Wednesday February 08, 2017
SERIOUSLY RETHINK THE MASH ROUTE DEAR EDITOR; The idea to shift the MASH parade from its traditional route is not a sensible one when all that is involved is taken into consideration. The Church Street route captures a more natural active population view, that includes Bourda Market with its vendors and shoppers, populated cross streets with homes accustomed to the Mash day hang that they plan for, with overseas meets, and there is the wide open Merriman’s Mall where the cash strapped City Council earns income. There on the Mall hundreds of vendors are stalled out, dozens of carpenters pick up a raise putting together stalls for the day. Around the turn every gas station tarmac houses a party mood and the congestion of humanity consuming beverages and barbeque meats add to the day. This picnic party mood jumps Lamaha Street and it persists long after the last float had passed. There’s no
more viable combination than nationalism, stress relief and good commerce. What is going to replace this? A route from Stabroek tarmac up Brickdam? In the best of days Brickdam is easily recognised as an avenue of Government buildings that lack the humanity evident of a Regent Street to make a comparison, that tells you that Brickdam is “festival sterile,” why opt to sacrifice the selling of ‘MASH’ that the Church Street route has accomplished to an impressive level with its inclusion of groups that previously shied away from this festival and lose the show case appeal of the Camp Street junction and Newtown and Kitty audience’ both passing and stationery. I would urge Mr. Scantlebury to rethink this new route, the last Brickdam Jubilee Year route was dismal. Recharge the mood, this is not a cultural or political sacrifice that is necessary to be made now, however the ball is in your court. Barrington Braithwaite
Clarification needed from the Minister of safe operation of the Agriculture the Conservancy, preventing DEAR EDITOR; Delivering the feature address at the launching of the Cunha Canal Rehabilitation Project (CCRP) on Feb. 4, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder stated that the Cunha Canal located on the East Bank of Demerara is intended to serve two purposes. Firstly, to drain farmlands located in the villages of Kuru Kururu, Coverden, Pearl, Sarah Johanna and secondly, to relieve flood water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Demerara River. Unfortunately, rehabilitation of the derelict structures listed as the CCRP will be unable to provide drainage simultaneously for the above-listed villages and the EDWC, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall when the villages’ drainage channels and the EDWC are in flood modes. The Cunha Canal was designed to operate at high water level to relieving flood water from the EDWC into the Demerara River. Minister Holder was therefore correct when he stated, “The Cunha Canal is a key element to the operation of the EDWC,” as it is one of many drainage outlets critical for
floodwater overtopping its dam and damaging adjoining homesteads and farmlands. The Cunha Canal’s primary purpose is to assist in keeping water levels in the EDWC at pre-determined elevations to maintain assured water supply to users and prevent overtopping of the Conservancy Dam thus threatening its stability. It is inconceivable therefore that the Cunha Canal can provide gravity drainage for the EDWC and the villages which it encompasses simultaneously when the Conservancy and village drainage channels are all in flood modes which happen during periods of heavy rainfall. There are reasons to believe also that their bed slopes and levels (Canal and Channels) have different elevations which will adversely affect gravity water flows in the intended directions. Given the circumstances, it would be reassuring if Minister Holder could state clearly how the CCRP will make Mr. Nauth, Chairman of the NDC drainage ‘pipe’ dream becomes a reality for the residents and farmers of his constituency. Charles Sohan
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The APNU Coalition is determined to be a one-term Government DEAR EDITOR, I was a very vocal supporter for “change” in Guyana, which I saw as needed upon my return to my beloved land in 2010, as I saw it descend into a death spiral of anarchy and chaos for which I believed a continuance would lead to a point of no return. I believed in my fabric that the then PPP/ C govt. was the worst example of leadership and incompetence ever displayed in the region and as an admirer of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan saw the new party leadership as a betrayal of his legacy. For many of us it was a dream to see change in leadership, I always viewed extremely long periods of power by one political party as never a good thing for a country and Guyana saw numerous examples of this from the PNC and PPP. While I was optimistic for change and willing to give a coalition govt. a chance, despite my concerns of the same players reincarnated, I thought it was the best opportunity my country had. Fast forward 18 months, and I am convinced that this Coalition is determined to be one-term government and is practically laying out the red carpet for return to power for the disastrous Bharrat Jagdeo and company.
Starting with the 50 % catastrophic increase in salaries for Ministers for which the justification used was to “dissuade corruption” was the first sign that that not much had changed. In that short space of time the APNU Coalition has miraculously and unquestionably alienated its base of once ardent supporters including the many Indo-Guyanese supporters who were tired of the inept and corrupt PPP/C and wanted change as well. Today, every citizen is feeling the brunt of heavier taxes on every and all things under the sun, an ill-advised and possible corrupt parking meter system for Georgetown that is fraught with a number of issues and un-intended consequences. These include; fragile business community; significant reduction of small business investments; shrinkage of economy which we are continuously told was inflated because of the rampant drug trade that flourished under the PPP/C resulting in a surplus of dirty money circulating These and other complaints one will hear from the average citizen of every color in Guyana. Editor, each day that passes we see more
evidence that President Granger, while truly a decent and noble public servant is NOT the transformative leader hoped for and is leading a team of inept and out-of-touch people with some possibly corrupt Ministers. All of this, plus the broken promise of bringing to halls of justice the people who abused this country under the PPP/C for the past 22 years with Bharrat Jagdeo as the principle is now looking to be a non-reality and it is now my belief that the APNU does not want to create a precedent which may come back to haunt them if they themselves are questioned for accountability or abuse. So now, as I look around the world and we see example after example of great democracies shifting from one side to the other due to the voice of the disenfranchised and the forgotten proclaiming enough is enough. We now see the shocking and unpredicted exit of the UK from EU (famously coined BREXIT) to the arrival of Donald Trump and the theme is always the same...”when you forget the people, someone will eventually have to pay”. Editor, I must ask these questions — Are our leaders
looking at what is going on around them in the world? Are there any lessons to be learned? After 18 months I must conclude that our leaders do not have clue nor do they see the writing on the wall and we as Guyanese must decide if we can continue down this path. I beckon to all my fellow Guyanese that we MUST look at a future that does not include the PPP or PNC and perhaps decide that the time has come to change things r a d i c a l l y, a t i m e f o r a different political mindset, I believe in my heart that Guyana needs its own version of candidate Trump to harken in a new era in Guyanese politics, a leader that does what he says and takes no prisoners, one to shake up the establishment and cares less about being politically correct and loves his country and puts it first. This I believe is the direction our country needs to take and we must take or forever lose our country and rightful place in the league of exemplary nations for which we are truly capable. Editor, we MUST banish mediocre leadership and join the rest of the world that say NO to politicians and leadership who do not have your best interests at heart. Tony Persaud
The neo-liberal capitalist model is a total failure DEAR EDITOR, In Kaieteur News, Feb 2nd, 2017, Peeping Tom rightly points out that the neo-liberal capitalist model, first adopted by Desmond Hoyte in 1985, and adopted by successive governments of Guyana since then, including the current APNU+AFC government, “failed Guyana thirty years ago and it will fail Guyana again. It is not suited to help redress inequality in Guyana. Instead the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer”. Actually, it has failed not only in Guyana but in every country where it has been implemented or imposed. The vote for Trump in the USA was in large part a vote against neo-liberal economics. Peeping Tom states that some have tried to rebrand the neo-liberal project as an “Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), but points out that “for the working poor, this was no recovery”, and that in Guyana, the so-called Economic Recovery Programme(ERP)”battered the working class, widened the gap between the rich and
the poor and caused a collapse of the artisan economy …” As I read Peeping Tom’s article, which sounded like it came straight out of Organization for the Victory of the People’s Manifesto, I was excited. Yes, finally Guyanese are starting to understand that we must break with this destructive neo-liberal agenda. However, my excitement was short lived as I read on. Peeping Tom further states that the present government has good reason to stick with this model because, “Its critics are not offering an alternative to neo-liberal economics”. This is untrue. I can tell Peeping Tom that I have not only been consistently critical and outspoken about the devastation caused by this anti-poor and anti-working class economic model since its imposition on the Guyanese people by
imperialist powers and their agencies, but I have also proposed a comprehensive alternative economic and political arrangement, based on years of study and extensive national and international political experience. Since the time of Desmond Hoyte’s government, throughout the years of the PPP government, (when sadly, even Cheddi Jagan, despite his Marxist and anti-imperialist ideological convictions, succumbed to neo-liberalism under pressure from external forces), and most recently, as Chairperson of Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP), I have campaigned to rid my country of this scourge. OVP’s manifesto, and almost all of our publications, have not only provided a clear and comprehensive critique of the neo-liberal project, but also offered a clear alternative.
Unfortunately, the APNU+AFC government has chosen to continue with this failed trajectory, and cannot be advised. Their inability to break with neo-liberalism is not due to critics of this model failing to offer an alternative, as Peeping Tom would have us believe. Instead, it is due to this government’s arrogance, lack of vision, ineptness and their inability to grasp current global political and economic dynamics. Continued on page 6
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Concessions facilitated by GO-Invest…
Forensic auditors criticize Auditor General for absence of annual reviews It appears that the Office of the Auditor General, to some degree, hindered the ability of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) to properly account for the value of concessions facilitated by the said office. This was revealed in a forensic audit report that was conducted by Nigel Hinds Financial Services (NHFS). The team of auditors said that according to Section 38 (1) of the 2004 Investment Act, it requires the Auditor General to annually conduct a process audit of incentives granted under Section 2 of the Income Tax in Aid of Industry Act of 1994. The auditors said there is no evidence that such an audit was ever conducted by the Audit Office. They further emphasized that the nondelivery of the audit does not allow GO-Invest to properly account for the value of concessions it facilitated. The forensic auditors added, “GO-Invest was unable to provide any evidence that the audit occurred, consistent with the
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma information gathered from Mr. Deodat Sharma, Auditor General. The absence does not allow GO-Invest to properly account for the value of concessions facilitated by the agency nor does GO-Invest have an internal unit to monitor the amount of concessions given.” The auditors also expressed concern over the fact that GO-Invest is operating without an Internal
Audit Department or Audit Charter. As a consequence, the auditors said that GOInvest is not prepared to improve its governance, risk management, provide checks and balances and monitor and implement internal controls. They said, “This is a very serious shortcoming, as GOInvest has critical data that highlight potential investments in Guyana and recommends billions of dollars in concessions to be approved by the Finance Minister.” Furthermore, the forensic auditors also criticized GOInvest for failing to do an annual assessment of concessions which it has facilitated. The auditors said that this annual review is to ensure that investors who receive concessions use it for the purpose intended. But instead of carrying out this important function, GO-Invest watched on as investors breached their Investment Agreements for years.
The forensic team further emphasized that GO-Invest failed to sanction any such investor, by not properly renewing the Investment Agreement. The auditors then gave a breakdown of how certain companies blatantly breached their Investment Agreements. Forensic auditors noted that BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc. was incorporated in Guyana in 2006. This was under the Guyana Companies Act. According to its business plan, BaiShanLin’s main objective was to ensure the commercial use of Guyana’s forest resources through the processing of a wide range of finished products. The forensic audit report said that during the period 2007 to 2012, BaiShanLin was cutting and exporting raw lumber without processing it or creating value added products. This was a complete contradiction of its Investment Agreement. The forensic auditors said that it is evident that BaiShanLin’s
real objective was to export raw lumber. Nevertheless, BaiShanLin still benefited from concessions totaling $1.8 Billion during the period under review 2011-2015. According to the forensic audit report, Diamond Tropical Wood Products Inc. was incorporated in 2011 to establish a wood processing operation at Diamond, East Bank Demerara. The auditors said that the company was granted concessions in August 2012 but has since failed to honour its part of the Investment Agreement signed in July 2012. The concessions granted to Diamond Tropical Wood Products Inc. totaled more than $60M. Forensic auditors also found that Vaitarna Holding Private Incorporated (VHPI) was in breach of its
Investment Agreement. They said that according to the agreement, the company committed to setting up a wood processing facility at Wineperu, Essequibo. As at July 31, last year, the wood processing facility was not engaged in any significant production of wood products. The forensic audits determined that an examination of the files of just those few investors revealed that Guyana did not benefit from concessions granted to these investors, since they all breached their Investment Agreements without any sanctions. The concessions for the investors amounted to more than $1 billion. The aforementioned took place during the time of former CEO and Chairman of GoInvest, Keith Burrowes.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
Continued high expectations as Women’s Army Corps celebrates half-century Women have over the years defied the odds and have done what some once thought was unattainable – match their male counterparts in the world of work. This evolution was emphasised when the observance of the 50th Anniversary of the Women’s Army Corps got underway earlier this week. The week kicked off with a Thanksgiving Service at the National Cultural Centre where it was emphasised that women since the biblical days were able to infiltrate roles that were designated to the male gender. There was talk of ‘Deborah the Prophetess’ who was not only a judge, but went to war and triumphed. First Lady, Sandra Granger, who delivered remarks at the Service, threw out a challenge to the hierarchy of the army to have more
women soldiers be sent to senior staff courses and be placed in command of certain things. She even expressed hope that one day that there will be a female Chief of Staff. It was with pride that Cheryl Moore sat in the audience and listened to the ambitious expectations being embraced for female soldiers. She herself is a living example that women have tried and surpassed expectations in arenas not traditionally meant for them. With more than 30 years in the aviation industry, Mrs. Moore has been recognized as one of the better female pilots to have emerged from these shores. Her journey has seen her hopping into the cockpit of one of the smallest Cessna aircraft and transitioning to airplanes as big as the Dash 8 300 (50-seater). This she was able to achieve through her involvement
with the Guyana Defence Force. In 1973 she made the bold move of venturing into the GDF where she assumed the position of Personal Assistant to the then Commander, Colonel Ulric Pilgrim. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in January 1974. At the time there were not many female officers, and apart from carrying out the duties as Personal Assistant to the Commander, she conducted interviews, assessments, and training for new inductees in the Women’s Army Corps. As Second Lieutenant she was tasked with being the colour ensign in the first allfemale Guard of Honour which was assembled at the then Timehri International Airport, in 1975, during the visit of the world’s first elected woman Prime Minister, Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Prior to that event, all colour parties consisted of male soldiers only. Being a standout officer in the military did not allow Moore to remain idle, but rather, she considered diligently how she could elevate herself. Her next move was to attend the University of Guyana where she commenced the Diploma programme in Social Work. But it was soon after starting this course that she would be given the opportunity of a lifetime. She recalled that this chance came knocking in 1975, which was designated International Women’s Year. This was the year that the government decided to grant scholarships to several females to attend flight school to qualify as pilots. Cheryl opines that it was perhaps her “fearless and adventurous” nature that
Mrs. Cheryl Moore was able to pave the way for other female soldiers enhanced her chance of selection for the scholarship. In fact, some time before her selection, she was involved in a GDF demonstration of the Bell helicopter, in which she was let down on a rope from the side of the helicopter. Although she had never envisaged a career in flying, she recalled that it was following the selection process that she and about 10 others were awarded scholarships to attend the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Campus in the United States in 1976. Armed with her pilot’s licence, Moore became part of the GDF’s Air Corps, and in fact served as its Executive Officer for a period of seven months. As a pilot she was able to soar the skies in the Twin Otter, BrittenNorman Islander, Avro and the DHC-8. She noted that while Skyvans came into play a few years later, it was the Islander that was Continued on page 27
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Beware of the political commissars All new governments in Guyana are prone to two mistakes. The first is the high level of suspicion of persons who would have worked with the outgoing administration, even when those persons were tenured public servants. The second concerns the pressures to which new governments are subjected by their supporters who are looking to displace experienced and competent public officials. New governments have tended to associate those who would have worked under the former administration as being partisan and therefore unsuited for continued employment under their administrations. When the PPP/C came to power after 28 years in the opposition, they harboured suspicions over some officials. There may have been some good grounds for this suspicion. Since the Declaration of Sophia, the government bureaucracy became perverted by political appointees. A great many square pegs found themselves in round holes. Persons used to be sent by certain ministers to be appointed to senior positions in government entities. Many
of these persons did not have the qualifications for the jobs they held. The PPPC came in with this in mind. But there were other competent persons who were also sent home by the PPP/C because these persons were perceived as being PNC, when in fact these persons were professionals. The same thing has happened under APNU+AFC. There has been the rout of certain persons. Yet, in some agencies in which damning forensic audit findings were uncovered, persons with connections to the present coalition have been retained. When the new government came in, it announced that there was no role for politicians within the public service. Yet, some persons who were on the list of candidates for the PPP/C in the 2011 elections were retained. Also, persons who were on the APNU+AFC list were also handed top state jobs. The government has not been consistent nor has it been true to its declared principles. APNU+AFC, in 2015, was guilty of the same paranoia as the PPP/C was in 1992. There was mistrust of a number of Heads of government agencies, some of whom were
removed as soon as their contracts had ended. Others were shuffled to other ministries. Yet, it seems to make good sense in a corrupt system of public administration to retain persons who would have served in senior positions under the former administration. Those persons would know that they will be closely watched, and therefore will find it difficult to risk being corrupt. The government can therefore get the best out of these persons since they have no political connections with the new administration and would not want to risk their job security. The same cannot be said of the political hacks appointed by new administrations. These hacks know that they have Godfathers who will protect them. They will therefore be inclined to run roughshod over the agencies which they are administering. Even some juniors who were political appointees behave as though no one can tell them anything, because it is the ruling party that has put them there. While all of this is happening there are persons outside of the government
DEM BOYS SEH...
