Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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A call to the Prime Minister to deliver justice DEAR EDITOR, I read this in Kaieteur News of April 1st. April 2016: “Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said that he is still looking for a way out for Arjoon. Nagamootoo said that he has been looking at the Ombudsman report but “cannot make a conclusion.” He said that the report is not clear on what should be done or “if the parliament should do something. I am looking for verification.” I am of the belief that the Ombudsman, attorney-at-law, Winston Moore, did his job in examining the complaint by Mr. Arjoon./ Ombudsman Moore was appointed by the President of Guyana’s in
January 2014. The Ombudsman’s office has the authority to examine wrongdoings in public office. / The Finding in his Report on the Arjoon’s complaint said that the victims ”suffered a grave injustice and should be compensated for losing seven years of their lives.” At a time when it may have been dangerous to rule as the Ombudsman did, Ombudsman Moore called it as the law saw it. He was courageous enough to say this to the then people in power who chose not to act on his Findings. Now it is the turn of the present Granger Government to make things right.
There can be a situation where a joke isn’t funny; this is one DEAR EDITOR, The headline titled, “APNU+AFC took all seats on city finance committee - despite nomination of Team Legacy member” (SN April 05) sums up accurately another glaring deficiency of our local government system that renders it a joke that is not even funny anymore. There are many private citizens and social commentators who are silent on this issue and the media goes along for the ride with little or no analytical lens applied. What sense does it make for all those independent candidates across the country who would have earned seats in local government organs if they structurally stand no chance of being effective in influencing the decision making processes of their local government body? The reality of Guyana’s politics, at both national and local levels, is that the vast majority of citizens vote along historical party lines and one can more often than not predict which local organ will go in majority to which party. If examples like what took place for the appointment of the Georgetown finance committee continue and citizens see that the independent or group candidate(s) that they elected has/ have no real influence on a Council dominated by the big parties, then they will begin to question why did they even bother to vote, which in turns leads to apathy and disillusionment in the system. I sincerely hope that constitutional reform touches on the local government system and that minority elected groups are given statutory quotas to serve on important committees of local government organs. Clinton Urling
What is meant by the PM saying he “cannot make a conclusion.”/ Conclusion about what: / Whether Mr. Arjoon and others from NBS were made to suffer an injustice or perhaps a conclusion about the people who falsely accused the then CEO, Mr. Arjoon. Perhaps Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is reluctant or unable to go up against the people who could be blamed for the criminal actions against the NBS’ CEO and Managers? / PM Nagamootoo claimed that he has seen a draft of a
motion to be laid in the National Assembly to speak to the matter. He didn’t give details about the resolve of the motion but said, ‘I had asked a back bencher to table a motion to bring to Parliament…but we are still looking for verification.’” I wonder what Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is looking to verify? / Perhaps to verify men were charged wrongfully but the Ombudsman’s report already confirms this and is based on results of an investigation that was done over a few months. / Perhaps he wants
to verify that over eight years has passed and these men, have not been compensated by the state for the actions of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other public officials he identified? The Ombudsman used information/evidence provided to investigate if there was wrong doing./ Could Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo further verify what the Ombudsman’s findings were, regarding the charges laid against these men? Perhaps he could also arrange to compensate the victims and charge the
perpetrators, as would have been done in countries where the rule of law is taken seriously? Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo needs to show some backbone as demonstrated by Ombudsman, Retired Justice Winston Moore. He needs to redress the wrong that was found to have been done to Maurice Arjoon and the others from NBS. These men stood up for the bank and its depositors. To continue to hang them out to dry for almost nine years, is wrong a seriously grave injustice. Jai Prashad
A parent pleads for a son’s education DEAR EDITOR, It is my desire to inform the public and higher authorities to take action in resolving an issue I have been ached with for too long. My beef is with the time the training takes to complete, misinformation given by the school and the shabby certificate a youth is given at the completion of his training. In 2013 my son commenced training at the Corriverton Technical Institute for an entire week. He was told of how beautiful his training would be and how valuable and powerful the certificate would be in the future especially in his case where it was his desirous of working in the Caribbean islands. The impression given to him at that time made him think that achieving the certificate would be the key to his work worries. Every student in his class
was told the same; they were further told that they would not fail and that they would finish at the end of the year. After the year it was found that my son could not have completed the training. I blamed no one but my son. I blamed him for poor commitment and interest. I then decided to allow him to complete the program because I was assured it would only take a couple of months; the school kept a meeting and assured us of this. This meeting happened at the school late 2014. Almost the entire school of students for that year was asked to attend the meeting. I found out it turned out to be for more than six months and he was not making much progress from my observation so I encouraged him to just simply find a job where he would be paid to
learn. So he did and was working. After a long while more than half a year, parents and students were again asked to attend another meeting for the same reason of completing the training. In excitement after another false reassurance, again I yet again encouraged my son to quit his job and complete his training since we were assured that the certificate that would be awarded will be recognized and accepted anywhere in CARICOM and that it is very authentic and is awarded by CARICOM. He finally completed in 2015 and graduated in November of 2015. We were informed during the graduation arrangement to collect his certificate in December which did not happen. He finally got his certificate at the ending of January and to his
disappointment found out that it was the same cheap ,unrecognized certificated the school usually prints themselves and over the past few years. Because of this it has caused me to fail my child as a parent. I have wasted precious years of my child’s life and now I am certain that my child has lost trust and faith in me. A figure in whom a child is supposed to have undying and total trust and faith. I have also invested a lot of my income to ensure that my child completed his training. Entrance fees for this school is also probably the worst in Berbice. Since my son has uplifted his not so useful certificate, he has been calling and visiting the school in the hope that he would be given some reassuring news about the certificate he was told, assured and trained to Continued on page 29
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
GRA will now operate without political interference - Chairman Operating without fear or favour is what the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has recommitted to doing in light of recent accusations and revelations that there has been political interference affecting the entity’s procedures. This is according to the Authority’s Chairman, Rawle Lucas. His comments come in the wake of an article published by this newspaper last week which revealed that Minister of State Joseph Harmon had halted a seizure operation, involving vehicles, a number of high-end that was being carried out against BaiShanLin. The operation was being executed by GRA, in collaboration with officials from the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU). The vehicles were targeted for seizure due to the fact that the Chinese company had failed to pay the required duties within a legally stipulated timeframe. But before officials from the GRA Customs Department and the Special Organized Crime Unit could carry out the seizures, they received a call from Harmon
who instructed that the vehicles must not be removed; that the ranks should leave the company alone, and walk away from the premises. Several attempts have since been made by this newspaper to contact Harmon on the matter, but all proved futile. Yesterday, Lucas stated that Finance Minister Winston Jordan was aware of the matter, and has dealt with it in an expeditious manner. Lucas confirmed that the operation which was halted was carried out yesterday. He then reflected on the Authority’s role. “GRA is supposed to be a nonpolitical entity and independent in all that it is expected to do. I believe that that salient point was reinforced to all of our officials here in light of recent events. As Chairman, I can say that all were made to understand that they are to carry out their duties in a respectable manner and complete all assignments given, regardless of who the Government of the day is.” The Chairman added, “The GRA is going to carry
out its duties and its responsibilities, and it has recommitted to doing so without fear or favour. We are all about restoring confidence in this agency and ensuring that mistakes of the past are not repeated.” Asked what measures have been put in place to ensure that the BaiShanLin situation does not reoccur, Lucas categorically stated, “Clear instructions have been given that all officials must, and I repeat, must complete all assignments.” Lucas also revealed that the GRA is currently in the process of reviewing all concessions which have been granted over the years under the previous regime. He said that this is being done to correct a number of anomalies in the system, as well as plugging up the loopholes through which the nation would have lost essential revenue. The GRA Chairman said that this is all part of the process of addressing the issue of tax evasion. He added, “I want to make it clear however, that in this exercise, we will not be targeting persons randomly. We are doing a general review of this system, with an aim to bringing transparency and
Managing Director of BaiShanLin, Chu Hongbo
Embattled Minister of State, Joseph Harmon
accountability to the way concessions are given out.”
concessions on a variety of the aforementioned items valued at $7.5 billion, equivalent to US$37.3 million. The total value of concessions granted amounted to $1.827 billion. The report which was prepared by Chartered Accountant Anand Goolsarran, noted that the GRA indicated that it was unable to provide information relating to the earlier years because of computer problems. The concessions for the equipment and other machinery were based on investment agreements entered into between the former Government and
Just a few weeks ago, a forensic audit report exposed how BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc. was granted millions worth in concessions for machinery, equipment and construction materials which were just too excessive and in many instances, had nothing to do with its work. The report also had data which were provided by the Guyana Revenue Authority. The data show that during the period 2012 to 2015, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration granted BaiShanLin fiscal
GRA Chairman, Rawle Lucas BaiShanLin for the construction of a wood processing facility in Region 10. Goolsarran noted that up to the time of reporting, BaiShanLin had not fulfilled its obligations under the investment agreements, and was requesting an additional two years to construct the long awaited woodprocessing facility. The APNU+AFC administration is yet to say whether it will grant the Chinese company a two-year extension. In the meantime, the forensic auditor said that the investment agreements specifically provide for termination, where there has been a failure to undertake the business proposal without providing a reasonable explanation. He said that when this happens, BaiShanLin is required to repay the value of all fiscal concessions granted.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Cameron, under pressure from ‘Panama Papers’ …says he does not benefit from offshore funds
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron holds a Q&A session on the forthcoming European Union referendum with staff of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Birmingham, Britain, yesterday. REUTERS/CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/POOL Reuters - Prime Minister David Cameron and his family do not benefit from any offshore funds, his spokesman said yesterday, after the British leader came under pressure over his late father’s inclusion in the “Panama Papers” revelations over tax havens. During a visit to a business in central England yesterday, Cameron said he did not own any shares or have any offshore funds but did not answer a question on whether he or his family had benefited from offshore investment funds set up by his father. On Monday, his spokeswoman had said it was a “private matter”. In a statement yesterday, a spokesman for Cameron said: “To be clear, the prime minister, his wife and their children do not benefit from
any offshore funds.” He did not say whether they had benefited in the past. “The prime minister owns no shares ... Mrs Cameron owns a small number of shares connected to her father’s land, which she declares on her tax return.” The leader of Britain’s main opposition party urged the government to tackle tax havens, accusing Cameron of allowing “the super rich elite” to dodge taxes. Leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca have provided evidence of how the world’s rich and powerful used secretive offshore company structures to stash their wealth. The documents named Cameron’s late father Ian and members of his Conservative Party among the list of the
firm’s clients. The government has promised to investigate the leaked data but opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for more to be done, including setting up an independent investigation. “There cannot be one set of tax rules for the wealthy elite and another for the rest of us,” Corbyn said at the launch of Labour’s campaign for local elections next month. “The unfairness and abuse must stop ... no more lip service, the richest must pay their way.” Corbyn said Britain had a “huge responsibility” as many tax havens are British overseas territories, such as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, or crown dependencies, such as Jersey or the Isle of Man.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Misuse of alcohol is the problem There are no laws against the drinking of rum in Guyana. In fact, so long as the alcohol consumed is not ‘bush rum’, then there are no laws against its imbibing. There are laws, of course, against the sale of liquor to a minor. But there are no laws which state how much an adult should consume. There are laws which prohibit driving under the influence, but there are no laws which state that once you have a designated driver you should not drink. Similarly, smoking of cigarettes is not banned. But some places are designated no- smoking zones. But there are hundreds of other places whereby persons can smoke cigarettes. Smoking is a public health issue, since there have been no established health benefits known to have been derived from smoking. The Ministry of Health once wanted to see an increase in the taxes on cigarettes so as to decrease
its use, but this measure may only end up igniting an underground trade in cigarettes, and thus end up causing more harm than good. Banning cigarette smoking may do the same and create an uproar in the country, because there are still tens of thousands of Guyanese, particularly poor Guyanese, who are smokers. Cigarette smoking is far more dangerous to health than rum drinking. But there is no pressure at the moment for the banning of cigarette smoking or for the censorship of movies that show heroes and heroines smoking. Ways and means have to be found to reduce the incidence of smoking. Public education is important. The schools are a good place to start, for once the right seeds are sown in the young, these will blossom in adulthood. In the case of alcohol, the problem is not the use of this substance but rather its misuse. In fact, there are increasing studies which
point to some health benefits for moderate consumption, for example, of certain kinds of red wine after meals. The problem with alcohol is when it is taken in excessive amounts. The problem is alcoholism, not moderate alcohol use. Alcoholism is a disease and must not be confused with drinking. From a public health standpoint, the problem of alcoholism is not just about usage, but more about the underlying causes of excessive usage. Trying to discourage persons from using alcohol is not the issue. The issue is discouraging excessive consumption, a habit that has underlying psychological roots. This is why there was concern years ago when a committee wanted to issue letters to television stations warning them not to air music that glorifies rum drinking. That is disturbing. The problem is not rum drinking. The problem is alcoholism.
Dem boys seh...
When you own dog bite you Old people always seh that when you own dog bite you, you well bitten. Dem boys own dog bite dem yesterday. A Marshal of court walk into de Waterfalls paper wid a writ asking de court to send de boss man, Uncle Adam and a young girl reporter to jail because dem in contempt. De Waterfalls paper publish something bout Republic Bank couple months ago. De bank get vex and go to de court demanding a whole heap of money. De money so nuff that if de Waterfalls paper only attempt to pay it is done de paper done. Dem boys seh that if that is de aim of de Bank then de bank greedy, because it got so much money that if it only
put one more dollar in its vault de vault door can’t close. And some of de money inside de bank belong to de Waterfalls paper. De bank tekking de Waterfalls money to sue de same Waterfalls paper. De story ain’t done deh. De bank now want to lock up de main people behind d e p a p e r. D e m b o y s conclude that de bank want to shut down de paper. And even deh de story ain’t done. De lawyers fuh de bank asking de people at de Waterfalls paper to go to court three days before de Independence celebrations. That mean that dem plan de thing. Already de bank don’t give ads to de Waterfalls paper. De plan was
to hurt de paper, but dem boys seh that no one bank can hurt de paper. Dem boys seh that de bank ungrateful. After all de support and things de Waterfalls paper do for it and it tun round and trying to jail de leaders fuh Independence. Is de same thing happen at City Hall. Hammy sit down and keep Patricia under he wing. He teach she de wuk. She win de elections an when she hold de first council meeting she get nominate mayor. Everybody clap and seh how she deserve de wuk. Then dem read in de paper Patricia Chase Green. That got to be ungrateful. Talk half and start saving money fuh help dem boys in May.
Addressing alcoholism requires addressing the root causes, especially the emotional causes that drive persons to consume excessive alcohol. The problem requires a more detailed examination of why levels of alcoholism are so high within our society. There are laws against inciting violence in our society. And this is why there were concerns over the airing of certain songs that are seen to have crossed the line and actually promote or justify the use of violence.
