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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Guest Editorial
REFORMING THE JUDICIARY IS URGENTLY NEEDED! In Guyana, many especially the poor have posited that there are two sets of laws in the country—one for the rich and powerful and one for the poor and the powerless. The judiciary is far more accommodating of the elites than the poor and downtrodden who continue to face injustice on a daily basis. The judiciary has not served the masses well. Jurists are supposed to make decisions based on the laws of the country but this has not always been the case. The recent ruling in favour of former president Bharrat Jagdeo not to stand trial for allegedly making racist comments at Babu Jaan on the Corentyne is a case in point. If Jagdeo was poor, he would have had to face the full force of the law. Many believe that the charges against him were dismissed because of his status. In one of his controversial decisions, the Chief Justice in 2014, ruled that it was unconstitutional for the majority opposition to reduce spending estimates in the budget, which the Speaker had claimed was bizarre because the Standing Orders gave the opposition the right to reduce the budget. Another controversial decision by the Chief Justice occurred in 2012 when he ruled that there was not enough evidence to file rape charges against the former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene. And the Chief Justice ruling that presidential term limits are unconstitutional is absurd. The fact that he has annulled several important clauses in the Constitution clearly shows that it is wrong for one jurist to interpret the laws of the country. In fact, it is very risky to have one jurist make decisions based solely on his/her understanding of the laws. Fortunately there is always the appeal. What borders on insanity is the Chief Justice’s decision concerning the illegal appointment of former Town Clerk, Carol Sooba. It is highly offensive when the High Court makes a decision that cannot be enforced. Perhaps it is time for the Government to step in and appoint a Commission to reform the judiciary. A reform of the judiciary is urgently needed because it discriminates against the poor. Sloppiness, inconsistencies or indifferent attitudes by jurists cannot be tolerated. The rulings by the Chief Justice are not only embarrassing, but they have certainly supported the idea that the interpretation of the laws should not be by only one jurist. There is need for a minimum of three justices. The country will encounter the same problems with the appointment of another jurist to replace the retiring Chief Justice. The government has to reform this antiquated system. How can Guyana aim for First World status when its judicial system is archaic and chaotic? It has become the laughing stock of the Caribbean. There is no comfort in the belief that other Caribbean nations are experiencing similar problems. Guyana was the standard bearer for the Caribbean in regards to its judiciary. Guyana was one of the first countries in the Caribbean to replace the Privy Council. The frequent criticisms of the justice system by the public should not fall on deaf ears; the government must overhaul the judiciary in order to put an end to the perception that there is one set of laws for the poor and oneset for the rich. The government must make every effort to change the culture of the judicial system, if it means changing the structure to prevent further misinterpretation of the laws. The stakes are very high, and the people are optimistic that the government would act.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Lisa Punch packed a punch DEAR EDITOR, Kindly permit me space in your papers to celebrate a historical positive about a Guyanese for a Change. Yes there was Shakira Baksh and others in days of old. But fast forward to Lisa Mary Johanna Punch age 22, that girl from Charlotte Street who defied the odds as a great motivation to girls not just in Guyana but everywhere in the world. I am not your average pageantry lover, however when Lisa Mary Johanna Punch was selected to Represent Guyana, I saw the social media battles and as upset as I was I kept silent. Many of us, Guyanese home and abroad fail to realise that our odiousness often damage the image of our beloved, birth place, Guyana. From what I saw this morning and the bits and pieces I followed on social
media, I would say that Lisa has represented Guyana well, with exceptional fortitude and grace. Lisa has done only what Lisa could have done and no other selected queen would have given Guyana the recognition and representation like she did with her talent and genuine personality and for that I say congrats and thank you to Lisa and team. Excuse my ignorance if any exists, but is it normal for the winner of * Miss World Talent, to perform twice on the night of the finals? Seeing Lisa performing on that stage was priceless for me and the first for any Guyanese contestant and that’s reason enough to rejoice. The world listened and they saw a strong young woman with great potential and Guyana was once again recognized worldwide
not for drugs or Jonestown but for our gifted youth. With that stated, I would encourage the Government of Guyana more so the Ministry of Education to pay as much attention to the talent of our youth as you place on education. My advice to Lisa Punch in the words of John Legend is “everybody knows, but nobody really knows” only God knows. Greater things are yet to come just prepare yourself, bless you our Guyanese Queen. The queen may have won it all but our Lisa Punch sure packed a punch to walk away with much more than the crown through the judges’ nod and the hearts of the more than 1 billion Chinese alone plus the rest of millions around the world who watched and proudly applauded her every stage appearance. Clayon F Halley
Police say contributions were voluntary DEAR EDITOR, The Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Committee is responding to an article published in the Kaieteur News,Thursday December 17, 2015, under the caption ”Disturbing accusations against this police Commander” where it is stated that
Sergeants and Inspectors of the Guyana Police Force were forced to fork out $9,000.00 to contribute to a party at the Marriott Hotel even if they did not attend. The Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Committee wishes to emphatically state that this Letter to the Editor dealing with this matter appears
not to have been written by a serving member of the Guyana Police Force as stated but apparently by someone whose intent is to mislead the public and discredit the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Committee of the Guyana Police Force. The issue referred to is in (Continued on page 6)
Sunday December 20, 2015
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
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The news in our Black people want to look light-skinned too media makes one sick
DEAR EDITOR, Freddie Kissoon forages the media (including the internet) day after day to see how he could bash Hindus (make that ‘Indians’) in Guyana. God knows his motive but one senses the incentive to beckon his fans during. His Dec. 13 column, “Coca-Cola withdraws advertisement that Guyanese would find acceptable” is a case in point. Kissoon has brought up the question of Hindu casteism and the Bollywood skin-whitening phenomenon ad nauseum to castigate Indians on the dark side. The columnist has written at numerous times on the topic to which I have replied; (see my last letter on the discussion, “People in many parts of the world like to look lighter” (KN, 15-10-2013). It is true that Bollywood has a preference for lightskinned actors. (I have seen
actors in action while being filmed) whose faces were caked with the whitening stuff). Nevertheless, a seasoned journalist like Kissoon committed a gross faux pas by not mentioning the same syndrome being present in the African film industry Nollywood (in Nigeria), for example. Darker actors have a torrid time finding a lead role in that country. That is because more Nigerians gravitate towards the white skin more than any other nationality in the world; (more than 77% of Nigerian women use skin whitener; many men also get into the act!) Most of the beauty queens chosen in the African countries all over the continent have a lighter skin. Indeed, Africa is a continent where Black is not regarded as being beautiful; skin bleaching in that continent is much greater than that of Asia. The malaise also
strikes blacks right here in the Caribbean. Jamaicans are known for their preference for the ‘lighter’ skin. VybzKartel(now in jail) used a whitener that dramatically lightened parts of his body, for example. His ‘Look Pon Me’ contains the lines: “Di girl dem love off mi brown cute face, di girl dem love off mi bleach-out face.” On 13-01-13, the Stabroek News carried an article, “Fly Jamaica inaugural flight delayed”, and showed a photo of the attendant crew. There were eight women shown in the photo; except for one, all of them were light skinned, most with dyed hair! The bottom line is people in many parts of the world like to look lighter, and advertisers hone in on that axiom. The question then begs, why does Kissoon not highlight such social problems in the Black community? Devanand Bhagwan
Rats are on the rampage where I live
DEAR EDITOR, The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) had assured residents and businesses that live near that new garbage site in Eccles will not be affected by the new dump site. This assurance is misleading since the area is infested by rats. The businesses in the Industrial Site in Eccles can attest to this. Persons I know who live near to the Industrial Site Eccles are also affected. The IDB owes it to the citizens to relocate the site at their expense since they failed to ensure proper controls are in place to guarantee the safety. Rats carry some of the worse diseases. The Inter-American Development Bank must do better monitoring of resources, whether loans or grants, given to government institutions and ensure these are properly accounted for and these massive projects benefit the citi-
zens of this poor backward nation. This is the case, be it Solid Waste Management, Road Works, GPL, GWI, etc. Billions are placed in the hands of these entities without the proper oversight and follow-up to get the opinion whether these benefit the nation. GPL prepaid meters are ineffective and a yoke on the citizens of this poor backward nation, yet IDB continues to fund investment in this wasteful project given the recent revelation in the news media. Freddie Kissoon needs to speak out more and Joey Jagan also. Joey is awfully silent. He will say he is giving the government time. Freddie spoke out recently about the arrogance and incompetence he was faced with at GPL. He wrote about a similar experience at GWI sometime back when he was assisting someone. Customer Service in GWI was extremely unhelpful to him. I am sure nothing was done to remove the head of such an awful beast. Therefore the (Continued on page 6)
DEAR EDITOR, Our society has suddenly become a place where curse words or ‘’cuss words’’ are the order of the day, and it seems as if we have no law to incriminate those using them from day to day. From the educated highly respected lawyers, doctors, police officers, parliamentarians, teachers to the illiterates, all have become victims of using profane language. In more than 80% of our homes today curse words are used by parents to their children, husbands to wives; wives to husbands, brothers to sisters, students to teachers, employers to employees, police officers to citizens, citizens to police officers; workers to other workers and publicly curse words can be heard at the car and bus parks, while travelling in the buses or the taxi, and the unending list has eaten away the moral fabric of our society like a perpetual cancer. We have fallen morally, spiritually and intellectually as a nation. Our sense of decency and morality has become something of the past. We have deteriorated seriously over the past generation since our laws are violated by citizens and those who make the laws. If you are driving and police officers should stop your car they will curse you to get out the vehicle if they wish to search it. They themselves set a very bad example to our society. Many years ago, people used to be charged for using indecent language and even be jailed, but today it seems as if our laws are flouted and we are just living in a ‘’cowboy’’ country like in the wild West; killing each other with our tongues. It is something
global, since most movies are loaded with cuss words, vulgarity and immorality. The songs we listen to, from dance hall to reggae, soca, pop, are loaded with curse words. Not very long ago I was listening to British singer Adele singing at a concert. Before she started to sing she was talking to the audience. After listening to her accented speech very carefully by using my computer headphone, this great singer used more than ten curse words while addressing her audience. I deleted her video and stopped listening to her. Even in the buses they will play dancehall songs that are full of cuss words. Lady Gaga will sing practically naked even cuss her audience and cuss at interviews, yet our educated TV personalities are promoting her filth in our country. I can safely say musical pornography has invaded almost every area of our society, compounded with cuss words.Cuss words have permeated the printed pages of books; and I mean books that have won The Guyana Prize for Literature. Our government and university give away US$5000 to writers of fiction, poetry & drama – for books written in profane and immoral language. Yet many of these writers are clamouring for their books of Literature to be used into our schools. It’s no wonder literature has become a dead subject in our schools today. We haven’t produced much quality literature as a nation. Literature and books should build up our children’s psyche and morality; literature should inspire our stu-
dents to write greater works. How are we going to educate our children with books written in cuss words? If our President and Minister of Education should really read the books that have won the Guyana Prize for Literature, I believe they would obliterate the Prize. Our writers should read the classics and write clean literature like Homer, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Shelly, Byron, Keats to name just a few classical writers. But how many of our writers would like to read the classics? Our greatest writers are Wilson Harris, Martin Carter, A.J Seymour and Edgar Mittelholzer. What we write today and publish will define the intellect and morals of the writer since literature is about the historical foundation of a nation. The greatest Greek poet Homer, and Roman Poet Virgil, wrote epic Poetry of great historical significance. Their poetry in the original Greek and Latin languages contained no sentence or paragraph of profanity. Why can’t our writers do the same? Almost every day, I read of domestic violence in our country – men killing and hurting their wives or girlfriends and women killing their husbands and boyfriends. The news in our media makes one sick. As I travel to different parts of Guyana, cuss words ring out like showers of rains in our communities. There is no respect for one another, even in the churches people can curse. It’s about time we implement laws related to indecent language and indecent behaviour. The future of this nation lies in the hands of our (Continue don page 6)
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Police say contributions... Race, colour and class
From page 4 relation to the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Dinner which was held at the Marriott Hotel recently. Inspectors and Sergeants of the Police Force make voluntary financial contributions towards their Annual Mess Dinner which is usually held during the Christmas season. Some years ago following discussions among ranks it was agreed that the monetary contribution towards this event would be $9,000.00 per couple and this has remained unchanged since. It is not a case where Police Inspectors and Sergeants are being “forced” to contribute to the Mess Dinner. This year was no exception and Sergeants and Inspectors of the Force were requested to contribute $9,000.00 each for themselves and spouses for the Mess Dinner which is normally preceded by a Cocktail Reception that is hosted by the Commissioner of Police. These monies are deducted from the ranks’ salaries in three equal parts. There has always been flexibility and consideration shown by the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Commit-
tee in cases where ranks have justifiable reasons for not being able to attend the function and in such instances, once they inform the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Mess Committee in writing of the circumstances, they are then exempt from contributing to the activity. If the Inspectors and Sergeant Mess Committee is informed in adequate time, no deduction is made from the rank’s salary. If however the Committee is informed after the deduction is made, but the rank has justifiable reasons for not attending the function then the monies are refunded. However, if a rank has valid reasons for being unable to attend the Mess Dinner but fails to inform the Mess Committee, most likely the deduction will be made. Divisional and Branch Commanders are not involved in the contribution process by ranks to the Inspectors and Sergeants Mess Dinner. This is the sole responsibility of the Inspectors and Sergeants Mess Committee in conjunction with the Police Finance Office with approval of the Force Administration. Mohan Khan (Inspector)
From page 5 madness poor people face will continue unchecked. Freddie needs to say why this government he supported and helped into office, continues to retain some of the incompetent and devious persons in both these institutions? The PPP was afraid to fire some of them because they were afraid persons will claim discrimination. This government will not fire them because they perceive them as their “supporters”. This
is a flawed assumption. They will find out the hard way. In the meantime, all the citizens of this poor backward nation will continue to suffer from these incompetent monstrosities. The Inter-American Development needs to wake up and question why obviously incompetent persons that were in position for years continue to remain there. This government believes Guyanese are fickle. The government and its functionaries are the ones who are fickle. Harrish Singh
Rats are on the rampage...
in Guyana
DEAR EDITOR, Permit me to cast my two bits regarding an article in the Kaieteur News of December 13, entitled “Wynette Alexander – a woman who lived rampant racism”. This Guyanese septuagenarian, now resident in Florida has authored a book titled “Before I Forget” wherein she chronicles the multiple and blatant acts of racism that plagued the lives of both herself and parents during her childhood in Guyana. Most of the perpetrated acts were due to the apartheid type attitude rampant in Guyana at that time, and the columnist further remarks that what makes the book interesting is how we Guyanese lived and still do. It is opined that that the book supplies reasons underlying the exodus of Guyanese for foreign lands. This latter statement or revelation has effortlessly earned my concurrence, as in the early 60’s I was among those who sought foreign refuge. Wynette may have suffered racism at the hands of her own, but as a child and even as a young adult I saw racism played out firsthand in more ways than one and not by another ethnic group, but by my own. Do you recall the term ‘apaanjaat” (our kind) a phrase that was rooted as a slogan of racial loyalty. Surely with some degree of nostalgic relief we can conjure up visions of the behavior invoked by that term. Race formed or constituted the preeminent ingredient in the organization of popular political participation. After leaving secondary school, the proud owner of a College of Preceptors Certificate 7 subjects (3 distinctions), and G.C.E. Ordinary Level 5 subjects, I soon realized that much more academic bolstering was necessary if employment was to be assured. I daresay that at the selfsame time lesser qualified females had not only secured jobs but also high paying ones. The banks including the newly opened Bank of Guyana served as repositories for a
bevy of females of certain color and ethnicity. It appears that you had to be bright or right skinned to get in. Yes, members of a certain race had no place at that time in Guyana forcing us to look outwards if we possessed the financial aptitude to effect travel. One should be cognizant of the fact that forgiveness does not erase a bitter past, and a healed memory is certainly not a deleted memory. The country was divided along stiff racial lines, and where Indocracy and Afrocracy were concerned twain was never going to meet, regardless of efforts. Historically and substantially these two main groups formed the core of hierarchical ranked social sections, namely the culturally distinct, educated and propertied stratum. So you see nothing has changed – the fragile coexistence between East Indian and African still exists, a divide that has seen its share of detrimental sequel. Like Wynette, I have also been victim to episodic bouts of racism beyond our shores, having resided in England, the U.S.A and finally French speaking Quebec. My life experiences, especially living abroad has taught me that it is no longer important what race I am, just essentially the fact that I am not white (Caucasian). While others may not have told their tales about racism via the printed media, it does not detract from the fact that others, like Wynette have similar stories to tell about racism. Nothing has changed. What is ironic is that over the years all the political leaders have swung into power on platforms of social justice and condemnation of racial discrimination in any form or shape. It cannot be overlooked that race and ethnicity will always continue to be central to the Guyanese definition of self. However, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. The answer lies in changing the memory of our past into a hope for the future. According to Israel’s fourth Prime Minister Golda Meir, “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present. Yvonne Sam.
The news in our media...
From page 5 next generation, but we are just a few years away from becoming a nation of illiterates and profoundly ignorant people with no future if we don’t change our way of speaking. Guyana is a nation too young to die. We need to raise our standards higher. Our leaders need to set the moral
example to our citizens. They need to stop fighting and cussing each other and work with love and unity to build Guyana. As our National Poet Martin Carter Wrote: “All are involved All are consumed. I do not sleep to dream But dream to change the world.” We must have a dream to
change. If we change our character and attitude we will change our nation and be a better people in the generations to come. It’s about time our new administration implement laws to impose heavy fines to those who use indecent language in our nation publicly and those who abuse their families. Rev Cecil Gideon
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
CUBA AND US AGREE TO resume direct scheduled flights
Josefina Vidal
HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) — The governments of Cuba and the United States have reached an agreement for the resumption of regular and direct commercial flights between the two nations. Josefina Vidal, director for the United States Office of the Cuban foreign ministry, said at a press conference that, since Monday, delegations from the two countries “have been holding exchanges in Washington on issues related to civil aviation and made significant progress in negotiation”. Work had been carried out on a memorandum of understanding on the development of commercial flights between Cuba and the US, stated Vidal. In this regard she said the two governments finalized logistical and operational details also to start flights carrying direct mail between Cuba and the US, an agreement signed last week in Miami, which established the implementation of a pilot plan “that in the future could turn into a permanent program,” she underlined. While making an assessment of the year that has elapsed since the announcements by Presidents Raul Castro and Barack Obama on December 17, 2014, signaling the formal beginning of the process towards the normalization of relations, Vidal pointed out that significant advances have been achieved that mark the difference in bilateral relations. On the diplomatic and political level and of bilateral cooperation, significant progress has been made, said Vidal, who highlighted the different stages it has gone through this year with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations on July 20, the reopening of embassies, the high-level visits and the two meetings of Obama and Castro in Panama and New York. Among notable milestones of the last 365 days was the removal of Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. The diplomat also recalled the increase, compared to previous years, of cooperation between the two governments in areas of mutual interest, such as air and aviation security, maritime and aeronautic search and rescue, the struggle against drug trafficking, against the smuggling of emigrants, migratory fraud and illegal emigration. Likewise, she said that new areas for bilateral cooperation have opened, and highlighted the protection of the environment, exchanges on maritime-port security, the implementation and enforcement of the law and issues related to health. She also stressed the importance of the talks initiated on climate change, mutual com-
pensations, human trafficking and human rights and that, although it is an area of “profound differences”, they were developed “on the basis of respect and reciprocity”. In this regard she recalled that there are three agreements signed by the two countries in recent months, two of them related to the protection of the environment — a broad-spectrum joint statement on the subject and a memorandum of understanding for the management of protected marine areas — and a third one referred to direct mail. Vidal announced, without many details, that the two governments are still working at a draft level on a bilateral agreement for cooperation in fighting drug trafficking. In the meeting with national and foreign press, she acknowledged that achievements became possible thanks to the professional and respectful dialogue between the two countries based on equality and reciprocity. However, she regretted that there has been little progress in the economic-commercial area this year, with little visible results, since only two service contracts were signed between ETECSA and US telecommunications companies.The diplomat referred to the trade embargo against Cuba as the main cause of the poor progress made in economic-commercial matters. The measures announced by Obama, modifying some aspects of the embargo, reiterated Vidal, although positive, have limited reach, to the point of hindering the implementation of these same measures. She noted that the US president has broad executive powers to change this situation and expand the scope of the measures. For example, she explained, he can allow Cuba to use dollars in its international transactions, access to private credits, trade in both directions and not unilateral trade, as now happens. To a question from the press about a possible visit of the US president to Cuba, she replied that, as it has been done with others, “We will welcome him if that visit takes place, but Cuba will not negotiate domestic policy issues to favor visits to the country, because we do not ask the US to change in order to sit down and talk.” Vidal reiterated that the normalization of relations between Cuba and the US will take place the day the embargo is lifted; the programs aimed at promoting internal changes in the Caribbean nation is eliminated; the occupation of the territory in Guantanamo and radio and television broadcasts come to an end; and the preferential migratory policy towards Cuban citizens changes. (Caribbean News)
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Brassington under the eyes of International bodies By Kiana Wilburg Head of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Dr. Clive Thomas, said that it would be a serious indictment on his office if the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, were to walk scot free for all his financial transgressions against the nation. He said, “I guarantee you, he will be hauled before the court. He wouldn’t get away no matter how far he runs. We will find him and he will face the music. Even if he runs he wouldn’t get away because international bodies against corruption which we are signed onto are watching him. Asked if he is aware and worried that Brassington may be looking to flee the jurisdiction, Dr. Thomas said, “I am not worried. Justice will be served. Even if Brassington decides to run, he won’t get
– SARU Head
NICIL CEO, Winston Brassington
SARU Head, Dr. Clive Thomas
far. We are a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). “And they are watching him along with other international bodies against corruption. They would more than cooperate with us in ensuring that Brassington is brought back to Guyana from where ever he decides to run
to so he can face the full extent of the law.” “Justice will happen under my watch. It has to happen, if not, then what is the point of SARU if we allow one of the biggest perpetrators of white collar crimes to get away?” Dr. Thomas said that he is aware that the public is impatient and wants to see
Dem boys seh...
