Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
Heavy-duty machinery destroying GuySuCo Scheme’s main road
A truck carrying building materials traversing the road For the past five months heavy-duty machinery carrying building materials for housing development behind Herstelling and Farm, East Bank Demerara, have been traversing GuySuCo Housing Scheme main entrance road effectively destroying its surface. GuySuCo Housing Scheme situated in Herstelling, East Bank Demerara appears to be a relatively small housing establishment but it stretches to Mocha and more than 75 percent of the lots are occupied. Kaieteur News visited the community yesterday and spoke with some residents who have been fighting to maintain the loam surfaced road. Amidst the depressions, potholes and slush there are manmade drainage lines and a huge pile of dirt on the structure. According to a male resident, heavy-duty machines once traversed
Farm Housing Scheme entrance, neighbouring the Bougainvillea Housing Development, to access the housing development areas but the internal roads are now destroyed. “Is trucks taking building materials for them new housing development behind we…The weight of the trucks destroy the roads… big deep waves there…so now they come and use our road,” the man said. The man said that Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd that is executing works on the East Bank Demerara Public Road is storing equipment and building material along the shoulders of the scheme’s entrance road. As such, the construction company constantly maintains the front section of the road and has promised to upgrade it once their works are completed. Another resident said that he was forced to dig parts of the road to allow the water to drain. In addition, Dipcon
was kind enough to place dirt in one of the huge potholes. The residents hope this would serve as a deterrent to big trucks. The residents want the road to be repaired and the trucks to stop traversing it. While upgrading works are being executed on the structure they also want their streets to be upgraded. According to a resident, last year R&B Construction upgraded one of the community roads to Double Bitumen Treatment Surface. Already the road has potholes and has sunk in certain sections. The resident was unable to say if the project was carried out by the Ministry of Housing or the Neighbourhood Democratic Council. The man said that something seemed fishy about that project since the community has two streets and only one was upgraded. The other is in a terrible condition forcing all the vehicles to use the first street.
Police on Sunday at Linden arrested wanted man Khemraj “Rattie” Fredricks, minutes after he was discharged from the Mackenzie Hospital with a gunshot wound to the thigh. The police said that Fredericks called ‘Rattie’, 32, of Nottinghamshire, Mackenzie, was washing his motor vehicle on his premises at around 19:00hrs yesterday when it is reported that he was shot to his right thigh. The police say that Fredericks has been taken into custody as pending investigations into a drugrelated matter. Fredericks is said to be wanted in connection with the November, 2013 incident in which police seized several rounds of AK_47 ammunition during a raid at marijuana farm at 15 Miles, Ituni.
Police had stated that individuals on the marijuana farm had shot at them and they were forced to return fire. A police release stated that the ranks destroyed ten fields comprising about 5,000 cannabis sativa plants, ranging in height from one foot and seven feet. Three camps were also unearthed during the raids. Four men were arrested and 271 rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition, three AK47 rifle magazines and a telescopic night vision lens were recovered. The ranks also detained four suspects, including an expoliceman, but two other men managed to escape on motorcycles. Kaieteur News was told that the ranks found sophisticated irrigating
systems, which included pipes and sprinklers, on the farm. At the time, police were said to be looking for a Lindener known as ‘Rattie’, who is believed to be the gang’s ringleader. According to police sources, one of the detained men told investigators that the alleged ringleader supplied them with firearms.
Suspect in Ituni drug, AK ammo find shot
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New River Triangle debacle…
Exposure, not hostility, unraveled MURI deal - Harmon Muri Brasil Ventures Incorporated has blamed its pullout of the Permission for Geographical and Geophysical Surveys (PGGS) on prejudice and hostility b u t A P a r t n e r s h ip for National Unity’s (APNU) Executive Member, Joseph Harmon, believes that it was in fact the scrutiny and exposures that resulted in the decision. Commenting on the matter yesterday, Harmon said, “there was no hostility on our part or on the part of the media.” He said that it was the exposure of the information that should have been in the public domain even before the permission was granted. Harmon warned too that this level of scrutiny will be applied to all future transactions. He said that this level of scrutiny must be applied to all allocations of such large scale areas of land. According to Harmon, “our natural resources are finite and if in one generation all are given out what will happen to future generations.” The APNU Executive Member believes that the nation is in fact indebted to the level of scrutiny that was focused on the Muri PGGS. He said that in future the same level of scrutiny will be applied to ensure that there is probity and transparency. Harmon believes that companies must be thoroughly scrutinized before any such deals are inked, to ensure that they have the capacity to undertake their proposed ventures. As it relates to Muri’s claim of hostility, Harmon said that it was the same ‘blame game nonsense’ that was used when the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project fell through and the government resorted to blaming the opposition. Muri Brasil Ventures Incorporated on Saturday last made the announcement that it had pulled out of the PGGS it had been granted by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The company in its
announcement said that although the process was legal and transparent, “this decision is due to the misinformation, prejudice and hostility to this proposed survey by persons and agencies which are fostering an adverse investment climate in Guyana.” The news came just days after Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, had confirmed that the Ministry denied permission to the company for the construction of an airstrip. Muri had previously announced that it was awaiting permission from the Ministry to build an airstrip t o f a c i l i t a t e i t s a e r ial surveys. Benn had told media operatives that an application was made for an airstrip in the
APNU’s Joseph Harmon this was not the case. He said the application had been made long before the disputation in the press over the company and its PGGS. Benn said that as it relates to his Ministry’s decision, it
“…our natural resources are finite and if in one generation all are given out what will happen to future generations” – Harmon New River Triangle area and approval had not been granted. He was adamant that the refusal of the permission for the airstrip had nothing to do with the imbroglio in the press over the company and the terms of its agreement. Ever since it was discovered that Minister Robert Persaud had authorized granting the PGGS, several commentators had come out in condemnation and called for it to be recalled. Minister Benn was asked if refusing permission for the airstrip was not a backdoor approach to ending the PGGS to which he responded that
was a question of whether there is really need for an airstrip in the area and also whether it would present additional difficulties in terms of security and oversight. Critics of the PGGS had called it a threat to national security. The Muri debacle had sparked a livid public debate as to the Government’s policy on mining in the disputed area. The military has traditionally warned against mining in the area but Government’s chief spokesperson, Dr. Roger Luncheon had said that the army has no say in making the decision.
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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
Editorial
Those local aircraft near-mishaps The increasing frequency of local aircraft near mishaps should serve as a wakeup call to the relevant bodies if it has not as yet done so. Within past months the media have featured stories of emergency landings, falling wheels and doors opening in midair. This situation is likely to become expected in the normal course of things if the air traveling public does not press for serious answers from the local air industry, and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. The inanities that emanate from the spokespersons whenever these incidents occur are to be expected from paid servants no less. However, one would have thought that those private sector members would have been in the forefront pressing for the exercise of more diligent scrutiny regarding the safety of aircraft, passengers and crews. A not so funny observation is that during the days of Guyana Airways Corporation, there were no reports of the type we see nowadays, or if there were, the number and severity were minimal. It is eerily similar to the situation we face with minibuses vis-à-vis the defunct Guyana Transport big bus service. To blandly assert that there was no danger to these persons flies in the face of the reality. At the risk of sounding facetious it has not as yet been shown how the safety of occupants in an airplane can be assured with falling wheels and opening doors. No one has even mentioned the dangers posed to people on the ground as experienced by the Plaisance resident who lost her home in - of all things, a plane crash. Imagine relaxing in the comfort and safety of your home and a wheel comes through the roof. With the Ogle Aerodrome now an international airport it is to be expected that appropriate consideration has been given to those communities in aircraft’s flight paths. It is observed that aircraft flying interior routes normally do so over waterways, probably out of safety concerns for both plane and people on the ground. But this is negated by what appears to be a casual approach to maintenance and preflight requirements, if, according to reports, passengers are at the mercy of aviators who dismiss warnings about potential problems. Additionally, fliers face the constant problem of wandering persons and straying animals when landing and taking off at some airstrips. Investigations which last forever, and from all appearances go nowhere, might impress upon the more cynical that they are only intended to placate. Such inquiries are likely to do more harm if they lack serious intent in terms of following up on findings and implementing recommendations. Incidentally, near-fatal mishaps have not occurred at any one particular airstrip or region which might or might not be significant. A perusal of these incidents would show that Aishalton, Kaituma, Baramita, Kwakwani, Kaow Island, Ekereku, Pariuma, Matthews Ridge, Arau have all been scenes of aircraft accidents. Guyana must have some of the best pilots in the Caribbean, because in all of the ensuing post incident investigations no evidence of pilot error is adduced. The likelihood of this when flying in a country like Guyana must be statistically significant in view of the prevailing practice of operating using visual flight rules which is permitted under visual meteorological conditions. This fact is no more observable than when inland flights remain grounded or have to divert to an alternative airstrip if visibility on the approach to the destination is affected by bad weather particularly in light of the largely mountainous and forested areas that characterise Guyana’s interior. A very obvious necessity must be an in-depth review of all aircraft mishaps, including fatal and non-fatal events. Not to be ignored is the prevalence of particular types of incidents, and the operator and/or owner of the aircraft concerned. This should not be seen as encouraging a witch hunt, but more as a call to audit compliance with the operations and maintenance schedules in the hope that these are not being sacrificed for the almighty dollar, thus putting innocent people’s lives at risk.
Monday January 06, 2014
Letters... Where your views make the news
MOSES NAGAMOOTOO HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD DEAR EDITOR, Over the last few years, the Jagdeo/Ramotar rule has cost thousands of Guyanese their well paying jobs, widened the poverty gap between the rich and the poor and have brought a sense of hopelessness and despair to the “have nots” thus making living in Guyana a very difficult experience for them. In responding to the silly comment made by the Minister of Public Service, Ms. Jennifer Westford in connection with the 5% wage increase for the workers, AFC senior executive member Moses Nagamootoo hit the nail on the head when he said that the PPP bigwigs cannot understand what it is to be a member of the working class in 2013 and thus they can callously allocate a meager 5 percent increase in wages without even a consideration of the high cost of living and the daily struggles of the poor to survive. He called on the government to stop treating
those who are not members of the PPP, especially the workers, as second class citizens. He reminded them that Guyana belongs to all Guyanese and the PPP regime must implement policies that benefit all and must stop the marginalization of the poor and the working class. Guyana with a population of 750,000, and a GDP per capita below most of our CARICOM sister nations was expected to blossom into a stable democracy with an escalating standard of living, especially for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This was the dream of Dr. Cheddi Jagan in 1992 when he promised to change, heal and rebuild the nation. He promised Guyanese a complete set of modern infrastructure by 2012, clean energy, food security and that Guyana would once again become the bread basket of the Caribbean, a great education system, low crime rates, an end to
corruption, an excellent heath care system, etc. A country where families would work, grow and prosper together. But his end came and with his departure, that dream was shattered as the fresh PPP cabal for selfish, covetous and corrupt reasons turned Dr. Jagan’s dream on its head. Upon the arrival of Jagdeo at State House, the new PPP cabal began a policy of deregulation and the setting up of a family chaebol to extract sizable financial favour from the Treasury. A company called Queens Atlantic Group was incorporated in 1999 to serve exactly that role as outlined by the Jagdeo plan. Now, some G$3.4 billion in medical supplies are sold to the Government by one of these family chaebols, in most cases at six times the real value of the drugs, thus extracting some G$600 million per year in pure profits from the taxpayers. As we enter 2014, the Jagdeo experience will
continue to have disastrous effects and consequences on the economy and the lives of the poor and the working class unless drastic action is taken to reverse it. I believe that it is not possible for a nation to develop with such a flawed developmental model where the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. The criminality of this developmental model was exposed earlier when Dr. Yesu Persaud highlighted how the PPP regime changed the tax laws to retroactively legalise an illegality. For his bravery in exposing this criminality, Dr Persaud got a splendid “cuss down” from Guyana’s Head of State and chief “cuss bird.” Shortly after, all the secretive and crooked deals for the sale of state assets by NICIL, authorized by Jagdeo were exposed and the nation watched in awe as the ruling elite and their friends made billions off of the taxpayers. With the help of the able Continued on page 5
Sorry Mr. President, I could not hear/ watch your New Year’s message DEAR EDITOR, To ponder on the subject is just another reflection of what and where our society has turned into through lack of proper administration of the law. Some may question why you even want to listen to the President’s message but while some care less, some people still anticipate
that glimmer of hope for our country and people. We had no choice to be up all through the night but very uncomfortable. We could not hear our own voices in our home and we had to be looking out all the time for security reasons. Yes, I am talking about the ‘bubble session’ that was
allowed to go until 4am New Year’s morning in Calendar Street. Several calls were made to the police at Brickdam Operations, who said they will dispatch patrols. When the patrols came, they allowed the dance to continue, probably after collecting their complimentary drinks. What is troubling is the fact of how all our holidays, religious or national are hijacked into a mere party, in some cases street parties. Is
this the culture we are promoting? The law enforcement officers have in their full right to maintain peace and calm in a society but they allow these things to fester because somebody knows somebody. It is clear dereliction of duty to have a community under siege by noise of this nature and the police ignoring it. Then again, this is what our Guyana has become. R. Simeon
Guyana now under World Doping Body radar Govt. needs to buy
DEAR EDITOR, Never did I ever imagined that one day I will peruse the media reports that a “Guyanese Athlete” would fail a drugs test...Betrayed I felt because of the time, energies and effort I have penned countless correspondences over the years via the newspapers on/ of sports and advising sports ambassadors to stay clean. Guyana have just joined the list of countries under the radar of the watchful eyes of the World Doping Body and if Guyana does not implement systems to curb such practices, it will continue to make headlines in the negative for the sports. Whatever decision is taken by the Ministry of Sports in collaboration with all other stakeholders, my only expectation is that all national athletes from all
discipline of sports leaving Guyana for any competition should be subject to tests. I am aware that there are many processes to be taken and a cost factor is attached, but should we not make an effort to invest towards clean sports practices, Guyana could eventually be banned from all international meets. Is that the way forward towards the 2016 Rio Olympic Games? Berbician Powerlifter, Gumendra Shewdas, you may get to keep your medals and all prizes already handed over, but at the end of the day, you have made history in the books of sports for the wrong reason. I would never understand how can anyone have medals hung in their homes knowing they went around the wrong way in earning them. T. Pemberton
its way out of poor corruption ratings
DEAR EDITOR, I am amazed and marginally confounded that Bishop Minister Juan Edghill (or is it Minister Bishop Juan Edghill?) would waste his valuable time and the nation’s money trying to debunk the universally held belief that Guyana has become one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. The problem is mathematical dear minister. How can a country that pays a policeman with a wife and three children $50,000 a month from which his monthly rest is $35,000 and GPL electricity bill around $20,000 not have a poor corruption rating? I am taking the liberty of using our uniformed services as a mere example of chronic underpayment in the public sector. I beg another liberty in advising our Honourable Minister in the Ministry of Finance that his time and the nation’s money would be better spent were he to energetically pursue realistic salary increases for our public service employees and the men and women we daily rely on to protect us, our families and property. In a sense, the task is for government to buy its way out of poor corruption ratings by paying the public servants much better than is presently the case. F. Hamley Case
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
CALL TO DUTY
DEAR EDITOR, On the rainy night of Saturday December 28 2013 a horse was hit down and lay dying on the Railway Embankment Road near Prince William Street in Plaisance. Around noon on December 29 2013 I got a call from animal lover, Derek Kowlesser, telling me about the suffering horse. He said it was lying in the middle of the road; that a vehicle had already run over one of its legs and that someone had put up a concrete block with a red flag to warn off vehicles. I immediately went to the location and saw a traffic jam (the result of market day) with vehicles trying to maneuver around the poor horse, which was still alive. I called one of the Executive Members of the GSPCA and was informed that they could not get hold of any Inspectors or Vets……case closed! I went to the Sparendaam Police Station and asked for help in euthanizing the horse; they said there was nothing they could do……full stop! Moving the dying horse to a grassy area at the side of the road proved to be a very emotional experience. I was standing in the pouring rain, holding my cement slings in
one hand when I realized that I was basically on my own–it seemed there was no one, or no institution, willing and able to respond to an animal crisis on a Sunday in the whole of Georgetown. So how was I going to move a nearly dead horse weighing ten times than I did to the side of the road, and who could we get to put the poor animal out of his misery? Editor, I was overcome with tears; I have never cried as much as I did that day. The poor horse seemed to want to help and tried to raise his head but could not. Luckily, a cousin of Derek’s, Richard and his friend were passing, they stopped and offered assistance. Needing more manpower, I drove further up the village and found a nice woman who got two men to help. Finally, with enough manpower, the horse was moved off the road and traffic got back to normal. I had molasses/water in my car and we lifted his head and poured some into his mouth. He grunted and closed his eyes. With help from the villagers we identified the owner of the horse and he was sent for but never showed up. Then the difficult part began; who do we get to put this suffering horse to sleep?
