Kaieteur News

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December 16, 2012

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

US$20M fraud scheme…

EZjet boss back in court tomorrow

New career?

Tiffany Theresa Chase

Pres. Ramotar demonstrates his pan playing skills in Buxton

Internal “house cleaning” Juicing his way to success… recommended for NIS at public meeting

Henry Greene's children and reputed wife in court battle over assets Nateram Ramnanan

- Dredges, farm, vehicles, properties etc. in dispute is a 'Special Person'

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Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Henry Greene's children, reputed wife in - Dredges, farm, vehicles, court battle over assets properties etc. in dispute Controversy has erupted over the estate of the former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, with two of his children moving to the court to recover millions of dollars in assets from his reputed wife and her attorney.

The children, Troy Henry Greene and Shelda Oneka Greene, have made an application to the High Court for Letters of Administration in the estate of their deceased father.

Greene died earlier this year, leaving millions of dollars in assets including several vehicles, holdings in the gold mining sector and several other properties.

According to a legal notice published in the Guyana Chronicle, the children through their attorney, filed an ex-parte notice of summons on October 18 last against Greene's reputed wife, Gail Stoll, and her lawyer, Robin Hunte, for the Letters of Administration to be granted to them in the estate of the late Wilfred Henry Greene.

They are calling on Stoll

poultry and livestock farm at K u r u - K u r u r u , Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Stoll is also being asked to hand over the documents of five vehicles that Greene owned, along with the insurance for one of them.

It did not end there. The children are also interested in the documents and records that Stoll has in respect of the

Henry Greene to hand over all or any documents, papers, including records of the deceased business, his bank statements and the transport in respect to his residence, Lot 80, Lamaha Springs, Georgetown.

They are all demanding that the late Police Commissioner's reputed wife hand over all or any documents, papers, including the records of his business, bank statements and lease in respect to his

funeral expenses incurred in the burial of the late Commissioner of Police.

They are also calling on Stoll's lawyer to hand over all documents and records of Greene's business and bank statements “including but not limited to the inventory o f m a c h i n e r y, m i n i n g equipment spares, materials and tools which were given

to him on September 9.

The lawyer is also being asked to return $1.8M that he received on September 29 as a deposit for the sale of machinery and mining equipment that were owned

by Greene.

In addition the two children want Stoll's lawyer to give them $13.2M, which is the balance of the purchase

price paid to him for the sale of Greene's machinery and mining equipment.

The children want an account opened at a reputable commercial bank operating in Guyana and all sums of money be deposited in it.

The children are being represented by attorney at law Hubert Rodney.

Mabaruma rape victim hospitalized again

T

he 14-year-old Kumaka girl who claimed that she was brutally raped two Saturdays ago has been admitted to the Mabaruma Hospital again.

According to relatives of the teen early yesterday morning they were forced to rush her back to the medical facility where she was treated and subsequently admitted for observation.

Relatives of the teen had earlier reported that she is

experiencing extreme physical discomfort, severe emotional pain and has become somewhat of an introvert following the incident.

The alleged assailant, who was arrested on the day in question, was released on $100,000 station bail at Mabaruma earlier in the week.

The girl's relatives related that while the teen was making her way home from Kumaka waterfront,

which is a 15-minute walk, she was approached by the accused and offered a lift; but she reportedly refused.

She told police that the man, a popular taxi driver in the area, “hauled her into the car�, wound up the windows and proceeded to a desolate area where he stripped her and raped her.

The teenager told police that the sex was unprotected.

She was violated both vaginally and anally and the

accused ejaculated all over her face.

The entire ordeal occurred in the man's car.

A report from a medical examination done at the Mabaruma Hospital stated that the teen has evidence of lacerations and a ruptured hymen.

She is being treated for i n f e c t i o n s .

In addition, relatives of the teen said they are fearful that the man may flee the area before charges are instituted.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Ramotar attends Buxton children's party

President Donald Ramotar hands over one of the many gifts to a child

Children of Buxton, East Coast Demerara and surrounding villages were treated to a Christmas Party hosted by 89-year-old Elaine Mc Neal of Friendship Vi l l a g e , E a s t C o a s t Demerara, yesterday.

The event which is in its 18th consecutive year since it was first held, saw hundreds of children receiving gifts and being treated to meals and ferris wheel rides.

Elaine Mc Neal returned to Guyana 27 years ago from the United States and started

President Donald Ramotar shares a light moment with Elaine Mc Neal the event to assist and help children to feel the Christmas spirit.

Attending the event yesterday was President Donald Ramotar who interacted with children and parents.

Mrs. McNeal, mother of Presidential Advisor Odinga Lumumba, told reporters at her home that she was delighted to be given the opportunity to celebrate with children.

Mrs. McNeal catered for 400 children where toys and other goodies were shared.

Food for thought

Are you giving 100%?

A boy ‘n a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her.

The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed.

The boy kept the biggest ‘n the most beautiful marble aside ‘n gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

Moral: If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

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Kaieteur M@ilbox

I urge the opposition to find out if this license still bears the name Vieira Communications Limited DEAR EDITOR, Apparently there is still some confusion regarding the situation of the Ramroop radio License and a letter from Harry Gill in today’s newspaper confirms my suspicion that there is still some misconceptions, despite my recent letter stating that among equals Ramroop is the first in line.

Ramroop is not my f r i e n d ; h e i s J a g d e o ’s friend, and at this time we are in court since I am claiming that he repudiated the contract we had and I want compensation for breach of contract.

As time progresses the facts of this matter will become better known, but the matter is set for hearing on 18thJanuary, and so I will not say much more about it.

In 1993 Vieira Communications Limited which was the name of my company and which is the name that appears on my license on file with the office

of the Prime Minister applied for a radio license.

The National Frequency Management Unit [NFMU] did not even afford me the courtesy of a response from 1993 to 2001. So in 2001 after the Privy Council’s 2000landmark ruling declaring that the denial of the Antigua government to grant a radio license to Observer Publications was unconstitutional and violated their free speech rights I decided to do what the Observer people did, i.e. to l a u n c h a c o n s t itutional claim in our courts and at the same time to put an FM broadcast on the air.

The Observer case was very straightforward; they applied for a license to broadcast a radio signal, the Antigua government refused, so Observer put the radio station on the air and claimed in the Antigua courts that their constitutional rights to free speech were violated.

The police seized the equipment and the matter

ended up in the Antigua court and two years later, in an unprecedented decision, the Privy Council, from the bench in England, granted the license and in addition they gave permission to operate it as a business and directed that the government of Antigua should pay all costs including any damage to the equipment removed from the place of installation of the Observer transmitter.

As a result of this ruling I commenced an FM broadcast in Guyana in 2001 to challenge the unconstitutionality of the monopoly of government radio and the NFMU illegally entered my premises and removed the equipment with around 10 police officers and representatives of the ministry of Home affairs.

Vieira communications Limited was the licensee not Tony Vieira as is wrongly claimed by Mr. Harry Gill, therefore the company’s shares were transferred with all of the rights and privileges that they held to Ramroop.

40 years of workers’ life savings in the NIS have disappeared DEAR EDITOR, It is shocking to know that the NIS is actually bankrupt and that the workers are in jeopardy of losing their pensions or getting them reduced.

This horrible news could not have come at a worse time for the working class in Guyana as they prepare for the Christmas festive season.

They depend on NIS for their survival, so for the workers to even think that the NIS is insolvent and the i r l i f e savings have vanished is devastating for them.

How could this happen and why is no one held accountable for such gross mismanagement? We already know that the Jagdeo/ Ramotar regime has abandoned the poor and the working class but to do this to them is wicked, cruel and insulting.

Something is definitely sinister about the cabal because almost every financial institution they put their hands on has resulted in either billions of dollars being missing or cannot be accounted for or the institution becomes bankrupt.

CLICO has been declared bankrupt, billions have been reported missing from NICIL, no proper and accurate accounts of the financial assets in

the Consolidated Fund, the Contingency Fund, the Lotto Fund etc. and the people and opposition do not how much of the taxpayers’ money is being spent to build the Marriott Hotel.

This is the same PPP cabal that has accused the PNC of corruption and lack of transparency in governance but today, the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime is considered the most corrupt in the Caribbean by T r a n s p a r e n c y International. The cabal is also viewed as the most secretive regime in all of the Caribbean in terms of how they use the state a s s e t s . Ta l k i n g a b o u t double standards!

It took forty years of toil and sweat by the workers to accumulate the assets of NIS to only have 20% of those assets pulled right out of the their pockets by gross mismanagement.

The economic life of a people can only progress into harmony through wise and judicious actions by the national leadership. What the corrupt cabal did to NIS is furthest from wise and judicious action; it actually represents foolishness, insensitivity and lack of respect to the workers from the highest levels. We call on Mr. Ramotar to demand the resignations of the NIS Board of Directors,

its Chairman and its CEO. But our concern is not only what the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal has done with the workers’ money at NIS, but what has the combined opposition done to date in the Parliament to bring justice and relief to the working class on this and other issues.

Why has the Board and Management of the NIS not been summoned for interrogation in front of the Economic Services Committee to explain their activities and more importantly how the NIS plans to recover the six billion dollars lost as a result of this anti-working class decision by the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal.

We call on the majority parliamentary APNU/AFC to forget about the Rohee affair for now; he has become such a parliamentary dead weight that even some of his PPP comrades want him to resign.

He represents the past and time and history are clearly not on his side. The time has arrived for the opposition to be more aggressive and challenge this corrupt, uncaring and arrogant political monster that has violated the constitution and has shown contempt for the people.

Dr Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

If the license was in my personal name I doubt whether I could have sold the television station and up to today the license should be in the name of Vieira Communications Limited since if it is not, then Ramroop would have given up all of the rights and privileges that Vieira Communications Limited held as the station which pioneered television broadcasting in Guyana, applied to the NFMU for a radio license and got the Appeal Court to instruct the NFMU to grant them that radio license, but if the name on the broadcast license was changed and not just the sign on the TV screen used as station ID, then it is my belief that in allowing it to happen the government would have broken their own laws as usual, since no new licenses were to be issued until the Broadcast Authority was formed and if Ramroop gave up the name Vieira Communications Limited on his license, he lost

his position of privilege since he would be the most recent licensee not the first.

And since the appeal court awarded a radio license to Vi e i r a Communications limited I doubt whether it could be legally transferred to Ramroop’s company and the new broadcast authority when formed should look into the matter, I am assuming that the opposition would do the right thing and remove this political and ridiculous authority which Jagdeo has placed in this country which could never be impartial.

I do hold one opinion on this matter and I would like to see it enshrined in our laws. If a person wants to sell his broadcasting facility since the spectrum is a limited natural resource, he could sell all of his equipment to anyone but he cannot transfer the license to use the national spectrum to just anyone who can pay him.

The broadcast authority should issue the new license to the buyer after screening them to ensure that they meet the criteria for being a broadcaster according to our laws and it should in fact be a new license.

I have already asked members of parliament to ask the question of who holds the Ramroop license today, since if the station is still licensed to broadcast in the name VCL, then Ramroop holds the right to have the first license for radio. If, however, he did not, then he gave up that right and should join the line at the rear since he would have lost his place as the first among equals.

These people who are doing so well in this country due to their obtaining huge concessions from Jagdeo cannot think and thrive in a society governed by the rule of law, and I sincerely hope that this license still bears the name Vieira Communications Limited. And I urge the opposition to find out.

Tony Vieira

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Mr. Hack’s position is tantamount to telling to woman “you made me do it” DEAR EDITOR, One never ceases to be amazed by the fact that once a person invokes religion, a book, prophet or savior he is granted automatic immunity regardless how insensitive, archaic, racist, sexist his pronouncements may be.

An example of this phenomenon is the recent letter by Mr. Moeenul Hack captioned, “Modest dress would protect a woman from rape,” (Stabroek News, December 4).

What is rather depressing is that while a few of my ac q u a i n t a n c e s have unburdened their horror at the ideas contained in the letter, each has expressed a “fear” of speaking out aloud.

Even the Stabroek News that is known to have an enlightened position on these matters and which in the past would not hesitate to append their editorial positions on matters of this nature has been silent. But worst of all, it is beyond my

comprehension why Guyanese women, especially those who have experienced the horror of the crime of rape, have also been silent.

Could we imagine the howl of indignation and protest if the “modest dress” statement had been made by Men Against Rape? Or by someone from Help and Shelter, or Red Thread?

This silence to me is intriguing and the only reason why the letter has gone unchallenged is because it carries with it the stamp of a religious belief. It is what Islam enjoins.

If nothing else the statement that “the dress of females will ignite the flame of passion among men,” should have led to universal condemnation, but this nation, at a time when we are reeling from unprecedented violence against women, chooses to look the other way.

The other day I had a visitor from Help and Shelter and I was assured that the dominant literature and

research done world-wide make it clear that rape is a function of power and dominance.

We have been reading of rape as a punishment for the enemy in the battle zones of Africa. When soldiers enter an “enemy” enclave and rape the women it is not because the women are not modestly dressed.

When homes are invaded as we know to be the case in Guyana by criminal groups and women are raped it is not because they are deficient in modesty. It is punishment and a show of power not dissimilar to the case when one woman had her long hair chopped off was blatantly told that her kind was not liked.

There is much in Mr. Hack’s letter that is based on sheer ignorance and, worse yet, religious belief, that is offensive to the core. But he makes references to “studies.”

So maybe he can enlighten us about these

studies which have shown that “modest dress” which he seems to define as “long sleeves and skirts” (though he did not mention how long the sleeves and shirts should be) “protect her against rape.” Even if that study was done at any Islamic university such as Al Azhar.

It is instructive to note t h a t t h e d a y a f t e r M r.

Hack’s letter appeared in the n e w s p a p e r, worldnews.nbcnews.com carried a lengthy report of the violence that Egyptian women, among them the many who are veiled, have to face in their day to day life.

In Pakistan, a sixteen year-old girl is raped as a punishment because she “compromised” family honour when her father discovered that a youth who passed by on a motorcycle looked at her. Later she was found dead.

Clearly, all of this has nothing to do with women not “modestly” dressed.

Pakistani, Egyptian, and Afghan women and girls are more than “modestly” dressed to use Mr. Hack’s notion. Usually their only crime is for wanting things that are perfectly normal and harmless, in every civilized society, like wanting to go to school.

I do not want this to be a discussion on I s l a m ’s p o s i t i o n o n w o m e n . M r. H a c k h a s assured us that in Islam

education is compulsory for every female, but we know that a Malala could be gunned down for wanting just that; Islam promotes equality between the genders but a woman’s testimony in court has l e s s v a l u e ; w e a r e also assured that husbands are prohibited from abusing their spouses, but are they also not allowed to flog them provided the whip is not coarser than the little finger and the skin is not broken?

But I would urge that we have an open discussion on what constitutes modesty in dress. Is a woman in a pair of shorts asking for it? Mr. Hack seems to answer this in the affirmative. How long is long?

Should the skirt be above the knee or below it? And what about the sleeves?

Up to the elbow or the wrist? What research is it that tells us that men are more prone to crime and violence when they come from single parent families? What about orphans who are brought up by grandparents, or even those who are brought up by aunts and uncles? Do they also take to a life of crime and violence?

It seems to me that no objective research can e s t a b l i s h w h e t h e r, “ t h e dress of females will ignite the flame of passion among men.” For sure, this is something that we can ask and answer at an

individual level as men.

Speaking about men in general is quite meaningless.

So, would Mr. Hack be kind enough to tell us to what extent the assertion that the “dress of females will ignite the flame of passion,” applies to him personally?

As least we will have the testimony of one respectable male in our society.

Mr. Hack’s position is tantamount to telling to woman “you made me do it.”

It is a classic case of blaming the victim. As charitable as I would like to be, I can’t help getting the dreadful feeling a kind of ultimatum: “modest dress” or rape.

In conclusion, there is a beautiful Sanskrit verse that tells us that in many things humans and animals are on par: our desire for food, sleep, comfort, and sex.

The difference lies in our culture, education and upbringing. We cannot allow our passions to run wild or else we become mere animals.

Yo g a teaches us that as humans we will be subjected to raging flames of passion.

But its source is internal, and what’s more, we all wired with an inherent “extinguisher” mechanism.

I am sure that Mr. Hack will agree that every man must take responsibility for his own passions and what he does with his own penis.

Swami Aksharananda

Congrats to Jagan Jr. II upon Passing NY Bar and Commitment to Guyana DEAR EDITOR, This is in reference to “Jagan II receives money for a non-existent qualification” (KN Dec 12). I don’t think Dr. Cheddi Jagan Jr. II was being paid for his qualification per se or for being a lawyer but for various services rendered.

I was impressed by several pieces Jagan penned last year demonstrating competence in the legal sphere as well as in the social sciences.

The fact that Dr. Jagan is not admitted to the Guyana bar or NY bar does not mean he is not qualified to render opinions or offer advice to the government or to clients on relevant issues. And the fact that he is not a lawyer does not mean he cannot make a valuable contribution to the nation.

While the term Esq. is traditionally appended to an office of a lawyer (or lawyers)

licensed to practice law, people not practicing law can also use it. Dr. Jagan has passed the NY bar exam which is a tough exam. I know several individuals who took the exam and failed.

We should be proud that he has passed the bar.

Incidentally, Dr. Ravi Dev also has a Juris Doctor and passed the bar exam at first sitting and was called to the bar in the US. Very few individuals have been denied the license to practice law after they passed the exam. It is a mere formality to be called to the bar after passing the exam.

Unlike the writer, I will not describe Cheddi Jagan Jr. as a fat cat.

He is a young kid wanting to help his former homeland and he should be encouraged. There are so many Guyanese who are

qualified in various spheres of endeavours but have not rendered any service to their nation. And although Dr. Jagan is not a (qualified) lawyer, he would still have been earning a lot of money in the US conducting legal research for law offices has he chosen that option – certainly a lot more than the US $2.5K earned monthly in Guyana.

It does not appear that the young Jagan has not tried to deceive the public about his legal qualifications.

In fact, the young Jagan admitted that he is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction long before KN published the list of names of highly paid individuals working for the state. Dr. Jagan ought to be congratulated for passing the exam and committing himself in service to Guyana.

Vishnu Bisram

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox Trevin Hunte’s loss, and the importance of an organized community DEAR EDITOR, On the night of December 10, 2012, we sat before our TVs and we saw Trevin Hunte’s homecoming as a contestant on ‘The Voice’. He was excited, emotional, and his family was tearful.

Then we saw him at the Lithonia Middle School in Georgia where there was an outpouring of pride and joy—the implied inspiration from an ex-student on the way to stardom was heartfelt. But there was no organized city-wide turnout in support of Trevin Hunte’s bid for winning ‘The Voice’ outright. No… Trevin—the humble, talented Black kid that he is—came simply and left simply.

Compare his homecoming with that for Terry McDermott, Nicholas David, and Casadee Pope. Ms. Pope was an honored guest on a local radio station. Later, she stood with a band to perform before a live audience of thousands.

And man did she make an entrance: She arrived with a motorcade complete with police outriders.

The Mayor of Palm Beach City also presented Casadee Pope a golden key to the city.

Mr. David’s homecoming to Minnesota was also very impressive: There was a massive welcome hosted in Minnesota Mall of America

for Nicholas, and there he received a golden microphone from the Mayor.

And Terry McDermott would not be undone. He was heavily supported by Scottish Americans in New Orleans.

My people, THAT is what organized community power looks like. Now, translate those numbers that came out to see Pope, David, and McDermott in terms of raw votes and I-Tunedownloads; and then compare it to Hunte’s homecoming support. … I’m sure that for many, it was a foregone conclusion: that Trevin Hunte, despite his enormous talent, was going to be eliminated.

Is there a lesson here for Guyanese and other Caribbean immigrants in the U.S.A? You bet there is. Here it is: Never mind how talented we are—how skillful we are, if we continue to be a disorganized Caribbean community here in the United States of America, our chances of real success are slim.

It is only when Guyanese, Jamaicans, Bajans, Trinidadians, and all other Caribbean people see ourselves as part of one community, will we rise above the rim of the crab barrel and be the winners we truly are.

Harold A. Bascom

Disturbed about the state of the Princess Street canal DEAR EDITOR, Red Thread is very disturbed about the condition of the Princess Street canal which is filled with garbage. We have had several conversations with persons in charge of drainage and irrigation including the City Constabulary Department but all these conversations fell on deaf ears.

During the General Election campaign when Mayor Hamilton Greene visited the Charlestown area we spoke to him and he promised that he would get someone to clean the trench every day.

He then made a phone call and a man came from the Office of the City Constabulary Department in Princess Street and said that he would get someone to come and clean the trench every day.

When this did not happen

we wrote a letter to the Engineering Department seeking permission to block both sides of the trench so that we would not have the sight and smell of garbage alongside our centre.

We had several meetings with staff of the Mayor and City Department where we were refused permission to block the trench after one of the staff visited our centre saying that it would be against the law to block the trench. We have been paying for cleaning the trench, and cleaning the trench ourselves, but due to skin irritation we were forced to stop.

This sight is not pleasant and it is not healthy so we are again calling on the authorities to look into this situation urgently. Above is a picture of the sight we have to look at every day.

Halima Khan For Red Thread

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

From the Diaspora ...

A year after the elections nothing changed in Guyana

By Ralph Seeram I was reminded this week that a year ago this time I was in Guyana.

It was shortly after the election. The PPP was in shock at being unseated in Parliament; the AFC was gloating in its new found position as a power broker, while the PNC was running around Georgetown crying that it was robbed by GECOM. It was also a time of fear by the Georgetown business community.

Many closed their doors around 2:00 pm every day when PNC/APNU supporters were marching the streets, protesting the elections.

The opposition had circulated a list of businesses that it wanted its supporters to boycott, it did not matter that its very own supporters were employed by the same business establishments. I did not realize how fearful the ordinary Guyanese was of these marches, until my taxi driver made it known.

We were caught in the vicinity of the GECOM headquarters. There were armed police all over the place, streets were being barricaded; the driver was having difficulty finding a way out, and we can see the crowd marching from a distance.

The taxi driver was fearful. “I gat to get out of here, I gat to get you people out of here; you have to go home and stay home “he advised, “because with these people anything can happen”.

The PNC had raised the expectations of its supporters and

even with a name change from PNC to APNU it failed at its fifth attempt in a fair and free election to gain control of the Government. Can anybody remember what the big issue was for the PNC after the elections?

It was the now famous Statements of Poll. They spent more than a month reconciling the Statements of Poll (by the way GECOM did it in two days and that was not fast enough for the opposition). Did the Guyanese public hear anything of their recount, we did not hear much after.

But there were a bright side to their defeat; together with the AFC they won a one seat majority in Parliament.

