Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 5
Letters... Where your views make the news...Letters... Where your views make the news
The Private Sector has a role in helping Guyana, now DEAR EDITOR, The article in Kaiteur News, August 7, 2015 ‘The Government Needs Help’ could be more definitive. It is clear that ‘crime, unemployment, and poverty’ is popping up around the country. These are the areas where the Government needs help the most, as was identified in the ‘Global Human Order Conference’ sponsored by the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
The Private Sector Commission’s sense of realization about the state of the economy and its lament on what to do is a bit too late. There are fundamental processes at work that need to be reversed. The Private Sector should know that when the government sector or government sponsored projects are spending on imported goods and services and they do not also earn
foreign exchange, on their own account financing, the remaining economic sectors would experience declines in spending for both investment and consumption. This is the classic case that economists refer to as ‘government spending displacing private spending.’ In an open economy, we cannot fool the sectors all of the time. Reality would break out. We cannot move money from the left pocket to the
right pocket internally and expect to grow the economy. Economic decline would be the certain result. I believe that Government has sufficient experiences and reports at its disposal to understand the problem and what to do, as it is currently doing in several areas to tidy up government management and its finances. Looking at the exchange rate alone is superficial. A real sector analysis of the
APNU+AFC hoping to get favourable... From page 4 massive, where are all the billions of dollars we’re led to believe were stolen from the treasury? Surely there should be no need for a State Asset Recovery Unit to locate this massive amount of money. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan once worked under Dr. Ashni Singh at the Ministry of Finance and was privy to all the financial transactions that occurred there during the former PPP/ C Administration. He was well positioned to see any disparity in the accounting system to cover-up these fraudulent transactions if in fact they had occurred. And if there were evidence of corruption, did Jordan ever reported this to the Finance Minister? Has he ever reported this fraud to the police? Alternatively, if he felt uncomfortable working for a ‘corrupted’ Administration, he should have done the decent thing and resign from the Ministry of Finance in protest, and called a press conference to expose the corruption. Instead, he stayed on and kept his mouth shut. Or is it more likely that the corruption he’s now talking about never exist. The Minister of Finance
can’t have it both ways. On the one hand, if he saw evidence of corruption at the Ministry of Finance under Dr. Ashni Singh and did nothing about it because he wanted to protect his lucrative job, he’s weak and is likely to buckle under pressure now from those wishing to misuse taxpayers’ dollars. On the other hand, if Minister Jordan has no evidence of fraudulent financial transactions that took place while he was employed there under the PPP/C, he should be man enough to make this fact known publicly and not bend to pressure to spearhead a costly political witch hunt that is unlikely to yield more than it would cost to pay the two “State Auditors” employed to find the loot. Either way, it would appear that our Finance Minister has a serious credibility problem that needs to be addressed. The APNUAFC can no longer use the cover of PPP corruption to hide their incompetence and inability to govern the nation. Show us evidence of this massive corruption you’ve uncovered and put those responsible behind bars. It is time that the Granger Administration put up or shut
up and get on with the business of nation building. Time is running out. It is rapidly approaching the 100-day mark since the APNU-AFC collation has been in office. The economy is rapidly spiraling downwards; violent crime and the murder rate are out of control; consumer confidence is on the decline and private sector investment is at a standstill. But why should this come as a surprise to anyone, after all, the PPP/C predicted this would have happened. The APNU-AFC took a thriving economy, gave it to bunch of amateurs for on-thejob training, and hastily fired most of the people with the skills that knew how to run the Ministries. Now they’re running the country like a cake shop, hoping to get a favourable result through trial and error. Had the Granger Administration spend more time creating jobs and growing the economy as opposed to traveling around the world; being obsessed with firing PPP supporters; and going after government assets in an effort to prove the Ramotar Administration was corrupt, they may have been able to fulfill the
campaign promises made to their supporters and the rest of the population. Sadly, people are easily deceived and fall for all sorts of campaign rhetoric during an election campaign. VAT is still 16% and unlikely to be reduced; we now know that the military and police can kiss the 20% wage increase goodbye. The Berbice Bridge toll, if lowered at all, will be done at the expense of taxpayers in every region, including Georgetown, Essequibo and Linden. Most of the people there may never have need to cross the Berbice Bridge yet their tax-dollars will be used to lower the Berbice Bridge toll as part of a government subsidy, so that the APNUAFC can fulfill a campaign promise made to the residence of Berbice. The PPP/C Members of Parliament are expected to take up their seats in the National Assembly to participate in the Budget Debate. I’m hoping that civility and productive dialogue from Members across the floor will set the tone needed to advance the people’s business, but from what I’ve been hearing, I’m not setting my expectations too high. Harry Gill
economy requires digging deeper into the country’s economic structures and their linkages in agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The editorials of this newspaper have done a good job of pointing out essential relationships and made a variety of policy suggestions, such as various inefficiencies and mismanagement in the country, including what to do to control floods, and generate value-added projects to name a few. There are also many examples that abound in peasant agriculture, commercial agriculture, furniture making, etc. in such faraway places as India and Australia. These countries at the local level can help Guyana. The ability to take local resources, such as timber, gold, diamond, and agricultural land and turn them into a net foreign exchange earner through value-added inside Guyana could provide a bright future for Guyanese. We need to be less mean to the Guyanese people who understand that farms are factories and money grow on trees. Guyana should distribute from 5 to 15 acres of agricultural land to bonafide farmers for inland fishing, shrimping, and various commercial tree and cash crop production. Fifteen acres is the optimum small farm size in Canada and is close to the Black Bush Polder acreages for homestead and farming, revealed when I last checked with the late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
So far, we have been permissive to companies that cut wood and sell at zero price for a tree, while bagging huge financial gains by trading Guyana’s forestry and mining leases in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, and New York, using the sale of stock prices to earn interest income, and pay overseas dividends to the lucky owners of the shares based on Guyana’s land leases, (My Movie Script, ‘En La Sombra De Mi Gente). The PSC is wringing its hands about economic collapse. The savings, investment, and financing processes should be monitored closely. The private sector needs to look in the mirror for solutions to Guyana’s problems. It is clear that we cannot continue to shift spending on imports of goods and services to the Government or private pet projects without either authority having their own foreign exchange to draw down. The spending imbalance will lead to poor private sector street expectations on the external value of the Guyana dollar. The situation will worsen if exporters begin to hoard foreign currency and investors do not bring in foreign dollars to buy their imported goods and services. Moreover, the PSC should help government to investigate capital flight, private sector remissions or their members’ stinginess in bringing back needed export earnings for funding investments in Guyana. Government needs the help of Continued on page 25
Page 6
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Is the Granger Govt. too slow to haul in the ‘big fish? By Kiana Wilburg Since the Granger-led administration assumed office, there seems to be a creeping impatience in some quarters to see all those who appear to be “too big to jail” hauled before the courts. Many yearn for the prompt prosecution of all those accused of raiding the public coffers, misusing assets of the State, or who acted in a manner that brought disgrace to their prestigious office. To date, only three public officials have been brought before the court for such questionable behaviour. These are; former Minister of Health, Bheri Ramsaran , former Public Service Minister, Jennifer Westford and her Personnel Officer Margaret Cummings. In spite of the edginess of some members of the public who desire quick justice, some political activists believe that the Granger administration is not slow to prosecution. But they also feel that the government isn’t making substantial advancement either. Popular columnist, Freddie Kissoon is one such critic who holds this position.
Political activists weigh in
Political activist, Freddie Kissoon He said, “I would argue that they aren’t slow but they certainly aren’t making considerable progress. Maybe it is the half-full/half empty analogy. One of the factors that the coalition government has in its arguments against its detractors is the mountain of madness they have inherited.” Kissoon said that Guyana’s economy, bureaucratic and legal fulcrums, infrastructural facilities and social structures were severely weakened under the “shambolic rule” of former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. He said that the solution pathway is going to take years. In that context, he said
that the citizenry has to have patience. The communist argued, however, that the anti-corruption pursuits of the government have not been dynamic. Kissoon said that the nation is still to hear about the state of the GuyOil gas scam and the two senior officers who awarded themselves back pay for services provided while on the board of the Guyana Power and Light without consulting any legal authority. The political activist emphasized that if government continues with these exposures, citizens will ultimately want early police action. “Even the Crum-Ewing case doesn’t look good. The nation feels the intellectual planners of the murder have not been touched,” Kissoon said. Were it in his power, he would recommend for the establishment of an anti corruption committee with wide spread jurisdiction. He suggested that such a committee should include people with legal and accounting skills. “Let them go after the financial nastiness during the Jagdeo/Ramotar reign and seek prosecution very urgently. Surely, there must be a huge paper trail of Jagdeo’s questionable use of the country’s resources. From the time this government came into power, Jagdeo should have been investigated,” the columnist said. Dr. David Hinds, an Associate Professor at the Arizona State University, believes the coalition government needs to be given the opportunity to conduct proper investigations before prosecuting persons, least it
be accused, as it already has been, of witch-hunting. “I know people are impatient, but even the instances of corruption that are obvious need to be carefully documented before prosecution. Accumulating the evidence needed to prosecute those suspected of misappropriation of government assets takes time.” The University professor said that the nation needs to allow the forensic auditors to do their work thoroughly. He said, too, that the State Asset Recovery Unit also has to make sure that it is engaged in investigation and not witch-hunting. According to Hinds, one must bear in mind that it takes some time to catch and follow the trail of corruption. Overall, Dr. Hinds believes that government is doing a good job. The University professor said that it is not easy coming into government after 23 years. “The new government has to confront a shattered economy, the Venezuela threat and a rampant and unrepentant opposition. That’s a fair bit to handle. The new government invariably encounters more problems than it anticipated.” The political activist said that the Granger administration has to deal with, for example, the partisan bureaucracy installed by the previous government. He stated that the operatives may be political appointees but they know the system. Dr. Hinds said that if the government were to throw all of them out immediately without the proper replacements, then they may end up undermining their own administration. In this regard, he said these first few months are really a period of
Political activist and Associate Professor, Dr. David Hinds
Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram
familiarization and learning. “The vast majority of the Ministers are new to government. Some of them are new to politics. I suppose one can criticize the leadership for not choosing a more experienced team. But given what they have and given the fact that it is a coalition, they have done a good job at advancing the process. They have not met most of the 100 day deadlines but what is important is that they have shown intent,” Dr. Hinds said. “These 100 day deadlines are really election gimmicks. To do the things that they promised to do in 100 days assumes a combination of the following factors—that there was normalcy in the system they were taking over, that the outgoing government would cooperate and that there were the necessary expertise at their disposal. This is not the case.” The University Professor said that his one criticism of the government is the lack of consultation with stakeholders outside of formal government. He noted that the naming of the members to government boards was a victim of this lack of consultation. “So too was the swift ending of the Walter Rodney Commission.” As for Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram, he hopes that the Government is serious about prosecution. “After all, accountability requires that persons be made liable for any acts of
wrongdoing committed by them,” the lawyer said. Ram said that generally, it is the function of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to institute and undertake criminal cases against persons. He said that there is also the Attorney General, who is the principal legal adviser to the Government. The Chartered Accountant stated that the DPP is not subject to the direction or control of anyone and appears to have been reluctant to bring action against members of the last administration prior to May, 2015. He said that some of those matters may now be statute barred. Similarly, Ram contended that regulatory bodies and state agencies, including the City Council, were reluctant to bring action against persons who might have infringed the laws of the country. The Chartered Accountant reminded that prior to May 2015, the APNU+AFC had indicated that wrongdoing and lawbreaking would be punished. “They would be expected to keep that commitment. The whole idea of the rule of law and of accountability is that persons must answer for and be held responsible for their actions. So that whether it is about corrupti o n , o t h e r forms of crime or misfeasance in public office, persons should be brought before the courts.”
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 7
Greece hopes to U.S. sends six jets, 300 personnel to Turkey base in Islamic State fight conclude bailout talks by tomorrow
Six U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base, Italy, are seen at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, after being deployed, in this U.S. Air Force handout picture taken yesterday. Reuters/U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Michael Battles/Handout WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States six F-16 jets and about 300 personnel to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey yesterday, the U.S. military said, after Ankara agreed last month to allow American planes to launch air strikes against Islamic State militants from there. The Pentagon said in a statement the “small detachment” is from the 31st Fighter Wing based at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Support equipment was also sent but no details were provided. “The United States and Turkey, as members of the 60-plus nation coalition, are committed to the fight
against ISIL in the pursuit of peace and stability in the region,” the statement said, using an acronym for Islamic State. The ability to fly manned bombing raids out of Incirlik, a major base used by both U.S. and Turkish forces, against targets in nearby Syria could be a big advantage. Such flights have had to fly mainly from the Gulf. Turkey’s decision last month to allow use of the base follows longtime reluctance by Ankara to become engaged in the fight against Islamist militants.
ATHENS (Reuters) Greece hopes to conclude negotiations with international creditors by tomorrow at the latest, a Greek official said as talks continued in Athens on a new multi-billion euro bailout. Greece’s finance and economy ministers were locked in negotiations with representatives of creditors yesterday. Greek officials have previously said they expect the bailout accord to go to the country’s parliament for approval by Aug. 18. “Efforts are being made to conclude the negotiations, the horizon is by tonight or early tomorrow,” said a Greek official who declined to be named. “When the new bailout comes to parliament for a vote it will be one bill with two articles - one article will be the loan agreement and the MoU (memorandum of understanding) and the second article will be the prior actions,” the official said, referring to measures Greece needs to take for the bailout accord to take effect. The negotiations began
Alexis Tsipras on July 20. A senior Greek finance official told Reuters the aim was for a meeting of euro zone finance ministers to review the accord on Friday, Aug. 14. Athens is negotiating with European Union institutions and the International Monetary Fund for up to 86 billion euros ($94 billion) in fresh loans to stave off economic collapse and stay in the euro zone. The bailout must be in place by Aug. 20, when Greece has a repayment falling due to the European Central Bank.
