Kaieteur News
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL OIL WILL NOT SAVE US Today we continue to focus on a very important topic that should be of interest to every citizen of Guyana. It is about the recently announced discoveries of more oil by Exxon Mobil and what this means for our country and its people. To the best of our knowledge, Exxon has stated that the pumping of oil will commence in 2020 – the same year of our scheduled general elections. It means that the oil will be monetized six years after it has been discovered, and it seems that many are hoping that the oil revenue would translate into major social and economic development for the people. But will it happen? While the country welcomes the news of the major oil find, which according to Exxon Mobil should be approximately in the tens of millions of gallons from the Liza One and Liza Two oil wells and more recently from the Snoek oil well, the government should guard against being lulled into complacency. And it should not be naive in believing that the revenue generated from oil will end all of the country’s current financial woes. Although the prospects seem quite favourable with the announcement that Guyana would receive 50 percent of the profit from oil, the government is making a terrible mistake by counting its chickens before they are hatched. Several experts have suggested that unforeseen problems could arise that could affect the scheduled pumping of oil in 2020. One of those problems could be changes in market conditions that could affect the project plans and the overall schedule. Two, price levels for oil on the global market could in the medium and long-term reduce and thus affect the outcome of future exploration and development efforts. For decades, Guyana has remained dependent on a single-commodity economy, despite numerous proposals, promises and plans by different administrations to achieve greater diversification. It seems that our governments were content to have sugar, rice and bauxite as its three main export products and foreign currency earners. Further, each attempt to set the diversification process in train was truncated by the lack of resources and the failure to attract foreign investors into the country. Today, the nation’s economy is limping because of lower demand and the reduction of prices for its products on the world market. This has led to a loss of revenue and the failure to improve the social services including education and health care. The government is of the firm view that Guyana‘s future will be bright with the discovery of oil in large quantities, but even if that is the case, it must still be committed to the diversification of the economy. Or else, the nation’s products will remain vulnerable to external shocks brought about by the current downturn of commodity prices on the world market. Considering all of the above, the need for economic diversification is becoming even more critical with each passing year. Since it is not going to happen overnight, the government must continue to aggressively pursue it, particularly as one of its stated goals outlined in its 2015 manifesto. Many stakeholders, including the private sector commission, have stated that the government must develop an enhanced economic development strategy with diversification of the economy as the centrepiece. However, identifying, exploring and monetizing new sectors and industries take vision, innovativeness, creativity, responsiveness, transformative leadership and most of all, political will. Those attributes and aptitudes which are sadly lacking in the country, to further unlock the potential in the people, could eventually stall the diversification process and create underdevelopment. There is a great deal more that needs to be done to achieve significant advances along the road to economic transformation and diversification. It appears that the government’s primary focus on oil has taken precedence over everything else, but oil will not save us.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Guyana became a nightmarish state of klepto-capitalism Dear Editor General Elections 2020 is a mere 30 months or so away, and you can bet your shrinking dollar that many people will be caught fiddling! And I do not mean just ordinary fiddling by ordinary people, but rather, big-time fiddling by bigtime fiddlers, fiddling in very important matters. Or, on the other hand (and here you must ignore your evercaring politician’s question of “on whose other hand) not really fiddling, but fumbling, and foot-dragging on significant issues vital for this nation’s very survival. Well, it does not matter, fiddling, fumbling or footdragging, the consequences of these actions or inactions can only be tsunamic, and will determine if this apparently blighted land of ours will ever progress, or retrogress, or remain in its half-way state of Limboland. If asked, most political leaders in this country will without hesitation shout, or mouth, that he/she desires the best for Guyana, that its development is their utmost priority. Some, no doubt, are like Humpty Dumpty who said, “When I use a word, it
means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less.” Most times that would mean “more” selfenrichment. And more so now that oil is on the horizon, lots of people are drooling themselves to severe dehydration by just imagining those petrodollars with which they would love to rehydrate, or rather lubricate, their insatiable innards. Others, in response, will only hiss between their dentures in irritation, and, like the dog, in the story, just close their eyes and continue to recline upon the hay. And exactly what intricate processes these fiddlers e m p l o y, w h a t v a r i o u s masterpieces of plans they conceive and implement, in their quest to “develop” this country? Well, for starters, these brainers just bicker non-stop, they posture, they blunder, they oppose more than propose, they plunder, they assume massive selfrighteousness and enormous egos, and some become puppets, some royalties, and some “chatrees” in this multi-ethnic land Then some just swoon in their fantasy world where
they actually believe that it is their birth-right to forever rule, or ruin. Yet again, there’s some who would stamp their feet and slap their chests and pledge their hearts to Marxist/Leninist ideals, but ironically, and h y p o c r i t i c a l l y, t h e y submerged this country into a nightmarish state of kleptocapitalism, one of the “isms” that they perfected. And still again there are others who do not seem to have a clue as to what to do to govern. They just lie smug on their crumpled laurels. These gangs of self-servers in their wonder worlds only serve to add a massive burden upon this hapless land. So how do we, the ordinary, decent, honest, fair-minded rest of us who are struggling to remain sane in these insane times, snatch this country back from the inevitable jaws of self destruction? Certain obstacles can be easily identified, such as a flawed Constitution, massive corruption, racism, pseudopatriotism, visionless leadership, and even an expresident who pines for another term. These problems,
although they are difficult o n e s , a r e n o t insurmountable, and solutions can be found in the short(ish) term. The bigger problem, however, and the long term one, is how do we fix, or change the various systems, whatever they are: the Social, the Political, the Educational, the Economical, the Psychological, the Moral, the Cultural, the Etc., that were allowed to slide into chaos and thus created such fertile ground that gave birth to citizens who would explicitly sanction evils like racism, corruption, greed and their accompanying ills as acceptable norms? Or produce a people that would unflinchingly vote for certain characters who are perceived as the personification of such evils as mentioned above, to be their leaders or even president? This is the Gordian knot which must be untied urgently if our children and grandchildren are to inherit a decent country to live in the future. The question is who will be our Alexander? A. Smith.
SKULDUGGERY STILL GOING ON AT GGMC I have been waiting for too long for GGMC to address our five-mile radius situation. We were promised that plot of land in 2011 by the then Commissioner (ag.) Mr Woolford. We were anxious to have it for our hundredth anniversary as a mining community, which was in 2013. GGMC was petitioned twice to get this done; first with sixty eight signatures of community residents and then one hundred and seventy two. We even sought assistance from high authorities but to no avail. The reason for this delay has to do with those corrupt officials at the GGMC who are deliberately stalling the process to coverup their atrocious behaviour. Why would they take vast swathes of lands that were already allocated to us the bona fide residents of Kurupung and give it to wealthy companies in the form of Mining Permits? They rescinded some controversial Mining Permits that are situated in the area and allocated prime lands to a wealthy company
in breached of the Mining (Amendment) Regulations, 2007. There is enough evidence to support our contention that there was a concerted effort in 2009 to get rid of the burden of the settlements from those large swathes of land that have been owned by those wealthy land grabbers. There are documents in circulation from as early as the 21st November, 2009 publication of the Legal Supplement—B of the Official Gazette. There is also correspondence from the GGMC which includes statements of the five-mile radius and maps from the commission depicting the five-mile radius area. Yet still, the GGMC is bent on stalling the process. The publication of the 2 1 s t N o v e m b e r, 2 0 0 9 Official Gazette of the legal supplement—B; chapter 5 (2) clearly states that land which falls within a fivemile radius of settlements shall only be subject to claim location. Chapter one (1) has made the duration period ambiguous. All the authority
has to do is clear up the ambiguity and deliver on their promise. Without that, we will continue to suffer at the hands of those corrupt officials at the GGMC as we are already box in, due to the distribution of those large swathes of land to wealthy companies. GGMC has two sets of rules: one for the poor and the other for wealthy miners. The poor has to comply by the strict Mining Regulations while the wealthy has the right to flaunt all the rules. For instance; the wealthy was given large swathes of land (PL) without it being published in the Official Gazette, a prerequisite according to the Regulations; under sections 38 (1) and 44 (1). There is the rescinded of Mining Permits (MPs) for lands that were already given to us the bona fide residents of Kurupung and against the Mining (Amendment) Regulations, 2007. Thirdly, the allocating Mining Permits to companies in 2014 (which is parts of lands that were already allocated to
the bona fide residents of Kurupung in 2009) as ‘The Third Disposal of Mineral Properties 2009’ without offering a closure for residents creates a clear conflict of interest. Those lands given to the wealthy companies are situated in the heart of the five-mile radius that has been promised to residents. Fourthly, Claims are deemed Null and Void for the reason of overlapping with no physical evidence of existence of the other person’s claim, during the period which GGMC has claimed to have verified those wealthy women’s claims. It is highly impossible to survey/verify only one claim and to make such a pronouncement. What is most disturbing is those wealthy women’s claims were verified five (5) months after GGMC had made the pronouncement that my claim has overlapped the woman’s claim. In GGMC’s correspondence there were drawings on maps depicting the area to show (Continued on page 6)
Tuesday August 15, 2017
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This teacher was unjustly removed by Region 2 Education Dept. DEAR EDITOR, You would agree with me that, “the worst thing than being blind is to have an eyesight without a vision.” Professionally speaking, this philosophical trend is negatively mirrored by some of the officers that functioned under the Ministry Of Education’s umbrella. Remember, the honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordon in his last budget speech earlier this year referred to the results of CSEC, Mathematics and English Language and particular Grade Six Assessment results as “depressing”. He even emphasized this phenomenon statistically by mentioning that Math was 14% and English Language was 50%. What were the variables that led to this kind of behaviour? Have they done a feasibility to determine the quality of teaching delivered?, the lack of text books, the condition of the schools, parental lack in education, absentee teachers, the extra lesson syndrome, disciplinary structure or any other related observations and factors? Well if such a research
was carried out in Region Two, a correlation would certainly be found via poor educational administration -precisely the Department of Education, Region Two and NCERD Office. For in the most subjective or personified manner they determined or rather choose blindly who they wanted to run the Literacy programme. Very reflective and appropriate is the saying, “Not everything that lives in water is fish”. Does the honorable Minister of Education know what is happening under her very nose? If this repugnant attitude continues, it will guarantee poisonous fruits for our young educators in the school system. To begin with, how can they take off all the professional and experienced Nursery teachers on the Literacy team? From an educational and psychological perspective, the foundation of learning begins at infancy (Lamb Bornstein & Teri, 2002) – some psychologists agued even before birth - actual manipulative and relative information communicated in the areas of phonics and phonol-
ogy are at the Nursery level i.e. the foundation for primary level! What measuring stick was used to dismiss these unique and committed educators? Kindly allow me this opportunity to share my condolences with them, since the death of Mr. Respect was buried and the unfortunate good Samaritans were not even told that their services were not needed. Then, to negatively complicate this situation, any average Guyanese would entertain a certain prejudice view; that one of the Literacy Trainer; being the only one from another section of our cultural make-up, who possess a degree in Education, passed with honors at the noble University of Guyana and a qualified head teacher for years, was taken off the Literacy Primary team. No explanation was tendered – isn’t this rude and impertinent? Interestingly strange! What a change! One trained seasoning Literacy Trainer on the team, challenged the decision to no avail and felt convicted for her colleague on the decision taken and resigned with immediate effect. I as a
The desilting of the city canals must be a comprehensive project Dear Editor, It looks like your effort to publish letters on the drainage situation in the City is bearing fruit. As I write this, work began two weeks ago on the Cummings Canal. The blockage at the eastern end of the koker is cleared, and the excavator is working way beyond Albert Street to the east. I am willing to bet that the removal of mud from the Church Street canal is not completed. One can observe mud along the length of the High St canal from Croal Street up to Church Street. . I visited the Young Street Canal, the one that has been causing Kingston property owners heightened anxiety, due to the ever present high level of water in the drains, especially in the alley-ways. Recall that a deceased engineer attached to the Works Ministry, advised the Minister of Infrastructure that clearing the internal drains of Kingston “would flush” Young Street canal of the accumulated 25 plus 23 years silt that has become solid mud. The excavation works on Young Street canal is now
being carried out by a third contractor. The first contractor operated in 2014; he did not complete the work, but was paid in full.. The second contractor worked just as the Coalition came to office, not much was accomplished by him. That a third contractor is engaged to clear Young St. canal indicates how out of touch the City Council and by extension the Ministry of Infrastructure have become through their inaction. Now it seems from the way the work is being done that this third contractor would accomplish the removal of mud from Young St. canal admirably. We cannot be three times unlucky. Verily Editor, we would be blessed should those who have power over our City’s drainage system, that they get all the canals cleared of accumulated mud before the yearend rains come. On the matter of the canals south of Sussex Street canal, with the over grown antelope grass thereby blocking drainage, would the City Council be interested in leasing these canals to me. I would harvest
the grass to feed a herd of milk cows, providing milk for citizens of the City, and perhaps the milk plant the Minister of Agriculture wishes to buy will now be supplied with vast volume of milk. I can get good fodder grass in the Norton Street, and other Lodge areas. As for those citizens of Georgetown who live alongside the canals south of Sussex Street, I will settle them as farmers on about two to five acres of land each immediately south of South Ruimveldt, just across the trench. They would be living in the environs of Georgetown, they would really enjoy the good life, we all have been promised, and the green environment would be assured. Of course the National Farmers Organization will be willing to guide and mentor them into becoming full time farmers. Hafiz Rahman
Guyanese from another section of our country and a strong believer of cultural harmony, strongly condemned this approach – we are Guyanese and should be seen as “One People”. I have known this individual as an educator at the primary level for years and I am hurt because of the subjective and haphazard way in which our educational system loosen its anchor to certain elements and drifted on apocalypse tides. Can you imagine or force yourself to know that a person taken off the said Primary programme is back in the programme, even though she has little or no experience in literacy. This can be justified by the fact that the Riverstown Primary School output in Literacy programme was below average. If you are the Head of the Literacy team, and your school cannot perform to expectations, how can you monitor other schools whose literacy passes are above yours? Why is the Department of Education encouraging the wastage of the nation’s budget intended to promote education? These trainers are taking home more than a million Guyana dollars nontaxable at
the end of the year apart from their salaries. Of course the leader would be entitled to a Regional Literacy Officer salary as well; that is above one hundred thousand dollars per month. This is authentic information and can be justified by the finance Department of NCERD and Ministry of Education. The majority of the Primary teaching populace stand silently by because of victimization, questioning what criterion was used by NCERD or Department of Education to have the new trainers on board. Almost all teachers were frustrated last August term, 2017 because the so called Literacy team was supposed to give on time, every school and each teacher a copy of the Comprehension passages for the various Grades. Such competency is celebrated by NCERD and Department of Education. Schools received them just in the nick of time. If there stems a sense of favoritism by a particular officer at NCERD level and a fear of job security at Department of Education, the Minister of Education should be impartial; intervene and let the nation know that you still honor your obligation to us on the ‘good life promise’. It is our