Now the political map had changed. Suddenly there was talk by the APNU, AFC and especially from the PPP about cooperation in the interest of the country. There was all this talk of putting aside political differences, there was this hope among Guyanese that things will change.

So here we are one year later.

What has changed, nothing, yes nothing, APNU went back to the old PNC, AFC is confused on how to utilize its power broker status and the PPP is back to its arrogant self.

What went wrong? First the PPP was and probably still is in denial that they lost the election, and it was no longer “their way or the highway”.

The Guyanese people had spoken; you have to cooperate with the opposition.

One would have thought that

the PPP would have engaged the opposition in a meaningful way when crafting their first budget for the new Parliament; instead they acted as if nothing had changed, and we know what happened to their budget in Parliament. Because of a recent court ruling on the last budget, the opposition or some would prefer the majority in Parliament may have to decide if they will reject or accept the entire budget, in my view the new budget will determine how soon elections will be held.

I mention the PPP being its old arrogant self. The electorate voted for a change in the last election, one would have thought that the PPP heard. There were expectations that President Donald Ramotar would have injected new blood in the PPP, instead he continued with the same old Jagdeo regime.

Some of the very people whom the Guyanese perceive as thieves, Mr. Ramotar retained them. Still there was this hope that he may make changes dumping some of the Jagdeo holdover, but after a year, to the disappointment of the Guyanese people nothing has changed.

True the President has opened up the books on some of the contracts, but this has helped very little with the perception that the PPP is a corrupt Government. Ralph Ramkarran wrote a long article on the ills of the PPP and how it can correct itself if it wants to continue as the ruling party.

You would have thought they

would have taken the advice seriously, as it speaks to their survival as a ruling party. What did the PPP do, revert to their defensive self, the PPP has always been defensive when faced with legitimate questions. They came out with 34 points of nonsense as a rebuttal to Ramkarran.

It is this need by the PPP to justify that everything they do is right, that is going to lead to the demise of the party. The PPP has a terrible image problem; it has a serious Public Relations problem. I don’t know who does their PR work, but that entire unit needs to be changed.

Either it is not in touch with the real Guyanese public, or it thinks that the Guyanese public, including its own supporters, is so stupid that they will believe anything they say.

Ralph Ramkarran has more credibility than all the PPP Ministers combined. If I were the PPP, I would have issued a statement, thanking him for his suggestions, and will give serous considerations to the points raised. I would say that the party is open to suggestions, and would give emphasis to any changes needed to regain the full confidence of the Guyanese public, end of story.

But no, they had to digress into 34 points of stupidity. You can’t deny the fact that you lost the last election, you can’t deny the fact that you have consistently lost votes since the 1992 elections, (hiding behind percent of votes gained is

not helping), you can’t deny that you are losing Indian support, the figures are there, and you certainly can’t deny that you are at the moment an unpopular corrupt government, at least you admitted there is corruption, but failed to say how you will deal with it.

It’s not your personal business how you democratized yourself internally. When you rig the internal election to put certain people in power to run the country, you are exposing your undemocratic nature, which naturally will flow in the administration of Government.

The opposition did not do much better. The PNC went back to its old ways of street protests. The AFC trying to outdo APNU took it further. We know what happened at Linden and Agricola. I am not sure that is the sense of accomplishment the opposition wants to take to the next election.

Outside of that, the opposition cannot point to anything substantial it has accomplished with their new found power.

A new year is coming. A wise mind said if you keep doing the same thing over and over, don’t expect a different result. The PPP, APNU and AFC should bear this in mind in the coming year, if not the Guyanese voters will come up with a different result come next elections, and those in power now may not like the results.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

Dem boys seh

How Guyana became a narco-state Another year and the US Department of State issues another warning in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report that “Guyana is a trans-shipment point for South American cocaine on its way to North America and Europe.”

Another month and another report makes international headline news.

Another batch of cocaine has been seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Canada Border Services Agency from a star-apple shipment at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport or another pink suitcase of cocaine sails through Guyana’s porous airport security and lands safely at the John F. Kennedy airport in the United States, for example!

Another week and more cocaine is found in drinking straws at the Timehri airport bond; or cocaine found in fish food; or cocaine found in soap powder; or cocainein-coconut milk; or cocaine found in fish, vegetables, fake walls of suitcases, false-soled shoes or in the wheel chair of a crippled pensioner who was about to board a flight to the USA. Another day and another display of dumb denial by the Minister of Home Affairs who has responsibility for the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Guyana Police Force’s Anti-Narcotics Section.

Guyana, under the People’s Progressive Party Civic administration has become a narco-state. It has become a national warehouse and an international emporium from which narcotraffickers export their merchandise to foreign markets. From the start of

Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure as President, the US Department of State’s Inte r n a t i o n a l Narcotics Control Strategy Report has been making increasingly critical reports of the administration’s failure to suppress the narcotics trade.

The INCSR has routinely criticised the Administration’s inability to control the country’s porous borders that allow traffickers to import and transport narcotics without resistance.

It is a well-known fact that cocaine continues to come into the country through the unpatrolled borders of the hinterland and the rivers of the coastland.

Light aircraft land at any of the sixty isolated airstrips or make airdrops into rivers where the drug is retrieved by local retailers.

The administration, however, has never seen it fit to give CANU and the Police the resources or personnel to reach those places.

The INCSR, for the first time in 2004, cited the administration’s “lack of political will” as a contributory factor to the continuing ineffectiveness of the national counter-narcotics programme. The INCSR, since then, has focused on the remarkable relationship between the inactivity of the administration’s counternarcotics agencies on the one hand and the vitality of the narcotrafficking and moneylaundering cartels, on the other.

The United States Embassy some time ago estimated that narcotraffickers’ annual earnings were equivalent to 20 per cent or more of Guyana’s reported GDP. This enormous wealth

pays the wages of armed gangs, purchases political influence and bribes lawenforcement officials in order to protect narco-enterprises.

Money-launderers associated with narcotraffickers distort the domestic economy by pricing their goods and services below market rates thereby undermining legitimate businesses and stultifying the local manufacturing sector which cannot compete with contraband goods.

Clement Rohee, on being appointed Minister of Home Affairs six years ago, swore to be “tough on drug lords.”

Like his predecessors in that Ministry, talk was cheap. The first, Feroze Mohamed, inherited a plan called Guyana’s Strategy for Dealing with the Drug Problem but never implemented it; Jairam Ronald Gajraj introduced a second plan called the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, 1997-2000 but never implemented it; and Gail Teixeira introduced the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, 2005-2009.

Clement Rohee inherited the Teixeira NDSMP in 2006 but, again, never fully implemented it.

Rohee has not been able to dismantle the rich narcotrafficking cartels or to disentangle the narcotics trade from the political connections which have helped them to thrive.

Rohee’s main contribution has been to establish an impotent Task Force on Narcotics and Illicit Weapons and to add to the pile of paper reports in the Ministry.

Narco-trafficking is not a victimless crime. It is the force fuelling this country’s high rates of armed robbery, murder, violence and gunrelated crimes. There are now

three armed robberies in Guyana every day. Narcotrafficking and gun-running are driving away the local educated élite, scaring foreign investors, undermining economic growth, impeding social development and threatening human safety.

A former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Georgetown once pointed out that “it is clear that the drug-trade is pumping huge amounts of money into Guyana’s economy…but it is also pumping huge amounts of violence and corruption into Guyana.” Former Head of the Police Criminal Investigation Department Assistant Commissioner Heeralall Makhanlall once warned that ‘execution-type killings’ are suspected to be related to the narcotics trade.

Guyana continues to pay a high price for having become a narco-state – a dubious distinction earned by dint of the determination of ministers who have not demonstrated that they had “the political will” to combat narcotics-trafficking.

Sonny arrested on 12-12-12 Eject come like a knight in shining armor. All Guyanese around de world think that this is de best thing ever happen to Guyana. People from China, Europe and all across de world buy ticket fun come to Guyana.

De man who now wearing a pumpkin jumpsuit and will reappear before Auntie Dora Monday was offering cheap fares.

De man was offering a fare that was never heard of anywhere in de world.

Dem don’t even understand what it was to pay US$800 and fly whole month. He mek a name fun herself.

Now dem boys find out that he ain’t only rob de place when he wuk in Florida. He rob some of de Bees who will soon join him.

De man who cause all this confusion was Sonny A. Ramdeo. De A is fuh Ass-Tin and he ass under pressure; tremendous pressure. He tell dem boys he feeling de pressure from de back and de front. He want two Bees, Barbie and Bar Rat—to help him tek off some of de pressure. He want Barbie tek off de pressure from de front and Bar Rat to tek off from de back. De rest of Bees got to wait till Brassy go in. Dem gun got to tek pressure from he Brazzy ears, he mouth, he nose and even he eye, —all over because Judge Dora gun give he real pressure.

He wouldn’t even know that he got high blood pressure.

Sonny pressure start de minute he get arrested on 12-1212. That is a date no one, not even Sonny, can ever forget.

When Auntie Dora done wid he de man gun come out 2424-24. He get ketch 12-12-12 and de Bees gun get ketch 1313-13. They have to spend much, much more time inside because dem thief more than US$20 million. In fact, dem thief US$20 billion.

Dem boys average that dem date of release gun be 34-3434 because is dem who encourage Sonny fuh thief just like how dem encourage de whole of Guyana fuh thief, tek, borrow and don’t give back.

Talk half and pray fuh de man who bring Guyana close to de US through de sky.

Page 10

US$20M fraud scheme…

Founder of EZjet Air Services, Sonny Ramdeo, who was arrested last Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York, while on the run is set to attend court tomorrow for a bail hearing.

Ramdeo, facing fraud charges for allegedly stealing US$20M from a US hospital chain, remained in the custody of federal authorities after an initial court appearance Wednesday before Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon, hours after his arrest by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

However, through his lawyer, Kannan Sundaram, he immediately moved for bail.

According to court documents filed, the 35-yearold executive waived his right to an identity hearing and preliminary examinations by the court. It would mean that the former Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara resident, who was based in Florida, has signaled his intentions to fight the fraud charges in Florida courts.

The bail hearing is set for a Brooklyn, New York court tomorrow morning.

However, it seems

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

EZjet boss back in court tomorrow unlikely that he will be allowed his pre-trial liberty as Assistant US Attorney, Catherine Mirabile, was already successful in securing a temporary detention order since Wednesday. With charges filed against Ramdeo since December 6, and the FBI reportedly looking for him since last month, the possibilities of bail being granted for the EZjet founder seem all the more remote.

Ramdeo, according to court documents, reportedly stole US$20M from a hospital chain over a seven-year period.

Some of the monies he is accused of stealing were said to be used to finance the operations of EZjet, a chartered airline that he started up last year December, according to prosecutors.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal

Investigation Division (IRSCID); and Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), investigated the fraud and charged Ramdeo, 35, with wire fraud.

The Federal agents said that Ramdeo kept the money paid by Promise and Success Healthcare to his private company, PayServ, for his personal use.

Ramdeo is expected to be removed to the Southern District of Florida on these charges.

The federal agents had signaled their intention to arrest him in early November.

IN HIDING He immediately went into hiding, but gave the impression through his local country manager, Rosalinda Rasul, that he was communicating with the Feds.

He even returned as Chief Executive Officer having resigned when the first accusation of theft surfaced through a writ filed by Promise Healthcare, accusing him of stealing US$5.4 million.

Ramdeo, the US Federal

Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced late Wednesday, will soon be taken to Florida, another state in the US, to face trial for the charges which were instituted on December 6, all linked to Promise Healthcare.

A former resident of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, the 35-year-old Ramdeo faces up to 60 years in jail on three counts of wire fraud (20 years on each of the three counts), with a mandatory fine of US$250,000.

He could also be fined twice the amount of money he stole or twice the sum his victim lost.

Rasul admitted Thursday that Ramdeo was on the run from the time the Feds declared an interest in him.

The details emerging now speak of a man who closely controlled the troubled lowcost carrier even while hiding from the FBI. He managed to fool staffers into believing that everything was alright.

He would only answer emails. Nobody seemed to have known where he was.

Investigators cornered Ramdeo in Brooklyn, New

EZjet boss, Sonny Ramdeo York on Tuesday night.

He was immediately arrested and placed before Magistrate Judge Scanlon in a federal court in the Eastern District of New York.

CONSPIRACY Court documents released by the Feds explained that Ramdeo was employed as the Director of Payroll of Promise Healthcare Inc. and Success Healthcare LLC, which in total, operated 17 hospitals across the US. He was responsible for the payments of bi-weekly wages and related payroll taxes for more than 3,500 employees of the companies.

According to the indictment, as early as September 3, 2010, and continuing through on or about October 12, 2012, at Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, Ramdeo devised a scheme to defraud the hospitals by stealing the payroll taxes.

He did this by establishing a company called Payserv Tax Inc. which he claimed, using false emails, was a subsidiary of Ceridian Corporation, a well known company that once did payroll services for the hospitals.

It was based on this claim that the hospitals trusted him and Payserv with millions of dollars. Using this authority, he routinely transferred money from the hospitals to his Payserv accounts.

The indictment also said that Ramdeo, in November 2011, incorporated EZjet and later, without authorization, transferred the money from Payserv to the accounts of EZjet.

This was for expenses including airplane and crew rental, fuel, food, ground crew and air terminal costs.

The name EZjet and Sonny Ramdeo became well known in Guyana over the past year after the low-cost charter started flying the New York to Georgetown route in December last year.

Immediately, there were questions about the source of financing and his

mysterious investors. The Guyana Government said that EZjet and Ramdeo passed inspection and that the US and other territories had conducted similar due diligence.

Ramdeo flew to Guyana earlier this year with a management team and during a press conference, insisted that it was his own money, taken from savings, his pension and stock options and mortgage that funded the charter.

In early November, EZjet had its licence revoked by the US Department of Transportation after Swift Air, an Arizona-based aircraft company, complained that the low-cost charter owed them a significant sum of money.

Guyana, Trinidad and Toronto, Canada followed suit.

Workers walked out of the New York office not long after, leaving passengers unsure how they would get back hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

Rasul said that stranded Guyanese passengers could be owed as much as $50M, with over 300 of them to be refunded. The company’s Georgetown office had issued cheques to a number of stranded Guyanese passengers with a pay date of December 14.

She begged stranded passengers in Guyana not to take those cheques to the bank as there is no money in the EZjet accounts. She said that Government is now handling refunds.

Government is holding US$200,000 ($40M) in a passengers’ security deposit for EZjet.

Rasul distanced herself from the Ramdeo arrest, making it clear that she was not aware of any suspicious monies in EZjet’s accounts in Guyana. She is unaware of the status of the bank accounts of EZjet in the US. Only Ramdeo knew about all of the company’s finances.

The official was unclear what would happen to the passengers in New York who were left stranded.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

ImmigrationINFO™ (Immigration News For Our Community)

Why is a Medical Exam required for a Green Card?

Attorney Gail S. Seeram When a foreign national is trying to immigrate to the United States or adjust his status in the United States, a medical examination is required. Many foreign nationals are unclear as to the purpose and scope of the medical examination. Medical examinations are necessary to verify good health and admissibility to the United States on medical grounds.

All medical examinations include: • Physical Examination: applicants are required to have a physical examination (to include complete disrobing), and a mental status evaluation.

• Tuberculin (TB) Skin Test: All applicants two years of age and older are required to have a tuberculin skin test (TST).

• Vaccinations: Most applicants need to show that they are current with all vaccinations recommended

by US public health officials.

You should have vaccinations for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, influenza type B, hepatitis B, If you are unable to submit a l l y o u r vaccination records at the time of the exam, or if you have never had certain vaccines, the Civil Surgeon or Panel Physician can administer them to you. It is important to not try to fulfill your vaccination requirements before you meet with the Panel Physician or Civil

Surgeon, in case it is not medically appropriate for you to have one or more of the required vaccines. As of December 14, 2009, the zoster and the HPV vaccine were no longer required.

Who gives the medical exam?

Medical examinations are given by licensed and experienced doctors, called Civil Surgeons (in the U.S.A.) and Panel Physicians (outside of the U.S.A.).

Doctors who qualify as Civil Surgeons or Panel Physicians receive special and on-going immigration oriented medical training and policy updates. Note: A medical exam performed by a doctor NOT approved b y U S CIS will not be recognized.

What if I am pregnant?

If you are pregnant, you are required to have a medical exam, but some parts of it may be postponed until after delivery of your baby, depending on the circumstances of your case.

If you have any concerns, you should discuss them with your family doctor before the medical exam, with the Civil Surgeon, or with the Panel Physician.

What if vaccinations are contrary to my religious beliefs or moral convictions?

If you have firmly held religious or moral beliefs that do not permit vaccinations, you may still be eligible for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status. You will need to apply for a waiver of vaccination requirements.

Gail S. Seeram Who pays for the vaccinations? ( The applicant is responsible for paying the appropriate fee for all vaccinations directly to the civil surgeon, as agreed upon with the civil surgeon. You should ask about the price of the vaccinations before the medical examination or the administration of the vaccinations.

Can I be forced to be vaccinated for immigration purposes? ( If you refuse to receive the vaccines required for immigration purposes, as mandated by the immigration laws of the United States, your application for legal permanent resident status may be denied.

What happens after the medical exam?

After the medical exam is complete, the Panel Physician (if you are abroad) or the Civil Surgeon (if you are in the United States) will certify the results on the appropriate forms and place them in a sealed envelope. DO NOT OPEN THE SEALED ENVELOPE. Turn in your envelope with your immigration application to your attorney or the office that requested the medical examination.

Page 11

Evict public officers for not paying rents for Govt. Flats – Joe Harmon Public officers who refuse to pay their monthly rentals for Government Flats should face eviction. And, the Public Works Ministry which is responsible for collecting rentals for Government Flats should be held accountable for allowing public officers to default on their monthly obligations to taxpayers.

These notions were expressed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Member of Parliament, Joe Harmon, in light of revelations in the 2011 Auditor General’s Report that 10 public officers residing in Government Flats owe the accumulated amount of $10.133 million in rentals for 2011.

The rental register for Government flats revealed

that 20 flats were available at Echilibar Villas, of which 13 were occupied by public officers. There were also 12 double flats at Main and New Market Streets and 10 premises at other locations, all of which were occupied.

The Head of the Budget Agency accepted that it is true that the sum of $10.133M is owed by tenants occupying Government Quarters. It was noted that the officers have been written to in order to settle their indebtedness and have assured that follow-up action will be pursued.

While the Law inhibits those in authority from reaching into someone’s salary and arbitrarily making deductions, Harmon stressed

Government Flats at Main and New Market Streets.

that the Ministry needs to take stringent measures even if it means evicting tenants to uplift taxpayers’ monies.

He emphasized that public officers residing in Government Flats are usually highly paid officials with top ranking positions in Government Offices and could therefore afford to pay their rents. Harmon said that just as how Government applies pressure to poor people to pay their water bills to Guyana Water Inc. or their light bills to Guyana Power and Light pressure must be applied to these officials to pay their rents.

If the Ministry is unable to uplift the monies it should be held accountable, he added.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Internal “house cleaning” recommended for NIS at public meeting In a public meeting held at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) last week, concerned citizens invited to share their queries and opinions on the financially struggling state company, said that one major factor for renovating the NIS is an “internal cleansing of the institution.”

The meeting centered on the way forward for the scheme since it had been recently highlighted that within a short number of years, the NIS would reportedly go broke. Apart from the numerous external issues that the participants had said were plaguing the

scheme, they noted that there had to be very essential internal fixtures which would assist the firms refreshment; especially in the “easily additive” area of corruption.

They noted that some of these issues were the work conditions and political interference.

A contributor to the NIS, Mervin Williams, said that there must be reform for the conditions under which the NIS staffers operate. He first spoke of inspectors who operate on behalf of the scheme. Williams told the head table which included, the NIS General Manager Terry Thomas, Directors Denise

Miller, Linda Gosai, Earl Welch and Chitraykha Dass, that the scheme, “Cannot strength compliance at the expense of its travel officers.”

Compliance, it was noted, is the part of the scheme that ensures that businesses and employees comply with NIS regulations.

Williams argued that for the past 20 years, traveling officers of NIS have been benefitting from the same rate of travel. Commuting allowance, he said, had been stopped for more than 20 years.

This is very difficult, Williams indicated, since one would have to spend one’s

A concerned NIS contributor highlights his concerns. own money to go to the business places and sometimes, he noted, these places would be in very far locations.

Apart from that, it was noted that travelers have been promised duty free concessions and to date this is still to manifest.

In the apartment that houses the compliance staff, Williams said that the conditions are unbearable and invited anyone to visit the office. He said there was no proper drinking water; there was no air conditioning and poor lighting.

The working conditions, he said, are not what they ought to be. “It’s hot, the lighting is poor; there is no available drinking water for employees or visitors to the section.”

“We have to start by cleaning house if we want to strengthen compliance.”

It was indicated that

corruption was not an overlooked factor. The issues immediately in need of remedying could be contributing to the scourge.

Political interference was identified by Christopher Ram as taking a t o ll on the firm since business owners would reportedly use their political affiliations and subvert NIS regulations, Williams said.

He added that it was difficult for inspectors to function properly since they do not have statutory power to take action against those flouting the system.

As a means of rectifying the current state of the NIS, Christopher Ram offered legal assistance for free. He said this had been done a long time ago but the NIS officials had not even responded. He renewed the offer and noted that he was looking forward to aiding the firm.

Injured boat captain prefers compensation Enrucie Brown, of Grant New Hope, Lower Pomeroon, has said that he is more interested in being compensated by the driver who ran over him and 17 of his passengers, last Monday night, that in a prolonged court action.

Two speedboats heading in opposite directions collided.

Brown mentioned that the police at Moruka cautioned both parties to report to the Moruka Police station tomorrow.

Statements have already been taken from the two captains, Brown added.

Brown said that while the 17 passengers who were traveling in his boat to Charity are recuperating from their injuries, his boat and 200 horsepower engine were destroyed.

“My boat is mash up and I had to repair my

engine.” Brown said that he has already spent $135.000 on repairs.

Brown was exiting the Bara Bara River (‘99 turns’), Moruka in the North West District, Monday night when the other boat driver who was proceeding in the opposite direction with a 250HP engine ran over him.

Brown, who sustained a blow to his stomach, said that he saw the boat coming towards him but apparently the other driver didn’t see him before the collision occurred.

“99 turn” got the name because the area has exactly 99 turns which are difficult to negotiate. Many residents in the Pomeroon, who have to travel by boat, often complain about the inconsideration shown by many boat operators who usually speed on the waters.