The only person I could think to call was the Head of GLDA. He had assisted me before in helping animals in crisis. Feeling a bit at ease, now that the horse was safely out of traffic, I went home and called the CEO of Guyana Livestock and Development Authority (GLDA). Dr. Permaul took my call and said he would get back to me. Sure enough, he called back and sent a Vet to the site but he did not have enough drugs to euthanize the horse and could not get any that afternoon. Dr.Permaul then located and sent a 2nd Vet, who diagnosed the horse with a crushed ankle and Kentucky disease before putting him to sleep. Thanks are given to Dr. Permaul, Dr.Bassadeo and his assistant, Troy, for euthanizing the suffering animal and to Shalini SinghLall for making the call to the NDC and having the body removed the day after. However, we are left with two important questions: 1. What organization or institution is responsible for animal welfare on weekends and holidays? 2. How can their services be strengthened so that suffering of animals in crisis can be reduced? Syeada Manbodh
Moses Nagamootoo... From page 4 financial analyst, Chris Ram, the bottom of the PPP schemes fell out, thus exposing their crooked and secret deals. It has become unbearable for the people to watch what the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal has done to the citizens of Guyana. They have not only raped the treasury and robbed the taxpayers but they continue to use the state resources to enrich themselves, their relatives and their friends. I am calling on the combined majority opposition, APNU and the AFC to launch a thorough investigation through Parliament into these illicit accumulated assets and as i n d i v i d u al PPP officials cannot explain their accumulated assets, episodes of asset seizures and forfeitures must be made on behalf of the state, since most of what they have done to Guyana is Money Laundering and wholesale theft of state assets. Guyana, once considered the bread basket of the Caribbean and the most spectacular country in the region and beyond, has now become the second poorest country in the Caribbean, next to Haiti, according to the
World Bank. But all is not lost, for in 2014 the world will see Guyanese rise to the occasion and redeem their beautiful country from the hands of evil doers. As a nation, Guyanese must not immerse themselves in their worries, but rather face up to the problems and do something about them. Most have experienced difficult times before, and have recently witnessed how their government has turned into a monster but they must continue to support one another and by not giving up would lead them through to better times. Fellowship is a cornerstone of our society, yet fellowship can only be found where each one of us is ready to contribute to the revolution. We must not
leave it to others – or to chance – how to proceed. It must be our own responsibility to find a starting point; both mentally and physically. The protest underway for better wages and working conditions by Nurses, Civil Servants and Teachers is the starting point which is the beginning of the end of the PPP’s rule as the Arab revolution in Guyana’s context takes shape. It will not be long before a new government is in place. It will not be long before hopelessness and despair are replaced with hope, joy and happiness. Yes! the year 2014 will bring real changes to Guyana. God bless Guyana and all Guyanese. Name and address supplied
Dream on Mr. Rohee!
DEAR EDITOR, Surprise! Surprise! So the PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee has been reading his Marxist/Leninist literature again, but now that he is awaken from his slumber, he is more than two decades late. His archaic way of thinking is no longer relevant in Guyanese society. Is he selling dictatorship to his PPP supporters? Is he berating/belittling or abandoning one of their stalwart supporters—the individual who convinced them that the PPP will win a landslide victory with 63% of the votes in the 2011 election? As Mr. Rohee tries to salvage what little support is left of the PPP, he must know that the “political hogwash” he is spewing cannot turn the clock back for the PPP - the majority of Guyanese have spoken in the last election and they have permanently abandoned them. But in addition to the PPP losing more of its former supporters every day (the rural folks, the farmers, the working class), the corrupt elements who control the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal will never allow him to establish a “broad left, progressive, democratic front”, since such a front will demand accountability, transparency, good governance and an end to corruption. Can the Jagdeo cabal handle accountability and transparency? Would they want corruption to end? Mr. Rohee ought to know that before they could regain any support, the PPP must lower the toll on the Berbice Bridge to $1,000 for cars and minibuses and allow free passage for motorcycles, reduce VAT by 2 percent, give the workers a 15 percent increase and increase the pension for elders from $12,500 per month to $20,000 per month, in addition to reducing crime and corruption.
Does Mr. Rohee think that the greedy and powerful Jagdeo cabal in the PPP will implement any of the above issues? Would they allow free and transparent tendering for the multi-billion dollar procurement contract for medical supplies to slip out of their grasp? That is G$600 million lost for them every year. Dream on Rohee! There is nothing broad or nothing leftist about the way the current Ramotar administration conducts itself. The reality is the Jagdeo cabal within the Ramotar administration are extremely narrow-minded, greedy people who are not prepared to share the wealth of the nation with anyone else but themselves and there is nothing leftist about them. Actually, they operate more like extreme capitalists who want to devour all the resources in the country. They have already raped the treasury and have taken the best lands for themselves, and have pawned the country’s natural resources to their friends. So rest yourself Mr. Rohee and stop talking political froth and get real. We know you are “bazadee” at this point in time as the crime wave exposes your gross incompetence, but it is no excuse for political fantasy. The decent thing to do is to deal with the crime issue and stop interfering with the daily operations of the police rather than blow a smoke screen for the people with these empty and balderdash statements to hide the truth. The truth is the PPP is losing political support every single day because of its inept policies, lack of trust and its crooked ways, and that reality will not change before the next General Elections. If we are wrong, we dare Mr. Rohee and the PPP to call General Elections in 2014. Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish Singh
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Kaieteur News
Culture Minister will have to comply with audit of Caribbean Press funds The political opposition is insisting that the Culture Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony will have to comply with an audit of the funds used by the Caribbean press. He will most certainly also have to justify how local writers will benefit if his Ministry is to be granted the funds for the establishment for an Editorial Board for the Press. At a recent press conference, Dr. Anthony had stated that the Caribbean Press may face possible closure if the money for its establishment is not approved in the 2014 budget. The request for a Permanent Editorial Board, the Minister said, comes in light of the fact that the current panel attached to the press has been unhappy about the constant accusations of mismanagement of the publishing house and its funds. Trevor Williams of the opposition party, The Alliance For Change (AFC) told Kaieteur News said that the Minister will have to comply with an audit and he will have to supply justifiable reasons as to why funds would be needed for the Board and how it is going to benefit local writers. “The Mister just can’t come and say he wants x amount for the board and everything is going to be fine. We are not against the development of any initiative that can serve as a platform to support and facilitate the growth of our local artists. The AFC is always in support of such activities but when it involves taxpayers’ money we must see transparency.” “The Minister has to come with a proper proposal. We have been very skeptical of Dr. Anthony and anything that he comes with because
- Opposition says Anthony must justify how money will be used before approval
Joseph Harmon
Minister Frank Anthony
Trevor Williams
David Dabydeen
he has not been forthcoming with pertinent information just like the rest of the government. He has not been transparent. We want to see a plan to show how this editorial board will work and how it will benefit the people and improve the press itself. He will not get the money through bullyism” Williams stressed as well that at present there are several local writers who are disappointed in the way the Press is being managed. The Press is currently being managed by its Editor, Mr.
David Dabydeen. Moreover the Member of Parliament said that Dr Anthony will have to confirm to an audit of past funds, and if he gets this sum approved for the board he will also have to comply with an audit for that as well. “The AFC has a keen focus on him this year,” Williams said. Supporting his comments as well was A Partnership for National Unity’s Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon. “The Minister of Culture cannot expect that any allocation of funds in the budget will not be subject to the most intense scrutiny. We encourage the expansion of the Arts and we support the position of Williams as it regards the compliance with an audit. The Minister must understand that when it involves funding we want transparency and this proposal he is coming with will undergo careful and intense inspection.”
Monday January 06, 2014
Catholic Standard should resume anti-corruption crusade - Freddie Kissoon Columnist and political activist Freddie Kissoon believes that the Catholic Standard should continue the fight against corruption and wrong doings even though it’s now more spiritually focused on Christianity. The Catholic Standard is a weekly Christian paper which under the Helm of a national figure Father Andrew Morrison, during the 70’s and 80’s, did several investigative stories on the then PNC government, notably on the assassination of WPA leader Walter Rodney and the brazen daylight killing of Catholic Priest Father Darke, by thugs from the House of Israel. But after the PPP/C’s advent to power, and after Father Morrison retired, the direction of the paper shifted towards focusing more on spirituality and the Catholic demographic. “I think that the Catholic standard should have continued the glorious tradition of Father Morrison, but I think what happened is that the leadership of the Church changed, the leadership of the Church passed from a Guyanese who understood what happened in the 70’s and 80’s and it went to a foreigner, so the Church took a new path way of going back to spirituality” said Kissoon. According to Kissoon, after the Burnham era was over, the Catholic Standard felt that the role it was playing was finished and more attention should be placed with the Standard as the provider of the church doctrine. However, Kissoon’s contention is that the current state of this political administration is worse than under Burnham, hence the need for the Standard to play a part since he posits that even if the Standard says it’s religiously focused, in religion the foundation is right over wrong. As such, the Catholic Standard should be going back to its former position of highlighting and transgressing those wrongs in Guyana. “If you look at our country now you can lose
Freddie Kissoon
Father Andrew Morrison
your life if you only do an article on drug trafficking and pin point certain places where drug trafficking is taking place, you have to be very careful if you do an article... those people would come and kill you right next door to a police station and the police would take 24 hours before they even come to the building where you were shot, I mean how could that not be worse than when the Catholic Standard was fighting against President Forbes Burnham… you have some of the richest men in the Caribbean using state resources; Mr. Burnham would never have tolerated that, so the Catholic Church doesn’t have a leg to stand on for them to argue that the CS should now go back to its religious foundation” said Kissoon. Kissoon was referring to the arguments posited by the Mr. Colin Smith, the current editor of the Catholic Standard. In a previous interview, Smith stated that he is not an independent person of the church, and therefore has to follow the direction of the Church and has to answer to a board and a Chairman, who has been at the helm for about 35 years. Kissoon feels that after serving so many years, the Chairman should make way for someone else, who can take the Standard in a new direction. Smith had argued that “with the advent of the Stabroek News and more so the Kaieteur News, there was no real need for the Catholic Standard to do what it was doing. They (Stabroek and Kaieteur) did much better, they had a lot more resources, human and financial. The
whole scenario changed, the dictatorship under Burnham didn’t exist anymore… the political situation changed completely and there was no need for the Standard, with its few resources to do what it was doing when these two other papers had come on board.” According to Kissoon, Mr. Smith, “while he is very understanding of the role of right and wrong cannot go against church policies. The board is authoritarian enough to fire him. In life you cannot say that your colleague is dealing with sexual exploitation, let him deal with it, you have an obligation to deal with it too if you were working in the company, so the explanation that Kaieteur and Stabroek are looking at corruption can’t hold.” Kissoon also argues that, while the second explanation of resources has some merit, the Catholic Church has entrenched itself in Guyana and could easily get the manpower for persons to volunteer and do journalistic work for the paper, or for there to be financial support from members. Kissoon thinks “it’s just plausible excuses from turning the Catholic Standard away from the sacred path of exposing evil and wrong doings, Mr. Smith is not to be blamed for that; he is an employee of the Catholic Church that is a decision the board and the church took under the present chairman. He [Chairman] was not enamored with the paper taking that vibrant role under Father Morrison, but he deferred to Father Morrison because he was a national hero, and I think once Father Morrison retired and got sick the paper went in a different direction.”
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Keith Burrowes’ report on City Hall...
Mayor, Councilors say not to blame for non-implementation Mayor and City Councilors (M&CC) are taking no blame for the nonimplementation of the 2012 recommendations made by government officer Keith Burrowes. A report and subsequent proposal was the result of a probe into the functions of the M&CC, but none of Burrowes’ 45 recommendations were put into effect, despite its general aim to develop and revamp City Hall’s administrative procedures. The Council is adamant that they are in full support of the Burrowes report, but charged that its nonimplementation is no fault of the Mayor and Councilors, since they play no part in the actual execution of duties. The Mayor, in response to questions on the report, is convinced that the proposals are intentionally not being implemented by the authorities. He explained that the Municipality consists of an administration or political directorate and once, “we, the political directorate accept the content, philosophy of a report or recommendation, there’s not much else we can do; it is now left in every society, to the bureaucracy to implement those decisions.” The Mayor said that, Burrowes himself had expressed frustration toward the progress being made, but “the irony is that... the constitution requires that the parliament ensures that there is an appointed Local Government Commission to deal with staff, Local Government authorities, but the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government did a
City Hall
maneuver and continued so that the Commission’s power resides with the minister.” The Mayor suggested that as human beings, if someone is employed by a party who has the authority to discipline them, then that worker stays in line, but if one is hired, and someone else has the authority to discipline, then that individual can be errant. That is the case, he explained, where the Council makes a decision but it is not carried out because it (Council) does not have the authority to discipline. Greene rejected further, talk that laid blame on the Council for not implementing the Burrowes’ recommendation; “There is nothing else that we can do,”
he charged. When asked about the report’s implementation before Sooba as Town Clerk, the Mayor reiterated that it is an ongoing process where the Council is unable to get one hundred percent cooperation out of the Town Clerks, “who were imposed.” Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase- Green injected that, as a member of the Commission of Inquiry for the Burrowes report, she remembered when the report was accepted by Council and Ministers of Local Government; “we saw
the exit of then Town Clerk Ms. Beula Williams, and Treasurer Rodrick Burrow.” Ms Yonette Pluck was another Town Clerk imposed on the Council Chase-Green said. “During that time while we were about to implement Burrowes’ report, we saw the exit of Ms Pluck, the Treasurer, Mr. Andrew Merridith, the engineer and three other officers.” Then came Sooba, and Mr. Ron Mc Calmont. Chase-Green continued that Mr. Burrowes had even loaned the Council a secretary to Sooba, to aid and assist in
the implementation of the Burrowes report, but it was recognized that neither the Town Clerk nor the Treasurer had implemented any of the recommendations. “In the last 16 months of Sooba being Town Clerk, we were supposed to be implementing the report, the secretary for whatever reason, could not work with Ms Sooba and left.” ChaseGreen highlighted that the Keith Burrowes probe came really for the Treasurer’s department, but investigations overlapped into other departments where other discrepancies were found. She stated that, “downstairs (where transaction departments are housed) seems to be an island by itself that operates with the Town Clerk and Treasurer by itself”. Chase- Green concluded that the Council could only make recommendations at the level of the Council. “Once accepted, it is the
Keith Burrowes administration, specifically the Town Clerk who has to implement it. She has to write to the officers according to Chapter 28:01 of the Constitution and tell them the Council’s decisions, if she does not agree with a decision, she can offer advice, but if it is not accepted, her disapproval can be recorded, but she cannot refuse to carry out decisions.”
