Kaieteur News

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

SARA, JAGDEO AND THE GBA The State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) was formed three years ago with the mandate to recover stolen state assets and to reduce corruption in the public sector. Since then, SARA has investigated a number of cases, but it has not yet prosecuted anyone for corruption. The reason is there was not much SARA could have done because it did not have the legal powers to prosecute anyone in civil court. It was confined to investigate the reports about corruption. However, that changed in 2017 when Parliament passed a legislation to change the organization from a unit to an agency with the authority to prosecute public officials, in civil court. With that in mind, critics had expected that SARA would have had at least a few cases before the courts by now. The agency’s Deputy-Director, Aubrey HeathRetemyer, stated that SARA is facing a number of challenges, including budget cuts in 2018, which have limited the hiring of only a few international experts with asset recovery experience to track and recover stolen state assets overseas. Heath-Retemyer also pointed to the fact that Guyana is a ‘paper society’, which means that it will take much longer to peruse boxes of papers in order to get the information needed to determine wrongdoing. He said that with the help of the Forestry Department, SARA has retrieved over two million acres of land given to supporters of the last administration and it is currently working to change the culture and behaviour of people as it relates to corruption. Heath-Reteymer made it clear that under the last administration, the public lost some $200 billion in state assets through procurement fraud, the equivalent of $28 billion to $35 billion every year from 2008 to 2014. In challenging the assertions made by HeathRetemyer, Jagdeo said, if it is true that so much money was stolen while the PPP was in office, then why is it that SARU has not prosecuted anyone for corruption up to now? Many believe that SARA is moving at a snail’s pace as it relates to bringing cases before the court. But the Deputy-Director countered that one of the biggest challenges facing SARA is the difficulty to access information from the commercial banks through the courts. The anti-corruption agency official said that there is a stark disconnection between the judiciary and the thirst of the nation to end corruption. The judiciary, he contends, needs training to ensure that the work of SARA and SOCU gets done like in Argentina and Brazil where the court is highly trained and far more in tune with what the national psyche is, and what the people really yearn for. Heath-Retemyer reiterated that there is a disconnection in Guyana between the judiciary and what the people actually want. He opined that, “there are times when the society demands so much of the legal system that there is a wave of change and the legal people are far more inclined to see justice prevail than they are to apply the law to stop legitimate progress in the direction of fighting corruption.” Needless to say, the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) was displeased with Heath-Retemyer’s statement. It stated that the judiciary is an independent body; it does not exist to do the bidding of any arm of the executive and that the SARA official is attempting to direct the work and functioning of the judiciary. The truth is SARA is part of the justice system; it is not an arm of the executive as suggested by the GBA. The assertion of the GBA that SARA’s statement could intimidate the judiciary is false.

These oil questions haven’t been asked and should be DEAR EDITOR, Not subtracting from the attention the issues stemming from revenues are generating among us Guyanese, I would like to ask a few questions: 1. Was the EPA engaged in any of these negotiations? 2. Have we done a comprehensive species survey of the probable area that a spill may affect? 3. Have we done a quantity survey of all aquatic

and shore life that would be affected by a spill? 4. Would it not be prudent to do these now and have it verified by an internationally recognized organization? Should we have to compensate Venezuela and Suriname, we would have to be able to determine the value. 5. Have we explored the economic impact of a spill? 6. Do we know how much seafood is consumed by Guyanese per month?

7. Do we know how much foreign dollars are earned from seafood exports per month? 8. Do we have a replacement for this source of protein in Guyana? Or would we have to pay US$2 per egg. 9. Should we not have these oil giants help set up farms (run by Guyanese eventually) to cater for these events? 10. Are we leaving our children a Chernobyl-kind legacy? By now we all know what happens to third world

countries when oil giants come calling, the social tension between the majority and the few that joined the 2%, increases. To maintain their newfound wealthy status, the elite become repressive - the masses (we) will eventually rebel. The oil giants know this and plan for it. Some may contend that they promote it to gain control. Our racial makeup can be used against us, we have to be careful. Regards Mohamed F. Khan

How could this Govt. speak of development when we are clearly in reverse mode? DEAR EDITOR, Various international organisations, such as the World Economic Forum, through a series of annual countries’ assessment, inadvertently espouse the axiom that “Guyana is in reverse mode”. In 2017, the Global Human Capital index, a report that ranks countries according to their effectiveness and level of human capital development, demoted Guyana below its 2015 global position of 79, by 9 positions, surpassing frail economies such as Uganda, Zambia and Kenya. A closer look at some of the key indicators reveled that, within one year, 20152016, Guyana slipped by more than four positions in unemployment rate, for age group 25-54, and seven positions, for 55-64. Ironically, the Government boasts of job creation. Furthermore, between

2015- 2017, the country’s global ranking fell by another seven positions, in relation to quality of primary education of children, age 0-15 years. Overall, Guyana has slipped by eight positions in global ranking, in the quality of educational services provided to children, age 15-24. Concomitantly, youth literacy rate also fell in global position by more than five. According to the report, unemployment rate for youths, age 15-24, has contracted by more than nine positions, globally. Similarly, to the Global Human Capital Index, Guyana has also deteriorated globally by three positions, when ranked by the Human Development Index, for the year 2016. Countries such as Namibia and Morocco have all surpassed Guyana in global ranking. In the health sector, when compared to 2013, infant mortality rates per 1,000 live

births, has increased from 29 in 2013, to 32 in 2015. Similarly, for infants under five months there was an increase in mortality rate, per 1,000 live birth, from 36 to 40, during a similar period. Adults, on the other hand, saw an increase in deaths due to tuberculosis: from 15 for every 100,000 people in 2013, to 21, in 2015. The latest Global Competitive Index Report, on the other hand, for the period 20152016, saw Guyana fall in global ranking by more than nineteen positions to 121, when compared to 2014. Institutions - one of the fundamental pillars that command global ranking deteriorated by thirteen positions, to 102 in 2016 when compared to 2015. Property rights; bribes; favoritism; wasteful spending; and organized crime have all seen massive deterioration in ranking, on average by six positions. Similarly, macroeco-

nomic environment, another critical pillar of equal weight, deteriorated by three positions: government budget balance as a percentage of GDP fell by 19 positions, which, presently is now worse than that of Haiti. Further confirming the abysmal and deteriorated trend, health and primary education systems declined by another two positions: Guyana is now lagging behind countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia. Finally, in doing business, the most problematic factors now orbit around inefficient government bureaucracy, corruption and poor access to financing. The question that begs to be answered is, how could this government speak of development, wealth generation, and the “good life”, when we are clearly, from all indications, in reverse mode? Mohamed Irfaan Ali

Can the Coalition stop the hassling of motorists by the police? DEAR EDITOR, So much has been written about police hassling motorist on our roadways. Yet the GPF and the Ministry of Public Security seem unable to stop this form of terrorism being perpetuated on the citizenry. Motorists understand being stopped and asked to produce their driver’s licence by the normal traffic cops in white sleeves. But to be flagged down in some street in your community by a police SUV with 3 or 4 cops wearing bullet-proof vests and huge guns, and asked to produce your documents - sometimes with your kids beside you - is not a pleasant sight. It’s intimidating! The streets within Eccles, the Haags Bosch dumpsite road and the road from

Windsor Estate to Mocha, are presently the playground for this form of terrorism. I called a taxi a week ago. It took some time to arrive. When we drove off, the driver told me he was flagged by a Police SUV, and when he reached for his documents before being asked, he was told, “We ain’t want see documents, we want four coffee.” So it seems when the documents cannot create an issue to be fleeced, they just ask for money, point blank”. There is a Bar in Sarwan Street, Eccles. I was there with some friends one night and I saw a police SUV pull up, one of the ranks spoke to the proprietor, who then beckoned to the Barman, and the cop went to the bar, collected some bottled stuff without paying and retreated to the van.

I asked my friend what happened there. He replied, “normal police procedure.” Instantly, I was reminded of the 1930’s when the Mafia controlled parts of New York and businesses had to pay them, allegedly for protection. A motor cyclist told me that he was flagged on Sunday July 29 by the police in Eccles. Sadly, he did not have his licence on him. The rider explained to me that few bikes have any compartment where a driver’s licence could be kept, and when going short distances within the community, he often forgets his licence. He said he least expected the local mafia (police) to hit the turf on a Sunday. After explaining, he was just two streets away and that they could follow him home to see his documents, one of them responded. “Sir, you are supposed to have your licence on you, but today is

your lucky day- today is the boss anniversary (nodding to a burly woman in uniform in the back of the SUV cab), we want something to drink.” The guy told them that he only had $300 on him. Hearing that the cop asked,” If we take you to Providence Station, you could get anybody to carry your document there?” In fear, the guy suggested that he could get a raise to borrow from a relative one street away. The cop said, “we gon follow you.”They followed him and collected a “raise”. This form of terrorism is not limited to the abovementioned areas. It has always existed all over Guyana. With the help of free vehicles from China, it has reached pandemic proportions. Does the Coalition have the will or desire to stop this (Continued on page 6)

Tuesday August 07, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Wither free expression: the case of Harry Gill DEAR EDITOR, The learned authors of Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 12th Edition posit thus: “The chief characteristics attaching to the office of Speaker in the House of Commons are authority and impartiality…. Confidence in the impartiality of the Speaker is an indispensable condition of the successful working of procedure, and many conventions exist which have as their object not only to ensure the impartiality of the Speaker but also to ensure that his impartiality is generally recognised.” Recently, a letter was published in the newspapers written by Member of Parliament, Harry Gill. In this letter, Mr. Gill cited a number of indisputable factual instances, which arose during proceedings in the National Assembly over the last three years, upon which the Speaker of the National Assembly was required to rule and did rule. Mr. Gill juxtaposed cases involving Government members and the Speaker’s ruling thereon against instances involving Opposition members, on identical if not similar issues, and the Speaker’s rulings thereon. He then highlighted the differences in the Speaker’s rulings thereby demonstrating that on the same issues, the Speaker rules in one way in respect of the Government and another way in respect of the Opposition. At the end of this process, Mr. Gill syllogistically concluded that the Speaker’s rulings on those matters were neither impartial nor fair. In fact, that the Speaker was biased in favour of the Government and against the Opposition. There can be no doubt that the business of the National Assembly would constitute matters of public interest. From time immemorial, the law has always guaranteed fair comment on matters of public interest and the truth

(justification) as indispensable prerequisites of freedom of expression. Inherent in freedom of expression is the right to criticise; even harshly. Mr. Gill’s letter recites verifiable factual occurrences whose veracity can easily be established by reference to the Hansard and video images which can be accessed from the Parliamentary website. I would be bold and possibly expose myself to risk, to assert that any dispassionate analysis of the evidence to which I have adverted would yield the same conclusion as Mr. Gill. So if what Mr. Gill wrote is substantially the truth and fair comment on matters of public interest, on what basis can it attract sanctions of any sort? Critical it may be, but criticisms have never been unlawful. Also, the law says that in the interest of freedom of expression, fair comment and the truth are absolute defences. On many occasions, the Judiciary itself has been similarly circumstanced. Great Judges have always risen to the occasion and in so doing championed freedom of expression over their narrow partisan interests. For example, in R vs Commissioner of Police [1968] 2 QBD page 150, Mr. Quintin Hogg, in a newspaper article described decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal of England, as “unworkable, unrealistic, contradictory and erroneous” and among other things he reminded Judges: “silence is always an option”. He was charged with contempt. In dismissing the case, Lord Denning expressed the legal position thus: “This is the first case, so far as I know, where this court has been called on to consider an allegation of contempt against itself. It is a jurisdiction which undoubtedly belongs to us but

which we will most sparingly exercise: more particularly as we ourselves have an interest in the matter. Let me say at once that we will never use this jurisdiction as a means to uphold our own dignity. That must rest on surer foundations. Nor will we use it to suppress those who speak against us. We do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it. For there is something far more important at stake. It is no less than freedom of speech itself. It is the right of every man, in Parliament or out of it, in the press or over the broadcast, to make fair comment, even outspoken comment, on matters of public interest. Those who comment can deal faithfully with all that is done in a court of justice. They can say that we are mistaken, and our decisions erroneous, whether they are subject to appeal or not. All we would ask is that those who criticise us will remember that, from the nature of our office, we cannot reply to their criticisms. We cannot enter into public controversy. Still less into political controversy. We must rely on our conduct itself to be its own vindication. Exposed as we are to the winds of criticism, nothing which is said by this person or that, nothing which is written by this pen or that, will deter us from doing what the occasion requires, provided that it is pertinent to the matter in hand. Silence is not an option when things are ill done. So it comes to this: Mr. Quintin Hogg has criticised the court, but in so doing he is exercising his undoubted right. The article contains an error, no doubt, but errors do not make it contempt of court. We must uphold his right to the uttermost.” These principles would obviously apply to the Parliament mutatis mutandis. Therefore, it is the undoubted

right of every Member of Parliament, nay, every man in a free society to criticise the Speaker and even to allege bias, once it is supported by veritable evidence. Whether Mr. Gill intended to bring the House into disrepute is answered by the last sentence of his letter. It reads: “It is not my intention to bring the Speaker or the National Assembly into disrepute. It is merely my hope that the dignity of the House prevails.” In the circumstances, I respectfully submit that the motion moved by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, was as frivolous as it was vexatious and wholly without basis. It ineluctably follows that the decision of the Speaker, to send the matter to the Privileges Committee for its consideration, is equally flawed: ex nihilo nihil fit (out of nothing cometh nothing). There are still three issues that have to be addressed. Firstly, is the offence for which Mr. Gill is impugned, a breach of privilege or contempt of Parliament? Though loosely used interchangeably, technically, these are disparate concepts to which different legal principles apply. That the matter was committed to the Privileges Committee may suggest that it is one of breach of privilege. This necessarily raises the second issue, does the House’s jurisdiction to sanction for breach of privilege or contempt extend to matters outside of the precincts of the House? The text, Contempt of Parliament, by Kieron Wood, 2012, at page 13, offers some guidance: “Criticism of [and by] Parliamentarians outside Parliament is not considered contempt in most common law jurisdictions. The Australian Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987 provides that words or acts which are “defamatory or critical of the

