Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Ruling by month-end on all matters relating to no-confidence motion - Chief Justice Cognizant of the fact that the matters before her are all of national interest, Chief Justice Roxane George announced yesterday afternoon that by the end of this month, she will rule on all applications related to the noconfidence motion, That motion was passed against the government on December 21, 2018. First to file a court action on the passage of the noconfidence motion was private citizen Compton Reid, who through Senior Counsel Neil Boston, is challenging the validity of the noconfidence motion on the basis that expelled Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud was not qualified to vote, since he is a citizen of Canada. During a case management hearing yesterday, the Chief Justice said that it is unlikely that she will grant a conservatory order requested by Reid for the President and Cabinet to remain in office since the court is moving apace with the matters. In relation to this application, the Chief Justice granted permission to Attorney General Basil Williams to make submissions in relations to Article 70 of the Constitution of Guyana, which according to him, provides for government to run its five-
CHIEF JUSTICE: Roxane George
The legal team challenging the noconfidence motion from left: Basil Williams and the supporting lawyers. year course. The Court granted Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and General Secretary of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, approval to join in Compton Reid’s application as interested parties. A similar request made by Attorney-at-law Saphier Husain was thrown out by the court. Additionally, Attorney-atlaw Christopher Ram, had
petitioned the High Court for a declaration that the noconfidence motion was properly, validly and lawfully passed by the National Assembly. Through his Attorney-atlaw Kamal Ramkarran, Ram is also seeking a declaration that the passage of the no confidence motion requires the resignation of the Cabinet including the President with all convenient speed. In these proceedings, the
Shareholders ask Toronto Stock Exchange to monitor Guyana Goldfields A group of “concerned shareholders” has approached the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) asking the agency to look out for signs of entrenchment, shareholder dilution or attempts to structure around regulatory shareholder approval requirements in any proposal made by Guyana Goldfields Inc. Making the request are Northfield Capital Corporation’s Robert Cudney, Donald Ross, Gretchen Ross, and Patrick Sheridan. Together, they own not less than five percent of Guyana Goldfield which is based in Canada. The shareholders had revealed to the media that Guyana Goldfields lost over CDN$1 billion in value since 2016 because of the Board’s operational failures, irresponsible actions and risky decisions. The shareholders said, “To add insult to injury, while shareholders have lost over 80% of their investment since 2016, the Board has continued to reward itself handsomely and has offered no plan to turn things around… “The Board has demonstrated an inability to stop the freefall of the Company’s share price.
Enough is enough,” said Mr. Sheridan. “We ask that the Board promptly set a meeting date and allow Guyana Goldfields’ shareholders the opportunity to determine the appropriate stewards of their company and save their investment.” In its letter to the Toronto Exchange, the Group said, “Until after a meeting is called and held and the direction of Guyana Goldfields Inc is rightly determined by its shareholders, the TSX should carefully monitor
and review any acquisition, financing, issuance of securities, or other defensive tactics or potentially-dilutive transaction or series of transactions proposed by Guyana Goldfields Inc., and require that any such transaction or series of transactions be approved by shareholders as a condition of TSX’s consent, including with respect to any issuance of securities by Guyana in connection with such transaction or series of transactions.”
Attorney General and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo have been listed as the Respondents. Parties in this matter will return to court on January 23 to present oral arguments. In seeking permission to join in Reid’s case, among other things, Jagdeo in his application had noted that he wants to join the proceedings because “the main thrust of the proceedings filed” by Reid is to invalidate the noconfidence motion. He said that Reid also wants to ultimately prevent its c o n s t i t u t i o n a l consequences” – resignation of the President and Cabinet, calling of general elections in 90 days or having the House extend that period by a twothirds majority. Meanwhile, Ram wants the court to declare that the government comprising 33 elected members of the
National Assembly coming from the coalition between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) elected at elections in 2015—excluding the Cabinet including the President who shall resign with all convenient speed— shall remain in office until after the President takes the oath of office after elections to be held within 90 days from December 21, 2018 or within such extended period as the National Assembly shall determine by resolution support by not less than twothirds of the votes of all elected members. At the same time, Ram also wants a declaration that the passage of the motion requires that national and regional elections be held no later than Thursday, March 21, 2019, that date being the ninetieth day from December 21, 2018.
Furthermore, the Government is challenging the vote count in the noconfidence motion. In filings, Williams has asked the court to determine whether the motion of no-confidence upon a division vote of 33:32 members of the National Assembly was validly passed as the requisite majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly pursuant to Article 106 (6) of the Constitution; or whether the requisite majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly ought properly to be 34 votes. It is Williams’s contention that the National Assembly of Guyana comprises 65 members and that mathematically, half of all the elected members of the current National Assembly would result in a fraction of 32.5. In the instant case as half of 65 results in the fraction of 32.5, that figure should then be rounded to the next whole number being 33, which would now represent half of the elected members, the majority thereby being a number greater than half means that ‘1’ ought to have been added to the whole number ‘33’ to calculate an absolute majority of 34, the government contends.
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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
GRA HEAD TAKES HARSH STANCE ON CORRUPTION Shortly after taking office in 2016, the Commissioner General (CG) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Godfrey Statia, stated that if he failed to achieve certain benchmarks, he will step down as head of the agency. In a highly dramatic manner, Mr. Godfrey Statia, who is a certified accountant, and an Attorney-at-law, had vowed to stamp out corruption at the nation’s principal tax collection agency and restore its confidence among the people. He also promised to establish team-work among senior management officials, boost morale among all staff members and re-train the staff to meet the requirements of the country’s tax and border laws and regulations. Two years into his tenure, there are some major changes to the structure, operations and functions of the GRA. Corruption, bribery and other illegal acts have reduced significantly at the agency compared to two years ago. Its tax collection base has been expanded and the process of filing tax returns has been simplified for individuals and corporations. The CG has also improved the agency’s operations at its customs and investigative divisions to enforce the tax laws. The GRA has had an active two years in relation to seizure of contraband goods, high-end vehicles and large quantities of smuggled fuel into the country. These changes are in line with Statia’s declared state men that “from 2016 onwards, there would be no more sacred cows and that the tax-dragnet network would be considerably widened to reign in individual and corporate tax cheaters and end corruption and bribery from top to bottom at the agency.” The CG has also implemented a series of new practices and policies to reduce corruption and bribery and close the tax and the duty free concessions loopholes that had existed for decades. Internally, the CG has also transferred or rerouted senior staff members to other departments. It is clear that the CG has been attacking the problems at GRA from their roots, which according to public policy experts, is the most practical solution. It seems that the CG is also very serious about ending the breaches of tax collection and concessions in the country. In fact, he has drawn a line in the sand when he said, “I have no friends when it comes to the collection of taxes and no one dares call to ask me favours. This is not how a tax agency is run.” According to the CG, it is no longer business as usual at the GRA. There shall be no evasion of taxes by the public, including businesses and the smuggling and sale of contraband goods, which have become part of the country’s underground economy. Bribery, corruption and the creation of spurious businesses will not be tolerated by the GRA. In that past two decades alone, it is estimated that the country has lost almost one trillion dollars in revenue due to the smuggling of fuel, gold, food, cigarettes, alcohol, electronic equipment and much more. The loss in revenue has deprived citizens, especially the poor of much-needed benefits such as improved healthcare and education, construction and repair of proper roads and infrastructure and the supply of adequate potable water. Although the GRA appears to be more people-friendly and efficient and has increased revenue collection and reduced smuggling and the sale of contraband goods, corruption is still rampant at the agency. Last week reports surfaced that the agency has dismissed some twelve custom officers who have in excess of 20 years of service for alleged corruption and another dozen is under investigation. True to his word, the CG’s harsh stance on corruption has proved that he has indeed drawn a line in the sand, not only against the public, but also against GRA staffers.
Untangling the Gordian Knot DEAR EDITOR, We have an overwhelming unemployment problem. This feeds into boredom, poverty and crime, and the crime situation dominates all aspects of our lives. The perpetrators of violent crime are for the most part young, ablebodied men. The root causes are numerous, and have been ventilated ad nauseam from Parliament to corner shop. It is time to discuss solutions. Job creation must be a sustained and many layered campaign. The majority of our unemployed are products of a failed education system and are limited in the type of work they can do. Many are victims of the contractions in the timber, sugar and mining industries. They want work, and they need money. This demographic has traditionally been employed in the sugar, rice, timber and mining industries as labourers, weeders, cutters, tractor operators, machine
operators, drivers, chainsaw operators, drudgers, etc. It is my view that the best chance of employment opportunity within the reach of the authorities for this group continues to lie in areas of resource extraction and agriculture. These are labour-intensive industries, which can absorb an unskilled workforce, and do not need to rely on our existing fragile and unreliable electrical and transportation infrastructure. To create these jobs, Guyana needs new investors who can set up shop in the interior and extract resources without having to rely on our failing infrastructure. The single largest requirement to attract foreign investors engaged in those industries is investor confidence: our authorities need to demonstrate that investors can be confident that we will keep our promises to them. It will be for the authorities to ensure that the con-
tracts they make with the investors ensure sustainable husbandry of resources, adherence to environmental laws and protection of indigenous rights. Conditions must be attached fixing minimum employment obligations, safety measures, tax obligations and financial accountability. This is what we elect our leaders to safeguard, and they need to have the competence to undertake the responsibility. But once the contracts are finalized, the authorities must understand that contracts must be honoured, so that investors have confidence in our country and more investors are thus encouraged to bring their money and ideas to Guyana to create jobs and grow the economy. Lee Kuan Yew, the transformative leader of Singapore, explained why, despite its dearth of natural resources, that country attracted foreign investment:
“[How did] Singapore make a living against neighbours who have more natural resources, human resources, and bigger space? How did we differentiate ourselves from them? Once we come to an agreement or make a decision, we stick to it. We become credible to investors.” Once we can understand that Guyana must keep the agreements which it makes with foreign investors, they will come. They will be attracted to our minerals, our timber, and our agriculture. And there will be employment, crime will decline, and the society will become more stable. President Hoyte saw this, and his Economic Recovery Program began to make it happen, but we have frittered away the benefits. If we can get this right, the stage will be set for another phase of development. Regards Timothy Jonas Attorney-at-Law
An Introspection: 2018-2019 DEAR EDITOR, As a late octogenarian, one simply could not help but ponder on the range of: analyses evocations postulations equivocations and more, even provocations, that would have deluged thinking, emotions since that fateful day of December 21, 2018 in the history of Guyana – all in the name of loving one’s country. Those of us who have lived before, and since Independence, would have experienced too many (mostly) political vicissitudes, and whether private or public sector, our respective DNA’s drove us principally to ‘play to our base’ – a thought process which, not unjustifiably, which sought to confirm our respective validities – ethnic, cultural, religious, economic, and otherwise. In the meantime, we valued ‘the other base’ through the prisms of our historical limitations, all of which, if we were not unconscious, we preferred. Nearly two centuries after, we are more than ONE People. Indeed we remain at minimum Six (and a half) Peoples. In 2019, we are all privately and publicly insisting, that the counter-productive past is our retrospective future. Too few extrapolate from this constipation of psyche that we have learnt nothing, or too little, from our experiences. So we sit, stand, in the varying sizes of our mental compartments and applaud ourselves as role models, for-
getting to ask our children what they think, how they feel, which school they prefer to attend, what would be their professional choice. Hardly ever is the choice of sport discussed. This is left to an almost exclusive few to decide. So that, there is no pervasive culture of team spirit – even rugby and football teams carry different images from cricket teams. So while teamsmanship is not the norm, winning is a celebrated pre-requisite – even at school exams.
Guyana indeed lives up to its depictor as ‘Land of Many Waters’ – in which we are floating against tides, while not teaching our children how to swim well enough to save one another when it floods. Come 2019 the flood is caused, not by the normal rainy weather, but rises from a turbulence of emotions, antagonisms and divisions, against which the adults have no protective gear to offer their children. So is it not time that these recalcitrants ask of their chil-
dren what is better for them, how they would wish to see their future, their country shaped? It is not a matter for a majority debate. More critically, it is time for parents to find out whether the generations they spawn have confidence in them. Who is it that said: “It is time that we all move from a playing field overgrown with infertile antagonisms, onto a pitch where we can practise playing forward as a team”? Yours faithfully E.B. John
Legalization of marijuana under current conditions just does not make any sense DEAR EDITOR, The letter by Timothy Jonas which captions “ANUG supports the call for legalization of marijuana in Guyana,” is highly flawed and unconvincing. Such a call by ANUG (A New and United Guyana) also comes across as an unpatriotic manipulation to attract votes. Flagrantly, ANUG fails to address the scientific influence of this substance on human behavior in the context of a profound lack of education and deep poverty, among a sea of problems in Guyana. In my view, this calculation is a pivotal frame of reference which is critically important to determine whether marijuana is suitable for legalization at this time in Guyana. Obviously, ANUG remains clueless about the problems associated with marijuana use and misuse, particularly for a country such as Guyana. ANUG needs to be reminded that the social, political and economic dynamics in Guyana are strikingly different from those in Canada and California where mari-
juana is legalized. The legalization of this substance in these countries should never be a justification for its legalization here. Further, ANUG needs to be informed that the recreational use of marijuana remains largely illegal in both the Netherlands and Jamaica. ANUG also needs to be reminded that the legalization of marijuana will never reduce the prison population in the face of deep poverty in Guyana. Legalization is guaranteed to produce the opposite effect. At the very least, it can be reasoned that legalization under current conditions will dramatically send more Guyanese into prison via armed robberies, pickpockets, burglaries and a variety of illegal means, simply because unemployed users will need to come up with scarce dollars necessary to purchase such an expensive drug. I just do not see how marijuana can be affordable under conditions of poverty and where unemployment is sky-high. Legalization under current conditions just does (Continued on page 5)
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Remembering Ambassador Odeen Ishmael DEAR EDITOR, I have read in the media the sad news of the sudden demise of the late Dr. Odeen Ishmael, former Ambassador of the Republic of Guyana to the United States of America, the Organisation of the American States and other countries, who passed away in Florida a few days ago. I am shocked and grieved over this tragedy and would like to express my condolences and those of my family to his beloved spouse, children, siblings, relatives and friends. As I reflect on this unfortunate event, I am reminded of the fact that as day alternates with night and joy with sorrow, so does life with death, for in this temporal world no one is immortal, whether monarch or mendicant, prince or pauper, all of us will eventually exit this planet for “in the midst of life there is death”. Perhaps, it is opportune for me to state also that Seneca, the celebrated Roman philosopher, statesman and tragedian, once remarked that “the ultimate purpose of life is preparation for death.” I have had the pleasure, honour and privilege of working with Ambassador Ishmael at the Guyana Embassy in Washington, D.C. for five years (1994-1999). He was an illustrious diplomat who was the epitome of humility and comity, with a sweet charisma and a refulgent mind. During my tour of duty there, we have had
numerous discussions on financial, administrative and protocol matters, respectively, almost on a weekly basis regarding the modus operandi of the Mission in my capacity as the Administrative Attaché. Moreover, Ambassador Ishmael was a prolific writer with a dynamic personality which magnetized those persons who came into contact with him with his warm and infectious demeanor. In the diplomatic firmament he was a radiant star. Shakespeare’s in his dramatic masterpiece “As you like it” wrote the following:All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts…” Ambassador Ishmael has played many roles in his brief sojourn in life, including that of husband, father, mentor, writer and diplomat, which he did with finesse and aplomb. A shining star has fallen, a brilliant light has gone but the vicissitudes of this transient life go on. Farewell, Dear Ambassador. Goodbye Our Gracious Friend. Since death is a transition and not a destination, may the angels in heaven serenade your sweet soul until we meet again in the life hereafter where the ugly spectre of death is seen no more. Andrew Zamal Canada
Legalization of marijuana under current conditions just... From page 4 not make any sense. It is simply an insane proposal. At this time, Guyana can’t afford to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. If ANUG seriously cares about the welfare of marijuana users, then it must guide Guyanese to do the
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right thing by respecting our laws. Discipline is needed. The breaking of our laws directly expands the prison population and none of this is ever acceptable. To this end, Guyana must never rush to legalize marijuana in the absence of the
required foundation just to reward those that are hell-bent on breaking our laws, or to reward those who want to financially profit from this drug at the expense of human lives or to reward those that issue hollow calls for votes. Sincerely, Annie Baliram
Now is the time for APNU to go to elections DEAR EDITOR, Assuming that APNU concedes to the No Confidence Vote, it is advantageous to them to go to the Polls immediately. Their political and administrative structures are in place. The election machinery is in their control, as are the support mechanisms. Those are the naked facts. Time will shift these dynamics. The PPP is in a quandary. Six hopefuls for Presidential Candidacy emphasises that predicament. Machinations to have a “hand-servant” as the candidate do not have the acceptance of the voting public. The end-game for the PPP is not its inner circle but its support base, a support base
that is not necessarily loyal to the PPP or to its General Secretary, but more supportive of persons within the Party’s hierarchy. Thus a hand-picked candidate identified by any sleight of hand will not go down well. The public in general is no longer glued to voting based on race. That never worked and will never work. The public is looking at Candidates rather than Party. If APNU were to put up any other person than David Granger as Presidential candidate, it would be in the same dilemma. In fact, the political environment is evolving wherein the electorate is becoming more and more critical of those
who profess to lead in their interest, but who actually do the opposite. Like it or not, Charrandass has shown that one dissenting voice can trigger an avalanche. Our political leaders should take note, since more is to come from within all political enclaves. Our younger aspirants are no longer afraid to dissent. The two heavyweights in Parliament will have to contend with small independent Parties who should use their swing votes to support issues rather than Parties. The next five months are crucial to this Nation. The people must speak, not the Parties. Taaj Jadunauth
The challenge before us DEAR EDITOR, The formation of new political parties in Guyana in the run-up to anticipated General and Regional elections is most interesting. And even though the idea of new political parties to challenge the dominance of the two main parties is not something new, the prospects of oil in the foreseeable future has certainly added fresh impetus to create checks and balances in
the governance process. I have always held the view that the greatest of all freedoms is the freedom of choice.In the final analysis it is the individual that is sovereign, provided of course that such choices are done on the basis of free will. The Guyanese electorate is now provided with a wider range of choices as to which political party is best suited to run the affairs of the coun-
try, and to the extent that is the case, it is a welcome development.The Guyanese electorate is now awaiting the Manifestos of the political parties, which will allow them to make informed and intelligent choices. The challenge before us as a nation is how to rise above narrow partisan and ethnic considerations and vote on the basis of issues rather than ethnicity. Hydar Ally
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
Illegal structures and noise SUGAR: The rise and fall of a pollution in Sea View, Stewartville Government DEAR EDITOR, There is much debate, analysis and conclusions on what caused Mr. Charrandass Persaud to vote against his Government on December 21st, 2018 in the National Assembly. Mr. Persaud in his media interactions and on social media cited many reasons for his action.One of the reasons identified, is the manner in which his Government handled the sugar industry. In his exact words, he stated that “…. you destroy(ed) the lives of sugar workers in a village, district that I live in, I cannot live with that”. Editor, this statement from Mr. Persaud is instructive and requires further examination. From all indications, Mr. Persaud was instrumental in luring many sugar workers and their families from his village/district to support the APNU/AFC coalition in the May 2015 elections. The promise of 20% increase in wages for sugar workers and a better life attracted attention and eventual support. This new electoral support from the sugar belt was enough to thrust the APNU/AFC coalition into Government. Upon assumption to office, the coalition shamelessly abandoned its campaign promises for the sugar sector and adopted the destructive and devious plan of systematic estate closure and sell-out. By December 2017, that promise of 20% increase in wages and a good life for the people in Mr. Persaud’s village/district changed to a life of zero wage and misery with the closure of Rose Hall Sugar Estate. This draconian action by a Government
on the very people that contributed to its rise to power must have rattled the soul of Mr. Persaud and etched away at his conscience. He witnessed first-hand, the daily struggles of the thousands of newly unemployed and had no answers for their questions on the promises which he led them to believe. The destroyed livelihoods of ordinary citizens (voters) and the Cadillac livelihood of decision makers (politicians) was convincing enough for Mr. Persaud to have no confidence in his own Government. This was expressed in his supporting vote in the national assembly, for which he must be commended. If the APNU/AFC coalition decides to step out of its arrogant and denial modes, it will recognize the importance of sugar in Guyana’s society. Sugar was instrumental in APNU/ AFC’s rise to and fall from power in 3½ short years. The subject of sugar will continue to be a major part of the Guyanese conversation. While the APNU/AFC coalition Government was deliberate in diminishing the sector, all other entities and organization must be commended for focus and prominence it gave sugar. The electronic and print media, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) and especially the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) deserve special commendation for the focus on the subject of sugar. GAWU has been focused, responsible and relentless in its efforts in highlighting the developments in the industry. Despite its challenges, sugar remains a formidable force, capable of making or breaking a Government. Let’s light a candle for the 7,000 sugar workers that were terminated by the APNU+ AFC government. Sookram Persaud
Difficulties in mailing packages out of Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I wish to take the opportunity to thank you for providing the opportunities for Guyanese citizens to highlight issues of concern, which are at times utilized by the Government, the Private Sector, Authorities and various Commissions. Some use your media to quarrel about politics, for or against, the Government or the Opposition, etc. I was quite surprised when I visited the Plaisance Post Office, to mail a small package out of the country, comprising a shawl and prayer beads. However, I was told that I have to go to Georgetown in order to mail any package with the exception of letters overseas. This caused me to think very deeply of the inconvenience that citizens have to face with regard to public transportation and the waste of financial resource. Nevertheless, I went to the Georgetown Post Office, ensuring that I fulfilled the requirements; proof of address (Proper) and ID card to mail the package. At the Georgetown Post Office, I further enquired in the interest of ordinary citizens from the country area, whether or not they have to travel all the way to the city to mail a small package. I ques-
tioned if there is any other place one can visit besides the Georgetown Post Office to mail packages out of Region Four. I was told that there is another location in Linden and there is ‘probably’ another in Region Six. I’m quite sure there is at least one such postal office, equipped with Customs Officers and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officers. However, I do not think that one such postal service to cater for an entire region is sufficient. This will definitely create hardships on people. Depending on the size of the region, there should be at least two (2) to three (3) such post offices equipped with CANU and Customs ranks. I know that there is a cost factor involved with the post office, CANU and Customs Officers. However, it must be noted that it is a service to citizens to make life easy and not a mere business. It is also costly for the poor people to have to travel all the way to a central post office in any region to get a package out of the country. I hereby ask the Government of Guyana through its Minister responsible, the Honorable, Cathy Hughes, to consider the plight of citizens in merely mailing a package out of this country. Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr Chairman/Founder RK’s Guyana Security Services
DEAR EDITOR, I am a resident of Sea View, Stewartville, West Coast Demerara. I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the increasing problem of illegal structures (shops) and the noise pollution in our community. A few residents of Sea View have been trying to keep the environment cleaned of debris and bushes, not only for general hygiene purposes, but also to beautify our scheme. It was disappointing, that after the area was cleaned, illegal structures (shops) were erected on the roadside in front of our Scheme. Notably,
one of the illegal shops is blasting music from day going into late nights. This occurs without any respect for the elderly persons and others who desire a peaceful sleep, particularly at nights.