De road, Boyah and Beepat People does always grab land when dem alive. Some does try to get so much that when de time come dem can’t even use it. Dem boys remember when de man who look like de devil give plenty land to he friends. When he give dem de land all of dem claim how dem helping id de housing drive, how dem gun build house fuh people. Even BaiShanLin who don’t have one ounce of feeling fuh Guyanese tek land to build house for people. Well today, de government change and it looking to tek back some of that land, especially since nuff people want house lots and dem hardly got land near Georgetown, But wha mek dem boys open dem eyes was when de people who get de free land decide that dem want Soulja Bai to pay dem fuh de land. De forensic audit already show that dem get de land fuh nutten. But that is how scampish Jagdeo train dem. Eddie de Boyah get land. He tell; de world that he pay for it and was nuff land. Beepat open a mall in front of de place wha Eddie Boyah buy. De opening was long after Eddie but de man never even build a road. He sit down
pun de land till people believe that he was just saving it. Dem boys remember that he did promise to build road and drains and put in lights when he get de land but he never do it. Beepat come after him and put in road and all of a sudden was one big confusion. De people who buy Boyah land seh that Beepat road is fuh dem access, Power is a bad thing. Somebody sneak some money to de people at City Hall and all of a sudden dem
visit Beepat, tear down he sign and insist that de road is de council road although dem didn’t build it. King of de council decide that de people who live pun Boyah land got to use de road to go home. Well dem boys seh that that dem got a bird, de cuckoo, that does wait till another bird build its nest then it does tek over. Beepat seh is de same thing wid he road. Talk half and watch out fuh de council tek de whole mall and give it to de other man.
Trinidad offers to refine... (From page 3) crude has been ascertained,” Petrotrin stated, adding, “In this regard, Petrotrin will be further guided by the ongoing discussions with the Guyanese government.” Guyana recently announced that it has retained an expert to examine the feasibility of building an oil refinery right in Guyana. This was after initial indications that there were no intentions. The US had said last year that there were no plans. Guyana has already announced plans to prepare in a big way for the oil production activities that will take place in ExxonMobil’s concessions, located just over 100 miles offshore Guyana. In addition to training and drafting of new laws, an onshore site to provide services has been approved for Crab Island, East Bank Berbice. Several countries have come on board, offering help to Guyana to prepare for oil production, which is expected to commence as early as 2020.
bureaucracy, including persons from overseas, who are constantly egging the government to dismiss somebody so that they can get that person’s job. They are pushing their own claims for a job by badmouthing seasoned professionals. It happened under the PPP/C and it is happening under the APNU+AFC coalition. The APNU+AFC coalition is being swarmed by persons looking to capitalize on the fact that the parties they supported are in power. They want to get top jobs and
senior positions. They want jobs for their children and grandchildren, even if it means dismissing someone who has done nothing wrong and is competent. The government has to be wary of those who are feathering their nests at the expense of others. They should ask all those persons who claim they are only interested in serving the government whether they will serve free in an advisory capacity. Then the government will be able to separate the well-intentioned from the opportunists.
There are a great many political opportunists crawling around. And professionals within the public service must be aware of the threats that these persons pose to their jobs. They should be especially wary of those political commissars who have been planted in government agencies and who feel this is licence to carry out purges and to be excited by frock tails and skirts.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 08, 2017
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN...
2016 passed and the man on horseback did not apologize The forensic audit of GOInvest, when the PPP was in power, has been released. It is the same tune that has been playing since the PPP lost the elections and the forensic audits have been put in place. From Winston Brassington to Keith Burrowes, it is the story of the politics of the man on horseback, meaning the Latin American oligarch. The forensic audits read like the mother of all corruptibility. Financial laws, moral guidelines, legal codes, transparency lines, accountability rules, political etiquettes, employment criteria, meritocracy guidelines, civilized conduct were all brazenly violated as if an entire country belonged to the man on horseback. In this oligarchic
masturbation, the venal mind was completely taken over by avarice, greed, power inebriation, philistine escapades, pomposity, omnipotence and invincibility. In between each violation came the moving hand of violence. In yesterday’s column, I wrote about a certain violent man from the PPP who was in the antiparking meter picket last Friday. As I joined the demonstration, he smiled and welcomed me, I ignored him. I survived the hand of that man who greeted me in the picket line on Friday. And here I am doing what I know best – writing about wrongs. But in the mayhem that accompanied the reign of the man on horseback, Courtney
Crum-Ewing, did not survive. Bruce and Carol Ann Munroe did remain alive to be freed of treason with their friend Leonard Wharton, but more than a year of solitary confinement must have taken its toll. Maurice Arjoon, the former New Building Society chairman lost his job, his livelihood, and is still awaiting justice all because Arjune refused to bow to the man on horseback. Young lawyer, Gino Persaud, probably will never forget that episode in his life when the foreign company that employed him in Guyana was told by the oligarchs that Gino Persaud is not someone we like so you can’t employ him. There is an eerie thing
playing out in the society right now that I don’t understand. I was the first person to arrive on the scene when Mark Benschop was attacked in Diamond outside the home of Kwame McCoy in March 2011. Benschop requested me to come down immediately. I did that. He was bloodied, his clothes torn, his vehicle badly damaged. McCoy was there as the police took statements. McCoy said a few words to me in the presence of Lincoln Lewis which should have prompted police interest. Benschop and Mc Coy were summoned to Brickdam Police Station. Lewis and I accompanied Benschop. Mc Coy was released. Benschop was processed at the station for five hours then put into the Brickdam lockup for further investigation on an alleged assault on McCoy. When Chris Ram came to the station to look into Benschop’s welfare, the police were rude to him, even though Ram stated that he was a lawyer. By some strange, contorted logic, Benschop
the victim became the aggressor. By some sick twist of fate, Benschop the hunted became the hunter. This was how the man on horseback and his 2011 presidential sidekick ran Guyana. Now in 2017 an incredible thing has taken place. McCoy has been charged with assault in the identical incident. So why was this not done in 2011? The police officers who investigated the case saw Benschop as the aggressor and arrested him. S u r e l y, t h e p r e s e n t police command and the Government of Guyana must offer an explanation as to why those policemen acted against Benschop the way they did. The society should be given an explanation. But this is the way Guyana was treated under the PPP regime. Just as eerie as the McCoy investigation was, so was Guyana in 2011. A list, as long as the three great Guyanese rivers put together, was made up by the man on horseback, of all the violations, depravities and illegalities an 18-month-old
Frederick Kissoon government has committed. The man on horseback perambulates Guyana as if he is a born again democrat. He poses as a born again democrat. Well alright! A man wants to change, says he will change. But the man is so barefaced that in all his sojourns in 2016, asking the nation to accept that the APNU+AFC is an undemocratic regime, never once did he offer an apology for his authoritarian abuse. The latest indictment against the man on horseback is the forensic audit into his friend, Keith Burrowes. Burrowes is a funny man. I taught him philosophy at UG. When he became Jagdeo’s right hand man, he ran into the office on Vlissengen Road and suggested I write for the Chronicle, He had a cynical smile when he made the offer.
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Upgrade imminent for access road at Golden Grove During the opening of tenders at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday, there were a numbers of bids in relation to the upgrade of a farm access road and the construction of a timber bridge at President’s College, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica). The Ministry of Agriculture was listed as the procuring entity and the engineer’s estimate was announced at $36.1M.
Finally, tenders were opened for the printing and delivery of readers and workbooks for the National Distribution (Nursery Level).The Education Ministry was also listed as the procuring entity for this project.
Tenders were opened for the procurement of stationery supplies and janitorial items. The procuring entity was listed as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Tenders were also opened for the supply and delivery of five new double cab 4 x 4 pickup motor vehicles. The procuring entity was announced as the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is also the procuring entity for the supply and delivery of two new all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Bids were also submitted for the supply, delivery and testing of desktop computers for the Ministry.
Tenders were opened for the supply and delivery of one new motor vehicle also, for the Natural Resources Ministry.
For the supply, delivery and installation, and testing of equipment at the Linden Technical Institute, bids were submitted and the procuring entity was listed as the Ministry of Education.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
Auditor General maintains stance on abuse of Contingencies Fund “Twist it and turn it how you want. If you take money from the Contingencies Fund without fulfilling the necessary criteria then it constitutes abuse.” That notion was expressed by Auditor General, Deodat Sharma during a recent interview with Kaieteur News. Sharma’s comments come on the heels of the most recent report to be laid in the National Assembly by the
- says will “vigourously pursue” bond scandal Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The said report speaks to the need for the Auditor General and the Office of the Finance Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, to resolve the issue of the abuse of the Contingencies Fund. For years, there has been a division between the two on the subject matter. But in the
eyes of the Auditor General, the law is very clear about what constitutes an abuse. “We have our views at the Audit Office and those at the Ministry of Finance have theirs. But mine is that there are clear conditions for the use of the Contingencies Fund. It must be urgent, it must be unforeseen, cannot be postponed without
jeopardizing the public interest, and no other provision has been made for it.” Sharma continued, “Those things have to be fulfilled for me. Now you cannot come later down the line and say to me that you had to buy this vehicle and so the money had to be taken from the Contingencies Fund. If you were doing proper budgeting, you are supposed to know that and plan for it.” The Auditor General added, “You cannot come now to say that I don’t know what was the purpose of the vehicle, and I don’t know the circumstances under which you or a Ministry really needed it and so I cannot call it an abuse. If you don’t purchase the vehicle, will it jeopardize the nation’s wellbeing? And that is the critical question.” Sharma also cited the use of the Contingencies Fund by the APNU+AFC Government for the Sussex
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Street storage bond. In this regard, the Auditor General said that he is still to see how the bond was “urgent, unforeseen and of great national importance.” He said that the bond scandal is one issue that he intends to “vigourously pursue.” Sharma added, “And you see how this whole bond scandal turned out? No urgent medical supplies were there, yet they turned around
and used the Fund for it. But trust me, I will query it.” The Auditor General did note that he cannot take action against the Finance Minister for the use of the Contingencies Fund. He said that under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, it is the Finance Secretary who has the power to take disciplinary action for abuse of that kind. “But I doubt that is going Continued on page 27
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Crippled suspect in D’Urban Street waitress murder for court today charged him for armed robbery and he was remanded. According to Munroe, he remained on remand until June 2016, when he was released on bail. Mrs. Munroe said that he has been attending court and she was surprised when police came to her home two Wednesdays ago and arrested him for murder. Shelton George’s mother said she was not at home at the time, but was told that police searched the premises, took her son’s cell phone, and
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that Shelton George, the suspect in the 2014 slaying of waitress Debra Blackman, be charged for murder. A police source said that a file sent to the DPP for advice was returned late yesterday and George will appear in court today. The matter regarding the July 29, 2014 killing of 40-year-old Bernadette Campbell, who was shot in a minibus at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) by a hooded gunman, during a robbery is still under investigation. Kaieteur News was informed that investigators are waiting on a key witness to come forward and identify George as the minibus shooter. However, based on the information they currently
have, they seemed convinced that the now crippled man is the prime s u s p e c t i n C a m p b e l l ’s murder, but the information is not enough to proceed with charges. George was arrested two Wednesdays ago at his mother’s Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home. He has been wheelchairbound since being shot in the back while in Suriname a few years ago. The cops arrested him after receiving intelligence reports that he was involved in Blackman’s murder. According to information received, for a while the cops knew who the murderer was, but there were some confusion surrounding his name. According to information, George was shot twice to the back in Suriname by Kellon Hinds,
who was hiding out there after murdering Sherwyn Barrow. Barrow was slain execution-style in May 2015. After shooting George, Hinds came back to Guyana in September 2015 and was gunned down in retaliation for the death of Barrow. Police had released a photograph of the gunman who killed Blackman. But Shelton George’s mother, Rosaline Munroe insists that her son is not the man in the bulletin. My son is a fine (thin) person with a long face. That is not my son.” Munroe said that her son went to Suriname on January 9, 2014. He sustained spinal injuries and lost a kidney after being shot Suriname. Mrs. Munroe said he returned to Guyana in September 2014. She said that in September 2015, police
then took him to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. “They were seeing him all this time and not saying that he is a suspect in a murder. They got my son at Eve Leary lie down in a room.” Mrs. Munroe has since retained a lawyer for her son. While the one of the s u s p e c t ’s Facebook profiles shows the tattooed Munroe posing near a huge stack of cash, his mother remains adamant that he is not a criminal.