Parliament, a House, a committee or a Member” shall not be considered a contempt unless done in the presence of a House or a Committee.” Additionally, contempt of parliament and parliamentary privilege apply only to “proceedings” in Parliament. In Guyana, there is no statutory definition of proceedings in Parliament. Erskine May describes proceedings in Parliament as “some formal action, usually a decision, taken by the House in its collective capacity.” Certainly, Mr. Gill’s letter in the press would not be caught in this classification. Consequently, it is highly unlikely that Parliament can properly exercise jurisdiction in this matter. In Stockdale vs Hansard [1839] QB 112, the Court (UK) accepted that while Parliament had exclusive jurisdiction over its own internal proceedings, it was for the Court to decide whether or not a claim of privilege fell into that category. Therefore, the High Court will certainly have jurisdiction in determining whether the letter under re-

view is a matter of parliamentary privilege. The final issue is whether it was lawful for the Speaker to preside over the Privilege Motion, having regard to the fact that his conduct was the subject of the alleged violation. It is common ground that a principle of natural justice is nemo judex in causa sua (a man cannot be a Judge in his own case In my view, it would be impossible for a Judge to lawfully find that natural justice does not apply to the foremost law-making institution of this Land, governed by a Constitution, which as the supreme law, guarantees freedom of expression as a fundamental right when that institution seeks to impose sanctions against one who chooses to exercise that fundamental right. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

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Guyanese support sex offenders registry, believe unemployment can drive suicide DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese overwhelmingly support the establishment of a registry of sex offenders. This was one of several findings in a poll commissioned by The Caribbean Voice and conducted in June and July. And although most Guyanese seemed unaware that attempted suicide is a criminal offence, they significantly agree that it should be decriminalized.

Misleading traffic signs The location with the misleading sign

Other findings include significant support for mandated counseling for all persons with mental health issues who appear in courts to answer charges; all health care workers and educators be mandated to report any and all forms of abuse or suspicion of abuse and all police be trained to appropriately handle abuse and suicide cases.Below are the stats relating to the poll:

Should government establish a registry of sex offenders? Yes No Not Sure/No Response 90 2 8 Should attempted suicide be decriminalized? Yes No Not Sure/No Response 74 8 18 Should all persons with mental health issues in front of the courts be mandated psychological evaluation? Yes No Not Sure/No Response 88 4 8 Should all health care workers and educators be mandated to report any and all forms of abuse or suspicion of abuse? Yes No Not Sure/No Response 82 6 12 Should all police be trained to handle abuse and suicide cases? Yes No Not Sure/No Response 86 4 10 Lack of awareness that attempted suicide is a crime seems to be because the law is not enforced, but survey respondents were very vehement in calling for it to be taken off the books. They also felt that the system is failing those who become suicidal and that significant efforts to prevent suicide have not been made by government. As well, they believe that suicide is greater among the poorer segments of the population, driven especially by alcoholism and unemployment. Thus they are calling for counseling to be provided free of charge, across the nation, as the charges would become an additional burden on victims. Many also feel that suicides and suicide victims should not be publicized, since this could also compound the problem.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Unemployment indeed seems to lead to depression and suicidal mindsets, based on TCV’s interactions with many, especially young people, who have contacted us seeking help to obtain jobs. They often detail their struggles with depression and suicide ideation. While we do refer some to individuals we feel might be able to help, in almost all cases, the help never materialized, in spite of the promises made. TCV is of the view that suicide-wise this is a disaster waiting to happen. So we are wondering whether there is a mechanism in place that we can refer these persons to access. Perhaps the media can publicize any info relating to a referral system for these young people. Requests have come in from many different regions. The Caribbean Voice

DEAR EDITOR, For the longest while, there have been two misleading traffic signs at the junction of Thomas Street and parallel roads of Stanley Place and Vlissengen Road. Thomas Street is one-way going east from Vlissengen Road to Lamaha Street in Kitty. However, the arrow sign at the junction of Stanley Place and Thomas Street directs traffic to proceed west on Thomas Street. Confoundingly, a STOP sign is also incongruously painted on the road surface of the Thomas Street bridge connecting Vlissengen Road to Stanley Place. Recently while driving

north along Stanley Place, I slowed at its intersection with Thomas Street as a precaution. In the process, I exchanged greetings with two traffic ranks who were on duty nearby. The two traffic policemen were appreciably courteous and appeared undaunted by the seething heat of the day. During my pause, a brief conversation arose regarding the misleading signs. One of the ranks confessed that the police were aware of the erring signs, and said that he even had prior confrontations with some road users who were abusing the signs’ misrepresentation. He added that the issue was raised “higher

up” several months ago, but to date the situation remains uncorrected. As I continued my journey, I thought about the potential for accidents by the misleading signs. I thought about the oblivion or indifference by those responsible for the maintenance of roads and traffic safety. I thought about the evolved apathy of many citizens, now moved to silence, because ventilated matters like these invariably seem to bounce off of deaf ears fastened upon the brain-boxes of the powers that be. I thought about the apparent disconnection and incoherence of the arms of state – something

that has seriously affected the ability of certain entities to successfully prosecute those who were, and still are, fingered in massive acts of corruption against the state. Effective networking and seamless collaboration among relevant entities – namely the Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Public Infrastructure and City Council - on matters like these misleading road signs would have seen their correction ages ago. Do we now have to import “experts” from somewhere to produce a report with recommendations to fix this teeny matter? Orette Cutting

GECOM’s Chairman never asked any Commissioner to leave a Statutory Meeting DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to a letter written by Mr. Hydar Ally in the Friday, July 27, 2018 edition of the Stabroek News under the caption, “Ejection of city councillor by Mayor Green a troubling development.” Paragraph three of his letter is an insult to the integrity and leadership of the Guyana Elections Commission. In his letter, Mr. Ally stated, “Only recently, an Opposition member of the Guyana Elections Commission, Mr. Robeson Benn was ordered out of a Statutory meeting of that body by the Chairman of GECOM.” The GECOM Chairman,

Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson never asked Commissioner Robeson Benn or any other Commissioner to leave a Statutory meeting. Mr. Ally needs to get his facts correct before he attempts to write, more so to publish such inaccurate information to deliberately try to tarnish the image of the Commission. While the Commissioners representing the Government and those representing the Opposition may not always agree on certain subject matters, the Commission values the views and contributions of all Commissioners. If Commissioners choose to walk out of a meeting be-

cause their view had not been accepted, he/she had done so on their own accord. The GECOM Chairman facilitates transparent dialogue as the head of a Constitutional Commission. GECOM’s Statutory Meet-

ings can no way equate to what transpired at other organizations Yours sincerely, Yolanda Ward Public Relations Officer Guyana Elections Commission

Can the Coalition stop the hassling of motorists by the... From page 4 form of terrorism unleashed on the citizenry by those persons (police) who have sworn to serve and protect them? When the PPP Govt. had raised the cost of a “ticket” for a traffic infringement from $300 to $7000, the head of the PCA (Cecil Kennard) had opined that all that would have done was to increase the amount that police collected from errant drivers. It turned out exactly as he predicted. It seems that the increase was a deliberate ploy by the PPP to subvent the meagre salary paid to police. Does the Coalition have any intention to change that? I think not. We have seen millions wasted on COI’s with “terms of reference” that could in no way improve governance or the lives of any citizen. What could vehicle owners do to get the President to initiate a COI to determine what is needed to stop this form of corruption by the police? Getting a COI might be easy. While we have seen COIs galore, implementation of the findings has been lacking! Frustrated Citizen

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Kaieteur News

CMO assures no bias in Medical Council’s nomination process “I really think that they should be careful and ensure that they review carefully the regulations that govern the election process because I would not break or change any of those recommended regulations. I would follow those as closely as possible at all times.” This was utterance of Chief Medical Officer [CMO], Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, in response to claims by a number of doctors practising in the health sector who are of the view that something sinister is afoot regarding the upcoming elections of the Medical Council of Guyana. In fact, there have been some recent missives, which even speculated about moves to politicise the Council by ensuring that the majority of the current members remain the only viable nominees. This is in light of claims that a list of submitted nominees has been completely disregarded by the CMO. Several doctors in recent days have been calling on the CMO to bring clarity to the perceived state of affairs. But the theory put for-

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. ward by the doctors could not be farther from the truth, according to Dr. Persaud, who serves as the Council’s ex officio member. By virtue of his

position, he is tasked with managing the election process. Yesterday, Dr. Persaud, who has been functioning in

Council of Legal Education meetings for Guyana The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Council of Legal Education (CLE) will be hosting meetings of the Executive Committee and Council of Legal Education for the fifth time in Guyana. These meetings were held here during 1975, 1981, 1987 and 1994. The meetings will be attended by the Chairman of the CLE, a representative of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Attorneys General, Chief Justices from Caricom Member States, Members of the Bar Association, Principals of the three law Schools located in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Sixty participants are confirmed to attend the meetings, which are scheduled to take place at the Guyana Marriott

Hotel with effect from September 6-8, 2018. A series of activities will be conducted during this period. On September 6, 2018, a Special Meeting of the Executive Committee will be held at 9:30 hours at the Marriott. Members of this committee are the CLE Chairman, Attorneys General and Principals of the Law Schools. During the evening at 19:00 hours, Dr. Lloyd Barnett OJ Lecture Series will be conducted and Justice Duke Pollard former Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is scheduled to deliver a presentation among other presenters. On September 7, 2018, the Meeting of the Council of Legal Education will be held at 9:30 hours. President David Arthur Granger will address the open-

ing of this Meeting. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, SC., MP, as the host Attorney General will deliver welcome remarks. Mr. Reginald T.A Armour, SC, Chairman of the Council of Legal Education is also expected to deliver remarks. Additionally, on the evening of September 7, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs will host a Reception and Cultural event at the Umana Yana at 19:00 hours in honour of the participants. The Council of Legal Education Meeting will continue on September 08, 2018. The general objective of these meetings is to place emphasis on the law schools and how they relate to the Caribbean community.

the capacity of CMO for the past 10 years, made it clear, “This is not the first election that I have conducted on behalf of the Ministry [of Public Health] and I have always followed the same regulations.” The life of the Medical Council is slated to come to an end in October and, according to Dr. Persaud, “We have started to put together our mechanism.” As part of the process governed by law, Dr. Persaud said that letters were sent out to all medical institutions across the country asking for nominations. He displayed a copy of the said letter dated May 11, 2018, which he insisted was disseminated to the various hospitals he named. “We also make a practice of sending them a list of the eligible persons...The law requires that the persons who are nominated, first of all, must be recommended by a registered medical practitioner and then seconded...the law is very clear on that,” said Dr. Persaud as, he explained that each doctor could nominate up to six doctors and seconded. Notices are also usually placed in two daily newspapers [Guyana Chronicle and Stabroek News] inviting doctors to nominate. Submission of nominations must be done within a confined period. The closing date for nominations for the upcoming elections was June 10, 2018. Nominations are usually

made in writing to the CMO. Once in receipt of the nominations, Dr. Persaud is then tasked with reviewing the nominations to ensure that those who are nominated have at least five years of registered practice in Guyana and that they are currently registered. “They must have been registered by the end of February of this year and that sometimes is a little issue. Because a lot of times some doctors when they register late they are unable to stand for the election,” Dr. Persaud related. However, once the nominees are eligible to be elected, Dr. Persaud said that he is then tasked with writing to each of them outlining who nominated and seconded their nomination and seek their concurrence. “Each nominee has a chance to accept or refuse...We had eight nominations and one has actually refused,” said Dr. Persaud. He disclosed that a list accepting nominees as well as those who refused is usually published on three consecutive occasions. “Once we have more than six candidates and there are no objections by the last publication, we will go ahead and hold the election...The law says that sitting members can also be nominated and they too can accept or refuse,” said Dr. Persaud. According to Dr. Persaud, of the current six sitting members of the Council, five have been re-nominated and they

have accepted. “That is of their own choice; I have nothing to do with that...” said Dr. Persaud. The CMO, however, revealed that he has been in receipt of a letter signed by ‘Concerned doctors’ which sought to nominate a total of 12 doctors. But according to Dr. Persaud, he had no choice but to reject those nominees. “First of all, this letter was not signed by any registered medical doctor...there was no list of signatories as the letter suggests because the letter was not signed. The way that it is supposed to be done, each candidate has to be nominated by someone and seconded by another person...I don’t think they understand that legality of the process,” Dr. Persaud noted. For this reason, the CMO said that he was unable to approve the list of nominees and has since continued the process with those who met the requirement. According to him, although in the past the Council was given the chance to recommend six nominees who needed the approval of the Health Minister, “since 2002 we changed that and allowed all the doctors to be nominated if they are eligible and secondly for them to vote in the process.” The current state of affairs, Dr. Persaud said is that the eligible nominees will be a part of the elections since any other approach will in essence see him breaking the law.

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Strike threat pushes government to re-engage teachers Just after noon yesterday, officials of the Guyana Teachers Union [GTU] received a correspondence inviting them to a meeting with Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry. The meeting, this publication understands, is intended to inform the Union of Government’s position regarding the recommendations from a High Level Committee earlier this year which included a process of negotiations for a multi-year package concerning the salary and conditions for teachers. About one hour before word of the invitation reached this newspaper, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at this week’s post-Cabinet press briefing disclosed that through the Minister of Education, Government will convey its response to the Union. “There were recommendations made by the High Level Committee and these recommendations required a response. Government at the level of Cabinet has prepared a response to those recommendations and it is the Government’s response which will be given to the Union by the Minister for further discussion,” Harmon informed yesterday.