prescriptive and democratic right as Guyanese to know how our money is spent and the investment made in our children’s education. We as teachers felt and are still feeling robbed, as the Literacy Head at Riverstown Primary School and her counterpart, another head teacher of Better Hope Primary School are out of school; they have to attend to matters at Department of Education or checking schools which therefore implied that most likely other teachers would have to do her job. Learners are robbed of instructional time. I openly challenge the Ministry of Education to do a valid research to determine the need of schools and the criteria (qualifications, experience, input, output etc.) used to choose heads of the Literacy Team as well as some Literacy trainers on the team in Region Two. When it comes to our tax payer’s money, we work hard to earn a decent living and it is never going to be fair for others to preference. I quite agree with the quote by Aristotle, “The World is not evil, but those who stand around and allow evil to take precedence.” Simone Huggins
This mistreatment of Maurice Arjoon by NBS must come at an end DEAR EDITOR I was heartened to see that the judge finally ruled on the case with NBS and its former CEO Mr Maurice Arjoon, then only to see your report on the NBS appeal. While I know everyone has the right to appeal, this is for the man’s pension and as Mr Arjoon says his pension cannot be refused unless he is involved in fraud and everyone knows the outcome of those charges. So why has the Board kept back this gentleman’s pension for over 10 years? I remember even former Minister Gail Texeira saying that Pension Rights c a n n o t b e t a k e n a w a y. Wo u l d M a d a m Te x e i r a comment on this taking away of Pension Rights? And what a shame that this
injustice continues. What a shame that even since the Ombudsman report came out there has been a deafening silence from that Bar Association & Private Sector Commission and civil society. The NBS should be called upon to correct this great miscarriage of justice and not only to pay Mr Arjoon all that the judge “awarded” but in addition the Board itself should award some sort of damages for the dastardly acts during the past 10 years, as well as pension benefits which Mr Arjoon says the Board has also not given to him and refund legal fees. Further, the Managers, Kent Vincent and Kissoon
Baldeo should not go to court but be paid by the board also And I must ask what will be done at the Board for disregarding Labour Laws to dismiss the men and keep back pension due and payable? I also see in your report that according to Rule 49 of the NBS Act the Board does not even have the authority to dismiss the CEO without a M e m b e r ’s r e s o l u t i o n which they never obtained. I hope the Bank of Guyana and the Government has taken note of all of the above and will take appropriate action. After all, NBS is a financial institution with depositors’ money Walter Sears
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Minister’s party support for him cannot wash away his non-performance DEAR EDITOR, This APNU/AFC coalition government has had a tremendous lot to clean up administratively since attaining office in 2015. Several measures have been put in place to ensure that government departments’ function and businesses find it easier to function. But even with these developments more needs to be done. One area where President Granger could be decisive in making changes to ensure that his administration maximizes its policy decisions is an evaluation of his Ministers performance. I am sure that the President must be aware of the letters and comments in the press and social media on the performance of two of his ministers Messrs Basil Williams, Attorney General and Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Public Security. I will not address the issues relation to the Attorney General in this letter, suffice it to say that to date he has had no success in the High Court on any of the issues he has presumably advised the President on. Mr Williams’ tenure thus far has been defined by failure after failure. The most recent is the President advising the Police Service Commission (most likely on Mr Willams’ recommendation) to hold all promotions of senior police officers in violation of the Constitution as is recorded in the press. The reason why I have
highlighted the Police Service Commission matter is because it is related to the performance of the Minister of Public Security. Since being assigned this portfolio Minister Ramjattan has done little to reassure the public that they are secure. Road accidents and violent crimes continue to skyrocket and corruption in the police force continues unabated at the highest levels, just read the evidence being collected at the Commission of Inquiry looking into the alleged plot to assassinate the President. But to top this all off is the Minister’s stewardship of the Prison Service. In 2016 sixteen inmates were incinerated and a section of the prison was destroyed by fire, and a Commission of Inquiry was established to look into the circumstances that led to the horrible situation. This Commission made several recommendations many of which were organizational in nature and would not have entailed any financial expenditure, yet there is no evidence that these recommendations were even read by the Minister. As a result, in 2017, the mother of all calamities occurred at the ancient Georgetown Prisons. It was burnt to the ground and an officer murdered after a riot by prisoners and several of those prisoners escaped including some of the most dangerous inmates who are still probably
wandering the countryside. The aftermath of this fire is the stuff for the Link Show, with the stories of the prisoners in the Lusignan swamp butchering their own cattle and eventually burrowing out for a few nights of freedom. Through all of this the Minister rejects personal responsibility and his supervisor, President Granger slaps him on the back for his performance. Now we come to the issue of the promotion of police officers and the President’s unconstitutional act. In most normal circumstances an able and diligent Minister would have requested to see a copy of the list of officers to be promoted from the Police Commissioner whom he supervises. He would have perused the list with his senior advisors for any issues that may lie within and advised Cabinet on those issues. All of this would have occurred long before the list is sent to the Police Service Commission and the president finds himself once again in another constitutional conundrum. In this case Minister Ramjattan cannot claim that payments to the sugar industry resulted in this inefficiency as he has in the case of the prison fire. Indeed, no one can be blamed for this situation but Mr. Ramjattan himself despite the recent machinations coming from his political party. Keith Branch
Oil wealth only helps if there are honest politicians DEAR EDITOR, I strongly support the views of Mr Blackman in his letter appearing in
your August 12th edition of Kaieteur News. I trust that President Granger reads this letter and becomes aware that these are the views of many who were desperate to see our beloved country, Guyana, lifted out of the depths to which it had sunk under the previous administration. I was sent an article recently about the entitlements of Libyans under Col. Gadaffi’s rule. It read like a fairy (Nancy) story to a Guyanese like me. That was until I Googled
the subject and discovered what benefits were being enjoyed by the citizens of some oil-rich countries like Libya and Kuwait. Mr Editor I still am not sure of all the ‘facts’. My thoughts were however; what would the life of the most underprivileged Guyanese be, if the pending oil revenue was controlled by totally honest politicians who placed the land of Guyana and its people first. Keith Fraser.
Unprofessional behaviour by an official at the ferry stelling Dear Editor, I would like to highlight an unwelcomed treatment at the Canawaima ferry stelling by a Ministry of Public Health Staffer — Port Health Officer. The female Port Health Officer was stationed at the ferry stelling to check on the yellow fever immunization cards for all travelers that were crossing to Suriname. I was greeted by an unpleasant and obnoxious demeanor from this officer. She was yelling and trying to show her authority with a boisterous attitude. She was very unprofessional and was seen chewing a gum when attending to passengers. Is this how we want to promote tourism in Guyana by bullying people? We fully understand that you are there to do your job lady; hence this should have been done in the most professional manner. This gross disrespect will be paramount in the minds of all travelers who were clearly
stressed out about the poor quality of service provided by the Canawaima ferry stelling in Guyana and the Ministry of Public Health Port Health Official. Travelers that got their yellow fever vaccines privately were also harassed by this Port Health Officer. She lamented that the Vaccination and Immunization cards were not valid if it came from a private institution or missing a stamp from MPH. I can attest that we were back and forth at the ministry to update our cards but were told there are no cards available! What else can we do? We told the Port Health Officer that the Ministry had already given its quota of vaccines for the day hence seeking it at a private institution, which was the advice that was given by one of the nurses at the Ministry of Public Health in Georgetown. The Port Health Officer said that can’t be true and we
were lying! What utter nonsense! Commuters visit Ministry of Health as early as 6:00 a.m. to get this vaccine and only the first 50 persons are given this vaccine in any given working day, so if someone has to travel urgently to Suriname, are you saying that passengers can’t go and get this vaccine privately? You won’t accept it? Are you saying that the immunization cards from a private hospital are not authentic even though it was correctly endorsed by a certified medical practitioner privately? Guyana can do so much better to boost the tourism and hospitality sector. I hope the relevant authorities can provide some needed customer service training to all Port Officers on how to professionally deal with people. For starters, please look at the professionalism in our neighbouring country Suriname! L. Itwaru
SKULDUGGERY STILL GOING ON AT GGMC From page 4 how my claim is overlapping the wealthy woman’s claim. A clear sign of a ghost verification process. Fifthly, I was issued with a license for a claim I did not verify at the time. The unverified claim information was being used to place it at the location of the verified claim. Reflecting that my claim was being moved from one location to the next which brings it in alignment with what my wealthy opponent was contesting. When all that was done, the file for my verified claim has gone missing. Three years has since passed and a very senior officer had promised to rectify the situation but up to the time of writing it isn’t done. Sixthly, portions of land in the form of a Mining Permit (MP) appeared to have been given in an area demarcated as Kurupung—B which was allocated for claims only. The area was never closed since its initial opening in 2001. In all appearances, he seems to be the son of one of the
wealthy women whom GGMC had given preference to, over an area, where they claim the overlapping is taking place. GGMC has done so much to me that time and space would not allow me to explain my plight in this single letter. GGMC is very selective in their responses to claim holders’ issues, especially those of the five- mile radius and the closing date for the Third Disposal of Mineral Properties 2009 for the bona fide residents of Kurupung. After I made some claim locations and sent to make payment, it was being mentioned by the Chief Verification Officer that the area is close and my claims will be deemed Null and Void for that reason. He has not provided proof and the office of the GGMC commission has not been able to provide such for over the last four (4) years although there were numerous attempts made to seek resolutions to those issues. Our then lawyer Mr. Joseph Harmon had wrote the GGMC to put closure on the closing date issues but up to
the time of writing there was no response to his letter. I am of a firm belief that he is in a better position now, to have clarity on those matter, as he had promised to get down to the bottom of it. If these matters do not resolve quickly, we will continue to suffer at the hands of the few heartless and highly corrupt officials who are placed in positions to make decisions which can affect the lives and lively hood of persons, especially when it is being bias against the poor and in favour of the wealthy. Within weeks we poor families could receive replies to correspondences from our beloved President Mr. David Granger but for the same situation we cannot receive a single reply from the GGMC’s Commission. It’s a shame to see the honourable leader taking time off of his duties to respond to letters from poor families and GGMC has the audacity to do the opposite. At the end of Mr. Granger’s tenure he will be remembered as one of the best leaders to ever rule this land of ours. Small miners
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CHPA takes legal action against Baishanlin for over 100 acres of land
Central Housing and Planning Authority is looking to reclaim over 100 acres of land that is currently in the hands of Baishanlin
CH&PA CEO, Lelon Saul By Abena RockcliffeCampbell Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Lelon Saul yesterday revealed that the Authority is looking to reclaim over 100 acres of land that is currently in the hands of Baishanlin. It seems that Baishanlin is the first of many companies that the CH&PA plans to go after. The land in question is located at Providence. Saul told the media that the Authority is already in the process of taking legal action. At a press conference hosted at the CH&PA’s Brickdam location, Saul assured the media that the Authority will not allow the matter to rest until those lands are reclaimed. “We are presently pursuing legal action…You know our judicial system is kind of slothful.” Saul stressed, “We are moving forward, but it will take some time.” The CEO said that Baishanlin and its associates have not lived up to the terms and conditions of the agreement of sale, which includes development of the land. He said that the more than 100 acres of land was sold to Sunset Lakes. Sunset Lakes was
owned by Brian Tiwarie. Saul said that the company now has new directors, as it was sold to Baishanlin. The land was not supposed to be sold. The CH&PA agreement is very specific about what a developer can and cannot do with it. Earlier this year, CH&PA warned that it will soon repossess lands from those private developers and house lot beneficiaries who have breached their agreements. It said that that was a move to pave the way for the development of more low and middle-income housing solutions for Guyanese. Saul said that the authority is set to go after those developers, who acquired vast tracts of lands under the previous administration, but have since failed to develop them. He pointed out that many
of these private developers still owe CH&PA money and this would make it easier for the authority to repossess the lands. In the high-demand Demerara area, there are little lands available for building new housing schemes. There are more than 20,000 applications for turn-key homes and house lots currently on CH&PA’s database. The administration, while on the campaign trail to the May 2015 general elections, had vowed to repossess the lands on the East Bank after it was discovered that many of the developers have failed in the conditions to build. It was found that under the previous administration, a significant portion of the front part of the former cane fields, stretching from Eccles to Diamond, has ended up mainly in the hands of close
friends of the national leaders and party officials. According to documents in possession of this newspaper, 11 private developers have been given hundreds of acres of lands stretching from
behind Peter’s Hall to Providence as early as 2011. Two more were allowed swaths of land in the Diamond and Golden Grove areas. Still another 11 companies, as of July 2014, were set
to receive lands from CH&PA for especially areas in the Little Diamond and Great Diamond areas. It is unclear what had been allocated. One company, Luxury (Contined on page 08)
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Legal action looms over President’s instruction to halt police promotions While some persons have expressed the view that President David Granger has “overstepped his boundaries” by ordering the Police Service Commission, (PSC) to halt all promotions, others have taken it a step further by threatening legal action. Parliamentary opposition member and Attorney–at–law Anil Nandlall has issued a letter to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon outlining his intention to pursue legal action if the directive by the President is not recanted. In his correspondence to the Minister of State, Nandlall pointed to the letter dated 2017-07-26. The letter was addressed to Marvalyn Stephens, Secretary, Police Service Commission, Waterloo Street, Georgetown. Nandlall indicated in the correspondence that, “In that letter, you informed Ms. Stephens that: “His Excellency, President David Granger, has directed that there be no consideration of promotions for members of
the Guyana Police Force by the Police Service Commission, until further notice.” You further requested Ms. Stephens to: “bring his Excellency’s directive to the immediate attention of the Commission.” Please be informed that your letter and its contents constitute a most egregious violation of both the letter and spirit of Article 226(1) of the Constitution.” Nandlall went to quote what he describes as relevant parts of the law in this regard”…in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority”. Further, he noted that Article 226(7) provides that the expression ‘commission’ means the Elections Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission or the Police Service Commission.” In enclosing a copy of the Notice of Motion,
Opposition MP and Attorney Anil Nandlall
President David Granger
Nandlall stressed that the Police Service Commission and the Public Service Commission form part of the same constitutional genus. In the circumstances, the Lawyer demands the withdrawal, in writing, of the letter dated 2017-07-26, addressed to Marvalyn Stephens, Secretary, Police Service Commission, within
two (2) days. Failure to do so, Nandlall warned, will result in legal action. President Granger was recently criticized of allegedly overstepping his boundary by issuing a directive to the PSC to halt promotions for members of the Guyana Police Force “until further notice.” Attorney-at-Law Christo-
pher Ram, in response to reports that President Granger has directed the PSC to halt the promotions, told Kaieteur News that Granger “has no authority to send any such letter and the Commission and the Commission should not heed the directive”. He even suggested the course of action required in response to the letter. “The Commission should respond to the letter and make the point that the President is completely out of order in sending such a letter…” Ram held that such actions by a President “are a very dangerous trend to begin or to continue.” “I think it does not augur well for matters like Constitutional reform, which is being talked about, when the president shows such disregard to the Constitution; particularly in the context of previous comments, for example, the ones he made in relation to the appointment of the GECOM Chairman. At least three officers summoned to the Commis-
sion of Inquiry (COI) into the alleged assassination plot are on the list to be promoted. These officers include Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, for the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Chief Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum for Assistant Commissioner and Assistant Superintendent, Head of Major Crimes Unit, Mitchell Caesar, to Deputy Superintendent. These officers were called to testify at the ongoing COI for the role each of them played in the investigation of the allegation made by Andriff Gillard, that businessman Nizam Khan attempted to recruit him to kill the president. The COI was ordered after it was reported that the investigation was poorly done. As the modus operandi of the Guyana Police Force is being examined at the COI, the president wrote to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and asked that all promotions be halted until further notice.
