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Sunday April 08, 2018

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Skullduggery Ongoing At The GGMC DEAR EDITOR, There is a deliberate attempt by some members of the GGMC to silence me for exposing their corrupt practices. I drew this conclusion from how the commission addresses matters that are of concern to me, in my individual capacity or when I stand as a representative of the group of bona fide residents of Kurupung. I came to this realization during a meeting which was organized by the commissioner to address all matters of concern to me within his organization. At this forum, only one matter came-up for discussion. It was the issue of a missing claim file. The matter that was chosen for discussion was serving some members of the commission’s interest, because they are bent on covering-up the atrocities of their colleagues. They were being selective in giving answers, rather than bringing a resolution to all matters affecting me. At this meeting, I requested an investigation into a missing claim

file after I was led to believe by a senior staff that there were two of the same files in the system for me when in fact, there is only one. This was a mistake made by the cashier on my claim license application receipt. In attempting to make the correction, a senior mines officer related there’s no issue with having more than one claim with the same name because the serial/HO numbers are unique. The missing claim file issue was reported in a letter dated August 14, 2017. If the commissioner had chosen the letter addressed to him two days prior to the August 14, 2017 letter, he would have been able to touch on critical issues which are beneficial to me and the bona fide residents of Kurupung. It seems as though those issues were too sensitive for discussion and will only lead to more cover-ups. There are numerous letters that were written to be addressed by the Commissioner (ag) and his predecessor, which they both stubbornly refused to ad-

dress. Two of those letters were sent by our then lawyer, Minister Mr. Joseph Harmon, in January and February, 2014. Four years have since passed and the Commission is yet to respond to those two letters. I had followed up with several letters of my own, reiterating my request for an investigation into those matters of our concern as a bona fide resident of Kurupung and, in my individual capacity. Most of the requests made went unanswered. The few that were attempted by the commission, were deliberately prepared with inaccurate information and yielded no result. At the commencement of the last meeting the commissioner decided to release some of his pent-up energy by telling me that I took my stories to all heights and lengths to state that he has been covering-up corruption and this is the last time he’s going to address my situation, and, if I am not satisfied, I could take the matter to the court.

He then opened the floor to his colleagues which comprised of three heads of department. In my opinion, the ulterior motive of the meeting was clearly demonstrated, and that was to BLAME and SHAME me in order to SILENCE me for my reporting and the request for answers to those atrocities which are taking place under his watch. I also thought the commissioner had a greater amount of stored energy to exhale at the end of the meeting from the level of energy I felt every time I was interrupted during the course of the meeting. When it was discovered by me that the mistake had actually come from the cashier’s department, the atmosphere in the room had changed and the interruption became more frequent. I was unable to express myself due to the frequent interruption from members of the group before the commissioner brought the meeting to an abrupt end. At the conclusion of the (Continued on page 6)

El Sindicato is a serious threat to ... From page 4 Greenheart” when our military genius Ishoff expelled the Surinamese from the New River Triangle, which they attempted to claim. In the planning and execution of this military exercise, the government and army need to bring members of civic society on board who are patriotic and have the experience in security matters to contribute significantly to the operation. El Sindicato is a serious threat to Guyana’s national security. I cannot belabour this point enough. We have to be dead serious in the way we respond and we have to

launch a united defence using all our security resources. This is a militaristic group, not just ordinary criminals; they must be dealt with accordingly. We cannot allow a foreign gang of brigands to terrorise our citizens and occupy Guyana illegally. Word has it that they are involved in their own illegal mining and scraping away our topsoil and damaging our environment without respect for our mining laws and regulations. We have got to do something to stop this. Let us do what we have to do. We can involve the Brazilians, our finest neighbours and Caricom. This is not a

criminal matter; this is a foreign invasion by a crime cartel that is probably being orchestrated by the Venezuelan government. I have suggested before that Guyana can consider inviting the United States military to set up a free military base in that area where they can practice their jungle warfare guerrilla warfare strategies. This will definitely provide us with a certain amount of protection. They may not accept this idea but, who knows? It’s worth a try, especially now as our oil industry is about to bloom. Furthermore, Guyanese people have no problem with

America. Many of our people live there and it is assumed that our population based there is about the same size of our current population. So we definitely will welcome them here. Also, our military will have a chance to do some real soldier work with the US armed forces, rather than just being in barracks. I mentioned in a previous letter that the commercial windfall, if the American military agrees to this opportunity, would also be tremendous. It is time to work with the Americans to safeguard ourselves. Roshan Khan Snr.

Another response to Allen’s letter

DEAR EDITOR, I laughed heartily at a couple of recent letters in the media attempting to denigrate and slander Dr. Frank Anthony. Yes some letter writers do provide comic relief. Besides being a spurious attempt to sew divisions within the ranks of the PPP, the letters attempt to paint a Frank Anthony that is non-existent. The fact is that everyone who knows Frank or know of him will tell you that he is a true follower in the footsteps of Dr. Cheddi Jagan – humble, decent, honest, caring, principled and possessed of integrity. Apparently, those who may be used to brash-

ness, loudness, limelighthogging and chest thumping, mistake Frank’s astute and potent leadership qualities for weakness. I suggest they ground with the Guyanese people as Frank does and become privy to a bit of realism. Sincerely Rohit Singh

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Sunday April 08, 2018

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Footballing the sugar industry

Playing politics with our security will not protect our borders

DEAR EDITOR Reports in the media (7/4/ 18) about wrangling over which Minister (Agriculture or Finance) should have oversight responsibility for GUYSUCO, Guyana’s number one industry, is indeed a sad reflection of a major flaw in which this premier industry has been floundering for far too long. There is no doubt that the sugar industry has had too long a spell of depressing performance about which there have been a number of diagnoses and remedies proposed by numerous ‘politicians’, ‘pundits’, ‘professionals’ and ‘pragmatists’ among us. ‘Privatization’ vs ‘Nationalization’ vs ‘Outsourcing of the Management’ of the industry have been among the several plasters prescribed for the sore and sorry plight of the industry and they have all been given a fair chance to

prove their worth (or worthlessness!). (In similar vein, the government-appointed COI into the sugar Industry has also made its recommendations upon which we are still to see any action). It boggles the mind that the natural placement of the sugar industry under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture is a subject of dispute; after all, the sugar industry is the largest and unquestionably most crucial ‘agricultural’ aspect of government. If the subject Minister is ineffective, then s/he should be replaced by someone better; to remove the entire Ministry instead of the Minister just does not make sense. Now, out of the blue as the saying goes, we have a debate about which ‘Minister’not which ‘Ministry’ should take control of the industry. At this rate we may

soon have the Minister of Cohesion being proposed as the most appropriate to oversee the industry since it appears that ‘personal’ or ‘personality’ or ‘political’ wrangling is at the core of the poor industry’s plight! My good friend and professional colleague, Mr E.B. John, identified the need for good old “team work” in the industry; it is now palpably clear that we also, or moreso, need a strong dose of decisive leadership from the very top.Mr. President, may I respectfully beg for your necessarily decisive intervention? I do not have to tell you Sir, that there is too much at stake at the national level to allow this apparently childish or highly ‘political’ wrangling to go on and for the industry to continue in an apparently rudderless mode. Nowrang Persaud

Spare a thought for the ordinary citizens stopped by traffic police DEAR EDITOR, Yesterday I was reading Mr. Charandass’s letter about his experience with the police and I began to think of a few

things. First of all, I think many of us have had that exact experience. I know I have had that so many times, and any

daily driver in Guyana would swear that is true. I always hear on the news that the high level politicians and police offers are confused as to why they keep getting a bad name? These people ask this question with the most wondering look on their faces. Hollywood actors can’t even look this confused in movie scenes. The solution is simple. All police officers should greet every person with “Good day sir/madam, how are you?” Then proceed with the rest of the conversation in a polite tone. If they notice the person is doing something wrong (but harmless) they should offer to let them go with a warning, which in my 20 years of driving has never happened. Secondly, for those of you who aren’t drivers, imagine Mr. Charandass is a lawyer, and even more powerful an MP, and look at his treatment. Can anybody imagine what happens to the regular guys? What happens when a hire car or mini bus driver who earns a salary of $5000 daily is stopped? Maybe it’s something MP Mr. Charandass should have some sympathy for us and bring up in his next Parliament Meeting. Mr. Freddie Kissoon writes about these “routine” stops by police, but Mr Kissoon is also a popular figure so I’m sure he is told “carry on”. I wonder if anybody who sits in parliament wonders what happens to the regular guys, the man without a multi million dollar law education? (Concerned Citizen)

DEAR EDITOR, Two ludicrous news items appeared in the Guyana Times on April 6th. One bears the headlines, “Joint Services adequately resourced to protect Guyana’s border – Harmon” and the other, “GPL will become world-class utility company – CEO”. Both of these articles have one thing in common, they’re both ridiculously misleading. Unless the Guyana Power & Light -GPL is given full control of the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Plant after it is built by the PPP/C when we return to office in 2020, GPL will always remain incompetent, unreliable and a major liability on the financial resources of the country. But this letter is not about GPL, it is about the ludicrous statement made by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. If the article is correct, Minister Harmon was quoted as saying, “I would say that the disciplined forces there – the Police and the Army – they have the resources to respond quickly to these reports.” Of course, he was referring to the “growing concerns about the safety and security of citizens living and working along the border communities who complain of increasing attacks, particularly from the Venezuelabased Sindicato gang members.” As I’ve written earlier, the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Security Services headed by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, just returned from a fact-finding mission to Region 1, where we inspected police stations at Moruca; Matthews Ridge; Port Kaituma and Mabaruma. The overall report card reflects the concerns of senior police ranks on these very issues, and the willingness to get the job down. But without clear policy guidelines; adequate manpower, proper weapons, vehicles, boats and more secured holding cells, it would be impossible for them to con-

tain and deter criminal activities in the area. Sending more police and soldiers to the Region would further complicate matters as accommodation is limited and inadequate even for those now living there. Where would Minister Harmon put these additional police and troops? Did he not consult with his colleague, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan before making such a statement? Playing politics with our security will not protect our borders, but will condemn our disciplined forces to a failed mission if proper planning is neglected. This government has failed the nation in the only area that most people thought they specialized in, and that is security. The state of the economy and the increase in crime are intrinsically linked. Since taking office in 2015, there has been steady increases in the crime rate. Under this APNU+AFC government, there are more taxes, ever-rising cost of living, fewer jobs, and a rapid decline in the standard of living. So much so, some desperate individuals believe they have little or no choice but to turn to drugs or crime in order to survive and support their families. Despite some commendable efforts by the police, we have seen an escalation in the drug trade, murders, assaults, armed robbery and burglary. And now the threat from the “Sindicato” gang exposes the weakness in our border security. The final Report of the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP) which was prepared by British security expert, Lt. Col (Ret’d) Russell Combe is still to be discussed by Cabinet although it was handed over to President Granger since January 18. How serious can this government be on security matters? According to my friend and Parliamentary colleague, Bishop Juan Edghill, “The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), which is a depart-

Skullduggery ... From page 5 meeting, the commissioner had changed from his initial stand of his last hearing on the matter, to a two-week ultimatum to produce relative documents to support my case or he will strike out the matter that was in front of him. I welcome the new normal/beginning by the commissioner on the time limit into dealing with matters, if it is across the board and not conveniently used to his advantage. Although I had supplied the relevant information to the commissioner before the allotted time, his response is still not forthcoming. I left the meeting with a stronger sense of a cover-up by some officials of the high echelon of the GGMC. I have many reasons to believe that the situation is worse than I previously thought. I do hope my speculations are wrong. Suffering miner

ment of the Guyana Police Force that was established to support and strengthen the investigative capacity of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has now been politicized and used as a tool to target political opponents. It is lacking in operational independence… SARA, is another political outfit masquerading under the guise of the recovery of state assets. There have been no investigations by SARA into the notorious Sussex Street Bond scandal, the $632 million drugs procurement scandal, and the $1.3 billion from the Treasury for the construction without any procurement process of the now infamous D’Urban Jubilee Park at Homestretch Avenue.” In fact, the limited human resources of the Guyana Police Force continues to be wasted, trying to find what Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma was forced to admit publicly that after spending more than $150 million, the 50 forensic audits have all failed to unearth any evidence of fraud and corruption by the former PPP/C Administration. There is no doubt that the security threat to our miners and citizens in areas close to the Venezuelan border is real and must be confronted. The government can start by defining clear policy guidelines to deal with foreign nationals, especially those involved in criminal activities and prostitution. Our security forces in Regions 1,2 8 and 10 must be given an adequate fleet of 4x4 vehicles; hi-speed boats; radios, weapons; ammunition and body-armor. Then, as more accommodation is built to house additional members of the disciplined forces, more can be sent in as needed. It is also imperative to introduce a course in basic Spanish for all police and military personnel to alleviate the language barrier, and to have them fully trained as First Responders . Our disciplined forces in the hinterland region are severely handicapped and are mainly restricted to locations in close proximity to their base stations. I extend an invitation to Minister Harmon to accompanying us on our next visit to police stations in the hinterland regions where he can obtain first-hand information, rather than relying on information given to him by someone sitting in a cosy office at Eve Leary or Camp Ayanganna. HARRY GILL PPP/C Member of Parliament

Sunday April 08, 2018

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The corruption chant suddenly died DEAR EDITOR, Our Constitution makes it unambiguously clear that supreme power or sovereignty or authority to make decisions which affect their lives belong to the people and the elected representatives exist to give effect to the will of the people. As an RDC Councilor, when I took the oath I swore to discharge my duties ‘without fear, or favor, affection or ill will.’ I intended to do just that. In addition, at every RDC meeting, the prayer is read by the Clerk of Council who exhorts everyone to invoke ‘divine guidance’ in all our deliberations so that we could be able to serve our Region. I have never taken this prayer lightly as well.I have written many missives on corruption with the intention of opening the ‘eyes ‘ of the relevant authorities so that our citizens can have value for money. When in opposition, this Government made ‘corruption and transparency’ their mantra on the political platform. Now that they are in Government the corruption chant suddenly died and those who highlight corrupt practices are

being attacked and threatened to keep their mouths shut.I wish to make it clear that I was expelled from the AFC because I dared to expose corruption and cronyism within the AFC. Today the same evil practices are in existence but have been multiplied exponentially. In one of my letters, I wrote about corruption in Region 6 and I made reference to the ‘junk’ bulldozer issue. The REO wrote a strong letter to the Chairman which was circulated to all the RDC councilors demanding that I recant what I have written. She claimed that I implied that no bond was in existence when what I stated was that I queried the existence of the bond. In that letter she claimed that a bond is in existence. However, at the last RDC Statutory meeting it was discovered that no such bond was in existence. In fact, bond dated 13th March, 2018 was for an entirely new contract for the supply of a D3 angle blade bulldozer. In another part of the said letter, I wrote what the fishermen at #43 Village told me with regards to the work which was done on the #43 Canal

and the excavation work which was supposed to commence on the clearing and excavation of the channel. What I did was to relate their grievance so that it can be heard. I bore no malice towards anyone, especially the contractor whom I did not name, when I reported the fishermen’s conversation with me. I bear absolutely ‘no ill will or malice’ and I do unreservedly apologize if he feels that way!It is my understanding that as a Councilor I need to communicate and collaborate widely and I need to engage citizens in my Region, listen and highlight their grievances and advocate for them. In the case of the #43 fishermen’s plight, the situation had reached crisis point with no resolution in sight. They were losing monies and they were frustrated. I had to make known their grievances so that their lives can be re-

turned to normal. My intention is to represent those people and to make a difference to the quality of their lives which had seen more than a month’s deterioration. At the last RDC meeting an APNU Councilor took offence to the fact that I was highlighting alleged practices of cronyism and corruption. One individual demanded that I stop writing negative things in the press and that I should highlight the progress. What progress he is referring to I am still in a quandary to fathom. He fully supported the REO even though it was evidenced that no bond existed on the junk bulldozer. I think this individual should revisit the oath he took and the prayer he recites before the start of the every Meeting. Haseef Yusuf RDC Councilor-Region 6

Is the Guyana Defence Force harbouring ticking time bombs in its ranks? DEAR EDITOR, My respect to the bereaved of the late Miss Reona Payne who was gruesomely gunned down in public and I would also like to include the kids of the accused, Captain Orwain Sandy, that I sorry that you are feeling the consequences. Though I am no expert on matters relating to the Guyana Defence Force, I am left to wonder about quite a lot.Doesn’t the GDF offer the service of ‘Psychological Evaluation’ of its officers/ ranks?Even if it is accurate that the accused were seeing/ visiting private Doctors for

the past two years because of mental issues, did the GDF know of his condition?If they did, why was this individual still in possession of his firearm?Did the GDF/State fail this officer and other ranks currently serving by not providing the necessary services for their personal safety and the general public?I am now left thinking that the Guyana Defense Force may have some ticking time bombs among its personnel.Where do we go from here and how do we fix the situation? Yours Faithfully T.Pemberton

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil agrees to modify stability clause in Liberia under “Profound change in circumstances”

tabilization provi sions protect oil companies from governmental or legislative changes that may affect any contract term. It grants the oil company compensation from the host government for any added costs due to future legislative changes. This provision is just one of the controversial features of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana has with ExxonMobil. Local critics believe that in Guyana’s case, ExxonMobil went above and beyond to strangle the nation’s parliament and future governments with the use of a most rigid stability clause. What also lends credence to the aforementioned con-

cern is a discovery that was made during the examination of the PSA ExxonMobil has with Liberia. During an assessment, one quickly observes that the oil company was not able trap Liberia in a straitjacket stability clause in which Guyana finds itself. In the Liberia PSA, the company agrees that there can be amendments to the stability clause in the case of “profound change in circumstances.” The oil agreement in that regard notes that the State and the Contractor shall meet if the State or the Contractor gives at least 45 days’ notice to the other that it reasonably considers a Profound Change in circumstances to have occurred.

- But leaves Guyana trapped in straitjacket provision At the meeting, the State and the Contractor shall review the relevant facts and circumstances and determine whether a Profound Change in Circumstances has occurred. “To the extent that a Profound Change in Circumstances has occurred, the State and the Contractor shall enter into good faith discussions to consider and shall make such modifications to the Contract as they may through good faith discussions propose as necessary or appropriate to restore the economic, fiscal and financial balance of the Contract.” The contract also defines

what may constitute a “Profound Change in Circumstances.” It notes that this refers to changes arising since the Effective Date of the contract in the economic conditions of the petroleum industry world-

wide or in Liberia, or such changes in the economic, political or social circumstances existing in Liberia specifically or elsewhere in the world at large as to result in such a material and fundamental alteration of the conditions,

assumptions and bases relied upon by the Parties at the Relevant Date that the overall economic, fiscal and financial balance reasonably anticipated by them will no longer as a practical matter be achievable.

Govt. mum on Guyana’s access to int’l group that helps renegotiate contracts pro bono The coalition Government is still to state if it will tap into the expertise of an international group which helps countries in the successful renegotiation of contracts on a pro bono basis. The group is called, the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP). Over the past 17 years, with support from law firms, foundations and government agencies, ISLP has mobilized hundreds of experienced lawyers to provide more than $100 million worth of pro bono legal assistance in support of just, accountable and inclusive development in more than 80 countries. The Project was successful in helping Liberia renegotiate its contracts with ArcelorMittal S.A., a Germanbased steel manufacturing company and American company Firestone Tire and Rub-

ber. According to the Project’s website, former Board Chair and current Board Member Joe Bell received a letter from former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, thanking him for ISLP’s legal assistance following her election and in the years that immediately followed. The letter from the former President read, “When our administration commenced in 2006 and was faced with a collapsed economy and dysfunctional institutions, we reached out for support in evaluating and renegotiating concession agreements and contracts and we quickly received the assistance required. “This resulted in the landmark renegotiation of the Firestone and Arcelor Mittal Concession Agreements with significant improved benefit to Liberia.”