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

With Chavez stricken, elections become crucial CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Hugo Chavez’s cancer has upended politics in Venezuela, transforming today’s nationwide elections for state governors and legislators into a test of his legacy that could chart the country’s future in the uncertain months ahead.For the first time in his nearly 14 years in power, the charismatic, voluble Venezuelan president has been unable to actively participate in such a campaign.

The question now hovering over the vote: Will his illness help or hurt the ruling apparatus he has built almost singlehandedly and strengthen his leftist agenda?

If Chavez’s camp can maintain dominance in the country’s 23 governorships, all but eight of which it holds, it can forge ahead with plans to solidify his “socialist revolution” by fortifying grass-roots citizen c0ouncils that are directly funded by the central government.

Chavez’s backers have framed the election as a referendum on his legacy, angling for the sympathy vote.

For the opposition, the elections are apt to determine the fate of its leadership. The most pivotal race involves

People hold candles during a vigil in support of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela.

Henrique Capriles, who gave Chavez his stiffest challenge yet in the Oct. 7 presidential election by winning 44 percent of the votes.

If Capriles, 40, can win reelection as governor of Miranda state, which includes parts of the capital, the grandson of a Polish Holocaust survivor would be the opposition’s most likely choice in the event of a presidential election that would need to be called within 30 days if Chavez died. Even before Chavez’s mortality became a factor, the Miranda

race was considered crucial for the opposition with Capriles facing Elias Jaua, Chavez’s former vice president.

Chavez has virtually monopolized power in his person, painting much of the country red, the color of his leftist movement, as he nationalized key industries and expropriated private land.

The man he designated to succeed him before flying to Cuba last Sunday for cancer surgery, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, is a political lightweight by comparison.

Capriles is widely seen as

Son of top cop on drug charges BELMOPAN, Belize CMC - The 27 year-old son of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Elodio Aragon Junior, will re-appear in court on January 29 next year on drug charges after his vehicle had been intercepted by law enforcement officials and a quantity of marijuana found in two tyres.

Police said that Noel Richard Leal Junior appeared in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court on Friday

after he was arrested and charged with drug trafficking.

Assistant Superintendant of Police Dinsdale Thompson told reporters that more than 43 pounds of marijuana had been found in two vehicle tyres in the back of a vehicle the accused was driving on Thursday.

“Upon searching the vehicle they discovered that there were 12 plastic bag parcels which were inside of two separate tyres inside the

pan side of the truck. The police searched and upon f u r t h e r investigation…discovered that the contained substance of that appears to be marijuana,” Thompson said.

He said that the accused was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court and was remanded untila date in January 2013.

Thompson gave no indication s to the street value of the drugs found.

Barbados Nation - The Caribbean is gearing up for a “protracted fight” with Britain to force that country’s hand in rebanding the region in the controversial Air Passenger Duty scheme.

Barbados’ Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy has vowed to keep lobbying the British government over the tax imposed on British travellers that has cost them more for tickets to the Caribbean than for travel to destinations farther away from London.

“We want to see that we can get some rebanding at the very least,” Sealy told guests at the official opening of the new Caribbean Tourism

Organisation (CTO) offices at Baobab Towers in Warrens, Thursday, though he did not expect the tax to be repealed outright.

He also urged the CTO to continue its advocacy.

Sealy said that judging from the response of Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to representation made by the chairman of CARICOM, it was clear that Britain intended to go ahead with proposed increases in the tax next year despite continued lobbying by regional and British tourism interests.

But he maintained that “if this tax continues, it will have a significant negative impact

on our tourism numbers”.

He observed that the Caribbean had become “the most tourism-dependent region in the world”, a fact that underscored regional governments’ expectations from the CTO, which he lauded for its work in research and training.

However, Sealy warned the organization that it had “a lot of work to do” in the cruise industry so that the region snared its fair share of cruise business.

Beverly Nicholson Doty, chairman of the CTO’s Council of Ministers and Commissioners, cut the ribbon to officially open the new offices.

Sealy: APD fight not over

having a far better chance against Maduro than against Chavez. Another key race is in Zulia state, Venezuela’s most populous, where opposition Gov. Pablo Perez is running for re-election.

David Smilde, a University of Georgia sociologist and analyst for the Washington Office on Latin America think tank, believes Capriles will hold on to Miranda’s governorship. But he expects an unusually high turnout

Sunday that he believes will favor the Chavistas, even among voters fed up with high-level corruption in the president’s inner circle.

Many Chavistas have been moved by the president’s plight, and some pro-Chavez candidates have been calling for people to vote for them in a show of support and solidarity.

“It is now about Chavez and his legacy,” said Smilde.

“And there is a lot of sympathy.”

Smilde said the woman who cleans his Caracas apartment complains about Chavez but, after news suggesting his cancer was incurable, “she was talking to me with her eyes moist about Chavez and how she’s going to vote for Elias Jaua, and that kind of surprised me and I tend to think it’s not isolated.”

Gladys Espinal, who recently completed studies at the free, state-run Bolivarian University to be a schoolteacher, was also voting for Jaua.

“The (electoral) map is going to be filled with red because that’s the best gift we can give our president,” she said in a downtown Caracas

bakery. Chavez’s health has become such a factor in the vote that pocketbook issues like growing public debt and a scarcity of dollars that’s pushing up the prices of foreign goods are falling to the side.

In the past, the opposition has fared better in regional elections than in presidential votes because it could hone in on nutsand-bolts issues such as the plethora of unfinished public works projects under Chavez or citizen insecurity.

Smilde noted the big popularity boost that followed Chavez’s re-election to another six-year term: 68 percent approval in an early November poll by the Datanalisis firm.

And that’s before he announced he would need a fourth surgery for a cancer first diagnosed in mid-2011.

Candidates of the governing Unity Socialist Party of Venezuela have campaigned on strengthening communes, which are grassroots citizen councils that receive their funding directly from the central government.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Millions forfeited from offshore Opposition party plans convention gambling operation in Antigua amid preparation for early poll

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A US court has ordered the forfeiture of nearly US $7 million traced to alleged money laundering at an offshore Internet gambling operation in Antigua.

The claims are against World Wide Tele-Sports (WWTS) and its owner William Paul Scott.

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) is reporting that the US Department of Justice has accused Scott of violation of the Wire money laundering laws.

The department said that on December 15, 2003, the US government filed a civil forfeiture action against Soulbury Limited.

They allege that Soulbury is a shell company controlled

by Scott and used to conceal the profits he gained through his offshore Internet gambling operations.

The government alleged that the money held by Soulbury were “proceeds of Wire Act violations and were subject to forfeiture as property involved in or traceable to money

laundering transactions.”

The US and Antigua & Barbuda have been embroiled in a tense battle over Internet gaming.

The US accuses any operation here of operating illegally when they market online gambling to people in the US. T h e Wo r l d Tr a d e Organisation (WTO) has ruled that the premise is wrong but the US has refused to comply with the judgment, saying the terms o ff e r e d b y A n t i g u a a r e unacceptable.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts CMC - The main opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) buoyed by the success of two recent public demonstrations has announced plans for a national convention amid talk of an early general election in St. Kitts and Nevis.

In a statement, PAM said that while general elections are constitutionally due in 2015, it is “taking careful and strategic measures to ready itself for any possible early election that senior officials in

the political organization believe is very likely in the New Year, 2013”.

PAM said that it is convinced that “enough signs were showing” that Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas is in fact preparing for an early poll. “ Party leaders are even now more determined to prepare immediately, given recent political developments that have led to a resolution of no confidence, being filed against the Prime Minister and government of St. Kitts and Nevis,” the party said.

It said that as a result of the political manoeuvres now taking place in the twin island federation, a special convention will be held on Monday.

“The convention will seek to discuss overall preparations that are required to ensure that if and when the poll is called, the party is more than ready to rally its base and convince a vast majority of the electorate, to vote for a new PAM Administration,” the party said, urging supporters “to attend and provide their usual invaluable support and ideas, in the determination to move the country into a new chapter in nationhood”.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Douglas announced a postponement of the presentation of the 2012-13 national budget noting that two senior government ministers had failed to attend

crucial Cabinet meetings to discuss the fiscal package.

But the ministers later issued a joint statement denying the accusation.

In addition, Prime Minister Douglas is facing a motion of no confidence filed by Opposition leader Mark Brantley.

But Prime Minister Douglas has accused Brantley of being power hungry and i on a mission to destabilise and the country.

“All of this confusion is at the feet of Mark Brantley, because Mark Brantley is power hungry. Mark Brantley is losing the fight for his life politically in Nevis, and he has set out to create all kinds of distractions from what is the real battle ground that is in Nevis,” Prime Minister Douglas said on his weekly radio programme.

Barbados Nation - Bleak economic prospects in the region may put the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) at risk for further downgrades in its credit rating, says president Dr Warren Smith.

Six months after the bank was downgraded by both Moody’s Investment Service and Standard & Poor’s (S&P’s), the latter announced on Wednesday that it had once again dropped the bank’s rating by a notch from AA+

with a stable outlook to AA with a negative outlook.

During a Press conference at the CDB’s Wildey, St Michael headquarters Friday, Smith said the bank had largely addressed the internal concerns identified by the agencies in their May and June reviews.

However, he said, external factors along with a change in S&P’s rating methodology had contributed significantly to the most recent decision.

Denzil Douglas

CDB’s challenges

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

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IDB multi-million dollar loan to rehabilitate Barbados PM speaks of unfair trading in rum exports Suriname road leading to French Guiana BGIS - Government is actively working at the CARICOM as well as the international levels to ensure Barbados does not face unfair competition with its rum exports.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart made this clear as he spoke with members of the media following a tour of Foursquare Rum Distillery in St. Philip yesterday.

Mr. Stuart disclosed that at present, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands were able to purchase products much cheaper than Caribbean rum producers and as a result, this gave them an unfair advantage as far as their rum exports were c o n c e r n e d . H e said this matter was engaging the attention of CARICOM states and was being “actively” addressed.

He added: “The rum industry is too important to Barbados, and yes it is a CARICOM issue, but I don’t think any CARICOM country has any reason to be as concerned about this as Barbados. Rum is assuming

Freundel Stuart

an importance for Barbados that we cannot afford to ignore. So, this is a front burner issue and we are following it very closely.”

The Prime Minister disclosed that he recently held lengthy discussions with the US Assistant Secretary of State on the matter and also met with Barbados’ Ambassador to Washington, John Beale, and Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM, Robert ‘Bobby’ Morris.

Furthermore, he explained that Barbados’ Ambassador to

Geneva, Dr. Marion Williams, was also looking into the issue.

“The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held a meeting last Friday in Guyana and discussed the subsidies ...

The two rum producers in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, [and] the Dominican Republic have become involved in this and it has become a CARICOM issue and we anticipate that if there is not a reversal or some kind of accommodation that it may have to reach the WTO [World Trade Organisation], but we are waiting for the outcome of a Geneva meeting...”, he underlined.

With respect to the performance of the Foursquare Rum Distillery, Mr Stuart congratulated Executive Chairman, Sir David Seale, on the company’s success and noted that the distillery has been making a unique contribution to Barbados’ rum industry.

Consequently, he said that it was important to him both as “Prime Minister and as a citizen of Barbados”.

WASHINGTON - CMC The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says it is providing US$40 million loan to Suriname to complete the rehabilitation and improvement of the country’s strategic Meerzorg–Albina integration corridor, which connects the capital city to the eastern border with French Guiana.

The IDB said this integration corridor will facilitate transport into French Guiana and to Brazil.

The bank said the new funds will supplement a US$62.5 million loan approved in 2008 for which counterpart resources were provided by a European Union grant and a French Development Agency (AFD) loan.

The project will increase access to the country’s major economic zones, boost tourism, trade and regional integration, lower transportation costs and improve road safety.

Expected results of the programme include a steep decline in travel time between the capital city of Paramaribo and the border city of Albina,

a 15 per cent reduction in traffic accidents and road fatalities and a 22 per cent reduction of vehicle operating costs on the rehabilitated 140km-long east-west integration corridor running along the coastal area.

Additionally, the threeyear programme will support the implementation of a management system for the maintenance of primary roads, including axle load control and the development of a national road safety strategy and action plan.

“The corridor accounts for nearly ten percent of the national primary network and concentrates almost 25 percent of the country’s traffic flow, so its rehabilitation is likely to have a huge positive

impact on the country’s economy,” said IDB project team leader Colin Forsythe.

The IDB said rehabilitation was identified as a priority because the roadway after more than 30 years of use was badly deteriorated and had outlived its useful life.

The corridor roadway will be widened from 6.0 meters to internationally accepted standards of 7.2 meters.

The project will resolve the prevailing problems including asphalt cracks, pavement deformations, vegetation invasion of roadside shoulders; inadequate traffic signs and road markings; and drainage network overflows during rainstorms.

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Israeli election downplays Palestinian issue JERUSALEM (AP) — Peacemaking with the Palestinians, once the main issue by far in Israeli politics, has been strikingly absent from the campaign for next month’s general election.

After years of public frustration with failed peace efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s badly divided challengers are trying instead to tap the economic angst of the middle class and a widespread resentment of perks enjoyed by fervently devout Jews.

Shelly Yachimovich, the ex-journalist leader of the

Labor Party, traditionally the main grouping on the centerleft, has appeared especially determined to ignore the Palestinian issue in favor of socialist-tinged economic proposals — and she has started to draw fire from her allies as polls show Netanyahu and his allies maintaining a significant lead.

The calculation appears to be that too many Israelis have concluded that the gaps with the Palestinians are unbridgeable. From the Israeli perspective, twice in the past 12 years the Palestinians have been presented with

exceedingly reasonable territorial offers, without result. The Palestinians reject that narrative — but it has set in within Israel, making peace advocates seem naive and out of touch to many.

“Most politicians think, rightfully so, that Israelis don’t believe in peace anyway,” said Tom Segev, a left-leaning historian who has chronicled regional events for decades. “This is a generation of Israelis who have been talking about peace for the last 45 years and not much has happened. So they don’t believe in it anymore.”

Sunday December 16, 2012

Egyptians vote on divisive constitution CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - Egyptians queued in long lines yesterday to vote on a constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of a political crisis and rejected by opponents as a recipe for further divisions in the Arab world’s biggest nation.

Soldiers joined police to secure the referendum after deadly protests during the buildup. Street brawls erupted

again on Friday in Alexandria, Egypt’s second city, but voting proceeded quietly there, with no reports of violence elsewhere.

President Mohamed Mursi provoked angry demonstrations when he issued a decree last month expanding his powers and then fast-tracked the draft constitution through an assembly dominated by his Muslim Brotherhood group and its allies. At least eight people were killed in clashes last week outside the presidential palace.

His liberal, secular and Christian opponents says the constitution is too Islamist and tramples on minority rights. Mursi’s supporters say the charter is needed if progress is to be made towards democracy nearly two years after the fall of militarybacked strongman Hosni Mubarak.

“The sheikhs (preachers) told us to say ‘yes’ and I have read the constitution and I liked it,” said Adel Imam, a 53year-old queuing to vote in a Cairo suburb. “The country will move on.”

Opposition politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on Twitter: “Adoption of (a) divisive draft constitution that violates universal values and freedoms is a sure way to institutionalize instability and turmoil.”

Official results will not be announced until after a second round of voting next Saturday. But partial results and unofficial tallies are likely to emerge soon after the first

round, giving some idea of the outcome.

In order to pass, the constitution must be approved by more than 50 percent of voters who cast ballots. A little more than half of Egypt’s electorate of 51 million are eligible to vote in the first round in Cairo and other cities.

Rights groups reported some abuses, such as polling stations opening late, officials telling people to vote “yes”, bribery and intimidation.

But Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, which is monitoring the vote, said nothing reported so far was serious enough to invalidate the referendum.

“Until now, there is no talk of vote rigging,” said Eid. Christians, making up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 83 million people and who have long grumbled of discrimination, were among those waiting at a polling station in Alexandria to oppose the basic law.

They fear Islamists, long repressed by Mubarak, will restrict social and other freedoms.

“I voted ‘no’ to the constitution out of patriotic duty,” said Michael Nour, a 45year-old Christian teacher in Alexandria. “The constitution does not represent all Egyptians.”

Howaida Abdel Azeem, a post office employee, said: “I said ‘yes’ because I want the destruction the country is living through to be over and the crisis to pass, and then we can fix things later.”

Egypt opposition party building attacked by rivals CAIRO (Reuters) Islamists attacked the opposition Wafd party’s newspaper offices in central Cairo with petrol bombs and birdshot yesterday, security sources said.

The violence flared as Egyptians voted in a referendum on a new constitution intended to pull the country out a growing political crisis.

Two people were injured and firefighters said they had put out the flames, a Reuters witness said.

Mostafa Shafik, managing editor at Wafd’s newspaper, which is located next to the party headquarters, said the paper’s offices had been destroyed.

“I can see from the window that cars are damaged, while the headquarters of the newspaper are destroyed,” he told Reuters.

He said police had stood by when the attack was taking place “and at the end fired tear gas at both us and the attackers”.

Shafik added: “The attackers used Molotov cocktails to enter, which left minor areas burned.”

A Reuters photographer saw a dozen or so cars damaged inside the Wafd headquarters’ grounds, their windows broken. Glass was also broken in the headquarters, but he saw no immediate signs of fire damage.

The run-up to the referendum has been marred by violence in Cairo and other cities. Several party buildings belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party have been burned in protests across the country.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Iran warns against Patriot deployment on Syria frontier BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran’s army chief of staff warned NATO yesterday that stationing Patriot anti-missile batteries on Turkey’s border with Syria was setting the stage for world war.

General Hassan Firouzabadi, whose country has been a staunch supporter of President Bashar al-Assad throughout the 21-month uprising against his rule, called on the Western military alliance to reverse its decision to deploy the defense system.

“Each one of these Patriots is a black mark on the world map, and is meant to cause a world war,” Firouzabadi said, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency. “They are making plans for a world war and this is very dangerous for the future of humanity and for the future of Europe itself.”

Despite the warning, Firouzabadi did not threaten any action against Turkey in

his speech to senior commanders at the National Defence University in Tehran.

“We are Turkey’s friend and we want security for Turkey,” he said.

NATO’s U.S. commander said on Friday the alliance was deploying the anti-missile system along Syria’s northern frontier because Assad’s forces had fired Scud missiles that landed near Turkish territory.

Damascus denies firing the long-range, Soviet-built rockets. But, forced on the defensive by mainly Sunni Muslim rebels, Syria’s 47year-old Alawite president has resorted increasingly to air strikes and artillery to stem their advances.

Warplanes bombed insurgents on the airport road in southeast Damascus yesterday and government forces pounded a town to the southwest, activists said, in a month-long and so far fruitless

campaign to dislodge rebels around the capital.

Activists also reported heavy fighting in the Palestinian district of Yarmouk in southern Damascus between rebels and fighters from a pro-Assad Palestinian faction.

In the north, rebels said they had seized control of an infantry college in the northern Aleppo province, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was still fierce fighting around the site by nightfall yesterday, when it estimated at least 70 people had been killed across the country.

Desperate food shortages are growing in parts of Syria and residents of Aleppo say fist fights and dashes across the civil war front lines have become part of the daily struggle to secure a loaf of bread.

NATO military commander Admiral James Stavridis said

China arrests legislator with 4 wives, 10 children BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have arrested a legislator found to have four wives.

A district official in the northern province of Shanxi said Li Junwen also had 10 children, and had been detained on suspicion of document forgery. Bigamy is a criminal offense in China,

while rules restrict most couples to just one child.

Another 14 people were sacked or given warnings or demotions for negligence or helping Li arrange identity documents for his illegitimate children, said the official reached by phone at the Xiaodian district party committee in the provincial

capital of Taiyuan.

The 43-year-old Li had been an appointed representative from Xiaodian and the Communist Party head of the village of Xiquan.

The allegations against Li have been featured prominently in state media as part of an anti-corruption drive.

Nine dead as Taliban attack airport in North West Pakistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide squad staged an audacious car bomb, rocket and gun attack on the airport in the northwestern city of Peshawar yesterday and Pakistani security officials said at least nine people, including five attackers, were killed.

The night raid was the biggest assault on a highprofile military facility since gunmen stormed an air base in the eastern province of Punjab in August and underscored the resilience and reach of Pakistan’s Taliban insurgency.

“No terrorist has been able to penetrate inside (the air field),” Group Captain Tariq Mahmood, a spokesman for the Pakistan Air Force, said in a statement. “Security forces were fully alert and are in control of the situation.”

A squad of attackers wearing suicide-vests began the attack by ramming an explosives-laden vehicle into a boundary wall before trading fire with security forces for more than 30 minutes. Three

rockets slammed into a nearby residential area.

Health and police officials said at least four civilians had been killed and 45 wounded in the flurry of blasts and gunshots.

Authorities sealed off access to the airport during the attack and suspended flights, leaving passengers and staff facing tense minutes waiting to see whether the militants would succeed in fighting their way into the complex.

Pakistan’s army rushed reinforcements to the aid of guards battling the attackers, all five of whom were killed, security sources said.

“We have repulsed the attack on the airport, everything is now under control,” said a military official.

The militants seemed to have had less success than a similar suicide squad who managed to break into the Minhas air base at Kamra in central Punjab in August by scaling a wall topped with barbed wire then battling

security forces for hours.

The gritty streets of Peshawar, the gateway to Pakistan’s tribal belt on the border with Afghanistan, have often been shaken by bomb attacks and shootings, but residents said this was the first significant raid on the heavily guarded airport.

The airfield complex serves both commercial flights and military aircraft, including helicopter gunships and warplanes used to strafe and bomb Taliban targets in the tribal areas.

Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said the movement had sent 10 suicide bombers to attack the airport, double the number of attackers reported by security forces.

“Our target was the Pakistani Air Force base, not the Peshawar airport,” Ehsan said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

The Pakistani Taliban has repeatedly sent small teams of gunmen on suicide missions to attack military installations to undermine confidence in the army.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem (centre R) meets U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos (centre L) in Damascus yesterday, in this handout photograph released by Syria’s national news agency (SANA)

a handful of Scud missiles were launched inside Syria in recent days towards opposition targets and “several landed fairly close to the Turkish border, which is very worrisome”.

It was not clear how close they came. Turkey, a N ATO m e m b e r o n c e friendly toward Assad but now among the main allies of the rebels, has complained for months of artillery and gunfire across the border, some of which has caused deaths. It sought the

installation of missile defenses some weeks ago.

“Syria is clearly a chaotic and dangerous situation, but we have an absolute obligation to defend the borders of the alliance from any threat emanating from that troubled state,” Stavridis wrote in a blog on Friday.

Batteries of U.S.-made Patriot missiles, designed to shoot down the likes of the Scuds popularly associated with Iraq’s 1991 Gulf War under Saddam Hussein, are about to be

deployed by the U.S., German and Dutch armies, each of which is sending up to 400 troops to operate and protect the rocket systems.

