Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Where your views make the news

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Letters... Where your views make the news

Putting Nagamootoo as the APNU/AFC Presidential Candidate is sheer pragmatism DEAR EDITOR, Putting Mr. Moses Nagamootoo as the Presidential Candidate for the coalition between APNU and AFC is sheer pragmatism and if this is not recognized by those who would like to see the back of the PPP/C Government, then we are doomed with the PPP/C back in office, with all that entails, and all the sensitivities intact, whether African or otherwise. Mr. Nagamootoo is not the leader of the AFC and if the leader of the AFC, himself an East Indian, has stood himself down, and put Mr. Nagamootoo forward, that in itself indicates that there is some strategy at work here. Mr. Nagamootoo is not only a grassroots politician par excellence, he was among the most popular PPP men,

consistently getting the highest number of votes in the PPP’s Congress elections. His name reverberates in the Corentyne among the ordinary people. With him at the head gives the coalition the best chance of bringing that critical percentage of disenchanted PPP supporters over to the coalition, otherwise they stay home and do not vote. Think of the AFC’s position also; if the coalition were to go with an African leader and fails to get the needed majority, it would sound the death knell of the AFC. It would lose its identity, since it would not be able to extricate itself and become a party of any consequence again.

Editor, all that is wrong in Guyana today is a result of a bad constitution left after 28 years by two black leaders (think of E.I sensitivities then) and for 23 years worked by three East Indians leaders. None of these leaders, past and present, has seen it fit to make significant changes to the electoral system or even to practise issue-based rather than racebased politics. Hence we are where we are. The present Guyana Constitution aids and abets this situation by imposing a Presidential system of Government on an already established Parliamentary system that ensures that the party with the highest number of votes gets the presidency Continued on page 31

DEAR EDITOR, The current matter where the son of a rich man allegedly sexually molested a teen caught my attention. Mr. Editor, sons of many affluent parents have either been encouraged to do as they please or they “bluff” at the expense of their wellintentioned parents. Please allow me to relate an incident related to the former scenario. I was having a few beers with some friends at a “watering hole” in Enmore a few months ago. At a nearby table were four young men, all past half drunk. The filth

coming out of their mouths would give serious competition to what would come out of another part of their anatomies. A member of our table asked the young men to tone down their expletives, to which the apparent leader of the quartetretorted that we did not know who he was and who his father was and he could behave anyhow he wanted to because his father was a big one and Guyana was a free country. They continued with their filth for another halfhour and then left the shop, but not before coming to our

table and ALL of them repeating the “F” word, either showing that they were “bad” or tempting a confrontation. I am aware that one of my friends found out who the “bully” was and spoke to his father briefly on the phone. The father was very dismissive of the complaint. The bully resides in the Better Hope area. Mr Editor, the full force of the law should apply in this sexual molestation matter. Anything else will be condoning repeats of this nature. Steve Ramotar

The sons of many affluent parents have been encouraged to do as they please

The Rape of the NIS DEAR EDITOR, First of all one must congratulate Mr. Nigel Hughes for being sufficiently discreet in describing the conspiracy between GuySuCo the employer, and the NIS the provider, as only an act of ‘discrimination’ when contrasted with the treatment meted out to former bauxite workers – in KN. Others who comment on this shameless travesty of the law very likely may be deemed indiscreet in turn. But not really, when one examines the implications of a complexity which allows the largest, and possibly most historical employer in the nation, to set an example of amorality that would tempt some other employers, large and small, t o e m u l a t e . Particular concern should be paid to how foreign investors would react to such explicit perfidy. Which institution, in turn, would have the moral authority to attempt to penalise the comparatively minor lapses say, of small businesses who complain of being regularly harassed. GuySuCo’s behaviour in this regard also reflects a philosophy and practice in other management circumstances that can hardly be described as transparent. It not only speaks of the importance of what is called a Board of Directors, but more disconcertingly to the unease Managers at lower levels of the organisation must feel in matters of trust that affect them.

It speaks critically even to those workers who receive ‘benefits’ in response to their claims as to whether their deducted contributions are part of the $1.5B debt. Meanwhile, the public must ask: how does the NIS reconcile its registrants with GuySuCo’s variable workforce? How is the claimant verified as an active employee or indeed an eligible pensioner? The NIS administration, obviously responding to directives of the Board, must wonder whether there would be any possibility, not only of retrieving the unpaid contributions, but at their having to compound the indebtedness by utilising resources they do not really have to ‘honour’ (an inappropriate word) claims! The administration in its heart of hearts must also feel sensitive about the fact that in too many cases over the years it has denied benefits to individuals, who have been marginally short of qualifying contributors. It is not enough for the politicians (for GuySuCo is

but a politicised agency) to be satisfied that sugar workers in particular are getting their benefits; r a t h e r, t h e y s h o u l d b e deeply concerned, and regretful that they have been found out. Surely an organisation caught in this travesty must be concerned of its image – as to whether it is sustainable as an employer of choice. It is even possible that some, including guest managers from overseas, may find such a malodorous environment too offensive in which to function. For those of us who have had sugar in our blood since before the formation of GuySuCo, this recent disclosure is, however vicariously, an experience that profoundly demeans pride in the industry and hope for its future. E.B. John

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Guyana’s Honorary Consul to TT faces probe for witness tampering One day after Government said that it has no problems with Ernie Ross performing duties as Honorary Consul General to Trinidad and Tobago, there are indications that he could be in deep trouble in that territory. The executive, who owns Ross Advertising, has close ties to Guyana, reportedly purchasing the Pradoville One home of former President Bharrat Jagdeo a few years ago. He is also said to have done advertising campaign work for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic. Ross is also Trinidad’s chief public relations consultant and is currently facing questions over his role in a witness tampering probe which forced Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar this week to announce that she had sacked her Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, and Security Minister, Gary Griffith. She also reshuffled her Cabinet. Ross initially denied playing a role in a secret meeting to have the matter settled. The Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday said that they questioned Ross on the issue and he “provided a complete background to the situation”. The Ministry said that it “reposes its confidence in the statement made by him and

Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Trinidad, Ernie Ross in his continued ability to responsibly carry out his duties on behalf of the Government of Guyana.” The Ministry also pointed out that in addition to holding the unpaid position as Guyana’s Honorary Consul General to Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain, Ross is also head of the advertising firm, Ross Advertising. “As Honorary Consul General, Mr. Ross is permitted to function in other capacities.” But the Trinidad Guardian newspaper yesterday reported that Ross has changed his tune and is now confirming he did meet with the former National Security Minister and his wife at his St Clair office last Thursday. That meeting which took

place hours after Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West filed a criminal complaint against former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, was first made public by Griffith, and had been stoutly denied by Ross and Communication Minister Vasant Bharath. Griffith, who has been identified as a critical witness in support of West’s complaint, had threatened to tell all about the details of what took place at that meeting. The former minister said then his wife, Nicole Dyer-Griffith, chair of the Congress of the People, and Bharath were present at that meeting. Ross denied Bharath was part of the meeting, and the minister also said he was not present. According to the Trinidad Guardian, the police will now have to determine whether Ross’ intervention amounted to an attempt to pervert the course of justice by reportedly advising Griffith to withdraw his witness statement in support of West. In an interview on Tuesday, Ross, when questioned about the meeting, denied it ever took place and said the matter was now in the hands of his lawyers. On Wednesday, Ross in a telephone interview with the Guardian admitted he met with Griffith and DyerGriffith on Thursday last, just as Griffith had originally stated. He said he sat in that meeting in an “informal” role but denied Bharath was a part of it. Ross even took out a full page advertisement in yesterday’s Trinidad Guardian newspaper in a bid to “set the record straight.” In that release, Ross said he “convened the meeting as a media adviser” to the former minister of national security.”

Friday February 06, 2015

PPP hypocritical in condemning coalition talks – AFC’s Nagamootoo Vice Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Moses Nagamootoo, pointed to interesting historical facts yesterday, to prove that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic is not only hypocritical, but has no basis for condemning his party’s right to explore coalition talks with other stakeholders. At his party’s press conference which was held at the Georgetown Club, Nagamootoo told media operatives that he feels it is necessary to give the government a history lesson, since it has been “deliberately undermining” any progress that could be made from the AFC’s pro-democracy alliance talks with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). He then strongly condemned what he believes to be a “desperate and divisive” campaign by the PPP in that regard. Nagamootoo is also of the view that even though, for 60 years, the search for a multiethnic, multi-class, national coalition government has eluded the nation, the goals of national unity remain viable and ought to be pursued by all genuine patriots. He emphasized that the AFC’s coalition policy, is based on principles of winnerdoes-not-take-all, and inclusive democracy. In any such alliance, the AFC, he said, is only seeking to promote the mutual interests of all. He began his “history” session, by first stating that it was Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the late founder-leader of the PPP, who had fought tirelessly for a coalition between the PPP and the PNC. Nagamootoo said that Jagan did that “before and after Independence, episodes of rigged elections, and Walter Rodney’s death”. It was Dr. Jagan, he said, who advocated ethnic and

national unity through a mechanism of one government, two parties. The lawyer said that in 1964, it was Dr. Jagan who invited Mr. Forbes Burnham to form a PPP-PNC coalition government. Nagamootoo said that Dr. Jagan offered Mr. Burnham the Deputy Premiership and half of the Cabinet. He said that he exhorted Mr. Burnham to join him, as that was the only recipe for unity, peace and harmony. Dr. Jagan, he stressed, wanted a PPP-PNC merger or coalition since the split in 1955. Nagamootoo recalled as well that not long after “rigged elections” in 1973, the PPP gave the PNC government “critical support”, which was a form of alliance, only that the PPP was not included in the government. By 1976, he said, when it was apparent that the PPP and the PNC were driven by the same ideology, key leaders of the party defected to the PNC. “Some served as Government Ministers, and the PPP’s key ideologue and heir-apparent Ranji Chandisingh was to become the PNC’s General Secretary. By 1977, on the eve of the rigged referendum, the PPP proposed a National Patriotic Front Government that would include the PPP and PNC. The PPP again courted Mr. Burnham to form a PNCPPP coalition government after Walter Rodney was killed, and after the 1980 elections were rigged. “On the eve of Burnham’s death, there were secret talks at Burnham’s Belfield country house, to hammer out a PPPPNC Coalition. When Burnham died in 1985, the coalition idea died as well,” Nagamootoo articulated. It is upon this background, the AFC Vice Chairman emphasised that he finds it to be nothing but pure opportunism on the party of the PPP’s “pseudo-leaders” to now be accusing the AFC of betrayal for exploring the coalition idea. He said that faced with a similar situation as today, the PPP in 1990 joined with other opposition parties to form the Patriotic Coalition for

AFC Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo Democracy (PCD). The politician said that it offered the fringe parties 50 percent of the joint electoral slate, 50 percent of the Cabinet, plus the Prime Ministership. But Nagamootoo noted that the talks collapsed when the Working People’s Alliance opposed Cheddi Jagan as the consensus presidential candidate. “Having tasted rejection more than once, the PPP now resorts to “sour grapes politics” by attacking all those who want to come together in a broad alliance. At the same time, it dances with political wolves in a frenzy of opportunism,” he stated. The AFC executive member said that the PPP has incorporated into its ranks, elements who once determined to destroy the party. He said that the PPP imported Odinga Lumumba from the PNC, Joseph Hamilton from the House of Israel, Leslie Ramsammy from the Guyana Republican Party (GRP), Nanda Gopaul from the Guyana Labour Party (GLP), Kwame McCoy from Good and Green Guyana (GGG) and Manzoor Nadir from the United Force (UF) - the latter having coalesced with the PNC in 1964 to keep the PPP out of office for 28 years (1964-1992). Nagamootoo concluded that the PPP has no morality to lecture anyone on alliance politics. He added that the ruling party therefore must back off from its “dirty, racist propaganda” to confuse and fool mainly its Indo-Guyanese constituency, and further divide the nation.

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Venezuela seeks diplomacy with U.S. as relations deteriorate CARACAS, Venezuela (UPI) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked a United Nations official to mediate talks between Venezuela and the United States. Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations Ernesto Samper was in Caracas for talks with Maduro. Maduro addressed President Barack Obama directly during a speech. “President Obama, I say this with goodwill: We hope that you set a new and different tone with Venezuela,” Maduro said. “Rectify and stop in time the coup plan [that would see] the destruction of Venezuela.” The relationship between Venezuela and the United States has further decayed since the United States imposed sanctions in December. The United States also established more visa bans on several Venezuelan officials on Monday. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the visa bans “are sending a

Nicolas Maduro clear message that human rights abusers, those who profit from public corruption and their families, are not welcome in the United States.” The sanctions and subsequent visa bans were imposed by the United States due to allegations of Maduro’s government violating human rights, suppressing protesters and corruption. Maduro quickly reacted to the accusations by calling the United States hypocritical.

“What human rights are they talking about?” he asked. “They kill black youth in the street with impunity. They persecute and have concentration camps of Central American kids. [In Guantanamo], they have abducted dozens of citizens of the world under no known legal system, submitting them to torture, isolation,” Maduro said during a speech. Maduro also accused U.S. Vice President Joe Biden of attempting to overthrow his government during a Caribbean energy summit in Washington, D.C., in January. Maduro said Biden told Caribbean leaders that the Venezuelan government’s days are numbered. Biden’s office denied the claims in a statement. “President Maduro’s accusations are clearly part of an effort to distract from the concerning situation in Venezuela, which includes repeated violations of freedom of speech, assembly, and due process,” the statement said.

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Friday February 06, 2015

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

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OBSERVING THE MAY 11 POLLS Instead of many local observer groups to the 2015 elections, the respective groups with an interest in being observers should come together under a single umbrella body. It is always difficult in small societies like Guyana for groupings to be able to field significant numbers of volunteers to cover all of the polling stations in Guyana. But if all those interested, come together under a single umbrella, there remains a greater chance of this happening. The Private Sector Commission and Guyana Trades Union Congress have in the past expressed an interest in monitoring elections. But they could never individually field sufficient observers to cover every polling station. The Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) is the largest election monitoring grouping. But during the 2011 elections,

it was only able to monitor about 75% of all of the polling stations. In a country where a few thousand votes can decide a seat, this level of monitoring is inadequate. In a country where it is possible for a party to lose its majority because the results of seventeen polling stations were left out of the official count, having a seventy-five per cent reach is not good enough. This may seem surprising to many, because in most countries the observers do not cover more than 20% of the polling stations. In Guyana, however, the conduct of the polling is hardly ever the problem. Polling generally goes off smoothly, with only a few incidents here and there. The problem arises because of suspicions over the count and the reporting of that count. These suspicions are

only going to be erased if there are observers at every polling station, and not just at seventy-five per cent. The EAB, as seen in 2011, does not have the capacity or resource base to cover by itself all of the polling stations. The fact that it only fielded observers at 75% of the polling stations raises serious questions as to its ability to determine whether there were irregularities at those stations that it did not monitor, and where there was likely, because of its absenteeism, voting irregularities. The EAB for example remains very silent, as have the entire media corps and GECOM, about the accusation made that one week after the results of the 2011 elections were declared, it was revealed that some seventeen polling stations from Region 3, a region which the ruling party won convincingly, were not tallied in the final results. It is felt

Dem boys seh...