It has recently come to my attention that one of these illegal shops with the loud music is owned by a law enforcement officer. Why the loud music every night? On one occasion, I was forced to call the Police Station with regard to the pumping of loud continuous music. Additionally, we are very concerned with these illegal structures and suspected illegal activities. It is, therefore,
not safe at nights for the residents in the community. Please note, letters were sent to the overseer at the Stewartville Neighbourhood Democratic Council Office and the Regional Office Region Three, with regard to the illegal structures in front of the Scheme. To date, nothing has been done to remedy the situation. The residents of the community would appreciate if the relevant authorities could spare some time to deal with this blatant lawlessness as soon as possible. As a regular reader of your newspaper, I thank you for publishing this issue of concern. Concerned resident
Democracy is for human good DEAR EDITOR, The father of the modern political science, Machiavelli’s proposition of ‘political science is progress towards human good’ has influenced many modern political leaders. Machiavelli’s call to human good is the true sense of political organization. For Machiavelli, politics was for the good of the people. Progress is measured by how good people are. In other words, every political institution has a partisan aspect, even though it is democracy.
Humans have not been able to find a best way forward to organize politically. Democracy is the best we have so far. The Latin word ‘Demokratia’, ‘Demos’ means people and ‘kratia’ means power or rule. It is people’s rule or rule by the people and for the people. Democracy in parallel with Machiavelli suggests that people are the priority. But unfortunately this is not the case in any democracy. For someone to win, someone has to lose. In which case, the latter will be
hostile towards the former. It is the responsibility of the elected leaders in any democracy to uphold the unity and good of the people. Although majority wins, it is crucial for the winner to care for the losers equally for two obvious reasons, firstly, every person has a right to be happy as a citizen of the country and secondly, every person contributes towards the government. In these above two reasons, there is no winner and loser, rather both are equal. It has to be power of the people. Jerri Dias
If you can’t help animals, you have no right to hurt them DEAR EDITOR, I’m writing to express my concern about the recent incident of animal cruelty, where a restaurateur from Diamond New Scheme on the East Bank beat his dog so badly that her injuries could not be treated and she had to be euthanized. This individual also keeps cats in cages. Now that the Animal Welfare bill has passed, I would like to know what will happen when this man goes to court - if he’s convicted of the crime, the penalty is either a fine of
between $5,000 - $20,000 or six months of jail time. Clearly, he will just pay the fine. Will the rest of the animals punishing in his yard be removed by the GSPCA and re-homed, or will they be removed and euthanized? Although one newspaper report says the animals were removed, a neighbour reports otherwise. Will this man be banned from keeping animals in the future? Who is going to be checking up on him to make sure that he does not continue to abuse animals? I for one would like to
see tougher penalties for people who do such horrible things. As an activist and animal rescuer, it pains my heart that one can inflict so much pain and suffering on an innocent animal. I love animals and when I look into their eyes I believe it is as pure as their souls. If you can’t help them, you have no right to hurt them. I am glad the police intervened in this matter and I am hopeful that justice is served, but I remain concerned. Sincerely, Genevieve Beepat
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Kaieteur News
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The democratic process is at work in Guyana – CARICOM’s Chief on Dec. 21 vote “The democratic process is at work,” says CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque. He was at the time responding to questions, surrounding the December 21, 2018 vote, on the sidelines of the Caribbean Summit on Youth Violence Prevention. Ambassador La Rocque was asked about CARICOM’s position on the government taking the matter to the Caribbean Court of Justice. He responded, “We have to allow the democratic process to work. We have been observing, we
Shot Venezuela women air
- dashed from Mabaruma Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital are treating two Venezuelan women for gunshot injuries that they allegedly sustained in their homeland. The victims, who are nursing injuries to their hands, were identified as Kathy Santella, 25, and Kyla Lopez, 32. They have reportedly told police that they were travelling in a boat when someone shot them. They were first treated at the Mabaruma Hospital before being transported to the GPHC. Hundreds of Venezuelans fleeing unrest and economic hardship have been accessing medical treatment in Guyana’s interior locations.
have been looking on and watching on, but the democratic process is at work.” Further, the Ambassador said that the matter is before the courts and that the process should be allowed to run its course. However, he suggested that it be done swiftly. “The matter is before the courts and I think we should allow the discussion and litigation to go through and see what the outcome is. I am sure the court in its wisdom and all of the other peers that may be possible will rule appropriately, my concern is that it be done swiftly, that the matter is before the court and let the court act swiftly,” he stated. On December 21, 2018, the 11th Parliament passes x as a no confidence motion against the government. The matter is now before the High Court. In the meantime, Government remains legitimately in office as the 2019 National Budget has been passed in the House and the government’s work continues.
CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador, Irwin LaRocque
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
Application for mining licence to be made easier - travelling to Georgetown to apply to be ‘a thing of the past’
Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes engaging miners in the GGMC Office at 7th Avenue, Bartica, Region 7.
Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, and a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday morning met with miners in Bartica, Region Seven, to discuss issues affecting them. Key among these were the challenges that the miners face with regards to mining applications. The minister met with miners in the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Office located at Seventh Avenue, Bartica. During the interaction, the minister and a team also accepted mining applications. However, Minister Broomes explained that such exercise will soon be a thing of the past as currently, GGMC is working on computerising the application process.“Miners usually have to travel to Georgetown for this process; however, we are trying to simplify it for them, decentralise using our office here,” Minister Broomes explained. She further expl a i n e d t h a t t h i s o n l i n e m i n i n g application service should be functional by mid-2019. The Natural Resources Ministers have been meeting key players in the mining sector to address some of their concerns. The ministers have candidly addressed many of the issues highlighted, explaining the steps being taken in the respective ministries to tackle them.
Research Professor calls on US to overlook China’s relations with Guyana -To ensure transparency, lawfulness and equality Guyana’s interest in Guyana will only increase now that the country has yet another valued natural resource—oil. Given China’s track record, many are of the opinion that Guyana should tread lightly. In fact, even President David Granger had said that he will enter negotiations with Chin a , u n d e r the Belt and Road Initiative, with his “eyes wide open.” Would this be enough? That is yet to be seen. In the meantime, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Senior Associate, Evan Ellis, is calling on the United States to overlook China’s relations with Guyana now that oil is on its way. Ellis, in a recent article published on CSIS website, stated that with the no-confidence vote, “Guyana is entering a particularly difficult period, albeit with the promise that could come from making wise use of the nation’s petroleum and other abundant resources.” He said, too, that Guyana is a country in which the United States has not always been perceived as an attentive friend and partner. As 2019 begins, the United States has an important opportunity and many good reasons to change that perception.In changing the perception, Ellis wants the US to take on the role of looking out for transparency and equality. Ellis said that
CSIS Senior Associate, Evan Ellis Guyana will continue to be courted by a range of international actors interested in its oil wealth, including China. He noted that China already has a foot in since China’s state owned petroleum company, CNOOC, has a 30 percent interest in the ExxonMobil-led development of the Stabroek block.Ellis said that as with its posture towards other countries of the region, the United States should “insist that such engagement is consistent with princ i p l e s o f t r a n s p a r e n c y, equality of treatment, and equality of opportunity before the law.”Evan Ellis is a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is a Latin America research professor with the U.S. Army War College.
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Kaieteur News
INFLEXIBILITY LED TO MAY’S DEFEAT
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heresa May was ex pected to lose last night’s vote on her Brexit deal. What was stunning was the margin by which she lost. The British parliament rejected her plan for exiting from the European Union. May lost by 230 votes with more than 230 parliamentarians, including 118 of her own Conservative Members of Parliament, voting against their own government. It was the biggest defeat for a government in more than 100 years. Immediately, the opposition Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn indicated that he was filing a motion of no-confidence against the govern-
ment. The Prime Minister has agreed to debate the motion today. May is expected to survive that motion. The Democratic Unionist Party has indicated that it will support May’s government in any no-confidence motion. But given the number of Conservative MPs who revolted against their own government in the Brexit vote yesterday, another twist in the tale cannot be ruled out. Had May sought to make more compromises, she could have avoided yesterday’s calamitous defeat. That defeat sets her political career on tenterhooks. It also strengthens the hand of the European Union, which can now harden
is stance in future negotiations with Britain on an exit plan. The defeat of the exit plan now sets back Britain’s planned exit from the European Union. The entire Brexit process is now thrown into uncertainty with even suggestions now being made about the possibility of a second referendum. Two years ago, the people of Britain voted to exit the European Union. This led to the resignation of then Prime Minister David Cameron. Since then the Court ruled that since parliament was supreme –unlike in Guyana where the Constitution is supreme – that the Brit-
DEM BOYS SEH
Irfaat got some good graphic artists
Every now and then somebody does forge dem certificate to get a job. Dem had people who change dem Grades pon de CXC certificate fuh mek de certificate look better. Of course, dem does get ketch. However, dem boys never believe dem woulda live to see de day when a man woulda forge he certificates fuh get a Ministah wuk. In fact, dem boys find out dat he forge de certificates fuh get a big and high government wuk. De story come out when de rat race fuh de presidential candidate start. De forge man is one of de candidates and Jagdeo really like him. Of course dem got a story behind dat so much so dat a man call from New York to tell Uncle Adam dat
he mustn’t get involve in certain stories because he gon cause a split in Jagdeo party. But dat ain’t important now. What important is how dis man get away wid de forgery fuh so long. And is only because some reporters do some wuk dat de story come out. De man in question is Irfaat. He claim how he get a Bachelor’s degree from a school dat never offer more than a primary education. Jagdeo help big up dis man because he get he newspaper fuh give Irfaat a big write up. De paper sing Irfaat praises, not realising dat it was telling a lie. Now dem boys seh Irfaat got to enter de Guinness Book of Records. He is de first man to get a Master’s degree three years
before he get he first degree. He get he Master’s in one year and dem boys now checking. He then announce how he pursuing he Doctorate. He see Jagdeo get five doctorate, not realizing dat Jagdeo never study fuh none of dem and besides he shouldn’t use dem in front he name. Is seven years now Irfaat trying fuh get dis doctorate. He also seh how he enter UG but he never graduate. He blaming Jagdeo and Donald. Wha dem boys know fuh sure is dat he had a lot of graphic artists mekking he certificates. Dem look fancy but dem ain’t even worth de paper dem print on. Talk half and wait fuh see if Irfaat gon forge anything else.
ish government could not exit from the European Union without the approval of parliament. If May had been following the political development in Guyana, she could have avoided yesterday’s humiliation. May, like the APNU+AFC government in Guyana, has been inflexible. On November 12, 2018, the APNU suffered a landslide defeat in government elections. It trailed the PPP/C by 27percentage points, the largest defeat in any election that the PNCR has ever suffered. The PPPC was buoyed by the victory. The Leader of the Opposition, as his counterpart in Britain is now doing, tabled a no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC government. The PPPC, the parliamentary opposition, laid its demands and asked that the motion be held before the Budget. These demands were not unreasonable. The Leader of the Opposition wanted the VAT on water and electricity and medical services removed. He called for the subsidy for water and electricity for pensioners restored. He demanded that the
$10,000 school grants be reintroduced. He asked for the increased water and land charges to be withdrawn by the MMA/ADA, the 2% final tax for miners to be reinstituted, and for slashing the increases in water tariffs, fuel prices and university fees. The government could have met the Opposition half way. But it was it inflexible. It refused to broker a deal with the Opposition, which would have aborted the noconfidence. But the government was not interested in any deal with the Opposition. Such a deal would not only have avoided the noconfidence motion, it would have allowed for a bi-partisan agreement on running the economy. No concessions were made and the no-confidence motion went through. If Theresa May survives, as if expected, today’s noconfidence vote, she will still have to negotiate a new Bexit deal which enjoys the confidence of the House. Many Guyanese had been hoping that the meeting between President Granger and the Leader of the Opposition would have allowed for a deal on political cooperation. But those hopes were dashed
when the joint communique on the meeting was published. The same inflexibility, which led to the no-confidence vote was evident in those talks. It was a missed opportunity on the part of the government, which has more to lose from elections than the Opposition. Instead of Britain looking to Guyana for an example of political accommodation, Guyanese will now be looking to Britain to see what political compromise will emerge after tonight’s no-confidence motion in the House of Commons. Will Guyana ever learn?
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
My choice for the PPP’s presidential candidate
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here are three atti tudes to the presi dential nominee of the PPP and PNC for the next general election (which in the view of this analyst should be in April because of the noconfidence vote). One is I don’t support those parties so I don’t care who it is. Another position is that it that doesn’t matter to me because they are all the same. Thirdly, it matters to me because the president constitutionally is a leviathan in this country. My choice for the PNC is David Granger. But given his heath issues, can he be an effective head of government over a five-year period? If Granger is not interested then the PNC is in trouble because there is no one in that party whose political trustworthiness is even close to Granger’s. And even Granger has his shortcomings. For the PPP, I think Anil
Nandlall has certain endowments that are clear advantages over his rivals that should be considered by his judgers. I think the fight is between Irfaan Ali, Dr. Frank Anthony and Nandlall. This is the reality although Dr. Vindya Persaud’s victory will mean that the PPP may be transforming itself. The problem with Dr. Persaud’s candidacy is that it hasn’t got the strong support in the 35 member central committee. I cannot comment on Anthony and Ali. I can only evaluate them based on their status in Guyana. I know Nandlall personally; therefore, I am familiar with some aspects of his personality. Every citizen in a country must have a set of criteria by which he or she judges the politician that wants to rule his/her country. I support Corbyn in the UK. He has socialist policies.