Damascus has accused Western powers of backing what it portrays as a Sunni Islamist “terrorist” campaign against it and s a y s Wa s h i n g t o n a n d Europe have publicly voiced concerns of late that Assad’s forces might resort to chemical weapons solely as a pretext for preparing a possible military intervention.

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Sunday December 16, 2012

Russia opposition leaders held as protesters defy police MOSCOW (Reuters) Russian riot police detained four opposition leaders and broke up a crowd of about 2,000 people who went ahead with a banned rally yesterday to demand an end to Vladimir Putin’s 13-year rule.

The opposition chose a symbolic location, in front of the Soviet KGB security police’s former headquarters, for the rally marking a year of protests against Putin, and said the police intervention showed the limits on dissent under the president.

Police were out in force and helicopters buzzed overhead as protesters, wrapped in scarves and fur hats because of the extreme cold, chanted “Free political prisoners”, “Down with the police state” and “Russia without Putin” on the vast Lubyanka Square in central Moscow.

One unfurled a banner saying “crooks and thieves” - the popular name used to describe the Russian leadership. But the police eventually lost patience with the rally, which had been banned by Moscow city authorities, and strode across the square in helmets and flak jackets after about two hours, hauling protesters away one by one and locking elbows to push others away until no one was left.

About 40 people were detained, a police spokesman said, and there were minor scuffles.

Leftist leader Sergei Udaltsov and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny were detained at the start of the rally and two fellow protest leaders, Ilya Yashin and Ksenia Sobchak, were detained on their way to the protest.

“I don’t know how many people are here but I am proud of each and every one of those who came here. The main thing is that people are here, that they are expressing their view and showing that they exist,” Navalny said before he was detained.

Police officers detain an opposition activist during an unauthorised rally in central Moscow yesterday. Russian riot police detained four opposition leaders on Saturday to stop them taking part in a banned rally against President Vladimir Putin in front of the former KGB security police’s headquarters in Moscow. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

“Obviously the authorities don’t like attempts to carry out such protest actions and the development of the protest movement in general. They don’t like anything that threatens them.”

Protests began a year ago after Putin’s United Russia party won a parliamentary election marred by allegations of vote-rigging, but quickly developed into the biggest movement against the former KGB spy since he first came to power in 2000.

At their peak last winter the biggest rallies attracted up to 100,000 people, witnesses said. But attendance has dwindled since Putin began a six-year third term as president in May and started what the opposition says is a clampdown on dissent.

“Not a single one of our demands has been met and the political repressions continue,” said Vladimir Ryzhkov, one of the main protest leaders and a former member of parliament.

Despite the ban on the rally, protesters came out in temperatures of minus 15 Celsius (plus 5 Fahrenheit) to show their concern that

Putin’s return to the Kremlin is leading Russia into economic and political stagnation.

“I’m scared of arrest but I’m more scared that my children will want to live in another country,” said

Alexander Ivanov, 39, a businessman dressed in a thick jacket. “I’m afraid it’s already too late. Putin and this country are incompatible - he’s running it into the ground.”

One protester, a translator who gave her name only as

Anna, brought her prayer book with her.

“I’m praying for Russia.

God made us free. No one can take that away from us, or punish, detain or torture us for our political views,” she said.

The 12 months of protests have accelerated the birth of a civil society two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union but the opposition - a disparate group of leftists, liberals, nationalists and ecologists broadly acknowledges it must now hope for political evolution rather than revolution.

The protests failed to prevent Putin, now 60, winning a presidential election in March after four years as prime minister. He has a grip on state media, retains support in the industrial and provincial heartlands that have long been his power base and could rule until 2024 if re-elected in 2018.

“Fewer and fewer people are going to the protests. It’s fading because I don’t see any leaders for me here,” said Yelena, 45, an engineer who was afraid to give her last name.

But she added: “I am here out of solidarity with the people. We came because we are unhappy with the way things are going.”

Some protesters have been put off by what opposition leaders say is a clampdown on dissent and freedom of expression since Putin returned to the Kremlin.

Putin denies there has been a crackdown but new laws since May broaden the definition of treason, increase punishment for protesters who step out of line, and tighten control over the Internet and on lobby groups that receive foreign funding.

Several opposition leaders, including Navalny, face criminal charges that they say are politically motivated and intended to intimidate them into giving up their opposition activities.

Federal investigators announced a new criminal investigation against Navalny on Friday, accusing him and his brother of theft in a move which his supporters said was intended to intimidate the opposition on the eve of the protest.

Nelson Mandela had gallstones removed, recovering: South Africa

Nelson Mandela

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela, the 94-year-old former South African president and Nobel Peace laureate hospitalized with a lung infection, has successfully undergone a procedure to have gallstones

removed, the government said yesterday.

“The former president underwent a procedure via endoscopy to have gallstones removed. The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering,” President Jacob Zuma’s office said in a statement, using Mandela’s clan name.

South Africa’s first black president, who came to power in historic all-race elections in 1994 after decades struggling against apartheid, remains a symbol of resistance to racism and injustice at home and around the world.

Mandela was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on Saturday a week ago after being flown from his home village of Qunu

in a remote, rural part of the Eastern Cape province.

Tests revealed a recurrence of a lung infection and that he had developed gallstones, the government statement said.

The medical team had decided to treat the lung infection before attending to the gallstones, it said.

Mandela spent 27 years in apartheid prisons, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town.

He was released in 1990 and went on to use his unparalleled prestige to push for reconciliation between whites and blacks as the bedrock of the post-apartheid “Rainbow Nation”.

He stepped down in 1999 after one term in office and has been largely removed from public life for the last decade.

Mandela spent time in a Johannesburg hospital in 2011 with a respiratory condition, and again in February this year because of abdominal pains. He was released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing serious.

He has since spent most of his time in Qunu.

His fragile health prevents him from making any public appearances in South Africa, although he has continued to receive high-profile domestic and international visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton in July.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

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CAL's Timehri crash …

Report being - Minister finalized Benn

Sunday December 16, 2012 The remains of the Caribbean Airlines plane, hours after the crash last year July.

- captain reassigned, co-pilot resigns The co-pilot of Caribbean Airline's (CAL) flight BW 523, which crashlanded in Guyana last year, has resigned and the captain of the flight is currently employed at another CAL division, the airline has said.

A report on the crashlanding—still outstanding almost 18 months after the

incident—is now expected early next year after the U S ? N a t i o n a l Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)? in Washington recently reviewed an initial report from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), head of T&T's Civil Aviation Division Ramesh Lutchmedial said Friday.

Yesterday, Guyana's Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, said the report is being finalized.

CAL chairman Rabindra Moonan was asked about several aspects of the issue earlier this week and the company supplied answers to the Trinidad Guardian.

According to the newspaper yesterday, the company said the co-pilot had resigned and the captain of the aircraft was now employed in another department of the airline, pending the release of the official report.

On the status of the report about the crash, CAL said as far as officials were aware, the report was still being prepared by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

“They have given no indication as to when it will be released. We are not aware that any US authorities have asked us to change any systems as a result of the report. This is improbable since the report has not yet been released,”? CAL added.

Lutchmedial said a meeting was held with the NTSB in Washington last month at which the NTSB? reviewed a report by the GCAA. Lutchmedial a d d e d , “ T h e NTSB? recommended that segments of the report by the GCAA be redrafted so a final report will be issued later, possibly next year. We cannot give details of the report until then.”

On questions about

lawsuits filed against the company by some passengers over the crash, the company said aviation insurers had appointed a firm of specialist aviation attorneys to represent CAL. CAL officials subsequently said there were about four lawsuits in the US against CAL in connection with the incident.

They said the sums involved were “not much,” each in the vicinity of several thousand US? dollars.

CAL said the damaged aircraft—known as the “salvage”—was still in Guyana and in the custody of the GCAA until the release of the report. The airline added, “It now belongs to the insurers, who have paid the owners in full. After the release, they will determine how it is to be disposed of.”

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft crash landed at Guyana's Cheddi Jagan International Airport at 1.32 am on July 30, 2011. The aircraft, which overshot the runway, stopped short of a ravine, its nose cone segment breaking off. In what was deemed “a miracle landing,” all 163 people aboard—including six crew members—survived.

A number of people were taken to hospital, and Guyana health authorities reported that three people had to be admitted for treatment. One passenger later had to have a leg amputated. Subsequent news reports from Guyana and in the Wall Street Journal alleged pilot error.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Guyanese man missing in Cayman Islands Cayman Islands (cayman27.com) Officers of the RCIPS are becoming increasingly concerned for the safety and well-being of a 31year-old Guyanese national who has been missing since Tuesday evening.

Hemerson Gonzalez, who is a regular visitor to the Cayman Islands, arrived in Grand Cayman on Sunday, December 9, last.

He was staying with a

male friend in Canyon Dawn Drive in the Spotts Newlands area. He was last seen by his friend leaving that address around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday December 11. At that time Gonzalez was feeling ill and had been suffering from severe vomiting.

Gonzalez is described as being about 5' 8” in height, with a dark brown complexion and curly black hair which is about 1” – 1.5” in length.

He weighs about 180 lbs.

Sophia man committed to stand trial in the High Court A Sophia man, who allegedly strangled his wife, was on Friday committed to stand trial in the High Court.

The ruling was made by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court.

The Chief Magistrate, after presiding over the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) ruled that a prima facie case was made out against Paul Anthony Lo Hing, who is accused of strangling 23year-old 'E' Field Sophia resident, Shoala Gilgeous.

Paul Anthony Lo Hing, who reportedly had a one year-old relationship with Gilgeous, of 'E' Field Sophia, is said to have murdered the woman.

According to reports, the body of the 23-year-old woman was found in her apartment after the family

went to check on her. It is alleged that the accused called one of the dead woman's sisters and asked that she go check on the woman.

A police statement disclosed that Gilgeous was frothing from the mouth when she was found. A post mortem examination later revealed that the 23-year-old victim was manually strangled.

Further reports stated that Gilgeous and the suspect, known only as 'Paul', had a turbulent oneyear relationship. A female neighbour had said that on the day in question she heard the deceased and the accused arguing.

She said she had gone out and heard nothing further upon her return and that she presumed that the argument had ended.

Man returned to jail same day released Court regular Corwin Duff was returned to jail the same day he was released from Prison after he was arrested on a charge of Break and Enter and Larceny.

Duff, of no fixed place of abode, appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam magistrate's court on a charge of break and enter and larceny.

On December 13, at Main and Trinity Streets, New Amsterdam, he allegedly broke and entered the business place of Shevon Norton, and stole five caps

and one pair of slippers.

According to Prosecutor Orin Joseph, Norton secured her business place around 19:00 hrs on December 12 and left for home.

Upon returning the next day she noticed her business place broken into. An alarm was raised and the police were informed. Acting on information, Duff was arrested and found with the items. Bail was granted to the accused at $15,000.

However he hadn't any money and was taken to prison. He will return to court on December 28.

MISSING: Hemerson Gonzalez

and has a tattoo of a compass on his left forearm and writing tattooed on the inside of his left wrist. He speaks with a Guyanese accent.

When last seen, he was wearing brown jeans, a tshirt and blue low cut cloth shoes.

He has not been in contact with any friends since Tuesday evening and checks with local hospitals have confirmed that he has not sought medical attention for his illness.

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Taxi driver refused bail for drug possession A taxi driver from North Ruimveldt Georgetown yesterday faced charges in relation to trafficking in narcotics.

The man, Fenton Jarvis, 32, of 1229 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was remanded to prison after he denied having 38 grams of cocaine and 27 grams of marijuana in his possession on December 4 for the purpose of trafficking.

Jarvis stood before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry as the charges were read to him.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman

furnished the court with the necessary details of the allegation.

According to the prosecutor, the quantity of drugs was found on the defendant's person after ranks from the anti narcotics unit acting on information, conducted a raid on a yard in Leopold Street, Charlestown. Blackman asked that the magistrate refuse bail since no special reason was given to the court for such to be granted.

Jarvis was denied bail and ordered to return to court in January.

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Kaieteur News

Salim Bacchus PI begins

T

he preliminary inquiry into the charge of murder against alleged narcotics dealer Salim “Black Salim” Bacchus, 52, of 39 Line Path 'D', Skeldon, Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice has begun at the Springlands Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Krisendat Persaud.

Bacchus, for whom a wanted bulletin had been issued, is charged with the murder of Police narcotics detective constable, Jirahan Diananand, on September 14, last.

The murdered policeman

was found slumped in his car that was parked on a desolate stretch of road at Jackson Creek, Upper Corentyne with two bullet wounds to his head.

When the trial began last Thursday, main prosecution witness, Azim Seegobin, who is the nephew of Salim gave his evidence in chief and related the sequence of events of what transpired on the fateful night and after.

At the conclusion of his evidence he was cross examined by Defence Counsel Attorney at Law Ramesh Rajkumar. So far he has been in the witness box

for more than two days being grilled by Attorney at Law Rajkumar and is expected to return to the box on Monday when the matter is to continue.

The case for the prosecution is being presented by Superintendent R.Tyndall.

The prosecution is contending that sometime between September 13 and September 14, 2012 at Jackson Creek, Bacchus murdered detective constable Jirahan Diananand.

The story came to light when three men were

arrested following a carjacking incident at the same Jackson Creek on the Upper Corentyne.

Two men were arrested by the police on West Coast Berbice.

One of the men, a nephew of Bacchus, after intense grilling by investigators admitted to knowing about the killing of Detective Diananand in which they implicated Bacchus as the gunman.

The nephew allegedly told investigators that Bacchus shot Diananand twice in the head after a pre arranged deal went sour.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Man freed of causing friend's demise

Freed Romeo Machado with lawyer Jerome Khan

A

West Coast Berbice man will be singing jingle bells at home this Christmas after being acquitted of a manslaughter charge.

The man, Romeo Machado, was set free when Magistrate Robbie Benn upheld a no case submission in the Preliminary Inquiry into the death of the man's friend, Mahadeo Shivraj.

The Magistrate felt that the state did not produce any evidence to prove that the accused had pushed his friend down a flight of stairs and ultimately caused his demise two weeks later.

The matter was heard at the Weldaad Magistrate's Court, West Coast Berbice.

Attorney-at-law Jerome Khan represented the accused while police prosecutors stood for the state.

According to the police, Machado had killed his friend on July 24, 2011 at Winner Circle Pools Hall Number Two Village, West Berbice.

They said that the accused and the deceased had been drinking at the pools hall that night event and eventually got into an argument.

The police stated that due to the uproar, the men were asked to leave the establishment. It was at that point when they were exiting the building, the

police charged, that the accused shoved his friend down the flight of stairs causing him serious injuries.

Mahadeo Shivraj was rushed to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries two weeks subsequently.

Persons who were reportedly at the scene at the time crime gave evidence on behalf of the prosecution. At least seven witnesses testified. But they all proved useless when they could not say that they actually saw the defendant push the man down the steps.

The attorney argued that there was no Post Mortem report tendered into evidence and as such the court could not ascertain the operative cause of Mahadeo's death. This should be noted he suggested, as result of the deceased dying subsequent to the alleged incident.

In handing down his decision, Magistrate Benn stated that “the prosecution failed to present a single piece of evidence linking the defendant to the crime, either by his act or admission”. He said that in the absence of the post mortem report or evidence of a medical doctor it would be speculation on what caused Mahadeo's death.

At the end of the 17month long pre trial hearing, the lawyer argued that his client had no case to answer and the court agreed.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Transparency International is part of an imperialist agenda Lack of transparency is not a measure of corruption, just as how inequality is not a measure of poverty. It is therefore a mistake for anyone to assume that because a country ranks lowly when it comes to global measures of transparency, this means corruption is rampant.

Equating lack of transparency with corruption becomes more suspect when dealing with the findings of an organization such as Transparency International, whose annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) does not measure corruption, but is merely a highly contestable index of the perception of corruption.

The serious flaws inherent in the Corruption Perceptions Index was unmasked three years ago by Staffan Andersson and Paul Heywood in their article “ The Politics of Perception: Use and Abuse of Transparency International’s Approach to Measuring Corruption.”

These two writers identified a number of flaws in the CPI produced by Transparency International (TI). Their criticisms more or less coincide with those

advanced by Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, who critiqued the just published CPI. Andersson and Heywood indicate that firstly, the CPI does not measure incidents of corruption but rather perceptions of corruption.

S e c o n d l y, t h e C P I i s a composite index derived from a number of surveys for which there is no common methodology amongst these surveys.

One can add to these criticisms that these surveys do not measure the perceptions of Guyanese towards corruption in their country, but are the perceptions of external organizations, none of whom can be said to have any interest in Guyana. If the CPI was based on the perceptions of Guyanese towards corruption in their country, Guyana would have ranked far lower.

The CPI produced by Transparency International should be dismissed outright.

It certainly flows from a flawed methodology and cannot be said to truly measure corruption. Nor can

it be said to be a representative perception of the lack of transparency in Guyana.

There are other limitations that support the view that the CPI is really a bogus index.

For one, the definition of corruption used by Transparency International misuse of power for private gain - encourages an almost exclusive focus on public corruption. Yet in the very week when Transparency International released its recent index, a major US bank agreed on a billion-dollar settlement for alleged money laundering activities of its Mexican-based branch.

And when one considers that major private corporations were entrapped in major corruption scandals and Ponzi schemes over the past few years, then, had a much broader definition of corruption been used to account for private corruption, America may have been listed as the most corrupt country in the world.

It is not so recorded in Transparency International’s CPI because that organization is part of an imperialist agenda to deepen economic and

political liberalization in developing countries.

It is well established that liberal economies demand more openness so that the developed countries can increase their economic and political penetration. More openness requires greater transparency and improved regulations to accommodate private capital: both foreign and domestic.

The call for greater transparency has become a pretext for entrenching certain norms, under the rubric of good governance.

These norms serve the interests of the rich countries by facilitating the opening up of the economies of poor countries because capitalism knows that its survival depends on increased consumption, including consumption abroad.

The capitalist countries are also wary of what happened in Russia - and one can now add Guyana - where state divestment created powerful economic oligarchies.

The way to avoid this in other liberalizing economies is to encourage regulatory reforms as part of a good

governance enterprise. And critical to these reforms is the insistence on greater accountability, which means fair and open competition.

But fair competition amongst unequals favours large and powerful multinationals and local monopolies. In this way, the call for greater transparency in the award of contracts serves the interests of the powerful economic entreprises.

Good governance is also about promoting democratic government. It is argued that the more accountable the government is, the more responsive it is likely to be towards its citizens. This certainly has appeal, but the overall agenda in encouraging greater democratization is that liberalization of the economy requires a democratic framework. Without a democratic political system, economic liberalization will be threatened.

Organizations such as Transparency International, while genuinely seeking to ensure that there is reduced corruption worldwide, have become entrapped in this imperialist agenda.

But what is disconcerting

about organizations such as TI, is their refusal to call for greater transparency in international organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF, the Security Council of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Certainly, developing countries need a greater voice in these organizations.

The absence of this voice makes these organizations less responsive to the needs of developing countries and thus, less transparent.

But for all the NGOs around promoting greater transparency, few are developing any indices that measure the degree of responsiveness of international organizations towards developing countries.

T r a n s p a r e n c y International would be better advised to drop its controversial CPI and concentrate its energies towards democratizing these international organizations, rather than being used as an instrument for imperialist domination.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Juicing his way to success…

Nateram Ramnanan is a ‘Special Person’

By Leonard Gildarie There are many inspiring experiences that we hear little of, sometimes never at all.

Simple people from simple backgrounds just doing their thing despite the discouragement, despite the warnings. And in most cases, it has worked for them.

It has worked for people like Mark Zuckerberg whose crazy idea turned Facebook into a multi-billion-dollar social network business and Howard Hughes, whose aggressive business attitude built an empire, dabbling with his passions of movies, real estate and airplanes, in the US. Successful countries have been built on the sweat of many little, family-owned companies which over time evolved into much-loved household-name products.

In Guyana, like so many parts of the world, government has been encouraging its people to invest, to take a chance, to work hard. For Nateram Ramnanan, his success was born more of a need to make a living than so much for the love of what he was doing.

He has now managed to build a successful familyowned business from nothing. Today, he has established himself as one of the more established businessmen on Essequibo Coast, winning awards and

selected to travel all over the region to learn more. He has been giving back, employing people and doing what he knows best.

And for Ramnanan, a father of four, who is known more popularly by his nickname, ‘Juiceman’, it all

was no time for holidaying.

He had to help his father.

Their little wooden home in Windsor Castle had many mouths to feed and there was much work to be done.

So while he wanted so badly to excel at school, he had to make some hard

“If you want to be successful…there is a simple way…you have to work hard. Never give up. Master what you are doing and it will work out.” started from cane juice.

His business place at Grant Berthrum, Upper Pomeroon, has been visited by a President, ministers and even lending agencies have been recognizing his entrepreneurial contributions, inviting him for training and sending him overseas.

HARD TIMES Ramnanan, now 52, grew up in Windsor Castle, on the Essequibo Coast. Times were hard for the family of 11… there was simply not enough at times to go around. He was the eldest of nine (six brothers and three sisters) and was expected to play his part.

His father, known as ‘Cane Juice Man’, sold the sweet product to support the family at Anna Regina, the main town and at Charity, a gateway to the interior and a main trading area.

For little Nateram, there

choices. He had to give up school on mainly Mondays and Fridays - market days for the Essequibo Coast.

“I wanted to get an education. I know it was the way out. But it was hard.”

He got his chance when in his teens, he was accepted into Kuru Kuru College, which had an extension in Essequibo, and for one year he studied management.

In the early ‘80s, he was hired to work at a cassava mill in Charity. It was owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). He stayed there for five years, learning how to make cassava flour and about processing… experiences that would serve him well later.

Back then, as the older among us would know, government had restricted the importation of several items, including flour. It was

Humble beginnings! It was hard labour, manually grinding the cane.

Nateram ‘Juiceman’ Ramnanan receiving his GMSA award in 2011 for his contributions to agroprocessing in Guyana. designed to encourage local, alternative food production.

Cassava flour was substitute for many.

It was while at that cassava facility that Nateram met his wife, Parbattie, who worked at another GuySuco establishment, a carambola (five-finger) processing factory not far away. They soon got married.

In the meantime, Nateram’s father had continued his cane juice business.

Now a man with responsibilities and a family, the restless Nateram knew that a $250 salary would not be enough. He was looking for opportunities. He was hungry for it.

AN OPPORTUNITY The opportunity opened up when, while on a visit to Charity, he saw an old cane juice mill, belonging to a family that was not in use.

Using some money he had put aside, he paid $300 for it.

It was the wisest investment he ever made.