“Throughout the twelve years of the Administration, ISLP provided pro bono service as requested in a wide range of endeavors, including those that required a restructuring and regularization of the country’s nascent petroleum exploration programmes...The group has also helped other countries across the world in the renegotiation of oil contracts. ISLP is also no stranger to Guyana as it has provided support to the Attorney General’s Office for the review of Guyana’s Cyber Crime Bill and Electronic Transactions Bill. CALL FOR RENEGOTIATION Local commentators have also expressed concern over the lopsided deal Guyana signed with ExxonMobil, (Continued on page 19)

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Lawyer denies AG’s version of recusal in Prithima Kissoon case

igel Hughes, law yer for Prithima Kissoon, the former Deputy Solicitor General who is locked in a court battle against the Attorney General Chambers, has denied the version of events that was reported. According to Hughes in a statement, it was Justice Nandram Kissoon, Chairman, Public Service Appellate Tribunal, who first announced that the appellant, Prithima Kissoon, was his niece. The Ministry of Legal Affairs/Attorney General Chambers, however, in its statement, said it was the state lawyers who pointed out the conflict of interest situation. Prithima Kissoon is fighting what she said is her wrongful dismissal.“The Attorney General Chambers in its own deliberate judgement issued a press release in an ongoing

matter which is currently engaging the attention of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal. It is unfortunate that in its press release it escaped the attention of the Chambers of the Attorney General that fidelity and accuracy were integral to the administration of justice even in the promotion of the efforts of chambers,” Hughes said yesterday. He explained that on Wednesday when the appeal by Prithima Kissoon engaged the attention of the tribunal, the Chairman first announced that the appellant was his niece, and raised the issue of possible bias and invited “counsels from both sides to assist the Tribunal by way of written submissions on this issue”.The Chairman in his invitation referred counsel to the Pinochet decision as one of the several authorities on this issue.“It was after this in-

former Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon

Attorney General Basil Williams

vitation that Counsel for the Attorney General indicated that they had intended to raise the issue. Counsel for the Attorney General thereafter requested permission

to make additional submissions on the issue of abuse of process. The Tribunal thereafter invited Counsels from both sides to assist the court by providing written

Justice Nandram Kissoon submissions including references to case law and academic material.”Hughes said that it is the hope that in future the endeavors of the Chambers of the Attorney

Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes General to report on their efforts in court “will be accompanied by some dedication to accuracy and perhaps less on agendas unrelated to the proceedings in court”.

Govt. plays guessing games with Guyana’s future - Ramson

hat will the project cost? Will it address Guyana’s needs? Will it be reliable? Will we be able to avoid the hardships endured by other countries that chose this route? Are our current generators capable of using gas and how much would it cost to modify or buy new ones? According to Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson, until those and other pertinent questions are answered, Government has no business “selling dreams” to the people of Guyana. Ramson was speaking about the gas to power project being touted by the government. He said that the government seems to be playing guessing games with the future of Guyana as it is going full speed ahead into a project without a feasibility study being done. “We heard earlier in the week that the Guyana Power and Light needs US $110M to end blackouts. Then we heard that the gas to shore project is ‘feasible’. Then minister (of Public Infrastructure,) David Patterson even said that he will ‘go out on a limb’ and announce that elec-

tricity will be cheaper than 10 cents per kWh. This is all crazy,” said Ramson. Ramson said that while there has been announcements that the project is feasible, ExxonMobil is being quoted in sections of the media as recent as yesterday saying that no the study to assess whether there will be excess associated gas is yet to be completed. He said that if a feasibility study was done then the Minister would have been able to quote exact figures and there would have been no need for him to “go out on a limb.” Ramson also noted that ExxonMobil has first dibs to use for keeping the reservoir under the required pressure. Further, Ramson said that even if ExxonMobil finds that there is enough associated gas to bring to shore, Guyana still needs to be wary of the cost that can be attached to such an undertaking. “How much will it cost to build the gas pipeline? And how does the government plan to meet the extra supply needed for your base load power immediately? These are all questions that need to be answered before government

Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson can tell the nation that this project is well on the way,” said Ramson. Ramson said that it is also important that the government find out the possibilities of the people of Guyana having to endure days or even weeks of power outage in the early stages of the gas to power project. He noted that this is not far-fetched as it has been experienced by other

Ghana’s plant (Construction Review Online’s photo) countries. Ghana’s power supply crisis tormented the people of that nation for quite some time. That country was rely-

ing on a gas to power project as well. Ghana power supply experienced a critical power crisis during the load-shedding activities structured to

between 300MW and 400MW of power. The activities allowed the end power users to access (Continued on page 68)

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

Dynamic Airways still to refund passengers

t has been almost six months since Dynamic Airways cancelled flights to and from the United States of America after—earlier in the year—filing for bankruptcy. The cancellations left over 600 passengers still waiting to be refunded monies paid for tickets to travel to the U.S. Doorpatie Ramjit, 62-yearold of 22 Better Hope North, East Coast Demerara, and her sons Mark and Omar Ramjit are becoming frustrated because they have been “running up and down and no one can say exactly when the money will be refunded.” “My mother is a pensioner and the money that had to be paid for that ticket is more than what some people work for in a month,” Omar complained. He said that he has been trying tirelessly, to speak to representatives from Dynamic Airlines and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to retrieve the money but to date he has had no redress. Mark Ramjit bought a ticket for his mother to travel to the United States last October. The woman’s son said, because his mother had just acquired her Visitor’s Visa, he wanted his mother to travel

week; the other week and every time you go is something different,” she said. She said that she was in the US when she got the news that her flight was canceled. She said that she had already exhausted all the cash she had travelled with, and had to be assisted by a family member who had to purchase two return tickets for her and one of her friends. Information received from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure suggested that the Ministry is “working tirelessly to assist with the refunds.” The Public Relations Officer, Desilon Daniels, said

that the Ministry, is facilitating Dynamic Airlines with the refund to affected passengers. Daniels added that the Ministry is putting the final steps in place to get the monies to the affected passengers. The Ministry had experienced some challenges with getting the correct information and other details to facilitate the refunds, she said. She further stated that the Ministry is in the process of trying to ensure that the proper information such as names, flight numbers and other important pertinent information given to the Minis-

try is correct. As it relates to the date on which passengers will get their monies back, Daniels said: “We do not want to tell them April and we do not have the money ready to give them.” She told Kaieteur News that, if all goes well, passengers can expect to get their refunds early May. In January, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said that the process to access a bond for the sum US$200,000 which was lodged by Dynamic International Airways. The money, the Ministry said, will be used to refund passengers owed by Dynamic Airways.

Taxi driver slapped with another rape charge Documents from Dynamic Airways to the US to visit friends and family, and as such, he decided to purchase a ticket for her. Another resident from the East Coast of Demerara also complained that she, too, is

being given the “royal run around” by Dynamic Airways representatives and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. “I feel like somebody want pocket the money because they just keep telling me next

Weeks after a taxi driver was committed to stand trial in the High Court for rape, he was last Friday brought back before a City Magistrate for another rape charge to be read to him. Thirty-three-year-old Thurston Semple, of Tucville, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The allegation is that on August 31, last, at Quamina Street, he engaged in sexual penetration with a woman without her consent. He was not allowed to plead to the indictable offence. The matter was held incamera.Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield strongly objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the penalty the charge attracts and the fact that the accused was recently committed to stand trial for two similar offences. The Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor granted the defendant $100,000 bail. Condition of the bail is the he lodge his passport at the court and stay away from the virtual complainant until the completion of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI). According to information on the day in question the defendant met the woman who is said to be a sex worker at Palm Court and carried her to a hotel where he had sex with her against her will. The woman then went and reported the matter to the police and the defendant was arrested for the offence. Semple was instructed to make his next court appearance on April 17. Last January, Semple appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where two charges were read to him. The first charge alleged that between November 30, and again on December 1, last, at Georgetown, he engaged in sexual

Thurston Semple penetration of a woman without her consent. It was further alleged that between January 3 and January 4, at Georgetown, he sexually assaulted another woman. According to reports, Semple picked up the sex workers on separate occasions and took them to his home, where he agreed to pay them $10,000 each for performing sex acts on him.However, after the sex acts with the sex workers, Semple tied their hands and feet, placed them in his car and took them back at the location where he met them without paying for their service. The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into those matters where conducted before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman. At the conclusion of the PI, the Magistrate (Continued on page 19)

Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

Prosecution close case in Berbice businessman murder

ACCUSED: Kelvin Seegobin The Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of Corentyne, Berbice businessman, Patrick Mohabir, 42, of Lot 9

Belvedere Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice continued on Friday in the Reliance Magistrate Court. Standing before Magistrate Mauricia Mittleholzer is accused Kelvin Seegobin called “Kelly”, 38, of Belvedere Squatting Area, Corentyne Berbice. Seegobin, who is well known to the authorities, is a neighbour of the businessman. He is being represented by Sasha Roberts of the Legal Aid clinic. He was also positively identified in an Identification parade. He is accused of, on the night of January 6, 2016, being one of two masked men, armed with a ‘long gun’

and a cutlass, and dressed in dark long-sleeved clothing, entered the home of the businessman. Mohabir was shot to death. He operated the popular grocery store, Shabina and Sons, on the premises. At the time Mohabir, his wife, Shabina Ahmad, and four of his children were at home. The man was shot during a confrontation with the two masked bandits. The woman had stated that during the confrontation she had begged the bandits not to harm the family and even offered them money. The man was shot in the left thigh during a scuffle with

one of the intruders. The bandits reportedly then returned to the wounded businessman’s wife, who allegedly managed to “scramble” the mask off of one of the intruders. The intruders then fled, taking two cell phones and a pair of shoes. Mohabir was rushed to hospital where he succumbed. The woman had stated that the men did not appear to be robbers. There were no signs of forced entry to the house. The Prosecution which is being led by Inspector Althea Solomon concluded its case with the testimonies of former Detective Superintendent

Terrence Paul and Detective Inspector Dexter Torrington. Superintendent Paul who was in charge of crime in “B” Division at the time detailed the part he played during the investigation. After receiving certain information and conducting surveillance he gave certain instructions which led to the arrest of Seegobin. Testifying earlier were Detective Sergeants Lawrence Thomas and Sergeant Curtis Cort, Detective Corporal Juke Jacque, Constable Emanuel Davidson among others. The defence is expected to make its submission for the magistrate to consider. Both

MURDERED: Patrick Mohabir the prosecution and defence are then expected to make their submissions before the magistrate makes a ruling.

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

UK Bank knowingly transferred US$800M to corrupt Nigerian oil minister LONDON (Reuters) - JP Morgan Chase has acknowledged it knew a former Nigerian oil minister convicted of money laundering would benefit when it transferred over $800 million of government funds to a company he controlled, according to a court document seen by Reuters. JP Morgan made the acknowledgement in its legal response to a lawsuit filed by Nigeria over transactions made by the U.S. bank when Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and Eni (ENI.MI) bought offshore oilfield OPL 245 from Malabu Oil and Gas in 2011. The $1.3 billion deal has spawned legal cases spanning several countries and involving Nigerian government officials and senior ENI and Shell executives, a number of

whom face trial in Italy on corruption charges next month. Malabu is controlled by Dan Etete, who was Nigeria’s oil minister at the time of the deal and was convicted of money laundering in France in 2007. He could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit against JP Morgan accuses the bank of negligence over the transfer of funds from a Nigerian government escrow account into which Shell and Eni had deposited money to secure OPL 245. It claims $875 million from the bank. In its written defence, filed in a British court last week, JP Morgan said Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), now renamed the National Crime Agency, had approved the transfers to Malabu. It denied negligence. The bank had previously

Dan Etete said only that it “considers the allegations made in the claim to be unsubstantiated and without merit”. JP Morgan did not provide a comment on the filing. Lawyers representing Nigeria did not respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear whether JP Morgan’s

acknowledgement that it knew of Etete’s links with Malabu will have any impact on the trial starting in Milan in May. Italian prosecutors were not immediately available for comment. Eni’s chief executive is among those going on trial in Milan on charges of paying bribes to Etete and others, including sums that went to Malabu. Shell and Eni deny wrongdoing in relation to OPL 245. Shell said in April last year that it “always knew” the Nigerian government would compensate Malabu and that Etete was involved. It had previously told Reuters only that payments went to the Nigerian government. The lawsuit against JP Morgan said that although it received a request from Nigeria’s finance ministry to transfer funds to accounts controlled by Malabu, the

bank showed gross negligence by not making further checks before allowing the transaction. Denying negligence, JP Morgan said in its response that the transfers were authorised by designated government signatories for the Depository Account — the then finance minister and the African country’s accountant general. The bank also said it knew Etete was the beneficiary of Malabu by July 2011, one month before it made the transfers, and that by July 14, 2011, it “was aware of Etete’s conviction”. “It is admitted that the order referred to Etete as Malabu’s principal. [...] It is admitted that by 15 July 2011 JPMC (JP Morgan Chase) was aware of Etete and of his association with Malabu,” it said in the court filing.

JP Morgan also denied that it had acted in breach of Nigeria’s constitution or owed the government or state any further due diligence. “It is denied that ‘the utilisation of the Depository Account’ was contrary to the constitution... It is denied that JPMC ‘should have been aware’ that this was (allegedly) the case,” the filing said.

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

APNU+AFC has in three years achieved what it took PNC and PPP Govt’s two decades to do

Not unexpectedly, the discontinuation of the Lewis and Hinds columns at the Guyana Chronicle ignited some debate in the media. Significantly, all four of the main political parties were drawn out of their creases to answer the fundamental political questions that arose from what PNC General Secretary, Amna Ally, described as a “little issue.” Ms. Ally’s characterization reflects the kind of myopic politics that has doomed Guyana these past seven decades—the kind of politics that ignores the lessons of history and the nature of the society. Ms. Ally may be extreme in this regard, but all our government leaders suffer from this grave affliction. When the story first broke, one of my left-wing friends asked me if the “masses” would raise their voices. I told her mass protest over such matters is a thing of the past—the masses have become either immune to such authoritarianism or are compromised by the logic of ethnic politics. This is not to say that Guyanese are not outraged by government over-reach—they are. The volume of private messages of solidarity and outrage I received bears this out. For most government supporters there is a mixture of shame and fear—fear that any show of public outrage would benefit the PPP. I told my friend that although the masses would not rise, the story would become big, because quite apart from the issue of freedom of expression, the discontinuation of the columns goes to the core of the character of the government. I was not wrong. This Chronicle fiasco is just the latest episode in a long worrying list of indiscretions by this government. Despite offers to move the column to other news outlets, I chose to remain at the Chronicle as a matter of principle and political strategy. I

was sure that they would eventually move because they have the power to do so and because they think they could get away with it. After all, Hinds and Lewis have no constituency. The responses of the parties are instructive. The WPA used the occasion to reflect on the quality of governance in the country and the party’s continued association with the government. Unlike the other three main parties, the WPA holds itself and is held to a different standard. The party is steeped in a political counterculture that is grounded in an independent, transformative praxis that is broader and deeper than electoralism. While the party today is not what it was in the 1970s and 1980s, it will always be judged by the standards and praxis of those years. The removal of the columns, partly because it involved a leading WPA member, has once again forced the party to take a hard look at its role in contemporary Guyanese politics. If the public utterings by two of its leading executives, one of its founder-members and members of its Overseas Associates are anything to go by, that discourse will be most interesting. Based on the comments of three of its leaders— Ramotar, Jagdeo and Nandlall— the PPP found itself “between a rock and a rocky place.” While they sought to nail the PNC and the government and ridicule the WPA for being naïve, none of them condemned the action. They could not, because that’s how they operated in relation to the state media when they governed, and that’s precisely how they would operate when they get their hands on power again. So, they sought to score political points on something that they themselves are guilty of. Their criticisms made no impact on the situation.

The AFC also did not condemn the action. They could not, because some of their members were directly involved, and because they have been reduced to rubberstamping, participating or covering up government excesses. The party statement didn’t say much, but party leader, Raphael Trotman, without being nasty, repeated the government’s doctrine in relation to the state media. According to him, the AFC as a party had nothing to do with the decision, but the government’s voice needs to be stronger in the state media. The AFC has become a victim of its own lack of political morality—it is in love with power which it didn’t struggle for and so is careless with it. History has already started to be harsh on that party. The other defining statements came from the PNC. The party General Secretary’s statement was dealt with above. Minister Harmon, who is not a doctrinaire PNC member, gave the most honest and commonsense official comment. He basically said he did not find the columns worrying, but did not deny that some of his colleagues did. Harmon is a drop of good water in what is fast turning into an ocean of bad water. Enter the president. His was the most studied and deliberate statement. He also did not condemn the action. As a president who is usually very open to finding out the truth via Commissions of Inquiry, he didn’t go there on this issue. He stressed the need for “responsible” expression in the state media, aimed at ensuring citizens get information to make informed decisions. So, when you couple the refusal to condemn the action with the view that the sate media, unlike the private media, has the responsibility of giving citizens information to make informed decisions, the

The Baccoo Speaks It is difficult to explain the madness that seems to have gripped the country. There will be another murder and once more the killers will be from within the community. A simple issue would escalate to the point where reason is going to flee from the assailant. Needless to say he would attempt to flee but more often than not, there will be nowhere to go. Relatives would not harbour him. ** Robberies are once more becoming commonplace.

These robbers are very young men who failed to learn anything at school and therefore believe that crime is the easy way to make money. These young robbers would pounce on lowly people who earn nothing more than the mini-

mum wage.Two of them would be caught in the act. Sadly the courts cannot contain them. ** When the law enforcer is caught breaking the law there is often a lot of talk. A recent murder would set tongues wagging because by a twist of fate, the killer has been able to wrest sympathy from an otherwise unsympathetic public. But those who support the law would be more vocal. The result would be most interesting.

message is clear. The question is what or who are the citizens expected to make these informed decisions on. The government, of course. None of the government spokespersons denied that the matter was raised at cabinet. None of them denied that individual ministers may have given the Editor in Chief the orders to act. None of them condemned the action. None of them expressed an interest in finding out if the charge that the decision was politically influenced is true or not. In the final analysis, all of them engaged in cover-up. That is what our politics have been reduced to. I knew that they would eventually remove the column, because unfortunately this government is essentially no different from the previous ones when it comes to the management of political power. What it took the PNC and the PPP governments two decades and more to achieve, this one has achieved in three short years. While the previous ones used naked force and violence, this one is much subtle. But in the end the outcome is the same—suppression of dissent, personalization of power and disregard for both the negative short and longterm consequences of their actions. One of the consequences of this action is that we have now returned to the days when there are dire consequences for criticism of government, including losing your job. If Lincoln Lewis and I depended on our columns to make a living, today we

would be out of a job—not because we are unskilled writers, but because we dared to criticize the political gods of our time. I am sure that few citizens would now feel free to criticize the government in public. Young people especially would be fearful. Like previous governments, this one has now officially muzzled criticism of government. When you kill critique, you kill the soul of the country. The columns have been picked up by the Kaieteur News, so personally we are not muzzled. The symbolism of removing the columns from the Chronicle is this: Lewis and I are used to send a message to others to toe the line or be gone from government institutions. We were there under the two previous governments. The more we change, everything remains the same. Only yesterday those in government used their majority in parliament to punish the PPP for using the state media as party property. Now they are in power, they are doing exactly that which the flayed the PPP for doing. Power in the hands of the power-drunk is dangerous. But what the powerful always forget is that one day they would lose power. When the PPP comes back to power and they do exactly what this Coalition has done, the latter would have no moral authority to criticize and block them. And therein lies Guyana’s problem. When the PNC lost power in 1992 because they were so

Dr David Hinds discredited, they could not effectively check the PPP, thus making it easier for the PPP to construct an elected dictatorship. Since the PPP lost power three years ago, it has not been able to legitimately combat government excesses. And the trend continues, as our country remains locked in a cycle of dictatorship. Significantly, only one of the many African-centered organizations—the Pan African, Guyana branch—had the courage to condemn the action. If you cannot stand on the side of justice because a Black government is in power, you would have no moral standing when you attempt to lift your voices when the PPP returns to power. On this score, these organizations are as guilty as the actions they enable with their silence. These persons can no longer look Indian Guyanese in their faces and tell them that they enabled Jagdeo and the PPP. More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

By Michael Jordan Anita Persaud stepped out of her parents’ home at Good Faith, Mahaicony, at around 18.15 hrs on Sunday, August 19, 2001. The pretty 18-year-old was dressed in a pair of white pants and a green blouse. At the time, only her father, Ramesh Persaud, and a friend were at home, but the men were reportedly fixing an outboard engine in the backyard. Mr. Persaud, a fisherman, would later say that he assumed that Anita was going to meet her mother at a wedding house, two properties away from his. But when his wife came home later that night, she told her husband that Anita had asked to go to the cinema, located a corner away from her home. Thinking that Anita was indeed at the cinema and knowing that she had her own keys to the house, the family retired to bed.When the parents awoke the following morning, they observed that Anita’s bedroom door was shut. They assumed that she was still sleeping, so no one bothered to check on her. But when 09:00 hrs came and Anita failed to surface, her mother decided

to check in the bedroom. She was surprised to find it empty. The wedding had continued into the next day, and the parents decided to ask some of the guests whether their daughter had passed by. But none of them had seen Anita. However, the Persauds’ eldest son told his mother that one of his friends had reportedly seen his sister walking on the Mahaicony Public Road with a boy the night before. Mrs. Persaud eventually made a report at the Mahaicony Police Station. The police enquired whether the teen had a boyfriend. Mrs. Persaud explained that Anita was planning to get married in 2002. She believed that the police

suspected that the teen might have run off with her fiancé. But that theory did not appear to be plausible, since the fiancé was living overseas. Mrs. Persaud was returning home from the police station when she observed a familiar object on the road. It was a shoe. In fact, the shoe looked like one that Anita wore. Mrs. Persaud picked up the shoe and took it home. She was talking with her husband about Anita’s possible whereabouts when she remembered the shoe. She then returned to the police station with it. But yet, the police and everyone else still seemed to believe that the missing girl had run away with a lover. Anita’s mother then trav-

elled to her sister’s home at Corentyne, Berbice, in the hope that Anita might have gone there. To her disappointment, the sister had no information about Anita. On Tuesday, August 21, 2001, Mrs. Persaud sent her eldest son to question the friend who claimed to have seen Anita walking with a boy. But shortly after, Mrs. Persaud’s son came running towards her. Breathless, the son pointed to the canal in front of the family’s home. ”Body…floating…” he eventually gasped. The family members immediately rushed to the canal. Lying face down in the water with a rope around her neck, and clad only in her white pants, was Anita Persaud. During an autopsy, a pathologist reportedly found traces of mud in the victim’s lungs. This suggested that Anita was still alive when she was dumped in the canal.

