Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Where your views make the news
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Letters... Where your views make the news
If the government insists on keeping Returning to the land is the solution EDITOR, during which certain birthright it is. the Guyana Prize, it must pay attention DEAR Guysuco’s nagging I would further posit that conditions must be met in problem is the production of this marginalization/alienation order to qualify for renewal, to the development of local writers sugar at a cost above its from the true source of wealth based on such criteria as the market price. In trying to is the root cause of an even farm’s productivity and its
DEAR EDITOR, In response to Ms. Ryhaan Shah’s letter on the Guyana Prize, published in both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News of February 2: Ms. Shah says, “I think it is a serious disservice to emerging writers to have them believe that the primary or only reason to write is to produce competitive work in order to win a prize. This is wholly reductive and dishonours the fine worldwide tradition of writing and literature which has created enduring classics that have shaped our very thinking and civilization.” That statement, if applied to my interventions, might itself be considered reductive and a disservice to the views expressed. I agree that prize winning should not be the sole or primary reason for writing. A serious writer writes indeed to influence a particular society’s thinking and, by extension, that of humanity as a whole. That, however, is simply one aspect of the equation – a society committed to selfreflection and civilization seeks to accommodate and facilitate good writing. Desmond Hoyte founded the Guyana Prize precisely in the spirit of that accommodation and facilitation, in particular where its objectives express a commitment to development. While I have in my latest engagement urged specifically that the date be extended and [more] workshops held to offer local writers a better chance at winning this year’s Prize, I also recommended that other measures be put in place beyond just winning the Prize, including the establishment of a standing mechanism for literary development, engaging schools, public education
about the role of literature, and publication by a properly run Caribbean Press. Ms. Shah says: “To win prizes for one’s book is, of course, always a happy occasion and the way the process usually works is that after a book is published the publishers might feel it is good enough to enter into a prize-giving competition and the work is then submitted.” The problem with that formula of course is that there are no publishers in Guyana for emerging writers to take advantage of. The Caribbean Press ideally should have filled that role, but under Dr. Frank Anthony and Dr. David Dabydeen’s complete lack of accountability and mismanagement, this has not been done. To this day, the Minister cannot account for the number of books actually produced, not even when asked in Parliament, and only about four of the 70 titles published are by emerging writers, with one of those being the Minister’s daughter. Ms. Shah says: “The integrity of a book is immediately compromised when a writer sets out to produce competitive work for the approbation of a panel of judges in order to win a prize and, most especially, if the prize is sponsored by a government agency. This would require more than a little self censorship on the part of the writer if they really want to win.” I won the last Guyana Prize for Best Book of Fiction. I am the last writer, and indeed one of the last people, in Guyana that can be accused of self-censorship.
As I pointed out before, the entire Cabinet boycotted the last award ceremonies, and to this day I can’t get my books, published in Guyana, into the secondary school system, nor have I been invited to do so much as a presentation at the University of Guyana. One of the visionary things about Desmond Hoyte’s design of the Prize was the composition of the Jury, three overseas-based judges and two local ones. It’s not a foolproof system, but it greatly mitigates government influence over the judging process. Ms. Shah is perfectly entitled to her opinion of the Prize, and her decision not to enter her work. I personally believe that the Guyana Prize management needs to be reformed, that as a national award its funding not be dependent on the whims of the Cabinet, that it fulfills its development role, and that greater scrutiny should be available on precisely how the money is spent and whether there is full value for what is paid for. However, if it is that the government insists on keeping the Prize, I insist that it at least pays attention to the development of local writers, both those who are fortunate enough to win, and those who simply want to write. Ruel Johnson Janus Cultural Policy Initiative
solve this problem it has been concentrating on two issues: capitalization and labour, the latter of which it has little control over. A third factor of production, land, has received little attention, save for its half-hearted attempts to improve the productivity of land. I say half-hearted, because much of Booker’s practices in increasing land productivity have been abandoned by Guysuco. I would like to posit that a different utilization of this valuable resource, land, could hold the key to Guysuco’s problem. But most importantly, it could address a serious socio-economic problem that has historically plagued Guyana - the problem of marginalization or alienation of the majority of Guyanese, who are wageearners, from the true wealth of the nation. Indeed, this is not a new concept. Ownership and control of our resources had been the mantra of our governments from 1953 to the early 1990s. Unfortunately it was put on the back burner, and today it is even more threatened by encroaching Asian hegemonies, and the attractive beckoning from the North. Yes, I believe land is not only the source of all wealth, but a people’s proximity to it is spiritually and morally uplifting. Being close to the land is being close to God, especially for those whose
more persistent plague – our ethnic suspicions of each other. But let me come back to the issue. Guysuco holds and controls 164,000 acres of prime land, but occupies between 90,000 and 100,000 acres for sugar production. Most of it already has an elaborate drainage and irrigation infrastructure in place, with about 50,000 acres, considered permanently abandoned, in need of some Drainage and Irrigation repairs, as a result of prolonged abandonment. I would like to propose that some of this abandoned land be leased out for peasant farming at five acres per farmer. I say lease, because Guysuco’s present policy of selling prime land to private entrepreneurs/developers is not really working, but is actually further exasperating the problem of marginalization, and adds little to Guysuco’s finances, since the developers are only interested in land for non-agro purposes, and are turning over enormous profits of which none goes to Guysuco. The leases should be provisional and made out for an initial period of ten years,
debt/equity ratio. After two successive renewals the lease holder should be entitled to full ownership. Now let us see how much income will be generated for Guysuco. GuySuCo currently produces sugar at an average cost of US$0.35 per pound, while world market prices have averaged US$0.16 per pound. Production last year was estimated at 216,142 tonnes, thus Guysuco lost about $440 per tonne, or $95M for the year. Leasing 50,000 acres to 10,000 farmers at $200 an acre would bring $50M into Guysuco’s coffers. That alone would solve half of its problem and a great lot of Guyana’s ethno-economic issues. Its increased capitalization and improved factory, field and labour productivity should take care of the rest in five to ten years. I know a lot of people would be asking what crops these farmers would be engaged in. Well, how about citrus, pineapple, cocoa, coffee, dairy farming, pigs, fish farming and a bunch of others, not to mention cash crops? I recall, as a boy, eating local chocolate made from Continued on page 23
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Kaieteur News
Jagdeo libel case...
Court grants plaintiff third adjournment to appeal ruling Lawyers for former President Bharrat Jagdeo, the plaintiff in the Frederick Kissoon libel case, have been granted a third adjournment by High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds to appeal a ruling he made in favour of the defence. The lawyers are applying to the Full Court to appeal the sitting Judge’s ruling out-oftime. Despite strong objections from Kissoon’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, who expressed concern that the libel case seems to be dragging on, the court gave the plaintiff until February 13 to report positively on its application to the Full Court, or face the continuation of the libel case. The Kissoon libel case, ongoing for almost six years now, is currently on pause since the plaintiff is still to appeal the High Court ruling which gave the defence permission to amend their case. More than nine months after the court gave the plaintiff time to appeal the ruling; the lawyers are still to do so. Last year March, the plaintiff objected to evidence being provided by defence witnesses. Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos and his junior, Sase Gunraj, said that the evidence provided by the defence was being made to justify statements Kissoon made in his newspaper column. De Santos said that there was no evidence to justify the said information.
...defence says enough time wasted
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo After arguments by both sides, Hughes opted to amend the defence’s case to include justification of the evidence, and his application was granted. De Santos was against this ruling and vowed to appeal the matter. Time was granted for this appeal to be made and for an amended reply to be made to the amended defence. When the court was told that the legal documents were not filed by the plaintiff, the plaintiff asked the court to apply to the Full Court to appeal the matter out-of-time and also to provide the amended response. Again the plaintiff asked for more time as there was no word from the Full Court as to when the case would be addressed. Yesterday, Attorney Sase
Kaieteur News columnist Frederick Kissoon Gunraj said that his senior was involved in another court case and could not be present before Justice Reynolds. He said, however, that on this occasion, an application was filed to the Full Court. However, the CJ has transferred the matter to other Judges, Gunraj said. He is however, unsure when the matter would be addressed at that level and asked the court for “a short adjournment” to ascertain when the Full Court will hear the application. Attorney Hughes strongly objected to Gunraj’s request and asked that a date be given to continue the longrunning libel case. He argued that while the plaintiff claims to have made an application to the Full Continued on page 21
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Former Guyanese Magistrate, Albert Baldeo, jailed in New York Former Guyanese Magistrate, Albert Baldeo, who was accused of obstructing justice during an investigation into the use of straw donors in a 2010 campaign bid for City and State office, was yesterday sentenced to 18 months by a Manhattan Federal Judge. Judge Paul Crotty also fined Baldeo US$15,000 and ordered that he surrender to the US Marshals before 2pm on March 23 to begin his time. The New York court found Baldeo, who is well known in the New York area as a lawyer, guilty of several counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice.He will be under supervision for two years and upon release must submit himself to drug tests and perform 300 hours of community service. The court agreed to stricter monitoring of his preincarceration period after prosecutors argued that he is considered a flight risk. In modifying his bail order, Judge Crotty said that there will be strict supervision for Baldeo which entails daily telephone or web reporting as well as in-person reporting once a week. Baldeo was set to be sentenced since January 21 but checked himself into a hospital days before, with doctors performing a minor heart operation. Prosecutors believed that Baldeo was not sick after he checked himself out of the hospital and into another to avoid determination of his medical condition. Baldeo was even facing custodial monitoring of his medical condition
Jailed: Albert Baldeo yesterday as prosecutors became exasperated and accused him of deliberately attempting to avoid sentencing. “In the event that the defendant or defense counsel takes the position that further evaluation is necessary, or the Court believes that further evaluation is necessary, the Government believes that the defendant (Baldeo) should be remanded to the custody of the Attorney General for such evaluation,” the prosecutors recommended to Judge Crotty in court documents filed. The US prosecutors said that they are prepared to call any or all of these witnesses and to introduce other evidence, to demonstrate that the defendant has been engaged in malingering. Since being found guilty last August, Baldeo had fought in vain to have his judgment of acquittal overturned and a new trial set. On August 11, Baldeo was found guilty of obstructing justice after a two-week trial. He was acquitted of mail and wire fraud charges.
More than two years ago, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara indicted Baldeo for orchestrating a straw donor scheme to funnel illegal contributions to his 2010 campaign for City Council. Baldeo, Bharara alleged at the time, also asked his straw donors to lie to federal investigators once he learned the feds were probing the scheme. Baldeo, a Richmond Hill Attorney, who also nearly unseated a Republican state senator in 2006, faced 10 charges and was acquitted on all, three of which were related to mail and wire fraud. He was found guilty on the seven other charges related to conspiracy and obstructing justice. The fact that Albert Baldeo lost his election did not excuse his corrupt conduct, prosecutors said. The court found that he lied and instructed others to lie to law enforcement agents investigating the source of his campaign contributions, and threatened and intimidated others in order to conceal the truth, the US Attorney said.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Trinidad’s PM sacks AG, security minister for witness tampering TT’s former National Security Minister, Gary Griffith
TT’s former Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan Trinidad’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has asked that the President revoke the appointments of Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and National Security Minister Gary Griffith. She has also called for the resignation of the Director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West, for their roles in the witness-tampering investigation ordered by Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams. Trinidad’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, attorney Garvin Nicholas will be the new Attorney General, and retired Brigadier General Carl Alfonso is the National
Security Minister. The announcement was made last evening by the Trinidadian leader who has a growing reputation of sacking her ministers and other Government officials for wrongdoings. The Prime Minister has also removed Senate President Timothy HamelSmith, Sports Minister Rupert Griffith, Minister in the Works and Transport Ministry, Stacy Roopnarine, Minister in the National Security Ministry, Embau Moheni, and Justice Minister Emmanuel George. No replacement was named for Hamel-Smith, who acted as President in t h e absence of Anthony
Carmona. Legal Affairs Minister, Prakash Ramadhar will take on the Justice Ministry. Former advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister Christine Nawal Hosein is the new Minister of Social Development and the People. Soca Warrior footballer Brent Sancho is the Sports Minister, NJAC’s newly elected leader Kwesu Mutima is now a minister in the Wo r k s and Infrastructure Ministry. In an 18-minute address that began eight minutes later than its planned 7.30p.m start, Persad-Bissessar said that she had asked for and received the resignation of Ramlogan and Griffith.
Egypt court sentences 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced 183 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death on Monday on charges of killing police officers, part of a sustained crackdown by authorities on Islamists. The men were convicted of playing a role in the killings of 16 policemen in the town of Kardasa in August 2013 during the upheaval that followed the army’s ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi. Thirty-four of them were sentenced in absentia. Egypt has mounted one of the biggest crackdowns in its modern history on the Brotherhood since the political demise of Mursi, the country’s first democraticallyelected president. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been arrested and put on mass trials in a campaign which human rights groups say shows the government is systematically repressing opponents. “Today’s death sentences are yet another example of the bias of the Egyptian criminal justice system,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy
Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International. “These verdicts and sentences must be quashed and all of those convicted should be given a trial that meets international standards of fairness and excludes the death penalty.” Monday’s sentences came a day after Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste was freed after serving 400 days in Egyptian jail on charges that included aiding a terrorist group - a reference to the Brotherhood. Two of his Al Jazeera colleagues remain jailed. President Abdel Fattah alSisi, who as army chief toppled Mursi, describes the Brotherhood as a major security threat. The movement says it is committed to peaceful activism. The death sentences followed one of the bloodiest attacks on Egyptian security forces in years. Islamic State’s Egypt wing claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated operations that killed at least 27 people last week. Sisi blamed the Brotherhood for the violence and told Egyptians in a
televised address that the fight against militants would be long and tough. Egyptian authorities make no distinction between the Brotherhood, Islamic State and al Qaeda, arguing that they have a shared ideology and are equally dangerous. JUDGES’ CLUB TARGETED A bomb exploded on Monday night by the gates of the judges’ club in Egypt’s second biggest city Alexandria, a police official said. The blast caused extensive property damage. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. While Islamist militants frequently target members of Egypt’s security forces, attacks on judges are rare. Security forces killed hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and arrested thousands of others after Mursi’s ouster. After the death sentences were read out on Monday, Brotherhood supporters held in metal cages shouted profanities at policemen. A defence lawyer looked at the Islamists and said “You have God.”