Page 8
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Russia’s Lavrov says U.S. must work Hammond - African migrant surge imperils EU social infrastructure with Assad to fight Islamic State MOSCOW (Reuters) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States should cooperate with Syrian President Bashar alAssad to fight Islamic State and that this required an international coalition uniting all those for whom the jihadists are “a common enemy”. Washington currently heads a coalition conducting air strikes on Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and is cooperating with Turkey to provide air cover for rebels inside Syria. But Moscow has criticized the United States for not working in sync with Syria, an ally of Russia. In comments to Russia’s state TV published by his ministry yesterday, Lavrov recounted two meetings with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry amid the recent intensified high-level diplomatic contacts over Syria and fighting the Sunni jihadis. “Our American partners and some countries in the region persistently refuse to recognize Assad as a partner, which is rather strange,” Lavrov said. “Assad was a fully
Sergei Lavrov legitimate partner in destroying chemical arms but somehow he is not in fighting terrorism,” the foreign minister said, referring to a chemical disarmament deal brokered by Moscow and Washington earlier in the conflict. The United States, its regional ally Saudi Arabia as well Syrian opposition and rebel groups they back, say Assad had to go. They do not want to cooperate with him as it could be seen as legitimizing his position. Lavrov is due to discuss
Syria and Islamic State with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Moscow tomorrow. The two will also discuss “closer coordination on global energy markets”, the Russian ministry said. Russia is one of the world’s biggest oil producers and low prices are hurting its budget. Moscow held multiple meetings on that with OPEC members, including Riyadh, but the cartel has focused on defending market share rather than raising the price. In the comments published yesterday, Lavrov also said he had told Kerry there was high risk air strikes in Syria could hit the wrong target and aggravate the conflict. The Russia-proposed coalition, Lavrov said, would “bring together all those already fighting on the ground” who oppose Islamic State. He named the Syrian and Iraqi armies, the Kurds and “the part of the armed opposition that represents Syrians.” “Instead of settling their scores between one another, first one must deal with the common threat, and then seek to agree on how to live in their own country,” Lavrov said.
Reuters - A surge in migrants from Africa threatens the European Union’s living standards and social infrastructure, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said yesterday, saying the bloc was unable to take in millions of people seeking a new life. Hammond’s comments, some of his most outspoken on the subject yet, underscore how the British government is ramping up its anti-immigration rhetoric in response to a spike in migrant attempts to reach Britain via the Channel Tunnel from France. They are also part of a wider EU trend which has seen Alexis Tsipras say Greece cannot cope with the number of migrants fleeing instability in the Middle East and Africa and German calls for tighter immigration curbs. “We have got to be able to resolve this problem ultimately by being able to return those who are not entitled to claim asylum back to their countries of origin,” Hammond, speaking while visiting Singapore, told BBC TV. “That’s our number one priority.”
Philip Hammond Hammond said there would always be millions of Africans with “the economic motivation” to want to get to Europe and that EU laws meant migrants were “pretty confident” they could stay. “That is not a sustainable situation because Europe can’t protect itself and preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure, if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa,” he said. Britain’s Conservative government is under pressure to show it is acting to solve what the press has dubbed “the Calais crisis” with
hundreds of migrants trying nightly to scale fences around the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in France. That has disrupted passenger and freight traffic and dominated the summer’s headlines. Some of the migrants manage to reach Britain. Yesterday, police said they had arrested 18 suspected illegal migrants found hidden in the back of a lorry in England. But the government’s increasingly shrill tone on the issue - Cameron was criticised for referring to migrants as “a swarm” - has upset charities, churchmen and left-wing politicians. Earlier this month, Church of England Bishop Trevor Willmott told the government not to forget its humanity. “When we become harsh with each other and forget our humanity then we end up in these stand-off positions,” he told the Observer newspaper. Hammond said the Calais crisis was far from solved. “So long as there are large numbers of pretty desperate migrants marauding around the area there will always be a threat to the tunnel’s security,” he said.
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 9
What to look for in today’s budget Today is Budget Day! There are high expectations of this Budget since it is the first one for the new coalition government and there are high expectations that it will bring relief to a number of sectors in the economy. Today, I will examine what are some of the important things that Guyanese should look for in the Budget. These
are some of the things that you should expect or not expect in the Budget. Over the past few days the government has been cushioning expectations. This means that there will be some surprises in the Budget, some very pleasant surprises. The other thing is that the government will have to deliver on its election
promises and therefore despite what has been hinted over the past few days, there will most likely be an attempt to honour most of the promises which have to do with the Budget. It is hard, for example, to see how VAT will not be cut. Two possibilities exist. One is that it will be reduced to 15% which is a one per cent cut
Dem boys seh...
LI’L JOE CHEAP AND SOULJA BAI SILENT Dem Ministers really use to hustle de treasury. Well dem got to pay back. When people travelling on official business dem does get a thing called per diem. That mean a daily allowance to cover whatever expense dem might create. Well it now showing that some of dem collect per diem and per annum at de same time. Some claim meal allowance even as dem deh pun de plane and eating what de plane give dem. People sleep at dem mother and dem sister and dem cousin and charge de government like if dem sleep at hotel. Then dem pocket de money. Well dem boys understand that all of dem want mek a raise and since dem was getting pay in Uncle Sam dollars then dem tek de money and keep it till dem come home. Some would put it up till dem ready to travel; some tek it and buy gifts fuh dem girlfriend and some just change it pun de road. Li’l Joe ketch dem because de Jordan boy was checking de accounts and he see de thing. People collect money and dem ain’t bring back
receipt. But he and all mean. He tell dem that dem got to account fuh de money. When he check he tell dem that if dem can’t find de bill dem got to pay back 60 per cent. Well dem boys want to know how he gun collect. De man who pay heself $27.8 million tell dem that he transfer de money to the Uncle Sam account and dem got to wait. Just like how he transfer it out he can transfer it back; that don’t tek a day. Suh he got dem pun stupidness. And besides, de man done lef de country and deh in Canada. To put icing pun de cake, he getting interest every day pun de money he deposit suh
he can’t just give dem back de same money he tek. Dem boys waiting to see wha gun happen. But that ain’t de whole story. Li’l Joe want to give people pocket change fuh per diem. He telling dem new Minister that dem gun get US$25 a day. He expect dem fuh sleep in some toilet. Dem boys seh that Jagdeo who accustom to big money gun mek life tough fuh him. And poor Soulja Bai ain’t saying nutten. He going out to Canada next month fuh raise money and to raise he frequent flyer miles. Talk half and see how much money Li’l Joe gun give him to travel.
with a promise of further reductions in the future. The other is that the government will go the PPP way and simply reduce the VAT on some consumer items. The latter seems most likely. So expect perhaps to no longer pay VAT on tennis rolls and pastries. The government also promised significant salary increases. It later modified this to indicate that the increases will be moderate. There have been no negotiations with the GPSU and the government over wage increases for public workers and the new APNU+ AFC administration is not likely to want to impose any increase on the workers. They are therefore not likely to announce an increase. They are more likely to indicate that some provisioning will be made until such time as they have concluded their inquiry into the benefits of public servants. As such, the same thing that the PPP did over the last ten years is likely to repeat itself again with no increases for public servants being announced but provisions being made for whenever the
increases are decided on. This is usually in time for Christmas back pay. There will also be no tax reform measures announced. The PPP was fond of saying that there will be no new taxes. The new government is likely to repeat that pronouncement. They too are likely to announce no new taxes for this year. This will of course disappoint some folks at Town Hall who were hoping that their twenty- two year proposal for a container tax would have been favorably considered by the new administration. But perhaps, they have not yet made a formal presentation to the new government about these new taxes. So do, not expect any municipal new taxes also. So just what should the Guyanese people expect? Well for one there will be benefits for gold miners. They will get some relief on tools and fuel. This has already been announced. There will be some relief for the sugar industry, even though it is likely to be less than what was given last year. The subsidized tariffs for electricity in Linden will take
up a few more billion dollars. Nothing will change with that. But perhaps, those inquiries that the PPP reneged on may be recommenced as a means of trying to find a solution to this inequitable situation whereby one set of consumers pay one price and the others pay a fraction of that price for electricity. Expect more spending for the military. After all, there are a lot of ex-military personnel in government and there is a threat from Venezuela. So the military will have to be boosted. The business community will be told that a stimulus package is on their way. This stimulus package will be in the form of public works. This of course is the same strategy that the PPP used year after year by priming the public sector investment programme to provide a boost to private enterprise. The more you look at what is likely to play out today with the Budget, the more you want to feel that what the APNU+AFC coalition will deliver tomorrow is a typical PPP Budget.
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Suspect in restaurant owner’s killing still in custody The suspect that police have detained for the murder of restaurant owner Zhenjz Su remained in custody yesterday, with police remaining tight-lipped on whether they have been able to link him to last Friday’s brutal home invasion. It is also unclear whether investigators have received any response to the $2M reward that some businessmen have posted for information leading to the arrest of the businessman’s killers. Left at the scene, was the cutlass with which the owner of the Jade Stone Restaurant was hacked to death, and a piece of wood that may have been used to club his wife, Fei Su. Police hope to retrieve valuable forensic evidence from both ‘weapons.’ Zhenjz Su, 35, was found bound, gagged and hacked to death in his restaurant kitchen at around 03.00 hrs last Friday. There are reports that the intruders killed Su after he refused to open a money-safe for them. However, they made off with the day’s sales. The intruders also inflicted a savage beating on the businessman’s wife, 32year-old Fei Su, who was attacked in her bedroom. She remains hospitalised. The victims have five
Murdered restaurant owner: Zhenjz Su dogs, but no one apparently heard the animals barking while the family was under attack. The bandits had also tampered with surveillance cameras on the property. According to a police official, the killers gained entry through a door in the bottom flat that the business couple had mistakenly left open. Zhenjz Su, a source said, would close the restaurant at around 21:00 hrs and attend to customers through that door. After killing Mr. Su, the bandits then headed to the upper flat, attacking Fei Su, the wife, in her bedroom and beating her into a state of unconsciousness. She later found her husband’s body.
The businessmen who posted the $2M reward said that they were angered over the killing and other brutal attacks on the business community and ordinary civilians. “We are sending out a strong message to those who think that they can just come into our business places and homes and rob and kill,” one of the businessmen told Kaieteur News. “We will not sit back and let that happen.” On June 5, Ganesh Ramlall, the owner of Regent Multiplex Mall, was riddled with bullets by bandits in his La Jalousie home, West Coast Demerara. On June 9, businessman Mohamed Chand and land court Judge Nicola Pierre were battered and robbed in their Felicity, East Coast Demerara home. Mr. Chand lost an eye, while Ms. Pierre suffered a broken jaw. The men escaped with cash, jewellery and other valuables. Prior to that, a bandit posing as a passenger shot rice farmer Hardat Kissoon dead in a minibus, after trailing him from a city bank. And two Saturdays ago, surveillance cameras recorded a young man clubbing, kicking and stomping 77-year-old Carmen Ganesh to death in her home at Montrose, East Coast Demerara.
Foreign organisation donates US$2,000 to Essequibo students
Ms. Beryl James (left) with Mrs. Elfreda Munroe and some of the students. Secretary of the Guyana United Youths Development Association of New York, (GYUDA) Ms. Beryl James has presented a cheque of US$2, 000 to the president and founder of the African Educational and Cultural Association Elfreda Munroe, to aid in the sponsorship of 20 students who will be attending the Essequibo Technical Institute, in September.
James explained that GUYDA is a nonprofit organization, based in New York whose mission is to assist in the educational, social and total development of student development in Guyana and to a lesser extent, the Caribbean and New York. Beryl James is a resident of Henetietta Village and the United States, whose interest is on the development of young people.
Page 11
Thief tells Granny, “don’t fight me” “Granny, don’t fight me,” were the words that a softspoken robber told an elderly woman before choking her into unconsciousness in her Ogle, East Coast Demerara home yesterday. Thankfully, the 61-yearold victim who resides of Ogle, East Coast Demerara, survived the ordeal. The woman, who asked not to be identified, said that she feels lucky to be alive after suffering a similar ordeal as 77-year-old Mrs. Carmen Ganesh, who was battered to death in her home less than two weeks ago by an unidentified intruder who is still at large. According to the 61-yearold, her ordeal took place at around 01:00 hrs on Sunday. It began when she was in her washroom and noticed a strange man exiting one of her bedrooms. Upon seeing the intruder, the woman said that she came out of the toilet and confronted him. “I asked him, ‘what are you doing in my home’ and he put his hands over my mouth. He said ‘granny don’t make a sound’,” the woman recounted. She said that the thief then demanded that she show him where she has her money and jewelry. “But I don’t have anything,” she stated. A struggle then ensued between the woman and her
- then chokes her unconscious attacker. He threw her on a bed, pressed his knee into her back and choked her from behind. During the ordeal, the man kept demanding cash and jewelry. But the only jewellery the woman was wearing at the time, was costume jewellery—an earring and chain which she purchased from Avon. The pensioner said that she eventually pointed the thief to her purse, which contained only $900. After finding the money, the thief reportedly became more incensed and continued to attack the woman. This time, he tried to drag her to other rooms in the house, but she did not relent. “Granny don’t fight me,” the man reportedly told the woman as he continued to assault her. Oddly enough, the woman said that throughout the horrific ordeal, her attacker spoke softly and omitted the use of explicit language. But he then placed a plastic bag over her head and tied something around her neck. “When I realized that he was trying to strangle me, I stopped fighting up and I lost consciousness,” the victim related.
She said that when she awoke and pulled the bag off her head, the house was dark and quiet. “I waited a while, because I wasn’t sure if he was gone.” the woman said, She said that she subsequently telephoned her neighbour, who came to her assistance. “When my neighbour saw me my entire pajama front was soaked in blood,” the 61 year -old related. The woman said that that neighbour notified the ranks at Sparendaam Police Station while another assisted with getting medical attention at a private health facility. The woman is yet to give a statement to the police about the incident. She noted that her reluctance to have her name publicized is due to the fact that she has not yet told her overseas -based relatives about the incident. “I am so shaken up. I haven’t slept since,” she added. The 61 year-old, has joined the growing list of elderly women, who suffered during home invasions, in recent times. The victims, most of whom, lived alone, did not survive the attacks.
