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Maldives court NEWS orders arrest of former president AIETEUR

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Thursday Edition February 21, 2019 - Vol. 12 No. 08 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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AG's filing errors cause delay in Appeal Court hearing - Judge advises him to do some “housekeeping” No-Confidence motion cases...

Police Force using Chef cooks-up Man and wife robbery in drone technology cemetery accused of using in crime fight - official - Victims were painting relative's tomb bar as brothel Man killed Early morning blaze guts LBI supermarket by falling log - Trapped mom, child rescued

Integrity Commission looks to widen list of officials declaring assets - aims at SARA, SOCU, other high-ranking police officers - Chairman says entity has no investigators

RUSAL claims it operated 14 years without profits - Little or no dividends for Guyana

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Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

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RUSAL claims it operated 14 years without profits - Little or no dividends for Guyana

BCGI workers meeting with police on Tuesday night after they blocked the Kwakwani road, Region10, as part of protest action.

Rusal's published financials for last year.

I

n 2004, United Company (UC) Rusal, now the world's second largest aluminum company by primary production output, obtained a licence to develop bauxite mining in the Upper Berbice area, Region 10.The investment would have come at a time when Guyana badly wanted resources to be plugged to an industry that was all but dead.

The Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) was established, with Rusal owning 90 percent and the people of Guyana the rest.

Some 14 years later, the company says it has 540 locals working with a handful of ex-pats. That, in and of itself, would have been a good thing, except that several things are wrong with the picture.

For those 14 years, it is being reported that Guyana received little or no dividends for its 10 percent shares. It has been consistently declaring no profits. The company has been granted hundreds of millions of dollars in tax concessions during that time.

It begs the question whether enough attention was being paid or there were vested interests protecting the company.

There appears to be little lull in the operations of digging up the bauxite, which is loaded into huge vessels in the Berbice River and taken to Rusal's factories to produce aluminum, used to make foils, kitchen utensils and window frames and airplane frames.

In fact, when the US slapped sanctions last year on the company after its principal, Oleg Deripaska, was accused of meddling

BCGI's representative, Vladimir Permyakov and Union leader, Lincoln Lewis with elections in that North American country, BCGI was busy in Guyana, stockpiling the material.

Today, the declaration of BCGI and its relations to Rusal are under the spotlight.

The company is under fire for terminating the employment of 61 employees over the weekend, following strike action rejecting an arbitrary one percent raise.

Rusal warned the employees to return to work last week, giving them hours. However, the miners, mechanics and equipment operators refused, and within hours were ordered to leave the Berbice operations.

Many of the workers were living on site.

BCGI's management next ordered its kitchen staffers to stop cooking. The workers started cooking for themselves and stayed put.

On Monday, 61 of them had their services terminated.

The Department of Labour is attempting to mediate the matter now, but Rusal refused to meet on Monday with the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers' Union

(GB&GWU), the recognized bargaining body.

Rather, the company had to be summoned, turning up on Tuesday in the company of Mohamed Akeel, a former Chief Labour Officer. They met the government officials.

The strike action and termination of staffers come almost a decade after the same company fired 57 workers for similar actions.

That matter has never been resolved.

According to General Secretary of the union, Lincoln Lewis, from his investigations the company

has been 'getting away with murder' and not treated like normal companies in Guyana.

Rather, over the years, BCGI has not declared dividends and on some occasions did not even file tax returns, in keeping with the laws of Guyana.

Lewis believes that the company deliberately hides its profits, practicing what is known as transfer pricing.

This is when sister companies sell to each other, but uses accounting systems which mask the lower costs of doing business. Lewis said that company is selling

to its own plants.

C o n s e c u t i v e governments failed to properly monitor the situation and there are reasons for this.

According to the union leader, what both governments have not done is have on board people who, over the years, understand the industry, Recently, there appeared to be attempts to change the situation, with the appointment of Lance Carberry as a director of BCGI's Board of Directors. “What we have not been d o i n g i s monitoring‌dealing with Rusal as a company like every other company and every other business,â€? Lewis asserted.

Asked why he believes the BCGI appears not to be taken seriously by Government despite workers' rights being under threat, Lewis said that there is some thinking that politicians buy in to the notion that the private sector has been the engine of growth, and that they should not be questioned.

Responding to questions as to what happens if the company decides to shut its doors, the union leader warned that the freedom that was fought for by foreparents should be honoured and not easily sacrificed. He said that if the slaves did not fight slavery, their children would have been slaves. The same holds (continued on page 15)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The minibus code of conduct Now there is a minibus code of conduct. The people responsible for this development are due a word of praise and a round of applause for their thinking and actions to get to this point. It represents a long overdue and muchneeded start; a new and positive one that should benefit travellers and all road users.

News coverage of the code of conduct makes for a good read and good listening. Hope flows. This is good news all around, and with more in the report that noted some drivers have already exhibited their support through donning the recommended uniform. So far, so good.

Already some of the areas outlined in the newly unveiled code of conduct identify those matters of the most serious concern to road users. There is something speaking to quality of commute: loud and offensive music, vulgar language, and harassment in any form. The elderly, the challenged, the differently oriented, and the younger ladies should be pleased, and especially as it relates to that aspect about harassment. Too much of that, and too frequently has become the norm, almost a culture by itself.

Seems like it could be a road of respect, courtesy, professionalism, and safety.

There is something about safety, as no code of conduct for drivers would be complete or worth its salt without input and standards in this area. There is provision for addressing safety concerns with a focus on such sensitive things as overloading and speeding. These should offer some relief for the weak of heart and weak of spirit, who are compelled to submit to what has become the order of the day and the dangerous roadway.

Speeding alone covers a whole lot of territory: overtaking, pedestrian crossings, traffic light infractions, and the vulnerable and slower in the way and usually ignored. This is all good news and should bring some warming relief to disgusted and imperiled passengers, pedestrians, and all those other persons who form a significant segment of the national transportation network and statistics.

The sensible and conservative, the fearful and reserved, most likely welcome these developments and now sit back and wait to observe how matters will unfold in the weeks and months ahead. In other words, how much of a difference this very commendable code of conduct will make, and the response from the travelling public. The code looks good on paper, and is appealing to the ear and heart. The issues will be with implementation, reception, and consistency. The follow-through efforts to make things happen through change.

As is well known by now to most citizens, this country does have a large library of praiseworthy policies and procedures that address many needs in many areas of endeavour. For the most part, there has been little material issue with good intentions and what is finalized on paper.

On the other hand, there always seems to be gaps, stumbles and, to some not inconsiderable extent, failures by way of commitment and determination to implement and enforce all the way to the end.

The challenge, also very familiar to watchful citizens, is to power past vested interests, settled ways of conducting self and doing business, and the associated resistances of a society long accustomed to having its own way and to hell with everyone else, be it government or individual. Too many times, relationships and friendships intrude negatively on what begins as the positive and possible, what is missing and what is constructive. The will must be there to overcome the anticipated holdouts and violators that are sure to follow.

This minibus code of conduct is constructive and calls for continuous oversight and enhancing, as more is learned and adjustments have to be made. The code should be welcomed, if only for attempting to introduce some sanity into daily life. Now it must come alive, so that all can drive.

And also walk, and can get from here to there (wherever that may be) safely.

CRITICISING THE COALITION

DEAR EDITOR, I am closely monitoring the political situation in Guyana. As you all are aware, we have combined in the diaspora to ensure the AFC was relegated to ANOTHER FAILURE CONFIRMED (AFC) due to the Executives dishonesty on the President’s unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chairman.

Very soon, you will see the colours of their shirts and blazers will be changed from yellow to green and they will all be engrossed in the boiling pot of the PNC, as it’s their only way of survival. The

PNC is using the PM and the Minister of Public Security to do its dirty work and they both have no other option.

We have followed very closely since this new Government came to power in May 2015. Rather than carrying out its basic responsibilities and duties like maintenance of law and order, protection of lives and properties, promote democracy and social justice, provision/promotion of social welfare services, promotion of economic development, protection of human rights, provide employment

opportunities etc., the Government instead wasted tens of millions of dollars investigating senior members of the previous government.

All of the court cases on those forensic audits so far fell apart. One of the impending charges is that of the current PPP/C Presidential Candidate for under value of house lots given out.

What about those tens of thousands house lots given out to Low Income Families for $50,000? Aren’t those undervalued too? Therefore, he should also be charged for those additional tens of

thousands of Low Income House lots.

The current administration has promised the young people an opportunity to “live the life”, yet the government has created no employment opportunities for the young people. You have to be a retiree and have some past military background before this current government hires you.

In the majority of government offices, retired military personnel are strategically placed within.

The PNC recently went to Linden and promised to create Continued on page 6

Bharrat Jagdeo, Irfaan Ali and the PPP are threats to the public interests DEAR EDITOR, Chapter three section 40 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana guarantees every Guyanese is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, ignorance and want.

But as it was when he was President and the PPP/C in government, Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP today are still threats to the public interest in Guyana. The Opposition Leader’s recent intimidations of public servants, threats to public officials including the Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and contractors who sign contracts with the state is a demonstration that any future PPP government with Mr. Jagdeo in the shadows as the boogeyman is a clear and present danger for every Guyanese.

In modern democracies any court would judge that Mr. Jagdeo knowingly made statements that “(were) not

the result of mistake, duress, or coercion” and that any “reasonable person” would regard them as threatening.

Immense discrimination, curtailment of civil liberties, imprisonment, statesponsored attacks on citizens who dared challenged the PPP, and even death to the citizen was the hallmark of the PPP regime led by Mr. Jagdeo.

The 400 murdered and executed men and women during the PPP’s dark days are only the tip of the iceberg of the PPP’s rule.

Thousands more were fired from their jobs for speaking up; a teenager locked up for showing dissent to the President’s motorcade; an indigenous citizen threatened with violence by former President Ramotar; a former first lady mentally and emotionally abused by the man who was supposed to protect her; scores of citizens including sugar workers – their own base - shot and attacked by

the police; a female citizen threatened to be stripped in public by a Minister; another Minister walking into the NCN studios and banning the expression of free speech in a calypso; CN Sharma harassed for representing the views of the poor and Mark Benschop jailed for advocating for vulnerable people. These are only a few examples.

As a single parent, my mother struggled to raise three children and contemplated aligning herself with the PPP/C just to ensure we had access to opportunities for a better life.

But she was told that she had to be on the front lines of any protest when called upon to do so.

Wisdom prevailed and she decided against mortgaging her children’s future to the PPP. Later on in my professional life, I had to leave the employ of the government for fear of becoming corrupted because

of the refusal by senior officials to sponsor me for job specific training when I was handling hundreds millions of dollars in transactions.

I then had my own employment outside of the government threatened by the PPP because of my facebook opinions about policy positions of the then government. So, I too have been a victim of the PPP’s discrimination and threats.

Irfaan Ali, Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP must not be given the opportunity to continue the physical, physiological, emotional and structural violence on the citizens of Guyana we endured under their previous rule.

Mr. Jagdeo’s recent series of threats are clear and present red flags that any future PPP/ C government will be brutal to Guyana and its citizens’ interests.

Yours Sincerely, Independent Guyanese Millennial

Bauxite workers need your solidarity, your support DEAR EDITOR, Workers employed at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) need your solidarity.

We particularly need your moral support and voice raised in support of the struggle and condemnation of RUSAL/ BCGI and all those who lend them their support, directly or indirectly, covertly or by silence, in their violation against the Constitution and Laws of Guyana and transgression against your brothers and sisters in Aroaima and Kwakwani. In this matter, silence is no longer an option that we must accept.

BCGI is jointly owned by the Government of Guyana and Russia Aluminum (RUSAL) in a 9:1 ratio favouring RUSAL. The presumptuous of RUSAL’s

actions and the greatest concern is that what is done

by RUSAL is done by the Government and has been done since 2009 under successive Government and Opposition, save and expect the Opposition of Robert Corbin who fought the Parliament and stood in solidarity on the streets with workers to bring pressure on the Bharrat Jagdeo government.

The Guyana Constitution, Article 147, protects the right to freedom of association, collective bargaining and strike action. Section 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act mandates engagement between management and trade union on the workers’ behalf.

This is not an option for RUSAL/BCGI to determine whether to uphold or not to

uphold. These laws of Guyana that shape and determine our sovereignty must be protected by the Government of Guyana.

Violation of these laws by BCGI constitutes frontal attacks of Guyana’s most vulnerable, our sovereignty (laws). It insults the Government with whom it is in partnership with by taking advantage of weaknesses, real or perceived.

Further, the actions of BCGI stand in direct contravention of corporate ethics and obligations. As Guyanese, we of the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) urge you to embrace the tenet of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. where he said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of

mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”

The facts of our grievances in brief are: on Monday 18th management dismissed 61 workers for daring to exercise their rights under the Constitution of Guyana. This follows their callous action of 2009 when 57 workers were dismissed without due process for similarly exercising their right to reject the imposition of wages.

The current struggle escalated after strike action commenced on Friday February 15 when management ordered the 120+ plus workers and their families who live in the resident compound (Mapletown) to vacate the premises, and sought to ensure this by providing transportation.

Continued on page 6

Thursday February 21, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Calling for the President Anil Nandlall is being sacrificed at the altar of PPP expediency to resign is lawless DEAR EDITOR, In 2015, the people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana voted and elected the Coalition with thirty four (34) places and the opposition PPPC with thirty-two places in a new government. A Parliament convened on the proportional representation of those electors, one being selected previously to be President with the remainder thirty-three to sit in Parliament for the Coalition and thirty two for the opposition PPPC. The election result is PARAMOUNT from that time.

On 21 December 2018, Guyana experienced the passage of a No Confidence Motion with a thirty-two members’ votes for the Coalition and thirty-three for the opposition PPPC. This presumably tipped the balance in favour of the opposition and was assented. However, what essentially occurred was a mathematical conundrum and therein Democracy failed.

Mathematics is both rational and logical and through it one learns that there is a less than (represented by the symbol <), an equal to (represented by the symbol =) and a greater than (represented by the symbol >) Previously, I wrote that the election result is PARAMOUNT and should only be overruled by a majority vote by the representatives in Parliament. Take note here that the majority from the election is not thirtythree (33) but thirty-four (34)! Therefore, a majority of thirty three on the no confidence motion is less than thirty-four or (33 < 34); a majority of thirty-four representatives voting in favour of the no confidence motion is equal

to the thirty-four of the elected representatives from the elections or (34 = 34) and only if thirtyfive (the least amount for a majority), thirtysix or a higher number of representatives voted in favour of a no confidence motion in the Parliament can the no confidence motion pass by a majority because thirty five is greater than thirty four or (35 > 34). The people’s representatives can overrule the elections!

I further write that the conduct of the representative who “crossed the floor” was dishonourable. He should have tendered his resignation if he disagreed with the performance of his colleagues and was unable to have any “listening ears” to his complaints!

Today’s example of British Labour representatives resigning from the Labour Party on BBC news is a case on point. There should be stiff penalties for the behavior of this dishonourable individual!

Also, too many Guyanese and the opposition leader, suffer from mathematical disingenuousness. Further, the opposition leader and his cohorts display lawless, wanton and irresponsible behaviour in requesting the President resign when it has been clearly stated that the government is seeking redress through the Courts.

They show disdain for true democratic processes and their trying to destabilize by whatever means the security and viability of the country should be treated with zero tolerance and the full effect of the Law! Regards, Jane McGibbon

ON THE EVENT OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DEAR EDITOR, Throughout the world, February saw the celebration of a New Year by Chinese people in China and overseas. The New Year is the prime time for us to reflect on the success and failures of the previous year, and it should be noted that there were many events that served to deepen and develop the relationship between Guyana and China in 2018.