Guyana gun get nuff one eye bandits Corruption so deep in de society that people want to believe that even de bishop thiefing. People who everybody believe had clean hands now showing up as thieves or bribe collectors. Dem boys find de last set in City Hall. Nuff people owe taxes and because de council don’t rush to sell property de people does hardly pay. De next thing dem know is that de money mount up because it attract interest. Well de council come up wid a policy to collect de money; it does grant amnesty. But wha de amnesty does do is to open de door fuh de bribe. Dem business people does end owing couple million dollars well suh dem does go in to de council wid some cash in an envelope and some in dem hand. Dem does pay a small piece to cover de debt and get de interest write off when dem hand over de envelope. That does happen under de table. Dem boys seh that Bulkan should pull de file and see who get dem interest write off. Is nuff green does pass, not de greens that does sell in de market wid provision. Dem boys talking bout real green, like Uncle Sam green and de council seh that it going green wid two green at de head. That is why dem boys seh that people change. Is only time before de other people start to talk
and point finger. One thing though, all who getting away wid wha dem doing must know that dem can run but dem can’t hide. Brassington is one who people targeting and dem boys hear that he planning to jump on a plane before Christmas. Dem boys want him to know that he can run wheh he want he can’t hide. In any case he too big to hide. He can’t fit under any table or in any corner. He pardners in de same boat; Jagdeo and Ashni can’t hide either. Dem international people promise to keep an eye pun dem round de clock. Irfaat pardner hiding because dem boys want to talk to him about de money he mek from dem scrap metal dealers and dem house wha he got. This is a man de police got an interest in and now dem can’t find him. This is another case of a man who can run but can’t hide. He got to surface. De criminals surfacing too since Soulja Bai tell de police not to kill dem. Dem boys seh that de police; and de bandits was laughing. Now de police send a message to dem telling dem that de police gun shoot out dem eye. Talk half and watch Guyana full up wid one eye and no eye bandiT.
justice fast. He promised that this will happen. The SARU Head noted that investigations have already been launched into the properties along the East Bank Demerara area and on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway that were held by NICIL. He said that the probe was launched to ascertain the status of those properties and their assets since it was found that Brassington had a special interest in them. Thomas said that the NICIL Executive Officer somehow “got a whiff” that the investigations started and as such, requested to have a meeting with SARU’s Chief investigator, Aubrey Retemyer. Thomas said that the meeting was granted but another officer was instructed to be at the meeting. Dr. Thomas said that such meetings would not be occurring anytime soon because his office intends to keep a hands-off approach to Brassington. “I took this decision because I don’t think he can be trusted.” The anti-corruption advocate also said that he
shares the concerns recently made by financial analyst, Ramon Gaskin, to the effect that Government needs to quicken its efforts towards securing prosecution against Brassington and others. Gaskin had said, “All the police need, sometimes, is probable cause that you have committed a crime and they can arrest and charge you. But in the case of Winston Brassington, NICIL’s CEO, there is more than probable cause for him to be arrested and charged. There is irrefutable evidence that he has been involved in unconscionable acts of corruption against the state. Yet, we cannot see a single charge being laid against this man.” He had said that he is concerned that Government may be quibbling or pussyfooting when it comes to ensuring that Brassington “does the time for the crimes he committed.” Gaskin said that when one takes into consideration the findings of the forensic audit report completed on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments
Limited, there is more than sufficient ground for Brassington to be hauled before the court and reprimanded. He said that the coalition government needs to send a strong message that those who stole from the state will not slip under the radar. “This was their election promise and that is what President David Granger said on several occasions,” added Gaskin. “In seven months, we have been seeing a number of revelations on the crimes committed by Brassington and his cohorts, one of which includes former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh. What is causing the hold up with the charges? Government needs to act. Bring the evidence before the court and remand them,” expressed Gaskin. He then made reference to some of the findings in the NICIL forensic audit report which was prepared by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. “The forensic report shows that Brassington bypassed internationally recognized and credible companies only to engage criminal entities for the Continued on page 71
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Sunday December 20, 2015
Worker dismissed by drunken Skeldon estate manager to be reinstated One year later…
One year after being unceremoniously dismissed by a power drunk Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) Manager, Stephen Daniels, is set to be reinstated through the interventions of the Junior Minister of Social Protection, Simona Broomes and Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder. During a meeting yesterday at the Ministry of Social Protection, Brickdam, Broomes sought assurances from the President of Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, and other officials, that Daniels would be back on the job and would receive whatever benefits he is entitled to. It is understood that the
matter was brought to the attention of Broomes and Holder, who was also at the meeting yesterday. Holder is reported to have asked for a review of the matter from Errol Hanoman, the interim Manager of GUYSUCO. Broomes lamented the fact that the matter had been dragged out by the previous administration, who did not deal with it. She pointed out that Government has stepped in, as the procrastination was where the frustration was coming from. Holder also lambasted the way the matter was handled at first. He noted that a great injustice was done to Daniels, but Government moving forward would take a different approach to managing the
Stephen Daniels (right) meeting with President of GAWU, Komal Chand (left) and other officials sector and employees. “When it was brought to my attention I got on to the
new management of GUYSUCO,” Holder said. “They investigated and within a matter of days (they responded) because an injustice was done to the individual.” Chand observed that the Manager should have recused himself from any involvement with Daniels. He observed that this did not happen and he now expressed thanks to both Ministers for the resolution reached in the matter. In September 2014, Daniels had been embroiled in a confrontation with the infamous Skeldon Estate Manager, Dave Kumar. According to the reports, the Estate Manager and two of his colleagues were on a drinking spree when they encountered a group of workers on a bridge at the Dock Mill.
The group was reportedly in the process of supervising the offloading of cane, but Kumar is said to have demanded that they move out of the way. Daniels, who was a part of the group, had refused to move immediately, triggering the Manager’s anger. He was dismissed the next day. After Daniels’s dismissal, which went to arbitration, angry workers at Skeldon took strike action claiming that Kumar was drunk. The strike forced a shutdown of the Skeldon Estate, as well as the power supply from the co-generation plant. With the plant shut down, there were widespread blackouts in Berbice. Throughout all of this, the then People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government refused to reinstate Daniels, or adhere to the overwhelming calls for Kumar’s dismissal.
According to Daniels, yesterday, from the time of his dismissal it all went downhill for him. The man related that his family life was on the rocks at the time, and that the dismissal was coupled with the bank foreclosing on his house after he was unable to find employment. Kumar himself is no stranger to controversy. He has reportedly been embroiled in drunken brawls, which has caused his workers to strike in protest of his behaviour. Last year he was arrested by a police patrol for publicly urinating after a night out in Corriverton, Berbice. That was not before reportedly threatening to urinate on the ranks making the arrest. He was also badly beaten in another brawl at Number 78 village, after accosting a female bar owner and using expletives to her.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Corporal Eastman is ‘A’ Division’s Best cop Two days earlier, he was awarded the second Best Cop for the Guyana Police Force. On Friday, he was named the Best Cop for ‘A’ Division at an annual Christmas luncheon and award ceremony at the Brickdam Police Station. Corporal Derwin Eastman, who joined the Pollice Force in 2012, was commended for his exemplary work in the force. Throughout the year, Eastman was responsible for the arrest of nine persons who were subsequently charged for murder. Two persons were charged for attempted murder; five for possession of arms and ammunition; 31 persons were arrested for possession of narcotics, 18 of whom were charged. The Best Cop also arrested 30 persons for robbery under arms, 24 of whom were convicted. He was the rank responsible for solving the
case involving the Guyana Geology and Mines Commissions (GGMC) engineer, Trevor Abrams, who was executed on February 27, last, at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Two persons were charged. The C‘orporal was also responsible for the arrest of Dellon Henry, called ‘Nasty Man.’ He was charged for the execution-style killing of 36year-old Dexter Griffith, who was killed in ‘Warlock’ on September 29, last. The Best Cop was promoted on the spot to C Corporal last year at the Brickdam luncheon by Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, Eastman later said that he was overwhelmed. He said that it was a joyous occasion for him and his family. In 2013, he was the Best Cop and last year, he was the runner-up Best Cop for his division. Along with a trophy,
Eastman was given a round trip to Aruba/Curacao; a trip for two to Arrowpoint Nature Resort and a dinner for two at Duke Lodge, compliments of Roraima Airways and Insel Air. He was also given prizes from Cellpoint and Gizmos and Gadgets. Walking away with the second Best Cop award for ‘A’ Division was Constable George, a traffic rank. George received a Smart TV from Courts, a trip to Kaieteur Falls from Wilderness Explorers and Dinner for two at Cara Lodge along with other prizes from businesses. Commander for ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken, said that all the ranks would have worked tirelessly to serve and protect all citizens. He noted that those who received awards would have performed exemplary. He said that the awards ceremony would serve as a motivation to other ranks.
Corporal Derwin Eastman (in floral shirt) named ‘A’ Division’s Best Cop
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Sunday December 20, 2015
AG highlights inaccuracies GNBA board spilt on of Opposition contention taking TVG off air
Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, in Parliament on Thursday categorically denied the allegations made in Stabroek News’ headline article in its December 17 edition, that there was no apparent consultation with the relevant stakeholders as regards the AntiTerrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Bill. The Bill was slated to be passed in Parliament on Thursday. Rebutting the Opposition’s assertions that the Government failed to consult with the relevant stakeholders, Williams produced evidence in the form of email records. He had sent the Draft Bill for consultation to the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), Private Sector Commission (PSC) and other stakeholders some five months ago. The email dated July 15, 2015 shows that the other recipients were The Commissioner of Police; The Guyana Bar Association; The Berbice Bar Association; The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana; The Guyana Revenue Authority; Bank of Guyana; The Director of Public Prosecutions; The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha; The Guyana Defence Force; The
Guyana Association of Bankers; The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and the Guyana Insurance Association. The AG said that aside from the responses from the Commissioner of Police--who had no objections; the GHRA which sent suggestions and the Bankers’ Association which promised to respond, the Government received no other responses from the stakeholders during those five months. The statement that there was no apparent consultation with the business community is incorrect, he said. The Attorney General proved the Opposition’s claims that they had insufficient time to review the Bill as ludicrous and untruthful. In his address to the National Assembly, Williams said that the Bill was actually drafted during the Opposition’s tenure in office and the draft was sent to the then head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, since January 2015. Further, the records show that the former Cabinet was briefed on the Bill by way of a Cabinet Memorandum prepared by the former AG, Anil Nandlall.
Ramesh Parsram, 46, was on Wednesday evening shot twice by two bandits in what appeared to be a failed robbery attempt. Parsram, of Palmyra Village, East Coast Berbice, is a market vendor. With his wife, Sabrina, 40, and with some relatives, he was having a drink under their house around 22:00 hrs, when two men appeared on the premises. When he enquired the reasons for the men being around, the bandits opened fire hitting
Parsram to his abdomen and chest. The bandits then fled the scene without taking anything. The police were informed and responded promptly. Parsram was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was admitted for emergency surgery and placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. He was subsequently taken out of the ICU on Friday. The bullets are reportedly still lodged in the man’s body. Police are investigating
Market vendor shot twice in robbery attempt
The Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is divided when it comes to deciding whether or not to pull Television Guyana Inc. TVG) — Channel 28—off air due to the station’s unlicensed operations. Very reliable sources told Kaieteur News that half of the Board is saying that measures must be taken swiftly to shut down the station so as to force it into compliance, but the other half remains sympathetic to the company. When contacted, Head of the Authority, Leonard Craig, refused to comment on the matter. He said that his comments would be premature at a time when the Board is considering holding a press conference by the end of the year. Television Guyana Inc., owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, had taken GNBA to court over the Authority’s decision not to furnish it with its yearly broadcasting licence certificate. The writ was filed since October 4, last. Kaieteur News understands that the matter was set to come up in the Chief Justice’s court in a matter of days when Ramroop’s lawyers informed the Authority
Head of the Authority, Leonard Craig that the case will be withdrawn. Currently, Television Guyana Inc. (TVG) —Channel 28—is on air without the lawful requirement, that being a broadcasting licence. Kaieteur News understands that the Authority refused to make the licence certificate available as a result of Television Guyana Inc.’s sustained reluctance to provide the Authority with financial statements of the company’s profits for the years 2013 and 2014. Currently, broadcasters are mandated to pay an annual licensing fee of $2.5M or 3.5 per cent of the company’s earnings, whichever is greater. Television Guyana Inc. paid the $2.5M, but the Authority requested the company’s financial statements in order to make sure that it was not being shortchanged. GNBA wanted to evaluate the company’s financial statements to ensure that $2.5M is a larger sum than 3.5 per cent of the stations’ earnings. Therefore, the Authority took a stand that it would not give Television Guyana Inc. a licence until such time as the required statements were provided. Television Guyana Inc. has thus decided to take the
matter to court. The television entity petitioned the court for the Authority to issue it with broadcasting licences for the years 2014 and 2015 on the grounds that the decision to refuse to do so, was unlawful and ultra vires (beyond the Authority’s power). GNBA is the regulatory body tasked with overseeing the operations of radio and television stations in Guyana. It has the Authority to order a delinquent station to go off air. However, Craig said that while it is true that Television Guyana Inc. is operating in violation of the law, the Board did not meet to decide whether it would have ordered the station to go off air, or whether it would have gone ahead with prosecution. The Head of the Authority said that the GNBA is not in a position to give Television Guyana Inc. a licence until such time as the court decision is handed down or the financial statements are provided. Dr. Ramroop is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration, Dr. Ramroop was able to buy his TV station. He was given several radio frequencies and established a daily newspaper.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
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GPL boss, management clash Guyanese gets William Perry Award over sacking of employee
Director of the Perry Center, Mark Wilkins, presents the award to Dr. Ivelaw Griffith At a ceremony in Lincoln Hall Auditorium, the Perry Center honoured Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz, Secretary of the Navy of Mexico, and Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, one of the world’s leading scholars on Caribbean defense and security issues, with the ninth annual William J. Perry Awards for Excellence in Security and Defense Education. Mark Wilkins, Director of the Perry Center, presided over the ceremony. “Every year,” Director Wilkins said, “this community of security and defense professionals gathers to recognize those among us who have made exceptional contributions to defense and security education with an honour named for our Center’s founder, the 19th U.S. Secretary of Defense, Dr. William J. Perry. This year’s awardees are no exception; both have spent decades doing the quiet, methodical work in their respective arenas to make our shared hemisphere safer, more secure, and more prosperous.” The first of this year’s recipients, Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, has demonstrated a strong commitment to furthering hemispheric security and cooperation throughout his distinguished academic career. In introducing Dr. Griffith, Perry Center Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Scott Tollefson described him as a “tireless ambassador for the Caribbean on matters of security and defense” and emphasized his excellent teaching abilities and innovative research. Dr. Griffith has published over fifty articles and books. His innovative ideas have fostered the growth of a cooperative international
security environment among the nations of the Caribbean Basin. In accepting his award, Dr. Griffith thanked his friends, family, and colleagues, including those at the Perry Center. He quoted Aristotle in his remarks. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” The Perry Center Director then honored Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz, this year ’s other Perry Award recipient. Throughout his distinguished fortyyear career in Mexico’s Navy, Admiral Soberón has consistently worked to promote education and regional cooperation. “Only education, knowledge, and research,” remarked Admiral Soberón during his acceptance of the Perry Award, “can take us all to safe port.” His work with CESNAV, SEMAR, and the Perry Center demonstrates an enduring commitment to education, and his intellectual and operational leadership has been instrumental in promoting good governance, the rule of law, and human rights throughout the hemisphere. D i r e c t o r Wi l k i n s n a m e d A d m i r a l Soberón “an international leader in p r o f e s s i o n a l development of military officers.” In accepting his award, Admiral Soberón thanked his friends, family, and colleagues for their support. Both Dr. Griffith and Admiral Soberón are deserving Perry Award honorees. When reflecting upon this year’s recipients, Director Wilkins concluded, “I cannot think of two people who better embody the Perry Center’s unique mission than today’s honorees.”
Chief Executive Officer (Ag) of Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Colin Welch, has clashed with the corporation’s Loss Reduction Division over the misconduct of a technician and an investigator. According to documents seen by Kaieteur News, the division sought to institute disciplinary proceedings against the employees, who allegedly engaged in corrupt transactions while on duty. This was after the division would have conducted their own extensive investigations into the wrongdoing. It is understood that the technician was fired from GPL a few years ago for multiple cases of similar wrongdoing. However, Welch has recommended that the two implicated employees be reinstated. Welch has based his defence on the findings of GPL’s Human Resources (HR) Department, who had recommended that the technician be reinstated. However, Loss Reduction has pointed out that HR’s report was flawed. It is understood that the technician, Adrian Bacchus, and a Loss Reduction
GPL CEO (Ag) under a cloud, Colin Welch investigator, Donald Downer, were under investigation for collecting some $100,000 from customer, Ramlochan Narine on September 1, last. It is alleged that Bacchus and Downer visited the man’s residence and solicited the money after accusing him of tampering with his post paid meter. The man reportedly then paid the money to Downer, in the presence of Bacchus. The matter was uncovered after police got wind of the transaction and questioned the customer. He was interrogated by police at the Timehri Police station and he subsequently reported the
bribe to Loss Reduction’s office on September 3. In the fallout Bacchus was suspended. Despite being suspended, Bacchus was reported to have become embroiled in further controversy. In late September, Bacchus was said to have “straight connected” the post paid meter of a personal friend, Ajadha Harrichand, upon request. After the transaction was revealed, the friend is said to have tried to cover for Bacchus. Harrichand, under interrogation, changed his story several times. After being requested several times to visit the Loss Prevention office, Harrichand finally refused. In the fallout, GPL’s senior management removed Harrichand’s line and meter, had him backbilled over $166,000 and hit him with a reconnection and investigation fee of $13,000. He was also required to lodge a six-month security deposit before reconnection. Welch, who took over from former GPL CEO Bharat Dindyal in August, has been embroiled in multiple controversies since being appointed as acting CEO in late August.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
B Division Police take Christmas Mt. Olive Lodge hosts to hundreds of children The police in subdivision No 2, Corentyne, (Borlam to Molson Creek), of the B Division of the Guyana Police Force brought smiles to the faces of hundreds of children within the subdivision his past week. The annual children party was held at the Whim Police Station compound, the headquarters of the subdivision. Santa Claus and some of his helpers were in attendance. They had a lovely time with the kids. The children were feted to a sumptuous meal and received gifts. They also participated in a number of
games. The activity which is part of a series organized by the police in the Division was coordinated by Officer in Charge of the Sub division, Deputy Superintendent Lyndon Isles. Isles was assisted by I n s p e c t o r s Wi l l i a m s o f t h e Tr a ff i c Department, Dexter Torrington of the CID and Godfrey Playter of General Duties. Woman Sergeant Althea Solomon was instrumental to the operation and fete. There were dancing competitions for both boys and girls.
Children gathered at the Christmas party.
Sophia Care Centre
Members of The Mount Olive Lodge hosted a party yesterday for the children at the Sophia Care Centre. The event was aimed at giving back to the community and catered for 86 of the home’s children- 50 girls and 36 boys, who are between the ages of two and 19. The children’s home has been in existence for the past eight years, caring for children of all ethnic backgrounds. Each child was treated to a hot meal, along with other delicacies. They all received a gift at the end of the event and danced joyfully to a number of Christmas and hit list tunes. President of the Lodge, Trevor Meredith, told Kaieteur News that his organization would normally partake in such activities annually. He said that the organization takes pride in giving charitable donations, especially around the festive season. Meredith explained that this is the first year they have been spreading the Christmas cheer at the home. He also assured that the event will be an annual one. Supervisor of the home, Roxanne Blenman, said that the objective of the institution is to ensure that every child is educated and taken care of. She said that the caregivers are hands on
with caring for the children 24/7. Blenman said that the children were enrolled at the home for various reasons, but are given equal opportunities and exposure. According to her, the children attend various schools around Georgetown. The Supervisor noted that the children have been performing well academically. She stated that one of the girls is currently attending the University of Guyana (UG) and one of the boys is a recent graduate of Queens College with a total of 16
CSEC subjects all with distinction. The Caregiver told this newspaper that apart from nurturing and caring for the children, the centre also affords them the opportunity to learn computer skills through various technological courses. Blenman said that she is looking for support from the various agencies to continue with the development of the centre. She said too, that the Child Protection Agency has been playing a major role in this regard.