Regional Housing Officer sent on leave to facilitate probe into corruption allegation Region Two’s Regional Housing Officer, (RHO) Omesh Sasenaryan has been sent on administrative leave pending a probe into allegations of corruption. According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, (CH&PA) Lelon Saul, reports have indicated that Sasenaryan came under police investigations after it was alleged that he unlawfully collected $50,000 and issued a forged receipt for a house lot. During a press briefing at the CH&PA headquarters, Brickdam, G e o rg e t o w n y e s t e r d a y, Saul told media operatives that the RHO was sent on leave pursuant to the report. He explained that investigations are ongoing in the incident to determine whether the matter is isolated or a pattern of corrupt
practices. “ Given the circumstances, the CH&PA official reminded that aggrieved consumers are encouraged to report matters relating to corruption to the Authority’s Headquarters. To minimize incidence of corruption, Saul noted that except for the main office in Georgetown and Regional Housing Office in Linden “all payments must be made at Regional Democratic Council, RDC offices at Region Two, Three, Five, Six and Nine.” Moreover, Saul noted that persons should not enable corruption of officers of the CH&PA by offering them inducement. He explained that to ensure corruption is kept at bay, t h e e n t i t y ’s o ff i c e s a r e closely monitored thoroughly, through regular inspections by the audit office. Additionally, he said that “managers will be vis-
iting the offices at least once monthly and reports submitted by the officers.” The CEO stressed that every effort is made to stamp out corruption. Saul said that the CH&PA is a public entity and the hallmark of public service is integrity. He stressed that “our employees are paid by the State to do their job and you do not need to pay them” “All cases of corruption will be thoroughly investigated and those found wanting will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The CEO emphasized that it is towards this end, the CH&PA has upped the ante on the fight against corruption. Just last year, a Board M e m b e r o f t h e C H PA charged with investigating suspicious transactions to the tune of billions of dollars, threatened to resign
over what he believed was the reluctance by the administration to deal with corruption. The official, Mark Jacobs headed a committee that has been investigating several projects and transactions, including the 1,000-homes project and the housing schemes along the East Bank Demerara, especially. The committee also probed several hundreds of acres of lands be-
tween Eccles to Grove that have been sold under questionable arrangements to private developers. Jacobs’ committee reported that it had stumbled upon billions of dollars in fraud, mismanagement and corruption at CH&PA. “The little that we’ve found is only the tip of the iceberg, as we are not privy to information and details on many important transactions and dealings of
CH&PA and we are (yet) not in receipt of an audit report,” Jacobs wrote. “ We h a v e r e c o m mended at Committee level that a number of persons be sent on administrative leave and that legal advice be sought for recovering stolen assets and instituting criminal charges against officers and others within the agency responsible for these known illegal activities.”
CHPA takes legal action against Baishanlin... From page 7 Reality Inc., which has lands in Providence, has listed as its Director/Secretary, Roopnarine Ramcharitar, a right hand man for Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. Ramroop is the owner of New GPC, a company that was investigated by the Opposition for a number of questionable deals. He is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Two other companies that received lands were Hi Tech Construction Inc. and Sunset Lakes Inc. Both companies
are under the control of the Chinese. The other companies that were allocated lands between Eccles and Mocha were Queensway Dax Contracting Service, Nabi Construction Incorporated, Buddy’s Housing Development, Cumberland Developers Inc., Vikab Engineering Consultants, Kishan Bacchus Construction, Caricom General Insurance, Navigant Builders and Windsor Gardens. Queensway has been allowed several acres in Golden
Grove. As of July 2014, those that had applications at CH&PA for lands were Buddy Housing Development, Queensville Housing Development, A&R Jiwanram Printery, Raydan Housing Enterprise, Lakeview Executive Homes, Gentle P. Elias and Brian Chase, Chung’s Global Enterprise, Prembury Consultants T&T Limited and Romell Jagroop Construction. The Chinese owned Hi Tech Construction has also applied for lands in the Little Diamond/Great Diamond area. Former Housing Minister under the administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, Irfaan Ali, had defended the mainly front lands that were placed in the hands on private developers, saying that it is not true that these were prime lands. He said that a planned highway at the back of the housing schemes from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and other interlinking roads have made the backlands almost as valuable.
Tuesday August 15, 2017
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Kaieteur News
The politics of oil is dirty Oil has made many nations rich. But before those nations became rich, the multinationals engaged in the production of oil became far richer. Oil wealth is not free. It comes at a terrible price. In many instances, it came at the price of the loss of freedom and the slaughter of the innocent. In 1995, the world awoke to the dirty politics of oil when environmentalist and writer Ken SaroWiwa of the Ogini tribe of Southern Nigeria, and eight others were executed by the Nigerian military because of their opposition to the environmental damage which the operations of Shell, an oil multinational was causing in the delta. Shell was accused of conspiring with the Nigerian military in the executions. Fourteen years later, and after sustained international condemnation and local opposition, Shell
made a large settlement of US$15.5 M, a pittance for the oil giant, but symbolically a massive victory for those who wished to call attention to the dirty alliances and methods which multinationals employed in their greed to get their hands on the oil of other countries. It took the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa to open the eyes of the world to the environmental destruction which oil companies were causing in other countries. This led to greater vigilance by environmental activists over oil operations. The death of the Ogini activist also showed the dirty politics which can result between oil companies and little dictators. Ken SaroWiwa exposed that dirty politics. The Kaieteur News is now reminding Guyanese that they must be vigilant against possible corruption involving oil companies. The newspaper has
been highlighting some of the controversies in which Exxon Mobil has found itself implicated, including in Equatorial Guinea whose people thought that oil would bring them riches, only to find that oil came with its own problems. Guyana must be careful. The government should consider a confidential briefing, similar to what the Ramotar administration had with APNU, in relation to the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project. The Ramotar administration was unwilling to make public certain facts because it was still in negotiations with a major American company which would have been responsible for the deal. The opposition had concerns. They needed answers. In the interest of balancing confidentiality and the release of information to satisfy major stakeholders that Guyana was not being shafted, a confidential
Dem boys seh ...
Jagdeo give Exxon an offer dem couldn’t refuse People does go fuh interview all de time. Sometimes de question does be tricky and can have many answers. Dem boys know a case wheh a certain man decide that he want a secretary. Four young gyal apply and dem had to answer de same question. De man ask dem to come in one at a time, then he ask dem de question. A woman has lips on two different places. What’s de difference? De first gyal seh one is hairy and de other is not. De man seh, “Smart answer.” De second gyal seh how one can talk and de other one can’t talk. De man reply, “Clever answer.” De third gyal seh, “One horizontal and de other vertical.”
De man open he eye wide; then he seh, “Brilliant answer.” De fourth gyal tell de man, “One is fuh me and de other is fuh de boss.” Right away de boss tell she that she get de wuk. “You’re hired,” he tell she. Is a similar thing happen before ExxonMobil come. De boss meet wid Aunty Janet in 1999 and tell she that de company proposal is 25 per cent fuh Guyana and 75 per cent fuh Exxon. Aunty Janet tell him it got to be 75 per cent fuh Guyana and 25 per cent fuh de company. De boss man reject she proposal and he go back wheh he come from. But wheh sweetness deh bees don’t stay away fuh lang, suh de Exxon boss man come back. This time he meet wid
Sam. He mek de same proposal but Sam tell him 35 per cent fuh you and 65 per cent fuh Guyana. De boss man go back, but he eye still pun de oil suh he come back. This time he meet wid Luncheon. Luncheon seh he is a reasonable person suh it got to be 55 per cent fuh Guyana and 45 per cent fuh de company. De boss man get more vex and he go back. But he come back when he hear Jagdeo is de president. When he mek de offer Jagdeo seh, “I gun give you de best offer. Fifty per cent fuh you, fifty fuh me… and none fuh Guyana.” That is de contract that tie up Soulja Bai. Talk half and understand why Jagdeo ain’t saying nutten bout ExxonMobil.
Local Exporters Frustrated, Expecting Losses From Port Pile-Up Jamaican (Gleaner) - Local exporters are bracing for huge losses as the pile-up of cargo at the Kingston Freeport Terminal continues to frustrate efforts to export products. Many exporters are reportedly unable to meet delivery commitments to overseas customers as a result of the situation at the terminal. Former president of the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA), Marjorie Kennedy, says local companies are frustrated as they are unable to deliver products to the port so they
can be loaded into containers for shipment. Speaking on Real Business this morning, Kennedy said the pile-up of cargo at the terminal is a serious concern for exporters. In addition to not being able to export products, Kennedy says manufacturers have having challenges getting raw material for production as they have been unable to clear containers sitting on the port. She says there appears to be a serious management issue at Kingston Freeport Ter-
minal Limited, which is responsible for operating the port. The former president of the JEA says the situation is unacceptable. Kennedy says the pile-up of cargo at Kingston Freeport Terminal has started to affect the unloading of ships. She says there are ships waiting for days in the harbour to be unloaded. The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre tried to reach the Port Authority of Jamaica for a comment on the situation but was unsuccessful.
briefing was held. The government of Guyana, for some unexplained reason, is not prepared to make public the revised contract it has signed with Exxon Mobil. It has however said that it has doubled the royalty from 1% to 2%. The world average is around 8%, so there is some need for the government to justify this low rate of royalty. This can be done in a confidential briefing. The fallout from the problems in the oil industry has been a deliberate attempt in the developed world to ensure that oil companies and the governments with which they did business, operate in a more transparent manner. It does seem, however, that the
Guyana government is moving in the opposite direction. For some undisclosed reason, it is not prepared to disclose the terms of the contract it has signed with Exxon Mobil. It must state why. The public does not seem to be worried. Like the people of Equatorial Guinea, they must feel that oil is going to make all Guyanese rich, so why bother to question the terms of the contract. They should learn from what has happened in that country. They should learn about the channels through which oil payments were made. They should understand the risks involved, one of which is, Guyanese can end up being empty-
handed by the time the oil runs out. Guyanese had better wake up and demand that the Granger administration level with them on the contract. The oil belongs to the people. It does not belong to the Cabinet. The people should have information that would convince them that nothing crooked is afoot.
B’dos will continue to be a service-based economy Barbados (Barbados Advocate) - Though Barbados will continue to be a servicesbased economy and will still heavily rely on its tourism sector to keep it afloat, the country can certainly bolster the economy by seeking to expand and develop its energy sector. This was the view expressed by Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy as he spoke on in the House of Assembly last week, during debate of the Offshore Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2017, where he shot down suggestions that Barbados should move away from tourism in favour of establishing an offshore oil-sector. He stressed that there are oil-rich countries which are now looking to get involved in tourism as well and as such, Barbados
should hold on to what works for the country. “We are of the view Barbados is a services-based economy and that will continue to be the case,” Sealy said. “The proceeds that come from this (offshore oil) sector have to be plugged into…the renewables that naturally have an extended life. The resources from the hydrocarbons are finite and therefore we have to think of this sector with the long view,” he stated. “That thinking is not entirely original. Countries with far greater resources, countries with billions of barrels in known reserves, that are producing millions of barrels of oil, they are thinking of life beyond oil. They are looking to get into services, including tourism services. Some of
them are trying to learn from Barbados, believe it or not. Oil rich countries are thinking about life after oil and here it is, we have potentially some reserves and we are talking about getting out of what we do best. No!,” he further commented. “We think that we have to remain a services based economy and this in essence has to be seen as an opportunity to give a fill-up to what we are doing and that’s why it needs to be developed so responsibly,” the Tourism Minister added. He meanwhile stressed that there is a clear vision on the part of government with respect to going green and being environmentally sensitive in generating our energy needs, noting that the vision is to be completely renewable in a half century.
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Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
He met and talked with fools and clowns like himself There is a PPP stalwart that has served in very important state positions for twenty-three consecutive years since the PPP won the 1992 elections until it lost the 2015 poll. This man was a top, trusted mandarin in the PPP government for the twentythree years it ruled Guyana. He wrote in a published letter recently that he went to the US, and met Guyanese who wouldn’t mind coming back, but they have trepidation about the return of authoritarian rule. And guess what period they are referring to – only that time when the PNC was in power – 1964 - 1992. It means that they treat the 23 years of PPP’s hegemony as democratic. This is the second time I have seen a statement like this that is a shameless denial of one of the most controversial periods in the life of this country. I first read words to that effect from the prominent Hindu priest, Aksharananda. What bothers me is that the two parties in power let these sickening distortions flow in the media without an in-depth, factual, analytical rebuttal. Two reasons explain this. Those who can devastate the nonsense and danger
peddled by Aksharananda and this PPP stalwart (I will not name him; the message not the messenger, I’m dealing with) are too busy in their state jobs and cannot find the time. Someone like Aubrey Norton could easily pen a penetrating dismissal of this man’s alternative facts. The other reason is maybe they think that such people are clowns who do not deserve a polemical mention. People read the letter pages and historians need to eliminate every instance of nasty propaganda by the fallen PPP mandarins. Comparing the Jagdeo regime with the Hoyte era is like matching up a village cricketer with Chris Gayle. Hoyte had his political superficialities about him. He was not strong on Guyana’s sociology and the contours of our history, but Hoyte developed values when he became President that both Jagdeo and Ramotar could never and will never match. Desmond Hoyte was a decent leader who was prepared to discipline his subordinates for moral, legal and political lapses. There is no doubt in my mind that Forbes Burnham
was an oligarchic leader with little tolerance for opposition to his rule. But he had redemptive qualities, one of which was nationalism that was directed to the elevation of the lower income classes. Forbes Burnham would never have tolerated his friend, a businessman, descending onto a work site and instructing his contractors to detain and harass NIS inspectors. One of Jagdeo’s friends did that, and it was only media pressure that caused the police to charge him. God knows what became of that case. Forbes Burnham was too cultivated to allow accusations of domestic abuse to be made against him, the type President Jagdeo’s commonlaw wife leveled against Jagdeo when he was the sitting president. But I return to this fool of a man who had the temerity to write that the people he met in the US want to see the government initiate constitutional reform that would lead to democratic and inclusionary governance. Are there such idiots in the US with such imbecilic mentalities? If there are, then they surely should be targets for Trump. What happened to constitutional reform and
democratic and inclusionary governance during the 23 years when this man and his party ran amok over Guyana? Aren’t those Guyanese that he met, and who want to come back home, concerned about the NIS pension funds - some ten billion (not millions but billions) - that Jagdeo threw away in wasteful ventures? In 2013, NIS paid out more money than it received due to depleted reserves. Aren’t they concerned about the largest investment in Guyanese history that flopped under the PPP – the Skeldon factory that cost 200 million American dollars?
Where were these people living during the reign of Jagdeo and Ramotar – August 1999 – April 2015? This PPP stalwart writes that he spoke to Guyanese who are fearful of the return of bad rule in Guyana. Well, what kind of rule did we have when journalists were attacked and brutalized? A young mother was charged for treason on non-existent evidence. Private newspapers were selected for vindictive treatment. Of course there is the other side of the coin. Party supporters, without any visible income, were given state
Frederick Kissoon jobs and ended up having prodigious wealth. One hopes that the charges will follow soon, so these clowns the fool spoke to can get a glimpse of history.