Using a cart, he set up shop, selling cane juice to the many who visited Charity. His

wife was with him “foot-tofoot”. It was tough work. He was manually turning the mill all day long. The working day would sometimes go to eight o’clock in the nights.

“This was a manual mill that you had to scrape the cane and grind it manually and sell it right away to the customers.”

His children - he has four of them now - would sometimes stay by his parents and sometimes with his in-laws. At other times, the children would be with the family at the juice stand.

Nateram was lucky. With the import restriction, there was a hugely profitable contraband business for all kinds of things including sardines, flour and split peas.

Charity was a place to go for these. His cane juice stand benefitted from the crowds.

‘Juiceman’, as he was now known, was becoming popular. The Amerindians coming down the Pomeroon, persons from the Essequibo Coast, and miners, were all heading to Charity.

His glass of cane juice and his wife’s cassava balls

were a must.

It was in the early ‘90s that one of the Barakat brothers, Samuel, who owned a fabrication business on the East Coast of Demerara, met with Nateram.

Why was ‘Juiceman’ manually killing himself?

Barakat offered the little Charity man to build an engine-run mill.

Nateram was more than glad. Soon, the mill was introduced and the juice stand, known as ‘Original Juice’ started to grow, becoming a permanent structure. It still stands there.

A family in Grant Berthrum, Upper Pomeroon, not far away, from whom Nateram had purchased his manual mill, asked if he was interested to buy their property.

“The lady that owned the property…we got along well whenever she returned to Guyana. They decided to sell and I was looking to find a place.”

AGRO-PROCESSING It was at this location on the Pomeroon River that (Continued on page 31)

This is how it is done!

‘Juiceman’ at work.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Nateram Ramnanan is a...

From page 30 Nateram started experimenting with other juices like guava and coconut water, setting up his factory.

His eldest son was running the juice stand and Nateram concentrated on the processing at this location. He started an experiment that saw him blending and juicing the fruits that grew around his home. He ventured into juicing fruits and vegetables, even pumpkin and ginger, and distributing his signature product to markets in rural and urban areas of Guyana and to a few Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic. He was recognized for his entrepreneurial energies by the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), Partners of America, and the Guyana Manufacturing Association and the trainings started. He was exposed to all kinds of fora on processing and juicing, travelling to places like St. Vincent and even showcasing his products in Canada.

‘Juiceman’ was looking for more opportunities. He searched and soon found more equipment to make his work easier and expand to other products.

While his core business was juices, which now

included cherry and golden apple, he also ventured into other areas like bottling of pepper sauce, achar and jam and jelly. It was a chance that was not to be regretted. He was selling his products countrywide.

He came under the radar of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Dr. Leslie Chin, whose work locally with micro-businesses is legendary.

“USAID, Dr. Chin, Mr

Barakat and IPED and so many others have been there for us. I thank them.”

The family started to experiment even more with vegetables and the products were terrific. ‘Juiceman’ started going as far as Port Kaituma, Region One, to market his varying creations.

Sterling Products, restaurants and hotels are among the numerous customers supporting him.

The business has grown now, with over 20 persons

Page 31

Ramnanan (far left) at an overseas trade show

employed. “You see, I did not want to remain poor. Our family home in Windsor Castle had no flush toilet and I wanted my children to be educated. This is what pushed me. I did not want them to want for clothes and things like that.”

While Charity has been changing quickly, modernizing with malls and huge buildings going up, Nateram is determined also not stay static. He is now well known in the business sector.

“If you want to be successful…there is a simple way…you have to work hard.

Never give up. Master what you are doing and it will work out.” Today, Nateram is involved in all kinds of charity work, something he is not willing to talk too much about.

He is heavily involved in the private sector lobbying organizations like the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association. It was last year that this same organization recognized his contributions,

and maybe in his crowning achievement, awarded him for his contributions to Guyana’s agro-processing sector.

Nateram and his family are now eyeing the canning business and soon he will be expanding even more, thanks to new, state-of-the-art equipment he is looking at from neighbouring Brazil.

“My wife, my family and my workers, are my strength,” a humble ‘Juiceman’ says.

He is a special person indeed.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

The case of the secretive security - he was a strange man…and his death was equally strange

By Michael Jordan He apparently had no close friends. No women in his life…few photographs of himself.

He seldom confided in anyone….not his family, not his colleagues.

So no one could quite fathom how and why he ended up dead and naked as he was born, on a bushy dam.

On Saturday, July 4, 2010, a man looking for bird-seed on a dam near D’Aguiar Housing Scheme, Ruimveldt spotted something that made him hurry away from the area.

He kept this information to himself until the following day, when he eventually confided in a friend.

The friend went to the same area to confirm the report. He then contacted the police.

Accompanied by the man, a police rank trekked down the muddy, bushy dam.

After walking half-way down the dam, the cop came face to face with whet the other men had seen.

Hanging from a low tree branch with a belt around his neck, was the nude body of a man. There was a cut on one of the victim’s hands.

Acting on information they had received, the police contacted officials from the GEB Security Services.

The officials accompanied some of the police ranks down the dam.

They took one look at the dead man, and immediately confirmed that the victim was one of their employees.

He was 43-year-old Lynden Collins, a driver employed by GEB, and a

resident of Princes Street, Lodge.

Collins’ colleagues revealed that they had last seen him on Saturday, July 4.

At the time Collins was driving one of the firm’s buses.

But that very afternoon, some GEB staff spotted the same vehicle parked near the dam where Collins’ body was eventually found.

According to reports, the keys were in the ignition and a GEB uniform was in the vehicle. There was no sign of Lynden Collins.

The GEB staffers took the vehicle to the security firm’s

headquarters. But then they reportedly noticed bloodstains in the vehicle and took it to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

Telus Collins, one of the victim’s brothers, said that he last saw his sibling on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.

He was driving the GEB bus and did not seem to be worried about anything.

The brother said that he was later told that Lynden left for work on Friday night and failed to return home.

He was later informed that the bus his brother was driving had been found. A worried Telus Collins said that

he then checked at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation but failed to locate his brother.

Shortly after, he spotted a GEB vehicle and stopped the staffers to enquire whether they had any information about his missing brother.

One of the staffers then informed him that Collin’s body had been found. He told me that his brother did not appear to have any problems.

But he also revealed that his brother seldom confided in anyone. Lynden Collins had fathered two children, aged 16 and seven. But the brother had no idea there were any

women in his life at the time of his demise.

Around the same time that Collins’ body was found, police also found a corpse of seawall aback of the NIS Sports Club. The body bore two gaping wounds to the throat.

The victim, 42-year-old Claudeen Inniss, called ‘Ann’, of Leopold Street.

At first, investigators wondered whether the two cases were somehow connected.

There also rumours that Inniss was seen entering a GEB minibus outside of a carwash on Hadfield Street on Friday, July 2, 2010.

However, investigators eventually concluded that there was no connection.

So far, investigators have found no leads which indicate that anyone murdered Lynden Collins.

They appear to be leaning towards suicide, but they have unearthed nothing to show why Collins would have

taken his own life.

One of the unanswered questions is this: Why would the security guard have removed his GEB uniform, then proceeded to walk stark naked down a dam to hang himself?

His family seems to believe that someone murdered Collins.

But because of his reclusive lifestyle, what happed to the GEB guard two years ago, may remain a secret that is never revealed.

If you have any information about any unusual case please contact us.

You can also write to us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location, or contact us on telephone numbers: 22-58465, 2258491 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s mjdragon@hotmail.com.

SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan.

Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara.

Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 645-2447.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 33

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

He’s gone, but took nuff, nuff Guyanese money with him There hasn’t been an exception in the reaction among the world of people I interact with who have met my wife. From UG to Kaieteur News, to people I know in business and civil society, to my media colleagues to my entire world of social activism.

The response on meeting Mrs. Janet Kissoon is, “How a nice person like you married that crazy guy?” Or it would be, “How do you cope with Freddie Kissoon?” She receives endless variations of that theme.

Would you believe the praise a husband showers on his wife? You are bound to say; “After all he must say those things; it is his wife” They say opposites attract and they are damn right. We are the exact opposite of each other. She did chemistry and project planning and came from a business background.

I did history and philosophy and came from nothing.

She is civilized, extremely quiet, soft spoken, tending towards introversion and keeps away from the world of politics. I am still in need of some strong doses of correct behaviour. I’m aggressive, argumentative, loud and inflexible and uncompromising in my resistance when you exploit or abuse me.

My wife is too quiet, so I tend to lend a protective hand.

One day we went to this specialist medical institution which is privately-run but housed in the Georgetown Public Hospital. I knew what I was getting into. Lots of people told me about the attitude of the resident specialist. That he is extremely arrogant and contemptuous and condescending in his attitude to Guyanese (he is from the Indian sub-continent) and has a lucrative practice because his charges are enormous. The staff is afraid of him.

One day, Mark Benschop and I were there and we heard a patient complaining to Dr. Gancham Singh, the son of Dr. Nanda Gopaul, about this specialist. When I intervened, Dr. Singh didn’t look too

pleased. But the lady subsequently told me that she lives in Berbice and that she would write a letter in the press about him. She never did.

My wife completed her examination, but they mixed up the report. We were in his office for him to interpret the computer reading. He became agitated, condescending and abusive. I jumped from my seat looking like Rasputin with my long hair all over my face and said, “Look, don’t you speak to my wife like that, and you show me some respect, because I am as educated as you are. Furthermore I am out of here; just sign the NIS form.” He refused to sign and don’t let me tell you what happened next. No need to mention that my wife’s NIS form was signed.

While the argument was raging, my wife was pinching my leg to tell me to stop. She always does that and I just ignore her when she does it.

This guy became quite nice to me afterwards. I was with the family at New Thriving celebrating my mother-in-law’s 85th birthday and my 33rd wedding anniversary, which fall on the same day, and he came up to me and asked me to dine with him.

It is amazing how tragic and useless this society, this country has become. I urged the staff at this institution to intervene with the relevant authorities to have this man removed. I complained to doctors and important politicians about his behaviour, but no one wanted to touch him.

Now hear this. Dale Andrews of this newspaper went to see him; after his examination, the cost of the intended operation was nine million. We decided that the State would have to help but even if it did, $9M was an impossible sum for Dale. I went to the medical superintendent of the Georgetown Public Hospital, Dr. Sheik Amir, and left the diagnosis and the cost of the operation with his secretary (never heard back from him).

Then Lady Luck ran in. I showed Dr. Doobay of the

Georgetown Public Hospital, the specialist’s report on Dale and the cost of the operation.

Dr. Doobay was livid. Dr. Doobay couldn’t believe what he saw. He took Dale into his care and since then (two years ago) Dale has been on the medication regime that Dr. Doobay has prescribed.

Our goodly specialist left Guyana two weeks ago. But he left a stupendously rich man. His earnings of

hundreds of millions came not only from his practice. The guy was into different business ventures in Guyana.

I conclude with a horrible experience with this man.

The drug, “Lipitor” is universally known to be the substance that reduces cholesterol. It is prescribed all over the world for that purpose.

When Dale and I first went to see him, Dale asked him to write a prescription for

“Lipitor.” This is what this man said to us, “Don’t worry with “Lipitor”; that increases your cholesterol. Here, take this prescription and go to (he called the name of the pharmacy) and buy this tablet.

I don’t have to tell you what happened there. Read between the lines. He is gone, but he left with plenty of Guyanese money. But that was not the tragedy for me. It was how this country has

Frederick Kissoon become a nation of the worst sheep in the world. This foreigner came, abused the people of this country, and no one wanted to expose him.

Fear was the key.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Art and Book Review

Sections of an Orange

By Dr. Glenville Ashby Anton Nimblett is yet to etch his name onto the annals of legendary Caribbean writers, but, “all in good time.”

And time is on Nimblett’s side, no doubt. Still young, he has already published some exhaling work, especially his contribution to the ground breaking anthology, “Our Caribbean: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles.”

Nimblett continues his signature style in Sections of an Orange, an artsy rendition of life’s vicissitudes. It is crafty and deliberate; cagey, but liberating. He is a classicist, really, a traditionalist who bows to the loftiness of creative writing.

And he is quite comfortable in his element.

In “Time and Tide,” his artistry is undeniable. He writes:”I hear different sections of the ocean orchestra: the booming bass of the big waves yards away from the shore, the swooshing shack-shack beat as the water laps against the sand, sending it gently shifting the

Caribbean writer soars with inspiring novel filtering high notes as foamy bubbles burst and rejoin the salty night air.”

In “Visiting Soldiers,” the author’s unveils his naked sensitivity, his emotional connectedness. It’s a wrenching tale of a mother, suffering the unthinkable - a son killed in action thousands of miles away. Here, Nimblett avoids politicising the tragedy. Sure, it takes place in Iraq, but that anathema of a word for so many is never mentioned, although readers are aware that Eva’s son, Roderick, was cut down in the Cradle of Civilization. The author zeroes in on the turmoil of a grieving mother.

Nothing more. Her pain piercing every line. The urn, the resting place of her son’s ashes, is her constant companion. Nimblett writes: “Inside the bag was the beautiful wood box, its edges rounded, its surface lacquered to a near reflective gloss. At night, alone in her bedroom, Eva would run her hands along the top, curl her

fingers under the edges to rub the corners. Sometimes, too, she would do this in the seclusion that crowded rushhour trains provided.”

This is a mother who remains taciturn, introspective, maybe unpredictable, as the closing scene proves. “This is my only son, Roderick. Private First Class, Roderick Leonard. Meet my son,” she screams at Army recruiters, ever ready to inveigle a prospective soldier - no less her relative, in this case.

“Visiting Soldiers” resounds with its sheer existential depth, threatening to overwhelm Nimblett’s other material. And may be it does. Yet, the author’s magic is hardly debatable, as he sustains intrigue with “On the side,” which explores a troubled gay relationship, replete with every unhinged sexual fantasy imaginable.

“How Far, How Long,” and “Sections of an Orange,” continue in the same vein.

While these narratives may

prove a challenging read for social conservatives, their theatrical appeal is undeniable, and the author’s daring pays dividends.

Homophobia is subtly challenged, and any perceived emotive difference between gay and heterosexual love affairs is proved non-existent.

Opting for a different pitch and tone in “Just Now,” the author unearths nostalgic sentiments, especially among the Diaspora.

The islands - bucolic and authentic, never looked so inviting. It is a catchy tale where modernity and traditionalism collide - a city boy encounters his country sweetheart. Their exchange is spontaneously novel and refreshing.

And in “Marjorie’s Meal,” the perennial question,” What is love?” finds a ready response with a couple’s display of devotion in their twilight years.

Admittedly, every story may not lock-step in

explosiveness. Nevertheless, Sections of an Orange remains a compelling West Indian narrative - gliding from the cold tapestry of New York, to the soulful richness of the islands, with poise and aplomb. And this may just be sufficient to seal Nimblett’s place among the Caribbean’s most promising writers. glenvilleashby@gmail.com Follow me on

Twitter@glenvilleashby Dr Glenville Ashby, literary critic – Caribbean Book Review Sections of an Orange by Anton Nimblett Pee Pal Tree Press Ltd., England 2009 ISBN13:9781845230746 Available: Amazon.com Ratings***: Recommended

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Ravi Dev Column

In his analysis of the PPP’s electoral decimation, Mr Ralph Ramkarran posited that, ‘The issue of shared governance has once again been placed on the agenda by the election results.”

He believes this circumstance will be intensified in future elections.

He reports two views in the PPP on this device, which was proffered by Dr Jagan in 1977 as a “National Front Government” (NFG).

One, that the proposal was merely tactical, to remove the PNC, and the other that it was strategic - to introduce a presumably more ‘real’ socialism than Burnham’s ‘cooperative’ version.

Mr Ramkarran, however believes, “It was not a tactic but a political strategy for long term political stability which was being adversely affected by the ethnic division of Guyana which translated into high intensity adversarial politics between two large parties deriving their support from the major ethnic blocs and which had led to authoritarian rule and which was likely to harm our development for the

foreseeable future. Cheddi Jagan saw it as a long term “political solution” to bring to an end the perpetual political instability that it would forever engender.”

What was the PPP’s NFG’s “long term political strategy?

Its essential governance framework was explicit: “In keeping with the realities of Guyana, it is necessary to devise a system where ‘winner does not take all’ and the two major parties and their allies are involved in the process of governing.

The Constitution should provide for an Executive President, a Prime Minister and a National Assembly, elected every five years... The President shall be elected by the people as in the US and France or by the members of the National Assembly.

He will preside over a Cabinet or Council of Ministers drawn from each party (which is revolutionary and agrees to a socialistoriented programme) in proportion to its strength in the National Assembly...”

“Whichever party wins the election should not oppose the candidature for

the Presidency from the other major party. At the local level, district councils should be directly elected and be based on small historically evolved, culturally homogenous communities.

Regional Councils, indirectly elected through the district councils, should be given a substantial degree of autonomy. “ Mr Ramkarran mentioned the WPA’s reservations about the PNC’s participation in the NPF - that the PNC agree to ‘free and fair elections”.

The PPP had also criticised the WPA’s 1979 Government of National Reconstruction and National Unity proposal (“a dependent capitalist government” - ) even though Dr Rodney had noted, “Inevitably the working people must play a leading role in such a government…One can sum up the national question by saying that all classes in Guyana have an objective interest in unity”. But these ‘socialistic” concerns have all been overtaken by events.

Not so the response of Mr Burnham.

THE BACCOO SPEAKS Just this past week, we had two speedboats colliding in the river and injuring people.

That is not the end of the river disasters, especially since the one I talked about is still to happen. But this coming week there will be a spate of road accidents in the heart of the capital.

Haste often gets people nowhere but some are still to learn that.

The first of these accidents would be nothing more than a fender bender, but the rage that will flow from it will be something to behold.

Then worse will happen

along the eastern corridor.

Speed will be the contributing factor and the nation will be left shocked. ** A group of gun-toting men will target a businessman.

They will set eyes on him after he leaves the bank and target him when they believe that

there is enough room to escape from the scene. They will escape, but the saying that happy living is not long life will prove true.

The police are going to zero in on them and the news will make for interesting reading. ** The fires are still with us in the same way electricity theft is a common feature. A man is going to be electrocuted in an area known for such thefts.

And not far away a home is going to go up in flames devastating a family.

Such has been the impact of this year on some people.

The founder-leader of the PNC gave that party’s most comprehensive rationale against “power sharing” and “coalitions” when he rejected the NFG’s proposal.

He declared that some, “advisers suggest that the ideal way (to bring about national unity) is to ensure an understanding or coalition between leaders amongst whom offices and patronage are then distributed on an agreed basis. This technique is only superficially attractive.

“In the first place, it assumes that each leader will, like the general in an army, keep his constituency intact and that the latter can be approached through him.

In other words, they are like two or more warlords who from time to time bargain for their personal groups and hopefully maintain an unstable truce. The argument then degenerates into a

squabble, thinly veiled at times, over power and office.

In the second place, an understanding or compromise between leaders is no guarantee of unity amongst the rank and file.

In the third place, much of the talk about unity is not based on class but on ethnicity, regardless of class.

Where is the socialist content of such “unity”?”

Mr Burnham’s concerns about the ‘unstable truce’ that characterises most coalitions in divided societies are exacerbated when the demographics are fluid as they are in Guyana.

We saw this play out disastrously in Lebanon, one of the first countries that attempted the ‘consociational’ approach when the Christians lost their majority.

Mr Burnham’s sly dismissal of the PPP’s

Ravi Dev

concerns about ‘racial discrimination’ as ‘false consciousness”, has also been overtaken by events. So how do we deal with Mr Ramkarran’s ‘ethnic question”, which will not go away?

We once again propose that as intermediate steps, the parties accept ‘ethnic caucuses’ within their overarching structures, address ethnic imbalances in the state, form a Government of National Unity for one term (as South Africa did), and have parliament act as a Constituent Assembly which would draft a new Constitution to form a Federal Republic of Guyana.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

brutally murdered during a fierce fight with his attackers.

Cash, comprising small denomination notes were scattered on the floor, while a toy gun was recovered next to Ramsahoye’s body.

Detectives are working on the theory that Ramsahoye was attacked shortly after he opened up his property and went into his yard through the back door, since there was no sign of forced entry. After committing the dastardly act, the killers scaled a high fence enforced with razor wire and escaped but in the process left a trail of blood.

SUNDAY SPECIAL BEHARRY GROUP, RECYCLING COMPANY SWEEP GCCI AWARDS The private sector, for a second consecutive week, has recognized business leaders who passed away but whose legacy has continued to leave its mark on Guyana.

Businessmen, Naeem Nasir, who made Bakewell’s bread and tennis rolls into a household name, along with Dennis Morgan, whose Denmor Garments saw him employing over 1,000 persons in just over a decade and acquiring lucrative overseas contracts with companies like Victoria’s Secret and TJ Maxx, both received posthumous Awards of Achievement.

The annual awards ceremony, hosted by the private sector advocacy body, the Guyana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), was held at the Pegasus Hotel on December 6. The Young Business Executive Award went to

Patricia Bacchus, the Chief Operating Officer/Company Secretary of Caribbean Container Inc. (CCI) for her “demonstration of ambition, skill, vision and tangible business success under the age of forty”.

CCI, which recovered from near bankruptcy to remain the largest recycling plant of its kind in the Caribbean, has been growing, now taking cardboard for recycling from several countries in the region. Its biggest customer is Suriname.

It received the Award For Innovation 2012, for among other things, its Eco-Pac container, made from the pulp of sugar cane. Its Chairman, Ronald Webster, received the award.

The Lifetime Achievement Awards were shared between the famous brothers, Rabindranauth ‘Chico’ Beharry and Inderjeet ‘Indi’ Beharry. Their family-owned Edward B. Beharry and Company Limited has made “Chico” bubblegum and

“Indi” curry a household name.

MONDAY EDITION BANDITS BRUTALLY KILL BUSINESSMAN The brutal murder of 35year old Annandale, East Coast Demerara businessman Kamal Ramsahoye called Vicky, early Sunday morning, sent shockwaves through the relatively quiet community.

Ramsahoye, who lived alone at his Annandale Market Road property, which houses his business, was found dead in the bottom flat of the building with multiple stab wounds around 07:30 hours by his brother Kumar.

The businessman received a total of 10 stab wounds, three to his upper chest and seven to his back. Investigators are convinced that Ramsahoye was attacked by bandits who took away an undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables.

Judging from the evidence of a ransacked bottom flat, detectives believe that Ramsahoye was

BANDITS WOUNDED IN THREE-HOUR SHOOTOUT WITH COPS Police ranks operating in the East Canje, Berbice area came in for high praise last Sunday after they shot and captured three would-be bandits who had made several attempts to rob a family in that area.