Shortly after the post mortem, police detained four suspects. Among them were two brothers who were convicted twice for rape, only to be freed on appeal. But the suspects were all released after they were reportedly able to account for their whereabouts on the night that Anita was slain. The police also detained Anita’s parents and the friend who was reportedly repairing the boat engine with Mr. Persaud when his daughter left home. The detectives had reportedly received information that Mr. Persaud would often beat his children badly. While Mrs. Persaud was released the following day, her husband and his friend were kept in custody for three days before being released. To the family’s frustration, no one else has ever been arrested.But what do the parents believe happened on that fateful night? Their theory is that a gang abducted Anita, took her out of the area, then brought her back and dumped her, still alive, in the canal near her home. But what is left unanswered is why would this ‘gang’ have taken the risk of transporting their victim back to the scene from where she was abducted?

As for the young man who had claimed to have seen Anita walking with a boy on the night she was killed, he reportedly later told the family that he had made the story up as a joke. At Mrs. Persaud’s request, Anita was buried near a tree in the family’s backyard. ”She hadn’t a chance to live a full life, because some selfish person or persons took her away from us,” Mr. Persaud told Kaieteur News, some years ago. ”The thought that these persons have not been brought to justice rips at our hearts each day. That is what we have been feeling and may have to live with for the rest of our lives. But I know that there is a God, and whoever killed our daughter will come to justice some day.” If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 2258458, 22-58465, 22-58482 and 22-58491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com or kamarangnight@gmail.com

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

If this is my new life, then no regrets An employee of a prominent business place and the law firm he sought assistance from contacted me to publicize a most abominable manifestation of the violation of workers’ rights. When both the lawyer and the employee described the repugnancy, I was sad and moved. This is the kind of human rights abuse a country and the media should never leave untouched. I decided to write about this pathetic situation. While doing the investigation, my wife heard me on the phone. She knew what I was writing on. She asked me not to publish the story. This is the first time since I married Janet in 1979 that she has intervened in my praxis. I have been put in the lock ups, physically assaulted, received libel suits, had my UG employment terminated, victimized by Khurshid Sattaur and countless other powerful people, and my wife has never asked to me stop what I believe in doing. This time, after forty

years of marriage, she has. She told me the person I will write about is prominent and powerful and if he attacks me or my family it will be like all the other times – no one comes out and stands protectively behind me. She said she feels that if there is vindictive retaliation, I will be left in the wilderness as usual. My daughter was irritated. She heard what my wife was saying and she exclaimed, “Papa do not do it, you do it, you will end up alone as always, others must do it.”It was with unlimited reluctance I called the victim and told him my family feels uncomfortable; I conveyed the same feeling to the senior partner of the law firm. I told them I am firm in my position, even though I know it is a terrible human rights violation. I told both of them that I am standing by the request of my family. What I am about to express I believe deeply in my heart. After this is seen, I do not believe any individual, any human rights activist,

any trade unionist, any Cabinet minister, any journalist, any lawyer will make contact with me and say, “Freddie, we will take it up from here; give us the names of the victims and violators.” No, they will not. Of course, I will get calls that go like this; “Freddie who is this maan bhai; wuh he do de employee?” They want to know. That is all. They just want to know. Curiosity will make them call me. I would be abandoning every decent vein in my anatomy if I were to look family members and my close friends in their eyes and say to them that I don’t believe that I should stop my activism. I honestly think I have had enough of struggle for a better Guyana. Guyana’s moral, civilized fabric is not strengthening; it is getting flimsier rapidly. This is not a country where there is a right versus wrong culture. In the discussion of this particular case, my wife and daughter just keep saying; “where are the other people

to help?” I got a call from Mark Benschop, who lives in the US, three weeks ago, and this was my advice to him. Benschop has lots of friends, so it can easily be verified. I strongly suggest that he does not return to Guyana. When someone as brave as Benschop could tell me that fighting for rights in Guyana is a daunting task, then you could understand how dead a country this is. I say with profound sincerity, there is no other country in the world like Guyana where no one cares about how people’s rights are violated. What this country needs is six more Giftland Malls, six more Splashmins, ten more fast-food outlets, ten more fancy foreign restaurants, twelve more Brazilian-styled nightclubs, twenty more

Rupununi rodeo shows, thirty more Bartica regattas, so everyone can drink, eat, have sex, enjoy pleasure and leisure as if tomorrow will not come. It should be a society where la dolce vita is a frenetic preoccupation and every citizen wallows in decadent escapism. The truth about Guyana is that we are like that, only we do not have the profusion of those sybaritic structures I just mentioned above. People in this country behave as if we are living in the dying stages of civilization and there is nothing more to live

Frederick Kissoon for, so just let your Freudian ID run wild and forget about all that jazz that philosophy gave the world about justice, obligation, rights, equality. This is in fact the true picture of Guyana.

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

Domestic violence is way too costly to the nation...It has to stop! Two high profile murders last week brought us back to re-visit one of our most debilitating societal scourges, that gut-wrenching issue of domestic violence. Today, with so many people and organizations invested, we may be closer, hopefully, to answering the universal question, “What new ways could we find to be rid of partner and general domestic violence?” Both seminal cases last week came with a measure of shock. A GDF Captain allegedly used his service revolver to give vent to his passions. He reportedly shot and killed his wife, emptying his clip in the helpless woman in broad daylight. She died on the spot in Alexander Village, Georgetown, a stone’s throw from the Ruimveldt Police Station, where the alleged perpetrator went to turn himself in. The two had been living together with a blended family

for a few years. The second incident, occurring just days after that tragedy, involved a 32-year-old woman from West Bank Demerara, who had reportedly visited the home of her on again-off again boyfriend. One argument later she was dead. Speculation is rife about what exactly might have taken place, but that visit ended with another woman’s life being snuffed out in what appears to be another moment of intense anger. There was at least one common element. Neither of these incidents came as a surprise to the people close to the couples. Their relationships were turbulent, had broken down badly and then ended tragically. Social work experts who battle daily with the various shades of domestic violence often contend that it is much, much better to walk away from a bad union instead of enduring any type of abuse, be it

verbal, economic, psychological or physical. They find that abuse escalates from mild to acute, crossing spectrums and in Guyana, leading inexorably to a prostrate body. The real tragic figures in these circumstances turn out to be the survivors, the children and other dependents left behind. In direct contrast to the positions adopted by Red Thread and other rightsbased NGOs, a few defence attorneys have asked the judges and juries to not see the perpetrators as coldblooded murderers with intrinsic criminal propensities, but as men who simply “lost it” and lashed out in fits of rage, or in self defence, and their later remorse should be taken into consideration. What do you think?? Perhaps the time has now come for civil society activists to mount a strong lobby to the Ministry of Social Protection, Cabinet and Parlia-

ment for a substantially larger budgetary outlay (2019) to go towards sustained public awareness and education programmes, the operative word being ‘sustained’. These programmes should not end until the goal is achieved. They must frontally address domestic violence in all its permutations, and should be led by leaders of churches, youth and women’s groups, academics and the Ministry of Social Protection. Now is also the time for Government and civil society to embark on mass training of both volunteer and professional counselors, to develop a larger cadre of resource persons aligned to every administrative region. Guyana is clearly losing too many of its citizens to domestic violence - both men and women - but statistics do show that women are killed in far greater numbers than men every year. Have you ever listened to a spectator at a murder scene say, “She got what she deserved” because rumour had it that the victim had transgressed, had been unfaithful, or had squandered the money given by her hard

working spouse, maybe on another man or her friends? Whatever the victim may have done, or caused to happen, there can be absolutely no justification for killing or maiming her or him. “It is always better to walk away!” This point has to be rammed home constantly, unendingly to everyone, including children and young adults. Police annual crime statistics have been showing a worrying trend. Spousal murders resulting from domestic violence are climbing. They sometimes account for the largest categories of homicides, or they come in second to ‘disorderly murders’ linked to the “gold bush”, or to alcohol- or drug-induced incidents. A larger budget for the Social Protection programme would enable subventions for youth groups, churches and civil society groups that offer counselling services to couples in distress and to survivors of domestic violence. As last week came to a close, an appeal was made to the high command of the Joint Services for them to pay

closer attention to its ranks who are the ones to defend our country. (The GDF and Joint Services should already have in place internal programmes for treating those who show signs of personal distress). The appeal came from Psychologist and UG Lecturer, Wil Campbell. “I am appealing for the Joint Services to … make it a matter of policy to provide strengthened systematic support for their personnel,” the psychologist said in a personality interview published in the Guyana Chronicle. He explained that military personnel and people in power generally, including in the household, do not understand the purpose of power and they misuse it instead of channeling it into resolving issues. Campbell said any programme for eradicating violence against women and children must start with people learning how to apply power effectively, and understanding that power only equips an individual to perform a function and not to control others.

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

My column

The recent forum on illicit drugs at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel offered some revealing statistics. Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, found research that not only shocked but also caused people to ask questions. His research revealed that people in this corner of the world were killing more people than those who were raining death in the war zones. I kept following the happenings in Syria and Mosul. I saw the horrifying effects. Bombs rained on communities killing many and trapping others in the rubble of collapsed buildings. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we apparently have a war of a different sort, because more people have been killed. One research showed that in Brazil, the number of deaths in one month was more than the people killed in either Mosul or in Syria, where the United Nations had to appeal to the aggressors to allow help to reach the besieged people. When I look at Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica, I see a battlefield of a different sort. The year is just three months old and already nearly 140 people have been killed in Trinidad. In Jamaica the figure is much higher. There were no soldiers on the ground and no bombs fell from the skies to kill the victims. In Guyana, we are not too

far behind. Last week alone three people died, all violently. One of the killings was particularly savage. There was this man shooting his woman in the head. When she fell he pumped thirteen more bullets into her body. This kind of killing is left to the wars, where in the heat of battle, people lose all sense of reasoning. However, if the victim is unarmed then the killer would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. There will be no insanity defence, although the conditions could have sparked such a defence. I followed this particular case especially after I heard about a Facebook posting that suggested that there was a death threat. Then there were reports of friends reporting that the woman was often the victim of abuse. But for the greater part, she often said nothing. More recently I began to hear of infidelity. From my point of view, they were not married, although they lived like man and wife. I always say that there is not a woman who is worth one day in jail. If a woman begins to get a roving eye then it means that I am not doing something right. The end result is that I should move on and let the woman enjoy her life. People began to talk about this now dead woman having a partner who lived overseas. They also said that she was to have travelled

overseas this month end, sparking a comment from the killer that she surely would not be going anywhere this month end. Where things become interesting is when the killer is taken to court. Every newspaper screamed about the tearful killer. There is this shooter who had no compunction to shooting an unarmed woman, crying before the magistrate. Some said that he cried uncontrollably and I find this strange. Of interest was the fact that those who witnessed the performance were also reduced to tears. Among them were his relatives and close friends. I suspect that even my court reporter cried, but I cannot swear to that. A man who earlier threatened to destroy his career and put the woman in a box. He knew what he was talking about and he knew what he was doing. This killing was premeditated. But let us assume that he had mental issues, then it is frightening to think that a mentally ill man was allowed to walk around with a loaded firearm. According to his lawyer, this man was seeing a psychiatrist for the past two years. Did he talk about the voices he was hearing in his head? Did he talk about the visions he saw? Did he talk about his violent fits of anger? Being the aide de camp to the Chief of Staff of the

Guyana Defence Force, this mentally ill man from time to time would have been in the company of President David Granger. That was a dangerous situation. Yet it would seem that the army was oblivious to any danger this man could have posed to anyone, including himself. For all the focus this man attracted because centre stage belonged to him, there was another killer who must be mentioned. Coming out of Berbice was the case of two teenagers who killed a watchman by slitting his throat and breaking his leg. I am still trying to wrap my head around the mindset of these teenagers. Then there was the mother who for all the love in the world clung to her killer son. What was their conversation about? I remem-

ber the mother who swore by her son to the bitter end until she was confronted with the evidence. This happened on Croal Street. The son was with others when he snatched a gold chain from someone and on being chased, dived into the canal to hide under a bridge on Avenue of the Republic. People began to talk, so the mother turned up on the scene and swore by her son until a man recovered the body with the gold chain still clenched in his fist. My mother always sent me to take back what did not belong to me. She also did not go out of her way to defend me when I was in the wrong. Knowing how she was, I always tried to keep as best as possible to the straight and narrow. Of course I raided fruit

9*3

Adam Harris trees; of course dodged the owners, and if I was spotted and reported on, I was quick to own up, because to do otherwise was to attract the wrath of a woman who said that she was embarrassed. Yet nothing beats the tearful killer.

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he Constitution proclaims the Co operative Republic of Guyana as an indivisible, secular, sovereign and democratic state; within that state the local government system is indispensable to our concept of democracy. It is essential to the State’s economic, cultural, political and social development. Local government is part of the State’s democratic character; the Constitution again provides that “local government by freely elected representatives of the people is an essential part of the democratic organisation of the state, particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being”. Local democratic organs are not ornamental; they are not central government appendages, they are an integral part of the national government, which has three tiers: the first, consisting of central government itself; the second, consisting of the regional government and the third consisting of the councils at a local level - munici-

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palities, neighbourhood and village levels. Guyana’s rich resources will remain underexploited and the country remains underdeveloped unless all three tiers are able to work together. Guyana will not fulfil its promise of proving a good life for all of its citizens unless it becomes a country of economically robust and resilient regions, prosperous municipalities and productive neighbourhoods. Local democratic organs can fulfil their mandate to help the country to achieve its fullest potential. First, however, the capacity must be enlarged and their competence must be enhanced by fostering consultation within communities; cooperation with other regions; coordination with State agencies, authorities and commissions and collaboration with the central government. The State of Guyana comprises ten administrative regions, each of which is administered by an elected Regional Democratic Council. Regions are composed of elected municipalities, Neighbourhood

Democratic Councils and village councils. These organs also are not administrative adjuncts. The Constitution again provides that “Municipalities, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and such other subdivisions including Village Councils shall be vital organs of local democratic power”. Guyana’s regions are imposing and impressive geographical zones. The Barima-Waini Region is larger than the state of Kuwait. The PomeroonSupenaam is larger than Trinidad and Tobago. The Essequibo Islands - West Demerara Region is larger than Mauritius. DemeraraMahaica is larger than Singapore. Mahaica-Berbice is larger than Cape Verde. East-Berbice-Corentyne is larger than Belgium. CuyuniMazaruni is larger than The Netherlands. Potaro-Siparuni is larger than Fiji. The Rupununi is larger than Costa Rica and Upper DemeraraBerbice is larger than The Bahamas. RDCs, therefore, possess enormous power to do good

if only they could overcome their pettiness and their prejudices which we see on display by the absence of the PPP dominated Regional Democratic Councils at very important events. Guyana is purposefully becoming a ‘green’ state. Guyana is emphasising the protection of our environment; the preservation of our biodiversity; the provision of eco-tourism and eco-education services and the promotion of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. Guyana will place an additional two million hectares of our territory under conservation this year. Guyana is committed to a low-carbon, low-emission trajectory of development; all of these are part of the responsibility of regions if this is to become a reality. The entire country is part of the Guiana Shield, one of the world’s last tracts of intact tropical rainforest. A zone which has been described as the ‘lungs of the earth’, our country is blessed with diverse ecosystems: the coastlands, the grasslands, the highlands, the lake lands, the wetlands, rainforest, rivers and some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls and rapids. Each region has its own unique ecological zone; each region should be proud of its biodiversity; each region should be proud of its portion of this great patrimony. The asymmetries in economic development and infrastructural assets; the diversity of our natural resources and the complexities of ecosystems of our region present challenges for government; a country as vast and diverse as Guyana re-

quires all three tiers of government to work together for the public good — the national, the regional and the local. Guyana’s development depends on strong regions. The regions are the roots of economic growth. The development of the regions must be stimulated by capital towns. It is important that each Capital Town be capable of providing the full gamut of quality public services. We must enhance their capability to deliver education, energy from renewable sources, law enforcement, health, housing, water supply, immigration, taxation and the registration of births, deaths and businesses. All of these are needed for human development, all of these can be provided by our regions and particularly our capital towns. Capital towns must encourage employment, establish industrial estates, enable economic diversification and deliver economic services such as banking, commerce, communications, insurance, law courts and other business services. Every region eventually must have its own aerodrome, its own college, its own high court, its own police divisional headquarters, its own radio and television station, its own referral hospital, its own stadium. Every region must be capable of attracting investment and encouraging trade with the Caribbean and other neighbouring countries. Every region must have thriving commercial districts. Regional Democratic Councils, therefore, within the confines of the law, must work with Neighbourhood Democratic

Councils, municipalities and village councils to promote this form of economic development. Every region must superintend the work of its neighbourhood councils and village councils in order to enable them to better govern their communities. Our Constitution demands cooperative forms of governance on the part of local democratic organs. A mechanism needs to be created to ensure that the Regional Democratic Councils, the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, the municipalities, the village councils and other regional stakeholders are able to meet, discuss and plan for development and thereby give effect to popular participation in government. The Regional Democratic Consultative Committee which has been established by the Minister of Communities is praiseworthy. It has been established to provide such a mechanism. The committees will be purely consultative. They cannot usurp the functions of the RDCs, they cannot usurp the functions of the NDCs or the village councils, they just provide the mechanism for the chairpersons to come together to communicate. The local government system was given a lease of life in March 2016 with the conduct of Local Government Elections. That system is still beset by challenges and these challenges can be overcome by greater consultation, through collaboration, through communication, through cooperation and coordination between the local government organs across this great country.