According to Harmon, too, the Education Minister has already advised that the meeting between herself and the Union representatives will be held on Thursday. Harmon said, yesterday, that the report of the High Level Committee was presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Education. The High Level Committee is one that consisted of government officials and representatives of the GTU, including its President, Mr. Mark Lyte, and General Secretary, Ms. Coretta McDonald. The Minister of State said, yesterday, the Committee was appointed “to discuss the proposal of the Union for a multi-year agreement with the Government in relation to the salaries and conditions for service for teachers as well as the recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry into education.” The Committee was also mandated to make recommendations on the matters discussed with Cabinet for its consideration. Harmon said, “Cabinet deliberated on the report, gave its response to the recommendations and directed that the Union be re-engaged.” According to Lyte, the Union will attend the

Teachers in protesting mode in July.

meeting to hear what Government’s response is even in spite of claims by government that the recommendations of the Committee have financial implications.

However, the move to offer a response is quite timely as the Union was gearing to retaliate to the perceived inaction by Government by the start of the new school year next month. Public schools are currently benefitting from a two-month [July/August] holiday break. Just last month Lyte said, “If we see nothing happening when school is about to re-open, the Union will probably be mandated by its members to take some form of action.” The executive of the Union had informed that even after a response from President David Granger, it was no closer to knowing when an agreement will be inked to facilitate the processing of the multi-year package for public school teachers. This publication had reported that the response from the Head of State came on the heels of two letters forwarded to him from the GTU on the very matter. An initial letter to the Head of State was written by the

GTU General Secretary and a subsequent one was sent by the Union’s President. Both letters sought to enquire from the Head of State about the reason[s] for the delayed agreement for teacher and also queried about a timeline for its realisation. “The Union wrote the President twice pertaining to the outstanding matter. He responded by saying the Ministry will be informing us of the outcome but did not state any specific timeline which is what I think is the problem...our membership need to know how much longer they have to wait,” Lyte had complained. He continued, “That is something that is of concern to us, we need to be able to relate to our members as to what time we will be expecting to see or hear something specific.” At the end of 2015, a previous multi-year agreement inked between the former government and the GTU came to an end. As a result, the Union presented a proposal for a

new multi-year agreement to the current government. Entailed in the proposal were, among other things, a 40 percent across the board increase for teachers for 2016; 45 percent increase for last year and 50 percent for this year and the following two years (2019-2020) for all categories of teachers. “We highlighted clearly to the President how long teachers have been waiting,” said Lyte as he alluded to the dissatisfaction of its membership with regards to the slothful manner in which the matter is being handled. Even as he made reference to recent protest action by a faction of the GTU membership, Lyte said. “They felt that enough was not being done and they took action so in the last week of school, they began to protest.” “That is an indication of the direction the membership will be directed to, should there be a continued delayed in the signing of a satisfactory agreement and in a timely fashion,” Lyte had intimated.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The cost to poor nations of Chinese global expansion This past week, The Guardian newspaper carried an article exposing the debttrap diplomacy, which is being practised by the People’s Republic of China. The article pointed out that eight poor countries – Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan and Tajikistan – now owe more than half of all their foreign debt to China. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been described as a form of debt-trap initiative, which will leave poor countries highly indebted and then force them to hand over control of major Chinese funded infrastructural projects, as Sri Lanka was recently forced to do.

The BRI is part of a grand global economic initiative being pursued by China, which has no choice but to try to expand its reach into global markets. China is an enigma. It has a communist political system but a capitalist economy. As with all capitalist systems, it will go into recession and collapse unless it expands. Capitalism needs to expand to survive. China has the largest population in the world. After two decades of economic growth, it is still, on a per capita basis, a developing country even though it has some of the most modern citizens in the world and produces high tech products and services. The growth of the middle

class in China has absorbed some of the increased production of that country. However, China knows that with more than one billion mouths to feed, there is a limit to how fast domestic demand can continue to push its economic growth. And so, China is actively courting international markets. It is expanding outside in order to develop within. Lenin called that imperialism, the highest form of capitalism. China has however found a different way of doing this than what western capitalism did. China is not engaged in creating economic empires or spheres of influence. China sees the whole world as a potential market and as a means of increasing its economic reach.

Dem boys seh ...

When yuh belly full, keep yuh mouth shut Dem boys remember a story wid a monkey who eat ee belly full. Then he lah laff and she, “Ah I could eat a lion now.” When he tun round and see a lion right by ee ears, he tun he face and she, “When monkey belly full, dem does open dem mouth and talk anything.” Is de same thing wid Govt officials. De only difference is not only dem belly full, but dem pocket too. Li’l Joe de spokesman fuh de govt tell reporters yesterday how Guyana will be able to avert the debt trap big nations fall into when dem tie bundle wid China.

70 countries, big countries, not a not a r**s country like Guyana, couldn’t talk suh fat but here we got Joe talking like de monkey. He and ee own Govt couldn’t get a contract wid ExxonMobil that would mek a dog smile. And he talking bout averting China debt trap. Is de same thing wid de police. Dem couldn’t avert de murder of a woman. De get a restraining order from de court; a police and one of she family follow she home fuh pick up she clothes. She clothes and she head lef in de house and de police and she family still standing pon de bridge. Dem couldn’t even stop de man from commit-

ting suicide. Is de same scenario play out wid a security guard who thought he could dodge a bullet till he see a video recording. He was de security at GPSU and a whole set of things missing. When de police investigate and dem ask him, he seh he nah know nutten. In court, he plead not guilty but when he see de video, he seh “Oh r**s dem ketch me and change he plea to guilty. Dem boys always believe when yuh belly full, shut yuh mouth and yuh eye, and sleep, like Soulja Bai. Talk half and remember is only when yuh get ketch redhanded, yuh does give up.

China is expanding in four ways. It has for the past two decades been on a quest for resources around the world. It was buying up commodities from around the world and using these as raw materials for its manufacturing industries. These raw materials were needed to support Chinese manufacturing expansion. The economy of China is however changing and it is now in a different phase. China is seeking new markets. This brings us to the second means of Chinese global expansion. China is financing development in other parts of the world but particularly in developing countries. China is laying out the money, and the poor countries, desperate for cash are only too willing to stretch out their hands. It is engaged in financial imperialism. The third major plank of China global outreach is that China is using its financial reach to buy up major businesses in the west. In so doing, it is inserting itself into western capitalism and using this to expand market penetration of Chinese products. The fourth major plank

is that China is exporting its capitalism through Chinese firms. Chinese firms are undertaking the construction of the major infrastructural project financed from Bejing. In this way, China is exporting both labour and materials. China, by means of these four means, is ensuring the survival of its brand of capitalism. It is doing so by promoting financial expansion through investments in other countries and by exporting its labour and services. This is the Chinese model of capitalism at work. Poor countries like Guyana will find China more than willing to finance its projects. China has nothing to lose. If these projects fail, China still has to be repaid. And if the governments cannot repay, then China will come in and seize the assets. In this way, China does not lose. It is in a win- win situation. In the meantime, the poor

countries become burdened with white elephants and loans. As the Financial Times reported a few days ago, many countries are facing severe problems because of Chinese investment. The newspaper reported that Malaysia was forced to suspend US$ 23B in Chinese investments over corruption; Pakistan is facing problems with its external debt because of it over extension with China. Cambodia’s trade deficit has widened because of import from China. Guyana would do well to look at what is happening before its jumps deeper into bed with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It is dangerous.

PAGE 10

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The travels of Guyana’s bosses About six weeks ago, when asked to comment on the controversy as to if there has been a new Board at GuySuco or if the old one is still in place, the Finance Minister said he was still to familiarize himself with the situation since he has been very busy travelling. Two weeks ago, the President in responding to questions about his infrequent press conferences said that he was busy travelling so there wasn’t time to speak to the media. The Prime Minister was out for three months for medical treatment. In his absence, there wasn’t one session of Parliament. Now last week, the Prime Minister left Guyana again. There have been very few sittings of the

House for 2018 and two of the above reasons contribute to an explanation. The ruling entity has just a one-seat majority. Frequent journeys overseas translate into a dormant Parliament. Now the leader of government business in the House is absent from the country again; again preventing the House from going into session. At the time of writing, the Minister of Public Security has been sworn in to act as Prime Minister. There is been no official announcement what the PM has gone abroad for. If it is for health reason again, then I do hope that it is not serious. The Prime Minister has been a fellow political activist that I have known all my life so I hope there isn’t

anything worrying. But the nation should be told. If it is on official duties, then the Department of Public Information should inform the country. If it is a private visit then it could cause you to wonder that after being away for three months, should he go again given the fact that when he goes, Parliament cannot meet. When I look at these incessant journeys by our political bosses, you can’t help rewinding the tape to our pre 2015 days. There would have been countless comments from Opposition politicians and Opposition activists that the PPP bigwigs are living it up. Both the Finance Minister and President made their confessions about three years into their reign. It makes

you wonder if they have another seven years in power would the journeys expand excessively. If I were to answer, I would say yes. This has been the nature of the post-colonial world. The bureaucrats and the rulers love to travel. UG lecturers constantly tell me that the top administrators are always abroad. Make no mistake; the foreign visits of state officials and political bosses come up an extraordinary sum when you take in account airline tickets, hotel accommodation and per diem. Juxtapose these expenditures with the words of these very officials and politicians and what is laid bare before your eyes are the things people like Clifford Krauss

exaggerate about when they describe Guyana. The very Finance Minister said his Ministry did not have fiscal space to give public servants a bonus for last year. But I am assuming that it was the same Minister that had to approve spending of a whopping sum to put those huge billboards all over Guyana with his face on them during the 2017 budget. No fiscal space for bonus for workers but fiscal space is there for money to erect billboards and for travel. Of course, I apologize immediately if in his frequent journeys, the Minister’s expenses are not incurred by the state. I guess certain international organizations do pay for such trips. I saw the Finance Minister at the birthday celebration of Bert Wilkinson three weeks ago and was tempted to ask him two questions. In the three years of his Ministry, “How many countries has he been to and was it necessary to have those billboards?” But countless occasions in my life, I have not observed “time and place” and ended up violating protocol. So I decided against it. But talking about protocol, the Attorney-General did put

Frederick Kissoon aside protocol and accost me at the birthday party. The same week, I had written that I find it strange that the AG would suggest that you need a referendum to change the anti-drug law but at the same time, he was in the Caribbean Court of Justice arguing that a referendum was not necessary to amend the Constitution to bring in presidential term limits. As I approached Vincent Alexander, the Attorney-General said to me; “Freddie, me and you alright but you are not a lawyer so you wouldn’t understand these things.” It was my friend’s birthday. There is a time and place for everything. I didn’t approach the Finance Minister. I didn’t reply to the Attorney-General. I guess I have changed.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

We Got Oil! Realizing Change in Guyana and the Role of Diaspora Hometown Associations By Lear Matthews The South American nation of Guyana has been in the news recently for good reasons. Stained by the horrific tragedy of Jonestown in the late 1980’s and recently maligned by a New York Times writer, according to ExxonMobil, oil discovery off Guyana’s northern coast will top four billion barrels, becoming a leading oil producing nation in the region. However, owing to the large number of Guyanese who emigrate, much of the nation’s skills and expertise, including those that could contribute significantly to the oil industry’s success, reside in the Diaspora. There has not been an effective strategy to engage expatriates – perhaps until now. Despite the almost eu-

phoric optimism expressed by Guyanese at home and abroad, there are challenges only marginally discussed. One observer noted, “With major oil set to flow as soon as 2020, authorities are bracing both for the shock of wealth and its attendant woes.” This article focuses on the potential role of Hometown Associations (HTA) in helping to understand the sociocultural ramifications, identifying the risks and harnessing required skills, attitude and cultural adaptation needed to ensure reaping the benefits of this unprecedented, historic natural resource discovery. HTAs are organizations formed by immigrants from the same village, town, community or shared institution seeking to support their country of origin, maintaining con-

nections through cash or kind, while retaining a sense of community as they adjust to life in their adopted home. There are more than 400 Guyanese immigrant HTAs in North America and the primary support they provide to the home country are in the areas of education, community development, and healthcare. Resources in cash and in kind represent a wide range of ‘give back’ mechanisms. The history and track record of these organizations, place them in a unique vantage position for enabling the growth of local communities within the context of anticipated newfound wealth; whereas in the past, these organizations were viewed as doing ‘charity work.’ More recently, their activities occur through community development, sending collective re-

Govt. seeking international assistance on Venezuelan migrants situation

The situation of the Venezuelan migrants in Region One. The government is discussing the setting up of a multi-agency committee to pursue the establishment of humanitarian governmentcontrolled centres for Venezuelan migrants settling here, particularly in the BarimaWaini Region (Region One). Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who made the disclosure yesterday during his post-Cabinet press conference, said this was decided following a report from the Minister of Citizenship highlighting the challenges the influx of Venezuelan migrants poses. The multi-agency committee, the Minister said, will also be tasked with requesting international assistance to adequately address the issue. “We have tried to ensure that there is enough food and medical supplies and so on for these residents when they

come.” He noted that coordination between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Public Health will see the continued immunization of the migrants.Government is not only looking at facilities but also at the associated cultural issues, with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Cabinet also discussed the distribution of posters in the requisite languages to assist with communication with the migrants. The Department of Citizenship and the Guyana Police Force continue to monitor the arrival of the migrants closely. The last group arriving in Guyana, Minister Harmon said, consisted of 42 persons. Region One Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, over

the weekend said that the Region, which borders Venezuela has about 500 of the natives from that neighbouring country, mainly from the Warrau tribe. The Regional authorities are appealing for assistance, targeting food, cleaning supplies and clothing for the Venezuelans, including several children. They are said to be residing in mainly troolie-roof buildings with mud floors and in some cases no walls. The Regional authorities and the Civil Defence Commission in collaboration with UNICEF, have been taking supplies to the Venezuelans. However, the Regional authorities have called for more collaboration in a swiftly evolving situation. The fleeing Venezuelans have also been making their way to Trinidad and Colombia.

mittances to villages, towns, regions, communities and members’ past shared social institutions. HTAs, a popular conduit for cultural and material aspects of Diaspora connection, also play an important role in sustaining cross-continental linkages. The members can be a collective asset in various capacities in a transforming society, helping to ensure that economic gains from oil royalties will be used for the public good, particularly in areas of job creation, improved infrastructure, healthcare and the overall quality of life of citizens. Guyanese engineer Vincent Adams posits that there is an unprecedented “repository of knowledge and other resources in the Diaspora” while President David Granger prefers ‘brains, skills and expertise’ over barrels. An emerging challenge

for HTAs is to extend the provision of educational services that would improve the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) curriculum, identifying areas such as oil exploration, resource development, industrial engineering, industrial management, accounting and oil industry personnel training at all levels. Social scientist, Norman Munroe believes that following oil discovery, there will be “a need to develop global strategy training courses and career development support towards future technology.” Hometown Associations embody one of the conduits of knowledge and other resources and can play an intrinsic role in identifying and recruiting Guyanese (and those of other nationalities) that have expertise, knowledge and skills in the oil refinery or related industries.