Page 12
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Remembering the slain Kaieteur News pressmen Sunday marked the ninth year since five employees of our newspaper were brutally slaughtered by a marauding gang at our printery which was operating in Eccles Industrial Site. Every year on August 8 the memories of that dreadful night keep haunting those of us who are still around to talk about it. For some of us, losing five people who you interacted with on a daily basis, was like losing family members. Today we remember our colleagues through a touching article which was first printed in this newspaper in august 2013, seven years after the massacre at Kaieteur News. “That thing ruined my whole life”- surviving security guard By Rehana Ashley Ahamad Seven years have passed, and some families of the slain Kaieteur News pressmen seem to be holding their ground and moving on. But, this is not the case of Julius De Grace, one of the two survivors of the attack. It is not the case where he just did not recuperate, his wife said, noting that her husband’s mental state has deteriorated. Ever since the fateful night of August 8, 2006, the woman explained that De Grace who was once a fearless man has become scared to the extent where even sleeping has become a task. Her words came as no shock to me, because as I spoke to Mr. De Grace, he was literally shaking like a leaf. He seemed very fragile.
The now 74-year-old man was the only security personnel on duty that night, and the first to be shot in the head by one of the fully armed youths who wasted no time in scouring the premises for those who were inside, executing five of the six pressmen who were hiding in the toilet. “Right now, I don’t remember anything. You underrate the shock I been through? I still feel stupid to this day. Only people who been through it can understand young lady, you wouldn’t. That thing ruined my whole life,” De Grace said. He added that ever since the killings, he has not been able to work any longer. And out of fear that tragedy might once again strike in his path, De Grace said that he does not leave his home very often. The man even pleaded
Eion Wegman
Chetram Persaud
that I not accompany this article with his photograph, as he heard that the accused were released, and are currently roaming free. Meanwhile, Ramchand Harripersaud, also known as “Harry”, the only surviving pressman has been able to move on to some degree. Although the events of that night would still make tears fall, he has commenced working to provide for his family. “Harry” is currently employed in the printery of another newspaper. Recalling that night, he said that just minutes after he and his colleagues reported for work at around 22:00hrs, the sound of gunshots filled the air. He explained that they did not put much thought into it, because it was during the crime wave, and such sounds had become a norm, especially on the main road which was “a good way” from where they were working at
Shazeem Mohamed
the Eccles Industrial Site. Usually, the workers, he said, would climb on a few roles of news print, and peep through a small window close to the ceiling of the building, to see what was happening out on the road, but on that fateful night, the men had just started working to get the press up and running, so they did not bother. Just then, Harripersaud said that Bhena Lall, wife of Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall, had called to warn them that they should secure the place, since she heard gunmen were in the area. But before the men could do anything those sounds grew nearer. By that time, De Grace was about to padlock the gate, when some “li’l children with guns” managed to overpower him. Upon hearing his colleague, De Grace scream”gunmen coming”, “Harry” said that he and other pressmen rushed to the back
Mark Maikoo
where they hid in a toilet. Harripersaud noted that the youngest of the coldblooded youths was just about 13-years-old, while the eldest did not seem to have passed age 19. Harripersaud recalled that one of the men was “cussing” that if them (the pressmen) don’t come out, they will riddle the place with bullets. His five colleagues thought that their attackers just wanted to rob them, so they exited the toilet. But as the youths ordered the men to lie face down, “Harry” said he knew that the men were there to kill. Harripersaud survived by not coming out of the toilet like the men ordered. “I don’t know who mek da decision fuh me da night. Maybe was God. Me curl up and stay in that toilet till everything, and place get back quiet,” the West Coast Demerara resident related. Harripersaud said that he
Richard Stewart
watched helplessly through a crease in the door and saw his colleagues’ “feet jumping”, with each passing gunshot as life was snuffed out of them. Found lying face down with bullets to the back of their heads, were Chetram Persaud called “Boyo” who was 46 years old at the time of his death; Eion Wegman, 47, who resided at Lot 51 Fourth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, which is now known as the Pet Shop; Richard Stewart, 24, of Lamaha Park, East La Penitence; and the youngest of them, 22-year-old Mark Maikoo (Marko) of Company Park, Yarrow Dam, La Penitence. Year after year, Kaieteur News would feature articles in remembrance of fallen colleagues who were ruthlessly executed by a group of misguided and coldblooded youths. This year, I opted to take up the task of penning a few lines in (Continued on page 24)
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 21
BREAST IS BEST You’ve heard about “good cop, bad cop”. It is when two police officers work on you to get a confession or at least an admission of guilt or accusation of someone else. One is the “good” cop who offers you the coffee and cigarette and who is the exact opposite of the “bad” copthe one who threatens you, yells, screams and gets you totally scared. Well, believe it or not, there was an unexpected variation on the “good cop, bad cop” in Hong Kong recently and what emerged was a “good cup, bad cup” situation when a woman who was part of a protest was sentenced to three and a half months in prison after being found guilty of using one of her breasts to assault a police officer. Clearly the Hong Kong police still think of them as “knockers”. There is a kind of irony in this that most West Indians would find delectable were it not for the injustice meted out to the woman, Ng Lai-ying, 30, who claimed that chief inspector Chan Ka-po had groped her left breast when
he tried to grab her bag. In other words, he was trying to cop a feel. In Trinidad and some of the other countries, breasts especially when the owner is using them to suckle her young, are known as “bubbies” but pronounced by some as “bobbies”, which is what the British call their police and in the former British Colony of Hong Kong might still be used by some people. In the same context of “wet” nursing babies, breasts are also called “tut-tuts” or “tot-tots”. “Tot” might be one infant and “tots” two or more but in English, England and its former colonies, “tut-tut” is also an expression for disapproval or annoyance. So here we have a bobby and a “tut-tut” in an affray and I have taken it upon myself to keep my readers abreast of the situation. The whole incident and the police version would be as funny as the comic opera “The Mikado” by Gilbert and Sullivan were it not for the precedent set by the Hong Kong police in deeming a woman’s breast an instrument
capable of assault with or without battery. Fortunately for the woman, the Lord High Executioner was not around or it would have been Tittipu for her. It reminds me of an incident that took place many years ago when I was a schoolboy. Every year the Catholic boys of Presentation College in the southern city of San Fernando made a pilgrimage north to the town of Laventille by train. Even then Laventille had a reputation for crimes against the person or persons, known or unknown, mayhem, violence with or without weapons, and during the Carnival when its steelband, aptly named Desperadoes, crossed paths with any other from a different community, the use of weapons of Mas’ destruction. In other words, that was the end of the carnival for many people. As calypsonian Lord Blakie sang, “Never me again to jump up in a Steelband in Portof-Spain.” Our Principal, Brother Jerome Kelly, an Irishman from the Presentation Order, insisted that for the journey,
which included climbing up the winding, pot-holed Laventille road to pay homage to the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the hill, we must all wear long white pants, shirts, school-ties and blue blazers. We disembarked from the train and toiled up the hill in the blazing sunlight, sweating, panting and tripping over the garbage and pot-holes, while being jeered by the urchins and their parents. It was not your most salubrious neighbourhood or your most neighbourly. The milk of human kindness had dried up in the heat. Apart from those with genuine vocations or who wanted to impress Brother Jerome by faking genuine vocations, the rest of us were miserable and those who had been there before dreaded the climb down the hill. This was because in the twilight of descent we ran a gauntlet of people of all ages throwing sticks and stones, even garbage cans at us. Now sticks and stones may break my bones and I was lucky that they didn’t, but it was not just the obscene words hurled at
us but their accompaniment by missiles that really did it for me. One of our teachers decided to go into a little teashop, what Trinis call a “parlour” to buy something to drink. He was a short, fairskinned gentle man whose passion was reciting poetry. As he stood waiting to be served a huge man pushed him. Then the man pushed him again, harder this time. When our poor teacher shrank quietly back, the man decided enough was enough. He stood on our teacher’s foot and shouted angrily, partly to the gathering crowd and for our benefit, “Look at my crosses! I stand up here good, good and this man come and put his foot under mine! Mister what wrong with you? You looking for me to slap you up?” A five-dollar donation did the trick and our teacher staged a miraculous
escape. I suppose this explains how a woman could be accused of assaulting a policeman with her breast but, as one protestor who was appalled by the case said, “‘We better watch out as one day police might accuse us of attacking with our penis or buttock.” The court saw it differently a court saying that the woman had used her chest to bump against the policeman’s arm and ”used her female identity to trump up the allegation that the officer had molested” her. What did not help was the crowd calling the policeman and the judge “boobs”. *Tony Deyal was last seen saying that Caribbean police forces are thinking of applying the decision in their countries and are getting help from the FBI (Federal Breast Interdiction) for a full, frontal assault.
Page 22
Kaieteur News
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. Balloon decorating for birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc, make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS - CALL:6294946 OR 225-4822 REPAIRS & SPARE, FRIDGE, FREEZER, A/C, WASHERS, STOVES CONTACT NICK: 6831312, 627-3206 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall: 225-6496, 662-6045 Thinking about building? Then Contact Creative Construction Services, we offer general construction at affordable prices –Call: 9829935 Pool care & construction maintenance, water testing, pool chemicals, pool supplies, plumbing –Call: 602-5128; 653-4448 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $15,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766 I N N O VA T I V E MARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. ACCOMODATION Specials on room! Free breakfast, Wi-Fi luxuriously & comfortably @ Signature Inn, 82 Laluni Street, Georgetown –Tel: 226-2145; 227-5037 HEALTH Herbal nectar treatment for diabetic, hypertension and other sickness (follow me) sexual enhancers–Tel:696-2957
WANTED One live in domestic, E.C.D – Tel: 603-5716; 644-9802 Female workers to work in Trinidad ages 18-30yrs – Contact Miss Ali at 592-6940808 (no text) serious inquiries only. One babysitter and housekeeper needed between ages 35-40. Kindly contact 693-9068 for further information. Live in maid must know to cook-Call: 679-8765 Waitresses, live in or out for Bar- Call: 612-2522 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic –Call 219-5354 (Monday- Friday) (8:154:15PM) One live in maid –Tel: 6755256 Night Security to work in G/ Town –Call: 218-1156 One kitchen assistant & one salesgirl to work in Madhia – Contact: 684-1718 Laying birds to buy – Contact: 226-0772; 225-9304 2 Mason, 2 Labourer- Call 265-3586 between 7am-4pm
SALON
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
1 Mazda Axela, PTT series, low mileage, e x c e l l e n t condition -owner migrating Tel: 649-0956 Super Deals! Unregistered 07 Allion -$3.1M, 05 Allion $2.4M, Bluebird -$2.6M, Premio -$2.2M, Fielder (Sunroof), Axela (rims) –Call: 616-3413
Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales! 25th Anniversary Sale: 2007 Toyota Premio -$3.3M, 2002 Premio $2.2M- Call: 226-8953
Jacqueline Sookram, Cocoa Stix Spa & Salon- Tel:6928633. Specialised in facial, pedicure, manicure & massage. Back to School Promotion10%-45% of all service for children, Monday – Friday (9-3pm) –Tel: 2258701; 622-2643
VACANCY International Employment: waiters, waitresses, cooks, housekeepers, bellboys, storekeepers, receptionists, Contact Recruitment Agency: 231-6296, 6509880 www.plzrecruitme.com Work from home, earn $5,000$20,000 daily Call MondayFriday 9am-5pm #233-6517, 6 3 8 - 0 5 9 5 www.jobfairworldwide.com Male Supervisor to work in housekeeping Dept. Tel: 2250198 or 233 South Road Lacytown. 1 Cashier, Supermarket helper, 1 Accounts Clerk/Inventory clerk, must be computer literate, apply @ Nirva Supermarket –Call: 227-5771
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVEAUTORENTAL: CARS & SUV FOR RENTAL$4,000 & UPPER DAY-CALL: 643-5122, 219-3900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL @YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up- Call: 690-6494
Monday August 10, 2015
Part time security guard, Sheriff Street, Campbellville Georgeotown –Call:227-1028 or 223-5877
Cheapest: Manual/ Automatic super GL buses, Canter, Hilux. Property in Bougainvillea Park for rent/ sale –Call: 616-7635 Toyota RAV 4, late PMM series, fully powered, first owner -$2.5M-Contact: 6216363 (anytime) 2013 Mercedes C250 turbo AMG coupe, retractable glass top, mileage 15K, alcantara leather interior, brush aluminum acc- Call: 650-5136 Toyota Allion 2004, like new & loaded, late PRR series $1.8M negotiable. Owner Migrating –Call: 628-0892 2008 FIELDER -$2.5M, 2008 RACTIS -$2.44M, CARINA 212 -$1.9M, NEVER REGISTERED & FULLY LOADED VEHICLES –TEL: 617-2891 1 Isuzu canter open back (diesel engine), manual, short base, price $1.3M- Excellent condition- Contact Rocky 225-1400,621-5902 One Mitsubishi Canter Fuso Crane Truck, Big Crane, 3 Ton 6 lugs excellent, GTT Series, price $4.5M –Call:622-6746 One Honda CRV, Price $800,000, serious inquiries only –Contact: 689-6879 One L-Touring Wagon –Tel: 220-7518/ 627-5416 Toyota pit-bull (roof-rack), unregistered, Noah, Voxy – Call: 603-9700 Toyota NZE PLL series, fully loaded mag rims, Deck/DVD/ reverse camera- $1.5M negotiable- Call: 609-1040
LAND FOR SALE 1500 acres transported land 4½ miles from Bartica R o c k , Quarry, Forestry, Agriculture. Contact Mark: 603-1266; 625-9788 Luxury Gated CommunityMall, Pool, intelligent security system, well, solar. Selling @ 6USD per Sq.ft – Call: 609-0783 Eccles Waterfront and Bel Air Gardens Ocean View land for sale- Contact:954-769-0576, 1belair@mail.com
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Land at long Creek on Highway 100ftX200ft –Tel: 679-7159; 685-8926
FOR SALE/RENT American pool tables –Call: 277-0578
Land for sale at Webster’s Avenue, Buxton for $1.6MCall: 696-8391
1 Isuzu Truck for sale, GTT series –Call: 660-4481; 225-2562 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, under 30,000KM –Call: 6968538; 688-0639 2002 Yamaha R6 in excellent condition – 27,000 mileage $995,000 –Call: 650-5500, 6612953 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Fielder, Carina 212, Bluebird –Call: 652-3820; 6654529 Unregistered IST fully loaded & PRR series Sienta, excellent condition. Call: 6917475 Just arrived from UK brand new TM trucks- Good priceTel: 679-7587, 264-1582 1 Toyota 212 Yellow Cab, Excellent condition –Tel: 2235615
2006 Suzuki Escudo - $4.2M, 2005 Madza Axela -$2.1M, 2009 Axela -$2.9M –Call: 2261973, 609-3650, 226-8953 2005 Premio- $2.3M, 2004 IST -$1.9M, 2009 IST -2.7M, 2006 Allion-$2.3M- Call: 226-8953, 609-3650 2007 Allion -$2.9M, 2003 Avensis- $3.3M, 2003 Fielder - $2.0M, 2007 Fileder - $2.4M - Call: 226-8953, 609-3650 2006 Auris -$2.5M, 2003 Spacio -$2.1M, 2006 Rush $2.8M, 2003 HIlux -$4.4M Call: 226-8953, 226-1973 2004 Hiece -$3.0M, 2003 Verossa -$3.2M, 2007 Nissan Duelis -$4.6M, 2008 Xtrail $4.7M – Call: 226-1973, 6093650 2006 Bluebird - $2.5M, 2001 Carina - $1.9M –Call: 6093650 Unregistered Corolla Fielder 2003, body kit, fog, rear spoiler, dark interior, roof rack Call: 617-5536 1 Diahatsu Bego/Rush – Contact: 691-1161
PROPERTY FOR SALE
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 1 Green CRV PJJ Series @ Wieting & Richter Ltd, Water Street-Tel: 226-6150-7 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 One Toyota Allion (TV, Reverse Camera) PNN Series –Call: 690-9730, 604-4054 Instock subject to being unsold; 1,000 - 10,000 watts; Complete Solar Units- Mr. Beepat – 600 - 5253 5 Toyota Coaster, 1 Mitsubishi 30 seater, 1-320C bucket, must be sold- Call: 648-0121; 628-1832 Yamaha 2006 R1 1000CC for $600,000, owner leaving country –Contact: 664-5296 One Complete land Dredge with two Perkins engine for sale - $ 1.5M -Call: 684-6048 or 689-0217 Moving sale – all household items on sale –Call: 656-7133 1-40ft Keel Boat, 700lbs 5" seine, 3000lb ice box, 15 Yamaha Engine – ($2M)Call:660-1825 Used XBOX 360, PS Vita, PS3 I-pad & I-pods, XBOX one & games –Tel:621-7497; 6038643; 649-3277 Toyota 212, new model PPP Series –Tel: 684-5402
Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461.