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
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THE GUYANA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE SHOULD BE DISBANDED It is bewildering that the PPPC administration continued with the Guyana Prize for Literature. There seemed no plausible reason why the Prize should have been continued to upkeep the tradition of the Prize which in chronological terms had a short history in 1992 when the PPP took office. The Guyana Prize for Literature was established with two objectives in mind. Firstly, it was intended to give focus and recognition to Guyanese writers at home and abroad. Secondly, it was intended to stimulate creative writing. It has never served either of these objectives. Instead, it has become an unnecessary and controversial sideshow so that the government can boast that it is doing something for the arts. A Prize can only call attention to the works of Guyanese writers if the prize allows for their works to meet
a wider audience. In order for the Guyana Prize for Literature to do so, it needed to be branded as a major literary award. This was however, always going to be difficult for a Guyana Prize becoming a major literary brand considering that Guyana is a small country with limited readership. Even with writers from the Diaspora involved, the number of works competing for the award was always going to be limited. There is always a plus side to attempting to give focus and recognition to literary works. That plus side is increased sales and interest in the literary works. When the Man Booker Prize or the Pulitzer Prize winners are announced, the sales of the winning books increase and the awardees attract increased international fame. That has never happened with the works of Guyana Prize for Literature.
The Guyana Prize for Literature has also failed to promote creative writing by Guyanese. The award has never provided a significant stimulus for writing. Indeed, the argument has long been made that prizes are never the stimulus for writing. Writers do not write with a prize in mind but write because they have something to say or for the love of writing. As such, an award can only incidentally stimulate creative writing. This is where the second objective of the Guyana Prize for Literature is wholly misplaced. Whoever came up with this idea that an award can stimulate creative writing obviously was thinking about an essay competition and not a Literature Prize. The Guyana Prize for Literature has failed to achieve any of its objectives and it should be discontinued. It is a waste of money. The same funds could be used to
Suspected bottle attack and robbery sends man to jail Cornell Grimes, a resident of Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge, yesterday pleaded not guilty to a robbery charge against him, read by Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry. It was alleged that on January 24, last, Grimes along with two accomplices robbed Terrence Meusa of one gold and diamond ring worth US$2300, US$960 and $360,000 in cash, while Meusa was returning to his home in Roxanne Burnham Gardens.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Grant in his submission to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, told Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that on the day in question, Grimes and two others confronted Meusa and that during the confrontation, Grimes reportedly armed himself with a bottle. Grimes allegedly dealt Meusa several stabs about his body until the bottle broke. He then took the items
and ran away. Meusa reported his account of the incident to the East Ruimveldt Police Station and later pointed Grimes out. Attorney Mark Waldron, who represented Grimes, explained that the accused has no previous criminal record and comes from a good home. The prosecutor objected to bail and the Chief Magistrate remanded Grimes to prison, until his next hearing on February 13, next.
Dem boys seh...
Somebody want get rid of Donald From de time he put he signature to de constitutional amendment everybody know that Jagdeo regret it. He been good as President. He didn’t have to answer to nobody; he didn’t have to pay fuh nutten and he coulda get whatever he want wid a phone call. People see that and know that once he did sit down too long de country woulda get a monster. He woulda pass order like Deng Xiao Peng or like Adolph Hitler. Is he own people put in that clause that no president can stand fuh reelection more than once because dem did want to get a chance to become president. Dem did also want fuh get rid of he. But Jagdeo still had a trick. He believe that in a few years he woulda get people fuh change dem mind and revamp de constitution. That ain’t happen till now. He get a man name Richardson fuh get two lawyer fuh challenge he own signature. Then he come up wid an idea. He get Anil fuh challenge de very constitution he swear
to defend. Anil call two lawyer and tell dem that Jagdeo got money fuh pay dem good and if dem get a judge fuh change back de constitution then he gun mek one prime minister and de other head of de Central Bank. Dem file de challenge and dem waiting. Jagdeo was smart. He lef de country suh nobody coulda seh that is he tell dem fuh do it but dem boys know that in this day and age you can deh pun de moon and give instructions. De problem is which judge gun tek on de case. Chang seh that he fed up getting cuss fuh Jagdeo suh he gun give somebody who can tek cuss and don’t even care. Already Anil telling some people that de term limit is unconstitutional, that it denying a man he right to do wha he want. Well, dem boys seh that this challenge gun prove how bad Jagdeo want de presidency. Talk half and wait fuh de change.
provide access for Guyanese writers who have little outlets for publication. The greatest constraint faced by local writers is the challenge of having your work published. If any government in Guyana wants to stimulate creative or any other form of writing, it would be better advised to provide avenues for publication. The Caribbean Press holds out great promise for this objective. The funds used for the Guyana Prize for Literature can be used, for example, to either revive KykOver-Al or to create some new journal that would provide access to local writers in all the genres including short story and academic papers. Local writers are hamstrung by the lack of local publications or presses in which they can have their material published. If under the aegis of the Caribbean Press, greater opportunities
can be provided for local writers and academics to have their works and research published; it would stimulate local writing both creative and creative. It is time to disband the Guyana Prize for Literature. Over its many years of existence it has failed to achieve its objectives. It is not an internationally literary award and does nothing for the awardees. In fact a counter argument can be made: it is the prestige of these writers that adds credibility to the Guyana Prize. The Guyana prize for Literature has equally not stimulated local creative writing. Those who won the
prize would have written anyway. There are better ways to stimulate creative writing than through a Prize. That the PPP continues with this prize is a disservice to the use of national resources.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
More theories from Raphael Trotman Raphael Trotman is not Clement Rohee. You don’t take on Rohee because you know Rohee cannot influence even school children with his inelegant semantics. Raphael Trotman is not Manzoor Nadir whom Guyanese view with disdain. Raphael Trotman is not Bibi Shadick whom Guyanese people will instantly dismiss. Trotman has far more credibility than those PPP names mentioned above. He was the co-founder of the widely popular and respected
party, the Alliance for Change. He was the Speaker of the House. He has status in Guyana. When someone like Trotman makes profound statements, given the large percentage of young people in Guyana, he can influence them. For this reason, when Trotman opens his mouth and speaks misleading things that can be described as crass rhetoric, he should be confronted by those who think his words are harmful to the nurturing of democracy in
this tragic land. I have had cause to criticize this crass rhetoric before and I will single out one particular, egregious example. This particular situation has led me to conclude that many persons in the PNC who knew Trotman well and described him as opportunistic and politically dishonest were right. Last year, Trotman singled out Gail Teixeira as the parliamentarian that “raised the bar” of parliamentary standards. I would single out five politicians in the entire history of the PPP that have never been interested in raising any kind of standards because they are the most close-minded and Stalinist in their political behaviour. They are in the following order – Mrs. Janet Jagan, Gail Teixeira, Clinton Collymore, Roger Luncheon and Clement Rohee. With Mrs. Jagan out of the way, Teixeira heads the list as the PPP’s most implacable leader. Ms. Teixeira makes Bharrat Jagdeo look like Don Quixote. Mr. Trotman had his reason for the description he made of Teixeira and I would
go so far to say it as an unholy reason. Now Trotman is at it again. In an interview with the Stabroek News, he said the PPP will not open up to the opposition because the opposition threatens the PPP leadership with jail if the PPP loses power. He went on to state that you have to let the PPP know that it is normal to give up power but if you threaten them that is a different story. This analysis of the PPP is so flawed that Trotman’s motive should be questioned. After twentyt w o y e a r s i n p o w e r, a ruling cabal that has refused to make even the most tame and innocuous concessions and has been engaged in corruption never before seen in any of the countries in the Americas except Mexico, Mr. Trotman feels that this cabal can redeem itself if the opposition treats it softly and do not make threats of what it will do if it wins power. The reply to Troman is simple, because Trotman’s polemic is founded on children’s lollipop. There would have been no positive movement towards reconciliation on the part of
the PPP even if the opposition had announced “a let bygone be bygone” policy. The PPP can be likened to the American Republican Party. The Republican Party has some core beliefs that will not change – American global power is good for the world and if going to war to keep it has to be, then so be it; the state should play a very minor role in the economy; private business is the core value of American civilization; the state should not assist the poor - hard work will take people out of poverty; genders are naturally unequal; non-white people are not equal to the Caucasian race. You cannot change a Republican from those beliefs. You cannot change a PPP leader from the grand belief started by its founders that the party is special, is a unique historical force, is loved by the Guyanese people, and it is the best party to make Guyana a great country. No amount of sycophancy, no amount of soft politics from opposition parties will get the PPP to
Frederick Kissoon pursue policies that others want that the PPP feel didn’t originate from the PPP itself. A n a l y t i c a l l y, i t i s correct to say that at the psychological level, the PPP found the 2011 election results to be a bizarre accident and not a logical sociological outcome of changing times and shifting demographics. It couldn’t recognize an opposition controlled House because the majority victory of the opposition was not natural; it was a freak accident. The PPP will not make even the smallest of concessions as in its refusal with the location of the 1823 monument site. Does Raphael Trotman really know the PPP or does he have an ulterior motive?
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Banks DIH Linden Branch sold $912.9M in 2014 By Jacquey Bourne Under the theme ‘Refreshing Partnerships’ for the financial year 2013 to 2014, Banks DIH Linden branch total sales was $912.9M, an increase of 7.3%, according to the Branch Manager, Shondell Easton. She was addressing the Company’s 59th Shareholder’s Annual General Meeting at the Linden branch at Republic Avenue, Mackenzie Linden last Friday. Ms. Easton said the physical sales were 710,244 cases of product, an increase of 7.6%. For this achievement, she was awarded the Chairman’s trophy and for her outstanding contribution towards Education, she was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the Region Ten
Department of Education. Chairman Clifford Reis, in his report, congratulated the Branch Manager for her sterling performance. “Shondell is our only female Branch Manager and I don’t know how she does it, if she bribes her customers, takes them to lunch or what, but what makes her a good Manager is, she never takes all the credit. It is always ‘we’ never ‘I’. That is why she was awarded the Chairman’s trophy.” Mr. Reis also noted that when GT Beer was first introduced in November 2013, Linden Branch sold 12,256 cases and that was a great achievement. He added that the number of units sold in 2014 was 15 million a reduction of 55,000 units over the past year. “In December the
company broke all records and sold 1.2 million cases of Banks DIH beverages in one month. The GT Beer which got in November 2013 has met all expectations of the company. It was budgeted to sell 330,000 cases but actually the company sold 462,000 cases, an increase over the budget of 132,000 cases or 40%.” He noted that the investment of the packaging of the GT beer in glass bottles cost the company $500M, but the company classified it as a long term investment. The Chairman told the shareholders that the financial year was challenging in many respects but as a result of the decision making and the implementation of cost saving measures and swift financial controls, results were produced which yield more
success than the previous years. The shareholders were told that during the 59 years of Banks DIH brewery, the company could be likened to the opening of Charles Dickens novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. “It was best of times, it was worst of times, it was the age of wisdom and it was the age of foolishness, it was the shade of light and the shade of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us and we had nothing before us.” He claimed the financial year was challenging in many respects and Banks DIH was not exempt from that reality. According to the Chairman of the beverage giant, the company pays the government $14.5M per day
Canadian Govt. offers electoral help to GECOM
GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, (centre) meets Director, Johanne Forest. At right is Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. Nicole Giles. Director of the Central America and Caribbean Relations Division of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, Johanna Forest, recently paid a courtesy call on the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally. Forest, who was accompanied by the Canadian High
Commissioner, Dr. Nicole Giles, was there to discuss a number of issues pertaining to the Commission’s current situation as it relates to the approaching General and Regional Elections. According to GECOM, during the discussion, Forest was comprehensively briefed by Dr. Surujbally on the Commission’s current state of preparedness for the successful management of the
upcoming elections, as well as those particular areas of importance currently being addressed by the Commission, as it enters full election mode. “The Chairman disclosed that GECOM has since begun to put in place a variety of logistical and administrative arrangements for the effective management of the forthcoming elections. The training of polling day staff,
printing of manuals, as well as the roll-out of GECOM’s Civic and Voter Education programme, are activities currently in progress.” Also emerging from the discussion were the ways in which the Canadian Government can be of assistance to GECOM as the Commission assiduously endeavors to effectively and efficiently manage the upcoming General and Regional Elections in a transparent, free and fair manner. “GECOM’s Chairman carefully noted that, as an elections management body, the Commission will continue to work within its power in collaboration with its various partners, to ensure continuous credibility in all electoral activities in Guyana.” Elections are to be held on May 11, according to a recent announcement by President Donald Ramotar. Guyana is headed into early elections after the ruling party; People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) faced a no-confidence vote in Parliament by the Opposition.