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Unexplained weight loss: Can it be dangerous? By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

eight loss is of ten a matter of choice - we choose to change our diet and exercise habits to become healthier. If there is a clear and healthy reason then weight loss is normal. However, it is also common to lose weight if you have a serious disease. It may be the first symptom, but for most serious diseases, there will usually be one or more other symptoms that develop well before any weight loss. Today we will focus on weight loss associated with medical conditions that are more serious and often lifethreatening. We will discuss each condition so that you can understand why they cause weight loss. CANCER In the vast majority of cases of cancer, other symptoms will develop before any weight loss. There are many symptoms that can occur, depending on the type and site of the cancer. However, occasionally, weight loss is the first symptom noticed. The weight loss is partly due to the increased activity of cancer cells in the body that require nutrition and they “feed on the body”. The more advanced the cancer gets, the more the weight loss. TYPE 2 DIABETES Type 2 diabetes occurs mainly in people aged over

40, although it can occur at younger ages. The four common symptoms are being thirsty a lot of the time, passing large amounts of urine, tiredness and weight loss. Some people pass off the first three symptoms to do with other things, or ‘getting older’. So, weight loss is sometimes the first thing reported to a doctor. The weight loss is due to our body’s inability to properly use the sugar from food. It ends up breaking down fats and muscle tissue to get sugar, causing weight loss. DEPRESSION Depression has a number of symptoms. However, some people do not recognize that they have depression. They may feel low and not right but cannot say why. They may even think of it as just normal for them. Many people with depression can hide their true feelings from friends and family. Weight loss may develop due to a lack of appetite and not wanting to eat. ALCOHOLABUSE Some people who drink a lot of alcohol do not look after themselves very well. Their diet may not be very good and they may lose weight. However, they may be in denial about an alcohol problem. It may be friends or family who actually notice that the person has lost weight. After they get addicted, they tend to skip meals and focus on drinking. Over time,

their stomach gets damaged and they are unable to properly absorb nutrients. This leads to further weight loss. HYPERTHYROIDISM Hyperthyroidism means that you make too much of a hormone called thyroxine. The thyroid gland is in your neck and may sometimes malfunction, causing this to happen. The extra thyroxine causes many of your body’s functions to speed up, causing you to lose weight despite having an increased appetite. This may be a first symptom. But, again, some of the other symptoms that may occur such as being restless, nervous, emotional or irritable, may just be put down to a stressful time of life or to your personality. In the early stages of hyperthyroidism some people actually feel well and full of energy and don’t realize they have a problem but lose weight. PERSISTENT/CHRONIC INFECTION It would be unusual not to have other symptoms with a chronic infection. But, occasionally, the first symptom that is noticed with infections such as tuberculosis or HIV is weight loss. Hookworm infection of the gut is another example where weight loss may be the first indication of disease. Hookworm is a very common problem and is present in Guyana. MALABSORPTION SYNDROMES There are various diseases that can affect the way

food is absorbed and taken into the body from the gut. These would normally cause symptoms such as diarrhea. However, weight loss may be the first symptom noticed. Examples include coeliac disease, disease and ulcerative colitis. EATING DISORDERS In conditions such as anorexia, a person usually knows they are tightly controlling their diet and exercise and are actively trying to lose weight. Over time it becomes more of a mental condition and the affected person becomes obsessed with weight loss. However, this may be hidden from friends and family, and may not be divulged even to the doctor. SIDE-EFFECTS FROM MEDICATION Sometimes medication

may cause side-effects resulting in weight loss. For example, some pills may cause a loss of appetite, or a dry mouth. Some cause heartburn or give a mild tummy discomfort. Others may affect the sense of taste or smell, or make people feel sick. Any of these side-effects could affect eating habits and result in a loss of weight. WHAT ASSESSMENT AND TESTS MAY BE DONE? If you have lost weight and do not know why then see a doctor. This is because, as a general rule, the earlier a serious problem is diagnosed, the better the chance that treatment may improve the outlook. Your doctor is likely to ask various questions. He or she may actually

Dr. Zulfikar Bux uncover other symptoms that you were either unaware of or did not think were significant. He or she may also examine you. Tests, such as blood tests, may or may not be appropriate depending on the cause of your weight loss. Often, treatment depends on the cause of the weight loss. Finding out the cause is often the key. Visit your doctor if you have unexplained weight loss.

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SUNDAY SPECIAL Lopsided oil contracts…Nearsighted negotiators leave Guyana open to burden of decommissioning costs – Ramson– Says hundreds of millions, at minimum, to be wiped away Gone are the days when countries were so obsessed with first oil that they neglected to acknowledge the financial ramifications of not establishing a proper framework for the handling of abandonment or decommissioning of oil wells. However, Guyana, in contracts signed post 2015 when oil was found, failed to make contractual provisions to protect the nation from having to bear the cost of decommissioning of wells. This was pointed out by oil and gas consultant, Charles Ramson. During a recent interview with Kaieteur News, the former Member of Parliament said, “Guyana will have to foot the bill for abandonment costs or what is known in the industry as “decommissioning” at the end of the respective projects sum which could amount to hundreds of millions of US dollars” Decommissioning involves the safe plugging and abandonment of the hole drilled in the earth’s surface from which oil and gas are extracted and the safe disposal of the equipment used in production. Ramson, an Attorney-atlaw, noted that Article 20 of the ExxonMobil contract states, “All funds required to carry out the approved abandonment programme shall be made available by Contractor when the cost for abandonment are incurred” and “All cost included in the approved abandonment programme and budget shall be recoverable as operating costs”. Therefore, while Government officials remain bullish about the revenues to be gained from ExxonMobil, the huge cost associated with abandoning a well or production facility will be borne by Guyana and can significantly affect revenue in the sunset of any particular oil project. Ramson resigned from Parliament to pursue a Masters degree in Oil and Gas Management in the United Kingdom. He said that while he was in the UK, matters surrounding the decommissioning of wells in the UK’s North Sea were topical. “It was a huge issue,” he said. He cited a UK Oil and Gas Authority report published in 2017, which stated that decommissioning costs in the UK continental shelf are best estimated to be about

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US$80B. That sum exceeded the remaining net tax revenues from UK oil and gas production. Further, the Guardian reported that British taxpayers “face paying billions of pounds more than previously expected for dismantling the North Sea’s oil rigs in a further sign that the industry is becoming a burden on public finances.” It stated, “Decommissioning oil and gas facilities across the UK continental shelf will cost an estimated £59.7bn, according to a report by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA). About half of that will be borne by oil companies, the rest by the public purse through tax relief.” A government regulator reportedly said that in its worst-case scenario the bill could jump to £82.7bn. Oil companies enjoy between 40% and 75% tax relief on their clean-up costs because of their contribution to Treasury coffers during production years. But decommissioning and a slump in oil prices meant the oil and gas sector was a net drain on the Treasury of £396m in 2016. Read more at https:// www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/29/taxpayersface-growing-burden-for-dismantling-of-north-sea-rigs.

The body of Reona Payne after being fatally shot on Saturday March 31

GDF Captain surrenders after fatally shooting reputed wife A Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Captain, Orwain Sandy, the Aide-de-Camp to the GDF Chief-of-Staff, Saturday, surrendered to police officers after he allegedly shot and killed his reputed wife, Reona Payne, a Travel Agent, in Alexander Village. According to reports, the incident occurred between 10:15 hours and 10:45 hours Saturday at First Street, Alexander Village in the vicinity of the Masjid. A police officer said that Sandy and Payne were in (Payne’s) car when the two got into an argument. He told Kaieteur News that Sandy took out his firearm and allegedly shot the woman several times, killing her. He said that Sandy then drove himself to the Ruimveldt Police Station where he reported the matter to the Police. He was taken into custody and is currently cooperating with officers. Payne was a mother of three; she worked as a Travel Agent at the Muneshwers Travel Service for a number of years. The two recently moved into their home in DiamondGrove, East Bank Demerara. They also recently launched their business, Prestige Taxi Service, at the Wedding Ex-

Captain: Orwain Sandy position, last week. According to a co-worker, after noticing that Sandy was not at work when she was expected to be there, he called her cell phone. The co-worker told Kaieteur News that Payne answered that she was not in a position to speak but promised to call back. She never did. The co-worker said that during the conversation there was no indication, in Payne’s tone, that something was amiss; but the entire staff was left in a state of shock when the news of her death began circulating on Social Media. The Guyana Defence Force, in a release Saturday, said that Sandy is immediately interdicted from duty. The release stated that the force is saddened by the incident but noted that Sandy’s action was not reflective of the values and standards of the GDF. The release further stated that an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident was launched. “The Chief-of-Staff has ordered the Inspector General of the Guyana Defence Force to conduct a Board of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

MONDAY Guyana has access to int’l group that helps renegotiate contracts pro bono If Government so desires, it could tap into the expertise of an international group which helps countries in the successful renegotiation of contracts on a pro bono basis. The group is called, the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP). Over the past 17 years, with support from law firms, foundations and government agencies, ISLP has mobilized hundreds of experienced lawyers to provide more than $100 million worth of pro bono legal assistance in support of just, accountable and inclusive development in more than 80 countries. The Project was successful in helping Liberia renegotiate its contracts with ArcelorMittal S.A., a Germanbased steel manufacturing company and American company Firestone Tire and Rubber. According to the Project’s website, former Board Chair and current Board Member Joe Bell re-

Dead: Reona Payne ceived a letter from former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, thanking him for ISLP’s legal assistance following her election and in the years that immediately followed. The letter from the former President read, “When our administration commenced in 2006 and was faced with a collapsed economy and dysfunctional institutions, we reached out for support in evaluating and renegotiating concession agreements and contracts and we quickly received the assistance required. This resulted in the landmark renegotiation of the Firestone and Arcelor Mittal Concession Agreements with significant improved benefit to Liberia.” ”Throughout the twelve years of the Administration, ISLP provided pro bono service as requested in a wide range of endeavors, including those that required a restructuring and regularization of the country’s nascent petroleum exploration programs…Today, we have new petroleum exploration laws which meet the highest international standards in terms of transparency and

accountability thereby ensuring the basis for renewed action in exploration. Thank you for helping Liberia to be what it is today, a peaceful nation with the foundation in placed to ensure sustained development.” The group has also helped other countries across the world in the renegotiation of oil contracts. ISLP is also no stranger to Guyana as it has provided support to the Attorney General’s Office for the review of Guyana’s Cyber Crime Bill and Electronic Transactions Bill. Two years later…Trotman now hands Local Content Policy to Business Ministry for completion The “overwhelmed” Ministry of Natural Resources has been struggling to robustly put together a Local Content Policy for the last two years. In the interest of getting more work done on this front, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has decided to hand the job over to his colleague, Business Minister Dominic (Continued on page 33)

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Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin From page 32 Gaskin.Trotman made this revelation to Kaieteur News last week. He was at the time, providing an update on the policy. The Minister noted that international Local Content expert, Mr. Anthony Paul, only a few days ago, returned a final draft on the policy. Trotman said, “And we are going to be working on that. My intention is to have it finalized by the end of April. At the same time, (when it comes to) responsibilities for local content development, I have asked (Business Minister Dominic) Gaskin and his ministry to take charge of that.” DRAFT POLICY Guyana’s draft Local Content Policy has been criticized in recent months for lacking provisions, which would safeguard against exploitation by companies. The draft has no information on how to avoid procurement fraud, conflict of interest and favouritism, among other crucial areas. Instead, the Local Content Policy framework seeks to address the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses.The Policy articulates that this will be done through training, development and employment initiatives (Capacity Development), ensuring availability of ownership participation for qualified Guyanese equity interest (Ownership Value), supplier development provisions for goods and services by locals to support sector operations (Local Content); and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits (Societal Benefits).It also describes what will be done to ensure that the activities in the petroleum sector are conducted in a manner that transparently secures the maximum benefit for the people of Guyana,

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while recognizing the limitations of the country; and holding all actors accountable to the present and future generations of Guyanese who are the owners of the nation’s petroleum resources. Guyana security officers to confront ‘Sindicato’ threat – but authorities need help to ID gang members, says Ramjattan Guyana is sending more law enforcement officers to interior locations of Region One (Barima Waini) close to the Guyana/ Venezuela border, following rising appeals from miners about the presence of the ruthless Venezuela gang members called the ‘Sindicato’. Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan told Kaieteur News Sunday that the safety of Guyanese along the border is being given priority by the APNU+AFC administration, but authorities need residents to assist in the process. ”We need people in the area to identify the suspected gang members a little clearer for us. That will be of some help, but we also will have to send in some more law enforcement officers to help with the situation. We are presently acting on all the information that we have gotten,” Ramjattan stated. The situation escalated in recent weeks as Venezuela continues to battle runaway inflation, food shortages and thousands of its citizens fleeing daily. Last week, miners paid for an advertisement in Kaieteur News, appealing for “urgent help”. According to the advertisement, miners operating in the Cuyuni River which separates Guyana and Venezuela, are being threatened by the operations of the Sindicato. Gang members are demanding food, cash and other valuables from miners in exchange for safe passage. According to the advertisement, the gang was demanding a gram of gold for every five drums of fuel that had to pass.

Environmentalist, Annette Arjoon A few weeks ago, the Sindicato reportedly moved down-river and set up a camp on the Venezuela side of the river, about three miles from Eteringbang. ”We are heavily dependent on the river for transporting supplies and food stuff for our operations. This is dangerous. The Cuyuni River is open waters that also belong to Guyana. We are not supposed to pay anything,” miners insist. Ramjattan asserted that the concerns are being dealt with at the National Security Council and the leadership of the Guyana Police Force. TUESDAY ExxonMobil effectively bans fishing in huge swathe of Guyana’s waters–Ram Social commentator, Christopher Ram, still cannot come to grips with the fact that some locals and foreigners, like Oxford Professor, Paul Collier are expecting Guyanese to just be contented with the lopsided Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that Guyana has with ExxonMobil. Ram, an attorney at law, continues to stress his opinion that ExxonMobil is taking way too much from Guyana and giving the country very little in return. Ram has noted that because of ExxonMobil, Guyana will be losing hundreds of millions of dollars that would have been gained from the fishery sector. This is because the company has effectively banned fishing in a large area of Guyana’s waters. Ram deems it a total absurdity that ExxonMobil is being able to operate in a manner that is not consistent with international standards while depriving Guyanese, such as the fisher folks, of a living. ”According to Sir Paul Collier, Guyanese are expected to accept that a for-

eign company comes and exploits our non-renewable resource, effectively bans all fishing in a huge swathe of the country’s maritime territory, gets full deduction for all the funds it makes available to exploit the resources, renders barren the environment, pretends to pay taxes in Guyana, cons its home country with a certificate that it has paid taxes in Guyana, and takes away more than Guyana keeps! ”And guess what: As Finance Minister Jordan gloated, this is after the area has been de-risked. In financial management, as the level or risk decreases, the investing company will apply a lower internal rate of return, with a lower level at which super profits are earned.” Ram is not the only one concerned about the displacement of fisher folk and the environment. Environmentalist, Annette ArjoonMartins had expressed deep concern about the preservation of the invaluable ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods of the indigenous communities in and around the Shell Beach Protected Area.Arjoon-Martins had said that her concerns are the consequence of the known risks associated with the emerging oil and gas industry.She noted the present lack of environmental safeguards and weak and almost nonexistent environmental regulations and legislations specific to the emerging oil and gas industry. She said that while the focus is understandably on economic development that oil, a non-renewable resource can bring about once it is managed sensibly; she is saddened that Guyana’s eco-system services have largely been ignored.Arjoon-Martins used the opportunity presented at a recent oil and gas forum held by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to press home the

Attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram need for more safety measures to be put in place. She told a room filled with entrepreneurs that “while we all heard this morning about the hundreds of millions and billions of United States dollars that everyone is understandable greatly excited about, remember that oil and gas are not renewable resources. ”Also remember to touch back on the value of our eco system which is everlasting. If you are to put a value to our eco-system, I think it would far exceed those millions and billions we heard of earlier.” Bandits shoot market vendor in front of city constables Two young men rode up on a bicycle and shot market vendor and father of one, 62year-old Doodnauth Danrasi, to the head. At the time, the vendor was at his stall located just in front of Twin’s Pharmacy at La Penitence Market, Georgetown. The shooting occurred around 17:45hrs in the presence of Doodnauth’s wife, Meena, and several female City Constabulary ranks. Meena was at the time sitting on a table at their stall of vegetables and ground provisions.The couple resides at Lot 200 Seventh Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara. According to information gathered, Doodnauth, 62, had just offloaded stocks on the stall when the unmasked bandits pounced on him, demanding that he hand over cash. Kaieteur News understands that two other bandits were on the lookout. They targeted Doodnauth’s wife who was wearing an apron containing cash. In coming to his wife’s defence, Doodnauth pulled a knife on the gunman who in turn shot him to the head before snatching over $100,000 from the wife’s apron. The bandits then escaped by riding through James

Street, Albouystown, eyewitnesses said. WEDNESDAY Gaskin yet to see Local Content proposals of oil companies…but tasked with completion of policy for sector The completion of the Local Content Policy is now up to Business Minister Dominic Gaskin. This crucial document will provide guidance on the employment of locals as well as the use of goods and services provided by indigenous companies. But there are concerns regarding the Minister’s ability to handle such a central matter when he appears to be clueless on a few basic, related issues. For example, the Business Minister has not seen, much less reviewed, the local content proposals of ExxonMobil and its subcontractors. Yet, he is tasked with completing the policy that will guide the entire sector. The Minister’s lack of knowledge on the matter was revealed on a televised programme, Plain Talk, which was hosted last Wednesday by Chartered Accountant and anticorruption advocate, Chris Ram.Ram explained to Gaskin that the law stipulates that oil companies, in their application for a production licence, must set out their plan to employ locals and use native goods and services. On this premise, Gaskin was challenged to say if he was satisfied with the proposals of these contractors (ExxonMobil and its subcontractors Hess, Esso and China National Offshore Oil Corporation) in terms of employment targets and the procurement of goods and services. To Ram’s surprise, Gaskin, who is a member of Cabinet and part of the special quintet assigned to overlook the oil and gas industry, is yet to lay his eyes on the proposals of those companies. The Business Minister (Continued on page 34)

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From page 34 said, “Well let me be frank, I have not reviewed the proposals from the contractors. I know that there are stipulations or regulations in the Petroleum Act on local content as well as provisions in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA)…” Gaskin noted, nonetheless, that there is a need for “something stronger; something that addresses more specifically, how we intend to implement a Local Content Policy and what are the specific targets we would like to set in terms of employment requirements, procurement requirements, and technology transfer.” He said that “all of these things need to be, perhaps, consolidated into one local government policy and perhaps, backed up with maybe separate regulations.” While Gaskin has not seen the Local Content Proposals of the oil companies operating in the Stabroek block, Ram asked if he was satisfied with what he is seeing so far. The Minister ’s assertion was that it may be too early for him to pronounce on whether the local content efforts of the ExxonMobil consortium are enough. ”We haven’t seen a lot so far because, to be fair, we haven’t started production as yet. So a lot of what is envisaged has not had a chance to kick in. I won’t say that I am not satisfied. I don’t think it works like that. I think that as a government and as a people, we have to come up with a framework that is suitable

to our own situation.” Gaskin went on to explain that this framework has to be in the context of what is available locally in terms of skill sets and services. He stressed that the oil industry is new to the nation; hence, many of the requirements of the contractors at this stage would not be fulfilled by locals. He said, “In many areas we don’t meet the requirements of the contractors and especially at this stage in the development phase of the project, all the laying of subsea infrastructure, we don’t have that sort of expertise, and that is where the really big contracts are going.” Guyana braces for lengthy World Court case on territorial claim Guyana is unfazed by statements of neighbouring Venezuela that it will not recognize any ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the territorial claims. Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, is convinced that a judgment will once and for all put a rest to the baseless claims and send a clear signal that there are mechanisms for peaceful resolutions in the region. Last week, the minister journeyed to The Hague, The Netherlands, where the case for Guyana was filed with the ICJ, the judicial arm of the United Nations. ”I have submitted on behalf of Guyana an application to the Court to initiate legal proceedings in re-

Doodnanuth was shot between these stalls after he came to sheid his wife from bandits gard to Venezuela’s claim that the 1899 Arbitral Award is invalid. As you are aware, the consequence of this assertion is to put into question Guyana’s sovereignty over two thirds of its territory,” the minister said of the filing. The application is asking the court to confirm in a final and binding judgment the full legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that delimited this country’s land boundary with Venezuela. Coming from the principal judicial organ of the UN, such a judgment will once and for all put to rest this “baseless” contention, Greenidge said Tuesday.

