Voter registration reflects apathy THE EDITOR, Penned under the hand of one Mr. Zamal Husain was a letter published in your issue of Monday February 19, 2018 and captioned WE NEED MORE GECOM CENTRES. To this, if you permit, I wish to make a response since it attacks the core of the Administration of, arguably, the best run bureaucracy in Guyana. The writer gripes as follows: “The Commission only opens up GECOM main centres in the country. This is causing serious inconvenience to persons accessing these offices especially in Region Six.’ That suggestion needs to be warehoused. We are not a First World country. We are still, as I write, a Third World country
“struggling we struggle”. Yet, even in First World countries voters stand in line for hours, if not days, having walked-- for miles sometimes over unfriendly terrain to exercise their franchise, so what about us, I ask rhetorically? The penury, which now faces this administration, results from the infelicities of regimes past, of both hues. The result is that the current Minister of finance has had to face his last budget with a fresh brutality thus emasculating GECOM in its expansion quest. The Minister of Finance blamed his hatchet work mainly on GUYSUCO woes. Nevertheless, the infrastructure is here, for a harvest of hope in the future. Mr. Husain complains about registrants having to
spend “close to four hours or even more … including waiting time” to complete their transaction. Is it not worth their while if the end result enables the government by the party of their choice? Says Mr. Husain: “GECOM is indeed losing time, money and depriving them of their rights to be registered or correct situations that can hinder them to be an eligible voter in any elections.” This sounds as if Mr. Husain has begun to launch a pre-emptive strike in the event that the elections do not run in his favour for he carps at anything. Mr. Husain’s main concern should be that the elections are “free and fair” and he should let the chips fall where they may. (Continued on page 6)
A response to MP’s active involvement in birth registration DEAR EDITOR, A letter in your Sunday Edition signed by the Regional Chairman of Region One caught my eye. It relates to the Member of Parliament’s ‘active involvement’ in matters relating to the Registration of Births and issuing of Birth Certificates. As most persons can recall, in the days of the PPP, there was a PPP activist who issued Birth Certificates and Pension Books from what was known as the PPP Office at Kumaka, Mabaruma. It was also alleged that children
below the voting age were registered and issued Birth Certificates which showed that they had assumed the age of majority. This is by no means an effort to cover for Mr. Richard Allen, who I think should be doing a lot more to make himself relevant as a Regional Representative. My intention is to set the record straight and not leave the Regional Chairman to derail himself from what was perpetrated and accepted previously. Citizen of Region 1.
The mistake of closing those sugar estates DEAR EDITOR, It is difficult to discern whether this Government is serious about intelligence gathering for decision making purposes ; or if it is just involved in political patronage by creating jobs for the ‘boys’ ; or it is downright incompetent and only seeking selfaggrandizement. While the list seems not to be exhaustive there seems to be a common trend: nothing it does is liable to benefit the country and its citizens. There is no dearth of examples either, when one looks at the hiring of foreign ‘experts’ and professional; the potpourri of COIs and the lack of benefits to us from the crooked Exxon deal. The current Guysuco fiasco takes us into the realm of the unbelievable. The closing down of Wales and the diversification into rice and now the attempt to reopen; the closing down of Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates and the
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
redundancy of the workers and now the attempts to reopen them make it undoubtedly conclusive that this Government has no clue of what it is doing to the Industry and I could recall an old cliché which says that ‘one should not cut his nose to spite his face’. This Government spent a total of $175 million in two years on COIs and these are still continuing. Of this amount $51.8 million was spent on the Guysuco’s COI and it is public knowledge that the COI recommended ‘privatization’ and not ‘closure’ yet the recommendation was thrown aside by the Government which paid for it. The COI comprised a team of ‘experts’ which included the now Chairman of Guysuco’s Board of Directors, Dr. Clive Thomas. He did the ‘financial and economic’ analysis. If this recommendation was heeded then the current situation which Guysuco
finds itself in would have been avoided. It would not have needed the Special Purpose Unit to educate this Government that if you want to sell an ‘asset’ profitably then you need to sell it as a ‘going concern’. What is alarming is the fact that many apologists for this Government concluded that the Government did well! At our RDC Statutory, a few months back I told the Council that this is a wrong move and I was supported by my colleagues on the Opposition side of the Council. The Government side supported the Government’s move to close down the Estate in Region Six. Mr Samuel Fraser, (Continued ona page 6)
TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE IT RIGHT EDITOR, The article appearing in the (20/2/18 edition Kaieteur News implying that the dutyfree provisions for ExxonMobil negotiated by the current Government are the same as what was negotiated between CGX and the previous Government appears to be condoning the lame-duck argument that ‘two
wrongs = one right’! One logical extension of such flawed arguments is that there is no need to change Governments and therefore the previous government (irrespective of its philosophy/following etc.) should be allowed to rule ad infinitum! What a frightening thought, end! Nowrang Persaud
Invite allies to set up military bases in Essequibo DEAR EDITOR, Venezuela’s open aggression has backed Guyana against the wall and our leaders need to strengthen our military alliances with big nations and invite them to partner with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to set up military bases and training centres throughout our nation’s western front in areas. In international affairs, Venezuela is an elephant preparing to charge at a tiny ant. It does not matter that Guyana is right; it is small and vulnerable and simply cannot stand alone in front of the charging elephant. It has no choice but to align itself with powerful military allies. Guyana can only defend itself effectively by thinking outside the box. It is imperative that our leaders capitalize on our fruitful relations and co-operation with militarily strong nations like Brazil, France and the US to establish a powerful, joint military presence in the Essequibo. I am not suggesting that we do this casually or irresponsibly. The presence of foreign soldiers on our sovereign land requires the utmost caution; it must be calibrated prudently and calculated wisely to maintain bal-
anced relations based on a profitable exchange of interests. In this regard, it was very heartening that Guyana recently hosted a delegation from Brazil to renew a bilateral pact defence agreement, which included more than 30 high ranking military officers, including the chiefs of the air force, the intelligence branch and the navy. I also note that the GDF has provided jungle training facilities to the French military for many years. I recall that in 2016 commanders of the GDF and the French military exchanged medals and stated their intention to reinforce good relations between the armed forces of the two nations. It is clear that Guyana has already established the groundwork to form strategic military links with Brazil and France. It is time to tighten these connections and work out a prudent arrangement by which they help us to beef up our national security in Essequibo.Of course, the trump card in this would be to get the United States to join us in setting up joint military facilities in the areas targeted by Venezuela. A US military presence in Guyana would present the most formidable
challenge to the Venezuelan threat. The United States military was also allowed, on more than one occasion, to use our jungle terrain for guerrilla and jungle warfare practice. The United States now has interest in Guyana, with the discovery of large deposits of oil by the American conglomerate ExxonMobil. The US military’s Southern Command (known as SouthCom) is committed to control and access to the extensive natural biological, mineral and water resources in South America, and is also involved in operations against suppliers of illegal drugs.Guyana could engage the US military and offer opportunities to partner with the GDF in setting up joint military bases for training in jungle warfare, plus the preparation and stockpiling of military equipment for their Amazon Basin operations. Letting the US military liaise with the GDF in western Guyana will send a clear message to Venezuela that the world’s leading superpower is on our side. This would be crucial to Guyana’s national security and might even lead to future beneficial (Continued on page 6)
Are the many councilors in ... From page 4 On the contrary we have had attempts to take possession of green spaces without l e g a l a u t h o r i t y, t h e unlawful imposition of the outrageous parking meter systems, the awarding of contracts to the tune of more than a hundred million dollars without any tendering in the cemetery, and a complete lack of accountability in every other area of the Council’s
operations. Does the Council’s PRO really believe that the populace of Georgetown is unaware of the realities of the Georgetown City Council? Does she think that this media blitz will stave off the inevitable ‘Day of Reckoning’ that is so long overdue and which is coming to City Hall? The PRO’s time would be better spent, helping to retrieve the missing
documents for audit, helping to restore some shred of decency to City Hall, and telling her bosses to do the correct thing, which is to obey the laws of Guyana. Sincerely, Shanta Singh
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GECOM REGISTERING ON A NATIONAL HOLIDAY? DEAR EDITOR, I have noticed in your newspaper, GECOM has timings for the registration campaign exercise. Out of interest, why would GECOM have listed National Holidays as working days since the advertisement states holidays inclusive, unless it is a mistake of the mill. If it is so, then, this can be considered bias towards those who enjoy Mashramani and needed to be registered and for the Hindus whose holi-
day should be respected. What are we trying to say, Mash is not important? Are the Hindu bodies taking note?GECOM cannot be insensitive to the culture of the country. Please clarify why these holidays will be treated as if it is business as usual status. Was it a mistake, where inclusive was typed instead of exclusive? Yours Reader, G. Bovell
Invite allies to set up military ... From page 5 trade deals with the US. Just having US soldiers in Essequibo is going to provide multiple spin-off benefits above and beyond the deterrent to Venezuela. Imagine the expertise they would impart to the GDF, the anti-crime force they would represent and the commercial windfall they would generate. During World War II the US army had a military air base at Timehri. Some can still recall the socio-economic benefits of their military presence, the most lasting of which is the solid structural foundation of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. In particular, the cooperative security operations to
monitor crime and drug trafficking by the GDF and US forces would definitely ensure that sadistic, organised criminal gangs from Venezuela like ‘El Sindicato’ do not spill over into Guyana’s mineral-rich North West district. Let us offer the US one or two free bases at concessionary rates which they may want to take up due to the American investments in Guyana. This base or multimilitary alliance may even embolden the citizens of Venezuela to liberate themselves. My suggestion that Guyana should approach Brazil, France and the US for protection by way of joint military bases and operations in Guyana should be under-
stood within the context of the persistent and barefaced threat of military aggression by Venezuela. The training grounds can be viewed as military training units as opposed to military bases. As Venezuela’s threat continues to cripple our development and undermine our economy, Guyana must not try to fight like a big state. We must act prudently like a small state should and make sure we have some big guns like Brazil, France and the US or all three at our side. This is my humble submission to the government and peoples of Guyana as a way forward. Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr.
