Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Unprecedented decay in the Under the law, mistreatment of banking sector in Guyana today animals is a criminal offence DEAR EDITOR; After a relatively calm decade, the Guyanese banking system today suffers incalculably under this government. One of the main drivers of this decay is the now conspicuous lowering of the confidence levels of the private sector in the economic management of the affairs of the State. One way this can be represented is in the rise of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the financial sector. Talk to any rational private sector leader and their general theme is this man does not know what he is doing. I have said before and I am saying it again – Carl Greenidge would have been a much more reassuring pair of hands for Guyana at the Ministry of Finance. The leadership of current budget planners, in my opinion with three successive budgets,
not flow until 2021-2022 at its earliest based on information I saw. Let me put some facts on the table to back up why I believe that there is an unprecedented decay happening in the banking sector. Asset quality is an essential part of sound banking and one of the main indicators of its quality is the ratio of non-performing loans (bad debt) to total loans in the system. As the graph below illustrates, Guyana rate of loans going bad is almost three (3) times higher than the world’s average of 4% of total loan portfolio. What is even worse is that the bad loans have multiplied by some 36% since the Granger administration came to power. In simple language the size of the “bad debt portfolio” is clearly going in the wrong direction.
providing new credit. Because a functional enforcement mechanism at the Bank of Guyana, a high NPL ratio mean all the banks will have to do greater loan provisions, which reduces capital resources available for lending, and dents the profitability of the sector. This will drive an even further slowdown of economic growth, which in the end comes full circle to the ordinary man and woman. The graph above proves this fact by illustrating how bad loans as a percentage of GDP have deteriorated by some 35% under the Granger administration since June 2015. At the end of 2016, I am reliable advised that the bad debt as a percentage of GDP was almost 5%. That immediately creates a real but permanent leakage from the economy. Can we afford this?
has not once but twice proven that it does not have the required expertise that a complex economy needs if you are going to deliver the required policy actions needed to get Guyana back on track. What is “clear as day” is that the people that plan economic policy cannot comprehend the real needs of the people and bring common sense to the economic problems of the nation. What really matters today is not how much bad economic news you can report on in your budget speech, but what concrete actions you are capable of taking to stabilize the economy. In my opinion, economic strategic innovation is clearly not Mr. Jordan’s forte. The mentality of APNU+AFC of taxing a flat economic cake, frustrating the productive sectors and spending recklessly on projects like the Durban Park Parade Ground is clearly an intellectually bankrupt economic strategy. The Coalition’s saving grace is “hoping for oil before 2020”. But that is exactly that – “hope”. Because that oil will
The source of the data in this graph is the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Guyana. NPLs (or bad debt) in the banking sector have moved from 8.3% of all loans in June 2015, at the end of the PPP term, to 11.3% in September 2016. I was reliably advised that at the end of 2016, the rate of bad debt is now some 11.5% of the total loan portfolio. This data clearly consolidates this predictable adverse economic trajectory being piloted by the Coalition. The rise of NPLs (bad debts) is a salient feature of a financial crisis. The concern is that persistently high NPLs lock in sluggishness in the economy. For the banks, delays in debt repayment make obtaining further credit more difficult, which often leads to a second round of debt default and even more bankruptcy in companies, especially small businesses. Any sensible banking leader plagued with a high stock of NPLs is likely to focus on internal consolidation and improving asset quality rather than
Any serious government would have done some strategizing around this issue from day one but it is now “clear as day” that the life of ordinary humans in Guyana has little value to the ruling elite in the Granger government. From their public actions, they have reduced the most complex issues in an entire country into sweeping political generalities. Sasenarine Singh
DEAR EDITOR; Asking questions will help us to do things better. Thank you to Mr Wright (GSPCA inspector) for putting the suffering horse out of his agony last Friday afternoon and for doing it with compassion and courage. Thank you, Kaieteur News for reporting the cruelty. There has been outrage from people who read your article and several individuals have said they are now willing to report abuse and to intervene. I would like to make one correction. In your article, the questions that I asked were attributed to Ms Manbodh. What I indicated to your journalist was that this appalling episode should cause us to ask: (1) Why does the GSPCA not have a system in place to euthanize horses using the more humane method of lethal injection? (2) Why does the GSPCA not have a system in place to give anaesthetic to ease an
animal’s suffering while he is waiting to be euthanized? If the GPSCA is not able to overcome the challenges to set up these systems, then what do we need to do to solve the problem? Questions should not be interpreted as criticism. They are requests for information so that we identify a problem correctly. They are lines of inquiry so that we can do things better. I hope that the answers to these questions will help us to build a kinder and more compassionate society. Under the Summary Jurisdiction Act, illtreating a horse carries a jail sentence of six months and wounding a horse carries a sentence of eighteen months. Let us hope that the police arrest the man responsible for this horse’s suffering and that the court imposes the maximum penalty. Melinda Janki
Is the National Park waiting for an accident to happen? DEAR EDITOR; I am a frequent user of the National Park and there is a difficulty exiting the Car Park onto the eastern bound traffic on Carifesta Avenue which is also very risky due to the heavy traffic on this roadway. When the road was upgraded sometime last year a divide was constructed to facilitate the streetlights. This divide blocked the present exit route from the car park onto the east bound traffic. As such, when vehicles exit the park they have to first drive a short distance west and then attempt a sharp turn east. Even with a small vehicle this manoeuvre is difficult and oftentimes entails a bit of driving forward and reversing until you are able to line up with the eastbound road. With a larger vehicle it is virtually impossible to make this sharp turn at one attempt. Due to the heavy traffic on this road, the exit onto the eastern section of the road can be a very hazardous and hair raising experience. The car park has two gates. For some unknown reason only one gate is utilized. The
unused gate is perfectly lined up with a gap between the streetlight divide and would be the perfect exit route for both eastern and western traffic. It is obvious that the gap in the road divide was designed to facilitate traffic coming out of this second gate. Why it is not used is a mystery? Many months ago l enquired from the security why the gates were not used as clearly intended and he had said that it was going to be implemented “very soon”. Up to now it seems as though “very soon” has not arrived. I am urging the management of the National Park to please commence use of both gates since it will bring immeasurable relief and comfort to persons who drive to the National Park for their recreational activities. It makes no sense having all the infrastructure in place yet forcing undue difficulty upon the patrons. If this one gate continues to be used, an unfortunate accident seems inevitable. Please do not wait for this to happen before changes are made. M. Abraham
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Sherwood Lowe’s recommendation is a poor one DEAREDITOR, I refer to the letter by Sherwood Lowe published in both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News. Mr. Lowe’s recommendation that Guyana should go the route of preproduction oil revenue borrowing is misguided and a poor economic prescription. Resource-based borrowing should not be confused with preproduction oil revenue borrowing for they are fundamental differences between the two – that main difference being timing. Borrowing on pre-production oil revenue ignores the multiple risks facing the realization of such revenues. While preliminary results show that Guyana may realize the commercial production of oil in the future, these signals should not be taken as foregone conclusions. The industry still faces multiple risks in commercializing oil production. Oil companies have not yet ruled out all geological risks that may hinder the extraction process. Concerns about the quality of
oil available, the actual amount of reserves, the scale of production and other market and financial risks still loom largely. Pre-production oil revenue borrowing would essentially be putting Guyana’s economy and Guyanese taxpayers at risk of over-indebtedness and at the mercies of multilateral lending institutions. Going this route could lead to more taxes on families and businesses coupled with harsh financial and economic consequences with the slightest setback in the oil industry. There are policies that are more critical for laying a strong foundation for the oil industry and the economy that the government should prioritize at this stage. These include, Develop industry specific legislation that provides a legal framework for the oil industry. A- Policy reforms such as realigning education and skills training policy and the development of appropriate labour standards to meet the needs of the oil industry. B - Develop appropriate legislation to strengthen the
legal systems to be able to deal with dispute resolution that may arise within the industry in a timely manner. C -The development of an environmental standard specific to the oil industry that ensures environmental preservation without hindering the industry. For example, holding oil companies accountable in the event of spills that can have serious environmental consequences. D -Develop fiscal management, accountability, and oversight mechanisms to ensure oil revenues – whenever realized – are properly managed and directed towards building a strong economic foundation for long-term growth. Such mechanisms include setting up of designated trust funds backed by appropriate legislation and earmarked for specific development purposes with funding from oil revenue. These are common-sense policies that do not require pre-production oil revenue borrowing and are more critical for the operation, commercialization, effective management, and
sustainability of the oil industry as it matures. Ensuring current tax revenues are having meaningful changes to communities in the areas of affordable housing, safe and clean communities, quality and affordable health care, and upgrading the nation’s transportation system are more important priorities at this stage. These are critical public investments with high long-term returns and form the backbone of economic takeoff. It is also important for the government to develop a national economic policy with clear developmental priorities that would utilize oil revenues. Taking on new debt to fund projects in a fragmented and random manner would be a colossal mistake. The identification of projects should be done within a broader economic strategy with specific developmental outcomes. The development of such strategy must include the local governments and civil society participations. More importantly, such strategy must focus on policies that would foster
They have endorsed the illegal excesses of President Jagdeo DEAR EDITOR; The recently held PPP Congress and the subsequent first meeting of that party’s Central Committee are now history – in the process, former President and now Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has emerged as Party Leader and the dominant political force in the party. An examination of the CC election results published by the party shows that the majority of its members voted for Jagdeo. In so doing they have chosen to entrust the party’s future to him because they see him as tried and tested. A PPP insider told me that, “everything that glitters is not gold”. He indicated that during the elections for the position of General Secretary of the party, many of the CC members felt that the best way to deal with Jagdeo is to allow him to hang himself politically. However, Jagdeo’s election as General Secretary of the PPP may represent a
genuine vote of confidence in him and it means that the majority of CC members have endorsed his criminal excesses, corruption and dictatorial governance during the period when he held the office of President of Guyana. Apparently, they have seen his actions during the period of his presidency as being part of their collective endeavors and therefore, there was no need for them to halt his ascendency by breaking ranks with him. For those in the leadership ranks of the PPP uniting around the most ruthless politician and demagogue is paramount at this point in the party’s history. The nation was informed that in electing Jagdeo as the General Secretary the CC was expressing its unwavering belief that with him at the helm the party would be guaranteed victory in the 2020 General and Regional elections. In party politics the choice of leaders is an internal matter,