Increasing number of young tobacco users is astonishing - Chronic Diseases Coordinator With an increasing number of tobacco users, especially young people within the education system, there is immense cause for concern. This was the acknowledgement of Chronic Diseases Coordinator within the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Kavita Singh. Dr. Singh was at the time making reference to the revelations of the 2015 Guyana Youth Tobacco Survey [GYTS] which was officially released last week. She pointed out that although the Public Health Ministry has achieved success when it comes to monitoring tobacco use among youths, the numbers that seem to gravitate to the product cannot be taken for granted. “Our figures have astonishingly increased, which is a cause for concern as it relates to youth smokers, because we do know the youth smokers between the ages of 13 and 15 will become our adult smokers and future smokers of the world, and no doubt Guyana,” said Dr. Singh. Based on the findings of the GYTS, which targeted students within public schools, one in every three students had used tobacco products at some point. Of these, almost one in every six currently uses tobacco products; one in every nine was a current smoker of tobacco products with boys using twice as often as girls, and one in every 12 being a current cigarette smoker, with boys smoking three times more than girls. According to Dr. Singh, here in Guyana, chronic noncommunicable diseases [NCDs] account for 68 percent of Guyana’s premature mortality - that is, death before the age of 70. In fact the public health sector had long linked tobacco use to NCDs. “So it is indeed clear that
Chronic Diseases Coordinator, Dr. Kavita Singh tobacco smoking is a problem for us. It is one of the crosscutting risk factors that is related to the onset of non-communicable diseases, not only in Guyana, but worldwide,” Dr. Singh asserted. It has been made clear too that while tobacco, which is a plant grown for its leaves, is contained in cigarettes, there are other forms in which it can be used. According to a report published by the National Institute for Drug Abuse [NIDA] in Maryland, United States, “People can smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco. Smoked tobacco products include [regular] cigarettes, cigars, bidis [small, thin handroll cigarettes], and kreteks [cigarettes made with a blend of tobacco, cloves and other flavours]. Some people also smoke loose tobacco in a pipe or hookah [water pipe].” It was pointed out that the tobacco leaf is first dried and fermented before being put into tobacco products. However, it is the nicotine contained in tobacco that causes people to become addicted, thereby increasingly putting them, and others exposed to its smoke, at various health risks. According to NIDA, apart
from the addictive nature of the nicotine in tobacco, most of the severe health effects of tobacco use come from other chemicals. As such, tobacco smoking can lead to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis [one type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], and emphysema [a lung condition that causes shortness of breath]. It is also known to increase the risk of heart disease, which can lead to stroke or heart attack. Tobacco smoke has also been linked to leukemia, other cancers, cataracts, and pneumonia. “All of these risks apply to use of any smoked product, including hookah tobacco. Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancer, especially mouth cancers,” NIDA has outlined. It was further pointed out by NIDA that the nicotine in any tobacco product readily absorbs into the blood when a person uses it. Upon entering the blood, nicotine immediately stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormone epinephrine [adrenaline]. Added to this, NIDA has revealed that “Epinephrine stimulates the central nervous system and increases blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate. As with drugs such as cocaine and heroin, nicotine increases levels of the chemical messenger dopamine which affects parts of the brain that controls reward and pleasure. Studies suggest that other chemicals in tobacco smoke, such as acetaldehyde, may enhance nicotine’s effects on the brain.” The GYTS, which is engineered by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was first introduced to countries of the world in 1999. Its main aim, according to Dr. Singh, is to (Continued on page 12)
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Taxi driver allegedly found with shotgun, ganja near robbery scene remanded The seized shotgun
The taxi driver who was reportedly held in the vicinity of a robbery committed on a Corentyne couple at Number 73 village Corentyne last Saturday has been remanded to jail on three charges. Rabindra Kumar, 27, a taxi driver of Number 72 village, Corentyne, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. The court heard that on Saturday 5th August at his 72 Village, home, Corentyne, he had in his possession one 12 gauge pump action shot gun and two live rounds. He is also charged with being in possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking - 15 grams of cannabis was allegedly found at his home, and possession of narcotics -11 grams which was found on his person when he was nabbed in his car. According to information, Vidya Gopaul, 26, her husband Satesh Ramrattan,
27, and their four year old son had retired to bed around 22:30 hrs. The woman shortly after heard a loud noise and voices, and awoke her husband. The husband jumped off their bed and switched on the lights, it was then that they realized bandits had entered their home. The pregnant woman bolted the bedroom door. The men began banging on the door when Ramrattan, his wife and son jumped from their bedroom window and landed on a neighbour’s shed. By then some of the men had managed to enter the room and fired two shots as the trio ran to safety. They managed to run to Gopaul’s mother’s house, located two lots away from theirs and immediately contacted the police. The men reportedly ransacked the family’s home in their absence, in search of valuables, and ate and drank during the time spent at the house. They managed to escape with an estimated $1.2
Million in jewellery, US $1000 in cash, a tablet and a cellphone. Gopaul was taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital for a medical examination. The couple’s son sustained minor scratches. The police had come upon a vehicle with the driver (Kumar) inside, which was parked within close proximity of the crime scene. When questioned, he had told the cops that he was waiting to collect “tall man”. However, he could not give an account of where “Tall man” lives or a number for the man. He told investigators that he was called from a blocked number. When searched, the cops unearthed 11 grams of cannabis. The police had further conducted searches at his home and found the shot gun and the 15 grams of marijuana. He was remanded to jail until August 27. Five persons remain in custody as investigations continue.
The seized ganja
opened in his presence and several parcels wrapped in transparent plastic were found in both bags. Romalho, who was in the vicinity, was arrested, and the two taken into custody. At the station, the green salt bag which had 10 parcels was tested and weighed and the contents, confirmed to be
Agreement with ExxonMobil…
“Matters not if Guyana secured a good or bad deal, we got a deal…time to move on” - Minister Jordan
Berbice teen, female accomplice remanded on ganja trafficking charge A male teenager and a young lady who were reportedly nabbed with 11 kilos of marijuana were yesterday remanded to jail by Magistrate Charlyn Artiga when they appeared before her at the Whim Magistrate’s Court on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking. The two are Roydell Williams, 18, and Rushanna Romalho, 23, both of No 51 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. According to reports, about 19:00 hrs on Saturday August 5th, a party of policemen went to Lot 100 # 51 Village where they saw two males – one fetching a bulky black plastic bag and the other, a green salt bag. The men at the time were traversing the back of the yard, which is well fenced. Upon seeing the police, the man who was fetching the black bulky plastic bag, loosed the bag and ran away. The police gave chase, but were unable to apprehend him. Williams was not that successful, as his efforts to escape were thwarted by the cops who pursued and arrested him. The two bags were retrieved by the ranks and
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Kaieteur News
marijuana, amounted to 6 kilograms. The black plastic bag which contained 12 parcels was also tested and weighed and the contents amounted to 5 kilograms - a total of 11 kilograms. Bail was refused and the duo will have to return to the No 51 Magistrate’s Court on August 23..
By Abena RockcliffeCampbell Finance Minister, Winston Jordan wants Guyana to start looking ahead. He said that it makes no sense continuing to waste time lamenting on whether or not Guyana may have received a good or bad deal. The Minister said that what is now important is for Guyanese to look to the future with hope for development. Jordan hosted a press conference yesterday at his Main Street Office. At that forum, he was asked if he was happy with the deal Guyana has secured with oil giant ExxonMobil. Jordan refused to answer the question in the simple negative or affirmative. He took a different route. The Minister told reporters, “It is not for me to be happy or unhappy.” Jordan said that once Cabinet approves a document, all members have a collective responsibility. “If you do not like something (a Cabinet decision) and you are passionate about it, you have the option to resign. It (the agreement) has been discussed, received and approved by Cabinet. We have gone beyond that.” The Finance Minister took the opportunity to note that there have been tremendous attempts at oil exploration in Guyana. He even referred to a time in Guyana’s history when oil was reportedly found in Takutu. The Minister said that the announcement back then about an oil find sparked much celebration. However, a few days later there was another announcement that the oil found was not commercially viable. Further, Jordan sought to point out that ExxonMobil had no easy task in accessing Guyana’s oil. The Minister noted that “the depth of water that ExxonMobil is currently drilling in is unheard of. So they had to have specific types of technology not known to too many”. Jordan also made note of the level of financing that has to be available to ExxonMobil for it to carry out drilling of that magnitude. “And, I believe the further out they go will be more depth which will require even more technology.” Jordan said that the deepest ExxonMobil ever
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan drilled before is said to be in the Gulf of Mexico and that is nothing in comparison to the depth at which it has gone offshore Guyana. Jordan went on to state that APNU+AFC did not have full control over what kind of deal Guyana secured. He said that the current government did not renegotiate the contract. “ Wi t h a l l t h i s i s s u e about good deal and so on, you are making an assumption that we renegotiated the contract. That contract was already in place, we inherited that contract,” said Jordan. The Minister summed up his discussion on the matter by saying it is time Guyanese look to the future and hope for the best. He said, “We can talk till cow come home but in going forward, we can say that discoveries not covered by this contract we have a basis to drive a harder bargain and negotiate for more. But when people are going to go (that length) it’s a risk and private people look for reward.” Minister Jordan gave an analogy of the situation at hand. He said that someone can choose to stand up in a gambling den and look on all night. However, Jordan said that at the end of the
night that person will be no richer or poorer. “But if I go with the big boys or girls and put my millions, at the end of the night I can be x millions poorer or y millions richer, it is about the risk.” The Minister continued, “When you put all together it is not whether we got a good deal or bad deal or whatever… we got a deal.” Using another gambling metaphor, Jordan said that “hindsight will always be 20/20, but at the time you are making a deal it depends on what cards you hold and what the other person holds. If you think you have the best hand, then you can drive the bargain. At the time when this deal was put together by the last government you have to ask what cards did we hold? Did we know anything was under there? Jordan said that while the deal has already been made, Guyana still has a chance to experience real growth. He said, “We can discuss this over and over, but I believe the positive that you can take away is that we now have resources coming to Guyana that can finally put Guyana on the path to sustained high end development where two percent and three can become things of the past.” The Minister noted, “It depends on how well we use these resources.”
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
Technical education has key Peacemaker fatally stabbed at BBQ place in nation building – Educator The introduction of multilateral schools several years ago was a deliberate move aimed at ensuring that students at the secondary level had an opportunity to pursue technical education alongside academic subjects. In fact, it was intended to encourage students to pursue technical education. Recounting the move in this regard recently was former technical educator within the public education system, Mr. Andy Moore. According to Moore, who was specifically trained to cater to students of multilateral schools, “the idea of the multilateral school has failed and it failed because people did not understand the correlation between technical education and nation building.” But when the purpose of multilateral schools is taken into consideration today, Moore said that “the state of technical education now is less than it was before.” He however noted, “I daresay, women were always doing very well in welding and machining and such things.” Moreover, Moore emphasised that the notion of the multilateral school system was designed to be of benefit to both males and females. He pointed out that “it is from such humble beginnings we have the engineers and the designers who make drones and everything like that.” According to Moore, from all indications too many people are not paying close attention to technical education these days. He is however convinced that First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, understands the dilemma all too well.
Recognising Mrs. Granger as the patron of the robotics team that recently travelled abroad and helped to give Guyana some positive exposure, Moore noted that she has taken note of the fact that “people in Mabaruma or people in Region Seven, for instance, don’t have anything to do technically...if they want to have an engine repaired, they have to bring it down to Georgetown. She has recognised this and maybe she should ask the technical and vocational people ‘where are the teachers?’” It is Moore’s informed view that when a youth reaches the age of 18, that youth should be in a position to apply for any job or be able to advance his or her education in just about any field. But this is not the situation that obtains. “There is no place in the education system that I know of that a youth can get the sufficient number of technical subjects at the Caribbean Examinations Council level to start out on a job in technology,” Moore observed. He moreover lamented that “We still have a tradition where we are sending them [youths] to technical schools until they are 17 and that is too late.” “At 17 they must be ready and I have seen this operate in the United States. I got one of my certificates from an area vocational schools [in the United States] and this is where the high school students would go during the day, and in the night people who want to get further certificates would go there too. We don’t have facilities like that, but we need those,” stressed Moore. In fact it is
the view of the technical expert that “we don’t have any area vocational schools really...We have a school like the Kingston Industrial Centre where the students would go and classes would take place.” According to Moore, the technical level schools that currently exist in Guyana have similar agendas that usually cater to students after they would have existed the regular school setting. But Moore admitted, “for all practical purposes these schools are trying.” This is in light of the fact that the first technical institute at Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, was built 70 years ago. With this in mind, Moore noted that “just on the bear surface of being built 70 years ago, you cannot say that it is a good a school as it is supposed to be today; it is out of date...the [notion of the] technical institute has not evolved.” Moore, who was some years ago tasked with conducting an assessment of the facility [the Government Technical Institute] said, “The fact that technical institution stands 10 feet from the road to date speaks volume.” “I had to study how the technical school was built and I was alarmed that they’d put a forge [a type of hearth used for heating metals] under the library,” said Moore as he disappointedly noted that there is need for technical education to move forward. He amplified, “what we need now is a technical college and we need the technical school system to feed that college in much the say way that the high schools are feeding the University of Guyana.”
The area where Sylvan Stoll was stabbed A 50-year-old electrician was killed early yesterday when he intervened in an argument between two men during a barbeque at the Number 42 Village Community Centre ground, West Coast Berbice. The incident happened around 00:40 hrs. The deceased has been identified as Sylvan Stoll of Plot B Herstelling, East Bank Demerara. He was stabbed to the left side of his neck and
was later pronounced dead at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital. The 32-year-old suspect, who has been identified as an Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara resident, has been arrested. According to information received, the suspect and Stoll along with a group of friends travelled to Number 42 Village in a mini bus to attend the barbeque. Reports are that the sus-
pect and one of the men who travelled to the location with them had an argument during which he picked up a knife and threatened the individual. Stoll reportedly intervened and he was stabbed. The suspect was arrested at the scene. Prior to the men attending the barbeque, they were at a horse racing event. Investigations are ongoing.
Increasing number of young... From page 10 monitor tobacco policies and control measures as it relates to youth smokers around the world. Guyana, through its Ministries of Health and Education, has thus far undertaken four rounds of the sur-
vey [2000, 2004, 2010 and 2015] and it is anticipated that this process will continue to ascertain to what degree measures must be implemented to help reduce the daunting impact of tobacco use. Speaking of the troubling use of tobacco among youths recently, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, considered that “many of our students at the schools are unaware of the dangers of tobacco and
have been using it as early as seven years old.’ Even as she stressed that there is a great deal of work to be done to address this dilemma, Minister Cummings assured, “we will be looking back at our Health Promotion Strategy...we will be working with the Ministry of Education so that we can, through the Health and Family Life Education programme, let our students know of the dangers of tobacco use.”
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535.