MURDERED: Debra Blackman She said that the photograph was taken in Suriname, and the money belongs to an individual with whom her son was employed.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 08, 2017
FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT REVEALS‌
GO-Invest had no respect for Procurement laws It did not take much for forensic auditors to realize that the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) cared
not for the use of the Procurement Act of 2003. Under the guidance of its former CEO, Keith
Burrowes, the entity had its own style in conducting procurementrelated transactions. It was
a style, however, that was everything but transparent. This was documented in a forensic audit report that was conducted by Nigel Hinds Financial Services (NHFS). In their report, the forensic auditors said that based on investigations, the Procurement Act of 2003 was not followed or referenced. Instead, the auditors found that procurement decisions were made invariably without any Invitation for Bids or there were requests for three quotations for purchases above $250,000. The auditors said that there were also cases where no quotes were requested and other purchases were sole sourced. Also troubling was the fact that the procurement policy used by GO-Invest was not documented. The forensic auditors said that from all indications, it was clear that the Procurement Act 2003 was honoured more in the breach than in observance of the requirements of the Act.
Former CEO of GO-Invest, Keith Burrowes Additionally, the forensic auditors said that the accounting policy of the agency is not properly documented as it relates to processing of payments, desktop procedures and internal controls. As a consequence, systems were not in place to accurately account for procurement transactions. Pointing to some worrying instances of breaches of the Procurement Act, the auditors said that
repairs and maintenance of vehicles were performed by mechanics who were sole sourced by the former CEO, Keith Burrowes, instead of being tendered. They also cited that Burrowes as CEO expended over $1M on cell phones for senior staff, his personal driver and one Financial Consultant. The auditors stressed that Burrowes’ personal driver and the Financial Consultant were not employees of GO-Invest, and therefore not entitled to the said privileges. Going forward, the auditors stressed that advances taken to procure materials for the entity should be timely and properly cleared. The forensic auditors said that only in exceptional circumstances should honour certificates be entertained. They also said that there needs to be a clearly defined policy to manage outstanding procurement advances, especially to officers who are requesting additional procurement advances.
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Kaieteur News
CH&PA to plug $172M into Perseverance roads rehab ...after spending over $100M on defective turn-key homes After expending over $100M to rectify defective turn-key homes at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will be plugging an approximate $172M to rehabilitate roads within the development. The Project is the brainchild of the former r e g i m e – t h e P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). The current Government has lamented the inheritance of the development, highlighting the lack of oversight by the past administration to ensure that homeowners got value for money. One of the bidders for the project told Kaieteur News at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday that the monies spent to rectify the turn-key homes, could have now been spent to rehabilitate the roads in the area.
The contractor explained that “If you twist and turn it, Housing ( C H & PA ) w i l l b e o v e r $172M poorer,” The project, since its launch around 2011, faced criticisms after it was discovered that some of the homes were not properly constructed. This led to fingers being pointed at the CH&PA and the then Minister responsible for Housing, Irfaan Ali. The criticisms escalated since there were no clear indications of the procedures that were used to hire contractors and whether these fell in line with the accepted national procurement processes. After the change in government in May 2015, t h e n e w C H & PA B o a r d launched investigations into various housing programmes, including the turnkey project. A key official had told Kaieteur News that there existed a “wild-west” situation when it came to
ensuring value for money and the turn-key homes. Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Va l e r i e P a t t e r s o n , l a s t December stated that several new homeowners complained that structures – which cost up to $4.9M ($4.4 M for the house and $500,000 for the land) were poor. In 2016, the CH&PA birthed an initiative to carry out remedial works on these defective buildings and also completed some of the structures. Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan reported in January this year that a total of 90 existing turn-key structures at Perseverance were c o m p l e t ed and remedial works were completed on 70 others. However, no new houses were constructed. The table below contains the names of the bidders that submitted tenders for the contract to rehabilitate the roads, along with their bid prices.
The CH&PA was also listed as the procuring entity for the contract to upgrade roads at No.76 Village, Corentyne Berbice. The engineer’s estimate was announced at $47.1M.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Govt. working to resolve Marudi mining issue The dispute which had arisen over mining in the Marudi Mountain is expected to be quelled, as government continues to engage the parties involved. This was the assurance given by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes on Saturday when this newspaper queried about the status of the issue. According to Broomes, the holder of the contract governing the District is purporting that there are several persons who are not adhering to the contract and want to mine outside of the agreement. She said that there is a back and forth between the stakeholders, but guaranteed that a solution will be arrived at. Broomes said that the issue is being dealt with primarily by Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who would have heard the concerns of residents in the area and the Canadian Company, Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd. Broomes added that
persons should appreciate that Trotman had even allowed alluvial mining to take place in the area, particularly under a Prospector’s Licence (PL). “That in the first place should have never been allowed, and the government realised the need of the persons there and Minister Trotman took the initiative and have them come together and sign an agreement.” According to the Junior Minister, persons should try to work out their differences and operate with the agreement. One of the conditions of the agreement was that all miners, and equipment, other than those associated with the 70 operations identified by the GGMC at the Marudi Mining License during a visit in March, would have had to remove by May 1, 2016, and regulations enforced by the GGMC. A site visit was to be conducted no later than May 15, 2016, during which the locations of the 70 operations and personnel associated
with these operations were to be identified. The quantity of stock piles and alluvial materials connected with the operations was to be done. However, no new excavation should have taken place but miners were to work with existing materials. Further, Romanex was required to take steps to initiate the completion of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Mine Plan. Added to this, the agreement stated that Romanex was to offer contractual work to the Rupununi Miners’ Association for remedial works in respect of environmental degradation at Marudi. Meanwhile, miners in the area expressed their dismay that they are not being allowed to mine in the area which has caused them to experience economic difficulties. The miners made contact with Kaieteur News about the issue and submitted their explanation of the issue. According to small miner
Developmental goals require... (From page 23) to ensure the meaningful participation of all constituencies, including health-care professionals, the private sector, civil society, communities most affected by health inequities, adolescents and young people. It also calls for, among other measures, the transparent monitoring and accountability mechanisms for resources, results and rights and emphasises the need to
“ensure donor funding targets country priorities and track commitments, disbursement and impact [and] intro-
duce or amend legislation and policies in line with human rights principles, including gender equality for all.”
Robert Murray, the miners in the area were given the assurance that they would be allowed to continue mining in the area but have since been barred from doing so by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. The inability to mine has had a severe effect on the miners. Murray in his explanation said that residents in the area would have bought trucks and crushers to work in Marudi. He said that some persons would have even taken loans from commercial banks to finance their operations. Murray said that the miners in Region Nine are suffering and wish that Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman and President David Granger would assist, since the GGMC has closed the Marudi area to them.
In September, Romanex was given the green light to restart exploration at Marudi Mountain while small miners were allowed to conduct mercury free mining. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Marudi area had been characterized by irregular mining, with persons occupying lands in the area after the operations of
Romanex had ceased some time ago. The Marudi Mining Licence had been in regulatory suspension since October 16, 2014, for issues of non-compliance. The Ministry had promised that the resumption of operations by Romanex would be done according to an approved work plan which will be monitored by government and the GGMC.
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PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana p assport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535.
Register Now! Cosmetology, Nails & Wig designs courses, classes commence February 20th 2017. Call: 618-2417
INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 B U D H R A M ’ S LANDSCAPING SERVICES: FREE ADVICE, FREE DESIGN. CALL: 656-1326 Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen & more. Call: 6972969/646-0966 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 FOR SALE/RENT 2 Storey house for sale or rent $15M, rental -$20,000 each flat- Call: 672- 9428/ 684-0036 Ms Ramotar.
1 Front building & a 2 storey building on 1 (lot) 180 Charlotte Street Bourda W30XL120 $55M negotiable. Call: 624-7341/ 227-6817/226-5183
Male supervisors (housekeeping Dept) 3255yrs @ 233 South Road, Lacytown. Call: 225-0198
Property @ 28 Johana Cecilia Essequibo Coast, suitable for supermarket, bar etc $12M. Call: 630-4744
Glam & Co. Beauty Salon: New Market Street, GT Hair Station, available for rental. Call: 638-1106
Transported property @ Grove/Diamond, 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained, concrete fence, price $14M. Call: 660-1353/ 216-4338
1 Female cleaner for office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745 Pump attendant – Call: 6240033; Driver for company Call: 680-3863, Accountants Assistant, email CV to laltag@yahoo.com or Whatsapp: 680-3863 Truck drivers for 6x6 TM & Model M trucks. contact 223-5273/4 Handyman – Call: 645-0110/ 226-9001
Lot 704 House & Land at Zeelugt, Brother Dam W.C.D. Call: 616-5606/ 277-0281 Transported Property at Soesdyke -$4M, Acres. Call: 615-3054 Goat Creek, Riverfront , 75 Acres land -$7M, Lanaballi River Front, 50 Acres -$9M. Call: 688-0087 Riviera Island: 145 Acres $30M, Tuschen property $5.8M, $6M, $15M. Call: 6880087 1-2 Storey building 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 apartments downstairs, all self-contained @ avenue B Diamond, E.B.D- Call: 6585452
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras – Tel: 621-4740/686-3500 One complete sawmill situated at Yarrowkabra Industrial Site Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. Call: 6441190/ 609-8041 1 3600 watts generator, 1 30HP motor 3PH, 1 Automatic switch 600A more electrical stuff. Call: 627-7835 1 Big music set, owner migrating. Call: 690-5225 1 Stembow Boat & Engine, 200HP Yamaha with Power Steering Kit. $1.6M Negotiable Call 658-5299/ 638-7748
CAR RENTAL
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807
VEHICLE FOR SALE
WANTED
2009 RAUM -$2.2M, 2009 SIENTA -$2.3M, 2011 MAZDA AXELA -$2.7M, 2011 NOAH & VOXY $2.6M. CALL:617-2891
Cook & Cashier for snackette, attractive salary. Call: 697-5387/ 677-9279
3 TON OPEN BACK CANTER, NEVER REGISTERED -$3.5M. CALL: 617-2891 One Nissan Duke, PTT series, lady driven, low mileage, price negotiable. Call: 653-0018/ 666-7748 serious enquiries only. 320i BMW for sale. Call: 6381106 1 Hauler, 1 Dump Truck for more information. Call: 6811132 Ford Raptor-$8.5M, Audi A4$3.5M, BMW 318i-$2.5M, Toyota Ist-$1.9M, Honda S2000 Convertible-$3M. Contact#650-0402
Glass cases/ metal shelves and photocopy machines for store & offices. Call: 2332725/2439 Grease Rag any amount $200 per lb, white spandex cloth 60" width -$120 per yrd. Call: 266-2700/ 681-9130 Garden Centre & Plant Shop, Valentines Plant Sale Feb 419, 10am-4pm at Plantation Schoonard – Call: 615-2346/ 628-0200 Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999
LAND FOR SALE Land @ Soesdyke, 6 lots measuring 135’X175’ -$24M negotiable. Call: 627-3334/ 696-8935, email:fcranmore@ guyanavoice.com
Over 300 Japanese Vehicle parts (brand new) fuel pump, steering ends, pressure plate, hub, etc -$175,000 – Call: 673-9283 Canter Parts: 4D - 36 – 35 4M40 Cylinder Heads, Front & Rear Springs Bundles. Tel: 680-3153.
Wanted land to buy: La Parfaite Harmonie, Uitvlugt, Zeelugt, Tuschen. Call: 6579594 Office staff with 5 CXC subjects, must be computer literate. Also 1 MechanicTel:218-5105 One domestic to work in Trinidad, between ages of 25-35. Call 1-868- 683-1528 Ladies to work in Suriname. Call: +597-875-4660 One driver/porter & porter. From Diamond, Grove area. Call: 216-1043, 677-6620
(2) Two persons to work in supermarket at Bartica (free house to live in). Contact# 650-0402, 260-4124 Drivers for water truck to work on W.C.D -$50 per bottle or $26,000 weekly. Call:6848231/ 629-4236
Tuschen front (with fence) $2.8M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.6M, Zeelugt -$2M, Uitvlugt -$2M. Call:642-1252 Greater Georgetown Guyana: 253 DeAndrade St, N/Town, corner lot 0578 acres, 2517.76 sq. ft. - $14M negotiable. Call executrixon: 615-1100 WANTED Men to work on a crusher in the hinterland. Interested persons can call 223-7165.