The censorship of these songs is quite appropriate, and therefore by extension, it may be assumed that there is nothing wrong with restrictions being placed on the airing of songs which glorify rum drinking. Not all rum drinking is wrong; not every case of consumption of rum leads to social problems, and therefore it was always going to be inadvisable to warn television stations about the airing of songs that glorify rum drinking. If on the other hand these
songs urge persons to become alcoholics, then it could be seen as being offensive to public morals and should be eligible for censorship. But for the time being, these songs which are seen as encouraging rum drinking may simply be seen as reflecting a problem within our society which is not going to go away by simply discouraging music about rum.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
A sincere apology to Raphael Trotman Last Saturday, my column, captioned, “What the Raphael Trotman tape revealed,” looked at one of the speeches Mr. Trotman delivered at a public meeting in Bartica during the local government elections. In that article I concentrated on certain aspects of Mr. Trotman’s output and came to certain conclusions. Those conclusions essentially argued that Mr. Trotman had engaged in hatefilled advocacy and a call for ethnic loyalty. After criticism received rejecting the contentions of the column, I am in full agreement that my analysis was misplaced, misdirected and unfair to Mr. Trotman. I believe the best of
intentions can go astray at times. I think humans are prone to errors and misjudgements. This column did a disservice to Mr. Trotman and the people of Bartica, especially those who were present at the meeting, and for that, I offer them all an unreserved and unqualified apology. I believe an apology is a very important process humans must adopt if civilization is to remain intact. I would like Mr. Trotman to know that I agreed with the criticism I have received about the misanalysis in the column. I agree in my own mind that I made a terrible error. I want Mr. Trotman to
know that there was never any intention to damage his career. I would never want to do that. Some of Mr. Trotman’s close friends are friends of mine. I campaigned heavily for Mr. Trotman’s party in the last general elections. I would not in any way want to see the weakening of the Guyana Government and its Ministers, because I think this entire country knows I worked to have such a government in place, and the entire country knows I would not want the PPP back in government. I have done thousands and thousands of columns in a long career spanning twenty-seven years. Mistakes are bound to be made. I owe it to my readers and Mr. Trotman to explain where I believe I went wrong. It had to do with Mr. Trotman’s exhortation to Barticians to vote for APNUAFC because Bartica is an
APNU-AFC constituency. I juxtaposed that with Mr. Trotman’s question to the audience, which asked if they see other parties competing against the PPP in the PPP’s areas in the LGE. The weakness in that juxtaposition is that I sought to elevate party competition to the call to vote race. This is where I believe the column fell down. This is where I believe my analysis went in the wrong direction. I want Mr. Trotman to know that I have never in any column before attributed any raciallyoriented attitude to him. I h o n e s t l y f e e l t h a t M r. Trotman is not a raciallythinking person. I believe that too of all the leaders in the AFC. I have written two columns devoted entirely to Mr. Granger, and I made the unambiguous acknowledgement that Mr. Granger is a decent, anti-
racist, all-embracing nationalist. I would put Mr. Trotman in the same category. I hereby withdraw the obvious implication and correlation in the juxtaposition of those two statements. I am looking at the column as I write. I have read it five times. I conclude I was wrong in assignment of race thought to Mr. Trotman. It is clear to me now, in a more psychologically calm state of mind, that the speech was merely urging people to vote for Mr. Trotman’s party and no other party. Once again, I apologize for the placement of anything contrary in the column. I am deeply moved at the distress I have caused and that has obviously been experienced by Mr. Trotman, and as someone who has often been maligned with deliberate intentions, I could understand Mr. Trotman’s chagrin at the column. I would like to repeat that in the world of social analysis you are bound to fall down. I think with few exceptions, columnists do get it wrong, and I undoubtedly got it wrong this time. I am happy to
Frederick Kissoon express my regrets to Mr. Trotman, because I think it is the decent thing to do. I do have my faults, but I would never refuse to say sorry when I am wrong. I can tell Mr. Trotman that I do feel contrite, because I know he was hurt by the article. I think any Minister of Government would be, if a widely read opinion-maker makes a damning accusation. I really don’t know what more to say but to admit that it is human to err. And one has to acknowledge where one went wrong. I would extend an invitation to Mr. Trotman for us to meet and have a gentleman’s handshake. I will close with a tiny informality. In all the years I have known and talked with Mr. Trotman, I have called him Raphael. Let me say to him, “sorry, Raphael.”
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Massive bids made to supply equipment for East Dem. Conservancy project In addition, bids for the supply of line hardware for Lethem Power Company Inc. and smaller hinterland communities were made. This project was under the auspices of the Hinterland Electrification Company, Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
Finally, there was a sole bid for the provision of a vehicle for the National Bureau of Standards.
Damage to the East Bank Berbice road after ‘rehabilitation’ work was done. During the opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Ministry of Finance, there was a contract for the supply, delivery and testing of earth-moving equipment for the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC). This project was listed under the Ministry of Agriculture. This comes on the heels of last month’s contract for the reconstruction of the North Eastern dam of the EDWC. The engineer’s estimate for that was $424,482,910. The rebuilding of this dam has been on the agenda for years, with Government
advertising for consultants last year. The project is funded by the World Bank, under the Flood Risk Management Project. It is understood that the terms of reference entail works reaching three meters high and at least four kilometers in length. On the part of the consultants, the notice had listed their main tasks as the general administration of the contract and supervision of works, in accordance with the requirements of the Construction Supervision and Quality Assurance Plan. It is expected to last 30 calendar months.
There was also a contract to provide supervision services for the contentious East Bank Berbice (EBB) road rehabilitation project. This project is under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The multi-million-dollar EBB road, which stretches 25 miles from New Amsterdam to Mara, was rehabilitated previously, only to fall apart less than a few months afterwards, as highlighted by Kaieteur News in June 2015.
There were also substantial bids for the supply of pharmaceuticals to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The bidding was done in lots.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Jamaican remanded for cocaine, overstaying and forging driver’s licence Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded a Jamaican National to prison yesterday, after he was slapped with charges of forgery, narcotics trafficking, and overstaying in Guyana. Alfred Wellington, 50, a carpenter, who resides locally at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, is alleged to have had 1.324 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking on April 2. It was further alleged that between April 18, 2011 and April 2, 2016, he failed to comply with the conditions of a permit and overstayed his time in Guyana.
Alfred Wellington And finally, Wellington was accused of conspiring with a person or persons unknown to forge a driver’s
licence in favour of himself to show that same was issued by the Licence Revenue Department between August 4, 2011 and April 2, 2016 at Georgetown. The Jamaican who was represented by Attorney Peter Hugh pleaded not guilty to the allegations read to him in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Attorney Hugh told the court that on April 2, the police searched his client’s home and found no drug. He added that the defendant was taken to the lower flat of the building where the police showed him a bag containing the alleged narcotic.
According to the Attorney, Wellington did not accept ownership of the drug nor was the item found in his presence. The lawyer claimed that police stole a quantity of cash that was in his client’s passport during the search. In addition, Hugh told the court that his client has no pending matters or previous convictions.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Neville Jeffers objected to bail for the defendant on the narcotics charge. He told the court that the cocaine was found in the presence of the defendant, since he showed officers where the drug was located. Jeffers also pointed out that the man is a flight risk since he is not Guyanese.
The prosecutor also stated that the police are in possession of Wellington’s passport. These objections were upheld by the Magistrate who refused to grant pre-trial liberty on the grounds that no special reasons were put forward in relation to the offence. These matters have been adjourned until April 25.
Goldsmith granted bail for over $4M jewellery seizure at CJIA A High Court motion has been filed as it relates to whether the Magistrate’s court can proceed with the trial of a man who was yesterday charged with being in possession of gold weighing in excess of 19 ounces when he had no export licence. This matter is currently the subject at the Constitutional Court before Chief Justice (ag) Yonette CummingsEdwards and will be heard again on April 14, following a motion file by Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. This is according to Attorney, Latchmie Rahamat
who made a bail application on behalf of Richard Ramjit, 36, after a charge was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Ramjit filed a $10M lawsuit against the Government after he was detained at the CJIA. Ramjit of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, is accused of having the gold (in the form of jewellery) weighing 19.12 ounces carrying a value of $4, 150,000 in his possession on January 19, last, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) without having an export licence. It was further alleged that
on the same day at the aforementioned airport, the father of one, failed to declared money in excess of US$10, 000. Ramjit pleaded not guilty to both charges read to him in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. He was ordered to post $100,000 bail and return to court on April 20, for reports. Latchmie during a bail application informed the court that her client has no pending matters or previous convictions. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones was not opposed to the defendant being granted pretrial liberty.
Labourer charged with murder of Cuban National A 37 year-old labourer was yesterday remanded to prison for the murder of Cuban National, Joel Perez Laffita, whose body was found on the roadway at Providence, East Bank Demerara, last month. Lawrence Rowe appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for allegedly killing Laffita, on March 8, during the course of a robbery. Rowe, of Parker Street
Providence, was ordered to return to court on April 25, by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, for reports. According to reports, the Cuban was an engineer and arrived in Guyana the day before he was killed. When Laffita’s body was found by police, cash and other belongings were recovered. It was reported that the man was coming from a nearby hotel when he was attacked.
Lawrence Rowe
Soldiers among four remanded for ganja in bedroom Two soldiers were among four men remanded to prison yesterday, after denying a drug trafficking charge read to them by Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks, Delon Barrington, 21, of East Ruimveldt and Jude Lovell, 22, of Reliance Place, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown along with Timothy St Hill, 35, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara and Jeremiah Lovell, 22, also of Reliance Place, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Particulars of the charge
Timothy St Hill alleged that on April 2, they had 260 grams of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Simone Payne told the court that on the day in
question, a party of policemen went to 161 Reliance Place, South Ruimveldt Park where they conducted a search. She said that the defendants were at the time occupying the premises and the drugs were found in one of the bedrooms. However, St. Hill claimed that he does not reside at the address and was only visiting someone at the time. Corporal Payne indicated that the police file is still incomplete due to statements and an analyst certificate is outstanding. The matter has been adjourned until April 26, for reports.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Even after first contract breached‌
GFC rewards BaiShanLin with another State Forest Permit
Managing Director of BaiShanLin, Chu Hongbo
GFC Commissioner, James Singh
Forensic Auditor, Anand Goolsarran
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and Chinese logging company, BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc., share a rather special relationship. When the Chinese company was first granted a State Forest Exploratory Permit (SFEP), it did not satisfy the necessary requirements, which included the submission of audited financial statements for the last five years; evidence of technical and financial qualifications; and history of compliance. In spite of this, GFC went ahead and granted the company the permit on the condition that it would establish a state-of-the-art wood processing facility. Critics posit that a logical person would conclude that since the Chinese company failed to meet all the obligations of its first contract, the GFC would think twice before granting another such permit. However, a forensic audit report prepared by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran, shows that the
company did not see it fit to heed the guidelines of its own Forest Act or even pay attention to the company’s breach of its first contract. Goolsarran exposed how GFC went ahead and granted the Chinese logging company a second permit in spite of its failings with its first permit. Goolsarran said that notwithstanding Baishanlin’s failure to honour its obligation under SFEP 01/2011, on 26 April 2013, the Commission granted the company a second exploratory permit (SFEP 01/2013) covering 73,015 hectares of State forest. He noted that this time, the company submitted audited financial statements for the period 2007 to 2011; evidence of US$30 million to be invested; and information that of a significant number of heavy duty machinery in Guyana which would be used. The Forensic Auditor asserted however that a review of these statements indicates that the company was in dire financial difficulties. In particular, except for 2007, the auditors have qualified the accounts
of the company because of accumulated losses that cast doubts as to the ability of BaiShanLin to continue as a growing concern for the foreseeable future without sustained financing. Goolsarran said that the Commission also granted BaiShanLin two State Forest Permits (SFPs) covering an additional 8,170 hectares of State forest. He noted, however, that it is not clear on what basis these permits were granted. The Chartered Accountant said that the Commission has since advised that one permit was relinquished in March 2015. The Commission commented that the granting of the second SFEP to BaiShanLin was aimed at further boosting and consolidating the raw materials requirement for the Wood Processing Facility. But Goolsarran was not satisfied with this response. He emphasized that the approval for the second permit should have awaited the completion of the wood processing facility which is yet to be completed.
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Wednesday April 06, 2016
Prisoner admits to having active Facebook page, purchasing cell phones from wardens Camp Street Prison inmate, Carl Brown yesterday revealed to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the March 3 unrest that the seizure of prisoners’ belongings, including cellular phones, marijuana, and other contraband, essentially had nothing to do with the riot
which left 17 men dead. Brown testified before the three-member panel established to inquire into the disturbance yesterday. Fully clad in a Kurta (a loose longsleeved shirt extending to the knees), the prisoner told the Commission his recollection of what took place on the
night of the tragic incident. Brown told Counsel for the Commission, Excellence Dazzell that he recalled the screams of his fellow inmates on the morning of March 3, 2016. The witness claimed that he was in his hammock with his phone at the time of the ruckus.
“To tell you the truth most of the time I does be in the hammock with meh phone. I really don’t have time with the prison…” he said. He said that he was in the hammock speaking on the phone with one of his girlfriends, when he was alerted that Officer Samuels was in the yard with the Prison Task Force Officers. Brown told the tribunal that he learnt subsequently that the officers were conducting a search in the various sections of the prisons. He said that he paid the officers no mind, since searches and seizures of contraband was a common feature at the prison. However, the witness said the officers snatched two prisoners Steve Allicock and Collis Collison, and this caused a commotion among the inmates. “I heard people start saying yuh can’t knock the man and based on that, I realize what was happening,” He said that as a result, the other inmates that were coming out of Capital A to be searched ran back to the cell and shut the door. Brown
Camp Street inmate Carl Brown clarified that the door could not have been locked by the inmates, since it could only be locked from the outside. “At that stage I heard inmates say they light a mattress and then I heard Mr. Gladwin Samuels say ‘y’all lock de door and let them bun them mothers***t and dead.’” Asked specifically if he knew what might have caused the riot, Brown reiterated that he did not believe that it was the search or seizure of
prohibited articles, since this was regular occurrence at Camp Street. Brown further disclosed it is not a difficult task for prisoners to acquire prohibited items, such as cell phones and marijuana, since it is smuggled into the jail by officers of the Guyana Prison Service and then sold to the inmates. The witness told the Commission that even after a search, items that were seized would be “packaged and resold” to the inmates. The man claimed that during his 13 years of incarceration at the facility, he has owned at least seven cellular phones, which he purchased from the wardens. “I pay $7000 to bring in a phone to get a proper phone. This is my seventh phone since in prison. As soon as a phone is taken away, you pay and get it back,” Brown stated. During his evidence, the prisoner also admitted that he is a regular user of the social website Facebook while in Camp Street. Upon his return to the Continued on page 27
National Geographic involved in local project to save Black Caiman
Research activities being carried out in Region Nine.