Voter registration reflects ... From page 5 Mr. Husain continues: “The commission is trying to frustrate the citizens by using only the main offices to create a buildup of residents.” What a diatribe against the GUYANA ELECTONS COMMISSION! Such a diatribe is unworthy of any human being who has escaped the birth canal. The inference of malpractices to come in this charged political environment ought not to assume the default position of a side show. Such flam will not be tolerated. In these challenging times GECOM staff are either just out of an election or are heading towards one as we are in fact currently. The atmosphere here is
always abuzz with election fever. In these turbulent times the duty of the Commission is to exclude, like a prophylactic, the chronic mischief makers among us of whom I trust your correspondent Mr. Zamal Hussain is not one. These employees go beyond the call of duty in the service of their country. I have commenced my visit to all the regions and have visited all the polling stations in Region Six and part of Region Four. Much to my dismay there was no scurrying of voters to register. This gives the lie to your correspondent’s main contention. The traffic to the polling stations was pedestrian in every sense of the word. We intend to embark on a programme of voter educa-
tion. Since the Registration phase started on February 5, 2018 the following statistics bespeak to me of a sense of apathy. In Region One (1) as of today’s date there are 362 New Registrants; Region Two, 715; Region Three, 982. Region Four, 2,444; Region Five, 398; Region Six, 1062; Region Seven, 124; Region Eight, 132; Region Nine, 247 and Region 10, 354. Mr. Editor, GECOM will attempt to render mute the disturbing echoes of the turbulent past and we will do our impartial best though the heavens fall. Yours sincerely, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson Chairman Guyana Elections Commission
Wednesday February 21, 2018
The Guyana Bar Association... From page 4 intermediary. This is antithetical to the fundamental tenets of legal ethics and justice for which the association and its members should be obligatory advocates at the bar; i.e conclusion based on confinement to principles of proof of fact, evidence or findings of fact; not speculation and hearsay. The relinquishment of the aforementioned principles caused the Association’s statement to be without merit. If the GBA has a genuine concern about the President’s fidelity to the constitution, it should have met with or written to the President and Opposition Leader and conveyed its opinion on Article 127, as well as the corrosive impact of the political “Acting” game on the judiciary, failing which it should have waited until the President acted. At that point, if it deemed such action to be
unconstitutional or ultra vires the constitution; it can raise hell and sue the President to overturn his action. But to speculate on, or proffer a legal opinion on the President’s contemplated action, based on the GBA’s presumption, is malicious, unprofessional and repugnant to the standards of the Bar; including fair and impartial judgement and equal justice and protection under law. Our society should therefore reject reckless political speculations from the law body that regulates the conduct and ethics of the legal fraternity. It is corrosive to our polity. Moreover, it is reassuring that the GBA has suddenly found its voice. Where was the Bar Association when Mr. Jagdeo, as President, and his government ostensibly abused the constitution, unlawfully conflated the positions of Chancellor and
Chief Justice and illegally appointed Mr. Carl Singh to both positions? Where was the Bar Association when this cabal turned the government into a criminal enterprise, engaged in massive corruption, allegedly facilitated the narcotics trade and was complicit with torture, extrajudicial and death squad killings, jettisoned and politicized the judiciary and Supreme court registry, engineered i n o r d i n a t e d elays and backlogs in court cases, and generally perverted the course of justice in Guyana? I submit that the GBA’s silence then and sudden voice now demonstrates a worrying pattern. The GBA has eroded its own credibility and turned itself into a joke! Rickford Burke President Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)
The mistake of closing those... From page 5 an APNU Councillor complimented the Government! The Regional Chairman, Mr David Armogan had then told him that if you want to sell your car you cannot remove the wheels and then invite offers. Why would anyone want to wreck something and then sell it? This Government through its Cabinet and the Minister of Agriculture did exactly the opposite of what the COI recommended. It closed down the estates, cannibalized the factories, abandoned the hundreds of million dollars of sugar canes in the fields, sent home the workers and triggered a debilitating economic decline which is being felt not only in the sugar belt but across this country. Additionally, the diversification programme at Wales has failed miserably and some workers are yet to receive their severance pay. The entire communities across these
sugar belt areas are on the brink of starvation. What is also clear is the valuation process of the assets should have been done before any closure. This is typical of how the PNC works. It is unimaginable that a Government can be so incompetent! It leaves us to wonder what our fate will be in the next two years! Now it is becoming more evident that this Government did all of this to spite the PPP and its supporters who are perceived to be sugar workers. It is a show of ‘who’s the boss’. However, the fact is that the AFC and APNU received more than its share of support from its traditional base and their conclusion is incomprehensible. Many sugar workers voted for them for the 20% increase which was peddled on the TV by the AFC and by the distribution of leaflets in the sugar estates area. I confronted the AFC member from
Fyrish who was distributing this leaflet in my community in the presence of some sugar workers. So this is not a figment of the sugar workers’ imaginations. In my opinion, the situation will worsen, since it is now accepted that the valuation process will take longer than anticipated and the SPU attempts to recommence sugar production at these estates will fail with the huge stock of sugar canes being spoiled beyond salvage. The closure not only destroyed the workers but the estates as well. This Government has succeeded in utilizing $40 billion of taxpayers’ dollars to further destroy the industry. The action of this Government reminds me of Sir Walter Scott’s Marmion, ‘O, what a tangled web we weave…when first we practise to deceive’. Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councilor-Region 6
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Chinese bank cannot save BaiShanLin The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) is no longer willing to facilitate a request from the China Development Bank (CDB) to hold off on the redistribution of land concessions previously held by BaiShanLin Forest Developers Inc. Last year, CDB made the request to stall redistribution because it was looking to secure finances to recapitalise loans owned by BaiShanLin. On Monday, GFC hosted its first press conference of the year. At that forum, Kaieteur News made queries about the lands that were being held for the Chinese company. Chairwoman of the GFC Board, Jocelyn Dow made no qualms to state that the GFC has made a decision to disregard the request made by the bank. Dow said, “We have no nexus with banks that is a matter for BaiShanLin. The concessions are there and we will make a decision when all of the other issues surrounding the collecting of materials and so on are sorted out. When we are able to sort those things out, the concessions will be offered out for reallocation.” Dow continued, “BaiShanLin and their bankers are not the business of the
GFC any longer.” She noted, “At one stage the CDB had spoken to us. But they have no standing. They are not a concessionaire; their client is BaiShanLin not the Guyana Forestry Commission.” At the press conference, it was also noted that BaiShanLin still owes the GFC $80M. GFC Commissioner, James Singh said that the GFC is not willing to count the debt as a loss and write it off just yet. He told Kaieteur News, “Yes, we are making all efforts to collect those monies. Certainly it has not been written off.” Dow indicated that GFC is looking to get its money from the sale of BaiShanLin’s assets. She noted that the Chinese company has a number of assets. “As it stands, the first call on those assets would be the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). So we have had some formal discussions as to how it is we can jointly work to secure those assets and offer them for sale so that we can get our money back. GRA’s sums are far more considerable, so they have the first lien on equipment. We have to work with them, as we are doing, to try to secure our
- Concessions will be reallocated - GFC
BaiShanLin’s local head, Chu Hongbo money.” Earlier this year, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman had emphasised that BaiShanLin no longer has a presence in Guyana. He said “We are not aware that BaiShanLin has any operations ongoing.” However, this newspaper recently published a story noting that the company was busted for illegal logging in the Berbice River. The story can be read online following this link: https://
GFC Commissioner, James Singh (L) and Chairperson Jocelyn Dow www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2018/02/18/baishanlinbusted-for-illegal-logging-inberbice-river/. That story detailed that trucks with BaiShanLin logos were caught in the operation. However, Dow told Kaieteur News that BaiShanLin’s assets have been seized. The total size of the con-
cession lands held by BaiShanLin amounted to 680,000 hectares, including joint ventures. The five joint ventures that BaiShanLin had illegally entered into with local companies were also revoked and the lands seized. Last year, Trotman said that the government was left with little choice than to act
sternly with BaiShanLin, since in addition to the national outcry over some of the company’s practices, it had also racked up debts which it could not pay. “We could not allow a company to remain active in a forest and not be paying royalties and fees for the concessions.”
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Govt. committed to upholding constitution in judicial appointments Minister of State Joseph Harmon, has expressed con- Harmon cerns at the recent statement of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) in relation to the appointment of Chief Justice, and Chancellor of the Judiciary. The GBA had issued a statement warning against the consequences of appointing candidates to act in the position of Chancellor and Chief Justice. The body cited Article 127 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of Guyana as a point of reference to explain its views as it relates to the impending appointments. It noted that any action outside of the said Article 127 is unconstitutional, void, of no legal effect and would have embarrassing consequences,” the group cautioned. An acting appointment is made by the President after “meaningful consultation” with the Leader of the Opposition. “This has been done and therefore Article 127(2) has been fulfilled and exhausted, the GBA said in reference to the current acting appointees Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards as Chancellor and Justice Roxane George as Chief Justice. “It is only if any of the provisos in the said Article 127(2) occur, can it be invoked once again, failing which, the acting appointments continue until a substantive appointment can be made under
Minister of State Joseph Harmon Article 127(1).” The GBA had also warned that the current climate surrounding the offices of the Chancellor and Chief Justice is repugnant and shakes the public confidence in the legal system. It further unfairly undermines the dignity of the offices and office holders. “In the circumstances, we urge the Parties to work to break the impasse and arrive at a consensual resolution, discharging their duties to the nation, and in keeping with the spirit and intent of Article 127 of the Constitution which was amended from its original form to foster collaboration.” Responding to the statements of the GBA, Minister Harmon asserted that the Association is treading on dangerous grounds with the statement, despite the public
statements made by the Head of State with regard to upholding of the Constitution. “This is a rash statement from a Bar Association… more importantly having regard for the recent actions of the administration in ensuring that at all material times that the appointments to the Judiciary were made in good time and based on the advice of the Judicial Services Commission. “The President has been at pains to respect the Constitution. Every action, which he takes is underpinned by the provisions of the Constitution, and so it is quite surprising to me that the Bar Association, having regard to what the President has actually said that he respects the Constitution and that he will act in accordance... that the Bar Association arrived at a conclusion that basically says that the current climate is repugnant and shakes the public confidence in the justice system,” Minister Harmon said. The Minister of State further said that it is under this administration that the Judiciary has been strengthened, with Government’s emphasis on integrity, impartiality and independence. He said that while the Leader of the Opposition would have rejected the nomi (Continued ona page 18)
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Dental boat back in operation after eight years
The Lady J boat moored in the Pomeroon River at Charity. After eight years of being inoperable, the Lady J is once again plying the waters of the Pomeroon River, after being fixed several weeks ago. The vessel, which is owned by the Regional Administration of Region Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), is utilized by the health department of the region for dental outreaches. For the past eight years, however, it has been out of operation due to engine related issues. Sometime last month, a team from the Regional Democratic Council, managed to revive the once dead engine in a matter of some 30 minutes.
The part fibre glass, metal boat was then taken on a successful trial run a few miles up the Pomeroon River. The team consisted of the Regional Chairman, Devenand Ramdatt, along with Arnold Adams, Chairman of the Health and Sanitation Committee, and three other persons.While the Lady J was out of operation, dental outreaches in the Pomeroon had slowed. Kaieteur News was informed that transportation is hardly affordable for most of the Pomeroon locals. Most are farmers and were heavily dependent of this vessel, as it paved the way for cheaper and affordable healthcare.
Adams said that the Regional Health Officer and senior health officials would deliberate on how best they would put the vessel in to use. “The people primarily are looking forward to this service, as noted before, not everyone can come to Charity. We are hoping that persons can access the service at a cheaper cost.” Special days for outreaches would usually be dedicated to various communities. Adams said that instead of putting just the dentist and the dental chair on board the vessel, a doctor can also be placed on the boat so that other persons can benefit from medical outreaches.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Y
esterday’s column should have read that under the petroleum laws of Guyana, a company’s prospecting licence can only be renewed two times, for up to a total of six years after the expiration of the original licence. Exxon, therefore, was not doing Guyana a favour when it signed a new agreement with the Government of Guyana in 2016. Exxon needed to have a production licence, so it had to sign a new agreement. It also had to sign a new agreement because the original contract was between itself and the PPPC, while the new contract had some additional parties. Therefore, the excuse that the government was bound by the 1999 contract does not hold. The government negotiated a new contract. Another of the old, wornout arguments which is being made is that Exxon is the company making the investment; Guyana is not making any investment. It is said that if Exxon did not find oil, it would have been forced to carry all the costs associated
with exploration. Therefore, it is being argued that Exxon is taking all the risks and has to be favourably compensated for all those risks. All investors take risks. A person associated with this newspaper was among the first Guyanese to invest in missile-dredging in Guyana. The operation, however, did not yield much gold. The workers were advising the person to take the operations further up the river but this would have entailed, at the time, a further outlay of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The operations went bust, because the returns were not good. That is a daily risk that all investors take. You can hit or you can miss. When ExxonMobil came here, there was no discovery of oil. It got a good deal from the PPPC to conduct exploration. It held its 600 blocks on its books while it explored. It found oil in 2015. It struck a hit. It went ahead and signed a production deal that was highly unfavourable to Guyana. ExxonMobil can put this right. It can renegotiate this
contract to ensure that Guyana gets a better deal. The government should not be fearful of saying that it supports renegotiation. Both the government and Exxon will lose, unless this deal is renegotiated. When Exxon negotiated its contract with Guyana in 2016, the price of oil was below US$50. It is now around US$65. So let us use that as a base price for when production begins, because it is being said that Exxon can profitably produce at even US$40 per barrel in the Stabroek block. The royalty of 2% is taken off the top of $65. This gives a royalty of $1.30 per barrel which comes to Guyana, leaving a balance of US$63.70. Out of this, Exxon will cream off 75% cost recovery or US$ 47.78. This leaves US$15.92 profit oil. This is then split half and half with Guyana, meaning that Guyana gets on each barrel US$7.96. In total, Guyana therefore gets US$7.96 profit oil plus US$1.30 royalty per barrel, which totals US$9.26. At 120,000 barrels per day, this
Enmore man beaten after bandits invade homes of families Police are investigating reports of armed robberies committed on two Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) families early yesterday morning, allegedly by three masked males, all of whom were armed with handguns. Investigations have revealed that around 02:00hrs, Chatterpaul Persaud and his wife were confronted by the suspects who gained entry into their one-flat home via a
southern door. They were relieved of a quantity of gold jewellery and a sum of cash. During the ordeal, police said, Persaud was dealt several lashes to his head after which the couple’s hands were bound. The bandits then proceeded to the home of Persaud’s parents, which is adjacent to his, and allegedly relieved his mother of cash and jewellery. Her husband,
who was sleeping in another room, was not disturbed. Persaud received treatment at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital and was sent away. “Investigators are currently obtaining statements and processing the scenes, in the presence of their newly installed Commander, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper. No arrests have yet been made.”