Nighthawk Motorcycle 750cc -$1,000,000 negotiable, serious enquiries only, excellent condition, used twice in Guyana. Call: 6192902
German Shepherd puppies for sale – Call: 682-5664
1 Experienced office staff, must have Accounts experience. Apply: written application, police clearance, photo @ 112 3rd &Albert St. Albertown. Call: 225-6255/ 226-9000
FULL TIME WAITER/ WAITRESS TO WORK AT AAGMAN RESTAURANT ON SHERIFF ST. CALL: 219-0158
2 -950 Caterpillar front loader, 1 clark ranger skidder, 1 Watkins 6 head molar plain, 1 LT 300 woodmizer saw. Call: 662-2078
Honda CBR 929 for sale; also land at Bushy Park, E.B.E – Call: 694-4609 PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122, EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
Aubrey Barker Road, triple lot -$27M, campbellville, DaSilva Street, Diamond Bungalow 12.5M, East$11.5M. Call GME Realty: 231-2199/ 618-7483
VACANCY
LEARN TO DRIVE
TAXI SERVICE
1-2 Story building: top flat- 4 bedrooms, 1 self contained, air-conditioned, 2 apartment bottom flat, 2 bedrooms each apartment. Call: 645-9157
Newly built @ Craig E.B.D land size 91X50feet; house 40X28, 3 rooms, 1 selfcontained. Call: 718-2136496/617-7691
1 Driver for office in EcclesCall: 233-2745 TO LET Two- 1 bedroom self-contained apartments, situated at Public Road Timehri, E.B.D – 3 minutes from the airport. Call: 664-6000 C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Kaieteur News
FOR SALE
EDUCATIONAL Classes for slow learners in Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, and much more for children all ages. Call: 675-4379 Now Registering! 9 Courses Diploma in computers -$40,000, Computerize Accounting, Graphics Programs @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-en-Hoop. Call: 264-3057 Visa Processing Centre: all visitors and students visa for USA & Canada. MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057
Canter Crank Shaft: 4D 35 – 32 – 4M40 Pulley-oil Pump – Power Steering Pump 4D – 32 Engine Block. Tel: 680-3153. Canter Rack Ball Joints Arm – Spring Bushings, Ring Gear, etc. Call: 680-3153 1 Complete set of salon equipment for sale with/ without rental contract in V/ Hoop area. Call: 676-9575/ 613-4025
DRESSMAKING Learn to sew- one step at a time at Debonair Fashion, also dressmaking. Call: 6619945/ 218-1352 or 612-3716 Continue on page 27
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Continued high Auditor General maintains stance... expectations as Women’s.... From page 12 Winston Jordan has refuted can’t come six months From page 8 the primary mode of transporting soldiers and supplies into interior locations while she served. Moore recalled that although there were not many female officers, and no female pilots within the military at the time that she joined the GDF, at no point was she subjected to situations of gender bias. “I would say I was treated fairly, but in any profession you are going to have challenges, whether you are male or female but I would not attribute any of the challenges that I had in my career to being a female,” said Moore, as she added “the camaraderie was always good ,it was a very closely knit family.” She recalled recently that while there were not many officers as there are now, especially on the female side, my experience with the males is that they treated me with utmost respect. My experience was a happy one, I really enjoyed the camaraderie and the fellowship; they really looked out for you,” she asserted with pride. Although she left the GDF in 1989 and opted to become a pilot for the LIAT where she stayed until her retirement, Moore is currently embracing a mission to sensitise young girls. She has plans to reinforce the notion that “they can become whatever they want to be once they put their minds to it. Once they focus, they don’t have to choose the army, but they can focus and get into any field that they choose; it wasn’t impossible then and it certainly isn’t impossible now.” It is her expectation that she will be given the opportunity, in the near future, to have talks at various schools to reach out to young girls in this regard. She is optimistic that her experience will help to boost their confidence.
Parking meter by-laws... (From page 20) retrospectively to any date which is not earlier than the coming into operation of the Act under which the subsidiary legislation is made: Provided that no person shall be made or shall become liable to any penalty whatsoever in respect of any act committed or the failure to do anything before the date on which such subsidiary legislation was published in the Gazette.” Based on the law, it does not follow that persons should be subjected to any new charges or penalties, save for when such changes have officially becoming law, which would require being gazetted. As such, the collection of fees paid for parking and the penalties for not paying fees can be deemed as illegal acts. Additionally, the by-laws, according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon are currently before the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney-General Basil Williams for review. Meanwhile, former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall in a Facebook post on the issue said that if these by-laws are now being reviewed by Williams, then it means that they have not been signed by the relevant Minister nor published in the Official Gazette. If the by-laws are not indeed ‘law’ then it raises the issue whether persons who would have already paid for parking and parking fines for overstaying would be refunded their money. According to Nandlall, the collection of monies as penalties by those administering these parking meters is not only unlawful, but may amount to obtaining monies by fraud and false pretences, of which both are serious criminal offences.
to happen. That is like the Finance Secretary taking action against himself,” added Sharma. Furthermore, in his latest report, Sharma criticized the Granger administration for dipping its hands into the Fund without having just cause. Sharma said that during the period under review, amounts totaling $799M were drawn from the Fund, by way of 24 advances. He said that it was disappointing to note that the advances continued to be granted, even though they did not meet the required criteria. Kaieteur News was informed by the AG that he was left in a state of concern having learnt that eleven advances totaling $604M were granted from the Fund to meet “routine expenditure” for the year 2015. But Finance Minister
those claims. Jordan had asserted that he does not owe Sharma an explanation. In fact, he went as far as to say that Sharma’s views on the “abuse’ of the Fund do not matter. Jordan had emphasized that the Constitution deems the Minister of Finance as the sole individual who will determine the emergency for which he can dip his hand into the Contingency Fund. “In this, he does not have to consult with the Auditor General. Being a member of Cabinet, he consults with the Members of Cabinet…Whether the AG wishes to determine what I have done, whether it was an emergency or not, that is his interpretation. It doesn’t count under the law,” the Finance Minister had said. He continued, “It is the Minister of Finance who determines that…so you
afterwards and tell me that the motor car that I bought with money from the Contingency Fund is not an emergency.” “You don’t know the circumstances that gave rise to the situation. He never came to me and asked me. I am the only person he can ask seeking an explanation on it, but I don’t have to explain anything to the Auditor General. I have to explain to the Parliament. So going around saying that the government can’t account for $600M or $500M or $400M is just playing to the gallery as far as I am concerned.”
From page 26
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Bottom flat house @ 25 North Road & Oronoque Street, fully furnished/ air condition/residence / business. Call: 226-7012 Brains Construction & Rental Service: we rent all types of equipment, excavator, bobcat, trucks, tools. Call: 2190904/601-5024 Space for rent at Ashmin’s ideal for commercial, office and cafeteria use, no deposit. Call: 616-9660/ 6711846 Two bedrooms apartment to rent @ Better Hope, E.C.D – Call: 617-3001 Lot 14 Croal & Longden Street: 4 Storey building (infront Demico). Call: 6631876 2 Bedrooms apartment in Eccles & rooms in Alberttown. Short & long term. Call: 225-3234 3 Bedroom flat @ Supply E.B.D – Call: 648-5149/ 6783826 For short term rental, 1 selfcontained 2 bedrooms apartment @ Avenue B, Diamond, E.B.D. working couple preferred- Call: 6585452
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
Kaieteur News
Maths intervention should Investigations still ongoing – Crime Chief start from Grade One Leaked 2016 Nurses State Finals…
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Kaieteur News yesterday that the leak into the State Final Nurses 2016 Examination is still being investigated. Blanhum said that a person of interest in the probe is wanted for questioning, but is currently overseas. The State Finals were conducted on October 19 and 20, 2016. Soon after exams, word reached the Public Health Ministry that the examination was leaked before it was conducted, thus compromising the marking process. Ministry officials, after conducting an initial investigation, found that the situation required intervention from the Police Force. Former Senior Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton
said last year that, it was not clear how the breach was uncovered. But if it is found that the vast majority of the students were exposed to the breach, the Minister disclosed that students would have to re-sit another examination. According to Minister Norton, the respective Nursing School Principals were instructed by the Director of the Ministry’s Division of Health Sciences Education to meet with their students and provide some measure of psychosocial support in preparation for a possible repeat of the examination. Calls for students to sit a new State Final Examination had last year caused students from the New Amsterdam School of Nursing to stage a public picketing exercise in
retaliation. The sentiment of the New Amsterdam students was mirrored by students from the other schools as well. Senior Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence on Monday last, held a press conference where it was revealed that the students will re-sit the exam on February 21 and the Education Ministry would prepare the exam instead of the Nursing Council. According to the Minister, based on the numbers from the Nursing Council, approximately 150 students will be required to participate in the examination. It is expected that the results of the examination will be presented to the Public Health Ministry and the declaration of the results will be done no later than March 2, 2017.
February Criminal sessions open in Berbice25 awaiting trial for murder By Samuel Whyte Looking smart and slick and ready for the occasion the police contingent led by Parade Commander, Assistant Superintendent Elton Davidson with Inspector Kwesi Gravesande and Sergeant Philbert Wilburg, paraded 24 other ranks in the ceremonial opening of the February 2017 Criminal session of the Berbice High Court. The opening ceremony was held on Tuesday with the usual pomp and ceremony in front of the Berbice High Court building on Es-
planade Road, New Amsterdam. The ranks were slick and crisp in their display and did a splendid job in the parade. Led by the police drum corps, the contingent marched off from the police ‘B’ Division headquarters at Coburg Street and Strand, New Amsterdam before proceeding along Strand to the High Court. Justice James Bovell Drakes who will be presiding over the criminal session of the Berbice High Court took the salute and inspected the Guard of Honour. Commander of Police ‘B’ Division Assistant Commissioner Ian
Amsterdam, Assistant Superintendent of Police Keith Williams and Officer in Charge of the Guyana Prison Service in Berbice, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons, Olivia Cox were on hand to witness the parade. Also accompanying the parade were Traffic Officer Supe r i n t e n d e n t Boodnarine Persaud, Assistant Superintendent Yonette Stephen, Inspectors Michael Newland, Hook and Grace Bristol. When the session was called to order Justice Bovell Drakes spoke to the Jurors present. He thanked those in attendance for coming out and outlined for them some of their roles and responsibilities. The Judge told the potential Jurors that their roles are important in the dispensation of justice. He also highlighted some implications and consequences of not turning up for jury service. Some 27 men are awaiting trial in jail with a whopping 25 for murder while the others are for sexual penetration.
-GTU General Secretary General Secretary for the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Coretta McDonald said yesterday that the mathematics intervention for students at the Grade Six level should not only apply to them, but rather should start at the foundation of the primary education, Grade One. This assertion follows on the heels of the Ministry’s efforts to put in motion activities to intervene in unsatisfactory performances in Mathematics at the Grade Six level. McDonald said that the Ministry of Education is focusing on Mathematics for the Grade Six levels and trying to find out if the strategy of teaching is not effective enough. The Ministry recently discussed the difficulty levels and efforts to make mathematics fun. McDonald related that GTU likes and embraces the idea, “But when you focus only on Grade Six, the impact won’t matter”. “When you recognize your house is shaking, you go back and start at the foundation,” she stressed. “You should not wait for your child to reach Grade Six to start teaching them the basics. In fact, Grade Six is where you should do revision. To make the system effective it has to start at the very bottom.”
GTU is hoping that this initiative will lead to success, “But we have to keep following up on the process to make it to the kind of level we want to make it when it comes to Mathematics”, McDonald said. Grade Six students countrywide started writing “mock” maths examinations from January 31, and this exercise will conclude on February 28. Poor performance in Mathematics was last year identified as a matter of national urgency by Government. The 2016 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), which is designed to place pupils into appropriate secondary level institutions, was written on April 27 and April 28. A total of 14,386 candidates were assessed in the subject areas of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and English Language. While the performance in English Language and Social Studies were consistent with previous years, this was not the same for Mathematics and Science. Both fell below what was obtained in previous years, the Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, had admitted. For many years Guyana has consistently failed to achieve acceptable pass rates in Mathematics, an important
core subject. Government has amplified in recent months that the previous approaches to this problem were evidently inadequate. In its effort to address the daunting shortcoming, the Ministry of Education for the first time contracted the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to conduct the examination for the Grade Six students in Guyana. The basis of the assessment used by the CXC was radically different from what was used previously by the Ministry of Education. What was observed was that there was an increased focus on reasoning and a decreased emphasis on retention, Government had underscored. The new method to testing as implemented by CXC had reportedly exposed even more weaknesses of the previous approach to education adopted by the Ministry of Education in previous years. As part of a plan for short and medium term measures, Cabinet called on the Ministry of Education and its Technical Advisors to identify all appropriate steps needed to remedy the prevailing situation. Those steps included remedial training of teachers, better and more varied text books, more teaching aids and better use of technology in the delivery of education.
Unemployed teen bandit remorseful, but says he has to support family Although he expressed remorse for his actions, 18year-old Rickford Marcus will be sentenced to imprisonment later this month for a robbery. The teenager appeared yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and pleaded guilty to a charge which stated t h a t o n January 17, in Georgetown, while in the company of others, he robbed Ricardo
Mohabir of a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cellular phone valued $150,000, and a wallet among other items. Marcus told Magistrate Leron Daly that he resorted to robbing people because he was laid off from his job and had no luck finding employment. He further stated that his girlfriend is pregnant and he had to get money to do “certain things.” “You cannot steal people’s things like that. It is unacceptable behaviour”, Magistrate Daly said to him in a stern tone. The Magistrate told him that she will jail him after the findings of the probation report are presented in court. Marcus will make his next appearance on February 28. Meanwhile, in another case, a 17-year-old was
remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to a similar offence. Darrel Kennedy of Perry Stree t , Tucville, Georgetown, was slapped with two counts of robbery under-arms. It is alleged that on February 3, at Main Street, Georgetown, while armed with a knife, he robbed Ivor Alleyne of a wrist watch valued $1,500. It is further alleged that on the same day at Main Street, Georgetown, while armed with a knife, he robbed Abigail Nelson of a Blu cell phone valued $22,000 and 12,000 cash. The unrepresented defendant told the court that he was never convicted. He further stated that he has no pending matters before the court. Police Prosecutor Christopher Morris opposed bail, citing the nature of the offence and penalty attached to the charge. Bail was refused and Kennedy will make another court appearance on February 20, for statements.