I go for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in the US for reasons that are somewhat similar. I like Anil because he is a people- oriented person. When you stack him up against his competitors, in this context, he is far ahead of them. Anil, outside of power, has always been receptive to human rights issues. You can literally point to three figures only in the past forty years in this country who will litigate in the courts for poor people – Benjamin Gibson, Nigel Hughes and Anil Nandlall. All three (Gibson is dead) were the kinds of lawyers that you could go to and plead a case of cruel injustice and they will help you. Despite the huge names in the legal arena that got fame over human rights causes, it was all a farce because such lawyers were aloof and their human rights agenda were off limits to poor
people. I grew up hearing about Miles Fitzpatrick and David De Caires and how they fought Burnham. An abused employee from the working class couldn’t even enter their chambers. It was the same with Llewellyn John. This was what I liked about Anil. When he became Attorney-General, he still maintained that approach. I think Nandlall is the kind of person that the poorer folks could interface with. Secondly, my long felt belief about Nandlall when he was my student was that he would be a very competent and effective lawyer. If you stack up Ali, Anthony and Nandlall in terms of intellectual quality, without being disrespectful to the other two, Anil has a wide margin in front of them. I think given its troubled ontology, Guyana
needs a president who is intellectually astute. My honest feeling is that the next general election is going to produce either a PPP or PNC minority president. I welcome the other three parties that have been formed and will personally assist them in ways that I can. By way of this column, I am telling them they can call on me but my analysis of the demographic configuration informs me that one of the two major parties will lead a minority government. It means if it is Granger, he is likely to be the next president. Or the next president can either be Ali, Anthony or Nandlall. I feel Nandlall is the better candidate for the PPP. What this means is that the PPP’s central committee should go through an exhausting process of choosing their man for the job.
Frederick Kissoon I now come to the part that is controversial. Except for Doodnauth Singh under Jagdeo’s presidency, I believe Nandlall has been a better Attorney-General than Basil Williams. I wouldn’t insult Nandlall by comparing him with Charles Ramson. Nandlall has his large shortcomings but he is far more impressive than Ramson has been. Since losing power, Nandlall has been a thoroughbred for the PPP. He has virtually occupied the opposition spotlight second only to Jagdeo. I really do wish him well. I hope he gets the nod.
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Executed Dutch businessman... Probe focuses on Guyana connection
While the police in Berbice are investigating the circumstances surrounding the execution of Surinamese businessman, Nitender Oemrawsingh, 40, of Corantijn Polder, Nickerie District, Suriname, the Commander of ‘B’ Division has said that they are not in contact and have not contacted Dutch authorities in relation to the murder. This was although the deceased is a Surinamese who was recently busted with over 2000 kilos of cocaine. Paul Langevine said, “Nobody is in contact with the Suriname authorities. All we know is that somebody was shot. An uncle came and identified the body and we are investigating from our side.”
The Commander also said that he is not in receipt of any information about whether there are any linkages in Guyana to the dead businessman, where he would have entered the country and when. “I don’t have that information,” he stated. Crime Chief Lynden Alves could not be reached for a comment on the progress of the investigation. However, a senior police source in Suriname confirmed that an investigation has been launched at their end but no one is in custody. Against the paucity of information by the commander of the division, Kaieteur News received information on the ground that a boat was
seen in close proximity to the location where the body was found on Monday. A source stated, “We heard that the boat like it bring him and dump he here. We ain’t know if he get shoot in Suriname, on the boat or right at the beach. But that is all we hear.” One resident said that he heard what appeared to be a gunshot some time Monday morning. Checks of the backtrack route in Springlands for any possible footage of the businessman entering the country were not successful since an official at the location stated that the security cameras may not have picked up everyone that entered through the route between
The drugs that were seized from the container last week. Wednesday (when the businessman went missing) and Monday. He however said that there are other routes that could have possibly been used but do not have cameras or persons living nearby to provide any account of who would have passed through. Kaieteur News was told that the businessman may have been murdered by a Surinamese businessman in fear that he may have “ratted them out” while he was being questioned. ‘Oemrawsingh is also said to have two other brothers who are very active in the (Continued on page 13)
Executed: Nitender Oemrawsingh
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Kaieteur News
ARMY DENIES PREPARING FOR JUNE ELECTIONS
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he Guyana Defence Force yesterday said that it is alarmed by a recent news report on a Cable television dated 15th Jan, 2019, titled, “Army preparing for elections in June”. The report suggests that the Force is in preparation for National Elections in June. “The Guyana Defence Force wishes to advise the public that we have not authorised any such release or ma d e a n y s u c h pronouncements. The Guyana Defence Force is aware that we are not the authority for specifying the date and or time by which elections should be held.” According to the army, any force will always have intelligent anticipation of tasks likely to be undertaken. “These tasks once
Probe focuses... From page 12 drug and gold trade business in Suriname. According to a businessman in Suriname who said he knew the deceased, “The one brother did going bankrupt last year and he had to sell out a set of gold that he had.” Nitender Oemrawsingh’s body was found on the Number 63 beach on Monday with a single gunshot wound to the forehead. He was said to be the owner of a rice mill in Nickerie, Suriname. Foreign currency along with a cellular phone was found on his person by authorities investigating in Berbice. He was attired in fitness/ sports gear and had no other marks of violence about his body. A post mortem is expected to be conducted today to determine the cause of death, relatives are expected to be present. His body is presently at the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary. Authorities in Suriname confiscated 2,300 kilos of cocaine from a rice shipment. The coke bust was made at the Jules Sedney port, in the southern district of the capital. It was reportedly stashed in an eight-container rice shipment filled with rice, awaiting loading at the harbour. The shipment was destined for France, through Guadeloupe. Security workers of the port stumbled upon the shipment during their regular controls. They alerted the Narcotics Brigade of the police, in Suriname. The rice was said to be from Oemrawsingh’s factory. A Customs broker, the businessman’s truck driver and another rice exporter were also said to be arrested.
identified are issued to the subordinates as “Warning Orders” alerting them to the nature of the probable tasks and should n o t b e
misconstrued to mean anything else.” According to the a r m y, it has always respected the rule of law and
due process, and will continue to maintain a professional Force, which contributes to the development of the nation.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Man gets 16 years for killing cheating wife Admitting to Justice Navindra Singh that he stabbed his wife to death because he found her with another man, Paul Scotland was yesterday sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for the crime when he appeared at the High Court. Scotland who was initially indicted for murder opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence manslaughter. He admitted that on January 3, 2014 in Demerara, he unlawfully killed Monica Adams, who was also the mother of his three children. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to kill the woman’s brother, Charles Elliott, who went to her rescue, and in turn received a stab to his chest. According to Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs, Scotland entered the woman’s home ignoring demands of her brother and another relative. While inside, the prosecutor said he pulled Adams by her hair and dragged her into the yard where he stabbed her about the body. Elliott went to the aid of his sister and lashed Scotland with shower rod. However, the peacemaker was stabbed by an enraged Scotland who later surrendered to police. Based on reports, Adams, 21, resided at Paradise, East Coast Demerara. Her cause of death was given as severe haemorrhage. Justice Singh accepted Scotland’s plea to the manslaughter charge after he responded in the negative to having consumed any alcohol or drugs within the last 24 hours that could affect his ability of understanding the court proceedings. Scotland told the court, “I want to apologize to the court. I am very sorry for what happened. I never meant for it to happen. It was frustration coming home and noticing my
JAILED: Paul Scotland children mother with another man. I want to ask the family of the deceased to forgive me. I am begging you (the Judge) to please have mercy on me so I could go back and take care of my children.” The confessed killer further apologized to the woman’s brother in open court. Mitigating on behalf of Scotland was Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd who pressed the court for a minimum sentence. The lawyer asked the Judge to consider that his client opted to plead guilty and saved the court from having to conduct a trial. According to Todd, during his client’s time in incarceration, he has had ample time to reflect on his actions. Further, Todd asked the court to also consider that Scotland committed the offence when he was in his early twenties, adding that, his client and the now dead woman shared a “very warm” relationship. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Gibbs asked the court to impose a sentence that will reflect the nature and gravity of the offences. In relation to the manslaughter charge, Scotland was jailed for 16 years. On the charge of attempt to commit murder, he was sentenced to imprisonment for eight years. The Judge however ordered that the two sentences run concurrently. The Judge informed Scotland that the court will order the prison service to deduct from his sentence, the time he spent in pre-trial custody, which is some five years.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Teenage cattle farmer remanded for murder of Bush Lot brothers Teen cattle farmer, of Bush Lot Village,Corentyne, Berbice was yesterday charged for the murders of the Samaroo brother’s, also of Bush Lot Village. Keiran Romeo Jeenarine, 18, appeared at the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court barefoot before Magistrate Alex Moore to answer to the charge. It is alleged that between Monday, December 31, and Tuesday January 1, 2019 at Bush Lot Village, he murdered Harricharran Samaroo, and Premcharran Samaroo, in the course of a robbery. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge; however, his Attorney Charlyne Artiga, yesterday, made an application for a full disclosure of statements from the prosecution. That includes surveillance footage of Jeenarine at a supermarket during the time the murder/ robbery was committed. She also told the court that she had intentions to take the matter to the high court since Jeenarine’s 72 hours detention elapsed yesterday but no charges were filed. Prosecutor Orin Joseph in his rebuttal stated that the police were awaiting advice from the DPP to charge and that advice was only given on Monday. Artiga, in her client’s defence, also mentioned that there are two witnesses that can confirm Jeenarine’s alibi that he was at the supermarket during the time that the crime was committed, this she said can also be supported by the surveillance footage. She also pointed out that the brother of the dead men had also confirmed that Jeenarine was with him at the Supermarket. Magistrate Moore, related that an answer for the super-
market video should have been given before Jeenarine was brought before the court. He added that it should be looked at to avoid a situation where the individual is kept in custody and charged wrongfully. The prosecution was given a week and Jeenarine is expected to make his next court appearance on 22nd January, 2019 at the Springlands Magistrate Court. Harricharran and Premcharran Samaroo were shot and killed by armed and masked men who invaded the home of their mom at Bush Lot Village on the night of December the 31, 2018. The brothers and their other sibling, Dipnarine “Sono-bai” Samaroo, the accused Romeo Jeenarine, an overseas-based Guyanese and Irene Samaroo were at the house imbibing when there was a power outage, between 20:00 and 21:00 hrs. It was during that time that the men stormed the premises and demanded cash after they shot Harricharran and Premcharran in the backyard. Three days after the incident police issued wanted bulletins for Romeo Jeenarine and Kelvin Shivgobin in relation to the murder. They also arrested the brother of Romeo, Yujendra Jeenarine. He had given this publication a detailed account of his torture in custody; he was subsequently released. A day later, Romeo turned himself over to police in the company of his lawyer Charlyne Artiga and he was detained for questioning. Investigators reportedly got a confession from the teen that he was a part of the planning and execution of the crime.
Durban Street youth faces violent robbery charge
A
n 18-year-old man found himself be fore the court for the second time in one year, this time facing a charge of robbery with violence. Chris Pollard, of 46 Durban Street, Georgetown at the time was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Pollard entered a not guilty plea in answer. The charge alleged that on January 11, 2019 at Croal Street, Georgetown, he robbed Raheez Mohamed of one cell phone valued at $16,000 and $500 in cash. He also used personal violence on the said Raheez Mohammed. According to police prosecutor Sanj Singh, on the
Chris Pollard night in question, Mohamed was walking along Croal Street when he was confronted by Pollard. The accused cuffed him to the face (Continued on page 26)
Killed: Harricharran Samaroo
Killed: Premcharran Samaroo
Charged: Romeo Jeenarine
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Embattled City Hall officials given chance to be heard before police called in Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe
The Local Government Commission has disclosed that it continues to pursue the clearest possible resolution of the several findings and recommendations that have emerged from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the administration, operation and management of the financial affairs of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown. “The COI has submitted its report with several recommendations, and the Commission has deliberated on and taken decisions to
ensure that these recommendations are dealt with, whilst ensuring that established good industrial relations principles are adhered to during the conduct of this proceeding,” the commission announced yesterday. At the statutory meeting of the Commission on December 20, 2018, it was decided that in keeping with the rules of natural justice, letters be sent to several officers outlining the findings of the COI against them, requesting that they respond
On leave: Town Clerk, Royston King
Chairman, Mortimer Mingo in writing to these findings and attend meetings organized by the Commission to address these responses whilst being given an opportunity to be heard.” The senior officers listed included Town Clerk Royston King, who was sent on leave to facilitate the CoI. King is cited for gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, dishonesty, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds. Also cited in the report are Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe, who is cited for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Assistant Town Clerk, Sherry Jerrick, for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Internal Auditor, Omodele UmojoNewton for incompetence and conspiracy; Chief Constable, Andrew Foo for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Human Resources Manager, Paulette Braithwaite for incompetence; City Engineer, Colvern Venture for incompetence and dereliction of duty; and Rashid Kelman for conspiracy. Further, the report noted that City Treasurer, Ron Mc Calmont, should proceed on early retirement, as he is unwell. The commission said that
several officers requested additional time to respond and this was granted. “Over the course of the next two weeks, the Commission will meet with these officers and deliberate on the responses before any action is taken. The Local Government Commission will proceed to implement the administrative measures that we have deliberated on and agreed to, separate measures will be referred for either criminal or financial investigation and action as may be warranted.” Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Mortimer Mingo, had told Kaieteur News earlier this month that the Commission has been ensuring that proper ground work is done before implementation of action against officers of the Georgetown municipality. The Commission is deliberating on the 31 recommendations contained in the report. The CoI held last October found grounds for terminations and for criminal proceedings to be instituted, and investigations to be pursued against several senior city officials. The report obtained by (Continued on page 26)
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Kaieteur News
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Collective effort must lead way in tackling youth crime and violence — Regional Summit hears Youth violence and crime in the Caribbean demand a regional solution, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Irwin LaRocque, told representatives of youth organizations from across the Caribbean, yesterday. He was at the time addressing the opening of two-day Caribbean summit aimed at examining and redefining violence prevention solutions for young people. The conference is being held Marriot Hotel in Kingston. ”It is a regional problem that demands a regional solution. It not only requires the full co-operation of all our countries but also all the stakeholders within the member states. “The multi-state, multi-sectoral response to this challenge is vital for us to succeed in defeating it,” LaRocque told the gathering. The CARICOM Secretary General noted, too, that youth are the demographic that is most affected by crime and violence and that some of the main findings of recent studies are that the majority of victims, as well as perpetrators of crimes recorded by the police, are young males 18 to 35 years old. He alluded to a UNDP report as indicating that the Caribbean has some of the highest figures of youth convicted of crime with at least 80 percent of prosecuted crimes being committed by young people between the ages 19 and 29 years old. “There are a number of socio-economic determinants of crime, not least of which is the high youth unemployment rate in the region of 25 percent in 2017. That is three times the adult average and highest among young women ages 18 to 30 at 33 percent,” he said, adding that to combat this scourge, Caribbean leaders approved the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy in 2013, which incorporates the CARICOM Social Development and Crime Prevention Action Plan. Meanwhile, Chief of the Party at the United States Agency for International Development’s Community, Family and Youth Resilience (CFYR) Debra Walberg explained that the programme is part of 15 communities in Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and Guyana. “Our goal is to reach youth in these communities through family counselling, after-school programmes, workforce training and more. When youth have opportunities to build strong relationships, learn new skills and set goals for themselves, they can become leaders of positive change in their communities. She said that over the past three years, CFYR has been with these youth, local leaders and governments to support resilience among individuals, households and communities and reduce crime and violence. The organisers said that the region has the highest rate of victimization by homicide, assault, and threat in the world. The opening ceremony was also addressed by Guyana’s Minister of Social Cohesion, George Norton, and Muriel Mafico, UNICEF deputy representative for the Eastern Caribbean. The conference brought together leaders from youth movements, Governments, civil society, development organisations and academia that crime and security is an issue that is having an impact on all the 15-members of the regional integration grouping. The forum is being hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, UNICEF, the Barbadosbased Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat, the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission, and the Caribbean Learning for Youth Networking and Change Sessions (LYNCS) Network.
A section of the attendees of the Caribbean Summit on Youth Crime Prevention.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Eco Atlantic challenges true location of Exxon’s ninth discovery well By Kiana Wilburg
Canadian Oil firm, Eco Atlantic, is contending that the location of ExxonMobil’s ninth discovery well, the Hammerhead-1, may very well extend into its promising Orinduik Block. Speaking on this matter recently during an interview w i t h www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk, was Eco’s Chief Executive Officer, Gil Holzman. The CEO spoke extensively about the plans for drilling offshore Guyana in 2019. In this regard, he was asked to say why the company is looking to start drilling on the eastern side of the Orinduik Block as opposed to the southwestern side where Exxon’s Hammerhead-well is located. Holzman said, “Hammerhead is a discovery made by Exxon. They drilled discovery based on our 3D and we see that, (and) let me put it very conservatively, it is highly likely that the Hammerhead discovery itself stretches into our block. “Meaning that we already in a way, assuming that the
Exxon’s Head of Govt. Affairs and PR, Deedra Moe geophysics will prove it and we are looking into it. We already have a discovery on our block without drilling and that’s Hammerhead.” He noted that other prospects within its block but close to the Hammerhead well are not to be construed as extensions to the Exxon discovery. Holzman added, “…The Hammerhead-1 ‘discovery’ belongs to Exxon but it looks like it stretches into our block. And we have additional
blocks next to it…” (See full interview using this link: h t t p s : / / www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/ companies/news/212400/ecoatlantic-oil—gas-tipped-for140-upside-as-guyanaexploration-wells-come-intofocus-212400.html#/) Contacted on Eco’s contention yesterday, ExxonMobil’s Head of Government Affairs and Public Relations, Deedra Moe, made it pellucid that Hammerhead-1 belongs to Exxon. Moe stated, “Hammerhead-1 as we have defined it with the data we have, is fully within the Stabroek Block.” She also noted that ExxonMobil utilized its own 3-D seismic for its drilling programme. HAMMERHEAD On August 30, last, ExxonMobil announced that it had made its ninth discovery offshore Guyana at the Hammerhead-1 well. Exxon said that Hammerhead-1 encountered approximately 197 feet (60 meters) of high-quality, oilbearing sandstone reservoir.