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NOTHING LEFT OF THE LEFT How can there be a broad Left Front when there is no Left? From the PNC to the PPP, the Left in Guyana has left; they have abandoned ship and joined forces with the Right. It hardly therefore makes sense to speak about a broad Left Front because even considering that this Front will comprise of persons and groupings that are not necessarily of the Left, it is a misnomer to speak about a Left Front when there is nothing left of the Left in Guyana. The PPP is no longer a Left-leaning party. It is no longer even a MarxistLeninist Party. Its constitution may speak to such orientations but in practice the PPP is controlled by a powerful economic class
that is capitalist in nature and one that is predatory and ravenous in its desire to appropriate the wealth of the country. Why then this absurdity of announcing that the PPP will go into the next elections with a broad Left Front? Is it a case that the PPP wants to broaden its support base but lacks imagination and vision to come up with the appropriate formula? You cannot have a broad Left Front if there are no leftist parties. You cannot have a broad Front that comprises of only one Left-leaning party. And there are no Left-leaning parties left in Guyana. The WPA was once a Left- leaning party. But no sooner did the Americans invade Grenada that the WPA capitulated to geographic
Finance Minister blames APNU/AFC for Muri pull out The decision by Muri Brasil Ventures Inc, to pull out of its exploratory venture, is the latest example of the harm being inflicted on Guyana’s developmental prospects by A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change’s attack against investors in Guyana. This is according to Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, who in a public missive responded yesterday to the decision by the company to back out of its Geographical and Geophysical Survey of the disputed New River Triangle area. Muri Brasil Ventures in a statement said, “Although the process was legal and transparent, this decision is due to the misinformation, prejudice and hostility to this proposed survey by persons and agencies which are fostering an adverse investment climate in Guyana.” According to Dr. Singh, “this pattern of antidevelopment behavior by the Joint Opposition can be observed as they have repeatedly protested any project geared towards the development of Guyana.” He said the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion Project, the Specialty Hospital Project and the Marriott Hotel Project are all examples of the Opposition creating havoc with its one seat majority in the National Assembly, spreading misinformation and driving away investors. “The same antidevelopment attitude is seen even at the policy level in the
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh Chambers of the National Assembly.” He pointed to the AntiMoney Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill and the currently debated Public Procurement Commission Bill saw objection from the Opposition, though neither party can identify any real issue of contention with the respective bills. He said that there were similar anti- development sentiments reflected with the cutting of the 2012 and 2013 National Budgets. According to Dr Singh, “It is important to note that every investor that has been chased out of Guyana represents hundreds of job opportunities for Guyanese that will not be realized.” He said that the public should not take such coordinated sinister acts lightly as they are indicative of how little commitment the AFC and APNU have to the progress and development of Guyana.
fatalism: the idea that the Americans would never allow a Leftist government in the western hemisphere. The WPA was more interested in its survival than in standing up for what it believed in. And so it jumped ship even before the ship was in danger. Long before the Cold War ended, the WPA rebranded itself Rodneyite, which is really as absurd as the PPP invocation of a broad Left Front, because Rodney was a Marxist, an unapologetic Marxist. The PPP at least saw out the end of the Cold War without disavowing its ideology. It stayed faithful to its Marxist- Leninist credentials. But in 1991, with the prospects of political power dangled in front of the party and with the business community opportunistically ingratiating itself to the party, the PPP issued a statement indicating that the building of socialism was no longer on the cards. This was a tepid ideological retreat but a retreat nonetheless. After Cheddi Jagan died and Mrs. Jagan’s presidency became untenable by her political opponents, the capitalist class made its move
on the party, capitalizing on the ideological vacuum that had been created. The party eventually capitulated to the business class but there was subsequently another coup within the party, which saw a new oligarchy comprising of just a few persons and entities use their tremendous financial resources and their closeness to the political directorate to commandeer control of the party. When the PPP today speaks of a broad Left Front, it is not so much of an electoral strategy. The old leaders of the party are in effect attempting to retake the party. They are attempting to do so by claiming to be Leftwing. But are they really? The PPP has become almost totally dependent on the new economic oligarchy for financial support. The party structures that, for example, allowed for fund raising were all neglected because the party was awash with resources from the new oligarchy. The contributions from the new oligarchy, indeed from the business community, always come with strings attached. The business
community does not support the PPP because they love the party or its ideology; the donations to the party’s electoral coffers are investments by the business community to secure favors in the future. Traditionally, the PPP used to enjoy strong financial backing from its supporters within the Diaspora. But during the 2011 elections campaign that Diaspora abandoned the PPP. A fund raising event held in New York turned out to a disaster. The leadership clearly understood then that it could no longer rely on its overseas supporters for any substantial assistance. These supporters had either passed on or were aged; their descendants
could not give a hoot about the new princes that controlled the party. This abandonment by a strong financial base pushed the PPP further into the clutches of the new oligarchy. The idea of a broad Left Front will therefore not gain any currency unless the party begins to put distance between itself and the powerful economic class that controls it. And based on the rumors that some leading party activists are being bankrolled by the new oligarchs, reclaiming the party for the Left is a near impossible task.
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Caribbean Press possible closure…
Local writers call for Culture Minister’s resignation The recent declaration by the Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony that the Caribbean Press may face closure if the money for establishing an Editorial Board is not approved has caused some consternation among local writers. The announcement by Dr. Anthony at a Press Conference held at his ministry on Main Street on Friday last has caused several local writers to not only question the Minister ’s commitment to the development of the creative arts but to also make a strong call for his resignation. The Caribbean Press is a nonprofit organization which was established to publish the work of Guyanese writers. Dr. David Dabydeen serves as the editor and manager of the publishing House which still remains without an office. The Minister, in an interview last year, had complained of a shortage of staff and had said that the Press is facing a lot of challenges since most of
Culture Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony the work is done by persons who are not paid for their services. According to Dr. Anthony, the Press has published 60 books so far, 36 of which have been distributed to schools, libraries and Austins Book Services. Since the establishment of the Press, there have been numerous accusations of mismanagement of the press as well as its funds by several social and cultural activists.
Taking this into account, the panel of editors and writers working at the Caribbean Press has supported the move for the implementation of a Permanent Editorial Board. The Minister during the press conference said, “The people have been unhappy with the bad press they have been getting and as such we have sought to get the editorial board in place. This will cost money. We have no problem if this is what people want in the name of transparency but if it is not approved then the Caribbean Press can face a total shut down.” However, Cultural activist and artist, Mr. Barrington Braithwaite expressed that the implementation of an editorial board does not mean that it will not serve the whims and fancies of the “secretive clique.” “When you are dealing with public funds you are supposed to be transparent and these funds are simply being mismanaged. And from
the inception the Press should have had an Editorial Board in place. The Press was never embracing of the work of local writers. Instead, it is guided by a social clique who used it to get their work published…An editorial board does not mean that it will not serve the whims and fancies of the same secretive clique and in order for the Press to be effective, it needs to be reconstituted. It needs an office so that writers can be able to access these editors which would also lend to better management.” In a letter published in Saturday’s Kaieteur News, Ruel Johnson, two time winner of the Guyana Prize for Literature said that after examining the comments of the Culture Minister on the Press, he would like to reiterate his calls for the resignation of the Minister on the grounds of “ineffectiveness and dishonesty.” This call was also supported by other local writers and aspiring artists. As it relates to the money for the funding of the Editorial Board for the Press, Johnson says that, “Anthony is setting up a straw dragon and then pretending to cower from it. As far as I can tell, none of the Parliamentary parties has threatened the Ministry’s budgetary allocations nor have they given any indication that they will do so.” Johnson then reminded that the only pressure placed on the Minister in Parliament as it relates to the Press were those written questions
Ruel Johnson
Barrington Braithwaite
posed to him last year by Trevor Williams, a member of the Opposition Party, The Alliance For Change (AFC). Johnson also contends that not only is there need for an Editorial board but there is also need for a management board. He said, “With regard to the management board, like all state boards, participation would be voluntary, and academics as a rule do not charge for editorial board participation. Therefore, Anthony’s insinuation that board costs would be a stumbling block to the Press’ continued operations is duplicitous as best, but not atypical of the Minister’s pronouncements. The key editorial management cost would be for a qualified managing editor…” In addition to this, Johnson also asserts Dr. Anthony has not been open on the “specifics, particularly human resource allocations.” Instead, “He focuses, for example, on the $7.85 million
spent on secretarial assistants for three years and refuses to disclose where this money was spent (UK or Guyana), or the identity, contractual obligations and qualifications of the assistants.” Additionally, he is of the belief that “the Minister is equally silent on the specifics of the layout and design costs, as well as the licensing costs paid to the original publishers of the books being reprinted by the Press.” Johnson said that the Press can be a most beneficial venture once certain inhibitions are removed. He added, “If he (the Minister) is truly interested in keeping the initiative alive, he would actively seek out and accept all the help offered, instead of finding weak, ‘pitypo-boy’ excuses to justify his inability to stick to his promises on the Caribbean Press, whether they have to do with the publication of local authors or to set up a competent board or boards.”
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Four letter word
We all deal with pain in different ways. We say “I feel your pain” knowing full well that we are all different and I can feel my pain extremely well and may feel what your pain may feel like but can never really feel your pain. Empathy and sympathy are all well and good but when I’m in pain and feeling it I know very well that nobody else in the world is feeling exactly how I feel when I’m feeling it. My father had many different responses to my pain. For the most part he would rush out with the Phensic, Cafenol or Aspirin and even gave me a sip of bay-rum for fever, a case of the cure being worse than the illness. Vick’s vapour rub was a staple, heated “soft” candle was a cure, and boiled bush from the yard including “fever” or lemon grass with honey, lime and a dash of overproof rum dealt with any
pain that was stupid enough to come around our house. The rum might not have killed the germs but I am sure, that like my father, they had a very good time with it. But then again my father could be annoying about pain. In Trinidad, as the world knows, Carnival is huge. On the bus coming home from school, I had met a young lady named June who lived in the village before mine and she invited me to come and spend Carnival Monday with her. I was elated and could think or talk about nothing else. On Carnival Sunday, some of our friends decided they would like nothing better than stewed iguana and dasheen (a tuber known as “blue food”) for their Carnival Monday meal. My father had a shotgun that was licensed to travel and hunt, I was always glad for an opportunity to go into the
forest and that day I was first in the car since I had visions of shooting some huge monster and telling June all about my prowess. No beating around the bush there at all. Trinidad’s geology, flora and fauna are similar to Venezuela since the island was once part of the South American continent; thick virgin forest with vines that Tarzan, Jane, Boy, Cheetah and the entire tribe could have swung on. You always felt in the semi-darkness that the Phantom’s cave lay around the next giant tree trunk and that the Ghost Who Walks was watching you closely. So there was Bwana Tony walking in single file behind Mikey who was the designated gunman and Orland, Franklin with my father bringing up the rear. There was a hollowed out vine which Franklin swung
away from him and on its return journey the vine hit me full on the right side of my face. The next instant I was being bitten by thousands of wasps or “Jack Spaniards” which we called “Jack Spaniah” or “Jep”. They swarmed over me like the Cuban-based, Spanish pirate “Diabolito” and his crew over some poor British barque and the rightside of my face swelled like the Pillsbury doughboy. The heck of it is that when I look round for sympathy, understanding, empathy or even concern, everybody was laughing. I can tell you that in a circumstance like this, laughter is not the best medicine. It does not come even close. Had I the shotgun at the time I would have been able to refer to all my friends and even my father as those “blasted” people. If any English Language student ever needed an
Leaving too late: Could these domestic murders have been avoided? It’s another new year, but it seems 2014 has brought no end to the spate of domestic violence. Merely three days after popping champagne bottles and making New Year resolutions, the county’s newspapers were flooded with news that yet another young mother had been brutally murdered by a jealous man. Domestic violence can turn deadly at anytime. Often, there are no warning signs – just the tragic outcome that leaves too many questions unanswered for the loved ones who are left with no choice but try to go on with their lives together despite the missing piece they will never have again. It’s a bone chilling reality for family and friends who have lost someone to domestic violence. How do they cope? Is it easy hearing that you lost a mother, sister, niece, cousin or friend at the hand of a perpetrator who went way too far, didn’t notice the stop signs? Kaieteur News interviewed some of the families whose loved ones were a part of last year’s horrendous statistics. It was reported that over 24 relationships turned deadly last year. Like the other families, Sakumtala Bhisundial was stunned by her sister, Geeta Bhisundial’s death. As a matter of fact, she recalls the day her sister’s life was snuffed out by what she described as her sister’s jealous, insecure and possessive husband. On June 2, 2013, 27-year-
Geeta Bhisundial and her sister
Siromanie Lokhnauth old Geeta was allegedly strangled by the man for whom she produced and mothered three children. The suspect, Tarachand “Ramesh” Parbudial, reportedly then tried to hang himself but his suicide attempt was cut short by Sakumtala, who reported that she managed to cut the rope from around his neck. At that time, little did she realise how bleak the future had suddenly become for her family and more particularly the seven, four and a twoyear-old, who would have had no mother to tend to them and a father ‘in the system.’ A reflective Sakumtala said: “Nothing is the same. It is very hard for everyone. At the time, all the adults were helpless as everyone was moved out of their comfort zone. I tell you adjusting is no easy task.” “I know we have to move on and we try to make the best of everything. We try to be there for the children and support them. They have become more sensitive than
other children and are clingier. They are a bit more insecure but we understand that this is tough, in fact it is tough on all of us,” she said. Sakumtala reports that the Preliminary Inquiry into her sister’s murder is currently being heard by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrates’ Court. There are reports that the victim was physically abused several times prior to her death but she had failed to report to the authorities. “My sister never reported the matters. She believed in toughing it out and managed to shut everyone out. To be honest, she never used to tell anyone at first but about three months before he killed her the verbal and physical abuse became too much.” The sister claims that it was at that point that her sister confided in her what had been happening but said that the extent of the abuse was kept from her. “I tried to intervene but sometimes when they ‘patch up’ I get kicked aside,” she recalled.
Geeta it seemed had made it a habit of not wanting to have the family worry about her but her sister strongly believes that had she involved the legal system, she would have been a survivor who could have relayed her story but most importantly her niece and nephews would have had their mommy today. She said “Had she opened up more and people knew, we could have done something but now we have to mourn her loss.” The words which the grieving sister left Kaieteur News with were “It is easier to know you have a family member in court for assault, even though they may feel embarrassed. Being the victim of murder is the extremely horrible end.” Meanwhile, Renuka Chattergoon is still mourning the death of her mother, Siromanie Nadia Lokhnauth. On November 23, 2013, the 42year-old woman died at the hands of the man she had shared 15 years of her life (Continued on page 17)
example of the phrase “adding insult to injury” I have it. My father looked me straight in the eye, the one that was almost closed up from the stings, and then said, “The best thing to do is go and find another Jep nest and let them sting you on the other side of your face so that both sides will be the same size.” There I was, concerned not just about my face, but in the intermittent throbbing thinking of my date with June the next day and knowing that short of plastic surgery nothing could fix my face for the big occasion. I came very near to parricide. It is only later that I recognized that was the way my father dealt with his pain and worry because the hunt ended there and then and I was rushed home to my mother, tins of Thermogene, Tiger Balm, even Vick’s and several different kinds of bush applications, ice and laughter as well from anyone who found that I was feeling too sorry for myself. I was teased mercilessly about June with even my best friend Orland, the soul of solace so far, telling me that the best thing would be to wear a mask. “Is carnival,” he said. “She can’t tell you nothing. And besides, she know what your face look like already and the mask can’t make you look worse.” At least nobody told me to “get a grip on yourself” or “pull yourself together”. Recently there was a poll involving 500 Britons who said that those two phrases
were the most annoying things to say to people if you’re trying to console or comfort them. The poll also found that “There, there” and “Keep a stiff upper lip” did not help much either. Had anyone tried the upper lip thing with me I would have gone berserk because my upper lip was already stiff from the wasp stings. It would have been like wishing me a “swell time” or if I tumbled over a tree root saying “Have a good trip.” The others in the top ten of annoying phrases are “Pain is just weakness leaving the body” (Yeah, right!), “Plenty more fish in the sea”, “Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever”, “Worse things happen at sea”, “That’s too bad” and “Chin up.” The phrases that may work are “One day we’ll laugh at this” and “I really feel for you”. Talking about pain, I like this story, “There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define “great” he said, “I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!” He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages. *Tony Deyal was last seen saying he empathises most with the pain of batteries. He understands how they feel because he is seldom included in things either.