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Govt staves off rebellion over Brexit bill The government has seen off an attempt to add conditions to its Brexit bill as a Conservative rebellion was avoided. MPs rejected a bid by Labour’s Chris Leslie to force the government to consult Parliament on the deal struck with the EU before it is finalised. It came after ministers pledged that a “meaningful” vote would be offered. Labour and some Tories had pushed for MPs to have a decisive say on the final terms, but the 326 to 293 vote meant the bill remained unchanged. Seven Conservatives rebelled, while six Labour MPs voted with the government. Several other attempts to amend the draft legislation, which if passed will authorise the prime minister to formally begin Brexit negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, were also rejected. Theresa May has already promised Parliament will get a say on the final deal, but critics, including some Conservatives, said they wanted more than the “take it or leave it” vote being offered. Any possibility of a major Conservative rebellion ap-
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Minister David Jones peared to be halted by comments from Brexit Minister David Jones. Mr Jones said MPs would get a say on the final draft Brexit agreement before it was voted upon by the European Parliament. “This will be a meaningful vote,” he told MPs. “It will be the choice of leaving the EU with a negotiated deal or not.” However, some MPs questioned whether any concessions had in fact been offered, with Downing Street playing down claims the government’s position had changed. Asked what would hap-
pen if Parliament rejected the Brexit deal or if there was no agreement with the EU to vote upon, Mr Jones said that in each scenario the UK would still leave the EU but “fall back on other arrangements”. This would effectively see the UK default to World Trade Organization trade rules, involving potential tariffs on exports and imports. Opponents of Brexit have said this would cause real damage to British business, but supporters say the UK can live with the consequences if necessary as the UK would then be free to negotiate its own trade arrangements.
Suicide bomber kills 20 in Kabul
Police at bomb scene
Guyanese gets 5 years in U.S. for smuggling over 50 guns here A Guyana-born, USbased man has been jailed five years for orchestrating a racket of smuggling dozens of handguns to Guyana hidden in barrels that were posted. US justice officials this week said that Jermine Prosper smuggled and trafficked approximately 50 firearms to Guyana during a two-year period. Prosper legally purchased the firearms in the Atlanta, Georgia area with the intention of smuggling the guns to Guyana and later selling them there. “Prosper smuggled the firearms he purchased in Atlanta to his home country of Guyana, knowing that those weapons would be sold on the streets,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn in a statement from the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “His greed mattered more than the danger these firearms posed to the citizens of Guyana. This successful prosecution reflects federal law enforcement’s dedication to combating illegal firearms smuggling, whether here or abroad.” “Criminals must understand that there are serious
repercussions for illegal trafficking of firearms. ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne Dixie. “Identifying and stopping the illegal exportation of weapons is one of Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI’s) highest priorities to stem the flow of violence by criminal networks,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan. “This case illustrates the excellent collaborative partnership between HSI and ATF working together to achieve a common goal.” According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Between October 2013 and November 2015, Prosper, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, purchased over 50 firearms from two local federal firearms licensees, including 34 nine millimeter pistols, eight .380 caliber pistols and six .25 caliber pistols. Prosper subsequently hid the firearms in shipping barrels and then smuggled them
to Guyana where an unknown associate sold them on the streets. In early 2016, Prosper sold multiple firearms to a fellow Guyanese national who intended to ship them to Guyana. Because Prosper had successfully smuggled firearms from the United States, he offered to smuggle the firearms to Guyana on that person’s behalf. During their final transaction in April 2016, Prosper sold four additional firearms to this Guyanese national. Prior to delivering the firearms, Prosper obliterated the serial numbers on the weapons so they would not be traced back to him. Prosper, 39, of Conyers, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracia M. King and Phyllis Clerk prosecuted the case. (justice.gov)
Moise sworn in as new Haitian president PORTAU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Jovenel Moise was on Tuesday sworn in as the Haiti’s 58th president taking the oath in the Parliament packed with legislators and foreign dignitaries including those from Haiti’s fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. The 48-year-old businessman succeeded Michel Martelly, who left office one year ago in an environment of political uncertainty after efforts to stage presidential and legislative elections before his departure were unsuccessful. Moise won the November 20 presidential election last
year and members and allies of his party were swept into office in the legislative elections. Moise took the oath of office but as he was doing so, members of the Lavalas Party that was once headed by former president Jean Bertrand Aristide took to the streets to denounce what they call the “electoral coup” On Monday, Moïse went to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to receive his certificate confirming his election as the new Head of the State and took the opportunity to express his desire to work for the strengthening of republican institutions, in-
cluding the CEP. His critics contend that while he won the presidential election by gaining 55 per cent of the votes cast, he does not have a mandate as barely 20 per cent of the electorate bothered to go to the polls. Three former presidential candidates had unsuccessfully filed legal challenges to his victory. A businessman from northern Haiti, Moise had never run for office until he was hand-picked to be the Tet Kale party candidate by outgoing President Michel Martelly. He is scheduled to address the nation later on Tuesday.
Opposition calls on government to deal with crime (BBC) At least 20 people have been killed in a suicide bombing at Afghanistan’s Supreme Court in Kabul, officials say. The government said 41 people were injured, 10 of them critically. All of the casualties are civilians. The bomber targeted the car park of the court compound as employees were leaving to go home, reports say. There was no immediate claim for the attack, which follows a number of deadly bombings by the Taliban and other militants in recent months.
The attack came hours after a senior district official in western Farah province was killed in a bombing claimed by the Taliban. The attacker in Kabul was on foot and detonated a suicide vest, said Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry. “My father and I were exiting through the parking lot when a huge blast hit us,” a witness told the AFP news agency. “My father is dead now. How will I live without him?” The force of the explosion is said to have shaken nearby buildings, breaking windows and sending debris
flying into the streets. Pres i d e n t Ashraf Ghani called the bombing a “crime against humanity and an unforgiveable act”. In the past, Afghan judicial institutions, including the Supreme Court in Kabul, have been targeted by Taliban militants. Last month twin bombings near the parliament in Kabul that were claimed by the Taliban killed more than 30 people and wounded many more. The blasts took place during rush hour as staff were leaving the parliament complex.
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) Tuesday called on the Bahamas government to stop making “excuses” and deal with the escalating crime situation in the country. FNM Leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis, said the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administrations “continues to try and ignore the crime epidemic that has plagued our country these past five years but it is not going anywhere, and the problem must be addressed immediately instead of making more excuses.”, He said since the start of the New Year, 19 people have been murdered with five kill-
ings taking place in the past four days. “ “The PLP’s failure to address the crime epidemic plaguing our country has cost us US$434 million, which is almost five per cent of our annual gross domestic prod-
uct (GDP). “With an already struggling economy we need immediate action to address this growing trend, or we will continue to realize the negative impacts of the crime epidemic.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
2012 D’Urban St. robbery/murder…
Court hears accused was present, but “didn’t kill da man” Police Detective, Rodwell Sarrabo testified yesterday that accused murderer, Stephan Campbell had supplied investigators with a caution statement in which he told them that he had been on a robbery with his partners, but he never shot anyone. The statement was read to the court as details of the D’Urban Street ‘Cornbread Minimart’ murder unfolded before the Judge and Jury of the High Court. Three men stand indicted for the murder Glen Xavier, a miner. According to the charge, Fizal Moore called “Hard Mouth’, Stephan Campbell called “Burnham”; and Roy Yokum called “Ray Ray” were accused of murdering Xavier at Corn Bread Minimart at D’ Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust, on May 8, 2012. Xavier is said to have been killed in the furtherance of a robbery. He died as a result of gunshot injuries. The three men are facing a trial before Justice Navindra
Singh and a mixed 12-member jury at the Georgetown High Court. The case is presented by State Prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy. The accused are represented by a team of lawyers including Trenton Lake, George Thomas, Peter Hugh and Maxwell McKay. Yesterday Detective Sarrabo returned to the stand and read the caution statement procured from Stephan Campbell. According to the statement, Campbell told detectives of a robbery plot. In the statement, Campbell noted that he and his friends travelled on motorcycles to commit the act. He said during the process of the robbery, ‘Hard Mouth’ (Fizal Moore) whipped out a gun and shot the man (Xavier). “I didn’t kill da man, me and ‘Hard Mouth’ go pun the wuk…I didn’t know that ‘Hard Mouth’ woulda shoot the man.” The accused also told
Fizal Moore called ‘Hard Mouth’ (left) and Stephan Campbell called ‘Burnham’ police that ‘Hard Mouth’ got $90,000 and a cell phone from
the robbery, but didn’t give him any of the loot. Sarrabo later faced questions from the team of lawyers on the defence team, but he maintained that all the necessary protocols were observed and the accused gave his statement freely and
voluntarily. Sarrabo’s evidence was followed by the testimony of Ronald Nedd. Nedd, who is currently overseas, gave his evidence via audio/video technology. He told the court that he knew the deceased and that they were friends. Nedd told the court that at the time of the incident he was at a shop on D’Urban Street where he met Xavier and a friend. They were drinking. “We greeted each other and Glen (Xavier) and his friend went out on a bridge and continued drinking,” The witness recalled that he left the shop to purchase phone cards at another shop, close by. “I went over the road to purchase phone cards, when I heard explosions which sounded like gunshots.” Nedd said that he heard the explosions but he did not see what had caused them. He said that it was only after making his purchase that he came out of the shop and saw a cluster of people. “I saw my friend and his friend lying in a pool of blood. I inquired from the crowd about what happened and
Roy Yokum called ‘Ray Ray’ they said that they (the men) had just been shot and robbed. The witness said that he immediately went to the men’s rescue and assisted in transporting them to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Opposition supporters march on office of Prime Minister Skerrit demanding his resignation ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Opposition supporters gathered outside the financial complex in the capital demanding the resignation of Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and members of his cabinet. Opposition Leader Lennox Linton said the protestors had gathered to sign a petition “and we came with our voices to speak through to power. “We came in peace,” he said, noting that the activities were taking place on the street housing the Office of the Prime Minister “ and I want to you note that notwithstanding the thousands of people on this street, the Financial Center is in absolutely no risk. “Nobody who has come here today has had any interest in interfering in anything at all going on at the Financial Center. All we have come here to do is to say that Roosevelt Skerrit has disgraced our country enough; he has mismanaged our affairs enough and it is time for him to go.” Linton also accused the
police of invoking “unlawful authority in their attempt to demand that our meeting should start at a certain time and it should end at a certain time. They have no such legal authority. “And if we are going to be a rule of law country then the police must learn to live by the rule of law and the rule of law in this country says we do not need permission to have a public meeting,” Linton said. Former Prime Minister Edison James had read the relevant sections of the Constitution. Linton, who was speaking close to the 3.00 pm (local time) stipulated by the police, said he had noticed how the law enforcement officials “were looking at their time as though the time has come now or it is about to come for us to leave. “This meeting will finish when it is finished,” he told the cheering crowd. “This is the Commonwealth of Dominica, it is not the Commonwealth of Roosevelt Skerrit; it is not the Commonwealth of (Police Commis-
sioner) Daniel Carbon”. Linton said that the top cop and the police could decide what they want to do with their professional lives, but they will have to decide whether they want to stand with the people or the Iranian national, accused of being involved in the biggest fraud case in his country. Last month, Skerrit and the Dominica government denied that the head of government was under investigations in the United States following the arrest of an Iranian national, who had in the past been the holder of a Dominican diplomatic passport. Social media reports had claimed that an unnamed US agency was investigating Skerrit in relation to Iranian Ali Reza Ziba Halat Monfared, who was detained in Iran’s biggest fraud case. Prime Minister Skerrit has already instructed his lawyers to pursue legal action against Linton over remarks made in regards to the controversial Citizenship by Investment
A section of the protesting crowd Programme (CBI). Under the CBI, Dominica like several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, offers foreign investors citizenship in exchange for a significant investment in the
socio-economic development of the country. Earlier James, 73, who served as prime minister here from 1995 to 2000, said he was coming out of retirement to ensure the removal of Skerrit
from office. “I am tired of this country and its people being dragged down…I am tired of insults from Roosevelt Skerrit and his cabinet…so I have to un-retire,” he told the crowd.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
Men can now sue to halt abortions (CNN)A new Arkansas law will let a husband sue a doctor to stop his wife from getting a particular type of abortion. And it makes no exception for cases of spousal rape. The law, called the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act, was passed and signed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and goes into effect later this year. It prohibits dismemberment abortion, the most common procedure used in second-trimester abortions. A clause in the law states that the husband of a woman getting the abortion can sue the doctor to stop his wife’s abortion. The husband has to be the father of the child. And because there’s no exemption in the law for rape or incest, a woman’s rapist could theoretically file suit to stop the abortion. The ACLU of Arkansas claims the law is unconstitutional and plans to challenge it in court before it goes into effect. One Arkansas lawmaker said there wasn’t much debate about those parts of the law. “It was not something that was talked about on the Senate floor,” state Sen. Joyce Elliott told CNN affiliate KARK. “If we cannot make headway on something like an exception for rape and incest, I think it just felt kind of fruitless to make some sense out of the rest of what was in the bill.” Elliott added, “They don’t see the outrage in constantly putting the thumb on women to dictate what they can do and not do.” But another lawmaker believes husbands should have a voice in these decisions. “I think a woman does have control over her own body, but when you have created a life, you created a
life with someone else,” said state Sen. Missy Irvin. Kansas and Oklahoma passed similar abortion laws, which are tied up in the courts, according to CNN affiliate KFSM. A few states, with conservative lawmakers emboldened by President Donald Trump’s election, have passed strict new abortion laws, including Ohio, which passed a measure banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. ** United Nations, EU condemn Israel legalizing settlements on Palestinian land The European Union’s foreign policy chief and the United Nations secretarygeneral on Tuesday criticized an Israeli move to legalize thousands of settler homes on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The EU’s Federica Mogherini said that the law, if it was implemented, crossed a new and dangerous threshold. “Such settlements constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten the viability of a twostate solution,” she said. “(It) would further entrench a one-state reality of unequal rights, perpetual occupation and conflict,” she said, highlighting that the EU sees Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal. The Israeli parliament passed the legislation two weeks after the inauguration of President Donald Trump as the new U.S. president. Trump has signaled a softer approach to the settlement issue than that of the previous U.S. administration. It retroactively legalizes about 4,000 settler homes built on privately owned Palestinian land. U.N. Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres said the action went against international law and would have legal consequences for Israel. “The Secretary-General insists on the need to avoid any actions that would derail the two-state solution,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, referring to longstanding international efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. French President Francois Hollande also added his voice to the condemnation, saying it paved the way for the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories. “I think that Israel and its government could revise this text,” Hollande said at news conference after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas called the law an aggression against the Palestinian people. Other Palestinian leaders described it as a blow to their hopes of statehood. Most countries consider the settlements, built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War, illegal and an obstacle to peace as they reduce and fragment the territory Palestinians seek for a viable state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Israel disputes this and cites biblical, historical and political connections to the land, as well as security needs. A White House official said on Monday that, given the new law is expected to face challenges in Israeli courts, the United States would withhold comment for now. The Trump administration has signaled a far softer approach to the settlement issue than that of the Obama administration, which routinely denounced settlement announcements.
