest. Mr. Guaidó, who previously defied a ban against traveling abroad, responded by vowing to continue fighting the “cowardly, miserable and murderous” regime.

“The regime believes that by attacking me, they will stop us,” Mr. Guaidó told supporters. “There’s no way back in this process.”

That may be so, and it certainly would be a great relief for Venezuela to be rid of the leader who inherited a broken country from his revolutionary mentor Hugo Chávez and has continued to push it to utter ruin, creating a humanitarian disaster atop the world’s largest oil reserves. But how long that “transition” might last, and what horrors it may yet visit on people hovering on the edge of starvation, are open questions.Mr. Trump has repeatedly warned that any move to arrest or harm Mr. Guaidó will draw a “significant” response.

But then Mr. Trump has frequently rattled his sabers — “all options are on the table” — and there are no suggestions that any military action is being seriously contemplated. And despite bellicose warnings from both Mr. Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Russia has shown no sign of pulling back its “advisers” or halting its support for Mr. Maduro, if only in hopes of recovering some of the large sums it has lent him.In effect, what was intended as a swift operation to pry out a nasty despot has turned into a stalemate while Venezuela further disintegrates, lately with long, debilitating blackouts.That is not to argue that Mr. Trump should become more aggressive. Mr. Maduro and his patron in the Kremlin may have called Washington’s bluff for now, leaving the American president with his own “red-line moment,” as David E. Sanger wrote in The Times, reminiscent of President Barack Obama’s failure to follow up on his threats against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

But a military intervention in a country bigger than Texas would be ugly, even if Russia did not get further involved, and nearly all the other nations backing Mr. Guaidó firmly opposed one.

The reality is that Mr. Trump has no real option but to wait.

It is hard to conceive that Mr. Maduro will hang on indefinitely, or that his generals will not see the writing on the wall as the situation becomes ever more dire. Vladimir Putin, for all his longing to prop up a rare ally in Latin America and to stick it to the United States, cannot project serious power halfway around world, or risk the serious response this could provoke.It is terrible to witness the suffering of a nation for no reason other than the criminal obduracy of a corrupt clique. But the last act in this tragedy can only be performed by the Venezuelans, knowing that the sooner they and their armed forces evict the thieves, the sooner the world will pitch in to help them recover their lives.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

Why Guyana has remained poor?

DEAR EDITOR, I am calling on the general public to consider an appeal to make the death penalty mandatory for corruption, as many prominent figures in our ‘Blood Soaked’ history deserve worse. I humbly ask my fellow Guyanese at home and abroad, to also boycott the upcoming elections and to throw aside the ‘No Confidence Vote’ for the merry circus of hearsay that it is. After careful review, I am now convinced; the economic plight we now face is the sole responsibility of successive authoritarian regimes, which chose to protect party donors. Though radical, let me shed light into the darker side of our political elite who chose to ignore the masses and their plight, which in turn led to the economic demise and impoverishment, of one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America and the cruel extents to which they went to preserve power.

The working class family receives eight percent interest on their mortgage while the business elite receives one percent on business loans. Per every borrowed $1,000,000, the elite repays $77,000 in

interest while the poor repays, a whopping $720,000 over a wearisome 15 years. An average house in Guyana costs $10,000,000. The poor must therefore repay $6,430,000 more in interest than the wealthy.

To my horror, if this family cannot repay, the bank kicks them out of their home. But these selected few stand unscathed because these administrations are printing money to clear their debts. This causes our hardearned salaries to lose purchasing power, effectively throwing the financial burden onto the poor. Consequently, a plot of land within a housing scheme once cost $20,000; now it costs $500,000.

Foreign firms export cheaper goods to Guyana and people are more likely to buy from them. A fall in sales means losses – and the business elite do not accept losses. Administrations discourage the sales of rivals by imposing taxes on their products. Simply, the poor must pay the losses of the rich. Instead of underselling, the ruling class viciously raise competitor prices to maintain their foothold on power in Guyana while 35

percent of our population cannot even afford basic food stuff (Central Intelligence Agency 2018).

Our political elite have been granted sole control over almost all infrastructure and resources in our country and all Guyanese life is dependent o n t h e m .

O u r telecommunications, agriculture, mining and construction industries are now the personal property of a select few who think our country is a monopoly board.

From Internet service providers being restricted from laying submarine cables to large mining blocks being farmed out to cronies. A lack of competition has made the ‘Business Cartel’ even more greedy. They seek to provide the poorest quality at the highest price, for their pockets know no bottom and their hearts have no soul.

The rich feed on our poverty. Regimes have overlooked and stagnated our economy while protecting their monopolistic friends. Poor economic growth has bled our public finances dry leading to meagre investments into the welfare of the weak and vulnerable. This has caused poor provision of health care and education by the state.

Only the rich can afford private health care and an Ivy League education for their children.

In 1985, the US Department of Treasury and the International Monetary Fund issued economic advice to all third world countries, which we now know today as the Washington Consensus. Our leaders would have done well to have followed their counsel and I further advise that health care and education be privatized and made freely and universally accessible through public financing.

The economic order we now follow was pioneered by France and Japan. The World Bank concluded their success was solely due to market conformity, education and high saving rates. The ironic turn of events for Guyana was caused by the absolute incompetence of our leaders.

They neglected market conformity when they wiped out the competition for their greedy friends. They brainwashed the people and robbed them of their life savings. Somehow, they perfectly did everything wrong.

Yours respectfully, Keron Ali

An official police investigation should be launched into this affair DEAR EDITOR, The alacrity with which the Department of Citizenship has responded to revelations of incorrect and therefore fraudulent notices of application for naturalization as Guyanese citizens is surprising. Anyone who has had any dealing or transaction with any government agency in our country knows of the sloth, it is legendary, a bureaucratic labyrinth from which it is painful to extract information and answers for any purpose.

The responses are themselves informative for what they say, as well as what is left out, “The Ministry would like to make it pellucid that all of the processes that the Department of Citizenship applies to applications for citizenship are enshrined in the Laws of Guyana – the Guyana Citizenship Act 14:01” and Minister Felix’s “requires the applicant for naturalization to publish their

applications for naturalization in one of the daily newspapers.

The department has nothing to do with what appears in the Newspapers. If an error occurs in the publication, that is a problem for the newspapers and the applicant. They have to sort that out and clear up any e r ro r t h a t m a y h a v e occurred.”

The statement by the Minister of Citizenship seems to be at odds with that of his Ministry, for the Laws are clear with whom the responsibility for false statements lies and what the penalties are: Laws of Guyana Cap 14:01 Evidence: 13. (1) Every document purporting to be a notice, certificate, order or declaration, or an entry in a register or a subscription of an oath of allegiance, given, granted or made under this Act or under Chapter IV of the Constitution shall be received

in evidence and shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been given, granted or made on behalf of the person by whom or on whose behalf it has been given, granted or been made.

Offences: 14. (1) Any person who for the purpose of procuring anything to be done or not done under this Act or Chapter IV of the Constitution makes any statement to be false in a material particular, or recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than twenty five thousand dollars nor more than fifty thousand dollars and imprisonment for six months.

Editor, was there an inquiry at the Department of Citizenship into the instances provided by the Leader of the Opposition? Did anyone pull these files and engage in close scrutiny of all documents

provided? Was a biometric cross scan run to confirm no duplicity exists? From the Chronicle, answers, or should I say excuses, were quickly provided by the General Manager of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited who blamed a ‘computer glitch’ for these ‘errors’. Given the glibness emanating from both entities, I would ask that an official police investigation be launched into this affair. An inquiry not limited to the false notices, but to ascertain if indeed any effort was made at either entity to seek the truth.

In numerous years of using computers, I am yet to experience any of these fabled ‘glitches’ and I would ask who conducted this inquiry at the Department of Citizenship and if there was a written report submitted.

Computers systems have logs built into the software; surely we can access those (Continued on page 6)

Saturday April 06,2019

Some comments which are not consistent with the AFC DEAR EDITOR, A founder of the People’s National Congress (PNC), who served as Prime Minister is now making some controversial statements, which are not consistent with the government’s partner, the Alliance For Change (AFC) as well as other important policies of the coalition.

Hamilton Green now 84 years old is still active with a sharp mind and fantastic memory, is advocating for a National Front Government, and all charges against PPPC politicians be held in abeyance.

He also disagreed with AFC’s Raphael Trotman to amend the constitution to make provision for persons who hold dual nationality to be lawmakers (parliamentarians and ministers).

Green who is currently in Texas in an exclusive interview with me said that with racial conflict raising its ugly head once again, a national front government will be the answer and said that a bi-party group should be established to monitor to ensure that the rules of the national front government are adhered to in order to prevent monopoly on any one party monopoly.

The former Prime Minister is very adamant about a national front government and said that he is aware that he will be criticized for stating that pending criminal charges against PPP lawmakers be put on hold, but said that, “we have to move forward”.

Asked what would be his reaction if the PNC leadership decides to agree with Trotman and take amend the constitution to accommodate persons with dual nationality to be lawmakers, the former Mayor said he will advocate that such a move be resisted.

He said Trotman’s argument is baseless since the intellect in the Diaspora can serve in numerous positions other than members of parliament.

As he puts it, “you cannot serve two masters ... and stressed that there are different roles and that MPs are distinct.

Touching on the historical background of the two major races, the octogenarian said that Afro Guyanese are descendants of slaves and they followed their white masters and became Christians and worked with government as policemen, nurses, post offices and other departments, while Indians as indentured labourers

followed their parents and grandparents into farming and made a success he said.

However, I must add that the Indians besides being farmers ensured that their children are well educated and some of them send them to top schools and universities.

Indos as well as Afro Guyanese are now all over the world - many of them holding senior positions.

The controversial Hamilton Green in answer to my questions said he is not an American citizen, but his children are.

He is a member of the Presiding Council of Peace Federation. He served as Mayor of Georgetown for 22 years - 1994 to 2016, prime minister for 7 years 1985 to 1992.

He had problems with the leadership of the PNC in 1993 when he sued the party for violation of his constitutional rights by expelling him from the party.

He then formed the Good, Green Guyana, which was only in existence for a short time. Green is now back with the party.

The government recently passed an Act, which paved the way for him to receive a pension for the seven years he served as Prime Minister.

Oscar Ramjeet

Change Dual Citizens Law DEAR EDITOR, A lot has been penned on dual citizens. Should they be allowed to serve in parliament? Calls have been made for an amendment to the constitution that bars dual citizens from being Members of Parliament. More Guyanese live abroad than at home. There are more Guyanese who are dual citizens than of Guyana alone.

They possess enormous resources (capital, skills, experience in development policies, governance integrity. etc.). Minister Trotman is right that it is a disservice excluding them from participation in the c o u n t r y ’s political

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affairs. They contribute to the development of those countries. Some of them also help Guyana. A person should not be excluded from political service to the nation on account of dual citizenship.

Their survival abroad depends on acquiring foreign citizenship. It makes no sense to exclude competent decent individuals from political involvement in the homeland.

I, therefore, join Minister Raphael Trotman and others who are calling for an abolition of the law barring dual citizens from serving as MPs. If they can serve as C E O s a n d C h a i r s of

government corporations and agencies, why can’t they serve in Parliament. The law is an idiot in this regard.

Whenever the new parliament meets, the constitution should be amended accordingly or better yet, how about a new constitution in which all elected parties participate in a national unity government and with a role for Guyanese in the Diaspora.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Real academics have no problem admitting they gained from int’l exposure DEAR EDITOR, I must first thank His Excellency President David Granger for allowing a search committee process that brought this Guyanese high achiever to head the University of Guyana.

After a review of his academic and career achievements, only someone like the self described academic Mr. Freddie Kissoon would have a problem with the choice. The President, a scholar himself, knew that searches for staff in academia have less to do with nationals who struggled in the trenches, and everything to do with the best-qualified person that could be recruited, regardless of nationality.

Dr. Griffith’s CV, which on the UG website, shows that he was a university Dean in Florida, a university Provost in Virginia and New York and a university President in Georgia. It also lists his seven books, dozens of book chapters and articles, and scores of speeches all over

the world.

It tells you when he testified in the United States Congress and you can link to his speech there. And there is a whole lot more.

Fortunately, Dr. Griffith is Guyanese, and is a graduate of UG. Mr. Freddie Kissoon may have contributed in many ways to Guyana, but there is nothing outstanding about his contribution as an academic.

Assuming he does have a Master’s Degree, he would have been asked to leave after two years by most degree granting universities with a focus on research, and scholarly work by their faculty.

I wonder how many articles he has written. He must have read many books, but has he ever written one?

He owes UG a great debt of gratitude for keeping him for twenty-four years more than he should have been there. Real academics have no problem admitting they gained a lot more from international exposure, than

the “being in the trenches” rhetoric used by Mr. Kissoon to justify the exclusion of qualified Guyanese who have lived abroad, from positions they are qualified to compete for.

Mr. Kissoon has no vision for the growth and development of the University of Guyana, from primarily a local institution, to one that attracts regional, and international students and faculty. Dr Griffith was not selected to maintain the status quo, the type of situation that benefited Mr. Kissoon.

It is clear from his speeches and TV appearances that his mission is to develop with the assistance of competent staff, a first class institution, a concept Mr. Kissoon may have some difficulty with; Mr. Kissoon has to spout venom and bad talk Dr. Griffith, but from everything, an objective person can see Dr. Griffith is not into tearing down and bad talking, but building up.

Yours respectfully Weldon Kendall

The People’s National Congress must be held accountable DEAR EDITOR, The People’s National Congress has committed several atrocities during its term as the Government of Guyana. In concert with the requirements of the Rule of Law, all incl. the People’s National Congress is accountable and must be provided with all the legal protections incl. the

presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.