According to information, the men were waiting to rob a residence in Betsy Ground, Canje, when they were confronted by the police.

They have been identified as Deodat Seecharran called ‘Popcorn’, 20, of Edinburgh Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, who was shot to his left side buttocks; Zafir Abdul, 22, of Adelphi Housing Scheme, Canje, who was shot to his left side hip; and Keshwar Harrinarine, 31 of Fyrish, Corentyne, who is nursing a wound to his right side buttocks.

The police in a statement on the matter said that about 01:00 hours Sunday, three men attempted to break into the home of Guysuco Field Foreman Rajesh Parsram, at Betsy Ground, Canje, Berbice.

According to the police, Parsram was aroused by the sounds being made and raised an alarm forcing the three men to run away, discharging a round in the direction of the house as they did so.

TUESDAY EDITION JAGDEO’S RADIO

Sunday December 16, 2012

LICENCES AWARD ANGERS POLITICAL OPPOSITION Leaders of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) on Monday issued stinging criticisms of the Government over its unfair issuing of radio licences.

Representatives of both parties said that the issue was being thoroughly analyzed and further statements and action will follow.

The expressions of resentment from the representatives of the two parties are the latest condemnations being publicly made following the issuing of licences last year to 11 applicants and more recently, the launch of the privately-owned Radio Guyana Inc. (RGI).

RGI is part of a media group which also includes TVG Guyana and the Guyana Times, all owned by Queens Atlantic Investment Inc.,of which Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, described as a very good friend of ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo, is a principal.

Leader of APNU, Brig.

(Ret’d) David Granger, said that the coalition strongly criticizes the process in which persons aligned with former President Bharrat Jagdeo were issued radio licences. He said that APNU has always been on the side of liberalising and depoliticising the licence process. He pledged that APNU will champion freedom of the press, and freedom of information as guaranteed under the constitution of Guyana, and will work assiduously to ensure that every Guyanese has access to information and hopefully see the end of the present monopoly.

FIRE DESTROYS NON PAREIL HOME Christmas was essentially cancelled for a Non Pareil family of five after a fire, believed to be of electrical origin, destroyed their home.

Monday night, the household

was under a tarpaulin erected to keep out the rain at the site of the burnt-out building.

Only eight-year-old Dashawn Edie was at his lot 103 Section ‘B’ Non Pareil home when the fire began around 14:00 hrs. Reports are that the child had just gone home from school and was in the process of microwaving his food when he heard loud cracking sounds. Luckily, he ran from the house and over to his neighbour’s yard.

Immediately after, smoke was seen emerging from the middle bedroom on the top story of the house.

Within minutes, the entire flat was in flames. Reports are that the fire spread so quickly that neighbours did not have a chance to save “not even a pin” for the homeowners. This newspaper understands that the neighbourhood was without electricity and was only energized a mere 15 minutes before the fire.

WEDNESDAY EDITION CARICOM CONFRONTS US ON UNFAIR RUM TRADE A quarrel is brewing between the US and regional rum makers. This quarrel has engaged the attention of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) because the rum makers are worried.

CARICOM’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), following a two-day meeting in Guyana which ended Tuesday, called on the United States to engage early with Caribbean rum-producing countries with a view to achieving an outcome that will support the continued competitive access for Caribbean rum to the US market.

The issue has to do with US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, two US territories, being allowed to “unfairly” use a tax rebate from the US Federal Government to provide benefits to companies to produce and market rum for the US market.

The matter had been (Continued on page 38)

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Why ignore Cuba’s welcome mat?

By Sir Ronald Sanders Cuba has long been an economic, trade and investment opportunity that has been neglected by the 15nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. This neglect could become a matter of grave regret as Cuba continues to open up its economy to other countries and groups of countries, for by the time businesses in the CARICOM countries wake up to the opportunities Cuba offers, companies from Europe, Canada and Latin America might already have filled the space.

European and Canadian companies are already in Cuba and more are entering the market.

Whenever the US embargo is lifted on Cuba, the space for investment and trade will become even smaller, and more highly competitive, as US companies (especially those owned by CubanAmericans) enter the fray.

To the government of Cuba’s credit, it has continuously sought to encourage CARICOM governments to establish machinery that would promote trade and other economic relations between them. In 2000, Cuba and CARICOM signed a Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement, but in the 12 years that have elapsed there has been little investment of any significance by any Caribbean companies, except one hotelier from Jamaica. What is more, despite a request from Cuba to expand the coverage of the agreement, it has lain dormant.

Under the same 2000 agreement, CARICOM countries had committed to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Cuba to be brought into effect in 2001, but nothing was done.

Since then CARICOM countries have each signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union that would make the terms of any FTA they might now conclude with Cuba less advantageous than it could have been.

This situation has not stopped Cuba from contributing meaningfully to CARICOM countries.

Scholarships given by Cuba have increased the number of persons trained in a range of areas including health, engineering, agriculture, sports and culture. Additionally, the establishment of clinics and the provision of medical personnel

by Cuba have allowed for the delivery of health services many of these countries would not have been able to afford.

As CARICOM’s current chairman, St Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony has observed, “What is most striking about the solidarity displayed by Cuba

with CARICOM is the quantum and diversity of the assistance that Cuba provides despite the constraints placed on its own economic development by the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo.”

Cuba has continued its assistance to CARICOM countries because the Cuban government recognises the courage it took 40 years ago — on 8 December 1972 — for the newly independent Caribbean countries – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago — to defy the wishes of the United States government by establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. When they did so, Cuba was isolated in the Western Hemisphere, except for Canada. By risking the wrath of the US, that single act by four small CARICOM countries opened the way for other countries to similarly recognise Cuba.

The Cuban government has continuously pushed for the implementation of trade and investment as set out in 2000 Economic and Trade Agreement. Part of its proposals is that the six independent countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States would not have to grant preferential duty access to Cuban goods, and Cuba would seek preferential access to the markets of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago for an additional 167 products (over those named in the 2000 Agreement) while, in return, it would give these four countries preferential access to the Cuban market for 227 additional products.

There are of course difficulties in transacting commercial arrangements with Cuba. An important consideration would be the means of being paid and of repatriating profits.

But, Canadian and European companies are doing it. Further, at least two Trinidad and Tobago banks are operating in Cuba to facilitate trade between the two countries. So, the means of overcoming these hurdles exist, particularly as Caribbean banks have correspondent relationship with banks in Canada and Europe through which transactions can be handled.

Cuba and CARICOM have had a Joint Commission since 1993 – even before the 2000 Economic and Trade Agreements was signed. It is supposed to meet every year, but it has met infrequently.

Nonetheless, if it were to meet, it could iron out any practical difficulties so as to make the terms of the 2000 Agreement work.

One of the clauses of the 2000 Agreement provides for the establishment of a

CARICOM-Cuba Business Council to review business opportunities, furnish information and promote trade. So, if it is that the CARICOM business community needs to interact with Cuban companies to explore areas of investment and trade, why not initiate the Business Council to provide that opportunity? Often when Cuba is discussed in the context of the US government lifting its embargo, it is said that an “opened-up” Cuba will pose a real threat to those CARICOM countries that are dependent on tourism. There is no doubt that Cuba – without the US embargo — will provide even greater

competition than it does now, and in more than just tourism.

But, apart from speculating on that competition, very little is being done to counter it, even though another article of the 2000 agreement specifically encourages cooperation in tourism covering multidestination travel, training, language exchange and passenger transport.

CARICOM’s business community should insist now on the launching of the CARICOM-Cuba Business Council and they should take advantage of a recent Memorandum of Understanding between the agency, Caribbean Export, and the Cuba Chamber of

Commerce to do business. If this does not happen soon and meaningfully, the Cuban economy will be occupied by others who are taking advantage of it to the exclusion of CARICOM. CARICOM businesses could be a real part of a bustling Cuban market of 11 million people in the future, if they and CARICOM governments take advantage of what is on offer by the Cuban government today.

Cuba has laid out a welcome mat for CARICOM trade and investment – why ignore it?

(The writer is a Consultant and former Caribbean diplomat)

Sir Ronald Sanders Reponses and previous commentaries at: www.sirronaldsanders.com

Page 38

From page 36 engaging the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association Inc. (WIRSPA) and there were reports that the matter would have been taken to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

According to CARICOM, its trade arm was clear that rum production and export are critical to the social and economic wellbeing of the region.

THURSDAY EDITION FBI ARRESTS EZJET’S BOSS The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested embattled founder of EZjet Air Services Inc., Sonny Ramdeo. Kaieteur News was told that agents zeroed in on him Tuesday evening in New York after weeks of wire fraud investigations.

At the time of his arrest, Ramdeo was reportedly speaking to a senior official of EZjet’s Guyana office on Skype, a video call that uses the internet. It is unclear whether this was how the FBI managed to track him.

On Wednesday, management of the local office in Brickdam, Georgetown, was set to meet with staffers to discuss the implications of Ramdeo’s arrest but this was postponed. Local staffers confirmed that they were told of Ramdeo’s arrest but said that they learnt that he was held Wednesday and not

Kaieteur News

Tuesday. EZjet was suddenly suspended from flying last month by the US’s Department of Transportation after Swift Air, an Arizona-based aircraft company, complained that the low-cost charter owed them a significant sum of money.

Guyana, Trinidad and Toronto, Canada also issued similar suspension actions.

Ramdeo, who lived in Florida, had reportedly been on the run since early November as US investigators started probing complaints that he allegedly stole US$5.4M from his employer, Promise Healthcare, and passed it through the accounts of EZjet.

NEWLYRENOVATED MAGISTRATES’COURT FALLINGAPART The New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court is collapsing after millions of dollars were spent and the building handed over to the authorities less than a month ago. Kaieteur News’ Berbice correspondent, Samuel Whyte, reported that portions of the ceiling kept falling on litigants and that he escaped injury “by the skin of his teeth.” The staff and litigants were there around 15:40 hrs on Wednesday in what they considered the newly refurbished multi-milliondollar New Amsterdam Magistrates’ court at Vryheid Road, New Amsterdam.

They had to scamper for their lives. Many did not

escape unhurt after parts of the ceiling came tumbling with a thud, bringing with them pounds of bat dung. The rehabilitation cost more than $20M. The work lasted over two years.

FRIDAY EDITION EZJET BOSS FACES 60 YEARS IN JAIL FOR $20M FRAUD Hours after his arrest Wednesday morning, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EZjet Air Services Inc., Sonny Austin Ramdeo, appeared before a New York court, accused of stealing US$20M from a hospital chain over a sevenyear period. Some of the monies he is accused of stealing were said to be used to finance the operations of EZjet, a chartered airline that he started up last year December, according to prosecutors. He remains in a New York jail without bail.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI);JoseA.Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID); and Christopher B. Dennis, Special AgentinCharge,U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), investigated the

matter and charged Ramdeo, 35, with wire fraud - a US$20 million federal payroll tax fraud scheme.

The Federal agents said that Ramdeo kept the money paid by Promise and Success Healthcare to his private company, PayServ, for his personal use.

Ramdeo is expected to be removed to the Southern District of Florida on these charges.

CANE HARVESTER’S HEAD CRUSHED BY GUYSUCO TRUCK In a horrific tragedy early Thursday morning, 57-yearold cane harvester Asraf Alli had his skull crushed by the wheel of a Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) truck after he jumped off before the vehicle had come to a stop.

Ali, whose address was given as 60 Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, was heading to work with other cane harvesters at around 05:30 hours when the incident occurred on the Enmore Estate Road near the Enmore Martyrs’ Monument.

A press release from the sugar corporation stated that Ali was a cane harvester attached to the 8A gang, but was currently engaged in cleaning cane punts at the mill dock for the past three months. Their investigations have revealed that Ali was in a labour lorry (GGG 6514) with other cane harvesters, and whilst the lorry was reversing

Sunday December 16, 2012

from the estate access road onto the road leading to the Community Centre, he disembarked from the front entrance of the lorry passenger tray and fell under a wheel. Before the lorry could have stopped or an alarm could be raised, Ali’s head was crushed in the process.

SATURDAY EDITION GOLD REACHES 400,000 OUNCES, AND COUNTING Gold mining this year has continued its shine for the country’s economy and with two weeks left before 2013, declarations could rack up a bountiful US$700M. Authorities reported that as of Friday, declarations broke the 400,000-ounce mark, the first time since 2006 when big producer Omai Gold Mines ceased operations.

It means that gold, buoyed by high world prices, would remain king as the largest export earner for the government coffers this year, all thanks to small and medium scale mining.

Figures from the first six months of 2012 indicated that gold earnings were 46 per cent of total exports, earning US$268M. Last year, miners were smiling all the way to the bank with declarations at December 31, 2011, topping the 350,000-ounce mark and prices at an all time high as the international bankers took

to gold as the best bet.

Officially, only the Guyana Gold Board and a few dealers are permitted to buy gold.

QC STUDENT FINDS LONG LOST GRANDMA DURING PALMS VISIT “Giving back involves a certain amount of giving up.”

This is how a class of Queen’s College students felt after giving up their Christmas class party to spend some time with the residents of the Palms. But it was not all giving. One of the students got quite a surprise when she found out that one resident she was speaking to was her own grandmother whom she last saw when she was small.

It was a very emotional moment for her. She broke down in tears. On Friday, the students of Form ‘4 A’ of Queen’s College paid a visit to the Palms to interact with the residents and to make a simple donation of toiletries.

Accompanied by their teacher, Tandina Williams, they visited Wards 3, 6, 7 and 8 where they spoke with some of the residents and wished them well for Christmas. The students decided to visit the Palms after their form teacher spoke to them at Pastoral Care about the joys of giving.

Many of them said that they enjoyed the experience and would make this an annual venture.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 39

MY COLUMN

The season is here again During the past weeks I decided to focus on a few things that were important to the development of the nation. These issues were wide-ranging, but certainly not controversial. Some people found them mundane because these were things that they had been encountering almost every day and they simply wanted to escape, even briefly.

With that knowledge I have decided to provide that escape. In the first instance, some people do not know just how lucky they are. We walk the streets and we see affluence, especially at this time when we tend to spend even what we do not have.

There is this guy who is not known to work so that at the end of a week or a month he would uplift a salary.

However, there he was planning to attend some show at the Providence Stadium. As fate would have it there was this woman boasting to her friends that she too was heading to the show. I didn’t know the woman but people did.

It turned out that the man whom I heard planning for the show was known to consort with this woman. She was planning to go at the expense of the man. All I could say was that I hope that I am not one of his victims. In any case, if he attacks me the money he will get will barely get him into the ground. The woman would have to seek her own devices to get the clothes these women decide that they must wear once they are going out.

And that is an interesting thing. Women, more often than not, would not be caught dead in public wearing the same outfit twice. I am left to wonder what they do with the outfit they wore the last time. Surely they do not give them away.

Even the entertainment spotters focus on what

women wear. I was informed that Mrs. Obama wore a certain dress on four occasions. Now what should she wear? It’s her dress and she surely bought it to wear whenever she pleased.

In Guyana, even where I work, I hear women saying that they have to buy this shoe and that skirt and this top just to go to a show that is unlikely to last more than a few hours. I have also seen some weird gear. On a few occasions I happened to see a three-hundred-pound woman decked out in something that would look good on a woman weighing one hundred pounds.

Needless to say, the spectacle is always something to behold. Like the time this night club on Sheriff Street staged a back-toschool party.

There were women decked out like schoolgirls,but these same women hated to be seen in a school uniform when it was their time to go to school.

Such was their resentment that they failed to learn anything. Now years later, there they were pretending to be schoolgirls.

In the party, these women danced as no schoolgirl did in my day, although I hear these days schoolgirls would put some experienced streetwalkers to shame.

But such happenings are only part of the season. There are the decorations and the preparations. I am not going to talk about the days when varnish was king and when Mansion Floor Polish was a must in every home. In fact, I don’t even know if Mansion still exists.

I remember the woman who had this floor polish that had gone hard because it was left open somehow. Getting polish soft was no hard job; all it took was some kerosene and a bit of heat. Well this

woman knew just what to do except to regulate the amount of heat. She placed the tin with a combination of polish and kerosene on the fire.

When the mixture burst into flame she made the mistake of knocking the tin to the floor—the very floor that she had planned to polish. The fire was most destructive. It destroyed everything, right down to the lights that she had strung up just moments before.

Such disasters were not rare. Many of them occurred during the cooking. I had a

narrow escape when my pepper pot was burnt to cinder. I was using what is known as a Chinese stove back then, so when I thought that I had blown it out I had not. There is no smell like really burnt pepper pot.

That smell remained in the house for weeks.

All I can do is to warn those who love to cook close to midnight—that is when some people like to do their baking and roasting—keep your eyes open. I also know about taking an alcoholinduced nap while cooking.

And of course there will be the less fortunate who would be happy with anything. It is said that poor people are the happiest people in the world because they always have a lot to smile about.

They smile when they get anything that they did not have and they smile when others get.

These days, toys are so cheap that the children of the poor do not need to make home-made toys.

My mother once made dolls for my sisters.

Adam Harris How those girls could play with those things is beyond imagination. But then again, I see the cartoon characters and realize that the weirder they are the more the children love them.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 41

The Abigail Column Planned obsolescence is no relationship plan

DEARABIGAIL, My boyfriend and I have been dating for about eight months. In a few weeks, I’ll be leaving to take up another job overseas.

Ever since we started dating, the boyfriend has known I would be moving and that “we” would be ending our relationship.

We’ve been experiencing little problems for more than two months, but we haven’t addressed them because we want to end things on good

terms. However, enough small things have bubbled up that now I find that I resent him.

(For example, he has never expressed congratulations that I’m taking this amazing opportunity.

I want to break things off now and spend the last few weeks free to do what I want with my closest friends.

Is this selfish or should I endure this period to spare his feelings?

Resentful Dear Resentful, You obviously assume that a few weeks with you is an awesome prospect, but your boyfriend might be marking time until he can pull

the rip cord on this parachute and escape from the relationship too.

I realise that you two had a deal. But it sounds as if one of those deals was sketched out on a napkin late at night.

(Unfortunately, those napkin sketches rarely yield workable plans.) When you made your deal, you neglected to take into account that planned obsolescence and relationships do not mix.

Human nature has a way of getting in the way. Feelings get hurt. And when you ignore little problems, they have a way of multiplying.

So you say, “Honey, there is no more ‘we.’ There is only ‘me.’ “

Sunday December 16, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may be feeling anxious today and ready to unload your building anger with just the slightest provocation.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You receive support from today’s pragmatic Capricorn Moon, but she still might challenge you to act sensibly. Keep your mind on business now, rather than getting lost in personal dramas that are beyond your control.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your clever tongue is especially sharp today, but you might be more inclined to take direct action instead of just talking about your intentions.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Trusting your feelings is usually a sensible strategy, but now it’s a bit of a trickier process. Your emotions are operating at a higher frequency and you’re eager to spring into action.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may feel as if you’re being tested today as you attempt to do your job effectively. But even if you think you’re doing well, someone might not agree.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may be feeling downto-earth, but your behavior reveals a less sensible side to your personality today.

Unfortunately, you can be frustrated in your unsuccessful attempts to convey how well you could manage a rather sticky situation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You are extremely busy this holiday season, and it won’t likely let up through the end of the year. Nevertheless, you still have pressing choices to make now, so don’t get completely sidetracked by the craziness, especially if you can avoid it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The present situation seems familiar, but it’s highly possible that you only played through the scenario in your mind.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You’re ready to put your plans into action and probably feel confident that everything’s going to fall into place now. But instead of concentrating on reaching your goal, focus on your deepest core values that inspire you, instead.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You feel grounded with the evocative Moon still in your earthy sign, but there’s also a lingering anxiety that won’t let you relax as a complex situation grows even more complicated.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You can feel the excitement turn into tension today as the Moon moves into your high-strung sign.

You want to be seen and heard now, and will work to overcome obstacles that stand in your way.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Although you may feel overwhelmed by the demands of life, it’s not just irrelevant noise that requires your attention today.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Lakers under pressure after slow start to season NEW YORK (Reuters) These are uncertain times in Laker Land. One of the National Basketball Association’s glamour teams is struggling and no-one is sure why, or how to fix it.

The Los Angeles Lakers, a team packed with superstars and a history steeped with success, are off to their worst start to a season in nearly two decades.

They have won just nine of their first 23 games to lie 12th in the Western Conference standings, leaving players and coaches scratching their heads to find a solution.

“We don’t have a stability or sense of purpose of what we want to do,” conceded future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

Mike D’Antoni, who took over as head coach last month, has borne the brunt of the criticism. He has introduced a new system of playing, with the focus on attack, that his players are struggling to adapt to.

On Thursday, the Lakers gave up an astonishing 41 points in the first quarter of their game against New York Knicks. They fought back to regain “some respect” but

still lost for the sixth time in their last seven games. The Los Angeles Times newspaper typified the despondent mood in California with the headline: “Lakers’ defense takes night off against Knicks.”

“We are having a recurring theme in the first quarter,” said D’Antoni. “We need to solve that problem real quick.”

KEY PLAYERS HURT The Lakers, who won their 16th NBA championship just three seasons ago, have only missed the playoffs twice since 1976 and still have time to catch up if they can get all their best players fit.

In the offseason, they acquired two key players in a blockbuster trade, guard Steve Nash and center Dwight Howard, to join forces with Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace.

But Nash has been sidelined since the start of the season after fracturing a bone in his leg while Gasol has had knee problems and Howard has been struggling to recover from a back complaint.

Mike Brown was fired as coach after just five games, prompting speculation that

Phil Jackson, who led the Lakers to five NBA titles, would return. But D’Antoni was given the nod instead, leaving him little time to acquaint himself with his team and introduce a new system while some of his key players were injured.

Bryant said it was unfair to blame D’Antoni for the team’s slow start and added he was confident things would turn around once everyone was on the court together. “It’s been a huge adjustment for all of us, we have some figuring out to do, and we have some key pieces out,” Bryant said.

“When they come back we’ll get this thing locked and loaded and make some adjustments.”

The return of Nash, a twotime NBA Most Valuable player, is looming as the key because of his ability to control the game and take pressure off Bryant, who has been flourishing despite the team’s bad showing.

“I hope I can help when I come back,” said Nash. “We are treading water and we are trying to find that connectivity. “Hopefully we find that soon because we are losing ground.”

Athletes in Berbice take to the road today in Second Monthly event Athletes in the Ancient County will once again have an opportunity to show off their talent, today when the Rose Hall Town Anniversary and Development Organisation (RHTADO) stage an athletics road race along the Corentyne high way.

The race, which is the second of a monthly activity planned by the organisation, will begin at the Whim Police Station and move to the Rose Hall Town Arch, covering a distance of 5 kilometers. The event which is being sponsored by Banks DIH and friends of Rose Hall Town will began at 7:00am.