Dem days coming to a night History got a way of repeating itself. Another way of saying de same thing is that when people stay too long dem does overstay dem welcome. People who lef and go to de States or Canada and stay at family does find this out. De first two weeks is alright, but after that de people in de house does find fault, and de next thing is that dem does put out de person who visiting. Burnham shoulda learn that when he was in power. He stay long and after 28 years de people, nuff of dem was he own people, decide that he been too long and that he should get put out. Believe it or not, he shut he eye and lef Hoyte wid de mess he cause. De people tun and put out Hoyte, de whole Cabinet, and almost everybody who was wukking wid dem. Then dem mek sure that nuff of dem ain’t get wuk. Sometimes dem scramble fuh tek back some of de people when dem realize that dem sweep too clean. Now is dem other people turn. Dem come and dem stay too long. People now singing

de song, “Hit de Road, Jack and don’t come back no more, no more.” But dem ain’t want to lef, because it gun mean that dem might have to explain de money dem tek when nobody was looking. Some of dem already claiming how dem gun get punishment when dem ain’t do nutten. Like li’l children who got to get licks, when you ask dem a question dem always seh that dem ain’t do nutten. Dem boys seh that some of dem got to go and look wuk. People like de lebbeh lip one use to tek advantage pun people. He get big from de days when he use to beg fuh lunch money. Soon he gun have to beg again. When dem was building de Marriott dem didn’t employ Guyanese, but now that dem almost gone, dem hiring Guyanese suh people gun vote fuh dem. Dem even bring forward de date when dem gun open de hotel. As old people seh, de longest rope got an end and dem end deh near. Talk half and watch who trying fuh get visa.

that if this were done, the PPPC would have secured its majority. The silence on this charge made by a GECOM insider, has been deafening and disturbing. Given the changes that were made since 2001 to the electoral system, all elections in Guyana are going to be close races. It is not likely that any political party is going to command a majority of more than four seats in any election. This is because there are now forty seats being contested for by the entire electorate voting as a single constituency. But then the country is divided into ten geographical constituencies which approximate to the country’s ten administrative regions. These ten regions compete for twenty-five parliamentary seats using a formula that creates certain advantages for smaller parties. With this system in place, all elections are going to be

close races, and therefore the monitoring of the votes at each polling station assumes a higher significance. It is therefore important that every single polling station is monitored. But there are resource constraints, limitations, and issues of credibility involved in any single grouping undertaking this task. The EAB has a checkered history in monitoring elections. In 1992 it abandoned the process of monitoring the elections after elements within the PNC took to violent looting in the city. In 1997, the EAB discredited itself when one of its leading members, Hugh Cholmondeley, now deceased, instead of pronouncing on the election results, took to a shuttle diplomacy between the PNC and the PPP. In 2011, the EAB could only monitor 75% of the polls and was dependent on other sources to supply it with the

results at the remaining polling stations. This was obviously as a result of resource constraints. The Private Sector Commission knows that peace and stability in the country depend on acceptance of the results. To the extent that there can be local observers, this will allow for a wider acceptance of the results, and thus reduce the opportunity for instability. The Private Sector Commission should commit to working with the EAB to ensure that there are observers at each of the close to 2,000 polling stations, including the ones in the Pakaraimas.

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Friday February 06, 2015

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The devil wears Prada and drives Prado

I am hearing it all the time. Young, the not so young, the old, the not so old, are telling me about retaliation against Indians if the PNC gets back in power. I participated in an AFC picket outside the Ministry of Finance, yesterday, and after the demonstration which ended at 1.30 p.m., I went shopping for different things. Near to the High Court, I met a young Indian lawyer. There is no question in my mind that he is an AFC supporter, because I know the family well. He said that he

has heard that if Granger gets into power, he will institute land redistribution. It was clear to me, he knows where that was coming from. He knew it was the PPP at work. With this lawyer it is land. With the young lady at the gas pump, it was taking away employment from Indian people. With the country folks, it is revenge against Indian people. This is what I have heard. This is what I am hearing. This is what Indians are asking me about. It started since the

Parliament was prorogued. And it will get nasty, acidic, volcanic and morbidly dangerous, as we swing into the election campaign. When we hear these things from the PPP, those of us who are old enough remember the sixties. For a majority of Indian people born after 1960, the PPP fed them a most poisonous diet not only of PNC evil, but of African people hating Indians. The sixties were presented to them as an African rampage instigated by the PNC against Indians. Fifty years after the racial conflict of the sixties, the entire world is seeing who the race-baiter is and the myth of the sixties is exploding. I have already done a

column in which I have presented revisionist history of the sixties and the violent role of the PPP in that era, based on released archival documents from the Czech Republic, known as Czechoslovakia during the communist era in Eastern Europe (see my January 24, 2015 article, “The PPP requested guns, grenades, ammunitions and electoral resources.”). Did the PNC instigate race violence in the sixties and the PPP merely reacted? Or did the PPP like the PNC try to outdo each other? But why go back to the sixties. Why don’t we look at race incitement in 2014 and at the moment? Who in the PNC and the PPP are preaching race vitriol? Where is the evidence to accuse the PNC? Where is the evidence to accuse the PPP? It is in the Chronicle in July 2012. An editorial in that newspaper was the worst open, public racist statement ever made in the history of this country. It was written by a female Indian PPP activist, who works for the PPP, and is attached to the Chronicle. One cannot think of any racist statement made at a

public meeting from 1957 to 1968 that was so venomous and stink. That editorial put an end to any misconception as to which political party in this land is comfortable with the public advocacy of racist incitement. This is not to say that African politicians do not give off nasty racist sentiments against Indians on private occasions. But where is the proof that they have done that publicly? There isn’t any. But the Chronicle editorial is there. It was written by a woman that Mrs. Jagan was close to, a woman that the PPP has embraced, a woman that will be a main campaigner for the PPP in the 2015 election campaign. Since the PPP got inebriated with power and became semi-fascist, it has reacted to its declining popularity by invoking the ghost of race. This has been going on since February 2002 with the crime spree. And this lava of churning, racist heat is not confined to second tier leaders in the PPP. It is spewed by the leaders who take

Frederick Kissoon holidays in foreign lands, come back with Prada clothes and Prado vehicles, and live in luxurious villas in gated communities. The devils in their Prada clothes and Prado vehicles know that if they are going to survive in power, they have to visit the cemetery and release the jumbie of race. This is what they have been doing since the election bells began to ring. When the PPP releases the jumbie, one wonders what goes through the mind of African Guyanese like those in the security forces. But what about the private sector? Why doesn’t it stop the monster from running amok in Guyana? Once this thing gets out of control, it will devour Guyana in its entirety.

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

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PPP: Jagdeo’s return a dead issue GECOM meets with Chief Scrutineer, The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has distanced itself from moves to have former President Bharrat Jagdeo return for a third term. Over the past week, a court case was filed to challenge the Constitution which limits a President to two terms in office. A flyer has also since surfaced which is pushing for Jagdeo to become the Prime Ministerial candidate for the party in the upcoming General and Regional Elections set for May 11. Yesterday, the ruling party in a statement said it had nothing to do with the attempts, and it is serving as a distraction at this time. “What is of interest is the timing at which this challenge is being raised and by whom. Guyana is on the cusp of national and regional elections. Many challenges lie ahead, the most important being to ensure that the elections are free and fair. Clearly, this new development is an attempt to throw a spanner in the works.” Regarding Monday’s filing of a case by a Cedric Richardson which wants the court to rule, that the twoterm limit signed into law in 2001 by Jagdeo himself while he was President, was unconstitutional, PPP said that the sponsors of the legal challenge appear to have a hidden agenda, “in the real sense of the term other than invoking or blocking the boogie of a “third term” for Bharrat Jagdeo”. The interest of those behind the challenge lies in the “darkest and deepest crevices of a democracy comparable to the galleries of Hades”.

Bharrat Jagdeo PPP noted that it was Jagdeo himself who publicly affirmed time and again that he has no interest whatsoever in a third term. This happened this week also after news of the court case surfaced. “It has now become obvious that Mr. Jagdeo’s assertions fell on deaf ears and that his expression of disinterest in returning to the Presidency notwithstanding, the modern-day Quislings working in close collaboration with the local satraps, continue to generate and peddle this absolute nonsense, elevating it to useless legalistic twaddle.” The party said that Jagdeo remains a highly popular figure within and beyond the membership and supporters of the PPP, but it should in no way be intended to be translated into a “third term” candidature. “The PPP is aware of the fact that while many of its members and supporters hold the former President in high

esteem and would have liked to see his return to the Presidency, they are very much aware that there are wolves in sheep’s clothing in our society who seek to sow discord and to engage in deceitful and artful fandangle aimed at misleading and confusing PPP supporters.” PPP also insisted that while the other political parties are still dithering to name their Presidential Candidate, the PPP has already done so. It is President Donald Ramotar. “The PPP has confronted many subterfuges in and out of elections season. We fought off and overcame all of them. This new subterfuge will be fought off too and consigned to the dustbin of history.” According to the flyer, which is making its rounds on the social pages, Jagdeo was not consulted on the petition to nominate him as a Prime Ministerial candidate. The flyer is addressed to the Central and Executive Committee of the PPP/C. Despite leaving office in 2011 after completing his constitutional two terms in office, Jagdeo has remained a controversial figure with questions over his role in the multi-billion dollar drug contracts to the his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop; the Berbice Bridge deal; the Amaila Falls hydro costs and the shady Marriott Hotel project.

representatives of political parties

Chief Scrutineer and other political party representatives recently met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to discuss the upcoming Claims and Objections period set to commence next Monday (February 09, 2015). During the meeting, GECOM clearly outlined the mechanisms and procedures currently in place for the efficient management of the forthcoming Claims and Objections exercise. During the Claims and Objections period, in addition to GECOM’s permanent offices, the Commission will be dispatching mobile units throughout the interior locations, as well as establishing a number of temporary offices in all divisions and sub-divisions. GECOM stressed that the forthcoming Claims and Objections period is essential, as the Commission use it to sanitize the Preliminary List of Electors. The Claims period, it was pointed out, provides eligible electors who reach the specific requirements of GECOM – persons 18 years and older by April 30, 2015 – who are not registered, an opportunity to gain entry onto the Preliminary List of Electors. It also provides a window of opportunity to those persons already registered

who are desirous of having changes made to their registration information, and/or have corrections made to their registration information currently entered on the Preliminary Voters List. Electors already registered can request a transfer if they have moved from one sub division to another, or from one registration area to another. During the Objections phase an elector may visit the appropriate registration office in their sub-division or registration area to object to an entry in the Preliminary List of Electors. GECOM gave the Chief Scrutineer and the political party representatives all assurances that the relevant systems in keeping with the

standard operating procedures for the conduct of Claims and Objections exercise, will be in place and functioning optimally. The various parties represented at the meeting were the Justice For All Party, Working People’s Alliance, A Partnership for National Unity/People’s National Congress, National Front Alliance, National Independent Party, United Republican Party and the Healing of the Nation Theocracy Party. G E C O M ’s Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield was accompanied by the DCEO, Vishnu Persaud, Legal Officer, Ms. Juanita Barker, and Logistics Manager, Colin April.

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Friday February 06, 2015

Central, South G/T without garbage collector as City Hall feud rages on By Zena Henry The feud between the Administrative and Executive arms of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) continues to rage on, and residents of Central and South Georgetown seem to have been caught in the middle. The areas in those two locations have been identified as Groups Seven and Eight in the Council’s Solid Waste Management arrangement. However, they are currently without a garbage collector and this might remain the case for some time. Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba told the media yesterday that the previously contracted waste collector has withdrawn its services and is still to be paid. As it stands, City Hall is unable to provide waste collection service to the areas where garbage piles, similar to those during the 2013 crisis, are slowly returning. Sooba said yesterday that Councillors Eon Andrews and Gladstone George signatories to the Council’s financial accounts - are not signing off on payments for the contractor, Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. The Council is claiming, however, that they had no say in the hiring of the contractor and they in turn, cannot be held responsible for paying them.

A public notice from the Council a few days ago highlighted the Council’s concern over the inefficient management of solid waste in the city. They said that since November 2013, the Council instructed Town Clerk Sooba to advertise for tenders for groups seven and eight. Group Seven includes West Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt, Castello Housing Scheme, Independence Boulevard, West La Penitence, Jeeboo Land, North East La Penitence, East La Penitence (Freeman Street), Lamaha Springs and Lamaha Park, while Group Eight represents Alberttown, Kingston, North Cummingsburg, South Cummingsburg, and Queenstown. “However, this public officer (Town Clerk) ignored Council’s decision and, without consultation, unlawfully and improperly proceeded to identify a contractor to provide clearance and disposal services in groups 7 and 8.” They said this defiance was brought to the attention of council and Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker on several occasions, but the Minister, two weeks ago, promised a solution to allow payment to Puran Brothers Inc., but “nothing has happened.”

Several communities were affected when the city experienced a garbage crisis in 2013 Puran Brothers withdrew its services on February 2. Mayor Hamilton Green insists that “the government and Minister Whittaker refuse to address the fundamental and serious crisis at City Hall, which is Carol Sooba being permitted to

Man charged for robbery under arms Kennard Persaud appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, to answer a charge of robbery under arms. It is alleged that on Wednesday September 10, last, at about 19:00hrs, Persaud and an accomplice, walked up to Stacy Maxfield, while she was walking down Laing Avenue, Georgetown, placed a gun to her head, and removed a gold chain valued

$215,000 from around her neck. Maxfield recognised the perpetrator and reported the incident to the police who carried out a search for Persaud, but did not find him that day. Coincidentally, Maxfield saw Persaud earlier this week, and the two engaged in a scuffle. She made contact with the police and they were able to detain him. When asked by the Chief Magistrate as to how he

wanted to plea, Persaud responded; “Not guilty with explanation your worship”. Police Prosecutor Michael Grant said that Persaud had been charged and convicted for robbery before, and requested that bail be denied. The Chief Magistrate denied Persaud bail and also ordered that statements are to be filed and as such, Persaud should hold onto his explanation until the matter is called again on February, 20.

misspend taxpayers’ money and to openly defy the duly elected Mayor and City Councillors as a corporate body. Ms Sooba ignores all of the rules of engagement and protocols in breach of existing laws”. He said too that “Puran Brothers Inc. and all other contractors deserve to be paid for services rendered in good faith”. However, in a letter to Sooba copied to Puran’s lawyers and Minister Whittaker, “we advised that the payment of sums owning to Puran Brothers is the responsibility of Ms Sooba in her personal capacity.” Green reiterated that “the Mayor and City Council was neither consulted nor informed about the purported arrangement with the Solid Waste Contractor. This is regrettable and we

hold the government and the Minister totally responsible for this sorry state of affairs.” The Council claimed also that some time in 2013, when several contractors were hired to service the city, Sooba refused to pay them saying there were no contracts, and the Minister supported this action. In similar vein, they claimed that there is no contract between the Council and Puran, and it is unfair the “double standard” of Sooba and the Minister who now want Puran to be paid. Sooba stated in her

defence that Puran was hired for the relevant areas because they were better equipped than Cevon’s Waste Management. She claimed that Cevon’s was unreliable; their trucks leaked and carried and extremely foul smell that caused residents to complain. Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. has threatened legal action against the Council for clean-up services rendered. The Council has reportedly failed to make outstanding payments since last August.

From page 3 her sisters from Church, informing her about the incident. Mrs. Gittens said she immediately left her Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo home and ventured to the Caricom Rice Mills.

Gittens said when she reached the facility, she was allowed in, and when she visited the scene of the accident, her son was still beneath the paddy. She said someone told her that her son “ain't get a serious accident, is a minor matter, stop crying and keep the faith." Gittens said that her son was already dead when they took him from under the paddy. Only last Sunday, Threeion Gittens' cousin, Colin Anthony John, died in an accident on the Richmond Public Road. Gittens was the third of six children. He worked at the private firm almost one year. Several years ago, another male employee lost part of his hand at the facility. Police and members of the fire station at Anna Regina were called to the scene to conduct their respective investigations.

E'bo teen buried under tons...

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Ramotar puts GDF on alert for possible elections violence By Abena Rockcliffe The Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Donald Ramotar, yesterday laid out his expectations of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in 2015. In no uncertain terms, the President made it clear that the major concern of the force, this year, should be to keep things under lawful control during the elections season. The President said this as he addressed over 100 officers during GDF’s annual officer’s conference. Just before specifying what he expects, Ramotar told the gathering that the role of GDF has been broadening over the years. The Commander-In-Chief then went on to remind the gathering that General and Regional Elections have been set to be held on May, 11. He said that elections, “by its nature, is very competitive and may be divisive.” The President reminded that Guyana has a multi-ethnic society and ethnic insecurity can therefore be aroused during the campaign, and that this can lead to unrest. In this regard, Ramotar pointed out that the joint services’ early voting is

Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Donald Ramotar, surrounded by senior GDF officers as he arrived at the Conference intended to provide them with the full opportunity to discharge their responsibility fully and professionally. “That is my expectation of you, that you will do your duty with the highest level of professionalism.” Ramotar told the officers that it is such conduct that will bring glory and greater

credibility to the disciplined forces, in general, and the army in particular. The Commander-In-Chief acknowledged that this year’s Officers’ Conference held special significance, as the GDF celebrates its 50th anniversary. He said that the force has an opportunity at this time to demonstrate the

Elections Preparedness…

AFC to officially launch campaign in mid-March The Alliance For Change (AFC) sought to eliminate all doubts yesterday that it may not be fully prepared for the May 11 General and Regional Elections. In fact, General Secretary David Patterson announced at a press conference that the party will be officially launching its election campaign on March 14. One of the co-founders of the AFC, House Speaker, Raphael Trotman, in a recent interview with Kaieteur News had indicated that once Parliament is dissolved early this month, he will have a strong presence in the AFC’s campaign. The dissolution of Parliament will officially release Trotman from his duties as Speaker of the National Assembly. Further, Patterson stated that while the nation is in preparation mode for the imminent election, the AFC has invited interested groups to join it in forming a ProDemocracy Alliance (PDA) in the interest of addressing the

AFC General Secretary, David Patterson political issues which have resulted in the rapidly deteriorating situation in the

affairs of the country. He reminded that the AFC has been in deep discussions with APNU on forming what he described to be a “most necessary political alliance”, to root out the evil that has seized the nation’s political life and “is draining the lifeblood of the nation.” He said that stopping this cancerous development must be the top priority of any wellthinking Guyanese and every effort must be made for this most urgent objective to be achieved in the election cycle. The General Secretary said that the mission can no longer (Continued on page 25)

highest level of professionalism “that has characterized the institution over the last few decades.” “As we approach General and Regional Elections on May, 11, it is my hope that a climate of peace and good sense will prevail, even as contesting political parties and supporters—as is their democratic right—vigorously conduct their campaigns,”

Ramotar stated. He then instructed that certain behaviour must not be allowed to fester in the society. Ramotar further emphasised that any attempt to create a measure of insecurity and fear among citizens—”or in any segment of our population based on rumour, subjective gutter politics or worst—must be publicly frowned upon and action must be taken by the security forces to arrest any such tendency by the application of the full weight of the law and constitution,” The President said that the GDF is an essentially professional and nonpartisan entity, and noted that even though officers and ranks alike are entitled to vote in accordance with the law, they are not allowed to participate in acts of “political propaganda or militancy.” He told the Officers, “You must inspire confidence in citizens and demonstrate to Guyana and the world that while as individuals in uniform you exercise your democratic right to vote; as members of the GDF as an institution, you will carry out your professional responsibility in accordance with the constitution and respect the legitimate outcome of the electoral process.”