Jagdeo’s GECOM’s list... From page 4 disposition to act judicially. And for the President to make the determination within the contemplation of our Constitution he must be placed in a position so to do. In effect, if he is to make a fair and balanced choice he must be given in equal number persons possessing the attributes described above and in the present circumstances two persons from each category. In the premises, the list submitted is palpably defective in omitting persons qualified as judges or possessing requisite qualifications to be appointed as such. And it is submitted that the President was correct and principled in characterising the list as unacceptable. Professor Justice Duke Pollard
but in electoral politics the leader is expected to have an appeal beyond the confines of the party. This becomes even more important when that person, whoever he or she may be, aspires to be President of the country. The more acceptable he or she is at the national level enhances the party chances of winning an election. It is doubtful that Jagdeo, given his tainted history, fits this bill. It is true that he won elections while the party was in office, but to do so from the position of the opposition is difficult, since given the changed demographics in the country, the PPP cannot win elections by relying only on Indian votes. In 2015, they lost the General and Regional elections in spite of having the advantages of incumbency. 2020 will demonstrate to them that wining without this advantage will prove to be an impossible task to achieve. At this point in time the PPP party leadership is not prepared to admit to this reality. While many will not agree with me I am of the view that the unity in the Central Committee is not without its contradictions. I believe that in “Freedom House” there are some persons who genuinely want to see the demise of Jadgeo and desire the party to move beyond him. And there are persons within the PPP leadership hierarchy who are aware that victory at the next election is not a done deal. These persons recognize that Jagdeo within the party is too strong politically to be confronted frontally. They are prepared to
bide their time. The suggestion that some CC members have opted to let Jagdeo destroy himself seems to be based on their calculations that in promoting himself as the PPP strong man, he will in the process, create contradictions which will be counterproductive to his political ambitions. It is no secret that the PPP leader is at the top of the Coalition government’s list of corrupt former government officials, and in the context of real politics, it is inconceivable to think that the APNU+AFC government will want to run the high stake risk of going to the 2020 elections without honoring its commitment to take action against corrupt officials. In the context of Guyanese politics the credibility of the government’s anti-corruption fight will rest on how it deals with Mr. Jagdeo. Natural justice requires that the Leader of the Opposition must answer in a court of law for his criminal conduct, and corruption during his time as President. Politically, this will undo the growing myth among party supporters of his invincibility. I wish to conclude by saying that Bharrat Jagdeo has unwittingly, maneuvered himself into a collision with the powers that be, and in doing so he has created a political situation which is more likely to result in his political demise. When this happens the plotters in the CC will prevail and open the party to more realisticpolitics. Tacuma Ogunstye
broad prosperity for all Guyanese and not enrich political elites and the wealthy. While I have reservations about the Dutch disease argument in its totality – a situation where the discovery of a natural resource leads to economic underdevelopment – one can easily recognize why countries which found oil became worse economically instead. Short-sighted government policies that focus on political gains at the detriment of prudent macroeconomic policies are the root cause. Borrowing on pre-production oil revenues is one such shortsighted policy. Adding new debt to Guyanese taxpayers in a premature manner and on revenues that are far from being realized is a recipe for economic failure. Already, recent changes to the tax laws have increased the burden on taxpayers, especially the poor and most vulnerable;
allowing time for economic adjustments to take place and for the full impact of these policies to be realized while laying the foundation for the oil industry and investing in basic public services critical for economic growth are not just good economic policy but also good governance. The coalition government has an opportunity to lay a solid foundation for Guyana’s future. Resisting the temptation of pursuing political gains at the expense of the nation’s economy and the economic future of the Guyanese people is necessary. By making policy choices that are more critical to economic growth and a strong foundation for the oil industry given its adolescence age, the coalition government can achieve both economic and political gains – a win-win approach. Dhanraj Singh
Confrontation between Government and Judiciary looming DEAREDITOR; It seems as if problems are ahead between the government and the opposition, and there might be a confrontation with the government and the judiciary. This of course does not augur well for the future of the country. The latest is that Attorney General Basil Williams, recently elevated to Senior Counsel, is at loggerheads with acting Chancellor Carl Singh. He has made it quite clear that he does not want him to preside at the appeal filed by the government against the decision given by the former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang in which he ruled that Bharrat Jagdeo is eligible to run for a third term as President. The appeal was filed 17 months ago, and Chancellor Singh wants to conclude the matter before he goes into retirement next month. Williams, however, has requested an adjournment, obviously to a date when the Court of Appeal will be reconstituted with a new Chancellor and maybe another new judge. The reason given for the Attorney General’s adjournment is that there is no Solicitor General to argue the appeal. Perhaps I should mention that legal experts feel that there are good grounds to allow the appeal. In any event, the government should not be too bothered about the ruling by the Court of Appeal because unlike in the 1970s, 1980s,1990s and onwards, the decision can be appealed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).During three-and-a-half decades the Guyana Court of Appeal was the final court. It was not until April 2005 with the establishment of the CCJ that decisions of the Appellate Court could be overruled. The learned Attorney General apparently held the view that Chancellor Singh wanted to prolong his stay at the helm by starting new cases, and would need more time to conclude them after his retirement age. It should be pointed out that Chancellor Singh has been acting for more than 12 years without being confirmed in that position. There was a similar situation in Belize seven years ago when Prime Minister Dean Barrow felt that then Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh, wanted to remain on the bench after he reached the retirement age of 65. He asked me as Solicitor General to advise the Chief Justice that the government had no intention of offering him a contract and he should not start new cases and work towards concluding all his part heard matters. According to press reports, the Court of Appeal is proceeding with the appeal and will make a ruling on February 15.There are other problems: Williams has accused the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) of secretly appointing judges, The basis of his accusation is that the JSC has not been advertising for judges. It is understood that the JSC has never done so, but President David Granger strongly feels that vacancies for judges should be advertised. In fact the positions of Chancellor and Chief Justice have just been advertised. Another issue is whether a “fit and proper person” other than a judge can be appointed Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. Mr Jagdeo wants the CCJ to issue a legal opinion on the matter. Oscar Ramjeet
Wednesday January 18, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Directorate to manage oil and gas to be established by first quarter - Trotman A special department to manage the country’s oil and gas sector is to be established in the coming weeks, Government has announced. Yesterday, the Ministry of Natural Resources said that it is working to have a Petroleum Directorate established and functioning within the first quarter of 2017. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, in a Government statement, said that the directorate follows international models which separate policy development from regulation monitoring. “Those are very important because we now need to start preparing and using the opportunity (of) 2017-2020 when we hope to start producing, to put things in place, as many of the things as possible,” Minister Trotman disclosed. Some $200M has been allocated in the 2017 National Budget for petroleum management. The monies are to be used for the rental of a building to house the directorate, procurement of equipment and furnishing. Minister Trotman said that he is hopeful that the acquisition of the building will be completed by the end of this month and that staff could be hired. “We expect by the first quarter of this year we would have had persons hired but the intention is not to have everyone in place immediately,” Trotman said. An initial 14 persons are expected to staff the directorate including a director and deputy director of petroleum, attorneys-atlaw, an economist, local content and corporate social responsibility officer, and two
Guyana is set to establish a special department to handle the oil and gas sector
Minister Raphael Trotman geo-scientists. It has been reported that the administration is looking at the model used by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, an agency responsible for the regulation of the petroleum resources on the Norwegian continental shelf. The directorate is to ensure that the petroleum resources are allocated in an optimal manner at the same time as they incur minimal environmental impact. It is subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. The Norwegian agency was created on July 14, 1972 with the responsibility of managing the petroleum resources. It was originally part of the Ministry of Industry, but became part of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy when it was created in 1978. From January 1, 2004 the division related to labour and safety issues was made a separate agency, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway. That became part of the Ministry of Labour and Social
Inclusion. The move to have a directorate would come almost two years after a major announcement that Guyana has oil in commercial quantities in its offshore
waters. The first discovery was announced in May 2015, the same month that a new Government under President David Granger was sworn in. Since then other wells,
including one recently confirmed, that the find was one of the most significant of its kind in recent years in the region. It will be a game changer for Guyana in terms of its
fortunes. Already, the US-owned ExxonMobil, which found the oil, has announced plans to start production by 2020. A number of training (Continued on page 16)
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
AFC has been an ‘effective’ partner in coalition administration – Ramjattan Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, is of the firm conviction that his party has been an “effective” partner in the coalition administration. He said that this has been demonstrated at almost every level of governance. Pointing to an example to support his position, Ramjattan cited the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), a constitutional office that was in existence for over 20 years. With this in mind, the Minister of Public
Security boasted that his party had a meaningful input. The AFC Leader said that his party played an effective role in ensuring that there was Local Government Elections. Ramjattan noted however that even when there were mistakes, the AFC played a role in providing the best solutions to remedy certain cases. He refrained from being specific in this regard. The Minister said, “Some may feel otherwise and say we aren’t doing well but that is how politics will be. We in
- “We are doing a wonderful job” 2015 won the elections to make decisions to carry the country forward, and everything we have done thus far is in keeping with that mandate. But if you want to set the economy right, then you will get criticisms.” The AFC Leader continued, “In Guyana, doing the wrong thing is the norm and the right thing is abnormal…taxes were not being paid by a lot of people
and we have now set the programmes and projects through the Guyana Revenue Authority to do that….We are doing a wonderful job.” As he reflected on Government’s performance last year, Ramjattan said that a challenging road is ahead. He noted that budget 2017 will set the stage for a brighter future for the nation. Ramjattan said, “We are trying to put the economy on the right track, stabilize it, and introduce the discipline of taxation and other things. What I noticed, and this is my subjective belief, is that 2017 is going to be a very bright year for this country.” “And I want everyone to understand that there is
reasoning behind that because it took some 18 to19 months since we have been in government to do what I regard as a herculean job in getting things right . Getting things right was important for purposes of ensuring that we can continue on the right direction and trajectory.” Through the forensic audits, Ramjattan said that the Government was able to ascertain where the mistakes were made by the past regime and ensure that steps were taken to prevent any reoccurrence. Ramjattan said that mistakes will be made. He sought to remind that the APNU +AFC administration is not a group of angels but humans who will err. “So expect some joy in
AFC Leader and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan 2017; expect challenges and when balanced on the scale of integrity at the end of the year, you will see that we would have done very well,” the AFC Leader concluded.