Several supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic suggested that in 1992 when that party assumed government, one of the agreements that was made and a condition by The Carter Center was that no legal and or prosecutorial action would

be taken against the PNC Reform.

If there is any truth to this, it signals a departure from civilized and legal conduct of countries and nations in the Free World consistent with the practice and application of the Rule of Law. It is a surprise, indeed, that The Carter Center would (Continued on page 6)

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The constitution of a nation should establish and protect its sovereignty DEAR EDITOR, It now behoves me to write to you on the matter of membership in the National Assembly and the holding of foreign allegiance. You and your readers may not recall that in June of 2015, before the 11th Parliament was sworn in, I made public the fact that I wrote to the heads of the list of the parties, which won parliamentary seats. In doing so, I requested that they avoid violation of the constitution by not sending to parliament persons with dual citizenship.

There were mixed public reactions to my request and we all know what the political parties did.

My laughter was unrestrained when, following the vote on the motion of no confidence against the Government, the governing coalition sought to argue that the vote of its own member in the house, the Hon. Charrandas Persaud, was null

and void because he is a Canadian Citizen. I was unamused by what had caused the coalition to seemingly, suddenly recognise that Mr Persaud should not be voting in the National Assembly.

I was, if it were possible, more unamused that they would pretend that he was the only person with dual citizenship sitting in the Assembly.

As a national discourse on the issue developed, I was asked on multiple occasions to contribute. Demands on my time did not permit and I also felt that there was nothing I could add to what was being said save to say, I told you so. Recent pronouncements by the Hon. Raphael Trotman have however changed this.

I agree with the Honourable Minister when he says that Guyana needs to engage the Diaspora. But my agreement is only because

Guyana does not currently have the human capital to address many challenges it faces and soon face. The Diaspora can certainly allow us to rapidly change this.

When we must look outside of Guyana for a particular skill, if we have the latitude, we should first look among the Diaspora as there are significant benefits to this.

The Diaspora has greater affinity for Guyana and should understand the context better than others.

Members of the Diaspora also most often have connections in Guyana that result in more of the money they earn circulating locally.

We must however acknowledge that many members of the Diaspora assume themselves to be superior to persons who remained at home and from that perspective act worse than non-Diaspora members.

It is also true that many of the Diaspora have assimilated the

culture of the place in which they have lived for decades such that they are really no different than other guys with no genetic connection to Guyana or Guyanese. Like non-Guyanese, many Diaspora members will parachute in when there are resources and positions to be filled and leave after that changes because their longterm investments and therefore commitments are elsewhere.

Guyanese who, whether by choice or otherwise, have remained in Guyana, and more so Guyana’s government, must be wise in engaging the Diaspora. We must act with knowledge and not with pure sentiment and emotion. We should have a comprehensive strategy for engaging the Diaspora while still preserving our national sovereignty and protecting our resources.

This idea that to succeed we need to revise the

constitution to accommodate those with dual citizenship in National Assembly is absolute rubbish. We must recognise that the National Assembly makes laws by which persons within the jurisdiction must live, so the framers of the constitution got it right when they wrote Article 155. That Article is about the preservation of the sovereignty of the nation. No person should be allowed to sit to make laws for a nation when they do not have to live by those laws. We need only to observe what happens after a government changes to know that several former ministers and senior government functionaries almost head directly to the airports.

The issue of the conflict of interest that threatens the sovereignty of the nation when a person with allegiance to another nation sits to make decision relating to both countries must not escape us.

We already have an indication of how it could play out for Guyana. It is clear now that parliamentarians from both sides value their foreign citizenship over service to Guyana in the National Assembly.

The constitution of a nation should establish and protect its sovereignty. It would be foolish of any nation to jeopardise that sovereignty by allowing persons with foreign allegiances to sit and make laws for it.

If our politicians think the amendment Minister Trotman floated must be made, it should be via a referendum and not a simple vote in parliament. Our history tells us that Guyana’s politicians will more likely collaborate to protect the common interest of their parties than the interest of the nation.

Sincerely, C. R. Bernard

Different strokes, different folks DEAR EDITOR, The leader of the AFC at a recent press conference expressed the view that the time has come to amend the provisions of the Constitution dealing with the question of dual citizenship.

The framers of the Constitution were wise and knew what they were doing.

It was to ensure the integrity and viability of our State, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.I believe that if Raphael Trotman’s statement is that of the entire AFC I hope that my Party, the PNC is not persuaded for what appears to be a momentary emotional reaction to an extant public issue. First, he says that, it essentially shuts the door to the Diaspora. This follows no logic that he is saying the Diaspora should only serve in Parliament and Ministerial level.Citizens who live abroad and have acquired skills must and have always been welcomed to help develop the land of their birth.

A Member of Parliament – Minister functions at the highest decision-making body. Ministers in particular must at all times carry the Golden Arrowhead as their banner and being a Member of Parliament and or Minister is completely different from serving as a professional, technician, consultant or persons who wish to share their acquired skills abroad.

Let us say at an International forum, PAHO, WHO or Security Council of United Nations, the Guyana Government has a position contrary to that of USA, UK, Canada, Venezuela or any

other foreign State.

If a Minister representing Guyana swore allegiance to that Country that is oppose to Guyana’s position, how can that Minister who hold citizenship for another State vote? Which of the two countries should he or she betray? Betrayal is not too strong a concept for if you read the words when you pledge allegiance, the use of the word betrayal is in order.

How asking persons who serve at the highest and most significant decision-making body to commit themselves totally to Guyana and to no other Country is inappropriate?

The Constitution is clear.

In some countries when you swear and become a citizen, you are also required to ‘renounce’ allegiance to any other Country or State.

How can the application of those provisions in our Constitution constitute as Trotman says at the service to Guyana? This is at best a quantum leap. Earlier, I stated you cannot serve two Masters.

Trotman also contends that most, if not all, of us who have stayed in Guyana have families and relatives who lived and worked in foreign lands; this is true, so what is the big deal.

He then goes on to quote from World Bank Report, which stated that 86% of our graduates now live abroad.

So what is the point he is making? Every right thinking Guyanese Leader is aware of the brain drain; the reasons for this brain drain, of course is another matter.

Are we saying that these 86% abroad should be persuaded to come back as MPs and Ministers?

Is he saying that those of us who stayed through the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the recent past are not capable of being Ministers and Members of Parliament? Frankly, I can’t see the nexus. We welcome the Diaspora, we need their skills, whether it has as a highly skilled professional or ordinary technician or to develop with their money, industries and the country as a whole.

Let me repeat, membership of Parliament puts you in a distinct and separate category.

Let me make a hypothetical even though unlikely case. Suppose someone who is a Guyanese obtain citizenship of Venezuela, and Guyana went to war, what should an MP who holds citizenship of both countries do?

As a youngster, I remembered during World War II, the head of a family in Charlestown was a German citizen, there was a medical doctor who was an Italian citizen; they were both allowed to function but they were placed in a sort of ‘protective custody’ by the British Governor.

He argues that 14% is left with the impossible task to manage our country. This, I don’t understand.

We have been doing pretty well before and after Independence and I can name the thousands who studied abroad and returned to serve. We must know that management and service is manifest at several levels.

You have an aircraft, you have an Engineer, a Pilot, a

Stewardess, a Handler, a Cleaner et al but the person who decides when and where the plane should fly is akin to decisions to be made by the Minister or MP. In other words, there are different roles in any society that one has to play.

As such, there are different roles, different burdens, different types and levels of responsibility, different obligations - the old saying, ‘different strokes, different folks.’

The making of heavy weather of the Diaspora is seriously flawed.

Of course, one may wish to make a distinction between persons who were born abroad of Guyanese parents or who

grow up as children overseas as against those who as adults made a conscious decision to swear allegiance to a foreign power.

Let me say this, and Raphael knows it, we are part of that number who stayed and walked the walk and there are enough of us capable of Ministerial and Parliamentary responsibility.

Next, from PR perspective, the Coalition should not allow the Opposition to run ahead. Mr. Jagdeo has stated that one of his members has started the process to renounce Foreign Citizenship.

Finally, let me make it abundantly clear that Carl Greenidge, Joseph Harmon, Rupert Roopnarine and

Dominic Gaskin are citizens of the highest quality.

I have worked closely with the first two and I am aware of their physical and intellectual capabilities. I have known Rupert for a number of years and he too is a brilliant Guyanese and I express similar sentiments about Dominic Gaskin.

The country needs its skills and experience. This should never be questioned and I close without compromise.

You cannot serve two masters and if the time comes for you to choose, there will be a severe problem.

Hamilton Green

The People’s National Congress...

From page 5 include such a conditionality that, in all its elements, appear inconsistent with what obtains in practice in the United States of America.

Additionally, it appears out of sync with all that President Jimmy Carter stands for as epitomized and detailed in his recent and excellent publication, ‘Faith’ The First Presbyterian Church of Enid, OK. More importantly, no organisation can reasonably and lawfully make such an inordinate request and no government can, as a consequence, unilaterally accept same.

If the PNC Reform is not held accountable for their conduct while as a government in office, then no one should be held accountable including the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.

It delineates the removal of stability and structure in any society and creates a dangerous

and unlawful precedent.

In 1992, while I was living in Guyana, I heard at a public meeting held by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan loudly exclaim as he shook his fingers in the air, ‘No recriminations, comrades, no recriminations’.

This is unlawful as no one has the right, constitutional and/ or otherwise, to make that declaration.

The People’s National Congress must be held

accountable in a court of law for their atrocities, assassination and criminal conduct in accordance with the strict compliance and requirements of the Rule of Law. And the refusal of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic to comply and actively assist in this important process constitutes, in effect a violation thereof the application and practice of the Rule of Law. Kris Kooblall Toronto, Canada

An official police...

From page 4 and see what exactly caused these ‘glitches’ and also if there has been any access of these files in the Citizenship Department.

Given the concerns raised

by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo about the digitization

of records and the ease with which excuses of ‘computer error’ are offered and accepted, a thorough investigation is of national importance.

Yours truly, Vickram Bharrat Member of Parliament

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 07

Former cop gets 26 years for rape of girl, 7

E

mphasizing that the court needs to send a strong message to sexual predators, High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday imposed a jail term of 26 years on former police rank Clinton Doris who a jury had found unanimously guilty of raping a seven-year-old girl, who he lured to his home with candy.

On March 27, 2014 in the county of Demerara, Doris, 37, a father of two, of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, engaged in sexual penetration with the underage girl, who is now preparing to write the Secondary School Entrance Examinations (SSEE).

Kaieteur News understands that on the date in question, the young child was walking home when Doris, also known as 'Masquerade Man', lured her to his home where he said he had a “sweetie” to give her.

While there he raped the child, and then sent her home. After the child began complaining about feeling pains, her mother enquired of her what the problem was and she related what had transpired. A report was lodged with the police.

Although convicted by the jury, Doris still maintains he was never involved in any sexual misconduct with the child, says Probation Officer Harnan Sharma.

According to the Probation Officer, Doris told him that the crime for which

Clinton Doris being escorted from the High Court yesterday he has now been convicted has caused much embarrassment to his family.

Nevertheless, it was revealed that Doris's father never played a meaningful role in his life and that the needs of the family were met by his mother who was employed with the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Doris himself was also employed with the GPF as a

Constable, but was later dismissed for being absent without leave. Otherwise, he worked as a porter, labourer and porkknocker. He once lived at Arakaka, BarimaWaini, and residents there, according to the Probation Officer, described him as someone who loved children and would purchase treats for them.

During the reading of a

Fraudster jailed in absence...

From page 3 the matters, Ragubeer failed to return to court for the trial and as such he was sentenced to jail in his absence.

M o r e o v e r, h e w a s charged with forging a US Embassy appointment letter, and also with uttering a document that he purported to be issued by the US Embassy, knowing same to be false.

In relation to the current charge, Ragubeer was a clerk at the Lotto outlet where he was tasked with removing money that was in the Lotto Company's blast machine for the period of time mentioned in the charge until the machine stopped working.

Upon checks by the Lotto Company, it was observed that the machine stopped working as a result of an outstanding balance of $1,570,314. The accused was confronted by the employer and he walked off the job. Based on the information presented, the prosecutor made a

successful application for bail to not be granted to the defendant.

Magistrate Daly then stated that, “It is a surprise that you are here today, seeing that you didn't return for your previous trial. As

such bail is refused.”

She also highlighted the fact that the accused has a number of charges before the court of similar nature and he was convicted.

Ragubeer was remanded to prison until April 12.

victim impact statement by Court Support Celeste Mullin it was revealed that the victim still feels terrible about the incident and has questioned why it had to happen to her. “I have stopped going to strangers' house and even taking things from people, even if they are known to my family. I want him (Doris) to go to jail; just looking at his face makes me sad,” the victim told Mullin.

Mitigating on behalf of the convicted rapist was Attorney-at-Law Ravindra Mohabir who asked for the minimum sentence based on the ground that his client has no previous antecedents.

Mohabir said that sending his client to jail for a long time would have a negative impact on his children, since he believes fathers play a very important role in their upbringing.

Justice Barlow, however, sought to outline the aggravating factors in the matter. According to the Judge, Doris abused the child while he was a grown man by luring her with treats.

After the incident, he even denied the only call name the victim knew him by, Justice Barlow highlighted.

“You are still a young man,” the Judge told him.

She urged him to participate in programmes for sexual offenders so that upon his release to society he will be a better person. Even after this, Doris requested to address the court during which he expressed his disappointment that he was going to jail for something he

did not do.