A research involving National Geographic is underway in the Rupununi, Region Nine, to come up with ways to save the endangered Black Caiman. According to Farfan and Mendes Group and STIHL, it has teamed up with National Geographic on the project. T h e B l a c k Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is a carnivorous reptile with black, scaly skin. It can grow to between 13-20 feet in length and lives along slowmoving rivers and seasonally flooded savannahs of the freshwater habitats of South
America. Its conservation status is listed as “Conservation dependent”. The Black Caiman mainly feeds on fish, water birds, capybara and occasionally domestic animals. Black Caimans have a life expectancy of 50-80 years. According to Farfan and Mendes, the research covers the movement, tracking, habitat preference and feeding patterns as they overlap with human activities and fishing patterns. “This would provide much needed information that may lead to less human/
caiman conflict. This is the first ever study of the endangered black caiman movement patterns, and is being funded by the National Geographic Society for one year, with additional funding from the Farfan & Mendes Group and STIHL for an additional year.” The additional year would allow for long term caiman movement data to be gathered. Such information will be vital in understanding and conserving Guyana’s Black Caiman population, the company said yesterday. A ‘Caiman House’ has been established.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Audit report recommends review of CJIA tender evaluation process The forensic audit report into the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) has recommended that management review a number of things, including the current system of the commercial and administration managers being the evaluators of tenders, due to lack of transparency. The audit was done by Goorwantie Kaladeen, an accredited member of International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals (IICFIP). It highlighted several cases whereby evaluators recommended that contracts be extended and this was done, but contract splitting resulted. Intimating that CJIA administrators are either unfamiliar with the Procurement Act of 2003 or may be ignoring it, the auditor noted that at least two contracts were awarded by Cabinet in 2009 and 2010 for one year only. Yet they were still in force by 2015. This, the auditor discovered, was because several extensions were granted without going back to tender. “Contracts that were awarded by National Procurement and Tender Administration (NPTA) in 2009, expired in 2010, (but) were extended for periods of two, three, four, five, six and seven months during the period June 2010 to June 2014,” the audit highlighted. Instead of going back to tender, these extensions were
- in wake of more contract splitting
CJIA CEO, Ramesh Ghir approved by the CJIAC Tender Board based on reports of the contractors’ work performance that were evaluated by members of the Corporation’s Tender Committee. This Tender Committee comprises the Chairman and two members of the Board the Chief Executive Officer and the Commercial and Administrative Manager - the Accountant, four engineers and a Senior Maintenance Foreman. The auditor noted that the tender board placed much reliance on what the evaluators recommended. In fact, however, the auditor found that even those extended contracts had cases of contract splitting, which is against procurement regulations. “Reference is made to one specific contract for Cevons Waste Management, which was split in three parts to avoid the values reaching the
Habits are not the product of one decision — They’re the result of repeated choices that eventually become automatic responses. How can you know your true spiritual condition? By the company you keep and the choices you make. When you’re free to go, where do you choose to go? Whose company do you prefer?
limits for the public tender process.” She noted that the contract was split into parts, with one section spanning June 2012 to November 2012 and costing $2.6M, December 2012 to April 2013 and costing $2.2M and May 2013 to December 2013 and costing $3.5M yearly. “The average per month was $444,570, while the total sum for one year was $5.3M,” the auditor pointed out. “This sum would have attracted the tender process of the National Procurement and Tender Administration. The CJIAC Tender Board limit for goods and services is above $4M.” In addition, the report highlighted that the position of Procurement Officer has
never been filled in the corporation, and in fact, the CJIAC’s current organization structure does not cater for it. Management, in defence of this situation, had revealed that an accounts clerk actually carries out the function of procurement. They stated that the drivers and porters assist in uplifting items and delivering quotations from suppliers, since they frequent Georgetown on a daily basis. In her response, however, the auditor made it clear that the airport’s magnitude of activities made it necessary for there to be a designated procurement officer. The report stressed that there is a difference between a
procurement officer and a purchasing clerk. “A Procurement Officer processes purchasing transactions for equipment, materials, supplies, capital goods, and services,” the auditor stated. Seeking to demonstrate the duties of a procurement officer as opposed to the limited scope of a purchasing clerk, the auditor noted that those duties include inviting, assessing, recommending supplier tenders, bids, quotations, and proposals. In addition, a procurement officer has to establish and negotiate contract terms and conditions, and maintain supplier relationships. They also prepare and maintain purchasing records, reports
and price lists. “(A procurement officer must) work with internal and external stakeholders to determine procurement needs, quality, and delivery requirements,” the auditor stated. “(And) assist in the development of specifications for equipment, materials, and services to be purchased.” She also noted that a procurement officer must oversee contract performance, including delivery, receipt, warranty, damages and insurance. Such officer must also ensure compliance with and be knowledgeable of, applicable rules, legislation, regulations, standards, and best practices. In contrast, the auditor pointed out that purchasing is the process of how goods and services are ordered.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Body on roadway…
Killer “tricked” friend into helping transport pensioner’s corpse When a young marketing agent got a call last Saturday night to help a friend ‘jumpstart’ a car, he immediately drove to Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara to assist. But what the 25-year-old discovered was that the friend wanted help with the gruesome task of transporting and dumping the body of an elderly man the friend had murdered. The victim was 64-yearold pensioner Roger Manikam, axed to death in his home, reportedly after being lured out of his bedroom by his biological daughter and 12-year-old step-daughter. That’s the story that police are being told by the marketing agent, who detectives detained on Monday night in connection with Manikam’s murder. Lawmen have also impounded the young man’s car, even as they check the vehicle for blood and other forensic evidence. Police are said to be already in possession of the axe that was used to kill Manikam, as well as
- car impounded, suspects lead cops to bloodstained sheet
Dead: Roger Manikam bloodstained sheets and other material that the killers used to clean the victim’s kitchen after murdering him. These items were recovered yesterday after the ‘transporter’ and his 18-yearold friend took detectives to an area some 300 yards from the spot at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, where they had disposed of the body. A shopkeeper also told investigators that the two friends had recently bought detergent from her. Along with the two
friends, the slain pensioner’s 18-year-old daughter and stepdaughter, said to be 12, are also in custody. The older girl, whose boyfriend reportedly did the killing, has also confessed to her involvement in the plot, but Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum indicated that detectives wanted to gather as much evidence as they could before charging the suspects. According to the young marketing agent, on Saturday night he received a call from his 18-year-old friend, who said that Manikam’s car needed a jump-start. But on arriving at Manikam’s home, the friend took him to the pensioner’s kitchen, where he
saw the elderly man lying dead. The marketing agent said that he then assisted his friend in wrapping the body and placing it in the back seat of his car. They then dumped the body on the Coldingen Railway Embankment. The young killers had apparently hoped that police would believe that robbers had killed Manikam. The elder girl had repeatedly told detectives and a Kaieteur News reporter that her father always walked with money and was carrying over $100,000 when he was murdered. She had also said that Manikam would usually leave (Continued on page 27)
State appeals... (From page 17) trial was acquitted by a unanimous jury verdict. The murder accused, who stood before Justice Barlow was also acquitted by a unanimous verdict returned by the jury. Madam Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry completed two murder matters. She also presided over one case for causing Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent, another one for the offence of Manslaughter and one for Attempt to commit Murder with the alternative count of causing Grievous Bodily Harm. The Manslaughter accused was acquitted after the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. ln the case for the offence of Causing Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent, the victim went into the witness box and indicated that she no longer wanted to proceed with the matter and caused the trial judge to direct the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty for the accused. One of the murder cases ended in a hung jury and the accused was remanded to prison to await a new trial. In the case for Attempt to commit Murder with the alternative count of causing Grievous Bodily Harm, the jury returned a majority not guilty verdict of 11 to 1 for the offence of Attempt to Commit Murder, but guilty of the alternative count of Causing Grievous Bodily Harm. The accused was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
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Kaieteur News
Aurora produces over 41,000 ounces gold for first quarter Canadian-owned Guyana Goldfield Inc. which started large scale operations last year is well on track for its annual target this year. Reporting on its first quarter production for 2016, the company which has operation at Aurora, Region Seven, said that gold production totaled 41,281 ounces. Its total overall gold production since September 2015, when it started operations, is 77,182 ounces. The performance sets the company well on its way to achieving its production target for 2016 of 130,000 to 150,000 ounces of gold. With Guyana targeting at least 550,000 ounces
this y e a r, Guyana Goldfield’s contribution would be seen as critical to the country’s performance. According to online news, at March 31st, the company made its second principal debt repayment of US$6.8 M towards its project loan facility of US$160 million. From October 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, the company produced 35,723 ounces of gold, of which 28,850 ounces were sold at an average realized price of US$1,079 per ounce, generating approximately US$31.1 million in pre-tax revenue. During the month of D e c e m b e r, t h e m i l l processed an average of
4,758 tonnes of ore per day, of which in excess of 50% of the ore processed was composed of hard rock, at an average head grade of 3.24 grams per tonne gold with recoveries averaging 90.4%. From October 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, the company mined a total of 483,135 tonnes of ore grading 3.01 g/t Au and a total of 392,953 tonnes of ore was fed to the mill and the remaining tonnes of ore were stored in the stockpile located near the mill. In addition, 1,004,335 tonnes of waste had been mined. Guyana Goldfields Inc. is a Canadian company, focused on the exploration
and development of gold deposits in Guyana, achieving first production in mid-2015. The 35,000 ounces by Aurora were critical to pushing Guyana’s final declaration over 451,000 ounces, or about 60,000 ounces above the annual target. Gold performance, despite low world prices, was a high point of the new administration’s performance last year, and would have come at a time when prices for the highearning sugar and rice have also fallen to lows. Gold has climbed back to top of the foreign currency earning list after falling behind in 2013. There has continued to be high interest in gold mining in recent years with another foreign investor, Australian-owned Troy Resources, also set to make a major contribution to the 550,000-ounce target.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Local Govt. Elections...
Ties in six Local Authority Areas; some electors likely to return to polls - PPP The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s Commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday revealed that voters from several Local Authority Areas (LAA) are likely to return to the polls following an equality of votes for the election of Chairman. Commissioners, Attorneys-at-law Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj, yesterday said that thus far, there have been reports of six Local Authority Areas (LAA) in which there were equal number of seats allocated to two of the candidates. Gunraj explained that as a consequence, there are equal numbers of councillors representing two different parties or groups and as a result of this, when it came to the process of electing chairman – as is prescribed by law – there were equalities (ties).
He continued that the law prescribes that at a certain time after the declaration of the results by the Returning Officers (RO) for the particular LAA – in the case of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), the Overseers of these Councils will summon a meeting of all elected councillors, with the primary purpose of electing a Chairman. In the event of a tie of votes for the two or more candidates, a process must then ensue – the electoral process is then returned to the electorate (voters) of that particular LAA to choose between the candidates that have the highest number of votes equal to each other. If a tie should again occur, the Minister with the responsibility of that department will name a Chairman of his choice. Meanwhile, the PPP says that the party has received
Killer “tricked”... (From page 25) home without telling anyone. The teen said she last saw her father alive at around 20:00 hrs on Saturday, just before retiring to bed with her step-sister. But detectives became suspicious when they revisited the scene on Monday and observed that a length of clothesline at Manikam’s home was similar to the length of cord that the killers had used to tie their victim, after wrapping up the body in plastic. The repeated suggestions that the victim was carrying “a lot of money” also made investigators suspect that individuals were trying to make them believe that robbers had killed Manikam. They began to focus their attention on two teenage girls and the older girl’s 18-yearold boyfriend. After being subjected to intense questioning, the elder girl
eventually confessed. According to reports, the girls alleged that the pensioner had subjected them to years of emotional abuse, including threatening to put them out. The older girl also reportedly said that her father had taken a large sum of money that was awarded to her. Last week, the girls and an 18-year-old male friend hatched a plan to kill Manikam. On Saturday night, the two girls reportedly went into the kitchen and began to make a commotion to lure the pensioner out of his bedroom. When an angry Manikam eventually headed to the kitchen to berate the girls, the 18-year-old boyfriend of one of the teens chopped the pensioner on the head with an axe. They then contacted the other male friend, who took the body in a car to the Coldingen Railway Embankment.
Prisoner admits to... From page 14 penitentiary yesterday, Brown updated his Facebook status. “Just returned from COI. It was a heart painful day but I survived thank God. Well for me it was very short with time and the CoI panel. Dale Erskine was absent he just can’t face me. I heard normally Honorable Chancellor Carl Singh and Mr Charles Ramson, also the head of the Bar Association Christopher Ram is supposed to be there but today absent as well…” Brown posted On Monday, murder accused Kenneth Griffith, told the commission that it was Deputy Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels who gave the orders which cost the lives of the 17 inmates.
reports of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons being illegally appointed in the six tied LAAs. In a statement yesterday, the party said that it is outraged by the “illegal, unaccountable, nontransparent actions of the Minister of Communities. This pattern of behaviour continues the practices of the David Granger Administration.” “Subsequent to that March 18th Local Government Elections, the PPP, concerned about the conflict surrounding the electoral procedures to break the deadlock on the elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor and Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons, obtained the advice of their lawyers. That advice that was disclosed called for by-elections for the
top positions in the tied LAAs once the deadlock was declared,” the statement stated. Concerned about the role of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the ongoing electoral procedures, the PPP said that it sought GECOM’s position. “On Friday, April 1, 2016, GCEOM’s initial response concurred with the legal advice offered to the PPP. The Chief Executive Officer of GECOM actually undertook to brief the Minister of Communities accordingly. Recognizing the significant logistics of by-elections, the PPP offered to negotiate with the governing Coalition. The terms discussed included rotation of the two (2) top positions in the municipality and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) annually, with the plurality
being used to determine the distribution of the LAAs whose top positions would be shared between the two sides.” On Sunday last, the PPP/ C said that two negotiators, the party’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira and Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally met. “The representative of the ruling Coalition rejected the earlier terms, insisted on no rotations, plurality governing the split of LAAs between the two (2) sides and the service for the entire term of office for the Councils,” the statement read. “Alternatively, in the context of a rejection by the PPP of the demands of the governing Coalition, Amna Ally disclosed that the Minister of Communities would appoint the top positions in all six of those tied LAAs.”
The Statement continued that by Monday last, the Minister of Communities “in violation of the law commenced the appointments and completed them by Tuesday, April 5th 2016, even in those where they had not gained a majority of popular votes in those LAAs.” Yesterday, the party said it received GECOM’s response to its request for information on the GECOM’s position, in which GECOM merely disclosed it was studying the matter. “The PPP intends to pursue this matter aggressively, including immediate litigation and protests against the Minister of Communities and his illegal decision by aggrieved stakeholders at the Local Authority Areas,” the release concluded.
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Kaieteur News
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Building Construction: house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 INNOVATIVE MARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs to LED, Plasma, LCD and all other electronic equipment. Ordering of circuit boards. Abdul Electronics. Call: 225-0391 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Professional Counselors. Contact Ms Oneika: 670-5759
Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated and know to cook. Between 25-35 years.Call 1868-755-1990 Farm workers (preferably couple), general workers (maintenance workers). Call: 265-3586 between 8am-4pm. Wanted house & land to buy @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen, Herstelling, Eccles, Providence, New Road, G/ Town. Call: 604-6724
Responsible hire car drivers. Call: 231-7200 Driver wanted to work in Georgetown. Call: 227-1717 Job work for 1 day. Please send a text message to 6589886 with your name.