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Kaieteur News
Haitian authorities rescue 33 women PORTAU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Haitian law authorities say they have rescued 33 women including school children, during a raid that netted at least 12 human traffickers. “We found 33 girls, 20 of them minors, locked up in one room,” said Danton Léger, the Port-au-Prince government commissioner, adding that in another room, 12 traffickers, including eight men were detained. “In the room occupied by the traffickers, the police seized bags of drugs, alcohol, a certain amount of money in Gourdes and US dollars, a computer whose hard disk contains videos of child pornography …which tends to prove that these individuals were
accustomed to this kind of exploitation,” he added. Léger refused to provide further details on the number of traffickers involved or other arrests, because the investigation is still ongoing. The authorities, including officials from the Portau-Prince Public Prosecutor’s Office, Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ), the National Police of Haiti (PNH) assisted by United Nations police officers (UNPol) and the Brigade of Protection of Minors, said they acted on a tip off last week that young girls were going to be sold by a network of human traffickers The arrest on Sunday took place at the Kaliko Beach Club on the Arcadin Coast,
about 60 km from Port-auPrince. The authorities said that some of those rescued were as young as 13 years old. The women had been brought to the area under the guise that they were going to a beautiful sea feast. “There is no doubt that these individuals are suspected of trafficking of minors and sexual exploitation,” said Inspector Garry Desrosiers, Deputy spokesperson of the PNH. He said that the 20 young minors were handed over to the Minors’ Protection Brigade while waiting to contact their parents. Under the laws, the traffickers could face jail terms of seven to 15 years and a maximum fine of US$22,000.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
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Super Bowl ads score eyeballs with... Falcons at crossroads after... (From page 32) am o n g t h e m o s t d i s cussed by viewers, generating nearly 78,000 tweets between 6:30 p.m. a n d 11 p . m . E S T, d a t a from digital marketing technology company Amobee shows. During the pre-game, Coca Cola re-aired its ad from the 2014 Super Bowl, which featured “America the Beautiful” sung in different languages, which prompted more than 74,000 tweets. Budweiser’s spot, telling the story of AnheuserB u s c h ’s i m m i g r a n t c o founder Adolphus Busch, and Pennsylvania-based building materials company 84 Lumber’s ad were among the most talked
about as well. 84 Lumber’s commercial had to be reworked after Fox rejected an initial version that featured a border wall, which was in the c o m p a n y ’s f u l l - l e n g t h online version. Amobee data found the sentiment for the ads skewed positive. Advertisers have been grappling with how to reach consumers in the political climate under Trump, when viewers’ increasingly partisan attitudes make it more difficult to market to a broad audience. “It’s America paying attention to us and really ranking us, when they so often try to ignore what advertising does,” said Ted Royer, chief creative
officer of creative agency Droga5, which created Sprint’s ad targeting rival carrier Verizon. Trump’s November election, and his subsequent action on immigration and other issues has nearly split the population. That divide has left the stakes higher for advertisers devising campaigns for some of the biggest U.S. brands, which typically avoid politics, for fear of upsetting consumers. “There’s a lot more anxiety, self-inflicted anxiety, in the country than there has been ever in the past,” said Mike Sheldon, chairman and chief executive of ad agency Deutsch, who created Busch’s first-ever Super Bowl ad.
Wednesday February 08, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try to be honest when dealing with your mate. You may want to clear the air where older relatives are concerned. Get out and rub shoulders with people in high positions if possible. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You will want to complain about the injustice that is going on, Sudden changes regarding work and colleagues are apparent. Matters pertaining to work must be completed before you leave. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can buy or sell if you're so inclined. Your diplomatic nature will help you in straightening out unsavory situations. You need to get down to basics with regard to yourself. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Work quietly behind the scenes. You could make extra cash through creative hobbies. You may find that your anger stems from lending or borrowing money. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Travel will promote new romantic connections. Opportunities for romance will develop through activities with large groups. Spend a quiet day with the one you love. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may find that female colleagues will be more help than you anticipated. You may not be as well received in group endeavors if you try to force your will on oth-
ers. You can enjoy social events and meet new potential mates; however, avoid being lavish. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Caustic language may cause you to want to get out of the house. Your nerves are frazzled. Don't lend or borrow. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You could experience unusual circumstances and meet eccentric individuals. Your outgoing nature will surprise others today. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Travel opportunities must be taken advantage of. Don't be a pest or a troublemaker today. You will need to take a look at the renovations that are necessary and try to find the cheapest way to get things done. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You will be confused about the intentions of someone you work with. You can make excellent career moves if you are open to the opportunities that exist. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) If you're in the mood, go out and socialize, or get involved in sports activities. Romantic opportunities may not be as they appear. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Get involved in volunteer work that will bring you satisfaction, not an empty wallet. Stick to travel or do things in conjunction with groups. You can make new friends who could turn into intimate connections if you join clubs or take creative courses.
From page 39) season.” Atlanta now attempts to shift their focus to next season and shaping a roster that can defend their NFC title. Several free agents loom for the franchise, and running back Devonta Freeman plans to renegotiate what would be the final season of his rookie contract. General manager Thomas Dimitroff and assistant general manager Scott Pioli at-
tended the college all star Senior Bowl in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, already keeping an eye on future talent. “It’s vital,” Dimitroff said. “You continue to have an open mind and you’re willing to go out into the market and grab someone that is ideal for your team.” Personnel aside, the Falcons future prospects might depend on how they recover from their epic defeat. “What (this loss) does
have is some of that toughness that you have to go through,” Quinn said. “It does make you stronger.” Pic - Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) is congratulated by head coach Dan Quinn after a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. (Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports)
Vaidya sets up India’s 114-run... (From page 33) at least were not all out. Bangladesh defeated Papua New Guinea by 118 runs at the Colombo Cricket Ground. Fifties from Sharmin Akhter and Fargana Hoque helped Bangladesh put on 215 for 6 after they elected to bat, and then their bowlers put in a collective effort to roll PNG over for 97. Akhter finished with 56 off 86 balls, while Hoque made 51 off 72. With those two having put on a solid platform, Bangladesh would have been looking at a larger total but PNG picked up four wickets for 39 runs to slow things down. They were unable to build on this effort though, conceding 57 runs in the final 10 overs and fared even worse when they came out to bat. Seven out of the 11 players fell for single-digit scores. Four of the five bowlers Bangladesh used
took two wickets each, with Rumana Ahmed’s 2 for 13 in seven overs the most economical of them. Allrounder Kim Garth topscored with 63, before taking 3 for 24, as Ireland defended 237 against Zimbabwe to secure a 119-run win in Colombo. Ireland were 42 for 2 in the 13th over after being put into bat, and it took a 94-run stand between Garth, who came in at No.3, and captain Laura Delany (47) to help set a platform. After Delany’s dis-
missal, Garth put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Clare Shillingford (30 off 20) before they fell off consecutive deliveries to medium-pacer Josephine Nkomo (2-46). Zimbabwe were bowled out for 118 in the chase. With a top score of 35 from Ashley Ndiraya and a best partnership of 32, they never stood a chance. Legspinner Ciara Metcalfe (3-38), seamer Amy Kenealy (2-19) and debutant left-arm spinner Robyn Lewis (2-7) were the wreckers-inchief.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
Super Bowl ads score eyeballs with political football NEW YORK (Reuters) With Americans’ attention more finely tuned to the political climate under U.S. President Donald Trump, brands that dove headfirst into that conversation generated the most reaction from viewers during Sunday’s Super Bowl.
For much of the evening, the chatter around commercials by Airbnb, Coca Cola Co and Budweiser was more exciting than the Super Bowl itself. That changed late in the game, the New England Patriots pulled off a 25-point
comeback to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League’s first-ever overtime Super Bowl. With the thrilling finish, viewers could exceed the 114.4 million who watched Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, providing a massive
audience for advertisers who paid more than $5 million for 30 seconds of airtime. A teaser for the second season of Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things,” as well as celebrity-studded and humorous ads from TMobile and Proctor & Gamble’s Mr. Clean, drew the most attention on social
media. Still, brands such as Airbnb, that leaned into subjects of diversity and immigration, by and large sparked the most conversation among viewers. The company’s ad, featuring a diverse group of employees touting a message of acceptance, will
be seen by many as a c r i t i c i s m o f Tr u m p ’s immigration policies. Airbnb was one of the last to buy a Super Bowl spot; co-founder Brian Chesky wrote on Twitter they purchased and shot the ad last Thursday. The commercial was (Continued on page 31)
Suarez hero and villain as Barca reach Cup final
Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring their first goal. (REUTERS/Albert Gea) B A R C E L O N A (Reuters) Luis Suarez scored and was sent off as holders Barcelona reached a fourth successive King’s Cup final after drawing 1-1 with a resilient Atletico Madrid in an action-packed
semi-final second leg yesterday. Suarez was one of three players dismissed and will now miss the final after Barcelona edged through 32 on aggregate. The Uruguayan tapped
in from close range in the 43rd minute after an inspired run and shot from Lionel Messi to deliver a sucker punch to Atletico, who had dominated the first half at the Nou Camp but failed to take their chances. Kevin Gameiro blazed a penalty over the bar with 10 minutes remaining but the French striker still made for a tense finale by tapping in an Antoine Griezmann cross moments later. Barca defender Sergi Roberto will also be suspended for the final after being sent off for a second booking in the second half and Atletico winger Yannick Carrasco was dismissed as well for a second yellow card. Suarez was then sent off in the 90th minute for an elbow on Atletico defender Luis Hernandez. Atletico had five minutes of stoppage time to snatch a winner and force extra time, but Barca withstood the pressure. Barca, the 28-times winners, will meet either Alaves or Celta Vigo in the final in May, seeking a third successive Cup triumph under coach Luis Enrique.
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Vaidya sets up India’s 114-run win ESPNCRICINFO Three of India’s top four made half-centuries - 19year old Devika Vaidya topscored with 89 in only her second ODI - as India beat hosts Sri Lanka by 114 runs in their first Women’s World Cup Qualifier match at P Sara Oval. Captain Mithali Raj made 70 off 62 balls while opener Deepti Sharma
started the procession with 54 off 96. These were especially good returns in light of India missing opener Smriti Mandhana due to injury. Set a target of 260, Sri Lanka did well to reach 65 for 1 in the 23rd over but in an effort to push on, they lost seven wickets for 66 runs and were forced to shift their
focus into playing out the 50 overs. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was India’s best bowler with 102-19-2, and she was ably supported by fellow leftarmer Ekta Bisht, who took 2 for 27. A fierce half-century from No. 6 Chloe Tryon headlined South Africa’s victory over Pakistan by 63
Milo Schools Football launched Considered one of the best organised tournaments for schools in the Georgetown locale, the 5th edition of the Milo Under-18 Secondary Schools Football Competition was officially launched yesterday, during a simple ceremony, at the Beepat’s Head office on Dennis Street, Sophia. In attendance were Milo Nestle Brand Manager Renita Sital, Beepat’s representative Chris Beepat, Petra Organisation CoDirector Troy Mendonca, Ministry of Education representative Nicholas Fraser, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde and Petra official Mark Alleyne. Mendonca, who opened the remarks after thanking the media for gracing the occasion with their presence, spoke of the importance of the sponsorship, before thanking the Management & Staff of Beepat’s and Nestle for their continued support towards the tournament. The Petra Organisation Director reminded all that they do not take the support of the Company lightly and attributed the development of a lot of young players to the Milo Tournament. Mendonca also pointed out how critical the support of the GFF is, informing that the mere fact that the endorsement is coming from them signifies the importance of the endeavour towards the development of the sport. He added that the tournament has now become a household name with schools calling to enquire about when it will start. Sital in her presentation spoke of how pleased the Brand was to be associated with the event, before describing the benefits of the product. She said the tournament under the Milo brand was a perfect alignment for sports and saw Petra Organisation as a conduit for taking the
sport to another level. Sital disclosed that the Company has decided to offer lots of giveways to partents and fans during the competition and urged all Guyana to come out and witness the games. Fraser said there was absoluteky no hesitation on the Ministry’s behalf to approve the tournament, adding that their relationship with the Organisation has been a good one. He pointed out that due to the Petra Organisation, football, especially at the junior level is being played more often, but called on the Organisers to wee if the tournament could be expanded to other areas. Forde said the GFF is pleased to give its blessing to the tournament and even congratulated the Beepat family for being integrally involved through their support for the sport. He revealed that the GFF is currently investing in
some ambitious endeavours and the tournament lends perfectly to their objectives. Forde said the sport has not always presented a pretty picture, but expressed confidence that the Petra Organisation will deliver a good tournament. The tourney commences on Saturday at the Ministry of Education ground and will feature thirty-two teams competing in an initial round robin format of eight groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the elimination round. The championship is slated to conclude on April 23rd. Winner of the tourney will collect $500,000 towards a school project and the championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth placed sides will receive $300,000,$200,000 and $100,000 respectively towards a similar endeavour and trophies.
runs. She made 79 off 69 balls with five fours and four sixes to lift the total from 129 for 5 in the 25th over to 258. Pakistan’s reply was led by Nain Abidi’s 62 off 105 balls, but she barely had any support from the other end. The second highest score was 38 from captain Sana Mir. South Africa opted to bat at the toss but they had to deal with the loss of regular wickets ever since they lost their first in the third over. Mignon du Preez, having recently relinquished leadership of the side, made 40 at No. 3 but it wasn’t until Tryon came to the crease that they began to prosper. She strung a partnership of 89 for the sixth wicket with the new captain Dane van Niekerk. Pakistan were in much the same position as South Africa in their chase - 110 for 5 in the 29th over - but their players could not summon the same firepower as Tryon. Abidi and Mir added 70 runs in 112 balls for the sixth wicket to make sure Pakistan (Continued on page 31)
File photo: Fargana Hoque made her third ODI fifty © IDI/Getty Images
Persaud XI overcome Jones XI Michael Persaud found the back of the net as his team defeated John Jones side 1-0 to win the final of the South Turkeyen Sports Committee/ Black Stallion Football team four-a-side small goal competition on Sunday at Vryheid Lust Basketball Court. The tournament was sponsored by Tent City, Henry Chase, Trophy Stall and Johnny Barnwell. Four teams took part in the competition.