It said that the well was safely drilled to 13,862 feet (4,225 meters) depth in 3,773 feet (1,150 meters) of water. The Stena Carron drillship began drilling for the well on July 27, 2018. “The Hammerhead-1 discovery reinforces the potential of the Guyana basin, where ExxonMobil is already maximizing value for all stakeholders through rapid phased developments and accelerated exploration plans,” said Steve Greenlee, President of ExxonMobil Exploration Company. He added, “Development options for Hammerhead will take into account ongoing evaluation of reservoir data, including a well test.” Hammerhead-1 is located approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) southwest of the Liza-1 well and follows previous discoveries on the Stabroek Block at Liza, Liza Deep, Payara, Snoek, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora and Longtail. Exxon noted that there is potential for additional production from significant undrilled targets and plans for rapid exploration and appraisal drilling.
CEO of Eco Atlantic, Gil Holzman It said that the Liza Phase One, which is expected to begin producing oil by early 2020, will use the Liza Destiny FPSO vessel to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day. It said, “Construction of the FPSO and subsea equipment is well advanced. Pending government and regulatory approvals, Phase 2 is targeted for sanctioning by the end of this year. It will use a second FPSO designed to produce up to 220,000
barrels per day and is expected to be producing in 2022. “A third development, Payara, will target sanctioning in 2019 and use an FPSO designed to produce approximately 180,000 barrels of oil per day as early as 2023.” The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, is operator and holds 45 percent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest. ORINDUIK JV PARTNERS In January 2016, Eco signed a Petroleum Agreement and is party to a Petroleum Licence with the Government of Guyana and Tullow Oil for the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana. Tullow Oil as the Operator of the Block, paid past costs and carried Eco for the first 1000km2 of the 2550km2 3D Survey. Further, Tullow contributed an extensive 2D seismic data set and Continued on page 23
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Four schools get Ministry support for Mash Costume Competition With funding amounting to approximately $500,000, the Ministry of Education through its Unit of Allied Arts, has sponsored four schools’ participation in its Children Mashramani Costume and Float Parade. The event scheduled for February 16, 2019 will see the participation of the sponsored schools namely Tucville Primary and Secondary Schools, St. Margaret’s Primary School and St. Winefride’s Secondary school. To make the participation of the schools a reality, on Monday, teachers Ms. Adriana Tobin, Ms. Sunita Durgah, Ms. Coleen Mc Taire and Ms. Christine Jordan each received materials to assist their respective schools to be represented at the national event. The materials are to be used for the creation of costumes even as the Unit of Allied Arts will also be financing the construction of the costumes. Further, the Unit has undertaken to provide the needed transportation for the students’ participation from the four schools. Handing over the items Monday was Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts, Ms. Lorraine Barker-King who described the gesture as a tradition to select and
support some schools annually. She said, “These schools are selected on the basis of their willingness to participate but they are often unable to do so for various reasons.” Among the items handedover were shimmering materials, glue guns and glue, pompoms as well as facemasks, etc. According to Ms. BarkerKing, the idea is to foster a more collaborative approach that encourages the involvement of parents at home, the students and teachers at schools and the community as these stakeholders will all be relied upon to lend their creative abilities towards costume construction. Explaining further, Ms. Barker-King said, “The Unit normally offers support to schools, which do not normally participate. This serves as an enabler because we [the Unit] believe that children should be allowed to be children while socialising through the creative arts as well as fostering creativity.” Meanwhile, the Allied Arts Administrator has informed that planning is in its advanced stages to ensure the successful hosting of the Annual Regional and National Children’s Mashramani activities, which
Administrator of the Allied Arts Unit, Ms. Lorraine Barker-King [centre], along with the teachers of the four schools at Monday’s handing-over. will see the regional competitions beginning from as early as January 22 in Region Three. In addition to the staging the regional activities, the winners from the 11 education districts will all converge in Georgetown to contest for top honours and bragging rights for the national finals, which are slated for staging at the National Cultural Centre from February 14-15, 2019. The categories include dance and masquerade, calypso singing and dramatic poetry presentations. Addressing the subject of sponsorship aside from the
traditional sponsors several other corporate citizens have signalled their interests in sponsoring the various events in support of the nation’s youths. Mashramani 2019 is being celebrated under the theme, “Celebrating 49 with victory in mind – re-discovering Eldorado.” For 2019, it is projected that more than 7000 children drawn from all 11 education districts are forecast to participate in the regional and national Children’s Mashramani activities representing public and private schools as well as children’s organisations.
Eco Atlantic challenges... From page 18 interpretation. The Company’s 2550 km2 3D seismic survey was completed in September 2017, well within the initial four-year work commitment the Company made for the initial 1000km2. In September 2017, Eco announced that its subsidiary, Eco Atlantic (Guyana) Inc. entered into an option agreement on its Orinduik Block with Total, a wholly owned subsidiary of Total S.A. Pursuant to the option. Total paid an option fee of
US$1 million to farm-in to the Orinduik Block. An additional payment of US$12,500,000 was made when Total exercised its option to earn 25 percent of Eco’s working interest in September 2018. Following the exercise of the option by Total, the Block’s working interests became: Tullow – 60% (Operator), Total – 25% and Eco – 15%. In October, last, the Government approved of the Total farm-in on the Orinduik Block, which has the potential for almost three billion barrels of oil equivalent.
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
President Granger and PNC Leadership have a Golden Opportunity to reverse the Nature of PNC Once again, Guyana seems to have come to the crossroad. The direction this country would embark on will depend on what decisions and actions that the PNC led APNU+AFC takes. The question is, will they take actions that would help to entrench and strengthen democracy or will they, as the PNC has done so often, take us down the path towards undemocratic governance with all its known terrible consequences? A comment by an unidentified CARICOM official was that that body was fed-up with dealing with Guyana and Haiti. The cycles of regression are much too regular. While the frustration is understandable, this is an unfortunate comment. CARICOM has to be prepared for and must stand up to its responsibilities as a genuine body with concerns for the exercising of democratic governance in the Caribbean. What a lot of political commentators shy away from is to call a spade a spade. It was the PNC-led government, and even at times in the opposition, that has almost always been responsible for Guyana’s misfortune. In the 1950s and 1960s, that Party colluded with the colonial powers to stop the achievement of Guyana’s Independence under the PPP. To do so, they collaborated and was the main instrument used to instigate and pursue violence based on race. Our ethnic difference was
mis-created, used to manipulate and pursue divisions and violence, the consequences of which we are still living with today. In the post-independence period, it was the PNC regime that instituted rigged elections in our country. It corrupted the whole state apparatus, including the Legislature and the judicial branches of Government. It developed a political and autocratic dictatorship based on race. That impacted heavily on the economy of this country. Our once promising country and proud people were reduced to a state of destitution. Thousands of persons had to stand in line for the most basic of items. Our infrastructure, social and physical, collapsed and was in a state of disrepair. Those conditions led to mass migration from Guyana. Today, there are probably more Guyanese living abroad than at home. We became a laughing stock when our visiting relatives were bringing in bread, potatoes, sardines, etc. for their families. As the regime became more and more unpopular, it resorted to heavy repression, including political assassinations. Dogs were let loose against rice farmers; bauxite workers were jailed and their cells were tear-gassed. Sugar workers were frequently harassed at the work place and at home.
Political killings of Jagan Ramesar, Bholanauth Paramanand, Ohene Koama and, the most notable, of all, Walter Rodney tell of the desperation and intolerance to opposition views of the PNC. While in opposition from 1992, PNC, in pursuit of political goals, led demonstrations and related unrest, which resulted in the burning down of government, commercial and private businesses in Georgetown and elsewhere. Criminal elements were baptized as freedom fighters and were used to create mayhem. Policemen and other security forces came under direct attack resulting in many deaths – defenseless citizens were set upon, beaten, robbed and even killed in some instances. They stood by coldheartedly while the people of Buxton were being terrorized and held hostage by criminals who were killing people, raping women and carrying out other forms of atrocities. They provided the gangs with weapons that they had removed from the army. This was all in pursuit of their political ends. The Buxton, Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek killings now stand in infamy from this
period. Despite their vicious attacks on successive democratically elected PPP/C governments and despite the mass, vile and exaggerated propaganda about corruption, Guyana still made genuine progress. The period 1992 to 2015 saw Guyana move from being a mere Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to being described as an Upper Middle Income Developing country. That was a result of the democratic governance of the PPP/C. The achievements showed that, despite its imperfections, democracy and democratic governance is the most superior form of administration. There are so much we can be proud of. We demonstrated our phenomenal capacity in hosting the best CARIFESTA ever. It was done in the shortest period of time after the Bahamas had said it could not undertake the venture at the time. We showcased ourselves to the world in hosting World Cup Cricket. We increased our all-round capabilities and demonstrated our abilities to organize mega international events. Now our democracy is being threatened and all our
gains could easily be lost. This is like history repeating itself as occurred in 1964 when Guyana was one of the most developed countries at the end of the PPP Government. The APNU+AFC regime has had a vote of No Confidence against it. It is required to resign and put in place arrangements for Free and Fair elections in 90 days. Despite the remarks by the President about honouring the Constitution, their actions seem to be leading to frustrating the process. In the first place, they have taken the matter to court. The main reason is to slow down the process. The court has been regularly used in this way, to stall and frustrate important national matters. Three years since an Election Petition has been put to the court by the PPP, not a single word, nor it appears, no attempt is being made to hear it. I am aware, too, of other issues of a Constitutional nature, which seem to have been lost in the court system. Issues of this nature are the main reason that people have questioned the fairness, impartially and independence of the Judiciary. The Elections Commission is not meeting at this critical time to deal with
preparing for elections. The octogenarian appointed by the President is not well; therefore, everything is at a standstill! It seems that his main function is to remain ill and frustrate the democratic process. Administrative methods are being used to the maximum to extend the life of this regime even though the people have lost confidence in it. Our country needs to have elections at the soonest. Failure to do so will have grave negative consequences on every aspect of our lives. The President and the PNC leaders should see this as an opportunity to change the image of that Party and turn it from being an antidemocratic force to becoming a champion of democracy, one where they can oversee Free, Fair and Transparent Elections! They can go down in the history of Guyana as standing up to promote normal democratic practices. This is what is going to help our country to move forward. Any other course, despite good intentions, will be disastrous! I hope in the interest of Guyana and the people, they will make the right choice. (Donald Ramotar)
Bandits rob Canje businessman at Crabwood Creek Two armed and masked men yesterday pounced on a Canje businessman while he was carrying out sales with his vehicle in Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne, Berbice. According to information reaching this publication, Roshan Sattaur, 46, of Lot 27 Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice would
normally take orders for groceries every Tuesday and would later deliver the groceries every Thursday to his customers. However, yesterday at approximately 13:30 hrs, he parked his car PNN 6802 a n d h e w a s a t “ R a j i n ’s Shop” at Crabwood Creek conducting business when two men pounced on him. One of the perpetrators, armed with a knife placed it to Sattaur’s waist while the other pointed a gun to his head and told him, “Don’t move!” After complying, the
bandit armed with the knife searched Sattaur’s pockets and relieved him of $433,000 along with a gold chain. The bandit armed with a gun then demanded that the businessman hand over the keys to his car, which he did. The men drove off with the businessman’s car. Sattaur then stopped a hire car driver of Lot 27 Grant 1806 Crabwood Creek and they chased his vehicle with the perpetrators inside. They turned the car west into “Black water dam” into the backlands and subsequently abandoned the car.
Sattaur upon seeing the bandits escaping was about five feet away when he called out to one of the men by the name “Bettie man” from Canje. He recognized him after his mask slipped off. Immediately, the perpetrator holding the gun then discharged three rounds in their direction. No one was injured. Sattaur then took possession of his motorcar and drove to the Springlands Police Station where he reported the matter. Police are currently hunting for the suspects.
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
Saudi Aide fired over Khashoggi murder still wields influence LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Saudi royal advisor fired over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues to wield influence in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle, according to Western, Arab and Saudi sources with links to the royal court. Saud al-Qahtani was dismissed as a top aide to the de facto Saudi leader in late October, after overseeing the operation to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by giving orders via Skype, according to regional intelligence sources. A senior Saudi official at the time called his removal “a political decision ... based on dereliction of duty and participation in the sequence of events” that led to the murder. Weeks later, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Qahtani for his role. But six sources told Reuters that Qahtani remains active on behalf of the royal court. Two of them said he has kept in touch with the crown prince while three others said he has continued to instruct a small group of Saudi journalists on what to write about the kingdom’s policies. As head of the royal
Top Saudi Aide, Saud Al-Qahtani court’s media center until his dismissal, Qahtani ran an electronic media army tasked with protecting Saudi Arabia’s image, dictating the official line on issues from a dispute with Qatar to security and human rights. The apparent impunity of Qahtani, seen as the crown prince’s right-hand man, risks undermining Saudi promises to hold those responsible to account, the sources say. The U.S. Senate last month
backed a resolution blaming the crown prince, known as MbS, for the killing and insisted Riyadh fully investigate. A Saudi official denied Qahtani was still playing a role inside the royal court, saying he has not conducted any work since his dismissal and that he remains under investigation and banned from travel. The official referred Reuters to comments by the
Taxi driver charged for touching 11-year-old’s private parts A taxi driver, who allegedly touched the private parts of an 11-year-old girl, was yesterday charged and released on $100,000 bail for the offence. Rishi Seepersaud, 40, of Station Street, Kitty, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel MarcusIsaacs in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Seepersaud pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on September 8, 2018, at McDoom Public Road, East Bank Demerara, he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16. The matter was held incamera and members of the public and the media were asked to exit the courtroom. He was represented by Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade who asked that his client be granted bail in a reasonable amount. The Magistrate granted Seepersaud bail in the sum of $100,000. He was instructed to make his next court appearance on January 28. According to information, on the day in question, the child was a passenger in Seepersaud’s vehicle and, while in the vicinity of McDoom Public Road, he parked his vehicle, turned up his music volume and touched the child’s private parts. The child then told her
Charged: Rishi Persaud
mother what transpired, and the matter was reported to the police. An investigation was
then carried out. Seepersaud was arrested and charged for the offence.
public prosecutor’s spokesman last year that 21 Saudis were taken into custody in relation to the Khashoggi case, 11 of whom have been indicted and referred to trial. Reuters has been unable to reach Qahtani since he was fired. “FREE AND IN FAVOR” At the heart of the crown prince’s inner circle, Qahtani controlled access to MbS and would often speak on his behalf before he was dismissed, government insiders have said. No official replacement has yet been announced. Qahtani has continued to make repeated appearances at the royal court, although it was not clear in what capacity, five of the sources said. All of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters. “He is still around, free and in favor. The crown prince is still holding on to him and doesn’t seem to be willing to sacrifice him,” one of the foreign sources said. MBS himself has told visitors that Qahtani is still an advisor while assuring them that some responsibilities have been taken from him, according to a source familiar with the discussion between
the crown prince and the visitors. The source did not elaborate. Qahtani has also continued to dictate the royal court’s official line to columnists and top editors he considers able to influence public opinion, according to three of the sources, despite leaving a WhatsApp group he ran for that purpose. Instead he has messaged individuals directly, instructing them on what or what not to write, these sources said. LYING LOW Qahtani’s involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, which intelligence sources have said included giving orders over Skype to the team inside the consulate, has fueled speculation that MbS ordered the hit. Saudi officials have said the crown prince knew nothing of the killing. The public prosecutor has said Qahtani briefed a team of Saudi operatives ahead of a mission to repatriate Khashoggi. Saudi officials have refused to disclose whether Qahtani was among those arrested. The Saudi public prosecutor is seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects detained over Khashoggi’s killing and a first court hearing was held this
month. The suspects were not named and Reuters could not determine whether Qahtani was present at the hearing. A source familiar with U.S. government agencies’ reporting and analyses said they believe Qahtani has been instructed to lie low for a while but think it is unlikely that MbS would ditch Qahtani. Some Western allies had been concerned, even before Khashoggi’s killing, by the power Qahtani wielded within the royal court and have privately urged Riyadh to replace him with more seasoned advisers, according to Western diplomats in Riyadh. Qahtani stopped using Twitter, a platform he regularly used to attack the kingdom’s critics, on Oct. 23 and changed the biography on his profile to “personal account”. But Saudi activists living abroad still see his influence on Saudi media and in the Twitter attacks they say they face, accusing them of being disloyal to MbS or unpatriotic for not supporting his policies. “Nothing has changed. It seems to have the same line, the same offensive language. His fingerprints are all over it still,” said Hala al-Dosari, a Saudi scholar and activist based in the United States.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Durban Street youth faces ....