The most notable was a visit by Foreign Minister of China, Mr. Wang Yi. The visit by such a high level leader like Foreign Minister Wang Yi can only indicate that China considers the relationship with

Guyana to be strong and stable enough to warrant cooperation on a higher level than seen in previous years.

This visit ultimately saw two agreements signed by the Government of Guyana and China in the areas of technology and economics on September 22.

Considering the stable growth rate of China’s economy at 6.6% (2018), having this partnership with a major country that is willing and ready to work together with Guyana towards development is no doubt invaluable.

The year 2018 also saw a record setting Continued on page 6

DEAR EDITOR, As uncertainty mounts and the constitutional deadline for new elections nears, many PPP hardliners and supporters are still trying to recover from the disbelief and shock that their views and freedom to choose a leader were hijacked by a few in the party.

Many scenarios are being flirted with the hope that a sensible reason might emerge to explain how and why Irfaan Ali was handed the presidential candidate over more learned, competent and deserving candidates, particularly Anil Nandlall.

One particular theory that is gaining ground among dissenters is that the PPP needs Anil Nandlall to keep them out of jail. True or false, this theory does have some logic to it. Recall that anytime Mr. Nandlall steps into a court room, the outcome for his clients is an almost certain victory.

Mr. Nandlall a wellrespected professional with unmatched command of the law has proven himself many times over beginning with his appointment as the Attorney General in 2011 under the Ramotar administration.

Simply put, Nandlall is an excellent lawyer who always delivers results, so much so that, in recent times, it has become a spectacle when the current AG, Basil Williams will go up against Nandlall with an all but familiar outcome.

With such an excellent reputation and winner, why would the PPP side line

Nandlall instead of putting him at the helm to fight with the same determination and valour for all of Guyana? After all, this is the man who fought to save funding for education, healthcare and social security for thousands of Guyanese whose livelihood were at the mercy of APNU and AFC while they were in the opposition.

The answer is subtle and requires basic arithmetic and reasoning to understand. Mr. Nandlall provides expert legal services to the PPP, largely for free. A large proportion of PPP central committee members, over the last few years, are riddled with charges of fraud and corruption based on public court records.

The cost of legal representation provided by Mr. Nandlall to the PPP and members of the central committee over the years based on market rates is estimated to be north of a hundred million dollars.

Supporting Mr. Nandlall’s bid for the presidency would necessarily mean that the party highfliers would have to risk jail or fork out millions to pay for their legal defence.

If the reward for Mr. Nandlall’s endowment in the party and success as a lawyer is suppression of his growth and aspiration, why should he continue to pour into the party? I can almost hear the immediate response, “Well we need to look at the big picture; the PPP is the only party that can save Guyanese from the disastrous APNUAFC Coalition, and Mr. Nandlall needs to keep the

PPP out of their legal troubles and possibly jail”.

In essence, Nandlall needs to keep the PPP out of legal hell so that ordinary Guyanese can have a better life. But this argument defies logic, is flawed, and a lossloss situation. Did Mr. Nandlall shoot himself in the foot by defending his party ‘comrades’ and keeping them out of jail?

Guyanese at large are not benefitting or likely to benefit from this arrangement. In fact, it is costing us a good leader, a man with the dignity, respect and integrity to lead Guyana to prosperous future.

Mr. Nandlall’s millions continue to lose compensation, time away from his family, while spending his intellectual capital, resources that he could have otherwise used to fight for the people of Guyana.

The final and perhaps most important question here for Guyanese, is if the PPP leaders can level such a judgment against a man who poured so much into the part and to whom many on the central committee owe so much to, what would they do to all of us who have nothing to give except our vote but desperately need a leader to look out for us?

Vishal Singh

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Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

They distorted the reason for the Rupununi outreach DEAR EDITOR, Permit me space to respond to the devious letter by Dr. Asquith Rose and Sasenarine Singh regarding the successful outreach in Rupununi by the Coalition government. The two sought to dull the efforts of the government to bring more services to, in my view, the already over cared for Hinterland communities.

According to reports, several Government officials went to the Rupununi to meet with residents from various communities. Based on reports, this is a usual thing for Ministries or their agents to continuously engage Hinterland communities.

But Dr. Asquith Rose and Sasenarine Singh claimed that the government went to those communities given the political climate and the possibility of elections. I would like to say this is far from the truth, for the simple fact that the Hinterland communities have always had great attention from this government.

I have read so many articles where it seems that this government goes out of its way to serve the Hinterland communities to the point where the writers even claimed that “the people will take their goodies and then deal

with them condignly at the ballot box. It was done before and it shall be done again.”

Why then claim that it is because of the possibility of elections that the government is now going to the Hinterland communities?

The writers claim that the “PNC/AFC” is using taxpayers’ money for campaigning.

When the government budgeted billions of dollars for hinterland communities and rolled out numerous projects, that some of us on the coast, especially in impoverished communities are still begging for, was it not taxpayers money then, why are the writers so conveniently saying now that it is campaigning and the apparent misuse of taxpayers’ money?

Should these very writers review this government’s budgets and the various aid going to Hinterland communities, they would notice that Hinterland peoples are one of the most cared for, if not the most cared for in this country.

It is therefore a nasty and divisive act to claim that this government is only now looking after the Hinterland communities, when in fact the PPP has done almost nothing to build these people. They have always given handouts to the Hinterland and treated them as second class citizens with the only power

Bauxite workers need your solidarity...

From page 4 Management has also withdrawn kitchen services for those who live off site but are roomed when on shift to work. These acts are not only disrespectful and draconian in nature they constitute violation of the right to collective bargaining and the workers’ conditions of employment.

In essence, RUSAL/BCGI is belittling the People of Guyana, the workers of Guyana, our brothers and sisters in Kwakawani and Aroaima.

The Union, on behalf of aggrieved workers and their families, asks of the citizens of Guyana and all who possess the will and strength to help us in this struggle, irrespective of creed, ethnicity, geographical location or association, to stand in solidarity with us, as we demand from this Government and Opposition strident support and intervention to end the disrespect.

We ask that you share our story, wide and far, in every media space, social and otherwise

to sensitise those around the world, particularly in countries where RUSAL has corporate interests or can be influenced.

GB&GWU is a small union, in a small developing country, coming up against a large predatory conglomerate (RUSAL) whose actions and that of its principal actors are not without international concern for the dubious nature of its corporate and other behaviours.

To our Government and Opposition, under whose noses these transgressions have been occurring, we say in the words of the renowned trade unionist and politician, Lech Wa³êsa: “The sole and basic source of our strength is the solidarity of workers, peasants and the intelligentsia, the solidarity of the nation, the solidarity of people who seek to live in dignity, truth, and in harmony with their conscience.”

We need every available understanding and support.

Thank you, Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary

From page 5 480 students enrolling at the Confucius Institute at the University of Guyana with the goal of learning Chinese Language and being exposed to Chinese cultural activities.

Students today are the leaders and policy makers of tomorrow. It can only be considered good that the future leaders of Guyana have a deep understanding of China’s policies and strategies for engagement with large countries and smaller countries like Guyana.

The year 2018 also saw the return from China of two second lieutenants of the GDF whose multiple academic degrees and aviation training in China were accompanied by passing the highest level mandarin language proficiency tests that could possibly be taken by non-native speakers of Chinese Language.

The return from China of several doctors, engineers and other professionals together with multiple visits to China by Guyana’s public servants and members of society from varying backgrounds serve as indicators that China as an academic destination is popular and desirable.

Major infrastructural projects like the CJIA Expansion via China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) and the East Coast Widening and Enhancement Project via China Railway First Group Company Limited made strides to completion while the critical but

complex Sheriff Street Mandela Avenue Road Enhancement project commenced under the efforts of Sinohydro Corporation.

The construction of new facilities at the Pegasus Hotel also saw a start in 2018 under the efforts of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

Guyana’s offshore oil finds are no doubt spectacular to behold, but it must not be forgotten that our nation’s transportation infrastructure must continue to improve in order to support the increased economic activity due to the oil finds.

Looking towards 2019, I expect that China will play an increasingly important role on the global stage and with this guarantee. It is my hope that mutually beneficial co-operation between Guyana and China continues.

It is my hope that by tending to the relationship between China and Guyana carefully, the leaders of Guyana are able to bring our beloved country to a higher level of development. Please permit me to extend to the Chinese community in Guyana, the Guyanese community in China and to everyone else, A Happy and Truly Prosperous Chinese New Year.

Justin Gomes, International Relations Student University of Guyana

being voting power.

When the Coalition government removed these handouts and sought to have the Hinterland become economically viable and to have them actually earn their space in Guyana’s economy, the PPP claimed that the government did not care for the Amerindians and did all they could to turn them against the Coalition while insinuating that they should be given handouts and cared for like children because they are Guyana’s First Peoples.

I take offence to this letter because for someone who supports this government, I can say truly that true supporters of the Coalition government are still wanting.

It is just upsetting that that immoral, heartless, sellout Charrandass through his cold vote in Parliament will cause those who have suffered so much under the PPP to wait even longer to get redress as he has cut the term of his own government short.

Peter Joseph

THE ESSEQUIBO IRONY OF BHARRAT JAGDEO DEAR EDITOR, Opposition Leader, Bharat Jagdeo, has expressed his concern about the lawfulness of the armed forces following orders of the Coalition Government after March 21, 2019, when the government allegedly becomes illegal.

Mr. Jagdeo sought to make clear that he was not trying to incite disobedience among members of the armed force to avoid any claim of seditious activity.

But his position is in sharp contrast to the harm done to the standing and viability of the armed forces by successive PPP/C governments.

From 1992 to 2015, the allocation to the military hovered around 1.2 % of the total budget. The use of outdated equipment became regular and necessary. The forces were rendered incapable of their security mandate including the protection of the country’s borders, waterways, and skies.

With better weaponry, criminal gangs with impunity engaged in cross border narcotic transactions, money laundering, and massive smuggling. They also killed hundreds to further their nefarious schemes.

In one notorious case, sophisticated spy equipment, which was seized by the police from associates of drug kingpin, Roger Khan, was returned to them on the express instruction of a PPP/C government minister. It is noteworthy that the equipment could only be imported into Guyana with the approval of the government and that it was not so

imported for the armed forces.

For the 2019 budget, there has been almost 67% increase from the previous year. President Granger has stated that some of this money will be used to acquire drones, light aircraft, and inland patrol boats.

The PPP/C has consistently criticized these forces labeling them as supporters of the PNC, and not as protectors of Guyanese.

The country, however, under the visionary leadership of President Forbes Burnham was able to preserve its territory in the New River Triangle against a belligerent Suriname, and also stayed intact by putting down a secessionist movement in Rupununi, by using a properly trained and equipped military.

Many Guyanese should be justifiable concerned about whether a Jagdeo-led PPP/ C government (Irfaan Ali is but a glimmering youthful sideshow) understands the magnitude of the security needs of the country, and is then willing to assign the requisite monetary resources.

The recent history of the PPP/C’s governance and its continuing suspicion of the armed forces provide no assurance that the Party does.

Thus, Mr. Jagdeo’s expressed concern for the posture of the military after March 21 is an irony of Essequibo proportions given his demonstrated disdain, neglect, and degradation of this essential institution of a modern functioning society.

Yours faithfully, Derrick Arjune

THE COALITION On the event of The Chinese... CRITICISING From page 4 announce elections within its and update voters’ lists. employment by building a call centre – they did not say who or what the contract will be about, maybe another promise to fool the young people or a white elephant.

The Minister of “Forensic Audits” exposed his intellectual ability on several of his public pronouncements and statements; one that stands out is his interpretation on National Television of the No Confidence Motion (NCM), this country cannot have a better national comedian.

The performance of this current government since May 2015 indicated that they never had a vision for governance, a vision for the people, a vision for economic and social development.

Based on their style of governance, it would appear; they never expected to win that election.

With the passing of the now infamous NCM, the government is failing to

legal time frame as required by the Constitution of Guyana. President Granger had defied all odds on the three lists submitted by the Opposition Leader and unilaterally appointed an octogenarian whom he deemed is “Fit and Proper”.

This learned judge, based on his resume, possessed decades of judicial experience including that of Chief Justice (hope not slip of the pen!), and should therefore be cognizant of the fact of the impending constitutional crisis facing the country where the citizens will be the ultimate losers.

Unless this time he indicated it’s the “slip of his age” that resulted in the delays. GECOM should at all times be elections ready, as it’s an on-going funded institution and not wait until four years elapsed after the last elections to carry out house to house registration

Measures should be put in place to penalize or even jail persons who hold such sensitive positions so they cannot take any political sides and I do hope they will have the age and energy to withstand the jail term.

However, in the interim, elections should be called as the current voters list is valid.

Lastly, a young lady was charged for the bomb threat.

Was she made a scapegoat?

What about the person who shot Brian O’Toole?

I have known Brian O’Toole for many decades – we used to live in the same village on West Demerara. He or his family would not harm a fly. We need the Minister Ramjattan or Commissioner of Police to give the public an update on this incident.

Yours sincerely, Laurence O. Williams, FCCA, CPA, CGA, MBA Toronto, Ontario.

Canada

Thursday February 21, 2019

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

Collective response needed to arrest RUSAL’s threat to sovereignty - GTUC “A threat to sovereignty” is how the conduct of the management of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated [BCGI] has been described by President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress [GTUC], Ms. Coretta McDonald.

BCGI, which is controlled

by Russian Aluminium [RUSAL], has been found guilty of actions which McDonald said can be chalked up to blatant contempt towards high officials and institutions of government.

It is the view of the GTUC, McDonald said, that while the role of RUSAL as an investor in the country’s bauxite industry warrants full recognition, the status of an investor does not entitle the company to ride roughshod over the laws of Guyana and the rights of the Guyanese people. The Russian managers at BCGI, she added, have repeatedly overstepped their mark and a juncture has been reached where a robust collective response from the relevant institutions and the people of Guyana is warranted.

McDonald in a fierce statement yesterday said, “Nowhere is that more clearly reflected than in the repeated refusal of the company to respond to summonses by the Ministry of Social Protection to engage on matters pertaining to the rights of the company’s workers and the responsibilities of its management.”

“That indeed, was the case in the instance of last Monday’s meeting. Rather

than sit around the negotiating table BCGI’s Russian management simply applied their accustomed draconian and heavy-handed approach by dismissing 61 workers,” McDonald chided.

According to McDonald, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union [GB&GWU], the trade union representing BCGI workers, learnt on Monday that the workers were summarily fired, after exercising their democratic right to take strike action in protest over a ‘pay increase’ imposition that had not been preceded by any negotiating exercise.

“That kind of arbitrary high-handedness underpinned by the total and complete exclusion of the GB&GWU from the negotiating process has always been an integral part of the management style of BCGI’s Russian management,” McDonald said.

She continued, “While the GTUC primary concern at this time is that the dismissed workers be restored to their jobs, immediately, without loss of pay and that the company be required, as obtains under the Laws of Guyana to recognize and engage the GB&GWU, we are no less concerned over the historic persistence of the Government of Guyana with its ‘policy’ of leaden-footed indifference to the sustained arrogance and abusiveness of the Russian management of the BCGI.” She moreover asserted that since BCGI’s operations in Guyana has been spread

over political administrations led by both the current APNU+AFC coalition and the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic [PPP/C], “We believe that both of these must accept responsibility for the prevailing status quo”.

She pointed out that despite political differences, the company’s Russian management and RUSAL as a whole, must be left under no illusions regarding the unified nature of the struggle to bring an end to tyranny.

“One might add that the struggle to push back against the tyranny of the RUSAL managers at BCGI is not a partisan political struggle, but a struggle for the dignity and sovereignty of our country against an oppressor,” the GTUC President added.

“RUSAL, we need to remind ourselves, has a significant stake in the country’s bauxite industry. That stake, however, does not extend to the sovereignty of Guyana,” McDonald added.