Furthermore, members of the Diaspora will be able to complement aspects of the local workplace culture, bringing ideas, strategies and a professional decorum that have been tested and successfully implemented in similar industries. These intersecting “social remittances”, respectfully introduced and reinforced can enhance sustainable development. Individuals and organizations in the Diaspora remit to their country of origin, information, norms, practices, materials, identities, human capital and other social resources that can both promote and impede development. Much of what immigrants ‘give back’ to their country of origin is influenced by habits, tastes, technology and behaviours learned and inculcated in their adopted home. If HTAs are to make (Continued on page 12)

PAGE 12

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

NIS projected to lose $414M as sugar estates closure hit home ...pursuing $250M interest payment from GuySuCo The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) is expected to lose $414M this year alone, representing further slippage in earnings, which officials say is due to a combination of factors, including the closure of sugar estates. This was disclosed by the scheme’s Finance Controller, Jacqueline Scotland, during an appearance yesterday with other senior officers before the bi-partisan Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services. In response to questions about the scheme’s viability in face of the closure of the estates from Opposition MP, Vishwa Mahadeo, Scotland disclosed that the Scheme’s current fund stands at $31.9B as of June 30. The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was one of the largest defaulters, owing in excess of $1.5B. However, NIS General Manager, Holly Greaves, shared with the committee that the sugar company

had paid off the debt except for $250M in accrued interest on the outstanding amount. Greaves stated that the Scheme plans to take legal action against GuySuCo to recover the monies. It has served a demand notice. “We intend to move to the court to get it,” Greaves stated. Minister within the Minister of Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, asked about plans the Scheme has to recover monies owed by businesses that deduct monies, but don’t pay over to the Scheme. Greaves stated that the scheme has also implemented a debt management section to pursue persons who owe NIS. Even with debt management, there are fears about continued slippage of contribution as against the payment of benefits. This year, NIS is expected to pay out $23.6B with contributions projected to reach $23.2B. Then there is the effect of ‘right-sizing’ GuySuCo,

which led to the closure of Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales and East Demerara ‘Enmore’ factories that saw close to 5,000 workers being severed. This represents a further significant loss of contributions for NIS. Greaves noted that NIS is also facing the continued effects of an aging population with payments to this segment increasing by at least $2M each year. “For the last three years, we have also recorded deficits, but what we are doing now is to try to get into some for those areas that we have contributors and undertake feasibility studies to see how best we can increase our contributing population,” Greaves noted. Based on the last actuarial report, it was disclosed that the life of the scheme should

NIS General Manager Holly Greaves (right) and Finance Controller Jacqueline Scotland before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services yesterday. come to an end in 2021/22 unless strategic plans for revenue earnings and expansion of the investment portfolio are effectively implemented.

NIS is currently undertaking a new actuarial report, which is expected to provide recommendations to ensure the scheme’s viability beyond

2022. Among the expected recommendations is an increase in the percentage insurers contribute to the scheme.

We Got Oil! Realizing Change in Guyana... From page 11 any meaningful, non-threatening contribution, the way, in which these social remittances are introduced and monitored, is essential. This is particularly important, since the methods and attitudes exhibited by returning immigrants may conflict with traditional hometown ways of doing things. Local residents often feel an existential threat from returning immigrants, while some in the Diaspora display unconscious bias by imposing their ‘foreign’ ways of getting things done. These reciprocal actions and reactions often cause resentment and frustration among non-immigrants and re-migrants alike. Mutual respect, compromise, a sense of community, as well as validating strengths and acknowledging failure, underscore

successful Diaspora engagement. While immigrants continuously send personal remittances to family and friends in their home countries, HTAs have been increasingly helping to develop and sustain local communities, often in the form of community development projects. The projects include rebuilding edifices, construction of new community centers, repairing schools, medical institutions, and other infrastructure. HTA members (many seniors or retired) report that the organizations provide a sense of purpose, an opportunity to engage in philanthropy and to ‘give back’ to the country. It is also an expression of generativity, i.e., promoting opportunities for future generations. As with any episode of

societal transition, opportunities and challenges are inevitable. If HTAs are going to be one of the arbiters of the transformation, executives need to understand the anticipated changes and ways in which they can motivate local communities and help members comprehend the realities of impending adjustments. Working collaboratively with local non-profit organizations and government institutions is essential. Importantly, expectations related to organizational behaviour and consumer habits have been an area of concern likely to create conflicts as HTAs attempt to contribute to the continuous development of local communities. Aspects of Diaspora engagement have been viewed as challenging local beliefs, customs, and practices, causing tension. For example, some diaspora organizations have been accused of using tax-free concessions for personal transfers. In a statement about the role of Diaspora organizations, President Granger urged, “When they (HTAs) want to send a petition next time, ask them to petition for a permit to open a factory or a farm.” In the past, government officials have reached out for help from HTAs seemingly only right before national elections, a situation, which has caused resentment. These

examples are indicative of the tensions that exist between the government and the Diaspora. In the efforts to manage the incipient influx of petrodollars, stakeholders must be wary of the concomitant socio-economic and psychological pitfalls. Lessons of success and failure can be learned from the experience of other developing countries. It is also important to note that benefits will be stymied by inept and insufficient preparation. Nevertheless, HTAs can play a significant role in successful Diaspora engagement in the preparatory period and beyond. Emotional attachment to the homeland may have been reignited by reverse push factors (anti-immigrant rhetoric/ policy) and ‘gushing’ pull factors (prospects of petro wealth) and viewing this moment as an opportunity to remigrate or reconnect in various ways. Ultimately, Guyanese in and outside the country must exercise due diligence to spend this imminent windfall wisely turning impoverishment into prosperity. This is the opportune time for those in the home country and the Diaspora, including voluntary organizations, to use their social capital to engage the networks, norms and trust that would enable them to work together more effectively to pursue shared objectives.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Belt and Road initiative…

Tampering of records...

Gold Board clerk gets three charges, Guyana will be able to avert the debt accountant slapped with three more trap big nations fell into - Harmon Former accountant, Rosanna Ramnarine, of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) who was recently slapped with six charges in relation to stolen monies and engaging in fraudulent activities, was yesterday slapped with three additional charges. Also charged yesterday was a former clerk at GGB, Deborah Langevine. The women were jointly charged after they appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Ramnarine, 35, a mother of one, of Lot 46 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara and Deborah Forbes, 50, a clerk, of Langevine Street, Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to all the charges. They were released on $450,000 bail each, after they lawyer, Nigel Hughes, made successful bail applications. Particulars of the first charged alleged that both of them between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2017, at the Guyana Gold Board located at Lot 68 Brickdam, Georgetown, conspired to forge Guyana Gold Board payment voucher #80230, dated January 24, 2017. The second charge read that both of them between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2017, while being employed as a clerk or servant of (GGB) they stole $436,409, monies taken in possession or power of the GGB, their

Charged: Deborah Forbes employer. The last charge levelled against the duo stated that both of them between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2017 at Guyana Gold Board located at Lot 68 Brickdam, Georgetown, while being employed as a clerk or servant, they wilfully and with intent to defraud, they falsified payment voucher #80230, purporting to show that Clifton Alfonzo received a payment of $436,409 on January 24, 2017. Both women denied the allegation after they were read to them by the Magistrate. The women’s lawyer asked that his clients be released on reasonable bail citing that they are not flight risk.

He went on to tell the court that the matter has been engaging the attention of the police since November last year and his clients have been reporting to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) every week. However, Police Prosecutor, Quinn Harris had no objection to bail being granted to the defendants but asked that conditions be attached. Facts presented by the prosecutor stated that an audit was conducted at the institution and it was discovered that several payments were falsified. Handwriting specimens were then taken from the defendants and an investigation was launched. A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutor (DPP) who advised that charges be laid. Conditions of the bail are that they must lodge their passport with the court and report to SOCU headquarters every Friday until the hearing and determination of the matter. On July 18 last, Ramnarine made her first court appearance before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where six fraud related charges were read to her. She had denied the allegations and was placed on $300,000 bail. The mother of two and Forbes were instructed to make their next court appearance on August 27.

Former Barbados Minister indicted on money laundering charges in US NEW YORK, United States (CMC) – Barbados’ former Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, was yesterday indicted in the United States with conspiracy to launder money and money laundering, following his alleged acceptance of bribes from a Barbadian insurance company in 2015 and 2016. Inniss, 52, was arrested last Friday and was arraigned yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Julie Sneed in the Middle District of Florida at the federal courthouse in Tampa. He was released on a US$50,000 bond. A three-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn. According to the indictment, between August 2015 and April 2016, Inniss engaged in a scheme to accept approximately US$36,000 in bribes from high-level executives of an unnamed insurance company headquartered

Donville Inniss

in Barbados and launder that money through the United States. In exchange for the bribes, Inniss leveraged his position as the Minister of Industry to enable the Barbados company to obtain two government contracts. He concealed the bribes by arranging to receive them through a dental company and a bank located in Elmont,

New York. The insurance company executives transferred the funds to the dental company using an invoice falsely claiming that the payments were for consulting services. During the time of the charged conspiracy, Inniss was a legal permanent resident of the United States residing in Tampa, Florida and Barbados.

“There is nothing to fear,” said Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday as he spoke fondly about government’s relationship with China and sought to quell fears about Guyana signing onto the troubled Belt and Road Initiative. Harmon was responding to questions at the post-Cabinet press briefing. He said that he is quite aware of the concerns about Government embracing the Belt and Road Initiative. “But, I want to say to the media and to Guyana in general that Guyana was one of the first countries in this hemisphere to give diplomatic recognition

to the People’s Republic of China and that was since in 1972.” Harmon said that since that time, many others have then given diplomatic recognition to China “but we were leading…there is absolutely no reason why Guyana should not take advantage of a transformative project such as the Belt and Road Initiative.” Harmon assured that there is “nothing to fear” since Government has “carefully identified projects” with clearly defined timelines for completion. “I have read about experiences of countries such as

Pakistan but we are basically taking our time and have carefully laid out projects. We will have clear timelines when things are to be done and we will have careful monitoring so I do not think people should fear these projects going the way of Pakistan.” Harmon indicated that Guyana will tap into money being offered by China under the Belt and Road Initiative to fund the Linden to Lethem Road and several ICT projects. He said, “I cannot give the entire list right now but I know that some of the infrastructure projects are there.” (Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)

Venezuela’s Maduro a no-show at support rally after drone blasts CARACAS (Reuters) Venezuelan government sympathizers yesterday rallied to show support for President Nicolas Maduro following weekend drone blasts that he called an assassination attempt, but the socialist leader surprised the crowd by skipping the event. Maduro, whose approval ratings hover around 25 percent, with opponents blaming his policies for worsening an economic meltdown, has urged supporters to unite in the face of what he described as right-wing plots led by the Colombian government and exiles in the United States. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has scoffed at the accusations, saying he was fully focused on his granddaughter’s baptism, while U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said Washington was not involved in the blasts. Supporters wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Maduro’s face massed in Caracas yesterday, chanting pro-socialist slogans and enjoying subsidized corn patties. “We’re willing to defend this process peacefully and through the development of ideas. But if we have to give our lives, we will,” said Henry Jaimes, 37, an employee of Caracas’ Youth Institute, as he waved a sign saying, “Alive and winning with Maduro.” But turnout was thin compared to previous marches, which would take over major avenues. Many in attendance were public sector employees, some of whom said they had been ordered to attend, according to Reuters witnesses. Keen supporters of late leader Hugo Chavez have increasingly soured on his far less charismatic successor. Maduro, who made a televised speech

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro shortly after the incident, had been due to speak from the Miraflores palace yesterday afternoon. It was not immediately clear why he did not. The Information Ministry did not reply to a request for comment. “Where is our comandante (leader)?” confused supporters asked when staff began packing up. “We thought we would see and hear our president,” said Tony Ugarte, 43, who is in charge of the distribution of subsidized food boxes in part of the working class neighborhood of El Paraiso. The government said suspects launched two DJI M600

drones laden with C4 explosives over an outdoor rally on Saturday afternoon, which had been held to commemorate the founding of the National Guard. One drone was “diverted” by security forces while the second fell on its own and hit an apartment building, authorities said. Six people have been detained, authorities said on Sunday. Intelligence agents on Monday searched an upscale hotel in eastern Caracas, workers at the hotel told Reuters, although it was not immediately evident if the searches were linked to the blasts.