WANTED Cosmetologist: all rounded, experienced, further training provided. Call: 647-1773 1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com Live in waitress to work in bar. Call: 604-6606/ 6924649
INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
Experienced waiters. Apply at Hack’s Halaal with handwritten application, 5 Commerce Street (Day Shift only)
Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966
Immediate vacancy exist for one checker to work @ Meadowbank Ice Factory, good handwriting. Call: 2311408/ 642-9191 (8am-1pm)
Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045
1 Maid for East Bank area; 3 days per week, must know to cook. Call: 614-4358
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158
Live in couple: duties husband (driving & mechanical skills), wife: (domestic), good rates and private cottage. Call: 2271830 1 Experienced person to work at Superbet outlet. Apply at August Beverages Enterprise. Call:225-5501
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. -CosmetologyCourses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Plumber for Jacuzzi, tiler, painter, carpenter for wooden steps, mason. Call: 625-3705 Tree Fellers and sawmen to work at Interior location. Call: 218-3399/ 656-8754
VACANCY
FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
LAND FOR SALE
One data entry clerk, must be computer literate & have passes @ CXC Maths & English. Apply PO BOX12118
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
2012 Nissan Bluebird: reverse camera, low mileage, unregistered. New model Allion coming -$3.3M negotiable. Call: 655-3400
26 Happy Acres, East Coast, 5,830sq (53X110), 25 Million, negotiable. Call: 614-4358
1 Counter clerk, must have a decent handwriting & passes in Maths & English. Send handwritten application to PO BOX 12118 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15-4:15pm Female & Male fish cleaners @ Shakoor ’s Seafood, Eccles. Call: 233-2546 2 Salesgirls preferably from East Bank, 1 Farm worker. Call: 265-3586 One experienced salesman, apply with written application & recommendation, also one general domestic. Apply @ Keyfood, McDoom Village.
New Housing Developments @ Blankenburg & Schoonord, Houses and lots available. Cash or terms. Contact # 650-0402/ 603-1402 Lawn grass - $1,400, potting soil -$800, Ficus, Exora, Purple Heathers – 4 for $1,000, Palms @ $1,000. Call: 626-1044 One LT 15 wood mizer sawmill with Perkins generator. Contact: 689-5059 5 lots in Blankenburg, back of the gas station @$2.9 M each. Contact: 650-0402\603-1402 Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231
Electrical Technician to work in Georgetown. Call: 6232277
1 - Mitsubishi Fuso 7 1/2 ton Canter, year :2007 - $ 4 M. Contact: 650-0402/ 603-1402
One Cleaner. Contact223-5273/74
House & land. Just Arrive! Tundra, Tucoma & Titan parts. Call: 674-8911
One Supervisor / Manager to work in Charity contact 2235273/74 One Cook contact 223-5273/74 Cook -apply to manager @ Herdmanston Lodge, 65 Peter Rose & Anira Streets, Queenstown G/Town, Guyana. Tel: 225-0808
Two (2) Caterpillar 324DL Excavators. In good working condition. Call: 600-3304, 600-3306/7/8
DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:656-0087,6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj Building- Call: 644-5166; 6222872; 615-0964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OFACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Registration commenced for I.A.E Secondary school, forms 15, termly fee -$30,000. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 First Aid/CPR Courses available at St. John Ambulance Brigade for morning and evening classes. Call: 225-9082
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494
Fully furnished apartment $95,000-$140,000. Call: 644-5151
AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL: PICKUP,9-11SEATMINIBUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILYOUTINGS,CHEAPEST RATE.Call:698-7807
Fully furnished one bedroom apartment (refrigerator, microwave, queen size bed, television, cable, WiFi and air conditioner, etc). Call: 612-1351
CK2 Lancer – 134,000km $740,000 negotiable. Call: 613-5645 One Leyland DAF55, dump truck. Call: 621-4740 Tacoma V6. 2011 automatic, 4WD, cover to back tray, excellent condition. Phone. 694-2197 One pit bull minibus, BTT series, in excellent working condition, with alarm, price – $1.8M negotiable. Call: 6259204/691-8272 Nissan X-Trail 2012 (silver), fully powered, TV, Nav, CD, BMW320i 2012 (black) fully loaded, never registered. Call: 642-1137 (2) 2010 Vitz - $85,000 each, 2010 Suzuki swift & Nissan March - $85,000 each (all unregistered & duties to pay). Call: 649-7771/699-7155
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported Property @ Grove - $16M, negotiable.Tel: 625-5461.
CAR RENTAL
One 2006 Vitz -$1.350M Negotiable –Call: 639-1997
Property @ 180 Charlotte Street Bourda, 1 building in front & 2 storey house at the back, L 120X B 30- $50M negotiable. Call: 624-7341/ 227-6817/226-5183 House/land at Durban Street, 3rd house between Victor/John 73X43 -$10.5M Call: 646-9997 Property @ Covent Garden, E.B.D. Call: 265-3586 Property @ Middle & Cummings Street, Georgetown. Call: 667-3332
Property for rent - 2 storey house at republic park, E.B.D. Call 647-1773 3 Bedrooms upstairs with toilet and bath, kitchen @ 16 Station Street Kitty. Call: 2255977/673-1872 1-2 Bedrooms bottom flat spacious apartment @ 5th Avenue Diamond, grilled & secured, concrete fence, parking available -$70,000 monthly. Call: 662-9335/612-3244 Prime business place to rent suitable for offices on Sheriff Street. Call: 6276740/227-8644
TO LET
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
Tuschen Phase 1 -$2.5M, Zeelugt 1st New Scheme$2.5M, La Parfaite Harmonie$1.6M. Call: 642-1252 New Road Vreed-en-Hoop house & land- $50M, $5.5M, La Parfaite Harmonie house & land -$3.5M, Tuschen house & land -$2.7M. Call: 6046724/ 686-9608 La Parfaite Harmonie -$3M, $1.2M, $1.6M, $3.5M, $2.5M, Eccles -$6M, Farm- $4M, Herstelling $3M & $4.5M, Tuschen - $2.5M. Call:6662326 Land to cultivate rice 33.14 Acre, Plantation Betterhope, Essequibo Coast. Call: 667-3322 Back half of land -$12M, Size: length 105ftXwidth 65ft, Well Street Ogle, East Coast Demerara. Call: 625-1514 La Parfaite Harmonie main road (50X100) - $3M, $1.4M, $1.7M, $2.5M, Eccles -$6M, Crane main road -$8.5M. Call: 604-6724/ 686-9608
Caterpillar, Model: D6M, In good working condition. Price: G$10,000,000 negotiable. Call: 600-3304, 600-3306/7/8
Accounts Clerk for Eccles Area, knowledge of VAT, QuickBooks and Payroll. Call: 614-4358 Cashiers, Supervisors, Security personnel @ Survival Supermarket, Sheriff Street. Call: 227-5289
RZ, Pit Bull, 212 Carina, IST, Verossa, Suzuki Vitaera, Premio, Allion, Fielder Wagon, Spacio- Call: 6507501/ 616-2577
Land for sale in Tuschen, Phase 1. Call: 679-1096
Transported property in Regent Street, between Wellington & Camp Street. Call: 667-3322 Lot 22 Dowding Street, Kitty, G/ Town, 100 Granville Park B.V, E.C.D.Call:619-4152or227-1905
WANTED One experienced & honest snackette attendant/salesgirl. Call: 698-4288/226-5793 between 10:00am-6:00pm
FOR SALE One 306 Caterpillar excavator with 700 ours. Contact: 602-4692.
Tuesday August 15, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Chief Magistrate admonishes lawyer for delaying murder PI Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Friday rebuked Attorney-at-Law Melvin Duke for failing to properly notify her of his desire to have an adjournment in a murder preliminary inquiry (PI). The Chief Magistrate was also vocal in highlighting that constant requests for adjournments by lawyers are causing delays in dispensing justice. Duke is representing 22year-old Shelton George of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, who is accused of killing Debra Blackman. The woman was shot and killed on April 23, 2014, when bandits stormed the Delicious Chinese Restaurant on D’Urban Street, Wortmanville. The matter was scheduled to continue last Friday with closing arguments from Duke and Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, who closed the case for the State on August 4. However, the Chief Magistrate was forced to adjourn the matter until September 1, due to the absence of Duke, who failed to extend courtesy by sending a letter to the Magistrate informing her that he would be away on “business.” In fact, the matter, which
was slated for 10:00 am, started some 45 minutes after. Prosecutor Mansfield was punctual and ready to proceed with the matter. When the matter was called, George’s mother explained that she had visited Duke’s office and was told that he was away on business and that another Attorney would be sent to make an appearance in the matter. When the Chief Magistrate asked the woman of the whereabouts of the other attorney, she replied “I don’t know” and stated that she does not have a contact number for her. The Chief Magistrate told the woman that the court was not obligated to wait until her son’s lawyer appeared to continue with the matter. Magistrate McLennan also said that she had granted Duke many adjournments. She also pointed out that Duke sent no letter informing her that he would be unable to attend court. Nevertheless, the Chief Magistrate stood down the matter for 15 minutes so as to allow the murder accused’s mother to make contact with an attorney from Duke’s office.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan
MURDERED: Debra Blackman
MURDER ACCUSED: Shelton George
When the matter was called again, Attorney-at-Law Satish Kissoon informed the court that Duke was requesting that the matter be adjourned until the first week in September. It appeared as though the Chief Magistrate was not pleased with this since she reiterated that these sorts of attitudes by lawyers were causing delays in matters. Kissoon, however, extended an apology to the court on behalf of his colleague. In the end, an adjournment until September 1 was granted by the Chief Magistrate, who made it clear that
she will proceed with the PI whether or not Duke is there. Recently, President David Granger at the opening of the Upper Demerara Magisterial District noted that Magistrates’ Courts are expected to dispense justice to citizens in a fair and swift manner in accordance with Article 144 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana, which states: “If any person is charged with a criminal offence then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hear-
ing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law.” Blackman, 48, of Critchlow Circle, Tucville, Georgetown, was performing duties as a waitress at the Delicious Restaurant on D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown when she was shot dead by an unmasked gunman. The ordeal was captured on Closed Circuit Television. Earlier on in the preliminary inquiry, Police Sergeant Detective Junior Blair was
Alleged serial robber remanded on illegal gun and ammo charge A repeat offender, who was out on bail after being held in connection with a spate of robberies, was yesterday remanded to prison on charges related to an illegal gun and ammunition. Twenty-five-year-old Mervin Blackman, a fish vendor of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The charges stated that on August 8, last, at South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Blackman had in his possession, one 9mm pistol and seven live rounds of 9mm ammunition when he was not the holder of a firearm licence. The defendant denied both charges after they were read to him by the magistrate. Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing that he allegedly committed the offences while he was out on bail on a robbery under-arms charge. The prosecutor also outlined the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charges attracts. Blackman was last year charged along with two other individuals for allegedly robbing Shane Rahamid, Supervisor at Wild Caught Fresh Fish Depot at gunpoint. They are accused of robbing Rahamid of $60,000, a
Remanded: Mervin Blackman quantity of fish valued $1.5 million – all property of Leonard Jettoo on December 2 last, at Meadowbank. It was also alleged that on August 15 last, at Georgetown, with intent to commit murder or cause grievous bodily harm, Blackman discharged a loaded firearm at Carl Welshman. It was further alleged that on August 15 last, whilst in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Carl Welshman of a cell phone valued $50,000 and other items—all totalling $175,000. Further, it is alleged that on November 24 last, at Georgetown while in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Danny
Singh of $45,000 cash and other items – all worth $50,000. Blackman is also accused of having a Glock 17 semi automatic pistol and eight live rounds of 9mm ammunition in his possession on December 2 last, when he was not the holder of a firearm licence. Additionally, Blackman was charged with three counts of robbery underarms. It is alleged that on October 1 last, at Georgetown, being together with others and armed with a gun, they robbed Bramanand Chetram of $500,000 among other items all worth $3,019,000 - property of Bibi Shaffaur. It is also alleged that on the same day, he robbed Parmanand Chetram of a cellular phone and other items all totalling $14,000 - while in the company of others and armed with a gun. And finally, on the same day at Georgetown, armed with a gun and together in the company of others, he robbed Parmanand Chetram of a cellular phone and other items all carrying a value of $110,000 – property of Bramanand Chetram. The prosecutor’s objection was upheld by the magistrate and the defendant was remanded to prison. He will make his next court appearance on August 28.
called to testify. Sergeant Blair is attached to the Forensic Video Analysis Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown. Some of his responsibilities include the extraction and analysing videos from Digital Video Recorder and cell phones. Shelton George is also charged with attempted murder over shooting former Magistrate Fazil Azeez on April 25, 2015 at Eccles, East Bank Demerara. According to reports, Azeez was shot during a robbery by a man who fled leaving a bag of money behind. Reports indicated that the shooter went to a construction site where Azeez was building a house, under the pretext that he was looking for a job. The shooter reportedly approached Azeez to inquire about work, during which time he shot him. George has been confined to a wheelchair for the past few years as a result of a gunshot wound he received to the back while in Suriname.
Rupununi youths participate in first... From page 18 Patterson said that the main focus of the Ministry is “to nurture individual and community relationships as we work towards the goal of creating a unified Guyana”. She said that when the Strategic Plan for Promoting and Enhancing Social Cohesion was being developed, consultations were held throughout Guyana in all 10 administrative re-
gions, three of which were held in Region Nine. “It is that consultative process that informed us and the Ministry of Social Cohesion of the actions that are required to promote and enhance social cohesion in our country. That process has informed us that while the government of Guyana is eager to work towards providing an enabling environment for social cohe-
sion, activities of this nature are some of the ways that social cohesion can be promoted.” Also addressing the youths was Regional Chairman of Region Nine, Brian Allicock. He told the youths that they are ambassadors of their various villages and must take back to their communities what they would have learnt over the five days.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Indonesia graft witness worried about safety before death JAKARTA (Reuters) - A witness in a $170 million Indonesian graft investigation
linked to a national electronic identity card system told a witness protection agency he
was worried about his safety just weeks before his suspected suicide, officials said.
Johannes Marliem, 32, whose U.S.-based company had a contract to supply the ID cards, was pronounced dead on Thursday of a selfinflicted gunshot wound to the head after a standoff with police in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Earlier that week, on Tuesday, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation officers executed a federal search warrant at the same residence, said FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller, declining to give further details. Last month, Marliem, had been in contact with Indonesia’s Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) on several occasions and also told media he had evidence in the form of digital recordings of his dealings with Indonesian politicians implicated in the scandal. “He said he was rather scared because he had 500 gigabytes of evidence,” LPSK deputy chairman Hasto Atmojo Suroyo told Reuters. Marliem was offered protection by authorities in late July but had not formally applied for it, Suroyo added.
“He asked for clarification on how to apply,” he said. “But then he suddenly died.” Marliem’s company, PT Biomorf Lone Indonesia, won the tender to supply automated fingerprint identification technology in a case that dates back to 2009, and centers on allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million - money generated by marking up the costs of the ID card program - were divided up in a room in parliament. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has already named the parliamentary speaker, Setya Novanto, as a suspect in the investigation into the ID card scandal and is targeting at least 37 people including politicians and officials. Novanto has denied any wrongdoing over the scandal in which 2.31 trillion rupiah ($173.07 million) is alleged to have been stolen. Another LPSK official, deputy chairwoman Lili Pantauli Siregar, said if the agency had received the application it could have taken immediate action to assist him.