In , she went on to note that over the years, successive political administrations have sat on their hands continually, indifferent to the various and repeated in-

GTUC President, Coretta McDonald stances in which the BCGI’s management have trampled on the rights of the workers and laughed in the face of government, as if defying the administration to respond to its audacity.

Accordingly, McDonald said some actions must be taken immediately in response to the recent arbitrary and illegal dismissal of the employees.

These, she said, must include, among other things, robust and unambiguous public statements from both the government of the day

and the Opposition PPP/C, specifically condemning the dismissal of the striking workers and calling on the management of BCGI to respect the laws of Guyana with regard to trade union membership and the rights and entitlements appended thereto.

This, McDonald said, should be followed immediately by a meeting between government and the management of BCGI, to follow through on details surrounding their public call and the re-establishment of clear guidelines and understanding

of RUSAL/BCGI’s need for compliance with all of Guyana’s industrial laws and practices.

This is imperative, McDonald noted, if the company is to continue enjoying the goodwill of government and be at harmony with the Guyanese society. Details, she said, will also include: unconditional reinstatement of the dismissed workers; respecting the workers’ recognised Union of choice, following the instructions issued by the Department of Labour; respect the workers’ right to strike; the need to sit at the table to negotiate with the Union the Terms of Resumption which must include no break in service, no penalties or recriminations. Added to this, she indicated the immediate dispatch to the BCGI management of communication notifying them of an impending visit to the work site by a delegation comprising officials of the Ministries of Social Protection and Natural Resources, and the GB&GWU, to engage management and workers [including the dismissed workers] in meetings with a view to their reinstatement, and to the formal recognition of the GB&GWU as the union representing the BCGI workers.

PAGE 8

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

No-confidence motion cases…

AG’s filing errors cause delay in Appeal Court hearing - Judge advises him to do some “housekeeping” The hearing of an application for an interim stay of the Chief Justice’s ruling in the No-Confidence Motion cases was delayed after Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams was advised to do some “housekeeping” in relation to documents filed at the Court of Appeal.

The proceedings which were fixed for yesterday before Appellate Judge Rishi Persaud lasted for over an hour without the court even hearing the substantive matter, that is, a summons requesting an interim stay of the Chief Justice’s ruling in the No-Confidence Motion cases, and a Conservatory Order preserving the status quo ante that the President, Cabinet and all Ministers of the Government remain in office until the hearing and determination of the appeal in the matter herein.

There were glaring omissions in some of the documents.

For instance, in the matter of the AG vs. Christopher Ram, two Notices of Appeal (NOA) were filed by the Attorney General’s Chambers. The first was filed on February 5, predating another which was filed 10 days later, and also the summons But Williams made it clear that he is not aware that a second NOA was filed. According to him, he will deal with that, adding that, it is known that he can

“deal with anything”.

Justice Persaud labeled the first filedNOAas“deficient”sinceitwas missing the name of one of the parties involved, Leader of the OppositionBharratJagdeo,whowasnamed as an interested party by the Chief Justice.

According to the Judge, he will not proceed with hearing the mattersuntilthedocumentsarecorrected and re-filed by theAG, who insisted thatthecourtcouldpermitanamendmenttoincludethenameoftheparty that was omitted.

Justice Persaud repeatedly requested of Williams to withdraw the first NOA, as well as the summons. The Judge urged the AG, to then re-file the summons and have the affidavit in support resworn.

The Judge pointed out that he will not commence hearing until everything is properly filed since the matterswillultimatelyendattheCaribbeanCourtofJustice(CCJ).However,Williams did not agree and further maintained that the court can grant an amendment.

The AG said that he and his team came ready to present arguments, and as such, tried over and over to persuade the Judge to commence hearing the matters by allowing the amendment. However, Justice Persaud ruled that he does not have jurisdiction to permit such.

According to the Judge, “The NOA is defective and only

Appeal Court Judge Rishi Persaud

Attorney General Basil Williams

the full bench (three judges) has the right to correct, or authorize a correction.” But Williams desperately tried to sway the Judge into doing what he requested, in that, he began citing case laws, some of which he apparently could not remember at the time, but said were there.

After much back and forth, the Judge asked for the opinion of other lawyers including Anil Nandlall, who agreed with the judge that the summons has to be withdrawn and re-filed, and that the initial NOA has to also be withdrawn.

Nandlall asked that the summons be dismissed until the issue with the NOA is rectified.

Another lawyer said that he will abide by the court’s ruling on the issue.

In the matter of the Attorney General vs. House Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland, and another, the name of Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who was also named an interested party by the Chief Justice, was omitted from the NOA. And according to Williams, the omission of the names does not void the applications.

Nandlall pointed out that the names of Jagdeo and Harmon were added as parties at the High Court, and it is only right for their names to be included, if an appeal is to be heard.

Pressing more for the court to agree with him, Williams sought to remind Justice Persaud that he has vast powers and could grant an amendment, even as the Jude pointed out that he was merely abiding by the rules, which he did not make.

This caused the Attorney General to ask, “What has this court come to.” Nevertheless, the AG indicated that the Judge’s instructions were no difficult task for him to carry out, and that he will have the corrected documents filed today with the court.

Justice Persaud said that he was cognizance of the matters being of national importance, and as such, once his chambers receive the properly filed documents, a date in early next week will be set for hearing.

CHARACTERISTIC INCOMPETENCE Reacting to yesterday’s court hearing, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said it, “Wishes to condemn this characteristic incompetence of theAttorney General (Basil Williams) in matters of national importance, which coincidentally, is symptomatic of the ineptitude

across the entire spectrum of the Government”.

According to the PPP, the threemonth constitutional life of the government, since the passing of the No-Confidence Motion, is rapidly coming to an end.

“We are aware that the Records of Appeal, in all these matters, have been settled on Friday, the 15th day of February 2019, and therefore, these appeals are now ripe for hearing. In the circumstances, we call upon the Chancellor of the Judiciary to fix these appeals for hearing, immediately, rather than have precious judicial time and resources be expended on identifying and rectifying blunders in Applications for Stay of Execution.”

The PPP said that requests for an early hearing in these appeals have been made to the court via letters, as well as by Notices of Motions.

“We have also made an Application to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to fix an early date for the hearing and determination of our appeal pending in that Court, which was filed against the decision of the Guyana Court of Appeal, in relation to the appointment of Rtd. Justice James Patterson, as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

We will continue to accelerate all efforts possible to have that appeal heard earliest.”

Thursday February 21, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The law is not always about morality The Constitution of Guyana does not provide an enforceable right to strike.

This, despite the fact that for the past 50 years the country has been governed by parties which branded themselves as socialists and pro-workers’ political parties.

The Constitution does not provide for an enforceable right to strike.

And since Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher came to power almost forty years ago, the strike weapon has lost its efficacy worldwide, and not just in Guyana.

Workers therefore take strike action at their own risk.

The unions which represent these workers are weak and cannot provide strike relief.

And as the unions got weaker, the employers got stronger, to the extent that they can now more easily engage in unionbusting and union derecognition.

In such a work environment, the strike

weapon has to be employed carefully. Unless workers are assured that the entire workforce will be withdrawn or sufficient numbers to cause the workplace to be shutdown, they should be wary of proceeding on strike.

Unless there is solidarity among all the workers, it is suicidal for workers to proceed with strike action.

Unless all workers hold a common position and refuse to return to break ranks, those who strike will find themselves being made into sacrificial lambs.

More than sixty workers employed by the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) have had their services terminated after they took precipitate action in withdrawing their labour.

These workers are now on the breadline and their union cannot demonstrate any show of force, but has been reduced to begging for government intervention.

The vast majority of those who have been publicly commenting on the dismissal of these workers claim that the dismissals were wrong and unlawful. They, in the main, are demanding that the workers be reinstated and that the government put pressure on the BCGI to comply with Guyana’s labour laws. But they have not pointed out which labour laws were breached Guyana’s labour laws, drafted by our socialist parties, have a neo-liberal bias. For example, the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act obligates employers to pay dismissed workers their severance pay benefits. But those benefits are chicken feed – one week’s pay for each year of service up to five years; two weeks’ pay for each year of service between five to ten years and three weeks’ pay for every year up to fifteen years of service.

Dem boys seh ...

Dem traffic police and nuff others got assets to declare Couple years ago Jagdeo tell de world that Guyana got to prove that it is not a corrupt country. He seh that people talking how he government does thief and he gun prove that nobody in he government does thief.

That is how he create de Integrity Commission fuh check pun wha everybody got.

Ministahs and all dem big government officials got to declare dem assets.

But Jagdeo didn’t start this Integrity Commission till he build he mansion and own all dem odda property. That mean that when he start to declare he assets, he gun just write down “One mansion in Pradoville; one big property in Queenstown; shares in Sanata Textiles Limited” and things like that.

He don’t have to do wha some of dem who now hustling to get dem hands pun money in de system. That is how de Commission announce that SOCU, dem big ones in de police force and people like that got to declare dem assets.

Some of dem start declare dem assets, but dem hide dem thing that dem put in dem wife name, and dem mudda name and odda family name.

One man put some property in ee wife name and when de government change, she lef him and tek all dem things that he put in she name.

He get vex and he even start to plan to kill de woman until dem boys remind him that he gun end up in jail and he still wouldn’t get de property.

Dem have so much dishonesty that people sitting down and watching. Some of dem putting wha dem learn into action.

Dem boys see some people go to de cemetery fuh clean up dem mudda grave. Because dem come from farrin dem wear dem gold chain and things.

A youth man who see de people and he go inside de cemetery and stick dem up. He get ketch.

In court he tell de magistrate how he was planning to declare he assets to de Integrity Commission when de police arrest him.

De magistrate smile and tell him that she gun send him to a place wheh people don’t have regards fuh ass or assets.

Talk half and watch how you hiding you assets.

Guyana’s labour laws, adopted by our socialist and pro-worker parties, allow for workers to be dismissed for just cause or though the provision of notice. It does not deem dismissals resulting from wildcat strikes as constituting unfair dismissals. And under the common law, where someone is wrongfully dismissed, the courts cannot force an employer to rehire an employee which that employer does not wish to reemploy. The only exception is for those employers who enjoy statutory protection.

It is one thing therefore to take the moral high ground and demand that the dismissed bauxite workers be reinstated. But there is no legal limb on which the right to reinstatement can rest.

Workers therefore need to appreciate their legal rights before they take precipitate action. And they must not assume that they can simply walk-off the job and expect

not to be dismissed. Not anymore.

The bauxite workers of the BCGI withdrew their labour because they were not pleased with the salary increases they received.

These increases were imposed by their employers and were not negotiated by their union.

The BCGI says that it does not recognize the union.

And there is no court order compelling the company to do so. There also is no indication that in taking industrial action, the workers of the BCGI followed any grievance procedure. If you are going to call a strike, then a grievance procedure has to be followed. You cannot simply withdraw your labour.

No company operating in a country with neo-liberal labour laws is going to risk their profitability by being held to ransom by wildcat strikes. The BCGI may have acted harshly in dismissing those workers - that is a moral

call, and the law is not always about morality. The company is saying that the workers breached their contract of employment. In the sight of the company, this constitutes just cause.

Even if the workers want to assert an enforceable right to withdraw their labour, this has to be preceded by enforcing the grievance procedure, not by downing tools. This is not the pre-1970 era when such tactics would have worked.

The dismissed workers only hope is workers’ solidarity. Unless the remaining workers decide they will not work until their dismissed buddies are reinstated, I am afraid we will have more than sixty persons added to the breadline.

PAGE 10

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Rudy James: An immense appreciation One of my favourite Guyanese has died. The second nicest UG personality I have met in my twenty-six years as a lecturer at that institution has died. One of Guyana’s brilliant multi-racial citizens has died. One of the persons I could approach for any kind of assistance, material or otherwise, has died.

Law professor Rudolph James has passed away.

Guyana and the intellectual community have lost a good soul. I met Rudy

when I joined the teaching staff at UG in 1986. I went into UG with the personality I always possessed – argumentative, combative and willing to engage all and sundry over the things I believe were right.

I earned few friends with that kind of activism, but one was Rudy James.

When I was considered too aggressive and confrontational, Rudy was a pillar of support for me at UG. I can remember at one of the sessions of the weekly

meetings of the sub-committee of the Faculty Board under the deanship of Professor Ken Danns, the late Sybil Patterson, representing the Sociology Department, asked for a decision to discipline me.

I was the representative of the junior lecturers in the Social Sciences faculty at the meeting.

Rudy, with his usual aplomb, succinctly told the gathering there are much more people in the faculty that need to be disciplined than Freddie Kissoon. The room

was silent for a second. The faculty’s business continued as if the discipline issue was never raised. Rudy was head of the Department of Political Science and Law at the time, and I was a lecturer in the same department.

I hardly saw Rudy the past fifteen years. He was in and out of Guyana and UG, often having a commitment to Papua New Guinea.

The last time we met for serious conversation as two friends was long ago, in 2005, at the New Thriving Restaurant, when it was situated at the junction of Camp Street and Brickdam.

The violence in Buxton took up the greater part of our discussion.

He was African Guyanese, but had absolutely no positive feeling whatsoever for what was taking place in Buxton.

Whereas many African Guyanese saw the events in Buxton through anti-government lenses and viewed the situation there as pressure on the government of the day to end discrimination against African Guyanese, for Rudy, the gunmen were anything but politicized fighters.

Like Eusi Kwayana, David Hinds, Andaiye and Lincoln Lewis, his perspectives on Buxton were highly enlightened.

Rudy James was a tall,

imposing man, whose personality was what you can call a winnable won. I doubt any human working with Rudy ever had even a modicum of dislike for him. For me, he was Mr. UG. I have not met another UG academic, apart from of Sister Mary Noel Menezes, who was a more pleasant and loving person.

I never understood why he was not interested in a political profile. I would ask him many times, and with his imitable smile he would say.

‘Boy, politics in this country is something else.” He would not expand. He wrote one of the finest academic books ever to be written about Guyana. It is unfortunate that in the plethora of thoughts on the 1980 constitution, his book is seldom mentioned.

Co-authored with Professor Harold Lutchman, “Law and the Political Environment in Guyana” is a brilliant description and analysis of the 1980 constitution. What is absorbing about the text is a vivid portrayal of how the framers set out to deceive the Guyanese people in the composition of the document.

The book shows where one article allows a brake on presidential power then there would be another article that nullifies that restraint.

“What “Law and the Pol i t i c a l Environment in Guyana” sought to do was to expose the deception of the

Frederick Kissoon then President, Forbes Burnham, in preserving his hegemony through constitutional farce and engineering.

As Guyana is currently in the throes of a constitutional crisis, I would recommend a reading of this book. And it comes at a time when one of its brilliant authors has died, which makes its reading morally compulsory.

The book is out of print and I would be happy to loan it. Please call me at 614-5927 or fredkissoon@yahoo.com.

My wife knows how close Rudy and I were, and when she heard of his passing she exclaimed, “My God, so many people close to us are dying”. I am so sorry that my country and the University of Guyana could not have had more of Rudy over the past twenty years. He was a fine, admirable Guyanese that if you had met and interacted with him, you would have liked him immensely, as I did.

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

Police probe attempted Berbice teen gets three years for killing Skeldon taxi driver in 2016. break-in at GWI’s Chesney office A teenager who had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter at the Berbice High Court recently, was yesterday sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by Justice Brassington Reynolds. He will serve his sentence until his 20th birthday on January 5th, 2022.

A probation report indicated that the taxi driver whom the teen killed, Deonarine Laljit, was habitual in his taunts towards the teen about his sister.

The teen was represented

by Attorney-at-law Chandra Sohan. Attorney Mandel Moore prosecuted for the State. Laljit called “Baba” of Line Path, Corriverton, Berbice, was heading home to his wife when he was stabbed by the lad who was 14 at the time the crime was committed.