Cashiers + salesgirls –Call: 624-0033; in store security officer-Call: 680-3863 Welder/ fabricator, Diesel Mechanic, Apprentice, labourer. Apply in person @Technical Services,18-23 Eccles Industrial Site. One excavator operator. Call: 223-5273/4 Security guard & bar needed @ Millenium Mannor Hotel, bring in application to 43 Hadfield Street, near Camp St. Housekeeping staff, male security guards. Call: 2250198 or visit 233 South Road Lacytown. Cook/baker for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020
TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
Landscape Maintenance Vacancy: Hardworking, pleasant, team player, 17-28 years. Contact: 219-0468/ 6212453
Driver – posses a valid Guyanese drivers license & clean record of safe driving. Contact: 231-4999; 677-0480/ email:irbcguy@gmail.com
GLC Hiring: master carpenters, experienced mason, qualified plumber for a project in Corentyne Berbice. Call: 683-5629
Empty lands and house with lands to buy in La Parfaite Harmonie or anywhere on the West Coast. Call: 6421252
1 Nail technician, 1 Spa attendant with knowledge of facials & body massage. Call: 696-7337 for details.
Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500, Monday –Saturday between 8:15am-4:15pm
1 General domestic must know to prepare Indian & CAR RENTAL English dishes to work in BelPROGRESSIVE CAR Air. Call: 227-0373 from 8amRENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR 4pm RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 656- One porter boy to work & 0087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO clean vehicles in the interior. Call: 678-0505 RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807
One receptionist ages 25 yrs & older with working experience. Please Call for more info: 223-0090
6 Floor girls to work in a bar in Mahdia, affordable salary. Call: 601-1479 after 11am.
Two skilled carpenters to work on interior ceiling $7,000 per day. Call: 652-6565; 231-4681
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM
WANTED Factory workers from age 18 and older with working experience. Call: 223-0090
One Driver: must be able to drive and ride motor cycle, ages 40-50. Call: 226-9337
Cashiers! Apply at Annabel Bistro, 36 La Grange W.B.D. Contact: 678-3400
VACANCY RA Soda: male & female workers, bond clerks, accountants, drivers, housekeeper, worker with mechanical idea. Call: 3302399/ 623-5920 Exist for experienced cooks, cashiers, counter staff, office staff (must be computer literate & have accounts). Call: 226-9000
WANTED One costmetologist with existing clientele. Tel: 6471773 Sales staff/ assistant, Allrounder for plant shop, Huston, 18 years and over. Must be literate. Contact: 6462108
Wednesday April 06, 2016
One shop boy to work in shop in the interior. Call: 6780565 1 Male or female look after layer birds in the interior. Call: 678-0565 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665
Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick One handyman. 30 and 45 years old. Contact 2235273/4 up rental- Call: 690-6494
EDUCATIONAL Private customs brokerage training certificate course, starting April 12, 2016. Call: 694-8322; 223-1506 Earn a Diploma in Computers, 9 Courses @ Cybertron Technology, Vreed-En-Hoop. Call: 264-3057 Computerized Accounting: 4 Courses Excel 2016, Qickbooks, Peachtree, POS, Cybertron Technology Vreed-En-Hoop. Call: 2643057
Cybertron BeReady Driving School: $20,000 2 weeks @ Vreed-En-Hoop. Call: 2643057
Flat house in Grove, (corner property) 1 Block from main road, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572
Unregistered bluebird 2007 model: TV, reverse camera, dark interior, burgundy -$2.3M negotiable. Call: 655-3400
Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
Honda CRV (RD5), PNN stick gear -$1.9M negotiable, 2006 Hyundai Tucson, left hand drive, PMM -$4M. Call: 6911198 One Honda CRV PPP series 2003. Call: 674-6480 One IST fully loaded PTT series -$1.6M negotiable, one R6 Yamaha bike, CD series 600K negotiable. Call: 622-7201 2006 Kawasaki 650, European Cut, with tilter, teal blue color -$2.2M. Call: 604-1036 1 3Y minibus -$350,000 negotiable. Call: 229-2419 1 Nissan Murano, PRR series, excellent condition. Call: 6280016; 667-2536 Toyota Nadia Automatic, PLL series -$1M negotiable. Call: 626-7626; 442-3156 Toyota Hilux 4X4 Diesel 2L Turbo Pickup, in excellent condition. Call: 648-0111; 6450240
Two Customer Service workers. Send application to e m a i l : kalabashgy@yahoo.com.
Fast food equipment: food warmer, ice cream machine, juice machine etc. Call: 6176088/ visit 15-16 Croal St.
1 Arc/Acetylene Welder, live in family. Call: 227-1830
Fast Food furniture: tables, chairs, garbage box, Cummings engine, generator 40KVA. Call: 617-6088/ visit 15-16 Croal St. PS3 with games, XBOX 360 with games. Call or whatsapp: 683-8386
PEN PAL US Citizen seeks single professional Health care female as a partner. Name, age, profession, addressText to 649-3806.
Business spot at Diamond Public Road. Call: 628-0016; 667-2536 New Road- $17M, $6M, $45M, Goedfourtin-$25M, Pouderoyen -$45M, C.I$14M, La Parfaite Harmonie $6.5M, Middle Road-$22M. Call: 604-6724 1 Newly built, concrete 2 storey building 50X30 @ C.I Scheme, W.C.D -$13.5M, 2 Flats concrete house @ Tuschen-$1M-$5.5M, $1M$11.5M. Call: 642-1252 Prime business place, 2 storey concrete structure, 300ft of land, located @ New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, W.C.D -$45M. Call: 642-1252 House 38X20; land 100X200 all fenced @ 635 Kuru Kururu-$5.5M. Call: 6941090; 661-6073 House & land fully furnished, 3 self contained rooms, 1 master bedroom, alarm systems, 9 cameras, 7 AC units. Call: 6280016; 667-2536 Property @ Lot 87 Albert Street- Call: 669- 8701 Property between James & Hogg Streets, Albouyston. Call: 689-3697 or 656-6380
FOR SALE
Exist for 1 entertainment manager to work @ Club on Essequibo Coast, must have PR skills. Call: 226-9768
Experienced seamstress, sewing machine operators and floor girls @ Roxie’s Fashion. Call: 227-8538; 6224386
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Smart choice Auto: 08&06 Premio, 08&06 Allion, 212, Runx, IST, Fielder. Call: 6523820; 665-4529
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 615-0146 One 20 tons dump, one truck tray, one blocks machine, one ZF gearbox. Call: 6179230/269-1406 Brand new generator-15500 watts. Call: 628-3254
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 689-5997
VEHICLE FOR SALE
New Premio 2,995,000, BMW -$ 2,795,000,Audi A4-$ 3,795,000. Contact : 650-0402 1- 225 Yamaha Outboard Engine; Salt Walter series 6,000 running hour, reasonable price. Call: 662-6151
ACCOMMODATION Planning to visit Guyana for 50th Independence Anniversary & need comfortable accommodation Call Star International Property Management: 6632044; 225-1695
LAND FOR SALE 1 Empty land in Tuschen Phase 2, W.C.D -$1.2M, 1 empty land in Tuschen Phase 1 W.C.D -$3M- Call: 642-1252 Land in Diamond area. Call: 628-0016; 667-2536 Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M, $1.3M, Tuschen -$3M, Eccles -$5M, Sand-pit -$85M, Kitty -$19M. Call: 604-6724 20 Acres of land at Hararuni, close to Linden Highway @ giveaway price. Call: 6928216; 600-3486; 233-5539 Continued on page 29
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Authentix technology in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, The fuel marking program in Guyana using Authentix technology has been in operation since 2003. Authentix has over 20 years’ experience in deploying fuel marking programs similar to the GEA program, having marked well over one trillion liters of fuel. Today Authentix supports programs for some of the largest oil companies and oil producing countries in the world, helping them combat fuel adulteration, commingling, smuggling, franchise abuse, and excise tax evasion. We take lessons learned and technology developments from these government and commercial programs and apply them in continuous improvement
efforts across all our programs. In Guyana, we provide technology, training, technical support and auditing of program operations to enable the GEA to deliver an effective program for the people of Guyana. Testing results made publicly available in Guyana, demonstrate that the GEA has been truly effective in reducing adulteration of taxed fuel, allowing the government to collect the taxes rightfully due – reducing evidence of dilution from near 30% of samples collected to consistently less than 3%. A key element of our support to the GEA program is regular auditing of operations to ensure procedures are properly followed, adequate program
security measures are in place, and all equipment and marker inventory is properly accounted for. Our experience with the GEA’s CEO, Dr. Sharma, has been that he has been vigilant in identifying existing or potential issues and requesting assistance from Authentix to put corrective measures in place to address them. Additionally, when Authentix has found any issues in audits conducted twice yearly, we have received the full attention and cooperation from Dr. Sharma to identify the root causes of those issues and put the appropriate action plans in place to address them. The audits include thorough reviews of the procedures that cover how the fuel is to be marked, how
field samples are to be taken and handled, and the field and laboratory testing procedures. The audit also includes a review of records and procedures that cover the security measures to be used to account for and protect both the fuel marker inventory and the analyzers used to test fuel samples. The procedures in place in Guyana are consistent with the best practices of Authentix’ largest customers. Any deficiencies or deviations from procedures noted during an audit, whether operational or in the record keeping, are documented in writing along with the corrective actions needed. The GEA personnel act on these findings to improve the effectiveness of the overall
program. Authentix also provides consulting services to the GEA on an as needed basis to address any specific issues that may impact the programme’s success The GEA and Authentix have cooperated for the last decade to help create a legal fuel market in Guyana and to prevent tax evasion. Authentix is committed to the continuation of fuel marking program and providing the GEA with technology and support services for the benefit of the citizens of Guyana. The actions and work ethic I have seen demonstrated by the GEA leadership is consistent with this ultimate goal of benefiting the citizens of Guyana. Kevin A. McKenna President, Oil & Gas
The Joe Harmon saga continues to attract attention DEAR EDITOR, It is astonishing how hard of hearing, or completely reckless, or plain arrogant or all three members of the political class can be. The unpalatable stories about Mr. Brian Tiwari, PPP government contracts and Guyana’s procurement system under the PPP are known countrywide. When therefore one convinces the supporters of the APNU-AFC Alliance that they should vote to remove the PPP from office because of its corrupt administration of Guyana’s procurement system, and a personality like Brian Tiwari
was somewhere near the center of what was going on, it jars one’s sensibilities that the same APNU-AFC, now in power, could even consider let alone get in bed with Mr. Tiwari as a government adviser. Three things come to mind about this case. First, it shows Mr. Harmon’s contempt for the APNU-AFC supporters, a trait that persons who come to power seem to have in enormous supply. People in power seem to think that supporters of the government, those who helped to put them in power, are not paying attention to the
things they say and do. The supporters are not stupid Mr. Harmon, they care. They have a memory. Second, it seems highly irregular that a Minister within the Office of the President can hire Mr. Tiwari as an “Adviser”, for tasks that apparently fall under the portfolio of another Cabinet Minister. Particularly someone such as Mr. Tiwari, without (it seems) consultation and knowledge of the subject Minister, or in this particular case, other Members of the Cabinet and the President. What other possible reasons would the
LAW STUDENTS VERSUS VINCENT ALEXANDER DEAR EDITOR, Kindly give this response to Mr Vincent Alexander’s response “.....these students are misleading readers” similar prominence and in your publication. The caption to his letter is the mother of all ironies, because it pregnant with inaccuracies aimed at discrediting one of the students, Mr Clairmonte Cox. Mr Alexander sought to inform the public about studentship on a Government sponsored law programme at UWI. I am saying that Mr Alexander has acted in bad faith, because Mr Cox’s studentship at UWI is a matter between the UWI and Mr Cox. I don’t believe Mr Vincent Alexander has the authority to speak for and or on behalf of the UWI. Whatever were those issues they are irrelevant here and now and is clearly an unprovoked attack on Mr Cox
and done in bad faith. What is to Mr Cox”s credit that Mr. Alexander has not mentioned is that Mr Cox’s explanation that he discharged his contractual 5 years obligation in the teaching at Central High School to present. Further Mr. Cox entered the law department at the University of Guyana to obtain a proper law degree. I wish to draw to the reading public attention that Mr Cox has said to me that he has drawn to the notice of the editors of our dailies for the attention of their management, including their attorney(s)-at-law, that Mr Vincent Alaexander has caused them to publish wrongfully that he took a BA degree, graduated and has not discharged the repayment of the loan Mr Sheik Mustapha and I beleived Mr Alexander ’s publication and feel very disappointed in Mr Cox. Mr.
Cox is vehemently denying Mr. Alexander’s carefully chronicled assertion. MY QUESTION IS, who is misleading the reading public? I wish on behalf of Mr. Shiek Mustapha, Mr. Clairmonte Cox and myself to thank Mr Vincent Alexander for informing the government and reading public that we were awaiting the approval of our loan applications by the Ministry of Finance and that Ministry sought to pay UG on our behalf. Ironically, according to Mr Vincent Alexander says that the University of Guyana, an agent of the state, refused the payment offered by the Ministry of Finance. We know the payment arrangement was on the advice of the Ministry of Legal Affairs. We have been speaking the truth. Editor, this letter needs to be published. Ras John Marcus
President have to rescind the appointment? In any case it looks bad for the APNU-AFC. The political optics are bad enough; other issues involing questions of qualifications and the substance of what Harmon did, including the position he put the President in defy comprehension. What was he thinking? Third, Mr. Harmon has become a key face of the APNU-AFC Administration. Unfortunately, he is responsible for a number of what Freddie Kissoon would describe as “runner stumbles”, and very damaging ones. He seems not to contemplate, for a moment, the political consequences of his utterances and actions for his government and his party, and the way supporters of the APNU-AFC would view them. And if indeed he does contemplate, his words and actions are so contrary that one must ask whether he thinks he can repair whatever damage might be done. The cumulative effect of this sort of contempt and recklessness is precisely why governments get into trouble and are eventually booted from office.