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Monday January 06, 2014
Stalwart Marcel Christopher laid to rest The late Marcel Christopher Crawford (Senior Counsel) 77, who died on Christmas Day, was laid to rest on Saturday at the Auchlyne Cemetery after a moving church service at the St. Saviour Presbyterian Church at Auchlyne, Corentyne Berbice. This followed a viewing of his body which took place at his home at Alness, Corentyne. A number of dignitaries were in attendance and there were glowing tributes as thousands turned out to witness and participate in the funeral of a stalwart, who excelled in a number of fields. All the speakers spoke wonderful words of his outstanding stewardship, either as a lawyer, sports man, community leader, mentor, father figure, advisor, advocate, chairman, relative or friend. The large procession included race horses and others with carts from the Crawford stable which wended its way along the Corentyne highway from his home at Alness, to the church and cemetery at Auchlyne. Among those in attendance were his three sons Mark Crawford who
resides in England, Marcel Jr. who resides in USA and Ryan, an Attorney at Law, who straddles between USA and Guyana. Attorneys at Law and Members of Parliament- Attorney General Anil Nandalall, Basil Williams and Joseph Harmon of The A Partnership of National Unity (APNU), retired Chancellor and longtime colleague, Justice Cecil Kennard, Member of Parliament Veerasammy Ramayya, long serving attorney Llewellyn John, prominent Attorney at Law Nigel Hughes among numerous other lawyers of both the Guyana and Berbice Bar Associations. The well put together eulogy which was read by son Ryan, traced the life of the outstanding citizen who started from humble beginnings to reach the pinnacle of the law profession and whatever he participated in. Crawford, who was born on the 13th October 1936, was the second of seven children and the older of two boys. He is now survived by three sisters and one brother. Described as an ardent sportsman, he rose to the level of national cycling champion in a short time and
Relatives bearing the casket was selected to represent Guyana at the 1960 Olympiad, but was denied due to the unavailability of funds. He was a horse racing magnate and pioneer with his involvement dating back to 1948 at the age of 12. His strict and articulate way in dealing with his family, relatives, friends, clients and colleagues was also dealt with in details in the eulogy. In his tribute, Mr. Nandalall, like most others stated that Crawford was an individual he admired, a man
of many parts who came from humble beginnings to become a leading lawyer and be among the few to reach the top of the profession. . Basil Williams, in his tribute on behalf of the Opposition coalition APNU and the PNC reminisced on Crawford’s life. He quoted extensively from the scriptures during his sterling tributes. He reminded that Mr. Crawford was such an outstanding lawyer that he was offered the position of Attorney General during the reign of the PNC. He was also made a Senior Counsel in 1991 by the PNC. A man of all
seasons who excelled in all that he undertook and was described as a rare breed whose boots would be hard to fill. Justice Kennard was more nostalgic in his tribute to his longtime friend and colleague whom he knew from birth. He said that they are about the same age. His lengthy tribute traced from boyhood days to them teaching together and visiting one another and doing almost everything youths would do. They both excelled academically and became outstanding lawyers. They were both deeply involved in horse racing. It was he who
encouraged Crawford to turn to law in England, when Crawford, who had gone to study medicine, was undecided about his career. Kennard, who is also the president of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) urged those in attendance to take a page out Crawford’s book. He also expressed condolence on behalf of the GH RA. Llewellyn John spoke on behalf of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) while Attorney Mirza Sahadat, Vice President of the Guyana Association of Legal Practitioners (GALP) formerly the Berbice Bar Association (BBA), delivered a well put together tribute. Michael Patterson Area manager of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Berbice gave riveting tribute on behalf of that body of which Mr. Crawford was the Chairman of the Appellate Tribunal. At the time of his death, Crawford was the only Senior Counsel in Berbice. He took ill while at home on Christmas Day and was rushed to the Anamayah Hospital on the Corentyne before passing away. He was also hornoured recently by a number of prominent African groups as an outstanding Guyanese of African descent.
55th Anniversary of Cuban Revolution…
Solidarity movement calls for freedom of Cuban Five As the first day of 2014 marked the 55th Anniversary of the end of the Cuban Revolution, President of the Guyana solidarity movement with Cuba” Halim Khan said that calls are being made to multiply actions in support of the Cuban Five in all parts of the world, with renewed strength. The Five were detained while monitoring from the city of Miami, the movements and activities by violent groups and individuals engaged in planning terrorist acts against Cuba, which led to more than 5,000 deaths and people with disabilities for more than 50 years. January 1, 2014 marked the 55th Anniversary of the end of the Cuban Revolution (July 26, 1953 – January 1, 1959), an event that has transformed this Caribbean territory from an outpost of North American imperialism into a Socialist State system. “We must never stop demanding that President Obama release the Five, and it is important to continue to take the struggle to
Halim Khan Washington, the seat of power responsible for the imprisonment of the Five for more than 15 years.” Khan noted. He explained that the International Committee for the freedom of the Cuban Five is already immersed in the organizing of the Third “5 Days for the Cuban 5 in Washington DC” which will take place from June 4-11 2014. He said this action was unanimously supported by the 272 delegates from 52
countries who attended the IX Colloquium for the Liberation of the Cuban Five recently held in the city of Holguin. “Plans for the five-days will include a rally in front of the White House, a large public meeting with known personalities and parliamentarians from around the world , to come with us to knock on the doors of the Congress of the United States.” Khan said. “We have approached the beginning of yet another year, a sensitive time for families around the world. Much more so for those who have lost their loved ones. And in the case of the Cuban Five, because they remain imprisoned in the United States, they are still missing from the tables of their homes.” Last year, René González returned to his homeland and in 2014 Fernando González will return after serving, like Rene, his complete sentence. “We cannot allow Antonio to have to wait until his Continued on page 18
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Leaving too late: Could these domestic murders... (From page 15) with. Reports are that they were experiencing marital problems and were living separate lives for several months. The couple was on the verge of a divorce when the incident occurred. Siromanie had migrated to the United States of America with her two children when her husband, Deonauth “Moses” Lokhnauth asked her to come home to sign some documents. She returned and was reportedly shot dead in her sleep by her husband. He then killed himself. When Kaieteur News contacted Chattergoon she said that “Everyone is still in grief. We’re saddened because mom was our
backbone.” She said that there is just hate between her and her step-siblings as they are currently trying to come to legal settlements. Chattergoon recalled that when they all decided to board the aircraft for greener pastures, the plan was to settle in the US. “Now we’re here back in Guyana bonded by court matters,” she lamented. Like the Bhisundial family, she said that she and her brother are trying to adjust to this change in their life. “We will go back and settle because her wish was for us to have the opportunities available to us.” “Now we’re picking up the pieces and trying to move on. It’s hard though. I have voice
notes from mom that I listen to everyday so it feels as though she is there with me every day.” “I feel upset all the time and I have a million unanswered questions. The police say that she died of the gunshot but I feel he beat her before he shot her,” she lamented. Chattergoon believes that her step father’s suicide was a cowardly act. When asked about the relationship her mother shared with the man she said “It was abusive all the time. I lived with them for over a year and he would curse her and fight with her. As a matter of fact, he started hitting her from the beginning, since 1999.” Chattergoon told this publication that her step
father had even resorted to violence to keep their mother away from them. To support her claim, she added that residents of Seaforth Street, Campbellville could verify her claims as they would have witnessed the many times he would “beat her down the street.” “Yet still she stayed,” the young woman said. According to Chattergoon, her mother was afraid of having yet another failed marriage to her name. She said also that her mother saw it as an opportunity to “build something” for her and her brother. What is interesting about her story is that Siromanie’s daughter can recall the many visits that her mom made to the Kitty Police Station. “My mom did go to the station. The officers knew about the
Monday January 06, 2014 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): A dream carries a powerful message -- but can you remember it all? Even if you don't recall a thing, you should find that you are still being influenced in a deep way. Keep on moving! ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): You finally understand that friend or family member who has been acting so strangely of late. You may find that you're better off keeping your knowledge hidden for now, so watch and wait. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): You need to take care of some public relations issue that has slipped beyond your control. The good news is that you've got the skills to handle it, but it may set you back in other areas. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You're feeling pretty good today -- and you may find even drudge work to be engaging. It's a really good time for you to tackle those tasks you've been putting off for far too long. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You're not stupid -- the day's communications are just especially garbled. Ask for clarity, but don't expect much until at least a day or two have passed. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): After days of dashing about, doing at least three things at once, you're suddenly in the mood to snuggle -- and you know exactly who to invite to help satisfy that wish. ********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): It's a good day to show
off how flexible you can be. Someone close (maybe a boss) needs to see it, so it can just be a grand display if you're not feeling like making any real changes in your life. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You're feeling extra playful today -- so have a good time and make sure that your people are smiling, too! Make a game out of work or chores and try to adjust everyone's attitude simultaneously. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You're not feeling quite as active as usual, but there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, it should give you more time to think about what you'll do with all the energy coming your way soon. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Something you see this morning haunts you all day -- but it ends up being a good thing. Your compassion is a formidable force when it's fully activated, and that's exactly what's happening. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): You need to make a choice today, probably fairly early. It comes down to compassion vs. self-determination, so it's tough, but you may want to focus on the big picture instead of the little details. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): This is the day to really make changes -- you never know what is going to happen until you try! Things should feel a lot more interesting by the end of the day, and your great energy helps a lot.
DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55hrs. Sign On 09:00hrs. GMA 10:00hrs. Family Matters 12:00hrs. The View 13:00hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:00hrs. World News 14:30hrs. Steve Harvey Show 15:00hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 16:00hrs. The Talk 17:00hrs. Gilmore Girls 18:00hrs. World News 18:30hrs. Family Feud 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00hrs. The Mentalist (New Episode) 23:00hrs. Hostages (Finale) 01:00hrs. Sign Off NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00hrs – Inspiration 05:30hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs _ NCN Late Edition (r/b) 06:30hrs – BBC 08:00hrs _ Feature 09:00hrs – Stop the Suffering 09:30hrs _ Cartoons 10:00hrs _ Food Networks 11:00hrs _ History 12:00hrs _ CNN 12:30hrs _ NCN Newsbreak 12:35hrs _ Caribbean Passport (r/b) 13:00hrs_ Movie 15:30hrs _ GINA Presents 16:00hrs _ NCN Newsbreak 16:05hrs _ Disney XD 17:00hrs _ OWN 18:00hrs – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30hrs – Political Scope 19:00hrs _ Al Jazeera 19:30hrs_ Evangelical Lutheran 270 Anniversary (rb) 20:00hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:10hrs _ NCLO Presents 21:05hrs – Black List 22:00hrs _ NCN Late Edition 22:35hrs – Caribbean Newsline 23:00hrs _ Movie
situation and at one time he had to lodge his gun.” However, during the time she stayed with her mother she recalled that they had filed for a divorce because of the violent nature of the relationship but “He even threatened her. He warned her that if she left, he would harm her children.” Chattergoon said that they have never advanced to the courtroom because her mother was afraid and did not want to deal with the ‘embarrassment’ attached to such a situation. As a matter of fact, just like Bhisundial, Siromanie did not want her family to know of the pain she was going through. The young woman said too that her mother could have been alive today but “A lot of people contributed to this. When mom decided to
leave, people begged her to stay and work it out so she second guessed herself. She did not want to be seen as the ‘bad one’ so she took their advice. Had she stuck to her guts, she would have been alive today.” The young lady further blames the legal system of Guyana. “Guyana needs to work on their laws. They need to take these things more seriously. My step father was a licensed firearm holder. If the police were having complaints about him then they should have taken away his gun.” They however, failed to properly intervene she said. Her mom she imagines could have been alive today, continuing to help the many less fortunate children who she would have dedicated time to supporting.
Page 18
Kaieteur News
Monday January 06, 2014
Rohee stresses training for police ranks (From page 19)
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Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has made it clear that his Ministry is committed to ensuring that police officers receive the best training available, since it is essential and integral. Rohee on Friday outlined several new aspects of the Ministry which would be developed throughout 2014. According to Rohee, the Ministry sees the training of all ranks as an imperative of the modernization process and as a result we have placed training as a high priority for the Guyana Police Force. He explained that in 2013 a budgetary allocation of $56M was received, which facilitated the participation of officers and ranks at various overseas and local training courses and seminars. The Minister noted that in 2013 some 81 ranks from the level of Constable to Assistant Commissioner benefited from overseas training in police procedures and operational issues, community oriented policing, leadership and computer training among others. Another 14 applicants from the Guyana Police Force were interviewed and were identified for training at the Aeronautical Engineering School at Ogle, East Coast
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Demerara. The 14 ranks are expected to commence training in 2014. According to Rohee, in 2014 more effort would be placed on the Aeronautical Branch for the Guyana Police Force, to help develop the structure of the Branch and to source a Fixed Wing Aircraft for its operation. Also on Friday Rohee disclosed that his Ministry has signed a contract with The Emergence Group (TEG) of the United States of America to establish a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Team in the Guyana Police Force and to conduct the training for ranks who would be members of this specialized Unit, which is
Five body-dumping murders...
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Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee
intended to confront special types of violent crimes. The cost of this contract is seven hundred and ninety six thousand, nine hundred and eighty seven ($US796, 987.00) United States dollars. An Organizational Needs Assessment for the Unit has been completed while actual training is targeted to commence in mid January 2014. Meanwhile, the Minister said that the Guyana Prison Service is also expected to get an overhaul. According to Rohee a strategic plan which was developed was approved by cabinet. He said that the Ministry is currently filling the vacancies for four positions in the soon to be established Strategic Management Department, namely, Head of the Strategic Management Department, Senior Policy Analyst, Technical Officer – Prison Management and Technical Officer – Planning and Research and Resource Mobilization. Notwithstanding, Rohee said that work has already commenced on the modernization of the Guyana Prison Service. He noted that a Standing Orders Committee has been established to compile standing orders for the agency and various boards,
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Detectives have enhanced the surveillance footage with a view of identifying the passengers. Police found Jeeboo's car, minus number plates and taxi logo, at the back of Guyhoc Gardens. No attempt was apparently made to strip the vehicle, and aside from a cell phone, nothing was apparently stolen from the slain man. Detectives seem to believe that robbery was not the motive. Jeeboo, said to be about 49, had worked with the Pegasus Taxi Service for about 20 years and his colleagues said that he was not in the
habit of picking up strange passengers. Seven days later, the body of an unidentified male with a suspected gunshot to the face was found in a clump of bushes behind Project Dawn, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. The man, who appeared to have dreadlocks, was clad in a striped jersey. A pair of black suede female shoes was found near the body. There was a bloodied jersey and a large rock nearby. The victim was still unidentified up to yesterday, and, as with the other four victims, no arrests have been made.
all of which include civilians have been established also to assist the agency in fulfilling its mandate. The boards are: the Guyana Prison Service Recruitment Board, Guyana Prison Service Training Board, Guyana Prison Service Agricultural Development Board and the Guyana Prison Service Sentence Management Board. According to Rohee, Cabinet has also approved a name change for the Guyana Prison Service to ‘Guyana Prison and Correctional
Service’. The Ministry, he said, has approached the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs requesting that the Bill for this name change be tabled in Parliament soon. Moreover Rohee said that some $122M of the budgetary allocation of $129M for Capital works in 2013 was spent on projects for the prison. He said that the projects are intended to provide a more secure environment for officers and inmates.
Solidarity movement... From page 16 sentence is finished in 2017, or Ramon in 2024, or Gerardo to live the rest of his life in prison!” Underscoring that it has never been more urgent and necessary to continue the struggle for the freedom of the Cuban five unfairly imprisoned in the United States, Khan said every day that passes is one more day of injustice committed against them, their families and their people. “To punish with outrageous prison sentences the very men whose mission was to defend their people against cowardly attacks while the perpetrators of these attacks walk free is absolutely detestable.”
M’cony cash crop... (From page 11) lady was lying in front of the door….and it was only after we touched her that she moved,” the dead man’s brother recalled. The badly injured Davi Siewchand was rushed to the Mahaicony Hospital from where she was subsequently transferred to the city because of her critical state. The couple’s 10-year old nephew recalled that they were all downstairs when his uncle heard strange noises upstairs and left to investigate. He could not say what transpired upstairs, but indicated that one of the intruders, who had a cloth tied around his face, confronted him and Siewchand’s wife. The lad said that he ran and tried to hide in a store room but the man saw him and pulled him out and placed him to lie on the floor with his elderly aunt. “Me de want fuh get up but dem beat she bad with a thing dat break up. Dem tie she hand and she foot, den dey throw rum and mud water pon she,” the young man recalled. He told this newspaper that he eventually managed to get up and run and he hid in a cabinet. “De fuss time when me go, me can’t get de door close but
de third time me get am close…by time when me hear dem ah lef, den me go back and lay down with she,” the 10 year old told Kaieteur News. He said that after the men left, his aunt managed to free her feet from the tape that had bound them and feebly beckoned to him to release her hand. But the lad said that the task proved difficult, since the intruders had used wire which was tightly strapped around the woman’s wrists. With no one around, the 10-year old tried to contact his father but could not get through since the thieves had severed the telephone lines. Since it was dark and he was afraid to venture outside, he remained in the house with his wounded aunt until day clean when he was able to alert his father next door. “Me been watch man de house…see if any more bandit been deh inside ah hide…,” the lad stated. Neighbours described the Siewchands as peaceful hardworking people who planted celery for a living for years. They believe that the killers are familiar with the couple’s movements. “Dem thing nah happen hey so. We does lef we place open nuff time, but now we go have to be more careful,” one resident declared. The farmer’s murder is the third so far for the year, and the second on the East Coast of Demerara in two days following the brutal slaying of 24 year old Monica Adams of Paradise on Friday night.