According to reports, the teenager was picked up by Laljit as a passenger along the Corriverton Public Road. The victim was allegedly stabbed in the vicinity of Baul Street, Line Path, Corriverton.

Upon stabbing Laljit, the lad who hails from No.69 Village, exited the car and tried to escape through the said street.

The injured man, in a

The GWI office at Chesney, Berbice Dead: Deonarine Laljit semi-conscious state, made his way to a house located a stone’s throw from where he was stabbed, where he collapsed The teen was later found in an abandoned house in the said village.

Kaieteur News had reported that the teenager claimed that the now dead taxi

driver constantly taunted him about his sister’s divorce and personal matters.

This, he told investigators, angered him, leading him to take matters into his own h a n d s .

Laljit was a father of two and the sole breadwinner for his home.

The office of the Guyana Water Inc., Chesney, Corentyne location suffered an attempted break and enter during the wee hours of yesterday. Reports suggest that the security guard attached to the location noticed an unidentifiable individual clad in black clothing in the compound adjacent to the office.

According to information received, the security officer’s attention was aroused at about 03:30 hours due to dogs barking in the area. The officer, according to reports, opted to make some checks where it was discovered that the windows on the western side of the

office were left ajar. It was observed that books and bags were scattered on the floor and checks at the back door, which is located on the southern side of the building, showed evidence of attempts to pry the door open.

In a statement on the situation, GWI confirmed the attempted break-in, which it said occurred at approximately 03:30 hours yesterday. According to the company, the security officer on duty reported to the state affairs to the GWI’s Region Six manager after which a report was made at the Albion Police Station.

An investigation is underway.

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

PAGE 13

Integrity Commission looks to widen list of officials declaring assets --- aims to include SARA, SOCU, high-ranking police officers

T

he Integrity Commission is seeking to widen the list of public officials who would be required to declare their assets.

Speaking at a press c o n f e r e n c e y e s t e r d a y, Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Doraisami told reporters that the agency is seeking to enlarge its schedule to include a number of other agencies and public officials. He said that the entity will be making recommendations to the Prime Minister to ensure that the list is expanded.

According to Doraisami, the new schedule will include the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Divisional Commanders, Assistant Commissioners, Traffic Chief and Crime Chief of each division.

Doraisami noted too that officials from State Assets Recovery Assets (SARA), the Special Organised Crime Unit, (SOCU) the Financial Intelligence Unit, (FIU) as well as staff of Commercial

Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Duraisami and Deeds registries will also be included in that list.

“These are people in positions who can be susceptible somehow to people approaching them, and we have heard all kinds of validations,” Doraisami added.

He explained further that the new list was initially left out of the schedule, since some of these organizations; SOCU, SARA and FIU were not in place, when the law

which guides the Commission was established.

Giving an update on the effectiveness of the Integrity Commission, the Chairman noted that a total of 590 public officials have submitted their declarations.

According to the official, the Commission has sent out over 1,000 forms for public officials to declare their assets.

He noted, nonetheless, that 716 public officials are still to make declarations.

“Some people don't want to take us seriously, but we are saying to public officers, it is in their interest to make these declarations,” the Chairman said.

According to the Integrity Commission Act, “If a public officer fails, without reasonable cause, to file a declaration with the Commission within the specified time or files an incomplete or false declaration, that person shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of $20,000 and to

imprisonment for a term of not less than six months or more than one year.”

Similar penalties apply to public officers who fail to comply with a request made by the Commission, or a tribunal.

W h e r e t h e o ff e n c e involves the non-disclosure by the public officer of property which should have been disclosed in the declaration, a Magistrate convicting the person shall order the public officer to make full disclosure of the property within a given time.

Failure to comply with the order of the Magistrate within a given time, the offence shall be deemed to be a continuing offence and the person shall be liable to a further fine of $10,000 for each day on which the offence continues.

As it relates to unaccounted wealth, the court will impose a fine equivalent to one and a half times the value of the property or pecuniary resource found to be in the possession of the public

'Smallie', 'Catty' not guilty of 'Mango Man' murder

A

fter several h o u r s o f deliberation, a 12-member mixed jury yesterday found convicted mass killer, Mark Royden Williams, also known as, 'Smallie' and Sherwin Nero, also known as, 'Catty', not guilty of the murder of businessman, Kumar Singh.

Williams and Nero were on trial for the murder of Singh, also known as, 'Mango Man' , which

occurred on August 30, 2017, in the county of Demerara.

They were both represented by Attorneys-atLaw Nigel Hughes and Ashley Henry, while State Counsel Tameika Clarke and Tiffini Lyken presented the case for the prosecution.

According to reports, Singh, 51, was shot after gunmen stormed his home at 51 Craig Milne, Cove and John, Mahaicony, East Coast

Sherwin Nero called 'Catty'

Demerara, terrorized and shot at his family members during the ordeal, before escaping on foot. Singh sustained several gunshot wounds and died while undergoing surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Though they were acquitted, both Williams and Nero remain imprisoned.

Williams is currently serving a death sentence for killing 12 persons, including police ranks, at Bartica in 2008.

As for Nero, he has another pending charge

Royden 'Smallie' Williams

against him.

The men were tried before Justice James BovellDrakes at the High Court in Georgetown.

officer.

Every person in public life who receives a gift worth more than $10,000 must declare it to the Commission stating the name and address of the donor, the description and approximate value of such gift and whether, in the opinion of the recipient, the gift is a personal gift or a

State gift.

Since its establishment a year ago, the Commission has published five lists naming public officials who have failed to declare their assets. The next list under consideration by the Commission includes officials of the Ministry of Finance and the judiciary.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Thursday February 21, 2019

Integrity Commission has no investigators - Chairman

T

he Integrity Commission lacks the skills needed to verify truth of declarations by public officials.

Alluding to its mandate, chairman of the Commission, Kumar Doraisami pointed to a need for investigative staff, who will aid in this regard.

He noted that while the Commission is required to be managed by a chairman and four supporting officials, the Commission currently employs two persons besides the Chairman.

The commission comprises Doraisami and his t w o s u p p o r t i n g Commissioners, Rosemary Benjamin-Noble and Rabindranauth Persaud.

They are assisted by the Secretary Amanda Jaisingh.

Speaking at a press conference held at Herdmanston Lodge y e s t e r d a y, D o r a i s a m i reiterated the issues

associated with the lack of adequate staff.

“We are all employed elsewhere and we try to meet as often as we can.

Sometimes, when someone is sick, we have to wait until that person recovers.

The work of the Commission is hampered.

We need staff, but we can't hire people without money,” he said.

Doraisami explained further that “At present the Commission needs approximately $88 M to cater for all its work—in case of eventualities including training, public awareness programmes and so on.”

“We have to cater for training and hiring investigative officers, so this money will have to be included in a supplementary budget.

We currently don't have any investigative officers.

We are trying to attain some persons with that expertise.

Once we have investigative

officers, we can go after the persons to properly verify their declarations are true,” Doraisami added, noting that at present the commission needs five investigators to effectively carry out its functions.

The chairman believes that, at present, there are persons who made declarations but failed to declare all that they should.

“We have to ensure that they comply fully with the law, and if they don't, then the next stage is what the law recommends, prosecution.

It is in their interest to make declarations and have us secure their integrity to some degree, because when members of the public see you putting up a big house, questions will follow, but if you make your declarations, your integrity is assured.”

Doraisami had previously underscored the need for additional manpower to assist the

Commission in the performance of its duties.

The Integrity Commission was established under the laws, which provide for every person who is in public life to make disclosures of their assets.

While the chairman noted that the declarations were coming in slowly, he stressed that the manpower is needed at the level of the Commission to ensure the

forms submitted are authentic.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, w i t h hundreds of public officers still to declare their assets to the Integrity Commission, there is the view that the penalties need to be strengthened.

Doraisami had previously told Kaieteur News that the newly installed members are examining the offences

section of the current legislation and will make their recommendations to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

“The Act came into force in 1997 and we are looking at the entire legislation to determine where we can strengthen. One of the areas is the penalties. We need to revisit those and toughen them where necessary,” Doraisami stated.

Convicted child rapist to be sentenced soon

E

rrol De Souza, who is said to be in his 40s, will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment on March 6, following his conviction by a jury for raping an underage girl. De Souza had been on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow for two counts of rape.

After summing up yesterday, the jury found him guilty on both counts.

Between January 1 and January 31, 2013, in the county of Essequibo, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 10-yearold girl.

Further, on May 3, 2014,

he engaged in sexual penetration with the same girl, who was now 11.

De Souza was represented by Attorney-atLaw Ravindra Mohabir, while the case for the State was presented by Prosecutors Liza Cave, Seeta Bishundial and Sarah Martin.

In the meantime, De Souza has been remanded to prison until the date fixed for sentencing when a probation report will also be tendered in court.

This trial was heard at the Sexual Offences courtroom at the High Court in Georgetown.

Errol De Souza

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Police Force using drone technology in crime fight - official suspects had fled into a bushy area.

The officers contacted

T

he Guyana Police Force has been q u i e t l y introducing drone technology into its crimefighting arsenal. An official says that drones were introduced last year.

“We have been using drones for about a year now.

It is a new technology and we are still in the learning stage. We don't have the amount that I think we should have. We need drones at every police station. We have the technical competence to train the ranks.”

According to the official, drones can be used in practically every aspect of police work. Asked if there will be cases anytime soon of police using drones to round up criminal gangs, the source said “if the opportunity arises, we could very well see that.”

He said that the use of drone technology would have given the joint services the “aerial advantage” to locate the gangs that were often hiding out in coastal

backlands during the crime wave. He also pointed out that drones were a much cheaper alternative to using a plane or other aircraft to conduct aerial surveillance.

Back in 2006, police had hired a plane in their bid to locate the hideout of ex-cop Neil Bovell, who had killed three people, and was abducting women and taking them into the Stanleytown, We s t B a n k D e m e r a r a backlands.

Recent reports out of Trinidad indicate that the T&T Police Service (TTPS) has been successfully using drones in their operations.

According to a Trinidad Express story, the police service's Special Operations Response Unit (SORT) used drone technology in the arrest of 20 persons and the seizure of firearms and quantities of ammunition and narcotics and a police jacket.

And a 2018 report stated that T&T police officers used a drone to capture two men who attempted to flee the scene of a shooting. The

Little or no dividends ...

From page 3 for indentured immigrants.

BCGI's representative, Vladimir Permyakov, and Akeel both insisted Tuesday that workers have benefited from Rusal, citing examples such as annual leave, bonuses, social packages, as well as subsidized electricity and cooking gas.

Permyakov dismissed Lewis' contentions of the transfer pricing, insisting the books of BCGI are clean.

The official said that BCGI's arrangement is a joint venture, with Rusal owning many aluminum plants, including in Ireland and Ukraine.

According to the official, it is a fact that Guyana's bauxite costs more to produce than elsewhere.

In fact, he claims, Guyana is producing at almost US$8 more than other companies in the

region.

The Rusal official also said that there are other spinoffs to consider, including the dredging of parts of the Berbice River and the hiring of Oldendorff Carriers, a German company that transports the bauxite for BCGI. Workers holed up in Region 10 operations have been cooking for themselves. A number of them blocked the Kwakwani roadway on Tuesday, with the police becoming involved.

A Russian delegation is expected to fly in to talk to Government, with a possibility of diffuse the situation.

BCGI and Rusal came under fire this week with the unions slamming the companies for terminating workers for exercising their rights to strike.

their colleagues in the TTPS's Air Support Unit, who came to the scene with

their drone referred to as “Dragonfly 3”. They launched the drone and

managed to pinpoint the suspects' location within minutes.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Thursday February 21, 2019

Chef cooks up robbery Man and wife charged were painting for using bar as brothel in cemetery - Victims relative's tomb

M

ario Walters, who claims to be a chef at a fast food establishment, was yesterday slapped with three charges of robbery under arms when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

The first charge alleges that on February 17, 2019, in Le Repentir Cemetery at Cemetery Road, Georgetown, while being in company of others and armed with a gun, Walters robbed Derrick Austin of jewellery, cash and other articles amounting to $240,000.

It was also alleged that the accused, on the same date and at the same location, in

Remanded: Mario Walters company of others and armed with a gun, robbed Elton David of $24,000 cash and a cell phone valued $7,000 a total of $31,000.

Finally, it was alleged that Walters also robbed Desiree Austin of two gold rings among other items all a total value of $51,500.

Walters, 19, from 'D' Field, Sophia, Georgetown, denied all the charges after they were read to him by Senior Magistrate Faith

McGusty.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman related the facts of the charge which stated that on the day in question the alleged victims were at the cemetery painting the tomb of a close relative.

The accused along with others approached the victims and held them at gunpoint.

They then relieved the persons of the articles mentioned in the charges and made good their escape.

A police report was later made.

Prosecutor Blackman objected to bail on the grounds of the nature of the offence, the penalties the offence attracts, and the fact that a dangerous weapon was used.

He also highlighted that the accused was positively identified by the victims on an identification parade by a tattoo he has.

Magistrate McGusty then upheld the submission made by the prosecutor and remanded Walters to prison.

He was instructed to return to court on March 6.

A

husband and his wife appeared yesterday before a city magistrate after being accused of using the hotel and bar that they operate, for brothel purposes.

Kamwattie Rambarran called 'Kama' and Dhanraj Rambarran called 'Jaman' stood in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts and denied the allegation made out against them after it was read by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The charge alleged that between January 1, 2019 and February 16, 2019 at Henrietta Village, Essequibo Coast, the defendants used La Cabana Hotel and Bar as a brothel while being the owners of or the persons in charge of the said establishment.

Attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva represented the accused. The attorney informed the court that the number one defendant Kamwattie is 53 years old.

He mentioned that she resides at Lot 132 Henrietta Village, Essequibo Coast and is the mother of five.

On the other hand, attorney DaSilva stated that

the number two defendant Dhanraj, is 58 years old and resides at the same address with his wife.

The attorney also mentioned that the two persons are the tenants of La Cabana Hotel and Bar. The business entity is allegedly owned by the sister of Dhanraj. In presenting these particulars, the attorney asked that reasonable bail be granted to his clients.

Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield had no objections to bail being granted to Dhanraj and his wife; however, he asked that if same is granted, conditions should be attached.

The facts of the charge indicated that on the day in question police ranks conducted a search at the location and during this exercise, five females were found, one of whom is under the age of 18.

The women, who were suspected of being victims of trafficking in persons, were questioned. Based on the information received from the women, the defendants were contacted, told of the allegation, cautioned and arrested.

Dhanraj, his wife, along with the women, were all taken to the Anna Regina police station.

Further investigation done by the police revealed that between September 1, 2018 and February 16, 2019, the defendants caused four of the victims to engage in prostitution, which they (defendants) benefitted from. The two accused also reportedly caused a 17-yearold to work at the same Hotel and Bar selling intoxicated liquor. With advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, the charge was recommended and instituted against the two defendants.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan granted bail to Dhanraj and Kamwattie to the tune of $10,000 each.

They are to report to the Anna Regina police station on the first three Fridays of every month and at Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters Trafficking in Person Unit on the last Friday of every month.

The matter was adjourned until February 27, and transferred to the Anna Regina Magistrate's Court.

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Early morning blaze guts LBI supermarket

A

n early morning fire of unknown origin at Lot 8 Kersaint Park, La Bonne Intention (LBI) Public Road, has left three Chinese nationals homeless, two of whom, a mother and child, have been hospitalized as a result of smoke inhalation.

Kaieteur News understands that the fire started just after 4:00 am yesterday and consumed the entire building. Three fire tenders battled to contain the blaze but were unable to save anything. At the time of the fire, a 30-year-old mother Hu Yue Hong 30, and her one year, eight month-old child, Lin Jun, were locked inside the building Hu Yue Hong's husband, Lin Liang, 35, was not at home at the time of the fire.