Instead, she said, Marliem had sent her a link to a fundraising page, requesting $5 million in donations. “I understood with this he was looking for donations to live,” she added. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the page that included a section stating that to reveal more information “the whistleblower needs protection, and other resources to stay alive”. According to a KPK indictment, Marliem made sums of $14.88 million and 25.24 billion rupiah from the project. According to media reports, Marliem had been interviewed by KPK investigators overseas. Siregar did not specify what nationality he held but said he would have been given protection whether he was an Indonesian citizen or not. Ed Winter, assistant chief of investigations at the LA County coroner’s office, said that Marliem’s death had been ruled a suicide. Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Liliana Preciado said that Los Angeles SWAT officers had responded on late Wednesday afternoon to the
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Maduro orders Venezuela military drill after Trump threat
This handout picture released by the Venezuelan presidency shows President Nicolas Maduro addressing a rally against US President Donald Trump in Caracas on Monday. Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on M o n d a y o r d e r e d h i s armed forces to carry out a national exercise next week in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of possible military action. “I have given the order to the armed forces’ joint chiefs of staff to start preparations for a national civilmilitary exercise for the integrated armed defense of the Venezuelan nation,” he told thousands of supporters in a Caracas rally. The drill will take place August 26 and 27, he said. Maduro’s government has seized on Trump’s warning last Friday that he was looking at a range of scenarios against Venezuela,
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
“including a possible military option if necessary.” Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino called it “crazy,” saying it showed America had “dropped its mask” in terms of wanting to attack his country. The Maduro administration says Trump’s words bolster its oft-repeated claim that Washington has designs to grab control of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves, the largest in the world. The threat, made in response to Venezuela’s deepening economic crisis and Maduro’s moves toward what the US labels a “dictatorship,” has been rebuffed by all Latin America — even countries opposed to Ven-
ezuela. The US Defense Department said it had received no orders from Trump to ready any sort of military action against Venezuela. US Vice President Mike Pence, who is touring allies in Latin America to marshall joint action against Caracas, said Trump’s warning stood — but he hoped a “peaceable solution” would be found. - ‘Yankee go home!’ The Caracas rally stretching in front of Maduro took up the president’s exhortations against the United States with cries of “Yankee go home!” The leftist leader vowed to “defend the country with tanks, planes, missiles.”
JPS invests US$3.4m to upgrade power delivery system Jamaica (Observer– The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) will spend US$3.4 million this year to upgrade its power delivery system, in order to improve the quality of service experienced by customers. The company said the upgrade includes the installation of new infrastructure on the power grid, which will result in more reliable supply. “One element of the system upgrade project involves the standardisation of the voltage at which power is transmitted from JPS substations,” explained Blaine Jarrett, JPS’ VP Engineering. “By having more of our main power lines transmitting at the same voltage level, we are better able to transfer loads if there is a problem on one power line. This will provide several benefits for customers, including a reduction in the number and duration of power outages,” he said. Jarrett further indicated that the system upgrade will support JPS’ Smart Grid vi-
sion. “It incorporates the rollout of technology that supports greater automation on the grid. For example, the project will maximise the benefits of Distribution Automation switches, which are now being installed. These switches facilitate automatic fault isolation and supply restoration, and enhance our troubleshooting capabilities. This will reduce the need for extensive manual checking and switching of lines, and allow us to respond more quickly to problems on the system,” he said. JPS customers in St Andrew, Trelawny and St Ann will be among the first to benefit from the phased rollout of the system upgrade. Since late 2016 JPS crews have been working on the main power lines connected to the Duncans and Martha Brae substations in Trelawny; the Roaring River substation in St Ann; and the Hope substation in St Andrew.
The St Andrew project, which was also started in 2016, is now advanced and a major section is now set to be completed on Tuesday, August 15, JPS said. The completion will involve extensive work on the main and lateral lines to fully integrate the upgraded feeders. As a result, JPS will need to suspend supply to customers in several communities between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. The communities that will be affected include: Gordon Town, Dublin, Mavis Bank, Content Gap, Salt Hill, Mount Lebanon, St Peters, Flamstead, Lime Tree, Tower Hill, Mount Charles, Robertsfield, Westphalia, Resource, Davis Hill, and surrounding areas. “We want to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding, as we upgrade our systems to provide better service. We are committed to ensuring that the system upgrade is completed as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” promised Jarrett.
‘Terrorists likely to carry out attacks in T&T’ Trinidad (Express)Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on Friday updated its travel advisory on Trinidad and Tobago. The advice went from “There is a general threat from terrorism” in T&T to “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Trinidad
& Tobago.” Acting Prime Minister and acting Head of the National Security Council Colm Imbert remained unresponsive to emails, calls and text messages on the topic yesterday. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was in Barbados on a private trip for the weekend. In full, the UK government’s updated verbatim advice is now: “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Trinidad & Tobago. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Although there have been no recent attacks in Trinidad and Tobago, more than 100 Trinidad and Tobago nationals have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight along with Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) and are likely to pose a security threat on return. “There’s also a threat
from individuals who may have been inspired by terrorist groups, including Daesh and al Qaeda, to carry out socalled ‘lone actor’ attacks targeting public events or places. On January 30, 2017, the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that it works closely with international partners especially the United States, Britain and Canada - in strategic areas such as intelligence and information sharing on people who are found to be associated with any terrorist group, whether locally or internationally. “There’s a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time. Find out more about the global threat from terrorism, how to minimise your risk and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.”
Tuesday August 15, 2017
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200-plus killed as Sierra Leone Former Mexican presidential aide mudslide sweeps away homes denies taking bribes from Odebrecht
FREETOWN, (Reuters) A mudslide killed more than 200 people on the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown on Monday, sweeping away homes and leaving residents desperate for news of missing family members. The Red Cross said at least 205 bodies had been taken to the central morgue in Freetown. Police and military personnel were at the scene in the mountain town of Regent searching for people trapped in the debris. Many people living at the foot of Mount Sugar Loaf were asleep when the mountainside collapsed, burying dozens of houses, including two-storey buildings, witnesses said. Standing in the rain, residents sobbed as they mourned family members and waited for news of those missing. Adama Kamara wept as
she described a failed attempt to rescue her 7-week-old child. “We were inside when we heard the mudslide approaching. I attempted to grab my baby but the mud was too fast. She was covered alive,” said Kamara, who escaped with bruises. She said she was not sure what had happened to her husband. A man said he had left early in the morning to buy bread. When he returned, his wife, children, siblings and inlaws were all dead. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered, Red Cross spokesman Abu Bakarr Tarawallie said. Vice President Victor Foh told Reuters at the scene: “It is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble.” He said a number of illegal buildings had been
erected in the area. “The disaster is so serious that I myself feel broken,” he said. “We’re trying to cordon the area. Evacuate the people.” An excavator plowed away at the mountainside and ambulances rushed back and forth to the city center with bodies and wounded, but rescue efforts were hampered by bad roads and the weather, a Reuters witness said. Community chief Fatmata Tarawallie said she had started calling for help at 4 a.m. (0400 GMT) but that it did not come soon enough. “Now our community has sunk,” she said. Mudslides and floods are fairly common during the rainy season in West Africa, where deforestation and poor town planning has put residents at risk.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A close former aide of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, “categorically denied” allegations he received $10 million in bribes from Odebrecht during the 2012 presidential campaign and later when he headed state oil company Pemex. Brazil’s O Globo newspaper at the weekend reported on documents alleging that Pena Nieto’s confidant Emilio Lozoya received bribes from a former Odebrecht executive from 2012 to 2016 in return for a contract at Mexico’s Tula refinery. Citing bank documents, a further report by civil society group Mexicans Against Corruption said payments had been made when Lozoya was a senior official in Pena Nieto’s campaign. The allegations linked Lozoya to the $10.5 million in bribes scandal-plagued Brazilian builder Odebrecht has admitted to paying in Mexico. Corruption scandals have dogged Pena Nieto’s government, playing into the hands of leftist opposition candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is preparing a third run for office next year on an anti-graft ticket. Among Lopez Obrador’s policy proposals is a close revision of energy contracts signed under Pena Nieto, who opened up Mexico’s oil industry to private investment, a structural overhaul seen as
Emilio Lozoya
perhaps the president’s biggest achievement. Lozoya, who resigned as Pemex chief in 2016, posted on Twitter late on Sunday that he had never participated in corrupt practices, calling the allegations “absolutely false.” “Supposing there were accusations against me by confessed criminals, it is important to mention at least that these people can say anything in exchange for a reduced sentence,” he wrote in a letter appearing on his Twitter account. Asked for comment, the Mexican president’s office referred to a statement by the attorney general’s office, which on Sunday said it had not yet received full information about the case from Brazilian prosecutors. Odebrecht did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Mexican prosecutors said they had interviewed nine former Pemex officials along with 10 other officials linked to three Odebrecht contracts. The statement said Mexico had not accepted a settlement offer by Odebrecht, and would not accept any deal based on limiting punishment to those found to be involved. Since settling in the United States, Brazil and Switzerland for a record $3.5 billion, Odebrecht has sought to negotiate leniency deals that would allow it to keep operating in other countries across Latin America. Odebrecht admitted in the settlement with U.S. and Brazilian prosecutors to paying bribes across 12 countries to win contracts, including in Mexico.
California to sue Trump Car plows into pizzeria near Paris, killing administration over sanctuary policy 12-year-old girl
(Reuters) - A car plowed into the outdoor terrace of a pizzeria in the small town of Sept-Sorts east of Paris on Monday, killing a 12-year-old girl and seriously injuring several other people. The driver deliberately targeted the diners, said a local prosecutor who announced he was ruling out terrorism and opening a murder investigation. “There is no doubt that
he voluntarily decided to create what happened,” prosecutor Eric de Valroger told reporters at the scene of the incident. No weapon was found in the vehicle, the prosecutor added. Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told Reuters the driver was a “depressive” aged 32 and described him as an unstable character.
The incident occurred on a warm summer’s evening on the eve of a national holiday and witnesses said the outdoor eating area was busy. A photograph published on social media showed a gray BMW car surrounded by upturned tables in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the image. Brandet said five victims were being treated in hospital for life-threatening injuries. Eight others suffered minor injuries and seven were treated for shock. “Everyone on the terrace was hit,” one witness told BFM TV. A police source said the driver lived in a neighboring village to Sept-Sorts, about 41 km (25.6 miles) to the east of Paris, and had tried to commit suicide on Sunday.
California to sue Trump administration over sanctuary policy
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California plans to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice over federal restrictions on some law enforcement grants to so-called sanctuary cities, a spokesperson for California’s attorney general office said on Monday. The city of San Francisco filed its own lawsuit against the department late last week, saying the federal government has improperly sought to force local jurisdictions to enforce national immigration law by imposing funding
conditions. President Donald Trump issued a broad executive order in January targeting wide swaths of federal funding for cities that generally offer illegal immigrants safe harbor by declining to use municipal resources to enforce federal immigration laws. However, a San Francisco judge drastically limited the scope of that policy. The Justice Department has sought to impose conditions on a national grant for local law enforcement that mandates access to local jails
for federal immigration officials, as well as 48 hours notice before releasing anyone wanted for immigration violations. California’s planned lawsuit challenging those conditions, as well as San Francisco’s case, is similar to a legal challenge filed last week by the city of Chicago. In a statement on Monday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the state, not the federal government, is best suited to determine how best to allocate its law enforcement resources.
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Ivan Persaud’s response leaves... (From page 29) the competition. Proof of residency which may be in the form of a sanctioned letter from swim clubs or the athlete’s attending school must be submitted at the Technical Meeting. 5. “Persaud stated that since he took over the association in 2014, all the financial statements from 20142016 have been audited” a) When were these audits completed? b) Who was the auditor? c) Why have they not been presented to the affiliates of GASA? 6. “Persaud stated that ... monies from the Government which assisted in athletes travelling to St. Lucia were
paid directly to Muneshwar Travel Service and since it did not come through GASA it would not reflect in the financial statements.” a) Is the Chairman of the NSC/President of GASA really saying that full accounting for an event does not include all sources of income? How then does one ensure that several persons do not contribute to the same expense? b) Can Mr. Persaud confirm whether the entire $4M+ was used for airfares or was cash returned to GASA? Further, if cash was returned, how does he justify not having this included
in the statement provided the February 2017 AGM? c) Is the same true of the funding provided by the Guyana Olympic Association and National Sports Commission for the Paraguay 2016 South American Swimming Championships? d) Can GASA forward full event accounts for any local or international event over the past four (4) years? We reiterate our appeal for the Ministry of Education/National Sports Commission to investigate the use of funding provided to GASA. Sincerely, Executive Members Dorado Speed Swim Club
Tuesday August 15, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Shopping could cost more than you bargained for. Be up front if you don't want to be embarrassed. You must be extremely careful not to let relatives or friends interfere in your personal life.
your industry if possible. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Escapist tendencies will result in a poor reputation and a lack of confidence. You can make money if you put your mind to it. Look for something entertaining to do.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You'll stay out of trouble if you pick projects that will benefit the whole family. Be wary of those who have overly strong convictions. Throw yourself into your work.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your personal secrets may be revealed if you let coworkers in on your family dilemmas. Try to get out and socialize. Make sure that all your legal papers are in proper order.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Social functions will bring you in touch with new lovers. You can make changes to your living quarters that should please family members. Use your energy wisely. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may want to sign up for courses that will encourage you to have more confidence in yourself. You need to do something that will make you feel better about yourself. Join a choir or a drama club. You may be considering moving to larger quarters. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You will get upset over trivial matters. You will be able to talk about emotional problems with your partner. You will be tempted to shop till you drop. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Travel may be confusing. Consider the source before you believe what you hear. You should socialize with clients or upper echelons of
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SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Take matters in hand when it comes to dealing with clients or colleagues. Don't avoid your true feelings. Take the time to close deals that have been up in the air. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Don't push your mate away. Exaggeration or deception coupled with overindulgence might be a problem. Not the best day for business trips. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You should be able to make major career gains if you plan your intentions carefully. You will have some wonderful ideas that should bring you extra money. Passion will be your only answer. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Abrupt changes concerning your professional position are evident. Entertain in your home and make aesthetic enhancements that will please those who reside with you. Don't start any arguments unless you're prepared to accept irrevocable results.
Indian pair to play for English counties LONDON (Reuters) - Ravi Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara will play English county cricket this year ahead of India’s tour next summer, India’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said yesterday. Spinner Ashwin, who has
not previously played in England, has been cleared by the BCCI to play for Worcestershire while batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is expected to return to Nottinghamshire. “Cheteshwar Pujara and R
Ashwin will be playing county cricket. Ashwin is part of other formats too, so it is a blessing in disguise for both of them because we will have a full-fledged tour of five Tests in England next year,” Prasad said in Pallekele.
Ruthless India complete 3-0 series sweep... (From page 31) man-of-the-match while opener Shikhar Dhawan, a last minute replacement for Murali Vijay, was named player of the series. Sri Lanka’s highest partnership of 65 came between captain Dinesh Chandimal, who made 36, and former skipper Angelo Mathews (35) while wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella scored a fluent 41. Their hopes of avoiding an innings loss rested on a solid start but Ashwin struck in his first over of the day to jolt the hosts. The off-spinner sent back opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 16 after Sri Lanka had resumed on 19-1. The lefthander was caught by Ajinkya Rahane at slip after getting a thick edge to a turning delivery. Nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara was caught behind off Shami who also dismissed Kusal Mendis for
12 to reduce the hosts to 384. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand between Chandimal and Mathews when he dismissed the former through a bat-pad catch at short leg. Once Mathews was out leg before to Ashwin, India’s win was merely a formality. “Our batting and bowling was below-par through the series,” Chandimal said after his team’s failure to make any
of the tests last full five days. “We have to be more patient and concentrate more.” The sides will now clash in five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 starting on Sunday. Scores: India 487 (Dhawan 119, Pandya 108, Rahul 85, Sandakan 5-132) beat Sri Lanka 135 (Chandimal 48, Kuldeep 4-40) and (f/o) 181 (Dickwella 41, Ashwin 4-68, Shami 3-32) by an innings and 171 runs.