1 Complete music set (qsc amps, drive rack, bass boxes etc), also Yamaha 6000 watt generator –Tel: 623-2923
2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue, E.B.D- Call: 629-4017
One welding machine- Call: 687-7725 One 1320CC Caterpillar Excavator –Call: 658-4450
Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities & furnished kitchen–Call: 662-9335; 6123244 Yarrowkabra Linden Highway 200’X100’ fully fence, house, chicken & pig pen –Call: 676-0931
52ft complete cabin cruiser. In excellent condition- Tel: 592-654-2817, 592-622-2958
EDUCATION Republic Park Phase 1, 4 bedrooms, 48M, negotibale Call:645-2580, 609-6516 Two storey wooden and concrete business building, located at 35 Ketley and Howes Street, Charlestown. Tel: 623-9679 17-15 Block X Diamond, E.B.D –Phone: 613-3944 TO LET Furnished 2 bedroom apartments in Nandy Park, parking available. For further information – Call: 619-4824
Makeup Classes @ La Vie Est Belle. Come register and be apart, its life changing! Call: 682-9699; 218-2092 Simpli Royal School of Beauty – Pamela Dillon: 6654565; 225-2303. Hair, Skin, Nail Technology, easy payments. 9 Course Diploma in Computer $30,000, Job Placement after Completing – MicroGraphics, Vreed-Enhoop-264-3057 Continued on page 23
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Guyanese shine during ‘Plant It’ concert Ras Abnahakim Selassie
By Desilon Daniels Though Saturday evening’s concert was officially dubbed ‘Plant it Guyana’, people on the streets had their own name for it: ‘The Chronixx Show’. After all, the Jamaican star was the one the people wanted to see. Anyone else who performed, they thought, would just be fillers. But in a surprising move, the dozen or so Guyanese who performed on Saturday more than held their own during the ‘Plant it Guyana’ concert – or ‘The Chronixx Show’ if you prefer – at the National Stadium, Providence. Besides Chronixx and his band, the Zincfence Redemption, all of Saturday’s performers were Guyanese. While a few of them, such as the group First Born, were already well known, the majority of the artistes were relatively unknown to the Guyanese public. So it was no surprise that when their names were announced the majority of them received lukewarm receptions from the audience. That changed after their performances. They were all dressed magnificently but their voices and performances managed to surpass even their brightly coloured outfits. They were each allowed limited time to sing two or three songs, but for those few minutes, they riveted the
Jah Iris
Sister Petra
thousands gathered, bellowing or crooning their lyrics. While some chose traditional reggae, others chose to divert and add other genres such as R&B. The most commendable part of all was the fact that they performed original songs, which were also catchy enough for the audience to pick up on easily and sing along to when prompted. Particularly interesting were the performances of the sensual Sister Petra and, of course, the experienced First Born. Petra managed to give an unforgettable performance that invariably set her apart. For ten to 15 minutes she commanded the stage, perfectly toeing the line between modesty and sexiness. She was also backed by two vocalists and the Irits Band, which both worked well with her expert delivery. Just after she exited the stage with resounding applause, Kaieteur News caught up with Sister Petra. Despite her youthful appearance, she revealed that she was in fact 34-years-old, has three children and lived in New York. She shared that the ‘Plant It Guyana’ show was her first big performance in Guyana, though she had performed on other big stages in other countries. “I’m so, so thankful to
have been a part of this,” Petra exclaimed before continuing, “I was a little bit nervous but overall it was fun.” She explained that she had been practising for about two months but the onstage jitters were nevertheless there. “It’s a big difference compared to practising amongst the people you see every day but the crowd was very nice and it felt great to come and represent,” she added. Questioned about her sensual lyrics, Petra laughed and explained she “loved being a woman”. “I love celebrating my womanhood. I do have some degree of modesty because I am a mother but my children dress me so once they’re fine so am I,” she said. First Born also delivered a highly entertaining performance. The group had the honour of performing right before Chronixx. Besides the Jamaican artiste they were awarded most of the time, entertaining the audience for more than half an hour. The group’s three members performed like the veterans they are. The crowd was clearly enjoying it and sang along enthusiastically. Their song choices did not only allow the entire group to shine but also individual members who interacted well with audience members. Their entire performance segued nicely
into what could only be described as an electrifying performance by Chronixx. A full rundown of Saturday’s show – including Chronixx’s performance, crowd reactions and backstage conflicts – will be available this Friday in Kaieteur News’ entertainment section. “PLANT IT GUYANA” But even while they performed, the musicians always kept in the back of their minds the serious message that was being promoted for the concert. During interviews with Kaieteur News following their performances, several of the performers stressed the importance of Guyana becoming more self-sustainable through agricultural pursuits. Sister Petra was particularly vocal about the issue. As someone living in America, she attested to the difficulties she experienced in finding healthy, organic foods.
...promote healthy living, agriculture “Living in the States, some of the things used in foods are so bad for the body. Here in Guyana the people are blind to the issues faced in America when it comes to illnesses and unhealthy eating is pushing health issues,” she said. She stressed that she was wholeheartedly for the entire initiative to promote farming in her home country. Similarly, Guyanese musician Jah Iris also endorsed the farming initiative. “We have so much land here and we are so rich in terms of natural resources. We have it so good here but we’re not using it all properly,” he said. He continued, “Organic food is the best and it’s great for healing persons of illnesses. Organic is the way of nature and, if you follow the laws of nature, you won’t be sick so by violating the laws of nature you’re sinning against yourself.” Another Guyanese artiste, Ras Abnahakim Selassie explained that as a part of his Rastafarian faith he only uses organic foods. He said that worldwide persons are suffering from not eating similarly. “The food and everything is being contaminated in the world so the promotion of farming is something we need here,” he said. He further said that the concert was a way to promote the benefits of farming and to make persons more aware of what is happening to their bodies when they eat unhealthily. “Organic is a blessing from the Father and we all can contribute in our own way. Even if it’s a seed or a simple plant, we can make a difference,” he said. “This is a positive message going out and I’m sharing the message through music,” he added. The ‘Plant It Guyana’ concert was presented by RACE (Rastafari Achieving Creed Empowerment) Productions as a way to promote farming in Guyana.
From page 22
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Offices- $50,000 @ 220 South Road –Call: 227-0711, 6846571 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE- CALL: 6750767, 627-5098 Hair & nail station: qualified technician @ Alyssa Beauty Salon & Tattoo Parlour, 103 Regent & Wellington Sts. (Multi Complex Mall) –Call: 684-1062 1 Bedroom bottom flat @ Austin Street, parking space available –Call: 628-7953 Property for rent at #2 Canal Polder- Tel: 613-1860 1 Two bedrooms bottom flat; to rent, West Ruimveldt $40,000 per mouth –Call: 6927377; 672-7194 2 Properties @ Bel-Air Park all convenience , furnished US-1800 & 4 bedrooms unfurnished US2,200, newly renovated –Tel:231-7839 (working hours) Two bedroom apartment to rent in Sophia -$35,000 –Call: 613-1847
TO LET Business place located on Robb Street, next to Bourda Market –Call: 623-7731; 6290636 Newly built 2 bedrooms apartment: bath, toilet, kitchen, sitting area on High Road Greenwich Park, Parka –Tel: 649-6202/664-3508
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 25
Letters... Where your views make the news...Letters... Where your views make the news
Respect the Road DEAR EDITOR, The problem with Guyana’s chaotic road use culture is not lack of driving knowledge and skills, it is that most drivers do not understand how to properly use the road. I’ve been sitting on this letter since the latter half of 2014 after with the intent to observe road use patterns which contribute to the gruesome, costly and unnecessary accidents on our roadways. Let me also say that I have not driven in any other country where the road use culture is comparable to the level of dangerous driving, inconsideration and clear breach of laws are prevalent like I have experienced in Guyana. And it is not me alone, I’ve talked with visitors, resident Guyanese and non-Guyanese who all feel the same. What is hard for me to understand is that our road network is very small, the distance between town or city centers for the average Guyanese is not far yet some drivers, especially minibus and taxi drivers operate like they are always late, always in a rush. Newsflash, if you are late plan use of your time better do not drive dangerously on the road and bring misery to the lives of people just like you who are also working hard to make a daily bread. Before listing the patterns I alluded to earlier it is suffice to say that in addition to promoting and rewarding proper road use must involve: (1) greater enforcement of fines and penalties for even the smallest of driving offense including failing to signal before a turn, illegal overtaking, double parking and so on; (2) modernized training and testing for driver ’s license – e.g. the book one has to study in order to obtain a driver’s license in Guyana focuses on understanding road signs, speed limits and in general laws pertaining to road usage, little actually speaks to proper road use behaviors based on best practices and observation of local road use patterns which actually result in chaos and frequent accidents, (3) a points based driver’s license system. I know drivers that have killed and have permanently injured persons and property who received a slap on the wrist and either paid a small fine or settled the matter out of court; these drivers continue to drive on our
roadways today and (4) reducing opportunities for bribes paid to traffic cops either to turn a blind eye or compromise the integrity of an investigation; I fully support increasing the salaries and qualifications and introducing performance base salary and other types of incentives for traffic police in particular. What follows is a list of road use behaviors which I have personally observed and recognize as some of the main contributing factors of the alarming rate of accidents and road rage in Guyana: (a) excessive speeding – I have seen persons speeding to be the first in line at a red light or speeding to get in front of a car the speeding driver perceives in moving too slow only to end up right in front of the slow driver moving at the pace they were moving when they were behind the perceived slower driver. This is one of the most imbecilic observations I have come across. (b) Failure to stop for vehicles reversing into oncoming traffic – Time and time again I have seen cars reversing and drivers speeding past the reversing car instead of waiting 3-5 seconds for the car to complete reversing and drive off (c) Driving through red lights – I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen mini buses, car drivers and even drivers of police and government vehicles driving straight through a red light without any indication that there was an emergency or need to. How can drivers be expected to follow the rules of the road and practice good road use behavior when those entrusted with upholding the law are the very ones breaking the law. (d) Failure to stop within reasonable distance at an intersection or corner before proceeding straight or turning – In other words, many drivers poke out the front of their vehicles at these junctions in hopes of getting the oncoming traffic to slow and stop so the driver can proceed to turn or drive straight across the road. These drivers are the causes or many fender benders and further traffic delays. (e) Parties that have spilled over into the street therefore disrupting the flow of traffic – There’s no need to expand on this, it is selfevident and obvious to each of us. (f) Accelerating through blind spots – This I never
understood. Blind spots are created when someone is unable to see the end he/she is preparing to make or if the drive cannot see the completion of the maneuver he/she intends to make. Therefore the said driver is unable to see if another road user is proceeding into the driver’s path either from the side, opposite direction or from an angle. (g) Illegal and risky overtaking – Some drivers just need to speed but speed and stupidity are a deadly combination. Add alcohol and peer pressure, and we begin to see the complexity of Guyana’s road use culture, in particular on the coast. I’ve seen overtaking around turns and overtaking by drivers who decide that the road shoulder or parapet is part of the road. (h) Unnecessary use of car horns – Guyanese are funny creatures. We call for and expect development, yet many of us by way of our behaviors and thoughts contribute to the under-development of our families, homes and communities. There is no need to use your horn just before or as soon as a light is changing from red to green. There is no use to use your horn multiple times in a traffic congestion, everyone wants to get out of it, not just you. I list this here because use of horns distract drivers which causes us to react to the horn and lose focus albeit briefly. E d i t o r, t h e r e a r e a number of other behaviors which reveal that there is a grave lack of consideration applied by many drivers. I believe if we were to encourage and promote specific behavioral change involving the abovementioned improper road use behavioral patterns we would see less accidents and more consideration applied by drivers. R. Small
The creeping tentacles of fear have clawed its way back DEAR EDITOR, The fall of the PPP Government brought a sigh of relief from the masses. The Guyanese people not only hoped for a change. They woke from an induced coma; a long, harrowing and nightmarish reality where the invisible chains of racism, suppression, oppression and destitution buried them in the sands of hopelessness. The decades of crippling fear brought from them a burdened silence; choked emotions relieved only by the gushing of an enormous amount of tears unable to wash away the blood of their sons and daughters that flooded the pavements, gutters and dark backlands of a nation beleaguered by violence; rape, murders, drugs and the intoxication of naked power by the demigods whose iron fists ruled over them. Those who challenged the status quo were merely a countable few, courageous, committed, fearless and long suffering; men and women who refused to be silenced in the face of persecution and even death. They journeyed laboriously to the point of May 2015, where the bright
light of change illuminating the nation’s skyline drove out the darkness of an era and shone on a new one. And not so long ago I had watched, with tear-filled eyes and an overpowering sense of elation, at men, women and children in their thousands standing on a solid foundation of a long sought after victory. And their faces converged into one gigantic mask smiling brightly up at the heavens; their bodies gyrating to the rythmns of freedom and change in a single motion, releasing the pains and all the anguish. Bursting the chains of 23 years of captivity. What has happened now that have caused them to be afraid to open their doors and windows? Overnight, they are besieged by murders and robberies. And in that short leap to victory, freedom and change. The nation sank into a low where the creeping tentacles of fear have clawed its way back into the psyche of the Guyanese people. One is tempted to believe that such an upsurge in violence, robberies and murders may have its roots in