A wheelchair for Ramnaresh
Mobility has become much easier for Ramnaresh Chaitram, 54, of Devonshire Castle Back Street, Essequibo Coast, through a donation of a wheelchair by l Mahabeer and Sons Cambio of 124 King street, Georgetown. The donation occurred recently at the home of the recipient.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
Former Chief Probation Officer points to loopholes in probation work, judicial sentencing guidelines Profound concern for the Public Service sector that might have been the main reason that 90-year- old, Cecil Morris, testified before the Commission of Inquiry set up to inquire into Guyana’s Public Service. The senior citizen told Commissioners, Harold Lutchman, Sandra Jones and Anand Goolsaran, on Friday that he served as civil servant for some 30 years. Morris’ stint as a public servant started in 1940s. During this period, the witness was a Chief Probation Officer attached to the Ministry of Social Protection, (previously the Ministry of Human Services). According to Morris, this was the era when Guyana’s Public Service was at its peak but a lack of training and suitably qualified persons in leading positions, has literally led to a breakdown in the sector. The witness also spoke of the poor record keeping and preservation of important documents at Government offices. The elderly man noted that there are instances, whereby persons visit the Probation Office but cannot obtain the relevant documents, when required. He recalled that in his day, that was never the case. Morris told the COI that the Probation Office was once fitted with one of the best libraries on the matters of Social Work and Public Administration. Alluding to the fact that the modern world is powered by information technology, Morris noted that this should be an advantage, as it relates to preserving data. He recommended improved data collection and storage. Speaking specifically about Probation Service, the witness said that Judicial Officers, (Magistrates and Judges) should have better guidelines in terms of handing down sentences. He opined that there are many disparities in the manner in which sentences are imposed. The witness suggested that it be mandatory as in
parts of Europe, for sitting Judges and Magistrates to visit the prisons to get acquainted with the reality there and to have a better understanding of what the penalty really means before the sentence is imposed. The witness asserted that, “Long sentences do not solve the problem.” The Commission was established to inquire into, report on and make recommendations on the role, functions, recruitment process, remuneration, conditions and other matters pertaining to the personnel employed in the Guyana Public Service. The COI is also expected to determine measures to improve the efficiency of the Public Service, to review the methodology used in the classification and recruitment of Public Servants. The Inquiry is also slated to conduct a detailed examination of how the salaries and wages of Public Servants are determined and allocated; review the age of Public Servant retirement and make recommendations in this regard. Following his election to office, President David Granger stressed the need for a more efficient and satisfactory Public Service. According to President Granger, Public Servants must possess expert knowledge and high standard academic education. He expressed his intention to introduce a Public Service Staff College, in which persons entering the administrative branches of the Guyana Public Service are required to undergo training. The President had promised, too, that this would ensure that persons serving the nation would be better equipped, with the basics of Public Service delivery and a better understanding of how the Public Service is meant to operate. The COI was established as part of a plan to support President Granger’s vision for a modern Public Service and the establishment of a Public Service Staff College.
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What lies ahead for Venezuela, Guyana, and the Caribbean? By Santiago Baruh and Miguel Salazar Research Associates at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Republished from Caribbean News Now) This year’s election cycle in Venezuela has spurred President Nicolás Maduro’s fierce opposition. With a key twothirds majority in the country’s National Assembly, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) hopes that its feat will lead to a change in Venezuela’s current
domestic and economic policies, which have resulted in food shortages and soaring inflation. Despite the historic nature of Venezuela’s parliamentary elections, the results may not hold much significance for an array of foreign policy initiatives, particularly regarding Caracas’ troubled relationship with Guyana. Under President Maduro, Venezuela has continued to claim control over five-eighths of Guyanese land (the area spanning from the current border to the Essequibo River in Guyana).
The dispute between the two countries, dating back to the mid-19th century, was ostensibly resolved in 1899 by a US-created boundary commission, which ruled in favour of then-British Guiana. The current border between Venezuela and Guyana, ratified by the commission, has been the subject of on-and-off confrontations between the two countries’ governments over the past century. Maduro’s most recent invigoration of Venezuela’s confrontation regarding the region follows a statement by
The Baccoo Speaks People want to know why is it that there could not have been Operation Dragnet so long ago. Such is the success that criminals are being caught once they attempt to ply their trade in and around the city. The result is that the criminals have moved out of town However, Dragnet has long arms and it is moving out of town. And it will arrest a group of bandits who would target a New Amsterdam store. ** Job creation has always been a challenge. The green
programme in the city has partially solved the problem, but some communities are going to complain that the cleaners are harbouring criminals. This is going to spark a
paranoia that would see a man fleeing the law running into a cleaning crew. The reality is that this fleeing man is going to spark a quarrel between the cleaners. Some are for the law and they are going to prevail in the city. ** Joy is in the air and so too will be the fire that is going to destroy all the good work a family would put in. A set of fairy lights will catch fire in a living room. Fate is going to avoid a catastrophe.
Exxon Mobil, announcing the discovery of oil reserves off the coast of Guyana. But the Venezuelan claim over the territory west of the Essequibo River is one of the few issues of contention that both Maduro’s government and the MUD opposition agree on. Maduro has been criticized for his convenient involvement in two different border disputes only months before the parliamentary elections were to be staged, which was seen as a ploy to raise Venezuelan nationalism. Declining to rally publically against Maduro’s claims, MUD has instead taken a cautious approach to the border dispute, which is seen as a matter of national pride for many Venezuelans. MUD, along with Venezuelan authorities, has consistently opposed Guyana’s calls for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to resolve the dispute. While the MUD opposition currently holds a qualified majority of seats in Venezuela’s National Assem-
bly, the main role this body will play in foreign policy affairs is the ratification and revision of international treaties. In Venezuela, the president delegates the nation’s international agenda to the foreign minister, who determines the overall direction of foreign policy. While the outlook of Venezuela’s foreign affairs may change in years to come, a major shift in the status of the Essequibo dispute is very unlikely. As Venezuelan-Guyanese relations continue deteriorating, December’s parliamentary elections signal further changes for Venezuela’s Caribbean partners. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has already sided against Venezuela in regards to the border dispute with Guyana. Moreover, MUD’s parliamentary victory may further sour Venezuelan-Caribbean relations through the potential dismantlement or alteration of PetroCaribe — an alliance between Venezuela and many Caribbean countries, including Guyana, under which Venezuela exports
cheap oil in exchange for a part-cash, part-loan payment. Some opposition members also have claimed that future changes to dismantle agreements such as PetroCaribe are already under way. Boasting the upper hand in Venezuela’s National Assembly for the first time in more than a decade, the opposition hopes to reverse as many of Maduro’s domestic and international economic policies as possible. However, the degree of cohesion among the MUD coalition members regarding each specific policy is unknown, as the group has not refined its position on a number of foreign policy issues. As Guyana hopefully awaits a favourable change in tide for its relations with Venezuela, the future remains murky for Georgetown, Caracas, and their Caribbean counterparts. The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and information organization.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Disaster on the way to see Shepard’s Christmas tree Ronald Shepard of the Region Three administration invited me to see the midwifery of the Region Three Christmas tree on Tuesday night gone. Leonard Craig insisted that Shepard was kind enough to invite us and we should go. I left Kaieteur News at 7 p.m., picked up Dennis Atwell from the AFC and went to Vreed-en-Hoop to see the birth of Shepard’s illuminated thing. After we passed Pouderoyen, something happened. We will come back to Pouderoyen after an involved digression. This country is amazingly stupid. Almost a hundred percent of Guyanese know that there is a West Bank Demerara village named Pouderoyen. I know of no friend of mine despite their fantastic doctorates who is aware that the legal name is Klien Pouderoyen. The stupidity of Guyana is that the road signs say it clearly - Pouderoyen. I have
read countless times before and after the 2015 election that Minister Joe Harmon has a constituency office in Pouderoyen. Letters are delivered with the address as Pouderoyen. The legal notices served on litigants are addressed as Pouderoyen. UG students gave their addresses as Pouderoyen and received mail addressed to Pouderoyen. So we have this book titled, “Gazetteer of Guyana.” It is supposed to contain all the names of geographic places in Guyana, and I mean all. But as Guyanese would know, nothing works well here. The gazetteer has a village in Canje, Berbice by the name, “Good Banana Land.” There is no such village in Guyana. It is “Goed Bananen Land.” But the compilers of the gazetteer chose at random when to be legalistic and when not to. So you cannot find Pouderoyen in the gazetteer. It is listed as Klien Pouderoyen. Would most people look under K rather
than P? In the gazetteer, a full description is given of the exact location of the district, village etc. A simple thing that should have been done was to list it as Pouderoyen then next to it, the words, “see Klien Pouderoyen.” I am betting that most people looking under P for Pouderoyen, would give up and not go to K. Back to Shepard’s Christmas tree. When we reached Pouderoyen, traffic came to a standstill. It looked like Shepard’s tree was not the simple ceremony I thought it would be. We were stuck in immobilized traffic and immediately I sensed that there was chaos in front because there was no competent police direction of traffic. Once the police are there directing vehicles and creating space, the line moves, even though slowly, but it moves. At Pouderoyen, we were stuck. Crazy motorists created bedlam. They didn’t recognize any lane-driving. They just drove all over the street to get to
Vreed-en-Hoop. So the cars began spilling over the roadway. We were going to get to the Region Three office at midnight and would miss the illumination of Shepard’s tree. I told Dennis Atwell, it was time to save your sanity; it was time to return to Georgetown. This is how Guyana damages the mental health of its citizens. We are going to be helpless in the traffic for hours, no police rank will see the wisdom of directing traffic and your impatience will explode and damage your psychology. This is what a wasteland like Guyana has done to its citizens. It is a hellish country where nothing works, nothing can be done and citizens are reduced to unavoidable humiliation. It was time to miss Shepard’s tree and reclaim
sanity. I suggested to Dennis, we must refuse to let Guyana humiliate us. Let’s head back to Georgetown, grab a bite, talk about the weekly one-man picket he stages every week outside the Venezuelan Embassy, talk some AFC politics, and forget about the failed state that our country has become. Getting out of the madness wasn’t going to be easy. We were on the highway facing Vreed-en-Hoop. To turn around we had to make sure there wasn’t an additional lane forming to the right of me making turning impossible. And it was forming. I hurriedly turned onto to someone’s bridge, and headed back to Georgetown. By that time, the roadway from Versailles going north was complete madness. All because there was an official
Frederick Kissoon ceremony at Vreed-en-Hoop and the Guyana Police Force, the Government of Guyana and the Region Three administration didn’t have the common-sense to send ranks to direct traffic. When we reached Georgetown, we touched down at Pizza Hut at Camp and Regent Streets. I bought a large pizza for my daughter. Then Dennis and I had dinner at Excellence Restaurant on Charlotte Street. You know what I hate about Guyana - next year at Vreed-en-Hoop, the disaster will repeat itself.
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The Alliance for Change wishes every Guyanese from the Corentyne to the Pomeroon, from Mabaruma to the Rupununi a very Merry Christmas. We take this opportunity to again extend sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed in any way to the evolution of our Movement from its rather humble beginnings in 2005. It was your support, your belief in our capacity to effect the change you needed that brought the AFC to this position, one in which we are empowered to remove the enormous obstacles that were placed on the path of your development. We do not forget and will be eternally grateful for the faith and trust you bestowed on us in 2006 to give us, the party, six (6) parliamentary seats in the General Elections, a mere nine months after the AFC was launched. We started out with a strong intention to change the political landscape, to minimize and ultimately eradicate race-based politics in Guyana. That continues to be our raison d’etre. It was your strength of conviction that propelled us forward. You kept us on course and encouraged us to join forces with our brother in Parliamentary Opposition, A Partnership for Unity (APNU). There IS strength in Unity.
Kaieteur News
Our combined forces, made up of a strong admixture of highly accomplished professionals, surged forward on the shoulders that you provided and placed us on course to change your lives, to give you back the platforms you require to build a good life. We recognized from the very beginning that this is going to be a long, hard road, and that you are in no mood to accommodate any deviation from the plans and programmes we set out. So we asked you several months ago to be patient because we knew that giving effect to any effort to right the many, many wrongs perpetuated on you by the PPP/ C was going to be an arduous process. Of course, we didn’t know as much then as what we do now, that the PPP was systematically giving away your patrimony to their friends and families and no doubt helping themselves to a portion of it. You knew too, and we are grateful for the information that you have been providing which have led us to some jaw-dropping discoveries of the rampant theft, wastage of your hard-earned taxes, and the disdainful, disrespectful manner in which your property was taken away from you and given to the former President’s friends, most of
whom do not even live in Guyana. We still require your patience. The discoveries we’ve made so far, albeit slowly, were hidden behind complex legalities and some Machiavellian machinations. The process of unraveling these shenanigans is long and painful, and many require legal intervention to be undone. In the process, we have made a few mistakes and may make some more, principally because we are very unfamiliar with this brand of dirty politics. We are still operating on a steep learning curve, but the AFC reaffirms our promise to you that we will reclaim your resources and return them to you to raise your quality of life, to ensure that you and your children are able to benefit from Guyana’s rich resources. Our number one objective is to ensure not only that you are able to exercise control over the administration of your own communities and villages, but that you could reap the products of the land on which you live, whether it is gold and diamonds, fruit orchards or wood. Your responsibility is to do so in a sustainable manner to ensure that there is still plenty for generations to come. Our responsibility is to ensure that you have the power, the rights and the knowledge. The AFC and our partners in the multi-racial, multi-cultural Coalition, made a commitment to promote healing and reconciliation among Guyana’s six main races. This
Sunday December 20, 2015
commitment is more challenging given that the now opposition is determined to milk the race card, refusing to acknowledge that we all live in a modern world where people are more concerned about their livelihoods and their capacity to live comfortably. People will throw their support behind whomsoever provides that capacity and respects their rights to eat, worship, clothe and house themselves as they wish. So we have started down that road to creating a good life for all. Our Ministry of Public Infrastructure, working side-by-side with the Mayor and City Council, rose to the huge challenge to restore the Garden City. In four to five months residents and visitors alike are reveling in their clean environments. For the first time in some people’s lifetime they found out that the roadside drains are concreted after years worth of silt and waste were removed. The parapets are now properly landscaped and open green spaces have been created for our children and youth to play and compete at sports. Georgetown, the East Coast of Demerara and Berbice lie below sea level. Renowned Geologists have said that these areas could remain prone to flooding from excessive rainfall, but the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has ensured that all drainage systems in the city and surrounding communities are cleared to collect and channel waste water to the various outfalls without hindrance. These works are not one-
off jobs. The drainage networks will continue to be desilted, the potholed roads upgraded, the kokers refurbished and maintained. Our heritage buildings including the old forts in the interior regions, all irreplaceable aspects of our rich history, will shortly be restored. These structures are also invaluable to our new Tourism thrust. The international campaign has begun to introduce Guyana to the world’s market of one billion tourists under the new brand: Guyana – South America Undiscovered. The Minister of Tourism took advantage of the numerous opportunities presented e.g. by the World Travel Market in London (November), the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) annual Conference (October), the Guyana Folk Festival hosted each September by the Guyana Cultural Association in New York, to inform the world about Guyana’s unique eco- and adventure tourism and niche products such as sports and fishing. To say that the word has spread to the other side of the world (New Zealand, Australia, Asia) is putting it mildly. Avid Bird Watchers from Britain have added Guyana to their agenda. North American mountain climbers and forest trekkers are interested in this new location, Swedish researchers in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and vacationers wishing to experience more than sun, blue sea and sand, now know about the natural landscapes and variegated cultures of
Guyana. Plans are also in the making to encourage Guyanese living at home to see their beautiful country. Tourism is also opening up the investment landscape. Eco-tourism is the new catch phrase in the world’s tourism industry. Guyana’s products and our ‘newness’ are a beacon to international investors with new ideas. On the security front, the Minister and Ministry are working overtime to arrest crime in Guyana, every aspect of it. It is a most unwholesome legacy spawned over the past two decades. Taming this particular beast would likely be achieved via a process of trial and error, but we are beginning to see some light at the end of this tunnel. The recently implemented Operation Dragnet is working, and the presence of more law enforcement officers on the streets gives us all a measure of comfort. We remain positive that the relationships between police and communities will improve. Just beware of the incessant PPP propaganda, most of which is aimed at Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan. You already know that these leaders have always been at the forefront of the fight for peace and justice. Guyana is moving forward fast and it is encouraging to see our people’s determination to participate in this re-birth. The AFC wishes ALL Guyanese a very Merry Christmas.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
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My column
The thieves among us All week last week people were smiling to the point of stretching their mouth permanently. The announcement had come just days before that most of them would be going home with $50,000. And while they were smiling some were frowning because the government was moving to repossess their home that had been given to them under certain conditions. As a people we are always seeking ways of outsmarting everybody. That is how some of us who own homes enter to get land as though we were among the people who needed a home. This was tolerated by the previous administration because the powers that be could not take the time to investigate all the applicants, especially if they appeared to be supporters of the party. I know people who got land and became speculators in the same way some people acquired property on Pradoville 2 then sold for a whopping profit. So now we have a political issue. The new government is moving to repossess and the political opposition is shouting discrimination. I still remember when the government removed political types from the public service. There were shouts of witchhunting. Of course the loud shouts caused the government to back off slightly. But
the evidence that emerged from the investigations showed that the government was also doing a lot of speculation with public funds. People had long suspected that money was being siphoned and shipped out to foreign accounts. There was nothing anyone could do, because there was no law to get the money back. The foreign countries respected one’s privacy and while they frowned they could do nothing. Now those countries feel that it is their duty to help the new government. Aeshwar Deonarine paid himself some $28 million and when asked about the money he told the government that he would repay it. Then he finds himself on a plane to Toronto, Canada with his family. I asked myself how was it that he was able to leave Guyana. Simple people who just sought to leave after completing a government scholarship could not leave. Their passports were stamped and the airport had a list of their names. I could not even think of leaving Guyana for five years the first time I completed a scholarship. I had attended the Government Teachers’ Training College. The truth is that I did not want to leave anyhow. Then I got another scholarship to Jamaica and again I could not leave.
My daughter pursued a scholarship in Venezuela, came home and worked with the Guyana Agricultural and Industrial Development Bank for four years until the bank folded. She got another job with Scotia Bank, but that was not considered part of the scholarship arrangement. It mattered not that she had remained in Guyana for more than a decade. She was taken off a plane heading to New York. But Deonarine merely walked out. And now I learn that there was another who was wanted for questioning. He too managed to leave. I am told that treaties are one-way streets. If the United States wants a Guyanese we must send that person. The converse is not true. It is the same with Canada, but now there is legislation to help Guyana recover the money shipped to those countries. One former Permanent Secretary used his mother and sister who are living in the United States to keep his money. I am certain that his elder brother did the same with much more money than some of us can contemplate. I am told that the government has a list of such people. The parents and siblings have a hard time explaining the extra cash. There are those who also have a hard time explaining the disbursement of funds from the public treasury. Win-
ston Brassington is being called a liar by the Chairman of the Linden Interim Management Committee. He reported that he spent at least US$10 million on Linden Mining Enterprise. This has not been proven, so we have to find out where the money went. He was at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday, but a few weeks earlier I learnt that he was moving out his entire family before Christmas. Did the police put tabs on him? These things are being talked about at this time, because when the government was in the opposition it vowed to jail the wrongdoers. People are waiting and patience is growing thin. If I had stolen anything I would have been in jail. A 22-year-old man slashed a woman and stole her handbag on Thursday. On Friday he began serving a three-year jail term. The bigger crooks are allowed to walk almost untouched. Some of the present day rulers say that these crooks have institutional memory, that they are useful at this time. That may be the case, but anyone trained in
economics can be worthwhile replacements. The cold hard fact is that we the people of Guyana want our money back. That $50,000 bonus could be so much larger if only we get back money that could have been used to advance this country. Indeed it is Christmas, the season of giving, so it is that the crooks must give back what they took. And while we are looking at the rogues and vagabonds I could not help remembering that some of us had been thieves from a very early age. There was this fellow who described me as being the head of a scandal sheet. His comments were made in the National Assembly on Thursday. Joseph Hamilton may be a good boy these days, although one of his relatives was implicated in the theft of some computers from the One Laptop Per Family Programme. As a schoolboy he got the name Pholourie Joe in his native Beterverwagting. Nicknames are always related to some incident and to this day more than four decades later, he is still known as Pholourie Joe.
Adam Harris He was at St Mary’s-yeVirgin Anglican School, outside which an old woman had a stand. Among the things she sold was Pholourie with plenty sour. Joe, as he was commonly called, could not resist stealing the old woman’s entire bottle of Pholourie and hiding to eat it in school. Immediately he was baptized and the name still sticks to this day. I may head a scandal sheet, but the story is one scandal I would never forget. I wonder what he did with the bottle. I know where the Pholourie went. He was never charged and there is a statute of limitation to such crimes. Pholourie Joe escaped with that crime. His colleagues in the PPP will not escape as he did.