“I, as Commander-InChief , expect that your leadership will be exemplary and your image as a national army will be unsullied.” Ramotar reminded the Officers that they have sworn an oath to carry out duties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, and in the execution of those duties honour and uphold the constitution of the Republic of Guyana. “I expect no less of the officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force, particularly in this your fiftieth anniversary year,” he said. Ramotar did not give up the opportunity presented to him on the occasion to sell his government to those gathered. He told the Officers of an out-of-town visit he recently made where he saw young people in their twenties going to get their own homes. The President said that the situation would have been much better “had this soon-to-be-dissolved Tenth Parliament been more supportive of government’s plans for development”. The President posited that the Eleventh Parliament will “surely rectify the situation. I have every confidence in the collective intelligence of the Guyanese people”.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

Neesa Gopaul murder trial…

Photos of teen’s remains tendered as evidence Twenty- five photographs which were taken at the scene where the remains of murdered Queen’s College student, Neesa Gopaul, were discovered, have been tendered as part of the evidence of the High Court trial of Bibi Shareema Gopaul and Jarvis ‘Barry’ Small. Gopaul and Small are on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed twelvemember jury for the murder. Yesterday, Police Constable Leon George testified that he had taken photographic exposures at the location where Gopaul’s remains were found. George was called to the stand by State Lawyers, Diana Kaulesar, Stacy Gooding and Mercedes Thompson. The witness told the court that on October 2, 2010 he was on duty at the Police Crime Lab when he received a request from ranks attached to the Timehri Police Station with regards to an alleged

Murdered: Neesa Gopual murder. George said that based on information received, he visited the scene at Emerald Tower Resort, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway, and took several photographs of the entrance and other parts of the resort. He detailed that he also took photographs of the remains of a female contained in a bag which had a passport bearing the name Neesa Gopaul. The witness recounted that he also took photographs

of black, red, and white dumbbells which were found at the scene. The Officer said that he took the material back to the lab, where it was developed, printed, marked and sealed in a white envelope. The witness explained that he affixed the date, his signature, and a police photographic stamp on items and on the packet. He said that the items were later presented as part of the evidence in the Magistrates’ Court. Prosecutor Kaulesar then requested for the witness to be shown the envelope containing the photographs. However, her request met with objections from Defence Attorney, Glenn Hanoman. Hanoman objected to the witness being shown the photographs on the grounds that no foundation was laid by the prosecution, which indicates that witness could have identified items based on

specific markings. Consequently, Kaulesar submitted that she disagreed with the objection made by the defence since the witness had indicated that the envelope bore his signature, date, and a police stamp by which it could be identified. Justice Singh subsequently overruled the objection and permitted the envelope containing the photographs to be marked and tendered as part of the evidence in the trial. The envelope was labeled exhibit “C”. At this point, Bibi Gopaul became visibly distressed. The woman cried silently as she sat beside the coaccused in the prisoners’ dock. Small also sat quietly, constantly covering his mouth with a handkerchief for most of the proceeding. As the witness examined the photographs and verified that they all had stamps and markings by which he could have identified them, Hanoman noted that the usual procedure is that the defence is given the courtesy of seeing the photographs before it is shown to the witness. However, Justice Singh noted that no such objection was made by the defence before the photographs were shown to the witness. Thereafter the Defence Attorneys and the State Prosecution were allowed to view the photographs. Earlier in the day, Superintendant of Police Terrance Paul testified that he was stationed the Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) of the Leonora Police Station on September 15, 2010 when the number two accused, Bibi Gopaul, and her sister Bibi Rehman, requested an audience with him. He said

Accused: Bibi Shareema Gopaul

Accused: Jarvis Barry Small

that Rehman told him that her niece was sexually assaulted by her stepfather (Small). He told the court that the woman had explained that the matter was reported via a Justice of the Peace, (JP) after her niece had given a statement to the police denying the sexual assault. The Policeman said that her niece was prepared to give another statement as to what the accused did to her. Paul said that he subsequently interviewed the teenager in the presence of her mother and aunt, but noted that the efforts to arrest Small were unsuccessful. The witness said that later Bibi Gopaul visited the station and told him that her sister told Neesa Gopaul to fabricate the story. “She said that Bibi Rehman wanted Small out of the home because he is a negro and her family did not like him.” The witness said that Gopaul promised to return to the station with her daughter to tell him what really happened. He said that he waited all day, the following day, but she never turned up. Paul said that he later saw Small, Bibi Gopaul and her two daughters as they were travelling along the West

Coast public road in a motorcar; he did not stop them because he thought that they were fine and back together again. Paul stated that it was sometime after that Gopaul came to the station to file a missing person’s report—her daughter had gone missing. Under cross examination by the defence, the witness later told the court he had assisted with the investigations, but had made no records of such. He said that he only made personal notes about the matter, but could find it. He also agreed that although the teenager had mentioned having a boyfriend in the statements which she gave to the police, no one else, besides Gopaul and Small, was under investigation for the crime. The witness also admitted that there was no sure way of identifying the remains as Neesa Gopaul. He agreed that the information contained in the suitcase bearing the remains suggested that the body belonged to the missing Queen’s College student. He expressed that investigators could have been 90 per cent sure based on the name contained in the passport.

Teen tried to buy chicken with fake $5000 note - court hears A 19-year-old girl, who reportedly attempted to purchase chicken at a popular city fast food outlet with a counterfeit $5000 note earlier this week, has been released on $5000 bail. The teen, Lilowtie Diyal, who appeared yesterday before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, is said to have approached cashier Rhonda Sancho at an establishment at Camp and Middle Streets, and asked for a serving of chicken. Through Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant the court heard that the teen pulled out a $5000 and handed it to Sancho, but the cashier

Accused: Lilowtie Diyal observed that something was amiss with the bill. The cautious cashier informed her supervisor of her suspicion, and police were summoned to the outlet.

Continuing, Grant said that the teen was taken into custody along with the note which was inspected and proved to be a counterfeit. The Prosecutor reported that based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the charge was instituted against Diyal. Nonetheless, Diyal denied the allegations. The teen’s lawyer, Patrice Henry, asked the court to release her on reasonable bail. He said she resides with her parents at Enmore Pasture, East Coast Demerara, and has an unblemished record. He went on to say that Diyal had been in custody since (Continued on page 16)

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Mother of two dies months after suspected abortion By Romila Boodram A 23-year-old mother of two is dead, allegedly after being subjected to what appears to have been a botched abortion, conducted at a doctor’s private clinic in Bartica. This is according to the dead woman’s husband, Nathaniel Leandrew. Athina Kennedy of 44 Second Avenue, Bartica, died at the Bartica Hospital around 02:00 hrs on Wednesday, despite undergoing surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to repair a perforated uterus. The injuries were reportedly sustained during the abortion which was done in September last, at a cost of $8000. The physician who is said to have performed the abortion on Kennedy also works at the Bartica Hospital. Kennedy’s husband, in an interview with this newspaper, explained that he was in the interior when his partner of eight years “went behind my back and had an abortion”. He said that given the fact that she (Kennedy) had a sixyear-old daughter and fouryear-old son, she did not want to bring forth a third child so soon. The young mother was three months pregnant when she had the pregnancy terminated. Leandrew related that about one week after his partner had the abortion done, he came home from the interior, where he works as a truck driver. “When I went home, I noticed that she was sick, she couldn’t walk. It was like she was paralyzed so I took her to the Bartica Hospital,” the father of two said. He added that it was while going to the hospital, Kennedy confessed that she had an abortion. She also said that the doctor who terminated the pregnancy had asked her not to say who operated on her. “When we went to the hospital, the same doctor who did the abortion was there, and he gave her an injection and tell her it was Chikungunya. He sent her away and two days after, we went back, because she was getting worse. Again, we were told it was Chikungunya,” Leandrew recounted. He said that when he took his partner to the Bartica Hospital for a third time (in September last), she was admitted, and was later transferred to the GPHC, where she spent seven weeks. “They said that her uterus was damaged because of an abortion and they had to fix it. At first she went in the ward and then they

Kennedy and her partner, Nathaniel Leandrew, in happier times transferred her to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). She was unresponsive and was on a machine,” Leandrew said. He added, “I went to the doctor who did the abortion on her and tell him that he has to assist us financially, or I will report him to the newspaper. He gave me $20,000 and said that’s all he can give. He said even if I go to the papers, nothing will happen to him, and that me and my family will feel shame,” Leandrew said. He also said that the doctor even threatened him that if his relatives go to the Bartica Hospital for treatment, no one would attend to them, since everyone follows his orders. On November 1, last, Athina Kennedy was discharged from the GPHC after her condition improved. “I went back into the interior and after I left she got sick again. My family took her to the Bartica Hospital, and a nurse there said they can’t do anything and that she has to go back to GPHC to see the doctor who looked at her there,” Leandrew stated. He said that his relatives subsequently took his partner to GPHC, but were told that the doctor was on leave. They gave her a date to return February 10. “Athina went home back and her body started to swell, and she went back to Bartica Hospital and they said they can’t do anything, and that she has to wait on the date to go back to the GPHC,” Leandrew told this publication. He said that last Tuesday he returned from the interior and after seeing that a large portion of his partner’s body was swollen, he took her to the Bartica Hospital and demanded that they admit her. There, a doctor informed Kennedy’s relatives that her heart was “swollen”. “The doctor said that because her uterus was damaged, it infected her entire body and her heart,” Leandrew said.

Dead: Athina Kennedy The mother of two subsequently passed away while receiving treatment. The woman’s husband hopes that he and his two children receive some form of justice for his partner’s untimely demise. “The doctor clearly said no one can do anything to him, and I lost her because of him. My children lost their mother because of him, and instead of being supportive, he is threatening me,” an angry Leandrew stated. When this newspaper contacted the doctor in question yesterday he admitted that he has a private clinic in Bartica, but says that he does not perform abortions at his clinic. He stated that Kennedy was indeed pregnant and went to him at the Bartica Hospital after she had taken Cytotec tablets. “I did not do any abortion on her. After she said she used Cytotec, we did an ultra sound and we found no retained product, so we treated her for Chikungunya because of the symptoms she was experiencing,” the doctor explained. He said that he subsequently transferred the woman to the GPHC for further medical attention. “GPHC was treating her for Chikungunya and not a botched abortion. I think this is a set-up, because her ‘childfather’ came to me and said he wanted $1M, and I refused to give him, because I know I didn’t do anything!” the doctor stated emphatically.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

IPED is first company to use Credit Report for loan application Financial history was created on January 21st, 2015 when the Institute of Private Enterprise Development Ltd (IPED) became the first lending institution in Guyana to use credit data on a prospective borrower to support its risk management mechanisms and to aid the decision making process for credit applications. The first credit report was pulled from the Creditinfo Guyana online system. According to the entity, during the process, one lucky person was selected from a list of applicants who requested a credit check using Creditinfo’s Clearance Report. This report will now form the basis of that client’s pending approval of the facility. Ramesh Persaud, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Micro Finance Institution, indicated his delight at the commencement of credit bureau services in Guyana stating “This is a positive move and is very encouraging. Being able to access these [credit] reports will greatly improve the prospective customer’s chance of receiving credit, as good credit ratings will now become an asset to borrowers.”

Creditinfo Guyana‘s CEO, Judy Semple-Joseph, in return expressed appreciation for IPED‘s commitment to the credit bureau advancement process in Guyana by being the first to upload data and also the first entity to access a credit report. Semple-Joseph advised: “Credit reporting and risk management tools for use in the evaluation of prospective borrowers have been on the wish list of lenders and providers of credit in the financial sector of Guyana for some time now.” She said that Creditinfo Guyana Inc., Guyana‘s first credit bureau, is pleased to be able to provide a much needed boost to the credit environment. “Having only officially launched on September 27th, 2013, this is indeed a momentous occasion for the credit bureau in Guyana in serving the needs of the market. It is our hope that other subscribers follow suit and adopt the use of credit reports in their decision making within the shortest time frame so as to make credit more easily accessible to consumers and businesses.” The event was also attended by Ramesh Persaud, CEO of the Institute of Private

Enterprise Development Ltd.; David Falconer, Sales and Business Development Manager of Creditinfo Guyana, and Chetnauth Persaud, Credit Officer of IPED. Creditinfo Guyana Inc. is the second regional presence of the Creditinfo group of companies, an Icelandic conglomerate with credit bureaus and subsidiaries in over 16 countries worldwide. Creditinfo Guyana currently serves every commercial bank and lender licenced under the Financial Institutions Act in the country, as well as a wide cross section of other stakeholders in various sectors. The company is actively engaged in bringing together lenders and providers of credit from all sectors to add transparency, efficiency and effectiveness to the business of credit across the board. Internationally, Creditinfo is regarded as a leading service provider for credit information and risk management solutions worldwide, and has developed numerous products and services from official and customer information sources to facilitate best practice

Officials of IPED and Creditinfo are pleased with the development decision-making in credit risk management. Creditinfo’s comprehensive line of credit reports will be in widespread use throughout the credit and lending sectors of Guyana, and are expected to significantly increase access to credit, reduce interest rates,

help to lower the overall costs of borrowing and significantly reduce processing times for loans to the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector as well as for all Guyanese. The use of financial history data to assess a

person’s creditworthiness is especially prevalent in North America and European countries. How one pays bills, mortgages and credit cards are among some of the information used to determine the applicant’s credibility.

Alleged gang rape…

Teen to soon give statement to police The 18-year-old man, who alleged that he was drugged and raped by 10 men in a house at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Old Year ’s Night is currently at home. He will soon provide police with a statement, so that they can proceed with their investigation into his rape claim. A young man who was accused of organizing the group of men to sexually assault the teenager was arrested and subsequently placed on bail. Police were waiting on the teen to be discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to take a statement so that they could continue with their investigations. The injured teenager was first hospitalized at GPHC before he was transferred to the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital in Berbice. He was sent home last week. His mother in an interview with this newspaper yesterday said that her son is walking and now trying to communicate, after more than

a month. She added that as soon as her son recovers completely, he will provide the police with a statement. To date, the police investigation has been at a standstill, since the teenager was previously in and out of consciousness. He had alleged that he was raped by 10 men, including his friend. A medical report has confirmed that he had been sodomized. In an interview, the teen’s mother said, around 16:00 hrs on December 31, last, the teen left his home to attend an Old Year’s Night party with a friend. She told this publication that her son did not return home that night. “The next day (New Year’s Day) about five o’clock in the afternoon, I get a call from my son’s friend. He said that my son would sleep by him the night and come home the next day (Friday, January 2), and I said that was okay,” the mother recounted. She added that later that (New Year’s) night, she received another call from her son’s friend. “He call and tell me that

Teen tried to buy... (From page 14) Monday, and argued that it is not a case where she was searched and found with more currency. His application was not objected to by the prosecutor, thus bail was granted. The Prosecution was granted two weeks to file statements and the teen will appear in court again on February 18.

he sending my son in a taxi, but my son reach home till around 11 o’clock that night. He came with a car and as soon as the car stop, he run out,” the mother of nine said. “My son was in a terrible condition. He was scared for his life; he was nervous, his body was trembling and I could see he was in pain.” According to the devastated mother, at that point she did not question the teen much, since he was in too much discomfort. She said that he later asked to use the washroom. “I hold him up, but he couldn’t defecate. He was just shaking and he was crying out for belly pain. When he wiped himself, there was a lot of blood on the tissue and I hold him up and put him to lie down on a bed.” The mother said that when she questioned her son, he related the dreadful news to her. “He said that his friend jook he with a needle, he and about nine other men rape him in a house.” She said that the teenager’s arm was swollen which seemed to indicate that he had indeed been injected. The woman said that her son told her that the men then locked him in the house and later went back for him. “He said that the boys took him somewhere and they were going to shoot him, but a lady see and shout, and tell him to run. He run and jump in a taxi and the car bring him home,” the mother said.