in taxes. “Our company Banks DIH seems to be the cash flow of the private sector. The time is now fellow shareholders, to level the playing field for the excise tax calculation. The time is now to go after the smugglers and the illegal importers of alcoholic beverages. “The time is now shareholders, to remove the tax to register Fast Food restaurants because it is somewhat difficult to compete with the food vendors in the market place. We must remember that Fast food restaurants are for the working class.” He said that GRA has already taken action to level the playing field on excise tax and he looks forward to the next decision of when they would take the VAT off the
Banks products. He lauded the Linden branch of Citizen’s Bank for the increase of $34M for the financial year. He noted that the loans and advances grew by $284M or 78%. The deposits increased by $118M bringing the total in the bank to $565M. Towards education Wismar Christianburg Secondary School and South Amelia’s Ward Nursery School, were the recipients of one hundred thousand dollars each which would be used to benefit the students and the institutions in a meaningful way.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Students react with disappointment at UG Intense industrial action at the University of Guyana (UG) might very well be proving to be too much for Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Jacob Opadeyi. This is in light of the fact that the VC was checked into the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) reportedly with heartrelated complications. While this publication was not able to ascertain the extent of his ailment, this publication understands that the VC was kept overnight at CHI where he underwent close observation. Reports are that he was discharged yesterday and was resting at home. But while the VC was recuperating, yesterday the students of the university and campus staffers, along with members of its alumni, were busy discussing whether industrial action that commenced by staffers last week, effectively halting most classes at the tertiary institution, would continue. At a meeting in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT), the gathering awaited the arrival of Vice Chancellor Opadeyi but he never showed. It was expected that Professor Opadeyi would have offered a reason or reasons enough
why the staffers led by their unions – the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) – should cease a sit-in action that commenced last week to retaliate a collapse in negotiations for salaries and other benefits. Of course the unions had every intention of insisting that staffers continue their industrial action should their demands not be met by Council. The Council following a meeting last week issued a statement that classes would resume yesterday. Attempting to address the sizeable gathering in the GWLT yesterday, was Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning and Development), Dr. Elizabeth Ramlall. She had quite a task to make her presence felt because of a malfunctioning Public Address system. She was the one who would announce to the gathering the reason for the Vice Chancellor’s absence. Immediately in the wake of the announcement, a number of attendees vacated the Lecture Theatre. Many of those who remained became rather disgruntled.
- Reports of VC hospitalization dampen meeting to end industrial action
A section of the students gathered in the GWLT yesterday They questioned why mail were sent out to students informing them that classes would resume, which they eventually discovered was not true. Based on another mail sent out, the VC was scheduled to address the gathering ahead of a Question and Answer segment that should have lasted no more than 15
minutes. And the gathering became even more disgruntled when the Deputy Vice Chancellor seemed unable to give answers to all of the questions asked of her. In fact the 15 minutes that was initially allotted for questions was considerably reduced. The student representative on Council, Ms. Elsie Harry, took to the stage. She made clear her disappointment at the fact that the students were deceived. She reminded students of their rights, the prevailing conditions under which they were made to exist and further urged them to speak up and support any action deemed necessary to have their concerns adequately addressed. Students of the University voiced a list of concerns and demands which were spearheaded by student Mario Joseph and the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) President Joshua Griffith. Together they outlined the immediate students’ demands, which they insisted must be met before they (students) return to classes. Among the demands is the need for the University administration to immediately address the delay in the release of student grades, resolve and implement a system with adequate ancillary staff, to regularly clean the washrooms, perhaps every two hours. The students are also calling for the immediate equipping of the university with sufficient materials for the washrooms such as toilet paper, proper seat covers, hand towels or dryers and liquid soap, and maintaining of the said supplies. They are also demanding that moves be made forthwith to assess the plumbing of the
university, to ensure its maximal functioning or allow for upgrades in line with the rehabilitation work of the washroom facilities. The students are also insisting that measures be immediately implemented to have the grass on the entire campus cut on a regular basis. De-bushing several parts of the campus such as the area between the Stables, George Walcott Lecture Theatre and Cheddi B. Jagan Building is also a requirement. They also called for the immediate opening of tender for construction/ rehabilitation of the fence across the entire university campus, with the award of contracts and commencement of construction to begin within three months. Students of the University are also demanding the immediate open tendering of electrical rewiring and construction contracts for the rehabilitation of the university library, catering for installation of multiple outlet sockets, with the award of contracts and commencement of construction also to begin within three months. The immediate opening of the tenders of construction contracts for the rehabilitation of classrooms that have deteriorated, was also a demand of the students, with the award of contracts and commencement of construction to begin within three months, even as they called for immediate completion of work on biochemistry and physiology labs and to commence work on the health science common room. Students yesterday also demanded the purchase of the necessary learning resources for practical learning and field work for faculties such as
Health Sciences. Dentistry lights for students are included even as talks are pursued with each faculty regarding their specific needs. Further, the students are demanding that moves be made to resolve measures to bolster security on campus, in light of its embarrassing shortcomings highlighted by the recent robberies which occurred at the New Building Society Dormitories. Calls were also made for the urgent procurement, maintenance and installation of an adequate level of teaching materials inclusive, but not limited to laptops, projectors, white boards, chalk boards, markers and chalk with Equipment could be extended to 2 months). And it is being demanded, by students, that measures be put in place to allow for the use of electrical outlets within the library for students’ laptops and smart electronic devices. In addition to addressing the dress code at the Berbice Campus, the students are also asking for the initiation of plans for the presence of permanent Medical Personnel on the Berbice Campus too. Immediately after the lecture hall was emptied, students collected the “banner of shame” created to place over the university’s sign at the campus’ Sophia entrance. The students marched through the campus chanting words of revolution as they raised their concerns and disappointments. Students eventually placed the piece of black cloth labeled “We Want Value For Our Dollar #UGRevolution” and “Wake Up UG #UGRevolution” over the signboard, before making their way back into GWLT where staffers later called to order their Offloading session.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Mother of missing Court grants plaintiff third... daughter determined to find her Almost five years later…
Sarjou’s mother, Champa Seonarine
Disappeared without a trace: Babita Sarjou
By Romila Boodram November of this year will be exactly five years since 28year-old Babita Sarjou, a mother of one, disappeared without leaving a trace. The young mother vanished after telling her mother, Champa Seonarine, that she would be meeting with her estranged husband and four-year-old son at the Kitty seawall to view the annual Diwali motorcade. Sarjou had informed her mother that she would meet with the duo after leaving work around 17:30 hrs on November 04, 2010. Sarjou was expected back at her mother ’s Timehri residence around 21:00 hrs that night but almost five years later, the mother is still waiting on her daughter’s return. Kaieteur News was told that Sarjou and her husband had been living separately for almost a year and her spouse had custody of the couple’s son. Today, her mother, Champa is determined more
than ever to find out what happened to her daughter. “I need answers…I want to know what happened to her. Our last goodbye cannot be when she left home in 2010,” the woman lamented. Sarjou’s estranged husband was taken into police custody days after the woman was reported missing but was released after police failed to find enough evidence to tie him to her disappearance. However, even now, her relatives are convinced that he is responsible for her disappearance. “He knows about her. He knows where she is… if something happen to her, then he did it or he paid people to do it to her,” a relative of the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said. They claimed that when the woman was first reported missing, the suspect gave conflicting reports. “She left to go out on the seawall with him. He said that she didn’t meet up with him…and he called us the next
day to enquire about her. Not only that but that same night (November 04) he went to the Kitty Police Station to make a report. In the report, he said that he come to clear his side… why would he make a report and we didn’t report her missing as yet,” the relative said. Sarjou’s mother told this newspaper that around 07:00 hrs on November 05, she noticed that her daughter had failed to come home and thought that she had spent the night with her estranged husband since they had a history of separating and getting back together. However, the woman claims that a couple of minutes later, Sarjou’s husband called a relative and informed her that their son wanted to speak to his mother. “That is when I started to get worried. When we questioned him, he said that my daughter never showed up,” the woman related. The woman said that she immediately went to both the Timehri and Kitty Police stations to make a missing person report. She said that when the police attention into her daughter’s case began to dwindle, she as well as other relatives with the help of representatives from various non-governmental organizations began posting and distributing posters at various locations, hoping that members of the public would help in locating her. Relatives of the missing woman recalled that she had a troubled marriage. They claim she was physically and emotionally abused by her husband who would also threaten her.
Causing death driver for court today Jeweller Satyanand Rampersaud, 29, who police said drove recklessly and caused the deaths of two Essequibo young men, on Sunday, was slapped with four charges yesterday. Rampersaud is scheduled to make his first appearance at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s court today. Rampersaud struck down and killed 20-year-old Colin Anthony John and his friend 23-year-old, Adrian Junior Osborne, both of Henrietta Village, early Sunday morning, while the pair was walking to their homes in the company of friends. They were on the Richmond Public road when they were killed. Rampersaud was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, failing to
render assistance, failing to stop after an accident and driving under the influence of alcohol. Police said that John and Osborne, who were in the company of some friends, had attended a party at a club called “Top Point” in Richmond. According to the police, Rampersaud, who was returning to his Hampton Court home after dropping off his cousin at his Golden Fleece home, was proceeding north along the Essequibo Coast Public Road, when he swerved, after he claimed that another driver had encroached in his lane. As a result, John and Osborne, who were walking South on the Richmond Public Road were struck down and killed. A Post Mortem
Examination performed on John and Osborne, on Monday, at the Suddie Public Hospital, confirmed that both young men died as a result of multiple injuries. Rampersaud, a father of two, lost his wife in December. Meanwhile, a Three Friends mechanic is nursing injuries to both of his legs after he fell off of a motorbike, Sunday afternoon, at Capoey, on the Essequibo Coast. He remains a patient at the Suddie Public Hospital. Ghansham Bissoon, 21, was said to be the pillion rider. He was flung from his friend’s motorbike after his friend lost control of the motorbike and slammed into a bridge, at Capoey. Bissoon, who works at Imam Bacchus as a mechanic, is said to be in lots of pain.
From page 6 Court on December 19 last, the defence is yet to receive any documentation. He said that the court was also not provided with the names of the Judges to whom the CJ assigned the application. Hughes went on to say that there was no impediment preventing them from carrying out the court’s orders. He said the plaintiff does not seem enthusiastic about addressing the appeal expeditiously and noted that despite the prominence of the plaintiff and the length of time the case is ongoing, it seems that the assigned judges are also not enthused about speedily addressing the matter and that would lead to the case being delayed further, he indicated. Gunraj stated that he could make extra efforts to monitor the application to provide the court with an update from the Full Court. He said he could also write the CJ asking his indulgence in the matter. Gunraj said that the application to the Full Court was delivered to Hughes’ office but he provided an extra copy in court to ensure that the defence was in receipt of the document.
He also provided one of the Judges’ named to hear their application but he was not sure. Justice Reynolds decided however, that on the next occasion the plaintiff has to report whether the Full Court heard the application or a date would be given for defence witnesses to continue their testimony. The amendment of the defence’s case sent the libel case in a different direction when De Santos (SC) claimed that the
amendment would be prejudicial to the plaintiff who has already closed his case. De Santos argued that the defence should have known from the inception that they had to justify statements made to justify accusations against the former President. Bharrat Jagdeo is seeking more than $10M in compensation from Kissoon, Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall and Editorin-Chief Adam Harris.
A Costa Rican man was yesterday fined $30,000 after he admitted to making a false entry on a passenger declaration form at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), recently. Osmari Jesus Peres Ramirez appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya S e w n a r i n e - B e h a r r y, yesterday, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The court heard that on January 23, last while Ramirez was departing Guyana he made a false declaration on a
prescribed passenger declaration form. According to the charge, he stated that he was a departing passenger with a Republic of Costa Rica Passport bearing the name, Pablo Andres Orlega Calederon, despite knowing same to be false. Ramirez, who was assisted by a translator pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined. Should the Costa Rican man fail to pay the fine, he will spend the next six months in jail.