The Judge was quick to rebuke him and said, “I wish you well in prison,” before he was escorted by police ranks to begin serving his sentence. The case for the State was presented by Prosecutors Lisa Cave, Seeta Bishundial and Sarah Martin.

(Feona Morrison)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Saturday April 06, 2019

Guyana gets UK help to fight cyber crime

O

nline safety or cyber safety has taken on greater significance in Guyana, mostly as a result of the growing number of citizens utilizing the internet for work, for business and as a social interaction medium.

The Ministry of Public Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s (MOPT) assumed responsibility for raising the public's awareness of every kind of online scam ever since the ministry began its mission to create a computer-savvy population.

In 2017, the Ministry had teamed up with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and began a cyber safety awareness campaign in schools which has since spread to local communities, especially where Community ICT hubs are situated.

Guyana was recently included in a group of nine Commonwealth countries which are to benefit directly from a one-year public awareness and sensitization campaign devised by the United Kingdom (UK)'s Cyber Security Programme.

Recently, Minister of Pubic Telecommunications,

Catherine Hughes sealed Guyana's participation with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Global Ambassador of the UK-based, Get Safe Online organization.

Get Safe Online began its campaign in Guyana with the launch on April 1 of the country-specific website.

According to the Global Ambassador, Peter Davies, the website is only one part of the broader programme that will deliver up to date advice to the public about staying safe while navigating the Internet.

Of course, the ministry said yesterday, access to the w e b s i t e : www.getsafeonline.gy is free of charge.

He said: “In Guyana, just as in other Caribbean countries we are working with, most people already have a 'digital life' and they benefit from information, opportunities and personal e m p o w e r m e n t i t ( t he Internet) can bring. We want people to realize those benefits confidently while knowing how to avoid lottery scams, romance fraud, over-sharing and

Minister Cathy Hughes (centre) signing the MOU with Get Safe Online Global Ambassador, Peter Davies. Also in picture is Floyd Levi, General Manager, National Data Management Authority. phishing”. Phishing refers to fraudulent attempts by unknown persons to obtain your personal information such as usernames, passwords and banking details.

Minister Hughes said that she is very pleased that Guyana has a new partner to help raise the level of awareness and sensitivity among Guyanese, especially

our youths.

She also encouraged all citizens to visit the website which encourages citizens to remain alert while they are online.

The campaign is being executed simultaneously in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines,

and St. Lucia. The media blitz began on April 1, 2019 with the “Hello, Potential Victim” campaign. It is expected to run until March 31, 2020 in all media.

“Model prisoner” admits to strangling Plaisance woman, jailed 10 years

J

ohn Hetsberger who was described as a “model prisoner” by his Attorney-at-Law was yesterday handed a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge, admitting that on August 08, 2014, he unlawfully killed 57-yearold Jennifer Mendonca, formerly of Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

The custodial sentence was handed down by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Georgetown where a remorseful Hetsberger

appeared and pleaded for mercy.

He was initially indicted for murder by State Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Teriq Mohamed and Abigail Gibbs.

Based on information, Mendonca was found dead in her bed by her son.

Her hands were bound with duct-tape and a plastic bag was tied over her head, two pillows were also placed on her face. A post mortem examination determined the cause of death to be asphyxia due to strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.

During his address to the court, Hetsberger, now 23, said he was deeply sorry for what he had done. According to him, on the date in question he lost his cool and went into the woman's home, tied her to a bed and strangled her.

Explaining why he did that, the young man told the court that Mendonca was a “spiritualist” and that she had done “works” which resulted in the death of his dad.

In this regard, he said that everyone deserves a second chance, even him.

Todd, during a plea in mitigation, said that his client has participated in all the programmes offered by the prison service and on more than one occasion graduated at the top of his class.

According to the lawyer, Hetsberger is preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

Asked by Justice Singh what he intends to do when he is released from prison, Hetsberger said that he learnt carpentry in prison and would make furniture for the Timehri and Camp Street prisons.

Before he was escorted to serve his sentence, Justice Singh ordered that the prison service deduct from the sentence the time Hetsberger spent on remand.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 09

Congratulations Glenn!

And to your newspaper!

K

aieteur News is Glenn Lall's n e w s p a p e r.

While it obviously takes many hands – editors, reporters, pressmen, layout artists, proofreaders, administration staff and columnists – and a great deal of effort to publish a newspaper, Kaieteur News would have long folded had it not been for Glenn. He has been the backbone of this newspaper over the past 25 years.

Kaieteur News would not have survived without Glenn Lall. His courage, his tenacity and his fixed principles have been the foundation upon which Kaieteur News has sustained itself since its establishment in April 1994.

Weaker mortals would have quit. Starved of government ads for its first ten years and then having to endure tragedies and political venom, would have broken the resolve of most men.

But not Glenn Lall. He was determined that no government would put him out of business. He has been successful in repelling the vicious attempts of those who wanted Kaieteur News to become compliant to their wishes.

Others have tried to start their own newspaper. They have all fallen by the

wayside. But Glenn did not fail. He has created an institution, one that has been in the forefront of making a difference.

Glenn has changed the face of newspaper publishing. All of the traditional private daily newspapers in British Guiana and in independent Guyana, prior to the arrival of Kaieteur News, were owned or controlled by persons who represented particular class interests.

And even though Glenn was fairly well-off when he decided to start his newspaper, he was not born into the elite classes that had dominated newspaper publishing for more than 100 years.

Neither was he representative of those interests.Glenn came out of the bowels of the working class. He has established a newspaper and kept it going for 25 years so far.

No other person of such a background has even been able to do that in Guyana, and I daresay in the entire Caribbean. It has been a monumental achievement on his part.

Being outside of the elite class, so to speak, attracted jealousies and resentment, especially when Kaieteur News began to challenge the hegemony of the more established newspapers. The

political players also became worried when they realized that the newspaper was not going to be beholden to them. As such, attempts were made to suppress Kaieteur News.

Kaieteur News attracted further hatred when its reporting began to pose a challenge to the established political order. In particular, its crusade against corruption and wrongdoing enraged the political directorate and attracted their wrath.

Glenn has always emphasised that if you do not stand up for something in this life, you will fall for anything.

And he was prepared to stand up for what was right.

Kaieteur News's banner of pro-truth and pro-justice was labelled as being antigovernment in an attempt to discredit the newspaper.

When there was a change in government in May 2015 and people were asked what led to this change after 23 years, one of the answers was Kaieteur News.

There was a groundswell of opinions which held that it was Kaieteur News's exposure of corruption which led to a change.

The present Prime Minister of Guyana in a congratulatory message has confirmed that it was Kaieteur News's exposure of

Guyana to accede to Hague Conventions on Private Int'l Law

T

he Attorney G e n e r a l Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs has issued a statement informing the public that, “as per follow-up to the Regional Meeting: “International Family Law, Legal Cooperation and Commerce: promoting human rights and cross-border trade in the Caribbean through the Hague Conference Conventions” held in Georgetown in July 2016, and extensive consultations, Guyana will now accede to the Apostille Convention and the Hague Family Law Conventions.

With the support of UNICEF Guyana and in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a number of efforts are already underway to assist

with the implementation of the Conventions.

Both the Attorney General's Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead in several multi-stakeholder exercises and consultations to assist all parties who must play an active role in the Conventions.

“In 2 0 1 6 , t w o ( 2 ) members of the Judiciary, namely the Chief Justice and the Chancellor of the Judiciary, were appointed by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Basil Williams, SC, MP as part of the Hague Network of Judges and this will greatly help in direct judicial communication.

It is important to note that all the Conventions will provide a stronger

framework for ease in doing business (Apostille Convention) and country-to country cooperation.

The Conventions also ensure that Guyana increases its capacity (including administrative, procedural and legal) to deal with current and emerging child protection issuesexample on international adoption, child maintenance and child abduction.

T hese new frameworks will complement the provisions in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and two of the optional protocols which Guyana is already a party. The Government of Guyana is committed to ensuring the best interests of all children are upheld and children's rights are prioritised.”

corruption which ignited the movement for change.

But Glenn and Kaieteur News did not set about to create regime change. They simply did what was expected of an independent publisher and newspaper – they exposed corruption and wrongdoing.

They did it then and they are doing so now under a new government. He is keeping those in power accountable.

Glenn, through his work, is still making enemies. But Glenn and Kaieteur News have been consistent. They have been faithful to their mission of exposing wrongdoing, no matter the source of that wrongdoing.

The middle-class, which still controls the main political parties, and by

extension the State, has never given due credit to Glenn Lall for what he and his newspaper have achieved.

They have shunned him because they do not see him as representing their interests. But that mark of distinction is a mark of honour.

T h i s c o l u m n congratulates Glenn Lall and the Kaieteur News on its 25th anniversary. The newspaper has created history in Guyana. Glenn has been a towering example of how persons who are outside

of the political elite can make a difference once they remain true to their principles and refuse to become pliant and submissive to those in power.

It takes enormous courage in a society like Guyana to stand up and stand alone.

Glenn has been blessed with enormous reserves of courage to stand up for what he believes, even if it means standing alone.

Congratulations Glenn! And to your newspaper!

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Saturday April 06, 2019

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

APNU+AFC has done more in 4 years than the PPP in 15 years

L

et me repeat in these columns for the umpteenth time – I am not a supporter of t h e A P N U + A F C government, but the PPP will never get my support, and I don't want the PPP to rule my country again. I want to see a shared governance formula of a number of parties representing different ethnic communities and sectoral interests.

In such a configuration, there must be a place for both the PPP and PNC. There cannot be national cohesion and societal stability if the PPP and the PNC are not in a power-sharing formation.

Having said that, I think the present shape of the PPP is unacceptable to the future of this country.

People have a right to vote for the party of their

choice. Indians will root for the PPP in the next general elections, despite the sordid record between 2001 and 2015. That is their right.

African Guyanese will not turn their backs on the PNC, even though they can see for themselves that Guyana will not have a genuine future with their leaders. Both ethnic communities need to go beyond the PPP and PNC and seek a multi-racial construct.

I supported the noconfidence motion. I accept Charrandass as my friend. I will not abandon Charran until I see proof of corruption. My opinion is that the bribery tag is an obnoxious red-herring that is losing its colour and looking like a whiter shade of pale each day. Having said all of that, I cannot look into my

heart and condemn APNU+AFC's performance as worse than the 15 years of Jagdeo/Ramotar combination. It was not. In fact, it was better.

I meet people every day, mind you not every week but every day, and they are completely disenchanted with this government. I think a psychological analysis would reveal they dislike the APNU+AFC girls and boys because they hated the PPP regime and filled up their psychology with enormous expectations. When reality started to bite, and it came home that the APNU+AFC boys and girls were extraordinarily clueless people, they unfairly stacked up the APNU+AFC against the PPP. Those who dislike APNU+AFC have to be

dishonest to conveniently forget what the PPP did. On every level of policy-making the PPP ran Guyana as if it was their personal playground. The rule of Guyana from Jagdeo in 2001 to 2015 was the most horrible in the history of the English-speaking Caribbean. How can one easily forget this?

Where does one start to describe for a stranger from another planet what the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabals did?

And when you paint the canvas, do the people clamouring for the PPP's return accept what they see.

Corruption is a favourite word used by PPP leaders to condemn the present administration. Are these people clowns, jokers or downright sick humans? Do people listen to Jagdeo and company when they condemn the present rulers for corruption? Do sane humans believe Jagdeo and his PPP mandarins?

Let us refresh the minds

of those who cannot see further than their nose. A man was given the privilege to have his own private hangar at the Timehri airport.

This guy flew in, bypassed customs and airport security, and flew out in exactly the same way he came in. This rascal is now facing a huge jail term for cocaine trafficking and money laundering in the US. Who facilitated him and who were his beneficiaries during the reign of Jagdeo and Ramotar?

Fip Motilall never built a dog pen, much less a major road. Yet he was awarded the contract to build the roadway to Amaila Falls. The guy's contract was terminated and he went back to his cocoon in “Little Berbice” in New York after pocketing hundreds of millions of Guyana dollars.

Who gave him the contract in the first place? Who collected a part of the Guyanese money he left with?

I go to Mon Repos

Frederick Kissoon external market on the roadway often, and each time my eyes would glance at the internal market the Jagdeo regime built for $45 million. You don't have to be an engineer to know that the small, little concrete structure couldn't cost ten million, much less forty.

For the fifteen years that Jagdeo and Ramotar dominated Guyana, dozens of billions went to small contractors all over Guyana who charged exorbitant amounts for tiny little things in tiny villages, and part of the money went into the pockets of ruling politicians.

How sad that after they came in to power, the APNU+AFC boys and girls couldn't come up with a single conviction against the corruption monsters that stalked the land from 2001 to 2015.

Saturday April 06,2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Saturday April 06, 2019

“Reading & Robotics” Programme launched in Lethem

M

ore than 70 community members including local leaders, parents, students and teachers turned out at the Lethem Library for the launch of Lethem's Reading & Robotics' programme.

The programme was launched by keynote speaker, Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn Hastings-

Williams while Library sponsor ExxonMobil, was represented by Ms Suzanne De'Abreu.

Mayor John Macedo, Deputy Regional Executive Officer, were also present. Town Clerk Ms Keisha Williams-Vincent served as MC for the event.

STEMGuyana Trainers Ms Aisha Peters and Mr Michael Sampson arrived a day early to train library staff

and school teachers in club management, culture, building and programming robots and learning to code using the Scratch application. Youth between the ages of 8 and 14 will now be able to sign up for club membership at the local library. Club members will be preparing to participate in Guyana's first national robotics competition which

The children didn't waste time in getting down to business following the launch of the programme kicks off next month.