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Lake Mainstay Regatta Continues to propel Tourism Sector in Region Two. Region Two (Pomeroon Supernaam) celebrated its Annual Regatta last Sunday at the illustrious Lake Mainstay Resort. The event which marked i t s 1 7 t h a n n i v e r s a r y, attracted visitors from all walks of life, some from as far as the Caribbean and the other Americas. As the Minister of Social Cohesion, George Norton fittingly said, “There’s no doubt that the Lake Mainstay Resort is here to stay.” There is much more to the Lake Mainstay Regatta than merely racing boats in a circuit. Behind the curtains of both competitiveness and good sportsmanship lays an even more integral feature. For almost two decades, the Lake Mainstay Regatta has been promoting tourism extensively, at the same time boosting the local economy of Region Two. Coordinator of the Regatta event Wilfred Jagnaranie said, “When I came here I saw that Essequibo was starved for entertainment. I saw the need to fulfill that gap, so in 1997 a group of 5 investors including myself, established the Resort. I saw the need and thought it was a way of bringing people together, not just families but people of all cultures and races are here.” Since 2001 the Regatta, events were held once a year in the summer time, a vocational period which accommodates families and overseas Guyanese from all over the world. As the Regatta spirit grows, more of the population injects cash into the economy’s circular flow of income. Mr. Jagnaranie explained, “Transportation as a whole benefits, those in the market spaces vending clothes and food also benefits, some of the hotels have even ran out of accommodation for the weekend.” The Lake Mainstay Resort at the same time employs some 60-70 staff,
70 percent of which are from the Mainstay/ Wayaka Community. Commenting on the Community’s additional economic development, Jagnaranie added, “Of all the Amerindian communities you can see the development in Mainstay, we have electricity, telephone and internet service, water, and even an airstrip.” As Minister Norton pointed out, “Region Two has been leading Guyana with the Mainstay Resort from as far as tourism is concern.” Speaking with this Publication the Minister added, “I am happy that it has been formalized, the fact that this regatta is the 17th year speaks volumes. Guyana needs much more of this, I’m happy that there are persons from as far as Bartica, the Pomeroon and locally from Charity to Supernaam. We see Region Two taking up position, capitalizing on the Regatta takeover from Bartica, this has not only been a national event but an international one as well.” The government has signaled its readiness to boost the Region’s Tourism Sector by first putting in place the “Needy” infrastructures. President of the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce, Deleep Singh, said that “an Asphalted road has been budgeted for the community for the coming year [2018].” Singh added, “The chamber is working closely with the Regional Administration, we’re involved in budget proposals and always talk about the roads and the airstrip, all in the interest of enhancing travelling to the Resort. The Essequibo Chamber of Commerce decided that we would make tourism our focus in 2017. Regatta is a signatory event in the Caribbean. It’s a catalyst in developing the tourism sector in region two.” It is anticipated that with the new asphalted road, the resort
The Lake Mainstay Regatta attracts a wide cross section of visitors to the entertaining action that unfolds.
The popular powerboat racing is the highpoint of the Lake Mainstay Regatta and many flock to get a taste of the intense competition.
would become even more accessible to visitors, catapulting the tourism rating even further. On the fun side of the Regatta event, visitors are
entertained by a day of entertaining boat competitions; where the fastest and most skillful racers participate for attractive prizes.
In the evening there’s an after show party which begins after the prize presentation concludes. This segment of the regatta concludes until 10:00
pm to 11:00 pm since it caters for the younger population, who may just feel the need to “throw down.” (Romario Blair)
Badminton team claim 3 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze at Caribbean Championships The Guyana Badminton Team won 3-GOLD, 2SILVER & 3-BRONZE medals at the Caribbean Regional Badminton Championships played at the National Racket C e n t r e i n Ta c a r i g u a , Trinidad. This is the Eighth Year a Guyana Team has medaled the at International Championships and The Guyana Badminton Association expressed pride at being able to keep Guyana’s Flag Flying. The Presentation was held after the Finals on Sunday evening. Medaling for Guyana
were: Priyanna Ramdhani: Silver in U-17 Singles Priyanna Ramdhani & Tyrese Jeffrey: Gold in U-17 Mixed Doubles Priyanna Ramdhani: Gold in U-17 Doubles Tyrese Jeffrey & Akili Haynes: Bronze in U-17 Doubles Ambika Ramraj: Silver in U-19 Doubles Jonathan Mangra: Bronze in U-19 Doubles Matches played on Day 4 (FINALS): Under-17 Girls Singles Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) lost to Imani
Mangroe (SUR) in a three setter: 2-21, 21-12, 21-13 Under-17 Girls Doubles Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) & Imani Mangroe (SUR) defeated Faith Sariman & Chaista Soemodipoero (SUR): 2111, 21-13 Under-17 Mixed Doubles Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani & Tyrese Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Jair Naipal & Imani Mangroe (SUR): 21-12, 2114 Under-19 Girls Doubles Finals: Ambika Ramraj (GUY) & Shemara Linveld (SUR)
lost to Nairobi Jimenez & Bermary Polanco (DOM): 21-4, 21-9 The GBA is extremely pleased with the perfo r m a n c e s o f t h e Junior Team who was coached by Senior Player Narayan Ramdhani t h r o u g h o u t t h e Tournament and he did a great Job getting them to Medal. The Team will now be playing in the Under-19 Team Tournament which started yesterday. The GBA is extending thanks to the Guyana Olympic Association for their continuous support.
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
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Rose Hall Town Jammers continue winning ways
Play in the first semifinal match between Rose Hall Town Jammers and Fyrish Black Sharks at the Fyrish Basketball Court on Sunday last. The Rose Hall Town Jammers continued their dominance as they stretched their unbeaten run when the Berbice Amateur Basketball Association 2017 Tournament for Teams in Berbice sponsored by Nigel Hinds Financial Net on
Sunday at Fyrish Basketball Court continued with one game. Their latest opponents were the Fyrish Black Sharks who lost 71 52 in the first Semi Final of the tournament. Fyrish led the first quarter 14-13, while at half
time, Jammers moved out 29-24. The third quarter ended 53-37 for Rose Hall Town Jammers. K e v o n Wi g g i n s 3 0 points, 3 steal, Michael Lewis 16 points, 1 steal and Perry Cort 6 points led the winners. For Sharks, Linden
Joseph had 18 points, 2 steal, while Keenan Williams s c o r e d 11 p o i n t s a n d Garfield Benjamin 13 points 2 steals. The competition will continue Sunday on the west side at Ithaca Basketball Court with Ithaca
Hardlinders taking on New Amsterdam Warriors in the second Semi Final. Six teams are involved in the competition which is being played on a round Robin basis in two zones. Zone A includes Canje Knight, Fyrish Black Shark
and Ithaca Hardliners, while Zone B comprises of Rose H a l l To w n J a m m e r s , Hopetown Stealers and N.A. Warriors. Trophies, cash and other incentives are up for grabs. The tournament is being organized by Vibert Garrett.
Bolt vows ‘never again’ after emotional London farewell LONDON (Reuters) Usain Bolt took an emotional final bow on the track at the end of the World Championships in London on Sunday before declaring that, definitely and definitively, there was no way he would ever return to sprinting. After embarking on a special lap of honour so slow that you could not believe that we were saying farewell to the world’s fastest man, Bolt was asked by reporters already missing him whether he might ever change his mind. “No, I’ve seen too many people come back and make things worse and shame themselves. I won’t be one of those people who come back,” Bolt said firmly. Tw e n t y f o u r h o u r s earlier, the 30-year-old J a m a i c a n ’s m a t c h l e s s sprint career had ended painfully on the last leg of the 4 x 100 meters relay final as he crumpled to the ground in the London Stadium with a hamstring injury. Bolt, who admitted that it had been a terrible end of a “stressful” championship for him after also losing his 100 meters crown, said he had felt consoled on Sunday when someone told him “Muhammad Ali lost his last fight too — so don’t be too
The sprinting legend enjoyed an emotional lap of honour at the World Championships. (PA) stressed about it”. Already he was looking forward to an exciting future, he said, with his management camp talking to IAAF President Sebastian Coe, about what he might be able to do for the sport in an ambassadorial capacity. He also revealed that his coach Glen Mills, the sage of Jamaican athletics, wanted him to become his coaching assistant.
“So we’ll see how that goes,” Bolt smiled about the man who has put him through a lifetime of pain. And the great man even had reporters laughing when he gave them a vision of what a 50-year-old Usain Bolt might end up doing. “I’ve no idea. Hopefully, with three kids, married, still in track and field, trying to help the sport, watching it grow,” he said.
“I don’t know if I’d take my kids to the track, though. I won’t be one of those parents who force their kids into things they don’t want to do.” W O N D E R F U L NIGHT It was a wonderful night of celebration for athletics’ greatest entertainer with Bolt honoured one last time at the stadium where he achieved the second of his three Olympic sprint doubles.
Coe and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, presented him with a piece of the 2012 track as a memento before he embarked on his celebration lap, slowly soaking up all the non-stop cheers from the 56,000 full house - all to a Bob Marley soundtrack. He went over to the 200 meters and 100 meters start lines, knelt down and crossed himself. “I was saying goodbye to my fans but to my events also,” he said, admitting he had been close to tears. And after taking rather longer than the 9.63 seconds it took him to win the 100 meters crown here in 2012, he eventually stopped at the finish line and gave everyone his trademark lightning bolt impression. Before he had set off on the lap, he had told the crowd he just wanted to entertain and put on a show.
He did just that before also getting a rare round of applause in the press room from “some of you guys who wrote bad things about me”. Asked what he hoped his legacy would be, he paused for a moment before saying: “I’ve proved with hard work anything is possible. I personally think this is a good message to the kids. ‘Push on, be strong, be as good as you can be’ - that’s a good legacy to leave’.” He was also adamant that he would “preach” to youngsters about avoiding the evil of performanceenhancing drugs. “The sport hit rock bottom last year and the year before and now we’re on the way back up,” he said. And his immediate aims? In typical Bolt fashion, he just smiled and declared: “The first thing I’m going to do is have some fun. Have a party and have a drink. I need to chill.”
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Letter to the Sports Editor Kendall’s Union Sports Club recognises senior Goodwill Team Selection - Girls 8&Under a r S i r , to GASA’s Secretary medalling? For the citizens in Community TheD eDorado Speed and the members of the record, please note that
Seniors citizens pose with organisers and club officials after receiving the rewards and being treated. For the second year running the Kendall’s Union Sports Club of No.19 East Coast Berbice area in collaboration with others and overseas members hosted a successful senior citizen day at the club’s cricket ground recently. The activity saw some 30 senior citizens in the area being hosted by the club for the day. At the end of the day of interaction, each senior citizen present was given a sumptuous lunch, a beverage and a hampers.
The Club’s President Mr. Albert Budhoo expressed words of appreciation to the elderly folks who attended the function. He stated that they were very excited and happy to be a part of such an event, where they can give back to the senior citizens. He thanked the invitees for attending the function and stated that the senior citizens are mostly forgotten and are not treated with the love and respect they deserve. He added that the club
will make it an annual event and this is just one of the many community projects for the club. The invitees expressed their gratitude to the club for such a wonderful gesture. They used the opportunity to wish the organisers well in their future endeavours. Budhoo also used the opportunity to express thanks to all the various entities that assisted in making the venture a success.
Swim Club wishes to bring to your attention yet another example of discontent in the selection of swimmers to represent Guyana in the Goodwill Swim Meet 2017. As this involves the youngest of the swimmers, we ask you not to publish their names. The following table shows the Goodwill events for which 8&Unders are eligible, the number of swimmers entered by all countries in each event, the entry times given for swimmers KS, AV and SL and where they are seeded in each event. (Psych sheet attached). The last two columns show the most recent times for swimmers JG and JA. Note also the email sent
Technical Committee (July 12, 2017) explaining why JA should be selected over JG as follows: - JA is the most versatile of the three swimmers, having participated in all six events. - JA placed 2nd, 3rd or 4th in five of the six events. - JA’s times are significantly better than JG’s in all but the 50m Free. The response received was that JG was faster in the freestyle and “they” were thinking of the relay. We ask you now to look again at how these girls are seeded - out of 15 or 16 swimmers in each event - 12th to 15th! What is the likelihood of them winning a relay, or even
the Dorado Speed Swim Club is not criticising these young swimmers as our policy, at their age, is to focus on technique rather than speed. We simply ask how GASA justifies selecting a swimmer who only competed in 3 of 6 possible events and bettered the other swimmer in only one of the three; especially as the latter swimmer did 51.06(LC) just a month before at the Independence Meet. Perhaps the answer is that the selected swimmer is a member of the club to which the President of GASA belongs. S i n c e r e l y , Executive Members Dorado Speed Swim Club
Changes made to Sky Plus Sprint Classic horserace meet on August 20th As preparations continue for the Nand Persaud Group of Companies, Sky Plus Incorporated one day Sprint Classic horserace meet, a few changes have been made. The event is slated for Sunday 20th August at the Company’s racing facilities at No.36 Village, Macedonia Estate, Corentyne, Berbice. Seven races are listed on the day with over $4M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. The meet which is dubbed the “Nand Persaud Karibee Sprint Classic” will
once again see the horses running in a straight line from start to finish with the distances being 880 and 660 yards. The organisers have replaced the three year old event with one for two years old animals, while they have included another event for L class horses making it two L and lower races. The full list of events now reads: The feature D and lower event over 880 yards is for a winning purse of $400,000 a n d t r o p h y . The event for animals
classified H and lower is for a top prize of $300,000 and trophy also over 880yards. There is now the event for 2 Years old animals over 660 yards for $220,000 and trophy for the winner. The J class and lower animals will be looking to heat up the track for a winning take of $200,000 and trophy over 6 6 0 y a r d s . The K and lower 660 yards event has a winning take of $140,000 and trophy. The first L class contest will be an 880 yards affair for the first prize of $100,000 and trophy. The second L and lower race will be run over 660 yards with the winner getting a similar $100,000 and trophy winnings. C h a m p i o n j o c k e y, trainer and stable will all be rewarded with trophies and other incentives compliments of the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and the organisers. The Coordinator is Mohendra Persaud.
SENIOR Caribbean Squash Championship
GUYANA advances five to quarterfinals of the Individual draws Guyana’s females had a strong showing on the first day of the 2017 NLC Senior Caribbean Squash Championships. Leading the charge was women’s team captain Ashley Khalil who advanced with a straight set win over h e r B e r m u d i a n o p p onent. Also advancing was Larissa Wiltshire who had to fight hard to overcome Alexandra Yearwood of Trinidad in five close games. Mary Fung-A-Fat and Taylor Fernandes also advanced to the quarterfinals.
Khalil and Fung-A-Fat are the 3th and 4rh seeds on the Women’s side. Khalil was to take on Charlotte Knaggs (TT), while Fernandes was set to take on reigning Caribbean Champion, Meagan Best (Barbados). Fung-A-Fat and Wiltshire were set play each other thereby guaranteeing a Guyanese in tomorrow’s semi-final. On the Men’s side, Guyana sole quarter-finalist is Jason Khalil who overcame a strong Kevin Bailey (OECS) challenge to
advance to his first Caribbean senior men’s quarter-final. He will take on Joe Chapman (OECS) for a place in the semi-final. The other three members of the M e n ’s t e a m playing in the event lost out in the main draw but are in the consolation rounds. Nyron Joseph is in the 916 conso l a t i o n , w h i l e Shomari Wiltshire and Jean Claude Jeffery have advanced to the quarterfinals of the consolation round.