PAGE 22

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Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203 1- Honda 450 ATV. Contact # 275-0367/683-7225 3 Mining Blocks $6M Contact# 650-0402/603-1402 Mix breed puppies. Tel#6920126/646-7745

2 bedroom apartment, unfurnished & Furnished (AC, Parking, WiFi etc.) Eccles. #667-2536 Self contain rooms for working couple/single person $35,000/$32,000 monthly, Light & Water, Lodge. Call: 623-0076

1 (3) bedroom ranch house with business on EBD, 1 acre land. Tel#266-5013/681-8333

1 Downstairs for business at Vreed-en-Hoop W.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013, 645-7248

Second hand 1500 watt transformers, 1 countertop showcase, hanging baskets, fluffy puppies- Free pair of crutches. Tel#266-5013

1 Three (3) Bedroom upstairs flat in Atlantic Gardens E.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013, 645-7248

LAND FOR SALE VEHICLE FOR SALE

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uivlugt, Tuschen, Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence, Zeelugt. Tel# 686-9608 Lot 1 Sophia For sale Wren Avenue Land for sale, Land at Kuru Kururu For sale. Contact# 227-1042 Parfaite $1.4M Uitvlugt $2.7M Farm $4.5 Pouderoyen land road to river, Diamond $4M Tuschen $1.5M $6M Call: 666-2326 Herstelling (New scheme) 1st Bridge $9M 2nd Bridge $4.5M (110ft x 60ft) 3rd Bridge $4.8M Tel#656-1345

DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM

Hotel Bar & Restaurant $400,000 monthly in 5th Street Albertown, Georgetown. Call: 684-9409 House at Kuru Kururu on roadside. Contact #678-7906 One and two bedrooms apartments to rent located at Nurses section, Turkeyen. Contact#680-5944/656-4211

EDUCATION Study in Canada/US 100% acceptance MicroGraphics #264-3057 2019 Processing now.

WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494

CXC 2018 Computer deal 9 course Diploma $40,000 4 Course Computerized Accounting MicroGraphics Vreed-en-hoop #264-3057

1 Male able bodied clerk Call: 231-2029/616-5954 Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt. Tel#686-9608 Experienced Roti/Puri Cook, cleaner, handy boys. Apply Hack’s Halaal. 5 Commerce St. Drivers Wanted, Truck Driver to work in Georgetown. Call: 227-1717 Field Supervisor to work in Georgetown. Call: 227-1717 Live meat birds to buy. Tel# 625-2108 Live-in Waitress to work in a bar, must be 18-22 yrs old, must have ID. Contact#2212785/692-3877 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Wanted land- Parfaite Harmonie, Farm, Eccles, Providence, Uitvlugt, Diamond, Tuschen, Zeelugt, Herstelling, Best price pay and Cash #604-6724

LEARN TO DRIVE

Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence E.B.D. Contact on 616-5419, 2657075

N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561

One live in domestic. Must know to cook indian dishes. 610-3974. Salary $20,000 weekly. (25-50yrs)

PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill. WCB 3 House Lots. Rice Cultivation 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818 Super newly renovated property 2 storey house with 2 washrooms, one with bathtub, Lowland ECD Price $15M Neg. Cell: 647-0655

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807

Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic - Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm

House lots for sale at Blankenburg WCD 40ft x 150ft $3.9M. Contact #6500402/603-1402 SALON September Cosmetology Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749

Security Company Manager. Valid driver’s license. 30-55. Call 629-9450. TO LET Newly constructed apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: #698-6496 PEN PAL 35 year old male, looking for a female companion. Tel# 6734454 VACANCY Vacancy for 1 experienced female account clerk, must have Mathematics & English. Apply @ Alabama Trading 65 Robb St, Bourda Vacancy for 1 cleaner. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda

CSR for Internet Service Provider. Must be customer oriented and able to multitask. Email cv to jobs@awngy.com or Tel#227-2001 Fantastic Job Opportunities. Architects, Engineers, Draftsmen, Construction workers. CXC Graduates. Email Experience & Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s guyanajobs@yahoo.com Tel# 656-0075 Porters/Salesmen, apply in person with application to ARK Enterprise/The Container House. 17 Lombard Street, Werk-EnRust. Urgent vacancy exist @ Natural Beauty Salon & Spa. For experience Nail Technician Located @ Grove EBD. Contact Ms. Rasharie #652-5800 Female cleaner office & home. 233-2745 Vacancy exist for 1 Pharmacy assistant to work @ reputable pharmacy in Georgetown. Call: 227-0630/ 628-8811 between 8-4 Pm. Porter/Salesmen Age 18-40 knowledge in stocktaking & salesmanship, apply with written application KeyFood McDoom Village. Hick’s Ville Hotel, Receptionist/Washer & Presser/ Hotel attendant/ Bell boy. info@vgiworld.com 2310951/223-3448 One experienced legal computer clerk. Call: 6247087/ 226-4283/258-0213/ e m a i l : husainsaphier@yahoo.com Now Hiring- Management Staff, Services Staff, Office Staff. Call: 233-6997/622-1957 Training available www.JobfairWorldwide.com Vacancy exist for 1 Security, Apply with application at Millenium Manor Hotel 43 Hadfield & Camp Street. Factory workers from 18 years & over must have Police Clearance, for more info contact: 223-0090

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

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Kaieteur News

97 graduate from Guyana School of Agriculture Recent graduates of the Guyana School of Agriculture have been encouraged to realise the potential of the agriculture sector in the twenty-first century and utilise information and communication technology. The call was made by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder as he delivered the feature address at the institution’s 54th graduation ceremony on Friday. “You have the power to

make a difference. In today’s world, you have access to the most advanced technology. Make sure you use that power and use it for grand purposes,” the Minister said. In his address, Minister Holder reminded that agriculture has been the backbone of Guyana’s economy and to see these students graduate means that the significant contribution of agriculture to the economy is likely to

continue. He told the students that their dedication and commitment have truly paid off and he expressed optimism that they will continue to support the agriculture programmes in years to come. The Minister made special reference to e-agriculture, which is an emerging field dealing with agricultural services, technology dissemination and

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd presents the trophy for ‘Best overall performance’ in the Agriculture Diploma Course to Alleema Shahabudeen

In the wake of Fire at Pegasus

Pegasus CEO responds to concerns

A scene from after Sunday night’s fire at the Pegasus Hotel. In the wake of Sunday night’s fire that broke out in the kitchen of the Pegasus Hotel, the hotel issued a statement to quell the concerns of all affected. Chief Executive Officer, Robert Badal, said, “At approximately 10:30pm on Sunday, there was an incident at the Pegasus Hotel. A small fire ignited on a fryer in our kitchen. This resulted in residual smoke entering the lobby area and a few other areas. It caused anxieties and an inconvenience to some of our guests. “While there was no im-

mediate serious danger, some guests were evacuated for a short period out of an abundance of caution and as per standard operating procedures to ensure their safety, which is our utmost concern.” “Shortly after the fire ignited, the fire alarm located in the kitchen went off and Emergency Response immediately kicked in. The fire was extinguished within ten minutes of the alarm by our staff. The Fire Department was alerted and responded promptly. The residual smoke did cause some inconvenience to some hotel guests, which we

regret. However, the situation was quickly brought under control. No one was injured and guests were promptly evacuated for a short period. “We understand the anxieties of our guests who were inconvenienced. We are pleased that all guests were returned to their rooms within a short period of time and that there were no injuries or any need for relocation to another property or alternative accommodation. “Pegasus offers its sincere apologies to the guests who were inconvenience. (Continued on page 24)

information delivered or enhanced through the internet or related technologies. “I urge you to investigate ways you can use eagriculture to provide solutions to everyday problems, to enable you to see opportunities that were never there.” Minister Holder said. He further encouraged the graduates to reflect on their experience at the institution and to consider it in the future. Minister Holder opined that the experience is a unique one that will assist in their growth and adaptation

to the world. “It is my sincerest hope that you continue to pursue lifelong learning to keep up with the competitive and everchanging world. You, the younger generation, hold the potential to offer the perfect fusion of new and traditional solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.” The Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) graduated 97 of its students in the areas of Agriculture, Animal Health & Veterinary Public Health, Agro-processing, and Forestry. The school established in 1963 became a state

corporation in 1964 offering the Diploma in Agriculture and the Certificate in Agriculture Programmes. In 1994, the Certificate in Forestry Programme was introduced, followed by the introduction of the Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health Programme in 2007 and the Certificate in Fisheries Studies Programme in 2008. In 2013, the Food Science and Technology Programme was added. Over the years, the school has graduated 3,060 professionals in different fields of agriculture and forestry.

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Kaieteur News

Reported altercation between Russians guards, Guyanese miners…

Authorities probe alleged kidnapping, torture A video that was circulated on social media of an altercation between Russian miners and the security personnel of a Guyanese mining outfit has caused the Ministry of Natural Resources to order an immediate probe into the incident. The video allegedly shows armed foreigners assaulting local miners. It showed a Guyanese being confronted by two foreigners who are presumed to be Russian. The foreigners were wearing pants resembling military fatigue and ordinary jerseys, and both men were armed with handguns. The Guyanese was telling the Russians that he was not working for them and did not have to show them anything. This seemed to be because the Russians felt that the man was working in the wrong area. The Russian then punched the Guyanese and the Guyanese attempted to respond in kind, after which the Russian drew his handgun. The video sparked a debate on social media that saw Guyanese expressing dissatisfaction about how foreigners are treating Guyanese. The video was then followed by photos of what is presumed to be a Guyanese miner who was kidnapped and tortured in a mining camp somewhere in the interior of Guyana, with suggestions that this was done by the same Russians. The photos showed a male handcuffed to an overhead rafter, and left in a standing position. This sparked even more anger. But so far, no one had been able to identify the individual who was assumedly kidnapped and tortured.

A screen shot from the video that shows a Russian miner cuffing a Guyanese miner in the interior. The police say they have no reports of such an incident. Reports are that the Guyanese who were affected worked for a miner named Shawn Hopkinson. The Ministry of Natural Resources in a statement said, “The Ministry has noted with deep concern and strong consternation a video circulating on social media, which appears to show a confrontation at a mining location between an alleged foreigner and Guyanese miner. “The video clearly shows that the alleged foreigner is armed with a firearm and behaving in an aggressive, hostile and condescending man-

ner towards the man who appears to be a Guyanese national. “The images are disturbing on many levels and raise issues about security, the authority of foreigners to carry arms and conflict resolution in the mining sector. To this end, the Minister of Natural Resources has instructed the Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Director of the Corps of Wardens to launch an immediate investigation to ascertain the veracity of the video and to solicit the support of the Guyana Police Force in their investigation.”

Pegasus CEO responds to concerns From page 23 “The safety and comfort of our guests are of utmost importance to us. It is for this reason that we invested in the latest model Honeywell Fire Response System. We thank the members of staff for acting promptly and we also thank the Guyana Fire Service and the emergency response units for their prompt and professional response. “Pegasus has had a long reputation for a safe and friendly culture and environment and

we will strive to continue this tradition by investing in the best available technology, in addition to learning any pertinent lessons from this incident after a complete investigation and analysis are done.” On the contrary, the fire saw most of the hotel blanketed in smoke, and had guests of the Hotel complaining about the safety procedures of the facility, since, some guests claimed that the fire exits were closed off by chain and locks, others complained about there being no fire alarms.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

The Department of Energy will decide if it needs Dr. Mangal’s expertise - Harmon By Abena RockcliffeCampbell President David Granger had promised that he will reengage his former advisor, Dr. Jan Mangal, this month. But plans have changed. According to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, it is now up to Dr. Mark Bynoe, the newly appointed Head of the Department of Energy, to decide whether or not Dr. Mangal’s skills are required. Dr. Mangal, probably one of the few Guyanese with vast experience in oil and gas industry, served President Granger for two years. But his contract came to an end earlier this year and it has not been renewed. Dr. Mangal had told this newspaper that President Granger assured him that government would have reengaged him this month. However, yesterday, as he hosted the post-Cabinet press briefing, Harmon said that it is solely up to the Department of Energy to decide if Mangal will be rehired. He said, “That will be a decision to be made by the Department of Energy when they are looking at the skills that they need for the department. If there is a skill he possesses and they find that that is the best possible skill then it is up to the department to decide whether we need his services.” If rehired, Mangal will have to work under Dr. Bynoe who has been criticized for heading the all too important department without any experience in oil and gas. Harmon said, “Dr. Bynoe is an excellent choice who

comes with excellent credentials. Apart from his stated qualification and work done on climate change and environment, he has wide experiences.” Harmon said that Dr. Bynoe will now hire the help he needs. “Dr. Bynoe does not need to be a world class expert but he is going to head a team that will identify the specific skills that we need for that department…It is not like we have a totally new kid on the block that is jumping off into nothingness; we have a structure.” When the appointment was made, Dr. Mangal said on this Facebook page, “The Head of the new Department of Energy, per the plan from March, was to be someone with international gravitas, someone who could challenge the likes of Rex Tillerson for example, who was comfortable talking O&G with Ministers from the major producing countries and the top executives from the major oil companies. Some of the qualifications were: - High level ministerial experience in natural resources. - Executive level experience with a major Oil & Gas company (such as Shell, Exxon, Chevron, BP, etc). Hence, the candidates were to be former Ministers or Vice-Ministers from major oil producing countries who also spent time in industry at the executive level.” Dr. Mangal said that the objective was to hire the best from around the world, and the intention was to advertise transpar-

ently in top international magazines (such as the Economist). He said, “It is unlikely any Guyanese would have fit the criteria, but that was accepted back in March. The new Department of Energy is the last chance Guyana has to make this oil business benefit the people of Guyana. The relevant Ministry forfeited three years and almost every decision taken by the Ministry favoured the oil company instead of favouring the people of Guyana. The new Department of Energy was meant to remedy the situation, but it is baffling why the appointment of the first and top position did not follow the plan from March.” Yesterday, Dr. Mangal was contacted. This newspaper questioned whether he would be willing to work within the Department of Energy given the concern he and other like Christopher Ram have about Dr. Bynoe’s appointment. Dr. Mangal said, “As I indicated in one of my letters a while back, I hoped to reengage with the Ministry of the Presidency this month. The appointment of the Head of the new DoE deviates from the plan I last saw in March, hence the reason for my recent post on Facebook. “But the MotP may have altered the plan from March. If the current plan still includes the recruitment of O&G professionals, with the skills/qualifications outlined in the plan from March, then I am happy to contribute to the setup of the new DoE.”