Monday January 06, 2014
VACANCY
Kaieteur News
Writer needed. Web and article copywriting. US$1,000/month. www.capitaltyping.com/ gypro for details.
WANTED Magazine writers needed. Email resume & CV to teshawnalall@gmail.com. Contact: 629-2206
24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistant - Call: 6910894/684-2838
Experienced roti/puri cooks, curry cooks, pastry makers, counter servers, handyboys & cleaners - Apply @ Hacks Halaal, 5 Commerce St.
1 Lorry driver apply @ Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling.
Live-in waitress, bartender and going and coming cooks - Tel:643-9007; 664-1804
Salesgirls and porters apply @ D. Singh & Sons - Tel:2260881
One French Speaking Nanny to work part time, Job experience and recommendation required Tel: 688-0639
Receptionist, Cleaners, Security & Manager within the vicinity of Parika – Vreeden-Hoop. Tel:638-1627 1 Live in maid must be from the country & Know to cook, age 35-50 – Tel:6110200; 662-1124 Sales person to work in store. Police Clearance and 2 references – Tel:226-5473 Two joiners to work in workshop – Tel:610-7005; 219-1342 1 Computer Legal Clerk – Tel:226-4283; 624-7087 Cosmetologist: Certified in facials, manicures, pedicures & waxing – Tel:231-0321
One live in maid – Tel:6568930; 682-0951 Girls to work as waitress in bar. Age 18-25yrs – Tel:2564096 One male & one female live in domestic – Tel:613-6613 One dragline operator – Tel:613-6613 Salesgirls & Kitchen Assistants, come into Dian’s Deli opposite Kitty Market Experienced Cashier, willing to work shift. Reference from previous employer. Apply @ Fortune House Restaurant, 98 Sheriff St.
WANTED One live-in maid between age 30-45 - Contact:681-6044 Porters on W.C.D - $20,000 weekly – Tel:684-8231 BOND CLERK FOR WHOLESALE FOOD COMPANY.ATLEAST3 CXC ENGLISH&MATHEMATICS. EXPERIENCEDONLY,VALID POLIC CLEARANCE & REFFERENCES - TEL: 231-8529 Skilled grill workers, fabricators & labourers - Tel: 227-1830 1 Plaine operator, 1 portable miller operator, labourers – Tel: 619-9143 CANTER DRIVER WITH E X P E R I E N C E , REFFERENCES & POLICE CLEARANCE ALSO SALESMAN WITH CAR FOR WHOLESALE FOOD COMPANY – TEL:2318529 Experienced Taxi and bus driver and dispatcher at Princess Hotel – Tel:2657076; 616-8419 Cashiers, waitresses & Handyman – Tel:223-4778; 601-5802
EDUCATIONAL IAE @ 194 Camp St – CXC 2014. Full-time, morning, lessons & adults classes: Mathematics, English A, Business & Science Subjects Tel: 683-5742; 223-0604 Enroll Now!! Budding Roses Daycare, Playgroup & Nursery School @ 54 Durban Street, Lodge. Fees are affordable - Tel:223-8457 Learn any Language Fast: Tel:662-0001 Invest In yourself in 2014 become a professional cosmetologist or nail artist. Enroll Now! Contact Cheryl :225-2076; 658-5091 To begin soon: Training how to start and run a business – Tel:231-4750; 646-2569 Accounts, Business, IT, Economics & O.A classes for students, school drop outs & adults – Tel:231-4750; 646-2569 TO LET Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call: 347933-9790, 639-4452. Newly built apartment – Tel:698-6496
1 experienced cook for interior, male or female, also jet man, marack man. Call 8am-5pm – Deo: 655-7991 Empty 20" & 40" shipping container to buy. Must be in good working condition – Tel:623-1615 Attractive live in waitress Call: 604-8277; 228-5129 One experienced excavator operator to work in interiorContact:681-6044 One experienced female shop attendant to work in interior – Contact: 681-6044 One experienced male shop attendant to work in interior, contact:6816044 One cook for family in interior – Contact:681-6044 Salesgirls for shop on ECD age 17-24 years – Text or Call:615-8121 Workers for the interior in all fields. Send application with 1or 2 reference (s) to 10 Barima Avenue - Tel:683-5663 Hairdresser must be able to work with nails & handyman. Apply @ West Shore Plaza, 15 Public Road Ruimzeigt W.C.D - Tel: 269-1524 Experienced hire car drivers at Gems Taxi Services - Tel: 226-1200; 225-5075
VEHICLE FOR SALE Unregistered Toyota Sienta (2004) 1500cc and 7 seater – Tel: 617-5536 New ATVs: Introductory price $1,199,000 (Duty Free)Call:691-0234 New 2014 Isuzu: D-Max single & double cabs - Call: 691-0234 Toyota Raum with TV, Rims & music - PRR series - Tel: 662-2569 2008 Fielder – unregistered Tel: 617-2891 1 Madza PPP series-Tel: 668-6329 Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered Premio, IST, Runx & Spacio - Tel:6523820; 665-4529 1½ & 2 Ton Canters with power gate, unregistered, $ 2 . 4 M & $ 2 . 7 M - Tel: 617-2891 1- LN 170 Hilux pick-up. Excellent condition! - Tel: 663-3537 Must See!!! – Unregistered 2002 Premio $2.5M & 2001 AT 212 - $2M – Tel:226-5473 Nissan Laurel Car – Price: $350, 000 - Tel: 223-9677 2002 Rav 4 PNN series, fully loaded – Tel:694-6537 Saturn Jeep American made Tel: 223-9677
Handyman to work 9am-8pm. Apply @ Fortune House Restaurant, 98 Sheriff Street. FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Fully furnished apartment in Nandy Park, suitable for a single person or coupleCall:619-4824 for further information.
2 - 2007 Toyota Avensis - Tel: 698-0674 1995 Toyota Tacoma stick gear 4 wheel drive 3 RZ engine price negotiable – Tel:625-2516 Cheapest: Manaul VVTI Buses, Spacio, CRV – Tel:6167635 Mercedes Benz CLK 200 Kompressor 2005; PRR Series. Flawless Condition! Price Negotiable! – Tel:6235492
One steel building 5000 square ft, 3000 PSI floor. Just outside of Georgetown, East Bank Demerara - Contact: 619-2475 One Vegi Shop to rent, one shop Merrian Mall – Tel:6426381; 223-6862 Self contained rooms in Prashad Nagar – Tel:2272993
FOR SALE
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Live and pluck chicken - Tel: 220-9203; 650-4421
Fluffy Terrier pet puppies – Tel:645-0240
Diving Suites – Tel:265-3449; 613-5158 One 210 Hyundai Excavator with one complete 6" Dredge and also 4" Dredge Contact: 650-2391 1 Dewalt miter saw, 1 Dewalt circular saw, 1 Dewalt Sawsaw, 1 Milwawkee band Saw and 1Makita hammer drill Tel: 673-9501 Large plucked chickens, wholesale only $300 per lb – Contact:266-2711, 609-4594 Dell computers complete with 20" LCD $69,000, 6 months warranty @ FuturetechCall:231-2206 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421, 220-9203 One boat cupeller R-H -24" – Contact:676-8324 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032,647-2943 One foreign used Massey Ferguson 290 Tractor for sale Tel: 696-5997 Soluble fertilizers, Calcium Nitrate, Potassium and much more – Tel:611-6478 Fishing boat Length- 30" , Width- 6½ & Depth- 3½ with 15HP Tohatsu engine - $1.4M Tel: 690-7231; 697-0648
1 Stall @ Stabroek Market Tel: 658-0115; 718-757-8031 LAND FOR SALE 2- Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated, 7 Acres cultivated, citrus, house, fish pond, storage at ParikaCall: 226-7968
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FOR SALE
1 smoothie machine,2 ice machine- Contact:2310655,683-8734
Blankenburg Public Road WCD (38X150) & (39X150) $16M each - Tel:666-3619
MASSAGE
Page 19
In Eccles, $6M negotiable – Tel:616-6000 ½ Acre residential land at Yarrowcabra - Price: $3M Tel: 611-1018
1-500 Ton Cargo Ship – Tel:676-6933 Tibitean Terrier- Pups for sale: (Fluffy) - Tel:655-0054; 226-4166
Cheapest iPhones - $40,000 Tel: 626-2771 12 Pure bred German Shepherd pups – Six [6] weeks old – Tel:638-5778 Promising Diamond and Gold one Block in the Ekeruku area, serious enquiries only – Tel:673-8217 Pluck chicken – Call:6760931 L- Touring Wagon in excellent condition – 15’ Rims, DVD, Tv, Remote Start Alarm & HID lights $1,300,000 Negotiable – Tel: 667-9013
PROPERTY FOR SALE VERSAILLES: Furnished 5 bedrooms, self-contained rooms, modern facilities, generator, beautiful landscape, gated community - Call: 592624-8704/ 592-684-9203 Transported property : House + property for sale by owner @ Lot 153 Sparendaam Scheme - Call: 592-220-8573; 592-672-2348 3 Bedrooms house in Cane Grove – Tel: 642-6744 Price Negotiable 3 Storey 17 rooms hotel @ Broad St – Tel: 654-4939; 6984700 Cummingsburg- $140M & $38M; Alberttwon- $43M &$35M; Bourda- $42M, Charlotte, Ruimveldt- $70M, Queenstown - $25M – Contact Shawn:231-2199; 618-7483 Upper 3 bedrooms & 2 Apartments lower flats @ Eccles – Price:$38M- Tel:6441144
New 1- 16/14 Bore Trailer, driven pump. Reduced Price! Tel: 227-1830 1 HP office jet pro printer, 1 6 Light Chandelier, 2- 6 Cylinder Cummings engine with turbo, 1 AC Energy saver Lg– Tel: Tel:673-9501 1 RZ longbase mini-bus. Excellent Condition – Price: $1.2M. First Owner!!– Tel:666-4999 or 698-6898
DRESSMAKING Designing and sewing classes in your district. Sharmela (Canadiantrained) – Contact:626-2629, 676-6312 (Continued on page 18)
Page 20
Kaieteur News
Monday January 06, 2014
Bangladesh ruling party set to win poll hit by violence, boycott DHAKA (Reuters) Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League was poised yesterday to win a violence-plagued parliamentary election whose outcome was never in doubt after a boycott by the main opposition party. With fewer than half of the 300 seats being contested, voters cast ballots in modest numbers amid heavy security in polling that lacked the festivity typical of Bangladeshi elections and was shunned by international observers as flawed. Low voter participation could pile new pressure on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to find a compromise with the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for holding new elections. Results in constituencies that featured a contest were expected late yesterday or early today. Hasina is expected to form a new government sometime this month. Either Hasina or BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia has been prime minister for all but two of the past 22 years. The two are bitter rivals.
“The immediate fallout of this dismal voter turnout will be the Hasina government coming under greater pressure to hold talks with the opposition,” said Hossain Zillur Rahman, an economist and adviser to a former “caretaker” government tasked with overseeing an election. “It is the ultimate sign of protest by Bangladeshi people and tells us that they are unhappy with the way elections have been held in this country.” The impasse between the two main parties, which showed no sign of easing, undermined the poll’s legitimacy and is fuelling worries of economic stagnation and further violence in the impoverished South Asian nation of 160 million. Abul Kashem, who works as a driver and is a supporter of the BNP, was dismayed at the political standoff. “This is a suicidal election as it will not bring any peace in the country,” he said outside a Dhaka polling station. The country’s $22 billion garment industry, which
Activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-E-Islami set fire to an office of ruling party Bangladesh Awami League during a clash in Narayanganj yesterday. REUTERS/Stringer accounts for 80 percent of exports, has been disrupted by transportation blockades ahead of the election. BNP officials said party supporters would maintain the blockade and called another in a series of general
strikes starting from today. Eighteen people were killed in separate incidents on election day, according to media reports, and voting was halted at more than 150 polling stations. More than 100 people were killed in the
run-up to the ballot, mostly in rural areas, and fears of violence had been expected to keep many voters away. Police said they had been forced to fire on opposition activists in six incidents. Apart from a handful of
crude bomb explosions, Dhaka was calm. In Satkania, near the port city of Chittagong, a poll official’s arms were broken and police were attacked. Hasina has spoken of holding talks with the opposition on the conduct of future elections which, if successful, could lead to another poll. The BNP had demanded a halt to the current electoral process. Turnout figures were not immediately available, though election officials acknowledged that they had anticipated low numbers and voting appeared slow at D h a k a p o l l i n g stations. At one, in the Lalbagh area, 626 of 2,274 voters, or 28 percent, cast ballots. At another nearby site, final turnout among male voters was 21 percent. The BNP said low turnout vindicated its denunciation of the poll as a farce. “The turnout is a clear indication that the common people rejected this election and it is almost an election without voters,” Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, a BNP vice chairman, told Reuters.
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Cameron promises pension Rescuers dig for India building collapse survivors protection to woo elderly voters
Rescue workers look at a body stuck in the debris of a building that collapsed yesterday. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) PANAJI, India (AP) — Rescuers using backhoes and shovels searched for survivors yesterday under a massive pile of broken concrete and dust that was left when a residential building under construction collapsed in southern India, killing at least 15 workers. Authorities suspected dozens more may be trapped under the rubble, but were still trying to determine how many workers were on site when the five-story structure crumpled Saturday afternoon in the state of Goa. Witnesses reported seeing at least 40 workers. Soldiers and firefighters listened for movement or cries from the wreckage as they worked overnight to clear the debris, state official Venancio Furtado said. At least 10 people were pulled out alive overnight, but the chance of finding survivors was dwindling, Furtado said. By yesterday afternoon, the death toll had
reached 15, according to the state government. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said he ordered a review of the construction project, after seeing cracks that developed in the adjacent apartment building constructed by the same company, Mumbaibased Bharat Developers and Realtors Pvt. Ltd. “The design is faulty, which is why the tragedy happened,” Parrikar said. Police began investigating both the building company and city officials who approved the construction on a patch of marshland in Canacona, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the state capital of Panaji. But they have been unable to track down the construction manager and building contractor. “Without the contractor, it is impossible for us to know how many laborers were on the shift,” said state official Ajit Panchwadkar, who was
supervising the rescue effort yesterday. Many of the workers had come from other, poorer states, including Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in search of jobs in India’s thriving construction business. One worker who was not at the scene when the building collapsed said he earned about 300 rupees ($4.80) for a day’s work, according to Press Trust of India. Several workers took the day off Saturday to attend a nearby state cultural fair. “We rushed from the event when we heard that the building had fallen,” said Manoj Kumar, a worker originally from the eastern state of Orissa. Building collapses are common in India, as massive demand for housing and lax regulations often encourage builders to cut corners by using substandard materials or add unauthorized extra floors.
US sends envoy to Sri Lanka to discuss war crimes claims Colombo (AFP) - A top US envoy will travel to Sri Lanka today to discuss allegations of war crimes ahead of a UN review of Colombo’s human rights record, officials said. US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice Stephen Rapp will spend five days in Sri Lanka discussing rights and reconciliation following the decades-long separatist war, the US State department said. Rapp will meet with government, political and civil society officials “on a range of issues focusing on Sri Lanka’s justice, accountability, and reconciliation processes,” the US State Department said in a short statement on its website. The visit comes as the UN Human Rights Council meets in March to discuss whether Sri Lanka has shown progress
towards reining in alleged rights abuses and investigated suspected war crimes. The UN estimates that the conflict for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the Sinhalese-majority nation cost at least 100,000 lives between 1972 and 2009. Sri Lanka has resisted calls to investigate allegations that up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed by the security forces during the final push that crushed the Tamil rebels. UN rights chief Navi Pillay has warned Sri Lanka that it faces an international probe into the allegations if it has not shown progress by March. There was no immediate comment from Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry on Rapp’s visit and no further details were immediately available.