DEM BOYS SEH
City Treasurer hiding from Parliament Silence or absence can either be interpreted as yes or no, good or bad, positive or negative, in various situations. City Hall is a classic case. Millions disappear and billions spend and dem can’t account fuh any. All this happen under de Town Clown, de Clown Clerk and de treasurer, Run Mc. Parliament decide to haul dem in fuh fitness on Monday. Dem ask de man fuh bring de books and come fuh explain wheh de money gone. Dem boys hear de running man get diarrhea right away. Then he send a message to parliament that he got doctor’s appointment. Everybody know when you are de man who sign de
cheques; who deal wid de vouchers and you dodging, something got to be wrang. Something more than fishy going on. De meeting at Parliament done Monday and ee tun out to wuk at City Hall Tuesday. Little do he know that next week Monday dem waiting pun him at Parliament to answer de same questions he run from. Dem boys hope he don’t tell dem ee got another doctor appointment. He can go to de same man who give Jagdeo de plug fuh ee diarrhea. De next people to end up in parliament is Dow and Sing from de forestry. Dem seh dem investigating illegal logging by BaiShanLin a lang time
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now. When dem boys ask dem is who truck fetching de illegal lumber, dem seh dem ain’t get down to de bottom of that yet. If that is not big time cover-up, dem boys don’t know what is, because de trucks got big BaiShanLin write pun dem; clear number plates – no mud deh pun it or no lumber block it - and GRA could tell you in less than five minutes who de owners are. Forestry also have officahs station at strategic location that could tell everybody wha concession every piece of lumber come from. Talk half and tell Dow and Sing don’t mek people jackasses. Y’all know full well wha going on.
is slightly more than the US$1M per day which both Exxon and the Guyana government say that we will receive. If you divide that by the total population of Guyana, we get a per capita of US$40 per month per person. That cannot even pay a ‘special hire’ taxi fare from the East Coast to the Georgetown Hospital and back. This is the deal that Exxon gave us. There are no oil riches to be derived here, even if production is ramped up and the
price of oil goes up. Now redo the calculations at 10% royalty and 27.5% taxes, and notice the difference. So when people encourage Guyanese not to worry about what we are getting but how we will spend it, they are asking Guyanese to plan how they will spend that G$8,000 that will be coming their way every month in the form of a cheque. And that is if you will get any money in the mail, because there are others who are advising the government not
to pay out the money to Guyanese but to use it for infrastructure. The other argument is that if we fret too much, Exxon will walk. Well, Trinidad and Tobago’s first Prime Minister, Eric Williams, used to say that “oil don’t spoil”. The oil is not going anywhere, so why worry if Exxon walks. Let them walk if they do not wish to renegotiate the 2016 agreement.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
US$500M PetroCaribe fraud at GRDB…
SOCU pursues possible charges for E’bo rice miller The police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is said to be preparing to seek advice on possible charges against a number of persons, including a prominent Essequibo rice miller. The miller was among several persons, including officials of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), questioned between last year and earlier this year. Well placed sources disclosed that investigators stumbled on several questionable payments, from a miller to a relative of a former
senior official at GRDB. The amount was in the millions. Still, investigators were also looking how millions of dollars of GRDB money ended up in the miller’s hands. Last year, former General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, and a number of his former staffers, and board members, were questioned in the probe, as part of a wider investigation involving transactions totaling US$500M. The SOCU has already slapped charges on several former board members, Jagnarine and other ex-staffers. More are likely to
come, Kaieteur News was told. The David Granger administration had ordered a number of forensic audits into several state agencies, including GRDB, the entity that regulates the rice industry. Billions of dollars were handled by GRDB annually under the previous administration. GRDB also overlooked the lucrative Venezuela oilfor-rice deal which saw billions being passed through the accounts of the entity over a five-year period to pay rice farmers who were supplying that market. Venezuela scrapped the deal in 2015 after it was announced that Guyana had struck oil in waters that the neighbouring country later claimed. It was alleged that the forensic audit report found a number of alarming transactions that the administration said warranted further investigation from the police for possible criminal
charges. In early February 2017, SOCU, an arm of the police, descended upon the GRDB, Kingston office, to secure documents. SOCU’s inquiries led them to the Ministry of Agriculture, Regent Street where a vehicle, PNN 5632, was reportedly seized. It was unclear what exactly SOCU had seized from the GRDB head office. With regard to the GRDB report, it has been pointed out that over a three to four-year
period, more than US$500M from the PetroCaribe proceeds (Venezuela rice-for-oil deal) would have passed through the accounts of the entity. GRDB was accused of illegally loaning tens of millions of dollars to close friends and chosen millers. Many other millers and farmers were reportedly sidelined. Among some of the “anomalies” found were loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes. There were
other instances of persons in the agency using GRDB’s money to trade in foreign currency. The losses for the Government would have been significant, especially if the money was traded for less than it should have been. The Auditor General and the forensic audit reports have all pointed to severe deficiencies in the manner the money of the state has been handled by the entities.
Lindo Creek COI ‘postponed until further notice’ After dates were set for its commencement, the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the 2008 Lindo Creek killings has been postponed indefinitely. An advertisement in yesterday’s Kaieteur News advised that “all public hearings into the COI into the circumstances surrounding the killing of Nigel Torres, Bunny Harry, Clifton Wong, Dax Arokium, Cedric Arokium, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes and Lancelot Lee on or about the 21st June, 2008, have been postponed until further notice.” The advertisement, issued by Secretary/Legal Counsel Keshia A. Chase, also stated that the Commission will be accepting origi-
nal and follow-up statements from interested persons during the life of the Commission and will be setting subsequent hearings, to facilitate the attendance of witnesses. “All persons wishing to testify and give information are asked to submit statements of their intended testimony, letters and memoranda to the Commission prior to their appearing before the Commission. “Where necessary, persons will be assisted by the Commission’s Secretariat and are invited to contact the Secretariat at the email address and/or telephone number lindo@dps.gov.gy or 22-72292.No reason has been given for the indefinite postponement.The Lindo Creek COI was scheduled to
commence last week Thursday at the Ministry of the Presidency in Waterloo Street. But COI Chairman Justice Donald Trotman announced that the hearings had been adjourned, since certain ‘prerequisite arrangements’ for the functioning of the Commission were not in place. Justice Trotman had declined to say what the prerequisite arrangements were. The COI Chairman has also said that some relatives of the slain miners, who were to have testified, had not turned up. The Lindo Creek COI was scheduled to be the first of several that Government has ordered into the 2002 to 2009 crime wave killings and disappearances.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Kaieteur News
MORE THAN TWO MONTHS LATER…
Cabinet still to review outstanding forensic audit reports It was three years ago that the coalition administration triggered a series of forensic audits which resulted in the expenditure of $133M. To date, Cabinet is still to review close to 20 of those outstanding audits. These include the reports for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Lotto Fund. Junior Minister of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma told Kaieteur News yesterday that Cabinet is still to get around to reviewing some of the audits. He noted however that nothing alarming came out of the audit reports such as the one on GGMC. He said that in several cases, various issues were identified with the audit reports, where some auditors were limited in scope due to their inability to access certain documentation. The Junior Finance Minister also noted that with the passage of the Whistleblower legislation, several persons have come forward to provide information on financial irregularities that were missed by the forensic auditors hired by the government. Sharma said that where necessary, he shall be making recommendations for some of these matters to be further investigated by the relevant authorities. It was in May 2015 that the Granger-led administration began expending millions of taxpayers’ dollars on 45 of its 50 forensic audits to ascertain how the assets of the state were sold, disposed of or transferred under the previous administration. The remaining five audits were sponsored by the Inter-
Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma American Development Bank (IDB). Some of the firms contracted to conduct the forensic audits included Nigel Hinds Financial Service, Ram and Mc Rae and HLB Seebarran and Co. Chartered Accountant Anand Goolsarran along with Harryman Parmesar were also contracted to conduct several forensic audits. Nigel Hinds Financial Service audited agencies such as the Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest). Ram and McRae audited the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Gold Board and the E-Governance Project among others. Several audits were also launched in July 2015 while others started in later weeks of that year. While the report on NICIL for sometime now, criminal proceedings are still to take shape. Those on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) have been completed for a longer period.
Mechanic gets four years for robbery at gunpoint A 21-year-old auto mechanic was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail after he opted to plead guilty to an armed robbery charge. Shaquille Wilburg of Public Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, was charged for robbing a businessman of $3.3M in the vicinity of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) on Brickdam, on October 13 last. Wilburg had pleaded not guilty to the charge on his first appearance in Court. However, after almost five months on remand with no legal representation, Wilburg decided to change his plea when he reappeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday. The court heard that on the day in question, Wilburg and others, robbed Linden Wilson of $3M cash along with two cell phones valued $300,000. Wilson was walking in the direction of NIS on Brickdam, when he was confronted by Wilburg, who was armed with a gun. The incident was captured on CCTV camera and Wilburg was arrested. He was positively identified by the victim during an ID parade. Prior to being sentenced, Wilburg told the court that he was sorry for his actions. As such, Magistrate Singh took into consideration his early plea and the time he spent on remand before imposing the four-year sentence.
The forensic audit into the NFMU has thus far unearthed “some of the most appalling acts of corruption”, according to Sharma. Commenting on the findings of the report, Sharma said, “There was just no proper management at this unit. There were instances where you could see that they just lost out on millions of dollars’ worth in fees that they should have ensured they collected. There were some defaulters as well, and the agency just took no action against them.”
“(NFMU) could have collected a lot more revenue. Instead (the entity) allowed a lot of favouritism to take place and as such they lost, I would say, millions of dollars in revenue. “They allowed their big PPP boys to slip under the radar, while others were called upon to pay their dues. In fact, they weren’t collecting from two of their PPP big boys for some time. It was a lot of unfairness that was going on at that agency.” Sharma had said, “The level of corruption which was
taking place at the agency points to the incompetency of those who are managing it.” The Junior Finance Minister said that the revelations of some of the forensic audits thus far, vindicate the concerns the APNU+AFC had regarding the lack of accountability under the previous administration as well as the stench of corruption in some agencies. As for the forensic audit launched into the EPA, Sharma had said that it
uncovered that the entity has been holding some 15 accounts with over $400M. Kaieteur News understands that recommendations were made for the monies to be transferred to the Consolidated Fund. The Forensic audit revealed that the agency was apparently receiving monies from various agencies and opening a new account every time it received large sums. Sharma explained that the agency should not have done that. He said that it should have held one account and categorized its expenses.
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
Kaieteur News
Carjacker was dismissed as a recruit – Crime Chief Crime Chief Paul Williams has clarified that the ‘expoliceman’ recently identified as the mastermind behind several carjackings was dismissed as a recruit. “We made it clear there is
a man who is a former police officer, involved, but he was a recruit who was removed since college,” Williams said, according to a government release. “When we would have
conducted the search… because to enter the [police] force there are three background checks which are required and all three searches showed him to be in the clear. However, when he
entered the college we made some observations in terms of his conduct and his behaviour and [recognised] certain things that were very unethical. Right at that stage, I had recommended his dismissal and his services were terminated. I was a force training officer then,” Williams explained. In addition, the Crime Chief said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is an equal opportunity employer and therefore cannot discriminate in its employment practices if there is no information which supports the disqualification of an applicant. Williams assured that the police force’s vetting process is very thorough. “If the three background checks came back to say that you are clear; you were successful in the examination; you were successful in the medical examination and so
Crime Chief Paul Williams on we can’t just look at you and say you look like a thief. We can’t discriminate. We have to give you a fair chance,” he added. Further, the Crime Chief lamented the disrepute often brought to the Police Force by many whose services to the security sector is short-
lived. “A man could just enter the service today, be sworn and be given a number; then maybe just a week or two thereafter we find out that he’s involved in criminal activities and he becomes an ex [officer] and that ex now tends to want to tarnish the reputation of this organisation.” Williams said this conduct is very discouraging, especially for himself and other members of the force who are performing creditably as they work towards reducing crime and giving the nation good service. After months of investigations, the Guyana Police Force recently smashed the operations of a number of carjacking rings across the country. The man suspected to be the ringleader has been identified as an ex-policeman.