Each Saturday, club members will complete 1 of 10 lesson plans which are integrated with the Ministry of Education's Science curriculum. The lesson plans encourage students to learn concepts like simple machines—levers and pulleys and to use robotics and Scratch coding to design and create their own versions of these machines.

“The idea is to help the club members to use an integrated approach to learning by using technology to reinforce their knowledge of Science concepts, which they learn in school, while strengthening technical skills and soft skills like c o l l a b o r a t i o n , communication and problem solving”, said STEMGuyana Trainer Michael Sampson.

Event sponsors were

Ministry of the Presidency, Department Of Youth, Ministry of Education and ExxonMobil.

ExxonMobil has donated laptop and tablet computers as well as robots to the Lethem Library, while robotics club registration for all club members and a projector were donated by members of the Guyana Diaspora.

ExxonMobil Guyana has sponsored eight libraries across Guyana.

According to Senior D i r e c t o r, P u b l i c a n d Government Affairs, Deedra Moe, the company “is pleased to support STEM education, which we hope will result in the social and economic advancement of young people.”

Asked for a comment on the importance of the 'Reading & Robotics'

programme in Lethem, Minister Hastings-Williams stated that, 'I am very excited to have such a STEM education program available to the children of Lethem. It is important that children in Interior communities are able to access the same programmes and training that will help them to prepare for the new technology future that awaits them. I look forward to working with STEMGuyana to expand this programme throughout all of our Interior communities' The 'Reading & Robotics' programme will meet every Saturday from 09:00hrs at the Lethem Library. Spaces are limited, so parents are encouraged to sign up their children as soon as they can. The First club meeting is scheduled for today.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 13

Govt. responsible for getting experts to draft oil laws, not us - AG Chambers

I

f the Government wishes to have laws dealing with oil and gas, then it must ensure it has the requisite experts to formulate what is known as drafting instructions which would then be used by the Attorney General's Chambers to help in the legislative process.

This was noted by the AG's Chambers in a statement to the press last night.

These comments come on the heels of an article which was published by Kaieteur News on, April 2 with the headline “AG's Chambers lacks expertise to fine tune oil laws.”

The AG's Chambers said, “It is important to also note that drafters do not usurp the role of the Government. It is the Government and the respective Ministries and Departments that should have the requisite specialization in the policy area that requires legislation.

Moreover, drafters do not work in a vacuum but rather work along with the expert or consultant employed by the relevant Ministry or Department who is there to serve as the instructing officer.”

It continued, “Also, we have worked with oil and gas experts from the Commonwealth and in other areas of the law with experts from International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP).

requisite experts to formulate what is known as drafting instructions.”

The Chambers added, “This expert is the one responsible for explaining the aims of the legislative proposal to the drafter, give the drafter the requisite information to help the drafter to compose a product that is legally effective and responds to the policy, and make decisions on issues arising during the drafting.

Attorney General, Basil Williams

Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes Therefore, if the Government wishes to have laws dealing with oil and gas, then it is the Government who must ensure they have the

These instructions, the drafter will use to guide them in drafting the law with clarity and precision, thus giving effect to the legislative aspirations of the Government.”

AUTHOR OF OUR DISPARAGEMENT The Attorney General's Chambers also took umbrage after noting that the author of the criticisms contained in the Kaieteur

News article was Attorneyat-Law, Nigel Hughes.

The Chambers noted that its Drafting Division, though short staffed, drafts the laws of the land under immense pressure and time constraints. In this regard, the Chambers then proceeded to explain the difficulties it experienced when trying to “salvage” the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill that was done by Hughes.

The Chambers said, “It must be stated that drafts done by consultants/experts are often times not in a form fit for Parliament and the Parliamentary Counsel has to engage in a process of dismantling the draft and reworking it to ensure it is fit for purpose. This simply means that being an expert is not synonymous with being a drafter. It is at this juncture one can see the measure of (continued on page 14)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Saturday April 06, 2019

Integrity Commission receives over 500 declarations from officials …but has no funds to hire investigative officers C

By Kiana Wilburg

hairman of the I n t e g r i t y Commission, Kumar Doraisami, has on several occasions, bemoaned the fact that public officials have been delinquent in filing their declarations.

But he was pleased to inform Kaieteur News yesterday that this state of affairs has improved. In fact,

the Commission has received over 500 declarations thus far. In late February, it had only received 284 out of the 1000 forms it had sent out.

The Chairman said, “The declarations have been coming in and it is over 500 now. But I cannot say at this point if there has been an improvement in the number of ministers who submitted...I just got back from a trip overseas.”

The Integrity Commission Act also notes that the President must make declarations about his assets.

On this note, Kaieteur News asked if President David Granger has filed his declaration records. But the Chairman declined to confirm same, even as the

Commission has been in the habit of publishing names of other officers who have been delinquent.

Asked to say if he is prevented from making this known, he said, “No, but it would not be appropriate from the Chairman to release that type of information to

Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Doraisami the public.”

Kaieteur News then probed about the capacity of the Commission to properly investigate issues that may arise during the scrutiny of the declaration forms.

Doraisami noted that at this point in time, the Commission is without the needed funds to hire personnel for this job.

The Chairman said, “We are trying to put things in place for that because our budgetary allocations do not allow for us to do this at this point.

We h a v e t o g e t a supplementary so we can hire investigative officers.

We only investigate when we find that there is a declaration with falsehoods and so on. Right now we are checking them and some

supporting documents are not with the forms.”

He added, “We make requests for the documents and we give the officials time to submit it so we can verify them.

But it is only when suspicion has arisen that we could send our officers to check, or if someone complains that someone has 10 properties and we are under the impression that he declared too low or so forth, then we enquire into that.

But right now we don't have that situation.”

Be that as it may, the Chairman of the Integrity Commission said that that the body has enough resources to scrutinize all documents submitted with a fine-tooth comb. He said that (continued on page 23)

Govt. responsible for getting experts to draft oil laws, not us From page 13 the magnitude of our drafting expertise.”

It continued, “The final product is always that of the Chambers as consultants are often too far removed from the realities of what is needed.

Against this backdrop persons should be careful about making disparaging and reckless remarks about the expertise that the Drafting Division possesses.

The author of our disparagement (Nigel Hughes) should be careful of his remarks. His arrangement in relation to oil and gas covers vast tracks of space and time, but he has committed an error by arrogating to himself knowledge of which he is denuded.”

The Chambers added, “Perhaps it would be apt to mention the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill

drafted by a consultant (Hughes), guided by a Steering Committee and sent to this Chambers.”

The AG Chambers said that the Bill had to be “salvaged by the Chambers because of a lack of knowledge by the Consultant, and his failing to take into consideration certain key aspects of the laws of Guyana.”

In closing, the Chambers reminded of the words of the late renowned legislative drafter Professor V.C.R.A.C Crabbe. “Parliamentary Counsel must have some basic knowledge of indeed every subject matter. They supplement their basic knowledge with research.

Their industry and discipline help them to ask the right questions. In the end, Parliamentary Counsel becomes Jacks of all trades and masters in legislative drafting.”

Saturday April 06, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Does Guyana need politicians?

– Dr. Yesu Persaud

P

hilanthropist and businessman, Dr. Yesu Persaud, has made an impassioned plea to Guyanese to put aside tribalisms and other differences, in the interest of being “one people, one nation, one destiny”.

He was, at the time, delivering an address at the Pegasus Hotel on Thursday evening, during a ceremony commemorating the 25 th anniversary of Kaieteur News being in existence, as well as the launch of the publication's new media outlet, Kaieteur Radio. The event was attended by

speakers who spoke of Guyana's currently uncertain political climate, the prospect of elections, and the plight of the working class.

Strikingly, no politicians were present at the ceremony.

D r. P e r s a u d t o o k t h e opportunity to question, “What are [politicians] really doing for you, the people?”

He said that, instead of depending on politicians, the Guyanese public should shoulder the burden of making the nation a better one for future generations.

“Do you need politicians?” he asked, “All

Philanthropist and Businessman, Dr. Yesu Persaud

those children here, and yet to come, we owe them a responsibility – a responsibility of providing to ensure this country develops.”

The philanthropist said spoke of how Guyana's wealth pales against the abundance of resources that the country possesses. He said, “Of all the developing countries, I believe Guyana must be the least developed with all these resources we have.”

He cautioned the audience to be skeptical of the promise of wealth from the country's budding oil and gas sector.

“You're hearing of these trillions of dollars to come from the oil rush. [We need to ask] how it's going to be used.

Will the people participate?”

Dr. Persaud told the audience, at this junction, “Open your hearts and your pockets, and lend a hand. I appeal to you, please. Let's look at Guyana as a country that belongs to all of us. Not a segment or Africans, Indians, Portuguese, A m e r i n d i a n s . We ' r e supposed to be one people, one nation, one destiny. Let's do it.”

Dr. Persaud has received several international and national awards, and has been recognized for his contributions to business, Indian history and culture.

He is credited with contributing to the restoration and maintenance of democracy in Guyana.

Saturday April 06, 2019

Man jailed for 12 years for carnal knowledge of girl, 4

M

ore than a decade after he had carnal knowledge of a four-year-old girl, 28-year-old Dwayne Hamilton was yesterday sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the crime

by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, who stressed that even after a jury found him guilty of the crime, he has still not accepted responsibility.

Appearing at the High Court in Georgetown, a teary-eyed Hamilton, a sewage plumber, stood in silence as Justice Barlow handed down the custodial sentence. Based on information, on February 21, 2007 in the county of Demerara, the young girl, who is now 16, had just finished using the washroom when she asked Hamilton to untangle her underwear.

Instead, Hamilton, then 16, grabbed the child and took her to the back of a yard where he pulled down her underwear and inserted his penis into her vagina.

The girl's mother caught him in the act and raised an alarm, causing Hamilton to flee. He was later apprehended by the police and charged.

According to Court Support Officer Celeste Mullin, the victim told her the following: “I feel sad and afraid. Many times I feel embarrassed because people would talk about it. I have lost focus in school. Dwayne was known to me. I had seen him as a very respectable

person in the neighbourhood.

I want him to pay for what he did to me. I want to let him know that I am no longer afraid of him.”

In handing down the sentence, Justice Barlow explained to Hamilton that the only mitigating factor she found was his age at the time the offence was committed.

She told him that while the court recognizes that he was 16 at the time, and that from since then he has not engaged in any unlawful activities, the court has to impose a sentence that will serve as a deterrent.

A Probation Officer said that both of Hamilton's parents died when he was very young and that he was employed with the Guyana Defence Force for three years before being dismissed. According to the P r o b a t i o n O ff i c e r, h e maintains his innocence and said he was merely trying to assist the girl with putting on her underwear.

The victim's mother, on the other hand, related that it is very hard to forgive Hamilton, since he was known to her family, and has not displayed any remorse for his actions. His lawyer, Ravindra Mohabir, asked the court to consider the fact that his client is still very young and could make a meaningful contribution to society.

Justice Barlow urged Hamilton to participate in programmes for sexual offenders being offered by the prisons.

Woman pretends to be murder victim's mom to raise funeral money

A

31-year-old woman of Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, yesterday appeared in the Albion Magistrate's Court, charged with obtaining money under false pretence.

Tomeshwarie 'Priya' Sukhoo was subsequently placed on $300,000 bail. She was represented by Attorneyat-law Suriya Sabsook.

Sukhoo was arrested during a sting operation set up by ranks of 'B' Division on Thursday after a relative of Omawattie Gill, who was allegedly murdered by her husband, contacted the police at the Rose Hall Outpost.

During the call, the relative informed the cops that a woman was pretending to be the mother of the slain woman

Charged: Tomeshwarie 'Priya' Sukhoo and claiming that she was soliciting money to offset funeral expenses. The cell number the woman called from was given to the police and the operation was set up.

She was subsequently arrested and placed in custody.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

T

he major office complex of ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) was awarded to NABI/KCL, a joint venture between NaBi Construction Firm (Guyana) and Kee-Chanona Limited (Trinidad). Exxon has

US-based organization brings medical symposium to Guyana

Dr. Frank Denbow

T

he GuyanaJ a m a i c a Friendship Association (New York) Inc will be having a one-day Medical Symposium at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on Sunday.

The symposium begins at 9:00 hours.

The theme of the Symposium is 'Nutrition and Disease' and was approved for four Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.

The speakers are Cancer S p e c i a l i s t , D r. N a d i a Ramdin, of the US, who last year was honoured by the Government of Guyana for her work in the medical field; Dr. Raymond Massay, veteran Cardiologist from Barbados; Ms Abigail Caleb, Public Nutrition Consultant attached to the Ministry of Public Health; and Dr. Frank Denbow, Founding President of the Guyana -Jamaica Friendship Association (GJFA).

GJFA also collaborated with the Ministry of Education on a two-day workshop at the Marriott Hotel which ended yesterday.

This is the second Medical Symposium here in Guyana organized by the GJFA, the first one being in February 2016 when the

Dr. Nadia Ramdin focus was Women's Health and also took place at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

All Medical practitioners and other health care workers are invited to attend.

The topics include Nutrition and Cancer by Dr. Ramdin; Local Nutrition by Ms. Abigail Caleb; Nutrition a n d Ty p e 2 D i a b e t e s Mellitus by Dr. Frank Denbow; and Nutrition and Heart Disease by Dr. Raymond Massay.

It is expected that Junior Minister of Health Dr. Karen Cummings will attend the Symposium on Sunday.

released an artist's impression of the prospective office complex comprising the buildings, associated infrastructure and a net zero energy footprint, on the green field 15-acre site.

Exxon expects there to be two buildings for 250 seats; an outdoor pavilion; paving; landscaping; fill and storm

PAGE 17

drainage; site utilities; plumbing utilities; and electrical works.