Costa Rican fined for falsified travel document
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Kaieteur News
SALON Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257 VACANCY
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Admin Assistant, within the vicinity of E.B.D & W.B.D. Must be well spoken & have 5 CXC subjects including: Maths & English. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com
2 wash bay attendants Tel:660-4405 (serious enquiries only)
International Cruiseline Purser officers, waitresses, waiters, cooks, receptionists, storekeepers, cleaners, electricians, carpenters, printers, cosmetologists etc Tel: 231-6296, 650-9880 24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl, office assistant & handyman- Call: 695-9880; 669-4755 Accounts Clerk: Qualifications, 5 CXC subjects, DacEasy & QuickBooks @ August Beverages Ent, 27 Norton & Creen Sts. N/Burg Work from home: Earn $5,000 to $20,000 daily, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday - Call: 233-6517/ 638-0595 or www.jobfairworldwide.com Live-in housekeeper 35-45 yrs to care for infant Tel: 6978797 One Skillful joiner to work in workshop – Contact: 2191342 or 610-7005 Factory staff, GTI / GITC Male/ Female graduates preferred. Canter drivers, marketing assistant, Drivers Licence required. Tel. 266 5569 Salesclerk from ages 25-45 with experienced, appear with application @ Christine’s Variety Store @ Lombard St – Contact: 6268003/ 227-8529 One TM 6X6 Driver with mechanical experienced, one burner/cutter – Call: 6165510; 683-3480
PEN PAL Companion for retired gentleman 38yrs+. Reply with photo to bobbyother@yahoo.com
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Certificate in: Cosmetology, nails, wig designs, early child care/ care for elderly classes commence February Call: 666-5241/ 619-7603
Experienced sale girls Call: 264-3355,668-3985, 683-7936 Experienced dispatcher and taxi drivers at Princess Hotel @ Providence – Tel: 2657076; 616-5419 Live in driver/mechanic 3545 years for live in domestic Tel: 227-1813 (8-5pm) Persons to ironing & cleaner for office in Eccles – Call: 614-4358 Accounts Clerk, must be capable of preparing payroll and monthly vat - Call: 614-4358 Counter Staff; apply @ Shanta’s, 225 Camp & New Market Streets. One domestic cleaner E.C.D Tel: 644-9802; 603-5416 1 Live in maid to work in Georgetown - Tel:691-6260 1 Cook to work in the interior Tel: 691-6260 One (1) porter, kindly apply with application to K&B Mining & Hardware Supplies, Lot 152 Church St, Alberttown - Tel: 225-0349; 222-2475 Experienced land dredge workers Tel # 675-9157 One mechanic to work in the interior, must have experienced with Perkins & Cummins Engine – Call: 6916260 Experienced dispatcher @ West Side Taxi – Call: 6000688; 600-0699 Urgently needed; attractive waitresses - Tel: 686-3116 Porters wanted to work at grocery stalls @ Stabroek Market – Tel:226-9800 Farm workers – Call: 265-3586 Live in caretaker for sawmill at Linden Highway – Tel: 2612553 To live in with a single female 35-55yrs @ Lillandale Betterhope – Call: 687-6636; Beeson Window & Doors #622-4197 Workers for land dredge, 1 male cook - $100,000 – Monthly (8:00-4:30) – Tel:694-2310
FOR SALE
FOR RENT
VEHICLE FOR SALE
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Lincoln 500 AMP diesel welders with Perkins 4 cylinder engine - Tel#650-0402
Apartment to rent at Parfaite Harmonie – Tel:601-5058. Five bedrooms house, 107 Lamaha Gardens & Large Parking; AC Rooms Hot & Cold, Purified Water System Call: 661-8908, 335-3590
Toyota Voxy to register in ‘B’ fully loaded never registered - $2.1M - Call: 6172891 1 Pitbull minibus, stick gear, BPP series, mag rims- $2.2M neg. Call: 673-7652
Mill Cut Lumber Kabukalli, Silverballi, Etc – Call: 6539752; 688-6579
Live in domestic must know to cook - $60,000, boarding & lodging free, age 30-50yrs Call: 610-5043 One DJ/Selection to work at Club in Essequibo, salary range - $48,000 per month Contact: 226-9768
Tuesday February 03, 2015
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL: CARS & SUV FOR RENTAL-$4,000&UPPERDAYCALL: 643-5122, 219-3900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM
Cat 320 CL 2005 only 3800HRs sold as is, cash offer only, must go – Contact Azim: 660-3235 Fluffy, loving puppies – Tel:645-0240 or 629-3814 2 Imported male German shepherd, 4 months old and 1 white female husky - Call: 664-5401 Complete Snapper Boats for sale – Excellent Condition – Contact: 6486815; 670-4459 Game Shop Equipment for sale - Call: 610-0808
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Repairs to refrigerators, gas stoves, washing machines, AC Units- Call Lindon on 641-1086; 694-2202 Repairs to plasma, LCD, LED television etc – Call: Abdul Electronics: 225-0391 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar: 2310655, 683-8734
Beautiful Tibetan Terrier pups for sale – Call: 696-7467 Boutique closeout sale: Clothing, shoes, handbags, fragrance jewelry and more. Whole Sale & Retail! – Tel: 626-0757 Yamaha outboard engines, various sizes, tundra wheels, boat trailer – Tel: 220-1981, 698-7047 1- Complete 6" Dredge for mining, includes 6 Cylinder Perkins & 1-4 Cylinder. All pumps, mats, etc, asking $3M – Contact:610-1001
GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, , JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE - CALL: 675-0767, 639-8101 1 Huge building in Lethem Commercial Zone, ideal for stores - Call: 664-5401; 615-5343 Prime business place to rent on Sheriff Street, only for offices – Contact: 627-6740 One business place to rent opposite Stewartville Primary and Secondary School, W.C.D - Tel: 613-5261 2 Bedrooms upper flat $45,000 per month at Grove New Scheme, E.B.D - Call: 642-1956 Spacious 2 bedrooms apartment for rental in Eccles AA, Call: 233-2136 or 6612508/223-5148 3 Bedrooms apartment for rent at Mon-Repos E.C.D $55,000 Contact: 692-9295 or 660-5233
Two barber/salon chairs – Call: 264-3070, 680-2191
PROPERTY FOR SALE Land with small concrete house; for sale in Grove over 8,000 Sq. Ft. Call: 612-4030; 216-2759 Transported Property @ Grove/Diamond, 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained, concrete fence, grilled store room & Shed, (45X26) – Call: 660-1353, 216-4338
HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $15,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766
Tacoma Tundra Parts, BMW, Audi lights & visors, mud flap, Toyota Cami Engine Tel: 680-6374
Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maria Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045
Dell/HP computers with 19’’ LCDs $55,000, Laptops $49,000, free educational software & games, Future Tech 231-2206
Eagle’s fridge re-gas - $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 223-4207
New/used salon equipment and security cameras and monitors, lorex brand - Call: 664-5401
Houses & house lots for sale in 1 of Guyana’s top luxury gated communities, located @ Eccles E.B.D Tel: 227-2913; 683-3033
New Arrivals: New Shipment of Magnet wires (copper) & installation fish paper for sale – Contact: 603-5649
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For all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, swimming pools, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 WANTED Responsible hire car drivers – Call: 226-0765
FOR SALE/FOR RENT American Pool Table – Tel: 277-0578
We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 Toyota Prado, Price$5M Neg. Call: 643-2403
One complete purified drinking water shop, 3 white tanks, ultraviolet, 1 amp, 1 pressure pump, wooden building 10X10 -Tel: 622-5986 Games for PS2, PS3, XBOX360, WII, consoles also available – Call: 6722566, 265-3232
Nissan Titan 4X4; fully loaded; good condition; price $2.5M neg. – Call: 6201026 1 Toyota Landcruiser Prado PMM Series Call: 219-5354 Monday- Friday 8:154:15Pm & Saturday 8:151:15PM Toyota Hilux 44, 2 doors, manual, long base, solid DEF, excellent condition – Tel:6033384 Toyota IST PMM 755, 65 CF GSS 6715, 75 DAF GNN 5366, price negotiable – Contact Johnson: 613-5212 or 664-1030 1-10 Ton Ford Cargo, dump truck GEE 9144, 1 Spare Cab & Gear box, working condition - Price $1.4M - Tel: 663-0567; 684-8654 1 Honda 600 CCRR, Toyota AT 212, AT 192, Allion, Raum, EP71 Starlet, Alteeza, 1 Nissan Titan – Tel: 6445096; 697-1453
Corner Property, Grove Public Road - $29M Neg. Call: 613-5645
Property @ Water Pum Street Leonora (24X58) - Tel: 642-5799
AT 170 Toyota Carina – EFI, AC, Alarm, Mags - $650,000 Neg. – Call: 673-7652 Toyota SV 40 Camary, AC, Alarm Etc - $700,000 negotiable – Tel: 621-6503
LAND FOR SALE House Lots in 1 of Guyana’s top luxury gated communities @ Eccles, 60X100 - $7.5M. (Special prices) - Call: 2272913; 683-3033 Eccles: Commercial lots for sale at Eccles – Tel:227-2913. Cell: 683-3033 1. Parika, Peter Street; 2. Blankenburg, behind gas station lot size: 75’X76' (3 parcels)= Contact 650-0402 Located in Republic Gardens, Peters Hall, E.B.D. Interest person – Contact: 231-5359 or 672-7189 (Continued on page 23)
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Repeat offender gets two years for $100, wedding band
Convicted: Ivor Greene
Ivor Greene, an unemployed resident of Lot 77 D’Urban Street, Lodge, was yesterday sentenced to two years imprisonment by Magistrate Geeta ChandanEdmond at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court after he admitted to stealing a man’s wedding ring and $100 in cash. The court heard that the 42-year-old man would usually assist businessman, Maitland Abrams, clean his motor car and carrying his stall, amongst other things. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Renetta Bentham, said that on January 26, last, Greene reportedly accompanied the victim to a
popular city supermarket to purchase beverages for his business. The court heard that at the time, the victim had his wedding band, valued $100,000 and $100,000 cash in a compartment in his car. Bentham said that Abrams left Greene in the car and went about his business in the supermarket. Upon his return, Abrams noticed that Greene was suddenly anxious to leave. The businessman encouraged him to stay with him a while longer, and the pair made their way to East Street to drop off the beverages and soon after, Greene departed in a hurry.
When Abrams returned home, he checked his vehicle and found that his wedding ring and cash were missing. He reported the matter and Greene was later arrested and charged with simple larceny. The Magistrate, in handing down the sentence, highlighted the fact that Greene, a repeat offender, had given no reason for his actions. She noted that he spoke highly of the victim, even to the point where he referred to him as “father.” She considered that Greene was a repeat offender and that there was no other suitable alternative, but imprisonment.
(From page 22)
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Letters... Where your views make the news
All races need to feel secure and only a Govt. of National Unity can ensure this DEAR EDITOR, Guyana needs a Government of National Unity if we are to become a Modern Society based on Rule of Law, good governance and social inclusion as opposed to social cohesion. The country is at a crossroads and there has been much political talk about what each of the three Parties will do if they were to win. There seems to be no coherent proposal from Civil Society about what are their expectations beyond May 11. Perhaps I can offer some comments. If it is generally accepted that 49 years of Westminster winner-take-all rule has left us in a diminished and deferred state of development, then there is need for change. The PPP has openly stated it is fine with winner-
take-all politics, as it fully expects to win a majority or a plurality. In essence, the PPP has said “no” to a Government of National Unity. This is unfortunate, because the current state of political morass will only accelerate and the country will become more unstable. APNU has called for a Government of National Unity that will include all political parties and civil society. In essence, APNU has said yes to a Government of National Unity but the details need to be shared beyond broad philosophy. The AFC has said it prefers a Pro-Democracy Coalition. This in essence says “no” to a Government of National Unity and the threats of imprisonment seem to dictate there can be no PPP involvement in the approach.
Political parties, unlike businesses, seem to have a different paradigm for negotiating coalitions. And given the importance of a Government of National Unity, let me offer an approach to negotiating a viable Coalition that is in Guyana’s national interest. First, David Granger should fire his negotiating Team and so should the AFC. Having 7 individuals negotiate a few principles will result, as it seems, in “meness” and self-importance trumping the will of the People. Second, David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo (if he is the AFC’s Presidential candidate by decree) should meet for a few hours to have a “servant leadership “discussion about Guyana and its future.
From page 4 their learning techniques can maximize their unique strengths and talents. But in Guyana, there is a system that benefits only students with rich and powerful parents. Unless the Ministry of Education is prepared to make that kind of fundamental shift in its approach to education, the country will continue to be faced with high levels of crime, violence and indiscipline not only in the schools but in the wider society. For the past ten years, the PPP has promoted an education system that is based on the perpetuation of a class differential, which has marginalized large segments of the population, particularly the poor, thus making these students feel that they are left
out and do not have any chance of becoming something, because the cards are stacked against them. Schools must be given the latitude to define and develop curricula that are in sync with the realities of the students they serve and the resources and means to deliver such curricula. Teachers must accept the reality that not all children learn the same way and want to learn the same things. And the Ministry of Education must be prepared to put systems in place to compensate for the diminished social capital of many of our students. Lumping all socially disadvantaged students into specific school types without the means to deal with the asso-
ciated underachievement overwhelms the capacity of the school, resulting in frustrated students, teachers and parents. The net result is a pervasive sense of hopelessness, despair and failure of many students. This is one of the reasons why so many schools in Guyana have become zones of extreme violence and indiscipline. Chandra Deolall, Derrick Arjune Asha Balbachan Rohit Misir Allison Rutherford Chandra Deolall Asquith Rose Vincent Nauth Dr. Reginald Watkins Donna Mathoo Noel Moses Dr. Merle Spenser-Marks
Guyana’s 19th century educational...
Third, these two “statesmen” should invite Ralph Ramkarran (Former PPP Executive Member), Rupert Roopnaraine (WPA), Mark Benschop (Independent Party), Stanley Ming (Reform) and a few prominent businessmen and civil society leaders …..to craft a Government of National Unity framework with Public consultation. This framework should have 3 critical elements. First, an agreement that within a year, there will be a final draft of a constitution which embodies constitutional democracy in which constituents can be recalled by those who elected them. Second, an agreement on an economic philosophy that is built around growth, inclusiveness and CSME/ Latin American integration so that BRICS funding and youth job creation can be accomplished while making Guyana the Singapore of the West, given its geopolitical location. Third, the implementation of practices that will result in social cohesion, instead of the failed process of social cohesion without social
inclusion. Leadership is critical at this juncture of Guyana’s evolvement into a more democratic and fair society. Servant Leadership, moreso. If the nation is to be truly freed of the economic, social and cultural malignancies so visible in our society, then Granger and Nagamootoo need to stand tall and above the “village/racial” politics currently evident. It would seem strange to me that the Kissoon view that “Indians will not vote for an African President” would have currency if the “coalition” , beyond Nagamootoo, has other faces such as Ralph Ramkarran, Stanley Ming, Tarron Singh, Mark Benschop and others. Guyana needs to breathe. Open your mouths David and Moses. Help us all breathe. Go slay your Goliaths (racism) and put those who want disunity or want to deny a Government of National Unity…….on the Ark whose destination is Isolation. All races need to feel secure and this is only possible in a Government of National Unity. Eric Phillips
From page 5 cocoa produced at a two hundred-acre cocoa estate at Wales. We need to train our farmers to do intensive instead of extensive farming, to encourage cottage industries, and to make each farm self-sufficient or partially so. They should be assisted to set up their own bio-gas digesters and solar energy systems.