However, he was contacted and rushed home, where his family was trapped in the burning building. Liang, upon unlocking the grill, ventured into the smokefilled building to rescue the

two persons. They were trapped in the fully grilled supermarket and only Liang had keys to gain entry.

A security guard employed at a neighbouring building within the same compound was called upon to open the grill, but he indicated that he had no keys, forcing the woman and child to stay for a longer period in the burning structure.

Witnesses recalled loud, bomb-like sounds - believed to be gas bottles exploding coming from the building.

Nothing but the concrete and metal grill work was left when the blaze was extinguished. A number of vehicles were also damaged.

The fire was contained to one building.

The mother and child were rushed to the Balwant Singh Hospital. They were admitted and their conditions were deemed stable. Fires have been plaguing the East Coast recently. In less than a month there have been three that have completely

- Trapped mom, child rescued

The charred remains of what was the 'Moon Supermarket' at LBI destroyed homes. Two of these fires claimed lives, one of a toddler and the other a disabled woman.

Lives could have been lost in yesterday's fire, but rapid response from the Guyana Fire Service and the male who resided at the property, averted further disaster.

Investigations are continuing.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Guyana looking to India to help meet its 'safe medicines' demands “Only safe and effective medicines will be made available to Guyanese citizens.”

This was the assertion of public health officials as they engaged potential suppliers of pharmaceuticals to the local market.

The potential suppliers are from India and the move to embrace this level of collaboration is a direct result of Guyana and India's mutual cooperation in health t o e n s u r e o n l y pharmaceuticals, drugs and medicines deemed safe by Guyanese authorities will be sold here.

This was the focus of a discussion between key representatives of the two countries recently.

A c c o r d i n g t o information released by the Public Health Ministry yesterday, on Tuesday Director of Pharmacy, Mr. Oneil Atkins, and Director of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department [GA-FDD], Mr. Marlan Cole, took the opportunity to outline the country's strict public health policies during a recent meeting.

The two-day meeting w a s h e l d w i t h representatives of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Board on the sidelines of the justconcluded Fourth International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices held in Bengaluru, India.

According to Atkins, the two countries have agreed to mutual cooperation “once the stated conditions are met.”

The Fourth International C o n f e r e n c e o n Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices was held under the theme 'Enabling Quality Affordable Healthcare'.

During the annual conference, Cole challenged the representatives to “do all in their power” to encourage manufacturers in India desiring a stake in the global drug market to ensure their products can withstand international scrutiny of reputable medicines reference authorities.

During the interview, Cole also outlined Guyana's

Mr. Oneil Atkins and Mr. Marlan Cole [second and third from left] in the presence of Indian officials at the 4th International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices held in Bengaluru, India. requirements for registration of medicines in the country.

Even as Atkins alluded to the fact that the Indian manufacturers seek to assure quality export products will

South R/veldt man accused of trafficking ganja

A

man who does importing and exporting of goods was yesterday granted bail on a charge for which he allegedly was found in possession of 627 grams of cannabis.

David Pricello of 261 South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty.

It was alleged that on February 18, 2019 at Lodge Housing Scheme, Pricello had 627 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The 34-year-old accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Asked to explain himself, Pricello stated that he went to the location to pick up his daughter who lives there with her mother.

“I went there, but she wasn't home, so I decided to wait.

Pricello went on to say that police ranks later showed up with a warrant to search for firearms and ammunition.

“They came and search, but I believe they didn't find anything in the yard but they found this bag outside with the ganja inside.”

According to the defendant, five persons were arrested along with him and taken into custody. “When we got to the station, the police took me separately and told me that I have to

take ownership of the bag.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail being granted to Pricello, based on the nature of the offence, the amount of the narcotic, the prevalence of the offence and the fact that the haversack was found on the defendant.

Moreover, the prosecutor also highlighted that the accused claimed ownership of the haversack as he was found sitting on it.

Despite the submission made by the prosecutor, Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty granted bail to the tune of $250,000 under the condition that Pricello lodge his passport.

The matter was adjourned until March 13.

be made available, he strongly advocated that other manufacturers follow their example.

Participants from some 30 countries including Russia, Kenya, the United Kingdom [UK], Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, along with drug regulators from 15 Indian states attended the conference which was organised by the Department

of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Government of India in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry [FICCI].

Some of the issues discussed included development of separate medical devices and overthe-counter [OTC] drug regulations; early decision

on implementation of trade margin rationalization and addressing the issue of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients [APIs] price escalation imported from China; incentivising innovations in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector, and greater transparency in the functioning of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority [NPPA].

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Thursday February 21, 2019

2019 Roadwork bidding continues at Tender Board Last Tuesday's session at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) saw tenders piling up for road works anticipated for 2019, since January's NPTAB opening.

Regional Democratic Council, Region 3 Supply and Delivery of One (1) New Closed Back Refrigerated Lorry

B idder Ministry of Public Infrastructure Lot 18 – Rehabilitation of Coldingen Road Network, Coldingen, ECD, Region 4 Lot 19 – Rehabilitation of Cane Grove Main Road, Mahaica, ECD, Region 4 Bidder

D anny's A uto Sales

12,600,000

Supply and Delivery of One (1) New Ambulance

B idder

Lot 19

68,080,860

RP Construction Agency

67,786,780

89,836,390

KP Thomas & Sons Contracting

71,890,200

80,728,450

Sherriaz Bacchus General Contractors

60,659,130

85,402,310

Romel Jagroop General Construction Services

63,501,380

91,876,600

Bardon Construction

66,109,840

93,081,500

-

A m ount ($)

M editron

Compustruc Engineering

Courtney Benn Construction Services Limited

S. Jagm ohan H ardw are Supplies & C onstruction Services 18,696,000

Amount ($) Lot 18

A m ount ($)

102,125,400

S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services 100,827,900

58,945,475

Colin Talbot Contracting Services

64,840,020

98,381,630

Defcon Construction & Contracting Services

69,070,364

101,570,660

15,500,000

S. Jagm ohan H ardw are Supplies & C onstruction Services 14,700,000 Rehabilitation of Nismes Old Road, WBD, 700 metres B idder

A m ount ($)

S& K C onstruction & C onsultancy Services & G eneral Supplies $28,494,963 JPM G eneral C onstruction & Engineering Services

26,526,596

Puran B rothers D isposal

29,108,887

X L Engineering

24,994,988

R am baran C onstruction Services

31,548,825

S. Jagm ohan H ardw are Supplies & C onstruction Services

34,120,800

Y . B hola C onstruction Services

25,567,775

M&B Construction

73,373,000

118,972,100

Handel Garnett Construction Firm

68,625,755

98,117,425

XL Engineering

59,621,840

102,036,800

PD C ontracting

33,494,475

GuyAmerica Construction

68,381,590

101,149,150

M K H aniff C onstruction Services

28,792,575

Associated Construction Services

67,147,222

93,883,456

E ngineer's E stim ate

29,999,970

BK International

53,990,360

82,602,450

Chung's Global Enterprise

93,141,000

115,183,000

H. Nauth & Sons

64,993,920

86,656,200

A&S General Contractors

56,400,100

Eron Lall Civil Engineering

68,492,920

97,703,300

KP Jagdeo General Contracting

61,549,310

89,152,975

Khemraj Nauth Construction Services

69,554,700

96,129,000

R&B Investment

67,564,800

101,497,100

B&J Civil Works

79,687,520

105,569,850

Surrey Paving & Aggregate, Ideal Engineering Services

68,952,230

88,689,090

CB General Contracting Services

80,227,180

Engineer's Estimate

70,285,150

-

Am ount ($)

S&K Construction & Consultancy Services & General Supplies 32,420,344 33,427,984

Extreme General Construction & Supplies

33,590,388

PD Contracting

36,654,837

R. Kissoon Contracting Services

40,009,169

Simcon Engineering Company

34,733,487

L&P Project M anagement

49,992,443

102,102,900

A. Nazir and Sons Contracting & General Supplies

44,630,522

103,176,600

BM L Architect Construction and Consultancy Services

45,449,000

Bhola Construction Services

34,047,458

M . Sukhai Contracting Services

33,939,199

LP Engineering

33,236,596

JPM General Construction & Engineering Services

41,240,139

Engineer's Estim ate

34,995,300

Am ount ($)

S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services 92,620,964 H. Nauth & Sons

92,202,500

Surrey Paving & Aggregate, Ideal Services

73,260,760

Industrial Fabrications

Bidder F&N Enterprise

Reconstruction of Riverstown 100ft Acrow Panel Bridge, Essequibo Coast, Region 2

Bidder

Construction of Bagotville Primary School, WBD

Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Supply and Delivery of One (1) New Canter Truck

-

M ohamed Ranzanalli Construction

103,589,900

BK International

71,561,000

S. M araj Contracting Services

99,475,384

Doodnauth Singh Construction Firm

66,767,600

KP Thomas & Sons Contracting

101,676,500

Engineer's Estim ate

114,621,000

Rehabilitation of Better Hope 30' Acrow Panel Railway Embankment Bridge, ECD, Region 4

B id d er

A m o u n t ($ )

S u rrey P av in g & A g g reg ate, Ideal E n g in eerin g S erv ices 1 9 ,8 5 9 ,2 5 0

B id d e r

A m o u n t ($ )

M a ric s & m Cp o a n y d.

Lt

1 2 ,0 2 6 ,4 4 3

M a s s y In d u s trie s

1 3 ,1 1 0 ,0 0 0

C a r C a re In d u s trie s

5 ,4 7 2 ,0 0 0

I d e a l A u t o I n c o r p o r a t e d7 , 9 8 0 , 0 0 0 B e h a rry A u to m o tiv e

1 1 ,6 9 9 ,5 0 3

Supply and Delivery of Tractors and other Implements Lot 1 – Tractor Lot 2 – Trailer Lot 3 – Plough Lot 4 – Harrow

B id d e r

A m o u n t ($ )

K P T h o m as & S o n s C o n tractin g

2 8 ,4 4 2 ,1 0 0

B K In tern atio n al

2 0 ,9 6 0 ,2 5 0

M a c h in e r y C o r p o r a tio n o f G u y a n a L im ite 1 5d,0 6 5 ,0 0 0

H . N au th & S o n s

1 9 ,1 8 9 ,0 0 0

G e n e r a l E q u ip m e n t G u y a n a L im ite d

1 8 ,2 1 0 ,0 0 0

F a r m S u p p lie s L im ite d

1 5 ,2 5 2 ,0 0 0

S . Jag m o h an H ard w are S u p p lies & C o n stru ctio n S erv2ices 8 ,2 2 7 ,4 9 6

M a s s y I n d u s tr ie s

2 0 ,3 6 0 ,0 0 0

E n g in eer's E stim a te

G u y b iz E s ta b lis h m e n t

2 2 ,2 4 2 ,0 0 0

In d u strial F ab ricatio n s

2 3 ,5 8 4 ,2 5 0

Thursday February 21, 2019

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Maldives court orders arrest of former president

MALE (Reuters) - A court in the Maldives ordered the arrest and detention on Monday of the former presid e n t , A b d u l l a Ya m e e n , on suspicion of money laundering.

Ya m e e n , w h o d r e w

the Indian Ocean island country closer to China during his rule, is accused of receiving $1 million of government money through a p r i v a t e c o m p a n y, S O F Private Limited, which has been implicated in

a corrupt deal to lease tropical islands for hotel development. He denies the allegations.

A f t e r a two-and-ahalf hour remand hearing on Monday, prosecutors sought a court order to detain the former presi-

Ulverston man sentenced to 20 years for knifing reputed wife to death

Forty-six year-old ex-Cane Harvester Winston Benjamin was yesterday jailed for 20 years

by Justice Brassington Reynolds after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter committed in 2016 on his wife Yansen Brush of Ulverston Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Prior to the sentencing at the Berbice High Court, Benjamin had asked that a probation report not be done on him and requested the court do what it felt was best.

The State was represented by Attorneyat-law Mandel Moore.

On October 18, 2016, Benjamin fatally stabbed the mother of his four children to death at a shop located a few lots away from their home at Ulverston Village. Benjamin entered the shop where Brush was making a purchase and they exchanged words, when Ben-

jamin whipped out a knife and plunged it several times into Brush.

The shop owner had told Kaieteur News then that she grabbed on to Benjamin through an opening in the shop counter in a bid to keep him from escaping, while a bleeding Yansen staggered to the side of the shop.

Benjamin managed to wriggle free from the other womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grasp with the weapon still in his possession and flee the scene.

Residents in the area had told this publication that Brush and Benjamin, who were not living together, shared a turbulent relationship. It was revealed that three weeks prior to the stabbing, Benjamin had threatened Brush with a cutlass after she refused to give him $2000. Benjamin had escaped into the Ulverston backdam after committing the act and was later captured by authorities.

dent. The court ruled t h a t Ya m e e n , w h o a p peared in person, should be taken into custody.

Preliminary hearings in his money-laundering trial are expected to begin this week.

The Maldives is due to hold a parliamentary election on April 6, with corruption likely to dominate campaigning.

O n F r i d a y, P r e s i d e n t Ibrahim Mohamed Solih suspended two government ministers over financial transactions conducted with SOF Private.

The scandal has implicated several other businessmen and politicians, all of whom deny wrongdoing.

Officials from SOF could not be reached for comment.

The state-run AntiCorruption Commission i n 2 0 1 6 f o u n d t h a t S O F, a company launched by former tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, was used to launder more than $92 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, the c o u n t r y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism board.

President Abdulla Yameen

PAGE 22

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

Man killed by falling log FOR RENT

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VACANCY General Domestic, must know to cook & salesperson, Apply Keyfoood McDoom EBD Vacancy for one shop attendant. Contact#691-7123 General Domestic with cooking experience for East Bank #614-4358 Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 6008457/683-8765 Lineman needed. tact#661-7777

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Sales Person @ Ark Enterprise/ The Container House. Apply in Person @ 17 Lombard Street, Knowlege of tools vital.

Professional hairdresser specialized in streaking, coloring, ombre, cutting, for further information contact# 652-5800 Professional makeup artist must specialize in manicure, pedicure, facials, nails, for further information contact# 652-5800

One cashier & one cleaner to work shift. Apply in person at Buddy’s Gym 137 Sheriff St #231-4104

Bond Clerk needed. Must have Police Clearance. For more info. Call: 223-0090

One Office Asst. Apply in person to R.P’s Enterprise, Area K Le Resouvenir ECD #220-3710

Counter attendants, Please apply to Dian’s Deli Barr & Alexander St, Kitty Contact #225-3700

One Farm Manager to work on Coconut Plantation in Pomeroon River. Experience in Farming. Contact# 226-9768/ 665-6082 Wanted experience drivers & porters for water business.

Call: 622-5428 Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt.

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Property for sale, 32 James St, Albouystown. #682-8236

LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/6912561

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Office clerk senior/junior.

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Call from Monday-Saturday between 8:15-4:15PM 2237500 Middle aged security guard to work at Private park in Houston. Call: 233-0654 8am to 5pm Hair stylist, Make-up artist, Facials, manicure, pedicure, body massage, gels and acrylic nails technicians #2250115

2 Storey Building @ Prime location in Georgetown. Ideal for business & residence. 89 Robb Street, Bourda. #44-208737-1598/ 225-8427/264-1130

General Domestic, Carpenter, Driver/Salesman Apply @ R. Sookraj & Sons 108 Regent Street

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Receptionist 24-50 233 South Road, Lacytown #225-0198 Male workers to work at Del Ice Company. Training provided. Call: 231-1408/6429191

Vacancy exist for (1) Manager to work at Hotel Purple Heart Restaurant & Bar on the Essequibo Coast #665-6082

A 54-year-old Amelia’s Ward, Linden resident died at around 10.45 hrs yesterday shortly after being struck by a falling log.