One can never be sure what factors cause each member of the electorate to vote or to stay at home on elections day. However, the conduct of the APNU-AFC Administration during the first twelve months in office was, in a number of instances, most frustrating, uninspiring and sometimes downright depressing. One can hardly restrain oneself from speculating that careless verbal pronouncements, contemptuous actions and reckless conduct of persons like Mr. Harmon (but not only him) is doing grave harm to the APNU-AFC support base and may have discouraged some supporters from voting in the recently held local government elections. Indeed, his words and actions make the administration appear to be rather untrustworthy, and certainly awkward, if not unhinged. The APNU-AFC has already shown its inability to overcome its serious and disorganised messaging deficiency. Beyond that it seems bent on creating the most destructive types of political narratives. Ivor Carryl
Mayor Chase-Green... From page 4 Protection forthwith. Now that Hamilton Green is gone and we have a lady as Mayor that is known to help women to challenge discrimination, claim their rights, and transform their societies, it is my sincere hope that she will reopen this case and ensure that those who were found or who could now be found culpable, face the sternest possible action and that the lady be given redress. This would show that City Hall has turned the corner and would send a message to the City Constabulary that the days of the “Wild West” in Georgetown are over. She should also ensure that the Constables are better trained, to better carry out their duties and improve their image and that of the Council. Mark Roopan
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A parent pleads for... From page 5 acquire but after his numerous tries he was finally informed again that he would have to return to the school to train again to acquire that certificate he desires. Mr. Editor I plead to someone in the position to remedy this grave situation so that no other - — parent or child suffers. Frustrated parent (name supplied)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
When will we ever have energy security in Guyana? By Sase Singh INTRODUCTION Guyana has plentiful, yet partially unrealized renewable energy potential. The closest we came to developing our vast renewable energy potential dates back to the 1970s with the Upper Mazaruni Hydro-project. Then we were fortunate to have a structured proposal with Sithe Global on the Amaila Project that got delayed because of strong allegations of corruption and financial abuse. Fortunately for Guyana, Mr. Lloyd Singh has put up his money and entrepreneurial skills to build a 25 MW wind energy plant at Hope Beach. But to what end? The reality is that the project is still bogged down in negotiations with the Government around a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Guyana has a clear history of roadblocks that disallowed the rolling out of our renewable energy potential, and that lethargy is alive and well today. But that need not continue if we have the attitude of mind to convert our disadvantages to permanent advantages. Our biggest challenge today is our limited fiscal capacity to implement such significant capital-intensive projects. But the solution is the total acceptance of the privatepublic model of development in the energy sector. Is this happening fast enough and often enough? OUR FIELD OF DREAMS If at the highest levels in the energy sector, we have the attitude of mind and requisite
talent to market and structure deals in a transparent manner, we can unleash this energy potential. This US$50 million Wind Farm at Hope Estate has been the closest we have been towards upgrading our energy security without the Treasury being exposed. Therefore why we are still bogged down in negotiations when the Minister responsible for the energy sector Mr. David Patterson said on October 4th, 2015 that “Cabinet has approved the process” and “we are close to clinching a deal on the Hope Wind Farm”. Well if you check any dictionary you will observe that “close to clinching a deal” is a matter of days – not months. We still do not have a fully executed PPA, months after, which is a pre-requisite for the project to commence. This is the illness that has plagued Guyana for at least 35 of the past 50 years and has contributed directly to the stagnation of our people’s well being. Someone is misleading the nation and clearly they do not have the professional integrity to update us as to why this negotiation team is working as a serious competitor to the snails and tortoises of the world. This either is a reflection of gross incompetence or a delaying tactic to leverage for something else. What really is the case here? Are we again in danger of losing our field of dreams? WHO IS BATTING FOR GUYANA? Certainly not the fossil fuel industry! Since December 2015, the price of oil has risen
by an average of US$10 per barrel; the oil price trajectory has changed. That translates into higher electricity prices for the end users in the foreseeable future? This unpredictability in oil prices is no good for Guyana, so why are we not batting for Guyana? Unleashing this renewable energy portfolio at a faster pace will bring greater stability in the prices for the end users. Policy makers and technicians batting for Guyana should be in the forefront battling to make this Hope Wind Farm into a reality. But from all indications, this is not happening. It is my understanding that this Hope Wind Farm will provide GPL with a fixed and predictable cost for energy much cheaper that what is available right now from Wartsila and can save Guyana some G$1 billion in expenses. In an environment where almost 60 percent of the gas-guzzling generating capacity will reach the end of
its useful life and will have to be replaced in the next four years at astronomical costs to the nation, why are we not aggressively pursuing the expansion of the stock of renewable energy for the coastlands? To complement that Hope Wind Farm Project, we must also urgently conclude the “financial review” of the Amaila Project so that we can secure the green light on whether Norway will back it with that US$80 million. This decision will serve as the life or death of the Amaila Project. I really blame Team Brassington for bungling that Amaila project in the past with their rent-seeking attitudes, but that is all water under the bridge. What is important today is that the responsibility to fix this mess is now with the Granger administration. Eleven months is way too long to still be floating on this important portfolio. Where are the concrete plans to preserve our energy security? Observing the evidence on
how we managed this energy portfolio over the last 11 months, one struggles to give it a passing grade, at best the performance in the sector deserves a “D”. But does the energy sector really fit with Public Infrastructure of Natural Resources? CONCLUSION On the campaign trail, the Coalition had prided itself on Page 4 of the manifesto to deliver on “an energy policy that utilizes our wind, water and solar resources to provide cheap, renewable electricity to Guyanese in our urban, rural, riverine and hinterland communities”. To date – Not Done! Do we still believe that after 11 months, the necessary creativity, imagination and boldness can be applied to re-invent and recreate a more optimum opportunity to unleash our renewable energy potential? We all know the answer. It was more words, with a bagful of empty promises rather than action. Actually,
Sase Singh this energy sector along with the agriculture sector cost the Coalition some serious vote losses in rural Guyana in the 2016 Local Government Elections. This kind of policy paralysis has to stop and must be rejected at every juncture. I am calling on all to come on board to lobby for this energy portfolio to be delinked from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, which is differently focused. For that exclusive reason, the people have lost over the last 11 months on the energy sector and change is long overdue on how we manage this sector.
April session of Demerara Criminal Assizes opens
The April session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes commenced at the Georgetown Supreme Court yesterday with 163 criminal matters listed for trial. The session was officially declared open following a traditional ceremonial parade and march past before a panel of judges in the vicinity of the High Court. During the January session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes, Justice Navindra Singh, Madam Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and Madam Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry presided
- 163 cases listed for trial over a total of 184 cases. The three judges were also identified to preside over panel one, two and three of the criminal proceedings listed in the new session. They are set to preside over a number of trials for the offences of Rape, Murder, Manslaughter Attempted Murder, Felonious Wounding, Carnal Knowledge, Incest, Armed Robbery, Buggery,
Abduction, Unlawful & Malicious Wounding and Discharging a Loaded Firearm with Intent. The cases set to come up in this session include the retrial of Charles Cush and Jevon Wharton for the murder of nine-year-old S a d e St o b y. St o b y w a s raped, murdered and dumped in the backlands of Barnwell North Mocha, East Bank Demerara. Cyon ‘Picture boy’
Collier will also face another trial for murder, while Colin Jones, Randy Mars, Japhar Simpson, D a v i d A n t h o n y Wa t s o n and Basil Morgan are to be tried for allegedly setting fire to a Public Building. Also still on the list are matters against Former GTU President, Colwyn K i n g a n d Te l e v i s i o n Station Owner and Broadcaster Chandra Narine (CN) Sharma. Both men were arraigned on allegations of sexual offences. They were charged in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday April 06, 2016
Bahamas distances itself from JCC not in support of boycotting ‘Panama Papers’ scandal trade with Trinidad and Tobago NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas Government yesterday described as “disconcerting” the socalled “Panama Papers” alleging that a number of world leaders and other prominent people used a law firm in Panama to develop offshore companies to evade taxes. The leaked documents from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama reveal that several Caribbean countries were used in establishing the offshore companies. In a statement, Financial Services Minister, Hope Strachan, said the leak of the documents from is disconcerting. “This leak challenges the work and validity of international financial centres. We are following the development of this investigation closely,” she said, adding that “the Bahamas is a compliant jurisdiction, operating under international regulatory standards. “We continue to ensure, we do everything to remain compliant and to sustain our reputation as a premier financial centre. We consistently demonstrate our commitment to international tax transparency, as well as the anti-
Hope Strachan money laundering and the countering of financial terrorism initiatives,” she said. Strachan said that “it must be reiterated that the Bahamas has been deemed compliant by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) global forum on transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes. “Further, the Bahamas has committed to the implementation of the automatic exchange of information/ OECD CRS using a bilateral approach that is fully en-
dorsed by the OECD. We are also fully compliant with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. “We continue to ensure that we are a clean and reputable jurisdiction in which to conduct financial services. The financial services industry is a key component to our economy and we take very seriously anything that would compromise the integrity of our financial services sector,” she added. The first casualty of the leak documents is Iceland’s embattled prime minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who tendered his resignation in the wake of a mounting political crisis over his family’s offshore investments.
Daily Observer - The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) says it does not support a call for a boycott of goods from Trinidad and Tobago following the latest incident regarding the decision by Immigration officials in Port of Spain to refuse entry of 12 Jamaicans last month. “(We need to) explore the other avenues before we reach that stage. My initial reaction is to let’s sit down and reason this thing out and if we can’t get anywhere we will go to the next step,” JCC president Warren McDonald said on RJR radio. The Trinidad and Tobago government has since said that the Jamaicans were denied entry because it felt that they would be a “charge” on the public purse. Last week, President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), William Mahfood, said Jamaica should consider using its influence within
Warren McDonald CARICOM until Trinidad and Tobago honours its obligations under the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the regional integration grouping.
“We need to stand up for our own rights as a country and we need to say to Trinidad , if you don’t allow us access to your country, whether it is to freely move within CARICOM (Caribbean Community) then you won’t have access to our market,” he added. President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) Metry Seaga, is also calling for a re-examination of the CSME. “It’s not working the way it was meant to work. We cannot pick and choose the parts of it that we want to implement and leave out the parts that we don’t. If people are going to Trinidad and being turned back, then we have a serious problem… “ Jamaica is the fourth largest market for goods from Trinidad and Tobago and buys approximately US$500 million of goods from the oil-rich twin island republic.
St. Kitts and Nevis to get final sugar compensation payment from EU
ST. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris (right) in discussion with the EU’S Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, OECS and CARICOM/ CARIFORUM, Mikael Barfod. BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – St. Kitts and Nevis is set to receive €4.2 million (US$4.7 million) from the European Union – the twin-island federation’s final payment under a sugar adjustment scheme for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries following the reform of the EU’s sugar regime. The EU’s Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, OECS and CARICOM/ CARIFORUM, Mikael Barfod says the money will be disbursed at the end of this year. It will mark the completion of the sugar compensation programme for St. Kitts and Nevis. The reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in 2006 prompted it to estab-
lish a sugar adjustment scheme called the Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol countries (AMSP). AMSP supports restructuring initiatives in ACP countries that traditionally exported sugar to the EU. According to a press release from the EU, the previous d i s b u r s e m e n t s u p ported the launch of a juvenile co-educational rehabilitation centre for 30 residents; reform of the Social Development Assistance Act so as to improve implementation of social protection programmes; updating of alternative energy legislation leading to a more competitive private sector and improve energy security for
households; the establishment of a land registry; and training for technical and vocational professionals. It is also expected to strengthen St. Kitts and Nevis’ Public Finance Management System as well as the fiscal space available to government through budget support. “There will be more assistance from our side to our partner St. Kitts and Nevis over the next four or five years,” Ambassador Barfod said. He said that future assistance would likely come via the EU’s regional programme, which he disclosed still has €350 million. (Caribbean360)
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Porkknocker fined for two grams of ganja A Porkknocker who told the court he uses marijuana for his malaria was yesterday fined $15,000 and ordered to complete 100 hours community service when he appeared before Magistrate Dylan Bess. At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday, 26year-old Stephen Burrowes (no address given) pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on April 3 at Charlestown, he had in his possession two grams of cannabis sativa. Court heard that police ranks were conducting a road block in Charlestown when the defendant was searched
at random. Prosecutor Michael Grant said it was through this investigation a plastic bag containing leaves, seeds and stems was discovered in the defendant’s right side pocket. Though he was not legally represented, Burrowes stood in the prisoners’ dock and in his defence told the court that this was his first offence and thus, he was pleading for the courts’ leniency towards him. When the magistrate asked him if he was addicted to the illegal drug, he claimed that he had the power to quit at will. He added that he “struggles” with malaria and he saw it fit
to use marijuana for treatment. Before commencing his judgement the magistrate took into consideration the defendant’s age and that this was his first offence he had committed. However, he cautioned Burrowes that marijuana is not the proper treatment for malaria. The magistrate then imposed the fine along with the hours of community service which will be supervised by the Ministry of Social Protection before April 30. He cautioned that failure to complete the service will render Burrowes to spend three months in prison.
Slapping cousin leads to community service A 48-year-old man accused of slapping his cousin during an argument was yesterday ordered to complete 200 hours community service when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts. Gordon Cummings of Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, admitted to the charge that on March 31 at Croal Street, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted his cousin, Eon Wilson. Court heard that at 18:10 hours on the day in question, the defendant and the virtual
complainant were at the Route 48 bus park in Georgetown when a misunderstanding occurred. Prosecutor Michael Grant said that Wilson tried to make peace but the defendant refused to concede and instead dealt him two slaps to the right side of his face. The altercation was subsequently reported to the Mobile Police Outpost, and after investigations, the defendant was arrested and charged. Magistrate Dylan Bess then asked the defendant if he
had anything to say and he declined to offer any comment. He then demanded that Cummings make his apology to the virtual complainant in the court’s presence. “What you did was wrong; you do not slap a person who is trying to make peace.” Cummings’ apology was later accepted. He was ordered to complete 200 hours community service at the National Park and the Palms before April 30. If he fails to do so, Cummings will be sentenced to six months in prison.
$10,000 fine for damaging windows A Carpenter was fined $10,000 yesterday after he confessed to maliciously damaging his wife’s glass windows when he appeared before Magistrate Dylan Bess. Michael Paul of Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the charge which said on April 1 at Norton Street Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged six window panes, valued $5000 and belonging to Rockell Paul. According to prosecutor Michael Grant, the husband and wife no longer reside together because of a previous misunderstanding. On the day of the incident it was reported
that the defendant went to the woman’s home under the influence of alcohol. Subsequently an argument ensued, and as a result, the man picked up a rock and hurled it at the windows, shattering them. The woman then made a report to the police and he was arrested after investigations. When the defendant was asked for comment, he argued that he can replace her windows at a cheaper cost. After hearing this, Mrs. Paul raised her voice to inform the court of a recent restraining order she had filed against him. She then complained that he persistently stalks her at her workplace and she had opted
for the torment to end. “I see him lingering over the road watching me all the time, stalking me at my workplace.” The magistrate then instructed the complainant to report him to the police if he continues to appear within her vicinity again. He later warned the defendant of the seriousness of the offence and the penalty it carries if violated. The magistrate then ordered that on April 11, the defendant pay the woman $5000 in the presence of the court for the damage done to her window panes, along with a $10,000 fine.