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Another clash over sale of Mashramani spots By Zena Henry It appears that the contention between the Town Clerk and Mayor’s Offices at City Hall is not letting up. The two sides are poised for another clash over the sale of Mashramani spots this year. While the Mayor and Councilors are in discussion on how programmes will be carried out for the upcoming celebration, Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba has already announced spot prices and rules to be put in place. According to Mayor Hamilton Green, traditionally, the Finance Committee and Social Development Committee would finalise the necessary Mash plans after Full Council would have made decisions on specific areas to be addressed. The Mayor said that the

Mayor Hamilton Green Town Clerk has been arbitrarily dealing with the preparations. Green said that Sooba is not to be taken seriously, since there have been no discussions that would allow her to make any announcements. The Mayor told Kaieteur News yesterday

that the Council is currently in talks over programmes related to Mash - they are considering slashing the price of vending spots in half among other arrangements. “The sale of spots will commence next Monday and interested persons will have to go to the Mayor’s building where the Social Development Committee’s office is located to get the necessary information.” However, a few hours before the Mayor’s announcement, Sooba had stated that interested persons would have to come to her office and speak to her officers, if they are interested in the rental of vending spots. During a press conference, she told the media that arrangements have been concluded in this regard. Sooba said that the Mayor

AFC to officially launch... (From page 13) be delayed and must not be hampered by narrow personal, ethnic or partisan interest, but be driven by the country’s political leaders in the interest of the nation. “All of us are required to make some sacrifice to this end,” he added. Patterson then emphasized that as regards the progress in the discussions with APNU, there is a necessary NonDisclosure Agreement in place, only for the purpose of managing the process during the period of negotiations, and the AFC is obliged to honour this agreement. However, given the deep interest not only by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic but the rest of the nation, in the progress of those talks, Patterson was able to provide several updates.

He said that the party delivered a detailed Memorandum of Understanding to APNU for consideration. He said that the document broadly covers important areas for improved governance of Guyana. The AFC General Secretary asserted that the matters of urgent and comprehensive constitution reform, reorganization and improvement of both the offices of the President and Prime Minister, and the possible size of a PDA cabinet, were also part of the document. He said that certain sets of developmental policies and a timeframe for delivery by any PDA administration, along with the political structure and possible campaign methodology and modality for a joint campaign, were also discussed. Patterson said that the

negotiating teams have held several formal working sessions to date. In keeping with the timeframe publicly committed to at the beginning of this process, he said that the AFC intends to report fully to its National Executive Committee on February 14, the recommended course of action for the May 11 election. Concurrently, the AFC, he reported, has been busy putting its house in order to fully participate in the upcoming elections. To end the tenure of the current administration, he said, too, that the AFC policies and programmes are being finetuned by various taskforces of talented Guyanese, both locally and in the Diaspora. The politician said that the party is completing its new headquarters which will be ready in matter of days and will be the national hub for its campaign activities.

and Councillors have no authority to determine what will happen during the Mash season since it is not a social event, but an economic one for the Council. She said that the sale of spots at Merriman’s Mall and Vlissengen Road have already commenced. Spots will be sold from $8,000 to as much as $22,000. In some cases concessions will be granted, Sooba explained. Additionally, illegal vendors will be arrested during the celebrations. Sooba charged that there will be no vending on Church and Irving Streets, neither will spectators be allowed on those thoroughfares. The City Constabulary is expected to be in full effect to ensure the adherence of the rules. Sooba said. The ranks will also be extremely vigilant, as the Council moves to prevent the purchase of spots being used for illegal activities such as gambling. Sooba said that interested

Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba persons can come to her office, where they will be given an invoice from her designated officers to make payments to the Treasurer’s department. Sooba reiterated that her office is “solely responsible” for the sale of spots, and her office, “will not be held responsible if persons buy spots from the wrong people”. The Town Clerk claimed that the Councillors are upset over the spot sales, because they will no longer be able to give their friends and family free vending spots, and they

in turn will not be able to reap from the proceeds. She said that since her involvement in the activity, the Council has been able to raise more money than when the Councillors managed those affairs. Last year, individuals and commercial organizations raised concerns over the increase in the rental fees for vending spots. Some threatened to pull out of the venture, and made good their threats when complaints about the hefty sums were made to the Mayor’s office. Individual fees were said to be from $5,000 to $20,000, while commercial enterprises were being asked to pay from $200,000 to $400,000. Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase–Green, who chairs the Social Development Committee, had stated in a letter that it was not until complaints started pouring in to her office, that the Council became aware that the Town Clerk was selling vending spots.

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Kaieteur News

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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

One male shop attendant, age 18-25yrs, Sale! One stall @ Stabroek Market – Tel:2257794; 679-1151 Bus Driver for route 40, must be over 40yrs old- Call: 6932237 Experienced sale girls Call: 264-3355,668-3985, 683-7936

Vacancy for drivers/ salesman for office clerk/ porter @ Vegetarian Gardens – Contact: 227-7714 One Skillful joiner to work in workshop – Contact: 2191342 or 610-7005

Experienced dispatcher and taxi drivers at Princess Hotel @ Providence – Tel: 2657076; 616-5419

Factory staff, GTI / GITC Male/ Female graduates preferred. Canter drivers, marketing assistant, Drivers Licence required. Tel. 266 5569

Domestic to work MondayFriday, Attractive Salary – Call: 226-1324 between 911am 1 Live in maid to work in Georgetown - Tel:691-6260 1 Cook to work in the interior Tel: 691-6260

Exist for cooks, pastry chefs, handy men for more information call -691-6348/ 227-8542 Exist for one live in fitter machinist with experienced in resurfacing head, reboring engine block & welding - Call: 603-4637 Plant shop sales clerk: literate, hardworking, team player 18-28yrs, work and sales experienced, Georgetown - Call: 648-1821 Landscape Maintenance Vacancy, hardworking, pleasant, team player 17-28yrs - Call: 648-1821/621-2453 One watchman to work @ Coverden, E.B.D, apply to Alabama Trading with recent testimonial & picture. One computer clerk phone: 226-4283; 258-0213 FOR SALE/FOR RENT American Pool Table - Tel: 277-0578

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 MASSAGE Money Back guarantee; cleaner, clearer younger looking skin in two weeks, also flatter stomach – Call: 684-9409; 699-4211

Live in driver/mechanic 3545 years for live in domestic Tel: 227-1813 (8-5pm)

One (1) porter, kindly apply with application to K&B Mining & Hardware Supplies, Lot 152 Church St, Alberttown - Tel: 225-0349; 222-2475 Salesgirls and boys to work in shop on E.C.D, Text info to: 617-7823 Taxi drivers – Tel:667-9013; 225-5075

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, LED, LCD television etc – Call: Abdul Electronics: 225-0391 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $15,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maria Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Eagle’s fridge re-gas - $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 646-0966

Experienced dispatcher @ West Side Taxi - Call: 6000688; 600-0699 Urgently needed; attractive waitresses - Tel: 686-3116

For all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, swimming pools, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376

Auto Electrician to work in Georgetown – Tel: 218-5105 Live in care taker for premises at Vreed-En-Hoop, West Coast Demerara – Contact: 254-1801 Urgently need two low income house lots to buy in Parfaite Harmonie - Tel:6757292; 652-2018 1 Handy boy to work in the interior - Tel: 691-6260 FORK LIFT OPERATOR WITH EXPERIENCED FOR AFOODCOMPANY. PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND POLICE CLEARANCECALL: 603-0758 Gardener/Handyman; suitable accommodation for live in couple, peaceful environment, apply Sally, 51 Main Street Georgetown. Clerical Staff for copy centre, no experienced necessary, must be computer literate, Jarrods 51 Main Street.

REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS- CALL:6294946 OR 225-4822 Khemraj & Son Landscaping & Plant nursery: landscaping, cutting big trees & removing, grafted oranges & limes plants for sale – Call: 627-5969

Friday February 06, 2015

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Lincoln 500 AMP diesel welders with Perkins 4 cylinder engine - Tel#650-0402 Mill Cut Lumber Kabukalli, Silverballi, Etc – Call: 6539752; 688-6579 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 Yamaha motor’s for sale 6HP & 8 HP - Contact: 6547876 1 XBOX 360 E with 15 games & 2 controllers, also, 1 Nintendo 3DS with games Call: 683-8386 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 Bedford M 4X4, Tohatshu 18HP, long foot, outboard engine, 1 Perkins engine 4 Cylinder – Call: 693-2237 Dell/HP computers with 19’’ LCDs $55,000, Laptops $49,000, free educational software & games, Future Tech 231-2206 New Arrivals: New Shipment of Magnet wires (copper) & installation fish paper for sale – Contact: 603-5649 New shipment of pit bull parts: Wind Screen, bumpers, fog lights, back/front bearings - Tel: 628-0909 One Precision built 16" Bore Tractor, Driven Pump - Tel: 227-1830

One ten pieces music set – Contact Rajin : 617-0022; 6188488; 615-0282; 276-1672

75 KVA Deutz generator 2200hrs in good condition $1.9M - Contact: 683-2575 One new aluminum 12ft Boat- Call: 603-9599

GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, , JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE - CALL: 675-0767, 639-8101 Prime business place to rent on Sheriff Street, only for offices – Contact: 627-6740

One male & female European champion adult Rottweiler for sale - Call: 665-9140 or 639-1431 Lights: Premio, Allion, Fielder & Carina and One Toyota IST never registered - $1.9M - Tel: 628-0909

VEHICLE FOR SALE 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 Nissan Titan 4X4; fully loaded; good condition; price negotiable – Call: 6201026 1 Toyota Landcruiser Prado PMM Series Call: 219-5354 Monday- Friday 8:154:15Pm & Saturday 8:151:15PM Toyota Hilux 4X4, 2 doors, manual, long base, solid DEF, excellent condition – Tel:603-3384

Executive Residence – centrally and beautifully located in Bel-Air Springs, Georgetown for immediate occupancy. Ph 226-6229, 2265903

1 Honda 600 CCRR, Toyota AT 212, AT 192, Allion, Raum, EP71 Starlet, Alteeza, 1 Nissan Titan – Tel: 6445096; 697-1453

3 Bedrooms apartment for rent at Mon-Repos E.C.D $55,000 Contact: 692-9295 or 660-5233

We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154

Sharon’s Building, limited mall space from $65,000 $275,000- Call: 225-4413/6140949 Salon Station to rent – Tel: 667-7889 Bottom flat; prime business location, Hadfield Street, Store/boutique/etc – Contact Simone – 626-5317; 227-0501 Fully furnished & unfurnished apartment with TV, AirCondition, hot & cold, cable in South. Call: 689-5877 Business Space 52FtX25Ft with Air Condition, fully grilled @ East Street, North Cummingsburg – Tel: 2266992/643-8833 Business place for rent in Cornelia Ida, Public Road, West Coast Demerara – Call:602-5332 1 upstairs 3 bedrooms furnished, in Central G/Town - $90,000- Tel:223-9727;6730373;675-3838

One Bedford 7 Ton HAIB Lorry Long Bed, & One DAEWOO Excavator (Bobcat) - Contact: 603-4637 One Toyota Vigo, manual transmission, ideal for the interior – Call: 600-5759

FOR SALE

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Five bedrooms house, 107 Lamaha Gardens & Large Parking; AC Rooms Hot & Cold, Purified Water System Call: 661-8908, 335-3590

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 Toyota SV 40 Camary, AC, Alarm Etc - $700,000 negotiable – Tel: 621-6503 Toyota Raum, Price $950,000, good condition – Contact: 264-2954; 642-1305 Toyota Wagon (PLL 5002), pensioner owned, hardly driven, asking $2M (can reduce to $1.9M) – Tel: 6966415 New arrivals – unregistered Bluebird Sylphy, 2007 Fielder, Premio (mags,tv), lowest prices around, showroom specs Call: 6926159,626-7478 One 1992 Toyota Camry, gold colour, in good condition – Contact: 6581328 One Toyota Premio Reg#PPP & 212 Carina Reg#PSS, owner leaving country. Tel:618-2576 or 678-0109

PEN PAL Indian Male from England is seeking female age 27yrs & older, with good personalityCall: 686-5994 (No Texting) TOURS Suriname Tour return 20-23 February, Shopping, Siteseeing, dolphins, book early Tel: 644-0185; 639-2663; 6555171

EDUCATIONAL CXC Day & Evening classes/lessons Forms 1-5, Phonics Classes – Tel:2233086; 619-7911; 690-5008 (Continued on page 31)

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Letters... Where your views make the news

This election period is our time in... From page 4 bred one recognized outstanding statesman of merit to mend the racial divide or inspire the nation. In fact, the deadbeats at Freedom House, especially the less-schooled Minister of Home Affairs, are still suffering from amnesia, willing to return to the strife of past decades which reflects their poor mentality. They seem to forget that they have not really achieved anything that has surpassed the achievements of the PNC and has not improved the standard of living of the majority of ordinary citizens. Yes, they have repaired some roads that cost the taxpayers an arm and a leg and have awarded contracts to their relatives and friends and have become millionaires because of the kickbacks and bribes from these large infrastructure projects. After 22 years of PPP rule, the people still have a shortage of water in certain areas, incessant floods, constant power outages, very poor medical facilities, roads with huge potholes, dysfunctional street-lighting, a failed educational system, m o r e p o v e r t y, m o r e homelessness, a high youth unemployment rate, a lack of care for the elderly, destruction of the environment, a growing generation of potential criminals, a life of living in fear and a bunch of greedy and corrupt hooligans who are perpetually raping the treasury and using the country’s foreign reserves funds and resources for personal gains. These poor and adverse conditions, which began since Independence in 1966, have gotten worse during the last 22 years of PPP rule. When one considers the billions of dollars that have been squandered and stolen by the ruling cabal since Jagdeo came to office in 1999, the future really looks bleak for the country and the people. It is very sad to know that all the promises made by the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime during the last and previous elections have never been fulfilled. What is more significant is the PPP regime’s deliberate

and willful attempts to mislead the nation by distorting the truth on all of their scandals and corrupt practices. Is not so much that wrongful and illegal acts have and continued to be committed by senior government officials, but the country is virtually drowning in wrong-doings, corruption, mistakes, missteps. The allegation of the vulgar and profaned laced conversation of the AG who admitted that he used the taxpayers’ money for personal reasons and the threat against an Amerindian citizen by the President are two cases in point. What is astonishing to the public, especially supporters of the PPP, is that such a debased act of deliberately distorting the truth or telling a lie can come from the mouths of those who the people trusted to govern them. What example are they setting for the youths? Definitely, they are not role models. In this election campaign, the PPP cabal will manipulate the masses and camouflage their crooked ways with plain unadulterated misrepresentation of the facts which is difficult to swallow. But the bigger question is how the people can vote for the PPP which has become so indifferent to their plight and suffering and issues of selfrespect and the dignity of the person. Is it because of a culture of wrong-doing without consequence which has seeped deep into the psyche of the cabal who believe that their behavior is never an issue and that no one can hold them accountable for anything they do? Which is why the call for the resignation of the AG and the Minister of Education, who cussed down the US Ambassador at his residence fell on deaf ears. Truth, justice, fairness, trust and dignity are not some of the words that are in the vocabulary of the PPP regime. With three months before the election, Guyanese have to re-commit their efforts to get rid of the slimy political parasites who have fed upon the wealth, hard work and their aspira-

tions for the past two decades. They have to try just a little harder to forget party, race and sect and think about their children, community and country. They have to think about the positive impact an AFC-APNU coalition government would have on their lives and the country as a whole. It would be like the Christmas carol “JOY TO THE WORLD” which celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. We are not a nation of Indians and Africans, nor a nation of PPP, APNU and AFC. We are not a nation of Christians, Muslims and Hindus, nor a nation of Baptists and non-believers. We are a nation of people of diverse ethnicity, various religious beliefs and wide cultural diversification. We are a strong, beautiful, playful, trusting, loving, innovative and tolerant nation with a lot of positives to draw upon with a coalition government that cares and respect the people and which will not seek short-term personal gain to the detriment of our nation. Now, today, this election year, we must come together. This election period is our time in history to shine and we must demonstrate that we can unite as one. In this election period we must demonstrate that Guyana and the welfare of the people be given precedence over race, religion and party. In this election period, we must cast aside our fears and bravely face the task of nation building and vote to elect an AFC/APNU coalition government. This must be our aim. This must be our objective. Our children deserve no less. Our nation deserves no less. Law and order must be respected and restored and our communities must once again be flourishing and become places where our children can walk safely and play safely regardless of the time of day or night. We can do it. We must do it on May 11. Dr. Asquith Rose, Chandra Deolall, Dr. Merle Spenser-Marks.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