Police identified the victim as Andre Park, and stated that the incident occurred at Ping Logging Company, located at Old England, Wismar.

A release stated that an employee of the company was operating a log-loading machine when a large log slid from the contraption and struck Park.

He was rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body is at the Wismar Hospital Mortuary.

Grove labourer found dead The body of 32-year-old Rayon Angel was found at around 11.00 hrs yesterday at his Lot 343 Third Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara home.

Police said that Angel was lying face-upward in his bed and his remains were in an advanced stage of decomposition. There were no visible injuries.

A release stated that the victim was last seen alive at around 19.00 hrs on Monday by a friend whose home he had visited.

A relative told police that Angel and his reputed wife were having domestic issues and she moved out about six weeks ago.

The body is at the Lyken Funeral awaiting a postmortem.

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Thursday February 21, 2019

Trump says Alabama woman who Egypt executes nine over 2015 joined ISIS should not return to US killing of public prosecutor

CNN) President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to allow Hoda Muthana, an Alabama woman who left in November 2014 to join ISIS, to return to the United States — despite her recent public plea to come back and stand trial in America.

“I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!,” Trump tweeted.

Hours earlier, Pompeo declared that Muthana, who is detained in a Kurdish refugee camp, is not an American citizen.

“Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States. She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Muthana, now 24, was a college student when she traveled to Syria over four years ago to join ISIS — eventually marrying three fighters and calling for the killing of Americans on Twitter. In a series of interviews this week from a sprawling camp in northern Syria with her infant son, she expressed deep remorse.

“When I left to Syria I was a naive, angry, and arrogant young woman,” she said in a handwritten statement pro-

Hoda Muthana vided to CNN by a representative. “To say that I regret my past words, any pain that I caused my family and any concerns I would cause my country would be hard for me to really express properly.”

Hassan Shibly, a family representative for Muthana, denied that she was not a citizen, and called the move by the Trump administration to claim otherwise “very dangerous.”

According to Shibly, Muthana was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1994. *”The Trump administration continues its attempts to wrongfully strip citizens of their citizenship,” Shibly said in statement., “*Hoda Muthana had a valid US passport and is a citizen. She was born in Hackensack, NJ in October 1994, months after her father

stopped being diplomat,,” he added before later tweeting a picture of what he claimed is Muthana’s birth certificate, that appeared to confirm her place and date of birth.

Asked about Muthana’s case on Tuesday, State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino noted that “the situation of American citizens or possible American citizens in Syria is by definition extremely complicated and we’re looking into these cases to better understand the details.”

Palladino would not speak to the specific case, but said that in cases involving “American citizens or potential American citizens or alleged American citizens,” US policy “would be to repatriate them, and it’s what we call on all countries to do who have (foreign terrorist) fighters in Syria too.”

U.S. House Democrats move to block Trump’s emergency declaration on border WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to introduce a resolution on Friday to end President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on border security, according to aides to Representative Joaquin Castro. So far, 92 lawmakers have joined Castro in backing the legislation, which under House rules could advance within weeks to a debate by the full chamber, which is

controlled by Democrats.

Trump declared a national emergency last week in order to take money Congress had appropriated for other activities and use it to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump’s move came after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall this year.

Both the House and the Republican-led Senate could pass a resolution terminating the emergency by majority

vote. However, any such measure would then go to Trump, who would likely veto it. Overriding the veto would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

A coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California sued Trump and top members of his administration on Monday to block his decision to declare the emergency.

The lawsuit said Trump’s declaration was a misuse of presidential power.

(BBC) Egypt has executed nine men convicted of killing the country’s top public prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, in 2015. The men were among 28 sentenced to death for their alleged involvement in the car bomb attack that targeted Barakat’s convoy in the capital, Cairo.

Amnesty International said they were convicted after a grossly unfair trial marred by allegations of torture.

Their executions, the human rights group added, were “a testament to the magnitude of injustice in the country”.

Egyptian criminal courts have sentenced hundreds of people to death in cases stemming from alleged political violence since July 2013, when the military overthrew the country’s first democrati-

cally elected president, Mohammed Morsi.

The Court of Cassation has overturned many of the sentences, but 15 people have now been executed so far this year alone.

Three were convicted over the murder of a senior police officer in Cairo in 2013 and three others over the murder of a judge’s son in Mansoura in 2014. Amnesty International said their trials were also marred by torture allegations. The government blamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and Gaza-based Hamas movement for Barakat’s killing, although both denied they were involved. Several of the men hanged on Wednesday alleged that they were tortured by security personnel to get confessions.

One of them, Mahmoud al-Ahmadi, was filmed telling a judge at a hearing: “Give me an electric probe and I’ll make anyone confess to assassinating [the late President Anwar] Sadat.

“We have been electrocuted so much we could power Egypt for 20 years.”

Najia Bounaim of Amnesty International said in a statement: “By carrying out the executions of these nine men today Egypt has demonstrated an absolute disregard for the right to life.

“The international community must not stay silent over this surge in executions.

Egypt’s allies must take a clear stand by publicly condemning the authorities’ use of the death penalty, the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”

Independent Group: Three MPs quit Tory party to join Three Tory MPs have resigned from the party to join an independent group, set up by former Labour MPs. A n n a S o u b r y, S a r a h Wollaston and Heidi Allen wrote a joint letter to Theresa May to confirm their departure.

The three held a press conference, criticising the government for letting the “hard-line anti-EU awkward squad” take over the party.

The PM said she was “saddened”, but her party would “always offer... decent, moderate and patriotic politics”.

The pro-Remain trio will join the new Independent Group - made up of eight Labour MPs who resigned from their party over its handling of Brexit and antiSemitism - saying it represented “the centre ground of British politics”.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Soubry criticised Theresa May for being “in the grip” of the

Democratic Unionist Party and the pro-Leave European Research Group, and allowing Brexit to “define and shape” the Conservative Party.

She said: “The battle is over, the other side has won.

“The right wing, the hard-line anti-EU awkward squad that have destroyed every leader for the last 40 years are now running the Conservative Party from top to toe. They are the Conservative Party.”

Ms Wollaston said she felt “great sadness” at quitting the party, but said Mrs May “simply hasn’t delivered on the pledge she made on the steps of Downing Street to tackle the burning injustices in our society”.

And Ms Allen highlighted her concerns around poverty, as well as Brexit, saying: “I can no longer represent a government and a party who can’t open its eyes to the suffer-

ing endured by the most vulnerable in society - suffering which we have deepened whilst having the power to fix.”

The three MPs said they will support the government on areas such as the economy, security and improvements to public services, and Ms Soubry defended the record of the coalition government - including the “necessary” austerity measures taken by chancellor George Osborne.

But they felt “honour bound to put our constituents’ and country’s interests first” over Brexit.

Watched by the eight other members of The Independent Group on the front row at the press conference, Ms Allen said she was “excited” about the future, adding: “I want to be part of something better, a party that people vote for because they want to, not because they feel they have to.”

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Thursday February 21, 2019

Crisis in Venezuela could lead to Haiti PM says detained Americans a human trafficking problem for are ‘terrorists’ targeting government the region – government official ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada , CMC – The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Sally-Ann Bhagwan-Logie, believes the crisis in Venezuela is one that can lead to a human trafficking problem that will have an impact not just on Grenada but on the entire region.

“After all Venezuela is just over 500 miles from Grenada, this close proximity increases the likelihood of spillover effects from the ongoing crisis there and human trafficking maybe one of the problems that Caribbean countries will face,” she told participants attending a two workshop on the Impact of Human Trafficking. “This training workshop is quite timely, even the situ-

ation that now exists in Venezuela, its impact on the population of that country and the increasing population of persons fleeing to neighbouring countries for a better life,” said the Permanent Secretary.

She said the training is one of Government’s initiative geared at taking measures to safeguard the country from becoming a jurisdiction that facilitates or condones this dehumanising crime.

Bhagwan-Logie said that as a transnational crime,victims of Human Trafficking can become a problem without notice.

“It means that at any point the threat can materialise on our shores bringing us face to face with

the problem whether on a small scale or a large scale,” she said while explaining to the participants who are representing government departments and social development non-profit organisations, that at present the problem does not appear to exist in Grenada.

A baseline survey to find out the level or state of human trafficking was conducted in Grenada in 2018, however, the result is yet to be made public.

The workshop, which is aimed at educating and building the awareness of stakeholders about the signs and red flags alerts that can be linked both directly and indirectly to human trafficking.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) Haiti’s leader has accused eight men, including five Americans, of being “terrorists” on a mission to destabilize his government.

Prime Minister JeanHenry Ceant told CNN that the eight, who were arrested on Sunday, are “mercenaries” seeking “to target the executive branch of the government.” He did not offer any further information to support this allegation.

The claim comes as both Ceant and President Jovenel Moise face calls to resign by Haitians fed up with the country’s economic woes.

The country’s capital, Port-

au-Prince, has been rocked by two weeks of deadly protests, which began February 7. The detainees include five Americans, two other foreigners, and one Haitian, said Haiti’s Police Chief MichelAnge Gédéon. They were detained after being stopped during a routine traffic check.

Their cars had no license plates and they initially resisted offering identification, according to Haitian authorities.

The men have not been charged, but are currently being held for alleged possession of illegal weapons. They are expected to appear in court in Port-au-Prince this

week.

Haitian police say their cache of weapons included six pistols, six automatic rifles, two drones, five ballistic vests, three satellite phones, a telescope and several license plates. Automatic weapons are not permitted in Haiti.

“Today there is an investigation to determine how they came to the country, what is the mission they have and for whom they are working?” Gédéon told CNN. “If everything is normal, okay. If something is wrong we will find out.”

CNN was not permitted to speak to the men in detention.

Opposition leader wins passport case BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Dr.

Denzil Douglas on Wednesday scored a major victory in the passport case brought against him by the Attorney General when the court ruled in his favour. The government took . Douglas to court seeking a declaration to have him disqualified from being a member of the National Assembly on the grounds that he had contravened Section 28 1. (a) of the constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis. They also asked that if that declaration was made, that Dr. Douglas would have to vacate his seat in parliament and there should be an injunction that would bar him the national assembly and from carrying out any functions of an MP. Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan countered that Dr. Douglas never applied for or acquired citizenship for Dominica, nor had he sworn any oath of allegiance to that foreign power.

He further explained that in every instance where Dr. Douglas used the diplomatic passport to travel, he had put Kittitian as his nationality on all travel documents.

“I find that the defendant obtained the diplomatic passport solely as a gesture of political and professional courtesy ex-

tended to him in his capacity as former prime minister. I further hold that under Dominican law the voluntary act of acquiring and using a diplomatic passport by a non-citizen does not place the holder under an acknowledgment of allegiance, or adherence or obedience to Dominica within the meaning of Section 28 (1)(a) as this is not an act that manifests the conscious exercise of the defendant’s will, acknowledging the obligation of fidelity and obedience to the Commonwealth of Dominica,” the judge declared. Based on the ruling, Douglas won’t be barred from taking his seat on the National Assembly. Attorney General Vincent Byron said he was disappointed in the decision but will respect it.

In response, Douglas said the ruling was handed down “resoundingly in my favour.

His Lordship Justice Trevor Ward Q.C. has ruled specifically that a diplomatic passport issued to me by the Government of Dominica as professional courtesy does not in any way offend the constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis.

I feel a deep sense of vindication upon the judgment of the Court.”

Thursday February 21, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Raikkonen pushes Ferrari off Hamilton shrugs off the top of test timesheets Ferrari’s early testing pace BARCELONA (Reuters) Lewis Hamilton shrugged off Ferrari’s testing pace yesterday while recognising that he and Mercedes faced their toughest challenge yet as they seek to stretch their Formula One domination into a sixth successive season.

Ferrari, overall runners-up last year, have led the timesheets for the first two days of testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya and have also done plenty of laps with their new SF90 car.

Sebastian Vettel, the four times champion who is partnered by young Monegasque Charles Leclerc this year, said on Monday his Ferrari had been “close to perfection”.

Mercedes, winners of both titles for the past five years, have also been pounding out the mileage without setting any eyecatching times.

“They (Ferrari) have been looking great,” Hamilton, who will be chasing his sixth title, told reporters. “For us it’s been just digging deep, trying to understand the car, Pretty much the same as the beginning of every year.

“The Ferraris always look strong, particularly in the last few years they look very strong right at the beginning so it’s to be expected.”

Ferrari won the first two races of last year with a car that seemed quicker than the Mercedes but the champions came back strongly and Hamilton ended the year with 11 wins to Vettel’s tally of five.

NO WORRIES Last year Ferrari — who won six successive constructors’ titles between 1999 and 2004 — were fastest in testing but it was still Hamilton who put his Mercedes on pole position at the first race in Melbourne with a circuit record time.

“At the moment I don’t really hold any worry about anything,” said the 34-yearold Briton, who conceded that Ferrari did appear to have produced a better package than last season.

“I just try to focus on our job. I don’t know what everyone’s doing, there’s different fuel loads. I’ve been in this business a long time so I know how it goes over the first week and into the second.

Hamilton said the W10 Mercedes felt similar to last year ’s W09, despite aerodynamic rule changes, and he was in the best shape of his life physically.

“I’m here for round seven with the team,” he said. “This is going to be the most challenging year, I think, of our partnership.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton leaves the motor home during testing. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)

BARCELONA (Reuters) Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen produced the fastest lap so far in Formula One’s pre-season testing to push his previous team, Ferrari, off the top of the lunchtime leaderboard yesterday. It was the first time since testing started on Monday at the Circuit de Catalunya that Ferrari had not led at the end of a session.

The Finn, returning to the Swiss-based team previously known as Sauber, lapped with a best time of one minute 17.762 seconds on the softest, and fastest, C5 tyre compound.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, his team mate last season, was second fastest in 1:18.350.

Raikkonen’s lap was also the first time a team had gone faster in 2019 than they managed in last year’s preseason testing.

Champions Mercedes continued to keep their powder dry, with Finland’s Valtteri Bottas the slowest of

Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen in action during testing. (REUTERS/Albert Gea) the nine cars on track but doing more laps than anyone else — 88 to Vettel’s 80, both on the same medium C3 tyre.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg was third fastest in 1:18.800.

McLaren, whose performance has been encouraging over the first two days, missed the first two hours after what they described as “some overnight changes” to the car but managed to get Spaniard Carlos Sainz out for 27 laps

before lunch.

Williams continued to be absent from the track but were expected to appear in the afternoon after their muchdelayed car reached the track in the early hours after problems finishing building it on time.

British rookie George Russell was scheduled to drive the opening laps for the former champions who finished bottom of the constructors’ table in 2018.

Thursday February 21, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Efforts to clarify your position face delays or hurdles at each turn. It takes extra energy to get anything to stick in place today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Before you grow, you have to purge. Deep cleaning includes all the usually overlooked spaces, like a basement or attic.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You revel in the enigmatic crew you have assembled around you. In fact, the stranger your posse, the better.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Take a close look at the nuts and bolts of your hopes.

Transforming any idea into tangible results incurs costs, whether your own labor or actual building materials.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A helping hand arrives to ease the tension between home and work. You keep pouring so much of yourself into fulfilling everyone’s expectations; however, you feel as though you could snap in two.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Communication can be so tricky. You enunciate clearly, and yet your message still seems to come across garbled today.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your investigation into your financial landscape turns up some nebulous features.

You cannot begin to solve an enigma that you know nothing about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you pressure yourself too hard to be perfect, any instance of imperfection can weigh on your heart.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your wish to extend your services encounters a mixed response from others today. It is one thing to offer assistance.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your imagination revels in riches now. You visualize impossible worlds with such alacrity, your friends and family may no longer recognize you.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your professional efforts finally bear fruit. You reach a new level of selfsufficiency that may fend off your need to procure other forms of support.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your style is undergoing a significant transformation.