Prizes will be awarded to the first 10 finishers. Female finishers will be specially acknowledged.

Organized by Godwyn Allicock, the monthly road race is being promoted to keep athletes active and to help resuscitate competitive running in the Ancient County.

The first race was held on November 11th from in front of the Tain Berbice Campus and finished at the Arch in Rose Hall Town.

That event was won by Danzel Leitch of Manchester Secondary. A presentation ceremony will be held immediately after the race.

Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington - Former...

(From page 47) in Kingston. Carrington redeemed himself against the Cayman Islands in the next match that Guyana won 2-1.

Although he was spectacular in goal against Trinidad & Tobago and St. Lucia, Guyana lost those encounters 3-1 and 4-1 respectively but the National team still placed 4th overall at its first Caribbean finals.

In 1992, Carrington played no international matches for Guyana, missing two friendly matches against Barbados, the clash against Mexico’s Under-23, two World Cup Qualifiers against Suriname and Shell Cup action against Aruba, French Guiana and

Suriname.

Selected for duties in goal were Donald Joseph, Andrew Butters and the veteran Kenrick ‘Blackie’ Pollard.

Carrington returned to International action in 1993 and immediately his presence was felt between the uprights.

Guyana started the 1993 campaign with an emphatic 31 victory against the Cayman Islands at GFC. Floyd ‘Running man’ Cadogan netted the double while the classy ‘Sir’ Anthony Stanton cooled things off later.

Poor defending in the second game against Puerto Rico at GCC saw Guyana suffering a 2-0 defeat.

Carrington’s final International also ended disappointedly at GCC against Barbados with Guyana losing 3-0.

INTERNATIONAL TOURS 1984 Trinidad - CFU returned fixture 1984 Trinidad – CONCACAF Youth Championship 1985 Suriname - National Under-21 Team tour 1987 Guatemala Olympic Qualifiers 1988 Trinidad – World Cup Qualifier 1990 Suriname - Shell Cup 1991 Jamaica - Shell Cup Finals

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Cuba to face Trinidad in Caribbean final St. John’s, Antigua — Cuba narrowly defeated Haiti 1-0 on Friday in the semifinals of the Caribbean Cup, setting up a rematch of the 1999 final against Trinidad & Tobago to decide the region’s champion.

In a game played at the historic Antigua Recreation Ground, the Lions of the Caribbean roared to victory thanks to a ninth minute goal from Yoel Colome Valencia.

The 30-year-old defender capitalized on a mistake by Haiti goalkeeper Jhony Placide, who failed to collect the ball cleanly after a wicked shot from Marcel Hernandez.

Haiti’s Leonel St. Preux led the charge in search of the

equalizer; almost singlehandedly carrying the load himself. His extraordinary efforts almost paid off five minutes before the break, but he missed wide with only Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina to beat.

The second half proved even more frustrating for the Haitians, as they embarked on an all-out offensive against the Cuban backline. Jorge Clavelo and his fellow defenders, though, were clearly up to the task.

Jean-Philippe Peguero repeatedly tried to create chances for his strikers, but that final touch — which helped Haiti to win its last two

games in the competition by a single goal each — went missing on the night.

The Cubans defended bravely and, when necessary, they generated offense through Alberto Gomez, Yaudel Lahera and Hernandez. Gomez perhaps had the best opportunity in the 75th minute. After winning the ball in the midfield, he raced towards goal, only to stumble in the six-yard box before getting off a shot.

Trinidad & Tobago will aim for its ninth Caribbean Cup title and first since 2001, advancing to this year’s championship by overcoming Martinique 5-4 on penalties

after the teams played to a 11 draw in the first of two semifinals on Friday.

The stunning result and the way in which it was achieved will live in the region’s football lore, as the Soca Warriors’ Richard Roy leveled on the stroke of regulation to send the encounter into extra time.

Martinique started the game without its prized attacking duo of Kevin Parsemain and Frederic Piquionne, who combined to score three of Les M a t i n i n o ’s f o u r g o a l s heading into the semifinals.

Perhaps, their absence led to a lackluster first half that saw both sides assume a defensive posture.

The second half saw a more entertaining brand of football and the game opened up thanks to some clever midfield play from both sides.

Parsemain did enter the game as a substitute and he made

an impact. His superb strike put Martinique ahead in the 76th minute.

While in possession, the 24-year-old striker stopped suddenly and turned sharply on his marker, creating significant separation. With a clear look at the goal, he fired the ball past Trinidad goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams from inside the 18yard box.

Piquionne came on in the second half as well and his contributions were meaningful. After Parsemain had another shot hit the left post, a Piquionne attempt from close range was saved well by Williams. Those misses proved to be costly.

Trinidad finally got it right, though, when a brilliant pass from Kevin Molino with precious little time left on the clock found Roy for the equalizer.

The 25-year-old hammered a shot beyond the reach of Martinique

goalkeeper Emmanuel Vermignon, leaving no doubt where the ball would ultimatey come to rest. After a highly defensive 30 minutes of extra time, penalties decided who would advance.

Martinique kicked first and got goals from Jacky Berdix, Sebastien Cretinoir, Steeve Gustan, and Parsemain, but Piquionne’s effort was saved by a diving Williams.

For the Soca Warriors, Densil Theobald, Molino, Carlyle Mitchell, Daniel Herelle and Atullah Guerra all converted to start a celebrations on the pitch.

Today, Cuba — which has never won the Caribbean Cup — will meet eight-time champion Tr i n i d a d a t S i r Vi v i a n Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, for the region’s title.

Haiti will face Martinique in the match for third place the same day.

Lochte breaks own world record in 200m medley Ryan Lochte of the U.S. celebrates winning the men’s 200m individual medley final during the FINA World Swimming Championships in Istanbul December 14, 2012.

REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) Ryan Lochte of the United States smashed his own world record to win the 200 meters individual medley at the world short-course championships on Friday and then shocked the crowd by giving his medal to a fan.

Lochte finished in one minute 49.63 seconds to shatter the mark of 1:50.08 he set in December 2010 at the worlds in Dubai.

It was his fourth title at this year’s championships after he claimed golds in the 200 freestyle and 4x100 freestyle on Wednesday and the 4x200 on Thursday.

“One of the reasons why I’m in this sport is because of the fans,” the five-time Olympic champion told the BBC after handing his gold medal to a young boy who was waiting for an autograph.

“They have done so much with the cheering and the support throughout my years and just the love that they have given me I wanted to give back and putting a medal around their neck and seeing that glow on their face means the world to me,” he added.

Japan’s Daiya Seto took silver in 1:52.80 with Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh grabbing the bronze medal in

1:52.89.

Lochte won six gold medals and one silver when Dubai hosted the shortcourse event in 2010. He also won five medals at this year’s London Olympics including two golds.

The American’s win gave him his fourth 200 individual medley title in a row at the short-course worlds having also snatched gold in Shanghai (2006), Manchester (2008) and Dubai (2010).

The 28-year-old Lochte’s world record on Friday was the first at this year’s event, on the third day of competition.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 45

Australia attack takes charge after Hussey ton HOBART (Reuters) Mike Hussey scored an unbeaten 115 to drive Australia towards an aggressive declaration at 450 for five before Sri Lanka were reduced to 87-4 at stumps on the second day of the first test on Saturday.

More than two hours of play were lost to rain but the Australians made the most of what time they had on the picturesque Bellerive Oval to take firm control of the opening match in a threetest series.

Dimuth Karunaratne was the first Sri Lankan to fall but it was the cheap wickets of the experienced duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene that would have delighted Australia more.

Thilan Samaraweera was caught behind off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon for seven to bring an end to play and leave opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had made 50 not out, to resume on Sunday with Angelo Mathews.

“I think we’re in a fantastic position after getting a couple of those late wickets,” Hussey told reporters. “You get Sangakarra, Jayawardene and Samaraweera out, they are guys that can make big scores and play in tough

conditions. “But we’ve still got a lot of hard work to do, they’ll fight very hard the Sri Lankans, they won’t be giving anything up easy.”

The day had started so well for the tourists when Australia, resuming on 299-4, lost Michael Clarke for 74 in the third over to break the latest in a run of prolific partnerships with Hussey that have produced 736 runs in the last four tests.

Young paceman Shaminda Eranga induced the Australian captain into an edge which Sangakkara collected with ease at second slip but it was the last wicket to fall in the hosts’ innings.

“We weren’t really up to it today,” Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford lamented. “I think the boys will be busy thinking about what went on today and hopefully we can come out and give it a real fight in the morning.”

Matthew Wade (68 not out) and Hussey proved just as obdurate in a 146-run partnership and cut loose to pile up the runs when play finally resumed after lunch, racing towards the declaration 40 minutes before tea.

LUCKY BREAK Hussey reached his 19th

Tillakaratne Dilshan was unbeaten on 50 at stumps (Getty Images) test century in fortuitous circumstances when he was dropped at deep midwicket by Angelo Matthews and the ball bounced across the boundary rope for four.

“When you are in the 90s, your mind does funny things,” Hussey said. “I couldn’t believe I picked him out. I’ve seen Angelo take some brilliant catches.

Sometimes it just happens to be your day.”

The 37-year-old breathed a huge sign of relief before whipping off his helmet to celebrate his third century in

Season ending Banks Classic Horserace meet set for Rising Sun TC Old Year’s day -$7M up for grabs The final race for the 2012/2013 Horseracing season is set for the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast, Berbice. The date is Sunday 30th December. With horseracing having a mixed year in 2012 all the top horses will be hoping to put in a good showing to end the season with a bang.

Nine races are carded for the day with close to $7M in cash, Trophies and other incentives up for the taking.

According to organiser Inshanally Habibulla, preparation works are in full swing with tremendous improvements being done to the Rising Sun facilities with the grand stands and the other stands being spruced up and the track being re-laid.

There are a number of top notch events listed on the cards with the feature being the B class event, there is the Three year old Guyana and West Indies bred race, the D class contest, the race for F

class animals, the event for Two year old Guyana and West Indies animals and the G class match up.

The feature B class event will once again see prize monies tagged at close to $2M with a first prize of standing at a sumptuous $1M and trophy with the distance being 1600M. The three year old event for Horses Bred and Born in Guyana and the West Indies has a winners money of $500,000 over 1400M. The D Class event has a first prize of $500,000 over a distance of 1300M. The race for two year old horses bred and born in Guyana and the West Indies will see the winner racing away with $400,000 and trophy over 1300M. The race for F class animals will see a $350,000 purse and trophy for the winner over 1400M. The G and lower showdown has a winners’ purse of $400,000 over 1100M. There is an H class

race that has $220,000 at stake and is a 1400M event.

There are two I class events, both over 1300M, the first is for horses classified ‘I’ and lower and will see the winner carting off $180,000.

The other I class event is for those classified I3 and lower and those with one win. The winner of that race will run away with $160,000.

Ramesh Sunich proprietor of Trophy Stall Bourda will once again be providing accolades for the top individual performers including the top jockey, trainer and stables.

The Race will be held under the rules of the Rising Sun Turf Club and Bugle time is 13:00 hrs.

For further information persons can contact Fazal Habibulla at Chester Fry Bush Lot, West Coast, Berbice on Tel No 232-0232 or 648-6522, 6577010, Inshanally Habibulla on tel No 623-4495, 623-5453 or 2323295. (Samuel Whyte)

his last four matches and a fifth in six tests against Sri Lanka. It was not his most fluent innings - coming off 171 balls with most of his eight fours struck after he reached the half century - but gave him a tally of 877 runs at an impressive average of 125.28 against the Sri Lankans.

“Sometimes you just have teams that you seem to score runs against and there’s other teams that you struggle against,” Hussey added. “I don’t know why, it just seems to happen.”

Wicketkeeper Wade had reached his own half century with a rushed single as he further cemented his place in the Australia team after his 68 in the last test against South Africa.

Karunaratne, playing in only his second test, and Dilshan survived the seven overs between the declaration and tea but Ben Hilfenhaus got the breakthrough soon after the break.

The Tasmanian quick got

Michael Hussey celebrates his hundred (Getty Images)

the ball to move away from lefthander Karunaratne (14) and it took a good outside edge before Wade scooped it up behind the stumps.

Sangakkara, who scored 192 in his last test in Hobart, had made four from 16 balls when he got a thick edge to a Peter Siddle delivery and Hussey took a fine catch at gully.

Jayawardene had made 12 runs in his 36 minutes at

the crease before all r o u n d e r S h a n e Wa t s o n proved once again his ability to take key wickets, trapping the Sri Lanka skipper leg before in a decision confirmed on appeal to the TV umpire.

Scores: Sri Lanka 4 for 87 (Dilshan 50*) trail Australia 5 for 450 dec (Hussey 115*, Hughes 87, Clarke 74, Wade 68*, Warner 57, Welegedara 3-130) by 363 runs.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Mahendra Dhoni run out for 99 as tourists fight back BBC Sport - England took four wickets in the last hour of the third day to fight back against India in the final Test.

The tourists, who lead the series 2-1, had long been frustrated by Mahendra Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who shared a 198-run, 507-ball stand in Nagpur.

However, Graeme Swann trapped Kohli for 103 before Dhoni was run out on 99 by Alastair Cook in the penultimate over. Ravindra Jadeja and Piyush Chawla were also dismissed as India closed the day 33 runs behind England on 297-8.

It was a swift and dramatic turnaround in fortunes for England, who had been second best for most of the day as Dhoni and Kohli painstakingly batted India back into the match with their mammoth partnership. But Cook’s men were finally rewarded for their

MS Dhoni was run out for 99 (BCCI)

persistence. Once Kohli had fallen, the hosts - who were just beginning to think about overhauling England’s first

innings total of 330 - were stalled by an all too familiar clatter of quick wickets.

Debutant Jadeja made only 12 before he was pinned in front by James Anderson, before Cook took advantage of Dhoni’s nervousness in the closing stages of a tough day.

The India captain, who compiled his longest Test innings in terms of balls faced,

had been stuck in the nineties for more than 70 minutes when he attempted to reach his century by taking on a quick single.

But Cook, running in from mid-off, pounced and threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end to run out his opposite number by a matter of millimetres. Swann then got one to turn sharply and

bowled Piyush Chawla with the first ball of the final over of the day.

The late drama was harsh on Dhoni and Kohli, who finally lived up to their superstar billing for the first time in the series. Both players curbed their usual attacking tendencies with gritty and determined innings which were short on style but stacked with substance.

Dhoni, who moved himself up the batting order in response to calls for him to be sacked as captain, offered few chances during his 246ball innings, with Tim Bresnan, who had a couple of leg-before shouts turned down, failing to take a difficult return catch from the skipper.

It was a similarly stoical innings by Kohli, who scored the third Test century of his career on his way to overtaking Australia’s Michael Clarke as the leading international run-scorer in world cricket in 2012 during his 295-ball knock.

He was finally undone

by Swann when, following a drinks break, the offspinner got one to pitch

Virat Kohli and turn into the 24-yearold’s pads.

And once Dhoni became the first international captain to be run out on 99 in a Test match, India - seeking to avoid a first home series defeat to England since 198485 - were left hoping that their earlier hard work would be enough to exert some pressure during the final two days.

Scores: India 297 for 8 (Kohli 103, Dhoni 99) trail England 330 by 33 runs.

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 47

Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington - Former Guyana Int. 1987 – 1993 Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series on Guyana’s World Cup players; today we are pleased to feature Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington, a former Guyana International 1987 – 1993 and World cup goalkeeper, 1988.

The first time Guyana’s national team reached the finals of a Caribbean Football Union Championship, the goalkeeper was Cougars’ Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington.

Carrington was superb in the final preliminary game against Suriname at the GCC ground, Bourda where Guyana drew the 1991 Shell Cup encounter 1-1. The result saw Guyana advancing to the Caribbean Football Union finals for the first time since entering the Championship in 1971.

Carrington came through the ranks playing at various age levels for Berbice’ top Club Cougars. His first outing at the International

level was April 1984 against Trinidad and Tobago at the CFU Under-19 championship at the GFC ground; although Guyana lost that encounter 13 with Richard ‘Lion in the Cage’ Alphonso doing duties between the uprights, Carrington remembered that clash like it was yesterday.

His first tour overseas was the CFU return fixture in Port of Spain Trinidad and again he had to played second fiddle to Alphonso, Guyana lost again and was eliminated from the championship.

After the CFU clash Carrington returned to the Twin Island Republic in August of 1984 with the National Under-19 team this time for the CONCACAF Youth Championship involving giants Mexico, El Salvador, Canada, USA, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica; but the man that

-World Cup Goalkeeper 1988 was performing duties between the uprights was Richard Alphonso.

Although he was the reserve keeper throughout that tournament, Carrington was always supportive of team members and the Coaching staff.

His next International assignment was October 1985 to Suriname with the National Under-21 side for a triangular series with the host and French Guiana.

After the triangular series in Paramaribo Carrington was included in the National Under-23 squad for two friendly matches against French Guiana seniors at Camp Ayanganna but Gerald Williams and Richard Alphonso were the men that shared goalkeeping duties.

Aguero leads Manchester City to 3-1 win at Newcastle Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (centre) reacts after Yaya Toure (unseen) scored against Newcastle United during their English Premier League soccer match in Newcastle, northern England December 15, 2012. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

LONDON (Reuters) - A clinical early strike by Argentine Sergio Aguero helped champions Manchester City beat Newcastle United 3-1 on Saturday and cut Manchester United’s Premier League lead to three points.

United, who can restore their advantage to six points when they host struggling Sunderland in a later kickoff, have 39 points to City’s 36.

Third-placed Chelsea, on 29, will have a game in hand due to the European champions playing the Club World Cup final in Japan on Sunday.

City, determined to come back strongly after the bitter disappointment of losing 3-2 to local rivals United in stoppage time last weekend, were a goal up after 10 minutes at St James’ Park.

Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure split the defence with a superb pass to find Samir

Nasri, adjudged to be just onside, who rolled the ball back for striker Aguero to stroke home.

Nasri, mockingly described by City manager Roberto Mancini as only half a man in the defensive wall that failed to keep out Robin van Persie’s winner last Sunday, did his best to make amends with a spirited but short-lived performance.

The French playmaker smacked the ball against the post in the 20th, with Tim Krul off his line and well beaten, but then limped off after 37 minutes following a heavy challenge by Davide Santon.

Javi Garcia headed City’s second two minutes later, the Spaniard climbing high to meet a corner that Santon might have cleared off the line had the Italian defender not been completely wrongfooted. City, with no room for Mario Balotelli even on the bench after Mancini said the

mercurial Italian needed to train more, looked in control until Demba Ba got Newcastle back into the match with a powerful header six minutes after the break.

The goal, after Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini hooked the ball high into the box when a corner was cleared, was the Senegal striker’s 11th in the league this season.

It spurred a Newcastle revival that could easily have seen the scores levelled.

However, a 78th minute strike from Toure to calm City’s nerves with the Ivorian poking the ball through the home defence off an angled cross from Pablo Zabaleta.

Defeat for Newcastle left them in danger of tipping into the relegation places, with the club two points above the drop zone with a haul of 17 points from 17 matches, and increased the pressure on manager Alan Pardew.

He failed to gain the selector’s nod for International matches Guyana contested against Barbados and Venezuela the following year, 1986.

Carrington’s first senior call was October 1987 for two Olympic qualifiers against Guatemala in Guatemala City.

Although Guyana lost both matches 6-0 and 3-0 respectively with Gerald Williams performing duties between the uprights, Carrington was unceremoniously dropped for the next match against Mexico in Los Angeles; the late Colin Pollard was the man selected to backup Gerald Williams.

After the Mexico thrashing in Los Angeles, both Williams and Pollard absconded so the selectors had no choice the following year, April 1988, in naming Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington for a World Cup Qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago at Camp Ayanganna.

Guyana entered that

encounter with several new players because at the exodus of 14 members the previous year, 1987. Carrington and company came under immediate pressure from the experienced T&T ‘Soca Warriors’ unit.

The depleted Guyana side with the only seasoned player being defender Godfrey Gibbons, Guyana suffered a 4-0 whipping, Carrington enduring a dreadful debut.

Although he was selected for the return fixture in Port of Spain, Santos’ Andrew Butters was the man that did duties between the uprights, Guyana lost 1-0.

The National team played no International matches in 1989 because of sanctions by CONCACAF so Carrington had to settle for Inter Guyana Games and Inter Sub Association duties.

Guyana returned to International action in 1990 in the Shell Caribbean Cup against Suriname at the Andre Kampeerveen Stadium but surprisingly the man between the uprights was Andrew Butters.

The Godfrey Gibbons led squad lost the Shell opener

5-0 and the Coach had no choice but to return to the trusted hands of Carrington for Guyana’s group matches against the Netherlands Antilles and Grenada at GCC, Bourda.

With Carrington in goal, Guyana drew both matches but those results failed to get them to the next round.

However, the experience and confidence Carrington gained from those matches would later prove invaluable.

In May 1991, Carrington was fearless against Aruba at GCC where Guyana won that encounter 4-0 but the match of his life was the eliminator against Suriname at the same venue a week later.

Carrington was Guyana’s hero as he denied the Suriname strikers with several breathtaking saves. His brilliance in goal earned Guyana a hard fought 1-1 draw and that result sent Guyana’s old enemies packing from the 1991 Shell Cup finals.

He was let down by poor defending when Guyana suffered a 6-0 thrashing by Jamaica at the Shell Cup finals (Continued on page 43)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

“Just one week before Christmas 2012, so much sadness, even with so much hope for 2013!”

This article was supposed to have been about a grand celebration!

Finally, quite positively, West Indies cricket seems to be on that absolutely correct pavement to unearthing new, exciting talent, with its recent re-merger with all of its constituents; civil, political, social.

But great sadness suddenly intervened!

Additionally, there is that extremely refreshing, hopefully productive, alliance with Barbados-based merchant bank ‘Verus International’, to help finance some of our cricket, hopefully to higher standards and better results. This has been a very long time coming, and is certainly a very welcomed addition. Every Caribbean youth under 20 years old, who plays cricket at any level, male or female, should be rejoicing fully!

But one cannot just ignore the very obvious!

What is happening in our world; Caribbean and elsewhere; as was

experienced in Connecticut, USA, on Friday 14, 2012, that sends a 20 year old youthman to dismiss and destroy the lives of 27 people, including twenty totally innocent, potentially brilliant minds of children no older than 10?

So many younger folks, almost all quite innocent, are dying in our Caribbean for no real reasons, most killed by their friends and associates for such stupid, inane, worldly things such as sports sneakers or baseball caps, and we lament them mightily.

The statistics everywhere are truly, distressingly, appalling!