a more powerful and sinister reality. Dying men in final and desperate death throes gasping for air to breathe again? While we may justifiably wish to cast blame elsewhere. We must hold accountable those now in the seat of power. The responsibility is now theirs to act. And act they must to bring an abrupt end to this madness of the senseless killings of the very citizens who cried in jubilation for the freedom they are yet to have and the right to life that is daily being snatched away from them. I am challenging Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan to make a distinctly clear statement about his immediate plans and strategies to deal with the crime spree in Guyana. There can be no politicking or excuses or even silence at this crucial juncture. No other business of the government must take precedence over the safety of its people and security of the nation. I would rather fast for a few days than dine in a restaurant where a bullet may be the first thing that I may be forced to digest. Norman Browne
The Private Sector has a... From page 5 the private sector to examine the flow of funds into and out of ‘Trust Companies’ and other shadow banking entities to prevent money and bond laundering involving private companies transacting with Guyana. The pie in the sky fiber optic cable and massive hydro electric production money spinning projects would succeed if the children of farmers get a good education to make use of those new opportunities in the future. We should not depend on Venezuela and Brazil to buy surplus hydro electricity from
Guyana. Meanwhile, we should bet on solar and wind, build a national grid system, and encourage local investors to develop supplies, including mobile cogeneration electricity plants for the grid. The Wartzilla methods drain our resources through repairs and maintenance billing by its financial arm, White and Blue. In addition, their capital recoveries for financing are
not transparent. Finally, to deal with poverty, we may have to start with a long term policy of agricultural land and infrastructure development and land distribution that would engage the unemployed and spawn a new breed of entrepreneurs who would become viable farmers and agricultural food processors, as a start. Ganga Persad Ramdas
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Granger vows probe into ‘Sash’ Shaw’ murder and other crime wave killings President David Granger yesterday promised that thorough inquiries will be held into the killings of former Minister of Agriculture, Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh and all who were slain during the 2000 and 2008 period. The President made the announcement at a one-day symposium organized by the Cuffy 250 Committee in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion. The event was held at the Critchlow Labour College yesterday. Granger said in due course, he will ensure that all those slain during that period have their deaths investigated. “When you have ministers of government bringing in computers so you can track down people’s mobile phones; when you have a lot of men being shot at the back of their heads with their hands tied; when you have so many deaths which are not being investigated; when you have a minister of government who has been assassinated and you don’t have an inquest into his death, there is something stink and we are going to investigate those deaths,” said Granger. He went on to state that there are “big monuments” in this country constructed – in Bartica, Region Seven and Eve Leary, Georgetown during the reign of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. The monuments at Bartica and Eve Leary were erected in memory of police officers killed in the line of duty. In fact, every year the Fallen Heroes Monument at Eve
Leary is where family members and ranks gather to remember those who died in the line of duty. “Never before in history have so many policemen been killed than during the tenure of office of Bharrat Jagdeo and that is why they constructed that monument (Fallen Heroes) and if you go to Buxton you will see another huge monument,” the President remarked referencing the Monument in Buxton, East Coast Demerara where the names of over 450 victims of extra-judicial killings over the last two decades are inscribed. “So, Mr. Jagdeo has many monuments to his memory and those three monuments must remind us about the deaths which took place between 2000 and 2008 when he was President and we must make sure that our country never again becomes so divided that we feel that the only way of resolve our differences is by violent crime,” the President said. SATYADEO SAWH Former Agriculture Minister with responsibili-ties for Fisheries, Satyadeow Sawh, his sister Phulmattie Persaud, brother Rajpat Rai Sawh and security guard, Curtis Robinson, were gunned down on the evening of April 22, 2008 at the Minister ’s La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demer-ara, residence. The killing had sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Sawh was a Minister of the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) government but the questions over his death were
investigation.
KILLED: Superintendent Leon Fraser many. No inquest was ever held. One man was charged with the murder. The promised external assistance that government had announced it would have been seeking following Sawh’s death never materialised. FALLEN POLICEMEN Since the establishment of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), 62 officers and ranks have died in the line of duty. Interestingly, thirty one of them had fallen between the period President Granger vows to investigate. Among those fallen heroes are Sergeants, Constables, a Chief Inspector, a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Lance Corporal and a Special Constable. It started with Constable Allan Higgins in 2000 and ended with Constable Oslyn Glasgow in 2008. Among the slain lawmen was Superintendent Leon Fraser in 2002. His death had however, left questions and calls for
BARTICA, LUSIGNAN AND LINDO CREEK MASSACRE On January 26, 2008, heavily armed gunmen stormed the village of Lusignan, slaughtering 11 persons, including five children. The victims were: Clarence Thomas, 48; Vanessa Thomas, 12; Ron Thomas, 11; Mohandan Goordat, 32; Seegopaul Harilall, 10; Seegobin Harilall, 4; Dhanwajie Ramsingh, 52; Seecharran Rooplall, 56; Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shaleem Baksh, 52. August 2013, a mixed jury found that the men accused of the killings were not guilty and they were subsequently exonerated. On February 17, 2008, a number of gunmen invaded the mining community of Bartica, Essequibo They attacked the Bartica Police Station, where they killed Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks and Constable Ron Osbornes. After murdering the three police officers, the gang stole cash, arms, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station. Using the stolen police vehicle, they drove through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians, fatally wounding Irwin Gilkes. They then proceeded to CBR Mining, where they killed Irving Ferreira, stole arms and ammunition and removed two safes containing cash and gold. Next, they shot and killed Dexter Adrian before returning to the wharf. At the wharf, they executed Abdool Yassin Jr, Deonarine Singh,
members of his organization was blamed for the gruesome killings.
KILLED: Former Minister of Agriculture, Satyadeo Sawh Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Baldeo Singh and Ashraf Khan. After their one hour rampage, the gunmen departed Bartica by boat. The Bartica Massacre was immediately linked with the Lusignan Massacre. While some initially questioned the link, the Guyanese security forces have since attributed all of the murders to Rondell Rawlins and his criminal gang. Seven years ago, eight gold miners were slaughtered at Lindo Creek, Berbice River. June 21, last marked seven years ago that the unidentified remains, inclusive of feet, bones and skulls among other body parts, of Nigel Torres, Bunny Harry, Clifton Wong, Dax Arokium, his uncle Cedric, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes and Lancelot Lee were discovered in their camp at Lindo Creek, Berbice River. To date, that is still being considered as one of the major mysteries of the crime wave. For the police the case died with the notorious gang leader Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins who along with
DRUGAND GANGRELATED, TERRORISM OR RACE ISSUE? Officials of the then PPP/ C government were convinced that the crime wave was drug and gangrelated. By the time of the Diwali massacre of November 2002, ‘phantom’ gangs had killed four of the five escapees, without making any arrests. Any mystery about the phantom gangs disappeared in October 2003 when George Bacchus made the startling public admission that he was a member of one of those very gangs. He threatened to expose the gang’s links to a senior government official but, before he could appear at a Commission of Inquiry into those allegations, he was shot dead in his bed on the night of June 24, 2004. Some government leaders had even argued that the killing was a racial problem and others opined that it was politically motivated. Later the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) discovered an arms cache and sensitive equipment (a laptop and a transmitter) in a pick-up vehicle at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara and allegations were that officials of the then Government were aware of the purchase and use of the computer that was found in the vehicle. The PPP/C had denied this claim. A laptop and a transmitter were reportedly seized from Guyanese drug trafficker Roger Khan and two other men, Haroon Yahya and Sean Belfield.
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Trump refuses to apologize for ‘blood’ remark Washington (AFP) Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump yesterday refused to apologize for a crude attack on a female Fox News journalist that sparked widespread outrage, insisting he was misunderstood. The brash billionaire — who is leading a packed Republican field of White House hopefuls — found himself at the center of controversy after seeming to suggest that Megyn Kelly, one of the moderators of last week’s presidential debate, was tough on him because she was menstruating. “You can see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever,” Trump told CNN on Friday. The comment prompted the organizer of a major conservative forum in Atlanta to withdraw his invitation. But yesterday, Trump
Donald Trump said only “sick” people or a “deviant” would have concluded he was talking about Kelly’s period. “I cherish women. I want to help women,” Trump said in a phone interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” news program. “Who would make a
statement like that? Only a sick person would even think about it.” When asked how many of his fellow candidates and conservative pundits had reached the same conclusion about his comment, Trump replied: “They want to be politically correct. They want to get points. I’m leading in the polls.” Trump nevertheless did not offer an apology, saying only that he had “nothing against” Kelly — and then he doubled down on his criticism of her, again saying she had asked him “unfair” questions during the debate. Trump’s top political advisor Roger Stone left the campaign on Saturday, saying on Twitter he disagreed with the “diversion to food fight with @megynkelly.” Trump’s adversaries seized the opportunity to score points against the unlikely frontrunner.
Nigeria’s Buhari shakes up state payments system in anti-graft drive ABUJA (Reuters) Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered ministries to use only approved government bank accounts to make payments, the vice president’s office said yesterday, part of a drive to improve transparency and clamp down on corruption.Buhari, who took office in May after being elected on promises to fight endemic graft in Africa’s biggest economy, has said he believes officials have stolen around $150 billion from the public purse over the past decade. Under the new system, all receipts due to the government or any of its agencies must be paid into accounts maintained by the central bank unless specific permission has been granted not to do so. “President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered each and every federal government ministry, department or agency to start paying into a Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts,” said Laolu Akande, a spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. “This measure is specifically to promote transparency,” he said, adding that the TSA would be linked to other government bank accounts. Akande said the new
Muhammadu Buhari system would end the use of “several fragmented
accounts for government revenues”, which he said had led to “the loss or leakages of legitimate income meant for the federation account”. The effectiveness of this change in public accounting remains to be seen since corruption and mismanagement of public funds have been entrenched in Nigeria’s political system for decades. Last month Buhari said his administration would trace and recover what he called “mind-boggling” sums of money stolen from the oil sector, which provides about 70 percent of revenues of the government in Africa’s biggest crude producer.
Page 27
Iraq PM rolls out sweeping reforms after protests Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider alAbadi yesterday proposed scrapping top government posts and curbing privileges in an ambitious reform drive sparked by swelling popular anger over corruption and poor governance. The proposed reforms followed weeks of demonstrations and a call for tougher reform measures from top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is revered by millions of Iraqis. Amid a major heatwave that has seen temperatures top 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), protesters have railed against the poor quality of services, especially power outages that leave just a few hours of government-supplied electricity per day. But even with popular pressure and Sistani’s backing, the entrenched nature of corruption in Iraq and the fact that parties across the political spectrum benefit from it will make any efforts to change the system
Haider al-Abadi extremely difficult. One of the most drastic proposals outlined by Abadi was the call to scrap the posts of vice president and deputy prime minister “immediately”. The cabinet approved the reform plan yesterday, Abadi’s office said, but changes such as abolishing the posts would apparently require constitutional
amendments, which would necessitate parliamentary action. The three vice presidential posts, which have more privileges than responsibilities, are held by former top officials — Abadi’s predecessor and main rival Nuri al-Maliki, exparliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and former premier Iyad Allawi. Maliki and Nujaifi said yesterday that they supported the reform drive, indicating that the proposed changes may be part of a deal they endorsed. Allawi, meanwhile, issued a lengthy and at times bitter statement casting himself as a long-time supporter of changes such as those proposed. Abadi’s reform plan calls for a major overhaul of the way senior officials are selected, saying that “political and sectarian quotas” should end, and the candidates chosen by a committee appointed by the premier.