When you are fashioning a new look, you are the only authority that matters.

PAGE 28

Gayle hundred in vain as England...

Jason Roy brought up a 65-ball hundred ©Getty Images

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES C Gayle b Stokes 135 J Campbell c Moeen Ali b Woakes 30 +S Hope c Rashid b Stokes 64 S Hetmyer c Roy b Woakes 20 N Pooran c Roy b Rashid 0 D Bravo c Woakes b Rashid 40 *J Holder st Buttler b Rashid 16 C Brathwaite c wkp Buttler b Stokes 3 A Nurse not out 25 D Bishoo not out 9 Extras (b1, lb1, w15, nb1) 18 TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 360 Did not bat: O Thomas.

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-169, 3-229, 4-230, 5-294, 6-317, 7-322, 8-343.

From back page Chris Woakes (2-59) to Moeen Ali at deep midwicket in the ninth over with 38 runs on the board. Gayle then anchored the innings, first in a 131-run, second wicket stand with Hope, whose eighth ODI half-century included seven fours and a six.

Hope was the first to his half-century, reaching the mark off 48 balls in the 25th over as West Indies reached 132 for one at the halfway stage.

However, he perished in the 30th over, caught on the ropes at third man off a leading edge, trying to work one from seamer Ben Stokes (3-37) into the on side.

Gayle, meanwhile, started slowly before blossoming to pummel three fours and a dozen sixes. Dropped on nine by Roy off seamer Liam Plunkett in the 12th over, he reached his halfcentury off 76 deliveries before completing three figures at a run-a-ball in the 35th over, with a single to point off Woakes. He added a further 60 for the third wicket with Shimron Hetmyer who made 20, before putting on 64 with for the fifth wicket with Bravo who belted two fours and four sixes in a 30-ball cameo.

A tiring Gayle was eventually sixth out in the 47th over, playing on to Stokes, before Ashley Nurse arrived to lash an unbeaten 25 off eight balls to sustain the tempo at the death.

In reply, England were never in trouble, especially after Roy inspired a 91-run, opening stand off just 65 balls with Bairstow, who struck three fours. England were galloping along when Bairstow fell, top-edging a pull at Holder (2-63) to be caught at the wicket by Hope.

Any hopes the Windies had of turning the contest their way were then dashed as Root anchored two century stands to put the result beyond doubt. First, he put on 114 for the second wicket with Roy before adding 116 for the third wicket with Morgan, who stroked four fours and three sixes.

Roy fell in the 27th over, cutting legspinner Devendra Bishoo to Bravo at short third man and Morgan departed in the 43rd, driving speedster Oshane Thomas low to Holder at mid off.

Root reached his hundred off 96 balls in the penultimate over with a boundary off Holder to third man but then holed out to deep mid-wicket off the next ball with England needing a single run for victory.

Bowling: Woakes 10-0-59-2 (w2), Wood 7-0-49-0 (w5, nb1), Moeen Ali 10-085-0, Plunkett 6-0-54-0 (w4), Stokes 8-0-373 (w2), Rashid 9-0-74-3 (w2) ENGLAND J Roy c Bravo b Bishoo 123 J Bairstow c wkp Hope b Holder 34 J Root c Pooran b Holder 102 *E Morgan c Holder b Thomas 65 B Stokes not out 20 +J Buttler not out 4 Extras (lb3, w13) 16 TOTAL (4 wkts, 48.4 overs) 364

New soccer team gives hope to young cancer patients in Gaza GAZA (Reuters) Fourteen-year-old Moatasem al-Nabeeh suffers from a brain tumour. A new youth soccer team set up in Gaza for young Palestinian cancer patients has given him new hope.

“I am happier now, I play and I made new friends,” said al-Nabeeh. “They told us we can play, defy the disease and defeat it,” he added as he hit the pitch for push-ups in his bright yellow and blue uniform.

Champions Academy, one of Gaza’s biggest soccer schools, began setting up the team up five months ago and in February “Team Hope” kicked off. Its 18 players, aged between 12 and 17, have all been diagnosed with cancer, and compete against other, non-patient teams in the academy’s league.

“Like children anywhere in Gaza, or in the world, those boys have ambitions, they want to become footballers and we are trying to help them achieve that,” said Rajab Sarraj, CEO of Champions Academy.

Team Hope’s players are exempt from school fees and train for one hour per week, with doctors’ advice, Sarraj said.

Moatasem al-Nabeeh’s mother, Suheir al-Nabeeh, said the soccer team has transformed her son’s life.

“He was depressed and lonely all the time. He likes football and now he feels his life has value,” she said.

Gaza, a narrow coastal strip that borders Egypt and Israel, is home to about two million Palestinians. Poverty and unemployment in the enclave run high.

Struggling with shortages of medical equipment and medicine, Gaza’s hospitals are unable to provide proper care for cancer patients, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Moatasem Al-Nabeeh, 14, who is diagnosed with cancer, poses during an interview with Reuters at his home in Gaza City, February 12, 2019.

(REUTERS/Dylan Martinez) Khaled Thabet, chief oncologist at Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa, said most cancer patients need to be transferred to Israel, the West Bank or abroad in order to receive adequate medical treatment.

But Israel and Egypt keep tight control over their border crossings with Gaza, which is run by the Islamist Hamas group. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars over the past decade.

Patients need to apply for special permits from Israel to leave Gaza for treatment.

Israel, according to WHO, approved 75.6 percent of requests to exit Gaza for cancer treatment in 2018, an increase of 12 percent from 2017. Egypt has no restrictions on the travel of referred cancer patients from Gaza.

But such measures still fall short, Thabet said. “We

are talking about 1,800 to 1,900 new cases per year. The problem is that such an increase in cases isn’t met by an increase in treatment capabilities,” said Thabet.

On Tuesday, the U.Sbased the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) inaugurated a new department at Gaza’s Rantissi hospital dedicated to the treatment of children with cancer at the cost of $3.5 million.

Steve Sosebee, PCRF’s president, said the facility will afford full treatment for 80 percent of Gaza’s child patients, with the hope that eventually no child will need to travel to hospitals away from home.

“Until radiation therapy is permitted, until we can develop a bone marrow transplant department here, some kids do still have to travel outside for treatment,” Sosebee told Reuters.

ICC hands UAE-based coach ten-year ban for corruption

Did not bat: Moeen Ali, C Woakes, L Plunkett, A Rashid, M Wood.

Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-205, 3-321, 4-360.

Bowling: Bishoo 10-0-78-1, Thomas 9-072-1 (w4), Holder 9.4-0-63-2 (w3), Brathwaite 9-0-66-0 (w5), Nurse 10-0-69-0 (w1), Campbell 1-0-13-0.

Result: England won by six wickets.

Series: England lead five-match series 1-0.

Man-of-the-Match: Jason Roy. Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Paul Wilson, Leslie Reifer Jr; TV – Bruce Oxenford.

Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

Darren Bravo quickly found his stride ©Getty Images

(Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday it had banned United Arab Emirates-based coach Irfan Ansari from all cricket for 10 years after he was found guilty of corruption.

Cricket’s world governing body said Ansari, the coach of the One Stop Tourism and Multiplex team, had breached three counts of its Anti-Corruption Code.

“During the hearing, the Tribunal heard evidence that Ansari approached Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed during the Pakistan series with Sri Lanka in the UAE in October 2017 with a view to engaging him in corrupt conduct by soliciting information from him,” the ICC statement read.

ICC General Manager Alex Marshall thanked Sarfraz for showing “true leadership and professionalism from the moment he reported this approach.”

Marshall said Ansari had also failed to cooperate with the ICC investigation since being charged last May. “This is the first time we have prosecuted for failure to cooperate ... since the new rules enabling us to demand the participants hand over their phone for examination and the sanction reflects the seriousness of the offence,” he added.

“It is an important tool to aid our investigations and continue in our efforts to rid the sport of these corrupters.”

Thursday February 21, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Underdog capture World Cup ‘firsts’ still vivid GSSC dominoes title for West Indies hero Lloyd

Underdog skipper James Ramnarine (left) accepts the winning prize from GSSC Secretary Nazeer Mohamed in the presence of his team mates.

Underdog prevailed following a closely contested final when the Good Success Sports Club hosted a dominoes competition on Sunday last at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground.

Led by 17 games from James Ramnarine, 15 from Alex Chung and 14 from Mohamed Zafrul, Underdog chalked up 67 games to beat Allstar and V Net. Nazeer Mohamed top scored for All star with 17 games and shared two loves, while Khemraj Surujpaul, who shared one love, supported with 13 and Vijay Persaud 12.

Khalid Zaman marked 16 for V Net, while Manoj Ramadeen made 14 and shared one love and Mohamed Sheriffudeen contributed 13. Krishundat Hansraj of Underdog, Suraj Narine of V Net and Mohamed Kalam of All star were the love birds. Underdog received $30,000, while the most valuable player was Nazeer Mohamed.

Nazeer Mohamed (right) collects the MVP prize from Safraz Sheriffudeen.

FEDERER TO MAKE CLAY COURT RETURN AT MADRID OPEN (Reuters) - Roger Federer confirmed his participation for this year’s Madrid Open yesterday, marking his return to the European clay court season after two years away.

The 20-times Grand Slam champion has not played this year since his Australian Open round of 16 defeat by Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in January.

Federer, whose sole French Open title came in 2009, has preferred to skip the

European clay season over the last two seasons to manage his schedule.

The 37-year-old Swiss is the second most successful player at the Caja Magica behind Rafa Nadal, winning three titles in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

“Federer is one of the best players of all time, it’s no secret,” tournament director Feliciano Lopez said in a statement.

“We are happy because

his return to Madrid is a gift to the tournament, but above all the fans will be able to see a unique player in the Caja Magica. Having the Swiss player back on clay with Djokovic and Nadal is going to be unmissable.”

World number one Novak Djokovic and 11times French Open winner Nadal are also expected to feature at the Madrid Open, which will be played from May 3-12.

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The children playing cricket in the unlikely setting of London’s Trafalgar Square could have been forgiven for not knowing the identity of the grey-haired gentleman loping between the wickets.

Yet even wearing a heavy coat to guard against the chill of an English winter morning, the tall, bespectacled and slightly stooping figure of Clive Lloyd was still instantly recognisable to generations of cricket fans.

Lloyd was in London on Tuesday at an event marking 100 days until the start of the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

But unlike all the England cricketers past and present also involved, including Nasser Hussain, Graeme Swann, Alastair Cook and James Anderson, Lloyd knows what it is be a World Cup-winner, having led West Indies to victories in Lord’s finals in 1975 and 1979.

The 1975 edition, the inaugural men’s World Cup, saw West Indies captain Lloyd make a superb century during a 17-run win in the final against Australia.

“It was the first World Cup — they’ll never be another first —and having won it in front of a large West Indian contingent, it was quite exciting,” Lloyd told AFP. Modern batsmen are often expected to score at better than a run-a-ball in a one-day game. That wasn’t the case, however, in 1975 when field restrictions had yet to become part of limited-overs cricket.

Lloyd’s innings of 102 off 85 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes, in the final would have been eye-

Clive Lloyd catching enough in scoringrate terms alone.

But that he came in with West Indies having slumped to 50 for three after being sent into bat by Australia captain Ian Chappell and made a hundred against an attack featuring outstanding quicks Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, as well as left-arm swing bowler Gary Gilmour, made it all the more impressive.

Lloyd — dropped early on — received excellent support from veteran batsman Rohan Kanhai who, in his 40th year, got off the mark by driving the fearsomely fast Thomson off the back foot for four.

The pair shared a stand of 149 that helped West Indies to a total of 291 for eight in a then 60 overs, with Chappell later remarking that Lloyd “battered us from one side of Lord’s to the other”.

Lloyd’s recollection was, typically, rather more understated.

“I got a few runs — I think I got 102 — but the point is I got in there when we lost three quick wickets, so we were in a spot of bother.

“Rohan Kanhai and

Switzerland’s Roger Federer in action during the match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.

(REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo)

myself sort of rallied the situation and then we got to a pretty good score. We had a total that we can defend and we defended it quite well.

Although it was close in the end, we were always in the ascendancy.”

West Indies had to come through a qualifying event to reach this year’s World Cup. But they recently upset the odds to beat England 2-1 in a Test series and their 74year-old former captain believes they could cause a few upsets at the World Cup as well, especially if selfstyled “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle — a powerful lefthanded batsman in the Lloyd mould — finds his form.

“I think they can be quite a formidable side if they choose the right team,” said Lloyd ahead of the start of a five-match one-day series between the West Indies and World Cup favourites England in Barbados on Wednesday.

“We have some good one-day players and let’s hope Mr Gayle fires in more ways than one. I think they can do very well in this competition.”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday February 21, 2019

Dragon Stout ‘Dominoes in the Country’ starts Sunday It is dubbed ‘Dominoes in the Country’ by sponsors Dragon Stout and I-Cool Water and when double-six time is called this Sunday, twenty-seven of the best exponents of the sport will battle for prize monies in excess of $300,000, at Good Times Bar, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

Yesterday, during a simple launch on the West Demerara, Brand Coordinator of Dragon Stout Jamal Baird in response to the question of the brand’s motivation to get on board, said the primary stimulus was the support for sports at the grassroots level and when approached by the promoters there was no hesitation since it aligned with the vision of the Company which is to help promote activities at the

grassroots level.

He added that this is an initial collaboration with the promoter, but assured that the occasion also marks the start of an alliance that could see future support for the sport.

Proprietor of Good Times Sports Bar David Hunte in his remarks thanked the two brands for displaying confidence in the sport and more importantly for choosing to collaborate with the Bar to make the tournament possible.

He promised that the event, which is being coordinated by the experienced Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire, senior organizing secretary of the Georgetown Domino Association, will be executed with the discipline and success that any corporate

Former Guyanese boxer Lennox Beckles has died Reports emanating from Trinidad and Tobago, states that former Guyanese welterweight boxer Lennox Beckles has died in his adopted homeland.

Beckles was born in 1942-10-12 and made his debut in 1960-09-26. He had a record of: 62 fights, 43 wins, 16 losses, nine kayoes with two draws.

The legendary Beckles was not known for packing a big knockout punch, but was one of the most skillful Guyanese boxers of his day and even beyond. He fought the best during his career and was the first Guyanese boxer to ever be rated number one in the world.

Beckles during his career was able to beat the likes of Sandro Lopopolo, Johnny Cooke, Eddie Perkins and Johnny De Peiza. Such was his ability, Beckles is said to have given up 13 pounds to defeat Lionel Ifill in a middleweight contest on February 21, 1966, while he was rated the best from this country among all time greats in 1974.

The Guyanese boxing fraternity and his family will be in a state of mourning. Kaieteur Sports extends condolences to his family and friends at the passing of this legendary boxer.

From left Leroy Chilcott, Senior Organising Secretary of the GDA Mark Wiltshire, Dragon Stout Brand Coordinator Jamal Baird, David Hunte of Good Times Sports Bar and Anand Bharat of V and V Variety Store seen at yesterday’s briefing. partner would appreciate.

Wiltshire whose mandate it is to co-ordinate the tournament said they have a cutoff point of 27 teams and to date over 18 have confirmed participation with teams expected from all across the country.

Also making remarks was Anand Bharat of V and V Variety Store that will be offering the Most Valuable Player of the final cash incentive and trophy.

He spoke of how popular the sport is on the West Side and promised that the

tournament will be entertaining and exciting with the winning team difficult to choose.

Up for grabs is $175,000 and trophy for the winning team, while second and third place finishers will take home $75,000 and $30,000 along

with trophies respectively.