(Reuters) - Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron promised yesterday to protect pensioners’ income if his Conservative party wins the 2015 election, laying out his first manifesto spending pledge. Coming at a time when Britain is facing years of cuts to public spending, the promise is designed to win the support of the country’s elderly - who polling data show are more likely to vote in elections than younger people. Cameron said he would extend the current ‘triple lock’ on pension payments, which ensures they rise at the pace of either inflation or wage increases - whichever rate is higher - and by a minimum of 2.5 percent per year. “In a civilised society ... knowing you’re going to have a decent state pension ... is, I think, a really powerful thing,” Cameron said in an interview with the yesterday Times newspaper. He said the policy was the “first plank” of his election manifesto. The existing triple-lock system was agreed in 2010 with the Liberal Democrat
David Cameron Party, the junior partner in Britain’s coalition government, and is also supported by the Labour party, but neither have yet pledged to continue it after 2015. In 2012/13, total spending on the state pension and pensioner benefits was seen at 110 billion pounds ($180.85 billion), or 7.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, official projections showed. To win the next election, Cameron needs to wipe out the 7 percentage point
opinion poll lead of the centreleft opposition Labour party. Labour has been campaigning on a promise to address what it calls a “cost of living crisis”, criticising the government for failing to deal with stagnant wages and rising prices. A poll commissioned by former Conservative Chairman Michael Ashcroft published on Saturday said Cameron’s party had lost the support of a third of those who voted for it in 2010. As Britain’s population ages, Cameron has faced pressure to pare back access to benefits such as winter fuel subsidies and free prescription medication that are provided to all pensioners regardless of their income. However, he said that the “difficult decision” announced last month to raise the retirement age meant he could afford to extend the basic pension protection. The age at which Britons will become eligible for the state pension is to rise by one year to 66 by 2020 and will be as high as 68 by the mid2030s.
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US House Speaker signals backing change on immigration WASHINGTON - CMC – The Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John A. Boehner, has signaled his intention to embrace a series of limited changes to the US immigration laws. Aides to Boehner say he is committed to “step by step” moves to revise the immigration laws. In giving immigration advocates new hope for 2014, the House Speaker has hired Rebecca Tallent, a longtime immigration adviser to Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who has long backed broad immigration changes, according to the New York Times. “The only way to make sure immigration reform works this time is to address these complicated issues one step at a time,” Boehner said. “I think doing so will give the American pe o p l e confidence that we’re dealing with these issues in a thoughtful way and a deliberative way.” In the interim, immigration change advocates continue to demand an end to deportations.
John A. Boehner “I have asked President Obama to suspend deportations of non-violent persons until we enact comprehensive immigration reform that permits these families to resolve their legal status in the United States,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation. “In each instance of deportation, families are forcibly separated, leaving behind a husband or wife without a spouse or children without a parent,” added Clarke, who is the Ranking
Member of the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. “These forced separations of families are excessive and has created a crisis that has resulted in more harm than good,” she continued. “The exercise of excessive deportation is inhumane and flies in the face of the values and morals of a nation established by immigrants for immigrants. We cannot allow this exercise to continue.” In announcing the yearend removal numbers, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said Jamaicans were among the top 10 nationals deported in 2013. Clarke said “many of these men and women have lived in the United States for practically their entire lives. “Many arrived here in their youth as children and, in many cases, entered the United States lawfully and were granted resident status,” she said.
US-based Caribbean newspaper names Sparrow, Rihanna, Tessane and Bolt among People-of the-Year NEW YORK - CMC – A Caribbean publication here has named several Caribbean personalities, including calypso legend the Mighty Sparrow, pop-singing super star Rihanna, winner of The Voice reality show, Tessane Chin and the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, among its ‘Caribbean People of the Year’. The Brooklyn-based weekly newspaper, ‘Caribbean People’, owned by Trinidadian businessman Howard Hughes, also named late South African President Nelson Mandela, US civil rights activist the Rev Al Sharpton, Trinidadian soca artiste Bunji Garlin, sociologist David Muhammad, businessman Conrad Ifill and Howard University acting president Dr Wayne Fredrick among the top 10 “Caribbean People of the Year”. In its January 3-9 edition, the paper said Sparrow, whose real name is Slinger Francisco, is “one of the greatest entertainers of all times. “Known as the ‘Calypso King of the World’, he is one of the best known and most
Rihanna successful calypsonians,” it said of Sparrow, who is convalescing in a rehabilitation centre in Queens, New York, after two weeks in a coma in a New York hospital. ‘Caribbean People’ said the Grammy Award-winning Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is “known for consistently reinventing her style and image, most notably since her third album, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’. “Rihanna continues to be the most dynamic and leading influential female entertainer throughout 2013,” it said. The publication noted that Chin is a “reggae fusion recording artist, best known for winning Season 5 of the
Usain Bolt
Mighty Sparrow American singing competition, The Voice. In recognising Usain Bolt, the paper said his achievements in sprinting have “earned him the media nickname, Lightning Bolt.”
Monday January 06, 2014
INTERPOL urges Caribbean to make maximum use of tools to fight crimes against children LYONS, France - CMC – The international Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is urging the Caribbean and other developing nations to maximize the use of its tools and services to fight crimes against children. In a report, INTERPOL said crimes against children “tend to be local crimes with the vast majority taking place within the home or family circle.” It, however, said there is an “international angle,” pointing out that Internet crimes against children are “facilitated by the Internet, the increased use of which in recent years has led to a huge rise in offending. “Not only can offenders distribute and access child abuse material more easily, but they can also come into direct contact with children – via chatrooms and social networking sites,” the statement said. INTERPOL said it runs a project in conjunction with Internet Access Service Providers to block access to child abuse material online. In addition, it said “sex tourism”, involves “the abuse of children in developing countries by people who travel there.
“The relative wealth of the offender coupled with lack of understanding or effective legislation means that the abuse of children is easier in these countries,” said INTERPOL, adding that this type of crime is linked to child trafficking, organised crime and murder. “These types of crimes represent a huge challenge for police worldwide and require specialized skills and increased resources,” INTERPOL said. The international police organisation said it provides training and promotes best practice to police in member
countries in the Caribbean and other places, stating t h a t i t b r i n g s t o g e ther experts in its Specialists Group on Crimes against Children. Formed in 1992, this group consists of a number of sub-groups dealing with particular issues and chaired by investigators from around the world. In addition, INTERPOL said it works closely with many other agencies, both governmental and nongovernmental, in this area, by facilitating training programmes and other projects worldwide.
Make Bermuda centre for online betting HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC – A United States consultant is advising the Bermuda government to establish the island as a centre for online lottery bets along with conventional internet gaming as the authorities discuss whether to introduce casino gambling here. Florida-based consultant, Joe Zajac told The Royal Gazette newspaper that the trend in the United States now is for states to allow lottery tickets to be sold online. “But they’re constrained by their own laws – they can’t go outside state lines,” he said, adding that the authorities should seek to capitalize on the situation. “The feedback I’m getting is that Bermuda wants to push for casinos, even though the headaches with casinos
versus the lottery are like night and day. “The concern I have is that if legislators are going to have a debate on gaming here, it will be nothing more than casinos, which generate a tiny amount of revenue. These days we have casinos up and down the East Coast of the US, and even Atlantic City is having problems.” Zajac said Bermuda’s small size would not provide a large return on a national lottery even though the global lottery industry generated billions of dollars in sales. “To give you an idea, worldwide the lottery is experiencing US$275 billion in sales. If you had a quarter of a percent market share with a 40 per cent margin, which is not unreasonable, that could come out to US$275 million to
the government.” Zajac said he had presented the idea to the then Progressive Labour Party (PLP) government, but was unsuccessful in securing a meeting with then premier Paula Cox. He said he reintroduced the matter soon after the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) won the last general election in 2012. But he said he has not been able to discuss the issue the proposal to the OBA gaming committee. “No one ever called me with questions,” he told the newspaper, adding “the reason I believe this is the right time to get this out in the open is I don’t see Government talking about it. At this point, if the idea gets floated to the public, there might be more of an incentive to have a discussion.”
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
AG’s Advice on illegal staff at NY mission: No More US Visas Trinidad Guardian Expired A-2 work visas for locally-recruited staff (LRS) attached to the New Yorkbased Consul General’s office will not be renewed. The matter has engaged the attention of Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran and Consul General Nan Ramgoolam for almost three years before finally being referred to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for a conclusive legal determination last month. The A-2 is a diplomatic, non-immigrant visa which allows foreign accredited officials outside of the diplomatic category, to enter the US and engage in official activities of their government. All foreign government officials, ranking next to diplomats and officials, representing their national government and immediate family members of A-2 diplomatic visa holders are eligible for an A-2 visa. The holder of such a visa cannot be tried by the US for any crime and is assured of unrestricted travel to, from and within the US. According to interministerial correspondence, obtained by the Sunday Guardian, Ramlogan and two senior legal minds at his office came to the same conclusion—that it was “improper and unethical” to use the power of the T&T consul’s office to obtain work visas from the United States State Department. “This policy should therefore cease with immediate effect,” Ramlogan said a letter to Dookeran. Ramlogan said using the consulate’s office to obtain work visas for people living illegally in the United States was “a misuse
Anand Ramlogan and abuse of diplomatic protocol.” “Foreign missions should only hire persons who are lawfully resident and entitled to work in the host nation. Missions should therefore desist from hiring persons who are not lawfully entitled to reside and work in the host nation in accordance with the relevant immigration laws,” he said in the letter. The AG also said it was an abuse of the “reciprocal comity that exists between nations for Trinidad and Tobago to circumvent the host nations laws by employing illegal immigrants and procuring an A-2 visa”. NO VISA SHOULD BE NEEDED The consul offices can hire two categories of people, home bound staff (HBS) who are based in T&T and the LRS, made up of people already holding a green card or people with American citizenship. “There is no need to apply for an A-2 visa (or any other kind of visa) to facilitate the employment of locally recruited staff in the host nation. Such persons would already be lawfully resident and entitled to work in the United States of America,” Ramlogan said. “If, on the other hand, the
employee is not legally resident and entitled to work in the USA, the employment of such a person using the A2 visa is improper and unethical. It is a backdoor method of regularizing their immigration status in circumstances where they are otherwise not entitled to legally live and work in the USA,” he said. RAMGOOLAM: IAM VINDICATED Consul general Nan Ramgoolam, initially raised the concern and had refused to continue to facilitate the visa renewals yesterday said she was unaware that a legal determination was made, but said she was glad that Ramlogan had. “What happened is that you had people coming to the US with a visitor’s visa and they were being hired even though they were not legally allowed to work in the US,” she said in a telephone interview yesterday. “Some were working at the Mission without proper documentation and I was expected to carry on that custom,” she said. Ramgoolam said she respected the trust her office held and had already refused to renew any expired A-2 visas. “I am vindicated now that the Attorney General has made this determination,” she said. Ramgoolam, in her capacity, would have to notify the US State Department of the expired visa to facilitate a renewal. “You cannot breach the laws of another country and once one of these visas come to an end, I am not renewing them,” she said. Neither Ramlogan nor Dookeran could be reached for comment.
Politician files lawsuit for ‘Caribbean hex NEW YORK - CMC – A politician who lost the New York Democratic Primary elections to the front-runner for the City Council speaker has filed a million-dollar lawsuit against the frontrunner claiming she put a “Caribbean hex” on her during the bitter campaign. Gwen Goodwin, 52, who lost the Democratic primary to New York City Council Member Melissa MarkViverito in September, says her nemesis targeted her East Harlem building as the canvas for a five-story image of a bodiless rooster atop wooden poles. The head is just below the window of the apartment where Goodwin has lived
since 1997. Mark-Viverito is expect-ed to be voted in as the next New York City Council speaker on Thursday, according to the New York Post. “According to neighbors , in the Caribbean culture, this constituted a curse and a death threat, as a swastika or a noose would symbolize typically to many Jews or African-Americans,” said Goodwin in the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday. Goodwin, who ran unsuccessfully against the East Harlem Democrat in 2009, claims the mural, which wrapped around the exterior wall of her fifth-floor apartment, was unveiled on
September 1, less than two weeks before the primary. “This intimated me and caused me fear. I’m a Christian,” Goodwin continued. “I don’t believe outside my religion, but strange things were happening,” She said she suddenly got a blood clot in her foot and that a close friend began “acting crazy” right after the mural was posted. But Mark-Viverito, through her spokesman, Eric Koch, has dismissed the lawsuit. “These desperate and -ridiculous allegations by a failed political opponent of Melissa are false, absurd and a waste of the court’s precious time,” he said in a statement.
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Police Probe Cocaine Surgery ‘Illegal to perform procedure to remove drugs and not report it to authorities’ Trinidad Express - An investigation has been launched into the circumstances sur-rounding surgery performed on a man to remove 17 cocaine pellets from his stomach at a private me-dical institution, national security sources confirmed Saturday. Top law-enforcement sources also said it was illegal for the private hospital to perform the surgery in De-cember to remove the cocaine pellets and not report it to the police. National security and lawenforce-ment sources said Saturday a probe has commenced into the matter. Speaking with the Sunday Express on the issue, which was reported exclusively in the Express Saturday, one source said: “Just like if a man is shot and goes to a medical institution to seek medical attention, it is the duty of the hospital to report that; if they don’t report it, it is an offence.” “The article removed from his stomach was an illegal article and it is procedural that (the hospital) should inform the police,” the source added. The private hospital failed to re-port the incident where the pellets of cocaine were surgically removed from the abdomen of the man who had swallowed them and fallen ill. In an attempt to smuggle the nar-cotic, valued at millions of dollars, the 34year-old man had ingested 20 pellets of cocaine, which almost cost him his life. Sources told the Express the man, who lives in Arouca, was taken to a private hospital by a relative after complaining of stomach pains and bowel obstruction.
On December 21, 2013, the man underwent a laparotomy—a sur-gi-cal incision into the abdominal cavi-ty — where the cocaine was found meti-culously packaged into pellets. The surgery, which started at 5 p.m., lasted for close to three hours and was conducted by a team of five—a surgeon leading three nurses and an anaesthetist. Sources claimed instructions were given by the surgeon to the medical staff not to take any pictures of the pellets and to package them in a reseal-able storage bag. The illegal drug was handed back to the man. The entire procedure was done under a cloak of secrecy but left staff at the hospital shocked and con-cerned. Nine days later and after close to $100,000 in medical and hospital fees, on December 30, 2013, the man was transferred from the private hospital to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope. Sources at the Mt Hope hospital on Friday told the Express the man’s condition was improving and he was currently in an adult medical ward. The Express was told the man was resting comfortably and was referred to a surgical team for further examination at the hospital. Contacted on Friday, one of the direc-tors of the board of the private hospital said he was not aware of the matter and it was the first time he was hearing of it when questioned by the Express. He said it is the law that the police be called in when illegal drugs are found but
stressed he was “clueless” as to this case. When contacted on the issue yes-ter-day Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan said there was nothing that the ministry could do with regard to such an issue. “The thing about it, all the Ministry of Health does is give out private hos-pital licences; really and truly, there is no legislation that the ministry could use for anything like this. All we really do is deal with policies and private institutions. We have to ask for the information, they don’t have to give it to us. There is no law allowing us to demand it. We can do it in public insti-tutions through legislation,” he said during a phone interview. Khan said there was the reassess-ment of private medical institutions by a committee and that was ongoing. “As we speak, I know that there are people from the quality department, public health institutions, to make sure it is running effectively. “However, what has been reported in the newspaper is not for us. That is a matter for investigation at different levels. It is a concern at the end of the day,” he said. Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said yesterday he could not respond to what he called a “hypothetical” issue. “I can’t comment on something that I don’t know about. If there is an article in the newspaper, a front-page story, having told me about it, I will go and check the paper and then I will be able to have the appropriate action taken, but I am not commenting hypothetically,” he said.