Body in Triumph cemetery…
Cops seek public help to find BV teen’s killers Crime Chief Paul Williams is appealing to the public for assistance in solving the murder of Beterverwagting teen, Rainella Benfield, whose battered body was found last December in a cemetery at Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The Crime Chief assured that all information received will be treated in the strictest of confidence, a DPI release stated. “I am still appealing to the public out there if you have any information as it relates to how we can be able to solve that murder; I look forward to your cooperation. We are still working seriously in terms of solving that murder and by God’s grace, I hope we do. If they (civilians) do not feel that they are definitely safe talking on the phone, because they do not know who they are talking to. I have an open door, they can definitely come and talk with me.” In addition, the Crime Chief said the public cooperation is important to ensure the suppression of crime across the nation. “We see the importance of partnership; we cannot do it alone. If the public really and truly wants crime to be under control, it simply means that their cooperation is totally paramount. Because if they don’t, many a time we
MURDERED: Rainella Benfield can only be reactive, despite as much as we want to be proactive. But, once they send information and they let us know exactly what is likely to happen, what they observe, what they see, we can get on top of the game. We can be able to now really and truly prevent and suppress criminal activities,” Crime Chief Williams added. Rainella Benfield, of Lot 99 Canterbury Walk, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, was reportedly last seen alive at around 18:00 hrs. on Saturday, December 9. Her body, with part of the face bashed in, was found on December 11 in the aforementioned cemetery. Police believe she was killed by someone who
A MINI HEALTH CHECK IS THE FIRST STEP TO DONATING BLOOD
repeatedly struck her in the face with a rock, which was left near the corpse. The method in which she was slain led to the conclusion that vengeance, for some possible grievance, was the motive. “From the outset, when we look at the type of injuries sustained, and the post mortem, we realised that it (the killing) would have been meted out (because) of grievance, affair, passion, as it relates to something she may have known or heard,” Crime Chief Williams had told journalists at a press conference last month. He also said that information had surfaced that has caused his detectives to be “looking at a group to see definitely if there is any information that we can use to pursue further investigations.” According to Rainella’s father, Rainsford Benfield, the ‘group’ to which Williams referred reportedly comprises individuals, who first corresponded via Whatsapp. “From my understanding, the group started to meet, and then began to get bigger,” Mr. Benfield, told Kaieteur News in a recent interview. “For me, it seems that it moved from being company to being a cult.” But Mr. Benfield said that he knew nothing about the group to which his daughter belonged until after her death. He speculated that his daughter was slain “because of something she found out, or something she may have done, or refused to do.”
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 21, 2018
GANJA FOUND STASHED UK auditors give thumbs up to - Six arrested at forest legality systems - GFC IN MUSIC BOX Itaballi checkpoint Six persons, including a female, were taken into custody yesterday afternoon by police ranks stationed at the police checkpoint at Itaballi, Puruni Road, Mazaruni River, Region 7. This was after the lawmen found a total of 662 grams of compressed cannabis. “Five hundred and fifty-seven (557) grams were found in a music-box belonging to one of the suspects while the remainder was found secreted inside the vehicle in which they were detained and later arrested.” Police said that a case file has since been forwarded for advice in relation to the institution of charges. With scores of communities, mining and logging camps in the hinterland, there is a big ganja market - that is if the seller can get it past the police checkpoints.
The music box.
Some of the ganja seized.
The agreement between Guyana and the Kingdom of Norway is still on the cards, and according to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the regulatory agency continues to be integrally involved in the Monitoring Reporting & Verification System (MRVS). GFC’s head of Planning and Development, Pradeepa Bholanauth told a news conference on Monday, that the agreement is in a period of no-cost extension, which sees the continued implementation of key activities.
Vendors to soon occupy Kumaka Market tarmac Mayor of Mabaruma, Region One, Henry Smith recently announced that vendors of the Kumaka waterfront are soon to occupy stalls on the market tarmac. The market will facilitate 45 stalls. Mayor Smith explained that the town council held discussions with vendors to ensure a “smooth transition” to the new facility. “Right now, we are moving the vendors from the waterfront. We have 24 stalls - 21 big stalls, 24 small ones. We had meetings with some vendors for the smooth transition, moving them from the waterfront to occupy those stalls on the tarmac,” Mayor Smith explained. In giving this update, the mayor indicated that the Mabaruma Town Council recognises the Kumaka
market (waterfront) as “the hub, the business hub of this town.” In this regard, the town council is also working towards solid waste management in the area. “We have started some garbage collection there, because before garbage disposal, we saw people just throwing their stuff all over the place and that’s one of the things we have been trying to manage,” Smith said. After Mabaruma became a town following the local government elections in 2016, the Town Council undertook a number of projects, including the rehabilitation of the market tarmac. Additionally, they have overseen the construction of bus sheds and the rehabilitation of several roads in the township.
The GFC has been involved specifically in two areas of work. One is the annual report on the state of forests, captured under the MRVS. That work saw the completion of six annual assessments for the years 2010 through 2016. Bholanauth said the key drivers of forest change, mining, forest infrastructure and agriculture have all declined. “We have seen the deforestation drive of mining reduce from where it was at 85 percent to now 73 percent, so that is an important point of note.” Another role the GFC has been playing is measuring the governance indicators. These include the work of the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT), a key part in the bilateral trade negotiations between the government of Guyana and the EU. “We are on the cusp of finalising negotiations with the EU and that will see sometime over the course of this year, a trade agreement hopefully being finalised.” The second part of the governance work programme under the Norway agreement includes a programme called Independent Forest Monitoring. That
Pradeepa Bholanauth, Head of Planning and Development at GFC programme, she explained, is under its third biannual assessment. Only a week ago, auditors from the United Kingdom completed the forest legality assessment here and concluded that there are no major or minor corrective actions identified for the sector. Apart from a few recommendations that could aid improvement, everything has been working well. “So that is a takeaway message for us to keep on going with some of the key guidelines we have been implementing and also to focus on the areas of recommendation which have been pointed out.”
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Kaieteur News
‘Kidney transplant trumps dialysis,’ says patient The kidneys are organs that help to filter waste and extra fluids from the blood. In so doing, they make use of a lot of blood vessels. However, prolonged uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow, weaken or harden. Once damaged, arteries are not able to deliver enough blood to the kidney tissues, thus causing the kidneys to fail. There are a number of reasons that could lend to this condition [kidney failure]. In addition to high blood pressure or hypertension, the leading cause of kidney failure is diabetes. While statistics suggest that there have been an increasing number of people developing kidney failure because of diabetes, there are many who also suffer the same consequences because of hypertension. Thirty-four-year-old Yashpal Bipat of Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara is a typical example of a patient whose hypertensive state resulted in him developing kidney failure. It might have been about two years ago that Bipat started to develop troubling high blood pressure for which he required medication. “I was going about my life taking my pressure medication and I didn’t think that things could have gotten worse,” said Bipat during an interview. He would eventually learn that
Yashpal Bipat is pleased that he made the decision to undergo a kidney transplant surgery at the GPHC. the pressure medication was no match for the deterioration of his kidneys. Essentially, it was a little too late when Bipat learnt that his condition was causing such grave damage to his kidneys that there was no way of saving them. “I didn’t even know that my pressure could kill both my kidneys like that. I know I had the pressure, but I didn’t really know it would have damaged something in me,” reflected Bipat. Although he knew that he wasn’t well because of his
hypertensive condition, Bipat recalled that it wasn’t until he was on vacation in the United States that he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to a medical institution. There he was examined and found to be suffering from kidney failure. “That was a shock to me,” said Bipat, who needed dialysis in order for his health to improve. But he was worried about returning home, since he was not aware that Guyana was offering dialysis services that could help him retain good health. This was important to him, since he was a family man. Upon his return home, he learnt that dialysis was being offered at the Doobay Dialysis Centre at Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara. This, however, meant that he would have to fork out thousands of dollars each week for dialysis. But he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to maintain a reasonably healthy condition as the breadwinner of his home. Bipat was eventually introduced to the Kidney Failure Centre at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] which he started to attend. There he was informed by Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Kishore Persaud, that it was possible to regain a normal life, free of weekly dialysis. According to Bipat, he was eager to learn more about this possibility and indeed was happy
to hear that once he could find a suitable donor, a transplant surgery could be conducted at no cost right at the GPHC. The only cost he would be required to pay was for cross-matching tests. “Dr. Kishore told me I was pretty healthy and since I was not diabetic and only had this pressure issue, I could be a good candidate,” Bipat recounted. He was anxious to share with his family that there was hope for him. However, some preliminary tests had to be done on suggested donors, but none were found to be suitable. This was, however, until his motherin-law decided she was willing to be tested too. She was indeed a match. Although Bipat was a cash-crop farmer and was not able to reap enough to gain significant finances, luck had earlier struck when he decided to play a lottery game. With sufficient cash in hand, Bipat was able to fund the necessary cross-matching tests allowing for his surgery to be set for May 8, 2017.
His surgery was successful and Bipat is now living an improved quality of life, although his aftertransplant medication inhibits his ability to personally continue his farming business as he would like. “Because of the medication I have to use now, I can’t go too much into the sun, but I still go now and then, using an umbrella, to see how things are going. When I can’t go I send people to clean up and tend to the farm,” said Bipat, who recently expressed satisfaction that he was around to see an abundance of mangoes and coconuts harvested. Although his activities are somewhat constricted, Bipat said that he is still able to manage a small family business which yields an additional income. According to him, he is happy that he made the decision to undergo a transplant since “transplant any day of the week trumps dialysis...it relieves you of a great financial pressure.”
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
Kaieteur News
Two hospitalised after fishing boat explodes
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Two men are now hospitalised after the vessel they were in reportedly exploded last Monday, some six miles away from the Moruca River mouth, within the vicinity of Leo Beach [Region One]. The victims have been identified as 40-year-old Ramesh Maniram, a fisherman of Dredge Creek, Upper Pomeroon River, Essequibo Coast, and Ventle Jainarine. Reports are that the men along with two others, made their way to sea on Monday morning last, when their vessel mysteriously exploded. Kaieteur News understands that the fishing party had just deployed their nets near shore when the incident occurred. The men were reportedly cooking on board, when there was a sudden explosion. The boat cabin - made of wood - was completely destroyed by the explosion, tossing the entire crew overboard. Reports are that Maniram managed to get hold of his cell phone, and rang a friend who subsequently rescued them, and transported the men to the Charity wharf. Kaieteur News spoke with a brother of Maniram, who managed to relate what had occurred. His brother noted, “After the explosion I went to the Charity wharf to collect him and then I took him to Suddie. When I picked him up, I asked him what happened, and he said that he was reversing the boat and then he just hear the explosion. He said he immediately pitched off the boat and when he catch himself he was already overboard.” According to his brother, Maniram who has been a fisherman for more than 30 years, supports his wife and four children by means of his fishing business. Kaieteur News understands that Maniram sustained a broken leg, and is presently in a stable condition at the Suddie Public Hospital. Jainarine who is believed to have suffered more extensive injuries, was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday morning.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Work begins on Guyana’s first solar farm in Region 1 Ongoing works on the fence in preparation for the Mabaruma solar farm, Region One.
Work on Guyana’s first ever Solar Farm in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) has begun. The construction of the $264M mega solar farm is being executed in three phases. The first phase will see the extension of the
distribution network from its endpoint to a new location in Khan’s Hill. The second stage, according to a Government statement, caters for site preparation and construction of the fence, while the third phase involves the actual construction of the solar farm.
Electrical Engineer for Region One, Frederick Cort, in updating the Department of Public Information on the project’s status, explained that “so far we’ve completed the extension of the network and the preparation of the site.
We ’ r e currently in preparation for the fence, which is expected to be completed by the end of February.” Cort explained that inclement weather has delayed the shipping of the material to the North West district, resulting in the
Ministry belatedly approves funding for kidney... (From page 21) publication that they were especially surprised by the Ministry’s reaction, since the letter from the GPHC was affixed with the GPHC’s Kidney Transplant Department/Dialysis Centre stamp, with Dr. Kishore Persaud’s [the Transplant Surgeon’s] name at the bottom. A letter from the University of Miami which was also presented to Ministry officials, was channelled through the GPHC, and was signed by a Ms. Nicole A. Lergier, Director of Business Operation,
University of Miami Transplant Laboratories. Even so, officials at the Ministry, this publication understands, had concerns about the authenticity of the documents. Also, suspicions were spiked by the Ministry’s thorough due diligence process. In fact, because of perceived discrepancies that have been unearthed, as a result of due diligence, investigations have been ongoing to ensure that all documents for such matters are passed through the correct channels.
As such, it might have been a case of miscommunication or perhaps an error in judgement, although officials of the Ministry are insisting that no mistake was made on their part when attending to the patients. This publication has learnt, too, that an investigation is ongoing, with the view of ensuring that an improved system is in place to better manage the transplant programme, and by extension, ensure that no patient, in the future, encounters challenges similar to those experienced
by Manpersaud and Sohan. According to information filtered to this newspaper, a decision was taken to grant the patients funding for their tests, amidst the investigation, since it was recognised that any breakdown in the process was no fault of theirs. According to a reliable source, “the Ministry had to go ahead and give the support to these patients, because there is no way the lives of patients should be in jeopardy because of such a situation.”
late start of the project. He said there have been other challenges, however, the Ministry remains focused on its objective to complete the project in a timely manner. Currently, the Mabaruma Power Company provides an electrical supply for nine hours daily to approximately ten communities across the Mabaruma sub-district. Cort said that when completed, the solar farm will be handed over to the power company. The solar farm is being constructed by German company Meeco and will result in over 700 residents and commercial consumers benefitting from increased hours of electricity service from 16 hours in Phase One, initially, and eventually to 24 hours. Other benefits include “the reduction of the fossil fuels for the generation of electricity. The solar farm should be able to power three-quarter of the community and the remaining quarter will be powered by fossil fuel or diesel which is the main usage in the Mabaruma sub-district,” the Electrical Engineer underlined.