Page 28
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Hundreds march, pray in Ferguson on anniversary of police shooting Reuters - Hundreds of people marched, prayed and held moments of silence in Ferguson, Missouri yesterday to mark the anniversary of the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer a year ago. The largely peaceful events on the anniversary weekend were marred when shots rang out while about 1,000 people approached a church, but it was not known if the incident was related to the rally. Police said one person was wounded when several shots were fired, possibly from a moving car, near the route. White, black, old and young people, some pushing children in strollers, turned out for a day of events in this mostly black St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown, 18, was fatally shot on Aug. 9, 2014. After 4-1/2 minutes of silence to represent the roughly 4-1/2 hours that Brown’s body lay in the middle of the street after he was shot, two white doves were released. The crowd then started a silent march to honour Brown and others who have died at the hands
Michael Brown Sr. (C), at the spot where his son was killed, listens with other family members at an event to mark the one-year anniversary of the killing of his son Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri yesterday. Reuters/Rick Wilking of police. Brown’s shooting sparked months of protests, including incidents of rioting and arson. But it also gave life to a new movement under the “Black Lives Matter” banner that has pushed for better treatment of minorities by police. Organizers of yesterday’s events say their aim is to keep alive a national movement
fuelled by the police killing of Brown and other unarmed black men in U.S. cities including New York, Cincinnati, Baltimore and North Charleston, South Carolina. Another name was added to that list on Friday when unarmed 19-year-old Christian Taylor, a black college student, was shot
dead by a white police officer in Arlington, Texas. Arlington police said Taylor was shot as police investigated a burglary at a car dealership in the Dallasarea city. In New York, about 100 protesters in the borough of Brooklyn lay on the ground yesterday for 4-1/2 minutes to mark Brown’s death. A second
rally was expected later in central Manhattan. In Ferguson, a makeshift memorial of teddy bears, candles and flowers was rebuilt on the quiet residential road where Brown died. A plaque featuring a metallic dove was installed on the sidewalk a few feet from the spot where Brown died, and the street where Brown’s
blood pooled has been repaved. At the memorial, Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., wore a T-shirt bearing his son’s image and the slogan “Chosen for Change.” Others held “Black Lives Matter” banners and signs calling for justice for those killed by police. “I hurt every day. But I’m trying to make it uncomfortable to people that think this is OK to do this stuff,” Brown explained to reporters on Saturday. A federal review found that the officer, Darren Wilson, broke no laws when he shot Brown. But it also determined that the Ferguson police department for years had violated the rights of the city’s black population. On Saturday night, more than 200 protesters carrying bullhorns, drums and signs demonstrated against police in Ferguson, with some placing the roasted head of a pig on a barricade in front of officers. But the weekend protests were largely peaceful with police staying behind barricades and allowing demonstrators to vent their feelings.
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
Page 30
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Express reporter resigns, saying she Disorder rife as Haitians vote was “scarred” by Rowley encounters in long-delayed elections - PNM furiously deny “inappropriate” Rowley charges
Trinidad Guardian - In a development that has rocked Trinidad and Tobago politics and left both the main parties scrambling for damage control, Daily and Sunday Express reporter Anika Gumbs resigned with immediate effect, describing in her letter a series of alleged encounters with Opposition Leader Keith Rowley. The letter described Rowley’s interactions as “inappropriate” and “suggestive’, and goes on to detail the alleged encounters. Rowley denied the incidents as described by Gumbs, telling the Express that they were an “outrageous and shocking conspiracy to slander me.” As the story gained traction overnight Friday and into Saturday morning, Rowley’s lawyer Michael Quamina and PMN spokesman and San Fernando West candidate Faris Al Rawi, weighed in in an emergency news conference earlier today. Al Rawi describes her letter as being built on “a tissue of lies”, blaming it on a dirty tricks campaign by the United National Congress, with whom it is locked in a close and bitter election battle. “It is odd that having
A fight breaks out inside a voting center during parliamentary elections in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, yesterday. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Rowley’s lawyer Michael Quamina and PNM official Faris al Rawi been in an uncomfortably position before that she would put herself in that position again”, added Quamina. The UNC moved swiftly to distance itself from accusation that it was involved in a campaign to smear Rowley, and has denied colluding with Gumbs to fabricate any charges. In a letter to her Editor-inChief Omatie Lyder, Gumbs said that her decision to go had not been an easy one. “However, in upholding the highest standards of journalism and to avoid the
Express Newspaper from being brought into disrepute, I have opted to sever all ties with the company.” “I apologise for the delay of not submitting a written report to you surrounding an incident that occurred in April 2015”, she said, referring to an alleged verbal encounter that occurred when she show up for an interview at Dr Rowley’s west Trinidad home. Her letter goes on to list and describe other incident in which, in her telling, the Opposition Leader appears to be flirting with her.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitians were elected legislators to Parliament yesterday after years’ long wait, but the vote was plagued with delays, disorder and occasional fistfights and rock throwing. The legislative elections had been postponed for nearly four years due to a political showdown between Haiti’s executive and opposition, and they have been billed as a crucial test of the country’s electoral system ahead of a presidential vote in October. Yesterday’s first round seeks to fill two thirds of the 30-member Senate and the entire 99member Chamber of Deputies. But a number of polling stations across the country of 10 million people had to wait for ballots hours after voting was supposed to start at 6:00 a.m. (1000 GMT). In sections of Port-au-
Prince, voters who began trickling in around dawn grew exasperated after being told they couldn’t cast ballots because their names weren’t on official voting lists. In the crowded capital, at least three voting centers were shut down by authorities after fistfights broke out as partisans attempted to stuff ballot boxes and engage in other irregularities. At one voting center in downtown Port-au-Prince, groups of young men ripped up paper ballots as heavily armed police shot into the air to re-establish order. Rocks were thrown in response before authorities closed the polling station. Local media also reported the closure of polling places in other sections of the country, including the western city of Jeremie, and scattered arrests of people
accused of voting more than once. Observers from various political parties complained election officials did not give them access to voting centers. The vote was taking place roughly eight months after Haiti’s legislature was dissolved because the terms of lawmakers expired before new elections could be held. It’s the first election Haiti has held under Martelly, who took office in May 2011. He has governed by decree since Parliament dissolved in January and cannot run for a consecutive term. In the absence of elections, Martelly has been accused of stacking the deck in his favor by appointing mayors and other municipal officials to replace those whose terms expired. Roughly 5.8 million people were registered to vote and over 1,850 candidates from nearly 130 political parties were running.
No government involvement in human trafficking, says Antigua-Barbuda PM ST JOHN’S, Antigua — Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told the political leader of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Harold Lovell to produce evidence of the governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s alleged involvement in a human trafficking ring or keep quiet. The country’s leader was responding to calls by the opposition for Immigration Minister Steadroy Benjamin to resign and pave the way for an investigation into the human trafficking ring that started under the previous administration of the now opposition UPP. “Harold Lovell and other members of the UPP indicate that they have evidence to confirm that there were
Gaston Browne (practices of) wrongdoing by the minister (Steadroy Benjamin) and I challenge them to provide that information to the media,” Browne said. “On the basis that they
provide the information, then I will be in a position to act. When clearly there is no evidence to support their claim, therefore I am not in the position to take any action. And even though the minister indicated his willingness to leave the position temporarily, that might construe that there was some form of wrongdoing; and as I said before, there is no evidence to that effect,” he noted. “Harold Lovell does not run this country; the country is run by Gaston Browne. And I have nothing at all to be ashamed about. I have a mandate by the people to run the country. Provide the evidence. And if you can’t provide the evidence, then just put up and shut up!” (Caribbean News)
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Grenadian cricketer, school teacher charged with rape ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) – National cricketer and primary school teacher Denroy Charles is scheduled to appear in court on August 17 to answer to charges of rape and sexual assault. Charles, 31, who is also known as Cocoa Fly, was remanded on the weekend after being charged with the rape and sexual assault of a young woman. The police report that Charles assaulted the young lady who was in his vehicle late Thursday. He was formally detained for questioning on Friday and officially charged on Saturday. Bail was denied by the magistrate after she reviewed the case and as a result he was sent to the remand section of Richmond Hill prison.
Argentines choose postFernandez path in presidential primary Cristina Fernandez
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina holds an open primary election yesterday that will gauge the country’s appetite for change after eight years of heavy state control of the economy and generous welfare spending under outgoing President Cristina Fernandez. The front-runner ahead of the Oct. 25 general election is Daniel Scioli, governor of Buenos Aires province and a member of Fernandez’s party. Running second is Mauricio Macri, the business-friendly mayor of the capital city who wants to do well enough in the October vote to force a November run-off. Both are former businessmen with more orthodox policies than Fernandez, whose high public spending has drained fiscal
accounts and fueled inflation while currency and trade controls slowed investment. Macri promises to quickly free the markets. Scioli says “gradualism” is the best way to open the economy while preserving the strong social safety net weaved together by Fernandez since she first took power in 2007. The primary is set up for each party to choose its presidential candidate, but with voters free to cross party lines, Sunday’s vote will be a dry run ahead of the October election. Argentine stock and bond prices will likely fall if Scioli comes out of yesterday’s primary strong enough to win the presidency in October’s first round. If Macri looks strong enough to force a runoff in November, markets are set to rise.
Politicians urged to be people’s servants Daily Nation - Politicians have been warned against engaging in excessive lifestyles and remember that they are the servants and not lords of the people. Delivering a sermon at the King Street Seventh-Day Adventist Church Saturday, pastor Glenworth Joseph said that serving and service were attributes seen at every level. He was speaking on the theme Commissioning Youth For A Life of Service as the church recognised Adventist Youth Day. Pastor Joseph stressed that while the term service over the years had developed a negative connotation, serving was not for slaves alone.
Page 31
Page 32
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Foreign influence dictating Uniform shortage leaves election campaign police almost naked
Trinidad Guardian - As the general election draws nearer political parties are kicking their campaigns into high gear and it is clear new strategies are being employed as opposed to conventional T&T methods of wooing voters. In the case of the People’s Partnership (PP), a more targeted and focused approach is being used to attract voters through its “No Rowley” and Kamla 2015 campaign. On the other hand, the People’s National Movement (PNM) is employing a softer, more informal strategy to appeal to its target audience with its “Conversations with the Political Leader” campaign as opposed to mass political meetings. Political analyst Maukesh Basdeo and GM Advertising Ltd managing director Gail Merhair, an image and public relations consultant, said that obviously foreign influences were dictating the 2015 election campaign in T&T. The new strategies range from the contentious automated calls, as well as emails, from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to the more personal, informal settings of PNM meetings where audience members ask questions and interact with
Kamla PersadBissessar
Dr Keith Rowley
candidates. “These are campaign strategies that we are seeing here that were not tried before,” Basdeo said. The PP’s “No Rowley” campaign and social media methods were new campaign strategies in T&T which, he said, were borrowed from campaign strategies seen outside. However, both Basdeo and Merhair agreed that the success of these new methods would only be determined when voters cast their ballots on September 7. Political analyst Dr Hamid Ghany, in his assessment of the campaign strategies thus far, said the two major parties are taking each other head-on
and are engaging in negative campaigning with neither “giving an inch.” However, he believes the deciding factors of the campaign will hinge on the candidates and the parties’ plans. “It is difficult to tell whether the negative campaigning on both sides is having a positive or negative effect at this stage. In such a scenario, the candidates and the manifestos will become important as game changers for either side as there is still an element of the population that would like to see these two items clearly laid out in such a way that they could be moved to vote for one or the other,” Ghany said via email.
The Gleaner - A severe shortage of uniforms is forcing some members of the police force to make their own or to wear uniforms washed out and patched up after seeing better days. Sergeant Raymond Wilson, head of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file members of the force, last week confirmed that shortage as he urged the leadership of the force to immediately address a problem which some cops say has existed for some two years. “It is a fact there is a shortage, and people are wearing old washed-out uniforms, people have to be recycling one shirt numerous times throughout the week, and the shoes is another matter, as if a policeman should lift up his shoes you would be surprised to see what’s beneath it,” Wilson told The Sunday Gleaner. “It has gone as far as policemen and women have
to be buying uniforms and other items from their own pockets, and we believe this is unacceptable,” added Wilson. According to Wilson, the issue of uniforms needs urgent attention, as a wellgroomed member of the force reflects the professionalism that policemen and women must present as they serve in the public eye at all times. Wilson’s confirmation came after some uniformed cops complained that the failure of the High Command to provide uniforms in a timely manner has reached crisis proportion. One constable, who asked not to be named, said he was forced to take a shirt made for women as that was the only one available. “This shirt that I’m wearing now is a woman’s shirt, but I had to take it because it was either this or none at all,” explained the constable, who claimed that he had to take money out of his own pocket to alter the
Raymond Wilson shirt. “I had to take it to my tailor and have him shorten the armband ... but I have to just wear it, because the work has to be done,” said the cop, as he charged that some of his colleagues have not received new uniforms for more than two years. “If you look at my squaddie shirt, the number on it wash out, because is over two years now he has been wearing the same three shirts, so him wear it, so him have to wash it for the next day,” said the constable.