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Wednesday February 08, 2017
One change as National Beach Soccer Team leave for Barbados tourney tomorrow The National Beach Soccer team that has been going through intense training from the start of the New Year will leave Guyana tomorrow to compete in the Barbados Beach Soccer Showcase before heading to the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships from February 20 – 26 in Nassau, Bahamas. The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has invited Guyana to be part of this history making competition (Feb. 10 – 12) which will see teams from Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , England, Antigua and Barbuda and the host nation competing as warm up for the CONCACAF championships which will see Guyana creating history as a participant for the first time. Following the first Beach Soccer League that was held in Guyana last year and sponsored by Corona Beer, the GFF had shortlisted a 26man squad in September
2016 before the final 12member team was named in December. Only one change has been made to the team which is being Coached by the multi talented Abdulla Hamid, a former FIFA Assistant Referee, basketball player and Coach. Goalkeeper Kellon Major who was part of the original 12 last has been replaced by Kennard Simon. The team was involved in weekend camps from January 9 before commencing full encampment on January 30th.in t h e B a u x i t e Mining Town of Linden which they have been holding training sessions twice daily at the Bayrock Beach Soccer Facility. Speaking with GFF Media, Coach Hamid said the team’s preparation has been good thus far: “We have been training intensely for two and a half months and the team is very motivated.
The mindset among team members is great; they’re excited and ready to go to make Guyana p r o u d . ” The invitation from the BFA has come at a timely juncture for the Golden Jaguars as it would be an ideal tester ahead of the CONCACAF Championships where the Guyanese have been drawn in Group A along with the host nation, Jamaica and Belize. THE Barbados Beach Soccer Showcase will be contested from this Friday to Sunday after which the Guyanese would remain on the island for a few m o r e d a y s o f encampment before winging out to the Bahamas on February 17. This showcase will feature teams from Trinidad and Tobago which will contest Group C of the C O N C A C A F Championship, England, Antigua and Barbuda, also in Group C of the
C O N C A C A F Championship and the host nation which has been drawn in Group B. Designated Manager of the Guyana team is Mark
Young who noted that the Barbados tournament will serve as a warm-up and “provide the national team much needed exposure to higher quality teams like
E n g l a n d … ” The CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship will serve as FIFA’s Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier for the region.
2020 golf venue postpones decision on ending ban on women
People play golf at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, January 25, 2017. (REUTERS/Oh Hyun) (Reuters) The Kasumigaseki Country Club, which is set to host golf for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, failed to reach a decision about ending a ban on women as full members yesterday, with the head of its board of directors calling the situation “a nuisance.” The board meeting followed calls to shift the tournament from the private club in Saitama prefecture because of the rule, which allows women to play Monday through Saturday but bars them from becoming full members and from playing on Sundays. The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee sent a
letter to the club last week appealing for it to reconsider the policy. Opinions at the meeting were divided, public broadcaster NHK said, with some of the members saying barring women from full membership was out of step with the times while others said the opinions of all club members should be considered. Board chairman Kiichi Kimura later told reporters that the club was basically in the position of loaning out the venue for the Olympics. “That this situation has developed is a nuisance for us, it’s really perplexing,” he said. Japanese media has said
a unanimous vote of the 15member board is required to change the rule. Both men’s and women’s tournaments will be held at the club in 2020, following the return of the sport to the Summer Games at last year’s Rio Olympics. Two of the most famous golf clubs in the world have changed their policies to allow female members in recent years. In 2014, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews decided to allow women to join after 260 years of exclusion, and Augusta National, home of the U.S. Masters, ended its men-only membership in 2012.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 08, 2017
Du Plessis hits 185 as South Africa win fourth ODI versus Sri Lanka CAPE TOWN (Reuters) South Africa’s Faf du Plessis smashed a career-best 185 off 141 balls as the hosts beat Sri Lanka by 40 runs after surviving a fierce onslaught in a high-scoring fourth oneday international to take a 40 series lead yesterday. After opting to bat, South Africa posted 367 for five in their 50 overs at Newlands but were then put under pressure by the tourists who made a magnificent start, only to wilt at the death to finish on 327 all out with nine balls remaining. Sri Lanka captain Upal Tharanga led their charge with a brilliant 119 from 90 balls but the home side clawed their way back as they built up the pressure and wickets began to fall. South Africa head into the final fixture of the fivegame series in Pretoria on Friday looking for a clean sweep to extend their 13match winning run at home. The hosts’ innings was anchored by the magnificent century from Du Plessis, the highest ODI score at Newlands and three runs shy of South Africa’s 50-over record of 188 scored by Gary Kirsten against the United Arab Emirates in the 1996 World Cup. Du Plessis was well supported by Quinton de Kock (55 from 46 balls) and AB de Villiers (64 from 62) before a tired swipe to longon off seamer Lahiru
Upul Tharanga nails a slog sweep, South Africa v Sri Lanka, 4th ODI, Cape Town, ©AFP
Faf du Plessis unleashed a variety of drives during his 185 - the second-highest score by a South African in ODIs © Getty Images
Madushanka saw him lose his wicket. Du Plessis’ stand of 137 for the third wicket with De Villiers from one ball shy of 20 overs laid the platform for what became South Africa’s record ODI total at Newlands. Sri Lanka made a thrilling start to their reply, crashing 100 without loss off the first 10 overs of their innings. Tharanga and the classy Niroshan Dickwella (58 from 47 balls) added 139 in 16 overs before the latter was dismissed. Tharanga carried on his merry way, crashing 11 fours and seven sixes, and when he
was the third man out with the score on 216 in the 30th over, Sri Lanka were still in the driving seat. But as South Africa began to find dot balls, Sri Lanka slipped from 307 for four to lose their final six wickets for the addition of only 20 runs. Seamer Wayne Parnell was the pick of the home bowlers, returning figures of 4-58 in 9.1 overs, with one of those wickets the crucial scalp of Tharanga. Scores: South Africa 367 for 5 (du Plessis 185, Pathirana 2-55) beat Sri Lanka 327 (Tharanga 119, Dickwella 58, Weerakkody 58, Parnell 4-58) by 40 runs.
LABA Under-23 Club Championship tips off Saturday at MSC hard court The basketball season in Linden is set to bounce off tentatively on Saturday for the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) where its Under 23 Club championship for its eight affiliated clubs, Half Mile Bulls, Retrieve Raiders, Bankers Trust Falcons, Block 22 Flames, Victory Valley Royals, Christianburg Pistons and Amelia’s Ward Jets and Kwakwani is contested at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court, once its available. These clubs are grouped with Group A comprising the number one seed Bulls and fourth ranked Retrieve Raiders and the returning Pistons and Flames, while Group B has second seed Jets, third ranked Royals and Falcons and Kwakwani. The opening matches have been set for Saturday at 18.30hrs with the opening game between Bulls and Flames and the other at 20.30hrs Jets versus Falcons. On Sunday Raiders face Pistons in game one and the other Kwakwani and Royals collide.
The following Friday, Bulls take on Pistons in the first game and Jets tackle Royals in the other match. On Sunday 19th February Kwakwani are up against Falcons in game one and the second will see Flames against Raiders. On Friday 24th February, Bulls meet Raiders in game one and the in the second Jets meet Kwakwani, while Saturday 25th February will see the conclusion of the round robin play when Pistons take on Flames and Riyals face Falcons in the last game. Then the semifinals featuring the top four cubs will be played on Saturday March 4 and then the grand final and third place game will be played on Saturday 11th March. These games are subject to change based on the availability of the MSC hard court. Meanwhile, the association intends to have a Schools Under 17 5-A-Side tournament on Wednesday February 15 and an Open 5-A-Side for clubs on Sunday 25th February subject to the MSC hard court availability.
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WBCA to host Goodwill T20 on February 19
Defending champions East Berbice Universal DVD Titans. (File photo)
T h e We s t B e r b i c e Cricket Association (WBCA) in partnership with Goodwill Promotions will be hosting the 2nd Annual Goodwill Mash T20 Cricket Festival on February 19th at the D’Edward Sports Club Ground, West Bank Berbice. This year’s competition is expected to be much more exciting as defending champions East Berbice Universal DVD Titans will be battling to regain the championship against West Berbice Super Kings, Chowramootoo West Bank Berbice Blazers and a Demerara Cricket board XI. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winner, runner up, third
place, man of the series, best bowler and batsman in an innings, man-of-the-match in the final and first round matches. There will be several side attractions for the kids and fun for the entire family. According the organisers they are seeking to regain the partnership of the businesses that supported the event last year that was held at Albion Sports Complex and will welcome other businesses to come on board with the event. During the cricket competition there will also be a domino competition and a well stock beverage and food bar. There will be lots of gate prizes to be won.
New England Patriots fans pack Boston streets for victory parade BOSTON (Reuters) Tens of thousands of New England Patriots fans bundled up in coats and redwhite-and-blue knit caps bearing the team’s logo defied a driving snowstorm in Boston yesterday to celebrate their team’s latest Super Bowl victory. The team, celebrating its fifth National Football League championship since 2002, was due to parade through the city in a fleet of amphibious vehicles. Security was high throughout the city, with sand-filled dump trucks blocking key intersections off the route to prohibit a vehicle-mounted attack. Boston has ratcheted up security at public events since the deadly 2013 bombing attack on the Boston Marathon. Many Patriots fans said they were particularly happy for star quarterback Tom Brady, 39, who collected his fifth career Super Bowl ring after having to sit out the first four games of the season in a league-imposed punishment for using under-inflated footballs during the 2015 playoffs, a scandal nicknamed “Deflategate.” The Patriots trailed the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday’s game by as many as 25 points before Brady rallied them to an overtime victory. “You couldn’t have written this script. It was just extraordinary,” said Daryl Collins, 59, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, who said the victory was all the more meaningful given Brady’s suspension, which many in
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (L) presents New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (R) with the Pete Rozelle Trophy as Super Bowl LI most valuable player at the George R. Brown Convention Center. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Boston had regarded as a miscarriage of sporting justice. Several fans wore goat masks or carried stuffed goats - a reference to the acronym GOAT - or greatest of all time, as they regard Brady. The city has seen 10 “duck boat” parades in the past 16 years as Boston’s four major sports franchises collected a string of 10 national titles, led by the Patriots. “I’ve been to 10 of these in my lifetime,” said Bill Nugent, 23, who pulled his two young children out of school for the event. “This is the best, because of Deflategate. As I get older, it gets better.”
The 31-foot (9.5-metre) duck boats normally carry sightseers through the city’s narrow streets and along the Charles River. The city was expecting up to 1 million people for the parade, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told WBZ-4 television, adding that he expected the snow and seasonally mild 35 degree Fahrenheit (1.7°C) to have little effect on turnout. “I like the snow,” Evans said. “It’s better than the rain. It adds to the festive mood.” The Patriots’ last Super Bowl parade, in 2015, drew large crowds despite massive roadside snowbanks in a winter that brought 9 feet (2.74 m) of snow.
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Scorpions beat Jaguars by 20 runs
Rajendra Chandrika tucked the hostile Reynard Leveridge off his hips last night at Kensington Oval. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,– Jamaica Scorpions defeated Guyana Jaguars by 20 runs in their day/night Group B game of the Regional Super50 against at Kensington Oval yesterday. Scorpions opted to bat first and were bowled out for 255 off 49.4 overs. Steven Taylor led the way with 86 and go support from Andre McCarthy 45 and John Campbell 42. Bowling for the Jaguars, Raymon Reifer captured 4-38, Ronsford Beaton 2-33 and Chris Barnwell 2-45. When the Jaguars started their response, Rajendra Chandrika got going with an elegant on-driven boundary off Taylor and sweetly cover drove Leveridge imperiously for four while Fudadin clipped Taylor through mid-on for four before almost getting his head knocked with a quick well aim bouncer.
Assad Fudadin almost got his head knocked off by Jerome Taylor who bowled with raw pace last night. Just when he looking at ease against Taylor and Leveridge who charged in and bowled with raw pace, Chandrika (15) was run out at 34-1 to bring Reifer to the crease. With pulsating music by DC Timeless pounding in between overs, Reifer was sent out and the 50 was brought in 12.3 overs. He soon eased into Nikita Miller and deposited him into the 3Ws stand and Scorpions knew they were in for a brawl. Reifer late cut Miller for four as the partnership progressed and the 100 was posted in 23 overs. Fudadin reached his ninth fifty at this level from 75 balls with five fours and swept Campbell for four. Fudadin was then run out at 124-2 to end the stand while five runs later Leon Johnson (3) lofted McCarthy to long-off. Reifer who was removed
by Campbell for a well played fourth half-century and Campbell was on a hattrick when Barnwell missed a sweep and was LBW for a duck at 147-7 and the wounded Jaguars were depending on the ‘Tiger’ to claw them out of a deep hole. But Jacobs (0) and Chanderpaul (17), the holder of the most runs at this level, were both removed in the space of a run by Campbell as the Jaguars sunk to 165-7. Bramble kept hopes alive with two sixes in three balls off Taylor, while Permaul hammered Miller for four. Bramble clobbered Leveridge for six and when Permaul smashed Miller for six, the Guyanese fans were dancing in the stands and waving their flags again. Permaul hit Miller for a six to bring up the 50 stand from 35 balls and celebrated
with another one which went even further and the Jaguars needed 32 from 18 balls. Permaul fell to Taylor after hitting three sixes in his 21-ball 30, while Bishoo (0) was unlucky to be given run out with 30 needed from 13 balls. Miller’s over produced
Raymon Reifer drives during his knock last night. five and with 27 required from the final over from Powell, Bramble hit the second ball for six before he was caught at point to end the game with three balls to spare. Scores: SCORPIONS 255 off 49.4 overs (Steven Taylor 86, Andre McCarthy
45, John Campbell 42; Raymon Reifer 4-38, Ronsford Beaton 2-33, Chris Barnwell 2-45). JAGUARS 235 off 49.4 overs (Assad Fudadin 57, Raymon Reifer 54, Anthony Bramble 39, Veerasammy Permaul 30; John Campbell 4-43).