Meena (centre) is being interviewed by detectives

“As you are aware, Guyana has suffered from Venezuela’s contention of nullity ever since our independence in 1966. This assertion has undermined our ability to develop our sovereign territory and resources, including our natural wealth in the sea. By means of a judgment of the court, our objective is to put this controversy to a definitive end so Guyana and Venezuela can live together as neighbours without the shadow of this conflict.” According to Minister Greenidge, this course of action follows the decision of UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to choose the court as the means for resolving this controversy. ”On January 30th of this year, just two months ago, the new Secretary-General, António Guterres, decided that the Good Offices Process has come to an end, and that the court should now settle the controversy by means of a final and binding decision.” The minister noted that now that the application is before the court, the process leading to this final judgment has commenced. ”This is a great moment for the rule of law worldwide and for the peaceful resolution of conflict in our Caribbean region. Above all, it is a great moment for the future prosperity and security of Guyana, and for the betterment of our neighbourly relations with our Venezuelan brothers and sisters.” He said that Guyana will now await the response of the court to the application. ”Venezuela of course has the right to respond and dis-

agree with Guyana’s position on the validity of the 1899 Award. But either way, the process leading to a final judgment has now been set into motion.” THURSDAY Not a single int’l expert consulted on National Oil Spill Plan When it comes to the nation’s Contingency Oil Spill Plan, not a single expert on the subject, has been contracted to provide assistance. Instead, a team of locals sought to go it alone. Kaieteur News understands that the nation’s draft plan is a collage of borrowings from the plans of other countries such as Trinidad and Tobago; a CARICOM sister-state whose geographical makeup is vastly different from Guyana’s. This newspaper was able to confirm this Wednesday with Kester Craig, the Director General (ag) of the Civil Defence Commission (C DC). Craig said that more than 20 local agencies were involved in the drafting of the document. He said that more work is in the pipeline. Additionally, the Director General said that while no authority on the issue was consulted during the initial stages, this option may be pursued later on. While no specialist was used for the crafting of such a crucial document, the government has taken a different approach to other documents of similar import. Guyana is already receiving help with its Local Content Policy. This plan provides guidance on how oil compa-

nies are expected to employ locals and use indigenous goods and services. Given the nation’s inexperience in drafting such documents, local authorities contracted the services of international expert, Anthony Paul. He has already completed the final draft of the document. During the recent consultations on the plan, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, congratulated the Civil Defence Commission for their efforts in moving preparations forward on the document. The Minister said, “When one engages Guyanese on the Coast or in the interior locations, two issues are often raised, jobs and our preparation for a potential oil spill. This tells us that the topic is a high priority for Guyanese so no effort must be spared in ensuring that we are prepared for any eventualities.” Ramjattan supports police in deadly seawall shooting of three bandits Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, Wednesday supported the police version of events surrounding the March 15 shooting at the Georgetown seawall. That shooting ended in the death of three men, believed to be bandits. ”I am on the side of the Police Commissioner [David Ramnarine]. I believe his version and what transpired is the truthful version. At this stage; however, we are going to ensure that there be a full investigation,” Ramjattan stated. Dextroy ‘Dutty’ Cordis, 46, of Grove, East Bank Demerara; Kwame Assanah, (Continued on page 35)

Sunday April 08, 2018

From page 35 of Buxton, East Coast Demerara; and Errol Adams, aka Dynamite, 57, of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, and also of Buxton, were all shot dead in a confrontation, police said in statement that day. The Public Security Minister noted that for the majority of cases, any good responsible government will attach some credibility and reliability to police investigators unless there is something so egregious that will lead to immediate questions about police conduct. Just like all suspects, Ramjattan noted that the police reserve the right of presumption of innocence which should be across the board. ”I don’t want us to start demoralizing our policemen. There is an extraordinarily negative view that can happen and I am going to support our policemen until such time as they are proven to have done something wrong,” Ramjattan stated. Parking meter one step closer to reality again —City council approves by laws The revised parking meter bylaws have been approved by a majority vote of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC). Thirteen Councillors voted in support of the project, two voted against and two persons abstained during an Extraordinary Statutory Meeting held at City Hall, Wednesday. In opposing the passage of the bylaws of the contentious project, Councillor Malcolm Ferreira warned the Council of the impending decision of the High Court as it regards the legality of the contract between City Hall and Smart City Solutions (SCS). ”We need to exercise caution and allow the court to rule so as to offer legal guidance as well as endorsement of whatever decision we decide is best to move forward with.” ”We should not rush into any decisions and more so decisions

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that have proven to be unpopular and some of those decisions even had the government to intervene to protect citizens,” he said. Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had warned that Councillors should only comment on the bylaws and not the contract. However, also opposing the passage of the bylaws, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Councillor, Bisham Kuppen, noted it is impossible to discuss the bylaws without touching the contract since the two are inevitably intertwined. The PPP Councillor stressed that it is important to note the manner in which Smart City Solutions, (SCS) was contracted to supply parking meters for the capital city. ”They (SCS) were sole sourced,” Kuppen noted adding that the project never went through the public tender process. Meanwhile in a show of solidarity with citizens against the controversial project, Former Deputy Mayors, Lionel Jaikarran and Sherod Duncan, did not participate in an extraordinary statutory meeting. FRIDAY Several radio operations face imminent shutdown …as Broadcasting Authority gets tough for non-compliance Even the longest rope has an end. That idiom is a stark reminder of the position taken by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) which has decided to publish a list of all non-compliant broadcasters who as a result of their errant ways will no longer be allowed to operate. Kaieteur News understands that a number of radio broadcasters owe millions of dollars to the GNBA, representing backed-up licence fees. At the beginning of the year, GNBA Chairman Leslie Sobers met with all broadcasters—television and radio. During his meeting with radio broadcasters, Sobers infor Kaieteur News med them of the Board’s decision to facilitate a pay-

Public Security Minister Ramjattan answering questions from supporters about the deadly seawall shooting ment scheme that they should take advantage of to fulfill their financial obligations. The Board decided to have all broadcasters, individually, pay half of their debt within the first quarter of the year, giving them the rest of the year to pay the balance in monthly installments. Now that the first quarter is finished, most broadcasters are reportedly still out of financial compliance, and Sobers spoke to Kaieteur News Thursday about the developments that will follow as a result. He said that some broadcasters made attempts to clear their debts while others chose to ignore the generous provision offered by the authority. Sobers indicated that one broadcaster, whom he did not name, cried out that he cannot make the payment. The broadcaster reportedly indicated that he will be filing for bankruptcy. Sobers said, “That will not stop us; we will still be going after him. We cannot allow him to come and operate here, make money, claim he folded and go away with all the

The parking meter has moved one step closer to reality again

money he owes us. “ The Board, according to Sobers, had made a decision that something had to be done and gave the subcommittee, with responsibility for licence fee and legal issues, a mandate to take the necessary appropriate action. The committee had a meeting Thursday to decide what form of “appropriate action” must be taken. Sobers, who is also the chairman of that committee, said that by the end of the working day today, the GNBA will prepare a list of all noncompliant broadcasters. Two soldiers injured in early morning paratrooping accident Selwyn Cumberbatch and Leron Stewart, two paratroopers from the Guyana Defence Force’s 31 Special Forces Squadron, were injured early Thursday morning when their parachutes became entangled during a routine training exercise conducted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri. According to a release from the Guyana Defence Force, the incident occurred sometime around 08:15hours. A video of the incident obtained by Kaieteur News showed the two soldiers jumping out of the plane and becoming entangled before hitting the ground. The men experienced a hard landing. The two soldiers were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were treated for head injuries and abrasions about their bodies.According to a source, a CT scan and X-ray were done on each of the injured men, but those tests “came back clear”. Commenting on the matter, State Minister Joseph Harmon told reporters at his weekly Post Cabinet press briefing on Thursday that what occurred was indeed unfortunate, but he added some perspective in relation to the dangers of the occupation. “There are various things that occur when a person jumps out of an aircraft…the injuries that are suffered, we are sorry about it, but

these are just some of the occupational hazards of being in the military and being engaged in activities of this nature,” Harmon stated. Cumberbatch and Stewart are both still patients at the medical institution and are said to be in stable condition. Court Orders Arrest of Brazil’s Ex-President Lula – Pending Appeal of Corruption Conviction RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Justices on Brazil’s top court have delivered a major blow to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. They voted 6-5 early Thursday to reject his petition to stay out of prison while appealing a corruption conviction. The decision by the Supreme Federal Tribunal means that da Silva will likely soon be forced to begin serving his 12-year sentence. It also means that his push to run for re-election later this year is all but doomed. The decision came after more than 10 hours of debate in an often heated session. Here is the time line on the latest developments before the ruling. Justices on Brazil’s top court are so far split on whether to grant a petition from former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to stay out of prison while he appeals a 12-year sentence for corruption. The ruling could affect the country’s stability ahead of October elections. Da Silva leads presidential polls despite his conviction and several other corruption charges that have yet to be tried. A Supreme Federal Tribunal decision to allow a lower court to force the ex-leader to begin serving his sentence could all but doom his candidacy and generate protests at a time of high tension in Latin America’s largest nation. Ten hours into the session, five justices have voted against da Silva and five in his favour. The matter will be decided once six of the 11 members vote a particular way.Chief Justice Carmen Lucia will be the last court member to vote.Da Silva (Continued on page 36)

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From page 35 strenuously denies any wrongdoing. In recent months, he has continued to campaign despite the conviction. Justices on Brazil’s highest court appear to be moving toward denying a petition from former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to stay out of prison while he appeals a 12-year sentence for corruption. The ruling could affect the country’s stability ahead of October elections. Da Silva leads presidential polls despite his conviction and several other corruption charges that have yet to be tried. PM Nagamootoo resumes duties after warm welcome home Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo stepped off a Caribbean Airlines aircraft Thursday to a warm welcome by ministers of government, family, friends, and well-wishers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. The Prime Minister returned home following a successful heart bypass surgery in the United States of America and immediately resumed duties upon his return. He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo and eldest daughter, Maria Nagamootoo. A prayer breakfast attended by President David Granger and First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger was hosted at the PM’s residence. The event saw remarks from Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman. The government ministers all expressed pleasure at the PM’s return and recom-

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Kaieteur News

Cheif of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West visited the injured soldiers at the Georgetown Public Hospital

mitted to ensuring that his health and well-being are a top priority for the government. Minister Ally said, “Prime Minister, I want to say to you, that you have to take it one day at a time, we love you, we treasure you, and we want to have you for a long, long time.” Ramjattan noted that the Prime Minister’s expertise and sharing of experiences were greatly missed while he was away. ”The advantages of having you in our midst and the fact of having your remarks at Cabinet, Parliament, the AFC meetings and security meetings among others, were all highlighted in your absence,” Ramjattan stated. In his remarks, Minister Trotman said Government looked forward to Nagamootoo’s presence in Parliament. ”We say to your wife and family, thank you for taking care of him, thank you for bringing him home to us, and we will not fail you. We have a duty to take care of him and

we will not let you down and we will not fail you, Sir,” Trotman stated. SATURDAY Alexander Village murder…Court orders psychiatric evaluation for weeping former GDF captain Scores of persons gathered early Friday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to await the arrival of 36-year-old former Guyana Defence Force Captain, Orwain Sandy who allegedly shot his reputed wife, Reona Payne 14 times, killing her. A tearful Sandy, of Lot 130 Section ‘C’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, made his entrance into the court compound shortly after 09:00 hrs. Persons were gathered in and out of the court compound when he arrived there. Before making an appearance before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, Sandy was whisked away to the prisoners holding area where he spent a few minutes convers-

The PM is greeted by a member of the welcome party while Minister of Natural Resources, Rapheal Trotman (left) looks on.

ing with his attorney before being sent through the prisoners’ chute, shackled and handcuffed. In the courtroom, Sandy was seen and heard crying uncontrollably while seated in the prisoners’ dock. The Magistrate then instructed Sandy to stand; she asked his name; Sandy stuttered through tears. He was not required to plead to the indictable offence, which alleged that on March 31, last, at First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, he murdered Reona Payne. The man’s Attorney, James Bond, told the court that his client is a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force and has an unblemished record. The lawyer asked that his client be examined by a psychiatrist. Bond added that his client has been consulting with various psychiatrists for the past two years. He added that the evaluation is not only critical for his client’s defence but also for his well-being. Bond stated that the de-

fence will be flying in an independent psychiatrist to conduct the evaluation. Magistrate Latchman, after listening to the defence counsel, ordered that Sandy undergo a psychiatrist evaluation by Government Psychiatrist, Dr. Bhiro Harry. The matter was prosecuted by Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt who told the court that the file is still incomplete and she remanded the accused to prison. Sandy, who cried throughout the court proceedings, was instructed to make his next court appearance on April 24. Rose Hall guard’s murder…Teen store employees, mom remanded A 43-year-old woman, her 19-year-old son, and their 17year-old alleged accomplice were Friday remanded to prison in connection with the murder of 52-year-old security guard Munesh Prem Ayasammy Munien. Carlos Bollers, 19, of Lot 119 Williamsburg, Corentyne,

Berbice, and his alleged accomplice, Yuvraj Singh, 17, of Lot 23 Guava Bush, Albion, Corentyne, Berbice were charged with murder when they appeared at the Albion Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Renita Singh. The charge read to Bollers and Singh stated that on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at Rose Hall Town, they murdered Munesh Prem Ayasammy Munien, called ‘Tad,’ in the course of a robbery. Both teens told the court that it was their first offence. The prosecution stated that their file was incomplete. Meanwhile, the charge read to Bollers’s mother, Lalita Bollers, of Lot 1E Ramphal Street, Corentyne, Berbice, stated that while knowing that Bollers and Singh, on March 31, last, murdered Munien, on Sunday, April 1, she received, released and comforted the two accused. The three were remanded until April 23, 2018. The other employees that were held for the murder/robbery are expected to be released.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo waves as he deplanes at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Thursday 05 April, 2018

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What is healthier: natural sugar, table sugar or artificial sweeteners? The average American consumes almost 20 teaspoons of sugar per day. Let’s break that down: It’s about equal to a serving of jelly beans plus nine Hershey’s Kisses plus a couple of Double Stuf Oreos, plus a couple of brownies. While this example may seem extreme outside of a rare holi-

day, a review of packaged foods found that sugar has crept into our food supply in astonishing numbers. Up to 75 percent of packaged foods, including breakfast cereals, granola bars, flavored yogurts (even the fruit-flavored varieties), soups, breads and condiments, contain added sugars, causing us to take in

excessive amounts whether you’re having dessert or not. It probably doesn’t take a nutrition or medical genius to recognize that this amount of sugar isn’t doing us any favors, but it’s important to point out just how damaging it can be. Over time, added sugars can mess up your metabolism, play a role in weight

problems, raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and tooth decay, exacerbate acne and more. In order to dial back the damage, you need to learn a few sugar facts first. Natural sugars are found in foods like yogurt, milk and fruits, and they don’t lead to the same health problems that added sugars do. Think of it this way: Whole foods contain a natural package of health promoting substances, like calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber (from fruits). Because of the goodness these sugars come along with, you can ease up on worrying about them. There is one exception. It’s hard to argue with the benefits of fruit, but you can overdo juice. Juice lacks the fiber contained in fruit, and because a cup of juice contains more than one piece of fruit, you get more fructose — the natural sugar. If you’re drinking more than one cup of juice per day (or serving more to your children), you’ll want to re-think your drinks. Certainly, a little sugar can be fine, especially if it’s used to add flavor to nutritious foods. A drizzle of maple syrup over roasted carrots or a spoonful of honey over a fruit-and-nut-filled overnight oatmeal can bring more flavor to foods that supply vitamins, minerals and other natural health-boosters. But know the difference between a drizzle and a pour. The American Heart Association advises capping added sugars at 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 g) per day for men. This can add up quickly! To eliminate added sugars, you first need to find them, which is no easy feat. For one thing, sugar goes by many different names. Common ones include agave, brown sugar, cane juice, cane sugar, coconut palm sugar, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate (such as apple or pear juice concentrate), honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup and high fructose corn syrup. In addition to the many code words for added sugar, the current food label isn’t totally transparent. Though it lists total sugars on the label,

it makes no distinction between the naturally occurring ones and those that are added. And then there’s sugar math. The Nutrition Facts Panel lists sugars in grams, but most of us are used to measuring in teaspoons. (For the record, a teaspoon of sugar is roughly 4 grams.) Until the updated label makes its way to shelves (reportedly in early 2020), you’ll have to make do with the current one. To make the best of it, compare similar products (say, one bread to another), looking at the Nutrition Facts label to find foods with the lowest levels. You may also want to do your own calculations. Just recognizing that 9 grams of sugar is more than 2 teaspoons’ worth might help point you toward a different product. Finally, make no mistake: Even healthy-sounding sugars can contribute to health problems. Though some, like maple syrup and molasses, contain miniscule amounts of antioxidants or minerals, you shouldn’t be eating enough of them to get health perks. According to the latest government report, 49 percent of adults and 63 percent of children are sipping sugary drinks every day. In fact, sugar sweetened drinks are the leading source of added sugars in our diets. The issue with these sips goes beyond the fact that they provide a lot of calories, yet are devoid of nutrition. It has been shown that your body doesn’t process calories from drinks in the same way it processes those from food, and sugar sweetened drinks may prompt your body to make and store more fat. Certainly, replacing your daily sugary drink with water or another unsweetened beverage is a good goal. Whether your sweet sip is soda, sweetened tea, a sports drink, a sweetened coffee concoction or even a seemingly healthy sweetened chai or matcha latte, try to cut back. The grocery store is a landmine of sneaky sugar traps. Take Honey Nut Cheerios, a best-selling breakfast cereal. It has about as much sugar as an Old Fashioned Dunkin Donut. Plain

Greek yogurt has 4 g of natural sugars; flavored versions can contain upwards of 16 g of sugar. That’s three extra teaspoons. Even your granola bar could be a candy bar in disguise. It’s tempting to want to replace added sugars with artificial ones, but it’s not necessarily the best move. Though these sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharin are deemed safe by the FDA — meaning there is no clear evidence of cancer risk — questions remain. For one, some studies have observed that use of these products is linked with weight gain. Whether that means that sweeteners cause weight gain, or that people who gain weight turn to these sweeteners remains unknown. But there are also other causes for concern, according to Christopher Gardner, PhD, Professor Medicine at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Dr. Gardner explains that it’s possible that these zero-calorie sweeteners prime us to prefer sugary foods and drinks or make naturally sweet foods, like fruit, less appealing. It’s also possible that sugar substitutes can alter your feelings of hunger and fullness, prompting you to eat more. And they may lead to calorie confusion — reducing awareness of your intake or giving you a false sense of security that leads to overconsuming other foods since you’re sparing calories in the first place. One thing is clear: These are obviously not good scenarios for your body. There’s also the matter of your microbiome, the diverse ecosystem of healthy gut bacteria that powers your immune system and more. A popular study found that sugar substitutes alter it in undesirable ways. The composition of your microbiome can impact your health and wellbeing; it’s linked to everything from allergies to obesity. Though we’re a long way from knowing with any certainty the real impact of artificial sweeteners on your microbiome, this study provides a clue. It’s worth noting that much of the research pointing to problems with sugar substitutes were either done in animals (and you probably don’t need me to tell you animals aren’t the same as humans), or have other limitations (looking at behaviors over time rather than detecting cause and effect).https:// www.nbcnews.com/better/ health/what-healthier-natural-sugar-table-sugar-or-artificial-sweetenersncna863136.