How does anyone who is a parent, or grand-parent, or even have no children at all, but could appreciate the presence and potential of kids, handle the carnage of Connecticut and other situations that have become the norm nowadays?

Connecticut was America’s third such major massacre this year alone! President Barack Obama, like many Americans, other people too, though

death circumnavigates the world by tens of thousands, cried publicly last Friday. If you are a parent, close to any kids that age, I expect that you would have done so too, or at least, hugged your little person, reassuring both bodies!

Fear is no longer the key anywhere. Nowadays, it really should be anger. At least, I certainly am angry!

That anger comes from the fact that we have all become so damned blaze; taciturn; that we simply shake our heads, shrug our shoulders and just ‘KBO’ – ‘keep buggering on’ – to quote Sir Winston Churchill.

When exactly is enough simply enough? When are we, as individuals, small or large societies, simply going to take stands that these episodes should cease, at least in regularity, if not indeed forever? America has many positives and many attributes that make it a very great nation, but having a law, one that allows anyone, anyone at all, to have guns of

their choice – Amendment No. 2: The right to bear arms – has got to be very wrong. The time has long gone when that should have been reamended!

‘POTUS’ has a great amount on his plate for these last four years of his eight year reign, but Barack Obama can no longer stand on the fence for this one, scared of the big lobby. He must act right now!

So, having vented some anger and frustration on this very recent wastage of such innocent blood, we can KBO unto the cricket and its positive possibilities for 2013.

All that we can hope for now is the best!

I also noticed that Queens Park Cricket Club, with its famed cricket oval of the same name, one of the Caribbean’s and world’s premier cricket venues, has elected former West Indies vice-captain, Deryck Lance Murray, to be its new President.

That really is as good as it gets for Trinidad & Tobago’s cricket!

This appointment, coming so soon after his own father’s, Lance Murray’s death, is the latest manifestation of concentric lives of outstanding cricket service to their nation and the region.

Hardly have two generations given so much to T&T’s and West Indies cricket! With cousin Colin Murray also appointed “captain’ – whatever that means – this could even be called a massive cricket coup!

I would hasten to hope, as I am everlastingly optimistic, that, one day, I would even be re-invited to the club’s annual events. Amazingly, I have lived in Trinidad & Tobago since 1992, and have only been officially invited to events at QPCC twice. I really cannot remember “doing anything” to anyone there!

It is also pleasing that my dentist, Dr. Nigel Camacho, “Trini Posse Man”, and former T&T and West Indies manager Colin Board have been elected to QPCC’s working team, ‘captained’ by Colin Murray.

Colin E. H. Croft Knowing how dynamic these three are, and determined too, I expect, like West Indies, even better results there. But, having recently lost a Wisdom tooth, I wonder if Dr. Nigel would have any time to save the rest!

So, especially, that franchise proposition is like jingle bells to my ears, for few really know the sacrifices that people like me had to make to even think, much less actually play, for West Indies internationally. I really can only hope that the young players who really deserve assistance, might it be gear, travel, sustenance, e v e n basic dentistry, all taken for granted but necessary for success, get their due! Enjoy!

VCB hails Bolt, Felix Veronica Campbell Brown in training earlier last month.

Jamaica Observer OLYMPIC Games and World Championships gold medallist Veronica Campbell Brown has saluted International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Athletes of the Year (AOY), Usain Bolt and American Allyson Felix on their awards.

Writing in the November edition of her online diary in the IAAF website, Campbell Brown, who was a bronze medallist in the 100m at the XXX Olympic Games in London earlier this year and a silver medallist in the sprint relays and a former finalist in

the AOY nomination, wrote: “Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix were the athletes chosen from a very competitive group and I extend my congratulations to them.”

Campbell Brown said she spent some time in the island doing some business for her Foundation and was happy with the progress.

“I am quite pleased with the progress of my Foundation and the positive impact it is having on the lives of the girls that are being provided for and we are looking forward to further inroads.”

The Veronica Campbell Brown Foundation selected a number of young ladies last year who will receive bursaries towards their high school education through to 11th grade.

The sprinter, who recently celebrated five years of marriage to Omar Brown, said she is fully back in training for the 2013 season. “My training so far has been satisfactory and I will continue with a gradual build up to the 2013 season, which has Moscow’s World Championships as the centre piece of the year.”

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 49

Nets, Ravens in showdown for Phillip George title tonight Republic Bank Nets and Ravens will meet tonight in a colossal showdown in the Phillip George Legacy Championship game with Nets aiming to win its first Division I title and Ravens seeking to extend its collection of championship trophies. Burnham Basketball Court will be the venue of the battle from 7pm.

Two other games will follow the premier showdown; Colts will play Pacesetters in the Division III final while an exhibition game between former Pacesetters and Colts players will introduce a Division I contest

that Ravens is favoured to win.

Nets are slower than Ravens in transition offence because of its height difference and will have to find ways of addressing that issue tonight. The speed of Ryan ‘Cocaine’ Stephney, Stephon ‘Penny’ Henry, Rodwell ‘Kobe’ Fortune, and Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai will torment the Nets in their biggest Division I game.

Nets have to switch up its offense and defence to include Antoine Austin, Darian Lewis and Mark Richards along with veteran guard, Pelham Doris, who is

Akeem Kanhai

Ryan Stephney generally a good defender.

The Republic Banksponsored Nets has to

Sponsors on board as preparations continue for Kennard Memorial Boxing Day Meet - Over 50 horses on board so far

By Samuel Whyte With the Horseracing season coming to an end all focus will now be on the Kennard Memorial Turf Club when that entity stages their grand annual Boxing Day one day meet on Wednesday 26th December at the Club’s track Bush Lot Farm Corentyne, Berbice.

Eight races are slated for the days programme which will have a whopping $6.5M in trophies and cash incentives available. With the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) having one of the better facilities in the horseracing circle in Guyana and the amount of entries promised, an exciting day of racing is anticipated. So far over 50 horses have entered.

A large number of sponsors have been lined up to be a part of the day’s proceeding led by beverage giants Ansa McAl Guyana Limited and The Kharag Family of USA owners of Metro Computer and Office supplies in Guyana. Among the others on board are Digicel, Republic Bank, Neal and Massy, Muneshwar Limited, Kissoon Furniture Factory, P and P Insurance Brokers, Torginol Paints, Goodwood Racing Service, Horseshoe Racing Service, Noble House Sea Food, Pomeroon Oil Mills, New Building Society, Aerial Enterprise, Kanhai Guyana Electrical Agency, Top Notch Auto Sales, Kharag General Stores, Kissoon Dial Rice Complex, Pharmagen Enterprise, Seepersaud

Maraj, the Saroop Family of USA and Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and City Mall.

The feature B and lower event for the Deo Kharag Memorial stakes and trophy, sponsored by the Kharag family of the USA owners of Metro Guyana Limited for the hefty pole position takings of S1.2M and trophy from a total purse of $2.3M over one mile.

Among some of the animals already lined up to compete are Score’s Even, California Strike, the Message, Mission King, Marathon man, Sleep in Town, Got to Go, War Craft, Who So ever, Dubai Duchess, Work Force and Gold Plated.

There is the 3-yrs-old race for horses Bred and born in Guyana and the West Indies also over one mile for the $500,000 top money. The D3and lower class event will see the animals cover a distance of six furlongs for the winning take of $500,000. The two year old six furlongs non winners’ event also has a purse of $500,000 and trophy

on offer.

The G and Lower race is a 7 furlongs event for a $320,000 winning money and trophy.

The H and Lower also go for 7 furlongs with the first prize tagged at $240,000 and trophy.

There is $180,000 and trophy available for the winner of the I3 and lower event which covers a distance of 6 furlongs.

The winner of the J class contest over seven furlongs will see the champion taking away $150,000 and trophy.

Entries close today and no late entries will be entertained. The outstanding jockeys, trainer and stable will all receive trophies and other accolades compliments of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market.

Interested owners can make contact with Justice Cecil Kennard on telephone numbers 226-1399, 225-4818 or 623-7609, club Secretary Niketa Ross on 662-4668, Roopnarine “Shine’ Matadial, 325-3192, Ivan Dipnarine 3310316 for further information and entry details.

Ryan Gullen

Drumson McCullay

integrate the youthful Austin, Lewis and Richards among its slower forwards, Fabian Johnson, Mortimer Williams and Drumson McCullay.

Nets will want to play traditional basketball, including Johnson, Williams and McCullay on the floor consistently. The danger in that is the consistent threat of Ravens’ guards, who will easily run past the trio both

in transition and set offenses.

Having Austin, Lewis and Richards on the floor empowers Nets to at least soar with the Ravens.

Ravens will know that Nets has a defensive issue and will want to exploit them.

They will figure the easiest way to do so is to increase the tempo of the game with its speedy guards. Ravens will totally ignore that it is

smaller than Nets; because of its depth, it will try to beat Nets with speed and skill.

Ryan Gullen and Jermaine Slater must be defended well too because of their abilities to shoot the ball or take it inside if the shot is not there.

Williams and Johnson have their defensive work cut out against the two more effective forwards.

The game will prove whether or not Nets has earned a place among the best basketball teams in Georgetown or it fluked a way into history. The results of the game tonight will provide enough answers to lingering questions and information for analysis.

(Edison Jefford)

Page 50

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 16, 2012

Several knockouts on truncated night of fistic fury as GBA Open tournament ends A heavy downpour forced administrators of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) to prematurely call a halt to the proceedings, six bouts shy of the programme when that entity staged the inaugural night of the National Open Boxing Championships on the Banks DIH Parking Lot, Thirst Park, Friday evening last.

Shortly before the rains came, boxing administrators announced that the word ‘amateur’ has been omitted from the local organization following a directive by officials of the ruling body, International Amateur Boxing Association (IABA).

This development certainly failed to put a damper to the boxers’ spirits and the subsequent action witnessed vicious exchanges that resulted in several of them failing to make it to the final bell. The first bout in the Juniors 70-74 lbs category between Ansol Wolf of Harpy Eagles (HE) and Shemar Bumbury of the Forgotten

Youth Foundation (FYF), ended in 21secs of the third round in favour of Bumbury.

The latter boxer returned later on to defeat Kevon Mulling, also in his second bout of the night.

Dennis Thomas (GPF) then pummeled Omar Charles (G.D.F) into submission, forcing him to retire in round two. Jamal Eastman (PRBG) then forced the referee to halt his 60-64 LBS contest against John Moore (FYF) in 1:08secs of the first stanza shortly before Junior Henry (FYF) forced his gym mate, Mellshon Barratt to quit at 38secs of the second round of their 105-109lbs bout.

Earlier in the night, Kevon Mulling (H.E) proved too good for Shaquile Simeon (PRBG) taking a 2-1 verdict in their 70-74lbs bout while Odeni Moore eked out a 2-1 decision over Elijah Insanally in their 85-89lbs affair. Junior/ welterweight, Bert Braithwaite (GDF) was gifted a walkover after Stephan Gouveia (FYF) failed to show for their bout.

Part of the action just before the rains came in the national open boxing championships.

He then returned later on to knock out Ryan Jeffers in 2:59secs of the first round to win the jnr/welterweight title.

Moses Oxford (HE) lost to

Jaime Kellman (YA) by a 3-0 margin while Malrick Walcott (Essq) earned a similar verdict against his gym mate Quincy Wright in the 45-49lbs category. Kevin Mullings (HE) was too good for Jakeel Cadogan (HE) and took a 3-0 decision in their 55-59lbs contest. The 60-64lbs bout between gym mates Teo Bumbury (FYF) and Orwayne Harris ended in a 3-0 verdict for the former fighter.

Flyweight Joel Williamson (PR) lost out by a 3-0 verdict to Travis Hubbard (HE) one bout before bantamweight Quincy Boyce (5 Star) earned

a 3-0 decision over Dewani Lampkin (FYF). A heavy downpour then forced an end to the night’s proceedings.

The boxers returned yesterday morning to complete the card, this time at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym, Albouystown, and Eon Bancroft (GDF) went on to avenge an earlier loss to his gym mate, Ron Smith to take their welterweight clash while Dwan Phillips (GDF) lasted just over a round against his gym mate, Kenroy Evelyn before the referee called a halt to their heavyweight bout.

Junior/welterweight, Ryan

Jeffers (GDF), won from Gouveia before the proceedings closed with Mark Pierre being gifted with a walk over after Dennis Thomas failed to show for their light/heavyweight bout.

Earlier in the night, woman pugilists, Theresha London (FYF) and Dwon Thompson (GDF) excited the small crowd with an exhibition match.

Flyweight, Richard Subrate (FYF) also forced Delon Charles to give up in the third stanza one bout before Imran Khan (HE) pounded out a 3-0 verdict over Clairmont Gibson (GDF).

Grueling event anticipated in Banks Malta Supreme 40-mile cycle road race today A number of questions are expected to be answered today when the cyclists pedal off for the inaugural Banks DIH Malta Supreme 40 mile cycle road race organised by the Flying Ace Cycling Club. The race, which is expected to bring together all of the top riders in Berbice, will pedal off from in front of the Banks DIH New Amsterdam Branch at Main and New Streets and proceed to Adventure on the Corentyne before returning to its place of origin.

Prizes will be awarded to the first six finishers in the open category, while the first two juniors, the first two females, first veteran and first four beginners will be rewarded.

The female cyclists will cover ten miles, while all the

others will go the full distance.

A grueling encounter is expected between top cyclists Neil Reece and Dwight Holder as the two champion cyclists renew their rivalry.

Holder dominated the first part of the year on the road with Reece making a strong come back and anything is expected today since both cyclists showed good form during practice. Thus today’s encounter is expected to bring out the best of the two men.

Cycling fans will want to be at the finishing line to get a glimpse of the race and will see who will end the year on top.

Apart from the two riders, one should not over look other riders in Elijah Brijadar, Ray Millington, Wasim

Hassnu and Rohan Persaud who are always among the top finishers. Top female rider Marica Dick is expected to take charge among the females.

This is the second cycle race being sponsored by the company for Berbice cyclists in collaboration with the FACC following the successful staging of the ‘Aqua Mist’ race earlier this year.

The Malta Supreme is a new produce on the market and the organizers plan to make this an annual event.

Top Banks Berbice officials Reginald Matthews and Joshua Terrazzo will be on hand to send the riders on their way and present the prizes at the end of the race.

The coordinator is Randolph Roberts. (Samuel Whyte)

Sunday December 16, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 51

LABA/ Malta Supreme Christmas Basketball C/ship...

Top seeds Kings face Jets in intriguing battle tonight, Raiders oppose Wismar An intriguing battle is anticipated this evening when the two unbeaten clubs so far in the Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s Malta Supreme Christmas Basketball Championship clash in the feature game of a double header as the number one ranked Kings and second seeded Amelia’s Ward Jets collide at 9:00pm at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court.

In the first game at 7:00pm retrieve Raiders and Wismar Pistons square off in what should be of interest for all in this championship.

The Kings who played last night against the Half Mile Bulls entered this tournament as the top seed after they barely kept the number one ranking after two tournaments in 2012, tallying 13 pointed, while the Jets came in a close second, one point behind in the newly established LABA rankings scoring system, on 12 points.

The Kings having won the Trophy Stall Regulation tournament and placing fourth in the BOSAI championship are out to settle a score with the Jets.

The Jets actually defeated

them in the last BOSAI Open challenge tournament when they met in the preliminary round and knowing that their top billing is being challenged Kings would want to come out on top.

Jets for their part have done well against Kings, evident by the fact that of recent have won both their clashes this year.

If this is anything to go by, it is for this reason Kings will be wary of their opponents and would want to make a statement on their head to head clashes.

It is believed that Jets will throw their big men at Kings tonight and this could pose serious problems for the top seeds. With national centre Shane Webster, his brother Allister and another Domain Webster all playing in the middle, Kings best hope rests with forward/centre Omally Sampson as the absence of former national centre Jason Alonzo would be sorely missed.

But if Kings will have to give up their inside game they can tilt the balance in their favour with their small men launching missiles from outside. These include

Omally Sampson

Kevin Joseph

Orin Rose

Shane Webster

national skipper Steve Neils (Jr.) who along with former National Under-19 guard Orin Rose and past national Marvin Hartman can match any back court in this tournament.

Kings will also have the dependable former national player Abdullah Hamid in their lineup to strengthen their chances of coming out on top.

However, if Kings feel they are superior in the back court, they will have to show this against a Jets side led by point guard Kevin ‘Two’ Feet Joseph, who along with the returning shooting guard Neil Simon, young Leonard Caleb and forward Javon Nelson

could prove hard to get by.

This game will go down to the wire all things being equal and the team which executes best will emerge as winners.

This game will be preceded by the first at 7:00pm when Retrieve Raiders, who played unbeaten until they lost in the final against Bulls, face Wismar Pistons.

Raiders will be looking improve their status after this championship and currently lying at fourth in the rankings,

they take on the Royals who are listed as the fourth seeded.

Raiders will have in their lineup a bunch of talented players who will surround national player Neil Marks among them. Raiders’ challenge in this tournament rests solely on how best they utilize the talent at hand which includes former junior national player Geoffrey LaRose, Sheldon Noel, Omar Sam, Dwight McKinnon along with Alexander Rose

GFF Meeting of Presidents & Secretaries condemn unjustified attacks In relation to Item 12 of the Agenda of the Meeting with Presidents and Secretaries of Associations and Affiliates of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) held on 15th December 2012 at the GFF Headquarters Building which dealt with the Unjustified Attacks on the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Administrative Structure and Personnel, the Meeting expressed alarm, dismay and disappointment that the Captain of the Senior National Men’s Team and some of the National Men’s Senior Team Players have been in breach of the Players Code of Conduct which they signed and which prohibits them from engagements with the Media about sensitive football issues without the expressed permission of the GFF. Further the Meeting took serious umbrage to the release of inaccurate and libelous information which were provided to the Media by the said Captain and Players regarding the GFF being responsible for:-

(a) Players loss of jobs and income; and (b) Non-receipt by Players of refunds for injuries expenses incurred by them arising out of injuries received while representing Guyana With respect to the above allegations, the GFF has not been presented with any substantiated evidence that its actions or in-actions have led to any Player’s loss of job or income as there is a mechanism in place for compensation of Players against losses of income while performing National duties.

Also all of the authenticated invoices submitted by Players for refunds for medical expenses incurred as a result of injuries sustained by themselves and Officials while representing Guyana have been settled. In fact there have been instances where the GFF has paid for injuries which were sustained

by Players while they were not representing Guyana.

The Meeting further took issue that the Media Releases have sought to tarnish and

malign the good name, character, efficiency and effectiveness of two eminently qualified and experienced employees of the GFF who have performed the duties they have been assigned with distinction.

The Meeting wishes to assure the individuals concerned that they should not be distracted by noncommitted persons with hidden agendas; and continue to function in the best interest of the development of the Sport of Football throughout the length and breadth of Guyana in keeping with the mandate given to the GFF by FIFA, CONCACAF the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA). The GFF will with immediate effect set about the work associated with the completion of its eight (8) years Strategic Plan with emphasis on development of its Men’s and Women’s Teams for the CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA Tournaments scheduled for 2013 and beyond.

and Anson Durant.

The Royals will be hoping a speedy return by their top player Chris Williams to join forces with former junior national Marlon Pollydore, Stephen Counchman, Harold Adams, Alwyn Rodney, Christopher Pollydore and Theodore Tappin among others to bring them victory.

To m o r r o w another double header will be played when the game affected by a power outage between Half Mile Bulls and Block 22 Flames at half time will resume at 33-23 for the Bulls and the other is between the Royals and the Pistons.

t r o Sp

Trophy Stall maintains yearly tradition as K&S football tournament opens today Mr. Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major is seen at left collecting the trophy moments before extending deep gratitude to Mr. Ramesh Sunich.

I

t is always said that one knows his/her friend when he/she is passing through the storms of life. When the Kashif and Shanghai organizers experienced debilitating fortunes last year, many ‘friend’ deserted ship.

Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market, has been a main feature ever since the tournament commenced 23 years ago.

Last Thursday afternoon, Mr. Sunich reaffirmed that commitment when he donated a large trophy that would be presented to the Most Valuable Player of the

tournament. The Trophy Stall proprietor said that he feels obligated to the K&S organizers who have kept their end of the bargain by putting on a qualitative event.

He pledged his continued support and urged the public to render support to the event.

Activities in the tournament get underway this afternoon at 17:30 hrs at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) where the rituals associated with the opening ceremony would be performed before the opening game between Amelia’s Ward out of Linden and Millballers of Bartica. The two Mining Town teams from two

notable communities are expected to turn in a good display. Amelia’s Ward will be out to better their fourth place showing previously, while the Millballers will want to represent Bartica. Fans should be entertained.

Meanwhile, Buxton Stars and Pele FC will collide in the nightcap and this should be a very entertaining encounter.

Pele known for their flare and exciting play will be up against a solid Buxton side.

While the experience factor will go Pele’s way, Buxton should not be taken for granted and a good contest is in the making.

World famous GCC set for Banks Beer Cup double header today

T

he world famous Georgetown Cricket Club more familiarly known as ‘Bourda’ will come alive today when the eagerly awaited start of the now popular Banks Beer / Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Cup kicks off with an interesting double header, commencing from 18:00 hrs.

However, just before the teams involved in today’s action takes to the field to begin rivalry in the competition that has over $9million in prize money up for grabs there will be an Opening Ceremony where all the teams scheduled to participate in the yearend extravaganza.

In the first game, Sunburst Camptown take on Houston Stars and that will be followed by the clash between last year’s finalist Fruta Conquerors and Flamingo at 20:00 hrs.

Sunburst Camptown is a very experienced side with the inspirational Troy ‘Bugsy’ Prescod expected to orchestrate play in the attacking second with support from Reshawn

Shem Porter

Sandiford, Sherwin Cadogan and Leon Muir, while Houston Stars will have in their line-up Carlyle Harry, Dwight Ferguson and Troy Forde.

In the feature matchup, Fruta Conquerors will rely on the performances of Vurlon Mills, who has returned following his stint in Trinidad and Tobago, Trevon Lythcott, Marko Marcus, Eon Alleyne, Jermain Junor and Dwayne Lawrence.

Flamingo’s chances of creating an upset will depend on how well players such as Shem Porter, Ronald Belle, Jermaine Fletcher and Dwayne Layne perform.

One thing is certain, with football activity previously at a bare minimum, anything is possible and even the established teams are being warned not to underestimate those considered minnows.

Apart from the football, fans will have the opportunity to participate in

Troy Prescod

Marko Markus giveaways compliments of Banks DIH, the platinum sponsor of the tournament.

The organisers are also assuring that all systems are in place for the games to be played even if rain falls.

The Opening Ceremony will be conducted at 17:00 hrs.

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