CSME Training for Guyana’s Secondary School Teachers
Secondary school teachers in Guyana are set to be more knowledgeable about the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This is due to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat’s hosting of a two-day CSME training workshop which commenced yesterday at the Church View International Hotel in Berbice. Approximately 30 teachers were slated to attend the workshop which is funded under the European Union’s 10th European Development Fund CSME and Economic Integration Programme. The official opening ceremony was addressed by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Neville Totaram, and Senior Education Officer, Ms Carol Benn. The objective of the workshop is to train teachers of first to third form students in how to stimulate interest in, and encourage identification of career and skills development based on an understanding of the opportunities offered by the CSME. Education consultant, Dr. Heather Johnson, has been contracted by the
Secretariat to develop and conduct the training session. Coming out of this activity and based on participant feedback, a training module will be finalized and it is anticipated that this will be a tool for teachers in CARICOM Member States. A similar workshop was held successfully in Saint Lucia in December 2016 with approximately 25 secondary school teachers. It is hoped that this intervention will equip the next generation of CARICOM citizens to view the CSME as their preferred choice for employment and entrepreneurial activity. This training workshop is part of a wider public education programme on the CSME as the Secretariat promotes the benefits of a single market and economy among member states. Other activities undertaken under the 10th EDF include a series of private sector and rural community workshops, travel facilitation public sensitization sessions and tertiary student CSME field missions across participating member states. Details of these activities and more may be found at www.csmeonline.org.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Dem boys seh...
Sam wife send him to kill heself When a certain political party in power all dem people does be happily married. When dem have cocktail reception and other functions people does see how dem wives does hold on pun dem husband. Some of dem actually get in trouble because dem go and sit down wid some woman in some club and think dem wife wouldn’t know. De poor fella does feel that he wife really love him. De other day one of dem get a rude awakening. Of course everybody know that he party lose de elections. Right away people notice that he wife was not so loving. All of a sudden when he go out she not holding hands. And if she could avoid going out wid him was another story. De other day de poor man find out just how much ee wife love him. Sam was one of de few honest people suh everybody know that when people talk bout corruption he name wasn’t involved. That is why he go and had to look fuh a job. He get employed as a consultant wid a big company and things was well until he go home crying. When he wife ask him wha happen he tell she how all he friends dead; that there was an accident and dem all dead. De wife hug him. After all, half a loaf better than none. De pension wha Sam was getting wasn’t too bad. De wife tell him, “Darling, is God’s work and I thank Him for keeping you alive. How you get away?” He she he was out de office because he was feeling bad and he belly was rumbling. That is how he been in de toilet in de other building when de office blow up. De wife seh, “Darling, Thank de Man above. What would have happened to us if you did dead? I really sorry fuh dem other families.” That is when Sam tell she that she shouldn’t feel too bad because de company giving all of dem US$10 million. De wife eye open big. De same woman who glad fuh see she husband tun pun him. “You mean fuh tell me that you sick stomach and rumbling belly keep me away from that money? Look you better go and join you friends and dead like dem.” Talk half and never believe that you wife love you more than money.
The rotting pole
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GPL ignoring pleas to remove rotting pole Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara resident, Lilian Bryan, is alarmed at the presence of a rotting electrical pole that is leaning on her fence. Aside from the danger it poses, she is even more concerned that Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has failed to respond to pleas to have the pole removed. She said that the utility pole, which is rotted at the base, began leaning two Saturdays ago. She said that a GPL crew eventually came after she made several calls. But instead of replacing the pole, the GPL workers tied a rope around the pole and attached the other end of the rope to a wooden fence. She said that recent heavy rains have weakened the pole further. She believes that only the presence of her fence is preventing it from falling. The woman’s husband said he contacted a GPL official yesterday, who promised to “look it after.” However, no one came. “The post rotting and just bracing by the fence,” Mrs. Bryan said yesterday. “That is the main post that giving us light. It dangerous.”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN...
Comparing 18 months and 15 years Why would any sane, rational, logically thinking mind find the Granger Government guilty of favouritism, corruption and violent in the exercise of power and not the Jagdeo regime? Could it be that such a mind is indeed irrational? Could it be that such a mind sees Guyanese life through the prism of ethnic solidarity? Or is it such that a mind is so devoid of civilized content and it is made essentially of depraved, immoral nastiness. Which of the three is your choice? I am asking the question so I should give my answer. I don’t believe for a moment, Swami Asksharananda is an indecent person. On the contrary I think he is a fine
gentleman. But during the 2015 election campaign he published newspaper letters in support of the reelection of the PPP. That was the choice he made about who should hold power in Guyana. I doubt anyone would describe Ms. Ryhaan Shah as an indecent woman. Like the Swami, these people are fairly-law abiding citizens whose integrity no one has questioned. Like the Swami, Ms Shah sees Guyana through an ethnic prism. That is the right of any citizen. And many of these citizens prefer to see their own in control of the future of Guyana. There is a school of such people, especially in the diaspora who love Guyana, do not hate other races but
they write in favour of the PPP and they want to see the Granger Government go. They freely express their view in a paper named the Guyana Times, a newspaper given so many concessions by Bharrat Jagdeo that if the Granger Government does the same people probably would take him to court. The fundamental philosophical problem I have with these people is their lack of courage. And because of this trait, they open up themselves to having adjectives with negative connotations thrown at them. Tom Dalgetty comes into the picture. He is a friend of mine a long time now and he knows my wife when she was a little girl. Dalgetty is an Africanrights activist whose views are frameworked in candid theoretical arguments. He published a letter in the press criticizing Walter Rodney for opposing Forbes Burnham
because he thinks that Rodney should not have weakened a Black leader. He uses the word “Black.” You can fight with Dalgetty as long as you like but you have to concede that he describes in honest terms what his politics is, and why he is not an admirer of Walter Rodney. A plausible polemic can emerge because you can debate with Tom questions of race in politics and how successful was Burnham in elevating his own ethnic community. There is a starting point. But for those people who see an 18-month old administration as racist, nepotistic, violent and undemocratic, there is no starting point. Unlike Tom Dalgetty, they are dishonest in their political positions thus denying the kind of polemic we can have with Dalgetty. What explains a citizen accusing an 18-month-old
government of depravities of the worst kind in the face of a rampaging Opposition Leader whose tenure was marked by unspeakable atrocities? The explanation is simple. They do not think the types of people in the Coalition are suited for carving out a purposeful future for Guyana. But they deliberately obfuscate their political philosophy with the banality of propaganda. There is an open market day four times a week between Alexander Street and Bourda Street on Robb Street near to Bourda Market. I go there quite often for my fruits and vegetables; I was there yesterday. I bought starapples and pomegranates from a vendor who, with a huge smile said, “Yuh think deh gun get another five years?” He was referring to APNU+AFC of course. I told him that is very uncertain but the other side is far more terrible and I don’t
Frederick Kissoon want them to come back in to power. His broad smile got broader. He chose not to say another word. There has been a creeping disdain for the new government which has grown into a full-fledged attitude of rejection. My point is where these voices were the past fifteen years. The 15-year-old balance sheet of Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar is simply horrible. What is needed in this country is for there to be a counter-attack to these types of people who see everything wrong with the Coalition Government and are totally oblivious to the horror show Jagdeo and Ramotar left us with. Want to see how crazy these people will become? Let Granger say something critical about the private media, the very media Jagdeo tried to decapitate.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Questions raised over new company that replaces Wartsila There are very little details about a new company that is supposed to manage the Wartsila power engines now that the contract with the previous operator has ended. According to official records at the registry, the Power Producers and Distribution Inc. (PPDI) was formed last month but has two officials-—one director and one secretary. The director is Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Balraj Balram. The Secretary and incorporator is attorney-atlaw Ronald Burch-Smith. On January 1, 2017, PPDI took over the operations of Wartsila, a Finnish company that has been here for two decades and which has, overtime, been maintaining almost 20 engines for the State-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL). Those engines produce a major part of the power that GPL uses along the coastlands. The Coalition government, one year after taking power, last year, announced that it will not renew Wartsila’s maintenance contract. Rather, a private company would be established that would take over the almost 100 employees that Wartsila had. It will also manage the engines. It was the thinking of government and GPL that Wartsila was being paid too much. Wartsila has not altogether left. It has a contract to manage a power production operation at the Skeldon Energy Inc., at the
Permanent Secretary, Balraj Balram
Attorney-at-Law, Ronald Burch-Smith Skeldon estate, East Berbice. Wartsila has also reportedly been retained to supply parts and few other services to GPL and PPDI. There were very little details what PPDI would do as at January 1. Its staffers have not met any representatives from a
board of directors. The management has remained largely the same. As a matter of fact, on paper, there is no evidence that one exists. GPL would be paying hundreds of millions annually to PPDI for the management of the engines. According to official documents filed at the registry, on December 14, attorney-at-law Mark Waldron was engaged in the formation of PPDI, which has its offices at Wight’s Lane, the same offices as the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, where the Permanent Secretary is based. Waldron declared that the company had complied with regulations. The documents said that the company has 100,000 ordinary shares worth $100 each. It was stated that there are “no restrictions of share transfer” and that the company can have no fewer than one director and not more than six. The company was incorporated on December 14. According to legal officials, based on the documents filed in the Registry, it indeed seems a strange “formulation” for what was supposed to be a State-owned company. “The fact that a lawyer is the incorporator and a Permanent Secretary with little or no experience in producing power are the principals and the shares in the control of the lawyer is indeed strange. It needs to be explained,” according to a legal official yesterday. Continued on page 27
PPDI has taken over the duties of Wartsila to manage almost 20 power generating engines.