We need to take advantage of the Caribbean’s US$4 billion food import bill. We need to return Guyana to being the bread basket of the Caribbean. But most of all, we need to make the common, marginalized wage earner, existing on a day to day basis, regain his dignity and really live a meaningful life by returning him to the land. Gokarran Sukhdeo
Returning to the land is ...
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Rohee stumbles over claims that Govt. slow to fight corruption By Abena Rockcliffe People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, failed yesterday to defend allegations that the governing Party has taken a laid back approach in addressing the high levels of corruption in Guyana. As he hosted PPP’s weekly press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown, Rohee said that the incumbent Party has done much to address
corruption. However, he failed to name at least one thing that was done to confront corruption. Recently, representatives from some of the more developed nations in the world spoke about the uncontrolled corruption in Guyana. Two such officials are the American Charge d’ Affairs, Bryan Hunt, and outgoing United Kingdom High Commissioner, Andrew Ayre. Hunt reportedly said that the high level of corruption
in Guyana is hindering development. Recently, Ayre went on record agreeing with Hunt. He made reference to the fact that Guyana is ranked among the most corrupt jurisdictions in the world placing 124th out of 175 countries. The only Caricom jurisdiction doing worse than Guyana is Haiti. In this regard, Ayre said that it is obvious that the government has not done enough to fight corruption and urged that more be done.
Ayre spoke extensively on how corruption can put a spoke in Guyana’s progressive wheel and said that the government needs to team up with organizations such as Transparency International to make up in this area where it is lacking. Yesterday, Rohee refused to admit that the PPP fell short in this department. He said, “I do not agree with him (Ayre)… He may have said what we have not done, which is quite okay, but I think in order to balance the call he ought to have pointed out what we have done in the fight against corruption.” Rohee said that in fair and balance assessing, he would expect the assessor to look at both sides “… what has not been done and what has been done, then draw up a balance sheet showing what is really the true situation.” He said, “In balancing what we have done and what we have not done, we can enter a healthy discourse.” Rohee said that he does not think that the High Commissioner made any sort of objective assessment of the efforts the PPP government has been putting into fighting corruption “that is why I do not and cannot agree with him, it seems as if he (Ayre) has not been
making a fair and objective assessment.” But Rohee could not have given a straight answer when he was asked to list some of the “many” things that the PPP administration did to fight corruption. In answering that question, Rohee told the media about a funeral he attended over the weekend. He said that it was a funeral of a PPP stalwart, Isaac Sankar, 95. While still getting around answering the question, Rohee said that the funeral service was attended by President, Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. He said that, at that forum, the President spoke “very forcefully on the question of corruption.” According to Rohee, President Ramotar, in addressing those who gathered to pay their respects to the decease, said that he cannot deny that there is corruption in Guyana but sought to assure that the PPP as a Party and the PPP government, always address all known cases of corruption. Rohee said that the President told the mourners that “the PPP does not condone corruption as a matter of policy. We do not
More than seven months after a city money changer was shot dead outside a night spot after a gang of three men robbed him, the police yesterday brought a 20-year-old man before the courts to be indicted for his murder. Nickosie Gritten, of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. After a brief hearing, she remanded him to prison. Gritten is accused of murdering 44-year-old Wendell Liverpool between June 20 and June 23, 2014 at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown during the course of a robbery. He was required to respond to the charge.
The 20-year-old was represented by Attorney-atLaw Ronald Burch-Smith. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant did not divulge the details of the incident in court. The matter was adjourned to February 13 for report and fixtures. Gritten appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan last week charged with an armed robbery which occurred last April. The Prosecution at that hearing had said that Gritten had orally confessed to murder and that file was sent to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. He returned yesterday to face a murder charge. Reports indicate that
PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee support corruption.” Rohee said that those who have evidence of corruption should take measures to have them confronted. One such measure he noted is taking it to the attention of the Ombudsman. Rohee said this, as he pointed out that a member of the Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA) Eusi Kwayana had found that there were ministers in the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration, who were involved in corrupt practices and took this to the ombudsman who pronounced on it “that is the way we have to go.” “But stirring a pot on corruption to make it more sexy and palatable, putting some more icing on the cake is not (the way to go)…basically, I do not think you are going to get anywhere with that,” said Rohee.
Father of one accused of murdering money changer
Liverpool, of Lot 453 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, was shot in the back, buttocks and shoulder at around 22:00 hours on June 20, 2014 outside a night spot located on the West Ruimveldt Front Road, a short distance from his home. According to reports, the 44-year-old was sitting with one of his brothers when three men on bicycles rode up to the siblings. There was reportedly a brief exchange of words between Liverpool and the gunmen before they shot him. After he collapsed on the roadway, the gunmen reportedly relieved the money-changer of a large gold chain, two gold rings encrusted with small diamonds and a gold band. Liverpool was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he underwent surgery before being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The money changer was pronounced ‘brain dead’ by doctors at the institution and he subsequently succumbed to the injuries he sustained on June 23, last.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Sex offence trial of ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn opens
Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn (R) rides in the backseat of a car as he leaves with Henri Leclerc (L), one of his lawyers, after the first day of trial in the so-called Carlton Affair (Reuters) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund chief tipped to become French president before a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault in 2011, went on trial in France on Monday in a separate case of alleged procuring of prostitutes. Strauss-Kahn, 65, who settled a U.S. civil case with chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo after criminal charges were dropped, risks as much as 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) if convicted in the French trial taking place in the northern city of Lille. The court rejected a prosecutor’s request for the trial to be held behind closed doors to protect the identity of prostitutes who are due to testify about their encounters with StraussKahn and other defendants. “The court considers that plaintiffs always have the choice” whether or not to speak, the court’s president said. Defence lawyers had argued against the trial being held behind closed doors. Investigating magistrates who sent Strauss-Kahn to trial with 13 others argue he knew he was dealing with prostitutes when taking part in sex parties in Paris, Lille and Washington from 2008 to 2011, a judicial source told Reuters. He is charged with “procuring with aggravating circumstances”. Prosecutors say the charge of procuring, or pimping, is applicable because, under the French legal definition, it extends to any activity seen as facilitating prostitution. In Strauss-Kahn’s case, judicial investigators allege he allowed his rented apartment to be used for sex parties involving prostitutes and that he was involved in
organising them. Defence lawyers for Strauss-Kahn have flatly dismissed those allegations, arguing he never made a secret of his penchant for sex parties but was unaware the women present were prostitutes and did not play any pivotal organisational role. Strauss-Kahn, wearing a black suit, white shirt and tie, was driven into the courthouse in a dark-windowed car without stopping to speak to journalists posted outside. He was accompanied by his three defence lawyers. The matter has come to be known as the Carlton Affair, named after a hotel in Lille that is at the centre of police investigations into a broader sex ring. Strauss-Kahn, French finance minister in a boom-time Socialist government in the late 1990s, became one of the world’s most influential decision-makers in 2007 as head of the IMF, a public lender that plays a central role worldwide in the rescue of failing economies. That high-flying career ended in May 2011 when the world witnessed live TV images of the then IMF chief being escorted handcuffed into custody in New York after the accusations of Sofitel room cleaner Diallo. Strauss-Kahn, who had been preparing to run for French president and was enjoying a runaway lead in opinion polls ahead of the 2012 contest, resigned from the IMF. The fall from grace destroyed his political ambitions, leaving the way free for Francois Hollande. Since returning to France, Strauss-Kahn has separated from his celebrity journalist wife, Anne Sinclair, met a new partner and pursued a career in private-sector investment. The trial is expected to run for at least three weeks, a court official said.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Canadian health authorities issue CHIKUNGUNYA travel warning
OTTAWA, Canada, Monday February 2, 2014, CMC – Canadian health officials are warning nationals about the spread of the chikungunya virus, saying that, if they are planning to travel to the Caribbean or other warm destinations, they might want to take notice of a “particularly nasty disease they might encounter”. The Public Health Agency of Canada said since early 2014, there has been “an increase in travel-related chikungunya cases reported in Canada”. “This surge in Canadian infections has been associated with the incursion of chikungunya virus into the Caribbean and the expansion of the virus in the Americas,” Public Health Canada said. According to the Ottawa Citizen, more than 1 million people just this year have contacted the disease, worldwide. Originating in Africa, the virus has rapidly spread into the Caribbean and Central
and South Americas, Mexico and some cases in the southern United States, the paper said. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also stated that travelers to Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific are at risk. “Often, chikungunya is compared to dengue fever, but while chikungunya is rarely fatal its something you definitely do not want to get,” said the Ottawa Citizen, adding that several hundred Canadians are said to have been dealing with the illness. “It has gotten so bad in Jamaica that even children’s programmes on TV were instructing kids how to avoid mosquitos and what to look for when it came to symptoms,” the Citizen continued. The CDC recommends using insect repellent with DEET and cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and hats.
St Kitts police investigate terrorist threats against Nigerian students Police have launched an investigation into alleged terrorist threats made against Nigerian students studying here last month. “The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is investigating comments made on a local talk
show where a caller allegedly living in the United States of America, openly made terrorist threats against Nigerians living in St. Kitts who may choose to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming democratic elections.
“The investigation also includes seeking the help of external allies, as the caller intimated that he was from the United States,” the police said in a statement regarding the January 8 incident. Last month, the privately owned West Indies News Network (Winn FM) said it had taken disciplinary action against a staff member after the radio station aired a call calling for people to murder Nigerian students studying here so as to prevent them from voting in the February 16 general election. Winn FM said that it “intends being a lot more vigilant in relation to what is said by callers to its talk show programmes”. The station said the incident occurred “despite a delay mechanism that allows the station to prevent the airing of such material” and that the caller, “said to be based overseas, in essence made a death threat against Nigerians”.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Express delivery... (From page 31) by taking 5-32. Allan Donald Allan had real pace, enough to have batsmen around the world hopping around against the new ball. He led the South Africa attack for some time, playing in 164 matches and taking 272 wickets with 11 four-wicket hauls. His economy-rate was just over four and for an out-and-out strike bowler that’s pretty good. Allan enjoyed many battles with opening batsmen of high quality, but never held back with his effort. Joel Garner This giant of a man made life very difficult for batsmen around the world. You had to make massive adjustments when facing him because of his height, but what was most impressive about him was his accuracy. Joel would get good bounce on any surface because of his height, but to me his yorker was one of the best, if not the best. He really mastered it and made it special. In 98 ODIs, he took 146 wickets
at a remarkably low average of just 18.84, with an economy rate of 3.09. Richard Hadlee Hadlee was the main pace bowler for New Zealand for a long time and in assessing his returns, this should earn him lots of credit. He only played 115 ODIs, taking 158 wickets, but his average of 21.56 and economy-rate of 3.30 is excellent. Most times he was the strike bowler, so batsmen would wait for him to just bowl out his spell. So, imagine how good he was for his stats to be as impressive as they are. Michael Holding It seems now that 102 ODIs is not such a big amount, but in those days it was the norm. Mikey and Andy Roberts were the strike force for the West Indies before we had Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Wayne Daniel. Mikey had one of the best approaches in the business of fast bowling, but what he also had was real pace and that would test any batsman’s skills. In his limited overs career, he took 142 wick-
ets at an average of 21.36, with a miserly economy rate of 3.32. Brett Lee Brett had genuine pace and was always coming at you. He was very accurate and, in my view, got better as he lost just a bit of pace. He was, to me, the perfect foil for Glenn McGrath. Having played in 221 ODI games and taken 380 wickets with an average under 24, including 14 four-wicket hauls and nine five-wicket hauls, he played a vital part in Australia’s success in this format of the game. His raw pace helped him stand out. Malcolm Marshall To me, Malcolm was the complete fast bowler. He was not as tall as a lot of us, but he had lots of pace and could swing and seam the ball both ways. This made him very dangerous. Sadly Malcolm is no longer with us, but most of us learnt so much from him and I would call him the complete professional. In his 136 games he took 157 wickets at an average of just under 27. But when you
Tuesday February 03, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A temporary separation from a love partner might have you in a very gloomy mood, Aries. Attempts to reach your friend by phone might prove fruitless. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Expect to be frantic if you have to take care of something that's time critical today, Taurus. People and situations aren't in your favor. Everything will seem like a challenge. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Generally you avoid politics in any group you belong to, Gemini, but today you might get caught up in the fray in order to support a friend. This goes against your grain. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Changes you're making at home might necessitate your planning extra time, Cancer.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A business or romantic partner might be in a foul mood and not very likely to tell you why, Libra. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Have you been exercising beyond your fitness level, Scorpio? If you have, you're probably feeling very tired, sore, and out of sorts. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A goal you've recently been on the verge of attaining may suddenly hit unexpected setbacks, Sagittarius. However major or minor they are, it's going to be disheartening. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You could be introduced to a new person today Capricorn. He or she may be someone who will play a very important role in your life at one point.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Are you involved in a search through every store for a particular item, Leo? You might be looking for a long time.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Is there a secret you're obsessed with unveiling, Aquarius? Something strange could be going on in your neighborhood, or it might be an intellectual puzzle.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you've given up on something you've lost, Virgo, you might get a real surprise tonight when a dream sheds light on where you might find it.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Various intellectual or humanitarian subjects you've been reading about have changed your value system, perhaps subtly, Pisces.