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Kaieteur News

Cardi B Raps About Chrissy Teigen and Rihanna Threesome on New Album Cardi B gives shout-outs to several famous “bad bitches” on her new album, Invasion of Privacy. On the track “She Bad,” which features YG, Cardi B raps, “I need Chrissy Teigen / Know a bad bitch when I see one (yeah, woo) / Tell Ri-Ri I need a threesome,” which the latter lyric referencing Rihanna’s nickname. Teigen was so excited when she found out she had been name-dropped that the model, Lip Sync Battle star and foodie had to pause cooking a Red Lobster-esque meal. “Gasp!! *drops biscuits*” she tweeted. Cardi B also name-drops other famous female music stars on her album On her track “Money Bag,” she raps, “I said, ‘Bae, it’s a snack,’ he said it’s a entrée / With them pretty ass twins, you look like Beyoncé.” In “Thru Your Phone,” she references late TLC member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, rapping, “Smash your TV from Best Buy / You gon’ turn me into into Left Eye.” Invasion of Privacy was released on Friday and is available for download and streaming.www.eonline.com

Kate Hudson Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3 and First Girl Surprise! Kate Hudson took to Instagram on Friday to reveal that she is pregnant with her third child and first with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa, and that they are expecting a girl. The actress, who has two sons from two previous relationships, posted a gender reveal party video that shows her showcasing a baby bump while she and her family pop balloons that contain smaller pink balloons and pink confetti. “SURPRISE!!!” she wrote. “If you’ve wondered why I’ve been so absent on my social channels it’s because I have never been more sick! It’s was the most sick first trimester of all my children. Boomerangs have made me nauseous, Superzoom is an easy way to have my head in the toilet, food instagrams make me queezy and thinking too much about insta stories made me even more exhausted than I already had been. If you’ve seen me out and about smiling and pretending like everything is amazing...I was lying!” “BUT! I have broken through on the other end of that and rediscovering the joys of insta/snap,” she continued. “We have been trying to keep this pregnancy under the radar for as long as possible but I’m a poppin now! And it’s too darn challenging to hide, and frankly hiding is

more exhausting then just coming out with it! My kids, Danny, myself and the entire family are crazy excited! A little girl on the way.” “Omg I look like a crazed fan attacking you in this video!!!!!” commented Hudson’s friend Sara Foster, who is also Fujikawa’s stepsister. “I’m so excited!!!! Finally a girl!!!!!!” Hudson, 38, and Fujikawa have been dating for more than a year.Just last week, in an interview with The Times, the actress weighed in on whether she’d like to start a

family with her boyfriend. “I’d like to! I’m not done yet. A girl would be fun,” she said. “We’ll see. We’ll see how many Danny wants.” Hudson and Fujikawa had actually met when she was 23 and pregnant with her first son Ryder, 14, whom she shares with her ex-husband Chris Robinson. After divorcing Robinson in 2007, Hudson dated Muse frontman Matt Bellamy for four years. They share son Bingham Bellamy, 6. They called it quits in 2014.www.eonline.com

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Rusal owner placed on US blacklist partnership that dates to 2006 when Manafort and Gates convinced Deripaska to invest in a private equity fund that would make investments primarily in Russia and Ukraine, according to an offering memorandum referenced in the lawsuit. Jeffrey Eilender, who is representing Manafort in the lawsuit, said last month he planned to argue for dismissal based in part on the assertion that Surf Horizon’s claims are past the statute of limitations. On Friday, Eilender said he believed the sanctions would make the pursuit of the lawsuit meaningless. “As a practical matter,

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Oleg Deripaska, who owns some of the world’s biggest metal producers, head to a meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council in Danang, Vietnam, on Nov. 10. | (AP photo) MOSCOW – The U.S. government’s decision to include Russian magnate Oleg Deripaska on its sanctions blacklist on Friday will reverberate around the world because his business empire has a global footprint and counts major multinationals as partners. Washington imposed sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs, 12 companies they own or control, and 17 senior Russian government officials because, it said, they were profiting from a Russian state engaged in “malign activities” around the world. Deripaska, estimated by Forbes magazine to have a net worth of $6.7 billion, is the main owner of the conglomerate EN+, which in turn is the co-owner of some of the world’s biggest metal producers, Rusal and Nornickel. Deripaska’s inclusion on the U.S. sanctions list could potentially create complications for companies with which he does business; they include the German car giant Volkswagen and commodities trader Glencore. Deripaska called the U.S. decision “very unfortunate but not unexpected.” “Certainly the grounds for putting my name on the list of SDNs” — “specially designated nationals” — “as provided by U.S. officials are groundless, ridiculous and absurd,” he said in a statement sent by Basic Element, one of his businesses. Hong Kong-listed Rusal is one of the world’s biggest aluminum producers. It says that its exports to the United States account for over 10 percent of its output. Rusal owns assets in Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Nigeria, Guyana and Guinea. It owns a stake in Australian QAL, the world’s top alumina refinery. Nornickel has assets in Finland, in Australia, where it holds a license to develop the Honeymoon Well Project, and in South Africa, where it has a 50 percent stake in the country’s only producer of nickel concentrate, Norilsk Nickel Nkomati. FOREIGN PARTNERS In its statement announcing the sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department said U.S. entities will be “generally prohibited from dealings with” the people and firms on the sanctions list. In addition, it said, companies outside the United States “could face sanctions for knowingly facilitating significant transactions for or on behalf of” sanctioned entities. Volkswagen has a joint plant with GAZ, a Russian carmaker that is a subsidiary of Basic Element, which was also sanctioned on Friday. Under a contract that runs until 2025, the plant assembles vehicles from the Volkswagen stable. The German automaker has been in talks to buy a stake in GAZ, five sources familiar

with the discussions said in December last year. Swiss-headquartered Glencore is a shareholder in Rusal, and said it plans to switch those shares to Deripaska’s newly created holding company, EN+. According to a Rusal prospectus, its major customers include Glencore, Toyota and Rio Tinto Alcan. Other foreign firms with ties to Deripaska’s empire include the Austrian construction company Strabag, in which the Russian’s firm Rasperia has a blocking stake, and Singapore’s Changi Airports International, which is a partner with a Deripaska-owned airport firm. Kremlin connections Deripaska has frequently intersected with the Kremlin and Russian officialdom. He holds regular meetings with President Vladimir Putin, he invested heavily in building infrastructure for Russia’s 2014 Sochi winter Olympics, and has said his own interests are indivisible from the state’s interests. The mother of Deripaska’s children, Polina, is the daughter of Valentin Yumashev, who was presidential chief of staff under former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Yumashev later married Yeltsin’s daughter, Tatyana Dyachenko. Yeltsin and his entourage were instrumental in elevating Vladimir Putin to power as the anointed successor to the ailing president. In February, the website of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published a report alleging that Deripaska met Sergei Prikhodko, Russia’s deputy prime minister, on a yacht belonging to the businessman off the coast of Norway in 2016. Deripaska accused Navalny and others of spreading lies that he had committed unlawful actions and obtained an injunction from a court requiring media outlets stop disseminating the disputed content. The Russian state telecoms watchdog blocked Navalny’s website. TRUMPCAMPAIGN MANAGER Deripaska did business in the 2000s with Paul Manafort, who later became campaign manager for Donald Trump when he was running for president. At the time he was doing business with Deripaska, Manafort, a Republican operative, was providing campaign advice to Viktor Yanukovich, a pro-Moscow challenger for the presidency of Ukraine. Yanukovich was elected president in 2010. A Cyprus-based company tied to Deripaska, Surf Horizon Limited, sued Manafort and his aide Rick Gates, in a New York state court in January, accusing them of misappropriating more than $18.9 million earmarked for deals in Ukraine in 2008. That lawsuit emanated from a business

he can’t take money or assets out of the United States,” Eilender said, referring to Deripaska. Despite the lawsuit, Manafort sought to stay in contact with the oligarch. Last year The Washington Post reported that he sent an email in July 2016 through an intermediary offering Deripaska “private briefings” about Trump’s presidential campaign. Manafort was chairman of the campaign at the time. Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni has said the email exchanges were “innocuous” and aimed at collecting money owed by past clients.

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I’ve never had an eye examination. What is involved?

The eye is often compared to a camera that takes an image of what you see, but the process is much more involved. When you look at something, the light rays from that object being viewed hit the front of the eye, the cornea, where they are

refracted (bent). The light rays then hit the lens where further bending occurs and then they travel through the vitreous and hit the retina, which is the inner layer of the eye. The light is then converted to electrical nerve impulses by the rods

and cones which make up the retina. These travel via the optic nerves to the part of the brain responsible for vision. If any of these structures is abnormal or defective, vision can be affected. As part of a normal eye

examination, the optometrist checks all of these structures to determine the health/visual status of the eye. First, the optometrist will check your visual acuity (how well you are seeing) to see where it is compared to 20/20. They will cover first one eye, then the other, and see how far down a vision chart you can see. Next, they will do a test called a cover test to see if the eyes are straight and aligned, and not turned or crossed. The cover test will pick up what Guyanese call “cock eye” or “cross eye”. Then, they will use an instrument called a retinoscope to determine the prescription needed (if any) for you to see clearly. Some offices will use an auto-refractor machine to do this part of the eye exam. The optometrist will then use a phoropter (the machine with all the lenses in it that comes in front of your eyes- the one in front of the patient’s eyes in the cartoon) to further refine the data from retinoscopy by giving you choices of lenses and you

decide which gives you the best vision. This is where the doctor usually asks which lens is better, one or two. Next, they will use a keratometer to measure the curvature of the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye. In a disease called keratoconus, this measurement is steeper than normal. The optometrist will then use an instrument called an ophthalmoscope to look through the pupil, the black hole in the center of the iris (colored part) and examine the inside of the eye. They will check to ensure that the vitreous gel which fills the eyeball, and the retina, the inner back layer, are both healthy. They will check to make sure that the cupping of the optic nerve is within normal limits. If it is larger than normal, it can be an indication of glaucoma. They will check to make sure the blood vessels are not enlarged or leaking, which can happen as a complication of diabetes. They will check the

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

macula, which is the part of the retina we use for central vision to make sure the pigment there is even and not disturbed, and if there are spots called drusen, which can signal macular degeneration. Next, they will use a slit lamp biomicroscope to examine the anterior structures of the eye: the tear film, the anterior chamber, the cornea , and the lens. They will make sure that all of these structures are clear and healthy. Then, they will measure the intraocular pressure of the eye. This test is one of the ones used to diagnose glaucoma. None of these tests are painful or invasive. You should have no fear of checking your eyes. IF I SEE CLEARLY, DO I STILL NEED AN EYE EXAMINATION? Even if you don’t have a problem with your vision, regular checkups should be part of your normal health care routine. Comprehensive eye examinations should be made by an optometrist every one to two years to maintain Continued on page 68

ADDRESSING WORKPLACE SAFETY WITH STANDARDS During the month of April, annually, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), like many other organisations in Guyana and across the globe, pays keener attention to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and reemphasizes the importance of employees maintaining good OSH practices. The OSH theme for 2018 is “Generation safe and healthy: By improving the safety and health of young workers”. Worldwide, it is estimated that every 15 seconds a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease, and 153 people experience a work related injury. These statistics represent an enormous burden for organisations and society as a whole, resulting in over 2.3 million deaths per year, not to mention the more than 300 million non-fatal accidents. Thankfully, companies and organisations can acquire and implement an available international standards to keep their OSH practices in check. The ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard is considered one of the key standards which can guide organisations towards the implementation of an effective process which reduces accidents and incidents in workplaces. The standard is designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries put in place a safe work environment for their employees. According to David Smith, Chairperson of the Committee, the formulated standard, the ISO 45001, follows a simple Plan-Do-CheckAct (PDCA) model, which provides the framework for organisations to plan what they need to put in place in order to minimize the risk of harm. These measures should address concerns that can lead to long-term health issues and absence from work, as well as those that give rise to accidents. For example, many suffer from psychological risk such as stress, which is

believed to be one of the biggest problems of the modern age and, apart from the misery caused to workers and their families, is a huge cost to society. The ISO 45001 requires that top management take ownership and demonstrate commitment through leadership to ensure that workers have the appropriate skills and that effective controls are put in place. The standard also recognizes the value of worker involvement and worker consultations to develop and apply better OSH practices. In addition, checks to identify all the elements that should be addressed in order to ensure the system is working are addressed by the standard. With much experience in this field, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has provided input on those aspects of their standards that are relevant and essential for effective OSH management. These aspects include the importance of top management’s involvement and the essential role of workers in participating in the OSH management system’s development and operation. Worldwide adoption of the standard should reduce the horror stories presented in the local and international media regarding poor OSH practices that have led to the loss of lives, injuries and large scale disasters. The standard can prevent the loss of the lives to gold mining, right here in Guyana. OSH disasters emphasize the need to consider the workers and those, including the community, who might be affected by the organization’s activities. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org Also, like the GNBS facebook page (gnbsgy) for more OSH updates and activities.

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

Govt. plays guessing... VACANCY

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.- CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6004212: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. PASSPORT, PERMANENT & VISITOR VISA APPLICATION, PROFESSIONAL IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT – SABITA IMMIGRATION SERVICES. CALL: 613-3920/625-3767. Eagle’s: Re-gas –low prices, washing machine repairs, gas stove, plasma flat Screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, FREEZERS,SALE OF AC’S TEL:6294946,225-4822 Babysitting Company name: B-Z-Bee Babysitting Club Inc. Contact: 663-0924/ annalisp.alp@gmail.com, FB: B-Z-Bee Babysitting Club Inc Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 USA Graduate. Hair, Waxing, Eyebrow threading & Colour. 39 Greenwich park, Public road EBE. Tel: 661-0019 Customized Salon Furniture, Kitchen cupboards, Drawface, Cabinets, Doors etc. 39 Greenwich Park Public road EBE. #661-0019 Mason available all casting, blockwork and plastering. Reliable, reasonable and quality work offered. Call: 6193296

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Freezers for sale. Call: 671-3004 Cottage house, 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room located @ Fourth St Pearl, EBD Tel# 219-5462, 625-3981 Unregistered DAF trucks: Dump trucks, Flatbed, Flatbed with crane & hauler, Foden 6x4 Dump truck. Call: 659-3100 New triangle truck tyres, front & all-wheel drive, size 295/ 80R22.5 Call: 647-2022 Motors 220 Volts, water pumps, Generator iron cage, Fans, Wine-making equipment Tel#225-8183. Call after 9am One pair complete Massey Ferguson, wheel size 30 #6223197 (1) 8 apartment buliding located on the E.C.D Tel#6295582 (Selling) 1 six base music set with all amp QSE and speaker RCF. Contact: 698-8828 1 steel Hull boat 50x13’x6' Engine: gm marine 165 HP. Contact: 691-5104 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Village. West Coast Berbice. 49ft by 10,314ft. $18M. Contact:6487109/686-4818 2-flat 3 bedroom wooden building situated at 154 ‘B’ Shell road, Kitty 2 lots East of Kitty Market.670-2653 Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445 3 story commercial building,120ftX60ft Building 62ftX30ft Location- Lot 1486, Plot B Herstelling, EBD $95 million neg. Contact: 6093777/697-4557

TOLET House situated at Parafaite WBD. #622-3197 Rooms in Albertown & 1 house in Good Hope, 5 bedroom, 4 self contained. EDUCATION Tel#225-3234 Register your child for after Top flat, fully furnished two school classes for slow bedroom apartment in learners in Mathematics, Riumveldt, Georgetown. Reading, Phonics, Spelling, etc. Call: 675-4379 Call:227-8529

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.- CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 2 and 3 bedroom fully furnished luxury to rent long and short term #666-7028/ 691-1432 1 bedroom apartment 573 Uitvlugt housing scheme West Coast Demerara. Tel#663-2882 Room to rent & (2) bedroom fully furnished @ Providence& Diamond. Tel#660-7716 To rent (2) Bedroom bottom flat apartment. Contact: 6669534 Bottom flat apartment for rent, two bedroom. Independence St, La Grange W.B.Dem. Tel#592-663-1280

WANTED Looking to buy a house or empty land, Preferences-EBD Public road. Buyer #1917-6225810/694-3331 Dispatcher, driver & contract cars. Tel# 231-0316/231-0002 One experienced cook wanted. Call: 226-0554/6238654 One radiator workman preferably from the West Coast of Demerara. Contact Charran’s Radiator Works Tel#622-5721 One full time auto body technician for repair center. Must have previous experience. Call: 222-0675 One service manager for repair centre, must have previous experience. Call: 6472022 1 Male cook to cook in interior #699-4718 Live in general domestic and 1 experienced cook (Live out) #610-3974

VEHICLE FOR SALE Bluebird 2012 model-$2.7M Axio 2010-$2.6M Tida-2010 $2.1M All vehicles unregistered #655-3400 1 Longbase canter $1,200,000 Negotiable 1 RZ Minibus $500,000 Negotiable #6284436 1 Laurel car with extra engine, excellent condition, air conditioner working $400,000 #652-0709 1 Toyota 2 RZ minibus in excellent condition with rim & AC BMM series, Price $1.1M Neg Contact:6530120/646-9417 LAND FOR SALE Uitvlugt (100x50) $2.6M Farm $2.8M Schnoord $2.4M Parfaite $1.4M Harmonie 2nd Avenue $2.3M #611-7223/6560701 1 House lot situated on the West Sea Coast of Windsor Castle, Essequibo. Land size: 48x155. Tel#648-1397 Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397

Land in Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Eccles of anywhere on the West Coast. Tel# 642-1252/697-6311 1 Able-bodied male clerk. Call: 231-2029/219-4533/616-5954 Wanted urgently one bus driver RZ Bus #BSS 1605 Contact: 603-2640/218-4636

Exists for one experienced dispatcher- Call: 231-5784 Earn 5-20K working from home www.jobfairworldwide.com Tel#622-1957/652-8829 Cook/Baker & Welder for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 6182020 Paralegal with degree in law. Duties: secretarial, clerical & research tasks. Email: lawofficegy@gmail.com/ guyana@hotmail.com Cashier at Nirva Supermarket 49 Sheriff & Craig Street C/ ville. Apply in person with written application. Contact: 227-5771 1 person to make and bake bread and pastries. Call: 2262320 or Charlotte & Wellington St L/town 1 Office Clerk. Tel#233-2725 1 female cashier to work shift at Durban & Haley streets, Delicious Restaurant. Contact: 231-5108 Vacancy exist for (1) experienced pharmacy technician to work @ reputable pharmacy in Diamond (Flexible hours)- Call: 645-3422 One maid preferably residing on the East Bank. Call:2278529 Handyman and Counter Staff wanted. Tel: 223-2800, 6091400

Responsible hire car drivers and contract cars. Tel# 2317200 Driver, Cashier, Pastry maker/ cake decorator, curry cook, counter server, Apply H/ written application @ Hack’s Halaal 5 Commerce St Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Classic Ride Taxi Service- (1) Female Dispatcher needed #233-5227 Nandy Park EBD Land Wanted in Diamond H/ S Bet 1-6 Ave. WhatsApp/Call Rich +592-644-2073 Urgently (1) industrial electrician knowledge of motor rewinding will be an asset. Please call: 644-9084/664-9635

Parfaite Harmonie- $1.4M Uitvlugt $2.4M Zeelugt $2M Tuschen $3.3M Tel# 6976311/642-1252

SALON

18,731 acres mining land Gold & Diamond Mazaruni $5,000,000 USD Contact: 6951356, 687-8445

Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $90,000 Nail Technician Course: $35,000. Call: 647-1773/688-0009

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR R E N TA L : S U V F O R RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:6435122/656-0087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL @YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494

From page 9 power for 12hours and be denied power for 24hours. Ramson pointed to one instant where a Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) at the Jubilee field in Ghana experienced unexpected shutdown. The Tullow Oil Ghana Company had declared unproductive processing of gas at the Atuabo gas plant. This led to power deficit to rise to 600MW compared to previous record which was at 400MW. Ramson said that while gas use has its advantages, there are also many disadvantages. “I there is a problem with an FPSO, we can go without electricity; even the water levels and tides can pose a problem,” said Ramson. Ramson also noted that the gas to power project cannot be realized before oil starts pumping “The government is still to tell us what it plans to do about electricity in the interim. The demand for electricity will multiply as we see many more expatriates come into the country. For one thing, the use of air con

I’ve never had an eye... From page 67 healthy eyes and vision. For example, patients with glaucoma don’t usually have any symptoms and most are diagnosed during a regular eye exam. Patients with diabetes should have more frequent eye exams as they can get bleeding within the eye that they are not aware of. With both glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (bleeding in the eye), early treatment can save/prolong vision. For more information , or if you wish to suggest a question, please contact Dr. Karen Persram at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown. Tel: 225-0605, or send emails to drkpoffice@gmail.com.

Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

PAGE 69

CONSUMER CONCERNS

EASTER HERALDS JOY AND UNITY By PAT DIAL

We intended to have carried this article in last Sunday’s edition since so many consumers had expected us to make an offering for Easter. We do so now not only because of consumer expectation because Easter and its message are vital and evergreen. The Festival’s moral and spiritual aspects help to enrich our lives and its impact has always brought greater unity in Society. Easter is the holiest day in the Christian calendar since it is fundamental to the very meaning and existence of Christianity, God incarnated Himself in a human body as Jesus, and as recorded in the accounts of the incarnations of God in all traditions, the birth of Jesus was a miraculous one. Jesus was born at the town of Bethlehem in Palestine and spent his life in that country. There are records of his life which are historically credible as well as records of his death. It is his conquest of death and his resurrection which Easter commemorates and celebrates. It also leads us to reflect on the beauty and attractiveness of the example of his life and his teachings. The Middle East, and indeed the whole Mediterranean world had fallen into religious decadence. There was widespread agnosticism, continuous wars, barbarous blood sports like the gladiatorial contests and the dominance of the strong over the weak. Lawlessness had taken over, and ethical and spiritual culture had been replaced by unrighteousness. God incarnated Himself as Jesus so as to restore this decadent world. For example, the Middle Eastern world practised an ethic of violence and people were encouraged to settle disputes by violence. Jesus taught an ethic of peace, forbearance and forgiveness. He also tried to guide people to abandon selfish, hypocritical and illogical ways which would bring suffering on others and ultimately themselves. Examples of such guidance are manifested when he drove the money-lenders out of the Temple underlining how evil it is for man to be exploiting man economically; or when a crowd was going to stone a woman to death for adultery as permitted by the barbarous law and custom of the time, he showed them how hypocritical and wicked they were and was able to change many of them. Or when he showed there are inflexible,

meaningless and illogical rules which govern the lives of so many people to their own detriment or the detriment of their neighbours when he pointed out the case of a lamb falling into a muddy pit on the Sabbath. He taught that the lamb should be rescued and not left to die because of the mechanistic rule that one should do no work on the Sabbath. Above all, Jesus taught that the poor and hungry should be protected and helped. He not only taught ethics, he also showed the way of spiritual development. He taught the achievement of Enlightenment and getting closer to God by such methods as fasting, invoking God, sincere prayer and other techniques. Over the centuries, mystics such as St Francis of Assisi preserved and practised this mystical aspect of Jesus’ teaching. God incarnated Himself as Jesus so that human beings would be able to easier empathize with Him and absorb the teachings of regeneration. He would be an example to Man, suffering all the pains and joys and abuses which all men experience. His death and resurrection were meant to illustrate that there was always renewal and hope in worst scenarios of life and even death could be conquered once there is absolute belief in and commitment to God. Easter is such a joyous festival or holy day because it celebrates Jesus’s conquest of death and sorrows and the ability of Man to do this once he lives strictly according to the example of Jesus. The various churches, in their Easter services, also repeat this message and the spread the infectious joy of Easter. They symbolize the cleanliness of body and spirit and the joy of Easter by wearing white garments. In Guyana our three national Faiths are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. These are also the three greatest World Religions. Unlike in other countries where there is religious conflict, in Guyana, these three Faiths live side by side, respect each other, and identify their commonalities. Here, the vast majority accept that all religious paths lead to God. In Islam, Jesus is the most important Prophet, second only to the Prophet Muhammad and he is revered in the same way that Christians revere him. And much of the teachings of Islam and Christianity are similar. Many Muslims may view Easter church services on Television. Hindus regard Jesus as an incarnation of God as Christians do and may pay worship to

We have not received any loans from Islamic Bank

Guyana has not received any loans from the Islamic Development Bank, the Ministry of Finance says. Yesterday, the Ministry said it has noted the conclusion reached by some media houses that Guyana is a recipient of US$900M loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The Ministry said that it “wishes to clarify that contrary to that conclusion, the IsDB has a resource envelope of US$900M that is potentially available from which the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana can borrow. The Minister of Finance,

- Finance Ministry Wi n s t o n J o r d a n i n h i s speech to the 43rd Annual Meeting of the IsDB Group was clear in his identification of the named sum.” The ministry explained that during the period 27-29 November 2017, the IsDB mounted a mission to Guyana to develop a medium term work plan for the period 20182022. “That work plan outlines a pipeline of projects that the Bank can support over the next five years. The potential areas of collaboration between the

Bank and the Government of Guyana cover several development sectors including Agriculture, Banking and Finance, Human Development, Energy and Rural Development.” The current package of potential projects, consisting of proposed grant and loan operations is valued at approximately US$900M. “The Government is currently in the process of designing projects to commence accessing some portions of the IsDB resources,” the ministry said.