(From page 30)

New Road, Vreed-En-Hoop, Land 7080 SqFt, Building 762SqFt. $40M negotiable, owner migrating – Tel:2269788 GuySuCo Garden (UG), Executive $48M; Republic Park - $40M. Call Vish: 6127377

CAKES & PASTRIES Valentine Cakes for sale 223-9497

Corner Property, Grove Public Road - $29M Neg. Call: 613-5645 Houses & house lots for sale in 1 of Guyana’s top luxury gated communities, located @ Eccles E.B.D Tel: 227-2913; 683-3033 Property @ Water Pum Street Leonora (24X58) - Tel: 642-5799 One 6 bedroom house & land in Mon Repos E.C.D (Martyrsville) with two inside toilets & bath - $13M Negotiable – Tel: 629-5300 1 One house & land for sale at New Providence – Tel: 6979031 Lot 6 Adventure, Essequibo, land 352ftX70ft with wooden building $14M negotiableContact Anwar Essequibo 771-4395, 694-4457, Georgetown Trudy: 225-4712 1 Two story concrete building, Central G/Town $75M - Tel:223-9727; 6730373; 675-3838

WANTED Presser / Clipper, straight stitch/over edge machine operators, cleaner - Call: 222-2541 (8:00am-4:00pm) (Mon-Fri). CLEANING LADY FOR E.B.D- MUST KNOW TO COOK, CLEAN & IRON. HONEST& RESPONSIBLE, HOURS 6:00AM-3:00PM – CALL: 603-0758 Hairdresser & nail technician to work in Alberttown – Call: 684-9409

TO LET House for rent @ Grove Housing Scheme with 3 bedrooms -$70,000 – Tel:6424429; 639-8056 Furnished 1 & 2 bedrooms apartments: AC, grilled, parking (walking distance to Caricom & UG) – Call: 6233404 or 222-6708 Spacious 2 bedroom apartment @ Diamond, Section A fully grilled, separate gate, drive way & parking $55,000 negotiable- Call: 616-1598

became the pre independence government. Had this prescription not been removed from the constitution, APNU and the AFC could/should have been the government of the day with their combined one seat majority. Instead here they are battling it out before an election to face the electorate as one party. Editor, my advice to the

Negotiating Committee is: be pragmatic and do what is best to get over the hurdle of this election and a new government in office with a promise to the people of a new Constitution within one year of coming into office. All the nitty-gritty of who gets what Ministry could be sorted out after the election. Let the AFC lead the Coalition. (Name withheld)

PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM

ACCOMMODATION Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor / Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504; 685-6934

Fully Furnished vacation home with all amenities- Call during working hours – Call: 227-1218 Three bedrooms concrete top flat in Cane View Ave, South Ruimveldt Gardens $90,000 - Call: 218-1949 One apartment for rent at Mon Repos E.C.D, First Street – Tel: 220-7330 One and two bedroom furnished apartments in Nandy Park, Parking facilities available – Call: 233-5560 for further details New business place @ Durban Street between Creen & Bishop for shop nail artistry office - $40,000 – Call: 2260673; 685-4694 Prime Space for business on Robb Street between Camp & Alexander Streets – Call: 6977802 between 9am-2pm Four Storey building located on Robb Street next to Bourda Market. Tel:623-7731, 629-0636 Rooms & Apartment in Alberttown & Eccles – Call: 225-3234

Putting Nagamootoo as the APNU/AFC...

From page 5 (and the cabinet) even if that Party does not attain over 50% of the votes. Hence, the minority government of the day. This is wrong. All over the world Parties are able to coalesce after an election to form a government. The PNC itself did this in 1964 where it joined with the UF after the election and

CAR RENTAL

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 Parfaite Harmonie - $1.4M, $1.5M, $4M, Eccles-$4M, Tuschen - $2.2M. All legal fees paid – Contact: 6757292; 652-2018 Riverside land @ Upper Demerara River, Reasonable price –Call: 678-1575; 2238590 Grove E.B.D Caneville 4th Field, 1St Street, Concrete $3M 20X40 land 40X100, Parfaite W.B.D Land 45X80 $1.1M-Call:231-2199;618-7483

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTAL CALL: 225-7126/ 2263693 DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM/ WWW.DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security – Tel: 698-7807; 690-6494

51 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front - $100M Negotiable, serious enquiries only! Tel: 669-8152 36 Acres Land off linden highway, water - 2 sources, time to acres 15 Min from highway, partially cleared – price negotiable – Call: 6276363

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

New AG under query …Lawyers call on Law Association to probe alleged breach of Legal Profession Act Trinidad Express - Fortyeight hours after Garvin Nicholas was appointed this country’s new Attorney General, a matter has been referred to the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) for investigation, involving him. The issue is he may have attempted to practise as an attorney, even though he was not yet called to the local Bar. Lawyers familiar with the issue are calling on LATT to probe whether due diligence was conduc-ted before Nicholas was appointed AG to replace Anand Ramlogan. The incident occurred in 2001 when Nicholas was on a six-month pupilage at Trinity Chambers, Edward Street, Port of Spain, when he was cautioned in writing about breaching the Legal Profession Act (LPA) by Desmond Allum SC (now deceased), who was head of Trinity Chambers at the time, after it was discovered he printed call cards representing himself as an attorney-at law, admitted to practise in Trinidad and Tobago. A copy of the letter penned by Allum was sent to LATT late Wednesday. Nicholas’ curriculum vitae (CV) states he was awarded a barrister- at-law degree in 2001 and was a door tenant at 3PB Chambers in the United Kingdom. The CV states he was called to the local Bar in 2002. However, at the time Nicholas was undergoing his pupilage (2001), he had no permission to practise at the local Bar or distribute call cards to solicit business for law. Allum had also frowned upon a matter where it was alleged Nicholas was requesting a percentage of fees from work he had referred to attorneys while at the chambers. Excerpts of a letter from Allum written to Nicholas and obtained by the Express reads: “I refer to the meeting held with you in the pre-sence of attorney Gregory Delzin, in the course of which during the meeting, I expressed concern over the printing of call cards which, when taken at face value, could be construed as calling yourself a practicing member of Trinity Chambers. You will recall that you were reminded that it is a breach of the LPA to hold yourself out as being entitled to practise law without

Garvin Nicholas having been admitted to practise, in accordance with the provisions of the LPA. “During the course of the meeting, you protested vehemently that you had never ever held yourself out to members of the public about being admitted to practise but, on the contrary, you had been referring work to members of chambers. It has come to my attention that whilst there is an element of truth in your assertions, such work had been referred on the basis that you were entitled to a percentage of the fee charged by the attorney to whom the work was referred. This points to an even graver act of professional misconduct.” Specifying to whom Nicholas was to report to while completing his pupilage, Allum further stated: “It is only upon successful completion of your pupilage by the standard required by our chambers as satisfactory that I will find myself being able to issue the certificate required under the LPA. The above is of course predicated upon there being no further violations of the LPA.” Following the meeting, the Express learned Nicholas tendered his re-signation on November 7, 2001. His letter read: “I will like to thank you and the members of chambers for allowing me to spend the last three months with you. I thank you for all the support and advice given to me over the period. It is my belief that my career goals will be realised more readily in a changed environment.” Contacted by the Express yester-day by e-mail and told investigations revealed in 2001, he (Nicholas) resigned from Trinity Chambers while on training after it was discovered he issued call cards to people indicating he was a barrister from WalesInner Temple in England, he

replied: “I underwent training at Trinity Cham-bers with Desmond Allum SC, that is correct. I resigned after the issue of my call card was raised, not because of the call card per se but because I felt some personalities were being petty and I didn’t want to be there as a result. “I was a barrister of England and Wales and a member of the Inner Temple, however, as I had not yet been called to the local Bar, it was felt that I should not state same on my card, which when pointed out to me, I accepted and complied. I left on very amicable terms with Desmond Allum SC, who remained my friend until passing. I then comple-ted my in-service training with Robin Montano.” Asked if he was told about the other issue involving a request by him to get a percentage of fees from attorneys at Trinity Chambers, Nicho-las said: “You are asking me about a matter that took place some 14 years ago. To the best of my memory, there was a meeting held to discuss allegations that were unfoun-ded. Mr Allum reduced the meeting into writing and I continued to be a pupil. Having felt betrayed by false allegations, I decided to continue my pupilage elsewhere. That is what I recall.” When the Express contacted Tri-nity Chambers on the matter yester-day, all enquiries were referred to LATT. The Express asked LATT president Seenath Jairam if he had received the file sent to him on the matter involving Nicholas. He said: “I have not yet received it. I know you all have sources, but I am now leaving to go over to the LATT. I will know when I arrive there, but my phone will be off because we will be in a meeting.

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

German, French leaders take Ukraine peace plan to Moscow (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany and France announced a new peace plan for Ukraine on Thursday, flying to Kiev with a proposal they would then take on to Moscow. The coordinated trip by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande comes as rebels advanced on a railway hub held by Ukrainian troops after launching an offensive that scuppered a five-month-old ceasefire. The importance of reaching a deal was demonstrated by a dramatic collapse in Ukraine’s hryvnia currency, which lost nearly a third of its value after the central bank halted daily auctions at which it sold hard currency to banks. with Washington moving toward a decision soon on arming Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also visited Kiev on Thursday. He had no plans to go to Moscow and was not involved in the FrancoGerman initiative, although he supported it. Moscow said it hoped talks with Merkel and Hollande would be “constructive”. German government sources said the key problem for resuming peace talks was that the current front line no longer tallies with what was agreed at talks in Minsk, Belarus, last year. One idea was that a new attempt at a ceasefire should take in the current front line, which reflects rebel gains. For talks to begin anew, Kiev would have to accept that the separatists now control several hundred square kilometers more than agreed in Minsk — without Kiev having to give up its claim to these areas as part of the Ukrainian state. In the end, the goal of the peace process should be the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the sources said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said Kiev would not consider any peace plan that casts doubt on the nation’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence. The Franco-German plan looks like an eleventh-hour bid to halt the escalation of the conflict ahead of diplomatic deadlines likely to make east-west confrontation even worse. Peace talks collapsed on Saturday in Belarus and EU leaders are expected to consider new sanctions against Moscow next week. “Together with Angela Merkel we have decided to

take a new initiative,” Hollande told a news conference. “We will make a new proposal to solve the conflict which will be based on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.” He and Merkel met President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Thursday and were expected to go to Moscow to see Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday. Poroshenko said the talks “gave hope that there will be a result in a ceasefire”, his office said in a statement. Hollande said earlier: “For

several days Angela Merkel and I have worked on a text ... a text that can be acceptable to all.” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier played down the prospect of a breakthrough: “I don’t want to talk about the chances (of success). At this stage there is hope, rather than chances.” NATO says Russia has sent weapons, funds and troops to assist the rebel advance, negating a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine where war has already killed more than 5,000.

China providing US$16 million to fund Dominica projects ROSEAU, Dominica CMC – China is providing US$16 million to fund a number of projects, according to an official government statement issued here on Tuesday. It said that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, WANG Zhaofeng signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement for a number of projects to be agreed upon by the two countries in the coming weeks. “We are very glad to see that over the past 10 years based on the principle of mutual respect, equality and friendly benefit, the friendly cooperation between our two countries has made fruitful achievements and brought tangible benefits to our two countries and our two peoples,” said the Chinese diplomat. Prime Minister Skerrit said that his administration would continue to honour the “One

China” policy that Beijing said underscored its foreign relations with other countries and which does not recognize Taiwan that China regards as a renegade province. “We have always been able to rely on the commitment of Chinese support to Dominica; not only on bilateral relations but on multilateral issues,’ Skerrit said, asking the Chinese diplomat to “convey to your government our gratitude because notwithstanding the fact that you are the second largest economy in the world, you too have your own challenges “China has poverty and there are infrastructural challenges in many provinces but because of the friendship which exists and because China sees itself as having a role to play in the economic and social development of countries like Dominica. China continues to lend a helping hand to our country,” Skerrit added.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

No criminal charges for Trotman - DPP advises By Abena Rockcliffe While efforts to contact the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack proved futile, incumbent Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman yesterday confirmed that the DPP has advised the Guyana Police Force not to institute charges against him. Trotman indicated that he was informed, on Wednesday, by his legal team, that the Office of the DPP advised that there are no grounds to charge him based on the child molestation allegations. He said that the DPP has also advised that the investigations be closed. A few months back, a young Guyanese who spent some time in Trinidad and Tobago-Johnny Welshmanmade damning allegations against Trotman on his Facebook Page. The allegations were to the effect that the Speaker had sexual intercourse with him some ten years ago. Welshman then reported the alleged assault to the Police and investigations were carried out. Trotman, from the inception, categorically denied the allegations and

Johnny Welshman

House Speaker, Raphael Trotman opined that the young man, whom he vaguely knew, had to be mentally unstable. Trotman and his Party the Alliance For Change (AFC)-had also expressed the belief that the young man was motivated by politicians to make the libelous accusations against him in an effort to divert citizens’ attention from the real matters facing Guyana. The Speaker was forced to file an injunction which barred Welshman from publishing any material relating to allegations.

Welshman had moved to the High Court, seeking to have the injunction, which was granted by the very court, discharged. However, he was unsuccessful. Welshman was also ordered to remove all malicious content from his Facebook Page. Welshman has made similar allegations about other men including his father. In his Ex Parte Affidavit in support of the application for the injunction, Trotman has also sought damages in

excess of $50 million for libel contained in statements allegedly made by Welshman and published in the local dailies – Stabroek News, Guyana Times – and on Welshman’s Facebook page. In a public missive he released yesterday, Trotman said “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude firstly, to God, for allowing me to be tested and for standing with me during this episode, and to those persons and organizations that were, and still are,

Human trafficking accused granted $1M bail

Man on felony charge involving Minister begs court for mercy The computer technician, who allegedly entered A&E Electronic Store and attempted to uplift a cellular phone on behalf of Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, yesterday appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Thiry-nine year-old Damon Bailey of Craig, East Bank Demerara, who is alleged to have committed the act on January 29, last, offered to explain his version of the story to the court yesterday.

Bailey said that he believes he is being victimised, because of a previous matter that he had with the law, and that this is just a “trumped up charge”. The accused said that he went to the electronic store to repair his cellphone and was told that it would cost $2000. He further stated that he went to the Maraj building to transact some personal transactions, and it was there that he was approached and accused of carrying out the act in question. Bailey explained that he

was not in a position to pay the $75,000 that had been set as bail. He claims that he has sickle cell disease and begged the Chief Magistrate for leniency. In his plea, Bailey claimed that both his parents are dead and he only has one brother who lives overseas and suffers from the same disease. He told the Chief Magistrate that he could not even afford to pay $5000, if that was the amount set for his bail. Bail remained at $75,000 and the matter was adjourned until February 24

Damon Bailey

Jordan releases leading al Qaeda mentor: security source (Reuters) - Jordanian authorities released an imprisoned spiritual leader linked to al Qaeda, Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi,

on Thursday, a security source said. There was no immediate announcement of the reason for his release two days after the al Qaeda

offshoot Islamic State issued a video showing a captive Jordanian pilot being burned alive. But another security source told Reuters Maqdisi was expected to denounce the immolation of the Jordanian pilot Mouath alKasaesbeh as against “faith values”. The self-taught intellectual was seen as the spiritual guide of al Qaeda’s late leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but later disowned him for killing civilians indiscriminately. Maqdisi, who was

unrelenting in their support to me, my family and the Constitutional Office which I hold, as Speaker of the National Assembly.” He added, “I have resolved within myself that any position such as Speaker of the National Assembly will have its benefits - great opportunities to serve one’s country; in addition, it comes with grave burdens; particularly in the Guyana context. By virtue of accepting this job, I have submitted myself to accept

the benefits as well as the burdens. My enthusiasm to serve Guyana remains unwavering, as we enter another phase of our country’s development.” When Kaieteur News contacted Trotman, he indicated that he would still be following through with the aforementioned court action. The Attorney-at-Law noted that there were attempts to smear his character and he is not willing to let the matter merely dissolve. Kaieteur News questioned the politician whether he maintains his opinion that Welshman’s allegations were politically orchestrated. He responded that he prefers not to dwell on that, but advised, “Review my previous statements; everything still stands.” Asked if he was elated that the DPP decided against instituting charges against him at a time when Guyana is preparing for elections, Trotman said that the timing is of no significance to him or his Party. He said “I saw it for what it is”, and added that he has all assurances that the AFC is moving into elections in good standing.

imprisoned for several years, was briefly released in October after criticising the leader of Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The timing of his release then prompted some Jordanian officials to suggest that authorities, fearful of militancy spilling across their own borders, had wanted to let him speak out against the Islamic State. He was released on Thursday on the orders of the state security prosecutor, the first security source told Reuters.