NABI-KCL stated that it is “honoured to undertake this prestigious project for ExxonMobil Guyana and commend the emphasis on local content.�

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Saturday April 06, 2019

Aurora's underground mining awaits GGMC's approval

G

u y a n a Goldfields Inc., the Canadian owner of Aurora Gold Mine (AGM), located in the northwest of Guyana's Mazaruni Region, is set to begin underground mining very soon, after securing its much-needed clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The company also announced that it will spend US$25M over the next three years of exploration.

Final clearance for the underground mining has to come from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The company has over 500 workers and says it has spent over US$300M

a l r e a d y, w i t h a n o t h e r US$100M due to be expended in the next 10 years. The Aurora Mine is one of the largest gold mines in the world, with a reported estimated reserve of 6.54million ounces of gold.

According to AGM's Chief Executive Officer, Scott Caldwell, all the necessary documents have been submitted to the GGMC for processing, a government statement indicated. GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison, corroborated Caldwell's statement, telling members of the media that all documents have been submitted, and the usual technical checks were now being conducted. “These

Officials from the GGMC, Gold Board, EPA and members of the media, during a safety brief at Aurora Gold Mine.

AGM's Chief Executive Officer, Scott Caldwell

things take time, but I can say everything has been submitted and clearance will come, but the checks have to be made.”

On Thursday, AGM hosted the government and private media on a tour of its Mazaruni operations.

During the visit, the company's safety measures and records to date came in for praise from Commissioner Dennison.

AGM commenced openpit exploration in Guyana in 1995 and began producing in 2016. So far, according to the company, it has invested

approximately $63 Billion (US$300M) in its Guyana operations.

For the underground mining exploration, $5 Billion (US$25M) is the set bill for the first three years of exploration, with another $21 Billion (US$100M) to be used in the next ten years of production.

AGM say it has a 16 per cent female workforce, with a special program designed to teach women how to operate heavy machinery.

Training and internship are also offered to GGMC staff and University of Guyana

students, specifically in the area of environmental studies.The Canadian company has been facing internal problems with a number of shareholders questioning the projections and other information that they were given.

A special shareholders meeting is set for May with “dissident” shareholders, as they have been described by the company, set to move to replace the current board of directors.

Government says that the current fight is an internal matter.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 19

Several Rusal employees refuse to work under current management - Post-strike engagement commences

T

he Guyana Bauxite & General Workers' Union (GB&GWU) and management of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) have commenced post-strike engagement.

A preliminary meeting was held Wednesday at the company's headquarters in Queenstown, Georgetown.

According to the union, a four-man team from BCGI /RUSAL which included two resident managers and two who came from Moscow, specifically for the meeting, were present.

The union's five-man delegation comprised Leslie Gonsalves, President;

Rusal's trucks being taken to the mine site recently.

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary; Wayne Coppin, Assistant Secretary; Ephraim Velloza, Branch

President; and Leslie Junior, Branch Secretary.

It was noted that Labour Consultant/Advisor of the

Dubai-based shipping company enters Guyanese market to support oil sector

G

ulf Agency C o m p a n y Limited (GAC) has set up office in Guyana, as GAC Logistics and Shipping (Guyana) Incorporated, “in response to demand for professional shipping and logistics support following the discovery of large reserves of oil and gas in its waters.”

The Dubai-based shipping, logistics and marine service company has signaled its intention to become a key player in Guyana's maritime sector and, more specifically, its oil & gas sector. This comes on the heels of its anticipation that Guyana will be at the top of the oil production per person league table by the mid-2020s.

To p r o v i d e l o c a l expertise, GAC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work cooperatively and finalise an agreement with Guyana National Shipping Corporation Ltd. (GNSC), a company with more than 40 years of experience in the global and regional maritime industry, led by Managing Director Andrew Astwood.

A launch ceremony for that partnership was held at the Marriott Hotel, last night.

GAC will be led, in Guyana, by a veteran in the business, Richard Mallen.

He is touted as having four decades of experience in shipping, logistics & supply chain sectors – seven of

GAC Group Vice President – Americas Bob Bandos, right, has signed a partnership agreement with Guyana National Shipping Corporation Ltd. (GNSC) to provide local expertise. GNSC is led by Managing Director Andrew Astwood, left. those years with GAC. He has worked in a variety of project management, procurement, start-up and liner agency roles.

Managing Director of GAC Trinidad & Tobago, Captain Gobind Kukreja, will oversee the Guyana operations, as both locations intend to work jointly.

Bob Bandos, GAC Group Vice President – Americas, says: “The startup of GAC's operations in Guyana is an important geographic step in

expanding our regional footprint and the existing services offered in other GAC locations. Partnering with GNSC will benefit our local, regional and global clients in this new addition to GAC's global reach.”

GAC has indicated it intends to train individuals from the local workforce, using a “purpose-built raft of courses provided by its own Corporate Academy”.

GAC's office is located at lots 5-9 Lombard Street, Georgetown.

company, former Chief Labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel, was absent.

According to the union, it is heartened by the posture of the bauxite company.

“GB&GWU guardedly interprets the presence of the Moscow's representatives and Akeel's absence as signals of seeking to honour the spirit, intent and letter of the Terms of Resumption (ToR), signed on 20thMarch 2019. Both parties have committed at items six and seven to “recognise the sovereignty, Constitution and Laws of Guyana and neither shall act in contravention thereof [and]…promise to uphold the spirit and goodwill to which this document was negotiated and signed and will do nothing to circumvent same.”

The union said that it is not lost that during the period where Akeel has advised, the company has failed to demonstrate any goodwill in honouring the stated principles. “ G B & G W U i s approaching the engagement with open mind, fully aware of the acrimonious past and that healing and the restoration of trust require time, honesty and constructive engagement

between the parties. Same was verbally communicated to the BCGI delegation, who was attentive, interactive and receptive to a number issues raised by the Union's delegation.”

The meeting would come a few weeks after workers and the Russian-owned company faced a five week standoff which halted operations and brought the company's presence and performance under the spotlight.

The problems started after Rusal sacked 90 workers for objecting to a one percent increase, asking to meet with management.

The problems were taking place at the mine site in Kurubuka, Berbice River, Region 10.

After not returning to work, the company fired 90 of them, sparking a standoff.

The workers resumed last month, with no pay, pending talks.

According to the union, consistent with the commitment of the Terms of Reference (ToR) that all workers will resume duties within 72-hours after its signing, the second turnaround crew yesterday returned after the normal two weeks-layoff.

“This will mark full

resumption. Whereas the union will not be privy as to how many have not returned to their substantive job, given that Record of Attendance forms part of the company's record, we have been advised some workers may not return.

Approximately five have communicated they will not.

The reason given is that while they are happy BCGI, via the ToR, has accepted the basic rights of the workers to a union of choice and collective bargaining, they can no longer work under the current conditions.”

According to the union, work has started to prepare a new collective labour agreement.

“This proposal shall be submitted to management not later than Friday 11th April 2019. At the submission of same, BCGI is expected to give a written response with a view of commencing bilateral negotiations in the first week of May. In the meantime, the branch and management shall have engagement on a number of issues, inclusive of transportation to and from work, and workers' living condition at the camp site in Aroaima. These meetings shall take place at the Aroaima location.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Saturday April 06, 2019

North Pakaraima District Council meeting…

Minister addresses conduct of Toshaos, land issues and current political situation

A

ccountability a n d transparency of Village Councils were heavily emphasized when Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, Sydney Allicock, addressed Toshaos' during the Sixth North Pakaraima District Council (NPDC) meeting.

The meeting was hosted by the Monkey Mountain Village Council, Region Eight, on Wednesday.

The NPDC meeting, which was in its third day, saw Minister Allicock calling on village leaders to govern in the best interest of their respective villages and the people who elected them to serve.

Minister Allicock said villages continue to raise concerns about their Toshaos and their governance.

“You were put there because the people look forward for your support.

They didn't put you there to become lords and Gods and bosses, and nobody can tell you anything. “ Yo u b e c o m e t h e i r servants, the servants of the people. You were placed there to give service to the people and not to abuse power. Instead, use the power in a way that all will be satisfied. Accountability must be priority in your communities,” the Minister

A section of the gathering at the North Pakaraima District Council meeting

emphasized.

Focus, according to Minister Allicock, is the key to development “so that people will be happy and can benefit as villages”.

The Minister encouraged leaders to get into the business of developing industries, whether in the Agriculture or Tourism sectors, so that their respective economies can be transformed thus improving the lives of the people.

Minister Allicock highlighted the efforts of three women in Annai, Region Nine, who started producing coconut, lemon grass and crabwood oils, and although it took years before acquiring a real income, they

remained committed, and today with support, are producing the Rupununi Essence, a facial line that continues to make waves across the country.

Pointing to Monkey Mountain, which will soon begin producing jewellery from semi-precious stones to meet international standards, Minister Allicock encouraged villagers to fully support this initiative, since it is geared at ensuring economic and other improvements.

Villagers from Monkey Mountain and neighbouring villages will supply the lapidary workshop with a variety of semi-precious stones, an income-

generation mechanism for their respective families.

The building to house the lapidary workshop is ninety five percent completed and will soon be commissioned, which is the second step to guaranteeing the good life promised.

Ten youth from the village travelled to Boa Vista in neighbouring Brazil and successfully completed a Lapidary training course, and they are now equipped to operate the facility.

Emphasis was also placed on developing the r e s p e c t i v e Vi l l a g e Improvement Plans which will serve as a guide for further development.

Leaders were encouraged to

consult with villagers as soon as possible to get this plan on paper and into action.

“The VIP is to help you to be economically strong and take management and control in your own hands you could be able to develop cottage industries that will bring in the money needed, so come up with your plans that will make you better off, now is the time to do that,” Minister Allicock challenged.

Indigenous lands have and will continue to be an issue but Government is committed to addressing the many challenges faced.

The Minister pointed out that “indigenous lands will

never go off the radar and we at the Ministry are working towards establishing a unit to deal with land issues”.

He noted that sadly the Land Commission of Inquiry proposed by President David Granger did not receive the blessing of several organizations, including the National Toshaos' Council, and was subsequently put on hold.

“We have not been able to move that process forward as we would have wished to, but I'm hoping that we could continue getting ourselves in order.”

Updating Toshaos on the status of the Amerindian L a n d Ti t l i n g P r o j e c t , Minister Allicock said the Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had requested an extension for the project from Norway, and are currently awaiting a response.

To s h a o s w e r e a l s o updated on the current political situation following the No-Confidence Motion passed in the National Assembly last December and the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal that the Motion was invalidly passed.

The Vice President noted that while the matter is now engaging the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) which (continued on page 23)

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 21

Man accused of killing Albouystown footballer weeps in courtroom

I

t was pandemonium in court as one of the four persons held for the murder of 18-year-old Albouystown resident Christopher Mansfield, appeared yesterday before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

Shemar Harvey, clad in a grey shirt and navy blue short pants, entered the courtroom, and immediately started to scream that he was innocent. “I didn't kill anybody, they trying to set me up, even the police got me in hey fuh people to beat me up.” Harvey stated.

It took the police officers present in court about three minutes before they could calm Harvey down so that the hearing could commence.

As Magistrate McLennan emerged from her chambers, Harvey started cursing and shouting again. He then began to cry b i t t e r l y, c a u s i n g t h e magistrate to threaten him that she would not sit on the bench if he continued.

Once again after the accused was calmed, the matter was called by the court orderly. Harvey was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

It was alleged that on March 31, 2019 at Albouystown Georgetown, the accused murdered Christopher Mansfield.

Harvey was represented by attorney-at-law Ashley

courtroom and broke down in tears. The emotional woman created quite a stir in the court yard as she was consoled by her relatives.

The magistrate adjourned the matter until May 10 for the next hearing of the matter and remanded Harvey to prison. The accused was also instructed to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

According to reports, on the day in question around 06:47hrs, Mansfield who

Accused: Shemar Harvey (centre)

Henry, who stated that he is 21 years old, currently unemployed, and resides at Lot 135 King Edward Street, Albouystown.

As the magistrate was reading the charge and going through the normal procedures, Harvey again started crying, shouting and cursing, this time claiming that persons are threatening

him. He then started to pull down his pants.

“It got people threatening to kill me and my family in the prison. I didn't kill my friend. If you look at the videos the police got, you will see me running behind the gunman.”

Before the hearing came to an end, Mansfield's mother ran out of the

hails from Lot 66 Barr Street, Albouystown, was on his way to a football game when he was accosted by three “identifiable” males at C o o p e r S t r e e t , Albouystown.

The men reportedly approached on bicycles, and were armed with a cutlass, a knife, and a gun. It was reported that Mansfield was shot to the right side of his abdomen. He ran to seek refuge in a yard of Lot 154 Non Pareil Street,

Albouystown, where he collapsed.

He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by public-spirited citizens, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

PAGE 22

Saturday April 06,2019

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LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE CONT’D

2019-HC-DEM-CIV-FD187 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND M AT R I M O N I A L JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO.FD-187 BETWEEN: (LALL) HAZEL nee PATTERSON Petitioner and- (LALL) HEMRAJ Respondent

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/ or cross petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may take any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

To the Respondent HEMRAJ LALL (Last known Address) 668 Kuru Kururu Soesdyke, Linden Highway Guyana TAKE NOTICE that on the 8th day of February, 2019 a petition for Divorce was filed against you by HAZEL LALL nee PATTERSON, the petitioner in the family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 13th day of March,2019 the petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issue of the Kaieteur News Newspapers, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web (Online).