Lord Jesus as they do to Lord Rama. In the Bhagwat Gita, God says : For whenever the law of righteousness withers away and lawlessness raises its head Then do I generate myself on Earth For the protection of the Good For the destruction of evildoers For the setting up of righteousness I come into being, age after age. Hindus may not only view the Easter

church services on the television but may even attend such services, sharing the relief, hope and victory over death with their Christian brethren in the same way that Christians participate in Phagwah and Diwali religious functions. Easter, therefore, is not only a time of joy, hope, renewal, conquest over death, and strengthening belief in God and Jesus, it is a time when Guyanese could reflect on their unique religious unity.

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Guyana doomed if citizens have no say in spending of oil money - Ram

ttorney at Law, Christopher Ram, is foreseeing doomsday for Guyana if the citizens are excluded from the making of decisions regarding what to do with the potential revenues to be received from oil. Ram said that based on the failure of successive governments to protect the nation’s patrimony, it is clear that certain decisions cannot be left up to the politicians. The accountant said this at the recent triennial conference of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). Ram has been quite critical of the lopsided Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that Guyana signed with ExxonMobil. He noted on many occasions that the nation is being given crumbs while it is allowing ExxonMobil to extract billions upon billions of dollars worth of oil. He told attendees of the conference that Guyana is poised to be the top oil producing country in the work, per capita. Ram provided a list of oil producing countries of the world. The list has been adapted to reflect the annual barrels per capita and the annual revenue resulting there from. Guyana, which was not

Attorney at Law Christopher Ram Source: http://world.bymap.org/OilProduction.html [as modified by Ram] previously included, was added to list at the capacity of producing 500,000 barrels per day. The price of a barrel of oil has been assumed at US$50. The original list had Russia as the top oil producing country. Ram said that while Russia’s daily production is approximately 20 times that of Guyana’s estimated production, “it should be noted that when ranked by annual total oil revenue per capita, Guyana will stand as number one amongst the oil-producing

countries of the world.”Ram continued, “Translated to revenue, and given the expected volumes, the impact on the economy and on Guyanese will be substantial, despite a poorly negotiated contract.” He said that indeed, even using conservative numbers, “we expect Government revenues to triple when both the direct and indirect revenues are taken into account.” Ram said that the next challenge is of course how the money needs to be spent.

Apology/correction

An article in the April 5 edition stated that the La Parfaite man, who was charged with murdering his ex-girlfriend, appeared before Magistrate Christel Lambert in the Vreed-enHoop Magistrates’ Court. This was found to be incorrect and Kaieteur News team sincerely apologizes to

the Magistrate for the error and for any harm it may have caused. Instead, the murder accused, 39-year-old Lauric Fiffee, also known as “Shaquan” of Westminster, West Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

Dem boys seh...

Soulja Bai hands tie up People got a saying that every cow does cry fuh its calf. Dem got a lot of crying going on. Lula gone to jail and he supporters crying. He popular and once he did run in de elections he woulda beat everybody. But he mek he hand fast. Money that ain’t belong to him he go and trouble. Dem boys want to know how people who got nuff money always want more. Brazil is now leading by example. No matter how popular a man is, once he corrupt he going to jail.Soulja Bai had that belief when he go into office. He call nuff inquiry and get de results. But he still can’t do nutten wid de findings. Is like

when you look in de mirror. That is wha dem boys seh. All of a sudden he finding out that some of he people corrupt and dem would also end up in jail. He hand tie. But he should know that jail must pick everybody who thief. That is wha should happen. Imagine ExxonMobil, de most powerful oil company in de world do nuff wrang things. Dem courts slapping some big fines pun it. But dem boys notice that de fines can’t hurt de oil company. Wha dem pay wid one hand dem collecting from Guyana. That is why de contract is how it deh. When dem boys look at de contract wid odda country is like when a man and

a woman hug up tight pun one side and dem squeezing de stepchild pun de odda side. Guyana is de step child. Liberia cut some special deal wid Exxon. When dem boys hear bout de deals dem want to know if goat bite Guyana. Liberia walking in de house like de don and cutting deals wid de odda boss. But dem got Guyana like de beggar at de gate.When dem boys talk some people get vex and cuss dem critics. Exxon is somebody calf. When de ambassador talk he was just like de cow that cry fuh its calf. Talk half and help Soulja Bai mek up he mind.

The attorney at law said that the people must have a say in how government will

spend the oil money. He said, “If Guyanese workers have as much say in the spending as

they have had in collective bargaining or the environmental implications of oil production, then the Government will simply act in its own style and judgment.”

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Sunday April 08, 2018

Kaieteur News

Man drives van into restaurant in Germany, killing two plus himself MUENSTER, Germany (Reuters) - A German man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the old city centre of Muenster in western Germany yesterday, killing two of them before shooting himself dead, police and state officials said. The vehicle ploughed into people seated at tables outside the Grosser Kiepenkerl eatery, a popular destination for tourists in the pretty university city. Herbert Reul, interior minister of North RhineWestphalia, home to Muenster, told German television the suspect was a German citi-

zen and there was “no indication of an Islamist background”. Police spokesman Andreas Bode earlier said: “At 15:27 (1327 GMT), a vehicle drove into the outside area of the restaurant ... three people were killed, 20 injured, and six of those seriously injured,” “The perpetrator killed himself in the vehicle,” Bode added. Reul said the three dead included the perpetrator. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in its online edition that the perpetrator was Jens R., aged 48, who lived some 2 km (1.2

miles) from the crime scene. Broadcaster ZDF said police were searching his apartment and that he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the man had psychological problems. The Interior Ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia would neither confirm nor deny the report. Bode said investigators were looking at the possibility that other suspects fled the scene, though they had no evidence that this was the case, he added.

‘Sir Sohan’ gets wish for a ... (From page 61) this is the seventh for the last four years for motorised wheelchairs. Overall, we distributed about 1200 wheelchairs over the past two years. “We have a third shipment of 550 wheelchairs coming in about a month’s time to be distributed across the country through different organizations," Davis explained. The focus, he said, is on persons whose desire is to be mobile and with the shipment coming in persons can expect wheelchairs that can fold. In responding to Narain's announcement to offer lessons for free for youths, Davis revealed that if it is Narain's true desire to teach, then Food for the Poor will provide the furniture and basic stationary materials. Narain after the

handing over, was shown how the scooter works. It includes an electric charger for recharging with a maximum speed of 6.40 Km. It is 130 cm in length and 58 cm in width and also has a manual break system. Foster used the opportunity to also encourage journalists to write articles of a similar nature that will eventually garner results. "It seeks to motivate, inspire and move people to compassionately reach out to those who need support. It's not only about handing over a wheelchair. Just recently another eight houses started by Food for the Poor will be available for distribution.” “The Chairman of the Board for Food for the Poor, Mr. Paul Chan-a-Sue picked up the phone and called me to

ask who wrote those stories because for the very first time in Guyana that we have been building houses through Food for the Poor a reporter actually went into details about the family background. It’s always about us handing over the houses and we do not really understand who we are really giving them over to." A visit was also paid to the Port Mourant Hospital Maternity Unit. Spearheading the team was Alex Foster, accompanied by Food for the Poor representatives. During the visit it was highlighted that Food for the Poor donated 13 baby cribs/cots, four Fetal Non-stress test machines, two recliner chairs and two incubators to the unit through their medical outreach.

Police block a street near a place where a man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a popular restaurant in the old city centre of Muenster, Germany, yesterday. REUTERS/Elke

No wriggle room as industry ... From page 16 is tough for the regulatory agency. It does not have an enforcement arm. Rather, Gold Board has to depend on sister agencies like the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Revenue Authority for assistance. “There is so much riding on this. I cannot over emphasize that this Board has tremendous responsibilities placed on it. We are committed. It helped that more than 90 percent of the board at last count has a vote of confidence by the minister and Cabinet to be returned.” According to the Chair-

man, whether Gold Board knows the miner or not, the regulations are demanding that miners and dealers have to produce documentations when transacting business. “We can't take any word anymore. There must be a paper trail. We have been told in no uncertain terms that if there is no documentation then no money should be paid.” Gold Board has been holding workshops and outreaches and talking to its dealers to pass the message oncomply or face the worst. Among some of the documents that must be produced to help verify production at mines are Traders' Licences; Miners Permit; Dredge Licences; Shop Licences and evidence of barter arrangements… everything has to have a piece of paper, he said. “Declarations must have supporting documents, so when the regulators look to us for that, we must have that. If it is visit to our miners and dealers, they must be able to deliver that. Whatever business we are in, as long as it is above board, I always said, you come take a look, because I want to know I pass muster and I am doing my duty as I should.” Lall spoke of improving relations with the mining bodies, recently the guest speaker at a meeting of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association and with engagement with the Guyana Women Miners Organisation. He acknowledged that the Gold Board may not be able to resolve all issues, but the consultations have been netting results. With the dealers among the big stakeholders, Lall disclosed that he has been meeting them. “We have been clear with

what our obligations are and we have been clear how the licences and compliance regime is very thorough and we are expecting cooperation. We feel that we have very astute businessmen and they know what is involved here and they want to get on with their business, but they want also to work with us to ensure that everybody is on the same page and the Guyana Gold Board is allowed to do its work. We have to make sure that their books are available, whether it is during a surprise visit or not.” Lall admits that the level of cooperation is not where it should be. “We are getting some cooperation, I must be frank. I wish it was a little bit more robust, more forthcoming and the Board itself is working very assiduously with dealers to see that everybody understand their responsibilities.” The Chairman also noted that while there should be an attitude of zero exceptions, in Guyana there are hundreds of miners who transient, but it is being insisted that all transactions be accompanied by identification. “Our partners- the Royal Canadian Mint, Techmet, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the US Security and Exchange Commission and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) have set standards for conflict free gold. Like I said before, there is absolutely no wriggle room. We have to comply. We have to get our houses in order. Our partners are encouraged by what they saw, but they have also raised the bar. We are working hard to meet the requirements.

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Former Pres. Lula surrenders to police , begins 12-year prison SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil (Reuters) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to police yesterday, ending a day-long standoff to begin serving a 12year prison sentence for corruption that derails his bid to return to power. Lula moved out in a convoy of black police SUVs after pushing his way out of the steel workers union headquarters where he had taken refuge, as militant supporters sought to stop him from surrendering to police. He entered police custody more than 24 hours after a court deadline on Friday afternoon. In a fiery speech hours earlier to a crowd of redshirted supporters of his Workers Party outside the union building, Brazil’s first working class president insisted on his innocence and called his bribery conviction a political crime, but said he would turn himself in. “I will comply with the order,” he told the cheering crowd. “I’m not above the law. If I didn’t believe in the law, I

wouldn’t have started a political party. I would have started a revolution.” Lula’s imprisonment removes Brazil’s most influential political figure and frontrunner from this year’s presidential campaign, throwing the race wide open and strengthening the odds of a more centrist candidate prevailing, according to analysts and political foes. It also marks the end of an era for Brazil’s left, which was out in force in the streets outside of the union headquarters in the industrial suburb of Sao Paulo where Lula’s political career began four decades ago as a union organizer. The throngs of supporters, which began gathering when he arrived late on Thursday night, dissuaded police from trying to take him into custody and heightened concerns about a violent showdown. Supporters blocked Lula’s first attempt to leave the union building on Saturday afternoon, pushing back against fellow party members

Lula leaves the steelworkers ‘union in Sao Bernardo do Campo to give himself up to police trying to open the gate for his car to leave. Workers Party chief Gleisi Hoffmann pleaded with supporters to let him exit.He will be flown by police to the southern city of Curitiba and held in a special jail cell where he will begin serving his 12year sentence. Lula was convicted of tak-

ing bribes, including renovation of a three-story seaside apartment that he denies ever owning, from an engineering firm in return for help landing public contracts. “I’m the only person being prosecuted over an apartment that isn’t mine,” insisted Lula, standing on a sound truck alongside his im-

peached handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff and leaders of other left-wing parties. A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Saturday rejected the latest plea by Lula’s legal team, which argued they had not exhausted procedural appeals when a judge issued the order to turn himself in.

Under Brazilian electoral law, a candidate is forbidden from running for office for eight years after being found guilty of a crime. Rare exceptions have been made in the past, and the final decision would be made by the top electoral court if and when Lula officially files to be a candidate. The union where Lula, 72, sought refuge was the launch pad for his career in the late 1970s leading nationwide strikes that helped to end Brazil’s 1964-85 military dictatorship. Lula’s everyman style and unvarnished speeches electrified masses and eventually won him two terms as president, from 2003 to 2011, when he oversaw robust economic growth and falling inequality amid a commodities boom. “Those who condemn me without proof know that I am innocent and I governed honestly,” Lula said in a video message to his supporters. “Those who persecute me can do what they want to me, but they will never imprison our dreams.”

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Venezuelans come in droves …flock to T&T seeking asylum

Venezuelan nationals in Trinidad PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – The number of Venezuelan nationals seeking asylum or detained at the main immigration center here has increased significantly, a joint select committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament has been told. Acting Chief Immigration Officer, Charmaine GandhiAndrews, told the committee on Friday that an estimated 2,000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum here in recent months.The committee was told that in 2015, there were a total 29 male Venezuelan detainees, but one year later the figure had risen to 125 including 97 females. Last year, there were 45 men and 82 women.Gandhi-Andrews told the committee that Venezuelans have been coming here in significant numbers given

the ongoing political situation in the South American country. She said that on a weekly basis, 150 to 200 Venezuelans come here by sea, some of them, illegally.“But the numbers we have been seeing at the detention centre…the majority of them…at least 90 per cent of those persons have entered the country illegally or have a criminal conviction…either possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking or possession of arms and ammunition,” Gandhi-Andrews said. She said most arrive here with no travel documents, making it difficult for the Immigration Division to identify them and that 67 Venezuelans including 30 females are now housed at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC).

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Audley Shaw, says efforts must be made to reduce the percentage of onions being imported for domestic consumption. It is a call to which the Caribbean Broilers Group is responding through its Crop Division subsidiary, Imagination Farms, situated at Hill Run, St Catherine, where it has 12 of over 400 acres of land under onion cultivation. Data provided by the Caribbean Broilers, more popularly known for meat production, indicate that over the past five years, domestic

onion consumption soared to 10 million kilogrammes per annum, of which imports accounted for app r o x i mately 85 per cent.Against this background, Shaw emphasised that “we have to begin to chip away at that (85) percentage”, through increased domestic cultivation. He was speaking with journalists following a tour of Imagination Farms Friday. Caribbean Broilers Group Operations Manager, Don McGlashan, told JIS News that the entity is seeking to produce enough onions from the 12 acres under cultivation to contribute to reducing imports by an initial

She told the committee that there are plans to repatriate the Venezuelans using the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, but that initiative is yet to materialise. She said, 2014-16, an estimated 60,000 Venezuelans came here.“Last year, the figure would have been just around 28,000 Venezuelan nationals arriving at a legal port of entry. The numbers we are picking up who have entered the country illegally, we can safely say that larger numbers are arriving. And more are being detained. “The number of Venezuelans who have applied from asylum have gone from five in 2016 … to well over 1,000 perhaps 2,000 Venezuelans nationals today. And daily those numbers are being added to.”

Shaw targeting reduced onion imports

Audley Shaw 10 per cent, with a view to increasing this to 50 per cent over the next five years. (Jamaica Observer)

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Kaieteur News

Over 30 detained in anti-human trafficking operation Daily Observer - Over 30 people are in the custody of several law enforcement agencies following a joint anti-human trafficking operation at two strip clubs in the city Friday night. Their detention came after searches at the Cheetah Night Club on Joseph Lane and G Spot Night Club on Independence Avenue during the operation called Libertado. The daughter of the woman who owns the Cheetah Night Club is among those in custody while no one from the management of the G-Spot Nightclub is in custody yet. Most of those in custody have been identified as possible trafficked persons. A few others are believed to be in breach of the country’s immigration and labour laws. While, another few are suspected offenders of the country are human trafficking and immigration laws. The majority of those in custody, and who are Jamaican nationals, identify as dancers and strippers working at the clubs and they are

all being held at the Immigration Detention Centre in Coolidge, at the former “Panam Base”. The Public Safety ministry issued a statement this morning saying operation “Libertado” is the name given to region-wide joint Action Day Operations which are in collaboration with INTERPOL.The operation seeks to free as many victims of human trafficking as possible. As such, the joint operation targeted these establishments based on information and intelligence.The operation was spearheaded by the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention) Committee, within the Ministry of Public Safety and Labour.Other par-

ticipating organisations included members of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the Fire Department, the Department of Immigration, the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF), and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The operation comes two months after a similar raid was carried out at Jam Dung Night Club and Wendy’s Bar and over 20 people were detained. The owner of Jam Dung, Cheryl Thompson, was later charged with four counts of Human Trafficking and the matter is pending before the court.