A Pomeroon businesswoman, held for her alleged role in exposing two women to the sex trade in the interior, was yesterday granted bail to the tune of one million dollars. June Ann Joseph, 44, of Charity, Upper Pomeroon was taken to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where she was indicted on two counts of trafficking in persons (TIP). Joseph stood before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry, accused of engaging in the trafficking two young women. The court heard that between January 19 and February 2, last, at a location in the Cuyuni River, Joseph recruited, transported and harboured the two women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. She pleaded not guilty. Corporal Bharat Mangru, a Prosecutor attached to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), did not present the details of the crime in court. He offered no objections to a court bond being granted to the businesswoman. He asked, however, that it be set to a substantial amount, along with reporting conditions. The court heard that the woman had never been

Human trafficking accused: June Ann Joseph charged or placed before the courts. The Prosecution said that although the charges related to different women, the circumstances were the same. Before offering bail to the unrepresented businesswoman, the Chief Magistrate diligently perused the statement of one of Joseph’s accusers. At the end of the short hearing, the woman was allowed a court bond and ordered to report to the Officer in Charge of the Charity Police Station every Monday, commencing on February 9. The reporting conditions apply until the completion of the matter, which was adjourned to February 9.

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Kaieteur News

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Canada ups calls for financing, equitable media access for political parties - agrees to finance 100 laptops for GECOM Canada has repeated calls for Guyana to seriously consider recommendations which will guarantee political parties more equitable access to media and financing. High Commissioner, Dr. Nicole Giles, yesterday, also pushed for adherence to timely and standardized procedures for the electoral process and the improvement of communications between stakeholders, in particular with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The diplomat made the call shortly before signing an agreement which will see the Canadian Government paying for 100 laptops for GECOM’s use for elections. Giles, during the ceremony at GECOM’s Kingston headquarters on High Street, noted that Guyana has made significant strides in elections management as noted in the 2011 elections reports. Recommendations were made by the Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Mission and the

GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally and Canadian High Commissioner Dr. Nicole Giles exchange the signed documents as Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield looks on Commonwealth Secretariat final report, which noted areas of improvement to make subsequent elections more efficient and fair.

“ We h o p e t h a t t h e provision of laptops to GECOM will help with implementation of these recommendations.”

The High Commissioner echoed earlier statements of Canada, the US, UK and the European Union that free, fair and peaceful elections play a

Two escape injury as log-laden truck topples A truck laden with logs and six 45-gallon diesel containers overturned on the back road in Fair’s Rust, yesterday, around 18:00 hrs. According to the porter of the truck, Junior Cupidore of 36 Kuru Kururu, Linden Highway, they were coming from Bisaruni, which is 20 miles from the Berbice River, and were heading to Kuru Kururu. Cupidore noted that they were using the front road and were turned back by the police to use the back road. He claimed “this is slackness cause de road messy an nobody ent looking after it. Hope they look at it now.” Two of the containers were filled with diesel and all spilled. The angry porter said “I want u to write a prappa report that whosoever responsible fuh maintaining de road come an fix it. They tek long fuh even set de East Bank right an duh deh right in dey face. Dis hey, all ah dem benefitting from dis, coz when dis (logs)

go pon de container is all ah dem does benefit. We want dem to look after de road because this is expense on de truck owner.” Officials at Bosai offered assistance in getting the truck back on its four wheels. The driver was nowhere around.

critical role in every democracy. “It is through elections that citizens choose their government and have their voices heard. There is strong correlation between free, fair and peaceful elections and the progressive development of a country. The work undertaken by independent election commissions is crucial.” She said that Canada has a high level of confidence in GECOM’s ability to deliver credible elections. The money for the laptops will be coming from Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The envoy said her country is promoting freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law by strengthening the professionalism and accountability of public institutions - including elections management bodies. This project, she emphasised, will also help GECOM to be even more transparent and responsive to the needs of the electorate. “There is an equally important role that the citizens of Guyana play in this electoral process. Voting is a right, a duty and an opportunity, for all Guyanese. The right to vote is the most significant representation of a citizen’s participation in the governance of their country. Canada is hopeful that the upcoming electoral process will allow the Guyanese people to debate the important issues that are facing the country.” Also addressing invitees,

Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield insisted that elections have come a far way in Guyana. He said that while the laptops will be utilized at polling places on election day by staffers, they do not represent a paradigm shift in GECOM’s operation. He duly recognised that the donation was timely and would definitely help in improving capability and efficiency. GECOM’s Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally also noted the timeliness of the donation. “With the bell rung and Guyana in the homestretch of elections, the Canadian initiative can be seen as one that speaks of trust…trust in GECOM’s capacity to effectively manage elections.” Dr. Surujbally however bemoaned the fact that criticisms have been raised of GECOM’s methods. Admitting that GECOM still has a far way to go, he said that it makes it harder if there is distrust at home. GECOM remains very much available to answer questions, he stressed. He also said that GECOM has the capacity and has reached the stage where it can apply for certification to manage elections of international standards. He believes that the days of turbulence are over, with the upcoming elections being a watershed occasion for Guyana. The GECOM Chairman also asked Guyana to “trust” and “walk” with the body, as it has no agenda except the truth.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

South Africa turn their sights on India Like every team tip-toeing though their first cautious steps at a major tournament, South Africa have promised not to look too far ahead by focusing on one game at a time and treating every one of those with the seriousness of a final. All that genteel talk is a guise for their real strategy which looks past the tournament opener against Zimbabwe and zones in on what South Africa have identified as the must-win match of the opening round, against India, who Russell Domingo seems to think are ripe for the picking on February 22nd. After South Africa wrapped up a 4-1 series win over West Indies, Domingo declared his men “more confident” than India or Sri Lanka and on their departure reiterated that by

describing South Africa’s superior preparation. ”I’d much rather be at home than spend two months in Australia prior to the World Cup. It worked out great that we had six weeks there and then came back home,” Domingo said. “I’m sure it would have been challenging for a side like India, being there for so long and then still another two months with the World Cup.” India have already been on the road for half the lifespan of a butterfly but have yet to undergo a transformation similar to the one the winged creature does from a state of helplessness to full flight. They failed to win any of the four Tests and four ODIs they played and did not qualify for the final of the triangular series which also involved En-

gland. Their usually strong batting line-up has not fired and Domingo has designs on stubbing them out even further. ”There will be some venues and some teams where we would consider five specialist bowlers,” he said. “Teams like India, where they perceived strength is definitely their batting line-up they have some world class players in their line-up and the MCG is a pretty good batting wicket - so I think bowling strength will be important against sides like India.” South Africa’s first-choice XI consists of three frontline quicks and a specialist spinner, with the fifthbowler duties being shared between the offspin of JP Duminy and the mediumpace of Farhaan Behardien,

South Africa received a big send off in Johannesburg before departing for the World Cup © Anadolu Agency

but they have two extra seamers in the squad, Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell, who may be unleashed against India. That would mean South Africa foregoing a seventh spe-

cialist batsmen, who Domingo all-but confirmed they would play in every other game. “There are games where batters will come under pressure, particularly chasing, and

having that extra depth in batting with the perceived length of the tail we have - guys at nine, ten and eleven, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir, are more bowlers than allrounders,” he said. “

Jaguars have advantage... Friday February 06, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Social events or group activities could prove more stimulating than usual. Discussions of every subject imaginable could take place around you, and you might have trouble deciding which ones you want to join. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your writing, speaking, and communicating skills are enhanced today. Therefore, you can expect to impress a lot of people around you who will change their opinion about you. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Correspondence with someone who lives far away could appear to lead to something more than friendship, Gemini.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your physical and mental energy are exceptionally strong right now, Libra. If you're creative, you will want to put that energy into a project that means a lot to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A delivery could come to your house that you find very emotionally moving. Perhaps you've received a gift that represents a big sacrifice to the giver, and was all the more sincere for that. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A friend might drop by and want you to keep them company while they runs errands, Sagittarius.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A quick survey of the financial news might reveal that your investments, particularly those involving property, might be worth far more than you thought, Cancer.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Paperwork regarding money might take up a lot of your time today. This can be tedious, but it's something that can make a very positive difference to you, a n d t h e r e f o r e n e e d s t o be handled as soon as possible.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A message could come today from a business or romantic partner that brings some welcome news, Leo. Action on an enterprise of some kind, perhaps involving writing or speaking, could put one or both of you in the limelight.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) A subject that fascinates you could occupy much of your time today, Aquarius. Questions may arise about this subject that you want answered now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you can expect to have an interesting conversation with someone, Virgo. The person you will be talking to is going to provide you with a ton of info that will open a whole new world of knowledge.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Emotions, impressions, and memories could come up from your subconscious today, Pisces. This may preoccupy you and keep you from other matters. This is a positive development. Pleasant memories bring joy.

(From page 38) while Barnwell and West Indies ‘A’ team fast bowler Ronsford Beaton could provide pace options. Without Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Nikita Miller, Marlon Samuels, Sheldon Cotterell and Jerome Taylor, who are all in the World Cup squad, Jamaica are the hardest hit team by the loss of players due to West Indies commitments and they will depend on Skipper Tamar Lambert, Jeremy Blackwood, John Campbell, Horace Miller, David Bernard, Nkrumah Bonner, Carlton Baugh and Shacaya Thomas with the bat. Leg-spinner Damian Jacobs is Jamaica’s leading wicket taker with 18 wickets, fellow leg-spinner Odean Browne is also in the squad while former West Indies youth pacer Jason Dawes and 20-year-old pacer Marquino Mindely are wonderful fast bowling prospects for Jamaica who are hunting their 12th title at this level. The game is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs (11:00hrs Guy time) today. GUYANA JAGUARS: Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Ronsford Beaton, Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Rajendra Chandrika, Narsingh Deonarine, Shemron Hetymer, Keon Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymon Reifer, Vishaul Singh. JAMAICA FRANCHISE (from): Tamar Lambert (captain), Carlton Baugh Jr, Dave Bernard Jr, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Gavon Brown, Odean Brown, John Campbell, Jason Dawes, Damion Jacobs, Horace Miller,

Marquino Mindley, Shacaya Thomas. UMPIRES: Christopher Wilson, Gregory Brathwaite

(Barbados), MATCH REFEREE: Denovan Hayles, RESERVE UMPIRE: Athol Hamilton

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

WICB PCL Regional 4-Day

Barbados Pride play LI Hurricanes; WI Volcanoes oppose TT Red Force Bridgetown, Barbados Both of the front-runners, Guyana Jaguars and Jamaica Franchise will have a keen eye on what’s happening at Kensington Oval, where reigning champions and third-placed Barbados Pride welcome Leeward Islands Hurricanes. The Pride kick-started their title defence with a pair of unexpected victories against the Jaguars and the Volcanoes following a couple of early setbacks due to the weather interruptions and will be looking to continue this trend against the bottomplaced Hurricanes. Recent history is on the side of the hosts – they have won the last four matches between the two sides – the last three by an innings and seven runs, an innings and 31 runs, and an innings and 49 runs respectively. This could spell another tough weekend for the Hurricanes unless they could the right formula to jump-start their season. The Pride have made four changes to their squad including the return of their regular captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies opener from the tour of South Africa, and Kirk Edwards, another West Indies batsman, making his first appearance for the season following injury. The Hurricanes too, have four changes to their squad with opener Sherwin Peters, as well as fast-medium bowler Quinton Boatswain and legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr gaining their first look-in for the season. In Gros-Islet, St. Lucia, there should be renewed interest at the Beausejour

Cricket Ground, where Windward Islands Volcanoes host newly-minted NAGICO Super50 champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force. Both teams need all the points they could acquire to get things back on track if they are to make a late charge for the title, but the hosts will be looking to bring the visitors back to the reality of the longer version of the domestic game. Neither side has distinguished themselves this season, frittering away promising positions against opponents, so an outcome is difficult to determine. The Red Force have generally dominated over the last decade, but the Volcanoes can take comfort in the knowledge that they have won two of the last three matches between the sides. The return of veteran lefthander Devon Smith from the West Indies’ tour of South Africa as one of three changes to the Volcanoes’ line-up will add substance to their batting, while the inclusion of fast bowler Shannon Gabriel as one of a similar number of changes to the Red Force’s squad will give their attack an edge. Teams: BARBADOS PRIDE (from): Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tino Best, Carlos Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Kyle Corbin, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Kirk Edwards, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Kevin Stoute, Jomel Warrican. IN–Brooks, K. Brathwaite, Edwards, Stoute; OUT– J o n a t h a n C a r t e r, Ry a n Hinds, Omar Phillips, Dwayne Smith.

LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES (from): Devon Thomas (captain), Quinton Boatswain, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Colin Hamer, Montcin Hodge, Jeremiah Louis, Orlando Peters, Sherwin Peters, Austin Richards Jr, Akeem Saunders, Gavin Tonge, Hayden Walsh Jr IN–Boatswain, S. Peters, Saunders, Walsh; OUT– Alzarri Joseph, Yannick Leonard, Steve Liburd, Lyndell Richardson. UMPIRES: Leslie Reifer Jr, Steve O’Shaughnessy, MATCH REFEREE: Carlyle Carter, RESERVE UMPIRE: Kevin Sisnett. WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES (from): Liam Sebastian (captain), Sunil Ambris, Alston Bobb, Johnson Charles, Craig Emmanuel, Andre Fletcher, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Mervin Matthew, Kenroy Peters, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile. IN–Emmanuel, Johnson, Smith; OUT–Romel Currency, Kavem Hodge, Nelon Pascal. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE (from): Rayad Emrit (captain), Yannic Cariah, Derone Davis, Shannon Gabriel, Akeal Hosein, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Kjorn Ottley, Yannick Ottley, Marlon Richards, Jeremy Solozano. IN–Davis, Gabriel, K. Ottley; OUT–Nicholas Pooran, Lendl Simmons, Daniel St. Clair. UMPIRES: Lennox Abraham, Verdayne Smith (Jamaica), MATCH REFEREE: Patrick Felix, RESERVE UMPIRE: Francis Maurice.

GCA competitions resume this weekend The Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Hadi’s World City Mall Inc. first division two-day and the New Building Society (NBS) second division 40-over competitions are set to resume this weekend. Malteenoes SC (MSC) will host Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in the lone first division fixture which starts tomorrow at 09:30hrs with the umpires being Nolan Hawke and Ernest Hinds. In tomorrow’s second di-

vision from 10:30hrs, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) will entertain Ace Warriors with Daniel Richmond and Reginald Grant in charge; Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will travel to Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) where Joseph Jeffery and Linden Matthews will call play. On Sunday, DCC will play Diplomats at GNIC, Peter Monfort and Grant standing in the middle, Transport Sports Club will face Third

Class at GYO (Jeffery and Matthews), St. Stanislaus will journey to Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) where Javed Persaud and Heuvel Cunha will control play while and GNIC will battle DCC at GCC, Clyde Layne and Mario Nicholls in charge. In the Banks Malta Supreme Under-13 at MYO tomorrow, TSC will challenge MSC from 09:30hrs with GCC playing Bel Air at 13:30hrs, Randolph Rose and Cunha will call play.