PAGE 12
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Final witness takes stand in Bartica Massacre trial The Prosecution has called their final witness in the trial of the three persons accused of killing 12 people at Bartica, in February 2008. The witness, Bartica businessman/miner Chunilall
Baboolall, yesterday, testified that he lost a quantity of gold and diamond following the attack at Bartica in February 2008. Three persons, Mark Royden Williams, called
Durant and Smallie; Dennis Williams called Anaconda; and Roger Anthony Simon, called ‘Goat Man’ are on trial before Justice Roxanne George and a mixed 12member jury at the High
Court in Georgetown. According to the witness Sunday, February 17, 2008, the men were among a number of gunmen who attacked the mining community of Bartica, Essequibo, killing 12 residents. Among the deceased were Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks and Constable Ron Osborne; Edwin Gilkes, Abdool Yassin Jr, Deonarine Singh, Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Baldeo Singh, Ashraf Khan, Irving Ferreira and Dexter Adrian. After murdering the police officers, the gang is said to have stolen cash, arms, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station. Using the stolen police vehicle, they drove through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians. They proceeded to CBR Mining, where they stole arms and ammunition, and removed two safes containing cash and gold. After their one-hour rampage, the gunmen departed Bartica by boat. In his evidence to the court, yesterday Baboolall also called ‘Vulture’, recalled that he found his Lot 67 First Avenue, Bartica mining office had been broken into following the attack. The witness said that there was what appeared to be bullet holes in the building and a safe with the minerals had gone missing. Following, Baboolall‘s testimony, State Prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Stacy Goodings told the court that they had closed their case. Defence Counsel, Peter Hugh and Saphier Hussein, are expected to present submissions in the absence of the jury today. The businessman is among 18 witnesses who testified in the trial of the three men. On Monday Police Detective, Suraj Singh, recounted his portion of evidence to the court. He reiterated the statements given by the three men accused of slaughtering 12 persons at Bartica in February 2008. Detective Singh told the court that constable Chester Benjamin pointed out Roger Simon, during an
ACCUSED: Roger Simon
ACCUSED: Dennis Williams
ACCUSED: Mark Royden Williams identification parade, some time after the incident. The witness recalled that Benjamin identified Simon as one of the men, who attacked the Bartica Police Station in February 2008. Singh recalled that Simon responded to the allegations by the saying, “Boss man me ain’t understand. What’s going on?” He said that on April 8,
2008, the accused was cautioned and the allegation of murder was put to him. This time, he related to the court that Simon was told that he was in the company of others who shot and killed 12 persons at Bartica, Essequibo, on February 17, 2008. In response to the allegation, he said that Simon stated, “Boss man I was in the interior working. Me ain’t know nothing about this. Me ain’t know what going on…” Singh said, too, that the suspect (Simon) declined to give a written statement to the police on the matter. He recounted that he therefore made an entry of the man’s oral statement in the station diary. The officer noted that no threats, promises, or inducements were offered to the accused for him to give the statements. The policeman testified to taking the statements from the other two accused persons, Mark Royden Williams and Dennis Williams. Both of whom he recalled gave oral statements on the incident. In relation to Mark Royden Williams, Officer Singh said that after he was picked out by Policeman Carl Methuram, on an identification parade, he was cautioned and the allegation of murder was put to him. The witness noted that Williams had responded by saying is “Saddest (Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins) come and I had to go.” The accused however declined to say anything further. “Me nah mek no more statement man.” The policeman recalled that he cautioned the accused in accordance with the Judge’s rules before he gave the oral statement. He had also asked Williams if he wanted anyone present at the time of the statement but he replied in the negative. Detective Singh said that some time afterwards, the other accused, Dennis Williams, was cautioned and the allegation of murder was put to him in relation to the Bartica incident. The witness said that Dennis Williams told detectives that he was at Bartica but he didn’t kill anyone.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
Fisherman mistakenly buried…
Kaieteur News
DNA to be done on exhumed body Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) as an unidentified body. The following day, Dindyal’s untagged remains were removed from a freezer at the
Surujpaul Dindyal A DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) test has to be done on the remains, believed to be that of 43-year-old Surujpaul Dindyal, whose body was mistakenly buried among those that had to be given poor burial last month. Samples have been taken from the fisherman’s father and preparation is being made to send the samples to Trinidad and Tobago for testing. The test will be done, even as family members of the father of two seem convinced that the decomposed body that was exhumed last Friday from the Good Hope Cemetery is that of their loved one. Kaieteur News understands that the injury on the skeletal remains that is currently at the Lyken Funeral Parlour is consistent to that of an accident victim. “The victim had a broken neck and shoulder and the skeletal remains also got a broken neck and shoulder,” a police source said. Furthermore, the injuries the fisherman sustained, based on police report, include a broken neck and shoulder. A post mortem examination done on the exhumed body revealed that the victim died of multiple injuries as a result of an accident. In an interview, the victim’s sister, Annie Bharrat, explained that although the body is decomposed, there is still flesh on the torso which made it easy for her to identify him by a tattoo he had on his chest,” the woman claimed. “The tattoo is not showing bright but you can see there was a tattoo there and when he was a child, he had a surgery and you can see a part of the stitch,” the woman said. Dindyal’s body was supposed to be exhumed two weeks ago but the heavy rain prevented this from happening. The father of two of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was killed in an accident on December 9, last, at Buxton. He was taken to the
Wednesday January 18, 2017
mortuary and buried at Good Hope cemetery, along with four other bodies believed to be destitutes. Two bodies were reportedly buried in one hole
while three remains were buried in another. It was some two weeks after the accident that the fisherman’s relatives were informed that he had been
killed. Initially, they thought that he had gone to sea but after days passed and he did not make contact with his family, a missing person’s report was
made. It was after a traffic cop saw Dindyal’s photograph on the news, that he contacted the man’s family and Continued on page 15
Wednesday January 18, 2017
PAGE 15
Kaieteur News
Foreign currency shortage a product of declining sectors Former Minister of Housing and Water – now Parliamentary Opposition’s point-person on the economy, Irfaan Ali, is saying that the lack of foreign currency supply in Guyana is as a result of declining sectors that traditionally bring in the exchange. The Parliamentarian told media operatives during a recent press conference at Freedom House, Georgetown, that by examining the latest statistics with regards to the performance of several sectors, the evidence stands out. “You would have noticed that sugar declined by 19 percent, rice would have declined by 14 percent, forestry would have declined by 33 percent and manufacturing would have declined by seven percent. “These are the sectors that primarily bring in most of the foreign currency. So (if) these sectors are on the decline and are declining, then ultimately, there must be an impact in the supply of foreign currency on the market.” Ali said that the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan “cannot argue that supply is
– IRFAAN ALI
Former Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali (left), making a point during the media conference at Freedom House, Georgetown earlier this week in the presence of PPP/C members: Zulfikar Mustapha (centre) and Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall. in fact not drying up when you have such a drastic decline in these sectors that earn foreign currency.” “One would also remember that we had low oil prices 18 months ago so the resources expended by the government to buy oil for
example for GPL (Guyana Power and Light). The GPL would have expended less foreign currency to acquire a barrel of oil that was somewhere around US$37 per barrel and now is approaching US$50- plus per barrel.
So on every barrel of oil you’re using US$20 more. So that is also affecting the supply of foreign currency.” He added that with the exception of gold, all the export sectors are performing poorly. “The demand for foreign
currency remains very strong and the supply of foreign currency remains very weak.” Ali pointed out that due to the absence of the PetroCaribe arrangement, the State is expending more foreign currency which is adding to the supposed shortage. “We also had the situation in the past when we paid for oil under the PetroCaribe arrangement with rice. So we did not suck up our foreign currency to pay for oil. “We paid for oil under that transaction with rice so more foreign currency remained in the country. With the advent of the new administration, we know that PetroCaribe deal has been cancelled and that also would have tremendous impact on the foreign currency.” Ali continued that most of the foreign currency comes from gold and the proceeds from the sale of this resource, directly to the Central Bank and rebutted comments made which suggests that cambios are hoarding foreign currency. The politician said that if
by some extent this is true, the “only factor” is that there is lack of confidence in the economy where there is lack in investment; where there are limited new investments coming in; and as a result, people are holding on to the foreign currency as a “safety net or a safeguard.” The Member of Parliament (MP) said that despite these concerns, the opposition is yet to see statements from the Bankers Association amongst other stakeholders and questioned the reason for this. “There has been a lot of official talk; there is a lot of complaint; I think we have to get statements from the Bankers Association from the Private Sector on this matter, it is a serious matter and has severe implications for the economy.” Less than a week ago, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) told Kaieteur News that is was concerned that local banks are making claims that there is a shortage of foreign currency even though the Central Bank insists otherwise. As a result, the entity was scheduled to meet with the Banking Association to ascertain who is really telling the truth. Efforts to get a comment from the President of the GCCI, Vishnu Doerga yesterday, were futile.
DNA to be done on... From page 14 informed them of the accident. On December 21, last, the dead man’s family along with the police went to the hospital mortuary but could not have located the body. They searched the other mortuaries around the city but still could not locate the remains. It was on December 28, last when they returned to GPHC that they were informed that the body was mistakenly handed over to the undertakers who buried the bodies of the less fortunate on December 10, a day after the fisherman’s body was taken there.
PAGE 16
Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Guyana, British Columbia National Assemblies sign partnership agreement A Partnership Agreement was yesterday signed between the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia - Canada’s westernmost province. It is aimed at fostering the development of interparliamentary cooperation between the two entities. The agreement will serve to improve understanding in the functions of both institutions, particularly in the fields of legislation, culture, economics, health, science and technology, and generally reinforce greater friendship, goodwill and mutual understanding of traditions, customs, procedures and practices of each House. Signing the agreement on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, was the Speaker, Linda Reid, who arrived in Guyana on Monday. She was accompanied by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia; and Rob Sutherland, Director of the Hansard Department of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The signing took place in the Committee Room Two of the Parliament Office, Public Building Georgetown. Under the terms of this Agreement, the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia will actively work towards developing the professional relationships between the two Assemblies through: an exchange of information regarding the work of the two Assemblies on matters of common interest; professional development activities between the Assemblies;
exchange of visits between the two Assemblies as a means of fostering links between parliamentarians and parliamentary staff; and, meetings between representatives of the Assemblies at conferences or seminars they may attend. A release from the Guyana Parliament stated, yesterday, that based on the historical friendship between British Columbia and Commonwealth legislatures and on the goodwill of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana to strengthen this relationship, these two legislatures agree to subscribe to a Partnership Agreement intended to serve the best interest of Members of both Legislatures. This Partnership Agreement shall comprise two sections – British Columbia and Guyana – with the Speakers, Deputy Speakers and other Presiding Officers of the respective Legislatures or their designates and the Clerks or their designates as Members of the Partnership. The Speakers from both Assemblies shall be the Presidents of their respective sections and chair the meetings or designate another presiding officer from their Assembly to do so. In addition, the partnership members shall meet from time to time on a date and at a location agreed to by both Speakers or their designates and an agenda for such purpose shall be prepared. The costs of such meetings would be shared to the extent that each jurisdiction has the resources to do so. Where this is not possible, each Group will seek funding from a donor agency, the release stated.