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No celebration for City after United comeback derby win MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) MANCHESTER CITY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 3 Manchester City’s Premier League title celebrations were put on hold as rivals Manchester United produced a remarkable comeback from two goals down to win their derby clash 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. A win for City would have clinched the title but instead their first home defeat in the league this season leaves Pep Guardiola’s side with a 13 point lead with six games remaining. Wi t h U n i t e d h a v i n g closed the gap, City need to win two of their final games to be sure of the title. While that outcome still looks a formality, this was a bitter blow coming

after Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Wi t h a n e y e o n Tu e s d a y ’s s e c o n d l e g , Guardiola left several regular starters on the bench. They were nonetheless 2-0 up within half an hour thanks to goals from Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Guendogan and they wasted several other chances to extend their lead. But two goals from Paul Pogba in the 53rd and 55th minutes brought United level before Chris Smalling grabbed the winner in the 69th minute. A dramatic game saw City have a strong penalty appeal turned down and twice go close to an equaliser in the final stages. In the end, how-

ever, the planned title party at the Etihad was replaced by the sight of United players celebrating in front of their supporters. Kevin De Bruyne started on the bench along with Kyle Walker, strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus and French defender Aymeric Laporte. There was no question of City taking the game lightly though as they attacked with intent and incisiveness. When the opener came in the 25th minute, however, it was from a simple corner played in by Leroy Sane which skipper Kompany, despite having his shirt pulled by Smalling, met with a thundering header. The second, on the half hour, came from a poor clearance from David de

Sunday 08 April, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you might feel the urge to write, Aries. This could involve nothing more than a lengthy letter or email to a friend, but it could also be creative work, such as a novel, essay, screenplay TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Paperwork involving money needs to be executed today, Taurus. It could be a settlement, new commission, or bonus of some kind. This is likely to be a joyous occasion because money is coming your way GEMINI(May 21–June 2 0 ) Today your mind should be especially quick and penetrating, Gemini. You could decide to tackle some in-depth research CANCER (June 21–July 22) Some vivid, beautiful dreams or visions could awaken you and make you aware of new opportunities. They could be creative in nature, and you should consider taking advantage of them, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you might decide to attend a group activity that is primarily concerned with an intellectual, philosophical, or spiritual interest of yours, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A public figure, perhaps an author, might capture your interest in some way today, Virgo. This person could have a lot to say that appeals to you on a number of different levels.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you might attend a party or group activity that puts you in touch with some interesting people from faraway places, Libra. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some big upheaval in your career could take you by surprise, Scorpio, but it's apt to make a very positive difference to you. Your public standing and income could both skyrocket. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A social event could bring you into contact with a very intense, fascinating person in an intriguing profession, Sagittarius. You could find him or her very charming and sexy. If you aren't romantically involved at the moment CAPRI (Dec.22–Jan.19) You always tend to have good powers of concentration, Capricorn, but today you're more focused than usual, probably on a project that means a lot to you. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) An intense conversation with your romantic partner could take place today. This could involve taking the relationship to the next commitment level, and the subject of marriage could come up. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today you and the other members of your household might discuss the possibility of making some changes, Pisces.

Chris Smalling (left) won the game for Manchester United as he and Paul Pugba help them come from two goals down to beat Manchester City 3-2. (Getty Images) Gea, straight to Sane and from the ensuing break, Raheem Sterling slipped the ball inside to Guendogan who created space with a clever turn and drove into the bottom corner. Sterling then missed two clear chances, twice blasting over when he was put clear on goal and Guendogan could have done better when, alone in the area, he headed straight at De Gea. COMEBACK SHOCK It wasn’t even halftime and the City fans were roaring ‘ole’ to each pass as Guardiola’s side toyed with a totally ineffective United, passing the ball around them in midfield. But if they thought the game – and the title – were in the bag, they were in for a shock. Seven minutes after the restart, United pulled a goal back when Alexis Sanchez wriggled some room for a cross which Ander Herrera intelligently chested into the path of Pogba who slotted past Ederson to make it 2-1. Two minutes later and United were level. Again it was Pogba, who had been poor in the first half, who

Emotional Campbell... From page 81 but ran out of steam in the final few strokes. “I definitely felt it on the third 50 meters of that 200,” Ruck said. “But I just tried to keep my head down and race.” Australia lead the medal table in the pool on 32, with 11 golds. England are a distant second on 14 total medals, seven of which are gold.

did the damage, rising to meet a deep Sanchez cross and angling his header into the bottom corner. Suddenly the air of celebration had vanished from the stadium but it was to get worse in the 69th minute, with Sanchez again the provider. The Chilean floated a free kick into the area and Smalling, inexpli-

cably unmarked, simply side-footed past Ederson. City felt they should have had a penalty when Aguero went down under a challenge from Ashley Young. They then went close to an equaliser when De Gea made a brilliant save to keep out a header from the Argentine striker and Sterling hit the post.

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From page 75 Overall Champions were Bobby Rasul and Steven Vieira joint winners of the 125cc 2-Stroke Professional Category.Rasul and Vieira finished with 24-points apiece as a result of one first, second and third place finish. Steven Nobrega was next with 12 points followed by Ravin Ramcoomar and Andrew Wong with 10 points each. Wong, the pride of Bartica in this format of the sport, was involved in an intense battle with Vieira and Rasul. Vieira prevailed in the first Pro race even as Wong fell off his machine twice due to some mechanical issues with his suspension. Wong later changed his machine and went on to defeat Vieira and Rasul in a thrilling race which he led from mid way the first lap, Vieira and company left in the trail of dust playing catch up. Oliver Young was unstoppable in the Quads events racking up two wins in as many starts to end with 20points, four more than his younger brother Dave Young who could only manage the runner-up spots in both events. The joint 3rd place finishers were Mark Fagundes and

Sunday April 08, 2018

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Romario Smartt who both collected 10 points each.Tevin Sears was unstoppable in the 125cc 2-Stroke Novice championship accumulating a total of 28 points from his two wins and one second. Sears had lost the first race to Daniel Hardeen but revved his way back into contention by taking the next two races where he relegated Hardeen to the runner up spots in each race to win the Overall prize by two points.Hardeen ended with 26 points, Avo Ramcoomar was 3rd in this category on 12, while fourth was Nandram Mohamed two points adrift. In the Bush Bikes showdown, Mark Fagundes reigned supreme with a win and a second place which was enough to land him the top prize with 18 points. Trailing him was Antonio Jardine on 10 points followed by Romario Smartt on 8 with Zameer Shariff and Lancelot Douglas tied on 6 apiece for 4th place.Dave Young rebounded to claim first place in the Side by Side 5-lap contest, Kacy De Agrilla 2nd and Antonio Jardine 3rd. In the Open race a 7-lap showdown, Andrew Wong won from Steven Vieira, Steven Nobrega and Romario Smartt in

that order. There was also a 3-lap race for Under-16 BMX cyclists which was won by Joseph Wendano from Keanu Moore and Daniel Luz. NSC EASTER SWIMMING PROGRAMME CONCLUDES AT NAC The National Sports Commission, Ministry of Presidency Department of Social Cohesion Easter Swimming programme concluded at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC), Liliendaal. The programme, which lasted for eight days, consisted of 104 male and female participants between 6-16 years old who were tutored in breathing while swimming, gliding, kicking, threading, streaming, position and free style. President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Ivan Persaud encouraged the students to put into practice what they were taught so they can continue to improve. Supervisor of the National Aquatic Centre, Wilton Spencer said he was pleased with the programme and all the participants showed signs of improvement to the extent that they were selected to give demonstrations. He thanked the coaches and staff for a job well done. Coach Denroy Trotman, in a invited comment, indicated that he saw a lots of improvement during the programme and advised parents to encourage their children to get involved in clubs because it’s does not stop here. He said that the exposure was good but there is a still a lot of work that needs to be done. Trotman stated that plans are in place to extend the

Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis raises his hand in triumph after his first step toward a Commonwealth Games medal. programme throughout Guyana and there is enough expertise to do so. Renee Whittaker, one of the best graduating students, said the programme went well. She informed that even though she was scared at first, she felt better as it continued. Whittaker said that she is looking forward to improve her strengths and weaknesses in the sport and hopefully represent Guyana in the near future. PELEALUMNI CORP. DONATE BACKPACKS AND BALLS TO MIN. OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S AFFAIRS

The benevolence of the Pele Alumni Corporation has been extended to the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs with the donation of 25 Backpacks containing educational and personal hygiene items and 10 footballs. The items were handed over to Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe by Pele Alumni Corporation Director Dennis Ivor Carrington at the Minister’s Quamina Street, Georgetown.In handing over the items, Carrington said that it was on the advice of former national footballer Earl O’Neil that the Alumni decided to make the contribution to the Minister for uses by the hinterland players.” The gifts of 25 backpacks and 10 footballs will further advance the excitement of these hinterland players who we know are very talented. So on behalf of the Pele Alumni Corporation, all of the Directors in North America we would like to present these items

to you.” Minster Garrido-Lowe in accepting the donation expressed gratitude to Carrington and the Pele Alumni Corporation on behalf of her Ministry and all the youths playing the beautiful game in the Hinterland.” I know that they would be delighted to receive these gifts. These youths would be very appreciative of your kind gesture to assist them in the furtherance of their education and the game of football, they will be so happy.”Minister noted that as a government and Ministry, they cannot do everything and are very thankful for public spirited persons and corporate Guyana who come forward to assist. ”I would also like to congratulate you and the Pele Alumni for your initiative of pairing education off with football because this is really needed, so you are doing the right thing, congratulations.” Minister Garrido-Lowe stated that her Ministry is always there to assist in any way needed going forward.

Guyana Men’s defeat Ghana... From page 79 16, defeated Ghana, Africa 3rd seeds by a 3-1 margin to advance into the round of sixteen (16). In the opening match, Derek Abrefa defeated Nigel Bryan 3-1 (11-2, 9-11, 11-2, 12-10) in a highly entertaining affair and closely contested match with Bryan making a few tactical mistakes at key junctures of the game. In the second match, Shemar Britton in a tactically executed match, defeated Felix Lartey by a 3-1 margin 11-8,411, 11-9, 11-8, to level the scores for Guyana.

The critical doubles match saw Guyana’s pair of national men’s champion Christopher Franklin and Nigel Bryan then defeat Ghana’s pair of Derek Abrefa and Benard Sam 3-1 (11-9,711,11-6,11-8) to give Guyana a 2-1 lead. Playing in the fourth match, Christopher Franklin was clinical when he defeated Ghana’s Felix Lartey in straights sets 12-10,11-6,117 to secure the victory for Guyana and into the round of 16 where they are slated to meet Canada to possibly advance to the men’s team quarterfinals.

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Here is a look back at the key events that occurred during the past week on the local sports arena. CHANTOBA BRIGHT ADDS TO HER MEDAL HAUL 2018 JUNIOR CARIFTAGAMES South America under-20 long jump champion, Chantoba Bright, added to her and Guyana’s medal haul at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Youth Games in Nassau, Bahamas. She claimed a Bronze medal in the under-20 girls’ triple jump. This was after the athlete who won the long jump the previous day. She leaped 12.14m to finish behind Jamaicans Leone Farquharson (12.24m) and Lotavia Brown (12.23m). Meanwhile, in other long jumps age groups, the Guyanese did not fare so well with Carl Williams finishing 7th in the under-20 boys’ and Princess Browne finishing 6th in the under-17girls. On the track, Guyana’s sprint sensation, Daniel Williams, who finished second in the 400m final at the IAAF World under-18 championships last year, booked his place in the final of the 200m. In the semifinal, Williams ran a personal best time of 21.21 seconds to finish second behind Jamaican Christopher Taylor, a former World Youth Games 400m champion, who sprinted to victory in a scorching 20.65 seconds and ahead of Barbados’ Matthew Clarke who clocked 21.41 seconds. Williams finished fifth in the final. Guyana secured medals, 1Gold and eight bronze, with Chantoba Bright claiming gold and bronze, while Murphy Nash, Deshanna Skeete, Kezra Murray and Shaquka Tyrell were among the other medal winners.

COLIN ‘SUPERMAN’ LEWIS WINS OPENING BOUTAT COMMONWEALTH GAMES Guyana’s Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis continued his boxing dominance over St. Lucian Nathan Ferrari after defeating him via unanimous decision in the Men’s 64 Kg (Welterweight) first round fight to get his Gold Coast games campaign off to a positive start. Superman’s promise of a spirited performance in the 21st Commonwealth Games which is being contested in the Gold Coast, Australia, got underway after he defeated his familiar foe Ferrari who he got past 4-1 according to the five-judge panel. Lewis had defeated Ferrari last year to capture the region’s light welterweight title during the Caribbean Development Boxing championships last year, in addition to a first round TKO victory during Guyana’s Patrick Forde Memorial Boxing Championships in February. When ‘Superman’ gloves up again for action it will be against South Africa’s Sinethemba Blom in the division’s round-of-16. Meanwhile, the other boxer representing the Golden Arrowhead in Australia, Keeve Allicock, will begin his campaign against Reece McFadden of Scotland in the Flyweight class, tomorrow. DAVE SCOTT, JOSE JARDINE, ALEX HOPKINSON ARE OVERALL BARTICA EASTER REGATTA CHAMPS While Dave Scott aboard

the now famous ‘Jaguar’ dominated the F1/Unlimited category for the 7thconsecutive year, equally commanding in his performances was Jose Jardine who won the 15hp, 40hp and 90hp categories as the curtains came down on the 2018 edition of the Bartica Easter Regatta at the Golden Beach Circuit. Also being declared an overall champion was Alec Hopkinson who ruled the roost in the Jet Ski competition in the two-day competition which witnessed a number of exciting races as well as a few spills but no major accidents. One such accident in the final race of the day which featured the 200hp boys, there was an unfortunate mishap which resulted in one boat colliding with the other. But apart from that incident, Dave Scott who also competed in this category was defeated by Sean Belle aboard Quicksilver and Selwyn Joseph in D Girls Dem Suga. Scott’s chances of also winning this category was smashed when he lost his engine negotiating the final turn to the finish line and sustained some damage to his boat ‘Jaguar’. Like the Belle’s which had two boats competing under the name Quicksilver, Scott also had two under the Jaguar brand. Following are the Overall Results: 15hp 1st Jose Jardine - 9 points – Prize 2hp Engine 2nd Mark Daniels - 6 points 3rd Terrance Gonsalves 3 points 40hp

Oliver Young - QUADS Champion

Chantoba Bright won Bronze in the Girls’ under-20 triple jump yesterday and Daniel Williams is through to the Boys’ under 20 200m final. Jose Jardine - 12 points – Prize $200,000 Saigon Hopkinson - 7 points Sanja Ramkissoon - 2 points 90hp Jose Jardine - 15 points – Prize $300,000 Raymond Rasul - 8 points Danny Benjamin - 6 points F1/Unlimited Dave Scott - 15 points – Prize 1Million Dollars Selwyn Joseph - 6 points Clarence Belle - 5 points Jet Ski Alec Hopkinson - 21 points – Prize Trophy Donovan Washington - 5 points Dylan Williams - 3 points MALTASUPREME ‘MARCH MADNESS’ OPEN FINAL - MVP MARLON POLLYDORE 30 POINTS LIGHTS UP ROYALS 84-72 CLOBBERING OF BULLS Former outstanding National Under 19 player Marlon Pollydore had a sterling shooting night as he planted five bombs from beyond the arc in a 30 point display which effectively accounted for the Victory Valley Royals carting off their second successive championship win, this time the final of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s Malta Supreme ‘March Madness’ Open basketball championship at the MSC hard court. The win was a commanding 84-62 drubbing of arch rivals Half Mile Bulls at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court. Later named the Most valuable Player of the final, Marlon Pollydore steadied

his side in the face of an opponent who had ended their 11 game run in the MSC Open Basketball league in December but this time, despite their best player Harold Adams not having the best of nights and the absence of Chris Williams and Orlando Glasgow, the Royals proved too much for Bulls. Daniel Lee scored 10 points, Rodney contributing nine, Tappin eight and Akali Moore added six in the Royals triumph. The Bulls’ shooting guard, Welch, ended with just 13 in the game, while Dillon Pellew netted 10 and Kevin Easton added seven with Emmanuel LaRose and Vibert Benjamin each getting six points. In the third place play-off game, Amelia’s Ward Jets closed out the challenge from Retrieve Raiders, romping home 84-62. GFFAPPOINTS CANADABASED DR. IVAN JOSEPH AS LADY JAGS HEAD COACH The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has appointed Dr. Ivan Joseph as Head Coach of the National Senior Women’s team, the Lady Jags, with immediate effect for a period of one year. Dr. Joseph, a Canada based Guyanese, currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, and has over 20 years of experience in high performance coaching and athletics administration. Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Joseph posited that he is looking to build a competitive team and realize the potential of the female

footballers, both on and off the field, “I am honored to serve Guyana, the country of my birth, by supporting the Senior Women’s National Team as they look to reemerge on the world stage. It is my hope to assist the Federation in building the grassroots level of football across the country that will help empower young girls to achieve success on and off the pitch. I see a lot of potential with the Lady Jaguars programme.” RERC EASTER REGATTA GRASS TRACK MEET RASULAND VIEIRA, SEARS, O. YOUNG AND FAGUNDESARE OVERALL CHAMPS The Red Earth Riders Club (RERC) of Bartica successfully brought off their first Grass Track Meet of the year, held to coincide with the Bartica Easter Regatta activities at the Mongrippa Playfield, Mongrippa Hill, Bartica. Fans and lovers of the sport came out in their numbers, braving the mid morning and early afternoon heat to enjoy the thrills, skills and nimbleness of the athletes as they maneuvered their machines on the dirt track. Despite the dusty nature of the track early on (Fire Service being summoned to wet the track mid afternoon to keep the dust down) fans enjoyed every race as they cheered the competitors on and were left in awe on a few occasions when there were some spills. Nonetheless, when the dust was settled as the sun began to set, emerging as the (Continued on page 74)

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Stunning Bravo half-century MMA fighter McGregor freed hands CSK sensational win on bail after Brooklyn melee

MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo blasted a stunning half-century as Chennai Super Kings came from behind to beat Mumbai Indians by one wicket with a ball to spare, to make a bright start to the Indian Premier League here yesterday. Asked to chase 166 in the curtain-raiser at the Wankhede Stadium, CSK were tottering on 118 for eight in the 17th over before Bravo took matters into his own hands with a 30-ball 68, to transform the contest in an instant. When he perished off the final ball of the penultimate over, CSK still required seven runs from the last six balls. But Kedar Jadhav, who retired hurt in the 13th over on 14, hobbled back to the crease and despite being kept scoreless from the first three balls, belted left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman for a six and a four to end the match emphatically. Earlier, seamer Bravo had produced a brilliant final over

which yielded just five runs as Mumbai were held to 165 for four off their 20 overs, after being sent in. Suryakumar Yadav topscored with 43, Krunal Pandya weighed in with an unbeaten while Ishan Kishan got 40. West Indies teammate Evin Lewis had an inglorious start to his IPL career when he fell for a two-ball ‘duck’, lbw to seamer Deepak Chahar in the third over missing a flick. His opening partner Rohit Sharma (15) followed at 20 for two in the fourth over but Yadav and Kishan posted 68 for the third wicket before the Pandya brothers, Krunal and Hardik (22 not out) added a further 52 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand, to bolster the innings. CSK then lost wickets steadily in their run chase as 20-year-old leg-spinner Mayank Markande (3-23) and medium pacer Hardik Pandya (3-24) tore through the innings. Bravo, a veteran of 376

T20s, arrived to pummeled his 20th half-century, smashing three fours and seven sixes in a 41-run, ninth wicket stand with Imran Tahir (two not out), to put CSK on the front foot. In a calculated assault, Bravo struck key blows to keep the scoreboard ticking over before raising the tempo by taking 20 runs from New Zealand seamer Mitchell McClenaghan’s 18th over. The Trinidadian followed up with sixes on either side of the wicket off the first two balls of the 19th over from seamer Jasprit Bumrah before clearing the ropes at midwicket with the fifth ball, as the over also went for 20 runs. He mis-hit the final delivery and was caught at midoff but Jadhav held his nerve to secure the win for CSK. Scores: Chennai Super Kings 169 for 9 (Bravo 68, Jadhav 24*, Markande 3-23, Hardik 3-24) beat Mumbai Indians 165 for 4 (Suryakumar 43, Krunal 41*, Watson 2-29) by one wicket.

NEW YORK (Reuters) Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor was freed by a New York judge on $50,000 bail on Friday after being charged with assault for his part in a melee at a media event to publicize a series of UFC fights at a Brooklyn arena. The sport’s best-known athlete and an international star, McGregor, 29, appeared before a judge at the Kings County Criminal Court, dressed in a blue, longsleeved shirt that hid his trademark tattoos. He is charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. “He’s the most visible face on the planet; he has no criminal history and the bail package is completely appropriate in the $50,000 amount,” his lawyer Jim Walden told the judge. McGregor, sporting a beard and a somber expression, stood through the hearing with hands shackled behind his back, saying only a few inaudible words to the lawyer. The judge also granted a request to allow to the Irishborn McGregor to travel outside the United States before his next court appearance on June 14.

Conor McGregor was escorted from the New York police department to court in handcuffs. (AP) The MMA star had surrendered to police on Thursday evening, soon after a video of the fracas at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center went viral. It appears to show McGregor and his entourage using a metal barricade and other objects to smash windows on a bus filled with fighters departing from the media event. The fracas appeared to be related to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s decision to strip McGregor of his title. He last fought in a UFC bout in November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt. But he never defended the title, though he took on

boxer Floyd Mayweather in August 2017. His technical knockout loss to Mayweather was the second biggest pay-per-view fight in history. In January, the UFC announced that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson would fight for the undisputed lightweight title at Saturday’s MMA event, known as UFC 223. UFC President Dana White told ESPN on Friday that a UFC fighter on the bus was hit and cut by a dolly thrown through the window, and that another fighter had the cornea of his eyes cut as the glass broke into dust-like material.