Battered mom killed by cane-cutter... From page 19 sister who was present at the home. "Dem tek money fuh buy fried rice and drinks. That is what dem does do at that station. They always doing that". She argued that the police were out of order to leave the woman unprotected with her husband in the home with her. The police claimed that they were told by Lakhan that she no longer wanted to move out and that she told them to leave, the mother of the dead woman, Monica Lakhan is disputing that theory. She told Kaieteur News that she called her daughter shortly after the court case concluded and Ramdeen's sister answered the phone. "When she answer, me ask she fuh talk to 'mama' and she tell me how she deh packing up she clothes and how police deh down deh with she. Me tell de police me na want

that man near me daughter and she tell me how Ramesh can't do me daughter nothing. Me ask fuh talk to me daughter and the last thing me hear from she was 'Ma me ah pack up me clothes and come". But me never thought that me daughter woulda get she death right deh. Why dem police leff she? Why?" According to the mother of the dead woman, her daughter was staying with her for the past week and she had made up her mind to end the turbulent relationship she shared with the labourer. Ramdeen is believed to have been angered by his wife's decision to leave him, leading to his beastly actions. Another sister who was present at the scene, Nalini Ramjattan, said that she received a call saying that her brother-in-law had murdered her sister. She said when she arrived, she saw her sister's bloody

body sprawled on the bedroom floor with blood oozing from her neck and wrist. "Me see me sister lie down pon da floor with she neck slash and then when me watch, me see ah man pon the bottom floor like he topple pon the step and fall and dead deh", Nalini said. She opined that if the police had remained with her sister, she would have been alive today. As the undertakers brought the bodies out from the home, relatives of the woman screamed and tugged on the corpse on the stretcher. The police were forced to restrain the family. They wanted to get a glimpse of Lakhan's body before the hearse took the body away. They were also seen shouting at the Sergeant who was with their sister before she died. "Why you remove your name tag, I know you Williams"

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Manafort’s right-hand man testifies against him in tax fraud case ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - Rick Gates, a longtime business associate of U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, yesterday testified that he helped Manafort file false tax returns and hide his foreign bank accounts. Gates is the government’s star witness in its case against Manafort, who is accused of bank and tax fraud. Gates, who also served on Trump’s campaign, pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors under a deal that could lead to a reduced sentence. Taking the stand on the trial’s fifth day, Gates admitted to helping Manafort doctor financial statements, hide foreign income and cheat on his taxes. He said he was aware Manafort was acting as an unregistered foreign agent in lobbying for Ukraine. He said he engaged in the wrongdoing at Manafort’s direction. “At Mr. Manafort’s request we did not disclose foreign bank accounts,” Gates told the jury in federal court in Alexandria, Vir-

Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

ginia. Manafort’s defense hinges on pinning the blame on Gates, who they accuse of embezzling millions of dollars from Manafort. Gates, who first met Manafort working for him as an intern fresh out of college, has been described by witnesses as Manafort’s right-hand man in his multimillion-dollar political consulting business. Throughout his testimony, Gates largely avoided making eye contact with Manafort, who appeared to be watching him. In addition to assisting in Manafort’s alleged crimes, Gates told the jury he had failed to report income he routed through his bank accounts in the United Kingdom and said he stole several hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort by filing false and inflated expense reports. Those admissions are likely to become a focal point for Manafort’s defense team when he is cross examined on Tuesday. Manafort has pleaded not

guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. The charges largely predate his five months on the Trump campaign. His case is the first to go to trial arising from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The jury has heard how Manafort made tens of millions of dollars for work with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. Mueller is also investigating possible coordination between Trump campaign members and Russian officials in the election campaign, but the charges against Manafort do not address that. CYPRUS ACCOUNTS Gates also testified about how wealthy Ukrainian businessmen paid Manafort millions of dollars for his political services through wire transfers to Cyprus-based accounts that were set up for Manafort by a lawyer and local politician known as “Dr. K.”

Lula drops release petition to avoid ruling on eligibility BRASILIA (Reuters) Lawyers for jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday withdrew a request before Brazil’s Supreme Court that he be freed because it risked shutting the door on his candidacy in the October presidential election. Despite being jailed in April on a corruption conviction and sentenced to 12 years in prison, Lula was nominated by his Workers Party on Saturday to press its point that his conviction was political persecution aimed at stopping Brazil’s most influential politician from returning to power. The country’s top electoral court is expected to invalidate his candidacy when it is registered on the Aug. 15 deadline and the party has picked former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad as running mate to stand in for Lula if needed. Haddad said on Monday Lula had asked for the release petition to be dropped because of the risk that the top court would decide simultaneously that he was ineligible to run for office under an anti-corruption law. If the top court

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ruled, the electoral court would not be able to consider his case. By registering his candidacy at the last minute next week, the former leftist leader aims to keep Brazilian’s attention on his case as long as possible, helping to transfer his popular support into votes for his party. “It was a request for his release, but it appears that the petition was going to be used to rule on his eligibility in the election,” Haddad told reporters after visiting Lula in his prison in

the southern city of Curitiba. “Lula has always said he will not trade his dignity for freedom,” said Haddad, who is a lawyer and was added to the former president’s defense team so that he could visit Lula regularly in jail. Lula governed Brazil for two terms from 2003-2010 and left office with a record approval rating of 87 percent thanks to a booming economy and social programs that lifted millions of Brazilians from poverty.

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‘Never felt like we were away from home’ - Shakib ESPNcricinfo - Saturday night in Florida, Bangladesh faced long odds to defeat the reigning T20 world champions. Not only were they 1-0 down after a series-opening loss in St Lucia, but Bangladesh were heading to a venue for the remaining matches where West Indies were not only undefeated but had recorded two of their three highest totals in the format: 209 for 2 against New Zealand in 2012, and 245 for 6 against India in August 2016. A little after midnight on Sunday, Bangladesh etched a page in their own history books by completing a re-

markable comeback courtesy of a Lauderhill sweep of West Indies to win the T20I series 2-1. With 2.5 overs to go in the match and West Indies well behind the par score in the chase, a second rain interruption occurred, but the majority of the overwhelmingly partisan Bangladesh crowd stayed back even after the match was called off. They were rewarded with a victory lap through the rain led by captain Shakib Al Hasan who paid tribute to the crowd for giving his squad an emotional lift in a series win. “So many Bangladeshis, they came from different parts of the US,” Shakib said at the

Bangladesh fans showed up in big numbers. (Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images)

Tuesday August 07, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Review your day as you watch the sunset and observe the clouds turning from white to purple, Aries. Make sure that your head is in tune with your heart. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your mind is buzzing like a bee, Taurus. You're apt to find that there's very little you can do to slow it down. Make sure you add compassion to the chain that's holding everything together. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Mornings aren't usually your best time, Gemini. You aren't fully awake until afternoon. Try not to discount the events of this particular morning, however. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your world may seem rather tight and rigid this morning, Cancer, but the good news is that difficulties are apt to melt away as the day progresses. Don't assume that opinions are fixed in stone. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is one of those days in which you're better able to stand back and look at your emotions intellectually, Leo. Your freedom-loving nature isn't built to deal with heavy emotional baggage and turmoil, so don't bother trying. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Prepare for a surprise today, Virgo. Perhaps it will come from someone else or perhaps it will come from you. Either way, by evening you're apt to be feeling quite lovey-dovey and rather spaced out. Give in to the lethargic attitude that might sweep over you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Things seem to be going quite well for you in many respects, Libra. Your thinking is clear, your emotions are under control, and the puzzle pieces are fitting into place. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your engine may sputter this morning as your gears begin to turn, Scorpio. It could be that you're working out something important in you mind that's helping clarify your emotions. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Be careful not to overdo things today, Sagittarius. You may so zealously want to meet your goals that you overshoot the mark by quite a bit. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Tempers may get hot today when someone says something that pierces you to your core. Address this problem right away, Capricorn, instead of letting it fester through the rest of the day. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Don't be surprised if you leap out of bed with a spark of inspiration that wasn't there last night, Aquarius. Let your dreams linger a bit before you face the world. This flash of genius is likely to strike quickly and unexpectedly PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Sometimes your emotions overtake your rational thoughts, Pisces, and you end up acting on impulse. Today you'll find that your head and heart are aligned on significant issues, and that they're working well together.

post-match presentation. “They were supposed to fly back today but they stayed back because we won yesterday. Thanks to them because we never felt like we were away from home. Obviously, it was a long series and in the end the support we got, I think they played as 12th man.” Shakib was declared the Man of the Series for the role he played in a stirring pair of victories in Florida. The captain scored 84 runs and took a combined 3 for 41 in eight overs across the final two wins, his bowling figures especially impressive considering the traditionally highscoring venue. He said his 60 off 38 balls while batting first in the second T20I spurred him on to deliver with the ball as well. “I think I was batting well throughout this series,” Shakib said. “I was hitting the ball well. I think that gave me a lot of confidence. That helped me bowl well and captain well. I was planning to prepare myself as well as I can to perform well and as I said, really proud of the boys the way they showed their character. “Everyone, even the guys who are not playing put the hard yards, they are always

Petterson sets new... From page 30 Equipped Open division was again unstoppable claiming his second gold in resounding style, setting a new national Total record of 800kg, his Squat of 315kg is also a new national record as was his Deadlift mark of 330kg. His Bench was 155kg. This performance cemented Petterson’s place at the world championships. Guyana ended the Mexico sojourn with 6 gold and 3 bronze medals.

in the game for the team. Whenever they are needed, they try to help the team out so nothing more I can ask from the team.” The captain was especially proud of the way the rest of the squad stepped up after being behind in the series heading into Lauderhill. The openers provided fiery starts with Tamim Iqbal scoring 74 off 44 in the second match and Liton Das hammering 61 off 32 in the decider. Mustafizur Rahman also took three wickets in each win. Nazmul Islam took 3 for 28 in the second match but suffered a freak injury on the

third ball of his spell the next day when he got tangled up with Chadwick Walton at the non-striker’s end while attempting a diving stop to a straight drive from Marlon Samuels. Walton momentarily lost his balance after Islam’s dive resulted in a collision and he inadvertently stepped on Islam’s left hand, with the spikes producing a nasty gash to force Islam off the field for the rest of the night. But Soumya Sarkar stepped up to fill in his overs and struck two balls later to get Walton. It was emblematic of a collective team effort.

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

EBFA / Juicy Juice U-13 League – Day 9

Timehri back at the helm; Agricola’s Daniels lashes in 5 in defeat of Diamond United Team Timehri Panthers Agricola Diamond United Swan FC Diamond Upsetters Hararuni Eagles Herstelling Raiders Soesdyke Falcons SPKV FC KK Warriors

Timehri Panthers scorers from right, Patrick Paul, Antoine Denny, Joshua Clenkian and Joel Williams. They are now the only two unbeaten teams left standing in the inaugural East Bank Football Association (EBFA) / Juicy Juice Under13 League. Timehri Panthers Sports Club blanked Diamond Upsetters, while Agricola Red Triangle handed Diamond United their first loss when play continued on Sunday last at the Timehri Red Ground. Crafting Agricola’s comfortable win was birthday boy and the league’s leading goal scorer Eon Daniels who scored all the goals in their 52 win over Diamond United. Timehri Panthers SC were in

equally rampaging form in their 6-0 win over Diamond Upsetters. Daniels, who was kept scoreless against Soesdyke in their 1-1 draw on Saturday, wasted little time in getting back into goal scoring mode, his first and 20th of the league came in the 8th minute. Thereafter, Daniels who celebrated his 12th birthd a y a l s o o n S u n d a y, scored in the 10th, 20th, 31st and 49th minutes to secure Agricola’s fifth win in six matches along with one draw. Diamond United did enjoy some good mo-

ments in the match but were unable to repeat what Soesdyke did when they kept Daniels quiet. The United boys got goals of their own in the 27th minute from Shakeem We l c o m e a n d C a p t a i n Ronaldo Adams with a ripper of a shot that busted the nets in the 30th minute. Agricola have sneaked ahead of Diamond United on goal difference and have a game in hand. Timehri posted their sixth win in as many matches, their 6-0 triumph against Diamond Upsetters taking them back

Following is the latest Points Table P W L D GF 6 6 0 0 24 6 5 0 1 36 7 5 1 1 35 7 3 4 0 9 6 3 1 2 16 7 2 5 0 5 4 2 2 0 9 7 1 4 2 8 5 1 4 0 9 7 1 6 0 7

to the top of the points table. The win was orchestrated by a brace of goals each from Antoine Denny in the 6th and 45th minutes; Joshua Clenkian converting in the 19th and 22nd minutes. Opening the scoring in the 3rd minute was Patrick Paul, while Joel Williams added his name to the score sheet in the 30th minute. Play will continue this weekend at the same venue. Leading goal scorers so far are Eon Daniels (Agricola) 24; Shakeem Welcome (Diamond United) 8; Joel Ross (Diamond United) 7; Keyron Williams (Timehri Panthers) 7; Ronaldo Adams (Diamond United) 6; Shaquan Gilkes (Diamond Upse t t e r s ) 6 ; Joshua Clenkian (Timehri Panthers) 6; Antoine Denny (Timehri Panthers 5; Floyd Boyce (Agricola) 5; Ofancy Wi n t e r (Herstelling Raiders) 5.