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
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GABA/Powerade/Malta Supreme/Rainforest Water Basketball tournament
Defending champs Bounty Colts nd win in both 2 and U-23 divisions The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association’s 1st, 2nd and Under-23 division tournament continued over the weekend with 5 matches at the Burnham Court. They were 2 matches on Saturday and three on S u n d a y. O n S a t u r d a y, reigning Under-23 champs Bounty Colts defeated Trojans 79-61 in the first match of the night. Colts continued to press for a successful title defence with another victory under their belt. University of Guyana Trojans had no answer for Colts’ Timothy Thompson who netted a game high 37 points in the 18-point win for the champions. He was supported ably by his teammates Jafar Gibbons (17 points) and Daniel Ramlagan (9 points). For UG Trojans, Kadeem Peterkin led their cause with a team high 24 points
inclusive of 3 three-pointers. Darroll Williams (13 points) and Rondel Holder (9 points) battled to prevent the loss. Pacesetters defeated Nets 66-59 in the second match on Saturday, a first division matchup. On the score sheet for the winners were Jermaine Hamilton (16 points), Nathan Saul (14 points), Jaleel Duke (13 points) and Travis Williams (10 points). For the losers, Nets, Amoniki John’s 13 points and Justin Algu’s 12 points were not enough to overpower the excellent team performance by the Pacesetters. The first match on Sunday witnessed Plaisance Guardians continuing their dominant form from during the week with another huge victory. Guardians defeated Kobras 91-53 in the Under23 match up. In the 38-point blowout, Guardians’ Nigel Bowen tossed up a game
high 31 points that included 5 three-pointers. Bowen’s superb solo performance was complimented by Guardians’ Jarel Sears (14 points) and Anton Fileen (12 points). Sunday’s second game was a 2nd division matchup between defending champs in that category as well, Bounty Colts, who made very light work of Pacesetters. Colts defeated Pacesetters 94-44. It was a rough night on the hard court for pacesetters as they suffered an embarrassing 50point loss. Evans Johnson (24 points) was the most successful scorer in the g a m e , w h i l e Yo h a n n Burrowes (15 points), Jafar Gibbons (14 points) and Daniel Ramlagan (10 points) did their part in big win for colts. Plaisance Guardians won the third and final game on
Van Lange, Sahadeo attends C’bean Training Camp in Jamaica
Krystian Sahadeo National U-11 Table Tennis players Jonathan van Lange and Krystian Sahadeo will participate in Caribbean Hopes Table Te n n i s t r a i n i n g a n d s e l e c t i o n c a m p which began yesterday and concludes on August 19 at the National arena in Kingston, Jamaica. The two players were selected by the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) from among a group of players who will lead Guyana’s charge at the 2017 Caribbean mini and pre-
Jonathan van Lange c a d e t Ta b l e Te n n i s Championships. The competition will be amongst countries such as Puerto Rico, Barbados, Aruba, Jamaica, St Lucia Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , Dominican Republic and French Guiana among other countries. The other members of G u y a n a ’s d e l e g a t i o n , Kaysan Ninvalle, Isaiah Layne, Thuraia Thomas, Dhanesh Persaud, Alexander De Abreu and Colin Wong, will travel to Jamaica to join Sahadeo and Van Lange for
the championships slated for August 21-28, 2017. The hosting of the training camp, conducted under the auspices of the Latin American Table Tennis Union is for 11 and under participants with the best two 11 years and under b o y s a n d g i r l s r e s p e c t i v e l y, b e i n g selected to participate in the Latin American World Hopes training camp from September 18-23, 2017 in Asunción, Paraguay for a position on the world hopes team.
Action between Bounty Colts and Trojans on Sunday night.
Sunday evening 78-66 against Pepsi Sonics. Nikolai Smith proved to be the main man for the Guardians once again, with a team high 19
points, in the first division match. Jason Squires scored a game high 20 points for Sonics but didn’t enjoy enough support to see his
team take the victory. Matches continue tomorrow night at the Burnham Court from 6:30 pm.
Letter to the Sports Editor
Ivan Persaud’s response leaves more questions than answers – DSSC D e a r S i r , We note the response by Mr. Ivan Persaud (Chairman of the National Sports Commission; President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association) Kaieteur News, August 11, 2017; “Nia Fraser eligible to represent Guyana at Goodwill games – GASA’s Ivan Persaud”. However, this raises more questions than it answers. 1 . M r. P e r s a u d ’s statement: “In response to the Sea Otters Swim Club objection to Fraser who resides in the United States of America, being included in the Guyana team for the 2016 Goodwill Swim Meet in St. Lucia and 2017 here, Persaud told Kaieteur Sport that Fraser participated in the trials and as such she was included in the team.” a) Is Ms Nia Fraser correctly described as a naturalised citizen or not? b) When did she become a citizen (naturalised or o t h e r w i s e ) ? c ) Wa s s h e a c i t i z e n (naturalised or otherwise)
when she was allowed to represent Guyana in 2016? 2. Mr Persaud: “She came last year and took part in the trials.” a) We did not have time trials last year? Ms Fraser happened to be in Guyana when the 2016 Independence Meet was held. This meet was not designated as the Goodwill Time Trials. The 2016 Summons substantiates this position. 3. Mr. Persaud: “We did not have a full team since Dorado Speed Swim Club had pulled out and she asked if she could be placed on the team if she funded her own costs and we decided to place her on the team so we could have taken part in the relay event in that category,” a) Dorado Speed Swim Club did not “pull out” of Goodwill 2016. In June 2016, the Dorado parents were presented with a budget of US$1,176 per swimmer to participate in Goodwill. They were further advised that parents may have to cover the cost of the officials - leading to an
estimated cost of $1,500 per person. Parents indicated that they could not afford either sum. At no time thereafter were Dorado parents told that the sum was reduced due to funding from the National Sports Commission. Our only information on the funding from the NSC came via a newspaper article a day or two before the team left for St Lucia. 4. Mr. Persaud: “He explained that she is in possession of a Guyanese passport and the eligibility rule does not apply to development meets such as Goodwill, rather it only applies for elite competition such as Olympics and World Championships.” a) The wording of the Goodwill Summons speaks for itself: ELEGIBILITY: *All Competitors must either be citizens or residents of the country they are seeking to represent. * Naturalised citizens and residents must have resided in that country for at least 12 months prior to (Continued on page 25)
Kaieteur News
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Tuesday August 15, 2017
Pan Am Indoor Guyana, GHB have a national Hockey C/ships duty to produce a high class event With the participation of countries from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean confirmed, hosts Guyana and more directly the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) have a national duty to produce a high class event that should leave a lasting legacy in the minds of visitors. The GHB will have the opportunity of hosting for the first time the Pan American Indoor Championships which commences on October 14, at the refurbished Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. A c c o r d i n g t o information received from t h e G H B , t h e Championships which will h a v e b o t h m e n ’s a n d women’s participation will serve as the Pan American Continental Qualifier for FIH Indoor Hockey World Cups scheduled for February 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Touted to be one of the biggest since its inaugural year in 2002, eight nations will contest the women’s segment, while seven will
Kwandwane Browne seen in action. participate in the men’s category representing numbers only bettered by host Venezuela in 2010. Among the countries confirmed is Canada that has won the competition four times, making them the most successful in the men’s category. What is even more encouraging is the fact that
they possess quite a few players who’ve played in Guyana previously during the Diamond Mineral Water Festival (DMWF) with Guyana-born Jonathan Roberts, being the most familiar of the lot. Trinidad and Tobago is also likely to have a number of players in their squad who have competed in Guyana at
the DMWF so they too will feel at home and could expect support from local fans, especially when they playing against opponents unfamiliar with the Guyanese. However, they will have to contend with the likes of the powerful Argentina and USA who’ve both been finalists in the past with the
latter beating the former at home in 2008. Barbados and Mexico are the other countries that will contest the men’s segment and while they’ve not been as successful as the other nations, the significant incentive of a World Cup berth at stake could instigate determined performances from them. Host Guyana has gradually become a serious contender following some inspiring performances during their three appearances at the event with results of a 4th place finish in 2005, fifth place in 2010 and their best showing, 3rd place in the last competition held in 2014 in Montevideo, Uruguay. While all the teams are legitimate contenders, Canada is still the country to beat judging from their overwhelming record of four golds from six appearances. On the distaff side in addition to the seven above mentioned nations, Uruguay round out the competing teams. Uruguay has been the
surprise of Pan American hockey in recent times moving up the world rankings and made the Indoor World Cup back in 2010. Argentina and Canada have each won the competition twice, while Trinidad and Tobago was victors in the inaugural Cup in 2002. The Guyanese women have not had the experience of playing as a national team in indoor competitions, but have made positive strides at the outdoor level in the past decade. The DMWF, however, has provided valuable understanding of how the game is played at the indoor level and this familiarity will make them formidable opponents against any team, especially in front of home support. While most of the teams may not have named their travelling squads as yet, a source closely associated with the Championships disclosed that the best known Caribbean player T&T’s Kwandwane Browne is coming.
32 get tickets for CPL games here from MoneyGram/Massy Services
Mr. Deo Persaud (centre), Chairman of the Massy Guyana Group of Companies, join winners of the Money Gram CPLT20 2017 promotion. MoneyGram Money Transfer rewarded 32 local customers with tickets to witness matches at the Guyana National Stadium for the Guyana leg of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket tournament set to get underway on Thursday. M o n e y G r a m International, one of the official partners of the 2017 Hero CPL T20 tournament
launched a CPL ticket promotion in June for all eligible customers who completed transactions during the period of the promotion. The match tickets were presented during a ceremony at Massy Staff facilities at Ruimveldt, where Mr. Deo Persaud, Chairman of Massy Guyana Group of Companies congratulated the winners and encouraged
them to attend the matches and offer support to the home team. Ms. Darshinie Persaud, MoneyGram Manager in Guyana in brief remarks said Guyanese joined thousands of customers who participated in the promotion, which was done via an electronic format, was drawn on August 4th at MoneyGram International office.
The prizes included 4 pairs of VIP tickets and 28 pairs of general admission tickets and other promotional materials which will be presented before match day. Guyana Amazon Warriors will play four matches against Jamaica Tallawahs on Thursday, Trinbago Knight Riders on Saturday August 19th, Barbados Tridents of Sunday
August 20 and St. Lucia Stars on Tuesday August 22nd at the Guyana National Stadium. The winners of the ticket are: Onika Liverpool, Miriam Varwyk, Pamela Olliverre, Roger Perreira, Onika Lawrence, Peter Koulen, Devika Kodare, D u l c i a B a r t h o l o m e w, Ramnarine Kupsammy, Latisha Holligan, Jacqueline Bascom, Ramesh Lakhraj,
Nainawattee Persaud, Diane De Silva, Tracy Lowe, Mohit Bhupaul, Bhikal, Rudolph Bennett, Esther Chalas Alcantara, Nimrod Solomon, Craig Slyvester, Yasmin Seabee, Vaughn Williams, Nafis Nisa, Jubal Braithwaite, Charmwin Henry, Quacy John, Essar Ramgopaul, Abidah Bowman, Phulkumarie Singh, Zoe Ann St. Clair and Sereeta Taijert.
Tuesday August 15, 2017
Kaieteur News
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GCB congratulates Under-19 team, hopes for the double
The successful Guyana Under-19 3-day champions will be gunning 50-overs success from today. The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is extending congratulations the National Under-19 team following their success in the CWI Regional Under-19 three day tournament held in St. Kitts and Nevis over the past three weeks, winning the title. The board indicated that it looks forward to them completing the double by bringing home the first place trophy of the CWI Regional
One Day Tournament. The Regional One Day 50 Overs Tournament is scheduled to commence today in St. Kitts, with Guyana playing its first match against the ICC Americas. Guyana defeated Jamaica in the Regional Under-19 three day tournament. In the final round, Jamaica finished its first innings on 187 all out in 100 overs, while Guyana
compiled 250 runs for 8 declared off 73 overs. Batting for Jamaica, Brad Barnes top scored with 64 runs, RashniRoye 27, Andre Mc Carty 23, Dominic Samuels 19 and Stephan Pink 14. Bowling for Guyana, Ronaldo Ali Mohamed picked up a brilliant 5 wickets for 30 runs, Ashmed Nedd also picked up 3 wickets for 52 runs, while Richie
Looknauth received one wicket from 16 runs. In Guyana’s first innings, Richie Looknauth scored 61 not out, Ramnarine Chaturamade a half century that of 59 runs followed by Kevlon Anderson’s 38, Javid Karim 28 runs and Ashmed Nedd not out on 24 runs. Bowling for Jamaica was Brad Barnes who swiped up 3 wickets for 45 runs, David Bird took 2 wickets for 61
runs and Andre Mc Carty took 1 wicket for 56 runs. In the 2ndInnings, Jamaica scored 139 all out after 55.3 overs and Guyana 80 for 1 off of 18.3 overs. Raewin Senior and Darren Small scored 31 and 30 runs respectively, Brad Barnes 25, and Shalome Parnell scored 16 runs. Bowling for Guyana Ronaldo Ali Mohamed and Ashmed Nedd took 4 wickets for 25
and 67 respectively, with Kevin Sinclair supporting well with 2 wickets for 23 runs. Guyana needing 77 to win made a commanding response reaching the victory target with the loss of just one wicket. Raymond Perez who scored 44 runs off of 61 balls, Javed Karim 17 runs off of 34 balls and Kevin Sinclair 18 runs off of 16 balls saw them home.
Ruthless India complete 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka R Ashwin tested both edges of the bat ©Associated Press
It all began with Dimuth Karunaratne watching his outside edge pouched by slip ©AFP PA L L E K E L E , S r i Lanka (Reuters) - A ruthless India crushed Sri Lanka inside three days in the final test yesterday to complete a 3-0 whitewash in one of the most one-sided test series in recent times.
O f f - s p i n n e r Ravichandran Ashwin and paceman Mohammed Shami shared seven wickets between them as the world’s top-ranked side shot out Sri Lanka for 181 to win by an innings and 171 runs.
The beleaguered hosts, whose second innings ended shortly after the scheduled tea break, had been asked to follow on after managing 135 in their first innings in reply to India’s 487. Ashwin picked up 4-68
in the second innings while Shami finished with 3-32 in an inspired bowling performance by India, who triumphed both in Galle and Colombo inside four days. “A good day, a good win for us. Very happy with the
overall performance and it always feels nice to have convincing victories,” India captain Virat Kohli said at the presentation ceremony. “We are a young side. We look forward to playing test cricket, we look forward to
playing with the same excitement. That’s the only way you can be ruthless.” All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who scored his maiden test hundred on Sunday, was adjudged (Continued on page 25)
t r o Sp Badminton team claim 3 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze at Caribbean Championships
The successful Guyana Badminton team proudly display their spoils and the flag.
SENIOR Caribbean Squash Championship
GUYANA advances five to quarter-finals of the Individual draws
Jason Khalil
Ashley Khalil
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