Electrical Engineer of Region One, Frederick Cort The initiative is part of the government’s plan to move Guyana towards becoming a ‘Green State’ and will serve as a medium to reduce the country’s fossil fuel bill and prevent carbon emissions. Other solar farms at Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); Mahdia in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) and at Bartica in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) will be pursued. These farms are anticipated to generate 800, 400, and 1.5 kilowatts of electricity respectively.
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
Upgrades, extensions and revetments prominent at Tender Board The following are bids presented at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board yesterday:
>>>> Continued on page 29 <<<<
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Upgrades, extensions and revetments... >>>> From page 28<<<<
>>>> Continued on page 31 <<<<
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
Ilegal power connections removed from Seawall Bandstand area Following a recent spate of vandalism, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) is calling on public-spirited citizens to play their part in reporting cases of destruction of property or illegal connections. “MPI is also calling on vandals to desist from such acts since they ultimately inconvenience the citizenry by destroying much needed infrastructure,” the ministry said yesterday. As recently as Friday, a team from the Ministry noticed an individual attempting to vandalise the power feeds which energize sections of the highway lights along the Rupert Craig Highway. “Unfortunately, this individual managed to escape and, upon closer inspection, it was evident that approximately 900 feet of the cable was already removed. Incidentally, the team had been in the vicinity to conduct repairs to vandalised power feeds associated with the traffic light system at the intersection of UG Road and the Railway Embankment.” Similarly, vandalism of the highway lights, in the form of illegal connections to the Highway Lighting Distribution Network, in the vicinity of the Seawall Bandstand had led to the temporary disconnection of these lights. “While the lights have been reconnected to ensure continued safety and convenience of the public, the vandalism of these lights has continued. It must be emphasised that vandalism severely compromises the integrity of these electrical systems and could ultimately eliminate the benefits of the infrastructure to the public,” the ministry e x p l a i n e d . Meanwhile, the ministry also disclosed that it removed illegal electrical connections to the Highway Lighting Distribution Network near the Seawall Bandstand, Kingston. The area is a popular hangout especially on weekends with several stalls receiving power. According to the MPI, the wires were buried in the reserve lands south of the seawall.
- Ministry complains of vandalism of highway lights
Workers from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure removing illegal power connections at the Seawall Bandstand, Kingston.
The Ministry is complaining of the vandalism at the highway lights on the East Coast Demerara
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Upgrades, extensions and revetments... >>>> From page 29 <<<<
>>>> To be continued tomorrow <<<<
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
Upgrade of natural gas infrastructure to lead to reduced operation costs BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – Energy Minister Darcy Boyce says once the island’s natural gas infrastructure is upgraded, the operation costs for the Barbados National Oil Company and the National Petroleum Corporation should be reduced. Boyce was speaking on Monday at the official launch of the multi-million dollar Deployment of Cleaner Fuels and Renewable Energies programme. The project, which is being funded through a US$34 million loan from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), is intended to enhance the country’s energy security and sustainability by diversifying the energy mix through the promotion of renewable energy sources, as well as the modernization and expansion of the natural gas infrastructure. The Energy Minister says the the programme is part of the island’s thrust towards becoming one of the greenest economies in the Western Hemisphere. “Further, the project gets
Darcy Boyce the national oil company into becoming a major producer of renewable energy, either by wind or solar, or both,” Boyce said. The project has three components, the first of which will cost just over US$25 million, and involves the expansion and upgrade of the natural gas infrastructure. The second component will cost US$3.35 million and will see the installation of photovoltaic systems, as well as energy efficient systems in administrative buildings,
while the third component, costing US$4.05 million, will consist of technical advisory services, including the training of staff, as well as various studies. The remaining US$1.6 million will be spent on evaluation , as well as management and monitoring efforts. IDB Country Representative for Barbados Juan Carlos De La Hoz Viñas said just over 2,000 residents, seven businesses and two industrial customers are scheduled to be added to the natural gas grid, and, ultimately, the island’s entire 126,000 electricity users will benefit. Boyce also announced a plan to approach the IDB for a larger loan, to expand an approximately US$5 million Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) pilot energy efficiency project. “In all these things that we are doing, it is not just a case of Government just borrowing the money and having to find taxes to pay for it . . . . My view is that we can do all this renewable energy and energy efficiency work and let it pay for itself,” he said.
Suriname, Dominica not allowed to vote in UN General Assembly UNITED NATIONS - CMC – The United Nations has identified Suriname and Dominica among seven countries that are in arrears of their dues and are, therefore, not allowed to vote in the General Assembly. The other countries in this category are the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Venezuela and Yemen. “Under Article 19 of the Charter, a Member State in arrears in the payment of its dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions due for two preceding years can lose its vote in the General Assembly,” the UN said. “An exception is allowed if the Member State can show that conditions beyond its control contributed to this inability to pay,” it added. Dominica is still trying to put the pieces together after Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm bore down on the island last September. The UN stated that as of February 14, eleven Member States are subject to the provisions of Article 19 of the Charter of the United Nations. In its resolution 72/2 entitled “Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations: requests under Article 19 of the Charter,” the UN General Assembly decided that the following Member States, although in arrears in the payment of their dues, shall be permitted to vote until the end of the current session: Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, and Somalia. Therefore, the UN said the seven Member States previously mentioned, including Suriname and Dominica, do not have a vote in the current 72nd session of the General Assembly.In a letter, dated January 29, from UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the
António Guterres President of the General Assembly – Guterres said he had “the honour to inform you that the Dominican Republic and the Marshall Islands have made the payments necessary to reduce their arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter of the United Nations.” Last week, Suriname’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country owned the UN US$800,000. The government said it would accept a payment plan, beginning with a US$117,000 deposit in the coming days, so its voting rights can be restored. “Suriname is well aware of the importance of its membership at the United Nations and the opportunities that this specialized organisations can offer in the areas of technical assistance and development cooperation,” said the Suriname Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Govt. signs agreement with Oban Energies
Singing the agreement NASSAU, Bahamas CMC – The government has signed an agreement with Oban Energies for a US$4 billion project planned for East Grand Bahama. The signing took place less than five days after Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced that the Cabinet had given Oban Energies the goahead to commence the process that will lead to construction of an oil refinery and oil storage facility in Grand Bahama. The project is expected to create 600 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs during the construction phase. Monday’s signing of the Heads of Agreement (HOA) between the two sides paves the way for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
The EIA, which is already underway, will ensure that the project advances in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner.Minnis said the signing was “an important step in the approval process for Oban Energies.” “In December of 2016, the Government of The Bahamas approved Oban Energies to proceed with the construction of an oil refinery and oil storage facility in Grand Bahama. “My Government is pleased to have moved this project forward and has successfully completed negotiating the Heads of Agreement, which paves the way for the commencement of this important project,” he said. Phase One of the project will comprise four million barrels of crude storage, a
harbour and deep-sea loading docks to service large vessels, and the construction of a 50,000-barrel-per day refinery. Additionally, Oban will construct a 20 million-barrel liquid bulk storage facility and a 250,000-barrel-per day refinery. Oban has committed to employing hundreds of Bahamians during the construction phase and will create “a significant number of wellpaying permanent jobs” for Bahamians once construction is completed. “Grand Bahama has seen significant indirect jobs as a result of the existing storage facilities, and we expect the same for Oban,” Minnis said. “This is a very significant development for Grand Bahama.”
Dominica to focus on rebuilding projects ROSEAU, Dominica - CMC – The Roosevelt Skerrit administration will be focusing on rebuilding projects across the island within five years. This was disclosed by Financial Secretary Rosamund Edwards, in her address at the National Rebuilding and Economic Partnership Consultation on Monday. She said shortly after the passage of Hurricane Maria, the government engaged itself along with other development partners in the conduct of a Post Disaster Needs Assessment. The results estimated the damage to be US$931 million; loss was estimated at US$380 million and the needs were estimated at US$1.4 million. She said the government will seek to undertake work in the first year valued at just under US$300 million; years one to three work valued at just over US$700 million and years three to five work valued at US$221 million. Edwards said for this to be accomplished each sector, inclusive of every person in these sectors, is required to get on board. Meanwhile, it was also disclosed that the country’s generation capacity is now at approximately 70 percent. General manager for Dominica Electricity Services Limited’s (DOMLEC) Dave Stamp said approximately 89 percent of the island’s sole power company’s generation system and 98 percent of the Transmission Distribution and Customer Delivery Sys-
Rosamund Edwards tem were severely affected as a result of the passage of Hurricane Maria. Stamp was presenting on behalf of DOMLEC at the consultation. Stamp said since then a lot of work has been done. “Currently on the generation side we have 14 of 19 units available for dispatch and generation; that’s about 74 percent of our generation systems have been restored”, representing about 70 percent of generation capacity. He said this is because DOMLEC’s capacity for generation is 19 megawatts while the install capacity is just under 27 megawatts.
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Wednesday February 21, 2018
PIOJ to develop statistical migration base KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) will be developing a national statistical migration database this fiscal year as it continues work on the formulation of a National Policy and Plan of Action on International Migration and Development. The project aims to build the capacity of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to implement the national plan of action. It also seeks public ownership and participation in the implementation of the action plan. An allotment of J$31.1 million has been set aside in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure to facilitate the development of the database along with other project activities. These include conducting
peer-to-peer learning sessions with participating countries as well as facilitating the integration and coordination with local governance structures and planning mechanisms at parish, community and municipal levels. Up to December last year under the project, a policy on international migration and development (Green Paper) was developed, a multiagency stakeholder governance structure (National Working Group on International Migration and Development) was developed to oversee policy formulation and implementation, and the country’s migration profile was developed and published. In addition, a National Diaspora Policy was drafted,
capacity development training workshops were held for migration stakeholders, technical support was provided for the Diaspora Mapping Project, training was conducted in International Migration Law, a Policy Implementation Plan for 2017-2022 was developed, and a Plan of Action was developed for admission for forced returnees. The project, which was originally slated for January 2011 to June 2012, is now scheduled to end in March 2022 after several extensions. It is being funded by the Government of Jamaica with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Teachers Not Liking Latest Wage Offer, Final Decision March 3 The Gleaner - It appears the government’s latest wage offer to teachers could be rejected. The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) started holding consultations with teachers Monday.The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre understands that teachers have so far not been in favour of the offer. A final decision is to be communicated to the ministry of finance on March 3. The government has now reportedly proposed a 16 per cent increase over four years. The 2018/2019 Fiscal Policy Paper presented by Finance Minister, Audley Shaw, last week stated that unions representing 66 per cent of Central Government’s workforce have indicated agreement to the four year contract.The University and Allied Workers Union; the Union of Schools, Agricultural and Allied Workers; the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel and the United Union of Jamaica have all opposed the four year deal. They claim it will not benefit the workers they represent.
Audley Shaw
OECS to host Marine Data management workshop for the Caribbean CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – Marine specialists are gathering here for a Data management workshop that seeks to improve current data collection processes and facilitate the efficient use of marine data across several sectors. The two-day workshop, hosted by the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) Commission, will be delivered by the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) of the National Oceanography Centre, United Kingdom, as part of the United Kingdom Government’s Commonwealth Marine Economic
Programme. The programme will focus on three main areas – Marine data management training; managing national marine data; and building regional marine data networks. Following the training, participants will be better prepared to improve data management practices within their respective organisations so that marine data are not accidentally lost; data are well described and easy to find; and data are easy to re-use in the future. This workshop will assist OECS Member States in advancing implementation of the Marine Research Strategy and Marine Data Standards
approved by the 62nd Meeting of the OECS Authority pursuant to Goal 6.2 and Action 6.1 of OECS Eastern Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (ECROP), approved at the 57th Meeting of the OECS Authority. The workshop will also support implementation of data management access and exchange arrangements for the State of the Marine Ecosystems and Shared Living Marine Resources in the CLME+ region. The training aims to facilitate better use of marine data across sectors, thereby enhancing the economic return of the investment in data collection.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Ryder Cup 2018: Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker named USA vice-captains BBC Sport - United States captain Jim Furyk has named Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker as his vice-captains for the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris. America, who beat Europe in 2016 at Hazeltine, will be bidding to retain the trophy from 28-30 September. Furyk had already named former captain Davis Love III as his first assistant. “To win in Paris will be a great challenge. To have Steve and Tiger share the journey is important for me and for American golf,” Furyk said. “Their knowledge and experience will be an invaluable resource in our effort to retain the Ryder Cup.”Furyk will name additional vice-captains at a later date. In last week’s Genesis
Steve Stricker (left) served as the US captain during last year’s Presidents Cup victory with Woods as his assistant. (Getty Images) Open, Woods said he would be open to the role of a “playing vice-captain” despite missing the cut.Woods will be making his second appearance as a vice-captain, having been an assistant to Love in the 2016 victory alongside Furyk,
Stricker and Tom Lehman. “I’d like to do what’s best for Tiger,” Furyk added. “If he could be valuable as a player, I’m sure we would want him playing on this team but I’m anxious to see how he plays this year.”