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 28 (twentyeight) days from the date of the second and final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the Divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Tuesday the 14th Day of May, 2019 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious in the Directions Hearing Room of the Family Division of the High Court, Georgetown.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 23

EPA investigating cases of 'Bully' in NA Technical Institute Wakenaam residents sickened beating suspended, by fumes from aluminum works being counselled

R

The New Amsterdam Technical Institute

A

fter a video surfaced online of a second-year student of the New A m s t e r d a m Te c h n i c a l Institute thrashing three other students of the institution with his fists and a belt, the visual went viral on the internet and attracted the attention of the Ministry of Education, who then launched an investigation.

That was two weeks ago, the Ministry has since released a report on the findings of the investigation and indicated that the attacker in the video has been suspended and is undergoing counselling sessions facilitated by the Ministry of Public Security's Citizen's Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP).

The victims in the incident will also receive counselling coordinated by the CSSP counsellor, NATI's Welfare Officer and the Ministry of Education's Senior Guidance and Counselling Officer. The Ministry of Education, during the investigating period of the matter, held a meeting with the administration of the institute, senior officers of

the CSSP, members of the Board of Governors of NATI and the Assistant Chief Education OfficerTechnical, where it was recommended that at assemblies, students are encouraged to report incidents with a detailed explanation on the ways it can be done.

It was also revealed that the aggressor claimed that he had been a victim of bullying for a period of time. As a result there were calls to tackle the issue of bullying, NATI is set to launch an Anti-bullying campaign "to ensure that students are sensitized on the negative effects of bullying". In this regard, the institute will be declared a 'No-Bullying' institution.

On March 26th a video was circulated online displaying a male NATI student fully dressed in uniform and in class, launching an attack on three other male students.

The teen attacker in the video was seen dealing cuffs to the head and face of each of the boys and then whipping out his belt, lashing them as well. All this was done while other students videoed the ordeal

Minister addresses conduct...

From page 20 the highest court in the Caribbean jurisdiction, Government's work will continue.

“We would like each village to receive funding so that they can get on with their work and the happiness of their people, this is your focus and your development and remember your people are looking up to you for doing the very best for them,” he assured.

Moving forward, the NPDC will be looking to follow in the footsteps of other District Councils in Region Nine to have that body duly recognized, and will be moving to have it

gazetted. Minister Allicock has committed to assisting this process.

According to Chairman of the Council, Clifton Perreira (Toshao of Kato Village) in 2019, he will be working closely with the Ministry as it relates to consultations ongoing on the Amerindian Act. He said the NPDC has already submitted its proposal for the changes it would like to see made to the Act and is eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the consultation process and the changes ratified so that the indigenous people will have updated and flawless laws to govern well into the future.

rather than reporting the matter immediately.

After making its rounds on the internet, it caught the attention of the media, Ministry of Education and the institute's administration.

An investigation was subsequently launched and the parents of the attacker and victims were called in.

esidents in Sans S o u c i , Wakenaam, are alleging that several persons have become sick as a result of inhaling fumes from aluminum works done at the home of a fellow villager.

As a result the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a full investigation into the claims. Sources at EPA yesterday informed that they are indeed looking into the matter, and initial findings revealed that the individual was making pots and pans at his home, but had failed to use the required exhaust stack normally used to channel the emissions away from direct contact with surrounding residents. The agency said they were in consultation with the Public Health Officer as always, and w i l l b e m a k i n g

recommendations to have the man carry out his operation within the confines of Public Health regulations.

Reports reaching this newspaper indicate that several residents were forced to seek medical attention at the Wakenaam Cottage Hospital after they developed severe respiratory problems as a result of inhaling the fumes. Sources at the hospital yesterday confirmed that persons were indeed treated at the facility for related illnesses.

Residents yesterday told this publication that children were among the cases taken to the hospital, and this has caused quite a stir amongst several mothers in the community.

Some residents claimed that since early last year they were contacting the EPA with regard to the situation, but

Integrity Commission receives over 500 ...

From page 14 the Commission has a legal and compliance officer to help in this regard.

CURRENT STATE The members of the Integrity Commission took their oath of office at the Ministry of the Presidency on February 22, last. The members are Attorneys-at-Law Kumar Doraisami, Thandi McAllister and Rosemary Benjamin-Noble. Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud is also part of the Commission.

The main purpose of the Integrity Commission is to scrutinize public officers to ensure that they do not use their offices for financial gain. Under the law, public officers

including the President, Permanent Secretaries, Director of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General, Commissioner of Police, the Army Chief,HeadsoftheService Commissions, Foreign Affairs officials, Judges and Magistrates and Department Heads are required to declare their assets to the commission.

Also required to submit declaration forms of their earnings and gifts received are Regional Executive Officers, the Chief Elections Officer, Mayors, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of state companies, Registrars of Lands and the CommissionerGeneral of Guyana Revenue Authority, along with Presidential Advisors, and Heads of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Forestry Commission.

had not seen it addressed by the entity until Thursday when two officers visited the location.

The residents said that the EPA officers told them that they were not there to take people's jobs from them.

Exposure to Aluminum can cause “metal fume fever.” Exposure to fine dust can cause scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis) with symptoms of cough and shortness of breath. Aluminum powder is also said to be a flammable solid and a dangerous fire hazard.

The toxic effect of dust and fumes of aluminium and its compounds on workers' respiratory tract varies. The respiratory effect depends to some extent on the form of aluminumorthestageofprocessing inwhichexposure occurs.

Exposure to the levels of aluminum that are naturally present in food and water and the forms of aluminum that are present in dirt and aluminum pots and pans are not consideredtobeharmful.However, aluminum levels found in processed foods and foods cooked in aluminum pots are generally considered to be safe.

Merely melting aluminum doesn't give off any fumes. Melting anything doesn't give off fumes. It's only when you boil it that fumes are released. The boiling point for aluminum is way hotter than what you would be able to achieve in a backyard furnace.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06,2019

Saturday April 06,2019

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Beckles says Caribbean coach necessary for World Cup BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Leading regional academic and noted cricket author, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, believes a head coach of Caribbean origin should preside over West Indies’ campaign at the upcoming ICC World Cup. Currently, controversial Englishman Richard Pybus occupies the role as interim coach but Sir Hilary argued that the May 30 to July 14 showpiece in England was a “global project” and therefore presented an ideal opportunity for Cricket West Indies to create the basis for a “Caribbean coaching system”.

“If I have a choice of

building up a cadre of West Indian coaches in the context of a World Cup, which is a global project and which is going to bring sustainability into the coaching culture of the Caribbean, that to me seems to be a no-brainer to compare with a person who is likely to use that moment simply for career advancement,” Sir Hilary said this week.

“Because he will enter the space, acquire that skill, acquire that knowledge and move on to his next team as he builds his trajectory.

“So it seems to me this is a moment to dig deep, this is a moment for West Indian people, having now changed their direction, having now acquired a leader who is a strategic thinker, for us to dig

deep and put together a Caribbean coaching system that would take us into this project and other projects.”

Pybus was controversially appointed last January to replace Australian Stuart Law, who led the Windies for two years before quitting to join English County Middlesex.

However, the appointment was met with heavy pushback from several CWI directors, with Enoch Lewis publicly condemning the move as lacking in “transparency, fairness and due process” and accusing then president, Dave Cameron, of “hand-picking” Pybus “without the prior knowledge of the Board”.

Pybus subsequently oversaw the Windies shock

Saturday April 06, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Plans to work at home at least part of the time might be firming up for you, Aries. Your mind is very much on home and family right now

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're by nature a person who likes to look toward the future. Today is a very special day for you. You might wonder what the next few months hold, Libra.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Information about possible careers and investments might come to your attention today.

You may give a lot of thought to these matters, especially since your thinking is changing along with the times.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)Today your spiritual and career goals may come together, Scorpio, enabling you to make a living without compromising your ideals.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Gemini, you're likely to be giving a lot of thought to your future. You're probably wondering how best to increase your financial standing. You may be thinking in terms of making some investments in land or property.

CANCER(June21–July22) If communication has been difficult for you in the past, Cancer, today you may find things a bit different. You may have a deeper understanding of the motives of others, making it easier for you to deal with them.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Sagittarius, you're looking forward to making a new start. Your intellect is working in harmony with your intuition.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) The position of the planets could have you doing a lot of soul searching, Capricorn.

You're looking deep within to discern your true goals.

You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Inside information may come your way today that starts you thinking about improving your financial standing, Leo.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today you might take time out from all the recent excitement to take a good look at your working life, Aquarius. Is it satisfying? Is it contributing not only to your own well-being but also to that of the planet?

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You could meet new friends at a social gathering, Virgo, people who could become valuable business contacts.

You might learn of new and different investment opportunities that reflect the changing times, and these could capture your imagination.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Increased communication between you and those around you, particularly the partner in your life, brings a new understanding between you. Your head and heart seem to be in better accord, so you're feeling especially optimistic right now.

2-1 win over England in a three-Test home series in February and a 2-2 draw in the five-match one-day series following.

West Indies suffered a 30 whitewash in the T20 International series.

Pybus was expected to oversee the squad until September when a permanent head coach was hired but Sir Hilary pointed out that the World Cup was of such importance, it needed to be utilised strategically to kickstart the process of developing indigenous coaches.

“My sense is that West Indian people have to think in terms of project development, project management development skills,” he contended.

“The World Cup is a major project in cricket and the West Indian cricket culture should now be identifying coaches who they will expose to this global intervention, not only for this moment but for the future.”

Pybus’s future was always expected to come under scrutiny once Ricky Skerritt toppled Cameron in CWI elections last month in Jamaica.

During the election campaign, Skerritt had spoken about his discomfort with the manner in which Pybus had been chosen.

“What I have been upset about … is the way in which Mr Pybus was recruited in an environment where the board was already expressing concern about the propensity and over dependency on coaches from other countries who may not understand the West Indian culture,” Skerritt said in a media interview.

Former Test player, Phil Simmons, was the last Caribbean coach to lead the regional side but was axed after less than two years in charge in 2016 for what CWI said were “differences in culture and strategic approach”.Only last week, the Skerritt-led CWI settled a long-running legal case with Simmons for damages, and apologised to the Trinidadian for the way he had been treated.

Guyana’s debut Concacaf U-17 ...

From page 30 what is a tough group,” Greenwood said.

“After our success at the U15 Souliga Cup in 2017, this regional U17 tournament is a big opportunity for players nurtured through the GFF’s Academy Training Centre system to continue their development within our national pathway.”

MYO Inter Jamaat softball continues tomorrow The Muslim Youth Organisation Inter- Jamaat 15 overs Softball Cricket competition will continue tomorrow at GNIC SC ground.

At 09:00hrs, Tuschen Train Station Masjid will play MYO, at 11:30hrs MYO will battle New Mosque and at 14:00hrs MYO will face Corneila Ida.

Holy Family Bible Club Tapeball on Today The Holy Family Bible Club will be hosting its inaugural KFC Fry Chicken Inter Secondary Schools Super Six knock out Tapeball competition today at Durban Park tarmac. 13 schools have so far entered the competition which is being approved by the Ministry of Education. Interested schools can contact James Lewis on 628 1656 for registration.

PAGE 26

Hamstring strain sidelines Bravo for two weeks ESPNcricinfo - Chennai Super Kings’ seam attack has been depleted further, with their designated death bowler Dwayne Bravo sidelined from the IPL for two weeks with a hamstring strain.

Bravo sustained the injury during Super Kings’ first loss of the season, against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 3.

Super Kings had already lost Lungi Ngidi (injury) and David Willey (personal reasons) in the past couple of weeks. In the IPL, replacements can only be sought for players who are injured, which means Super Kings could not get anyone to fill in for Willey.Bravo had conceded 29 runs in the last over of Mumbai’s innings but against Rajasthan Royals last week, he nailed his variations and defended 11 off the last over to secure a tense win.

Bravo also contributed with the bat in that game, providing Super Kings’ innings some late impetus with 27 off 16 balls.

Michael Hussey, the Super Kings batting coach, conceded that Bravo’s injury will shake up the balance of the team. Hussey, though, backed New Zealand allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn, who was signed as Ngidi’s replacement, to come good.

Kuggeleijn can hit the deck hard and is also a handy batsman lower down the order. More recently in the Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, Kuggeleijn claimed 13 wickets

Pele:Brazil legend feels ‘much better’ after hospital treatment

Dwayne Bravo and MS Dhoni share a laugh © BCCI in nine matches at an economy rate of 8.14 in Northern Districts’ run to the final. He is set to make his IPL bow against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.

“Obviously, he (Bravo) offers so much balance to the team and he’s a quality player, so it’s going to cause a little bit of rejigging of the team,” Hussey said. “But, I’m sure we will still be able to put together a very strong team and yes it’s a big loss for us, but we have had these challenges in the past and we’ve been able to overcome them. We’re hoping we can do that again.

“Yes, definitely [Scott Kuggeleijn can fill the void].

I’m sure MS [Dhoni] and [Stephen] Fleming will look at Scott and assess his deathbowling skills.”

Hussey also said that Super Kings have deathbowling options in Shardul Thakur and Mohit Sharma, but they haven’t been

effective. They have economy rates in excess of 12 each at the death since last IPL. Bravo himself has leaked 11.90 runs an over at the death in the same period. Hussey also reckoned the spinners could do the job at the death on the helpful tracks at home.

“We’ve got Shardul who has done a little bit of death bowling and Mohit can also bowl at the death,” he said.

“It’s about assessing the conditions as well and see which bowlers are suitable to bowling in the latter overs and if it’s a real turning pitch, maybe one of the spinners can bowl at the end.

There will be a lot of thinking about the best combination to get. It’s a key area of the game and we didn’t quite get it right against Mumbai and they scored a lot of runs in the last two or three overs. It’s an area we need to focus on and try to execute - it’s an important facet of the game.”