Directorate to manage... (From page 7) sessions have started and approval has been granted for the construction of an on-shore facility at Berbice. Meanwhile, the government is also developing legislation to govern the emerging oil and gas sector. “Legislation is already in circulation for a petroleum regulatory commission,” Trotman said yesterday. The government has also been updating and drafting policies and legislation that will govern the new sector. These include Oil and Gas Policy; Revised Petroleum Act and Regulations; Local Content Policy and Regulations; Petroleum Commission Bill; Petroleum Taxation and Fiscal Legislation; Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Regulations and a bill to provide for Sovereign Wealth/ Generational Savings, Stabilization, Infrastructural, Social Welfare and Citizens Participation Fund. It is estimated that the ExxonMobil concessions have the potential of up to 1.4B barrels of oil, worth over US$70B at today’s world prices.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
PAGE 25
Kaieteur News
Convicted killer jailed for stabbing prisoner Calvin Bailey, a convicted killer, who is currently serving a 15-year jail term for manslaughter was yesterday, jailed again, for two years after he was found guilty of unlawfully wounding Dwain King, an inmate at the Georgetown Prison. In mitigation, Bailey told the court, “To be honest to this court I did not inflict the injuries on Dwain King. Madam I respect the court and please be lenient with me.” The two-year jail sentence will run consecutively with the 15 years. According to reports, Bailey, formerly of Linden, stabbed King twice with an improvised knife during a clash at the Georgetown Prison. Prison source said that Bailey had alleged King, a prison orderly convicted for narcotics, had been in contact with Bailey’s girlfriend. On November 8, 2016 Bailey appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, yesterday Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan
CONVICTED: Calvin Bailey
JAILED: Dwain King
said that after reviewing the evidence in its entirety, what transpired at the prison on the day of the wounding (November 6, 2016) was crystal clear. She said that she disbelieved when the Bailey told the court that other inmates inflicted the injuries on King. Bailey was charged in April 2007, for the murder of his 18-month-old son Shaquan Nero, which occurred during an altercation with the child’s mother, Bernadette Nero. He was freed in March
2016 by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry after a third hung jury trial. In September, last year, King formerly of Lot 165 Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara was jailed for 60 months and fined $30,000 by Magistrate Latchman after she found him guilty of trafficking 2.9 kilogrammes of cocaine on November 20, 2015 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. During Bailey’s trial, Chief Prison Officer Abeie De Cunha told the court that he was on duty on the day in
NIS robbery suspects still on the run The special constable, who was placed under close arrest for a robbery committed on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) around 02:30 hrs on Thursday, has been released while the cops hunt for the six suspects. Acting Divisional Commander, Leslie James, could not be reached for a comment yesterday; a source who is familiar with the investigation said that the constable was released
because his 72 hours in custody had expired. Kaieteur News was informed that the police are interrogating staff members at the facility since they believe that the robbery was an inside job. The armed bandits escaped with $6 million in cash after they torched a safe in the NIS building. They made their way into the premises by cutting the chain-link fence at the back, after which they attacked the two guards, including the
special constable rank on duty. The men then disconnected the alarm system as well as the telephone lines, before breaking into the building by kicking down the door. Shortly after the robbery, the two guards, a supervisor and a junior employee of the NIS were detained but were released on the same day with the exception of the special constable. Investigations are ongoing.
$50M Youth programme to be launched soon Government will soon launch a $50M youth programme that is seeking to attract the country’s brightest and best minds. The Youth Initiative Programme (YIP) will be a collaborative effort between government and a number of agencies across the country. It is expected to come on stream by the end of March. The programme has two components an in-school aspect that caters for children from primary to Secondary school and for young adults at the tertiary level. The inschool component of this programme expects pupils to develop innovative ideas with the support of their schools. Addressing the issue was Minister within the Ministry
of Education Culture Youth and Sports, Nicolette Henry. She explained that in keeping with the administration’s drive towards a ‘green’ economy projects will have to encapsulate this. To this end science, technology, arts and mathematics are some of the areas that are encouraged. Henry said that Government will soon be putting out a call for proposals and successful applicants will have their projects fully funded under the YIP. In addition those whose projects are selected will be summoned and will be involved in a period of information sharing and capacity building. To ensure that youths are properly guided and advised during the execution of their
projects, they will be placed at a company or organization that engages in work that aligns with their projects. In addition, there will be monitoring and evaluation to ensure projects are properly executed and that funds are well spent and value for money is being achieved. Henry said that government is making a concerted effort to arrest and address the plethora of problems that continues to plague this specific group. Of the $50M that was set aside for this programme (YIP) it is mandatory, the Minister says, that no less than 90 percent of that funding be spent on that programme. The programme is expected to be launched at the Pegasus Hotel by March month end.
question, when he received a report about an incident in the ‘New Wing’ Division. De Cunha said he was told by a duty officer that Bailey allegedly assaulted King. The Chief Prisoner Officer said that Prison Officer Williams escorted King to the ‘Front Gate Area’, where he observed injuries about his body. “I observed a wound on his (King) upper left chest and a wound on his upper right arm. At that time he was bleeding and I instructed Prison Officer Williams to take him to the Georgetown Hospital.”
De Cunha related that the improvised knife was handed over to him by Prison Officer Williams. In describing the weapon, the witness said that it was a length of metal painted red on one side. The other side, he said, was “rusty”. The matter was reported to the Alberttown Police Station and De Cunha handed over the improvised knife to Detective Sergeant Gilbert Ross. Sergeant Ross testified that he visited the Georgetown Prison on November 7, and made contact with Bailey, King and Colin Smartt, who are also
inmates at the prison. The police witness said that he put an allegation to Bailey and he denied wounding King and also declined to give a statement. Sergeant Ross recalled visiting the scene of the crime at the ‘New Wing’ Division of the prison, where he observed what appeared to be blood on the floor. The witness related that he lodged the knife with the Subordinate officer in charge of the Alberttown Police Station and later collected the medical in favour of King from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
PAGE 26
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana p assport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535.
Exquisite Beauty works have hair and nail or barber station available for rent. Call: 6927307/ 226-6352
INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. LANDSCAPING: We design, supply and implement residential and commercial indoor & outdoor landscaping. Call: 648-1821 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 Hello the doctor is back! Have your gas stove service and repair. Call: 601-0595 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 B U D H R A M ’ S LANDSCAPING SERVICES: FREE ADVICE, FREE DESIGN. CALL: 656-1326 A&T TRAVEL AGENCY INC: TICKETS GOING VERY CHEAP!! OFFICE IN USA. CALL: 223-1332/ 6137542/+1-347-617-7582/ EMAIL:OMKARLILIAH@ GMAIL.COM Guytec Repairs Services & Spares to washing machines, pressure washer, dryer, st o v e s , r e f r i g e r a t o r, treadmill, vacuum, etc – Call: 680-2377 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822 Repairs and services all types of domestic, commercial and industrial A/ C, washers, dryers etc. Call: 675-4959 JADESCO: offering architectural designs, 3D modeling and building estimates and quotations. Call: 612-0468/ 649-3059
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Register Now! Cosmetology, Nails & Wig designs courses, classes commence February 20th 2017. Call: 6182417 The new creation of hair salon (Duncan St) is offering cosmetology & nail arts courses. Call: 270-5074/616-6221
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Toyota Allion PVV series: TV Camera, HID, lights, alarm & remote start $2.2M negotiable Call: 649-0956 Leyland DAF 65 (sand truck). Call: 623-3895 Oswin J’s Auto Imports: New Arrivals: Premio, Allion, Fielder, Axio, Rush, X-Trail. Free full coverage insurance. Call: 609-2815
Riverside property, Roeden-Rust, East Bank Essequibo, 3 Miles from Parika. Call: 266-2217/6945109 Eccles New Housing Scheme property for sale by owner. Call: 618-2603 2 Storey house & land at UG area, East Coast Demerara. Call: 657-4349 2 Storey house 35X45 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained @ 5th Avenue Diamond, H/ Scheme. Call: 677-0583/6645052 1-2 Story building: top flat4 bedrooms, 1 self contained, air-conditioned, 2 apartment bottom flat, 2 bedrooms each apartment. Call: 645-9157 Aubrey Barker Road, triple lot -$27M, campbellville, DaSilva Street, Diamond Bungalow 12.5M, East$11.5M. Call GME Realty: 231-2199/ 618-7483 Land 50X120, building 70X22, Friendship Public Road, E.B.D. Call/ Whatsapp: 661-8802 1 Front building & a 2 storey building on 1 (lot) 180 Charlotte Street Bourda W30XL120 - $55M negotiable. Call: 624-7341/ 227-6817/226-5183 3068 Amelia’s Ward: house for sale, double lot will be showing on Sunday January 22, 2017 @ 1pm. Call: 6404731/ 641-6450
One Nissan Duke, lady driven, immaculate condition, PTT series, low mileage. Call: 653-0018/ 6667748, price negotiable serious enquires. Long bass Mitsubishi Canter -$2M, Honda Fit -$850,000, new model Raum -$2M, Audi Car $2M. Call: 604-6724 Nissan Bluebird 2011 model -$2.7M, Toyota Rush 2006 model -$2.8M. (unregistered vehicles) Call:655-3400 Tractor (foreign used) Massey Ferguson -165 $1.7M, MF-135 - $1.2M, MF265 -$2.2M, 165 Loader tractor -$2.4M. Call: 6825230/ 628-9596 2005 Tacoma from Canada bull bar -$2.4M, Ford F150 sport -$1.5M, Ranger sport $1.4M. Call: 682-5230/ 6289596 1 Titan, reasonable cash offer will not be turned down. Call: 623-8737
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231 PALMS: Any variety, all sizes, we deliver and plant anywhere. Call: 643-7193
Private custom house broker certificate training course; January 30 2017. Register now & save. Call: 694-8322 or 671-9603 Classes for slow learners in Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, and much more for children all ages. Call: 675-4379 Now Registering! 9 Courses Diploma in computers $40,000, Computerize Accounting, Graphics Programs @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-en-Hoop. Call: 2643057 Visa Processing Centre: All visitors and students Visas @ Cybertron, Parika. Call: 260-4850
VACANCY 1 Female Shop attendant to Popular East Coast Gas work in the Interior. Calll: 678- Station (Non-Pareil) Day/ 0565 Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. 1 Male or female to look after Contact: 695-9880/684-4197 layer birds in the Interior. Call: 678-0565 Office clerk age 18-25, security guards, care taker to Bahier to cook in the interior. work in Atlantic Garden, E.C.DCall: 678-0565 Call: 638-5303/227-7380 1 Porter to work on vehicle in the Interior. Call: 678-0565
01 Leyland DAF55 Truck, excellent condition, no dump. Call Reaz: 675-4287/ 661-7186
Experienced cleaners, waiters and counter servers. Apply with written application, Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St. (Day Shift only).