Wednesday February 21, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your heart is apt to beat much more rapidly than usual, Aries. Love is in the air, the trees, and the people around you. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) More than likely there was at least one time in your life in which you felt like the ugly ducking, Taurus. Perhaps this had something to do with your weight. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Duels of love and romance are apt to come to a critical climax, Gemini, and you’ll find that the person who is challenging you has quite a bit of gunpowder at his or her disposal. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your extremely overpowering emotions are apt to scare people off today, Cancer, especially when it comes to matters involving intimate relationships. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) While long-term trends in your life may not be going exactly the way you want them to, Leo, you certainly have plenty of short-term pleasures to enjoy, especially today. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may be anxious to fit things in your life into pigeonholes, Virgo. When it comes to matters of love and romance, this may be hard to do, especially on a day like today.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may feel like going back to being a student in junior high, Libra, just going through puberty and joining the other kids in animated discussions about who likes whom and who’s going out with whom. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Be careful about getting caught up with people who are careless or fickle, Scorpio, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your luck has just turned with regard to issues of love and romance, and wow! Has it turned for the better, Sagittarius! You should be sitting on cloud nine today when it comes to matters of the heart. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Romance is in the air, Capricorn, and all of a sudden you notice that all around you couples are walking hand-in-hand, exchanging longing gazes. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your upbeat and active nature is exactly what turns people on to you, Aquarius. Attention is apt to turn in your direction today when social acquaintances realize what an incredibly capable person you are. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Gather information so you know best how to proceed on your own when the weight has lifted. It will happen soon.
Messi breaks Chelsea duck to earn Barca 1-1 draw LONDON (Reuters) - If at first you don’t succeed the saying goes and it proved fitting for Willian and Lionel Messi as both scored in an absorbing 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie yesterday. Chelsea’s outstanding performer Willian could hardly believe his bad luck as twice before halftime he rattled the woodwork. But the Brazilian was finally rewarded for his persistence in the 62nd minute when he fired Chelsea into the lead on an electrifying night at Stamford Bridge. Barcelona’s talisman Messi had fired blanks on eight previous occasions against Chelsea, most notably in a shock semi-final defeat six years ago, and he rarely had a glimpse of goal on his ninth meeting with the Londoners. When home defender Andreas Christensen suffered a rush of blood in the 75th minute, however, Messi pounced. It edged the tie towards Barcelona, although they could count themselves fortunate after being outmanouvered against a Chelsea side who, apart from one lapse,
Sports Administrator... From page 39 Berbice. “In Levi Nedd as President you have a good leader and I believe that the BVA is in good hands.” Nedd who was a leader in his playing days has taken up the same posture as an administrator. The BVA and GVF scenario is like the child carrying the parent. Harry also touched on a number of other areas including balancing education and sports, which he said could go hand in hand. “Sports have now become a science, a business and living and people should play to their best and aim for success. Be yourself and don’t try to be like celebrities, because you will concentrate on them and lose sight of your game. They are already celebrities, you have to be yourself.” He ended by congratulating the BVA and all the recipients and wished them well on behalf of the Director of Sports and the NSC. He promised the Department of Sports full and unstinted support for 2018 and in the future. (Samuel Whyte)
played a ‘perfect’ game according to manager Antonio Conte.Unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona enjoyed suffocating possession, especially in the first half, but despite the probings of Messi and Andres Iniesta, they could provide precious little ammunition for striker Luis Suarez. A rivalry that had been dormant for six years resumed with a gripping game of cat and mouse.Barcelona zipped the ball around in eye-pleasing style but apart from Paulinho’s wasteful header they struggled to lure Chelsea into mistakes.Despite spending long periods diligently shutting doors, the hosts were the more clinical in possession, with Eden Hazard and Willian both menacing outlets. BAD LUCK Willian fully justified his starting berth after being used chiefly as a substitute this season and could have been celebrating a stunning hattrick.
In the 34th minute Paulinho lost the ball and as Chelsea worked it to Willian, he shuffled to his right and sent a curling right-footer thudding against the post. Shortly before halftime Willian again proved elusive but this time the opposite post rescued Barca keeper MarcAndre ter Stegen, who was a mere spectator for both attempts.Chelsea deserved their lead and even threatened a second goal before young defender Andreas Christensen betrayed his relative inexperience with a moment of madness. The 21-year-old’s aimless ball across his own area was seized upon by Iniesta and when he cut it back to Messi the Argentine duly delivered to send Barca’s travelling fans wild.The goal knocked the stuffing out of the hosts and, although they avoided any more damage, they will need a repeat of their 2012 exploits to keep alive their European hopes.
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2018 Demerara Under-17 Inter-Association tournament Sachin Singh’s 48 and 2 wickets for 10 runs, NavindraPersaud’s44 and ZakaryJodah’s 4 for 13, were the trio which blew away East Coast by 29 runs on the first day of the Demerara Under17 inter-association tournament at Everest Cricket Club, while Georgetown crushed West Demerara by 70 runs at Zeeburg Ground on Monday. Reduced to a 32 over a side contest due to rain, East Bank won the toss and elected to take first strike, posting 135 from their allotted overs; Shivanand Gossi was the most effective bowler, collecting three wickets, while Himnauth Dindyal and Vinod Sundar collected one wicket each. In reply, East Coast was bowled out cheaply for 106 in 31.2 overs as Byron Bowen broke the opening stand of 28 with Lakeram Ramkisson 9 runs, the man dismissed. Jodah began his assault, accounting for the wickets of
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Kaieteur News
Andrew Samaroo for 3 and Gossi 0 before Marlon Boele removed Elnathon Suhknandan for 9. Singh returned with the ball to dismiss Davanand Khemraj for 12 and Sundar 0, while Jodah took out Michael Pooran for 6 and Trevon Clarke for 4 in successive overs but it was Mohamed Jameer’s bowling that dismissed Dindyal for a composed 33 that swung the match around. Meanwhile, in the second contest played over at the Zeeburg ground, Georgetown recorded a 70 run win as they posted 159 from their 40 overs as the match was also reduced due to rain with Tameshwar Permaul who top scored with 36, while Jerry Benjamin contributed 20 not out. Joshua Gobin 3 for 29, Andre Seepersaud 3 for 24 and Dominic Hussain 3 for 29, were the key wicket takers. In reply, West Demerara struggled to 89 from just 27 overs with Waarova Balgobin
East Bank and Georgetown record victories top scoring with a patient 25 and Nicholas Rajpat scoring 18, they being the only two batsmen to get to double figures. Ronaldo Mohamed and Tredon Jones wrapped up the West Demerara team grabbing 3 for 6 in 3.3 overs and 3 for 16 in 8 overs respectively. Over at Everest yesterday, East Coast played Georgetown, where East Coast won the toss and elected to bat first scoring a powerful 200 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs. Hemnauth Dindyal scored an impressive 59, while Andre Samaroo and Elnathan Sukhanand scored 26 runs respectively. Niron Bissu grabbed 3 for 35 in 10 overs, Ronaldo Mohamed took 2 for 42 in 10 overs, Jason Holder and Tameshwar Permaul took one wicket a piece. In reply, Georgetown struggled to 83 all out in 33.3 overs with Ariod Trika and Garrick Persaud scoring 17
(From left) Sachin Singh, Navindra Persaud and Zakary Jodah and 12 runs in that order being the only two players to reach double figures. Bowling for East Coast, Trevon Charles and Andrew Samaroo
collected 3 for 9 and 11 runs respectively while Aaran Beharry supported with 2 wickets for 6 runs. Matches continue tomor-
row at GCC with East Bank verses Georgetown at GCC and East Coast verses West Demerara at Everest from 09:00 hours.
Depleted Pride hoping to see for Canadian skaters Moir and Virtue off Kent threat as final beckons
Winter Olympics: Golden comeback CNN - Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir capped an incredible return to form, winning gold yesterday in the final of the Ice Dance competition at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Performing to the “Moulin Rouge” soundtrack, the skaters matched their first place finish in last year’s World Championships — after they took an extended break from international competitions following a disappointing, for them, silver place finish at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Medals are decided by the pair’s combined score in the short program and the free skate, and even a new world record in the latter, set minutes earlier by French skaters Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, couldn’t top Virtue and Moir’s combined score of 206.07.
That score itself is a new world record under rules which have been in place since 2010. Scores under the previous system, which involved three segments rather than two, were higher. Speaking after her victory was announced, Virtue said the experience was “amazing.” “It was a special moment to come out last,” she added. “It was a strong last group, there was a lot of pressure, but I’m so happy with how we performed.” The pressure came chiefly from the French pair, who will be forgiven for feeling somewhat bitter. They suffered a wardrobe malfunction in their run Monday, frazzling them and costing points. But for the slightly lower score in that skate, it could have been them going home yesterday in first place.
Long-term partners Virtue and Moir’s gold — the second they’re taking home from Pyeongchang, after winning in the team skate too — has been decades in the making. The pair first began skating together when Virtue was seven and Moir nine, according to the official Pyeongchang website, and made history by becoming the first North American Olympic Ice Dance champions in 2010, winning in their home country at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. They are currently Canada’s most decorated Ice Dance team of all time, according to CBC. Virtue and Moir, who are known for their passionate — sometimes overly so, according to some observers — performances, train up to 35 hours a week together in Montreal, under coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer. Bronze for the Shibutanis Taking their second bronze medal of this Olympics, US siblings Alex and Maia Shibutani came third in the Ice Dance. Speaking after the final scores were announced, Alex said he was overjoyed by the result. “It feels like gold. It’s unbelievable. I am so proud of the way we fought through this week and the season. We are so emotional,” he said. Maia added “it’s obviously a strong event.”
Depleted Barbados Pride …hoping to see off Kent to reach another final. ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Weakened title-holders Barbados Pride will take a giant step towards the defence of their Regional Super50 title when they take on English county Kent in the first semifinal under lights here today. Flaunting an array of West Indies stars in the early stages of the tournament, Pride barreled their way through the preliminary round, eventually topping Group A in Bridgetown with 27 points. They opened with a fourgame winning streak before losing some of their momentum towards the end of the group stage with two defeats in their last four matches. With the likes of Test and one-day captain Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse and Kemar Roach all having left for West Indies duty, however, Pride face the challenge of coping
with the pressure and demands of a crucial semi-final. The classy Hope was one of the side’s main source of runs in the preliminaries, garnering 301 runs while seamer Roach accounted for 11 wickets and off-spinner Nurse, 10, while Holder picked up eight wickets with his right-arm pace in four outings. Pride still boast the likes of captain Kraigg Brathwaite, fellow Test batsman, Roston Chase, and out-of-favour Windies one-day left-hander Jonathan Carter but the inexperienced likes of Chemar Holder, Joshua Bishop and wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott will all find themselves under heavy scrutiny.Chase has been Pride’s leading batsman with 433 runs and much of the responsibility for a decent total – or a successful fun chase – will fall squarely on his shoulders.