World number one Osaka signs with Nike TOKYO (Reuters) - World number one Naomi Osaka has agreed a deal with Nike, the sports apparel giant has announced.

The Japanese, who had previously been tied to rival Adidas, will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix later this month, the U.S. sportswear maker said on its website.“I’m proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer,” said Osaka in the statement.

“Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.”

The Japanese has won the last two Grand Slams, having become the first ever

Saturday April 06,2019

Kaieteur News

Japan’s Naomi Osaka in action during her match against Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova at the Brisbane International. (REUTERS/Patrick Hamilton) Japanese player to win one of the four majors when she overcame Serena Williams at the U.S. Open in September.

“Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes,” Nike VP Amy Montagne added in the statement.“We are thrilled to

have her join our team.”

Osaka’s ascent to the top of the women’s game has made her a hot marketable commodity for the world’s top brands. She already has deals with Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, car manufacturer Nissan and watch company Citizen, amongst others.

Pele was in Paris for a promotional event with PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Brazil legend Pele said he feels “so much better” after being admitted to a Paris hospital for a urinary infection. The 78-year-old had been taken in for treatment on Wednesday after a promotional event with Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

“The antibiotics are working and the tests are all (well). I think I’m ready to play again,” Pele said on Twitter.

In recent years, Pele was taken to hospital for kidney and prostate problems and for exhaustion last year.

Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, he

scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during his 21year career, including 77 goals in 91 appearances for Brazil.

He is the only player to win three World Cups, helping his country to triumphs in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and was named Fifa’s Player of the Century.

NBA roundup: Bucks lock up No. 1 seed Playoff intensity showed itself from the opening tip at Philadelphia on Thursday as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 45 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 128-122 comeback victory over the 76ers that clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Khris Middleton scored 22 points for the Bucks, who will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history.

They were top seed in the Western Conference three times in their first six years of existence, the last in the 197374 season.

Joel Embiid recorded his second career triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in his return from a three-game absence caused by a left knee soreness.

The mood between two of the top three teams in the East was set early.

Less than three minutes into the game, an on-court incident between the Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe and the Sixers’ Joel Embiid ended with Bledsoe’s ejection because of two technical fouls.

Warriors 108, Lakers 90 DeMarcus Cousins scored eight of his game-high 21 points in the first seven minutes as Golden State blitzed host Los Angeles.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.

(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) The win allowed the Warriors to reduce their magic number to two for clinching the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Quinn Cook came off the bench to score 18 points for Golden State, and Kevin Durant scored 15 points.

Reserve Johnathan Williams scored 17 to pace the Lakers.

Kings 117, Cavaliers 104 Buddy Hield scored a game-high 23 points to help Sacramento hold off visiting

Cleveland.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points, and De’Aaron Fox recorded 16 points and 10 assists for the Kings. Marvin Bagley III registered 15 points and eight rebounds, and Nemanja Bjelica had 10 points.

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Cavaliers, who lost their seventh straight game and fell to 6-34 on the road.

(Field Level Media)

Saturday April 06,2019

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

Police Commissioner B/Day Inter-Division T20 cricket

Sampson (84* & 2-19) powers ‘F’ Division to win over TSU - Ramkarran’s 58 lead HQ to Victory over ‘A’ Division

Kanyohai Ramkarran goes over the top during his unbeaten 58 yesterday at Eve Leary.

By Sean Devers An unbeaten 84 from Quentin Sampson, who also took 2-19, spearheaded ‘F’ Division to an emphatic 124run win over TSU, while Kanyohai Ramkarran’s 58 led Headquarters (HQ) to a seven-wicket against ‘A’ Division when the latest round of action in the Commissioner of Police Birth Anniversary Inter-Division and Branches T20 cricket Tournament ended at Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary yesterday.

In the morning game, ‘A’ Division, led by an unbeaten 48 with three fours and four sixes from Richard Leacock and 22 from Kevin Christian saw their team to 129 all out in 19.5 overs.

Leacock and Patrick Morris (8) added 68 runs for the eighth wicket after joining force in sweltering heat at 637 when Darson LaRose (9) was removed by Dwayne Dodson.

Prakash Singh (3-9), Dodson (3-30) and Kevin

Allicock (2-15) bowled well for HQ who replied with 133-3 in 17.4 overs.

HQ, on the back of Ramkarran’s unbeaten 58 decorated with seven fours and a six, Troy Benn not out on 20 with two fours and Andrew Lyght’s 20 with a four and six, lost Kevin Allicock (3) LBW to Jason Heyliger at 5-1 before Dodson was caught behind for a duck.

After Lyght was removed

by Patrick Morris, Skipper Troy Benn and Ramkarran, who ended the contest with a blistering square drive off Morris for four, featured in an unfinished half-century stand.

In the afternoon game, Sampson smashed three fours and nine sixes in his explosive unbeaten 84 and featured in a 94-run stand with Dellon Melville who made 19, to see ‘F’ Division to 214-6 from 20 overs on a two-paced track and rough outfield before Sampson (2-19) and Devon Joseph (2-24) conspired to help bowl out

TSU for 90 in 18.2 overs.

Urged on a raucous gathering, Skipper Trevor Benn hit two fours and a couple of sixes in 33, while Lennox Andrews (21) and Leon Crawford all got into double figures.

The burly Micheal Jobe got going with a cut for four before he was run out for seven at 18-1 before Crawford was bowled by Dollen Allicock at 25-2.

Andrews and Benn carried the score to 78-3 before Benn was LBW to Yame Tolaram and Raul Haynes (9) was dismissed by Gavin Jagnarine nine runs later.

Two wickets fell at 95 before Sampson reached his 50 from 20 balls when he deposited Earl Miller for six before hitting Safraz Sattaur into the Red Cross compound and along with Melville carried the score to 189.

Sampson continued his assault on the bowlers to take his team to a 200 plus score.

Tolaram had 2-43 and Jagnarine 2-37 for TSU who slumped to their fifth straight defeat despite 27 from the lefthanded Kelvin Butters and 11 from Danny Gopaul, the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Miller was bowled by Sampson for a duck without a run on the board, while Rodrigues, batting with a back injury which caused the Police first division pacer to bowl spin, was dropped at slip off Sampson before he had his stumps scattered at 2-2 by Benn who bowled a lively but expensive spell in which he tested Butters with a barrage of short balls.

After Butters was bowled

Trevor Benn followed his 33 with a lively if expensive spell and peppered Kelvin Butters with a barrage of short balls.

Quinton Sampson dumps Safraz Sattaur almost into the Red Cross compound yesterday during his 84.

by Joseph at 47-5 it was all downhill as ‘F’ Division extended their unbeaten streak to five games.

Meanwhile, President’s Guard (PG) beat ‘E’ Division by eight wickets on Thursday after making 122 all out off 20 overs with Anthony Adams hitting two fours and four sixes in his 58, while Garfield Moore made 21 with a four and six as Keaton Harcourt took 3-11 off four overs and Nicolai Reddy had 2-7 for PG

who replied with 126-2 off 18.3 overs.

Reddy made an unbeaten 31 with three fours and a six, while Daryl Mayers (28) and Paul Tyndall (27) supported with the bat.

In the afternoon game, ‘C’ Division beat FAPC by a run after making 158 for 5 off 20 overs with Greisen Grant top scoring with 56 decorated with three fours and five sixes, while Alex Burnette made 50 with five fours and two sixes

as Denton Lyte took 2-33.

FAPC replied with 157-7 off 20 overs. Delon Skeete reached the boundary two times and cleared it twice in 33. Reon Venture (30) and Rocky Hutson (20) also contributed as Kisan Harding took 4-12 and Jamal Chisholm had 2-13.

The competition continues next Tuesday and Wednesday before the Quarter final commence on Thursday.

PAGE 28

Saturday April 06,2019

Kaieteur News

Milo Schools’ football tournament Finalists to be decided today The two finalists for the 2019 Milo schools football tournament crown will be decided today when semifinal action kicks off.

Set for the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground on Carifesta Avenue, the double header will begin at 14:00hrs.

In the first game, Annandale will go toe to toe with L i n d e n ’s C h r i s t i a n b u rg Wi s m a r Secondary School (CWSS).

Both sides had runaway wins in their previous matches and their meeting at the semi-final stage is expected to bring fireworks.

The second game of the afternoon pits President’s College against Lodge Secondary School; a feisty affair which is expected to

Semi final action in the MILO schools Football tournament 2019 is on today. see both teams going all out.

The final is billed for next weekend and the tournament

is sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) under the stop gender based violence campaign.

Guyana Volleyball Federation shortlists U-21 players for French Guiana tourney - One Day tournament on today in Berbice The Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) has shortlisted a number of U21 players to represent the country shortly. Their selection came about after the GVF completed a number of trial matches at the National Gymnasium in Georgetown.

Both male and female players have been selected to continue training to represent the county in the tournament which will be held in French Guiana involving the three Guiana’s (Guyana, French Guiana and

Suriname). The tournament will be held on May 2nd and 3rd.

The females selected areKelshine Griffith, Hannah Hicks, Amesha Mohabir, Famke David, Cherry Anne Fraser, Candacy Mentore, Philana Simpson, Cassie Junior, Kelanie Griffith and Shanariah David.

The males selected are -Andy Rohoman, Ronaldo Bobb, Hellond Singh, Tyrone Farley, Kristoff Shepperd, Te r r e n c e Groenhart, Levi Nedd (Jnr), Jaleel Roberts, Daniel

Joseph, Diaymion Al Ahamad, Montel Denny, Kevin Todd and Steffon Norah.

Meanwhile, the Berbice Volleyball Association will be holding a o n e d a y tournament and BBQ involving both A and B Division teams tomorrow 7th April at the Apprentice Training Center to offset expenses for the trip. According to the BVA other fund raising activities are also on the cards.

(Samuel Whyte)

Holder eyeing half-century on Northants debut LONDON, CMC – West Indies captain Jason Holder was eyeing a half-century on county debut as he made an encouraging start to life in the Championship, helping Northamptonshire bat the entire opening day of their contest against Middlesex here yesterday.

Playing at home at Wantage Road, Northants finished on 310 for six, with captain Alex Wakely topscoring with 76 and wicketkeeper Adam

Rossington carving out 67.

Rob Keogh chipped in with 46 while opener Ricardo Vasconcelos made 38.

Holder, fresh from leading West Indies to a series win over England in the Caribbean, ended the day unbeaten on a composed 36.

He has faced 66 balls in 99 minutes and struck five fours, putting on 67 for the sixth wicket with Rossington who counted eight fours and two sixes in a 82-ball knock, before falling nearing the

close.

Northamptonshire had earlier recovered from 83 for three courtesy of a 99run fourth wicket stand b e t w e e n Wa k e l y a n d Keogh.

Veteran new-ball seamer Tim Murtagh claimed four for 43.

The 27-year-old Holder is the leading all-rounder in Tests, averaging 33 with the bat and 27 with his medium pace, to sit at number one on the ICC charts.

Talisman Russell inspires KKR run chase to topple RCB BENGALURU, India, CMC – West Indies allrounder Andre Russell smashed another breathtaking cameo to surpass 200 runs in just four innings this season, as Kolkata Knight Riders moved into second place in the Indian Premier League standings with a convincing five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore here yesterday.

In pursuit of a daunting 206 for victory at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, KKR made light work of their target in the end with a daring run chase, getting home with five balls to spare to win for the third time in four outings.

The audacious Russell spearheaded the effort, uncorking a 13-ball unbeaten 48 while Australian opener Chris Lynn got 43 and Nitish Rana, 37. Batting at number six, Russell entered with the contest in the balance at 139 for four in the 16th over, and lost captain Dinesh Karthik soon afterwards for 19, with 53 runs required from 18 deliveries.

But the Jamaican

KKR’s West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell. clobbered a four and seven giant sixes, dominating an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Shuban Gill (three not out) to put KKR over the line.

The game was won in the penultimate over, however, when Russell got stuck in to seamer Tim Southee, belting the New Zealander for four giant sixes and a four, in an over which leaked 29 runs.

Russell has now scored 207 runs at an average of 103.

West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine had earlier fallen cheaply for 10 at the top of the order with the score on 28 for one in the second over,

before Lynn and Robin Uthappa (33) out on 65 for the second wicket to steady the innings.

Earlier, the peerless Virat Kohli top-scored with 84 from 49 balls while South African AB de Villiers stroked 63 from 32 balls as RCB tallied 205 for three off their 20 overs, after being sent in.

Kohli put on 64 for the first wicket with Parthiv Patel (25) and a further 108 for the second wicket with de Villiers.

West Indies left-hander Shimron Hetmyer, with 15 runs from four innings, was dropped for the encounter.

Jumbo Jet Triple Crown

Promoters excited for final showdown The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJTRC) will complete the first Triple Crown horseracing event to be contested in Guyana on Easter Sunday (April 21) at the Port Mourant Turf Club in Corentyne, Berbice and the promoters of the event, in a release to Kaieteur Sport, has noted that they are as excited as the fans with the anticipated intense matchups to come.

The Triple Crown race promotion provides a bonus of $500,000 for whichever horse can complete three consecutive victories and come this Easter, the mare Valentina, in the three-yearold Guyana Bred category, will be the only animal in the running for the Triple Crown bonus.

More importantly, a rematch between Lucky Star; the unprecedented winner of the second leg’s feature race, which was jockeyed by 18year-old sensation Marvin Appadu, and Vera’s Finally of the Jumbo Jet Racing Stables will be the event for the turfites. Storm Bird that usually storms to the front but fades away in the final furlong will be a serious threat to the $1million winning purse for that C Class and lower feature race, if the thoroughbred can maintain its blistering pace.