Minimum wage goes up today Jamaica Gleaner - As of today minimum wage earners will receive an increase in pay. The minimum wage will be increased from J$5,000 to J$5,600 for a 40-hour workweek. Labour and Social Security Minister Derrick Kellier had announced the increase on December 16. The minimum wage paid to industrial security guards will also be increased from J$7,320.40 to J$8,198.80 for a 40-hour workweek and should take effect today, in spite of a request by the Jamaica Society for Industrial Security for the effective date for the increase to be delayed
by a month. Security guards will also get a laundry allowance increase to J$37.30, up from J$33.30 per hour.
Additionally, firearm premium allowance payable to security guards will go up, from J$36.60 to J$41 per hour.
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Monday January 06, 2014
Syria rebels push al Qaeda back; U.S. open to Iran role AMMAN/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Syrian rebel fighters loyal to al Qaeda ceded ground near the Turkish border to rival Islamists yesterday, activists said, in what seemed to be a tactical withdrawal to end clashes between Syrian- and foreign-led opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. As Syria’s civil war gets ever more complex amid a broad regional confrontation between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims, the United States raised the prospect of Assad’s sponsor Iran, the Shi’ite power long at odds with Washington and its Sunni Arab allies, playing some role in this month’s Syrian peace talks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tehran still should not take formal part in the peace conference scheduled to start on Lake Geneva on January 22 because it had not endorsed a 2012 accord calling for a new Syrian leadership. But he said there might be ways that Iran could “contribute from
the sidelines”. There is little prospect of a rapid end to the Syrian conflict but the resurgence in Iraq of mutual enemy al Qaeda, and a recent rapprochement with the new Iranian president, have raised speculation about a common effort between the United States and Tehran to contain instability in the region. Kerry, visiting Jerusalem, pledged to help Iraq’s Shi’iteled government fight al Qaeda but said Washington was not considering sending U.S. troops, two years after they withdrew. Syrian opposition activists said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), allied to al Qaeda and featuring foreign jihadists among its commanders, had pulled back yesterday from strongpoints including alDana and Atma in Idlib province and that fighters from the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham moved in. “The Islamic State is pulling out without a fight. Its fighters are taking their
Free Syrian Army fighters cheer during an anti-Syrian regime protest in Maarat Al-Nouman, Idlib, Friday. REUTERS/Fadi Mashan weapons and heavy guns,” activist Firas Ahmad said. He added that the ISIL fighters headed in the direction of Aleppo, where Assad’s troops have stepped up pressure on rebel forces who
captured the city 18 months ago. Another activist, Abdallah al-Sheikh, said that some Syrian ISIL fighters had stayed in place but switched allegiance to the Nusra Front, whose commanders are mostly Syrian rather than foreign. Nusra coordinates with the Islamic Front, a coalition of Syrian Islamist brigades that includes Ahrar al-Sham. Syrian opposition supporters and diplomats said that, despite days of skirmishing in the northwest between ISIL and other rebel factions, a broad alliance involving these groups seemed to be holding in the desert east of the country. “There is certainly competition between ISIL and the other Islamist militants, but it does not appear there is full-scale confrontation,” a Middle Eastern diplomat said. The strength of radical Islamists, nearly three years after popular revolt broke out against Assad, has caused Western powers to hold back on practical support for the rebels despite endorsing the goal, shared with Sunni Arab
states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, of overthrowing the Syrian president. Across the border in Iraq, ISIL seized key towns last week, confronting Sunni tribal forces and the Iraqi government and making their greatest territorial gains since U.S. troops ended a nine-year occupation of Iraq in December 2011. Yesterday, Baghdad officials met Sunni tribal leaders to seek their help against a bid by ISIL to consolidate a hold on desert territory straddling the IraqiSyrian frontier and Iraq’s U.S.armed air force struck the city of Ramadi, killing 25 Islamists, according to local officials. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has secured pledges of more U.S. military aid, despite concerns in Washington that his government has failed to share power with the oncedominant Sunni minority and has helped Iran channel supplies to Assad. In the eastern Syrian province of Raqqa, Sunni Islamist activist Khaled Abu Alwalid said that the presence of Iraqi Shi’ite militia fighters in Syria was galvanising a
common front against them by ISIL and other Islamist factions. “This is a religious war encompassing Iraq, Syria and Lebanon,” Alwalid said. Like Iraq, Lebanon has seen violence linked to the Syrian war, and its Hezbollah militia, backed by Iran, has sent fighters into Syria to help Assad. There were clashes yesterday in the Lebanese city of Tripoli between Sunnis and members of the Shi’itelinked Alawite sect to which Assad belongs. Western powers preparing for the peace conference in Montreux later this month have been pressing other opposition groups, friendlier to Western interests, to resolve their own factional disputes and take a full role in negotiations. The Syrian National Coalition (SNC), a Westernbacked umbrella body formed largely by exiles, was meeting in Istanbul to elect new leaders and vote, probably today, on whether to take part in talks with Assad’s representatives. One contender for SNC leader is Riyad Hijab, Assad’s prime minister until he defected in 2012. He will stand against the incumbent, Ahmad al-Jarba, SNC officials said. Many in the SNC are concerned that it could jeopardise what support it enjoys inside Syria by taking part in the talks with Assad’s delegates at what is known by the U.N. organisers as “Geneva 2” - a sequel to international talks in Geneva in 2012. While the Islamic Front and others fighting in Syria have ruled out negotiations, the SNC has said it would take part on certain conditions - though few of these, such as the release of prisoners and more aid to rebel areas, have been met. Nonetheless, senior SNC member Anas Abdah told Reuters the Coalition was under pressure to take part in talks, if only to avoid losing the goodwill and support of Western powers: “The only clear political option is Geneva 2,” he said. “If we don’t explore this option, the international community might lose interest and not do anything.” Monzer Makhous, the SNC envoy in Paris, said: “There cannot be a political solution from Geneva because the terms set out by the international community at previous meetings have not been met ... But at this stage we have no other option.”
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Over 30,000 African Kerry: US will support Iraq, but without troops migrants protest in Israel
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, speaks with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah before their meeting in Rawdat Khurayim, a secluded royal hunting retreat in Saudi Arabia, yesterday. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool) JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that the United States will support Iraq’s fight against al-Qaedalinked militants who have overrun two cities, but won’t send in American troops. Kerry said the militants are trying to destabilize the region and undermine a democratic process in Iraq, and that the U.S. is in contact with tribal leaders in Anbar province who are standing up to the terrorists. But, he said, “this is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis. That is exactly what the president and the world decided some time ago when we left Iraq, so we are not obviously contemplating returning. We are not contemplating putting boots on the ground. This is their fight. ... We will help them in their fight, but this fight, in the end, they will have to win and I am confident they can.” Al-Qaeda linked gunmen have largely taken over the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in an uprising that has been a blow to the Shiite-led government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killed at least 20 people yesterday. Anbar, a vast desert area on the borders with Syria and Jordan, was the heartland of the Sunni insurgency that rose up against American troops and the Iraqi government after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In 2004, insurgents in Fallujah killed four American security contractors, hanging their burned bodies from a bridge. Ramadi and other cities have remained battlegrounds as sectarian bloodshed has mounted, with Shiite militias killing Sunnis. “We are very, very
concerned about the efforts of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant, which is affiliated with alQaeda, who are trying to assert their authority not just in Iraq, but in Syria,” Kerry said. “These are the most dangerous players in that region. Their barbarism against the civilians in Ramadi and Fallujah and against Iraqi security forces is on display for everyone in the world to see.” Kerry made the comments as he left Jerusalem for talks with leaders in Jordan and Saudi Arabia about his Mideast peace-making efforts after three days of lengthy meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kerry said some progress was made in what he described as “very serious, very intensive conversations,” but key hurdles are yet to be overcome. His talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh covered the peace process, Syria and Iraq. After his short stay in Amman, Kerry flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and then took a 30-minute helicopter ride to King Abdullah’s desert palace. The Saudi leader developed an initiative in 2002 in which the Arab world offered comprehensive peace with Israel in exchange for a full pullout from all territories it captured in the 1967 Mideast war. The initiative, revolutionary when it was introduced, has been endorsed by the Arab League and, technically, remains in effect. “Saudi Arabia’s initiative holds out the prospect that if
the parties could arrive at a peaceful resolution, you could instantaneously have peace between the 22 Arab nations and 35 Muslim nations, all of whom have said they will recognize Israel if peace is achieved,” Kerry said. “Imagine how that changes the dynamics of travel, of business, of education, of opportunity in this region, of stability. Imagine what peace could mean for trade and tourism, what it could mean for developing technology and talent, for job opportunities for the younger generation, for generations in all of these countries,” Kerry said. Kerry said after his meeting with the Saudi leader that the king said he supported Kerry’s peace efforts and the Abdullah’s initiative “has been part of the framework that we’ve been piecing together — both in inspiration and substance.” Kerry, who arrived in the region Thursday, is trying to nudge Abbas and Netanyahu closer to a peace pact that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The talks have entered an intense phase aimed at getting the two sides to agree on a framework and provide guidance toward a final settlement. Reaching a deal on that framework is not expected on this trip, Kerry’s 10th to the region for peace talks. On another issue roiling the Middle East, Kerry did not dismiss the idea that Iran could play a constructive role in finding a resolution to the civil war in Syria, even if Tehran is not a full participant in a conference on Syria this month in Switzerland.
Tel Aviv (AFP) - More than 30,000 African asylum seekers who entered Israel illegally protested in Tel Aviv yesterday, police said, in the biggest rally ever staged by migrants in the Jewish state. “More than 30,000 demonstrators marched peacefully in Tel Aviv,” police spokeswoman Lubra Samri told AFP. Gathered in the coastal city’s central Rabin Square, the protesters sharply criticised Israel’s refusal to give them refugee status and the detention without trial of hundreds of asylum seekers. “We are all refugees” and “Yes to freedom, no to prison!” they chanted in English, with Israeli rights activists also joining the march. Ultra-Orthodox MP Eli Yishai, the hardline former interior minister who in 2012 led the government campaign to round up and deport tens of thousands of illegal migrants, denounced the protest. Yishai said that the “infiltrators”, as authorities call them, were encouraged by
“anti-Zionist human rights organisations”. Rights groups say most African migrants in Israel cannot be deported because their lives would be under threat if they returned to their homes in Sudan and Eritrea. Yishai told the website of Maariv daily that Tel Aviv, where many of the migrants live, “long ago became an African city”. He said the demonstration was “a sharp and clear cry for the state of Israel and judicial and law enforcement authorities to apply all the means at their disposal to return the infiltrators to their countries”. Dawud, an Eritrean asylum-seeker at the protest, told AFP: “We have fled persecution, dictatorships, civil wars and genocides. “Instead of considering us refugees, Israel treats us like criminals,” he added, without giving his full name. Dawud said the demonstrators intended to head for the UN refugee agency’s Tel Aviv office and foreign embassies in the city
in further rallies on Monday. Many illegal immigrants, who are often employed in menial jobs in restaurants and hotels, also launched a threeday strike in several Israeli cities yesterday. Rising wave of protest Under legislation passed on December 10, authorities can detain illegal immigrants entering Israel for up to a year without trial. The same month a sprawling detention facility named “Holot” or “Sands” opened in southern Israel’s Negev desert to house illegals crossing the nearby Egyptian border and for immigrants already in the country deemed to have disturbed public order. The moves triggered protest marches by migrants, including inmates who are allowed out during the day but locked in at night, but yesterday’s was the largest demonstration by far. Israel says that there are close to 60,000 illegal immigrants from Africa in the country and that they pose a threat to the state’s Jewish character.
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COACHING STAFF SATISFIED WITH 4K RUN As National cricket squad prepare for Regional Super50 By Sean Devers The Coaching staff assigned to the 26-man National Squad preparing for this year’s Regional Super50 cricket tournament is satisfied with preparation so far despite the adverse weather. The eight-team tournament, which also includes CCC and Ireland, will be staged in Trinidad and Tobago from January 30 to February 17 The training squad, which was reduced from 36, had their first endurance run yesterday morning at the National Park and the Coaching staff which consists of National Coach 32year-old former Guyana pacer Esaun Crandon along with Chairman of Selectors Rayon Griffith Moore Berbice Coach Julian Moore who are lending assistance, are satisfied with the 4K run yesterday. The squad, which has its out-of-town members housed at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at LBI, had some fielding drills yesterday afternoon at Everest. The players are expected to have their first practice match either tomorrow or Wednesday at Everest before the final 14-man touring party is selected and Crandon explained that West Indies’ most capped player Shiv Chanderpaul brings a wealth of experience to the squad. He added that senior players Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Chris Barnwell, Leon Johnson, Devendra Bishoo and Royston
Crandon have all played International cricket for the West Indies and are playing an important role in developing unity and team spirit in the squad. Guyana, who last won a Regional 50 overs title when they beat Barbados in the 2005 final at Bourda, face International team Ireland in a tough opening game on January 31 at the Queens Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. Ireland currently hold ICC titles in all three formats and secured their qualification for the 2015 World Cup by winning the WCL Championship earlier this year and will also play two T20 internationals and an ODI against West Indies in Jamaica on February 19, 21 and 23. In addition to Ireland Guyana will face-off with the Windward Islands and defending champions Jamaica in Group ‘A’, while host Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Leeward Islands and CCC, which will be led by Guyanese Steven Jacobs make up Group ‘B’. One-day cricket has been a feature of West Indies cricket since 1973 when a knock-out tournament took place between inaugural winners Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Guyana, the only South America side in the competition, has won the tournament nine times since a ton from opener Roy Fredericks in Antigua spurred them to their first in 1980. Guyana also won titles in 1983, 1985, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2004.
Monday January 06, 2014
Francique, Walker enter NJCAA T&F Coaches Association Hall of Fame NEW YORK, USA (CMC) — Caribbean Olympians Alleyne Francique and Melanie Walker are among five new members inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Track and Field Hall of Fame. The decision was taken at the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Convention in Orlando, Florida, last month. Francique, a former twotime World Indoor 400-metre champion of Grenada, was the NJCAA national champion in the 400m, 600m and 4x400m relay for Essex County College in 2000. He then held the NCAA Indoor 400m record for two years while attending Louisiana State University (LSU). He also won the NCAA Outdoor 400m in 2002 before going on to win World Indoor titles in 2004 and 2006 in Budapest, Hungary and Moscow, Russia, respectively. The Grenadian also competed in two Olympic Games, finishing fourth in Athens in 2004 and won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Francique, who is an assistant coach at Texas A&M University, has won seven national titles since he began coaching in 2008,
Melanie Walker… was a six-time Big 12 Conference Champion while helping the University of Texas win the 2005 outdoor and 2006 indoor NCAA team championships including three straight double NCAA Track & Field Titles. Walker, who earned NJCAA All-American honours 10 times, was the Olympic 400m hurdles record holder in Beijing in 2008. She has also won gold at the 2009 World Championships. Walker was also a six-time Big 12 Conference Champion while helping the University of Texas win the 2005 outdoor and 2006 indoor NCAA team championships. She was recently inducted into the University of Texas Women’s Athletics Hall of Honour. Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were Kenyan middle- and long-distance
runner Sally Kipyego and coaches Clint Ramsey and Ralph Neighbours. “Our Coaches Association is proud to honour the men and women, who by their deeds as coaches and student-athletes have made our sport so great,” said Michael Smart, NJCAA Track & Field Coaches Association president. “The accomplishments of these five men and women have shown how vital NJCAA track & field is to the track & field collegiate and international community.” The members will be inducted at a ceremony in New York in March.