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Trio freed on gun, ammo charges
Ryan Hescott
Mark Anthony
Three men were yesterday freed on charges of illegal firearms and ammunition possession by Magistrate Judy Latchman, after making another appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Mark Anthony, 22, of Canje Pheasant Place, South Ruimveldt; Andrew Davis Hescott, 35, of Middle Road La Penitence and 27-year-old mason, Ryan Hescott had the charges against them dismissed after the prosecution had failed to tender the firearms to the court on several occasions. The first charge had alleged that on December 5, last, at Robb Street, Georgetown, they had in their possession seven rounds of ammunition without being the holders of firearm licences. It was further alleged that the men had two firearms in their possession, when they were not holders of licences. The three men, along with now dead Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal Aaron Eastman, were jointly charged with the offences. Lance Corporal Eastman who had 10 years of service in GDF died on March 3, after he was burnt to death during the Camp Street Prison fire, which claimed the lives of 17 i n m a t e s . According to reports, on December 5, 2015 police ranks during ‘Operation
Dragnet’ stopped a motorcar on Robb Street, after observing its occupants acting in a suspicious manner. They conducted a search of the vehicle, which was reported to be bearing an obscure number plate. The lawmen allegedly unearthed the guns and ammunition hidden in various parts of the car. It was reported that concerned citizens saw the defendants in a motor car on Robb Street, acting in a suspicious manner. Police were summoned and cornered the vehicle, driven by the soldier. At the time the GDF rank was reportedly wearing a black ‘hoodie’. The vehicle was searched and the police reportedly found a .32 revolver with matching rounds under the front passenger’s seat and a 12 gauge sawn-off shot gun from under the driver’s seat.
Andrew Davis Hescott
Dead: Aaron Eastman When the quartet made their first court appearance on September 8, 2015, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan had remanded them to prison on the ground of ensuring the public’s safety and the need to prevent them from committing another offence.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Caribbean in correspondent banking talks with US officials
Gaston Browne KINGSTON, Jamaica – Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne is leading a Caribbean delegation for discussions with United States authorities on the threat of the withdrawal of correspondent banking services that could destroy the region’s financial sector. Caribbean countries are facing the loss of access to the international financial markets by mainly the region’s indigenous banks, with several international banks – primarily in the US
and Europe – signalling to client banks in the region an unwillingness to continue carrying their business. Correspondent banks are financial institutions that provide services on behalf of another financial institution. They are used by banks in one country to conduct business in a foreign country. Browne, as agreed by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads in February, is leading a high-level advocacy group at the U.S.Caribbean Public-Private Dia-
logue on Correspondent Banking in Jamaica. “I intend to forcefully put forward CARICOM’s position on this matter to the US authorities because I believe we are being treated unfairly,” Browne said in a statement Monday about his plans for the meeting in Jamaica. “We have been labelled as tax havens and accused of lax tax regimes and avenues for money laundering and terrorism financing, yet there is absolutely no evidence to support these allegations…In all instances where banks and financial institutions have to pay penalties on such matters, not one CARICOM nation has ever been involved. This cannot be right, it cannot be just.” The move by global banks threatens to impact several critical services including remittance transfers. International trade, the facilitation of credit card settlements for local clients are among the other effects the region faces. (Caribbean360)
China announces restrictions on trade with North Korea Reuters - China yesterday banned imports of gold and rare earths from North Korea as well as exports to the country of jet fuel and other oil products used to make rocket fuel, a move in line with new United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang. The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution in early March expanding U.N. sanctions aimed at starving North Korea of funds for its nuclear and ballistic miss i l e p r o g r a m m e s after Pyongyang conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February. The mining sector is a key part of North Korea’s economy, which is already
largely cut off from the rest of the world. Experts believe revenue from the sector helps underwrite North Korea’s military expenditures. The ministry said it would also ban coal shipments from North Korea, although it made exemptions consistent with sanctions, including uses intended for “the people’s wellbeing” and not connected to nuclear or missile programmes. North Korea delivered around 20 million tonnes of coal to China last year, up 27 percent on the year, overtaking Russia and Mongolia to become China’s third biggest supplier, behind Australia and Indonesia. An exception was made for coal originating in third
countries and supplied via North Korea’s port of Rason. Landlocked Mongolia, looking for alternative supply routes for its commodities, has already signed an agreement with the port that gave its exporters preferential treatment. Export bans on jet and rocket fuel included exemptions for “basic humanitarian needs” in conjunction with inspections, and for civilian passenger jets flying outside of North Korea. Other restricted minerals include vanadium and titanium, both used in steel alloys. Independent experts have frequently questioned China’s resolve to enforce sanctions against North Korea, whose economy is heavily dependent on its neighbor. China has said it will enforce the measures “conscientiously”. U.S. State Department officials have expressed optimism the sanctions will be more effective than earlier attempts to curtail North Korea’s nuclear programme, pointing to China’s apparent willingness to support them. China disapproves of North Korea’s nuclear program, although, as its sole major ally, it has supplied large quantities of aid off the books for decades.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Greece given 10 days to reverse Cup cancellation or face FIFA suspension
The FIFA logo is seen at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland March 18, 2016. (REUTERS/RUBEN SPRICH/FILES) ATHENS (Reuters) FIFA handed Greece’s government a 10-day deadline on Tuesday to reverse its decision to cancel the Greek Cup or face an international suspension from football’s world governing body.
FIFA sent a two-page letter to Deputy Minister for Sport Stavros Kontonis and the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) demanding that Kontonis change his ruling. The global body also ordered further talks to make
changes to sports legislation planned for May which contradicts FIFA’s statutes on self-governance of member associations. “The FIFA Emergency Committee decided to set a deadline of 15 April 2016 for
Wednesday April 06, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't give your heart too readily. Expect to have problems with the ones you love. Sit back. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your self confidence will attract members of the opposite sex Restrictions may be difficult for you to live with, but try to do things by the book. You may cause a fuss if you come on too strongly in public. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find your mate somewhat perturbed. Balance is required if you want stability. You're in the mood to spend money. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You will be able to dazzle others with your obvious charm and your outgoing nature. You can make money through your creative efforts. Do your own thing. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Opportunities to make advancements through good business sense are apparent. You must consider yourself for a change. You can expect changes at your work place. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Stay out of other people's affairs. Someone you live with may cause drastic alterations in your usual routine. Try to be reasonable.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Make arrangements to spend quality time together. Your personal partner may be less than willing to accommodate you today. You will be entertained and intrigued by the logic foreigners possess. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't settle for less than the best. Groups and organizations that indulge in social events to raise money will be conducive to meeting new and exciting lovers. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your partner may not understand your mood swings but if you are willing to communicate, a lot of grief can be avoided. Stay mellow. Limitation could set in if you've been spending too much. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Children may cause limitations. Uncertainties about your home may cause tension. You may want to take a look at your direction in life. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Romance and social activity will be a promising combination. You need time to think things through. Don't hold back. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Sports, physical fitness programs, exercise in general will make you feel better and show some pretty quick results.
the decision to (cancel) the 2015/2016 Greek Cup to be reversed, failing which the EPO would face an automatic suspension of its membership,” said the letter published on the EPO website. The ultimatum follows a breakdown in talks held between Kontonis, the EPO and a FIFA delegation in Athens on March 30 to try and resolve the issue. Kontonis controversially cancelled the cup after the first leg of the semi-final between PAOK Salonika and Olympiakos Piraeus on March 2 was abandoned due to a violent pitch invasion, with fans hurling flares and missiles before being dispersed by riot police. Kontonis declared his decision was a “legal move” and has insisted that no pro-
Time for the... (From page 35) come for cricket to be more prudently managed in order to maximize the true potential of our cricketers. The Berbice Cricket Board has continued to lead the way in administration yet they have been starved from viewing first-class matches for the past eight years. What is the basis for excluding the county from such development since I am convinced that more young players will emerge if they are just given the opportunity to view some of these matches, since it will be too costly for them to do otherwise? The spectacular rise of West Indies cricket at the moment after their triple World Cup glory will instantly heighten and even safeguard the future of the sport within the region. Notwithstanding such triumphalism though, is the persistent threat of the game being dominated by poor policies including selection and administration as well as the players’ lack of confidence in the West Indies Players Association (WIPA)? The game therefore should never be separated from the interest of the players and as such the GCB should decentralized the hosting of matches to other parts of Guyana as a prerequisite of inclusivity and advancing the appeal to the abundance of talent within the rural districts. Yours Faithfully, Elroy Stephney.
nouncement will be made u n t i l t h e E P O ’s a p p e a l against the move is heard by the Supreme Court on April 19. FIFA said that any decision by Greece’s Supreme Court will not be taken into account, saying it is “irrelevant as it could be withdrawn, and because regardless of the eventual decision, the issues linked to the implementation and the potential
interference of the law would remain.” If Greece are suspended by FIFA, their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup could be in jeopardy as they could be barred from taking part in the qualifiers which kick off in September. The 2004 European champions failed to qualify for this year’s continental competition inFrance.
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ESPNcricinfo’s team of the 2016 World T20
Carlos Brathwaite is pumped after removing Jos Buttler, England v West Indies, World T20, final, Kolkata, April 3, 2016 ©Getty Images
ESPNCRICINFO - Three West Indians, two Englishmen, Indians and Kiwis, and one each from Bangladesh and Afghanistan make up our team of the tournament. How’s this for a scary T20 team? 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 David Warner, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran Tahir. Before the 2016 World T20 began, imagine the odds on none of those players being part of the best XI of the competition? A combination of challenging pitches, muddled tactics, and bad form, however, resulted in just that, and an unconventional crew outshone the majority of the pretournament headliners. Here’s the XI our votes threw up: 1. Mohammad Shahzad (wk) - 222 runs, 140.50 strike rate The Afghanistan opener’s pugnacious hitting played an important role in his team making the Super 10s, where his assault on a hapless South African attack was one of the
most memorable moments of the tournament. Shahzad may not be the sprightliest fielder so he’ll take the wicketkeeping gloves. 2. Kane Williamson (capt) - 123 runs, 105.12 strike rate Won all his tosses in the group stage, read pitches with precision, was ballsy enough to leave out Tim Southee and Trent Boult, and scored his runs in the toughest batting conditions any team had to face. Under Williamson’s leadership, New Zealand were the best side in the Super 10 group stage, until they lost the semi-final to England. He’s here for his captaincy - was a poor tournament for captains, wasn’t it? - having just pipped Jason Roy to the second opener’s slot. You can’t pick a player who didn’t captain in the tournament as captain, can you? 3. Virat Kohli - 273 runs, 136.50 average, 146.77 strike rate Fearsome numbers. So far above his team-mates. Master of the chase. Let’s move on. 4. Joe Root - 249 runs, 146.47 strike rate
Runs batting first, and runs batting second. Elegant runs, and fast runs. Stunning catch to turn a must-win group game, and two wickets in an over in the final. He did everything England could have asked of him. 5. Jos Buttler - 191 runs, 159.16 strike rate Activate beast mode, and there are few more destructive batsmen at the moment than Buttler. With him at the crease, England can score anything. 6. Andre Russell - 91 runs, 142.18 strike rate; 9 wickets, 7.87 economy Smashes the ball as hard and far as anyone, bowls a brisk pace, and is swift on the field. Dumped favourites India out of the tournament. Russell now has a second World T20 title, to go with his IPL, BBL, BPL, PSL and CPL trophies. 7. Carlos Brathwaite - 57 runs, 203.57 strike rate; 4 wickets, 8.05 economy rate Six. Six. Six. Six. “Carlos Brathwaite! Carlos Brathwaite! Remember the name!” roared Ian Bishop. “History for the West Indies.” 8. Mitchell Santner - 10
wickets, 6.27 economy rate Bamboozled India. Was an integral part of New Zealand’s unbeaten run in the group stage, taking key wickets and curbing the run rate. Santner’s left-arm spin helped him edge Ish Sodhi out of the XI, because another legspinner had no rival. 9. Samuel Badree - 9 wickets, 5.39 economy rate A legspinner who barely turns his legbreak. Deadly accurate. Often bowled in the Powerplay. Delivered in every game. 10. Mustafizur Rahman - 9 wickets, 9.55 average, 7.16 economy rate Slower cutter, faster cutter, fuller cutter, shorter cutter. The Fizz foxed them all. A shining light in a dark campaign. 11. Ashish Nehra - 5 wickets, 5.94 economy rate. Took 1 for 20 three times, worst figures of 1 for 29, and went for only 1 for 24 when West Indies were pulverising India at the Wankhede. Bowling during the fielding restrictions, 36-year old Nehra used all his smarts to escape a thrashing. David Willey lost out by one vote.