Honda S2000 Convertible$3.2M, Audi A4-$3.6M, 318i BMW-$2.6M, Toyota IST-$2M. Contact#650-0402/260-4988
Wanted land to buy: Uitvlugt, Tuschen, Zeelugt & La Parfaite Harmonie. Call: 6579594
1 Two storey building @ Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, New Scheme. Call: 628-4436
Male & female factory workers from age 18 and older with working experience. Call: 223-0090
Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras – Tel: 621-4740/686-3500
2 Waitresses age 18-25yrs, 1 cook & 1 bartender in Grove. Call: 678-2295
1 Stembow boat & engine (Yamaha 200HP) with Power Steering kit $1.6M Call 6585299/638-7748 Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999 Elevator, very good condition, price negotiable. Call: 231-1284 Combines 7300 John Deere (2000 hours), Fiatagri L413 (2500 hours), Laverda 132 & Tractors: Massey 399, Fiat 110/90, Ford 6610-Call: 6859878; 338-4354 1 Big music set, owner migrating. Call: 690-5225
EDUCATIONAL
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Cool Tech Solution: for sale 245 tons chill water system, use to supply chill water work as a A/C – Call: 675-4959/ 2332008 Wholesale: Foxtail Palm Plant -$300.00, Foxtail Palm Seed $200.00. Call: 638-8858 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578 WANTED The Boardroom: one experienced cashier to work evening shift. Call Kareshma: 680-9091/ Sasha: 652-6533 EDUCATIONAL Visa Processing Centre: all visitors and students visa for USA & Canada. MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057
To work weekends: female bartenders, attractive waitresses, cooks needed at Eden’s Bar (East Bank). Call: 678-3616 2 Seamstress need at Lot 5 & 6 Supply Village, E.B.D. Call: 670-8182 Sales girl to work on a stand in the New Amsterdam area. Call 604 -9596 or 646- 9087 One Receptionist. Apply in person with application to Agriparts, 202 Mandela Avenue,AlexanderVillageG/Town. One experienced sand truck driver preferably from E.B.D. Must be honest- Call: 2653024/609-0766 1 Female cleaner for office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745 1 live in waitress with secondary education, starts at $70,000 monthly, boarding and lodging free. Call: 6103974 One live in domestic to work in Mahaicony River. Call: 655-9419/ 644-6905
Receptionist, Security Guard, Room Attendant. Apply to 233 South Road – Tel: 2250198 1 General Domestic Monday-Saturday, must be able to prepare vegetarian dishes, apply at Alabama Trading. 1 Senior Accounts Clerk. Interesting person apply to Alabama Trading, Ferry Stelling. Female kitchen assistant and male assistant to grill meats and vegetable, weekend included. Call: 656-9313/6752550/684-7526 Accounts/office assistant CXC Accounts. Email CV to laltag@yahoo.com or whatsapp: 680-3863 Office clerk with 5yrs experienced 5 CXC subjects. Apply in person @ Universal Machine, 161 Charlotte Street. Call: 225-2093 Sales Representative to sell juices, applicants must have experienced. Apply to Mc Doom C.I.D.I, E.B.D- Call: 233-0910 1 - Secretary & office clerk, must have maths,english and accounts. Contact # 650-0402 \ 260-4124. The #1 Plant Shop, sale staff and general maintenance and sales persons 20-30yrs. Call: 643-7193 Experienced bartenders and cleaners. Call: 225-8572, between 7am-9pm Driver/Salesman, lorry licence, residing on East Bank Demerara. 266 4427
Workers for land dredge. Call: 683-7178 Senior Mechanic & Driver. Call: 227-1717 Need immediately dry cow mold 400 bags, preferably from Berbice Area. Call: 6437193 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15-4:15 One welder with knowledge of gas welding @ 21 Broad Street, Charlestown. Call: 643-9125/ 223-5595
TOURS Need a weekend getaway? Pay just $36000 for a return trip to Suriname. February 2326, 2017. Contact: 600-5509/ 268-2507 FOR HIRE Chauffeur Driven Wedding cars for hire, personal service in Berbice. Call: 604 9596 Or 646 9087 Continue on page 27
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Father of 4, man caught ‘cutting up weed’ jailed ...on separate narcotic charges
JAILED: Haslyn Thom Two men, one of whom was busted at the airport with cocaine in false walls of his suitcase, and another man, who was caught in his house by police ranks ‘cutting up weed’ (marijuana) were each jailed for three years on separate narcotics charges. They were also ordered to pay fines when they appeared, yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Haslyn Thom, 46, of Lot 4 Vlissengen Road, Ruimveldt
and Louis Byass, 40, of Lot 376 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and Magistrate Leron Daly respectively. Thom pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on January 14, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) he had 1.544 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Byass was found guilty of having 105 grams of marijuana in his possession on November 26, 2016 at East Ruimveldt. He was convicted by Magistrate Leron Daly at the conclusion of a trial. In relation to Thom, Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford told the court that on the day in question; Thom was an outgoing passenger at the CJIA. Prosecutor Sandiford said that Thom was destined for JFK, New York via a Dynamic Airways flight. The prosecutor said that the man Continued on page 30
Sophia and Turkeyen residents... (From page 18) Apostle Alex Selorm commented that he and his congregation are very grateful for the gift of Bibles among other things donated by HFTNF which he said is a very valuable contribution. Community Development Chairman, in Liliendaal, Mr. Clayton Hinds, expressed his gratitude for the assistance given by HFTNF and praised Apostle Pereira for showing great interest in satisfying the needs of the people of various communities. Overall the venture was a great success and the residents of the Sophia/Turkeyen areas remain very grateful for the items received.
Miners, Govt. agree on... (From page 23) tremendous concern of the two per cent off the top charge on gross. Under the new regime this tax will remain but miners will be required to do their taxes to pay income tax. Miners had said that a lot of the records which will be acceptable by the GRA are not easily attainable and, in some cases, impossible to get in the ‘bush’. It was explained that when a miner hires an excavator operator to dig a pit or asks someone to drive a truck, those individuals would not have documentation readily available to record payments. This is further amplified since most miners are at their camps for months.
Questions raised over... From page 11 “If this was supposed to be a State-owned company, why has there been a delay in the issuance of the shares of the company? There are some questions to be answered.” GPL has been facing a spate of blackouts within the last six months with the company denying it has to do with generation capacity. Rather, the problems have to do with the aging transmission and distribution infrastructure. GPL has been under pressure to reduce its technical and commercial losses with almost a third of its power being lost to theft and hardware efficiency problems. GPL has been spending at least US$70M annually, at current prices, to buy fuel for its engines. Wartsila’s operations in Guyana were the largest for the Finnish company in the region. They were brought here in the 90s by former President Cheddi Jagan with one plant built at Garden of Eden. Several more power plants have been built since then.
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Kaieteur News
BABITA SARJOU MURDER PI…
Police witness testifies to videoing crime scene
MURDERED: Babita Sarjou
MURDER ACCUSED: Sharnandand Naraine
Police Lance Corporal, Orlan Alleyne, recalled that he took video footage and audio recording of a crime scene at Lot 52 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, where the skeletal remains of Babita Sarjou were recovered from a shallow grave, last year May. Lance Corporal Alleyne was at the time giving testimony when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the matter continued yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Lance Corporal Alleyne is a Crime Technician who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, Georgetown. He is attached to the Crime Laboratory. It is alleged that Sarjou’s ex-spouse, Sharnandand Naraine, called ‘Anand’ of Lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, and Darrel Ponton called ‘Yankee’ of Lot 54 Broad Street, Charlestown, killed Sarjou. They are currently on remand for the indictable offence. The video footage which was transferred from a memory stick onto a compact disc via a computer was tendered in court yesterday along with a post mortem report in favour of Sarjou and phone records in relation to three GTT cell phone numbers. The post mortem examination was conducted by government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh.
MURDER ACCUSED: Darrel Ponton
Also testifying yesterday was Police Corporal Germaine Laundry. Corporal Laundry is stationed at CID Headquarters but is attached to the Major Crimes Investigations Unit (MCIU). After recording minutes, the Chief Magistrate adjourned the PI for today, when Police Inspector Suraj Singh will take the stand. Seventeen other witnesses are still to testify. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum and his team of detectives were able to crack the case on May 22, 2016 after they spent over five hours digging up a site at Naraine’s home. After digging the site, detectives recovered skeletal remains; they suspect are those of the woman. However to confirm, police sent DNA samples overseas for testing. The results proved that those were the remains of Sarjou. According to reports, Sarjou had left her home to go with Naraine to the Diwali motorcade on the eve of November 4, 2010. He reportedly picked her up in his car and while she was sitting in the front passenger seat she was strangled by Pronton who was reportedly seated at the back of the car. Sarjou’s lifeless body was allegedly transported to Naraine’s house he resided with his wife and children. Reports had indicated that Naraine had dug her grave two days before she was killed.