FOR RENT
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisement, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. For professional bee removal with a warranty call The Bee Musketeers on 639-6911 today House plan drafting from $13,000. Sean #667-2189
FOR SALE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
1 Double Steel Wheel Roller, 1-9 Wheel Pneumatic roller, 2 Bitumen Kettle, 1- 3304 Di CAT engine. Tel#275-0367/ 683-7225
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1-CAT 215 Excavator, 1 CAT 428 Backhoe, 1 Mack concrete mixer 8 Cu yds, 1 450 Honda Atv. Call: 275-0367/683-7225
1 bedroom apt for working couple/single person $35,000 monthly. Light and Water included. Lodge. Call: 6230076
Black German Shepherd pups, Riumzeight Gardens WCD. #269-0671/688-1656 1 (250KVA) generator power by NT55 Cummings. Contact #269-0603/609-2350/644-1190 Used imported glass showcase L72" x H39" x W24" 40,000 each. Tel#625-1514 USED PARTS FOR 320/324 CATERPILLAR MACHINE. CONTACT 223-5273/74 Pig and pork for sale. 626-1157
One 2 bedroom apartment located at North East La Penitence. Contact#668-3259/ 621-3762 Bottom flat 2 bedroom apartment to rent situated at lot 229 Section A Block X Diamond Housing Scheme. Contact 696-6463/673-6222 1 well-appointed furnished 2 bedroom apartment in Bel Air, with Parking. Tel Nos: 2254106/225-4708 between 8:004:30 Mon-Fri PROPERTY FOR SALE House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc. Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/6560087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM
VEHICLE FOR SALE One 2011 Toyota Prado Landcruiser in immaculate condition. Tel: 656-7554 RZ Minibus BJJ series 6 Lugs new tyres & engine (bottom is pitbull) white. Tel 616-7616, 603-2252. Asking $1.2M
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Reliable Rentals: Top quality cars, SUV’s at very low rates. Call: 227-2322/601-2622
HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924
Transport property for sale, BB Eccles, EBD. Call: 616-9490
House for sale, Eccles Housing Scheme. 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets and bathrooms enclosed. $28.5M. Call 6420391/ 001447587233657
House lots for sale, 200k downpayment, 20k monthly #622-1957 EDUCATION Private Customs Brokerage Certificate Training Course, starts this month end, Register now. Call: 694-8322/501-6931. Job Opportunity Available
One Mechanic to work in the interior must know about Cummins engine. Contact #699-4718 Able bodied drivers wanted at "D" Grill King, lot 4 Mandela Ave, Georgetown. Tel#6211220 One professional tiler for bathroom & floor. One live in couple. Husband driving. Wife domestic. Tel: 227-1830 Urgently need a car in good working condition to work and keep. 673-5240 1 Shop assistant to work in the interior. Experience would be an asset. #669-3162 1 Cleaner to work shift system. Apply in person Buddy’s Gym. 137 Sheriff St. 231-4104 Urgently need dry Corilla Bush.Any amount from 1lb to 1000lbs. #609-8281 Contract cars at City Taxi Service & Vlissengen Rd. Tel: 226-7150 1 Maid. Tel: 225-3234 Looking for experienced cook to make soup daily. Good pay, Flexible hours, Call: 622-2693 1 Live in or part time maid. 6955505/611-6364. Between 9:00am to 4:00pm
6 bedrooms house on transported double-lot, all amentities, private yard/ parking. Located in Georgetown. Call: 6603415,609-7766
VACANCY General Domestic with cooking experience for East Bank. #614-4358 1) Doosan Mechanic must specialize in Doosan Parts 2) Receptionist to work @ Hotel 3) Land surveyor, must know to use GPS. Contact# 2235273/223-5274 Chef, Assistant, Cook and night supervisor. Preferably carnegie trained. Call: 2257933/ visit 173 Sheriff Street Cashiers - CXC required porters. Survival supermarket 16 Vlissengen Rd. Newtown 1 experienced male sales attendant, stocktaking knowledge. 1 General domestic (3 days work) Apply @ Keyfood McDoom with recommendation. Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 600-8457/683-8765 General Cleaner & Bond Clerk, must have police clearance, for more info call: 223-0090 Urgent 1 male with cooking experience to work in multiple areas. Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine # 695-6550/656-9313
Male and Female for the interior $80,000 monthly. Tel#674-1767
Experienced Cashier, Apply at American Variety Store. Guyana 140 Regent & Light Street, Bourda Georgetown
General domestic with cooking experience. Age 3055. Call 616-6988
1 Fitter Machinist Contact# 225-2093
LEARN TO DRIVE Transported property in Regent Street between Wellington & Camp Street. Tel#655-3332 Opposite Guyoil Gas Station
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Nissan Laurel Executive antique car, Nissan Pathfinder 4-door Jeep. Superb condition. Price Neg. Call your price. Tel#660-3415/609-7766 HEALTH
Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445
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N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561 P. Outar and C. Persaud Driving School at Maraj Building. Call: 622-2872, 6150964, 681-2808 LAND FOR SALE Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109 (1) Fenced land Parfaite Harmony - $2M. Uitvlugt $2.5M Neg. Zeelugt $1.5M Neg. Zeelugt $2.3M Neg. Tel: 697-6311/642-1252
Cooks, Handyboys, Roti/Puri makers, Apply at Shanta’s 225 Camp St Salon for rental. Hair & nail stations available. New market street. 638-1106. Massage room available Vacancy exist for 2 assistant cooks @ People’s Choice Kitchen 88 James St Albouystown. Tel#679-9449. Strictly night shift (2) Responsible male to graze and milk cow. Age 30-45. #2332049 Call anytime after 12 $22,000 start salary.
PROPERTY FOR SALE
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From page 15 and demanded that Mohamed hand over his money and cell phone. After receiving the items, Pollard ran away and the victim raised an alarm. Publicspirited persons quickly apprehended the defendant and turned him over to the police. Prosecutor Sanj Singh strongly objected to bail being granted to Pollard on the ground that he was positively identified during an identification parade. However, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly granted bail to Pollard in the sum of $40,000 under the condition that he report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Brickdam Police Station every Monday until the completion of the investigation. Pollard was instructed to return to court on February 6, next for his next court date. In February 2018, Pollard was charged and appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman for taking his father’s firearm and 10 matching rounds. He allegedly admitted to the police that he took the articles and sold them. He was remanded to prison for that charge.
Embattled City Hall ... From page 16 Kaieteur News indicated that other senior officers be terminated for their poor management of the affairs of the city, and that where irregularities are found, criminal investigation and charges be laid against defaulting officers. In light of the findings, the CoI recommends that there be further investigations in the form of a forensic audit to be conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana. The report calls for officers to be disciplined even as that audit is being conducted.
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Int’l regulations to help guide Guyana’s Swine Flu response – Minister Cummings Paying close attention to international regulations and having in place a vaccination strategy are but a few of the tactics that the Guyana through its Ministry of Public Health has embraced in wake of the H1N1 [Swine Flu] threat within the Caribbean region. According to Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, “A technical multidisciplinary response, which includes coordinators and managers of emergency responses has been identified to ensure that appropriate information is available to be disseminated to those who need to know in a timely manner.” She further pointed out that challenges and lessons learnt from the pandemic in the Americas have included, among other things, the establishment of non-pharmaceutical measures, which are being taken into serious consideration. The re-emergence of Swine Flu, she noted, is cause for great concern among public health officials throughout the region. Guyana in particular, has
already been on heightened alert since the discovery of the virus in neighboring Trinidad and Tobago. The Ministry of Public Health through its disease control programme has already placed a number measures in place to competently manage any eventuality of the virus reaching Guyana. Commensurate with public health risks will be the avoidance of unnecessary interference with international travel. “The idea is to prevent delays especially in phases five and six of the influenza. Phase one to three predominantly deals with animal infection and few human infections; Phase four where there is sustained human to human infections, and Phases five and six with widespread human infection,” Minister Cummings said. The common symptoms of the H1N1 virus vary from non-febrile mild upper respiratory tract infection to severe pneumonia. There can be a cough, fever, sore throat, malaise and heada c h e a n d c o n s t i t u tional
symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in 38 percent of cases. Treatment includes supportive management in mild cases to hospitalization. There is also respiratory support, as well as anti-bacteria and anti-viral treatments. The two important classes of antiviral medications available for treatment are the Neurainidase inhibitors [Oseltamivir and Zanamivir] and Admantanes [Rimantidine and Amantidine] and which should be given in the early stages preferably within 24 hours of diagnosis. The Ministry of Public Health is calling on each person to practise good hygiene – wash hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based rubs and to cover the mouth and nose with tissue when sneezing or coughing. Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth and avoid close contact. Persons are advised to be about six feet away from a person suffering from the H1N1 virus. Persons are also being
Integrity Commission underscores need for more manpower Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Doraisami, has underscored the need for additional manpower to assist the Commission in the performance of its duties. The Integrity Commission was established under the laws, which provide for every person who is a person in public life to make disclosures of their assets. However, the Commission is made of essentially Doraisami and his two supporting Commissioners, Rosemary Benjamin-Noble and Rabindranauth Persaud. They are assisted by the Secretary Amanda Jaisingh. The Chairman noted that the commissioners are not full-time employees and there is need for more staff. “We are all employed elsewhere and we try to meet as often as we can. Sometimes, when someone is sick, we have to wait until that person recovers. We need staff but we can’t hire people without money,” he said. While the Chairman noted that the declarations were coming in slowly, he stressed that the manpower is needed at the level of the Commission to ensure the forms submitted are authentic. Additionally, with hundreds of public officers still to declare their assets to the Integrity Commission, there
is the view that the penalties need to be strengthened. Doraisami, had previously told Kaieteur News that the newly installed members are examining the offences section of the current legislation and will make their recommendations to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. “The Act came into force in 1997 and we are looking at the entire legislation to determine where we can strengthen. One of the areas is the penalties. We need to revisit those and toughen them where necessary,” Doraisami stated. The Commission disclosed last week that it had written to public officers, including Members of Parliament (MPs) to have them declare their assets. A total of 1,296 letters were dispatched to those who are mandated to file their declarations with the Commission on or before June 30, each year. To date, the Commission has received some 400 responses and according to Doraisami only some MPs have responded. According to the legislation, “If a public officer fails, without reasonable cause, to file a declaration with the Commission within the specified time or files an incomplete or false declaration shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of $20,000 and to imprisonment for a term of not
less than six months nor more than one year.” Similar penalties apply to public officers who fail to comply with a request made by the Commission, or a tribunal. Where the offence involves the non-disclosure, by the public officer of property, which should have been disclosed in the declaration, a Magistrate convicting the person shall order the public officer to make full disclosure of the property within a given time. Failure to comply with the order of the Magistrate within a given time, the offence shall be deemed to be a continuing offence and the person shall be liable to a further fine of $10,000 for each day on which the offence continues. As it relates to unaccounted wealth, the court will impose a fine equivalent to one and one half times the value of the property or pecuniary resource found to be in the possession of the public officer. Every person in public life who receives a gift worth more than $10,000 must declare it to the Commission stating the name and address of the donor, the description and approximate value of such gift and whether, in the opinion of the done, the gift is a personal gift or a State gift.
Public Health Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings. advised to drink plenty fluids, stay at home and rest, to treat the fever and to visit their pri-
mary care physician should they contract the virus. Health care workers are
asked to ensure that they practice infection control and use personal protective equipment. The Ministry of Public Health through the Surveillance and Disease Control Department will continue to monitor this disease, Minister Cummings assured. According to her too, blood samples of persons suspected with H1N1 will be taken and sent to the Georgetown Public Health Corporation Lab for testing to ascertain the presence of the virus. The Ministry of Public Health will also continue working with Port Health Officers at the c o u n t r y ’s b o r d e r s a s Guyana remains on alert to ensure that there is quick surveillance and detention along with rapid responses to guard against the spread of H1N1 in Guyana.
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Kaieteur News
Demand for water increases as dry spell grips E’bo Coast Rice Industry Scarcity in the water supply on the Essequibo Coast has now increased the demand for the resource, especially since the relentless dry season is now taking a toll on the water conservancy. This was confirmed on last Monday following a field visit by regional officials, including the Regional Chairman Mr. Devanand Ramdatt and Regional Vice Chairman Ms. Nandranie Coonjah. Thousands of acres of rice cultivation are now at great risk, while there still seems to be no sign of the rains. This information was also confirmed by the President of the Essequibo Paddy and Rice Farmers’ Association, Mr. Nate Ram. This publication understands that usually, the water level is high enough so that farmers can open the intake to their fields. Today, farmers all across the Essequibo Coast, however, are pumping water from the irrigation canals to save the present rice crop. In some areas the water level has decreased to such an extent that it is almost impossible to pump. The Dawa Pump Station is working round the clock in an effort to make water readily available to farmers. Many fear that the situation may worsen since the persistent dry weather has significantly
decreased the water level in the conservancy. During the last statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic, Ram who also sits as a member of the council, recommended that measures be taken by the RDC to better monitor the water system. Kaieteur News understands that systems such as the Good Hope relief structure, along with additional water gauges, were installed some time ago to curb the wastage of water in the region. According to the councillor, however, there is still wastage of water within the re-
gion. The councillor made claims last week Tuesday that instead of regulating water for an entire block, the D&I Department at times regulates water for individual famers. In the meantime, a number of farmers are still complaining of not being paid by millers since the previous crop. Paddy bug infestation and severe blast during the last crop of rice, have even sent a number of farmers out of the industry. Many have reportedly entered this crop at great risk; investing in an industry at present plagued with a number of challenges.
12-year-old child writes fourth book From page 22 Borough President Mr. Eric Adams. She received the ‘Black History Month Award’ as part of the celebrations in highlighting AfricanAmericans who play a significant role in Brooklyn. She was appointed the first US ‘Youth Global Editorin-Chief and Coordinator’ of Forum Children’s Magazine. She won two merit awards, performing in the Black History Month Essay contest, and winner of the ‘Women’s History Month Poetry Contest’. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries presented Willabus with a ‘Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition’ for her outstanding contribution to her community. Willabus is always one of the top five performers at her school, winning the title of ‘Top Earner’ this year. From that school, she has received the titles ‘Student of the Month’ and ‘Lead by Example’. She also raises funds for St. Jude’s Cancer Research Centre. Appearing in many popular newspapers and radio television shows in New York, nationally and internationally, she has appeared on Fox 5 News, PIX 11 News, NY Daily News, News 12, BRIC TV, HOT 97
(Ebro In The Morning), WGN Radio 720, Chicago, WSYR 570 Radio Canarsie Courier, and many others. Celebrities giving shoutouts to her include Kelly Rowland, Yandy Smith, Amy Poehler and Debra Cox. She has been blogged about by Huffington Post, Atlanta Black Star, Brown Girls Collective, and Guyanese Girls Rock. Since the publication of her books, she has been afforded the opportunity to meet with political leaders, social activists and community leaders to speak on the importance of literacy, including Guyana’s First Lady, Sandra Granger. As Writer and Editor for
Forum Kids Magazine, which is published in New Zealand, Poland, America and England monthly, her articles can be viewed online. With the privilege of interviewing many great leaders, her first assignment as a reporter was to interview Poland’s former President, Lech Walesa. She is also a tutor to second grade students during her lunch-time once per week. Willabus’s goal is to inspire other children like herself, to strive for success and to never give up on their dreams. She believes that children should always incorporate reading into their daily lives.
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High interest in the no confidence motion
S e v e r a l persons flocked the courtroom of Chief Justice Roxane George and lined the corridors of the High Court in Georgetown as applications in relation to the passage of the no-confidence motion were in full swing. W h i l e s e v e r a l applications were filed in relation to the subject, they were heard one after the other by the Chief Justice. Apart f r o m c u r ious onlookers, several lawyers and members of the media were present. Persons had no problem standing outside the courtroom awaiting word on the outcome of the hearing since the courtroom was filled to capacity.
Caribbean must break down unhealthy stereotypes about men – Activist It is the position of the leading activists in the Caribbean region that the region must radically organize a shifting of the norms surrounding what it means to be a man. During the “Youth as Partners and Innovators” summit on Youth Violence Prevention, a panel discussion centered on ‘Promoting Healthy Masculinity’. Amilcar Sanatan, an activist and MPhil Candidate at UWI St. Augustine, spoke on why he believes ‘masculinity’ needs redefining, for the purpose of mitigating Gender Based Violence.“Why is family the continuous focus of our reforms and changes? Doesn’t that burden women?”He elaborated that this responsibility should shift to the state, for the issues to be tackled in its development strategies. Sanatan spoke on why men, who are the primary perpetrators of violence, need to bear the brunt of responsibility for many of society’s social ills. He also said that redefining masculinity doesn’t only mean having men feel comfortable crying, “The idea that crying is the saving grace for masculinity needs to be taken to task.” The session was meant to take a critical look at the relationship between Caribbean masculinity and violence, with a specific focus on Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Amilcar Sanatan, Activist Sanatan’s speech, after a dramatic piece on GBV, gave a stark reprimand to attendees, saying “Why do Caribbean people laugh when we see performances of domestic violence? Oftentimes, we laugh because we are aware of the script, oftentimes repeated, and when performed, it’s trivial.” “Then, in fact, while I commend these young people for putting on a powerful dramatic experience, which is close to life, we have to trouble the idea that men have two voices in their head; one that could beat you today, and one that will not beat you tonight. We also have to trouble the idea that a woman could take she ‘cuff’, cry, then ‘I love you’ tomorrow.” He elaborated on his work with perpetrators of Gender Based Violence: “In the work I
do with perpetrators, women are abused for cooking curry, allu and rice. Woman get abused because she stayed one hour in the cosmetic store, because she’s probably looking for a man.”Another form of GBV, he explained, is homophobia: “And men also abuse in schools, in a language that we call homophobia, which is just a big word to say that they’re fighting over what is a real manandwhoisnotaman.Soschool bullying is a very big problem.”Sanatan’sareasofspecialization are Masculinity Studies and Pro-Feminist’s Movement Building, Caribbean Popular Culture Studies, Socialist Feminism, Caribbean Social and Political Thought, and Youth Development and Organising.Shane Joseph, a panelist from UN Women, said that, “Men must take on the realization that violence is a choice. But most importantly, [each man must try to be] a pillar of victim safety, recognizing a woman and her right to safety, right to be protected and a right to be an individual.” With UN Women, he has been working on the UN Women’s Partnership for Peace Program that directly engages with perpetrators of GBV. The pilot for that program started in 2006 and has been executed, so far, in Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands.
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Public Telecommunications Ministry transforming Guyana into a digital age The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is on a mission to transform Guyana into the digital age by ensuring every region has access to Information and Communication Technology. On Monday, Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes reiterated that one of the ministry’s main goals is to educate and train citizens across the country in the use of Information and Communications Technology. “Our goal is to reach into every single region not only to bring the internet network to their homes and schools but also to train residents up close and personal in the computer age and in using the internet to improve their daily lives, whether it be for business or for pleasure.” “Our overall goal is to transform Guyana into a fully digital nation,” she added. The Minister said the tremendous response to ICT camps last year came as no surprise as the children participating took to ICT “like ducks to water”. While echoing Minister Hughes’s sentiments on transforming Guyana into a digital nation, Information and Communications Technology Ministerial Advisor, Lance Hinds, remarked that an ICT workforce has to be built at a national level. He said that while there are persons who have an interest in ICT, it is up to the Ministry to facilitate and nurture those interests. “That was the reason we began to have these kinds of programmes… One of the things in our discussions is to make sure you find the
- Code Camp 2019 to be taken to Hinterland region
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes gems, make sure you find the talent because we got to identify them and begin to think about how we take them to the next step,” The Ministerial Advisor emphasized that regardless of the circumstances, “we have to find a way to get them out of there and help them to take that next step.” Based on the findings of an in-depth analysis conducted on two main projects last year, Guyanese Girls Code and the regional Code Camps, it was found that the overall response to the initiative was positive as it fostered an environment of collaboration and communication. The analyses were done by lecturers attached to the University of
Guyana’s Computer Science Department and the findings were presented to the Ministry of Public Telecommunications this morning. Hinds disclosed that under Code Camp 2019, training will be taken to the Hinterland region. He explained that the Ministry is currently engaging Iwokrama as a prospective catchment hub, to train persons from surrounding communities in ICT. It was also noted that the Ministry is in the process of securing equipment to give to the participants once the training has been completed, so they can return to their communities and teach other residents. (DPI)
Murdered pensioner’s body in canal…
CCTV footage shows victim leaving home alone Police are examining closed security camera footage as they seek to identify the individuals who dumped ex-policeman, Cyril Novar Persaud, in the Lamaha Canal after beating him to death. Kaieteur News understands that footage from one CCTV camera shows the pensioner leaving his Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara home in the company of other individuals earlier in the day. Footage later that day shows Persaud leaving his home alone. Yesterday, police continued to question the slain man’s stepson and the young man’s mother. They were detained hours after Persaud was found.