Kent, meanwhile, ended second on 25 points in Group B staged here, behind Guyana Jaguars, but will look to shock the heavily favoured Pride. They opened their campaign with a defeat to Jamaica Scorpions but then went on a four-match winning streak to put themselves in contention for a spot in the final four. Opener Daniel BellDrummond, whose parents are Jamaican, has been their leading run-scorer with 287 runs while Zak Crawley has gathered 262.Sean Dickson has been the only other player to reach 200 runs as Kent’s batting has struggled to put up challenging totals.In similar vein, their bowling has been steady without being spectacular. Seamers Ivan Thomas and Will Gidman have taken 21 wickets among them while Joe Denly has snared 10 with his leg-spin.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
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Bobsleigh: Jamaicans enjoy their Winter moment in the sun PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - The muchheralded Jamaican women’s bobsleigh team made their Winter Olympic debut yesterday on a night of colour and emotion and coming 30 years after the country’s first appearance at the Games in Calgary. At a near-sold out sliding centre pilot Jazmine FenlatorVictorian and brakewoman Carrie Russell made two impressive starts but their steering let them down as they finished in 18th place out of 20 following the first two runs. Topping the timesheets at the halfway point was the German sled piloted by Jamanka Mariama, who had a 0.07 second lead over America’s Elana Meyers Taylor, seeking gold to add to previous silver and bronze medals, with Germany’s Stephanie Schneider sitting just behind in third. They are likely to be fighting for the medals in today’s third and fourth legs but the headline act yesterday, despite their disappointing showing, was undoubtedly the Jamaican team. “It’s just a good feeling to represent our country at this level,” Russell said. “The road hasn’t ended, there’s far more room for us to improve”. The duo had faced unwanted distractions ahead of
Out of the 20 sleds competing in South Korea, Jamaica recorded the 10th quickest starting time. (AFP Getty Images) the competition when their German coach Sandra Kiriasis quit suddenly last week. For a while, it looked like they would not even have a sled until Heineken’s Red Stripe beer offered to buy the one they had been using and put them back in contention. Fenlator-Victorian told Reuters she had been listening to Jamaican reggae artist Chronixx in training to “keep the vibes light and heady” ahead of yesterday’s race which revived memories of their men’s bobsleigh team in Calgary in 1988, the unlikely inspiration for the 1993 film “Cool Runnings”. “It really means a lot and
though we not happy with our. We will analyze it and see where we can improve it tomorrow but I know there is a bigger picture out there,” Fenlator-Victorian added. “I am hoping to build upon it in the future. We’re the first women’s team from the islands, that’s why barriers are there to be broken.” U.S.-based Nigerians Seun Adigun and Akuoma Omeoga, both track athletes, were also making history as the first African country to compete in bobsleigh at the Games, though they fared even worse, coming in a distant 20th and last on both runs.
“When we came into this whole process it was to bring awareness,” said pilot Adigun. “It was so that people could understand, love and appreciate the sport of bobsleigh, the country of Nigeria, the continent of Africa”. TEAM MICA The Jamaican women’s team had marked their debut with an official anthem, “Run the Track, It’s Bobsled Time,” the proceeds of which went to supporting the Jamaica Bobsled Foundation. Britain’s “Team Mica”, Mica McNeill and Mica Moore, raised 44,400 ($62,000) via an online campaign after
The Jamaican women’s bobsleigh team made their Winter Olympic debut yesterday. (AFP Getty Images) their funding was suddenly cut in September last year. “We had to act quite fast and set up a crowd funding page and ask the public to help us get on our journey,” Moore said after Tuesday’s heats, which saw them place an impressive sixth.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” said Moore. Canadian pilot Kaillie Humphries and brakewoman Heather Moyse won gold in Sochi and Vancouver but broke up the partnership and, competing in separate sleds, and will start the third run in fourth and seventh places.
Warrican, Cornwall bowl Windies A to victory – 3rd day, 2nd “Test” KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Spinners Jomel Warrican and Rahkeem Cornwall combined to bowl West Indies A to a stunning innings and 17 runs victory and an unbeatable 2-0 series lead over England Lions in the second “Test” yesterday. Left-arm spinner Warrican bagged 4-69 from 27.2 overs to end with match figures of 12-103, making him a shoo-in for the Player-of-the-Match award, and off-spinner Cornwall supported with 488 from 38 overs, as the Lions were bowled out for 260 in their second innings about half-hour before the scheduled close on the third day of the match at Sabina Park. Several of the Lions’ batsmen got starts without carrying on – Liam Livingstone leading the way with 48, Paul Coughlin supporting with 47, Jack Leach made 29, Mason Crane got 25, Nick Gubbins added 22, Alex Davies scored 21 and their captain Keaton Jennings contributed 20. The result followed a twowicket victory for the hosts in the first “Test” which ended last Sunday at the Trelawny Multipurpose Com-
Rahkeem Cornwall appeals for a wicket (file photo) ©WICB plex on the Jamaica north coast. West Indies A had an encouraging start to the day, as the England Lions slumped to 104 for five at lunch, after they resumed from their overnight total of 34 without loss. Jeremiah Louis engineered the run out of Hameed for 18 in the fourth over of the
day, and he was followed on the stroke of half-hour by Jennings lbw to Cornwall. Joe Clarke was bowled for six by left-arm fast-medium bowler Raymon Reifer f i v e o v e r s l a t e r, a n d Warrican got into action when he trapped Gubbins lbw three overs later and had Davies caught close in
two overs before the interval. After lunch, Windies A saw the first signs of stiff resistance from the Lions, when Liam Livingstone and Paul Coughlin combined for a stand of 81 for the sixth wicket. But Cornwall struck in successive overs to remove Livingstone caught by Louis in the deep and Toby Roland Jones lbw for two to leave the visitors on 185 for seven. Further resistance came when Jack Leach, the England Lions bowling hero in the series, came to the crease and shared two useful stands with Coughlin and fellow spinner Mason Crane. Coughlin stuck around with Leach to carry the Lions to 205 for seven at tea before he was lbw to Cornwall in the fourth over after the break. Leach remained to take the English side past the 250-mark in a stand of 43 with Crane before Warrican bowled him and had James Porter lbw for a duck in successive overs to bring the innings to a close. The series now shifts to Antigua, where the third and final “Test” will be contested from February 26 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
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Ice dancing pair overcomes Short track: South Korea basks in golden chaos costume issue, nabs the silver medal GANGNEUNG, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea powered to gold in a chaotic Olympic women’s short track speed skating 3,000 meters relay yesterday, defending the title they won in Sochi. There were anxious moments at the conclusion of a typically wild and woolly relay as officials reviewed a race filled with crashes and near wipeouts before disqualifying Canada and China to elevate Italy to the silver medal. The Netherlands, who did not make the final, were the most surprised as they collected the bronze after setting a world record of four minutes, 3.471 seconds to win the B final.For Italy’s Arianna Fontana, winner of the 500m last week Tuesday, the silver was her seventh Olympic medal, a record for women’s short track. All that mattered for the South Korean crowd, however, was that their team’s
name remained at the top of the leader board and a huge roar erupted when the official results appeared. “Everything just flashed back when Minjeong finished her race and I cried because I felt so happy and thankful to my team mates,” South Korea’s Kim Alang told reporters. In a tactical and frenetic race the South Koreans spent most of the early laps at the back of pack but muscled their way into the lead with two laps left and clinched a rousing win to maintain their domination of the event.Canada won the first relay gold at the 1992 Albertville Olympics but South Korea has taken ownership since, topping the podium in six of the next seven Games with only China interrupting that run with victory in 2010. SECOND GOLD It was Choi Minjeong’s second gold of the Games to go along with the one she claimed in the 1,500m while
Shim Sukhee and Kim Alang also celebrated gold for a second time after helping South Korea to relay glory in Sochi. Kim Yejin completed the winning foursome. “It is a glorious performance in the stadium, it is our home ground so much more meaningful,” said Choi, who is poised to become South Koreas golden girl of Games.“I won the gold in the 1,500 and event and gold today for the relay and I am very happy about that.” A near capacity crowd at the Gangneung Ice Centre were warmed up for the 3,000m finale after watching South Korean skaters dominate the women’s 1,000 and men’s 500 heats.The North Korean cheer squad was also out in force to support Jong Kwang Bom but failed to inspire him. He fell before reaching the first turn and on the restart got tangled up with other skaters, sliding on his backside into the padding before being disqualified.
NBC Sports - Ice dancing pair Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron brought home a silver medal for France, despite an unexpected setback during Monday’s short programme. At the start of the pair’s short dance performance at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Papadakis suffered a costume issue when a clasp at the nape of her neck came undone, forcing her to balance holding her top in place while skating a difficult programme. During a presser after the performance, Papadakis addressed the incident. But yesterday in Pyeongchang, Papadakis and Cizeron managed to secure the silver medal after an excellent free dance performance. The couple came in second behind Canada’s Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, the maybecouple of everyone’s Olympic dreams. As the Associated Press reported, Papadakis wasn’t the first skater to experience a costume issue at this year’s
Papadakis and Cizeron perform their short dance program on Monday in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Early in the performance, Papadakis experienced an unexpected setback when a clasp on her costume came undone. (Getty Images) Winter Games. Yura Min of South Korea also had an is-
sue with a clasp during a performance earlier this week.
Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales Guyana Beverage Inc. continues and Hero partners with Petra to support Fruta Conquerors 3rd annual futsal toruney Through their Hero line of motorcycles, Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales has thrown its support behind Petra’s third annual Futsal tournament which kicks off Saturday at the National Gymnasium. Rose Ramdehol will be providing two Hero Dawn (150cc) motorcycles which will be presented to the MVP of the tournament and one lucky fan. Co-director of Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, posited during a presentation at Rose Ramdehol’s South Road business location that, “I am happy that we have the opportunity to reward the best player in our tournament and a lucky spectator with something tangible. We at Petra are very happy that the management and staff of this company saw it fit to sponsor this ini2/24/2018 19:00 hrs 19:50 hrs 20:40 hrs 21:30 hrs 22:20 hrs 23:15 hrs 2/27/2018 19:00 hrs 19:50 hrs 20:40 hrs 21:30 hrs 22:20 hrs 23:15 hrs
tiative which has seen quite a few players honing their skills, while gaining an income.” “Hero and Rose Ramdehol are very happy to be part of the Petra Futsal Cup. Hero globally pushes a lot in terms of sport and community development. And it’s very important to Rose Ramdehol that hero is a part of sport in Guyana,” posited Marketing Director of the company, Joshua Ramdehol. The fixtures for the lucrative third annual Petra Futsal tournament, which is being sponsored by Corona Beer and Namilco, have been released with play round-robin play scheduled to commence Saturday at the National Gymnasium from 19:00hr with six, very much anticipated matchups. The feature match on Sat-
Round Robin Day 1 Plaisance Future Stars YMCA Leopold Street Back Circle Sparta Boss Round Robin Day 2 Tucville Alpha Warriors Bent Street Old School Ballers North East West Front Road
v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s
urday is a mouth watering encounter between Sparta Boss and Tiger Bay. The tournament will dole out in excess of two million dollars in cash and prizes. The winners receive $600,000, runners-up $300,000 and third place $150,000. The top two teams in each group along with the best four third place finishers will advance to the knockout round. Meanwhile, an incentive for teams in the group stage, the top finishers will get an additional $40,000, second place $30,000, third place $20,000 and fourth place $10,000.In addition, the tournament is giving away one motorbike each to the MVP of the tournament and a lucky patron. See below the fixtures of the tournament. (Calvin Chapman) Gymnasium Match # Mocha 1 Xtreme Campbellville 2 Albouystown 3 Alexander Village 4 Braod Street 5 Tiger Bay 6 Gymnasium Match # Show Stoppers 7 Kingstown 8 California Square 9 New Market Street 10 Channel 9 11 Sophia 12
The Guyana Beverage Incorporated (GBI) under its Fruta Brand has signed with Tucville based club Fruta Conquerors for the 20th consecutive year during a simple but significant ceremony yesterday at the Red Cross Headquarters, Eve Leary. The multimillion dollar deal will include uniforms and several pieces of training equipment for the various levels with the Elite League club. Samuel Arjoon, Commercial Manager of GBI, said, “GBI’s sponsorship of Fruta Conquerors over the past 20 years is one that should be measured beyond the usual
commercial advantages of goodwill within the community, media exposure, increased sales and brand awareness.” According to Arjoon, “Sponsorship for us at GBI does not mean just money but focus on the development of young people and our communities; Building skills and capacities of the individual player.” Similarly, Andre Noel, Category Manager-Juices expressed praises for the club’s (Fruta Conquerors) contribution to the country’s football landscape, adding, the club and the company has one
similar objective, which is to nurture the talents of Guyanese at all levels. He further affirmed the company’s commitment to the Tucville institution which is heavily geared towards youth development, positing that the entity is looking forward to the continued success of the club. Meanwhile, Fruta Conquerors Vice-President Colin Gittens revealed that club will be undertaking numerous infrastructural development projects such as improving the playing area, lighting systems and modernizing the club house.
GFF/Pele Alumini Frank Watson U-15 League
Ten Berbice teams to commence battle from Sunday Football clubs in the Ancient County will get busy from Sunday when competition in the Berbice Footb a l l A s s o c i a t i o n ( B FA ) l e g o f t h e GFF/Pele Alumini Frank Watson U-15 Intra Association League kicks off at the Esplanade ground, New Amsterdam. According to the BFA, there would be an official march past of the participating teams from 09:00hrs which would be followed by four matches. The teams scheduled to compete are
Hopetown Rangers, Monedderlust, Arsenal, Orella Falcons, Corriverton Links, Young Strikers, East Bank Gunners, New Amsterdam United, Cougars and Hearts of Oak. Given the honour of contesting the opening match are Orella Falcons and East Bank Gunners. Next up would be Corriverton Links against Arsenal with Hopetown Rangers seeking to get into winning range when they play Cougars, while Monedderlust will engage New Amsterdam United.