look at his economy rate of 3.53 and his strike rate of 45.7, you know he was special. What he lacked in height he made up with courage and will. Glenn McGrath In my books, one of the most accurate and consistent fast bowlers to ever play this format. He led the Australia attack for a long time, playing in 250 ODIs and taking 381 wickets, just one more than Brett Lee. This is how Glenn was; very competitive and he wanted to be the best at whatever he was doing. His spell of 7-15 was his best return with an average of 22.02, while his economy rate was under four runs per over. He used to surprise batsmen with the extra pace he could generate. Andy Roberts Although Andy only played 56 ODIs, with two World Cup medals, I wonder what he would have achieved had he had the opportunity to play more, or if he were around today. He had pace and, to me, was the ultimate thinking fast bowler. He took 87 wickets with an average of 20.35 and economy rate of 3.40 and his strike rate was good too. Andy had genuine pace and it often felt like he could hit batsmen at will. Wasim Akram One of the most devastating left-arm fast bowlers in my time and one who I have lots of respect for. He was quite simply a genius. Wasim could gather pace from any surface, swing the ball both ways at high pace and had a terrific yorker. And of course, the reverse swing. His record explains itself, playing in 356 ODIs and picking up 502 wickets - he is still the secondhighest wicket-taker ever in the format. To do it at an average of just 23.52, an economy rate of 3.89 and a very good strike rate as well was truly special. He would be a captain’s dream in any ODI side, capable of taking wickets and containing batsmen. Waqar Younis Last, but by no means least, the king of reverse swing, Waqar. He was very quick in his prime as well. Along with Wasim, Waqar made life very uncomfortable for batsmen. Having played 262 matches and taken 416 wickets at an average of under 24, including 14 fourwicket hauls and 13 fivewicket hauls, he was truly special. On his day, the Pakistan great was a genuine match-winner. Between them, the two Ws took over 900 ODI wickets. What a combination this was and it bears comparison with the partnership between Curtly Ambrose and myself.
Glen McGrath
Allan Donald
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Kaieteur News
Lloyd’s selections continue to contradict his statements By Sean Devers My 72-year-old Mother is the proprietor of a Dating Service and from time to time would forget to write the appointment dates of some of her clients so I could understand why 70-year-old former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd sometimes forgets what he says. Forgetfulness is normal for people over 70. When Lloyd replaced Dwayne Bravo as West Indies 50-over Skipper with 23-year-old Rookie Jason Holder for the One-Day series in South Africa and for ICC World Cup, that selection raised eyebrows. Holder was appointed Captain because Lloyd feels he is a good leader although he never captained any team at any Regional contest before and has played just 21 ODIs without reaching 25 or claiming a five-wicket haul for the West Indies. The 31-year-old Bravo has two centuries and 10 fifties from 164 ODIs in addition to taking 199 wickets with a best of 6-43. Lloyd, insisting that there was no victimization in the non-selection of Bravo and Keiron Pollard for the World Cup, said that the absence of ‘exceptional performances’ from the pair of Bravo and Pollard, coupled with the selection panel’s vision to move forward and look for young talent, were the chief reasons for omitting the two senior all-rounders for the
ODIs against South Africa and the World Cup. “They have a chance of redeeming themselves and getting back into our cricket in the future. One is 31 (Bravo) and the other is 27 or 28 (Pollard),” Lloyd said. For the record Pollard is 27 and has three tons and seven fifties and 44 wickets in his 91 ODIs and Lloyd’s justification of performances does not reflect a fair picture for the two cricketers (Pollard and Bravo), as they are fourth and fifth on the list of highest run-scorers for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Chris Gayle called the selectors’ move “ridiculous”. Gayle had said that he was stunned to hear from Bravo that one reason for the pair being dropped was that the selectors wanted to rebuild the team. Lloyd maybe forgot he told the world that the West Indies is moving forward in a new direction with the emphasis on picking young players who has performed in West Indies cricket. Yet 32-year-old Jamaican left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who turns 33 in May, has replaced Sunil Narine in the World Cup squad ahead of Guyana’s Veerasammy Permaul whose 11 wickets is just one less than Narine, who finished as the top wickettaker in the recently concluded NAGICO Super50 competition in Trinidad & Tobago.
The 25-year-old Permaul bowls the same left-arm orthodox as Miller and is also the leading bowler in the Four-Day Franchise after the first phase of four rounds with 32 wickets. Miller is ninth on the list of Most Wickets with six, while he is sixth behind Permaul with 17 wickets so Lloyd is contradicting what he says with what he does by picking Miller instead of Permaul. If experience and performance in a West Indies competition was the criteria for selecting a replacement for Narine then Dwayne Bravo, is only behind Narine and Permaul with wickets and was the best seam bowler in the NAGICO tournament, with an economy rate of 4.05 and a strike rate of 19.8 (even better than Narine and Permaul). This would have been a great opportunity to select Bravo especially since left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn is in the World Cup squad. In September of last year the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) were singing the praises of Lloyd’s appointment as Chairman of selectors when he was heading the Government’s IMC to look after the affairs of Guyana’s cricket but they are now up in arms against him with Permaul’s non-selection on World Cup team. Funny how views can change depending on who is benefiting, but in this case I fully support the BCB.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
West Demerara Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition
Two finalists will be decided tonight
With the chance to play for the top prize of $300,000 in plain sight, the four teams to have made it to the semifinals in the inaugural West Demerara Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition will no doubt be going all out to treat the fans to some sizzling action when the semi-finals are played tonight, at the Pouderoyen Tarmac. In the first semi-final, giant-killers Raiders unit tackle West Side Ballers and this should be a keenly contested affair with the former starting as favourites to win. They defeated pre-tournament favourites Den Amstel in their quarter-final matchup and judging from that performance the pundits have installed them as the likely of the two to progress to the championship game.
Ronsdale Knight, Kevin Marshall, Alanzo Bowman and Adrian Birch are the players the team will most definitely be depending on to lead them to victory. On the other hand, West Side Ballers who beat De Kinderen United in their quarter-final clash have shown tough resistance against highly touted teams and another performance of such will come as no surprise to their supporters and the fans at large. Anthony Harding and Dwayne St. Kitts are among the leading marksman for the Ballers and how well they play will be crucial to the team’s success. In the other game, host Pouderoyen Showstoppers oppose Patentia Street Ballers and once again the former is highly favoured to march into the final, especially with the
partisan support that is expected. They will look to the likes of Marvin Josiah and Dexroy Adams to lead their assault for goals to win in regulation time, especially with the opposition rate of success in penalty shootouts. Noel Walker is the main threat for Street Ballers, who pride themselves in being superior in the spot kick segment. It should be an exciting night for the fans as the two available spots in the national playoffs remain up for grabs. Before that, a number of exhibition matches have been arranged so fans will have a full schedule of games for the night. The runner-up team will receive $150,000 and third and fourth place finishers $100,000 and $75,000 respectively.
Super Bowl ratings hit all-time high for NBC
Yepme to fly supporters to World Cup Indian Television article MUMBAI: With the Cricket World Cup just a few days away, Yepme.com, an online fashion brand, has announced the ‘Fly To Australia and cheer for West Indies’ contest. This comes on the back of Yepme announcing the sponsorship of the West Indies cricket team for the ICC World Cup ODI 2015, about to get underway in Australia and New Zealand. The West Indies cricket team jerseys will now sport the Yepme logo. “We are proud and excited to sponsor the West Indies team in the ICC World Cup. Being the third largest sports tournament in the world, which will be seen in more than 182 countries, it’s a huge opportunity for Yepme to strengthen its vision as a global brand! We are also pro-
viding an opportunity to cricket lovers across the country to go and watch the action live at Australia. We look forward to a large number of cricket fans participating in the contest even as they browse the fresh fashion at Yepme.com” said Yepme founder and chief operations officer Sandeep Sharma. Customers can participate by downloading the Yepme app and answering a question on Fresh Fashion. Up to 50 winners will be given tickets to Australia and a chance to watch West Indies team in Australia live, along with three days and two nights’
accommodation in Australia. Speaking about the association, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) commercial manager Nelecia Yeates said, “We welcome Yepme to the West Indies cricket family of sponsors and partners for the world’s premier cricket event – the ICC Cricket World Cup. We look forward to a mutually beneficial association as the West Indies team remains one of the most attractive cricket teams in the world and will be one of the favorite teams in the World Cup.” The Yepme app is available on Android and customers can interact with the app in Hindi and English.
Seattle Seahawks fans react to a touchdown in the first half as they watch the Super Bowl XLIX at the Hawks Nest bar in Seattle, Washington February 1, 2015. REUTERS/Jason Redmond (Reuters) - The New England Patriots’ heart-stopping 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl delivered record-breaking monster television ratings for NBC, the network announced on Monday. Sunday’s game in Glendale, Arizona, scored a 49.7 overnight rating, the highest
in Super Bowl history, NBC said. The overnight topped a 50 rating in each half hour from 8 p.m. EST forward and peaked at a 52.9 from 10-10:15 p.m. ET, the network said. NBC said the overnight ratings were up 4 percent from last year’s 47.6 rating when Seattle crushed the Denver
Broncos, 43-8, and up 3 percent from the prior record, a 48.1 when the Baltimore Ravens edged the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, the year before. The total number of viewers for the Super Bowl, which could be an American television record, will be announced later Monday.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
West Indies in need of redemption song
ESPNcricinfo - West Indies come to the World Cup looking to redeem a reputation tarnished by the events of 2014. The aborted tour of India due to a contracts dispute between the squad led by Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies Players Association and the West Indies Cricket Board fractured opinion in the West Indian community, and largely caused dismay among the cricket-loving public. More critically, there were casualties. Amid claims of victimisation in many quarters and equally strong denials by chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd and president of the WICB Dave Cameron, Bravo and senior allrounder Kieron Pollard found themselves surplus to requirements for the World Cup. Taking Bravo’s place at the helm is 23-year-old budding allrounder Jason Holder, the youngest man ever to captain West Indies, and a player who had just 21 ODIs behind him before the appointment. His will be the weighty task of galvanising a team still carrying the bag-
gage of India with them to Australia and New Zealand, and having to deal with an assignment that was already going to be difficult. Stuck in the lower half of the ODI rankings, the twotime former World Cup winners cannot, on statistics, be considered tournament favourites, especially since they have struggled to win with any regularity against the sides ranked above them. However, with power-hitting batsmen like Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy, the classy Marlon Samuels, West Indies have the batting personnel to have a decent tournament. Their bowling, however, has suffered after offspinner Sunil Narine withdrew from the squad to give himself more time to work on his action, which was reported as suspect during the 2014 Champions League T20 in India. Leftarm spinner Nikita Miller has been picked to fill Narine’s shoes. World Cup pedigree As winners of the first two World Cups and three-time finalists, West Indies had set the benchmark for excellence
in the limited-overs format. They have long since fallen away from their own lofty standards. West Indies have not been to a final since they famously failed to complete the hat-trick in 1983 against India at Lord’s. Only once since - in 1996 - have they reached the semi-final stage. Yet, they retain sufficient players who on their day can turn any game. The elusive trick for them is to string enough of those days together as a team. X-factor All 11 players can fit the description because of the mercurial nature of the squad. However, should Andre Russell pick his moments to attack a little better, his awesome hitting ability can take a match away from any side; his seam bowling can deliver important wickets, while his often stupendous work in the outfield can do similarly. Known primarily as a Tw e n t y 2 0 specialist, Russell is nevertheless the type of player to pull an important game out of the fire, even in 50-over cricket. He recently showed a glimpse of that against South Africa where his 64 off 40 deliveries lifted West Indies to a one-wicket win. Players in focus Chris Gayle A veteran of three World Cups, Gayle is still the side’s premier batsman at the age of 35. A superstar of the T20 game, Gayle is equally important to West Indies in the 50over format. No West Indies batsman has scored more ODI centuries than his 21. He
has not, however, done his heaviest scoring at World Cups and has just one century - against Kenya - to show for his three campaigns. Injuries have also become an area of concern for Gayle in recent years and in 2014, he underwent surgery on his back. Once he is fit enough to get to the crease however, Gayle’s runs will be crucial to any progress West Indies make in the tournament. Marlon Samuels Marlon Samuels was one of the key factors behind West Indies’ World T20 triumph in 2012. At his best, he is the most accomplished batsman in the side but his best has not been on show come as consistently as either he or West Indies would like. On his return to the team in the series against India, after having been dropped earlier in the year, Samuels reeled off two centuries in three matches, including one in the fourth ODI of the series when matters off the field were in turmoil. It is that kind of focus and single-mindedness that his team will require in the World Cup, along with his economical off spin which can also take an important wicket or two. Being named vicecaptain to Holder may also give the Jamaican a sense of purpose he hasn’t always seemed to have in his career. Jason Holder At six foot seven, and nearly as tall as legendary fast bowler Joel Garner, Jason Holder has some big shoes to fill. He was unexpectedly entrusted with the captaincy in difficult circumstances and at
a stage when his career has not quite taken off as a bowling all-rounder. The ODI series against South Africa was Holder’s only preparation for the World Cup and cricket’s biggest tournament will prove a fiery baptism. Credited with a shrewd cricket brain, Holder will have to rely on his thinking ability, developing skills as a seamer and useful lowerorder hitting to convince his team-mates that he can lead. Game style Unpredictability is both West Indies¹ strength and their weakness. They possess a number of explosive batsmen who can either set the pace of an innings or provide late momentum, and bowlers who on their day as a combination can keep strong lineups in check. West Indies are a momentum team and should they get their confidence up, they can give stiff competition to the more fancied teams. Prediction In 2011, West Indies got to the quarter-final stage and a last-eight finish remains a realistic goal. To get to the semi-finals, however, would require consistency of play currently missing. The troubles of 2014 can, however, act as a galvanising force if the players see it as a means to redeem their reputation as team. World Cup stats · West Indies have won just ten of their last 21 World Cup matches, starting from the 2003 World Cup. Two of those wins - against South Africa (2003) and Pakistan (2007) - have come against countries ranked above them
in the ODI rankings. · Only twice since reaching the final in 1983 have West Indies entered the quarterfinals of the World Cup - in 1996 and 2011. If they were an actor Charlie Chaplin: A comedy of off-the-field errors has dogged and could continue to hamper West Indies¹ progress on the field. They could feel those effects again in this campaign. Theme Song “Rally Round the West Indies” - David Rudder Fact box Previous World Cups 1975: Winners 1979: Winners 1983: Finalists 1987: Group stage 1992: Group stage 1996: Semi-final 1999: Group stage 2003: Group stage 2007: Super Eights 2011: Quarter-final Squad Jason Holder (capt), Marlon Samuels (v-c), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor Fixtures February 16 - v Ireland, Nelson February 21 - v Pakistan, Christchurch February 24 - v Zimbabwe, Canberra February 27 - v South Africa, Sydney March 6 - v India, Perth March 15 - v UAE, Napier
Yohan Blake to appear in Portmore T20 cricket league
Yohan Blake
Jamaica Observer - THE 2015 edition of the Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum/Portmore Cricket Association (PCA) T20 cricket championship bowls off today with a full slate of matches across four venues. A total of 15 teams will vie for the title over four rounds in a knockout format with the exception of Reid’s Pen, who withdrew from the competition. Defending champion Portmore Pines CC will take on Gregory Park CC in the opening match at the Bridgeport cricket field, while last year’s runners-up GC Foster College will battle Passage Fort in the second game at the same venue. Waterford CC will face Greater Portmore CC in the first game and the second game will see former champions Kens Wildflower squar-
ing off with newcomers YB Afraid, which will feature top sprinter Yohan Blake at the Portsmonth Cricket Field. At GC Foster College, Colours International will battle Portsmonth in the curtain-raiser, while Washington CC will meet rivals Braeton Red Caps in the second game. Hamilton Gardens will take on Belmont CC in the lone game at the Waterford High School. With the withdrawal of Reid’s Pen, 2012 champion Bridgeview automatically advance to the second round. The first games begin at 10:00 am and the second set of matches will start at 2:00 pm. The competition will run to Sunday, March 8. The competition will feature noted past national and past West Indies players as well.