GA 1 7 11 15 17 23 16 13 26 31

GD +23 +31 +24 -6 -1 -18 -7 -5 -17 -24

Pts 18 16 16 9 8 6 6 5 3 3

Agricola Red Triangle’s Eon Daniels (left) and his Captain, Jonathan Andries.

CONCACAF U-15 GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Team represented well despite injuries sustained The National U15 Girls’ team had a creditable start to their campaign in the Concacaf U15 Girls Championship today when they went down to St. Lucia by a 3–1margin at the IMG Academy, Florida, USA. Guyana’s lone goal was an own goal created when Shacaylah Williams was pressing the defence resulting in an error on the part of the St. Lucians. Guyana Football Federation’s Women’s International Coordinator, Paul Beresford, said that while injuries were sustained among some players, the team played well. “We played well in the first half for a team that was playing their first match together. However, the team grew a bit tired in the second half in 92-degree heat and humidity. Guyana led 1 – 0 at the half and dominated play. Injuries to two of our players resulted in St. Lucia tying the game. They scored two additional goals in the second half to win the match.”

Guyana’s squad consists of both international and Guyana-based players including two Goalkeepers, six Defenders, five Midfielders and five Forwards. The international-based players were selected following the hosting of Talent Identification Camps in the United States and Canada. The starting lineup of today’s match, captained by Samantha Banfield, was as follows: Ludesha Reynolds (GK), Hasha Holder, Jenea Knoght, Ashaya Doobay, Allianna Holder, Jaida Brooks, Samantha Banfield (C), Shacaylah Williams, Anastasia Salvadore, Kersti Thomas and Anaya Willabus. Guyana’s next match is scheduled for today, August 7 at 09:00hrs against Cayman Islands followed by the Bahamas on August 9 at 11:00hrs. The playoff will begin on August 10, following the group qualifiers, with the finals set for August 13 at 11:00hrs.

Guyana U-14 starting line-up vs St. Lucia at the Concacaf U15 Girls’ Championship.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Barbados WCM Katrina Blackman clinches championship - Guyanese duo Chelsea & Sasha gains experience and FIDE Ratings Barbados’ four-time national women’s champion Katrina Blackman has every reason to feel like a queen after winning the gold medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Women’s Chess Championship. In a tense finish to the Championship, the 25-yearold Blackman clinched the US$1,000 top prize on a tiebreak after finishing level on points with Ailen Oriana Mena of Curacao when the six-day tournament concluded at the All Seasons Resort in Sunset Crest on Thursday night. Both Blackman, the no. 6 seed, and Mena, the no. 2 seed, went into the final round level on six points in a threeway tie at the top of the table. With the pair clinching victories to finish on seven points, Blackman took gold on account of winning their head to head clash in the sixth round. “It feels really nice. Being ranked at no. 6 and actually winning against persons higher rated than me by a lot of points, it feels really good,” Blackman said. “It was down to a lot of hard work, coaching and doing additional work after coaching.”

“That experience was much different. I really did not even expect to place in the top five. That was one even better than this. It was different. I was actually scared to go. After playing the Heroes Day Cup (in April) and performing horribly, I wasn’t sure how I would perform at Sub-Zonals. I felt really good about that,” she said. Meanwhile, Guyanese duos 12 year old Chelsea Juma and 14 year old Sasha Shariff on their 2nd international tournament appearance will be expecting to reach their FIDE (World Chess Federation) ratings after competing their required seven (7) games against rated players from Carifta Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname to this challenging and unpredictable tournament. At the CAC, Chelsea’s performance rating was 1113 and Sasha’s was 1022 and will be expected to take Guyana’s total amount of FIDE Rated Women to six (6) behind WFM Maria Thomas (1739), WCM Sheriffa Ali (1363), Jessica Clementson (1203) and Nellisha Johnson (1123). Chelsea Juma is now Guyana’s youngest player to be receiving a FIDE rating. From the nine (9) rounds Chelsea Juma finished on 1.5 points, while Sasha Shariff

finished on 1 point. Being the only unrated players at the event our girls battled their way through the rigorous tournament against top females from Barbados, Trinidad, Suriname, Netherlands Antilles and Costa Rica. Our players should have accumulated more points for example when young Juma missed a “threefold repetition’’ draw and turned down many draw offers by her opponent, while over confidently pushing for a win. However, a notable game was Chelsea Juma win against three (3) time Guatemalan olympiad and WCM Julissa Figueroa, who will be playing for Barbados at this year’s 43rd World Chess Olympiad. Playing the Black pieces, WCM Figueroa turned to the “tricky” Paulsen Variation of the Sicilian Defence but due to a possible “blind spot” left a Bishop undefended which young Juma was keen to capture thus making her opponent resign and sending a shockwave throughout the tournament hall. While Sasha Shariff got some better positions and winning advantages in a lot of her games, she failed to convert these advantages into a full point. Her notable game was Round

Katrina Blackman receiving the top prize from Barbados Olympic Association General Manager Glyne Clarke. (1) and eight (8) which she should have definitely won but failed to find the winning combinations to receive full points. During the tournament, both Sasha and Chelsea received some training via post analysis and pre analysis of their games from Barbadian IM (FIDE International Master) Orlando Husband and Lawrence Depradine. The tournament and training is all part of Ms. Shariff

planned training before she represents Guyana at t h e 4 3 r d Wo r l d C h e s s Olympiad scheduled to be held in Batumi, Georgia from Sept 23 - 6th October, 2018. FIDE National Instructor and National Chess Champion CM Wendell Meusa would like to thank the fellow chess parents and friends who contributed to assist these young girls to successfully participate in the tour-

The participants take time out for a photo during the event.

nament. “Without these few persons who dug into their pockets, these girls would not be able to attend and make history for Guyana and I would like to thank each of them,” Meusa stated. He also called upon private business to support the growth and development of Chess in Guyana aiming to put Guyana back as a dominant chess nation like in the late 1970’s under Former President Linden Forbes Burnham.

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Shimron Hetymer slams 66 in ExxonMobil GAW practice match

GMRSC Endurance Meet round 2

Fernandes makes it 2 out of 2 for Wreckers

Warriors Skipper Shoib Malick cover-drives during his 47 last evening at Providence. (Sean Devers photo) In murky conditions with strong breeze blowing across the Providence Ground last evening, rain had the final say in the first practice match as the ExxonMobil Guyana Amazon Warriors stepped up preparations for their opening game on Thursday against St Kitts Patriots in the CPL T20 tournament. Windies left-hander Shimron Hetymer hammered six fours and three sixes in a rapid 66 and shared in halfcentury stands with fellow Guyanese left-hander Sherfane Rutherford who hit three fours and two sixes in 40 and Skipper 36-year-old Pakistani Shoaib Malik who stroked a fluent 47 as Malik’s X1 reached 187-6 in 20 overs on a slow track after the game commenced at 16:00hrs. Thirty-three year-old Pakistani left-arm pacer Sohail

Tanvir took 3-23, while 27year-old pacer Raun Johnson, who played two First-Class games for Guyana in 2014, had 2-40 for Jason Mohammed’s X1 who were 58-6 when rain ended the contest in 11.1 overs. Only Skipper Mohammed (14), Tanvir (12) and Guyanese Gajanand Singh (10) reached double figures. The 24-year-old South African born Aussie off-spinner Chris Green had 2-11 from three overs and was on a hattrick when he bowled Trevon Griffith (1) with a perfect arm ball which he dragged onto his stumps and trapped Akshaya Persaud LBW for a first ball duck. Windies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbed 210 after having Tanvir LBW and removing Singh. Watched by crowd of

close to 100 fans, while maintenance and TV crews were busy preparing for Thursday’s game, 37-year-old Kiwi Luke Ronchi (9) was bowled by Tanvir 22-1. The 19-year-old Rutherford was joined by 21-yearold Hetymer and batted positively before Johnson removed Rutherford at 72-2. Hetymer, who has played just three T20 matches, reached his 50 with a pulled six when Jamaican off-spinner Ramaal Lewis bowled short and along with Malik carried the score to 148 before Tanvir got rid of Hetymer.Malik was dismissed by Johnson nine runs later before Chris Barnwell was LBW to Tanvir at 176-6 and Green (5) was run out leaving Rayad Emrit unbeaten on 10.Today’s the second and final match from 18:00hrs. (Sean Devers)

Team Wreckers’ Adrian Fernandes (center) and Anand Ramchand (right) pose with Harichand Ramchand after the victory on Sunday evening at the South Dakota Circuit. Team Wreckers are on course to win five consecutive Endurance series after their drivers, Adrian Fernandes took the overall victory, while Anand Ramchand finished fifth overall, in Sunday’s endurance race at the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri. In the contest which was shortened from three to two hours, Fernandes completed a total of 84 laps in the 1600CC class, driving the Gillette sponsored Toyota Levin, going one better than he did in January and two laps better than his nearest rival, Sean Bacchus on Sunday. Fernandes was ecstatic

after the victory and attributed the win to hours of practice and work on the Levin motorcar. Meanwhile, his teammate Anand Ramchand who was wary of a possible threat from former teammate Rameez Mohamed, breathed a sigh of relief after the blazing victory and was all smiles. The top three overall racers all came from the 1600cc class with Bacchus second with 82 laps and Motilall Deodass third with 81 laps. Other results of the day saw Hannif Mohamed win the 1500cc class with a total of 75 laps to finish fourth overall, Sunil Singh second 61 laps

and Bishram Ramjaram third with 60 laps. In the 2000cc, the lone competitor Syed Hasan finished with 60 laps. Meanwhile, in the unlimited class, Anand Ramchand and his Toyota Celica won with a total of 70 laps that allowed him to finish fifth overall, while Rameez Mohamed completed 40 laps to secure second and third Shan Shewjattan (11 laps), who recorded the fastest track time on Sunday of one minute and 20 seconds. The sponsors for the one day event were Special Auto, B.M. Soat, Tropical Shipping and Ansa Mcal.

Petterson sets new Squat, Deadlift and Total records at 16th IPF/ NAPF C/ship - Earns place at Equipped World Championships Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson powered his way to new national Squat, Deadlift and Total records on the final day of the 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championship in Mexico City on Saturday, last. Petterson further cemented his place at the World Championships, having already accomplished same when he won gold medal in the Men’s Raw Open 93kg class on Friday last in Mexico. On Saturday, Petterson, contesting the Men’s (Continued on page 27)

Carlos Petterson deadlifts 330kg in Orlando USA, in 2017.

Adrian Fernandes on the go on Sunday during the Endurance meet where he finished 84 laps in 2 hours.

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

Tigers send Windies to third straight series loss LAUDERHILL, Florida, CMC – West Indies were left to rue an underwhelming batting performance as they went down by 19 runs under DLS in the third Twenty20 International against Bangladesh, to plunge to their third straight series defeat and seventh loss in nine outings here Sunday. Chasing a difficult 185 in the series decider at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, the Caribbean side were heading towards defeat at 135 for seven in the 18th over, when rain arrived to end the match prematurely. At that point, West Indies were well adrift of the par score of 155, handing Tigers a well-deserved win and a sweep of the Florida doubleheaders following their 12-run win at the same venue on Saturday night. The reigning T20 World champions were slumping at 32 for three at the end of the sixth over and not even Andre Russell’s whirlwind top score of 47 from 21 deliveries could rescue the run chase. Rovman Powell slammed 23 and Denesh Ramdin, 21,

Despite Andre Russell’s 21-ball 47, West Indies were short by 19 runs on the DLS Method when the rain hammered down in Lauderhill ©Getty Images but left-arm speedster Mustafizur Rahman, who ended with three for 31, made key strikes to keep the Windies innings in strife throughout. Man-of-the-Match Liton Das had earlier stroked an

entertaining 61 off 32 deliveries to propel Bangladesh to 184 for five off their 20 overs, after they had opted to bat first. Veteran Mahmudullah lashed a crucial 32 not out off 20 balls while captain and

Man-of-the-Series Shakib-alHasan contributed 24 and Tamim Iqbal, 21. Das and Tamim gave the innings a flying start by adding 61 from 28 balls, as West Indies struggled to get a grip on the must-win encounter. The right-handed Das struck six fours and three sixes in a 32-ball innings while the left-handed Tamim sparkled briefly with three fours and a six off 13 balls. With the game in danger of running away from t h e Wi n d i e s , c a p t a i n Carlos Brathwaite (2-32) got the breakthrough when he had Tamim scooping to Kesrick Williams at short fine leg. Soumya Sarkar perished five balls later in the next over for five, deceived by a slower ball from pacer Keemo Paul (226) and holing out to Powell at long on. However, a series of key partnerships then buttressed the innings. Das posted 31 for the third with Mushfiqur Rahim (12) before both batsmen fell in the space of five deliveries, leaving Bangladesh on 102 for four in

the 11th over. Mahmudullah and Shakib quickly combined in a 44-run fifth wicket stand and following a break for rain, Mahmudullah provided the innings with a rousing finish by adding 38 off 24 balls with Ariful Haque (18 not out). For the second straight night, the Windies started poorly and were staring down the barrel early. Andre Fletcher (6) sliced Mustafizur to Nazmul Islam at point in the fourth over, ChadwickWalton holed out to long for 19 off pacer Sarkar in the next over while Samuels got one that crept from leftarm spinner Shakib in the following over, and was bowled for two. Not for the first time in the series, Powell arrived to attempt a rescue mission, posting 45 for the fourth wicket with Ramdin, in a partnership which took West Indies to 61 without further loss at the half-way stage of the innings. By that point, however, the required run rate had risen to nearly 12-1/2 an over and the pressure told, with Ramdin missing a slog at

speedster Rubel Hossain and having his stumps shattered in the 12th over. Russell wasted little time in finding his range, teeing off with Rubel over the ropes at mid-wicket before belting Shakib for a couple of sixes in the following over – the 13th which leaked 13 runs. All told, Russell counted one four and half-dozen amazing sixes but lost Powell in the 14th and Brathwaite in the 17th before eventually falling to the first ball of the 18th, drilling a low full toss from Mustafizur into Ariful’s hands at long off. Almost on cue, the rains arrived to usher in a defeat that was almost certain anyway, with the Windies still requiring 50 runs from 17 balls. Scores: BANGLADESH 184 for five off 20 overs (Liton Das 61, Mahmudullah 32, Shakib-al-Hasan 24, Tamim Iqbal 21; Keemo Paul 2-26, Carlos Brathwaite 232). WEST INDIES 135 for seven off 17.1 overs (Andre Russell 47, Rovman Powell 23, Denesh Ramdin 21; Mustafizur Rahman 3-31).