Cyril Novar Persaud One report suggests that the victim may have had a large sum of cash in his home.
Another theory is that Persaud may have been slain by individuals after wandering into D’urban Backlands area. Persaud’s remains were found on Sunday in a section of the Lamaha Canal located near a D’Urban Backlands squatting community. Residents who alerted Kaieteur News to the find said that they were first aware of an unpleasant smell in the area. A postmortem revealed that the ex-policeman died from cerebral haemorrhage caused by blunt trauma. There were also signs of compression injuries to the neck. His pension book was found a short distance away.
Broken homes, bad company cause many youths to be in court According to probation officers dealing with young people who find themselves before the court, the reason for being there mainly falls under broken homes and bad company.In what many may see as being troubling to see young people in courtrooms, on average, the young people mainly appear for simple larceny; armed robbery and robbery with violence follow shortly behind. Recently, Shamar White, 20, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel MarcusIsaacs in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and cried throughout the proceeding while he pleaded guilty to stealing a gold chain from Ashanti Khan. The probation officers reported that he
came from a broken home and kept bad company. Late October, 18-year-old Richard Benn made an appearance in court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for stealing articles, which totalled to $987,000. He also told the court that the reason for his actions was bad company.The list goes on and on. Young people hauled before the court with similar cases also give the reason for their criminal activity as bad company.Probation officers believe that with proper guidance from older persons who are guardians or who provide counselling for persons who have been deeply affected by social issues; there could be a turnaround from the direction in which some young people are heading.
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Charles grabs five as Root powers England
Mick Schumacher...
CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Off-spinner Bryan Charles claimed five wickets as CWI President’s XI pushed touring England on the opening day of the twoday tour match at 3W’s Oval here yesterday. The tourists were dismissed at the close for 317 with the 23-year-old Charles claiming five for 100 from 25 overs. Twenty-year-old speedster Chemar Holder ended with three for 67 while fellow seamer Alzarri Joseph, picked in the 13-man squad for the first Test, claimed a single wicket from 14 overs. Captain Joe Root shone with a run-a-ball top score of
From page 36 second attempt last year. A number of drivers have progressed through the Ferrari academy into F1, including Charles Leclerc, who joins Sebastian Vettel at the team this season, and new Sauber signing Antonio Giovinazzi. Meanwhile, former Manor and Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein is to be a Ferrari development driver this year. The German, whose position as a Mercedes young driver was ended last year, is to undertake work in Ferrari’s simulator. He is a replacement for Russian Dani Kvyat, who fulfilled the role last year but is returning to the grid with Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso this season.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles.
87 while all-rounder Ben Stokes struck 56 and Chris Woakes, an unbeaten 39. Opener Rory Burns made 35 while Moeen Ali got a start failed to build on his 21. The home side made a strong start when they removed opener Keaton Jennings (10) and the dangerous Jonny Bairstow (4) cheaply. Jennings was taken at short leg by Vishaul Singh off Joseph while left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer removed Bairstow to a catch at the wicket. Root, however, stabilised the innings by anchoring two successive half-century stands. First, he put on 72 for the third wicket with Burns, who faced 70 balls and counted three fours before
falling lbw to Holder. Root then added a further 69 for the fourth wicket with Stokes, a stand which saw England dominate the second session to be 202 for four at tea.The right-handed Root struck 12 fours and two sixes in nearly two hours at the crease before perishing to a catch at mid-wicket by Sunil Ambris off Charles. Stokes, who belted seven fours and a six off 97 balls, posted 42 for the fifth with Moeen but was sixth out, holing out to mid-wicket off Charles. Scores: ENGLAND 317 (Joe Root 87, Ben Stokes 56, Chris Woakes 39 not out, Rory Burns 35; Bryan Charles 5-100, Chemar Holder 3-67) vs CWI PRESIDENT’S XI.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul... Wednesday January 16, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Family members could be upset over different frustrating events in their lives, and these moods could spill over to you. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Unguarded words on the part of a younger person might lead to upset. If the words are directed at you, don't take them seriously. The person doesn't know any better. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Profligate spending over the past week or two may have you feeling less confident about your money situation today, Gemini. Perhaps you've lent some money to a friend and you doubt their ability to repay.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Spiritual and metaphysical studies may take up a lot of your time today. You might want to dig into the world's major religions or try to make it through works about spiritualism or the occult. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You might long for a vacation today, Scorpio, and you could toy with the idea of a journey by air. Your mind may turn to spiritual places such as India, Egypt, Israel, or Ireland. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Someone you've known for a long time may move away or otherwise vanish from your life. He or she may move to a distant state.
CANCER(June21–July22) Your ambition and will to succeed may be at war with your feelings today Perhaps you've been working so hard that you aren't spending enough time with friends and family - and they miss you.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) There might be some tension between you and your romantic partner that might have you feeling a bit depressed. The key to patching this up is honest communication.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today, Leo, you might uncharacteristically decide to sequester yourself away from the world. Perhaps you're tired or feeling a bit under the weather and only wish to kick back and read a good book.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today your biorhythms may be a little low, Aquarius, so you aren't likely to be feeling very sociable. You're more likely to want to bury your nose in your projects instead of being your usual outgoing self.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) quarrel over money could interfere with a friendship today, Virgo. Perhaps someone hasn't repaid a loan and the lender now needs it. Perhaps a member of your household is unable to pay their share of the bills.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today your biorhythms may be a little low, Aquarius, so you aren't likely to be feeling very sociable. You're more likely to want to bury your nose in your projects instead of being your usual outgoing self.
From page 38 as the Jaguars Head Coach, and is expected to continue to present his motivational approach, which has unarguably lent to the success of Guyana’s progress. As part of our coaching development programme, Mr. Julian Moore will now be joining our Academy with immediate effect as the Academy Coach. Mr. Moore currently serves as a Berbice Head Coach and that of the Guyana National Under-19 team the release by the Guyana Cricket Board informed.
Manu Sawhney named as... From page 38 stakeholders across 24 countries in Asia. Additionally, he led the global broadcast partnership deal with the ICC that ran from 2007-2015. He is also a non-executive director and member of the Audit Committee of Manchester United Ltd. He said: “It is a great privilege and responsibility to serve the global cricket community as CEO of the ICC. The sport has more than a billion fans and an ambitious growth strategy so it is a very exciting time to lead the organization. “I’d like to thank the ICC Board for giving me this opportunity and look forward to working with them, our Members, the team and ICC’s incredible partners and cricketers around the world to propel the sport forward into a period of significant and sustained global growth in the coming years.” Sawhney will join the ICC in mid-February and will work alongside David Richardson the outgoing CEO to ensure a smooth transition of leadership before assuming control in July.
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Jos Buttler concedes ‘obvious risks’ of warm-up football ESPNcricinfo - Jos Buttler has admitted it “probably doesn’t make too much sense” for England to play football as part of their training routine. Butter, England’s vicecaptain, insisted the players were “very careful” and tried to keep things safe while playing. But he conceded there were “obvious risks” involved and confirmed they would accept it if Ashley Giles decided they should no longer play. Giles, the new managing director of England men’s cricket, recently said he was uncomfortable with the idea of football as part of the warmup regime. While he suggested he would talk to the captains and coaches before reaching a decision, he did hint there may be a change of approach. While Buttler would regret that decision, he said he could understand it. Jonny Bairstow sustained an ankle injury while playing football near the start of the Sri Lanka tour and subsequently lost his place as
Stuart Broad has a look at Jos Buttler’s bat at training. (Getty Images) wicketkeeper to Ben Foakes. Several other players have suffered similarly over the years. But the players argue that it has helped foster a strong team spirit - new players, for example, are made captains of
the teams in order to aid integration - and insist that, with sensible precations, such as the ‘no-tackling’ rule that has been in place for a few years, it is no more dangerous than most sporting activities. “I love it,” Buttler said.
“It’s been a fun part of our warm-ups for a while and I enjoy playing it. The guys are very careful. We’re not professionals but we enjoy a kick around and we try to stay as safe as possible. “But I understand his
point of view because it probably doesn’t make too much sense for us to warm up playing football. There are obvious risks. “So if that’s his final decision then that’s it. There will be discussions between coaches, captains and Ashley Giles and if it’s decided we can’t play anymore I don’t think the guys will be too bothered. We’ll just get on with it.”England started their first warm-up game - a nonfirst-class two-day match that involves at least 12-players per side - at the Three Ws Oval in Barbados yesterday. As is the nature of these things now, England as expected batted the whole of day one and will field for the whole of today irrespective of how many wickets fall. Olly Stone had a slightly stiff back so he may therefore sit out the first match. The squad played football as part of their warm-up routine on Monday. The opposition, a CWI President’s XI, contains six men with Test experience batsmen Sunil Ambris,
Jermaine Blackwood, who scored his only Test century against England on the 2015 tour, and Vishaul Singh; allrounder Raymon Reifer, and fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Miguel Cummins - and is captained by the keeper, Jahmar Hamilton. A second two-day warmup - on the same ground, against the same opposition and almost certainly with the same liberal attitude to cricketing conventions starts tomorrow. It is understood groundstaff have been encouraged to prepare pitches with a bit of life, a characteristic that has not always been present in the Caribbean in recent years, throughout the Test series; the use of the Dukes ball should also be to the liking of bowlers. England have won only one Test series here in the last 50 years - Michael Vaughan’s 2004 squad are the honourable expectations - so the size of the challenge in front of them should not be underestimated.
Mina double helps Valencia Burgeoning pace stocks point to.... reach Copa quarter-finals
South Africa’s Duanne Olivier celebrates bowling out Asad Shafiq during the First Test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park Stadium, Centurion, South Africa. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Valencia’s Santi Mina celebrates scoring their second goal against Young Boys at Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - November 7, 2018. (REUTERS/Heino Kalis – file photo) (Reuters) - Valencia’s Santi Mina struck twice as the struggling La Liga club reached the Copa del Rey quarter-finals by beating second-tier Sporting Gijon 3-0 on
Tuesday for a 4-2 aggregate win. Valencia trailed 2-1 from the away leg and despite a late midweek kick off time supporters still flocked to the Mestalla stadium hoping to see their embattled team turn the tie around. Marcelino’s side took the lead when Mina nodded them in front after 65 minutes with the help of a deflection. The Spanish forward struck again 10 minutes later, sliding to the ground to meet
a low cross from close range before Ferran Torres wrapped up the victory in added time on the counter. The result gave Valencia welcome relief from a disappointing league campaign with the weekend 1-1 draw at home to Real Valladolid leaving them 11th in the standings. They were joined in the last eight of the Spanish Cup by Getafe, who drew 1-1 at Valladolid to progress 2-1 on aggregate.
From page 35 when he was sidelined for lengthy periods, while Olivier replaced the former when he missed the Pakistan series with a knee problem. Olivier would likely not have played the first test were it not for a finger injury for Ve r n o n P h i l a n d e r, b u t ended up with 24 wickets at an average of 14, just one shy of the 117-year old South African record for a three-test series. While the bowlers and Gibson, a former pace bowler, might have enjoyed the conditions, there have been some rumblings from the batsmen about how difficult it is to score runs at home. “I keep saying to the bat-
ters, when the wickets are like this, you don’t need to score 500, it’s not necessary,” Gibson said. “If we get 262, on a fast, bouncy track, 262 with our fast bowlers is a great score because we know we can knock a team over for under that, which is what we did.” South Africa, who have moved to second in the test rankings behind India, play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches against Pakistan before Sri Lanka arrive for two tests in February. Gibson has hinted the heavy workload in a World Cup year may see a change in tactics for that series, which could give the side the oppor-
tunity to rest players and bring about a return for spinner Keshav Maharaj. “KG (Kagiso Rabada) says he is bowling at 60 percent‚ but he is bowling at the speed of 145 and I say to him that ‘I am looking forward to the time when you are bowling at 100 percent’‚” Gibson said. “He is taking wickets‚ doing great work for the team and what we have done in the last 12 months is to look for opportunities to rest people. We will find an opportunity to rest him for sure. “With regards to Keshav‚ he knows that he is still part of the plans and he understands his role and the bigger picture.”
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Arsenal goalkeeper Cech to retire at end of season
Arsenal’s Petr Cech during the match against Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge) LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech announced yesterday his retirement at the end of the Premier League season after 20 years as a professional and winning everything in club soccer. One of the world’s great keepers, the 36-year-old joined the Gunners from London rivals Chelsea in 2015 and holds several Premier League records, including the most clean sheets (202 in 443 appearances). “It has been 20 years since I signed my first professional contract, so it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire at the end of this season,” the Czech said on Twitter. “Having played 15 years in the Premier League, and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve,” he added. “I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this sea-
son, then I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch.” Cech started the season as Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s first choice but lost out to new signing Bernd Leno after he suffered a hamstring injury in September. The four-times Premier League Golden Glove winner has been restricted to Cup appearances since his return. Cech joined Chelsea from French side Rennes in July 2004 and helped them win four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. He also suffered a fractured skull while playing against Reading in 2006, leading to the tall Czech wearing protective headgear. With Arsenal, Cech has won another FA Cup and two Community Shields. Cech kept a total of 228 clean sheets with Chelsea in all competitions, before he fell
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behind Thibaut Courtois in the pecking order. He still holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets in a season (24) and went 1,024 minutes without conceding in 2004-05, a benchmark that has since been surpassed. He was capped 124 times by his country. Arsenal remain in contention for the FA Cup, although they host in-form Manchester United in the fourth round on Jan. 25, and the Europa League. The North Londoners are fifth in the Premier League, ahead of United on goal difference but 16 points adrift of leaders Liverpool. “For your consummate professionalism, for being the perfect role model, for the 50 clean sheets, for your honesty, your integrity and for your inspiring work with @AFC_Foundation, we want to say... thank you @PetrCech,” Arsenal said on Twitter.
La Liga referees pleased with VAR implementation so far MADRID (Reuters) - The head of Spain’s referee committee yesterday hailed the use of video technology (VAR) in La Liga for significantly reducing the number of errors, while recognising they need to ensure officials use the same criteria as each other. “Overall it has been very positive and we are satisfied with the performance of the referees, the correct decisions and the integration of VAR,” referee’s chief Carlos Velasco Carballo told a news conference. “The essence of football has not been damaged, the number of interventions and time of revisions has preserved the fluidity of the game. But we still need to work on prevention, aggressive play and unifying criteria.” Coaches and players have largely welcomed the use of VAR, although it has been called into question recently following controversial decisions in Real Madrid’s 2-0 defeat by Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Levante. Madrid were left enraged when a penalty appeal was turned down without the technology being consulted when Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. appeared to be tripped in the area. Levante, meanwhile, issued a strongly worded statement asking for clarification after conceding a penalty for an apparent accidental handball against Atletico which was not reviewed. The league’s protocol says the technol-
ogy, introduced for the first time in Spain at the start of this season, should only be consulted when a referee has made a clear error. “The referee never asks for VAR when he is in doubt, he should officiate as if it doesn’t exist. He only goes to the monitor in subjective plays,” explained Carlos Clos Gomez, the director of VAR. “The referee can accept VAR’s recommendations or check the play on the screen. The adaptation of VAR in Spain has been positive and quick. But we have to keep working on unifying the criteria, both on the pitch and in the VAR studio.” Velasco Carballo said the technology has been consulted 30 times to determine whether goals should be allowed to stand, leading to 15 goals being disallowed and 15 being awarded. Four straight red cards were also shown after the technology was consulted, he added, while conceding that five players escaped red cards due to refereeing errors. “Our objective is to have zero errors and to make that happen the referees and video referees are going to keep working,” Velasco Carballo added. “We’ve registered 397 incidents in the penalty area according to our analysis. Penalties were awarded in 56 plays, 26 errors were made, and 19 of them were corrected by VAR. So we’ve reduced the margin of error to 4.79 percent thanks to VAR.”