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Kaieteur News
SUNDAY SPECIAL NEW GPL BOSS INSTRUCTS SUPPLIER TO LIE IN $$MULTI-MILLION METER CONTRACT There is emerging evidence that the Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), Colin Welch, intervened in a multimillion contract for pre-paid meters. He asked the supplier to lie to authorities in Guyana about the specifications. A series of chat messages and Skype calls purportedly made by Welch with regard to the transaction, has since been sent to the directors of that State-owned company as well as to top Government officials. This latest incident would be one of the toughest tests yet for the new administration which has insisted that it will run a clean Government and stamp out corruption. According to an official, who asked not to be named, earlier this year the company went out to tender for the supply of some 28,000 pre-paid meters worth over US$4 million. In early April, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) closed the bids with Tesco PLC, a British company, reportedly winning the contract and undertook to supply. Tesco was going to procure the meters out of China. It was buying from Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited of China to supply to GPL. However, one of the bidders objected to the evaluation and the subsequent award, claiming that Tesco’s supplier, Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited, does not manufacture the 100-amp meters required by GPL. Rather, Shenzhen’s website and other information indicate that they specialize in other specifications that were not required by GPL. According to GPL officials, another objection raised had to do with the inspection of the meters. The 28,000 meters had to be certified by an internationally accepted lab before being shipped. There were questions over the certification documents presented. The tender board, following up on the objection by the bidder, wrote both Tesco and Shenzhen, asking for clarifications. It appeared that during the wait for answers, Welch somehow started communicating with both companies. This is a big no-no as procurement regulations bar State officials from intervening while the tender is being handled by the tender board, to ensure transparency. MONDAY EDITION GPL US$4.2M PREPAID METER SCANDAL…CEO TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR TAMPERING WITH TENDER PROCESS – GOVT. ORDERS RE-TENDER Government has aborted a multi-milliondollar tender for thousands of prepaid meters and has ordered it to be retendered following some damning complaints against a high ranking official of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. The instructions were handed down a month ago by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, even before a number of alarming text messages came to light implicating Colin Welch, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the state-owned power company. Minister Patterson has also ordered a full report on the text messages purportedly sent by Welch to a British supplier and Chinese manufacturer. Welch in those texts, allegedly broke a number of procurement regulations
GPL’s CEO (ag) Colin Welch when he engaged the two companies, promising to do a number of things to ensure they are awarded the delayed meter contract that is worth over US$4.2M ($840M). Sunday, Kaieteur News broke the story on the meter scandal. As a result of the meter shortage thousands of GPL customers have been left waiting for months for service. The award of the contract to Tesco PLC in April ran into early trouble when one of the unsuccessful bidders complained that the assessment of the bids was flawed and that Tesco’s manufacturer of the meters, Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited, was not making those types of meters that were being requested by GPL. The purported text messages by Welch to the two foreign companies were leaked to Minister Patterson, GPL Directors and Managers, and Government officials weeks ago. A statement from Government Sunday confirmed that the text messages were engaging the attention of Minister Patterson. The report of those text messages will be one of the priorities of a new GPL Board of Directors, which is to be appointed shortly. The Board will be tasked with determining the future of acting CEO Colin Welch, with the power company, Minister Patterson told Kaieteur News Sunday. WORRYING ISCREPANCIES …LINMINE US$17.5M ASSETS NOT PROPERLYACCOUNTED FOR WITH BRASSINGTON …NO EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY ADDITIONAL HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS SPENT According to the forensic audit report on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the company’s directors have apparently failed to properly account for millions worth in assets for Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE). Additionally, Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran found that NICIL directors pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into LINMINE and are unable to properly justify it. Goolsarran said that NICIL’s total expenditure for the period 2002 to 2014 amounted to $8.6B. Its operating expenses, he said, amounted to $2.144 billion. Goolsarran said that LINMINE accounted for $1.260 billion or 59 percent of the operating expenses, including salaries of 75 staff members ($983.319 million) and rates and taxes ($122.342 million). In other words, LINMINE
Sunday December 20, 2015
accounted for $1.914 billion or 22.3 percent of NICIL’s expenditure for the period 2002 to 2014. For the Forensic auditor, this was not adding up. Goolsarran in his report said that LINMINE which became a division of NICIL in 2004 could not have incurred so much expense. And NICIL was unable to prove this. Apart from the operations of the McKenzie-Wismar Bridge, Goolsarran said that it remains a mystery as to what activities of LINMINE could have possibly warranted the expenditure of $1.914 billion during the period 2002-2014 or approximately $150 million annually by NICIL. On this matter NICIL’s Executive Director, Winston Brassington commented that “LINMINE represented a loss on the NICIL side with the expenses relating to securing the many assets that were still being held, pending a sale or lease in a transparent manner. In fact, by virtue of this being a NICIL department, the Treasury was insulated from supporting these operations.” Brassington further commented that in 2003, the LINMINE Secretariat was set up to: facilitate the privatization of LINMINE; manage the Watooka Complex and the McKenzieWismar Bridge; and safeguard the assets that were not part of the privatization. TUESDAY EDITION CONSTRUCTION OF MARRIOTT HOTEL…BRASSINGTON HID $1B IN SECRETACCOUNT
NICIL CEO, Winston Brassington A forensic audit report has revealed that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, collected $1B from Guyana National Cooperative Bank for the construction of the Marriott Hotel but never spent it. In fact, it was hidden in a secret account and was discovered in NICIL’s books. This is according to Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. He documented this finding in his audit report on NICIL. After making the discovery, Goolsarran challenged Brassington to state why this money was not returned if it was not used. The NICIL Chief Executive Officer did not offer many details in this regard except to say that the money has since been returned. Notwithstanding Brassington’s comments, Goolsarran maintained, “This amount was not expended. It remained in the books of NICIL as of December 31, 2014 as a liability. It is not clear
why, after two years, the funds were not returned to the Bank.” The US$60M Marriott Hotel was met with much contention by the then Opposition bloc A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), when it was being constructed under the previous regime. The project had been criticized for lacking transparency. Managing the construction shares of the company was Atlantic Hotel Incorporate (AHI), a subsidiary of the National Industrial Commercial and Investments Limited (NICIL) which falls under the Government. AHI had invested over US$20M of taxpayers’ dollars and was looking to raise US$27M more from a syndicated loan arrangement through Republic Bank, Trinidad. Another US$8M would have been coming from two private investors reportedly out of Hong Kong, which would have subsequently led to them gaining 67 percent control of the hotel. However, the transfer was blocked via a court case that was filed by then Parliamentarian, Desmond Trotman. 2007 CRICKET WORLD CUP FINANCIALSTATEMENTS … ASHNI SINGH INSTRUCTED REMOVALOF NEGATIVE COMMENTS IN AG’S REPORT –GOOLSARRAN After examining the 2007 financial statements of the Cricket World Cup (CWC), Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma, found glaring irregularities and as such, could not award it with a clean bill of health. He was left with no choice but to stamp it with a qualified opinion. However, a forensic audit report on NICIL has revealed that former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, instructed NICIL’s Chief Executive Officer Winston Brassington to remove the AG’s opinion from the report. To support this, the report made reference to the minutes on NICIL’s board meeting of February 29, 2012, where Brassington referred to the qualified opinion issued by the Auditor General on the Cricket World Cup 2007 accounts. The former Minister of Finance was recorded as having stated that “The AG’s qualification of the accounts needs to be removed from CWC Inc.’s Annual Report.” Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran, said that it is not clear if NICIL followed through with Dr. Singh’s instructions but noted that if it did, then such an action would be considered an act of professional misconduct. Goolsarran said that the minutes of the meeting also revealed that NICIL was also asked to produce a paper for the former Cabinet to “debunk allegations in the accounts and otherwise but AS/HPS will (Ashni Singh or former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon) speak to our principals first. Once a mechanism is cleared then NICIL should pursue the AG to remove the qualifications.” He emphasized however that any intervention by NICIL and/or Cabinet to influence the work of the Auditor General is inappropriate. In defence of Dr. Singh’s actions, NICIL commented that “The draft audit opinion contained qualifications due to the lack of information that was under the control of third parties and not under NICIL. The help of the Minister and HPS was sought to nudge the relevant ministries to provide outstanding documents/information, (Continued on page 33)
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
esty.” He noted that this is the kind of attitude “which stains and corrupts everything he is involved in.” The Head of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) said, “By hiding the money in a private account and not spending it, I am only left to conclude that he parked the money there to have his way with it when he and his cohorts were ready.” Additionally, Thomas said that an even more worrying development rises to the surface when one “examines the depth of Brassington’s deceitfulness.”
(From page 33) so the qualification could be removed.” WEDNESDAY EDITION GUYANA LOSES US$575M IN ONE YEAR THROUGH CAPITALFLIGHT SPECIAL TASK FORCE SET UP TO SMASH SMUGGLING RING —SARU HEAD A special task force has been established to dismantle all money laundering rings in Guyana. The team will also seek to build irrefutable cases to ensure the prosecution of those found to be involved in such activities. According to Head of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Dr. Clive Thomas, the team consists of members from the Guyana Police Force, Bank of Guyana, the Special Organized Crime Unit and several international specialists on anti-money laundering. ”We are getting strong support on this front and I am happy with the progress being made in this regard. The special task force will be looking at a number of cases with a view to breaking down the money laundering rings in Guyana, one corrupt gang at a time. ”We will also be focusing on those networks that have links to the previous regime. We have to rid this nation of the underground economy, because it is draining us of billions of dollars on an annual basis,” Dr. Thomas said. The SARU head said that the United States of America and the United Kingdom are also on board for this “very important mission.” The UK and the US have pledged their support to ensure that the fight against corruption under the Granger led-administration goes beyond mere talk. Dr. Thomas said that investigations are still ongoing into various forms of corruption that were spiraling out of control under the previous regime. He recalled that both the US and the UK have told him on various occasions that they are indeed concerned about the level of corruption in Guyana hence “their readiness to assist wherever and whenever they can.” ”There are intense investigations going on right now and believe me, we here at SARU intend to see that justice is served. I wish to repeat President David Granger’s statement that those who did the crime will definitely do the time. We are building some irrefutable cases. Dr. Thomas noted that for the years, 20102012, Guyana’s illicit financial flows had averaged US$443 million or approximately $90 billion in local currency. Although these flows do not fully account for total capital flight, he said that they provide an order of magnitude for that sum. He had said that by any standard, this is a huge amount and that it has risen rapidly during the 2000s. “Retrospectively, the 2010-2012 average compares to US$83 million back in 2003. This had doubled to US$173 million by 2006, and more than doubled yet again by 2010 to US$575 million. The recorded growth in capital flight, therefore, has been explosive during the 2000s,” he said.
THURSDAY EDITION MINISTERS TO DISCUSS NICIL REPORT AT NEXT CABINET MEETING
SARU Head, Dr. Clive Thomas is simply no rational excuse Winston Brassington could have for hiding $1B in a secret account. The money was intended to help fund the construction of the controversial Marriott Hotel. Thomas said that such actions reflect “financial lawlessness and deceitfulness.” Thomas’s comments come in wake of the forensic audit report on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). The audit was conducted by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. The report revealed that Brassington collected $1B from Guyana National Cooperative Bank to aid the construction of the Marriott Hotel but never spent it. Instead, it was hidden in a secret account. It was later discovered in NICIL’s books during Goolsarran’s audit of the company. After making the discovery, Goolsarran challenged Brassington to state why this money was not returned if it was not used. The NICIL Chief Executive Officer did not offer many details in this regard except to say that the money has since been returned. But Goolsarran said, “This amount was not expended. It remained in the books of NICIL as of December 31, 2014 as a liability. It is not clear why, after two years, the funds were not returned to the Bank.” Dr. Thomas said that Brassington’s actions constitute “financial lawlessness and dishon-
The forensic audit report on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has finally made its way to Cabinet. For the next week, it will be the subject of an intense review by the administration. This is according to Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman. He told members of the media during a post Cabinet conference, Wednesday, that the Cabinet members have agreed to review the report individually and will deliver comments on their position at the next sitting meeting next week. The forensic audit report was prepared by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. The 80-page document details numerous cases of financial improprieties by the former directors of NICIL as well as its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Winston Brassington. In the report, Goolsarran recommended that moves be made to institute criminal and/ or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for the interception of State revenues totaling $26.858 billion in violation of Articles 216 of the Constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA). He noted that disciplinary action is provided for under the following sections of the FMA Act: (a) Section 48 — Misuse of public moneys; (b) Section 49 — Liability for loss of public moneys; and (c) Section 85 — Liability of an official. Goolsarran also called for the institution of criminal and/or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for violating Article 217 of the Constitution by causing expenditure to be incurred without parliamentary approval. He said that charges are in order for all those responsible for ignoring National Assembly Resolution No. 32 of December 17,
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2012, requiring NICIL to pay over to the Consolidated Fund “all revenues and proceeds from the sale of all State properties, except for those necessary administrative costs for maintaining and running its operations annually.” YONETTE CUMMINGS-EDWARDS SWORN IN AS ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE Although judicial backlogging is not unique to Guyana’s newly sworn in Acting Chief Justice, Yonette Cummings-Edwards plans to invite all hands on deck to tackle the issue. She gave the assurance Wednesday after she was sworn in by President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency. Justice Cummings-Edwards told media operatives that her plan is to focus on the state of the local justice system. ”I intend to look at the state of affairs right now and I intend to deal with backlog cases. I intend to deal with matters affecting the smooth functioning of the judiciary and I intend to have all hands on board for us to work together towards having a system that will ensure that justice is done.” On the issue of addressing the ever present backlog of cases, the acting Chief Justice said that the situation is not unique to Guyana and that team effort will be needed. ”It’s a problem that affects all judiciaries; it’s nothing that is unique, but it’s something that has to be handled consistently and I intend for all the judges and myself to tackle the issue. At the end of the day it is my view that it’s a team effort and we can do it.” Justice Cummings, who began her law career in 1988, expressed elation, while noting that to her it’s a humbling experience. Before God and man, in her oath of office, Justice Cummings-Edwards swore to remain truthful to the people of Guyana, as she faithfully performs the functions of Chief Justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will, honouring and upholding the constitution of Guyana. Justice Cummings-Edwards is the second woman in Guyana’s history to be elevated to the office of Chief Justice. FRIDAY EDITION NICIL EXPENDITURE CLAIMS DECEITFUL – LINDEN IMC CHAIRMAN Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairman, Orrin Gordon, reflecting on (Continued on page 34)
CONSTRUCTION OF MARRIOTT HOTEL…HIDING $1B IN SECRET ACCOUNT IS FINANCIAL LAWLESSNESS … BRASSINGTON ALSO ACTED CROOKEDLY WITH THE NATION– PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Dr. Clive Thomas, says that there
A proud family moment: Acting Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards in the presence of President David Granger shares a joyous moment with her daughter Dr. Yana-Marisa Edwards and husband Dr. Morris Edwards.
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(From page 33) the findings of a recent forensic audit report of NICIL, has echoed the sentiments of the forensic auditor, Anand Goolsarran, who said that the whole thing” does not add up.” The audit showed that Linmine’s total expenditure for the period 2002 to 2014 amounted to $8.6 billion with operating expenses amounting to some $2.144 billion. ”It does not add up; there is no way that Linmine which became a division of NICIL in 2004 could have incurred so much expense. He added that the whole thing is a “brazen attempt by NICIL to hoodwink the municipality and the community.” He noted that were it not for the forensic audit, “we would not have known what was going on.” ”All this money that they’re claiming that they would have expended is a blatant lie, and I reject outright the amount, $122.342 million, that was quoted as being paid in rates and taxes. That is totally inaccurate. ”No more than $35 million was paid to the municipality, so what happened to the restthe $80 or $90 million- Where it gone? The IMC Chairman said that prior to the advent of the IMC at the end of 2003; Linmine had been paying about $5 million per year. However after the transfer to OMAI in 2004- some assets, about half, went to OMAI. ”So it was half of that amount, which is $2.5 million that was being paid by Omai/ Bosai and the other half by the Linmine Secretariat, which comes under NICIL. ”From that time, how on earth could you reach to $122 million over a period of 13 years? Gordon said that Linmine used funds from the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge to pay staff and to
Kaieteur News
maintain the operations of the Linmine secretariat. ”How then, you saying that Linmine is a burden to you? Linmine secretariat doesn’t owe any money. The Secretariat hasn’t done any major capital investment within that period to warrant the expenditure cited,” he declared. Gordon said that NICIL would have sold 83 properties on South Mackenzie, including the old Surapana Golf course, for which it would have received millions of dollars. “So where has the money gone?” ANTI MONEY LAUNDERING BILL PASSED The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill of 2015 was passed in a tranquil environment Thursday in the National Assembly. Bringing the Bill before the Members of Parliament was Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams. The crucial Bill went through all its stages and was passed in the absence of the opposition. The opposition had walked out. They were to walk out again when the government presented the Local Government Amendment Bill. The Attorney General said that Clause two of the anti-money laundering Bill seeks to amend section 2(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, Cap. 10:11, so as to redefine the term ‘beneficial ownership’. Clause three of the Bill, he said, seeks to amend section 15(4) (c) of the Act to require a reporting entity to identify and verify the iden-
Sunday December 20, 2015
tity of a customer when establishing a business relationship. He asserted that Clause Four of the Bill seeks to amend section 68A (6) to reduce the period from not later than seven days to not later than five days for the Director of Public Prosecutions to apply for a freezing order. He said that the amendment also provides that an application for a freezing order may be made ex parte to a Judge in Chambers. The said amendment, Williams noted, also seeks to insert into section 68A a new subsection (6A) to provide that a Judge when granting the freezing order, the standard of proof required shall be on the balance of probabilities. The Minister of Legal Affairs went on to state that Clause Four also seeks to insert a new subsection (6B) that requires the Director of Public Prosecutions to immediately serve on the reporting entity a copy of the freezing order. Meanwhile, Clause Six of the Bill seeks to amend section 71(1) of the Principal Act to enable the Director of Public Prosecutions to make an ex parte application to the High Court for a freezing order. SATURDAY EDITION WAY CLEARED FOR GRATO ACCESS SUSPICIOUS ACCOUNTS, OPPOSITION “JITTERY” Salvos were fired Thursday evening during a sitting of the National Assembly that went beyond the midnight hour. At that sitting, the House, without the voting support of the Opposition, passed the Financial Institutions (Amendment) Bill. This Bill gives the Guyana Revenue Authority the lawful go ahead to access all suspicious bank accounts. In addition, it paves the way for a relationship with the USA that allows Guyana to know the financial standing of all Guyanese citizens with bank accounts in the USA. Reciprocally, the GRA will be required to send bank statements of all American citizens residing in Guyana and even Guyanese who may have ties to the USA, even by marriage. The explanatory memorandum of the Bill indicates that the Bill seeks to amend Section 63 of the Financial Institutions Act in order to permit disclosure of customer information by a financial institution, the Revenue Authority, where a law so requires or where the Revenue Authority makes a lawful request or demand for information. The Bill was taken to the National Assembly by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan. He spoke extensively on the importance of the Bill and refused to accept further amendments that were proposed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) opposition. The Opposition, which had to endure ac-
cusations of dirty hands and thievery during that debate, said that it is not against the Bill. It claimed that it would have supported the Bill once it included the further amendments that were being proposed. Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall was the one who put forward the PPP’s amendments. He proposed only two amendments. One was that the GRA give 21 days’ notice to all persons whose bank accounts it wishes to check for investigative purposes. The other was that there is a clause to attach $100,000 fine and jail time of not less than a year as a penalty for the information being used for purposes other than which is intended. Jordan rejected the amendments. He said there was no need for the penalty clause since Guyana already has adequate laws to secure against misuse of such financial information. The Opposition put forward other arguments to the effect that citizens will go back to the days of “mattress banks” if they know that their financial information will be up for scrutiny. Nandlall was one who said that farmers have been complaining to him about the implications of the Bill. Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, said that one of the main reasons Government sought to pass this amendment was to comply with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). FATCA is a United States federal law requiring United States persons (including those living outside the U.S.) to have yearly reported themselves and their non-U.S. financial accounts to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN). It requires all foreign financial institutions (FFI’s) to search their records for suspected U.S. persons and to report their assets and identities to the US Treasury. Now that the amendment has been passed, Guyana just has to sign on to develop a relation with the USA on the basis of FATCA. America will then send information to Guyana on a yearly basis and Guyana will do the same. Sharma later said that once GRA is given the information from the United States, the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) will be able to access such information for investigative purposes. He added that the PPP opposition is “jittery” as a result of this. Sharma said that the PPP knows that SARU will then be able to access information about the USA accounts of its cohorts, something that is hard to do otherwise. The Minister also said that the PPP is engaging in scaremongering. He pointed to Nandlall’s example of the farmers who expressed fear to him. Sharma said that Nandlall could have easily told farmers that it is not a case where GRA will be requesting banking information of all Guyanese or everyone residing in Guyana. “It will only be individuals under investigation.”
Sunday December 20, 2015
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Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
Building One Nation and Eliminating Poverty Despite having an abundance of natural resources, Guyana remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Forests cover more than 80 percent of the country’s land, we are well endowed with fer-
tile agricultural lands, and our wealth of minerals is virtually unparalleled. Yet, Guyana is the third poorest country in the western hemisphere with a per capita GDP of only US$3763 according to the World Bank.
Over 40 percent of Guyanese live in poverty, with about 18 percent classified as extremely poor with an expenditure level that is below what is required to buy a minimum, daily, low-cost diet.