Customs duties in Jamaica among world’s highest
Jamaica Observer - Customs duties in Jamaica are the second highest among a grouping of global peers, according to an accounting survey released by UHY this month. It signals that customs duties are higher in Jamaica than Nigeria but just lower than India. “Customs duties in Jamaica are among the highest in the world, imposing a levy of 1.61 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). We need to conduct a review of this regime to assess the appropriateness of this policy in the current global market place,” stated Dawkins Brown, managing partner of UHY Dawgen in Jamaica in the report entitled UHY Study on Customs Duties. Established in 1986, UHY is a network of independent audit, accounting, tax and consulting firms with offices in more than 296 major business centres across more than 89 countries. UHY studied customs duties levied by 18 economies around the world as a percentage of each economy’s size as a simple indicator of the impact of a country’s trade barriers. It found that emerging economies charge import taxes equating to an average of 0.82 per cent of their GDP, compared to a global average of 0.48 per cent. The country with the highest customs duties was India at 1.78 per cent, followed by Jamaica at 1.61 per cent and Nigeria at 0.96 per cent, according to the study’s table. By contrast, the major European Union economies surveyed raised proportionally the least in customs duties, at just 0.13 per cent of their GDP on average — less than one-sixth as much as emerging economies. Also countries which are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): the US, Canada and Mexico, levy, on average, a sum equivalent to 0.2 per cent of their GDP in customs revenues. UHY says that protectionist policies implemented by emerging economies to safeguard the interests of their domestic producers risk continuing
to adversely impact consumers in those countries by creating artificially high prices for imported goods. It adds that this may also suppress the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers and producers by insulating them from global markets. “Consumers in emerging economies may still be getting a raw deal, as their national governments continue to strike a highly protectionist stance in an attempt to boost their domestic agricultural and manufacturing sectors,” stated Ladislav Hornan, chairman of UHY in comments accompanying the study. “By creating distortions in the market, the unintended consequence is often that consumers are left facing higher prices, while the duties fail to stimulate uncompetitive domestic industries. They often simply amount to another tax on businesses and consumers that leaves less money available for spending and investment locally.” Hornan added that excessive trade barriers prevent countries from focusing on industry sectors where they do have a comparative advantage, and risks stifling innovation and efficiency. “Creating more Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or customs unions with a more diverse range of countries is becoming increasingly important to increase competitiveness. Many are benefiting from spreading their net far wider than purely their immediate geographical neighbours,” added Hornan. In July, the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), which lobbies to improve the competitiveness of the port on behalf of its workers, described the proposed amendments to the Jamaica Customs Act as anti-trade and backward. The SAJ statement came in “support” of comments made a week earlier by Pat Francis, chairman of Jamaica’s Trade Facilitation Task Force, a body that liaises with Government and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 33
Mayweather responds to Rousey: ‘Make $300 million in 36 minutes, then call me’ MMA Junkie - Floyd Mayweather Jr. tried to fire back at Ronda Rousey during an appearance on ESPN’s Sports Center following some sharp comments from the UFC w o m e n ’s bantamweight champion after winning the ESPY for “Fighter of the Year.” “I wonder how Floyd feels being beat by a woman for once,” Rousey said. “I’d like to see you pretend to not know who I am now.” The comments from Rousey (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) stemmed from a comment when Mayweather dismissed a question about Rousey saying, “I don’t even know
Ronda Rousey (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) who he is.” After her post-ESPY win
diss, Rousey explained that she took the pointed swipe at
Phelps answers Le Clos with 100m fly victory
Michael Phelps competes in the 100m butterfly heats in the US National Championships in San Antonio, Texas. (AFP Photo/Ronald Martinez) San Antonio (AFP) Michael Phelps sent a clear message to his 2016 Rio Olympic rivals after taking gold with another stunning world best time in the 100 meter butterfly at the US championships. The 22-time Olympic medalist delivered his second dazzling performance in as many days as he blitzed the field with a time of 50.45 seconds, on day three of the nationals. He also eclipsed the 50.56 time that South African Chad le Clos posted in winning the 100m butterfly at the world championships some eight hours earlier in Kazan, Russia. Le Clos had marked that victory by aiming some pointed verbal barbs at Phelps — who is swimming in San Antonio this week rather than in Kazan because his drunk-driving arrest in September cost him his world championships berth. As so often in his storied career, Phelps found the trash talking merely motivational. “I absolutely love it,” said
Phelps, whose 18 Olympic golds include his incredible eight in Beijing in 2008. “It just fuels me. Whatever I do in the pool will speak for itself.” Phelps’s 100m fly time was also almost a second faster than his gold-medal winning performance at the 2012 London Olympics. “I think that is exactly where I want to be right now,” said Phelps, who set the world record of 49.82 in Rome in 2009. “Let that swim make statements.” Phelps easily beat runnerup Jack Conger, who finished in 51.33, while David Nolan was third in 52.15. The 30-year-old swimming legend added the 100m butterfly to the gold he won in the 200m butterfly on Friday in another world leading time of 1:52.94 which he called “close to probably my best 200 fly ever.” It was faster than the 1:52.96 Le Clos swam to beat Phelps at the London Olympics and faster than Hungarian Laszlo Cseh’s
1:53.48 to win the world title in Kazan this week. Exactly how much progress Phelps was making in his comeback was a bit of a mystery coming into the US meet, thanks to the suspension he served for the DUI and the fact that he hadn’t tapered his training to produce his fastest times in any meeting this year. However, Phelps’s performances in the US championships have left no doubt he is on course to challenge again at the Rio Games which will run next year from August 5-21. The long-distance backand-forth with Le Clos — not mentioned by name by Phelps — should spice up the action in the Rio pool. Their rivalry stretches back to the London Games, where Le Clos shocked Phelps for the 200m fly gold. Le Clos apparently took exception this year when Phelps observed that since he had stepped away after the 2012 games, times in the 200 fly hadn’t improved much. Phelps insisted he hadn’t meant to needle any potential rival. “I don’t do it to talk trash,” Phelps said. “I do it to state facts. I know my facts about the sport of swimming.” After “two pretty good swims” in the butterfly, Phelps targets the 200m individual medley on Sunday. “I’ve come a long way in the last year, and stuff like this makes me excited and motivated for the year to come,” he said. “I have some motivation from myself and others, and I’m just going to go and keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (hotbirthdays.com) Mayweather – who has been convicted of violence against women on multiple occasions and accused several more – because she felt he definitely knew who she was. The UFC champ also said that she had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to take the jab. “I know for damn sure he knew who I was,” Rousey said. “He was running against me for ‘Best Fighter’ that year and he had signed
MMA fighters, so his feigned ignorance was meant to really be a snarky remark to me. … “I don’t let those kind of things slide, but I’m also a patient girl. I’m not the kind of chick you make snarky remarks about. I waited a whole year to say something. And you know what? If I didn’t win ‘Best Fighter’ this year, I would have waited two years or three years.” The topic of Rousey came up during Mayweather
appearance to promote his next – and he says final – fight, a mismatch on paper against Andre Berto. The 48-0 boxing superstar initially attempted to be polite about the situation. “You know, a while back I never knew who Ronda Rousey was,” Mayweather said. “So, I’m pretty sure she got upset. I want to say congratulations to Ronda Rousey and the UFC. You guys have done a tremendous job and I’ve won probably six or seven ESPYs for fighter of the year. I truly believe she deserves it. Congratulations, she deserves it.” When Mayweather was pushed to respond to the actual comments by Rousey, he resorted to his usual tactics of bringing up how much money he makes. “I just say that I’ve yet to see any MMA fighter or other boxer make over $300 million in 36 minutes,” Mayweather said, a reference to his May win over Manny Pacquiao. “When she can do that? Call me.”
Page 34
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
FIFA bans, fines Grenada Leaked doping data casts doubt over major marathons: report football coach Anthony Modeste
Participants talk before the start of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Symposium for Anti-Doping Organizations in Lausanne, in this March 24, 2015 file photo. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse/Files) LONDON (Reuters) Thirty-two medal winners at the world’s six top city marathons were among the hundreds of long distance runners with suspicious blood test results revealed in a leak, a newspaper reported yesterday. The leaked blood tests have jolted the world of international athletics since a German broadcaster and a British newspaper first published reports about them a week ago. Britain’s Sunday Times and Germany’s ARD say the results from the database of the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), show evidence of widespread cheating among long distance runners. Last week, the news organizations said the data showed that between 2001 and 2012 a third of Olympic and world championship endurance and middle
distance running medals had been won by athletes who, at some point in their careers, had given a suspicious blood test. The Sunday Times said many of the suspect runners had also won medals in the six most prestigious city marathons: in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Tokyo. Seven of the 24 men’s and women’s winners of the London marathon between 2001 and 2012 were athletes who at some point in their careers had produced a suspicious blood test result, the Sunday Times said. It has not named the athletes. Last week, the IAAF stripped Russian runner Liliya Shobukhova of all her medals since 2009, including three victories in the Chicago marathon and one in London. The London marathon said in a statement on Sunday: “We continue to be
at the forefront of anti-doping measures for marathon runners as we are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping but we cannot do it all on our own and rely heavily on the IAAF. “We are therefore very concerned by the allegations made in the Sunday Times today and we will be discussing the implications of the allegations with the IAAF.” The Sunday Times and ARD say their information comes from more than 12,000 blood tests of 5,000 athletes, 800 of whom have had at least one “abnormal” result at some point in their careers. The IAAF, which has defended its drugs testing procedures strongly and refutes suggestions it has turned a blind eye to doping, says it is cooperating with the independent World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) in an investigation into the allegations.
Relief for Russia as FIBA allows team to compete MOSCOW (Reuters) Governing body FIBA has lifted the ban on Russia, allowing the country to compete in next month’s European championship and other international tournaments, Russian Basketball Federation (RFB) said yesterday. “Today, during a session in Tokyo, FIBA made the decision to allow Russian national teams to compete in international tournaments,” the RFB said on its website (www.russiabasket.ru). “This means that Russia will be able to compete in the
European Basketball Championships,” the federation said. FIBA disqualified the RFB on July 29 and suspended the country’s national teams from playing in international tournaments, including the European Championship which doubles as a qualifying competition for next year’s Olympics in Rio. “Russian national teams will be able to take part in all FIBA’s tournaments, however sanctions in relation to members of the RFB will still remain in place,” the Russian
Deputy Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov told the R-Sport agency. FIBA cited government interference in the running of Russian basketball’s governing body as the reason for slapping it with a ban. Yulia Anikeeva was elected the RFB’s president in August 2013, but the results of the vote were later contested and a court told the federation to hold new elections. These are due to take place on Aug. 25 and former NBA player Andrei Kirilenko is set to stand as a candidate.
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) — FIFA has suspended Grenada’s senior men’s national football coach Anthony Modeste for four games and fined him more than US$10,000 for misconduct against match officials. The disciplinary committee, comprising Claudio Sulser of Switzerland as chairman, and members Jim Shaw of Northern Ireland, Ariel Alvarado of Panama and Cristian Varela of Chile, handed down its decision on July 23. The ruling was communicated to the Grenada Football Association (GFA) last week. The Spice Boyz coach is accused of breaching the FIFA Disciplinary Code by committing an unsporting
conduct towards a match official during their World Cup preliminary-round game against Puerto Rico in June. According to FIFA, Modeste, who received a red card during the first-leg preliminary game against Puerto Rico in the 2018 FIFA World Cup on June 12, will miss Grenada’s third-round qualifying games against Haiti next month. FIFA said that the automatic match suspension was already served when Grenada played Puerto Rico on June 16 in St George’s and in view of Grenada qualifying for the next round of the preliminary competition, Modeste will be served twomatch suspensions against Haiti on September 4 and 8.
The governing body said that the remaining match suspension will have to be served if Grenada qualify for Round Four of the competition. However, if Grenada do not qualify for the subsequent round of the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup 2018, the remaining match suspension will be carried over to Grenada’s next official match. Modeste is also fined US$9,000 in application of the ruling and US$1,000 for the proceedings. He has 30 days from the date of notification of the decision to pay the fine. FIFA said “only the motivated decision can be appealed against to the FIFA Appeal Committee”.
Horrible day for Caribbean teams at Netball World Cup
Jamaica’s goal-attack Shanice Beckford (centre) reaches for the ball ahead of the England pair of Sonia Mkoloma (left) and Jade Clarke during their pool B match of the Netball World Cup. (photo: Collin Reid courtesy of Petrojam, Supreme Ventures, Courts and Scotiabank) SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) — All three Caribbean teams were beaten on the second day of competition in Netball World Cup in Sydney Saturday. England edged Jamaica while Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados suffered huge losses against New Zealand and Australia respectively. Following comfortable wins on the opening day, both Jamaica and England were fighting to maintain the Pool B lead. But England took a four-goal win over the Sunshine Girls to confirm their status as World Cup title contenders. Jamaica, led by goal shooter Romelda Aiken, took a 14-11 first quarter lead and doubled their score by the half interval. With Jhaniele Flower-Reid replacing Aiken, England stormed back to outscore their opponents 169 and take the lead 39-37 in the third quarter. The Jamaicans were relentless, but England held onto their narrow lead to seal an important 54-50 win. Aiken finished with 27 from 29 and goal attack Shanice Beckford 17 from 20 for Jamaica. Joanne Harten 37 from 46 and Helen
Housby 11 from 13 led the way for England. Trinidad & Tobago, who lost to the hosts on the opening day, were no match to New Zealand in their Pool A match. Despite Rhonda John-Davis becoming the highest test-capped player of the tournament, with 150 games for the Calypso Girls, the milestone didn’t stop the Silver Ferns from a second-straight victory. Goal shoot Samantha Wallace, 24 from 31, and attacker Joelisa Cooper, nine from 11, led the shooting for Trinidad & Tobago but New Zealand led in all quarters 16-12, 37-25, 56-33 and finally 74-38 for the win. In the other pool match, the Barbadians were no match to Australia as they were limited to single-digit scores in the quarters. The Australian Diamonds restricted the Bajan Gems to three goals in the first quarter (20-3) and extended their lead 38-7, 61-11 and 83-16 for a 67-goal margin of victory. Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados clash on Sunday with Jamaica playing Scotland on Monday to determine who will join England as the second team to advance from Pool B.
Monday August 10, 2015
Kaieteur News
Arsenal stunned by West Ham
Page 35
GMR&SC ‘National Race of Champions’ Meet
Jeffrey, Vieira, Tjin Liep Shie thrill fans - Singh, Mohamed also in winners row
Cheikhou Kouyate (left) nods in the Hammers’ first goal after Keeper Petr Cech misjudged Dimitri Payet’s free-kick. (AFP) BBC Sport - Arsenal’s season started with defeat as West Ham won their first Premier League game under manager Slaven Bilic. Keeper Petr Cech misjudged Dimitri Payet’s free-kick to allow Cheikhou Kouyate to nod in the Hammers’ first. After the break, Mauro Zarate finished from 20 yards after being gifted the ball by the Gunners defence. Arsenal had 62% of possession, but put just six of 22 shots on target as Aaron Ramsey’s first-half effort against the bar was the closest they came. SAME OLD ARSENAL? Gunners fans, who left the Emirates Stadium in large numbers before the final whistle, will feel like they have seen all this before, not just in the way their side performed, but also in the familiarity of their starting line-up. Cech’s arrival from Chelsea has been Wenger’s only summer signing since last term’s third-place finish, and it was an uncharacteristic
display from the experienced keeper. The 33-year-old was not only at fault for West Ham’s opener, but was wrongfooted by Zarate’s strike, although he received little help from his defence as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Francis Coquelin gave the ball away on the edge of their own area. Olivier Giroud frequently looked isolated up front, which will no doubt increase the hope among Arsenal supporters that a reported deal for Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema can be completed. BILIC FITTING THE BILL? Bilic, 46, replaced Sam Allardyce this summer and was handed a remit of getting the east London club playing ‘the West Ham way’ - a brand of football based around an attacking and entertaining approach. But the Hammers showed the battling qualities Bilic was renowned for during his spell as a defender with the club from 1996 to 1997. Reece Oxford, who
became his side’s youngestever Premier League player at the age of 16 years and 237 days, epitomised West Ham’s fighting spirit, screening his defence superbly from midfield. In other results: Philippe Coutinho’s stunning longrange strike gave Liverpool a late victory over Stoke on the opening weekend. The match was a lacklustre Premier League encounter until the Brazilian’s magic four minutes from the end. Former Liverpool man Glen Johnson could have put his new side in front in the first half, but skewed his shot over the bar from 12 yards out. Charlie Adam’s longrange free-kick almost sneaked in at the back post but was pushed away by Simon Mignolet. These two sides met on the final day of last season, when Stoke’s 6-1 win was Liverpool’s heaviest defeat since 1963. And Newcastle and Southampton drew 2 – 2 in their encounter.