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Afridi chosen first in CPL Draft The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2015 Draft took place yesterday in Kingston, Jamaica. Amid exciting scenes, the 6 CPL 2015 coaches and their captains took turns selecting the world’s best cricket players. Pakistan star Shahid Afridi was chosen by St Kitts and Nevis as the first pick in the draft for the 2015 Limacol Caribbean Premier League. The CPL’s newest team were the only side to have a pick in the opening round after the other five decided to retain their number one choice from last year and they used it to pick the Pakistan batsman, who is known as ‘Boom Boom’ for his huge hitting. Other internationals stars Lasith Mailinga, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor and Mahela Jayawardena were picked in the second round, along with Marlon Samuels, who was picked up by St Kitts and Nevis. Barbados skipper Kieron Pollard said the reigning champions were delighted with the line-up they finished up with. “We got what we wanted,” he said. “We retained the core of our team and tried to go for a different direction, looking for more hungry players, and we did exactly what we wanted to do. We knew we wanted Jason Holder on the fifth pick and we got him. Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwayne Bravo was at the draft and was pleased with their selection, which includes South African all-rounder Kallis. He said: “We are very happy. Last night we discussed it and went through all the options, and everything went according to plan. ”We are very happy to get Jacques Kallis - he was the main main pick for us. We have a very exciting opener in Cameron Delport, and a great wicket keeper and batter in Kamran Akmal. The CPL is a great tournament. We have been in the semi finals two years in a row so hopefully we can go one further this year.” St Lucia Zouks team ambassador Sir Andy Roberts said they were happy with their selection. He said: “The St Lucia pitch is the most fast bowling of the pitches, so we stocked up on good quality fast bowlers. ”In 2013 and 2014 we didn’t draft as well this year we tried to cover every angle as well as possible. We would have liked to have got Afridi but were pipped by St Kitts - who also pipped us to Sohail Tanvir. We were also at a disadvantage because of the retained players so we had to choose from the rest.” Here are your CPL Teams for 2015! Who will you be supporting? Guyana Amazon Warriors - PLAYING SQUAD Round 1 Sunil Narine $150,000 Round 2 Lasith Maliga $100,000 Round 3 Tilakaratne Dilshan $80,000 Round 4 Lendl Simmons $70,000 Round 5 Denesh Ramdin $50,000 Round 6 Thisara Perera $40,000 Round 7 Christopher Barnwell $30,000 Round 8 Brad Hodge $20,000 Round 9 Veerasammy Permaul $15,000 Round 10 Ronsford Beaton $10,000 Round 11 Shivnarine Chanderpaul $10,000 Round 12 Devendra Bishoo $5,000 Round 13 Trevon Griffith $5,000 Round 14 Assad Fudadin $5,000 Round 15 Paul Wintz $5,000 St Kitts Round 1 Shahid Afridi $150,000 Round 2 Marlon Samuels $100,000 Round 3 Sohail Tanveer $80,000 Round 4 Sheldon Cotterell $70,000 Round 5 Martin Guptill $50,000 Round 6 Carlos Brathwaite $40,000 Round 7 Evin Lewis $30,000 Round 8 Devon Thomas $20,000

Round 9 Raymon Reifer $15,000 Round 10 Tabraiz Shamsi $10,000 Round 11 Orlando Peters $10,000 Round 12 Tonito Willett $5,000 Round 13 Nicholas Pooran $5,000 Round 14 Jacques Talyor $5,000 Round 15 Justin Athanaze $5,000 Barbados Tridents Round 1 Kieron Pollard $150,000 Round 2 Shoaib Malik $100,000 Round 3 Dwayne Smith $80,000 Round 4 Ravi Rampaul $70,000 Round 5 Jason Holder $50,000 Round 6 Rayad Emrit $40,000 Round 7 Dilshan Munaweera $30,000 Round 8 Jonathan Carter $20,000 Round 9 Justin Ontong $15,000 Round 10 Ashley Nurse $10,000 Round 11 Robin Peterson $10,000 Round 12 Akeal Hosein $5,000 Round 13 Narvin Stewart $5,000 Round 14 Shai Hope $5,000 Round 15 Kyle Corbin $5,000 Jamaica Tallawahs Round 1 Chris Gayle $150,000 Round 2 Mahela JayaWardene $100,000 Round 3 Andre Russell $80,000 Round 4 Chris Lynn $70,000 Round 5 Daniel Vettori $50,000 Round 6 Jerome Taylor $40,000 Round 7 Nikita Miller $30,000 Round 8 Chadwick Walton $20,000 Round 9 Krishmar Santokie $15,000 Round 10 Rusty Theron $10,000 Round 11 Narsingh Deomarine $10,000 Round 12 David Bernard Jnr $5,000 Round 13 Nkrumah Bonner $5,000 Round 14 Jermaine Blackwood $5,000 Round 15 Horace Miller $5,000 St Lucia Zouks Round 1 Darren Sammy $150,000 Round 2 Ross Taylor $100,000 Round 3 Kevin Pietersen $80,000 Round 4 Johnson Charles $70,000 Round 5 Shakud al Hasan $50,000 Round 6 Andre Fletcher $40,000 Round 7 Shannon Gabriel $30,000 Round 8 Henry Davids $20,000 Round 9 Fidel Edwards $15,000 Round 10 Kemar Roach $10,000 Round 11 Shane Shillingford $10,000 Round 12 Kyle Mayers $5,000 Round 13 Keddy LeSporis $5,000 Round 14 Liam Sebastien $5,000 Round 15 Delorn Johnson $5,000 Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel Round 1 Dwayne Bravo $150,000 Round 2 Jacques Kallis $100,000 Round 3 Darren Bravo $80,000 Round 4 Samuel Badree $70,000 Round 5 Johan Botha $50,000 Round 6 Kevon Cooper $40,000 Round 7 Kamran Akmal $30,000 Round 8 Cameron Delpont $20,000 Round 9 Suliemann Benn $15,000 Round 10 Jason Mohammed $10,000 Round 11 Marlon Richards $10,000 Round 12 Miguel Cummins $5,000 Round 13 Jevon Searles $5,000 Round 14 William Perkins $5,000 Round 15 Derone Davis $5,000 The third staging of CPL will bowl off in June 2015 with full fixture details to be announced in due course.

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Friday February 06, 2015

Walsh - Fast bowlers I think will shine Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Former West Indies great lists eleven bowlers to watch out for in the upcoming World Cup 2015. As the ICC Cricket World Cup gets closer and the players get more eager for one of cricket’s biggest events, I will try to settle some nerves by selecting a few fast, or seam, bowlers to watch or look out for and tell you why. You will notice that I have no Pakistan or India players on this list, the reason being that I have not seen much of Pakistan of late, which is unfortunate, and no India seamer stands out, in my view. But I can be proven wrong when it comes to the World Cup. I will not be listing them in preference or ranking. I know how unpredictable this game can be, but these are just my personal picks and thoughts. (1) Mitchell Johnson - With him playing at home, he can be a handful on most surfaces, his confidence will be very high and a lot will be expected of him from his team and captain. He has good pace and can push you on the back foot early with the new ball. Mitch will be used to getting early breakthroughs, or will be brought back to take

wickets, so one could say he will be one of Australia’s key attacking threats. (2) Dale Steyn will also be used similarly to Mitch. He has been one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the last few years, has plenty pace but what I like about him is his controlled aggression and the control and change of pace that he has. He moves the ball around at good pace and can be a handful on any given day and a lot will be expected from him if South Africa is to get early wickets. It will be very interesting to see how he will be used. (3) Kemar Roach is expected to spearhead the Windies pace attack. Though he is not as tall as some of his colleagues, he has pace and hit the right areas, he is not playing at present due to injury but his late movements could ask a lot of questions, he will be looking to make early inroads whenever he is called upon. (4) Pat Cummins: Having seen him first hand in South Africa a few seasons ago, I was truly impressed with him and his pace and control. Injury has not been too kind to him, but he has the ability to generate good pace, has a

Kemar Roach

Mitchell Johnson

good slower ball and knowing the home conditions will be expected to play a key role in leading the Australia attack as he does move it around as well. (5) Jerome Taylor: Like Kemar, is not especially tall like most around him, and was out for a while and will see this World Cup as a good personal challenge in leading the attack alongside Kemar. Jerome has pace and swings the ball both ways. Once he finds his rhythm he can be a problem bowler for any batsman. A very crafty operator, once his confidence is up he will be raring to go. (6) James Anderson has been leading the attack for England

for some time now and a lot will be expected from him. He swings and seams the ball around and with the expected conditions will ask some good questions with the new ball. He has a good change of pace as well so he will keep them honest. (7) Lasith Malinga will lead the Sri Lanka attack and as we all know he has pace along with a very good Yorker. It will be interesting to see how he uses it on these bouncier pitches. He has shown that he is among the best when it comes to bowling at the death. (8) Morne Morkel has height, good pace gets good bounce and asks good ques-

tions of batsmen. With the pitches expected to help his style of bowling, he is certainly a bowler to watch. He also swings it around and will be looking to make early inroads with the new ball along with his partner Steyn. (9) Steve Finn is another one with good height and he is showing good form and aggression on the bouncier Australian wickets. This World Cup could be where he shows his worth and make a name for himself. He has pace, gets good bounce and does move the ball around and could be the perfect foil for Anderson in the length they both bowl. (10) Vernon Philander does not have express pace, but he makes up for that with consistency and swing bowls a very good line and length will be putting the batsmen under

pressure early and can be a wicket-taker. He has good control and if he gets into the swing of things early will pose major problems. (11) Jason Holder: Though he might not have the experience of some of his seniors, but with his height he could be troublesome for batsmen. He gets good bounce, has a good yorker and is learning all the time. Jason can be a match winner for his team, and will be learning new tricks all the time as well. It will be a big ask for him to fill the boots of Joel Garner, or his current coach Curtly Ambrose, but he will be trying. Let me wish all the fast men, and seamers, all the best for this tournament. Happy hunting, as the bat is set to dominate! I will be watching and hoping to learn a few things, so may the best TEAM win. (ICC)

Serena Williams to end Indian Stephen Curry goes for 51, 26 in 3rd as Warriors come back vs. Mavs Wells boycott after 14 years Reuters - World number one Serena Williams has buried the hatchet and will return to Indian Wells to play in the tournament she has boycotted for 14 years after suffering racist abuse. In an interview with TIME magazine, the 19-times grand slam singles champion said she had discovered the “true meaning of forgiveness” and would go for a third title in the Californian resort in March. ”It has been difficult for me to forget spending hours crying in the Indian Wells locker room after winning in 2001, driving back to Los Angeles feeling as if I had lost the biggest game ever — not a mere tennis game but a bigger fight for equality,” the 33year-old Williams wrote. ”I’m fortunate to be at a point in my career where I have nothing to prove. I’m still as driven as ever, but the ride is a little easier. I play for the love of the game. “It is with that love in mind, and a new understanding of the true meaning of forgiveness, that I will proudly return to Indian Wells in 2015.” Williams won her second title at the showpiece event in 2001, beating Kim Clijsters

Serena Williams. REUTERS/Carlos Barria in a final marred by the behavior of some fans who booed and heckled the American and her family, apparently in response to sister Venus withdrawing injured from their semi-final. In her autobiography My Life: Queen of the Court, Williams describes the events which prompted her boycott: “I could hear the shouts of “Nigger!” here and there. “I even heard one angry voice telling us to go back to Compton. It was unbelievable.” Williams made her main draw debut at Indian Wells as a 17-year-old in 1999, beating Steffi Graf in the final. “I have

thought about going back to Indian Wells many times over my career,” Williams, who won the Australian Open on Saturday, said in the TIME interview. ”I said a few times that I would never play there again. And believe me, I meant it. I admit it scared me. What if I walked onto the court and the entire crowd booed me? The nightmare would start all over. ”I’m just following my heart on this one,” she adds. “Indian Wells was a pivotal moment of my story, and I am a part of the tournament’s story as well. “Together we have a chance to write a different ending.”

It has been very hard to steal any thunder from Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry this season, but teammate and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson managed to do so when he set an NBA record with 37 points in a single quarter this season. While Curry remains the MVP favorite and will receive a heap of attention at All-Star Weekend as the game’s leading vote-getter, Thompson pretty clearly notched the most amazing achievement by a Warriors guard this season. He deserves his share of the spotlight. Curry didn’t knock Thompson off his perch in Wednesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at Oracle Arena, but he at least matched his backcourt partner in one respect. Down 42-25 after a horrible first quarter that involved a 24-4 start for Dallas, Golden State bounced back with three very strong quarters to come away with a surprisingly comfortable 128-114 win. The most thrilling part of the game came in the third quarter, when the Warriors put up 43 points (against 36 for the Mavericks) to overcome a

Stephen Curry (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

narrow halftime deficit and take control for good. Curry was magnificent, scoring 26 points in the period — extremely hot compared to anything other than Thompson’s magical quarter — on his way to a 51-point night, just three off his career high, set at Madison Square Garden vs. the New York Knicks in February 2013. (His 26 points in the third were a single point short of his career high for a quarter, set that same night.) He finished with 16-of-26 shooting overall, including 10-of-16 from beyond the arc. As noted by ESPN, it’s

just the seventh time in NBA history that teammates have gone for 50 points in the same season. Thompson and Curry also made personal history on Wednesday with 14 combined three-pointers, breaking their previous high of 13. Despite Curry’s huge night, the Warriors showed the kind of scoring balance that has helped them to a league-best 39-8 record. Golden State also shot 52.8 percent from the field and 19-of-38 from deep. Teams can focus on Curry if they like, but they’re risking letting another player go off for a huge game of his own. (Yahoosports)

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Robert Williams Mem. Dominoes Thunder and Gangster were both in winner’s row when the Robert Williams Memorial Dominoes competition continued on Wednesday night last at Faye Joseph’s residence, South R u i m v e l d t . Thunder tallied 71 games to edge Saddam 69 and TNT 60 in their match up. Kevin Boston registered 17 and Faye Joseph 16 for the winners while Rafeek Khan scored 16 and Navin Singh 15 for Saddam. Dane Bynoe and Trevor Smith were TNT’s leading players with 16 and 14 respectively.

-wins for Thunder, Gangster Players in action.

Gangster notched up 72 games to overcome Phantom 66 and OPKO 55. Gangster was led by Derrick Collymore who made 16 and Shellon

Collymore 15. Dereck Barker and Colin Bynoe made 15 apiece for Phantom. The competition continues on Monday night.

CID, Traffic register wins as GPF Inter Department dominoes starts Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Traffic recorded victories when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Headquarters Inter Department dominoes competition commenced recently at Police Sports Club, Eve Leary. CID marked 97 games to beat Immigration 73 and PRO 55 in their encounter. Judy Sandiford and Munilall

Persaud scored the maximum 18 games each for the winners while Suraj Singh and Devendra Singh supported with 16 apiece. Kevin Archer chalked up the maximum 18 for Immigration and Clarence Green 13, for PRO. Traffic rattled up 82 to overcome Mountain Branch 76 and Quarter Masters Store

Combined lagging behind on 65. Nyron Hassan led Traffic with the maximum 18, Harold De Vira and Floyd Reddock chipped in with 15 each. Carl Saul achieved 18 for Mountain Branch while Elizabeth Jacobs and Samantha Boson scored 16 and 15 respectively for QMS Combined. Action was slated to continue last evening.

IOC chief Bach happy with FIFA moves to pick 2022 WCup dates Beaver Creek, Colo. (AP) - IOC President Thomas Bach is happy with FIFA’s moves toward choosing dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that do not clash with the Winter Olympics. Bach said he was encouraged by the ‘’latest signals that this is going in the right direction.’’ A FIFA working group aims to recommend playing dates for the 2022 World Cup at a Feb. 23 meeting in Doha, Qatar. A clash of dates between the Olympics and World Cup would be a ‘’loselose situation,’’ and ‘’cause major problems’’ for broadcasters and sponsors, Bach claimed during a visit on Tuesday to the Alpine skiing world championships. Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, are bidding for the 2022 Games. Both propose dates of Feb. 4-20. FIFA plans to move the 2022 World Cup out of the traditional June-July slot to avoid the brutal Qatari heat. European soccer body UEFA is leading support for a January kickoff, requiring a World Cup final in early February. However, FIFA President Sepp Blatter - a longstanding IOC member - has assured Bach there will be no clash with the Olympics. Blatter

Page 39

GFF Normalization Committee assures

All systems on track for timely culmination of Constitutional statutes What initially seemed like a herculean task a few months ago has now progressed to an achievable goal and members of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalization Committee are highly optimistic that their hard work will bear fruit and restore local football to an amicable state while formulating a document that establishes a common ground between the local situation and FIFA’s expectations. This much was intimated to the media yesterday afternoon when journalists were summoned to a press conference at the Olympic House, High Street Kingston by the principals of the Normalization Committee. The head table was shared by head of the NC, Clinton Urling, CONCACAF Director of Legal Affairs, Marco Leal and FIFA’s Head of Associations, Premo Cavaro. Mr. Urling admitted that the tasks meted out to the Normalization Committee to regularize football operations are indeed arduous but the five member group are pressing ahead to reach the stipulated deadline later this year (September). He said that works have been progressing steadily apace and was all inclusive. “All member associations were asked to submit proposals following which we will convene for further examina-

tions and discussions,” the NC head intimated. Señor Corvaro expressed satisfaction at the work of the NC and said that it is good for the development of the sport. He said that he is very optimistic about the development of the sport even as he pointed out that the culmination of the revision of the constitution will minimize the volume of crises and disputes. The FIFA executive also said that the NC will attempt to find common ground between the statutes of the local constitution in keeping with the expectations of the World football entity. Señor Corvaro confirmed that FIFA’s expectations are pretty high and at the end of the process expects the establishment of several important implementations. These include the promotion of gender balance and a balance of membership while taking arbitrational issues into consideration. He also said that the final draft would be disseminated to the GFF membership for ratification following which the document would be presented to Congress for adoption. Señor Leal concurred with Corvaro but cautioned that the local team would need broad based support to enhance the sport. He noted that the results of the just concluded international friendly encounter between

Guyana and Barbados in that country highlights the volume of work that has been done over the preceding months. However, the FIFA official warned against complacency saying that the work has only now begun. Meanwhile, the principals of the NC are eying September month end for the culmination of activities but made it clear that FIFA reserves the right to extend the mandate if the need arises. Mr. Urling summed up the proceedings by informing that FIFA will be dispatching a six man team to Guyana to assess the strength and weakness of the GFF before a final pronouncement. “This is an all inclusive process and all are involved,” Mr. Urling replied when asked if there was a special committee of lawyers and other professionals to oversee the enactment of the requisite statutes. The NC was appointed by FIFA to conduct local football affairs following failed efforts by the Christopher Matthias administration to hold Electoral Congresses on two occasions. The Committee had intimated plans to engage all stakeholders, including the affiliated associations to help improve Guyana’s football. The other members of the NC are Tariq Williams, Dr Karen Pilgrim, Stuart May and Rabindranauth Chandrapaul.