The administration realizes that behind those dire statistics are real people with hopes, dreams and ambitions crushed by the daily struggle to put food on the table. Your government is aware of the inequity and inequality that characterizes life in Guyana. The majority of Guyana’s poor citizens live in rural or hinterland communities. 70 percent of Indigenous Guyanese are poor. Inequitable expenditure and thoughtless policies by the previous administration have resulted in a lack of good jobs, underemployment and an under skilled population due to neglect of educational facilities. The administration is committed to creating one nation, with equal opportunities and a better life for all Guyanese, regardless of where they live. Your government seeks firstly, to eliminate poverty. A country with such abundant natural wealth and with a population of less than 800,000 persons should not have poor people. We will wage war against poverty through an inclusionary process, taking all segments of the population into consideration. No child should have to go to school without shoes. No senior citizen should have to go to bed hungry. The administration’s pov-
erty reduction plan will adopt a ‘One Nation’ approach to reduce inequality and provide opportunities for all Guyanese. Our focus will be on giving citizens the tools to raise their standard of living in a sustainable manner. Handouts will not eliminate the problem. Trickledown economics is not the answer. Instead, sensible actions within a strategic framework of focused economic and social policies will be implemented. Your government knows that too many Guyanese have suffered for far too long. The newly created Ministry of Business will work with the rest of the administration to establish economic independence for our young people by promoting microenterprise development. Training of hinterland residents in farming techniques will ensure food security and provide business opportunities. This will be accomplished through the agricultural institutes which will be established in each hinterland region. Education is the key to lifting citizens out of the clutches of poverty. No longer will hinterland residents be forced to take only menial low-paying jobs due to lack of skills. Well-equipped and properly staffed technical institutes, too, will be
built. Our ‘One Nation’ approach will level the playing field and give all Guyanese a chance to prosper. The administration will prioritise investment with a view to using the country’s monetary resources more efficiently. This will ensure that citizens get value for their tax dollars. Better co-ordination among governmental and non-governmental agencies will result in an improved quality of delivery of services. Regions will be allowed to leverage their human and natural resources to create new, high-quality jobs. Entrepreneurship will be supported as a matter of policy. Use of innovative technology will be encouraged. Tax incentives for job creation will be implemented. These and other measures will result in better trained and educated people who can take advantage of the new job opportunities that a progressive administration will foster. The primary duty of your government is to make certain that Guyanese are safe and happy. Poor people are not happy people. The administration will therefore work to create the conditions necessary to elevate the standard of living of all Guyanese. After all, that is what a caring government does.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Nosebleed: Is it Normal? What can I do if it is? By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine It can be scary when blood starts coming out your nose or your child’s nose. But nosebleeds are not usually serious. They are very common. The most common causes are dry air and nose-picking. If you or your child gets a nosebleed, the important thing is to know how to deal with it. With the right care, most nosebleeds stop on their own. HOW DO I KNOW IF A NOSEBLEED IS SERIOUS? You should see a doctor right away if your nosebleed: . Causes blood to gush out of your nose or makes it hard to breathe . Causes you to turn very pale, or makes you tired or confused . Will not stop even after you do the “self-care” steps that are discussed later in this column . Happens right after surgery on your nose, or if you know you have a tumor or other growth in your nose . Happens with other serious symptoms, such as chest pain . Happens after an injury, such as being hit in the face . Will not stop, and you take medicines that prevent blood clots, such as warfarin
(brand name: Coumadin), clopidogrel (brand name: Plavix), or daily aspirin If you have chest pain, feel woozy, or if you are bleeding a lot, call for help. Do not drive yourself to the hospital, ask someone else to drive you. NOSEBLEED SELF-CARE With the right self-care, most nosebleeds stop on their own. Here’s what you should do: 1. Blow your nose. This might increase the bleeding for a moment, but that’s OK. 2. Sit or stand while bending forward a little at the waist. Do not lie down or tilt your head back. 3. Pinch the soft area towards the bottom of your nose, below the bone. Do not grip the bridge of your nose between your eyes. That will not work. Do not press on just one side, even if the bleeding is only on one side. That will not work either. 4. Squeeze your nose shut for at least 15 minutes. (In children, squeeze for only 5 minutes.) Use a clock to time yourself. Do not release the pressure before the time is up to check if the bleeding has stopped. If you keep checking, you will ruin your chances of getting the bleeding to stop. If you follow these steps, and your nose keeps bleed-
ing, repeat all the steps once more. Apply pressure for a total of at least 30 minutes (or 10 minutes for children). If you are still bleeding, go to the emergency room. WHAT IF I GET REPEATED NOSEBLEEDS? Frequent nosebleeds can be caused by: . Breathing dry air all the time . Using cold or allergy nasal sprays too much . Frequent colds . Snorting drugs into your nose, such as cocaine In some cases, repeat nosebleeds can be a sign that your blood does not clot like
it should. If that is the case, there are often other clues. For instance, people with clotting problems bruise easily and might bleed more than you would expect after a small cut or scrape. NOSEBLEED TREATMENT If you end up seeing a doctor or nurse for your nosebleed, he or she will make sure you can breathe okay. Then he or she will try to get the bleeding to stop. To do that, he or she might have to put a device or some packing material up your nose. WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP FROM GETTING
NOSEBLEEDS? § Use a humidifier (a machine that makes the air less dry) in your bedroom when you sleep . Keep the inside of your nose moist with a nasal saline spray or gel . Not pick your nose, or at least clip your nails before you do to avoid injury These important little tidbits should help you to manage a nosebleed next time you encounter one and let you know when a nosebleed is serious enough that it shouldn’t be managed at home.
Dr. Zulfikar Bux
Sunday December 20, 2015
Standards in Focus Safety should be everybody’s business when selling or buying toys for children during the Christmas season. Safe toys and playthings should be purchased for use by our children to protect them from sickness or even death due to the use of harmful manufacturing materials, or to prevent accidents or inappropriate usage. In addition, toys must be adequately labelled with the necessary cautionary statements and parents and guardians should take the responsibility to educate and guide children on how to use these items to prevent accidents or injuries. The Guyana Standard Specification for the Safety of toys and playthings GYS 234:2003 was specifically
Kaieteur News
Buy safe of toys and playthings for children developed to provide guidelines to importers, retailers and consumers on the safety requirements for toys and playthings intended for children. Toys and playthings are one of the commodities monitored by the GNBS under its Standards Compliance Programme. The National standard specifies requirements for toxicological hazards and other hazards, such as, mechanical hazards, inflammability hazards, hygienic hazard, electrical hazards and thermal hazards. Further, precautionary instructions and warnings, requirements for the packaging and labeling, and inspection and testing procedures, which include preconditioning for shipping and storage, are also addressed in the standard. Children can be protected
against the use of unsafe toys and playthings if retailers offer for sale those that conform to safety requirements as stipulated in the standard. However, consumers have a responsibility to educate themselves with the requisite information which would allow them to select toys that are safe for use. The following are some purchasing tips to help parents ensure their children use toys safely: · Read labels to gather important information about how to use the toys. · Avoid giving children toys that shoot objects into the air as they can cause serious eye injuries. · Be mindful of other smaller children in the home. While a toy might be appropriate for one child, it might not be appropriate for younger siblings. Toys with
Christmas cheer brought to... From page 20 intention to host a Christmas social for the residents as it has never been done before. She related that when she first went unto the job, she had asked whether there was a Christmas social at the shelter. The workers had informed her that indeed there was a social but that was only for the employees and not for the residents. “When I heard that,” she said, “I wanted to know, why
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not?” After that, she related, she began laying the groundwork to give the residents their first Christmas social. “I believe that everyone has the right to feel the Christmas spirit which is all about love and sharing. It brings out the best in every individual and we can all aid in each other's happiness,” said Veersammy. Normally, she said, caterers every year would do a special meal for the residents but that was it. This year,
however, aside from the Christmas social, Veersammy and the caterers will be working together to create a menu for both the Christmas and New Year's weekends for the residents. It is hoped that by next Christmas, the shelter will have an increased number of security, staff and volunteers. It is also hoped that there will be continuous upgrading of the facility and better psychiatric treatment for those who need it.
small parts, for example, are popular for kids over fiveyears-old but can pose a great choking danger for those under the age of three. · Beware of button batteries. These not only pose a choking hazard, but if swallowed they can erode the lining of internal organs; without any initial sign or symptoms. Adults should change batteries in toys. · Toy jewelry often contains lead. It’s generally good to avoid metal jewelry, especially if your child is likely to put it in his or her mouth. Beware of the following top 5 toy hazards relating to
toys and their parts: -Scooters and other Riding Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could cause serious injury. Helmets and safety gear should be worn at all times and be sized to fit. -Small Balls and other Toys with Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking. -Balloons - Children under eight years can choke or suffocate on un-inflated or broken balloons. Keep uninflated balloons from
children. Discard broken balloons at once. -Magnets – For children under age six, avoid buying play sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur. -Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children. For further information on this subject, call the GNBS on Telephone number: 219-0065 or visit the Bureau’s website: www.gnbsgy.org
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Not again! Barge operators continue to complain about unfair competition from BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc. The Chinese company received hundreds of millions of dollars in questionable concessions to conduct forestry operations but has been unfairly using its equipment to vie for business in the local market in other sectors. Earlier this week, this barge operated by the company was caught yet again loaded with stone, and moored at the Toolsie Persaud wharf at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The new government has promised to examine the operations of that company but there has been little action.
Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
Sunday December 20, 2015
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Police continue hunt for suspects in peacemaker’s death Police are searching for two brothers, who on Tuesday, battered a 36-yearold peacemaker at Farm, West Coast Demerara (WCD). The victim later died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). A post mortem examination performed on the remains of Dennis Martin by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, revealed that he died as a result of a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain. Martin, a father of one of Lot 5 Public Road, Farm, WCD, was pronounced dead around 14:20 hrs on Wednesday, a day after he was brutally beaten by the two brothers, who reside in the same village.
DEAD: Dennis Martin
Yesterday, this newspaper was told that the brothers fled the village the same night the
36-year-old man was beaten. According to information, the suspects and Martin’s
Spain crowned Miss World From page 18 of young teenaged love that involved Nafeza Daniels. Lisa Mary Johanna Punch's road to popularity started with her winning the Star Guyana in 2006/2007 belting out Whitney Houston's version of 'I'll always Love you.' She became the vocal sweetheart of many as she went on to graduate as a student of excellence in 2009 from North Georgetown Secondary. Then she studied Communication and Law at the Bishops High school in 2010 before she ultimately got into the media. Her first taste of media was as a co-host of the Hard Vibes all girls talk show on Channel 2. She then became a full time announcer at NCN from 2011 up to 2013. She also did some airtime at Hits and Jams. All along she was singing and recording music with Brutal Traxx studios and then DP records. Lisa then made appearances practically on every stage and at almost every major as well as minor forum doing what she loves (singing). It was no wonder that her voice was the chosen one to deliver the CARIFESTA theme song when her native land last hosted the mega regional event. Lisa is one of the outstanding young Guyanese who has traveled the road. She had many ups and down; her family struggled to make ends meet but she always managed a smile that often turned the sad world upside down for many. She produced songs such as 'Secret Admirer' and her tribute to her mother, 'Oh mamma' amongst others. However her tool to winning the Miss World talent was her original song titled, 'One Last Time' done in tribute to her cousin that left many in China and around the world with watery eyes.
Punch who dubs herself a go getter after migrating from a cramped up apartment in Charlotte Street, Georgetown to the USA almost immediately swung into gear and ended up acing a bartender's course. What makes her even more special is the fact that she knows what she wants and does what she needs to do to get it. That attitude landed her in the amateur night at the Apollo in the USA after braving the rains. She made it to round two but because of an offer to be on the world renowned ABC Rising Star competition in 2014 she had to shelve the Apollo competition. Because of Lisa's enviable persistence the world heard of some of the realities of Guyana and while some had issues with how she portrayed her homeland it was her reality that saw even her haters warming up to her. Lisa's power punch caught the attention of international weatherman, Al Roker, and he too rooted for this Guyanese turned Brooklyn girl.
Ultimately she was knocked out after raising the wall and caused some amount of unity amongst Guyanese who ignored her abilities previously. Even the nation's then sitting President (Donald Ramotar) celebrated her. The young lady who left Guyana quietly for a new life in New York came back to much fanfare. Her dad and mother reunited in the USA. Based on comments that have flooded social media in Guyana, the USA and around the world she is always humble but persistent. “She is going to fly the Guyana flag anywhere she goes and for that she is a star on the rise.” Lisa, who has an infectious laugh, presents a genuine personality and a voice of gold that will one day land her on top of the world. Already she is on her way. Her plan for 2015 during a previous interview was to offer a few surprises and music Videos as well as big recording engagements that will see Guyana and the world celebrating Lisa's every punch.
nephews had an altercation twice during which the nephews were wounded by the two brothers. Tuesday night, while on his way to the shop, Martin saw one of the suspects and confronted him. During the confrontation he was brutally attacked by both brothers. He was first taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital after which he was transferred to the GPHC where he later died. A relative of the dead man, Melvorn Drakes, said that he and a cousin were sitting on a parked Canter truck along with one of the suspects when his uncle approached them. “(Martin) went to him (suspect) and tell (the suspect) that he hear that he violating his nephews and that it is the second time he violating them. The suspect then jump off the canter and start pushing his finger in my uncle face,” Drakes said. He added that the suspect pushed his uncle after which Martin “chuck him back.” “The two of them start to cuss out and then his brother (the second suspect) came out from his yard with a piece of wood and hit my uncle on his head from behind.”
Kaieteur News was told that the father of one collapsed on the roadway. “He (Martin) fall down and they keep on beating he with two pieces of wood. They beat he in he head, back, hand and everywhere else,” Drakes recalled. He said that when the brothers finished with his uncle, he was unconscious and covered in blood. The dead man’s wife, Nykedia, said that she and her husband left home together
Tuesday night to go to the shop. “He left me in the shop and he said that he going to buy cheese at another shop. A while later I hear about a fighting up the road and when I go, the road was already clear so I went by his (Martin’s) sister and asked her what happened.” She said that it was at this point she was informed that it was her husband who had been beaten and that he was taken to the hospital.
Kitty man on bail for assault A vendor on Friday made his first appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for assault. Yusuf Mohamed, 47, a vendor who resides at 41 William Street, Kitty, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on December 5 in the vicinity of Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Randy Singh. Mohamed was then placed on $50,000 bail, which was reduced to $20,000 after his several pleas. The Magistrate then ordered him to return to Court on January 12, 2016. The Court heard that on the day in question, the two men were imbibing alcohol when an argument arose. This led to a physical altercation, during which Mohamed dealt Singh several lashes and a slap. As a result of this, Singh received lacerations to his right ear and the right side of his forehead. Mohamed was also ordered not to go within 50 feet of the Singh for the duration of the Court matter.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
Dason offers another local online shopping experience Dason Anthony, a 26 year old who hails from Kitty, yesterday launched a website for his online Fashion Boutique, 592Dresses. Anthony began his business last July using social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram as a marketing tool. With his new website, Dason said that he hopes to make the shopping experience of his customers easier and more accessible. Asked why he decided to enter the fashion industry despite the enormous competition, Dason stated that he is promoting more than just fashion, “What I am promoting,” he said, “is quality service and superior products at affordable prices.” Dason also added that his boutique will not be one which imports from other countries as what he is aiming to do is “To have an apparel factory, in which everything is made and designed in Guyana.” As such, Dason said that currently he is only using dresses designed by ShaSha designs owner, Keisha Edwards but as the business expands he will be adding more local designers. Despite recognizing his love for fashion from a young age as he often served as “judge” on the outfits of his
five sisters, Dason said that he never saw fashion as being a business opportunity. As such, fashion was put on the back burner for a while. After completing his CSEC studies however and four years of careful consideration, Dason decided to test the proverbial waters and opened an online shopping boutique. He said that while the business is relatively new, he has received tremendous support from family and friends. Challenges, he said, have quickly been overcome with the “Help of God.” While managing his online business, Dason said that he is currently a business executive at Digicel. “One cannot leave an income earner until business is booming.” When asked what advice he would give to up and coming entrepreneurs, he said, “Take a stand for yourself. If you are dissatisfied with your current circumstances, admit that no one can fix them except you. It doesn’t do any good to blame the economy, your boss, your spouse, your government or your family. Change can only occur when you make a conscious decision to make it happen.”
Models display some of the dresses being offered for sale by 592Dresses
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Senior citizens not forgotten as Santa Mission Children’s Christmas Party First Couple hosts Luncheon President Granger receives a hug from a senior citizen as others share conversations
President David Granger received a hug from this senior citizen when First Lady, Sandra Granger hosted a luncheon on the lawns of State House, on Friday, to honour more than 200 senior citizens from various homes across Georgetown on the lawns of State House. President Granger, who joined his wife at the Luncheon, thanked the senior citizens for their contributions over the years, while noting that the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary was approaching. They, like him, must remember that feeling of pride they felt at the birth of the nation. “I would like to thank you for everything you have done this year. It has been a very important year in Guyanese history and I am sure you all share the joy of Christmas. “Being here is a part of that sharing. Next year we celebrate our 50th anniversary and those like me, who are over 50 would know how it felt 49 years ago and we want to ensure that next year is not just a big party but a time of healing, a time of coming together, a time of sharing… and maybe we can enjoy that second independence. “We had some challenges
but we hope that we can overcome those challenges and show what our sons and daughters can be,” President Granger said. First Lady Sandra Granger said that the exercise was to make the seniors feel special since most of them are from Homes across the town. “It’s Christmas, the season of sharing and giving. I think we need to strengthen the habit of honouring our seniors. I think one of the least things we can do at this time of the year is to honour them and since it’s Christmas, share a meal with them. “So that’s the aim of it; pure and simple. To give them a day out of their respective homes, bring them out and have them enjoy a good afternoon, with good food and good music,” Mrs. Granger said. The senior citizens came from Uncle Eddie’s Home, Archer’s Home, Dharm Shala, St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly and the Palms Geriatric Home. The First Lady said that the Regional Democratic Councils in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten were also asked to send senior citizens from their regions to be a part of the event. The First Lady said that she will be using her office to ensure that more focus is
placed on the vulnerable group in the coming months. “We want to ensure that our citizens are not left out. We hope that throughout the year we can plan other things for them, like take them around the country and the city so that they can have a different view outside of their homes and so on,” the First Lady said. Claris January, a 92-yearold resident of the St. Joseph’s Home, was quite elated that she had been invited to have lunch with the First Lady at the Lawns of State House. “I am so happy to be here. So glad! I feel happy that the First Lady has invited me to have lunch here at her home. I am happy to be by the President’s home you know,” the jovial woman said. Another resident, Morris, said that he was happy that the senior citizens were being remembered. “We are always neglected but today someone is showing us that they care you know, and so I am really happy to be here at the First Lady’s lunch,” he noted. After the lunch, the senior citizens received tokens from the President.
After 20 years of adopting the Santa Mission Primary School and launching the children’s Christmas event, Roraima Airways once again shared the joy of the Christmas spirit with the indigenous village of Santa Mission with a grand annual children’s Christmas party. This event which started in 1994 has become one of the major activities for the villagers of Santa Mission. It is a tradition of Roraima Airways and forms part of the corporate social responsibilities in Region Three. The event was hosted at the Arrowpoint Nature Resort which is nestled in the Santa Mission reservation. Twenty more gifts were added to the usual 60 distributed annually. Those gifts catered for children between the ages of four and 12. Apart from gift giveaway, food, drinks and entertainment were also provided with Santa Claus, the main attraction. Additionally, Roraima sponsors the refurbishing of the Santa Mission Primary annually in the month of August. It also sources books for the school library.
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Kaieteur News
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One live in maid, assistant salesgirls @ E.C.D-Call: 6035416; 644-9802
I’m told Guyana have beautiful women, just want one, age 28 to 40, grown and sexy. Whatsapp only: 6134085
Experienced Cosmetologists and Barbers required for upscale Salon- Please call: 670-9011 / 698-9394 BOND WORKER/ PARTTIME DRIVER. MONDAY TO SATURDAY, OVER 21 AND WITH POLICE CLEARANCE. CALL: 231-8529; 231-8344 Live in domestic must know to cook Salary $70,000$80,000 monthly –Call: 6105043
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Qualified Accounts, bond clerks, drivers @ Rosignol, Bond clerks & drivers @ Melanie- Call: 330-2399; 3302772; 623-5920 Accounts Clerk: Requirements: 5 CXC subjects, computer literate, MS Office, 2yrs experienced. Email:shellramsburg@gmail. com, A&B Ramsburg Providence. Cashier/Supervisor-Call: 6255322
LAND FOR SALE Providence house lots, size 50ftX100ft -$7M –Call: 6002031; 233-5535 Providence Scheme 115ftX81ft located on a Cul de Sac close to Bai Shan Lin -$8.2M negotiable –Call: 6014163; 223-0719 Parfaite Harmonie -$1M, $1.3M, $1.5M, Eccles -$5M, Herstelling -$4M, Zeelugt $1.6M -Call: 604-2207, 6117223
Male and female to work in the Interior –salary-$80,000 – Call: 674-1767; 675-7043; 6592708 Security Guard –Call: 2271717
PEN PAL
Full & Part time & Seasonal, local & international work available, training provided $5,000 plus daily – Call: 6221957/ 233-6517, www.jobfairworldwide.com
Experienced Pastry Maker/ Cake Decorator, counter servers, roti/puri cooks, Apply @ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce Street.