Philippe Coutinho (right) unleashes a powerful long range shot to score. (Reuters)
By Rawle Welch Not even a persistent shower could have dampened the outstanding performances of Guyana’s Kristian Jeffrey, Matthew Vieira and Suriname’s Oliver Tjin Liep Shie yesterday when the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) held its ‘National Race of Champions’ Meet, at the South Dakota Circuit. Before a fair-sized crowd that included Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes and President of the GMR&SC John Carpenter, reigning Caribbean champion Jeffrey showcased his immense skill to fend off challenges from his father Kevin and Mark Vieira en route to two impressive victories. On both occasions his father Kevin finished second, while Vieira ended third in the opening Group 4 race, but did not take to the starting grid in the second. Young rising Superbike star Matthew Vieira was also in dominant form as he displayed why he is the new kid on the block in the division when he staved off repeated attacks by his more illustrious relative Stephen ‘Valentino Rossi’ Vieira and Carlos Rodrigues to grab two
first places. Equally impressive was Suriname’s Tjin Liep Shie, who hammered a strong field in the Group 3 category including Danny Persaud and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ravi Singh to register three victories. Jeffrey driving his Mitsubishi Evolution VIII repelled an early attack at the clubhouse turn in the opening Group 4 race with Vieira just ahead of his father Kevin and that order stayed that way until the fourth lap when the young Jeffrey lengthened his advantage, while Kevin had pulled ahead of Vieira and in hot pursuit of his son. However, the Caribbean champ held his nerve and drove a matured race to parade the chequered flag after his win. In the second stanza, the quest for the lead was even more frenetic at the first turn as father and son battled at the corner, but once again the Caribbean king showed his skill and dexterity and came out of the turn slightly ahead of his father, who again attacked at the second turn only to suffer the same result as the young Jeffrey came out in the lead and held on for the duration of the 15 laps to stay unbeaten throughout the day
and build on his confidence ahead of the Barbados leg of the Caribbean Series next month. What more could be said about Matthew Vieira, whose rising status and maturity in the Superbike division is causing a stir among the fans. He raced to two comfortable wins and at one stage seemed to be toying with the opposition. Tjin Liep Shie resisted attacks after attacks against a strong field and at one stage was in a heated battle with Persaud whose Miata seemed to match the speed of the Dutch Toyota Starlet. However, Tjin Liep Shie was outstanding in preserving his position and caused Persaud to spin on the sixth lap as they passed the starting line to approach the first turn to commence lap seven. Though Persaud regained his composure and managed to pick off car after car he just could not catch the Surinamese to the line. Also in winners row were Chet Singh, who recorded a first and second in Group 2, while Shameer Mohamed copped a first in Group 1 and Ryan Rahaman, also a first in Group 2. The day’s full results will be issued in a subsequent edition.
Rain ends day early at 1000 yards... From page 39 Long Range Championships stated that they have been doing very well so far noting that the seasoned riflemen have been holding their own. Major Nelson stated that the form of the senior shooters looks encouraging for the Palma Team Match while the younger shooters are coming on also. He made mention Day 1Day 2 Name Leo Romalho Mahendra Persaud Norris Gomez Ransford Goodluck Anderson Perry Jason Wood Lennox Braithwaite Marlon King Peter Persaud Dylan Fields Sherwin Felicien John Fraser Thomas Greenaway Ryan Sampson Christopher Joseph Rev. Olson Daniel Michael Perez Javid Benjamin Sigmund Douglas Ezekiel Joseph Laurne Benjamin
of Barbadian Jason Wood along with the Guyanese duo of Peter Persaud and Sherwin Felicen as promising young prospects. At 800 yards on day 1 a total of 171 shooters shot a possible while yesterday at same range, 242 achieved a similar feat. This underlines the fact that these are the best shots in the world and there is no room for complacency, only consistency.
Country 800 (Place) 800(Place) 900(Place) Guyana 75-9 (92) 75-9(150) 71-5(327) Guyana 75-8(112) 75-10(141) 74-8(171) Trinidad 74-9(205) 74-10(262) 74-6(199) Guyana 74-7(249) 74-11(250) 73-5(271) Antigua 74-6(253) 69-5(384) 74-11(123) Barbados 73-8(289) 72-4(375) 71-2(336) Guyana 73-4(321) 75-8(186) 68-4(368) Barbados 72-3(342) 73-4(354) 70-4(343) Guyana 71-5(362) 71-5(377) 61-4(393) Guyana 71-4(356) 72-4(368) 74-7(184) Guyana 71-4(359) 74-7(300) 68-3 (372) Guyana 71-2(362) 74-6(314) 71-5(324) Antigua 70-6(365) 61-3(402) 69-2(361) Guyana 69-2(380) 63-3(398) 69-1(363) Antigua 67-4(387) 69-5 (387) 67-2(378) Antigua 67-2(390) 62-2(400) 69-2(362) Trinidad 66-2(392) 72-3(376) 69-3(357) Barbados 64-2(395) 59-2(403) 51-1(401) Guyana 63-2(397) 63-2(399) 65-1(387) Trinidad 62-3(398) 74-6 (315) 63-3(390) Antigua 62-3(399) 67-2(391) 66-4(382)
Page 36
Kaieteur News
Monday August 10, 2015
Raging slugfests as curtains MotoGP: Marc Marquez raised on Andrew ‘Sixhead’ takes victory at Indianapolis Lewis Novices Boxing C/ships By Michael Benjamin Residents of East Ruimveldt and adjoining communities turned out in their numbers and were treated to several slugfests when the curtains went up on the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Novice Boxing championship at the M&CC Municipal Center, California Square, East Ruimveldt, last Saturday evening. Indeed, fans came expecting furious, fistic action and were rewarded from as early as the first fight when Keon Williams (GDF) tackled Danny Thompson in the bantamweight division. A vicious toe to toe battle ensued from the first gong as the two opposing forces attempted to draw first blood for their gym. The first round appeared even as both boxers give as much as he received. Both men warmed to the task in the second round and lashed out with venom, each attempting to inflict as much pain as possible. It was around this time that Thompson scored with a right cross that seemed to hurt his man. The Republican then attempted to finish his man but was met with strong resistance as Williams refused to go down without a fight. Thompson entered the third stanza and was met by a stern right cross that caused blood to ooze from his split lip. Ringside physician, Shawn Legall, was called into duty and after a cursory check, nodded affirmatively for the bout to continue. Instead of backing away, Thompson advanced with flailing fists forcing his opponent to hold to clinch the flow. The referee frowned on this tactic and immediately deducted a point from Williams’ score just before the final bell. It proved to be a crucial point and Thompson eventually won the bout. Thompson returned later in the night to oppose another soldier, King Aaron, and this time the victory was more emphatic when he forced the referee to call a halt to the bout in the first round. Kumi Israel of the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) was not so lucky and after forcing the referee to halt his lightweight bout against policeman, Keith Harris, suffered a points decision loss to Shaquile Deyoung in his second fight for the night. Akeem Henry (GDF) then stamped his authority with a points win over Devon Manroop (REP), also in the
lightweight division while Akeem Sutherland (Police), another lightweight, defeated Kevin Rankin of the Republican Boxing Gym. The latter two winners then faced off later in the night with Sutherland carting off the spoils. The GDF continued its dominance when jnr/ welterweight, Colin Lewis, forced the referee to institute a first round mandatory count on Troy Ridley (Police) before deducting a point after Ridley once again infringed the rules. The pattern continued into the second round when Lewis connected with a sharp right hand punch that forced referee, Colin Waddle to institute another mandatory 8 count. Upon resumption, Lewis attacked and scored with a looping right hand punch and the referee halted the bout to save Ridley from further punishment. The time was 1:50secs of the second frame. Lewis returned later in the night to register a technical knockout victory over Marley Ross (GDF) in 1:09secs of the 3rd frame. Royden Joseph (GDF) survived a wicked clout to his temple from Policeman, Marques Allison, in their super/heavyweight bout to rebound with a flurry that floored his man for good at 2:59secs of the 1st round. The bell had scarcely sounded when, in the first second, Allison rushed out and floored his man with a wicked right hand blow. The referee instituted the mandatory 8 count and ordered the two to continue. More shaken than hurt, Joseph returned the favour and had his man on the back foot for most of the round. When he connected to Allison’s temple with a right cross, the referee rightfully instituted a count before deciding to halt the contest at 2:59secs of the first stanza. Joseph enhanced his resume when he returned later in the night to unleash a two fisted attack on Osafo Williams that forced (the latter boxer) to turn his back and was eventually disqualified. Welterweight, Kevin Sookoo of the Rosehall Jammers (RHJ) was also in winners’ row when he forced the referee to halt his bout against Winston Long (GDF) in 1:34secs of the third round. Sookoo also added the scalp of Jafar Giddon to his resume when he stopped him in the 1st round. Two fights later Omar Sukdeo (FYF) disposed
of GDF representative, Trevon Dodson in just 55secs of the first round to register the night’s fastest knockout. One fight earlier, Olphansonino Sutton had restored some order for the Police when he defeated Trevon Dooker (GDF) on points. Republican, Junior Nurse also got the better of Policemen Omali Abrams when he forced the referee to call a halt to the proceedings at 1:47secs of the light/ heavyweight fight. However, Nurse failed to replicate the feat and was disqualified for infringing the rules when he faced Mickle Sancho later in the night. In the Junior category, Shaquille Wright of the Essequibo Boxing Gym (EBG), earned a majority verdict over Shermar Alleyne of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym (PRBG) while elite boxer Kurt Allicock (HEBG) got the better of Republican, Keshon Matthews in the jnr/flyweight division. One fight later, also in the jnr/flyweight category, Michael Worrell (GDF) forced Mahesh Singh (REP) to retire in the second stanza. In other results, Johnanthon Williams (GDF) lost his bantamweight bout by a 2nd round knockout to Glenroy Griffith (REP) while jnr/welterweight, Milton Isaacs ((GDF) earned a points decision over Junior Kelly (REP). thereafter, there were three successive knockout verdicts. Kevin Inniss (REP) forced the referee to stop his middleweight bout against Dwayne July (GDF) in the third round of their middleweight bout while light/heavyweight, Kevin Defreitas (GDF) avenged that loss with a first round knockout over Lawrence Lewis (REP). Leon Andrews (GDF) also forced the referee to halt his heavyweight bout against another Republican, Clement Polycarp while Andrews’ gym mate, Shemar Eastman, won on points over Wendell Austin (REP) in the heavyweight division. Super/ heavyweight Gillian Limerick (REP) won by walkover after his Police opponent, Ted Vanbrook failed to take the ring. The tournament concluded last night and fighters out of the new opportunity Corps, who were yet to begin their trek for championship honours, scheduled to take to the ring. The champion gym and best boxer prizes would have been decided last night.
Marc Marquez claimed his second successive Grand Prix. (AP) BBC Sport - Defending champion Marc Marquez claimed his second successive Grand Prix with victory in the Indianapolis MotoGP. The 22-year-old Spaniard began on pole but was passed by compatriot Jorge Lorenzo on the opening corner. Marquez, who won 13 of 18 races last year, seized the lead with three laps left for his third win of the season, climbing to third in the championship. Valentino Rossi began eighth on the grid but finished third and leads Jorge Lorenzo by nine points. “I’m very happy to only lose four points,” said the Italian, who won the last of his seven world titles in 2009, and leads the standings with eight races left. Marquez, who has moved above Italy’s Andrea Iannone, is 56 points behind Rossi. Lorenzo, world champion in 2010 and 2012, made a tremendous start but Marquez, yet to be beaten on American soil in MotoGP, set a new circuit lap record en route to Honda’s 700th Grand
Prix victory. Marquez covered the 27lap, 112.59km Indianapolis Motor Speedway course in 41 minutes, 55.371 seconds with Yamaha’s Lorenzo, 0.688 seconds behind and has now won for the past five years at the venue in Moto2GP and MotoGP. In the Moto3 race, Britain’s Danny Kent, seeking to become the first Briton to win a world championship in any class since Barry Sheene in 1977, began on pole with a 76-point lead but as rain descended he
finished 21st. Livio Loi, the 18-year-old from Belgium, secured his first Grand Prix victory, with 21year-old Scotsman John McPhee finishing second for his first podium finish in the competition. Kent still leads by 56 points with eight races remaining. Alex Rins of Spain won the Moto2 race ahead of Johann Zarco, who is 71 points clear at the top of the standings. Britain’s Sam Lowes did not finish and dropped two places to fifth in the standings.
MotoGP standings after race 10 of 18: 1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 195 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 186 3. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 139 4. Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati 129 5. Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 97 6. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 94 7. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 80 8. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Honda 74 9. Pol Espargaro (Spain) Yamaha 73 10. Maverick Vinales (Spain) Suzuki 62 11. Danilo Petrucci (Italy) Ducati 57 12. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Suzuki 46 13. Yonny Hernandez (Colombia) Ducati 36 14. Scott Redding (Britain) Honda 33 15. Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 20
Essequibo to start 10/10 tournament The Essequibo Softball Cricket League in collaboration with the Guyana Softball League is to start a 10/10 tounament on the 16th of August for males and females. The 10/10 format has gained popularity in Essequibo given the excitement that has been generated over the past couple of weeks. The tournament has an entrance fee of five thousand dollars and teams can register by calling Raghubar on
telephone number 612-3973 and Brian Christian on 6510491. This tournament is expected to attract some 80 teams (male and females) across the Cinderella county. Additionally there will be added attractions as the body strives to include some cultural shows that will bridge the gap between communities as they showcase their various culture. The tournament will be played with the 10/10 RULES OF THE GSL. One new rule
that has been added is the entire team will have to be residents of the areas for them to be eligible to participate. The prizes are as follows: 1st prize - male and females$50,000 plus a trophy; runners up- $20,000 plus trophy; Man/ woman of the final$5,000 plus trophy. Teams are asked to register early by contacting and uplifting their forms from the above mentioned persons.