Windball Cricket continues to... From page 29 their first championship. In the Central & Lower East Coast Zone, Vryheid Lust girls won for the first time, while IPE claimed the boys’ crown. Eccles boys’ won the Lower East Bank Demerara Zone, while the Upper East Bank Demerara Zone was won by Timehri (Boys) and St Mary’s (Girls) respectively. Over in Region #3, West Bank Demerara Kawall boys regained the title they lost over the past two years after defeating debutant Viva-La-Force, while Vreeden-Hoop successfully defended their title in the girls’ category. The West Coast Demerara / East Bank Essequibo Zone saw Leonora boys maintain their stranglehold which has been the case for the past three years, while Mc Gillivary won the girls. Tuschen made their debut in the competition and finished a creditable third. In the Georgetown Zone, Redeemer secured their first title after capturing the girls crown, while Mae’s did the
same in the boys’ division. Tutorial High turned in a commendable performance to win the girls’ U13 title, while in Region #6, Upper Corentyne primaries girls reigning champion No. 48 won. Massiah boys retained their title as well. In the inaugural U13 tournament, Skeldon Line Path Secondary made a clean sweep winning both girls and boys titles. In the Central Corentyne/ Black Bush Polder Zone, McGowan won both titles, while in the U13 segment, Central Corentyne Secondary won and in the Canje zone, Besty ground carted off both titles. Defending champion Edinburg retained their title in the boys’ category, while in the girls St Therese’s took top honours. Vryman’s Erven captured both boys’ and girls’ titles in the Secondary Schools competition, while returning to Georgetown Dolphin Secondary grabbed the boys crown, while in the girls competition Queenstown Secondary & Dolphin shared
the spoils. Camille’s Institute and Friendship were the top performers in the East Bank Demerara Zone, while Friendship Secondary won the senior competition. Munroe asked to assess the overall participation of students said that just over 2000 students participated in this year’s competitions a development he described as disappointing. The NSC Officer added that while there were no regional competitions as is customary with exchanges usually occurring between the locals, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, he is hoping that this year brings a new lease on life for the sport which is embraced by students, parents and volunteers. A team from T&T had visited Guyana three years ago to compete against the Guyanese and among those who met the players were Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry Alfred King and Director of Sport Neil Kumar.
Monday January 06, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Australia vs. England, 5th Test, Sydney, 3rd day
Three to join Windies squad for Aussies complete 5-0 Ashes sweep T20 series against New Zealand
ESPNcricinfo - Michael Clarke was asked at the toss if he knew which two captains had led Australia to 5-0 Ashes clean sweeps. Yes, Warwick Armstrong and Ricky Ponting, he replied. Now there are three. Fittingly, it all ended in Clarke’s hands. England’s No.11, Boyd Rankin, edged Ryan Harris to second slip, where Clarke thrust his arms and clung on to a catch above his head. With it, he sealed a 281-run victory, a 50 result and his legacy as leader. His team not only beat England, they annihilated them. The celebrations were intense and immediate; Nathan Lyon led the team in their victory song, Underneath the Southern Cross, on the pitch barely minutes after the win was complete. The same 11 who started on the first morning at the Gabba had carried Australia right through the campaign. Remarkably, they completed their sweep in only 21 days of cricket; it took Ponting’s legendary outfit 22 days in 2006-07 and Armstrong’s squad 24 days back in 1920-21. For Alastair Cook, the series result was devastating. That it ended with a three-day defeat after he won the toss and sent Australia in must have been especially galling. But that England collapsed for 166 in their final innings of the series was not exactly surprising. Their batting failed throughout the tour and again they were unable to handle Man of the Series Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Co. Seven wickets in 52 minutes after the tea break and it was all over. Set 448 for victory after Chris Rogers completed his third Test century in the morning, England needed a world-record effort to avoid defeat. It was not the kind of history they were capable of making. Cook prodded outside off to a fast ball from Johnson that moved away and was caught behind for 7, Ian Bell steered a late cut to gully off Harris for 16 and Kevin Pietersen’s inside edge onto pad off Harris was smartly snapped up by George Bailey, backpedalling from short leg. They were 3 for 87 at tea. Bill Lawry wasn’t there to tell viewers it was all happening, but after the resumption it was, indeed, all happening. Johnson began the session with two wickets in an over, Michael Carberry caught behind for 43 flashing outside off and then Gary Ballance lbw for 7. Lyon followed with
Chris Rogers scored his second hundred in consecutive Tests. (PA Photos) two wickets in the next over, Jonny Bairstow taken at short leg for a duck and Scott Borthwick brilliantly snapped up at slip by Clarke. A few boundaries from Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad followed, but none of that mattered. It was only a matter of time until the wickets fell. Stokes played on to Harris for 32, Broad was also bowled by Harris for 42 and then Harris completed his five-wicket haul by drawing the winning edge from Rankin. England were all out for 166, the sixth time from their ten innings in this campaign that they had failed to reach 200. And that was the difference. Perhaps the most memorable moment of England’s innings came when Carberry’s bat snapped in half when he played a regulation forward defence to a delivery from Harris. Everyone on the ground saw the funny side but the image of a broken bat encapsulated England’s campaign. Australia’s batsmen scored ten centuries throughout the series; Stokes was the only England batsman to make one, or to average over 30. Earlier in the day, Rogers made his second century in consecutive Tests as Australia built their lead and were dismissed for 276. Rogers and George Bailey both ticked the scoreboard over during their 109-run partnership. Rogers reached his century from the last ball before drinks in the first session with a late cut for four off the part-time spin of Pietersen, but it was Bailey who really needed a big score in order to retain his place for the upcoming tour of South
Africa. At times Bailey still looked vulnerable outside off but it was the short ball that brought his downfall on 46. Bailey went for a hook off Broad and was caught by Borthwick running around to deep square leg, and it left Bailey with an average of 26.14 from his five Tests and an uncertain future. The crowd enjoyed a little cameo from Brad Haddin, who made a quick 28, and in doing so broke the record for the most runs in a Test series by an Australian wicketkeeper, surpassing the 473 that Adam Gilchrist made in South Africa in 2001-02. Rogers was eventually out for 119, one of three wickets for Borthwick, and the tail-enders enjoyed some late hitting. Australia’s innings ended with Rankin taking his first Test wicket. It may be his only good memory of the Test. The match ended off Rankin’s bat, and with the ball in the hands of Clarke. Australia nominally had the urn after the Perth Test, but now they had a 5-0 clean sweep. They also rocketed up from fifth to third on the ICC Test rankings. A challenge against the No.1 team in South Africa awaits, but for now they will celebrate a feat that only two other Australian sides have ever achieved. Scores: Australia 326 (Smith 115, Haddin 75, Stokes 6-99) and 276 (Rogers 119, Borthwick 333) beat England 155 (Stokes 47, Siddle 3-23, Johnson 3-33, Harris 3-36) and 166 (Carberry 43, Harris 5-25, Johnson 3-40) by 281 runs.
NELSON, New Zealand (CMC) — West Indies selectors have called up three players to join the team in New Zealand for the two-match Twenty20 series. Coach Otis Gibson said that leg-spinner Samuel Badree, all-rounder Andre Russell and wicketkeeperbatsman Andre Fletcher are on their way from the Caribbean to join their teammates for the T20 matches. Gibson confirmed the addition of the players during a post-match interview following the fourth One-Day International (ODI) here yesterday. “There are some guys coming in for the Twenty20s. Samuel Badree is on his way, Andre Russell is on his way and Andre Fletcher,” he said. “We are down to the barebones and we’ll have to look
at integrating them into this mix-up and see how we go forward from there. They should be here in two days’ time.” West Indies lost the fourth ODI by 58 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method to give New Zealand a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. West Indies were 134 for five in the 34th over in reply to the hosts’ 285 for six off their 50 overs. West Indies are down to 12 fit players after seamer Ravi Rampaul suffered an injured finger while batting in the n e t s o n F r i d a y. T h i s followed injuries to Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy and the withdrawal of Darren Bravo due to personal reasons. “Ravi is a tough guy and I think when we get to Hamilton as long as there is no pain (he’ll be considered),”
said Gibson. “It’s his left hand so it would not affect his bowling that much. Obviously only his fielding comes into play and batting at the end — he bats at 11.” He said that the team management is awaiting the results on Sammy but at the moment he is on the injured list. “We are still waiting for the results on Darren Sammy. At the moment he’s still limping around a bit so we’re not sure how he’s going to travel, but he’s staying here with us a little longer. So if it gets down to next week we still have 10 days. At the moment he is on the injured list.” The fifth and final ODI will be played in Hamilton on Wednesday (Tuesday afternoon Caribbean time) followed by the two T20 matches on January 11 and 15.
Hewitt grinds down Federer to claim Brisbane title
Lleyton Hewitt of Australia lunges for the ball during his men’s final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Brisbane International tennis tournament January 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jason Reed BRISBANE (Reuters) Roger Federer’s hopes of starting the year with a longoverdue title ended in failure on Sunday when the Swiss was beaten by local hero Lleyton Hewitt in the Brisbane International final. The 17-times grand slam champion, who won the last of his 77 titles last June, was beaten 6-1 4-6 6-3 by a typically gutsy Hewitt who ended a more than three-year title drought. World number six Federer, who had led their rivalry 18-8 before the final, looked to have turned the match his way after recovering from a slow start but Hewitt showed responded to claim the title in a little over two hours. “To beat possibly the greatest player in the final means a lot,” Hewitt said. “It’s not an easy tournament to win. “In the first set I was seeing the ball like a football. Didn’t really matter where he served I was on it.”
Federer had seven break points in the third set but failed to convert any of them as Hewitt ended a 15-match losing run against his fellow 32-year-old. Despite the disappointment Federer remained hopeful for this month’s Australian Open. “I was able to sort of serve better overall, more consistent this week than I have in a long time - so that’s very good,” Federer, who had not dropped serve before the final, said. “I definitely needed a little bit more confidence to play well and hopefully win the tournament and so forth. “I have a clear idea what I need to work on and I have a clear idea where my mind and body is at.” Federer can scarcely have opened a match in worse touch. He hit 22 unforced errors in the first set, lost three service games and performed a complete airshot off one attempted backhand service return. “I
was really struggling with all sorts of rhythm,” Federer said. “I wouldn’t say I was serving poorly, but it was just a tough set for me. I was put on the back foot very often.” Hewitt did not lose a point on his first serve in the opening set, making just three unforced errors as he took command with his trademark precision. Federer improved markedly in the second set, coming back from 0-40 down to capture the Australian’s serve in the ninth game and then served out to love to take the set. Despite Hewitt’s serve being far more consistently under threat in the third set he secured the only break in the fourth game when Federer hit a forehand wide. Then, showing the resolve that made him a twotime major winner, the Australian held firm to secure his first ATP title in Australia since winning in Sydney in 2005.
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EUSEBIO: Portugal football legend dies aged 71 BBC Sport - Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, has died aged 71 from a heart attack. Born in Mozambique in 1942 when it was still a Portuguese colony, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira went on to play 64 times for Portugal, scoring 41 goals. The Benfica striker’s nine goals at the 1966 World Cup in England included four against North Korea. Widely considered one of the best players of all time, he scored 733 times in 745 professional matches. He had been admitted to hospital several times over the past year for the treatment of heart and respiratory problems. Famed for his blistering acceleration and dazzling dribbling skills, Eusebio was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965. He won the European Cup with Benfica in 1962 and was in the side that lost to Manchester United in the 1968 Wembley final. Eusebio enjoyed 10 league championship victories and five Portuguese cup triumphs in his 15 years at the club and was Portugal’s top league scorer seven times. Current Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to pay tribute. “Always eternal, Eusebio, rest in peace,” the Real Madrid and former Manchester United striker wrote on Twitter alongside a picture of both men together. Former Portugal winger Luis Figo tweeted: “The king! Great loss for all of us! The greatest!”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Eusebio - photo was posted on Ronaldo’s Twitter account on Sunday. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho called him one o f h i s c o u n t r y ’s “ g r e a t figures”. Mourinho told state broadcaster RTP: “I think he is immortal. We all know what he meant for football and especially for Portuguese football. “He was not only a great inspiration but also an important figure in upholding the values, principles and feelings of football, even after finishing his career.” Greg Dyke, chairman of the Football Association in England, said Eusebio and Brazilian striker Pele were the best-known international footballers in
LABA meets to look at GABF elections, date for Sunburst U-17 schools final The Linden Amateur Basketball Association will be holding an executive meeting today at 6:00pm at the Mackenzie Sports Club Pavilion to look at two important matters which need immediate attention. According to Secretary of the LABA, Joseph Chapman, the matters of interest at the moment are the holding of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation’s Annual General Meeting and Elections which are set for Saturday in Georgetown and the completion of the final in the Sunburst Under-17 basketball championship. He said it was important that all members of the executive see it fit to attend as information is that there are at least two persons who have shown an interest in the position of becoming the GABF president and these among other matters will be looked at, even if not in finality. Chapman said due to the inclement weather still prevailing and with the GABF Elections scheduled, the Sunburst Under-17 Secondary Schools final between Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary and Mackenzie High will be decided at this meeting.
the 1960s. “He was the [Lionel] Messi or Ronaldo of his time,” Dyke told the BBC News Channel. “Every generation has great footballers. He was clearly a world-class footballer who scored an awful lot of goals. He had a level of natural talent that most players don’t have.” Eusebio’s goals in the 1966 World Cup helped his country to third place, after they were beaten by eventual winners England in the semi-finals. Portugal won all of their group games as title holders Brazil were eliminated in the first round, and Eusebio starred in a dramatic 5-3 win over North Korea in the quarterfinals, with his four goals helping his side come back from 3-0 down. Portugal went on to lose 2-1 in the last four to England, with Eusebio in tears as he left the pitch at the end of the game. But he had captured the hearts of the British public and his figure was soon added to Madame Tussauds’ waxwork collection. Eusebio continued to play at the highest level until 1974, but knee problems had already begun to slow him down. In 1975, he moved to the North American Soccer League and then returned to Portugal in 1976-77 to play for SC Beira Mar, before further spells in the USA and Mexico. After his playing career ended, he was an ambassador for Benfica and Portuguese football.
Monday January 06, 2014
Questions abound ahead of GABF elections says LABA Secretary With less than a week to go, Secretary of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), has expressed reservation of the manner in which the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has treated the staging of its Annual General Meeting and Quadrennial Elections set for Saturday at a venue still to be named. Chapman said that with under a week to go, it is disturbing that after sending the correspondence to the affiliates with “As always if you have any questions or require any additional information, please not hesitate to contact me” that GABF General Secretary has not acknowledged or replied to his queries sent to the federation. According to Chapman, “perhaps I did hesitate” in asking these questions, but that was due to the fact that over the past year there have
been few, or very late, responses from the federation on several key matters. However, Chapman said he did forward some relevant questions and as usual Burnett has not yet responded. He said first he wanted to know if the GABF Constitution had been changed after it was adopted in 2006. This Chapman said was because those persons, who are listed as eligible voters namely the current officers of the federation by Burnett, should not be listed to participate at Saturday’s elections. Chapman said Burnett also indicated that ‘Proxy votes are accepted’ but this was in violation to the Article 12- 6 of the GABF Constitution which states ‘No voting by letters or proxy is not allowed’. The experienced LABA official wanted to know why
the federation did not see it fit to hold a General Council meeting where these maters could have been addressed before the Saturday meeting. He also questioned why the Masters Association, which was allowed to vote at the last AGM and elections in 2010, has been omitted this time, while the Guyana Basketball Officials Council (GBOC) is included. Chapman said he did not have a problem with bona fide affiliates being allowed to vote but was looking at how these matters are handled without knowledge of the General Council. He also wanted to know when the Minutes of the last AGM in 2010 will be made available to the affiliates for perusal, and who will be presenting the Treasurer’s Report since the elected person in 2010 apparently did not function and no replacement was made known to the affiliates.
SWANSEA STUN MAN UTD IN FA CUP
Wilfried Bony’s (left) late header gave Swansea their first ever victory at Old Trafford. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Wilfried Bony’s late header gave Swansea their first ever victory at Old Trafford to knock 10-man Manchester United out of the FA Cup in the third round for the first time in four years 2-1. Wayne Routledge lobbed the visitors ahead before Javier Hernandez volleyed United level from Alex Buttner’s cross. Substitute Fabio received a straight red card for a foul on Jose Canas before Bony’s winning header. Swansea will play
Birmingham, Bristol Rovers or Crawley in the next round. In other results yesterday: Nottm Forest 5 - 0 West Position Team 1 Arsenal 2 Man City 3 Chelsea 4 Liverpool 5 Everton 6 Tottenham 7 Man Utd 8 Newcastle 9 Southampton 10 Hull
Ham Sunderland 3 - 1 Carlisle Derby 0 - 2 Chelsea Liverpool 2 - 0 Oldham Port Vale 2 - 2 Plymouth
Played 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
GD Points 21 45 34 44 19 43 23 39 13 38 -1 37 9 34 4 33 3 27 -3 23