WANTED OFFICE CLERK NEEDED: MUST HAVE COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE, CXC IN MATH, ENGLISH, ACCOUNTING AND OFFICE WORK EXPERIENCE. CALL: 2318529; 231-8344 Attractive live in waitressCall: 228-5129; 604-8277
Sunday December 20, 2015
SALON -Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal, Mabelline. -Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257 Earn a certificate in cosmetology. Enroll now at Artee’s School of Cosmetology and Beauty Salon-Call: 680-0156; 2750267
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 2 Storey @ Robb Street Building, top flat furnished, 3 bedrooms apartment for living/office/storage, bottom flat for business-Call: 2272454 1- Two Bedrooms apartment to let for $50,000 per month at Linj Street. Call: 669-7203 House to rent @ Parfaite Harmonie-Call: 659-8746; 6515924 Offices to rent @ 220 South Road, near the High CourtCall: 691-8420; 227-1042 Top flat, 2 bedrooms @ East Street opposite Balwant Singh Hospital, no children. Call: 227-6776; 667-3062 2 Flats; 6000Sq.Ft of prime space, @ 14 Longden & Croal Street, formerly Salt & Pepper –Call: 663-0376 Spacious 2 bedrooms apartment in Festival City. Asking $80,000- Call: 6192141 Bond space in Sandy Babb Street Kitty- Call Tony: 6783945 Two bedrooms house “A” Field Sophia, fully grilled off Road Parking, CCTV, $50,000 monthly with 2 months security-Call:693-2237; 2190211
One professional tint manCall: 645-3293 ACCOMODATION Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor / Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504; 685-6934 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504.
TO LET 2 Bedrooms apartment in a healthy & safe environment –Call: 698-6496 2 Bedrooms apartment for rent at Lot 7 Durban Street Lodge -$45,000 monthly – Call: 690-5796
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 2 Based music sets -Call: 6741291 One 928 F Caterpillar Wheel Loader $ 7.1 M, Price negotiable -Call Us Today On #650-0402/260-4988 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 One property in Nandy Park and one complete dredge for sale- Call: 642-3808, 644-7207 Hobart Bread Mixer for sale $3.4M, in good condition with accessories, price negotiable –Call: 696-9399 1 Leyland DAF 55 Truck, excellent condition, seldom used since arrival, owner migrating –Call: 675-4287; (evening) 233-5454 PS3 -$35,000, XBOX360 $25,000, XBOX one-$100,000, plastic barrel -$4,000-Call: 621-7497; 603-8643 CAT 930- Front End Loader, CAT D4H bulldozer, 9wheeled Pneumatic, Roller – Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 Leyland DAF 55 Dump Truck, CAT 320 BL excavator. Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 Bloodline German Shepherd puppies for sale-Contact: 612-6672; 697-1141 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 1 –XBOX one with 2 controllers, kinect, black ops 111 & mortal Kombat X, perfect Christmas Gift. Call: 683-8386 One Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor in excellent working condition (first owner) –Call: 679-8454 AMERICAN BULLY DOGS, REMYLINE & GOTTILINECONTACT HARRY: 6100068/220-7933, WHATSAPP: 667-4845 1 Jet- Ski for sale –Call: 6158690 2 Pigs (sow) perfect for breeding/meat: large white & durex, mix weight: 120-130lbs, price$75,000 (both). Call: 6720470 DRESSMAKING Working suits/uniforms professionally done – starting $3,000 up –Call Sharmie: 626-2629; 676-6312 FOR SALE/RENT American Pools table-Call: 277-0578
VEHICLE FOR SALE One Honda CRV, immaculate condition –price $1,650,000- Call: 626-2884 1 RZ mini-bus -$750,000 negotiable, down payment & installment acceptedCall:694-8322; 223-1506 Toyota 2 RZ BTT Series, power window, sunroof, TV, fog, mint condition, owner leaving country- $1.6MCall: 612-6121 Toyota Dyna (enclosed), never registered, lift gate (hydraulic), back camera, excellent condition, low mileage -$2.6M –Call: 629-4494 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, 212, IST, Fielder, Spacio- Call: 6523820/ 665-4529 One Axela Mazda -$1.550 negotiable, one Nissan Titan, one Audi A4; all vehicles in excellent condition-Call: 6653038; 226-4356 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 1- New model Raum PSS Series rim AC dark interior, flair kit, TV & DVD deck, price -$1.7M negotiable – Call: 615-4317; 274-0086 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 2008 PTT series, Allion, 17" rims, TV, Viper alarm -$2.9M negotiable. Call: 669-7298 Toyota Raum, L-Touring Wagon, AT192, EP71 Starlet, Nissan 4 Door pickup, Yamaha R1 & R6, Honda 600RR-Call: 644-5096; 6971453 2013 Mercedes C250 turbo AMG coupe, retractable glasstop, mileage 15K, alcantara leather interior, brush aluminum acc- Call: 650-5136 Holiday Discounts!! Get a gift with the purchase of unregistered: Allion, Bluebird, Axela Fielder, Etc @ City Motors-Call: 626-7478 Honda Accord, 2003, leather, TV, DVD, radio, 35,000km, like new, price negotiable- Call: 689-1194 Toyota Fortuner 2012 yearCall: 624-6702 Unregistered Toyota Premio 2007, push start, reverse camera -$3.1M negotiable, Honda Ridgeline, 4 door extra cab-Call: 655-3400 Continued on page 71
Sunday December 20, 2015
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GHRA welcomes postponement of Terroriam Bill The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has commended the decision by the Coalition Government to postpone passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill in one Parliamentary sitting. The GHRA said that while calls for further consultation are welcome, the GHRA’s primary concern is the absence of assessment by agencies familiar with such legislation worldwide, particularly the UN. A further troubling issue is how consultation is understood by government agencies. “The fact that none of the GHRA recommendations was accepted in the AntiTerrorism consultation would have been defensible if there were evidence of amendments from elsewhere having improved the original draft. “In the absence of such evidence, an explanation of
what ‘consultation’ means for the Attorney-General’s Chambers in particular would be helpful.” The GHRA noted that the early months of the new Government saw a blizzard of consultations: civic bodies such as the GHRA were hardpressed to do justice to the many requests for input to these processes which often involved trekking out to the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. “In some cases these activities became buildingblocks for more constructive relations between civil society and Government, reflected in superior policymaking outcomes. In others, they appear to have been little more than symbolic gestures to international funders, without strengthening relations between civic and public sector agencies.” The length of time the
Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act has been shunted on and off the Parliamentary agenda in recent years offers more justification for completing all remaining stages in one session. Nonetheless, the Coalition Government needs to dispel any suggestion that Parliament is an inconvenient process. Efforts to curtail the Parliamentary budget debate are still fresh in peoples’memory. What comes across as shortcircuiting democracy may in fact be more accurately ascribed to poor planning, in which sidelining consultation becomes the quickest route to make up for lost time. On a more positive note, the GHRA welcomes the amendment of the term “beneficial ownership” in Section 2 (1) of the AntiMoney Laundering and
Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act. Transparency campaigns are being waged worldwide to legally enforce a requirement that the real names of natural persons who own or benefit from businesses be made available to the public. “Too often, real ownership is veiled behind anonymous names, encouraging widespread financial criminality. The new definition will require all persons to be named, who through their exercise of significant ownership and control of companies are major beneficiaries. “Equally significant in the interests of transparency, is the amendment to Section 15(4) (c) of the new Act which extends the beneficial ownership requirement to business partners when establishing a business relationship.”
Ungrateful man jailed for stealing SDA church money A man who got baptized after he was taken in by a family of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and got them to trust him subsequently escaped with over $400,000 a year ago. He was left at home by the unsuspecting family. Since then he was on the run. That run is over and he is now jailed. The man, Ramesh Ramnarine, called “Roy”, 40, of no fixed placed of abode was on Friday sentenced to 11 months in jail by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on a charge of simple larceny. He is accused of on September 7, last year, at Winkle Road, New Amsterdam Berbice, he stole $418,000, property of the Friendship Seventh Day Adventist Church. According to information the man befriended the Caple family of Friendship, Berbice River after he reportedly told them that he had nowhere to stay. They subsequently took him. He got baptized and started attending church and began working and staying with the family. ON Saturday September 6, 2014, the man subsequently visited the family while they were at a relative’s home in Winkle
and spent the night. The Caples subsequently went out around 11:30 hrs the following day leaving Ramnarine at home with the children. Upon their return about two hours after, Ramnarine was not there. Upon inquiry it was told that Ramnarine and one of the children had gone to buy Malta. The child subsequently returned after and stated that Ramnarine had left to collect money from a debtor. He subsequently left to buy Malta and then ice cream. Ramnarine never returned. It was subsequently learnt that the man proceeded to the bedroom in a pretext of fixing the bed. He subsequently used the time to slit an attaché case and removed the money. The cash which was Tithes and Offering from The church was to be taken to the head office in Georgetown. He was nabbed over one year later at a popular hotel in New Amsterdam. Upon being arrested he stated that the family owed him, so he took revenge. He subsequently kept changing his story. He then pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 month in jail.
From page 70
VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Raum with press start alarm system -$900,000 negotiable-Call: 693-8192 1 Isuzu canter open back (diesel engine), manual, short base, price $1.250M- Excellent condition- Contact Rocky 225-1400, 621-5902 1- Toyota Land Rover (Discovery) manual, fully powered, alarm, 4X4 Diesel (2700 cc) Price -$6.7M Contact Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1- Toyota Picnic (7 Seater) 4 doors, automatic, fully powered, A/C, mags, alarm CD –Price -$2.3M –Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1-Ford Ranger extra cab (4x4) automatic, fully loaded, AC, alarm. Price $1.8M- Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1- Mitsubishi Pajero (7seats) auto, fully powered, mags, hardly used –price $2.8M Contact: Rocky: 621-5902 1- AE110 Toyota Sprinter, automatic, fully powered, mags –price $975,000. – Contact Rocky: 621-5902; 225-1400
Brassington under the eyes of International... From page 9 construction of the Marriott Hotel. He failed to justify how millions of dollars were spent in the Linden Mining Enterprise and to properly account for their assets. “He hid $1B in a secret account to aid in the construction of the Marriott Hotel, then he paved the way for NICIL to illegally fund the preparation of the Pradoville Two scheme, misappropriated billions of dollars, and kept $26B from the Consolidated Fund.” “And that’s just the beginning. Doesn’t that amount to more than probable cause? This is what came out of a forensic audit report which found damning evidence regarding these financial crimes. What more are we waiting to see before he is charged?” Dr. Clive Thomas said that he could understand Gaskin’s sentiments which he said were also expressed by other concerned citizens. He said, “You know we have been seeing a lot of revelations in the media and I think that (Brassington) should be charged on each
violation of Guyana’s financial laws separately or as they come in as opposed to government waiting to pursue all the cases at once.” Additionally, in the forensic audit report on NICL, Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran recommended that moves be made to institute criminal and/ or disciplinary actions against all those within NICIL responsible for the interception of State revenues totaling $26.858 billion in violation of Articles 216 of the Constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA). He said that disciplinary action is provided for under the following sections of the FMA Act: (a) Section 48 — Misuse of public moneys; (b) Section 49 — Liability for loss of public moneys; and (c) Section 85 — Liability of an official. Goolsarran also called for the institution of criminal and/or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for violating Article 217 of the Constitution by causing expenditure to be incurred
without parliamentary approval. He said that charges are in order for all those responsible for ignoring National Assembly Resolution No. 32 of December 17, 2012, requiring NICIL to pay over to the Consolidated Fund “all revenues and proceeds from the sale of all State properties, except for those necessary administrative costs for maintaining and running its operations annually.” The Chartered Accountant called for NICIL to be liquidated and for the appointment of a Receiver to oversee the liquidation process. He said, too, that Government should reactivate the Privatisation Unit as a department of the Ministry of Finance to manage the Government’s residual investments after liquidation proceedings have concluded. In this regard, he noted that the existing staff of NICIL could be transferred to the Ministry of Finance. Goolsarran also recommended that his report be forwarded to the State
Assets Recovery Unit, with a view to recovering any State assets/properties that might have been improperly and illegally transferred to third parties. He believes that there should be a further independent audit to examine in detail transactions over the last six years, given that the scope of his report covered the period 2001 to May 2015. “In addition, considering the hostile, arrogant and demeaning response to my preliminary draft report as well as certain restrictions placed on this audit, it would be desirable for the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director to proceed on leave to facilitate the transaction audit,” Goolsarran added. He said that Government may wish to consider whether it wishes to retain the services of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in light of the findings and conclusions contained in the report. Come Tuesday, the forensic audit report is expected to be discussed among Cabinet members.
EDUCATIONAL Registered for Phonics, Reading, Spelling etc, classes for all ages, private tutoring also offered –Call: 675-4379 International Language Institute Classes for adults & Children, Spanish, English as Second Language, Portuguese, Dutch –Call: 223-3556 RISING STAR DAY CARE & KINDERGARTEN – Phonics, Reading, Numeracy, monthly fees @ 28 Cummings St, Close to Middle Street. Call: 690-9378
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. 2 storied transported concrete property- upstairs: 2 bedrooms apartment, downstairs: 2 bedroom apartment, block ‘8’ MonRepos, E.C.D -$19M neg. Call: 625-1514; 231-7255 Popular business place at temple Street, WindsorForest, W.C.D, -$35M price negotiable. Call: 642-6664; 658-3640 Parfaite Harmonie (land)$1M, $1.3M, $1.5M, Eccles$5M, unfinished structure $2M-$5M-Call: 604-2207; 611-7223 Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda, between Albert & Oronoque Streets -Call: 227-6817; 624-7341; 226-5183 Business & residential property @ EBD Public Road, all amenities including security camera & grilled, best cash offer accepted – Call: 684-2119 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue,E.B.D- Call: 664-5052 Property @ Tuschen Scheme, Main Road, transport ready $7M negotiable –Call: 6848231 2 Bedrooms house @ Good Hope E.C.D –Call: 662-9043 Lot 67 First Street Garden of Eden E.B.D – 7 (seven) acres of land with two buildings. Call: 639-8376 Lot 236 Buzz –A-Bee Dam Craig Village E.B.D, Size 6X120 rods with house and chicken pens. Call: 639-8376 2 Storey house @ Tuschen New Scheme, with kitchen bathroom & toilet, (2) 3 bedrooms apartment near Public Road & Call CentreCall: 650-2982 Transported land, 2 storey building; four bedrooms fully grilled @ Tuschen, New Housing Scheme-Call: 6953983; 685-5747 House and land - $3M @ Lot 13 La- Bagatelle, Leguan – Call Rita: 6565734, 664-1134
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Sunday December 20, 2015
Guyana records 118 traffic deaths in 2015 The 100 fatal accidents this year have resulted in the demise of 118 persons on the roadways thus far. However, in comparison to last year, there has been an 11.2 percent decrease. This was revealed at a press conference held by the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at the Guyana Traffic Headquarters in Eve Leary, on Friday. Last year, there were 124 fatal accidents resulting in 133 deaths. According to Traffic Chief, Dion Moore, among the highest number fatalities this year were pedestrians who numbered 41, followed by passengers of private motor vehicles and hire cars, 23; pillion riders, 17, motorcyclists, 16; and pedal cyclists 11. “We recognise that there are a lot of good drivers and equally, there are a lot of drivers who, for vain reasons, choose to do the wrong thing,” Moore said. To back up this claim, Moore made reference to the “number of cases being made” such as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to adhere to sirens which were 22,663; 2,452; and 1,086
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
...Careless driving seen as major contributor
From left: National Coordinator of Community Policing Groups (CPGs) Dennis Pompey, Traffic Chief Dion Moore and Executive Member of the Guyana National Road Safety Council, Shahab Hack. respectively. Also, driving while using cellphones were 1,347; and music in public transportation, 3,727. Moore stated that as part of the strategy to minimise accidents and fatalities, the GPF has already embarked on a mission to improve the learner/driver’s programme. He explained that monitoring has intensified due to the allegation of unprofessional behaviour being portrayed by both members of the GPF and also members of the public. Since this implementation, Moore said, persons who were scheduled to write the exams – after recognizing the changes – have began to backpedal; pulling out of the programme by absenting or by choosing not to write the exam. Shahab Hack, a member of the GNRSC, said that while the council is pleased with the figures as opposed to last year’s, it was not a number they had expected it to be. He explained that while
the decrease is good, when they looked back at the 118 deaths on a case to case basis, many accidents and deaths would have been avoided if persons had only adhered to the rules of the road. Hack then urged members of the public to make a conservative effort in the way they use the roadways pointing out that it would be reflection of the accidents and fatalities. “Right now we are not looking good internationally…We are losing too many lives on our roadways for very, very silly reasons. People are using the roadways irresponsibly; it’s as if they do not care… We are calling out to religious leaders to speak to their constituents; we cannot afford to lose more lives.” he said. Speaking at the conference was Devaugh Lewis, a representative of the Red Cross Society. Lewis stated that the society plays an advocacy
role in the GNRSC and will continue to do so. “We are also going to lend our expertise in training in terms of first-aid, where we train almost 5,000 persons per year. We have included road safety in our f i r s t - a i d . We h a v e a l s o engaged the police in t r a i n i n g a n d trying to upgrade the learner/driver permit so that it includes a
first-aid component,”Lewis said. Lewis also said that the International Federation of Red Cross will be launching a personal safety booklet for road users. The booklet would entail ten commitments for road users and drivers would be asked to sign on. This is scheduled to start next year. National Coordinator of Community Policing Groups (CPGs) Dennis Pompey, said on Friday that the GPF’s plans for next year will entail the intensifying of activities advocating safer road use, that is, school campaigns will continue across the country and systems would be put in place to have the activities quarterly, where they should have “something to promote safer road use”. More emphasis would
also be placed on making sure that vehicles are properly outfitted with the necessary requirements; proper tires, proper safety belts and vehicles that tra n s p o r t children will have to acquire proper facilities to ensure maximum safety to little ones. It was also reported that there has been some engagements with several government ministries such as the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to aid in the upgrade of roads, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Security. The GNRSC will also be issuing its first road safety magazine. It was scheduled to be introduced during November last but due to “some setbacks”, it will be launched in January next year.
Guyanese man fatally shot outside New Jersey night Club NEWARK: A former minibus driver from Guyana was gunned down early Friday morning in New Jersey. Authorities have identified the dead man as Guyanese Philip Amsterdam, 49, as the victim in the fatal shooting on Madison Avenue. His body was found just outside a night club during an investigation which began early Friday morning, when Amsterdam was found by authorities near the social club suffering a n apparent gunshot wound. Amsterdam was pronounced dead on Friday after being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, said Essex County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Katherine
Carter. The release comes on the heels of an early morning police raid of the after-hours social club near where authorities found Amsterdam wounded. At 3 a.m. Saturday, several Newark Police Department officers entered the social club, appearing to shut the venue down. Officers could be seen moving in and out of the building — a blue residential structure located in the 300 block of Madison Avenue — while people who appeared to be patrons exited. Attempts to obtain comment from the exiting patrons were unsuccessful. Police officials did not immediately disclose a purpose for the raid, or say whether any arrests were made. It is also unclear if the
Shot dead: US based Guyanese Phillip Amsterdam raid is at all connected to an Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigation into Amsterdam’s killing. (ww.nj.com)
Sunday December 20, 2015
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St Kitts-Nevis government to work to remove US financial advisory BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) — Well known Washington power broker Lanny Davis has agreed to help St Kitts and Nevis in its efforts to remove the advisory issued in May by the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to the effect that foreign individuals were abusing the country’s citizenship-by-investment program to obtain passports for the purpose of engaging in illicit financial activity. The disclosure was made in Parliament on Tuesday by prime minister and minister of finance, Dr Timothy Harris. Harris said that the improper actions of the previous Douglas administration and the distrust of that government by the US government as publicized in the FINCEN Advisory could not stand. He said that every effort must be made to overturn the advisory. “Team Unity will continue its reform efforts of the Citizenship by Investment Unit. We pledge to work with the US government to remove the dark and suspicious stain on the financial space of the country caused by the actions of the Douglas regime,” Harris said. FINCEN issued, on May 20, 2014, an advisory to alert financial institutions that certain foreign nationals are abusing the citizenship-by-investment programme sponsored by St Kitts and Nevis for illicit financial activity. The advisory states that FINCEN believes the programme’s lax controls make it attractive to bad financial actors who want to mask their identity and geographic background for the purposes of evading US or international sanctions or to engage in other financial crime. The advisory also stated that FINCEN recommends financial institutions mitigate this
Lanny Davis
risk through customer due diligence, including risk-based identity verification consistent with existing customer identification program requirements. Lanny J. Davis & Associates is an American law firm aimed at providing solutions for clients. Davis is a renowned legal crisis management expert. A lawyer and communicator with decades of experience, Davis has served in numerous roles, most significantly as former White House special counsel to President Clinton. Davis’ service comes at no cost to the government of St Kitts and Nevis. (Caribbean News)
Brazil dam collapse: Judge blocks BHP Billiton and Vale assets A federal judge in Brazil has blocked the assets of mining giants BHP Billiton and Vale in the country over the deadly collapse of a dam. The joint-venture company they own, Samarco, does not have enough resources to cover the potential damages, estimated at 20.2bn reais ($5.2bn; £3.4bn), the judge ruled. Samarco owned the dam, which held back waste water from iron ore mining. It burst last month, flooding a vast area and killing at least 13 people. Anglo-Australian company BHP Billiton and Vale, from Brazil, said they had not been officially notified. Judge Marcelo Aguiar Machado’s ruling was published on Friday. The two companies will also have to implement “immediate damage-mitigating environmental measures” or they will be liable to a daily fine of 150m reais ($38m; £25m), ruled Judge Machado. On 28 November the Brazilian government filed a lawsuit against Samarco for the environmental damage caused by the accident. Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira said the accident in the south-eastern
state of Minas Gerais had “a huge impact from an environmental point of view”. The village of Bento Rodrigues was totally destroyed and the toxic mud generated by the 5 November dam collapse polluted drinking water over a vast area. The money will be used to compensate the victims and help repair the environment. “It is not a natural disaster, it is a disaster prompted by economic activity, but of a magnitude equivalent to those disasters created by
forces of nature,” said Ms Teixeira when the lawsuit was filed. About 500km (310 miles) of the Rio Doce - one of Brazil’s most important rivers - will have to be dredged in parts, vegetation replanted and fresh-water springs cleared, she said. Less than a week after the accident, Samarco had its mining licence suspended. It also agreed to pay 1bn reais (£170m; $260m) temporary compensation to the victims. (BBC News)
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Sunday December 20, 2015
Sonia, Rahul Gandhi get bail after rare court date over alleged fraud Reuters - Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul made a rare
court appearance yesterday and won bail in a case of al-
leged graft they say Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses in a vendetta against their family. Hundreds of members of the Congress party were massed outside the court premises in Delhi in a show of support for the torchbearers of the Nehru-Gandhi ‘dynasty that has ruled India for most of its post-independence era after 1947. In the case, a prominent member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged the Gandhis misused party funds to illegally acquire real estate assets worth millions of dollars. The Gandhis deny any wrongdoing and on Saturday said they would not be deterred by attempts to frame them. “I appeared in court with a clear conscience as every law abiding citizen should do,” Sonia told reporters after the court hearing, where she was flanked by several senior party leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “The current government is intentionally targeting its opponents by using government agencies.”