From page 26
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Two bedrooms apartment to rent @ Better Hope, E.C.D – Call: 617-3001 Two bedrooms apartment located @ little Diamond Public Road for more info and rental cost call: 679-3213 One bedroom apartment suitable for couple or single person -$35,000 monthly. Light, water and garbage included. Call: 638-8858 Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993
TO LET Top flat: 2 bedrooms apartment, Phoenix Park, W.B.D. Call Jennifer: 6782570/ Thandeka: 603-0067
LAND FOR SALE
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807
Uitvlugt -$2.3M, Zeelugt $1.7M, Tuschen -$1.6M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.4M – Call: 642-1252 Land @ La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.2M, $1.4M, $1.6M, Uitvlugt- $2M, Tuschen School Street -$3M, Providence -$5M, Eccles $5M. Call: 604-6724 15 Acres transported land @ Upper Demerara River next to Kaumudi Creek opposite Timehri Docks. Call R. Mithu: 222-4708
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122, EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Land @ Soesdyke, 6 lots measuring 135’X175’ -$24M negotiable. Call: 627-3334/ 696-8935, email:fcranmore@ guyanavoice.com
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494
Eccles New Scheme (semiconcrete fenced) -$5M, Herstelling-$2.5M, Uitvlugt $2.5M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.6M. Call: 658-5897/ 6511969
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Discrepancies found at Region Six drug bond during surprise minister’s visit
The New Amsterdam Drug Bond Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, and Director of Regional Health Services, Dr. Kay Shako, made an unscheduled visit to the New Amsterdam Drug Bond to carry out investigations into reports of persistent drug shortages within the region. These investigations were prompted by several letters in the press and complaints that have been brought to the Ministry of Public Health indicating that inadequate supplies of drugs were being delivered to health facilities throughout Region Six. According to a Government release, during the recent visit, Minister Cummings found that a recent supply of drugs had been delivered to some facilities, but despite that there were still shortages. “In terms of our drugs, you know that is a big issue. We have made the news many times so we want to address that. So all in all we want to ensure that as we deliver services in the region we are delivering health services more or less to the people and we would like that to be improved,” Minister
Cummings said. The minister pointed out that there is currently an ongoing audit of the Materials Management Unit (MMU) and all other health facilities and drug bonds to ascertain the precise cause of countrywide drugs shortages and to have this issue addressed. Combined Issued and Received Vouchers (CRIVS) that were sent to the MMU reflects significant dissimilarities in the amount of drugs and medical supplies requested, issued and delivered. This has pointed to mismanagement and negligence of the persons involved in the processes of procuring, checking off and delivery of stocks. For example, Health Services Director, Region Six, Jevaughn Stevens, said that the region would request a certain amount of drugs but the MMU delivers short supplies without an explanation. “We had some challenges in 2016 and we’re still having challenges with the MMU. On many occasions, critical items come back NIL from MMU. “Even for last year, we budgeted $385M to purchase drugs and medical supplies;
we would have sent back $320M to the ministry at the beginning of the year so as to pay MMU and send the regular supply of drugs. So we kept in the region $60M to assist in emergency purchases and also oxygen.” The Minister and the RHS director also questioned if drugs issued to the region are verified before MMU personnel. This was recognised as one of the major areas of discrepancies in the drug delivery process. When the MMU issues drugs and medical supplies, these should be checked off and verified before delivery to the various regions, and checked again before delivering to the various health facilities. Minister Cummings added: “There are some discrepancies in terms of the distribution of drugs as it leaves the warehouse… that’s Materials Management Unit in Diamond. We have realised that we need to give taxpayers value for their money and so we have decided to come and check out the discrepancies. “We have found that some of the drugs that were ordered.. sometimes are different from what is issued
and what has been received so we have made note of that and we are going to follow it up.” However, there were some positives that pleased the minister- the information that funds are not an issue for purchasing drugs and medical supplies and that the CRIVS sent to the MMU are efficiently completed which contributes to a faster processing time of these requisitions. Pharmacist at the New Amsterdam Drug Bond, Gregory Cere s , n o t e d : “ We have prepared an analysis report of a recent CRIV that we would have received from MMU. We are hoping that she (Minister) takes that report and verify it with MMU and once that
report is verified. I think Minister will have the necessary information she needs to make the right decision so that drug management and drug distribution can, not only be improved in Region Six but across Guyana.” The regional audits that are ongoing are expected to provide the Ministers of Public Health with the necessary information needed to decide on the way forward towards correcting all loopholes within the drug procurement, management and distribution system. “Additionally, the minister visited the Region Health Institute, which is the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital and was pleased to be informed that the number of persons seeking medical
(Reuters) - Britain will quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday in a decisive speech that set a course for a clean break with the world’s largest trading bloc. Setting out a vision that could determine Britain’s future for generations and the shape of the EU itself, May answered criticism that she has been coy about her strategy with a 12-point plan for what has been dubbed a “hard Brexit”. May promised to seek the greatest possible access to European markets but said Britain would aim to establish its own free trade deals with countries far beyond Europe, and impose limits on immigration from the continent. For the first time, she acknowledged that those measures would require withdrawing from the market of
500 million people, founded on principles of free movement of goods and people. “I want to be clear: what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,” said May, who became prime minister in the turmoil after Britain voted in June to leave the EU. “Instead, we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement.” The media had been briefed on some of the points in May’s speech since Sunday, and the expectation she would signal a hard Brexit had caused the pound to fall on currency markets from the start of this week. Markets rallied during the speech itself, however, especially when she announced that parliament would be given a vote on the final terms of Britain’s exit, seen as a steadying influence. Sterling
rose 2.9 percent against the dollar on the day, the biggest rally in a single day since at least 1998. “WHERE IS THE GIVE?” The Brexit talks are expected to be one of the most complicated negotiations in post-World War Two European history, and the view in Brussels is that her goal of wrapping up a trade deal in two years is ambitious. There was a lukewarm reception to May’s speech from some political leaders in EU countries, highlighting the arduous task ahead. “Where is the give for all the take?” asked the Czech Republic’s secretary of state for EU affairs, Tomas Prouza, on Twitter, while EU Council President Donald Tusk lamented what he called a “sad process, surrealistic times”. However, Germany’s foreign and economy ministers were among many who wel-
comed the greater clarity provided by the speech after months of guesswork on the continent as to Britain’s intentions. May’s task will be further complicated by dissent within the United Kingdom, notably in Scotland, where a majority voted to remain in the EU. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has raised the prospect of a new referendum on independence from Britain, which Scottish voters rejected in 2014. “The UK government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards ... without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future,” said Sturgeon after May’s speech. May campaigned to remain in the EU before last June’s vote, but since taking
over from David Cameron, who quit following his referendum defeat, she has backed the decision to leave. She said in her speech she would not adopt models used by other countries that have free trade agreements with the EU. Norway, for example, is outside the bloc but a member of the wider European Economic Area, giving it access to the single market while subjecting it to many EU rules. May said her negotiating priorities included limiting immigration, leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and ending full membership of the customs union that sets external tariffs for goods imported into the bloc. Full membership of the customs union prevented Britain making its own trade deals, May said, but she still wanted a deal to keep trade
Minister within the ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings examines a copy of a Combined Issued and Received Voucher (CRIV) shown to her by Drug Bond Pharmacist, Gregory Ceres, for drugs and medical supplies requisitioned. care at the facility was increased in 2016. Minister Cummings attributes this to the fact that persons are having much more confidence in the public health system.” Drug procurement in recent years has been a major problem with massive fraud found in the process. There have been accusations of collusion with contractors with a recent inquiry implicating the current Permanent Secretary, Trevor Thomas. The report recommended sweeping changes at the Ministry of Public Health. At least $5B is being spent annually to purchase pharmaceuticals and other related supplies for the state-run hospitals and health centres.
Britain to leave EU market as May sets ‘hard Brexit’ course
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool with Europe as “frictionless as possible”.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 29
5 companies submit $$M bids for the repairs of culverts on the seawall The National Procurement and Tender Administrative Board (NPTAB), yesterday, opened a number of tenders for rehabilitation and construction works, at Ministry of Finance, Main Street, Georgetown. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was listed as the procuring entity for the repairs to culverts at Vlissengen Road and Carifesta Avenue. The bids are as follows. The engineer’s estimate for the project is $142.7M.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was also the procuring entity for a number of constructions of sea and river defences structures within Regions Two to Six. The projects amounted to sixteen lots which are as follows. Lot 1: Construction of Rip Rap River defences at Elizabeth Ann, Leguan Island Region Three. The engineer’s estimate is $83.3M.
Lot 2: Construction of Rip Rap River Sea Defences at Better Hope/Andrews, Essequibo Coast, Region Two – Phase One. The engineer’s estimate is $73.1M.
Lot 6: Construction of Rip Rap River defence Melville/San Souci, Wakenaam Island Region Three- phase one. The engineer’s estimate is $55.3M.
Lot 7: Construction of Rip Rrap river sea defence at Zeelandia, Wakenaam Region Three. The engineer’s estimate is $37.1M.
Lot 8: Construction of Rip Rap river defences at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three – phase one. The engineer’s estimate is $53.5M.
Lot 3: Upgrading of sea defence along Cane Garden, Leguan Island Region Three. The engineer’s estimate is $35.3M.
Lot 4: Construction of Rip Rap River defences at Domburg, Wakenaam Island Region Three – Phase Two. The engineer’s estimate is $53.2M. Lot 9: Construction of Rip Rap River Sea defences at Ruimzigt, West Coast Demerara, Region Three – phase three. The engineer’s estimate is $89.5M.
Lot 5: Construction of Rip Rap defence at Maria Johanna, Wakenaam Island Region Three –phase two. The engineer’s estimate is $28.7M.
Lot 10: Construction of Rip Rap Sea defences at Waller’s Delight/Harlem, West Coast Demerara Region Three – phase three. The engineer’s estimate is $88.4M. >>> Continued on page 30 <<<
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
5 companies submit $$M bids for the repairs of culverts on... >>> From page 29 <<<
Lot 16: Construction of river defence structure at Crabwood Creek, Berbice Region Six. The engineer’s estimate is $22.8M.
Lot 11: Construction of Rip Rap at Buxton, East Coast Demerara Region Four. The engineer’s estimate is $55.4M.
The procuring entity for the construction of river defences along the Pomeroon River Bank, Charity Region Two – phase one, was the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The engineer’s estimate is $133.2M.
Lot 12: Construction of Rip Rap Sea defences at Cottage, Mahaicony Region Five –phase one. The engineer’s estimate is $49M.
Lot 13: Construction of boulder face protection works along Bush Lot/Maida, Corentyne Berbice Region Six. The engineer’s estimate is $82.5M.
Lot 14: Construction of timber revetment along New Forest, Canje River, Region Six. The engineer’s estimate is $29.2M.
Lot 15: Construction of timber revetment along Sheet Anchor, Canje River Region Six. The engineer’s estimate is $29.3M.
The Guyana Water Incorporated was listed as the procuring entity for the rehabilitation to potable water wells Region Three Essequibo Islands, West Demerara. The engineer’s estimate for Lot 1 - $4.5M; Lot 2 - $5.6M; Lot 3 - $4M; Lot 4 – $5M and Lot 5 - $4.7M.