Last season, Darren Powell, Tamar Lambert, Nkrumah Bonner, John Campbell, Horace Miller and Andre Russell, to name a few, took part in the communitybased league. Title sponsor Wray & Nephew White Overproof White Rum, in its seventh consecutive year sponsoring the tournament, has committed sponsorship valued at $1 million. The champions will walk away with $70,000, while the runner-up will pocket $30,000 for their effort. President of the PCA, Courtney Francis, urged stakeholders within Portmore to climb on board in order to assist with the development of PCA as it seeks to employ and empower young people from communities in and around Portmore.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Letter to the Sports Editor
Djokovic reigns supreme Football administration has at Australian Open
lost an illustrious servant
Dear Sports Editor, “Oh death, where is thy sting, oh grave, where is thy victory”! It was indeed with a great degree of shock, and overcome by emotional grief, when I learnt of the untimely passing of Bro: Aubrey Henry, former treasurer of Pele F.C, the then Georgetown Football League (GFL). The then Guyana Football Association (GFA); subsequently GFA and GFF respectively, Kashif & Shanghai Organization, a position he held up to the time of his untimely passing and last but not least, Vice President, Women’s Football. Editor, instinctively I can recall Aubrey’s bold and uprightness upon his entry into football around the mid 80’s as Pele’s Treasurer and representative at General Council meetings of the GFL. A few years later the individual was elected Hon. Treasurer, a position he served with distinction. Thereafter, the GFA, and subsequently the GFF, positions of Hon. Treasurer were within his grasp.
Additionally, mention must be made of his commitment to the “further development and promotion” of the sport of Association and National Football, in a holistic manner, even when he served on sub-committees of the GFL and the GFF. To borrow a phrase “the running of football, must be done in a manner that makes dollars and sense, conducive to a business reflective of profit and loss”! As far as I can recall Aubrey was one of the very few executive members of the GFF that was in the forefront at Council meetings for the restoration of the GFA’s voting rights! And he was never afraid to back down from a debate, even if it meant that the former GFF President, Colin Klass was on the receiving end! While he also dealt with heckling, efficiently and professionally, with words to the effect; “Please, Mr. Chairman, on a point of order I’m on the floor allow me to speak uninterrupted. Who’s in charge of the
meeting?” Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention, Aubrey never made enemies, despite how stormy a meeting was. One could have been assured at the conclusion his handshake, or a tap on the shoulder greeted you. Phone calls and text messages pertaining to your thoughts on an international match; enhancing crowd attendance and cost cutting measures (e.g.) overstaffing was among his ideals. So, too were his accounting policies and fiscal financial management, entailing the submission of vouchers and receipts for payments! To his immediate and extended families; relatives, friends and colleagues kindly accept my sincerest condolences upon the untimely passing of Bro: Aubrey Henry, brethren, counselor, motivator and a humble servant of football. “May His Soul Rest in Peace”! Respectfully yours, Lester Sealey.
Malcolm re-elected Jamaica Umpires head Jamaica Star - Kingston, Jamaica - Former West Indies umpire, Norman Malcolm, says now that he has been reelected president of the Jamaica Cricket Umpires Association (JCUA), his mandate will be to finish the work he started back in 2002. Malcolm, who recently resigned from the West Indies Panel of Umpires, was reelected unopposed during the annual general meeting of the JCUA, held at the Rex Nettleford Hall, University of the West Indies last weekend. “I’m ecstatic to have been re-elected, as I have some unfinished business as to where I would like to take the JCUA,” said Malcolm. “It has been a successful journey so far where my team and I have been able to raise the standard and profile of umpires in the country. “This has come about as a result of periodic training and assessment of umpires, and a yearly retreat whereby we update umpires as to the new rules and regulations of the game.” Regional success The 59-year-old, who stood in 27 one-day internationals and seven
Umpire Norman Malcolm speaks to Virat Kohli. Twenty20 internationals before calling it a day, also spoke to elements of increased umpires and regional success as examples of the association’s work. “Through extensive recruiting, we have been able to increase the cadre of umpires in all zones, which has allowed us to effectively officiate all competitions,” he said. “Additionally, we have three guys who are on the senior West Indies Panel who are doing well, including Patrick Gustard, who recently officiated in the final of the WICB Super50 in Trinidad
and Tobago.” Verdayne Smith and Chris Taylor are the other Senior Panel umpires, with Chris Wright, Jacqueline Williams, and Athol Hamilton members of the West Indies Emerging Panel. The JCUA AGM also saw the retention of several members of the association’s executive. This includes Cecil Fletcher, first vice-president; Hugh Fogo, second vicepresident; Dewith Coleman, third vice-president, Daniel Warren-Kidd, secretary; and Terrence Richards, treasurer.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates victory with the trophy Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason O’Brien
MELBOURNE (Reuters) Novak Djokovic may have garnered a reputation as the crown prince of pranksters in tennis but on Sunday he firmly established him as the king of Melbourne’s blue hardcourts with his fifth Australian Open title. The 27-year-old Serb, limping from two slips on court, breathing heavily and battling a “physical crisis”, overcame a fired-up Andy Murray 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0 to clinch his fourth Australian title in the past five years. It was his eighth grand slam title overall. He also overcame a slight shift in momentum in the second set when security staff had to remove a group of people, two of whom managed to jump on court but did not get near the players, protesting Australia’s policy on refugees. “We both, of course, went through some tough moments physically,” Djokovic said. “I went through the physical crisis in the matter of 20 minutes... end of the second, beginning of the third. “Just felt very exhausted and I needed some time to regroup and recharge and get back on track. That’s what I did.”
Since Djokovic won his first grand slam title in 2008 he has compiled a 47-3 record in Melbourne. His reign means he has the record for most Australian Open titles in the Open era, one behind Australia’s Roy Emerson who dominated in the 1960s. SLIGHT FAVORITE Despite Murray’s poor record against the Serb — he had lost seven of their past eight encounters — he had arguably entered the final as the slight favorite. Djokovic had struggled in his semi-final against defending champion Stan Wawrinka, while Murray played superbly to beat seventh seed Tomas Berdych in a tempestuous clash. Murray’s celebrations in the victory over Berdych highlighted the raging competitiveness that exists inside the 27-year-old boxing fan as he repeatedly mimicked punching an imaginary opponent into the ground. Fittingly, Murray and Djokovic were involved in a tense boxing match on Sunday, examining each other for any weakness, landing a body blow, taking one themselves, or counter punching as they scrambled around trying to stay alive. Several times, Murray had
Djokovic wobbling and down on one knee, ready to be finished off and he knew it. But the knockout blow never came and Murray felt afterwards Djokovic’s problems on court may have had an element of gamesmanship, lulling him into a false sense of anticipation that he could be on the verge of his third grand slam title. That gave the Serb the chances he needed, which accounted for Murray’s yawps of anguished pain and lengthy monologues consisting mostly of the Anglo-Saxon vernacular his fiance Kim Sears uttered during the Berdych semi-final, the video of which went viral on social media. By the end of the third set, after Djokovic had found himself 2-0 down and then won six of the next seven games, Murray’s frustrations boiled over as he slammed his racquet into the ground, causing the crowd to turn on him. The fight appeared gone from Murray and when Djokovic jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, he buried his head beneath a towel, and while he appeared to metaphorically throw it in, he insisted the top seed had simply thrown caution to the wind.
Jerome Champagne out as trio fight Blatter in presidential race BBC Sport - Three candidates are set to take on Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency after the withdrawal of Frenchman Jerome Champagne. Prince Ali of Jordan, Luis Figo and Michael van Praag have been confirmed as runners in the race for the top job at football’s governing body. Champagne failed to win enough support in his bid to unseat Blatter.
“The institutions have mobilised to eliminate the only independent candidate,” claimed the 56-year-old. Blatter, the boss of Fifa since 1998 who is seeking a fifth term in office, faces opposition from Asian Football Confederation vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, former Portugal international Figo and Dutch football chief Van Praag.
Candidates had to secure the backing of five national football associations, with Champagne only receiving the support of three. The former Fifa deputy general secretary has been a fierce critic of the organisation. Each of Fifa’s 209 member associations hold a vote for the elections, planned for 29 May, with the Football Association intending to back Prince Ali.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 31
Formula 1: Mercedes, Red Bull & Williams unveil cars at testing World champions Mercedes during testing. (Getty Images)
Most of the changes to the Red Bull car are “under the skin”, chief engineer Rob Marshall says. (Reuters)
BBC Sport - The first day of pre-season testing for the new Formula 1 season has started at Spain’s Jerez track with three leading teams unveiling their cars. Wo r l d c h a m p i o n s Mercedes, runners-up Red Bull and third-placed Williams showed off their new designs in the pit lane before beginning preparation work. Eight teams are in Jerez discovering whether the months of design work on revising their machines has paid off. Force India have missed the test because their 2015
car is late. The big secret was the Red Bull, as Mercedes and Wi l l i a m s h a d a l r e a d y released pictures or images of their challengers. It was launched in a temporary camouflage livery, similar to those used by road-car manufacturers when they are testing new models. What could be seen, however, was that the car features a nose design that combines elements of last year’s Ferrari with the “bump” on the tip featured on the new Williams. “There are some changes
that affect the shape of the front of the car but beyond that most of the changes are under the skin,” Red Bull chief engineering officer Rob Marshall said. “There won’t be a lot that’s visible to the naked eye but a lot of hard work has gone into the bits that are hidden.” The Mercedes, like the other cars, is an evolution of l a s t y e a r ’s d o m i n a n t machine, but it features notable differences, including a narrower and longer nose and narrower rear bodywork.