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
Opposition warns of problems under PetroCaribe CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – The leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet, is warning that plans by the opposition controlled parliament in Venezuela to review the PetroCaribe initiative, could result in Caracas being unable to meet its obligations to St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries. Chastanet spoke to reporters after the Secretary General of opposition party Primero Justicia (Justice First) and re-elected deputy at the National Assembly of Venezuela, Tomás Guanipa, said there was need to review the initiative, an oil alliance of many Caribbean states with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment. Guanipa was reported in the Venezuelan-based El Universal as saying “We cannot continue selling oil due in 20 years when we need resources immediately. We will promote that our oil is for Venezuelans”. Guanipa said the new National Assembly to be installed in January in Venezuela will revise international oil agreements the government
Allen Chastanet
has signed through oil alliance PetroCaribe. Chastanet said told reporters “whatever projects St. Lucia has received approval for or is expected to get money for is expected to be in jeopardy. “I think the Venezuelan economy by all accounts is on a verge of a collapse so anybody who is going to continue depending on that money coming here are fools.” He said the UWP has repeatedly said that what is going on in Venezuela is not sustainable and has ques-
tioned the government countless times on why it is collaborating with a country that is in breach of so many human rights. “A global price drop in oil prices will translate to a significant change in policy to PetroCaribe,” he said. Last month, St. Lucia signed the PetroCaribe Joint Venture Agreement with Venezuela that seeks to foster trade between Saint Lucia and Venezuela. President of PetroCaribe Bernardo Alvarez signed the agreement here with Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony.
IDB, World Bank support Jamaica’s development policies Jamaica Observer - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank are working together to support the Government of Jamaica’s development priorities and promote resilience within the economy. Galina Sotirova, World Bank country manager, said that this coordinated approach provides “better support” for Jamaica. She was speaking Wednesday at day two of an annual IDB and World Bank hosted audit workshop which was held under the theme ‘Assuring Good Governance Through Accountability’ at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in Kingston. The workshop was attended by representatives of private auditing firms and project execution units of government and nongovernment agencies. Sotirova said that the workshop was dedicated to ensuring that “projects funded by the IDB and World Bank are well implemented and funds spent as approved and intended”. She noted further that “particularly in the tight fiscal space in which Jamaica is operating, quality
audits are essential to achieve the agenda of growth defined by the government for Jamaica”. The two-day IDB/ World Bank workshop covered a range of issues relative to audits, including procure-
ment guidelines and compliance; the importance of financial management and audit to bank operations; planning and field work; and treatment of foreign exchange movement and reporting.
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Jearlean John: $10b ‘burnt’ before my time Trinidad Express - Managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Jearlean John has said the years preceding her tenure at the State entity must also be audited as over $10 billion was spent with no accountability. John made the statement Friday via telephone on CNC3 Morning Brew programme. She said from the years 2007 to 2009, “they burned” some $9.3 billion without any accountability and this should also be addressed. “I am going to write Newman George (HDC chairman) because I need to ensure that he is properly guided because it seems as if he has just ignored this audit report and decide he wants to audit the period of my management of the organisation,” John said. John, along with seven managers, has been sent on administrative leave until March 2016 during which an audit is carried out on the HDC by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The decision was taken by the newly appointed HDC board chaired by Newman George, husband of House Speaker Bridgid AnnisetteGeorge. John, who has been heading the HDC since 2009 under the former Patrick Man-
Jearlean John ning administration, feels the move to send her on leave was politically driven and has called for the audit report to be laid in the public domain. Faris Al-Rawi, now attorney general, was a member of the HDC board during this period of the non-accountability as claimed by John. He was questioned by the media Friday on the matter following a news conference at the Parliament where he provided an update on the whistleblower legislation. Al-Rawi said it was “curious” that John was raising these issues years later. “It’s a little curious that one is now hearing this observation after someone has been put on an administrative leave yesterday (Thursday)
and if may address that position, while I am certainly not the line minister with responsibility for that, I don’t think that there is anything that should cause Trinidad and Tobago to rush to conclusions about certain things just yet. I think that inspection and audit is always a useful thing and I don’t think it would be appropriate to have the perception that someone can run interference into an audit or an exercise,” he said. Al-Rawi said that due process must be observed and the public should wait and let the chips fall where they may. He said he was unaware of the missing money John was talking about. “Ms John is capable of explaining herself, it’s interesting she is now coming forward to say all of this, she’s been at the HDC for two Governments in a row, I don’t know in what context she said what she said but it comes a day after an administrative leave,” he said. He said he has nothing to hide because he has always conducted himself professionally. “I am unconcerned as to my role because I know I have always acted with propriety,” he said. He noted that there was a Commission of Enquiry into the HDC and he did not lose a wink of sleep. “I sleep very well at night, if there is an audit report, let’s see what it says,” he said. Al-Rawi said it must be an uncomfortable thing to be sent on administrative leave, ‘but at the end of the day a process of investigation will happen and if there is nothing to be found, nothing will be found, I don’t think we should have any undue suspicions in relation to things,” he said.
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Taylor strikes in another Thunder win BRISBANE, Australia (CMC) — West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor kept up her good form in the Women’s Big Bash League as Sydney Thunder won their second straight game with an 18-run victory over StacyAnn King’s Adelaine Strikers here Friday. Playing at Allan Border Field, Thunder gathered a below-par 121 for five but Strikers mangled their run chase and finished on 103 for nine from their 20 overs. The victory for Thunder followed their nine-wicket win over Sydney Sixers two weeks ago in their opening game of the campaign where Taylor struck an unbeaten half-century. Opting to bat first on Friday, Thunder were propelled by captain Alex Blackwell’s top score of 44 not out while Taylor stroked a patient 30. Taylor and Rachael Haynes (12) put on 31 off 30
Stafanie Taylor... posted 31 for the third wicket. deliveries for the first wicket before Haynes and Naomi Stalenburg (2) fell in the space of seven balls to leave Thunder on 36 for two. The right-handed Taylor, who faced 28 balls and counted five fours, then posted 31 for the third wicket with Blackwell before falling at 67 for three, lbw to 18-yearold seamer Amanda Wellington. In reply, Strikers suffered a disastrous start when they
slumped to eight for three and never recovered, despite a fighting 19 off 31 balls from Sophie Devine and a defiant 25 off 33 balls from Tegan McPharlin. The 32-year-old King, a fixture in the Windies Women’s team in recent years, managed just three batting at number seven. Fast bowler Rene Farrell was the best bowler with three for 23 while Taylor’s three overs yielded 16 runs.
Sunday December 20, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You will find your personal partner taxing today. You can stabilize your situation if you compromise. Don't second guess yourself, just go to it. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The experience will be good. It might be time for you to take a quantum leap from one career to another. Your mate will be pushing you to do things that you really don't want to do. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You will have to watch out for minor health problems related to stress. Make sure that you have all the pertinent facts before taking action. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Communication will be your strong point and you should be able to persuade others to see things your way. Don't turn down offers that include sports activities or children.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Unexpected bills will leave you a little short. Romance will unfold through business trips. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Peers may not be on your side. You may have problems with children. You're undergoing changes. Voice your opinions and contribute to the debate. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Minor accidents could occur if you don't take precautions. Ease the anguish by offering assistance. You mustn't be so trusting. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Start sending out those resumes. Talk to people who can give you important knowledge. Delve a little deeper if you really want to know the score.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Enlist coworkers in order to get the job done on time. Don't be too quick to judge those you live with. You will gain knowledge through your adventure.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You have two choices; Get out on your own, or bend to your mate's whims. Social activity with friends and relatives will be most successful. Entertainment could be pleasing if it is of an energetic nature.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Do your own thing and everything will settle down. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your charm will be captivating. You will want to take off and have some recreation. A need to be in love may fool you.
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Platini says FIFA ethics committee decided his guilt in advance LONDON (Reuters) Suspended European football chief Michel Platini has accused a FIFA ethics committee of denying him a fair hearing on the corruption allegations against him and finding him guilty in advance. Platini declined to attend a meeting of the ethics committee on Friday, instead sending a statement which was read out by his lawyer and released to the media on Saturday. “I decided not to come before you to present my explanations in person. For one reason, and one only: I’ve already been judged, I’ve already been found guilty,” the former French midfielder and head of European football body UEFA said. Platini was the favourite to replace Sepp Blatter as head of world governing body FIFA but has himself become mired in the corruption scandal engulfing the sport, in which dozens of former top officials and marketing executives have been indicted by U.S. authorities. He himself has not been
Balkissoon (5-23) and... (From page 79) Satesh Latchman 55, Mukesh Persaud 33 and Lakeraj Sookra 6 for 23. D’Edward 2016 for 6 in 26.2 Overs Lakeraj Sookra 43 N.O, Heeralall Bridglall 43 and Jaipaul Heeralall 42 N.O. At Lovely Lass, Achievers beat Golden Elparabel by 60 runs. Achievers 183 for 4 in 30Overs with Quacy McPherson 94, Kris Ramnarine 34 N.O and Esrick Fordyce 2 for 36. Golden Elparabel 123 in 24 Overs with Enoch Carmichael 27, Kris Ramnarine 3 for 16, Rendell Bobb 3 for 15 and Rennison Mitchell 2 for 22. At No. 5, Monedderlust beat No. 3 by 67 runs. Monedderlust 224 for 7 in 30-Overs with Gladwin Johnson 58 and Errol Rutherford 47. No. 3 scored 157 in 23Overs with Gladwin Johnson 4 for 22 and Travis Ramjit 4 for 25. At Lochaber, Tucber Park beat West Canje by 4 wickets. West Canje 140 for 8 with Elon Schultz 47, Keion De Jesus 3 for 17 and Dion Sinclair 2 for 15. Tucber Park 141 for 6 in 21-Overs with Hakeem Hinds 43, Nial Smith 27 N.O and Raul Ault 3 for 40.
UEFA President Michel Platini smiles as he arrives for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland December 8, 2015. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) charged, but FIFA is investigating him and Blatter, who is also suspended, over a 2 million Swiss francs ($1.97 million) transfer from FIFA to Platini in 2011. Both men say it was a legitimate payment for work the Frenchman had done. In the statement read by his lawyer, Platini said a series of comments by FIFA officials, including anonymous briefings to the press, had made clear that the ethics committee had already determined his guilt. “I no longer have confi-
dence in the disciplinary bodies of FIFA. They have shown their bias, their prejudices, their inability to respect confidentiality, the presumption of innocence and the rights of the defence,” he said. Blatter appeared before the ethics committee on Thursday and a final decision is expected by the end of this month. Earlier this week, Blatter wrote to FIFA’s 209 member state associations, on his own stationery, proclaiming his innocence.
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Sunday December 20, 2015
“Australia v West Indies at MCG – Being best for the Boxing Day Test!” Colin E. H. Croft Despite that 1st Test featuring West Indies and Australia, “Happy Christmas 2015 everyone.!” I am not being facetious, as, all things considered, situations could have been much worse generally. Even though parts of the Caribbean have suggested that they are in recession, while other parts are still replenishing and retooling after recent political general elections, may every wish you have for yourself and loved ones come through for the holidays. Enjoy the festive season but be safe! So, WI, having been hammered in Test No. 1 at Hobart, must regroup next Friday; Christmas night Caribbean time – Boxing Day in Australia. The hosts will be looking to solidify strangle-holds on the visitors at legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground. Expect no favors from the rampant Aussies. WI must know that they have to come better than just good; they must be ‘great’; to address strong adverse feelings already suggested in especially the Australian press that WI should go home in gross em-
barrassment, being not fit for purpose. This is as apt a time for WI cricketers now on tour to show what they really are made of, to dig very deep indeed, to find that absolute stony resolve, that “do or die” attitude. The Aussies will not let up, so this will be survival of the hardest WI cricketers now Down Under! Head Coach Phil Simmons, manager (Sir) Richie Richardson, selector-on-tour Courtney Walsh and his fast bowling partner extraordinaire, bowling consultant (Sir) Curtly Ambrose, must read both the riot act for the poor display in Tasmania, while also referring heavily on their own, and WI’s histories at MCG, to revive WI’s present fortunes. But, revive them they must! The Wanderers cricket ground, home of Gauteng cricket in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known as “The Bull-ring”. However, nowhere in the cricket world, not even including Eden Gardens cricket ground in Kolkata, in India, which seated 100,000 plus before renovation for 2011’s ICC Cricket World Cup reduced
Deryck Murray (newsday.co.tt) capacity to 65,000, could any cricket arena more take on characteristics of a coliseum, a place where just plain survival is foremost, than MCG. New Zealand’s leading film star, Russell Crowe, of ‘Gladiator’ fame, who lives in Australia; a cricket enthusiast too; would not be out of place in his excellent make-up for that film at MCG. When we played there in
1970’s and 1980’s, one got the impression that all nearly 100,000 patrons were out for human blood, with Australian fast bowlers as lions looking to devour any cricketing prey around. That WI survived and won there in those series says something very special! None of us would ever forget the rhythmic chants of the gathered populace, with Dennis Lillee in his bowling pomp, approaching the crease, all 25 or so steps, accompanied with “kill, kill, kill, kill”, per step, follow by a loud crescendo at culmination and delivery, of “who-ah, howzah?” Also in the past, any Test match at MCG featuring West Indies and Australia, indeed, most countries v Australia, took on such a hue and occasion that everyone really dressed up; Sunday or holiday best; “to go to the cricket”. A Boxing Day Test at MCG was one of the sporting events of any Australian high society season, the biggest home Test match featuring Australia that season. Having attended a SuperBowl in Miami, Olympics in London and Atlanta, UK Football Associations Cup final at
Wembley Stadium, and world-championship boxing events, also victoriously playing in ICC CWC 1979 at Lords, I can attest that nowhere in sports could compare to MCG when full, maybe with exceptions of Maracana soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Just being at MCG brings belly butterflies! The last inspirational words for Test No. 2, Australia v WI 2015, at MCG, must go to then WI vice-captain, Deryck Murray, as he purposely spoke at our long team meeting, especially to us fast bowlers – Michael Holding, (Sir) Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Colin Croft - for Test No. 2, Australia v WI, 1979/ 80, after Test No. 1 at Brisbane had been a hard draw. Murray and WI had been similarly battered in WI’s 1975/6 tour to Australia, WI losing that Test series 5-1. Going into 1975’s MCG Boxing Day Test 1-1 after two Tests, WI lost that 3rd Test by eight wickets despite captain Clive Lloyd’s 102, but courtesy of Australia’s Ian Redpath’s 102, debutant Gary Cosier’s 109 and Lillee’s 7-126
match-figures. “Gentlemen,” said DLM quietly in 1979/80, “especially you four fast bowlers, nothing that you have done in cricket so far could be more important than this game. I do not care how you do it, but we must win this 2nd Test at MCG to try to redress some terrible history here. There is a lot that these Australians have to get back from 1975/6. Give it to them full force!” We did. Destroying Australia for 156 and 259, having made 397, Dessie Haynes and Gordon Greenidge got the needed 19 runs to win; 22-0. No-one on either team had a century and no other WI bowler except us four fast bowlers bowled! What inspiration that was and is! Enjoy! E-mail address = c.e.h.croft@gmail.com
Soesdyke, Pouderoyen, Grove Hi Tech and Golden Grove to collide at Grove EBD today Victoria Kings and Ann’s Grove into quarters The Grove Playfield will take centre stage today when the second edition of the Stag Super XVI knock-out football competition moves to the East Bank of Demerara for day three action. Home team and defending champions Grove Hi Tech will face off with East Demerara’s Golden Grove in the feature game of the evening with the curtain raiser bringing together Soesdyke Falcons, another East Bank side and their West Demerara counterparts, Pouderoyen. Grove will be aiming to go all the way again but will have to first get past Golden Grove
this evening in what is expected to be a stern test for the East Bank champions. With the Guyana Football Federation stipulating that no guest players would be allowed owing to the Club Licencing drive through CONCACAF and FIFA, clubs will have to ensure that they bring their ‘A’ game to the field. Two exciting matches are envisaged at the Mecca of football on the East Bank, Grove. Booking their respective places in the quarter finals following the second day of round-or-16-action on Friday at the Victoria Community
Centre ground, East Coast Demerara, were East Demerara sides Victoria Kings and last year’s beaten finalists, Ann’s Grove. Kings, once the knockout generals of the sport in Guyana needled West Demerara’s Stewartville, while Ann’s Grove also edged past another West Demerara team, Eagles 2-1 to secure a 100% record for host association on the night. The Kings used home advantage to their benefit, and while dominating the encounter, were just able to breach the Stewartville’s defence on one occasion, thanks to a Alden Lawrence 29th minute goal. Both sides looked scratchy at the start of the encounter but held their own as the game progressed where the exchanges became much more even, despite, the home team holding the upper hand. Jaslyn Small, who stood between the uprights for Stewartville, brought his ex-
Alden Lawrence perience to bear to shore up a virtually young and inexperienced side but still stood strong despite not making the cut in this their inaugural Stag Super XVI match. The win for the Kings earned them a quarter final date with West Demerara’s champions Uitvlugt on Christmas night at the Farm Community Centre ground and they will be looking to
Jermain Rogers (left) and Shafeer Sainicher. take care of business in this clash to earn a semi final slot. Last year they lost on penalty kicks to Ann’s Grove, 53 . The opening match was another close encounter that saw Ann’s Grove taking the early lead in the 11th minute through a Shafeer Sainicher goal which was cancelled out two minutes later when Eagles Shelton Forde found the
equalizer. The first half saw the score locked at 1-1. The game was virtually sealed thirteen minutes into the second half when Jermain Rogers was able to fire his shot past Eagles’ custodian Rocky Reddy to concretize Ann’s Grove’s quarter final date with West Demerara’s Beavers at the Victoria ground on Boxing night, December 26, next. Today’s Fixtures
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Warriors rally to avenge Bucks defeat, improve to 26-1 Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - Andre Iguodala capped a late seven-point run with a three-pointer as the Golden State Warriors avenged their only loss of the season with a 121-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Shooting guard Klay Thompson had a game-high 27 points and Stephen Curry added 26 to go with 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors (26-1) recorded their 30th consecutive home
victory dating back to last season. The win was Golden State’s 12th straight at home this season, matching the best home start in franchise history, established initially by the defending league champs in 1975-76. The score was tied at 108108 before Curry scored on a drive with 2:16 to play and added two free throws 20 seconds later. Iguodala then bombed in his three-pointer from the left corner, giving the Warriors,
who saw a 24-game, seasonopening winning streak end in a 108-95 defeat at Milwaukee on Saturday, a 115-108 lead with 1:21 remaining. “We were very public about the fact that we wanted to get revenge but then we didn’t come out and play with that edge and that mentality,” Warriors interim coach Luke Walton told reporters. “They (the Bucks) came out and wanted a piece of the champs, and we weren’t fighting back.”