A Referee checks VAR in La Liga Santander between Real Madrid and Leganes at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. (REUTERS/Javier Barbancho)
Burgeoning pace stocks point to Chelsea face disciplinary action future for pitch perfect South Africa
over alleged racist chanting ZURICH (Reuters) Chelsea are facing disciplinary action over alleged antiSemitic chanting by their supporters during a Europa League match against Vidi FC in Budapest last month, UEFA said in a statement yesterday. The European soccer body said it had completed an investigation and that “in relation to the alleged racist
incidents that occurred at the.... match, UEFA has announced that disciplinary proceedings have been instigated against Chelsea FC.” The hearing will take place on Feb. 28., UEFA added. British media reported some Chelsea supporters chanted offensive songs about Tottenham Hotspur fans early in their 2-2 draw in
Hungary. Chelsea issued a statement following the game describing anti-Semitism as “abhorrent to this club and the overwhelming majority of our fans.” Chelsea progressed to the knockout stage as Group L winners ahead of BATE Borisov in second. Vidi were eliminated after finishing third.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The emergence of Duanne Olivier to bolster South Africa’s impressive fast bowling stocks was a major catalyst in the 3-0 test series victory over Pakistan and provides a glimpse into the future for teams visiting the country. When Ottis Gibson took over as Proteas coach in August 2017 he made it clear he favoured using South Africa’s traditional strength — fiery seam bowling — to bring suc-
cess in the test arena. With wickets produced to aid that plan, South Africa used a four-prong seam attack against a Pakistan team clearly not equipped to handle the pace and bounce of South African conditions. “You have to play to your strength, and if your strength is four quality fast bowlers, then use those,” Gibson told reporters, while dismissing criticism from Pakistan’s Mickey Arthur the pitches were too much in favour of
the home side. “When you look at the opposition and see they are accustomed to playing on slow wickets, then why not produce fast, bouncy pitches when you are playing at home?” Gibson added. “We will continue to play this brand of cricket because it’s successful.” Ironically injuries have helped to boost their depth, with Lungi Ngidi filling in for the experienced Dale Steyn (Continued on page 34)
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
Osaka clubs her way into Australian Open second round - Determined Halep survives Kanepi onslaught to advance MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Japan’s Naomi Osaka clubbed her way into the Australian Open second round by beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4 6-2 late yesterday. It was Osaka’s first Grand Slam match since her breakthrough U.S. Open triumph last year, which was partly overshadowed by a row between her final opponent Serena Williams and umpire Carlos Ramos. Osaka’s heavy ball striking makes it very difficult for opponents to trade blows with her. “For me, I’m aware of people saying anyone in the top 10 can be No. 1 right now - but for me, that’s not really my goal,” Osaka, the fourth seed, told reporters. “I just want to play well in this tournament.” Linette tried to mitigate her rival’s power by standing up near the baseline during rallies to avoid getting pushed too far back. The tactic worked in part, until the Polish player’s error count rose too quickly, such is the risk-reward for such a valiant ploy. “The balls were really heavy,” Linette told Reuters. “I’m just like 59 kilos, so what can I do?” Despite possessing more firepower in almost every facet of the game, Osaka’s modest-paced second serve allowed her 80th-ranked opponent a strong opening into
Japan’s Naomi Osaka in action during the match against Poland’s Magda Linette. (REUTERS/ Lucy Nicholson)
Romania’s Simona Halep in action during the match against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon) baseline exchanges. The two players’ average second serve speed was almost identical at around 125 kmh, which is significantly slower than the service speed of Williams, who is the standard bearer. Osaka will play 21-yearold Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia in the second round. Meanwhile, top seed Simona Halep showed grit and determination to come from a set down against Kaia Kanepi in a 6-7(2) 6-4 6-2 victory in the Australian Open yesterday and survive a repeat of a first-round Grand Slam exit at the hands of the Estonian. In a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open first round, where
Kanepi dumped her out in straight sets, Halep had to dig deep against the powerful groundstrokes of her opponent, who is ranked 71 but had not played since New York. “At one point I didn’t know what to do anymore because the ball was coming so strong. I just thought that I have to be strong on the legs, to be there closer to the line,” Halep said in her post-match news conference. “If I was going back, I did not have a chance to return the balls. Then I stepped into the court few times and I was more aggressive, which was really important. The serve helped me today. So I think in
Mick Schumacher: Ferrari driver academy spot for son of seven-time champion Michael BBC Sport - Mick Schumacher, son of seventime champion Michael, has joined the Ferrari driver academy, sources close to the team say. The 19-year-old is embarking on his first season in Formula 2, the final feeder category before Formula 1, with the leading Prema team in 2019. As part of his deal, Mick Schumacher is to drive in two tests with Ferrari this season. Michael Schumacher won five of his record seven world titles with Ferrari. Michael Schumacher, who turned 50 earlier this month, has not been seen in public since suffering severe brain injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013. Ferrari would not officially confirm the deal with Mick Schumacher. They said they were inter-
Mick Schumacher (REUTERS) ested in him joining the academy and were talking to him about it, but there had been no developments since he had attended the post-sea-
son Formula 1 test with them in Abu Dhabi last November. Mick Schumacher won the European Formula 3 title at the (Continued on page 33)
the big picture it was a good game.” The Romanian has struggled for form and fitness since her first-round defeat at Flushing Meadows last August and came into the year’s first Grand Slam short of preparation after a back injury ended her 2018 season prematurely. Halep was on a five-match losing streak prior to the match and had to make sure she kept her unforced errors to a minimum. “I’m just happy that I could win, nothing else. Nothing else matters because I’m not at the highest level of my tennis,” Halep added. “I’m just trying to feel good on court and to improve day by
day.” She began on the back foot against her big-hitting opponent and after an early trade of break of serves, Halep had to save two set points to force a tiebreaker. The 33-year-old Kanepi easily won the tiebreaker as the frustration started showing on Halep, who also exited the Australian Open in the first round in 2016 and 2017. The second set also saw a trade of breaks before Halep found her range and started hitting her returns a little deeper as the unforced errors kept climbing for Kanepi. The world number one levelled the match at one set apiece on her fourth set point after Kanepi sent a backhand
long. The 2018 French Open champion broke Kanepi twice in the final set and sealed the match when her opponent sent a forehand wide for her 62nd unforced error, compared with 19 from Halep. Halep, who will next play American Sofia Kenin, said she was not putting any pressure on herself. “Well, no expectations because I’m not at the highest level. But I’m motivated,” she said. “I’m trying to just enjoy more and be happy on court. “I’m not putting pressure on myself any more with the results. But I’m still motivated. What comes now, it’s a bonus.”
Venus Williams secures come-from-behind win SYDNEY (Reuters) - Venus Williams celebrated her 19th main draw appearance at the Australian Open with a come-from-behind 67(3) 7-6(3) 6-2 victory over 25th seed Mihaela B u z a r n e s c u y e s t e r d a y, marking a successful day for some of the sport’s oldest active competitors. The 38-year-old, who is unseeded for the first time since 2014 and is the oldest player in the women’s draw, will meet France’s Alize Cornet in the second round. It was a good day for some of the veterans of the sport after big serving 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic, the oldest male player, served his way into the second round against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, a man 18 years his junior. Title contender Roger Federer, aged 37, comfortably won his first round match on Monday.
Venus Williams of the U.S. reacts after winning the match against Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Bravo makes Test return, Brooks, Campbell up for debuts ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Darren Bravo’s 27month exile from Test cricket finally ended yesterday, when he was named in a 13-man squad to face England in the opening Test of the three-Test series at Kensington Oval next week. The left-hander is one of several changes to the squad which suffered an embarrassing whitewash in Bangladesh last November, with Windies A batsman Shamarh Brooks and John Campbell called up for the first time, and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph returning following injury. Batsmen Kieran Powell and Sunil Ambris, along with leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo have all been axed, while regular captain Jason Holder returns to lead the squad after missing the tour of Bangladesh through injury. The selection of the 29year-old Bravo brings to an end a bitter saga which had dragged on ever since he was sent home in November, 2016 for an ill-advised rant aimed at Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron, and which led to an acrimonious stand-off with the regional board. And even though the board announced an end to the impasse in July, 2017 and indicated the Trinidadian was “available with immediate effect to play in all forms of cricket”, he did not appear in a single representative West Indies team until he was chosen last October for the Twenty20 tour of India and
Left-hander Darren Bravo. the subsequent limited overs series in Bangladesh last month. “With the return of Darren Bravo, who will add value to a batting department, we expect to see marked improvement,” chief selector Courtney Browne said. However, Bravo enters the England series with only a single first class match under his belt since his last Test, after mainly plying his trade in the Twenty20 leagues across the globe. Playing for his native Trinidad and Tobago Red Force last week against Jamaica Scorpions in Kingston, he had modest returns of 17 and 38.Brooks, meanwhile, has gained the confidence of selectors after many years of promise but his selection comes at 30 and with him struggling so far in the first class championship, averaging a paltry 18 from six innings.
However, he excelled in the 2017-18 first class season, scoring 632 runs for Barbados Pride at an average of 48. The 25-year-old also topped the aggregates on the Windies A tour of England last summer, hitting an unbeaten hundred in the opening four-day Test against India A. Campbell, too, had a productive last season for Scorpions, gathering 603 runs at an average of 43, before also averaging 37 for Windies A in the two four-day Tests against the Indians. This season, he opened with a half-century against Barbados but has managed only 40 runs in three innings since. The 22-year-old Joseph, meanwhile, has also found his way back into the squad after playing his last Test 18 months ago but there seems to be lingering concern over his fitness,
John Campbell (left) and Shamarh Brooks have been called up to the Windies Test squad for the first time. with 21-year-old speedster Oshane Thomas called up as cover. He appeared to make a full recovery from a back injury when he was picked for a tour match against Bangladesh last June, and when he subsequently played two onedayers the following month. But after being selected for the two-Test tour of India last September, he was suddenly replaced by Sherman Lewis, with CWI saying only that he needed “to continue his rehabilitation to full fitness for international competitions”. Joseph has, however, bowled superbly in three matches of the first class season, grabbing 15 wickets for Leeward Islands Hurricanes. “Young, exciting, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who was sidelined by injury, re-
turns to the squad and Shamarh Brooks has been elevated for his solid first-class performances over the last three years,” Browne explained. “John Campbell the incumbent ‘A’ team opener, who has played first class cricket for a number of years will open the batting after a good first-class season in 2018.” Both Campbell and Joseph are turning out for the President’s XI in the first of two back-to-back two-day tour matches against England at the 3W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill which started Tuesday. There was disappointment, however, for lefthanded opener Chandrapaul Hemraj who was overlooked despite his 623 runs last season and a scintillating 144 against Barbados in the third
round of the first class championship two weeks ago. The first Test bowls off January 23, with matches also carded for the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua from January 31 to February 4, and at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground from February 9-13. SQUAD – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Shannon Gabriel. Match Schedule 1st Test: Kensington Oval – Jan 23-27 2nd Test: Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground – Jan 31 to Feb 4 3rd Test: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground – Feb 9-13
Ruthless Serena makes strong start in Melbourne return MELBOURNE (Reuters) Serena Williams made a ruthless start to her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-0 6-2 victory over unseeded German Tatjana Maria in the first round of the Australian Open yesterday. Playing her first Grand Slam since her infamous rant against the umpire at last year’s U.S. Open final, the 37-year-old Williams seemed to have decided to move on from last September’s incident that caused a furor across the world. She was handed a warning by chair umpire Carlos Ramos for a oncourt coaching violation before being deducted a point for smashing her racquet and later a game for a heated argument during her loss to Naomi Osaka. Her coach Patrick Mouratoglou told Reuters last week he expects oncourt coaching to continue virtually unchecked at the Grand Slams despite the hue and cry over the issue. But Williams refused to be drawn in. “I, like, literally have no comment,” Williams, wearing a black T-
Serena Williams of the U.S. in action during the match against Germany’s Tatjana Maria. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson) shirt with the message ‘Until We All Win’ at her post-match news conference, said. The seven-time Australian Open champion was eight weeks pregnant when she won the last of her 23
Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park and returned to tennis last year after the birth of her daughter in September, 2017. She has kept a low profile in Melbourne and did not appear be-
fore the media before the start of the Jan. 14-27 tournament but was enthusiastic to talk about topics more softer, like how her daughter’s black doll was named Qai Qai. “Spending a lot of time with my daughter. I think that’s the priority for me. And I feel like literally every moment I get I practise, and then I go home,” she said. “It’s kind of what I do in Florida. I train and I go right home and I spend the rest of the day with my daughter. For now, as a working mom, I feel guilty. And I understand that that’s normal, but — and these are years I’ll never get back. “I just try to spend every moment that I can when I’m not working with her. And for me that’s super important.” FITAND STRONG Williams showed on Tuesday she has lost none of her brutal power and athleticism in the match between the two mothers at Rod Laver Arena. She peppered the court with her heavy groundstrokes and also advanced to the net whenever she had
an opportunity, losing only 24 points against Maria and she concentrated on being consistent and cutting down on unforced errors. “It was nice to be back out there. Last time I was out there was a great moment, especially internally for me, it was even a better moment,” she added. “I think it was a good match today.” Williams finished the match in just 49 minutes on her second match point when Maria, who is also her neighbor, sent a backhand wide and the American will next play Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who beat Peng Shuai of China 6-2 6-1. “It will be a great match. She plays really well,” Williams said of Bouchard, who reached the Australian Open and French semi-finals and the Wimbledon final in 2014. “She does everything well, and I really like that she doesn’t quit,” Williams said. “You know, people write her off, and she doesn’t let that bother her. She continues to fight and do what she needs to do. I think that’s really not good.”
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Wednesday January 16, 2019
Nand Persaud Group of Companies Guyanese administrator, Haynes, says thanks Caribbean Basketball Congress and Elections
up for CBC Presidency
Outgoing GABF President, Nigel Hinds (left) and Patrick Haynes. Patrick Haynes, the Honourary General Secretary of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), has indicated to Kaieteur Sport that he will be going up for the post of head of the region’s basketball body; the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC), when the organisation hosts the Ordinary Congress and Elections on February 9th & 10th in the Dominican Republic. Haynes, who currently serves as the Vice-President of Finance and Marketing at the CBC, will be the only candidate opposing current head, Glyne Clarke of Barbados. As the Honourary General Secretary of the GABF, Patrick oversees the international operations, including international recruiting, fundraising, and seeks to ensure that the GABF is in compliance with FIBA statutes. The CBC VP spent four years as the Director of Marketing for the regional body
and was elected into his current role in January 2014 at the CBC Annual Congress in San Juan, Puerto Rico, along with the primary responsibilities of planning and implementing programmes designed to build the CBC brand and promote the sport of basketball globally. In his Director of Marketing role, he supervised and administered all of the CBC’s online marketing programmes that promoted, educated, and enhanced the brand throughout the Caribbean and Central America. He still works closely with the GABF and the CBC on the day-to-day operations of all digital assets, i n c l u d i n g GuyanaBasketball.com, CaribbeanBasketball.com, CBC Rebound Digital Magazine, CBC Mobile and the CBC social media. Haynes noted that he is still currently preparing his manifesto which will be completed and shared with the
media by this weekend. The candidates for VP of Finance and Marketing will be contested amongst Garvin Warwick of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), Hon. Minister of Sport Darrel Mathews of Antigua and Barbuda and Leslie Collymore from St. Lucia. The VP of Development post will see Marlon Nattie of Jamaica and Mario Bowleg of Bahamas contesting. Up for the role of Treasurer are Rondel Johnson of Grenada, Velica Augustin from St. Lucia, and Kebra Nanton of Antigua & Barbuda. Unopposed are Sabrina Mitchell of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who is the Secretary, and Bahamian Fredrick Brown who is the VP of Technical Operations. The congress will also see the election of two at large members; those nominees are Conrad Issa of Suriname and Victor O’Garro of Cayman Islands. (Calvin Chapman)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul appointed as Jaguars Interim Assistant Coach In a release the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) expressed pleasure at making the announcement regarding the appointment of Dr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul as interim Assistant Coach of the Guyana Jaguars team. This appointment is with immediate effect and comes on the backdrop, of the ascendancy of Head Coach, Esuan Crandon who has departed to take up his position as Assistant Coach with Cricket West Indies. Crandon has been the
Guyana Head Coach from 2011, which has included the period of time in which Guyana has won the Professional Cricket League for four consecutive years. Crandon will be with the Windies team at least until the end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The GCB wishes to indicate that the appointment of Shivnarine Chanderpaul comes at an imperative time in the development of Guyana’s cricket, where the utilisation of knowledgeable
and experienced coaches can lend effective support to the programme which has shown significant growth. Shiv’s appointment is aided by his on and off field experiences in the sport. He has been a very productive ambassador having played all levels of cricket and it is expected that he will transfer valuable knowledge to the Jaguars. With the elevation of Esuan Crandon, Mr. Rayon Griffith will perform the duties (Continued on page 33)
The Nand Persaud Group of Companies and its Sky Plus Incorporated Promotion Group once again is extending gratitude to all those who contributed in one way or the other to making their one day horserace meet held on Sunday 6th January a success. The event which was dubbed the “Nand Persaud Karibee Mega Sprint Classic” was held at the club’s facility at No36 Macedonia, Corentyne, Berbice. The company with its main head Office at the NO36 Corentyne Complex is well known for its Karibee Rice Brand. The organisers would like to take the opportunity to express their heartfelt appreciation to Managing Director Ramesh Sunich and his Trophy Stall Group, Beverage Giants Ansa McAl Trading, 4R Bearings, NPI (Blue Sky) Communications, NPG Packaging, Exotic Style Trucking Service, Mikey’s Trucking Service, Rupert Family Rice farming, Tejnarine Jainarine-rice farmer, Prem’s Electrical, K. Persaud Trucking Service, Think About The Future Trucking Service, Anil Deonarine-Rice Farming, Navindra Roopnarine and NTN television among others. The Nand Persaud Group of Companies is among the premiere horseracing entities in the country and boasts a
Coordinator Mohindra Persaud full package that includes racing track, promotional group, race horses, and stables and feed and other supplies for the horses. Known as a pacesetter and for its innovation, generosity and organising ability, the activity was well organised and attended. The Nand Persaud Group of Companies have a number of subsidiaries which includes its Rice Milling and Packaging Complex at No36 Village, It Retail and Wholesale Outlet at Corriverton, Blue Sky Tech at Tain, Amazonia Rice Outlet at Black Bush Polder, NPG Packaging and Plastic Inc. at Wellington Park, its Agricultural and Machinery Department at No36 and its International Communication INC at Tain and East Bank Demerara and General Store at Rose Hall Town. It is a
leading player in the country’s Green Energy drive and is also into a number of partnerships including the Plastic packaging and printing Factory on the East Bank of Demerara. It is presently constructing a multi-milliondollar ($40M) soil testing lab at the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Berbice Campus. The committee will also like to thank Commander B Division, Assistant Commissioner Paul Langevine and ranks of the Guyana Police Force and to all for their unstinted support and look forward for their continued patronage. Coordinator Mohindra “Mohin” Persaud stated that they were grateful with the support shown and vows to maintain the same high standard for future events. (Samuel Whyte)
Manu Sawhney named as ICC Chief Executive The International Cricket Council today announced Manu Sawhney has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer. Sawhney, the former CEO of Singapore Sports Hub and Managing Director of ESPN Star Sports, will join the organization next month before formally taking over the reins from David Richardson in July following the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The appointment was ratified by the ICC Board following a global search and appointment process led by ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar and the Nominations Committee. Mr Manohar said: “I am delighted to confirm Manu’s appointment today. He brings 22 years of outstanding commercial experience to the ICC and will lead the delivery of our new global growth strategy for the game. Our search produced a host of excellent candi-
Manu Sawhney at a Champions League T20 Gala Dinner GCV. (via Getty Images) dates from around the world, but Manu stood out as the man to work with our Members and take cricket forward. “He has proven success in a number of leadership roles in both sport and broadcasting. He is a strategic thinker and understands the cricket landscape and its complexities. The decision of the Nominations Committee to recommend Manu to the Board was a unanimous one
and I and my fellow directors are looking forward to working with him.” Sawhney was with ESPN Star Sports for seventeen years and during his tenure as Managing Director was responsible for scaling the business and doubling annual revenues whilst delivering an innovative content and digital growth strategy and building strong partnerships with (Continued on page 33)
Wednesday January 16, 2019
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Japan’s Olympic Committee head denies impropriety in 2020 bid procedures TOKYO (Reuters) - The head of Japan’s Olympic Committee confirmed that he had been questioned by French authorities in December yesterday but repeated his denial there was anything improper about Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Games and vowed to prove his innocence. French financial prosecutors investigating a multi-million dollar payment made by the bid committee to a Singaporean consultancy questioned Tsunekazu Takeda in Paris and he was placed under formal investigation for suspected corruption on Dec. 10, a judicial source told Reuters on Friday. Takeda told a packed news conference there were no reasons to doubt any part of Japan’s dealings with the Singaporean consultancy in connection with Tokyo’s bid and that he would cooperate fully with French authorities. After apologizing to the Japanese people and everyone involved in organizing the 2020 Tokyo Games for
worrying them, Takeda repeated denials first made on Friday that there were any improprieties in Japan’s dealings with the Singaporean consultancy. “There were two contracts exchanged between the Tokyo bid committee and the Singaporean company, but they were concluded under the usual sort of procedures and passed around and approved as usual,” Takeda said. “I was the final person to approve them, many others had done so before me.” He added the contracts were for lobbying and information gathering, that the payments were as usual for such work, and noted that a 2016 investigation by a thirdparty committee had cleared the 2020 bid committee of any wrongdoing. “From here on in, I will fully cooperate with the French authorities and make every effort to prove my innocence,” he said. Under French law, a formal investigation means there is “serious or consistent evi-
Tsunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic committee, attends a news conference in Tokyo, Japan January 15, 2019. (REUTERS/Issei Kato) dence” implicating a suspect in a crime. It is one step closer to a trial, but such investigations can be dropped without going to court. French investigators have led a years-long probe into corruption in athletics and in early 2016 extended their inquiry into the bidding and voting processes for the hosting of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. SHADOW OVER PREPARATIONS Whatever the outcome
of the French investigation, the news now hangs over preparations for Tokyo 2020 just 18 months out from the start of the summer showpiece. Tokyo 2020 organizers, however, moved to distance themselves from the bidding team’s activities. “Tokyo won the 2020 race because the city presented the best bid,” Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya told Reuters in an interview later on Tuesday. “The mission of the orga-
nizing committee is to deliver the Games for athletes and spectators around the world. We want to continue to focus on this mission to make this happen.” “The organizing committee was established after the election so the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has no idea to know the details of its (bidding team) activities. “There will be no impact to Games preparations,” Takaya stressed. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said during a visit to the Japanese capital in December that he couldn’t remember a host city being as well prepared as Tokyo. Takaya said there had been no “specific signals or messages” from the IOC to Tokyo 2020 organizers regarding Takeda. SENIOR IOC MEMBER The move against Takeda is linked to an investigation French prosecutors launched in 2016 into more than $2 million of payments by the Japanese bidding committee to consultancy firm Black Tidings, which was termi-
nated in 2014. Prosecuting judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke now suspects Takeda - a former Olympic showjumper, longstanding Olympics official and second cousin of Emperor Akihito - of paying bribes to secure his nation’s winning bid, the judicial source said on Friday. Takeda, 71, a great-grandchild of Emperor Meiji who competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, has been a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee since 1987 and its president since 2001. He has helped coordinate preparations for several Winter Olympics as a senior member of the IOC and also heads the IOC’s marketing commission. The IOC ethics commission opened a file on Takeda on Friday. This investigation is the latest blow to the governing body, which has been trying to clean up the bidding process around Olympic Games following a spate of corruption allegations and increased spending by host cities.