Steven Taylor dumped Jacobs for six during his entertaining 86 yesterday. (Photos by Sean Devers)
Kuwait minister resigns ahead of planned no-confidence vote over IOC ban ( R e u t e r s ) K u w a i t ’s minister of information and youth affairs resigned yesterday ahead of a parliamentary no confidence vote over the nation’s 15month international sports ban, state news agency KUNA reported. Sheikh Salman Sabah alHumoud al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family, was due to face the noconfidence vote today following several hours of grilling last week in which lawmakers accused him of “complacency and
mismanagement”. No confidence motions had in the past led either to the resignation of the minister facing a vote or the whole government, or brought about the dissolution of parliament. Opposition candidates won nearly half of parliament seats in the 50member assembly in November elections on the back of discontent over austerity measures to curb a budget deficit. The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
suspended Kuwait in October 2015, accusing the government of interference in its national Olympic committee. The disagreement between Kuwait and the IOC is over a sports law which the Olympic body says is undermining the autonomy of sport in the country. K u w a i t , h o w e v e r, i s convinced the law strengthens the independence of sports bodies. The ban means the c o u n t r y ’s O l y m p i c
committee and its athletes are not eligible for any funding from the IOC for the duration of the suspension and cannot take part in any IOC-linked event. Last August, Kuwaiti athletes eligible to compete at the Rio Games had to do so as neutral athletes under the Olympic flag. Veteran shooter Fehaid Aldeehani won the men’s double trap event but he could not celebrate it as a Kuwaiti. Instead he was recognised as the first independent athlete ever to
win a gold medal. K u w a i t ’s f o o t b a l l federation has also been suspended by world soccer’s governing body FIFA over government interference. Last June, Sheikh
Salman said Kuwait would sue the IOC in Swiss courts for $1 billion in damages over the country’s exclusion from international competitions, calling it an “unjustifiable decision.”
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Dibaba runs fastest ever Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn to be women’s 2,000 meters part of Maximum Sports 3rd anniversary programme
Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia celebrates winning during a previous event. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse) (Reuters) Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba ran the fastest ever women’s 2,000 meters at the indoor Miting Internacional de Catalunya meeting in Sabadell, Spain yesterday. Her time of five minutes 23.75 seconds sliced almost seven seconds off the previous indoor world record
of 5:30.53 set by Romania’s Gabriela Szabo in 1998. The IAAF, athletics’ world governing body, said although the 2,000m is not an official indoor world record event, Dibaba’s p e r f o r mance was “an outright world record” as it was faster than the outdoor
mark of 5:25.36 set by Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan. The 25-year-old Dibaba, a three-time world indoor champion, now owns the fastest recorded times indoors for the 1500m, mile, 2,000m, 3,000m, two miles and 5,000m as well as the outdoor 1500m world record.
IAAF approves extension of Russian doping ban Cap-d’Ail, France (AFP) — World athletics chiefs voted to extend Russia’s blanket ban from international competition Monday, putting in doubt the European powerhouse’s participation at the World Championships in London in August. The IAAF issued a statement saying its Council, chaired by President Sebastien Coe, had approved the Taskforce’s recommendation to extend Russia’s ban, explaining that the country was “not ready for reinstatement”. Russia has been banned since November 2015 following a damaging report alleging that state-sponsored doping was rife in the country. The ban had already been extended in March and then June 2016, preventing Russia’s athletes from competing at the Rio Olympics. T h e Ta s k f o r c e ’s recommendations also set out a roadmap to reinstatement. B u t w h i l e “acknowledging several
positive developments” at recent meetings in Moscow with RusAF, the Russian Athletics Federation, the Taskforce also “pointed to s o m e n e g a t i v e developments” including “unhelpful public comments recently made by some Russian sporting officials”. It said that RusAF “continues to face practical and legal difficulties in enforcing provisional doping bans and there continues to be very limited testing of Russian track and field athletes at the national level as well as troubling incidents at what testing is taking place”. The roadmap to reinstatement specifies that “testing of Russian athletes must take place without further incidents or difficulties” and that RusAF takes “demonstrable objective and practical steps to cultivate the clean sport movement”. Coe, meanwhile, r e i t e r a t e d t h e I A A F ’s commitment to giving clean Russian athletes the possibility to compete as neutrals.
“Our priority is to return clean athletes to competition but we must all have confidence in the process,” said Coe at the IAAF’s Council meeting in Cap d’Ail, France. “Clean Russian athletes have been badly let down by their national system. We must ensure they are protected and that those safeguards give confidence to the rest of the world that there is a level playing field of competition when the Russians return.” So far in 2017, 35 Russian athletes have applied to compete as neutral athletes in international competition, the statement added. More than 60 Russian athletes have been added to the IAAF’s international testing pool which, although not guaranteeing those athletes’ reinstatement, Coe said it does mean the world governing body has a greater “guarantee they have undergone a long-term recognised, independent and f u l l y WA D A C o d e compliant drug-testing programme.”
Maximum Sports Combat & Strength (MSCS), Guyana’s most-viewed and very popular one-hour “live” TV Sports programme, aired every Friday from 9.05pm o n N C N C h a n n e l s 11 (Georgetown), Ch. 8 (Linden), and Ch.15 (Berbice), celebrates its 3rd anniversary during May 26 to 28th, 2017. As part of its an n iv er s ar y activ ities , former WWF Wrestler, 3time UFC World Champion & Hall-of-Famer, MMA Champion, and longest reigned NWA Champion, the Legendary Dan “The Beast” Severn, of Michigan, USA, will be coming to Guyana as a special guest of MSCS, appearing on the programme on Friday May 26th, and will share tips with “live” demonstrations on techniques used in the form of wrestling, UFC, & MMA fighting, during the Entertainment Show & Seminar which will be held on Sunday May 28th, at the National Cultural Centre. The highly respected and feared ‘Beast’ is known for his submission moves, forcing most opponents (such as Owen Hart, D’Lo Brown, Ken Shamrock, and many others) to “tap out” (surrender) from his signature arm/leg-lock, a move that has sent many to the hospital with the painful feeling that the arm or leg is either dislocated or broken. Dan “the Beast” Severn was most times (especially as an MMA or UFC fighter) faced with a huge problem finding opponents brave enough to face him in the ring, as 50% of his opponents often left the ring on a stretcher. The producer of MSCS, 2-time Martial Arts Hall-ofFamer Mr. Max Massiah, said he met Dan Severn in October 2015 at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Centre, in Pennsylvania, USA, where he was invited to attend the Legends of Martial Arts International Games & Hall-of-fame Awards Ceremony, which was graced with the presence of Martial Arts Legends, Grandmasters, and actionmovie stars such as Hwang Jang Lee (Silver Fox), Queen of Martial Arts Cynthia Rothrock, Eric Kovaleski, Carl Van Meter,
Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn (Facebook) Grandmaster & Movie Director Art Camacho, Alan G o l d b e rg , D r. R o b e r t Goldman, and many other legends who travelled from as far as Switzerland, Russia, and Japan. Massiah said that among the approximately 300 specially invited guests, he was the only Guyanese at the event. The programme, which approaches its 131st edition on Friday February 10th, has been endorsed by Worldrenowned sports personalities, such as those mentioned, and added are 11-times World Kickboxing Champion and Movie-star Don “Dragon” Wilson, Head of the World body for JiuJitsu Akexey Kunin, “Dragon Fire” Dr. Kevin Hufford, and includes our very own Guyanese Mr. Universe Masters Bodybuilding Champion Hugh Ross, Master Frank Woon-a-Tai, Grandmaster Stephen Monasingh, 98 year old athlete Mr. Hilton Lewis, Ministers Nicolette Henry, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, and others. Associations, Federations, and viewers of the MSCS programme have acknowledged it as the platform for disseminating information and promoting of Combat & Strength Competitions/Tournaments, and bringing awareness of the accomplishments of athletes & competitors local & international. The programme’s theme & motto, “Entertaining and
encouraging a healthy nation through sports”, INSPIRING, INFORMING, & ENTERTAINING, has been implemented by the Producer, and are surely the ingredients used to not only sustain, but has benefitted the programme immensely in gaining rapid momentum in increasing viewership, by professional, high standard, valued, & quality p r e s e n t a t i o n s . Mr Massiah is high in praise for the sponsors of the programme, a few of which have been supportive from the very first edition, namely – Fitness Express, Jermin’s Enterprise, & Guyana Karate College, A. Ally & Sons, G i f t l a n d ’s S p o r t s m a x , Rosignol Butchery, Nexgen Global Marketing, Fly Jamaica, Hand-in-hand Insurance, Fantaseafoods, C . I . D . I , & M i k e ’s P h a r m a c y . ”Max”, (as he is popularly known) hinted that if all goes as planned, there is a possibility of one of WWE wrestlers; Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Bill Goldberg or one of the other popular Wrestlers, or UFC or MMA fighters may join Dan “the Beast” Severn, for an event on Sat. 27th May. After hosting 2-time Female World Bodybuilding Champion Laura Creavalle, and was part of the group to bring the Legendary Silver Fox to Guyana, - anything is possible, Max informed.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 08, 2017
PAGE 43
Limacol Round Robin/KO Football Competition
Den Amstel, Uitvlugt shut out resistance from visiting teams - Double-header today at GFC
Part of the action in the clash between eventual winners Den Amstel and Santos at the Leonora Track & Field facility on Monday night.
Andre Hector West Demerara teams Den Amstel FC and Uitvlugt were in no mood to entertain resistance from their visitors Santos and New Amsterdam United when play in the L i m a c o l R o u n d Robin/Knockout Football Competition continued on Monday night, at the Leonora Track & Field facility. Playing in the feature clash, Den Amstel, one of the best teams on the West Side, produced an inspired performance to subject Santos to their second defeat in as many matches after squeezing past them by a 1-0 margin, while Uitvlugt coasted to a comfortable 3-1 triumph over NA United. Andre Hector’s 79th minute strike proved enough to hand then three points and the lead in the points standing in Group C. Santos, recent finalist in the Stag Nation Cup where they lost to a strong Western Tigers side, could only blame themselves for the loss, squandering numerous chances to score goals.
Devon Forde should have given them the lead in the 12th minute, but his lob sailed harmlessly over the crossbar, after racing onto a through pass. Up next was Ryan October whose volley landed just outside the right upright after racing on to a cross from Orlando Ricketts. The assault on Den Amstel goal continued through Dominique Bobb, who hit a fierce left-footed free-kick that required a magnificent save from goalkeeper Ryan Hunte to keep it from landing in the back of the net, tipping it over the crossbar. Den Amstel, perhaps, sensing that it was their day, came out in the final period in attacking mode with Gideon Payne first to test the opposition goalkeeper with a stinging right-footer that skimmed the crossbar. That was followed by a Gavin Graham miss after a squared ball from Delon Lanferman eluded his attempt to slide it in. However, Hector made
amends for his teammates earlier blushes when he poked in a ball from a corner kick that somehow escaped every Santos defender and fell into his path in the 79th minute. Despite a few attempts by Santos to level the proceedings, the host held on tenaciously to their slim lead until the final whistle sounded. Earlier, Uitvlugt led by a brace from Jamal Harvey which included the fastest goal recorded in the competition to date, netting in the first minute of play, cruised past NA United. Harvey completed his tally for the night with another goal in the 73rd minute, while Trayon Bobb’s 15th minute strike accounted for their eventual scoreline. Jamal Butts 5th minute goal was the lone response for the visitors. Play in the competition resumes today with a double header at the GFC ground. Grove Hi-Tech take on Northern Rangers from 18:30 hrs, while Western
Tigers tackle Uitvlugt Warriors from 20:30hrs. The winner of each group will collect $100,000, while the finishers receive $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively. The overall winners are set to receive $500,000 and a trophy, while second, third
Falcons at crossroads after Super Bowl meltdown (Reuters) The Atlanta Falcons were left to wonder what might have been and what will be of their future in the aftermath of their Super Bowl collapse on Sunday. Atlanta’s 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots was a study in improbability for a talented NFC team that looked destined to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. When the Falcons entered the fourth quarter
with a 28-9 advantage, it looked to be the start of an exciting future for the franchise which finds itself at a crossroads instead. “There is never going to be a way to get over the loss,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters. “The guy battled as hard as they can.” A collection of small miscues added up to the colossal defeat in the end for Atlanta. Super Bowl MVP Tom
Brady converted a fourthdown play that led to a touchdown, New England added a field goal, then the Falcons fumbled to set up another Patriots score and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan was sacked to push his team out of field goal range. In the blink of an eye, New England tallied TDs and two-point conversions before ultimately completing the miracle win
in OT. “There’s nothing you can really say,” Ryan said. “That’s a tough loss. Obviously (we’re) very disappointed, very close to getting done what we wanted to get done, but it’s hard to find words.” Falcons super fan and actor Samuel L. Jackson summed it up succinctly when he tweeted: “The agony of defeat...see ya next (Continued on page 31)
and fourth placed teams will take home $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Banks DIH Limited under the GT Beer Brand, Trophy Stall and Star Party Rentals are the other entities on board. In the night’s full results:
Game-1 NA United-1 vs Uitvlugt-3 Uitvlugt scorers Jamal Harvey-1st and 73rd Trayon Bobb-15th NA scorer Jamal Butts-5th Game-2 Santos-0 vs Den Amstel-1 Andre Hector-79th
Foreign Affairs Ministry to host Tapeball tourney As part of their Mashramani celebrations, the Office Assistants of the Foreign Affairs Ministry will be hosting an Inter Ministry/Government Agencies 6-over Tapeball cricket tournament starting on February 12 at the National Cultural Centre tarmac. At stake are trophies, medals and cash prizes for the winning and runner up
teams, best batsman and bowler and the MVP in the final which will be played on February 19. Teams are asked to uplift entry forms from coordinator James Lewis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs registry department. Entries will be closed on Friday. Lewis can be contacted on 628-1656 or 666-5857.
t r o Sp
Milo Schools Football launched
Milo Nestle Brand Manager Renita Sital hands over the cheque to Petra Organisation Troy Mendonca in the presence of GFF President Wayne Forde (2nd right), Min. of Education rep Nicholas Fraser, Beepat’s rep Chris Beepat (2nd left) and Petra’s Mark Alleyne yesterday.
One change as National Beach Soccer Team leave for Barbados tourney tomorrow
National Beach Soccer Coach Abdullah Hamid (right) during a briefing session with the team recently at the Bayrock Beach Soccer Facility in Linden.
Scorpions beat Jaguars by 20 runs Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210