Andrew Lewis Boxing hall of fame launched By Zaheer Mohamed History has always played an important role in the development of any sport, thus the main reason former Guyana lightweight, welterweight and Continental of Americas champion Michael Benjamin in partnership with a number of other boxing enthusiast has launched the Andrew ‘six heads’ Lewis Boxing Hall of fame. A pictographic archive has been installed at the upper flat of the Andrew Lewis Gym situated at Independence Boulevard and Calendar Street, La Penitence, the said venue where the inauguration took place yesterday. The venture which has been in the making for the past two years will be used to highlight the achievements of Guyanese boxers. Speaking at the launching ceremony, president of the Guyana Olympic Association Juman Yassin complimented Ivan Chapman and members of the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School Steel Orchestra. He spoke of the importance of the project adding that he would like to see more Guyanese world champions. Yassin pointed out that Boxing is in the doldrums and that Boxers need to be taken care of. Head of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, congratulated Benjamin and pledged his support for the scheme. President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, Peter Abdool, said this venture should have been done like 20-30 years ago stating that it is very important since it highlights the achievements of everyone who has contributed to the development of the sport. He lauded the founder members. Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green indicated that the city has always produced
Former Boxer Pamela London cuts the ribbon to declare the Andrew ‘six heads’ Lewis Hall of Fame open. talented boxers and this initiative will motivate the youths. While highlighting the feats of some of Guyana’s athletes including Michael Parris, Cliff Anderson and Andrew Lewis, Green said that sports can do wonders for a country and calls for more corporate support. He said that History will inspire the younger boxers and hope that this venture will provide same so the youths will have someone to look up to. Green feels Guyana has what it takes to win more world titles and boxing is the best avenue for Guyana to move forward. He called on the Government and private sector to invest in the sport and urged the youths to take it seriously. Guyana’s lone Olympic medalist Michael Parris touched on the importance of training. The boxers that have been inducted into the hall of fame so far are Gary St. Clair former
IBF and IBO Junior/lightweight champion, Vivian Harris-former WBA/IBA welterweight champion, Wayne Brathwaite-former WBC cruiserweight champion, the late Andrew Lewis- former WBA welterweight champion, Terrence Alli- former ESPN junior welterweight champion, Michael Parris bronze medalist 1980 Moscow Olympic games, Mike Benjamin-former Guyana lightweight, welterweight and Continental of Americas welterweight champion, Leon Moore-former Guyana /CABOFE bantamweight/NABA/FEDE/ WBA/PAN Asian featherweight/WAA/WBC Super Batamweight/Continental of America champion, the late Andrew Murray former Commomwealth/Continental of Americas champion and Shondell Alfred-WIBA/Iberian and Guyana Batamweight champion.
DECISIVE RUN Point guard Michael Carter-Williams had 24 points for the Bucks, who forged double-digit leads on two occasions before suffering a fifth loss in their last six games. After leading by as many as 15 points in the third period, the Bucks held a 100-89 advantage in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter before the Warriors rallied. Power forward Draymond Green scored eight consecutive points on a three-point play, a layup and a three-pointer, and Curry made all three free throws after being fouled on a longrange shot in an 11-point
flurry that tied the scores with 6:08 to go. The Warriors took their first lead since the first quarter, 103102, on a dunk by center Festus Ezeli with 5:01 to go. The Bucks managed three subsequent ties, the last at 108-108 with 2:29 to go on an inside hoop by center Greg Monroe, before the decisive seven-point Warriors run that gave them command. Green had 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Ezeli contributed a 14point, 10-rebound doubledouble for the Warriors, who were playing for the second time on a five-game homestand. Small forward Giannis
Antetokounmpo backed Carter-Williams with 20 points for Milwaukee, which had lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers to begin a four-game Western swing. Seven Bucks scored in double figures, including Monroe, who had a second consecutive doubledouble against the Warriors with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go with seven assists. “We needed to pick it up on the defensive end,” Green said after Golden State held the Bucks to 19 points in the fourth quarter. “We know when we get stops and push the ball, they couldn’t keep up.”
Half centuries for Brathwaite, Blackwood against Victoria X1
Kraigg Brathwaite was again in the runs after his 94 in the first Test (file photo) © Cricket Australia/Getty Images GEELONG, Australia (CMC) – Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood posted half centuries as West Indies amassed 303 for 8 on the first day of their two-day tour match against a Victoria X1 in Geelong on Saturday. Brathwaite scored 78 from 175 deliveries in the first two sessions before retiring out to give the rest of his teammates a chance at the wicket at Simonds Stadium. The West Indies opener struck nine fours as he continued from where he left off from his second innings score of 94 in the opening Test. Brathwaite featured in a solid 68-run second-wicket stand with Marlon Samuels who struck an aggressive 45 from 39 balls including seven fours. Blackwood compiled a well-played 69 to bolster his confidence after scoring a couple of ducks in the first Test. The diminutive Jamaican
batsman scored seven fours and a six and added 99 runs for the third wicket with Brathwaite before he was trapped lbw to leg spinner Jeremy Hart. Hart picked up four wickets for 93 runs and was cleaning up the lower order in the final session, claiming the scalps of Jason Holder for nine, Carlos Brathwaite 4, and Jerome Taylor 4. Shai Hope, who was not selected to open for the first Test, batted at number eight but only managed one before he was lbw while Denesh Ramdin finished unbeaten on
38 from 73 balls. Earlier, opener Rajendra Chandrika scored 28 in an opening stand of 45 with Brathwaite as West Indian players braved temperatures, which peaked at 43.8C. The two-day game is the only scheduled match for West Indies before the Boxing Day Test and their opponents are made of mostly players without first-class experience. Scores: West Indians 8 for 303 (Brathwaite 78, Blackwood 69, Hart 4-93) v Victoria XI.
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Sunday December 20, 2015
Essequibo Gym wins Pepsi/Parris U16 boxing title Essequibo Boxing Gym copped seven victories to win the overall title of the second edition of the Pepsi/Michael Parris U16 championship which was contested on Sunday at the Andrew Lewis Gym. Forgotton Youth Foundation placed second with four wins. Delroy Elcock and Aquancy Wright both of Essequibo turned in outstanding performances to win their respective categories. Elock defeated Junior Hyman of Essequibo in the 95-99 division, while Wright overcame Deron Williams in the 65-69. Joshua Corbin of Karel Gym beat Brian Harris of Forgotton Youth Foundation (FYF) gym in the 140-147 segment, while Christopher Moore of Essequibo took the 125-132 title by beating Deshon Elcock also of
Essequibo. The 120-124 crown was taken by Shumar Bumbury of FYF who overcame Joel Allicock of Pocket Rocket gym, Essequibo’s Shaquel Wright got the better of Mohammad Bacchus of Karel gym, Junior Hassan of Essequibo beat Omar Pollard of Pocket Rocket in the 95-99, Shakiem Jones of FYF thumped Deandra Linton of Harpy Eagle Kevon Mullings beat Hermon Whyte in the 9094 while Orin Hutson of FYF defeated Joseph Semple of Harpy Eagle in the 80-84. The 70-74 division was taken by Travis Imvervary of FYF who overcame Akeem Alli of Harpy Eagle. Deron Williams overpowered Dwayne Baptiste of FYF to claim the 65-69 crown and Jamie Kelman of FYF beat Seon Graham the youngest boxer in the tournament at age nine also of FYF in the 60-64 division.
The Respective winners display their accolades with coaches and tournament officials.
Chameera produces career-best Chelsea turn to Hiddink return as NZ struggle again to revive fortunes (Reuters) Paceman Dushmantha Chameera took career-best figures with aggressive short-pitched bowling to give Sri Lanka a slight advantage at the close of play on the second day of the second test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday. Doug Bracewell was unbeaten on 30 with Neil Wagner dismissed for 17 with two balls remaining in the day’s play as the hosts finished on 232 for nine, 60 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first innings of 292. Chameera had sparked a top-order collapse shortly after lunch by taking three wickets in 13 balls before he returned to pick up two more after tea to end the day with figures of 5-47. “We haven’t batted the way we would have liked and the way we should have,” New Zealand opener Martin Guptill told Radio Sport. “It was just one of those things that happens in cricket. “Sri Lanka are allowed to bowl well and they did bowl very well for a period there. The guys couldn’t get through it as well as we would have liked. “We are still in the game, a little bit behind the eight ball, but not very far.” Chameera’s previous best had been 3-53 against Pakistan in Colombo in June and his spell after lunch had reduced the hosts to 89-4 before New Zealand’s lower order buckled down.
Dushmantha Chameera celebrates after dismissing Tom Latham, New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Hamilton, 2nd day, December 19, 2015 ©Getty Images Mitchell Santner (38) and BJ Watling (28) thwarted Sri Lanka for 19 overs and just 40 runs for the sixth wicket before Santner got the thinnest of edges off Nuwan Pradeep through to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal after tea. Watling then fell to a low catch by K i t h u r u w a n Vi t h a n a g e a t g u l l y o ff Suranga Lakmal just after he and Bracewell had reduced the deficit to under 100 runs. Chameera, however, returned for the final 40 minutes of play and got his fourth wicket when Tim Southee became the third batsman to fall into Angelo Mathews’ legside trap. New Zealand had been well placed at 61-0 at lunch and proceeded to take 20 runs from the first two overs after the break before their innings fell apart. Chameera, the quickest
bowler in the match, had conceded 13 runs in his first over after lunch, but then tightened up considerably as he bowled with pace and aggression and to a plan by Mathews to stack the leg side with fielders. He had Tom Latham caught at leg gully for 18 and Kane Williamson snapped up by Suranga Lakmal at deep backward square for one. The 23-year-old then angled a short delivery across Ross Taylor (nought) that caught his glove and went through to Chandimal to leave the hosts on 89 for four. Left arm-spinner Rangana Herath also grabbed two wickets before tea, dismissing Guptill for 50 and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum for 18. Scores: New Zealand 232 for 9 (Guptill 50, Chameera 5-47) trail Sri Lanka 292 (Mathews 77, Siriwardana 62, Southee 3-63) by 60 runs.
LONDON (Reuters) Chelsea turned again to experienced Dutchman Guus Hiddink to guide them out of a crisis when they named him interim manager on Saturday for the rest of the season following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Hiddink, 69, had a caretaker spell in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2009 when Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari was fired and Chelsea went on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and win the FA Cup under his care. “I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around,” Hiddink said in a club statement. Hiddink’s first priority will be to breathe some life into Chelsea’s Premier League campaign after the champions lost nine of their first 16 matches this season — a calamitous run that ended with three-times title winner Mourinho’s dismissal on Thursday.Chelsea, embroiled in their worst start to a league season since 1978, are one point above the relegation zone ahead of Saturday’s home clash with fellow strugglers Sunderland. Hiddink will attend the match although assistant coaches Steve Holland and Eddie Newton will take charge.
New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink sat in the stands before kick off. (Reuters / Dylan MartinezLivepic) Mourinho was sacked for the second time as Chelsea manager on Thursday, seven months after leading them to the title. The Portuguese was also fired in 2007, having won back-to-back league titles, after falling out with the club’s billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich. Since signing off from Chelsea with an FA Cup win over Everton, Hiddink has been manager of Turkey, Russian club side Anzi Makhachkala and most recently a dismal s e c o n d spell as Netherlands coach which ended in his sacking after they failed to qualify for next year’s Euro 2016 finals. However, he made a great impression in his brief stay in London in 2009 and proved popular with the
Chelsea players. Further ahead he will have the chance to steer Chelsea in the Champions League in which they face Paris St Germain in the last 16 when the tournament resumes in February. Hiddink has enjoyed an itinerant career that has included a spell at Real Madrid and national team roles with South Korea, Russia and Australia. He took his first head coach’s job at PSV Eindhoven in 1987 and won the Dutch title in three consecutive seasons as well as winning the European Cup in 1988. After leaving PSV and joining Fenerbahce in 1990, he returned to the club in 2002 and won three more league titles in a four-year spell.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 83
Facilities key to Windies decline, says former vice-captain
NASH... a lot of money was spent on the 2007 World Cup to increase the standard of facilities. (Jamaica Observer) MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC) — Former West Indies vicecaptain Brendan Nash believes the poor standard of cricket facilities in the Caribbean has played a role in the decline of the game in
the region. The Australia-born lefthander, who played 21 Tests between 2008 and 2011 — after qualifying to represent West Indies through his father who is Jamaican — said the quality of the
facilities at all levels had fallen-off and this had directly impacted on development. “A lot of money was spent on the 2007 World Cup to increase the standard of facilities,’’ Nash said. “I know when I was there towards the end of 2010, the facilities really dropped off. So, within four years they just didn’t have the money to keep it going or it wasn’t run correctly. “I t s tar ts w ith th e facilities because training facilities are poor. Even club matches, facilities are terrible. So I can’t see it getting better any time soon, unfortunately.” Much of the decline in West Indies cricket has also been attributed to the breakdown in the relationship between the West Indies Cricket Board and the players, and Nash said this appeared to be the case. “I’ve been out of it for two or three years but from an outsider looking in there is just no trust between either party,” he said.
2015 Raffik & Sons Construction Second Division 20-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice
Ray Nelson slams 66 to ease Fyrish into semi-finals Fyrish defeated Albion Community Centre to complete a clean sweep of Group B of the 2015 Raffik & Sons Constructions Service Second Division 20Overs Cricket Competition and as a result have joined Courtland All Stars, Rose Hall Town Bakewell and Kennard’s Memorial in the final. In the match, Albion made 137 for 7 in their 20Overs with Josiah Dhanai hitting 43 and Guyana Under-17 batsman Adrian Sukwah 33. When Fyrish replied Ray Nelson hit 66 and Wazim Mohamed 30 to steer them to a 5-wicket victory with 5.1 Overs to spare.
In summarised scores: At Fyrish, Fyrish beat Albion Community Centre by 5 wickets. Albion Community Centre 137 for 7 in 20-Overs with Josiah Dhanai 43, Adrian Sukwah 33, Kevin Subramani 2 for 13 and Aishnarine Shirkissoon 2 for 30. Fyrish 140 for 5 in 14.5 Overs with Ray Nelson 66 and Wazim Mohamed 30 At Mibicuri, Chesney beat Mibicuri Strikers by 7 wickets. Mibicuri Strikers 81 in 18.3 Overs with Devendra Harilall 2 for 3. Chesney 82 for 3 in 11-
Overs with Riaz Ramcharran 25, Youardhan Gurdayal 25 and Shastri Persaud 21 N.O.
The 38-year-old ended his association with English County Kent last August, following a productive fouryear stint with the club. And he said he was still available for international duty if West Indies required
his services. “I’m still available. I’d like to think I can still move around the field quite well and I’ve been playing county cricket, which has its challenges over there, and done pretty well in the last four seasons.”
He added: “They (West Indies) still need that mix of experience and youth but they need the right kind of experienced players.” Nash averaged 33 with two centuries and eight half-centuries during his brief Test career.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday December 20, 2015
Berbice dominate at GCB’s Awards Ceremony
The Awardees with Minister Nicolette Henry (middle sitting) and WICB Director Anand Sanasie (left sitting).
Male Cricketer of the Year Veerasammy Permaul is presented with his trophy by WICB Director Anand Sanasie.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held its annual Awards Ceremony on Friday night at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) pavilion at Bourda and Berbice captured all of the mayor Awards. Albion’s left-arm spinner Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l finished the inaugural PCL First-Class Franchise with 69 wickets and after the first half of the second edition on 17 wickets from three games to be adjudged Cricketer (Male) of the year ahead of the other two nominees Vishaul Singh and Devendra Bishoo. West Indies women’s player Tremayne Smartt, a fast bowling all rounder from New Amsterdam based club Tucber Park, copped Female Cricketer of the year ahead of her West Indies teammate Shemaine Campbell and Guyana teammate Akaze Thompson.
Female Cricketer of the year Tremayne Smartt collects her Award from fellow Berbician Minister Nicolette Henry.
West Indies under-19 left-handed opening batsman Shimron Hetmyer, who plays for Cumberland based side Young Warriors, took the youth Cricketer of the year Aw a r d a n d h i s f a t h e r Gladstone Hetmyer, collected the Roy Fredericks trophy on his son’s behalf. Hetmyer, who got three Awards, is a part of the West Indies camp that is preparing for the 2016 U-19 World Cup. C o r e n t y n e ’s A l b i o n Sports Complex captured the team of the year ahead of city side DCC and Corentyne team Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club. Also winning Awards were little Berbician Mandy Mangru (Most improved female youth player), Vi s h a u l S i n g h ( M o s t improved cricketer), Rajendra Chandrika (Recognized for his West Indies selection), Sachin Singh (Most runs in WICB U-15 Tournament), Kevin Omroa (Most Wickets in WICB U-15 Tournament), Kelvin Anderson (Most Valuable player in Regional U-15), Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (Most Runs in WICB U-17), Bashkar Yadram (Most Wickets in Regional U-17), Hetmyer (Most runs in Regional U19), Kemo Paul (Most wickets in WICB U-19), Balchand Baldeo (Most wickets in Regional U-17), Hetmyer (MVP Regional U19). Former Test Umpire
Eddy Nicholls got an Award for his long and dedicated Service as an Umpire, while Jerome Inderdat got an Award for his outstanding service as a curator. Sean Devers, for the fourth time in six years took the Award for Cricket Journalist of the year, while Digicel and Banks DIH received Corporate Awards. West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Director and Secretary of the GCB and Anand Sanasie welcomed the large gathering which included members of the touring T&T Academy U19s, PCL and Guyana Youth Teams. Also present were President of the GOA and long serving former GCB President Chetram Singh. President of the GCB Drubahadur provided a review of the year in cricket, while Minister within the Ministry of Education in the department of Culture, Youth & Sports Nicolette Henry gave brief remarks. Vice-President of the WICB, St Lucian Emmanuel Nanthan was scheduled to give the feature address but due to the death of a family member he could not make the trip to Guyana but sent his speech which was read. There was also a video message from CEO of the WICB Michael Muirhead, while Devers responded on behalf of the Awardees before former West Indies pacer and TDO of the GCB Colin Stuart said the closing remarks.
Sunday December 20, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 85
2015 New Building Society Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice
Balkissoon (5-23) and Hemraj (52) put Bush Lot Challengers into play-offs -D’Edward also through as Sookra takes 6 for 23 and scores 43 N.O. Bush Lot Challengers defeated Cotton Tree Die Hard by 6 wickets to clean sweep Zone A of the 2015 New Building Society Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice to earn the right to advance to the last 16 play-
offs of the competition. In that match their offspinner Brandon Balkissoon firstly took 5 for 23 from 7-Overs to help bowl out Cotton Tree for 142 in 30.3 Overs and then opening batsman Rajbance Hemraj hit 52 (7 fours) to
steer them to an easy 6wicket victory. Also advancing to the play-offs were D’Edward which team defeated Bath by 4 wickets to end up as winners of Zone B. Bath did well to rattle up 205 in their 35-Overs thanks mainly to
UDFA GT Beer yearend football
Davidson’s hat-trick sends Winners past Blueberry Hill 3-0, Milerock crush Eagles 3-1 Defending champions Federal Winners Connection led by a hat-trick of goals from their lanky forward Marmalaque Davidson secured 3-0 victory over Blueberry Hill, while Milerock came from a goal down to brush aside Eagles United as the Upper Demerara Football Association GT Beer Christmas knockout football tournament continued on Friday night at the Mackenzie sports Club ground. The first game was between Milerock, who were set back by an early goal when there defenders were caught motionless and Eagles’ Kwesi Quintyn made them pay as he slid through to place the ball with a well-timed shot which scored in the 57th minute. However, the Petra Organisation champions regrouped early enough to cancel that advantage for the Eagles team and as they were able to come forward as the early shock did not deter their efforts. They were rewarded in the 37th minute as a cross from Ron Fiedtkou at midfield reached Clarence Huggins who rounded his
Marmalaque Davidson (left) and teammate Rawle Gittens. marker and eluded him to score with a well-placed shot in the 39th minute of play. The first half there would end with a 1-1 score line. Milerock had by then gathered their momentum together and would go after their opponents who failed to respond in kind and Milerock would gain the lead as Huggins was fouled in the box, and Jermain Granderson would take the penalty to score in the 81st minute for the Milerock 2-1 lead. The Milerock unit would then close out the contest when a ball was sent cross field for the travelling Kester Randolph to evade his defenders and dart
through to score for a Milerock 3-1 winning score. Tonight the GT Beer championships will continue with two more matches. The first at 6:30pm is between Hi Stars and Net Rockers and at 8:15pm Amelia’s Ward Panthers and Botafago face off.
Jailall Bridglall who hit 63 (8 fours) and Satesh Latchman 55 (3 fours and 1 six). Offspinner Lakeraj Sookra took 6 for 23 from 5-Overs for D’Edward. D’Edward was however up to the challenge and reached 206 for 6 in 26.3 Overs. Quacy McPherson hit 94 (9 fours and 2 sixes) to help Achievers to a 61-run victory over Golden Elparabel, while Gladwin Johnson firstly scored 58 and then took 4 for 22 from 6Overs in Monedderlust’s 67run win Over No. 3. In summarised scores: At Cotton Tree, Bush Lot Challengers beat Cotton Tree Die Hard by 6 wickets. Cotton Tree Die Hard 142 in 30.3 Overs with Taje
Rajbance Hemraj Singh 27, Brandon Balkissoon 5 for 23 and Joel Dilchand 2 for 30. Bush Lot Challengers 143 for 4 in 25.5 Overs with Rajbance Hemraj 52, Joel Dilchand 28 and Keith
Brandon Balkissoon Fraser 2 for 26. At D’Edward, D’Edward beat Bath by 4 wickets. Bath 205 in 35-Overs with Jailall Bridglall 63, (Continued on page 73)
t r o Sp
Andrew Lewis Boxing Essequibo Gym wins Pepsi/ hall of fame launched Parris U16 boxing title
Michael Parris (left) and Michael Benjamin strike a pose during the opening of the Hall of Fame at Andrew Lewis Gym.
Delroy Elcock of Essequibo Gym (left) breaches Junior Hyman (Essequibo Gym) defense in the 95-99 category.
Soesdyke, Pouderoyen, Grove Hi Tech and Golden Grove to collide at Grove EBD today
Victoria Kings and Ann’s Grove into quarters Veteran Kings player Winston Pompey (#6) battling Stewartville’s Rickford Albert (#1) and others for possession on Friday night at the Victoria ground.
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