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Does West Indies’ World T20 win signal the death of their Test cricket? (ESPNcricinfo Michael Jeh) At a time of rebirth, it seems incongruous to say the West Indies’ triumph rings the death knell for their long-form cricket aspirations. Yet one cannot but wonder if that magnificent finale by Carlos Brathwaite spells the end of Test cricket, maybe even ODI success, for this mighty cricketing nation. Inasmuch as West Indies played some of their most abject cricket towards the end of 2015 in Australia, in three short months, there has been the most remarkable turnaround imaginable. AnUnder-19 championship, and now the men’s and women’s T20 crowns. Of course, the Test team and the T20 team share very little except the logo on the shirts. And yet, in a delicious irony, two of three Test players in the starting XI for the World T20 final, Marlon Samuels and Brathwaite himself, were the unlikely heroes at the death. There were times in the summer when the chances of Samuels ever playing any form of cricket for West Indies were possibly questionable. Eighty-five not out in a winning team? Never! There can be no glossing over the fact that the West Indies Test team is as poor as it gets in world cricket, almost as poor as any Test team has ever been, except for when new countries began playing the format perhaps. The team that competed (did they really compete?) for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy was possibly the weakest team ever to tour Australia since World War II. Certainly, in terms of a fall from grace from the halcyon days of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, it was the most acute deviation. During the post-mortems, there was doom and gloom about the future of cricket, any cricket, in the islands. Was anyone crazy enough to venture that in barely three months they would be crowned champions at the U-19 level and then go on to win both men and women’s World T20s? As much as I rejoiced at their twin triumphs on Sunday, it is with some fear that I now realise what this might mean for their long-form cricket. This success may breathe new life into grass-roots cricket (I sincerely hope so), but it is more probable that it will further widen the chasm that separates the T20 glamour set from the Test whipping boys. Why would the next generation of power hitters bother with a poorly paid, arduous
West Indies now hold the world Under-19 and the men’s and women’s T20 titles, but will the next generation of players gravitate towards Test cricket at all? © IDI/Getty Images
format with humiliation at every turn (on and off the field) when they can sell their wares at the franchise expo and still suit up in West Indies colours every few years and steal the glory? The writing was on the wall last summer. Australia may well have cannibalised their own Test summer by creating a Frankenstein’s monster in the form of the Big Bash. While poorly equipped Test players were being knocked over inside three days, switch channels on TV and you could have watched Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Samuel Badree, Lendl Simmons and Darren Sammy strutting their wares. Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard were not even in the picture and are unlikely to ever wear whites again. Add a decent fast bowler or two (are there any?) and you’ve got an infinitely more attractive prospect than the current Test squad. Is there depth to sustain
optimism? On one hand, a winning U-19 team suggests there is plenty of talent coming through. The women’s team might be the catalyst for more young girls to chase the cricket dream instead of putting their athletic limbs on the basketball or track-and-field markets. Yet if you look at the age of the men’s T20 team and look in the rear-view mirror, are there players coming up behind them to suggest continued success in any format? If Denesh Ramdin is the best wicketkeeper-batsman in all three formats, what does that tell you about depth in a key position? Dance they might well have done as night gave way to dawn in Kolkata, but will this be the day when the sun finally sets on Test cricket in the West Indies? What is there now to suggest that the embattled WICB can use this moment as a catalyst to breathing new life into all forms of the game? What is there now to motivate the
young West Indians, male or female, to reclaim their heritage as the calypso kings in white? For the sake of neutrals like me who grew up loving the West Indian legacy, we can only hope that the custodians of the game will not see this moment of glory as the excuse to walk away from the slow dance that still defines
the ultimate test of cricketing skill. That T20 cricket sparked so much bad blood before, during and after the final speaks of the passion that the players have for this format, a passion absent for long in every other aspect of West Indies cricket. Like the game itself, the brilliance
illuminated the night briefly, but as the reality of boardroom politics sinks in, one fears that in winning the battle, they might just surrender the war. (Michael Jeh is an Oxford Blue who played first-class cricket, and a Playing Member of the MCC. He lives in Brisbane)
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Soccer superstar Messi caught up in “Panama Papers” leak (CBS/AP) MADRIDSpanish tax authorities say they are investigating allegations of tax irregularities involving soccer player Lionel Messi in documents released by an international probe of offshore accounts. The Barcelona star was among those named in reports by international media who received a vast trove of data and documents leaked from a law firm based in Panama. Still in the initial discovery stages as journalists pour through the 11.5 million files, the “Panama Papers” leak has implicated world leaders, businesses and celebrities in the practice of using shell companies to launder and hide money, avoid taxes, and other dealings. Messi’s family released a statement Monday denying wrongdoing and threatened to sue media outlets that released the information linking the Argentine player to accounts in Panama. Last year, Spanish authorities charged Messi and his father with three counts of tax fraud for allegedly defrauding Spain’s tax office of 4.1 million euros ($4.4 million) in
unpaid taxes from 2007-09. They go on trial in late May and face nearly two years in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors had said Messi — a four-time world player of the year — was not fully aware of his father’s unlawful activities and should not have been charged, but the state attorney’s office contended that the Argentina forward knew enough to also be named in the case. Messi is not alone in the soccer world to be caught up in the data leak. A FIFA judge who helped ban Sepp Blatter for financial misconduct is now under investigation by his ethics committee colleagues after being named in an international probe of offshore accounts. The FIFA ethics prosecution chamber said Monday that it “opened a preliminary investigation to review the allegations” linked to lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani of Uruguay. Damiani was identified in a vast trove of data and documents leaked from a law firm in Panama, Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in creating off-
Argentina’s Lionel Messi
shore accounts that can be used to avoid tax. He heads his family’s legal and accountancy practice in Montevideo founded by his late father, Jose Pedro Damiani. The FIFA case against Damiani was opened in March after ethics judges learned of his “business relationship” with former FIFA
vice president Eugenio Figueredo, a fellow Uruguayan arrested in Zurich. In addition to Damiani, suspended UEFA president
Michel Platini said all his accounts and assets are known by tax authorities after he was named in leaked documents about offshore accounts from
the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. According to the Le Monde newspaper, Platini has been managing an offshore company funded in Panama in 2007 and named Balney Enterprises Corp. Platini’s advisers said in a statement Monday that the former France international soccer star “wants to inform that, as he stated it many times to the journalists in charge of the investigation, all of his accounts and assets are known to the tax authorities in Switzerland, where he has been a fiscal resident since 2007.” Platini’s advisers declined to confirm whether he actually managed the company. Platini was suspended from office in October by FIFA’s ethics committee and is now serving a six-year ban over a $2 million payment that former FIFA president Sepp Blatter approved from FIFA funds in 2011.
Viv Richards: Best phase in West Indies Cricket After Our Era WICRICNEWS.com How can any West Indies cricket achievement beat the period of dominance in which the Clive Lloyd-led teams won two World Cups (in 1975 and 1979) and were beaten in a Test series only once after 1975-76 (by New Zealand in 1979-80) till the time Lloyd quit the game in 1985? According to Sir Vivian Richards, the chief batting architect in that glorious period, Sunday’s ICC World T20 victories by the women’s and men’s teams come close. “This is the greatest period ever since that wonderful phase involving Clive’s team. Considering the success that West Indies team had on a consistent basis, this is the closest any West Indies team would have got in terms of pride among all nations that make up West Indies cricket,” Richards told mid-day from Antigua yesterday. ‘WI had belief’ Richards, who took over the captaincy mantle from Lloyd in 1985 and led the team till his 1991 retirement, didn’t lose a Test series. He reckoned self belief played an important part in West Indies’ Sunday glory and the quality was aptly epitomised by Carlos Brathwaite, who hit four sixes in the last over to deny England their second World T20 triumph. Richards didn’t appear surprised by Brathwaite’s stunning show. “Carlos is a determined guy. I worked with him in the West Indies ‘A’
Sir Vivian Richards team (Richards was Technical Director in the Brathwaite-led team in Sri Lanka). He is strong, big and took it away from England. If someone has that kind of belief, anything can be achieved. “Belief is the greatest thing to have as a competitor. You may have talent and ability but the most important thing to have is belief and of course, enough ammunition and personnel to chase down anything that the opposition sets,” said Richards, who kept abreast of West Indies’ progress while playing golf. Supreme confidence He had expressed supreme confidence in the West Indies team before their semifinal clash against India. “I think it’s the best opportunity
(to win) regardless of the fact that they are playing India at home. “These guys have got to believe that all things can be accomplished. I believe West Indies have a great chance,” Richards told this newspaper before the March 31 game. Is this best time for the administrators to sort out their differences with the players? Richards is hopeful, but didn’t sound optimistic: “Judging from what Darren Sammy said in his post-match comments, it didn’t sound all that good. “I am just hoping that the folks who didn’t play a huge role on the administrative side of things, are not going to jump and start acclaiming that they have done this and that.” (sports.ndtv.com/)
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Letter to the Sports Editor NBA’s LeBron tops Power 100 West Indies cricketers flourish list for third straight year while the WICB flounders
(Reuters) LeBron James and Stephen Curry grabbed the top spots on the Horrow Sports/MVPindex Power 100 as the NBA dominated the rankings released on Tuesday with 24 players on the list that evaluates an athlete’s brand and marketability. It marked the third consecutive year that James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, topped the list while Curry, who led the Golden State Warriors to an NBA title last year, shot into second place from 45th. World number one tennis players Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams and former NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder rounded out the top five. “Steph Curry made the biggest jump on and off the court of any athlete we’ve seen, frankly in any statistical analysis,” said Rick Horrow, owner of Horrow Sports Ventures. “When you look at the count, 24 of the 100 (athletes) are basketball players and seven are in the top 25, including one and two. So you have the opportunity to rise to the top of the list if you are a star basketball player.” The concept for the list was created in 2009. MVPindex joined last year to provide a social media component. On-field results comprise 50 percent of athletes power ranking while the other half is based on off-field attributes: primarily social media presence (including reach, engagement, and conversation). The list focuses on longestablished sports and the U.S. market specifically with 44 of the 100 spots taken by NFL and NBA players.
Dear Sports Editor,
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) advances the ball during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. (Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports) Boxers and mixed martial arts fighters are included in the list while soccer players are omitted as Horrow said it is impossible to get a fair onfield ranking for them because of overlapping international federations and national teams. Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, was the best-rank e d National Hockey League player at number six despite a difficult year that saw him under investigation by police on rape charges that were later dropped. NFL players occupied the next two spots with Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown at number seven followed by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Former world number on
golfer Rory McIlroy and James Harden of the NBA’s Houston Rockets closed out the top 10. The most noticeable trend on the latest list was a strong move by the NBA into the top 10 combined by a drop-off in NFL players considering quarterbacks had occupied five of the top 11 spots in last year’s list. Tiger Woods, once a fixture in the top 10, failed to make the list after falling steadily from second place two years ago to 76th last year. Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who will retire at the end of the current NBA season, also slid further down the list as he dropped to 84th place compared to 36th place last year.
Letter to the Sports Editor
Time for the GCB to relocate matches in rural regions again Dear Editor, The re-emergence of West Indies dominance as well as regional cricket’s rebirth lies intimately to their reconnection with grass-roots viability. The current reliance on only securing the National Stadium to host regional matches has robbed the genuine capability of emerging cricketers from the rural areas in Guyana. First-Class matches were previously and consistently played at Albion in Berbice and Hampton Court
in Essequibo and the crowd responses and enthusiasm were always heartening to see. Can the same be attributed to Georgetown? I therefore believe that significant emphasis now has to be placed on securing standardized grounds within the rural districts that have the capacity to host national matches. Imam Bacchus Sports Complex of Essequibo is one such alternative given that the Hampton Court facility is no longer viable. Even inter-county tournaments at
all levels are now permanently grounded in Georgetown. The potential to unearth more cricket talents from the rural areas, I believe, will be enormous. His Excellency President Granger would have also strongly supported the need for rural districts to have access to modernized facilities in order to produce more sportsmen, instead of having to depend on travelling to the City for exposure and prominence. The time has therefore (Continued on page 31)
The Stakeholders of Guyana Cricket take this opportunity to congratulate the West Indies Male and Female teams and the team officials on their famous victories in the 2016 T20 World Cup Tournaments. These cricketing ambassadors have brought great pride and joy to the region and have strengthened the bond and resolve of the peoples of the Caribbean as only cricket can. The victories are also testimony to the determination of the players to rise above the shabby treatment meted out to them by their own West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Clearly they played their hearts out for their Caribbean brothers and sisters and in so doing have inspired a whole generation of youngsters towards the achievement of success through a self-belief and an indefatigable spirit.
Captain Darren Sammy’s comments during the presentation ceremony highlights the abject failure of the WICB to provide vital support to the regional teams and also the never-ending rift between the players and the Board. The high-handed and manipulative manner by which WICB President Dave Cameron and his cohorts manage the affairs of our regional game has placed a patent wedge within the structure of WI cricket. The actions of Cameron and company suggest that they believe that West Indies cricket is their private property to do with it whatever pleases them or benefits them. The Stakeholders of Guyana Cricket, who have been locked in a six-year campaign to re-establish good and accountable governance of our national game are particularly heartened at the intervention of Caricom Heads of Government to dissolve the pitiful
WICB. It is time. Caricom is fully cognizant of what the WICB has thrown through the window that is that WI cricket unreservedly belongs to the people of the Caribbean. The WICB would have us believe that they are responsible for the victories of the regional teams. Nothing could be further from the truth as that Board is bereft of any cricket development plans. The Regional Cricket Academy has crashed and young talented players are left to fend for themselves. We are in full support of the initiative taken by Caricom and look forward eagerly to the expected new dispensation in West Indies Cricket where the players and coaches would be treated with respect. Congratulations to our victorious teams. Malcolm Peters for Stakeholders of Guyana Cricket
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DCC romp to 8-wkt win over TSC, March into tomorrow’s U-17 t20 final By Sean Devers Guyana Diabetic Association (GDA) collaborated with the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) to stage an the eight-team Under-17 t20 competition for City teams which is sponsored by Ministry of Public Health (MPH), PAHO/WHO, and Smalta. Yesterday under a clear blue sky and former Guyana off-spinner Gavin Nedd again showed why he is widely regarded as the best youth team Coach in Guyana when his DCC U-17 team romped to an emphatic eight-wicket win over TSC in the Semi-final at the DCC ground to march into tomorrow’s final. Alphius Bookie (42) and Sagar Hatheramani (25) powered DCC to 101-2 from 16 overs in reply to TSC’s 100-8 in 20 overs despite a fighting 19 from Adrian Hinds. Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (2-24) and off-spinner Nkosie Beaton (210) put the brakes on the scoring after a promising start by TSC who were 41-1 in seven overs.
But on a good track and a small and fast outfield and a small but raucous crowd which included several parents and the medical team from GDA headed by its President Ms Glynis BeatonAlonzo, the vocal support from Beaton-Alonzo suggested that a capacity crowd was present as they excitedly urged on both teams in sultry conditions as the righthanded Dookie and the lefthanded Hatheramani joined forces with DCC on 34-2 and fashioned an entertaining unfinished 66-run stand to see their team home with 24 balls to spare. Robin Williams (15) and Carlos Hamilton (7) opened the batting since National U15 Select Sachin Persaud missed the game due to school commitments. Hamilton hit Colin Barlow to mid-off with 24 runs on the board before Williams who demonstrated plenty of talent was run out 10 runs later, and at that stage TSC were back in the fight. But Hatheramani, who been in fine form with the bat
Alphius Bookie cuts during his unbeaten 42 at DCC yesterday. stamped his authority from the inception by lofting Barlow for an effortless six over mid-wicket. Hatheramani dumped Barlow through mid-wicket before a majestic cover drive raced like a bullet for another boundary before Bookie cut
Brazil police bust black-market ticket ring for Rio Olympics
the pacer for four in an over which cost 16 runs. Bookie was not in a mood to let Hatheramani outscore him and turned Renaldo Fredericks for four, then stroking him for a sublime boundary with an imperious cover drive that had class written all over it. Bookie oozed confidence and slapped Mark Baptiste for two fours but the pacer was the best bowler and most unlucky one for TSC. A couple of catches went abegging including Hatheramani on 22 and DCC were aided in their run chase
by sloppy fielding from the Thomas Lands unit. Bookie galloped to 42 from 40 with six fours, while Hatheramani’s cameo 25 took 18 balls and was decorated with three fours and the only six of the game. Earlier, Hinds began positively when whipped Bajnarine Singh for four, while Mark Ramsammy smashed Qumar Torrington off the back foot for four as TSC sped to 19 without loss in the second over. But things began to unravel once Ramsammy top edged a hook to a quick
short ball and was well taken at third man as Torrington made the break through at 24-1 and when Hinds was removed by Beaton, no one else apart from number nine batsman Anthony Hetsburger (16) reached double figures as the spin pair of Skipper Nedd and Beaton kept the shackles on the batsmen. Coach Nedd will hope for a similar performance tomorrow when they face-off with Saints Stanislaus College, the only school team in the competition, in the final in their own backyard.
Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise expresses condolences to Sunil Narine The Franchise Owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Team, together with the Management, Staff and all players of the Franchise is extending sincere condolences to Sunil Narine and his family on the untimely passing of his father
The Olympic Flag flies in front of ‘’Christ the Redeemer’’ statue during a blessing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro August 19, 2012. (REUTERS/RICARDO MORAES) (Reuters) Brazilian police broke up a black-market ring that tried to illegally sell over 700 Olympic tickets at exorbitant prices, authorities said Tuesday. Rio’s police, with the help of the local Olympic committee, busted 10 people involved in the scam. The suspects bought the tickets legally, then used social media sites in an attempt to illegally resell them, said Donovan Ferreti, head of ticket sales for Rio 2016, as the
local committee is known. “In one case, a ticket was sold for 10 times the original price from our site,” Ferreti said. The illegally sold tickets had been blocked and cannot be used, he added. Ferreti would not detail the sales prices of the illegal tickets, nor the events that they were for, but did say they were for sports that were in “high demand.” Olympic ticket prices range from 40 Brazilian reais ($10.89) for some events to up
to 4,600 reais for the opening ceremony. Ticket sales for Rio’s Olympics have been slow, though organizers have repeatedly expressed optimism and stressed that Brazilians tend to buy tickets for sporting and entertainment events at the last minute. Ferreti said that over half of the 7.5 million tickets have been sold, with just four months left before the Olympics begin on Aug. 5.