Double six time is 13:00hrs and the final is set for Wednesday, February 27, at the same venue.

Entrance fee is $10,000 per team.

Drinks and food will be on sale throughout the day.

Covent Garden and Bladen Hall lead latest Forbes Burnham Windball winners

Lennox Beckles

The Covent Garden Secondary School Team Action in the AL Sport & Tour Promotions Forbes Burnham Foundation National Sports Commission 28th Annual Easter Term Schools Overhand Windball Cricket Champions Trophy, being played at the National Gymnasium, continued with wins for several teams led by Covent Garden Boys and Bladen Hall girls.

In the East Coast Demerara Zone: Females Bladen Hall Mulilaterial School made 116-0, with Aaliyah Trotz 48, Vinita Balkishun 45. President’s College in reply were held at 81-2, Odessa Ramecindo made 38.

Annandale Secondary

School after been invited to take first strike made 127-1, Tamika Dennis hit 48. LBI Secondary in replay were restricted to 126-0, Avril Prashad made 68 and Delia Chandrashelhar 58.

For the Males - Bladen Hall Multilateral School sent in to bat scored 75-5.

Mahendra Singh took 2-9.

Annandale Secondary School replied with 76-0.

Chandrapaul Ramarj scored 56.

Beterverwagting Secondary School hit 99-4, with Antonio Singh hitting 52.

LBI Secondary School were held in check at 96-2, with Yogesh Debedin making 52 and Tamindra Singh 39.

President’s College scored 66-2. Annandale Secondary School replied with 68-1.

Over in the East Bank Demerara Zone: Male Camille’s Institute for Business & Science Studies recorded 104-1, with Alex Arinda 62 and John Pillay 30.

Region 1, responded with 64-4.

Semi Finals: Males Soesdyke Secondary School scored 102-0, Tyrell Henry 34, Kobe Robertson 30 and Covent Garden Secondary School replied with 107-4.

Zone Finals: Females Defending champions and last year 2nd place team Camille’s Institute for Business & Science Studies

recorded 101 - 1, with Stacy Flores 74 (11x6s) and Amecy Singh 28.

Soesdyke Secondary School 102-0 in reply as Ashanti Stephenson hit 48.

Zone Finals: Males Defending champions Camille’s Institute for Business & Science Studies 104 - 3. Ten Times Windball Champions Covent Garden Secondary then replied with 108-0, Jason Jwan hit 36.

Soesdyke Secondary School Female will play the winner of East Coast Female, while Covent Garden Secondary will face the ECD Male winner.

Programme organised by A. Munroe.

Thursday February 21, 2019

Choke Gas Station continues sponsorship of Starlet Cup in 2019

GMR&SC office Executive Desiree Lee collects the sponsorship for the Choke Starlet Cup. The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has secured sponsorship from Choke Gas station for the 2019 edition of the Starlet Cup. According to a release from the club, Choke, located on the East Coast of Demerara, has opted to sponsor the circuit races for the Starlet Cup for the entire year.

Choke’s representative Christopher Singh contended that he is impressed by what he has seen out of the sport for the last couple of years, hence his decision to come on board.

Meanwhile, the club stated, “We are elated to enter into a partnership with Choke Gas Station for the 2019 edition of the Starlet Cup.”

“We see it as a major plus for the sport, showing us that there are sponsors out there who are willing to invest in the sport thus allowing it to thrive.”

“We want to thank Choke for joining us as a partner for the 2019 season and look forward to them being a key partner moving forward.”

GMR&SC’s first National race of Champions for 2019 revs off on March 3rd at the South Dakota Circuit and will feature keen rivalry in six groups.

Apart from the Starlet Cup, there will be action in the Street and Sport Tuner classes, Groups 2, 3 and 4 as well as bikes.

Guyanese Johnson, D’ Andrade star in San Fernando 5k

Kelvin Johnson (c), Lionel D’ Andrade (L) and Kyle Younglao on the podium.

Guyanese Kelvin Johnson and Lionel D’Andrade turned in outstanding performances in the San Fernando 5K which was held on Saturday last in Trinidad and

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Kaieteur News

Tobago. Johnson won the event in 17 minutes 15 seconds, while D’Andrade placed second in 17:33. Kyle Younglao finished third in 17:43.

A total 523 athletes started the race.

GOA to fund Cuban Boxing Coach’s return

By Sean Devers Speaking at their spanking new Headquarters at Lilliendaal, East Coast, Demerara President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. Juman-Yassin informed that the GOA will stand all expenses, including accommodation and stipend, to facilitate the return of 51year-old Cuban Boxing Coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan.

Yassin, who in December 2016 was re-elected for his sixth consecutive term since he became the President in 1996, called out the NSC, the Government and Private sector to offer more support to not only Boxing but all Sporting Associations.

This is the second stint here for Roldan who was responsible for overseeing Boxers that represented Guyana at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, South American Youth Games, Pan Am Qualifiers and the Goodwill tournament that was hosted here.

The Coach was sent home three months after the APNU Government was elected in 2015 after working here for three years and three months as the Government cited lack of funds to pay Roldan.

Roldan, on his departure three years ago, had called on the new government to support the sport.

“We can bring the best coaches in the world here, but once there is no support, the discipline will suffer,” said the Spanish-speaking Coach.

“I am confident that the new government will do that.

We have the main thing which is talent but talent alone is not enough to win in this era,” he had added back then.

Now that he is back on South American soil, Roldan thanked the GOA and the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle for bringing him back to Guyana.

“I will work very, very hard and give my best to the Boxers here,” he said yesterday with a deep Spanish accent.

The GOA Head informed that last year he and Ninvalle had discussions on what could be done to help locals to qualify for International Championships and the GBA President noted that a good Coach was needed and recommended Roldan.

“I also felt that a highly qualified Coach was needed to help develop the local pugilists and we decided to

Juman-Yassin calls for support from NSC, GoG & Private Sector offset all of his expensive while he is here,” JumanYassin said. He explained that Roldan’s length of stay here would depend on the Boxers.

The Guyanese fighters will hope to be successful in Nicaragua where the Pan American Games qualifiers will take place in early April.

The Pan Am Games is scheduled for Peru in July.

The World Championships is before the 2020 Olympics which is set for July/August in Tokyo.

“If they qualify for the Olympics Coach Roldan will be here until 2020,” explained the GOA Boss.

John Douglas is the last Guyanese Boxer to qualify for the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in 1996, while Mike Parris (1980 in Moscow-Bronze) won Guyana’s only Olympic Medal.

“Winning an Olympic medal is not easy since it usually takes 10,000 Coaching hours to prepare for

an Olympic Medal and a camp will be needed to prepare for the Pan American Qualifiers and that is why the Government and Private Sector needs to support since the GOA and GBA can’t do it alone,” Juman Yassin added.

He also congratulated Ninvalle on his recent appointment as Chairman of AIBA’s Youth Commission.

Ninvalle informed that Roldan appointment is a good one since has the experience of spending a lot of time here and understands the Boxers and the culture.

“Roldan will hit the ground running since we have a meeting with the Technical Director Terrence Pool tonight (last night) and will start his work tomorrow (Today) very early,” the hard working Ninvalle concluded.

AIBA will confirm to Panam Sports, AMBC and NOCs the name of the athletes who have gained a qualification place by May 6th, 2019.

Jupat’s Pool tournament set for April 13th Yet another Pool tournament is on the cards with Jupat’s Restaurant and Bar set to host on April 13th at the 785 Section C location in Diamond.

The tournament will be part of the Diamond’s Village day celebrations and attractive prizes will be up for grabs.

The entrance fee is $2000, but the winner of the one day event will pocket $100,000, second $40,000, 3rd $20,000, 4th $10,000 while fifth place will receive a trophy.

The event will also have side attractions such as Arm Wrestling and a Dominoes competition.

For more information, persons can contact 216-6508 and 691-6365.

Lusignan SC Ram Slam T20 set for Sunday Lusignan Sports Club of East Coast Demerara will be hosting a T20 tournament dubbed ‘Ram Slam’ on Sunday starting at 09:00hrs. The competition has attracted four teams; Annandale, the host, Good Hope and Mon Repos.

Among the players set to be on show are Krishna Deosarran, Vishnu Ramjeet, Somnauth Bharat, Gavin Boodwah, Robin Williams and Shazam Ali. Prizes will be given to the outstanding performers and to fans for crowd catches, while there will be added attractions for the children. The event is aimed at developing cricket in the area and in the process keeping the youths meaningfully occupied.

Proceeds from the competition will be used to fund the club’s participation in various competitions. Fans are encouraged to support the event.

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Thursday February 21, 2019

Kaieteur News

MASH-UP Golf Invitational Tournament on this Saturday

Mrs. Devi Sunich presents one of the trophies to Haleem Hussain LGC President for Saturday’s activity.

This Saturday at 8:00am, Trophy Stall will present its “MASH-UP Golf Invitational Tournament” as they host their annual tournament in support of the Lusignan Golf Club’s (LGC) effort to reach an incredible milestone of 50 tournaments in a single year.

The tournament will feature the top Guyanese golfers in three categories who will compete for first and second place, Best Gross and Best Net overall and special prizes for Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin. Some of the nation’s top golfers will vie for the title including last week’s Net Champion Robert Hanoman, who shot the best round of his 50+ year golfing career with a net 63, the lowest score in competition golf so far this year.

With the early start, the players, friends, families and invitees will be able to enjoy the rest of the day with fun

activities, games, food and music as they join to celebrate the birthday of fellow member Jordi Pinol from Macorp.

The company (Trophy Stall) has partnered with the Lusignan Golf Club in many ways and has always delivered top quality products and world-class service. Managing Directors Ramesh and Devi Sunich are avid fans of the game of golf and follow the sport as it has grown in prominence over the past year.

“Golf has risen to a new level of prominence in Guyana and as part of our business we will continue to support the game. We expect that a full team will support our tournament as always,” Ramesh Sunich noted. In a handover ceremony at the company’s headquarters in South Road, Devi Sunich stated that the company wanted to show its commitment to the LGC and

Tonight’s match-ups are...

From page 33 Sean Taylor-23rd Game-2 Buxton Diamond-0 vs Ansa McAl-1 Own Goal-13th Game-3 Sophia-5 vs Broad Street-1 Sophia Scorers Dwayne McLennon-1st, 3rd and 17th Sherwin Charles-12th Shem Arthur-21st Broad Street Scorer Joel McGarrell-23rd Game-4 Tiger Bay-6 vs Showstoppers-2 Tiger Bay Scorers Deon Alfred-2nd, 18th and 23rd Alpha Fletchman-6th and 8th Keoma Gravesande-4th Showstoppers Scorers Dexroy Adams-1st Trayon Bobb-3rd

Game-5 Gold is Money-3 vs Melanie1 Gold is Money Scorers Randolph Wagner-4th Colin Nelson-8th Hubert Pedro-10th Melanie Scorer Rondell Assanah-6th Game-6 North Ruimveldt-0 vs Back Circle-2 Stephon McLean-10th Selwyn Williams-25th Game-7 Leopold Street-0 vs Future Stars-1 William Europe-12th Game-8 Sparta Boss-3 vs North East La Penitence-1 Sparta Scorers Ryan Hackett-7th and 22nd Jermain Junior-19th North East Scorer Keifer Brandt-16th

assist with the promotion of the game to the younger generation of golfers.

Trophy Stall now has four convenient locations to provide the highest quality sporting prizes and is conveniently located at Bourda Market, South Road and City Mall in Georgetown and their new location in Berbice. Trophy Stall is the provider of the highest quality trophies and printing services and has been a strong supporter of all types of sporting events in Guyana for many years.

The LGC has a packed calendar of events in 2019 and this will be the 7th tournament hosted this year, with more than 4 activities per month scheduled for the rest of the year. Major sponsors such as Macorp, Kissoon’s Furniture, Ansa Mcal, Banks DIH, Assuria General, Guyana Shorebase, Muneshwar ’s Travel, Maurice Solomon & Associates, Silica Sands, Panko Steel Construction and many others have already committed to sponsoring major tournaments.

The Club is available for weddings, corporate training/ retreats, summer camps for kids and many other activities.

Members of the public are encouraged to come out and enjoy the ambiance and tranquility of the ground along with great food and drinks are available every day of the week.

For more information on the Lusignan Golf Club, events and activities calendar, and how you can become a member of the LGC, visit their Facebook page, call 220-5660 or simply stop by for a tour of the facilities. For the highest quality in plaques, trophies and print services, Trophy Stall is conveniently located in Bourda Market or by calling 225-9230.

Jumbo Jet Triple Crown

Organisers implements new security measures, warns against animal abuse The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee’s Triple Crown’s first leg runs off this Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Port Mourant, Berbice, and according to chairman of the organising committee, Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr., he is implementing some new security measures at the track.

Almost 70 entries have been registered for Sunday’s meet and the additional security protocols are geared towards having a safe environment for the animals.

In an invited comment with this publication, Mohamed disclosed that horse owners will need to have their jockeys weighed before taking photos in the winners’ circle.

Mohamed further noted that, “Jockeys will be prohibited from hitting their horses while in the starting gate because we don’t want the abuse of animals to be continue.”

Every race will be run off on time and there will be no excuses, the organiser disclosed.

He further noted that he track is in good condition for Sunday’s meet and turfites can expect to be fully entertained with the overseas horses having already arrived in Guyana with a few surprise entries in the feature race.

Over $20million in cash and prizes will be up grabs over the three legs of the Triple Crown event with the second leg slated for March 24th at the Rising Sun, while the grand finale will be on Easter Sunday, April 21, at the Rising Sun, Port Mourant Turf Club.

Sunday’s feature race will attract a total prize purse amounting to almost $2million with the winner of that C Class and lower race pocketing $1million.

The winner of the three-year-old Guyana bred race will pocket $400,000, the F Class winner; $350,000, H Class; $300,000, I Class; $250,000, J class; $230,000, K Class; $220,000, L Class; $200,000, L Class and lower; $140,000.

MYO Inter Jamaat softball

De Jesus century, Edoo 7-wkt haul lead New Amsterdam to comfortable win

Keon De Jesus A fine century from Keon De Jesus along with a sevenwicket haul from Wahab Edoo crowned an exciting day of cricket on Sunday last at Muslim Youth Organisation ground where the 15 overs Inter-Jamaat softball Competition continued.

New Amsterdam won the toss decided to bat posting a challenging score of 199 for the loss of five wickets.

De Jesus struck nine fours and 12 sixes in a top score of 122 and Zahil Moakan contributed 16. Captain Safraz Ally picked up two wickets.

LBI found it tough in their pursuit and collapsed for 63 in 13 overs. Wahab Edoo

bagged 7-16 as New Amsterdam won the 136 runs.

New Amsterdam vs Diamond New Scheme New Amsterdam once again decided to bat first and made 103 for 7. De Jesus fine form continued as he struck 71; Ajay Kishan and Keisho Ramsarran picked up three wickets apiece for 19 and 25 runs respectively.

In reply, Farm struggled early on, but managed to secure a win with the loss of nine wickets. Rawl Reid scored 22 and Patrick Khan 18 as Safraz Kassim took 3 for 20 and Wahab Edoo 2 for 24.

New Mosque vs Tuschen

Wahab Edoo Train Station Masjid Tuchsen Train Station Masjid, fresh from their victory last week continued their winning ways against New Mosque.

Taking first strike, Tuschen Train Station Masjid made 129 for 9. Imtiaz Hack made 29 while Daniel Chunoo and Harry Singh contributed 22 each. Faizul Nazeem picked up 3 for 21.

New Mosque, in their reply fell short by 30 runs ending on 99-8. Rahim Ali scored 40 Abdullah Roberts 17; Pascal Hosie picked up three wickets while Ameer Azim had two and Arshad Azim one.