Wednesday February 21, 2018
Russian medalist denies doping after positive test PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - Russian Olympic medalist Alexander Krushelnitsky has denied taking a banned substance in a suspected doping case that has rocked the Pyeongchang Winter Games and could imperil Russia’s efforts to regain its full Olympic status. Krushelnitsky, who won bronze in Pyeongchang with his wife in mixed doubles curling, is set to face a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in the near future after he tested positive for meldonium, a drug that can aid in endurance. In his first comments since the positive test emerged this week, Krushelnitsky said he had never taken any banned substances and was categorically against doping. “Only a person devoid of common sense can use any kind of doping, and especially (through drugs) like meldonium, ahead of the Olympics where testing is at its highest level,” he said in a statement published yesterday on the website of the Russian curling federation. The case has caused bewilderment among curling athletes. The sport, a kind of chess on ice, calls for steady hands and concentration rather than physical fitness. Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov came to Krushelnitsky’s defense yesterday, saying the athlete
Olympic Athlete from Russia Aleksandr Krushelnitckii practices ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo) could not have taken a banned drug deliberately. “It’s obvious that in this particular case, the athlete could not have intentionally used a prohibited substance, it just does not make any sense,” Kolobkov told TASS news agency. “Curling, in theory, in not the kind of sport in which dishonest athletes dope,” he added. The doping case has come at a delicate time for Russia, which has been accused of running a state-backed, systematic doping programme for years, an allegation Moscow denies. Its athletes are competing at Pyeongchang as neutral athletes, and Russia had been hoping that a clean record at the Games would enable it to return to full Olympic status.
The Russian Olympic delegation said yesterday it could not explain how meldonium ended up in Krushelnitsky’s body and that it was launching an investigation. “We express our sincere regret for this incident,” it said in a statement. “We completely share and support the position of the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency in terms of zero tolerance for doping and are taking all necessary measures for those who are guilty to be held as responsible as possible.” The delegation said the concentration of meldonium found in Krushelnitsky’s sample suggested he would not have derived a benefit.
Yamaha are struggling, says MotoGP great Rossi (Reuters) - The evidence from MotoGP’s two pre-season tests so far is that Yamaha are struggling, according to Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales. Italian great Rossi, the nine-times world champion who turned 39 last week, was 12th in the combined timesheets after the latest test in Thailand while his Spanish team mate was eighth. Vinales had been seventh and Rossi ninth at the previous three-day test in Malaysia.“It was a difficult test, we struggled and we have to improve because we didn’t improve a lot compared to last year,” the MotoGP.com website quoted Rossi as saying after the sessions at Thailand’s new Buriram circuit. “Especially with the electronics, so I think we have a lot of work to do.” Vinales, who finished third overall last year, said the fac-
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Movistar Yamaha’s MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy. tory Yamaha team needed to improve in all areas with rivals Honda and Ducati setting the pace so far in 2018 after also battling for the title last year. While Yamaha’s main rid-
ers have found their bike lacking grip, the non-factory Tech3 team have looked much more on the pace, with Frenchman Johann Zarco second fastest at the Thai test.
Slovenia ice hockey player Jeglic fails doping test, to leave Games - CAS PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - Slovenian ice hockey player Ziga Jeglic has tested positive for a banned substance and been suspended for the remainder of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said yesterday. Jeglic, who tested positive for fenoterol, has accepted the anti-doping rule violation and will leave the Olympics within 24 hours, CAS said. Fenoterol can be taken for asthma as it facilitates breathing by opening up the airways. Jeglic, who scored Slovenia’s shootout winner against Slovakia on Saturday, failed an in-competition test and the final decision on his sanction will come after the Games. The 29-year-old has played his entire career in Europe and has been competing in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League for the past four seasons. “I take the mentioned drug due to asthma under medical advice. It has been
Slovenia’s Ziga Jeglic scores the gamewinning goal against Slovakia in the men’s preliminary round ice hockey match between Slovakia and Slovenia during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. prescribed to me after testing for respiratory problems in Slovakia in 2017,” Jeglic said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I forgot to declare it as a therapeutical exception. I have overlooked the difference between comparable drugs, which are allowed and would enable me to use it for my respiratory problems during the Olym-
pics. “I apologise for my negligence to all the persons involved, and I accept the further anti-doping procedures.” The case is the third positive test at the Pyeongchang Games following a Japanese reserve speed skater and Russia’s bronze medal-winning curler Alexander Krushelnitsky.
Sports Administrator Gervy Harry blast GVF for non-attendance at BVA awards Long Serving Sports Administrator Mr. Gervy C. Harry blasted the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) for their ineptitude and disrespectful behaviour. Harry was speaking at the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) annual awards ceremony held at the Port Mourant Training School Hostel, Corentyne Berbice. Harry in a hard hitting address spared no punches as he waded into the reoccurring, lame and disrespectful attitude of the GVF and some other sports organisations. No representative from the parent body, the GVF, was present at the function, though invited and scheduled to make a speech. Harry, the Administrative Manager attached to the National Sports Commission/ Department of Sport, was candid in his description of the behaviour of executives of some of the parent bodies. Some are accepting positions for their own good and aggrandizement while others are taking positions and then sitting on their laurels, he stated. Some operate within Georgetown and make no effort to expand in the wider Guyana. He said that at least the
GVF could have sent somebody to the function, but their absence is nothing short of being disrespectful. Harry rated the BVA without a doubt as one of the best associations in the country. Whilst congratulating the BVA for their consistent, excellent work and the recipients for their successes, he said that the work has just begun. “You have been rated the best among your peers, which make the work harder, because you have to upkeep
the high standard expected of you.” Harry said that unlike the GVF, the BVA is always ready. In most cases when you call on the GVF they are not prepared and cannot find a team. We are forced to call on the BVA at the last moment and they jump in a save the day. On a number of occasions most of the players comes from the BVA. He said that especially at the Inter Guiana Games (IGG) level the volleyball belongs to (Continued on page 35)
Gervy C. Harry (right) presents one of the awardees during the BVA event.
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Renault launch F1 car and BCB holds executive meeting today Various committees to be named, other plans made name Aitken as reserve driver LONDON (Reuters) - British-Korean youngster Jack Aitken will be the Renault Formula One team’s official reserve driver this season, replacing Russian Sergey Sirotkin, who has switched to a race seat with Williams. The Renault team made the announcement yesterday after an online presentation of its new RS18 car. Aitken, 22, will also race in the Formula Two feeder series this season. Renault will continue the Russian connection with Artem Markelov, who is also competing in F2 and has been appointed as a test and development driver with an emphasis on simulator duties at the team’s Enstone factory in England.The French manufacturer finished sixth overall in last year’s championship, up from ninth the previous season, and are aiming to close the gap further after significant investment in staff and facilities.
Renault, have Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg and Spaniard Carlos Sainz as their driver line-up, last won the championship with Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 2006. “We are a team on the rise, “Renault Sport Racing president Jerome Stoll said in a statement.” Enstone is regenerated and the workforce has already increased by more than 35 percent. “I am convinced year three will take us one step closer to the long-term aim: winning races and challenging for championships.” Renault sold their team to Genii Capital in 2010 but bought it back at the end of 2015 when the outfit, renamed Lotus, was close to failure. Cyril Abiteboul, the Renault Sport Racing managing director, said the first year was all about building up the team and brand and securing new sponsors, with last year bringing on-track progress. “We have everything to
be positive about this year,” the Frenchman said. “Our headline target is to show continued progression through results. We want to be able to showcase our progression in every regard; power unit, chassis, operations, drivers. Everything must improve and we must continue to grow.” Neither of the Renault drivers have stood on the podium in their careers and Hulkenberg now holds the Formula One record for most career starts (135) without a top-three finish. “We’re in a good position,” said the German, who joined the team last year from Force India. “For this year we want to build on the good platform of last season. 2017 was about bedding in, now I want to get ready to go.” Testing begins at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday, with the opening race in Australia on March 25.
Former national cyclist donates new Fuji Carbon Fibre Road Bike to budding cyclist Overseas based former national cyclist Wilbert Benjamin is still doing more for others. The kind hearted Berbician still has the heart to continue to share his benevolence with his fellow countrymen and those in
need in a massive way. Benjamin, who represented Guyana at both the junior and senior level, on Saturday last presented a brand new Fuji Carbon Fibre Road Bike to up and coming cyclist Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey. The presentation was
Wilbert Benjamin (left) presents the cycle to talented young cyclists Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey.
done at the Benjamin Sports Store and Fitness Gym and Car Wash located at Lot 220 Courtland Village Corentyne Berbice. The donation is worth over $600,000. Along with the bike Benjamin also donated two Carbon Fibre Wheels. Dey, who hails from the Fyrish Corentyne area, has represented Guyana at the junior level.Since the start of the year he has been in good form and among the top riders around.In handing over the bicycle along with the wheels Benjamin stated that it is the second bike they are giving to the young cyclist. He said that they had presented Dey his first bike in 2012. Benjamin, who also hails from the Fyrish area, still rides both at home and overseas. He said that he has seen Dey ride recently and noted his good performance. He also noted that the bike Dey was using was old and not good. It was also not giving the young man justice, since it would give endless mechanical problems and puncture regularly. Benjamin said he knows where he came from and would do his best to assist those with the potential and are disciplined enough to do well and go forward. (Samuel Whyte)
The newly elective executive committee of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has already gotten down to business just two days after being elected. The new body was elected on Sunday at a meeting held at the New Amsterdam Town Hall which was ordered by the High Court. The meeting will be held in the BCB Office in Charlotte Street, New Amsterdam. President Hilbert Foster has promised to transform the board and make it the best in Guyana and one of the better ones in the Caribbean. He has promised between 13 and 15 tournaments before the end of the year with cricket being played from U13 right up to senior level. Female cricket and school competitions will be given at-
Hilbert Foster tention while Inter Zone cricket will also be played. Foster stated in a recent interview that six sponsors are already on board. The other members elected to the Executive Committee are Albert Smith, Jevaughn Stephen and Qualis Winter serving as Vice Presidents. Rabindranauth
Saywack is the Secretary, Ameer Rahaman Assistant Secretary. Doctor Cecil Beharry will occupy the position as Treasurer and Winston Roberts serving as the Assistant Treasurer. Angela Haniff and Albert Smith along with President and Secretary will represent the BCB at the GCB level. Other executive members are expected to be appointed today, while committees are also expected to be named. Plans for the board’s advancement are also expected to be extensively discussed. Foster has stated that he plans to make the board as transparent as possible. The BCB is calling on all clubs to get themselves prepared as cricket action will begin soon throughout the County. (Samuel Whyte)
Schools’ Milo Football tournament continues today at MOE ground The 2018 Milo/Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) under-18 schools’ football tournament continues today with a double-header at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue from 16:00hrs. During the last match day on Sunday three games were contested with Morgan’s Learning Centre smashing 7 goal past The Bishops’ High School, Ann’s Grove of East Coast 2/21/2018 16:00 hrs 17:30 hrs
Demerara lost to Vergenoegen 4-2 and Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) of Linden added the second win in as many group games after defeating Dolphin 5-1. The Milo tournament is also being supported by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) under the theme: “There is no excuse for violence.”
Round Robin Round 3 Day 1 Ministry of Education Ground Match # Business School v/s Charlestown Secondary 25 Chase Academy v/s Annandale Secondary 26
Floodlights to play Bush Lot of West Berbice on Friday 23rd at Bush Lot in fund raiser Floodlights will play Bush Lot of West Coast Berbice on Friday at Bush Lot in fund raising cricket match. This fund raising match is in aid of the Bush Lot Mandir. Action starts at 11:30am and is a Hardball T20 encounter. Trophies on offer are sponsored by Trophy Stall and 4R. After the match there will be male and female Athletics, Tug-O- War, Buns Eating, Needle and Thread races and Greasy Pig catching. Admission is $200 and all children 15 yrs and under will be admitted free. Floodlights Squad will come from: Stephen Naraine Capt., Anil Beharry V/Capt, Aaron Beharry, Ajay Gainda, Ricky Deonarain, Robin Bacchus, Yunus Yussuf, Alex Algoo, Ramo Malone,
Steve Narine
Anil Beharry
Surendra Nauth, Khalid Baksh, Vicky Ramsaywack, Steve Massiah, Lloyd Ruplall and Navin Samlall. Floodlights will take on Albion on Saturday Night
from 7:00pm at DCC in Georgetown where Rakesh Arjune, Ariel Persaud, Reyaz Hussain and Romeo Deonarain will be drafted into the side.