Shadeed Narine. Sunil Narine has been a member of the Guyana Amazon Warriors family for the past three years representing the Warriors with distinction as their Icon player in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise would like Sunil to know that we certainly empathize with him and our prayers are with him and his family in this difficult period, a release from the organisation stated.
St. Stanislaus overcome MSC to secure final berth St. Stanislaus defeated host Malteenoes Sports Club by 27 runs to win the semi final of the Georgetown Cricket Association/Guyana Diabetics Association/ PAHO/WHO/Smalta U17 T20 tournament yesterday. Kennard Moonsammy and Umesh Boodram added 41 for the opening stand after St. Stanislaus were asked to bat in favourable sunshine before off-spinner Chad Shivrattan bowled Boodram for 23 (2x4). Moonsammy,
who batted with composure, then shared in a second wicket partnership of 23 with Ezekiel Caines. However, pacer Andrew Andrews removed them both to restrict the scoring. Moonsammy hit one four in scoring 32, while Caines struck two fours and one six in 23. MSC then picked up wickets at regular intervals as St. Stanislaus managed114-7; Andrews snared 4-15 from four overs, while Shivrattan had 3-7 off three.
Andrews was bowled by Daniel Persaud (1-15) for five as MSC lost their first wicket at 20. They then lost two more wickets without addition to the score to severely weaken the chase - Sase Norville was run out without scoring and Tuen Hicks went for 10. MSC continued to lose wickets regularly with only Jeremiah Scott (12) and Kistan McAllister (15*) managing double figures as the finished on 87-8. Boodram claimed 312 and Joshua Bankay 2-14.
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Phantom capture Faye Joseph Digicel congratulates Windies teams International Dominoes tourney on phenomenal wins at World T20
Players in action during the final Phantom were crowned champions of the Faye Joseph International Dominoes tournament which concluded on Monday night at Gauling Place. Phantom chalked 96 games to beat Golden Masters 69 and Mix Up 66. Phantom took an early lead in the final and were almost assured of the title after the
penultimate round, leading by 21 games. There top players were Rawl Cameron and Forbes Solomon, both scoring the maximum 18 games; support came from Rapheal Charles 17, Ackenie Solomon 16, Lennox Lee 14 and Orin Favourite 13. Quincy Thom got 15, while Charlyn Barnwell and
Clyde Anderson made 14 each for the runner up side; Kanhai Samaroo made 17 for Mix Up. Phantom won their semi final matchup with 76 games ahead of Specialist 64 and Spartons 63. Mix Up 82 games beat Unity 73 and Thunder 64 in their encounter.
(Jamaica Observer) Digicel, sponsor of West Indies cricket, has congratulated the men’s and women’s West Indies T20 cricket teams on becoming ICC Twenty20 World Cup champions after defeating England and Australia by four wickets and eight wickets, respectively, on Sunday. The West Indies teams faced formidable opponents in the finals — England having an impressive win/loss rate for the tournament, and Australia entering the competition as the defending champions. The players were determined to put on a good show for the fans and that they did, as the teams rose to the occasion and posted fantastic scores and fielded well to bring home their tournament trophies. The partnership of women’s captain Stephanie Taylor and 18-year-old Hayley Matthews saw them both making half-centuries to reach a record 120 runs and ending Australia’s T20 world dominance by winning the tournament for the first time. After a less than stellar start to their chase of 155 runs set by England, Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite dug deep and found the win in the final over with Samuels posting 85 not out, while Brathwaite sent England home with a fantastic display of skill by smashing four sixes in a row — all in the final over. Commenting on the teams’ successes, Digicel Group Marketing Director Peter Lloyd said: “Digicel and fans of West Indies
cricket are delighted to see the teams continue to achieve success on the global stage as part of the ICC World Cricket T20 tournament. The Windies teams fought hard and were rewarded with a well-deserved wins against England and Australia – both formidable opponents. We wish all the West Indies teams continued success as we look to continue supporting them through our partnership with the West Indies Cricket Board.” Digicel brand ambassadors from across the region gave their full support to both teams through videos which were posted on all of Digicel’s Facebook pages. These included the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt; Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann FraserPryce; and Trinidadian soca music superstars Kes and Machel Montano. West Indies cricket has been experiencing a run of success as the Under-19 team was also victorious in their World Cup clash against India earlier this year. Digicel has been a sponsor of West Indies Cricket since 2004, which is part of the company’s overall strategy to help develop sporting talent across the region.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Pouderoyen FC pockets $200,000 for taking Den Amstel Mash Cup Pouderoyen FC were yesterday rewarded for winning the Den Amstel Mash Cup which was held from February 27 to March 12 on the West Coast of Demerara. Pourderoyen defeated Uitvlugt FC 7-6 on penalties after a goalless ninety minutes to win the final for which they received a trophy and $200,000. Uitvlugt took home a trophy and $100,000, while Eagles FC of Stewartville collected a trophy and $75,000 for winning third place; fourth place Den Amstel got a trophy and $50,000. Eagles, led by a double from Daniel Clarke and one from Jalin Williams won the encounter 3-2; Kevon Ward and Jamaal Ferrier found the back of the net for Den Amstel. Speaking with Kaieteur
Sport, Director of Sports Christopher Jones lauded the organisers and said they will continue to support the game in the area. He stated that he was pleased with the success of the tournament adding that the 50 s h a d e s o f g ames programme is designed to lend support to various games through out Guyana. Jones added that he was pleased with the talent of the players but stressed the need to for the ground to be upgraded and that NSC has already committed to do likewise. The Director informed that contracts will be signed shortly to develop a number of grounds which includes the installation of lights. Those grounds are Golden Grove, Mocha, Agricola,
Captain of the victorious Pourderoyen FC Jermaine Mc Donald accepts the first place trophy from DOS Christopher Jones in the presence of Orville Bobb (2nd left) coach of Uitvlugt FC, Kerron Schmidt (right) and Denneze Lovell (left). Hopetown, Ithaca, Number 53, Kildonan, Charity, Good Hope, D e n A m s t e l , Bartica Secondary School ground, Upper Mazaruni
and two grounds in Linden. Denneze Lovell of the organising committee th a n k e d t h e s p o n s o r s
RHTYSC, MS salutes Shemaine Campbelle and West Indies on World Championships Patron, Management and Members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS would like to offer t h e i r p r o f o u n d congratulations to the West Indies Male and Female cricket Teams on their historic achievements of winning the ICC 20/20 World Cup, the club stated in a release. We would also like to specially mention our own Shemaine Campbelle who has fulfilled her lifelong dream to be part of a World Champion Team and to be a World Champion herself. The Club is delighted at S h e m a i n e ’s a n d h e r teammate’s achievements and it is our hope that this would inspire all cricket Clubs in Guyana and the Caribbean to invest more into female Cricket. It is unbelievable that the RHTYSC, MS is the only cricket Club in Guyana that has a female cricket team and which seeks to allow our talented girls to fulfill their potentials. Female national players like Shemaine, Erva Giddings, Melanie Henry, Plaffina Millington, Sheeneta Grimmond and Shakiba Gajnabi are forced to play against males to develop their skills and it is
Shemaine Campbelle of the RHTYSC, MS poses with the World Cup. our hope that the Berbice and Guyana Cricket Board would place more emphasis on female cricket, the release stated. As we celebrate our d o u b l e w o r l d championships, it is very important to remind ourselves that West Indies cricket is still in crisis and we should not fool ourselves that we have turned the corner. All of us involved in West Indies cricket from the
President, Directors, local Country and county executives and Club Officials must redouble their efforts and dedicate themselves to making a positive difference. We must serve cricket to the best of our ability and must do so honestly and without seeking personal rewards for ourselves. The RHTYSC, MS would also like to salute our
fellow Berbicians Tremayne Smartt on the success as well, along with Darren Sammy and his team for making all of us proud to be West Indians. The Club on Sunday 17th of April would honour Shemaine Campbelle in a special way for being p a r t o f t h e Wo r l d Champions. May God continue to bless and guide West Indies cricket to more success.
and congratulated the teams for their efforts. The competition was sponsored by Banks DIH,
RDC Region three and National Sports Commission under their 50 shades of games programme.
GCB congratulates Windies men and Women on World titles The Executives, members and staff of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has joined the many that are offering congratulations to the Windies men and women teams for creating history by winning both the male and female World T20 titles last Sunday in India. The Board said in a release, ‘We are the first cricket nation to achieve this accolade; being the current ICC World Cup U-19 champs, we are also the first to win three world titles in one year. We are extremely proud and thrilled about our men a n d w o m e n accomplishments. They have exhibited immense courage, self-belief and determination. They were courageous, assertive and grabbed opportunities when presented. In the men’s contest, different players took the responsibility at various times to ensure their team achieved victory; in so doing defining a powerful and a winning team. Simi l a r l y, i n t h e female contest our ladies were consistent and
dominant.’ ‘We acknowledge the captains, Darren Sammy and Stafanie Taylor for their sensible and warrior-like leadership. Taylor led from the front with the bat and ball which saw her copping the Player-of-the-tournament award. Over the past few years, this young lady is undoubtedly emerged as one of the most reliable and consistent female cricketers in the world. We at the GCB admire her talent, salute her achievements and wish her continued success.’ ‘We also laud Marlon Samuels, Carlos Brathwaite and Hayley Matthews on their breathtaking matchwinning innings in the finals. They became heroes that day, and brought immense joy to the Caribbean people and West Indies supporters across the world. We also salute the management, support staff of the team and the WICB for their levels of commitment and proficiency. It is a truly a defining moment in our cricket in the history of our West Indian cricket,’ the release concluded.
Wednesday April 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Calvin Ming and Zachary Boodram battle issues at F4 Nacam Championships Calvin Ming (right) on the podium after his third place. (facebook)
#4 Calvin Ming in action. (facebook)
The 2015-2016 NACAM Formula 4 Championship continued with round 4 at Pegasus Dynamic Center Toluca,
Mexico this past weekend. The field was less than the anticipated 19 cars. The young18 year old phenom from Trinidad and Tobago,
Frankie Zackary Boodram in the Speedway TCR Motorsport # 46 had a bad weekend. The team was unable to get to the starting
Sims back to promote GTC Race Meet on April 24
grid due to extensive damages to the engine sustained during round 3 when the car went airborne into a fence and tree. The engine was rebuilt but, after practice, the engine was still not right so, the team spent Friday night rebuilding the engine again but, unfortunately, the team was unable to prep the car for any of the scheduled 3 races; Thus, 3 DNS (Did not Start) for Boodram. Whereas, Calvin Ming in the # 4 Ming Guyana team faired a bit better though, they missed
#46 Zachary Frankie Boodram’s engine being rebuilt. qualifying and race # 1 due to mechanical issues. Which meant that Ming had to start at the rear of the field, he quickly made his way through the field by passing the most cars all the way to a 3rd place podium finish in race # 2. Unfortunately, the 3rd race had a lot of accidents with numerous contacts and yellow flags with a few
controversies as Calvin was unable to go the full distance. These two young racers from the Region will retool and take what they’ve learned from round 4 and concentrate on round 5 next on the calendar on Apr.30May.1 at Autodromo de Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon.
Archibald breaks 7 metre Long Jump barrier at UWI Invitational -Forde wins 1500m; UG returns with five medals
Promoter Michael Sims and Race Coordinator Compton Sancho pose for a photo op yesterday. He’s back. The Georgetown Turf Club (GTC) will be staging a grand One-Day Horse Race Meet on Sunday, April 24, in the village of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank, Demerara. According to Promoter Michael Sims, who has returned from overseas to assist in the development of the Sport of Kings, six races are carded for the day with over $3million in prize monies and trophies up for grabs. Sims, who at one time was one of the biggest promoters of the sport, told
Kaieteur Sport yesterday that he is back and in addition to the upcoming Meet later this month, he is in the process of planning a massive Independence Meet which is set for May 29, at the same venue. Meanwhile, this month’s event will feature some of the top horses in the country among them being Red Jet, Quancy, Red Regent, Blue Lightening, Champ and Royal Stallion among others. The H & Lower event has been designated the feature of the day and goes a distance of 1600 metres, while the other races carded are J &
Lower; K & Lower; L & Lower; the unclassified and a special race for cart horses. Sims disclosed that the track is in excellent shape and racing fans could expect some exciting finishes. The race coordinator is Compton Sancho and owners interested in participating in the event can contact Sims on tele#669-8163, Sancho 602-1567 or D. Smith- 6604961. Banks DIH is one of the main sponsors and a well stocked bar will be present along with food. Starting time is 13:00 hrs.
The University of G u y a n a ’s , E m m a n u e l Archibald broke the 7 metre barrier in the Long Jump at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Invitational Track and Field Competition, last weekend at Mona Campus in Jamaica. Archibald won bronze in the long jump event with a massive 7.2m mark; it was his second medal after he won gold in the triple jump with 14.73m. Archibald would love the jump events given he is an outstanding national basketball player. Cleveland Forde and Dane Johnson also won individual medals for the University of Guyana in the 1500m race. Forde won the event in 4:16, while Johnson finished second in 4:32. UG won the Men’s Medley Relay gold.
Emmanuel Archibald The team of Owen Adonis, Floyd Phillips, Kadeem Peters and Forde ran the 1600m Medley that featured a 400m, 200m, 200m and 800m in that order in 3:37.50 for first place. The performance wrapped up a
five medal haul that included three gold; one silver; and one bronze for the team at the meet in Jamaica. Speaking to Kaieteur Sport yesterday, Sports Officer at the University of Guyana, Lavern Fraser lauded the team’s efforts in Jamaica, stating that everyone is happy with their performances at the meet that featured UWI’s Cave Hill Campus, Barbados; St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago and Mona Campus, Jamaica. The other members of the University of Guyana’s Track and Field team included Kezia Bess, Vanessa Shelto, Travis Poole, Salim Yussuf, Ameer Yussuf and Kleon Spelling. Mark Scott was appointed Coach of the team for the UWI Invitational.
t r o Sp
Phantom capture Faye Joseph International Dominoes tourney
Player/Manager of the victorious Phantom team Hugh Gordon (right) collects the trophy from GDA head Faye Joseph in the presence of team mates and members of the GDA.
DCC romp to 8-wkt win over TSC, St. Stanislaus overcome MSC to march into tomorrow’s U-17 t20 final secure final berth
Ezekiel Caines (left) and Kennard Moonsammy
Adrian Hinds is caught in the deep off Nkosie Beaton to end a promising start at DCC yesterday.
Chad Shivrattan (left) and Andrew Andrews
Brazil police bust black-market ticket ring for Rio Olympics
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