DCUSA names Committees FIFA President Sepp Blatter, center, congratulates players from Australia (AP Photo/Quentin Jones) says he favors a NovemberDecember tournament. FIFA’s executive committee has final approval on the World Cup dates, and could make that decision at a March 19-20 meeting in Zurich. Still, many soccer leaders involved in FIFA’s consultation disagree with Blatter, and prefer holding the tournament mostly in January or May 2022. European clubs and leagues have proposed a May 5-June 4 tournament to minimize disruption in their traditional August-May seasons. League schedules could need to be altered across three seasons to accommodate a November-December tournament.

Even FIFA’s preferred option goes head-to-head with winter sports, such as Alpine skiing, which traditionally races in North America, Finland, France, and Italy during pre-Christmas weeks. ‘’Of course it’s not for the best for our December races but we can live with it. That’s how it is,’’ International Ski Federation President Gian Franco Kasper said. Kasper lobbied Blatter two years ago on behalf of Olympic winter sports federations to keep the World Cup out of their peak season. ‘’Now, it looks like they (FIFA) will at least not overlap with the Olympics,’’ Kasper said. ‘’It’s already something.’’

The Demerara Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (DCU&SA) has named its respective committees at an executive meeting held recently at Clerical and Commercial Workers Union, Quamina Street. Arleigh Rutherford has been named chairman of the entertainment and fund raising committee which includes Chitnarine Persaud, Javed Persaud, Ava Baker, Ryan Banwarie, Joseph Jeffery, Nigel Duguid, Rayana Warde, Zaheer Mohamed, Andrew

Singh and Tishana Douglas. The Training and Examination committee is headed by Nigel Duguid with the other members being Edward Nicholls, Colin Alfred, Ava Baker and Nandkumar Shivsankar. Grantley Culbard will chair the Disciplinary committee while the other members are Colin Alfred and Emily Dodson. Nicholls will serve as chairman of the Selection committee with Hortence Isaacs, Nigel Duguid and Chaitnarine Persaud also serving.

Edward Nicholls

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

Powerlifting boosted by MCYS donation With the powerlifting season set to get underway this weekend, the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) yesterday received a timely boost from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS). Minister Dr Frank Anthony presented three complete sets of weightlifting equipment to GAPF President Peter Green totaling just over 2400 lbs and worth over G$6,000,000. Speaking at the simple handing over ceremony, Dr. Anthony said the ministry is pleased to be associated with the GAPF. ”Since we donated the first set of equipment to this organization a few years ago, we have seen rapid growth in the sport and we are happy with these investments, our athletes have put Guyana on the map in a short time,” he added. The minister stated that Guyana didn’t have interna-

tionally certified weights and the GAPF approached the ministry which decided to furnish them with the equipment. “This gesture will move the sport forward and more international competitions can be held here,” the minister pointed out. He indicated that plans are on stream to build a centre to facilitate the sport. “We want to erect a centre where strength training can be done. The ministry already did some drawings and has estimated it so we are hoping to start soon,” Anthony said. Green stated that this is a special day for the sport in Guyana adding it is a culmination of a long term promise made by the ministry. “One of the sets will be used on Sunday when we stage our novice and junior championships at the National Gymnasium,” he informed. The GAPF head explained that they are now in a better

-three full sets of weight valued $6M handed over

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony (3rd right) and President of GAPF Peter Green (3rd left) display some of the equipment with officials from both entities. position to bid for international competitions. “Guyana will be taking part in the Com-

monwealth championship in Canada later this year and will bid to host the tournament in

2017. We will also be hosting the Caribbean championships in March and the South

American Championship in August 2016,”said Green. (Zaheer Mohamed)

Golf to tee-off with More excitement anticipated as Mayor’s club tournament at Cup Football action continues tonight Lusignan tomorrow Lusignan Golf Club President, David Mohamad, is hopeful that golfers will turn out in full for the start of the 2015 season tomorrow at the Lusignan Golf Course, East Coast Demerara. The grounds are in fair condition, with the staff working diligently to ensure that the greens are in top form for the competition. Drains, sand

bunkers and fairways are well kept. Tee-off time will be at 12:00hrs. Captain Chen Deo has observed that the Club tournament is a very good warm-up for the sponsored tournaments; the David De Caires/Basil Sukhram Memorial is set for Sunday February 15th. Tomorrow’s competition will take the Open Medal Play format.

AAG to host Cross Country Sunday in Linden

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will host a Cross Country Race in Linden, Sunday, which is set to begin and finish at the Bayrock Ground in Wismar. The Cross Country follows on the heels of AAG Development Meet last weekend. According to an AAG Press Release yesterday the race “will make its way through a network of streets”.

The race is expected to begin at 2pm and will feature varying distances for the different age groups with medals being awarded to the top finishers. The age groups are: 13-15 Years Boys and Girls (1km); Youth Females 16-17 Years (2km); Youth Males (3km); Junior Females (U-18 & U20s) – 3km; Junior Males (4km) and Open Males (6km).

They are members of the Guyana Police Force but those footballers proved that they have a softer touch when they turned in a classic performance to take the spoils 70 and eliminate Haslington Sparta United FC from the Mayor’s Cup Football Championship when the action continued at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground last Wednesday evening. One match later, the GFC engaged the Uitvlugt FC and prevailed by a 3-2 margin to also stay in contention for the top prize. The policemen owe a debt of gratitude to Rawle Haynes who netted a hat trick in the 43rd, 47th and 78th minute while Allistair Wilson (7), Anthio Wallace (29), James Bowman (38) and RawleThornhill (70) were the other police marksmen. GFC went ahead following a double by Dwayne Lawrence (10, 58) with support from Calvin Shepard (28). Shamal Smith (37) and Jamal Harvey (75) narrowed the score for Uitvlugt, albeit inconsequentially. The game started at a fast clip and policeman, Wilson, wasted little time in distinguishing the two teams. His firm right foot shot sped along the ground and left the Haslington goalie transfixed long after the ball became trapped in the network. Another policeman, Kester Dundas, patrolling the left flank, then sent an ominous warning to his adversaries

Rawle Haynes (C) flanked by his other teammates that humiliated the Haslington Sparta United with a stiff shot to their goal which the custodian Darius Frank, did well to scoop up. The response came from Rasleigh Morrison who blasted in a firm left foot shot that sent the Police custodian diving to his right to intercept. All this time the lawmen constructed classic passes with Winston Tanner and Alistair Wilson being the chief architects but they were denied following good defensive work by Garson Baker and Deon Rodney. The second (Police) goal came from a sliced shot off the boot of Wallace and before the first session was done the lawmen had netted two more times to go in at the break with a 4-0 advantage. The second session was a replica of the first with the Police ball weavers overwhelming their oppo-

nents and befuddling them with tactical moves and passes. The Police enjoyed a field day and had all the chances for a more definitive victory but for some tardiness as the game wound down. Nevertheless, the lawmen managed to add a further three goals to their tally for a commendable win. The teams enjoyed a welldeserved rest last evening and when the action resumes tonight, Golden Grove will attempt to replicate the victory over Grove Hi Tech when they clash with Riddim Squad while Western Tigers challenge Agricola. Randy Stoby had been the man to make the difference for Golden Grove when he stitched in their lone goal against Grove Hi Tech and his teammates will hope he brings that form to tonight’s

game. Agricola Red Triangle will also ride its luck after defeating Victoria Kings 2-1. That victory was even more meritorious after it was noted that Victoria Kings had drawn first blood with a firm kick from captain, Calvin DeSouza. They held on to that lead right up to the 60th minute when John Gordon equalised the situation. Gordon then scored the decider in the 83rd minute, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The dapper striker will find out that tonight’s game will be contested among tougher and more skilful footballers, the likes of Solomon Austin, Sherman David coupled with the dependable Dereck Carter between the uprights. An action packed encounter is, therefore anticipated.

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 41

MCYS/EBFA Pee Wee League

Grove Hi Tech remain unbeaten; Diamond and Craig draw When competition in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport sponsored East Bank Football Association Pee Wee Under-11 League continued at the Grove Playfield, home team Grove Hi Tech recorded their second win in as many matches while Diamond United and newcomers Craig Football Club battled to a 2-2 draw. Whilst Grove were dominant in their first day win over Diamond United 51, they found Agricola Red Triangle a much tougher opponent but were able to come out victors by the lone goal of the encounter which was scored by Devon Padmore in the 2nd minute. Padmore has now taken his tally of goals to three in two matches, having netted a brace against Diamond United. In the day’s other game, newcomers Craig FC took the lead against Diamond in

the 4th minute through a Tevon Davidson strike but Diamond responded in like manner in the 12th minute, thanks to a Nakarla Boucher goal. Craig again took the lead with two minutes remaining in the 30 minute game when Alex London found the back of the nets. With not much time remaining on the clock, Craig were sensing a huge win in their debut game but Diamond had other ideas. With one minute to go, Teon Forde was able to maneuver his way into the final third to deliver the equalizing goal for Dianomd to ensure an equal share of the points. With action set to continue tomorrow at the same venue from 10:30hrs, Grove Hi Tech sit at the top of the points table with 6 points followed by Diamond and Craig on 1 point each. Agricola and Herstelling Raiders are still to come off the mark.

GBA to serve off season with GUMDAC Doubles tourney on Monday

The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) will serve off its 2015 season with the annual GUMDAC Open Doubles tournament from Monday next at the Queens College Badminton Courts. According to a release from the GBA, this will be the first of many tournaments the association has in store for this year. Players have been training for some weeks now with the best athletes in the land expected to face off. Visits to schools nationwide with a view of widening the pool of players are on the GBA’s agenda this year and they are expected to

commence this initiative in the Ancient County of Berbice, this month. Participation at the regional and international levels is also on the tables and some of the competitions locals will be competing at are the Pan American Juniors in Mexico, Caribbean Championships in the Dominican Republic and the W o r l d J u n i o r Championships in Peru among others. Guyana will play host to the Easter Junior International which will see competitors from Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and French Guiana taking part.

Action in the Grove High Tech (yellow & blue) vs. Diamond United game on the first day of competition, January 23.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 06, 2015

JAGUARS HAVE ADVANTAGE IN JAMAICA’S BACKYARD By Sean Devers in Jamaica in association with Western Union, John Fernandes Ltd. and Payless Varity Store Battle lines will be drawn from today as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Four-Day firstClass Franchise resumes

with fifth round matches in the largest City in the English speaking Caribbean when leaders, the Guyana Jaguars on 57 points face-off with second placed Jamaica, on 50 points in a top of the table clash. Sabina Park in Jamaica’s capitol Kingston is the venue for the 65 contest between th

Guyana and Jamaica and the hosts will be aiming to register their 24 victory while the South American based team is hunting their 10 First-Class win against the team from Reggae Country. The last time Guyana reaped success at this level was at this very ground in the th

th

2002 Busta International Shield when a classy innings from Skipper Carl Hooper led Guyana to first innings points from the home team in the final. However, the last of Guyana’s six Regional FirstClass Championship wins was achieved in 1998 when they shared it with the

Leewards. It was also on this ground in 1996 that Shiv Chanderpaul recorded a masterful 303 which is still the highest First-Class score in Regional cricket but it was here also that Guyana were bowled out for 41 in 1986 which remains their lowest total at this level. Guyana’s first title was won in 1973 but it has been 17 years since the Guyanese have not tasted success in a Regional competition while the host, who captured their first title in 1969, have since won 11 other titles including five in a row from 2008. Today, the Jaguars are strengthened by the return from South Africa of Skipper Leon Johnson and Narsingh Deonarine while the prolific Chanderpaul continues to be the most dependable batsman in the entire tournament and his hunger for runs remains the same as when he made his debut as a 16-year-old in 1991. In addition to the Test trio, West Indies Under-19 opener Shemron Hetymer and the elegant Rajendra Chandrika will hope to give the Jaguars a firm foundation for Vice-Captain Vishaul Singh, who could bat at three, the three Test batsmen, One-Day captain

Jermaine Blackwood Chris Barnwell and Wicket-Keeper Anthony Bramble to build on. Deonarine is only behind Devon Smith in the runs aggregate with 306 runs including two centuries while Singh is the other Guyanese centurion in the competition when he registered his maiden ton against T&T’s Red Force in Port-of Spain. Both of Deonarine’s hundreds were made at Providence against the Leewards and the Windwards in Guyana’s first two matches. The bulk of the bowling will be taken care of by leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 32 scalps, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo (21 wickets) and Narsingh Deonarine (Continued on page 36)

Friday February 06, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 43

GMR&SC Endurance and Fun Day Race Meet

Reliability and survival key focus on Sunday A test of endurance, dexterity and reliability will be the primary focus when the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) stages its Endurance and Fun Day Race Meet on Sunday, at the South Dakota Circuit. Apart from the two-hour Endurance Race, the day’s activities will also include Dexterity and Reverse races and a Time Attack, while patrons and families will have the benefit of having a real fun time whilst watching competitors and machines combined strive to outdo each other in a test of reliability and survival. A number of top exponents in the Endurance segment of motorsport are anticipated to be present among them being Team Shewjattan, who is the reigning champions, Team Fullworks and Team Ramchand, always formidable opponents for any opposition. Word from all th e respective camps have indicated that the teams are

busy preparing to throw down the gauntlet on each other and give the fans a real treat for the day. Kaieteur Sport speaking with an official close to the sport was told that Endurance racing is on the upswing and is growing increasingly popular within the racing community. ”You can see more and more teams now confirming participation and this is a clear indication that this segment of the sport is catching on,” the source stated. Brian Ten-Pow and Shawn Seejattan, Shiraz and Shahab Roshandin, while the Ali brothers, Anand Ramchand and Adrian Fernandes are all experienced and formidable drivers and among those slated to compete. The official added that competitors will be asked to pay $2000 to enter the competition and admission for spectators is $500. Starting time is 11:00 hrs.

ZSK Beverage Depot supports NEE Futsal tournament -Mackeson Mash event kicks off tonight in Linden ZSK’s Kelly Quow (right) hands over trophy to NEE Director, Shareef Major yesterday in Linden.

Z

SK Beverage Depot of Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden yesterday handed over a cheque and trophy to New Era Entertainment (NEE) ahead of tonight’s commencement of their Second Annual Mackeson Mashramani Futsal tournament. New Era also collected a quantity of futsal balls from Broad Money Spare Parts and Car Rental. The NEE tournament kicks off at 7pm tonight and will run until February 21 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Court, Linden. The winning team will get $300,000 while the runnerup pockets $100,000. The third place team gets $75,000 in the tournament with $25,000 set aside for the fourth placed team. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) will receive a pair of Futsal sneakers and a trophy while there will be lots of incentives for patrons throughout the event.

FLASHBACK! Competitors gather at the starting line for the commencement of the 2-hour Endurance Race at a previous Meet.

t r o Sp

All systems on track for timely culmination of Constitutional statutes

GFF Normalization Committee assures

FIFA’s Head of Associations, Premo Cavaro (left) makes a point at yesterday’s brief. At right is CONCACAF Director of Legal Affairs, Marco Leal and head of the GFF NC, Clinton Urling.

Afridi chosen first in CPL Draft

Jaguars have advantage in Jamaica’s backyard

Narsingh Deonarine

Powerlifting boosted by MCYS donation -three full sets of weight valued $6M handed over

Devendra Bishoo

Veerasammy Permaul

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