Lucky Star wins feature G3 and lower race at Kennard’s Bush Lot United Horserace meet

Connections of the Shocking racing Stable collect the trophy for Not This Time’s victory in the 3 years old event. It was a good day for racing with a reasonable size crowd on hand at the Bush Lot United, West Coast, Berbice Race track and it was an opportune time for veteran jockey May May aboard Lucky Star of the Pooran Stale to come good for the win at the Kennard Memorial Emancipation horserace meet. The 6 furlongs event saw the animals battling from start to finish with Lucky Star pulling ahead to take home the $300,000 winners money ahead of Keep On Swinging, Red Rocket and Isn’t She

Charming.It was ample time for Not This Time of the Shocking Racing Stable to take the 3 years old one mile event. With the Ansa McAl trophy and $240,000 at stake for the winning jockey Colin Ross was skillful in guiding Not This time to the front to win from Feona and Touch Down.Victoria of the Boatswain stable with jockey Julius was victorious in the 4 furlongs event for 2 year old animals. Prince D, The Rock and Maximus were the others that placed. Picachu with Richmond

on the mount choose the right time to win as it beat off Barbarossa, Massapequa Dr and Red Region to win the K and lower 6 furlongs race. Touch Down of the Joseph Stable with Jockey Colin Ross astride powered ahead of Prince D, The Rock and Maximus in the L class maiden event to take the Gansham Singh trophy. Colin Ross was adjudged the champion jockey with the Shocking Racing Stable the champion stable.The runner up jockey was jockey May May.

Connections of the Pooran Stable receives their winnings for Lucky Star’s victory in the G3 and lower event.

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Tuesday August 07, 2018

Kaieteur News

Guinness Cage ‘East Coast Best vs. the Rest’ Competition

Jai Signs & Auto Designs returns

Builders Lumber Yard support Boyce Jefford Classic

Jai Signs Andrunie Harris (2nd left) hands over the cheque for an undisclosed sum to Three Peat Promotions Lorrieann Baptiste in the presence of fellow staffer Nicholas Rampersaud at the entity’s Head Office yesterday. Jai Signs & Auto Designs of Independence Boulevard returned for another year to add its support towards the exciting Three Peat Promotions / Guinness Cage Tournament dubbed ‘East Coast Best versus the Rest’ set to kickoff tomorrow evening, at the Haslington Market tarmac, starting from 19:00hrs. Yesterday, during a simple ceremony that was conducted at the entity’s Head Office, representative Andrunie Harris handed over a cheque for

an undisclosed sum to Three Peat’s Lorrieann Baptiste in the presence of fellow staffer Nicholas Rampersaud. Responding on behalf of the Group, Baptiste thanked the representatives for answering the call for support, adding that the gesture is a clear indication of the entity’s vision for the development of sports, especially at the grassroots level and also its willingness to help in the development of social cohesion among communities.

Twenty teams selected from the East Coast of Demerara, Georgetown and the East Bank of Demerara will square off for prize monies in excess of $700,000 including trophies and individual prizes for outstanding performers. The other scheduled playing days are: August 11, 18, 25 and September 1 when the final is played. There will be giveaways for fans on each night of competition.

Nand Persaud and Company Sprint Classic Horserace meet

Jumbo Jet, NTN and Prem’s Electrical among new sponsors as over 40 entered Entries are filling up quickly as more sponsors come on board for the much anticipated Nand Persaud Group of Companies Sixth Mega Sprint Classic Horserace meet, organised by the Company’s Sky Plus Promotion Group and Dubbed the ‘Nand Persaud Karibee Sprint Classic’. The event is slated for Sunday at the Company’s, No.36 Village, Macedonia Estate, Corentyne, Berbice Racing Facility. So far over 40 horses have taken entry for the event and with closing date extended for a few days more the entry list is expected to go up further. Meanwhile, business entities, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, NTN television and Prem’s Electrical are among those that have joined forces with Republic Bank, Beverage Giants Ansa McAl Trading, Trophy

Stall of Bourda Market, Retired Jockey Abdul Latiff, businessmen Deo Persaud, Jaikaran Sergobin and Jaikishan Persaud among others for the event. With over $4M in cash trophies and other incentives up for the taking in the seven events meet, a captivating day of racing is anticipated. The feature is for animals classified D and lower over four Furlongs for a winning purse of $400,000 and trophy which will see the likes of TNT and Isn’t She Charming powering for the attractive purse. The other events are for horses classified H and lower for a take home prize of $260,000 and trophy over 3 Furlongs. The race for 3 year-old animals for a winning take of $200,000 and trophy will run over 3 Furlongs. The event for 2 year-old

animals has a winning purse of $200,000 and trophy over 4 Furlongs. The K Class and Lower animals will have at stake a first prize of $140,000 and trophy over 3 Furlongs. There is an event for male animals classified L and lower over 4 Furlongs for a winner ’s money of $100,000 and trophy. The L class event for female horses over 3 Furlongs also has a first prize of $100,000 and trophy. The Trophy Stall through Managing Director Ramesh Sunich will be presenting trophies to the t o p t r a i n e r, s t a b l e a n d jockey among others. Race time is 12:00 hrs. Interested persons can make contact with Nick on 600-7280 or Amanda on 618-5916. The Coordinator is Mohendra ‘Mohin’ Persaud. (Samuel Whyte)

Manager Nafeeza Salim of Builders Lumber Yard presents their sponsorship to Colin Boyce, while Managing Director Avinaish Salim (right) and dedicated Staff member Michael Ogle (left) share the moment. Manager Nafeeza Salim of Builders Lumber Yard along with Managing Director Avinaish Salim and dedicated Staff member Michael Ogle yesterday cemented their commitment and long association with the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic IX Athletics meet. The Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic IX is fixed for this weekend at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. Action Saturday and Sunday at MSC will see $4M in cash and prizes on offer, with the programme of events set to start at 1:00pm each day and keen competition is anticipated as is customary. Several overseas athletes are expected to be present at the marquee event and admission is $1,000 for adults and $500 for children. The event will be officially launched tomorrow when full details will be released then.

Osmond Cummings Memorial U-20 Football Tournament

Eagles, Milerock, Botofago and Amelia’s Ward advance to semi finals The final round of the Osmond Cummings U20 Football Tournament saw two exciting matches being played at the Wisburg Secondary School Ground last Friday and Sunday. The first game on Friday pitted Eagles and Hi Stars in Group A. The players from both teams seemed determined to win, missing some goals but both teams defence were good as the first half ended Nil-all. From the sound of the whistle at the beginning of the second half it was evident that each team wanted to be a winner however, Eagles were dominant and at the end of regulation time they won three

Nil. In the second game, also in Group A, Eagles came against Amelia’s Ward. The first half ended with no goals and at the sound of the whistle in the second half both teams were playing and fighting for a goal but at the end of regulation time it was still Nil all. The tournament continues on Friday at Wisburg ground when the first semi fiPOINTS TABLE GROUPA Amelia’s Ward 8 Eagles 7 Winners Connection 6 Top XX 4 Hi Stars 2

nal will be played between Eagles and Botofago and the second semi final will be played on Saturday at the same venue when Milerock will come against Amelia’s Ward. The finals will be played on Sunday August 26th at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. Kick off time on Friday and Saturday will be 15:00 hrs. (Jacquey Bourne) GROUP B Botofago 9 Milerock 6 Silver Shattas 3 Net Rockers 3

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 07, 2018

PAGE 33

GFF Elite League Season III

10-man GDF beat depleted Western Tigers as Buxton ease past Cougars

Okifi Patoir (13) marks Buxton United’s winger Hugh Phyll closely during the 2-0 victory for Buxton on Sunday Calvin Chapman story and photos

W

estern Tigers suffered a huge dent to their title hopes after squandering an early 2-0 lead to see 10-man Guyana Defence Force Football Club (GDF FC) pull off a spirited fight back to eventually win 4-2 during the feature match of the double header at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), Leonora on Sunday night in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)

GDF’s Sherwayne Caesar (left) runs down the flank while Tigers’ left back Linden Picket tries to contain the dangerous move during their match on Sunday at the NTFC Elite League. The defeat was the first of Western Tigers’ debut season and they would’ve never imagined the final result not being in their favour after Pernell Schultz had volleyed home an easy goal in the seventh minute following a corner kick which was taken by Vurlon Mills; his first game for the Ruimveldt based club. Twelve minutes later, Skipper Daniel Wilson proved his team’s ability from set pieces as he fired home a 19-yard free kick

which was taken just slightly left of the penalty spot, to double the Tiger’s lead. However, the defending champions were not giving up and despite their opponents being two goals up, they had dominated play during that period, and Amos Ramsey netted the first of his double in the 26th minute to pull one back for the Army men after the first half. At the beginning of the second period of play, GDF FC opted to bring in the pacy Delroy Fraser and that move proved significant as he

made some menacing runs at the Tiger ’s final third throughout the match. Six minutes after the break, Ramsey completed his double to level the game and drastically raise the spirits of his teammates. The Tigers were disappointed after giving up their lead and were determined to take back the lead with more intent football. In the 58th minute, Tigers had a forward breaking through on goal but Travis Henry had other plans and he tugged the player

back and was rightfully given marching orders by referee Gladwin Johnson. After going a man down, GDF FC seemed as though they had received a shot of energy and they were rewarded with two goals from Delwin ‘Jack’ Fraser in the 63rd minute and in stoppage time, to secure yet another come from behind win for his team. In the opening match, Buxton’s Dillon Wright (58th minute) and Kobe Durant (80th minute) each scored one second half goal

to help their team defeat the struggling Cougars FC 2-0. Besides, the two goals, the match was fairly scrappy with limited opportunities from either side. After Sunday’s match night, the race from the title has now shifted in the favour of Tucville based Fruta Conquerors FC that are top of the points table with 32 points but the top four points standing is pretty close with Den Amstel FC on 32 points (weaker goal difference), GDF FC 30 points and Western Tigers 27 points.

CFU Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series

Guyana looking for improved performance against Curacao today after falling to T&T The National U14 Boys’ team will be looking to turn in an improved performance when they play their second match of the CFU 2018 Boys’ U14 Challenge Series against host nation against Curacao at the Ergilio Hato Stadium from 18:00hrs, today.The young Guyanese lost their opening match on Saturday last to neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago 0-8 at the same venue; this tournament is part of the Guyana Football Federation’s developmental plateau for youth players. The GFF in a press release said that Bryan Joseph, Head Coach of the National U14 Team said the strategy will not vary much from that of the first match: “As part of our development, we must try to instill the

playing philosophy in the players; we’ll continue to do that so it won’t change much in the second match. These are young players and the information we’re passing on needs to be concise and consistent.” While acknowledging that Curacao is a different team to that of Trinidad and Tobago, Joseph said that the two-day preparation period before the next match will enable the technical squad to continuously instill the playing philosophy: “We’ll try to sharpen the weak areas we had in the first game. We’ll be playing against a totally different opponent so I think we’ll have more opportunities to instill our playing philosophy, we’ll have more opportunities with the ball.”

National U14 Boys Team starting X1 against Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, in recapping the first match, Joseph said the result does not reflect the competitive nature of the match even while acknowledging some of the challenges experienced by the National U14 Team, including the challenge of the players adjusting to the Artificial Turf and keeping possession. However, he highlighted

some positives: “The team collectively showed a good attitude, they fought throughout and continued to play regardless of the score; all seventeen players were able to play including the Goalkeeper. This is all part of what we wanted to achieve – the exposure – and I think going forward, there will be better performances especially in light of the

entire group being exposed to the astro turf.” Nonetheless, the Head Coach said the team is in “good spirits” and “motivated to play” the rest of the series. The u14 team was captained by Midfielder Zidane Ramdeholl. Guyana drew the bye for the second set of matches which were played yesterday when Trinidad & Tobago

played Bonaire and Curacao opposed Bermuda. Aruba drew the bye on the opening day of Group C play; Trinidad will sit out today matches which will also see Bonaire opening against Aruba at 16:00hrs today. Guyana will play Bonaire on Friday from 18:00hrs and clash with Aruba on Sunday from 16:00hrs.

rt o p S

Shimron Hetymer slams 66 in ExxonMobil P. 30 GAW practice match

Australian off-spinner Chris Green was on a hat-trick last evening at Providence. (Sean Devers photo)

Windies’ Shimron Hetymer cuts for four during his 66 at Providence last evening. (Sean Devers photo)

GMRSC P. 30 Endurance Meet round 2

The lineup before Sunday’s GMRSC second-round endurance meet.

Fernandes makes it 2 out of 2 for Wreckers Tigers send Windies to third straight series loss

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