A release from the organisers of the event revealed some exciting news of additional work being done on the Port Mourant Turf Club track inclusive of the construction of a shoot to start the one mile race. The document read, “This way the

horses will have a level and exact one mile start. The start of the seven & 3/4 furlongs race was usually used for the one-miler before due to the fact the mile was on the turn and a race can’t start on a turn.”

The feature race on Easter Sunday will attract a total prize purse amounting to almost $2million with the winner of that C Class and lower race pocketing $1million.

The winner of the threeyear-old Guyana bred race which Valentina will be looking to complete her triple crown in, will pocket $400,000, the F Class winner; $350,000, H Class; $300,000, I Class; $250,000, J class; $230,000, K Class; $220,000, L Class; $200,000, L Class and lower; $140,000.

Bakers’ Memorial Cycling Classic race is on tomorrow For the eight successive year the bakers Family will stage its 8th Annual Bakers Memorial Classic road race for racing cyclists in the junior, senior juvenile and senior categories tomorrow in Linden.

The starting point from 9.00hrs is the GTT Bus Stop in Retrieve and it will cover sixty miles to a point on the Linden Highway and back to the starting area for the finish.

Entrance for each cyclist is $2,500 and this

will include lunch. A number of sponsors have additionally come on board for this annual event and they are Tony M o h a b i r, Ramesh Raymond, Brian McRae, Spencer’s Lumber Yard and Fresh From the West.

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

ISG backing Regal for Florida Cup dominance

PAGE 29

Bobby Lakhan, third from left (front row) with the Regal Masters and All Star players at the presentation on Sunday at GNIC sports ground.

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he annual Florida Cup Softball tournament is q u i c k l y approaching and defending champions Regal All Stars and Regal Masters have been busy fine tuning preparations both on and off the field.

Last Sunday at the GNIC Sports Club ground, Woolford Avenue, Industrial Supplies of Guyana Inc assisted the teams with their preparations heading for the April 12 to 14 mega softball tournament in Fort Lauderdale.

On behalf of the e n g i n e e r i n g c o m p a n y, Technical Support Engineer, Bobby Lakhan handed over the sponsorship cheque of US$1,800 to tour Manager,

Parmanand Persaud in the presence of players from both sides.

Lakhan stated that it is their first sponsorship to a sporting team and is confident that Regal Masters

and All stars will represent the brand well in the tournament. “It is our (ISG) first sponsorship of this kind but once Regal do us proud it will not be our last,” Lakhan added.

A c c o r d i n g t o information coming out of the South Florida Softball Cricket League the 15th edition of the Florida Cup will be the biggest yet with 10 All Star teams, 10

Masters teams (Over-45) and eight Legends teams (Over-50) battling over three days.

The preliminary matches and semi-finals will be played at the Brian Piccolo

Ganesh Parts & General Store donates balls to the GRFU

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he donation comes at an important time for the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) as one of the country’s leading spare parts business; Ganesh Parts and General Stores under its BKT brand out of India, presented over forty training balls to the Union.

The presentation was done at the company’s business place located on Robb Street, making the donation was Suresh Rampersaud; Sales Manager, in the presence of Chatram (Roop) Persaud, CEO who made the presentation to President of the GRFU, Peter Green and Pro Esan Griffith.

According to CEO, his company’s

E

ntertainment and Mon Repos registered victories when play in the Rafman Ally 15-over softball competition continued on Sunday last at Success ground, East Coast Demerara.

Entertainment beat Corrupt XI by seven runs. Batting first, Entertainment managed 121 all out in 14.5 overs.

K. Salikram made 52 as O. Salikram claimed 4-16 and D. Ramroop 3-18.

Corrupt XI were bowled out for 114 in reply. D. Ramroop made 22 and S. Budhan 16 not out.

Mon Repos overcame Up Top Boss by 71 runs. Mon Repos took first knock and posted 151-4. D. Ramnauth scored 38, Mark Harold 37 and Z. Persaud 30.

Up Top Boss were sent packing for 80 in reply. The competition continues tomorrow at Success with Friends playing Mon Repos, Corrupt XI facing Up Top Boss,

GRFU hosts first trials for 15s team

donation is just a way of giving back to society and the development of sports in the country, he challenged the Union to produce in two months’ time and he will donate more.

Green, expressed gratitude for the timely contribution as the union will soon embark on its Youth Development Programme and the balls will be utilised meaningfully in that programme.

The GRFU is expected to launch its U19 league and women’s sevens tournament this month end, while the national men’s team will be in training for their International tournament against Guadeloupe.

Entertainment, Mon Repos triumph

Mark Harold Entertainment playing Line Top, Friends versus Up Top Boss and Corrupt XI taking up Line Up.

Park, while the championship matches will be played at the only international cricket venue in North America, the Central Broward Regional Park.

Last Saturday at the National Park Athletics track, the GRFU hosted their first trial match as preparations for the RAN South Zone championship match against Guadeloupe.

Guyana’s senior male ‘ruggers’ that are dubbed the ‘Green Machine’ will face debutants in the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Championship; Guadeloupe, on Saturday April 27th for the South Zone Championship and to this end, the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) hosted their first team trials last Saturday at the National Park Athletics track.

In cool conditions and overlooked by coach of the team, Kenneth Grant-Stuart, over 40 athletes; some of whom had to dust off their cleats after a hiatus from the sport, showed up to impress the coach and selectors with their skills as they seek to get into the training squad that will begin preparation this weekend for the Championship match against the French speaking nation.

Guyana will be at an advantage after being champions of the event a few times,

along with the fact that the novices will have to rumble with the Green Machine at home and although the GRFU is still seeking a permanent home for the sport, possible venues are the Saint Stanislaus College (SSC) ground on Carifesta Avenue, Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) ground at Eve Leary and the National Park athletics track.

Should Guyana get a likely victory over Guadeloupe, they will host North Zone winners Bermuda (who defeated Jamaica 43 – 14 on March 9th) at home next month for the RAN overall title.

There will be no promotion or relegation after these matches since 2020 is expected to be the first qualifying round for Rugby World Cup 2023 and as such, only full members of World Rugby will be able to compete in 2020.

(Calvin Chapman)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

Saturday April 06, 2019

Fruta Conquerors go down to Scholars International SC in opening match

This Scholars International Soccer Club (Cayman Islands) player in control of the ball as two Fruta Conquerors players, keep close watch.

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uyana Football Federation Elite League Season 3 champions Fruta Conquerors lost their first match of the Concacaf Caribbean Nations League yesterday by a 0-2 margin to Cayman Islands’ Scholars International Soccer Club.

Playing at the Ergilio Hato, Stadium in

Curacao, goals either side of play by Scholars International propelled them to full points; the Guyanese champions failing to respond in like manner.

Even with the veteran forward Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Captain Eon Alleyne carrying the charge up front, Conquerors failed to get on the score sheet.

Scholars International Soccer Club (Cayman Islands) on the attack against Fruta Conquerors on Friday at the Ergilio Hato, Stadium, Curacao.

The Sampson Gilbert coached unit will hope to rebound tomorrow when they oppose home team Jong Holland at 20:00hrs, their final match will be on Tuesday against Cuba’s, Santiago de Cuba from 17:30hrs.

Fruta Conquerors starting X1 vs Scholars International Soccer Club: Derrick

Carter – GK, Quincy Adams – Defender, Solomon Austin – Defender, Sherwin Skeete – Defender, Simeon Moore – Defender, Vurlon Mills – Midfielder, Jahall Greaves – Midfielder, Ryan Hackett – Midfielder, Nicholas Mc Arthur – Midfielder, Eon Alleyne - Forward (C), Gregory Richardson – Forward.

Guyana’s debut Concacaf U-17 boys’ squad shaped by CSEC exam dates – GFF

Isaak Hayik, 73 years old, celebrates as he receives the Guinness World Record for oldest living football player after a game with Israel’s Ironi Or Yehuda soccer club, in Or Yehuda, Israel April 5, 2019. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)

Israeli becomes world’s oldest player OR YEHUDA, Israel (Reuters) - Darting between the goal posts with his striking white hair, 73-year-old Israeli Isaak Hayik set a new world record yesterday as the oldest person to play in a professional soccer match.

Hayik, who celebrates his 74th birthday next week, broke the record after playing as a goalkeeper in an afternoon game with Israel’s Ironi Or Yehuda soccer club.

The Iraqi-born keeper was officially recognized in an award ceremony attended by representatives from the Guinness World Record organization.

“I’m ready for another game,” said Hayik, who made some good saves in the team’s 5-1 defeat to Maccabi Ramat Gan. “This is not only a source of pride for me

but also to Israeli sports in general,” added Hayik, who moved to Israel when he was four years old.

The previous record was held by Robert Carmona of Uruguay, who in 2015 played a professional match with Uruguay’s Pan de Azucar at the age of 53, an official adjudicator for Guinness World Records said.

Hayik’s family were among the tens of thousands of Iraqi Jews who fled to Israel in the mid-20th century, following the country’s creation in 1948.

His children spoke of their pride in their father’s achievement. One of his sons said he and his father used to play together.

“I used to get tired before he did,” Moshe Hayik, 36, said. “He is unbelievable.”

Guyana’s U17 Boys’ National Squad being taken through the paces by Wilson Toledo as preparations continue ahead of the Concacaf U17 Championship in May. The selection process for Guyana’s first appearance at the Concacaf U17 Championship for boys in May has been decided according to the availabilities of eligible players sitting CSEC exams this year, GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood said yesterday.

The scheduling for the tournament has meant that participating Caribbean Football Union nations have had to factor in study commitments and exam timetables as part of their tournament planning and squad preparation.

Players selected for a preliminary U17 squad are currently preparing for the tournament, with at least five

training sessions per week at the GFF National Training Centre in Providence under the guidance of GFF coaching staff. The final squad will be announced on 15 April.

“The GFF is committed to ensuring our young players focus on their education as a priority. We have worked closely with parents and put contingency measures in place to prepare the best talent available to us for our debut at this C o n c a c a f U 1 7 Championship,” said Greenwood.

“Some of our more experienced U17 players will be absent from the tournament or unavailable for certain matches.”

The Concacaf U17 Championship takes place between 1-16 May at the IMG Academy in Florida, with Guyana drawn in Group G with Honduras, Haiti and El Salvador. The top four placed teams from a total of 20 participating countries will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil.

Guyana’s U17 boys are ranked at a record high 18th out of 41 Concacaf nations.

“We have competed at CFU level before, but this is the first time boys from Guyana will compete at Concacaf level in this age group. We are extremely confident our players will make the nation proud by giving their all in (Continued on page 25)

Kaieteur News

Saturday April 06, 2019

PAGE 31

McIntosh wraps up visit to Guyana by observing National U-17 Boys’ Training Session

One Concacaf and Caribbean Project Senior Manager, Howard McIntosh, GFF President Wayne Forde along with Technical Staff of the National U17 team take a photo with the young footballers at the GF National Training Centre.

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he One Concacaf and Caribbean Project Senior Manager, Howard McIntosh, successfully wrapped up his two-day visit to Guyana on Thursday by observing part of the National U17 team training session at the Guyana F o o t b a l l F e d e r a t i o n ’s National Training Centre.

He was accompanied by

GFF’s President Wayne Forde to the team preparing for the Concacaf U17 Men’s Championship in May 2019 at the IMG Academy, Florida. In expressing his pleasure to observe the training, he encouraged the team to do their best and embrace the opportunity before them: “The only thing that the President, the coaches, everybody can ask

of you is to do your best and, in doing your best, have an appreciation for what others have done and for others to come so you can lay a path for them.

You’re at the U17 level and some of you are at the U15 level; you have a career that many of us (didn’t have)… you have an opportunity and the opportunity has been made

even more prominent because of the achievement of the senior team.”

He also offered sober words for their consideration as they head into the May encounter: “Guyana is on the map so when you go to the t o u r n a m e n t i n May...everybody will be watching to see what the prospects are for Guyana and how well Guyana is doing

Archery Guyana represented at Lima 2019 Pan Am Games

Wayne DeAbreu taking aim in Lima.

Archery Guyana has announced that their member, Wayne Gerald DeAbreu, is currently in Chile participating in the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games causing Guyana’s beautiful Flag to be hoisted and displayed prominently at the majestic Stadium.

The Chilean Archery Federation is currently hosting the final qualification tournament for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games as part of the V World Archery Ranking Tournament in Santiago de Chile, Chile.

On Tuesday 2ndApril, was

the 72 Arrows Ranking Round as our Guyanese Archer secured position numbered 32 after shooting a score of 594.

On Wednesday 3rd April, he was up against Bolivia and lost the round but went up against Barbados earlier and won in the first round. He is up against Ecuador next.

and you’re now going to be a higher profiled team than you were last week. That’s just a reality and you need to understand that and accept that and embrace it because it’s really an opportunity, don’t allow it to pressure you. Think about the opportunity you have and, most of all, enjoy it.”

McIntosh, as part of his visit, also had a number of

engagements including meeting with President Forde and the Executive Committee Members, courtesy call on the Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, meeting with the Guyana Tourism Authority, visit to the GFF’s Durban Park Complex project site and meeting with GFF Staff for a workshop on “ONE Concacaf”.

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Fruta Conquerors go down to Scholars International SC in opening match Scholars International Soccer Club (Cayman Islands) scores their opening goal against Fruta Conquerors, goalkeeper Derrick Carter watches the ball sailing past him.

Ganesh Parts & General Store Holder eyeing half-century on donates balls to the GRFU Northants debut Suresh Rampersaud (2nd left) presents Peter Green (send right) with the balls in the presence of Chatram Persaud (left) and Esan Griffith.

West Indies captain Jason Holder drives during his unbeaten 36 for Northants.

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