NBA roundup: Harden (57) lights up Grizzlies James Harden scored a season-high 57 points, and the host Houston Rockets survived their first game without center Clint Capela, pulling away in the second half for a 112-94 victory over the reeling Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Harden recorded his 17th consecutive 30-point game, the longest such streak since Wilt Chamberlain had a 20-game run in 1964. Kobe Bryant had a stretch of 16 straight 30point games in 2003. Harden scored 36 points in the first half. One night after the Rockets lost Capela for up to six weeks with a right thumb injury, Harden shot 17 of 33 from the floor, including 6 of 15 on 3-point tries, while converting 17 of 18 free throws. He added nine rebounds. Danuel House Jr. tallied 15 points and Gerald Green scored 14 points for Houston, which has alternated wins and losses over the past seven games. Garrett Temple and Mike Conley scored 14 each for the Griz-
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports) zlies, who have dropped e i g h t o f their past nine games. Hornets 108, Spurs 93 Kemba Walker poured in 33 points and Jeremy Lamb added 19 as visiting Charlotte walked past San An-
tonio to snap a three-game losing streak. The game was the first in San Antonio as a member of the visiting team for C h a r l o t t e g u a r d To n y Parker, who played for the Spurs for 17 years before
signing with the Hornets in the offseason as a free agent. Parker scored eight points, all in the second half. The contest was also a return to San Antonio for Hornets rookie coach James Borrego, who spent the past four seasons as an assistant with the Spurs. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 28 points while Derrick White hit for 18. Pelicans 121, Clippers 117 Anthony Davis overcame a slow start and finished with 46 points and 16 rebounds to lead New Orleans to a win at Los Angeles. Julius Randle scored 27 points and Jrue Holiday had 19 points and eight assists for the Pelicans, who have won four of five. Davis recorded his 14th straight doubledouble and 31st of the season. Montrezl Harrell had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has lost three in a row, the past two at home against teams with losing records. Danilo Gallinari added 25 points and Tobias Harris had 21 for the Clippers. Jazz 100, Pistons 94
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, and Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points and a career-high-tying 25 rebounds to lead Utah to a victory over Detroit in Salt Lake City. Kyle Korver scored 19 points off the bench for Utah while Joe Ingles added 13 points and matched his season high with eight assists. The Jazz earned their fourth win in a row despite committing 17 turnovers. Blake Griffin scored 19 points while Andre Drummond chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Reggie Bullock added 13 points as Detroit fell to Utah for the second time this month, having dropped a 110105 decision in Michigan on Jan. 5. Kings 115, Trail Blazers 107 Buddy Hield scored 19 points to pace six Sacramento players in double figures as the Kings earned a victory over visiting Portland. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points off the bench and De’Aaron Fox contrib-
uted 16 points and nine assists for the Kings, who have won four consecutive home games and four of five games overall. Damian Lillard scored 35 points for the Trail Blazers, who had won two games in a row. Nets 109, Celtics 102 D’Angelo Russell scored 18 of his 34 points in the third quarter as Brooklyn snapped a 10-game, head-to-head losing streak to Boston by dominating the third quarter in New York. The Nets pulled away by outscoring Boston 44-21 in the third. During the period, Brooklyn shot 65.4 percent (17 of 26) and produced its widest point disparity in a third quarter since outscoring Boston by 24 on April 2, 2005. Rookie Rodion Kurucs added 19 points for the Nets, who won for the 14th time in 19 games. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with a career-high 34 points while Jaylen Brown added 22. Kyrie Irving (right quad contusion) and Marcus Smart (illness) sat out for the Celtics. (Field Level Media)
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Dominant Djokovic shines in Melbourne Park opener
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during the match against Mitchell Krueger of the U.S. (REUTERS/ Lucy Nicholson)
MELBOURNE (Reuters) Top seed Novak Djokovic looked every inch the Australian Open favorite as he kicked off his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an emphatic 6-3 6-2 6-2 win over American qualifier Mitchell Krueger yesterday. Soaking up the Rod Laver Arena limelight, the Serb moved superbly in his opener and hit 42 winners to wrap up the one-sided clash in little more than two hours. Djokovic bowed out of the fourth round of last year’s tournament bothered by a painful elbow injury but successfully came back from surgery to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Now free from fitness problems, the 31-year-old Serb is savoring his return to a tournament he has virtually owned for the last decade. “It feels great to be
Wednesday January 16, 2019
Kaieteur News
healthy and back on this court again,” the 14-times Grand Slam champion told reporters. “Twelve months ago it was quite a different sensation on the court with the elbow injury. Twelve months forward, obviously things are quite different. “Hopefully I can follow up on this victory tonight with a good performance.” Despite the scoreline, the 230th-ranked Krueger hardly disgraced himself and broke Djokovic in the third game of the first set.That was as good as it got for the American, as the Serb knuckled down to break right back and coasted to an easy victory. Djokovic watched injured ‘Big Four’ rival Andy Murray bow out of the first round in a gallant five-set defeat by Spanish 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday, and paid tribute to the three-
times Grand Slam champion. “After two sets, I think no one expected him to really come back, considering how he feels,” Djokovic said of Murray’s painful right hip. “He showed once again his amazing champion spirit, why he’s such a fighter, why he’s so respected and appreciated around the tennis world, and sports world in general.” Djokovic will next meet French wildcard Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man he beat for the 2008 trophy and his first ever Grand Slam title at the age of 20. “It’s funny, I mean, 11 years after our first Grand Slam final here, it feels like a lot has happened for both of us,” added Djokovic. “He also struggled with injuries lately. It’s good to see him playing well. It’s good to see him back.”
FINA clears swimmers to compete in independent events BERLIN (Reuters) - FINA yesterday allowed athletes to take part in independent competitions in a bid to settle a financial dispute, but the world swimming federation said results from those events will require its approval to be considered as official. FINA has been under growing pressure from competitive swimmers, including Britain’s Olympic and world breaststroke champion Adam Peaty, who are demanding a bigger financial share from the revenues the sport generates. “FINA acknowledges that swimmers are free to participate in competitions or events staged by independent organizers, namely entities which are neither members of FINA nor related to it in any way,” FINA said following a meeting with national federations. “Any independent organizers which intend to have the results and records of any competitions or events duly registered with and acknowledged by FINA shall cooperate with or seek approval from FINA or from any relevant member federation,” it said. Three world class swimmers — three-times
Olympic gold medalist Katinka Hosszu of Hungary and U.S. world champions Tom Shields and Michael Andrew — filed a lawsuit in the United States last month challenging what they allege is the monopoly FINA has over the control of international competitions.The lawsuit comes after a swim meet organized by the privately-controlled International Swimming League (ISL), which is led by Ukrainian energy tycoon Konstantin Grigorishin, was canceled last month after it was considered as “non-approved” by the Italian swimming federation. FINA says it has consistently increased prize money for athletes at its events such as the short and long course world championships and the swimming World Cup. “FINA recognizes the right of athletes to participate in any swimming event,” said FINA legal counsel Francois Carrard. “However, this participation should respect the frame of sport structure. FINA’s business is not to punish athletes, although if the FINA rules are not met, the results of the competition will not be recognized by FINA.”
Caeleb Remel Dressel of the U.S. and Vladimir Morozov of Russia compete in Freestyle 50m Semifinal – Budapest, Hungary – July 28, 2017. (REUTERS/Michael Dalder)
Hirving Lozano and Alex Morgan Named 2018 Concacaf Players of the Year Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) today announced the winners of the 2018 Concacaf Awards. Hirving Lozano (MEX) and Alex Morgan (USA) won the 2018 Male and Female Players of the Year, respectively. The annual awards, which began in 2013 and are being presented for the sixth time, recognize
players, coaches and referees at all age levels, who have excelled in Concacaf and FIFA-sanctioned tournaments involving the Confederation’s national teams and clubs. In an equally-weighted vote among national team head coaches, national team captains, experts from the media and millions of fans, Lozano captured the award for the first time, while this is the third straight and fourth overall
for Morgan. Lozano’s year was highlighted by an exceptional performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. While the Mexican striker had previously earned plenty of attention around the region for his play in both World Cup Qualifying and Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, it was in 2018 that the rest of the world met the 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven forward. Morgan led the United States Women’s National Team to a sparkling year, which included a 5W-0D0L record at the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship. The 29-year-old played a major part in her team’s qualification for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, by scoring seven goals and winning the tournament’s Golden Boot.
The winners in all the categories are: Male Player of the Year 1. Hirving Lozano (MEX) - PSV Eindhoven/NED 2. Keylor Navas (CRC) Real Madrid CF/ESP 3. Sebastian Giovinco (ITA) - Toronto FC/CAN Female Player of the Year 1. Alex Morgan (USA) Orlando Pride/USA 2. Khadija Shaw (JAM) University of Tennessee/ USA 3. Lindsey Horan (USA) Portland Thorns FC/USA Male Goalkeeper of the Year 1. Keylor Navas (CRC) Real Madrid CF/ESP 2. Guillermo Ochoa (MEX) - Standard Liège/BEL 3. Cody Laurendi (PUR) Oklahoma City Energy/USA Female Goalkeeper of the Year
1. Alyssa Naeher (USA) Chicago Red Starts/USA 2. Yenith Bailey (PAN) Sporting SM/PAN 3. Stephanie Labbe (CAN) - Linköpings FC/SWE Men’s Football Coach of the Year 1. Matias Almeyda (ARG) - San Jose Earthquakes/USA (Formerly CD Guadalajara/ MEX) 2. Remko Bicentini (CUW) - Curacao National Team 3. Juan Carlos Osorio (COL) - Paraguay National Team (Formerly Mexico National Team) Women’s Football Coach of the Year 1. Hue Menzies (JAM) Jamaica Women’s National Team/Florida Kraze Krush/ USA 2. Jill Ellis (USA) - United States Women’s National Team
3. Monica Vergara (MEX) - Mexico U-17 Women’s National Team Male Referee of the Year 1. Cesar Arturo Ramos (MEX) 2. Mark Geiger (USA) 3. Joel Aguilar (SLV) Female Referee of the Year 1. Lucila Venegas (MEX) 2. Crystal Sobers (TRI) 3. Carol Anne Chenard (CAN) Goal of the Year 1. Joe Corona (MEX) SCCL: Club America (MEX) vs Tauro FC (PAN), 19' 2. Alan Pulido (MEX) SCCL: CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs Toronto FC (CAN), 72' 3. Khadija Shaw (JAM) CWC: Jamaica vs Cuba, 2' Outstanding Performance Award Jamaica Women’s National Team
Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 16, 2019
PAGE 41
Virat Kohli ton helps India beat Australia to level series
Virat Kohli led India’s chase with his 39th ODI century ©Getty Images
Shaun Marsh was particularly strong off the back foot... ©Getty Images
B
BC Sport - India captain Virat Kohli hit 104 off 112 balls to help his side level the three-match oneday series in Australia at 1-1. The hosts had set the tourists 299 to win, with Shaun Marsh scoring 131 off 123 balls. Kohli was the foundation of India’s response but holed out to
Glenn Maxwell off Jhye Richardson to leave his side needing 57 runs off the final 38 balls. MS Dhoni (55) and Dinesh Karthik (25), both unbeaten, saw the tourists home.The deciding match of the series will take place on Friday in Melbourne. Australia’s Marsh hit 11 fours
and three sixes on his way to a seventh ODI century. But the home side were left to rue not setting a higher total after Indian bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami took a combined 4-17 in the last 18 balls.India paced their reply with Kohli at the helm and, despite his dismissal, Dhoni took over to
complete the win. Dhoni, playing in his 334th ODI, was struggling in the Adelaide heat late on but scored an unbeaten 55 from 54 balls, which included two sixes as his only boundaries.“Tonight was an MS classic,” Kohli said. “He takes the game till the end, when only he knows what’s going
on in his mind, and he backs himself to hit those big shots at the end.“And hats off to Dinesh too, he came in and took the pressure off him.” Scores: India 4 for 299 (Kohli 104, Dhoni 55, Maxwell 1-16) beat Australia 9 for 298 (Marsh 131, Maxwell 48, Bhuvneshwar 4-45) by six wickets.
Badri Prasad Memorial T20-Wakenaam
Moses, Zaman lead Sans Souci Jaguars into final
Zameer Zaman
Nokta Moses
A
fine all-round performance by Nokta Moses together with a decent knock at the top of the order by Zameer Zaman handed Sans Souci Jaguars a 39-run win over Good Success in the second semi final of the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 tournament in Wakenaam last Sunday. Sans Souci Jaguars will take on arch-rivals Sans Souci in the final on a date to
be announced. Batting first at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground, Sans Souci Jaguars lost opener Safraz Mohamed lbw to Imran Khan without scoring in the first over before Moses and Zaman repaired the early damage with a second wicket stand of 90. The duo played aggressively as they accumulated runs on both sides of the pitch without
much hiccups. Zaman struck four fours and three sixes before he was caught off Mahase Ramnarine for 48, while Moses, who was also dismissed by teenager Ramnarine, clobbered four fours and three sixes in a top score off 59. Following their departure, Good Success managed to restrict their opponents with some tidy bowling as spinner Bumeshwar Ramkissoon
Bumeshwar Ramkissoon uprooted the stumps of Satrohan Shiwnandan for six and trapped Derwin Daniels lbw for one. Gurnauth Khemraj removed skipper Siddiq Mohmed for six before Ramkissoon collected two more scalps to finish with 4-17 as Sans Souci Jaguars managed 1688. Ramnarine had 2-36. Good Success were off a terrible start as pacer Derwin Daniels bowled Ramnarine without scoring, while
Tulsieram Ramadeen
Charles Benjamin (00) was run out to leave the score at 0-2. Khemraj (01) was then bowled by Vickey Jairam before Imran Khan (02) was caught off Zaman as Good Success slipped into further trouble. However, Tulsieram Ramadeen and Ramkissoon steadied the chase fairly with a fifth wicket partnership of 82. Ramadeen was the aggressor in their union
while Ramkissoon rotated the strike well. The righthanded Ramadeen slammed six fours and two maximums before he was caught off Mohamed for 57, while Ramkissoon was run out for 22. Their dismissals virtually signaled the end of the chase despite Shoaib Namaz belting three fours and a six in scoring 22. Good Success ended on 129-8. Moses claimed 2-31.
rt o p S
Bravo makes Test return, Brooks, Campbell up for debuts
Caribbean Basketball Congress and Elections
Guyanese administrator, Haynes, up for CBC Presidency
Darren Bravo.
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Dr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Julian Moore
Serena Williams of the U.S. in action against Germany’s Tatjana Maria. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
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