“The key factor from our perspective is avoiding complacency. Expectations are now high and a lot of assumptions are being made about our potential this season,” Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe said. “Internally, however, we are fully aware that you can never afford to stand still in any sport - particularly F1. “We have been pushing harder than ever to find areas for performance gains. But at the same time, we must ensure we are moving in the correct direction. “Some changes will be more visually obvious, of
course, but the devil is in the detail. Beneath the covers there have been a raft of developments on both chassis and power-unit - all aimed at creating a car that is safer, more efficient, more reliable and ultimately faster.” Sir Frank Williams said his team’s target, after leaping from ninth to third last season, was “to continue their move back towards the front of the grid”. The new FW37 bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor, but has an unusual nose design to meet the new rules aimed at increasing safety, with a bump protruding from a
BCB disappointed with the non selection of Permaul Harry, Boston lead Strikers to victory
The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has expressed disappointment and shock with the non-selection of left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul to replace Sunil Narine who pulled out of the World Cup. The statement said that the board was first disappointed with his exclusion from the team in the first instance. However, when Narine announced his withdrawal, the BCB was confident that Permaul would have been the obvious choice. The new panel of selectors stated that it is time for rebuilding with the younger players who perform consistently and Permaul’s returns in the
ongoing four day and recently concluded one day tournaments has been exceptional. He is fast improving as an all rounder. He collected 32 from 4 games in the four day format and 11 in the one day format. His improving with every innings and his fielding ability is well known. Permaul is eight years younger than Nikita Miller, a left arm spinner as well. The board is puzzled and calls on The Legendary Clive Lloyd and his team to be consistent in their selection policy. West Indies cricket is at the lowest ever and actions like this will help it to remain so.
O
utstanding performances by Roderick Harry and Lindon Boston guided Strikers to victory when the Robert Williams Memorial Dominoes competition continued on Saturday night last at Meadowbrook. Harry marked 17
games and Boston scored 16 as Strikers rattled up 71 to overcome Transport Sports Club 66 and Impressers 60. Colin Benjamin chalked 16 for Transport SC; Yonette Christmas made 16 and Barbara Marshall 15 for Impressors.
square section at the front. Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel was the first man out of the pit lane as he began work for his new team, Ferrari. And McLaren had a delayed start as they begin their much-anticipated era with new engine partner Honda. Fernando Alonso will drive on Sunday before alternating with Jenson Button for the rest of the test. Button wrote on his Twitter account: “Don’t expect too much from us this test as it’ll be mostly systems checks”, adding that McLaren-Honda faced a “long road” but had “massive potential”
Barbara Marshall
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Kaieteur News
NEE Second Annual Mashramani Futsal Tournament
NAlico-NAfico Insurance Co. hands over trophy
N
Alico-NAfico Insurance C o m p a n y yesterday handed over the first place trophy to New Era Entertainment (NEE) for their upcoming Second Annual Mashramani Futsal Tournament to be played at the Mackenzie Sports Club Court, Linden. One of the Directors of N E E , Wi n s t o n F r a s e r collected the hardware from the company, thanking them for their support. The tournament is set to kick off Friday night. The winning team will get $300,000 while the runner-up will get $100,000. The third place finisher pockets $75,000 with $25,000 set aside for the fourth placed team
Internal Auditor at NAlico-NAfico Insurance Company, Vickash Persaud (left) hands over the first place trophy to NEE’s, Winston Fraser.
Tuesday February 03, 2015
‘Underdogs’ continue to rule the roost as Mayor’s Cup Football Championship continues By Michael Benjamin When underdogs, Golden Grove, defeated Grove Hi Tech in the first major upset of the inaugural night of the Mayor’s Cup Football Championship and another lowly rated team, Agricola, triumphed over powerhouse, Victoria Kings on that same night, the pundits were adamant that those victories were ‘flash in the pans.’ In what now seems to be an ominous precedent, two other ‘underdog’ teams replicated this feat when activities shifted to the Georgetown Football Club Ground last Sunday evening. Considered the underdogs,’ Ann’s Grove defeated Camptown 3-0 moments after another lowly rated t e a m , M a h a i c a Determinators sent pre-game favourites, Santos, packing 3-1, in a game that went right down to the wire just before Ann’s Grove disposed of Camptown 3-0. Maxton Adams (6th), Quincy Johnson (76) and Kevin Barry (89) were the marksmen that sent Ann’s Grove ahead, while Job Caesar (32) Quincy Holder (44) and Delroy Deane (70+ 2) sealed the deal for Mahaica Determinators. The Camptown/ Ann’s Grove battle commenced at a hectic pace with both teams seeking to gain the early advantage. As the game heated up, Adams latched on to a pin point pass from one of his teammates and weaved his way to Camptown’s goal. He adroitly evaded the advancing defence before sending in a fierce shot that zipped past the Camptown custodian to send his team to the lead. Camptown front men, led
by Reshawn Sandiford and Troy ‘Bugsie’ Prescod retaliated with classical passes and one of them landed on the Ron Adams’ right foot. He sent in a vicious shot but the ill-timed strike slid along the left of the goalpost. Sandiford was then gifted a free kick approximately 90 yards from the opposition’s goal shortly afterwards but his fierce kick was intercepted by the Ann’s Grove custodian. Thereafter, the battle for supremacy increased but both sides managed to defend stoutly and Ann’s Grove went in at the halfway mark with their 1 nil lead. The battle resumed in the second session and both teams botched scoring opportunities. As the clock wound down it seemed as though the earlier goal scored by Ann’s Grove was all that was needed to guarantee advancement but Johnson and Barry displayed a hungry propensity and two late goals by them, the last by Barry in the 89th minute, just before the final whistle, sealed the deal for their team. Earlier, Santos and Mahaica turned in impressive displays from the onset of their match and when Job Caesar received a pass just outside the box and sprinted to the Santos goal, the small crowd went up in high anticipation only to be disappointed as the Santos goalie held on to the stinging offering. The dapper Santos striker made amends for that blunder shortly afterwards when he extricated himself from a goal scrimmage and slammed in what was eventually his team’s lone goal. Delroy Deane was a clear and present danger and his
Delroy Deane attacking style singled him out as the man to equalize the situation for his team. He came very close to doing so when he performed a solo early in the first session but after doing the bulk of the work, and just the goalie to contend with, he sent in a slanted shot that slid down the left side of the goal. Quincy Holder cleaned up Deane’s act with a stinging right foot shot that left the opposition’s goalie befuddled as the ball settled in the network. Deane pressed on, knowing that he had made a terrible blunder earlier and his persistence won out when he was gifted a pass just outside the box. He swivelled on the balls of his feet and simultaneously delivered a fierce kick that sped past the Camptown’s goalie. Any hopes of even narrowing the total dissipated for the team out of Campbellville Housing Scheme when the referee sounded the final whistle shortly afterwards. Activities resume tomorrow evening when Police play Haslington and GFC oppose Uitvlugt. Both matches will take place at the GFC Ground starting at 19:00hrs.
Former Windies batsman vexed by Bravo’s decision to quit Tests PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Former Test batsman Bryan Davis believes allrounder Dwayne Bravo should have been a fixture in the West Indies team over the years. The 31-year-old Bravo announced last Friday he was retiring from Tests but would continue to be available for One-Day Internationals and Twenty20s. “I can understand his frustration. He has been overlooked for so long,” Davis told the Trinidad Express newspaper. “I would have had him in my team all the time and still believe he should have played a lot more Tests.” Bravo’s decision to retire from the longest
format came after nearly four years after he played his last game on the tour of Sri Lanka. He finished with 2,200 runs from 40 Tests at an average of 31, and also took 86 wickets at nearly 40 apiece. His decision also followed his sacking from the one-day team last December and his removal as captain after only just over a year in charge. Davis, who played four Tests against Australia in 1965, said Bravo should have had a longer career in the longest format. “I am a firm believer that anybody can make their own decisions and he felt it was the right time. I am disappointed he did not play more Test cricket.”
Tuesday February 03, 2015
Kaieteur News
Millington, Dick cops top awards in Flying Ace annual awards ceremony
T
he Flying Ace Cycling Club ( FA C C ) o n Saturday last held their 15th annual awards and presentation ceremony for its top performers for the year 2014 at the New Amsterdam Town Hall. During the ceremony the club took the opportunity to honour its top performers in the senior and junior category as well as the females and also showed appreciation to its sponsors and supporters who assisted it during the year. Ray Millington was awarded the top cyclist of the club and received the Commander, B Division Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph Trophy. Elijah Brijadder was the runner up. Female rider Marica Dick once again rode away with the top female cyclist award and received the Traffic Officer B Division, Deputy Superintendent Boodnarne Persaud trophy. Veteran rider Wasim Hasnoo was the top veteran on show and he was presented with the Assistant Superintendent Guy Nurse trophy. Syborne Fernandes was declared his runner up. Audrel Ross was awarded the most promising junior rider prize. Young female riders Whitney Payer was voted the most improved rider on the distaff side, while Shenika Teixeira was recognized for her performance. The Top BMX rider for the club was Shane Sue Hang. Club officials Pearl Arokium and Gloria Beharry were also recognized for their contribution towards the club during the year. Retired Head teacher, community leader and sports enthusiast, Ian Carter gave the feature address. In his
Ray Millington
Marica Dick speech, Carter congratulated the cyclists for their outstanding performances during the year. He lashed the government for not making more sports facilities available for our youths to use. He stated that during years gone by there were many grounds including the Mental Hospital and Rose Hall Community Centre that could have been used. Now it’s only the roads cyclists could use to train and ride. He expressed his fear for the young cyclists that have to train on the roads that are becoming more dangerous every day. Carter called on the government and the business community to support cycling and sports in general stating that sports helps to keep youths off the streets. The government should make all or most sporting equipment tax free so that every youth in the country could be able to purchase
equipment and gear to participate in a sport of their choice. “What the government is doing right now is just talking and no action,” Carter stated. He congratulated Roberts and the rest of his executives for the excellent work that they have been doing over the years. C a r t e r w h i l e congratulating the cyclists admonished them to reach the heights of past stalwarts the likes of Walter Liddle, Gordon Lewis, Marcel Crawford, Joe Tyndell and others. Among some of the top cyclists to emerge from the club is Wazin Gaffor the Benjamin brothers Gary and Wilbert, Peter Millington, Russell Allen, Rudolph Blair and female rider Rhonda Persaud among many others. Club Coach and founder Randolph Roberts gave an overview of the Club since its formation some 27 years ago. Today it is one of the leading clubs in Guyana. Roberts in his speech mentioned that cycling is a very expensive sport and only those rich and fortunate can participate. A tyre alone he said cost $15,000. He
said however, despite the impediments the club has been attracting new riders and those from the grass roots. During the year there were many challenges, but the club was able to withstand the pressure and came out like a shining light among the other clubs in Guyana. It organised ten events which were by far the most organized by any club in Guyana. So far they have organised one even for the year. Roberts had special words of appreciation for those who supported it during the past year including Benjamin Sports Store of Fyrish, Guyana Beverage Company, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Water Crest Hotel, First Impression Hotel, Furniture World, Arokium Funeral Home, Kings Jewelry World, Guyana Bank of Trade and Industries, Berbice River B r i d g e C o m p a n y, t h e various Media houses including Kaieteur News, The Guyana Police Force, Commander of Police B Division Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph, Traffic Officer B Division Deputy Superintendent Boodnarne Persaud, Assistant Superintendent Guy Nurse and the Guyana Cycling Federation among others. The club will also like to thank its overseas based riders who continue to support the club, Canadian based Wilbert Benjamin, London based Franco Crawford and United States based Winston Thomas among others. He looks forward for a more productive year from his riders in 2015. (Samuel Whyte)
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Express delivery men Courtney Walsh -
Wasim Akram
ESPNcricinfo - ICC Exclusive Column - Dubai, United Arab Emirates The West Indies bowling great Courtney Walsh puts together a list of his top XI fast bowlers in One-Day Internationals. Putting together my top XI fast bowlers in One-Day internationals, let me assure you, has not been an easy task. There will be names missing and I am sure eyebrows will be raised and questions asked at some omissions and inclusions. And rightly so. Over the years we have had some great fast bowlers, who have not only performed exceptionally well but also adjusted to different conditions and changes in the rules and regulations. I am not ranking my choices in any particular
order so those who may want to, feel free to place them as you see most appropriate. Curtly Ambrose Not shy of height, he was naturally seen as Joel Garner’s replacement early in his playing days. He did not disappoint either. Like Joel, Curtly had a very dangerous yorker, was very accurate and did not like to give away runs. He was so tight that getting a drink off him at the bar was hard work! Curtly played in 176 ODIs, taking 225 wickets at an average of just over 24. He had six four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls, and will always be remembered for that memorable spell in Sydney when he was asked to remove his wrist bands by Dean Jones and responded (Continued on page 27)
Ultimate Arm Wrestling competition 2015 launched
T
he 704 Ultimate Arm Wrestling Competition was launched last Friday and the event is expected to have its previous champions participating. 704 will be providing insurance for all players who participate. The top prize will be $100,000 in each category which includes the under-200 lbs and over 250 lbs. The tournament final is expected to happen on April 4. The Ultimate Arm Wrestling Championships
was first launched in 2014 as part of an annual event created by the management of the 704 sports bar. The management had given a commitment that as long as there is an interest they will continue to promote this sport. In 2015 they expect that it will be larger and more persons will come forward to participate. The entrance fee is only $1,000 and forms are available at leading Gyms and the 704 bar. The main sponsor this year is Southland
International. The promoters have already approached two International arm wrestling champions with the intention of bring one of them to Guyana to referee the finals. The competition begins on February 22nd and will conclude on April 4th. All events will be held at 704 Sports Bar and a new regulation built table will also be in place. The Championship table from 2014 has been donated to the Guyana Defence Force.
From left: Irzad Zamal - CEO of Southland International, Dustanni Barrow - Manager of 704 complex, and UAW PRO John Ramsingh at the launch.
t r o Sp West Demerara Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition
Two finalists will be decided tonight
Part of the action in this year’s competition.
Lloyd’s selections continue to contradict his statements
Clive Lloyd
Dwayne Bravo
Veersammy Permaul
Nikita Miller
Millington, Dick cops top awards in Flying Ace annual awards ceremony Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210