Father of 4, man caught ‘cutting up... From page 27 placed his suitcase on a scanner, and a CANU rank present at the airport observed peculiar images on the screen. She said that the CANU rank asked Thom several questions. Based on the answers, Sandiford related that the CANU rank escorted Thom to the search booth, where the suitcase was searched in his presence. According to Sandiford, the walls were probed and a quantity of whitish substance suspected to be cocaine was unearthed. Sandiford said that the CANU rank told Thom of his suspicions and escorted him to CANU Headquarters, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown. Sandiford related that
Thom revealed that he bought the cocaine from a man for US$4000. Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru told the court that police ranks went to Byass’s home on the day in question to arrest him in relation to an assault allegation. Mangru said that when ranks approached the house they saw Byass cutting up something with a scissors and placing it in Ziploc bags.
According to Mangru, a quantity of marijuana, a scale, pair of scissors and several Ziploc bags were retrieved from the home. During the trial, Mangru called two police witnesses. In his defence, Byass told the court that he was not home at the time of the search. In the end, Thom was ordered to pay a fine of $4,168,800, while Byass was fined $157,000.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
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Kaieteur News
The UN System in T&T supports efforts to end child marriage PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The United Nations System in Trinidad and Tobago (UNTT) says it welcomes the resurgence of the debate on child marriage and reaffirms its support for all efforts to end this practice. “Child marriage – defined by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as a formal or informal marital union engaged in by a person under age 18 – violates human rights and threatens the health and prospects of, in particular, young girls. In this way, it slows progress towards gender equality, and towards ending poverty – in all circumstances and at all levels; and it undermines all dimensions of sustainable development,” the UNTT said in a statement. The Senate was due to resume later yesterday the debate to amend the Hindu Marriage Act of 1945, the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act of 1961 and the Orisha Marriage Act of 1999 amidst widespread call for young children to be given the opportunity to enjoy their child-
hood. Last week, Maulana Waffie Mohammed, who was made a temporary opposition Senator by the main opposition United National Congress (UNC) told legislators that the Islamic Council of Scholars he represents did not support the Bill. Mohammed said he and the Council were guided by the Quran which allows girls to be married at age 12. He said this was the command of God. On Monday, Reema Carmona, the wife of President Anthony Carmona, said that little girls must be afforded the opportunity to grow, flourish, prosper and to realise their full potential with unstinting guidance and support from parents and the society at large. “We all must be concerned about nurturing and creating distinguished, educated, healthy and happy human beings. Child Marriage is an anachronism that bears no relevance to a progressive holistic society,’ she said. Mrs. Carmona said that the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child “is clear in creating internationally accepted and agreed upon benchmark practices as to how we ought to treat and empower a child. “The legal age for marriage ought to be changed to the international benchmark age of 18 so as to allow girls to live healthy, fulfilling lives with the requisite educational and professional opportunities,” she said, noting that the International Centre for Research on Women had observed that every year approximately 15 million girls are married before they reach the age of 18. In the statement, the UNTT said it has been shown that child marriage undermines the rights of freedom of expression, protection from all forms of abuse, and protection from harmful traditional practices identified in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). “It deprives the girl child of an education, exposes her to violence and abuse, and can lead to complications related to pregnancy and child-
birth that are life threatening for both mother and baby – contravening State obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). “ The UNTT said that these violations against children’s human rights and opportunities for personal development, also slow achievement of globally established Sustainable Development Goals, particularly as they relate to ending poverty, ensuring good health and well-being, attaining quality education and realising gender equality. Failure to achieve such goals can also directly undermine national development aspirations. The United Nations in Trinidad and Tobago therefore looks forward to Trinidad and Tobago’s adoption of a bill that would protect girls from child marriage and promote gender equality, for such action could enhance the well-being of its citizens and advance achievement of its sustainable development vision,” it
said. In piloting the amendment in the Senate last week, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said between 1996 and 2016, the Registrar General recorded 3,478 child marriages, with almost 98 per cent being females. He said marriage certificates showed that some of them were girls as young as 11 and 12 who were married to men as old as 36, 42 and 56. Al-Rawi said the amendment seeks to raise the age of
marriage to 18, as recommended by the United Nations and is also intended to harmonise marriage contracts across the board, and be in keeping with the Children’s Act of 2012 which forbids marriage under the age of 18. The Bill proposes to criminalise the marriage of people under 18 by a marriage officer, who would be fined TT$50,000 (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) and jailed for seven years for the offence.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 18, 2017
New report examines the issue of lynching in Haiti PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – A new report on lynching in Haiti has claimed that there has been only one conviction even though more than 400 cases had been reported to law enforcement officials in the Frenchspeaking Caribbean country during the period 2012-15. The report, prepared by the Human Rights Section of MINUSTAH / United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HRS), presents and analyses the key elements relating to ‘popular justice’ in Haiti, also known as ‘vigilantism’ or ‘lynching’. HRS said that this is the first report on this subject and that the phenomenon of lynching is of continuing concern to it. HRS said that based on statistics and cases it has followed in recent years, “it has been observed that lynching acts have rarely been subject to judicial investigation and even more rarely convicted. “Indeed, 483 incidents of lynching or lynching attempts reported by MINUSTAH between 2012 and 2015 resulted in 59
a r r e s t s o n l y. H R S i s aware of only one conviction in a case of lynching.,” the report stated, noting that ‘this p a s s i v i t y, e v e n t h i s tolerance, by State agents in front of serious crimes violates the right to life as guaranteed by international treaties to which Haiti is a party and as protected by national legislation” The report titled “ Ta k i n g j u s t i c e i n t o one’s own hands or the reign of impunity in Haiti”, notes that the main reason given by the population to explain the use of lynching would be a lack of confidence in police and justice, and the fear that perpetrators of crimes enjoy impunity. “This feeling is linked to the frequent failures of police and judicial authorities to investigate, prosecute and punish crimes. Some people then replace these authorities in order to exercise what they consider to be a form of justice. Authorities’ lack of resources to prevent
and punish lynching reinforces the phenomenon and suggests that lynching is implicitly an accepted practice.” However, the analysis of available data shows that the vast majority of cases of lynching occur in urban areas with the highest number of police officers per population. The analysis of the prison population shows that a large proportion of prisoners are accused of theft, a crime that is the first reason given for committing lynching. “In a country where crime is generally low, the fact that lynching represents 15 per cent of homicides should worry the authorities. Even if the State can’t be held responsible for each and every crime perpetrated on its territory, it nevertheless has the obligation to take appropriate measures and exercise required diligence to prevent crimes, investigate and punish perpetrators and compensate victims. “Haiti having not taken any reasonable measures in this regard, HRS finds it violates its obligation to protect. A better study of the phenomenon is necessary to better understand and develop appropriate intervention strategies.” The report states that from 2009 to 2015, there were on average 10 cases of lynching per month, with a slight increase in deaths from lynching, from 7.5 deaths per month in 2009 to 8.1 per month in 2015.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Jamaica’s Nat’l Security Minister issues warning to criminals
National Security Minister Robert Montague KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) - National Security Minister Robert Montague has expressed regret at the death of six persons during a confrontation with the police, but at the same time warned criminals against pointing guns at police. “Regrettable that there has been so much loss of life,” Montague told the Jamaica Observer newspaper in an interview, noting that on more than one occasion the police had confronted the gangsters in the Barrett Town area but did not return fire because they were in close quarters to residents. “However, if a criminal points a gun at the police, the police will use the appropriate force to repel the threat. I therefore want to urge all Jamaicans, especially the…criminals…do not point a gun on my police.” He said the police have been taught to respect everybody’s rights, but that the criminal “must know that if they point a gun at the police, the police have been trained to use the appropriate force to repel that threat on behalf of the State”. In a statement, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said that last Saturday night law enforcement officials had sought to stop a vehicle carrying members of the feared Ski Masked Gang. It said that while the vehicle came to a halt, the occupants exited and fired at the security forces. The fire was returned, and when
the shooting subsided the six were found with gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead. Police identified them as Oswyn Jarrett, alias SkiMask, who is said to be the leader of the gang; Dino Pryce, Marlon Samuels, A n d r e D a l e y, a n d t w o other men who have been identified by their aliases Fargo and Shenkay. “This gang has terrorised the residents of Barrett To w n and neighbouring communities for several years. They are responsible for over 20 murders and shootings of citizens to include women and children,” the police said in the statement. It said that the men were also responsible for fire-bombing homes and sexually assaulting women and children, forcing scores of residents to flee the community. The JCF said had the men surrendered, “they would have been arrested, taken into custody, and charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. “ R e g r e t t a b l y, t h e y chose to violently confront the security forces,” the JCF said, noting that there is an increasing pattern of violent attacks on the security forces by criminal suspects, many of whom have escaped capture. “Unfortunately, on this occasion, those who were emboldened by these
previous instances confronted the security forces and met their demise,” the police said, noting that they had recovered a quantity of guns and ammunition. “ We a g a i n i n s t r u c t suspects and wanted persons to desist from violent confrontation with the police, and instead to peacefully turn themselves in, with the assistance of f a m i l y, c l e rg y o r t h e i r attorney,” the JCF said, adding it is “committed to the apprehension and prosecution of criminal suspects, allowing them to go before a court of law to answer for their acts of criminality”. The shootout is now the subject of an investigation by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and the Bureau of Special Investigations. Montague said that over the last two quarters, more than 80 per cent of the cases investigated by INDECOM showed that the police acted within the boundaries of the law. He said that of the 70 cases investigated by INDECOM in the last quarter, 65 resulted in no charges being filed against the police. The JCF said in 2016, a total of 1,436 individuals were arrested for breaches of the Firearms Act, 854 for illegal possession of firearm, and 582 for the illegal possession of ammunition.
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas expects to race Lewis Hamilton on ‘equal terms’ in 2017 BBC Sport - Valtteri Bottas expects to be allowed to race on “equal terms” with Lewis Hamilton after being confirmed as Nico Rosberg’s replacement at Mercedes. Bottas, 27, has signed a one-year deal with the option for more after arriving from Williams. “We are in this together, with similar cars and equipment to win races. I’m sure they will let us race hard and fair,” the Finn told BBC Radio 5 live. “Lewis is a great driver and everyone knows how quick he is.” Bottas, who made his grand prix debut with Williams in 2013, has not won a race in F1, while Briton Hamilton is a 53-time race
winner and three-time world champion. “It’s going to be a big challenge for me to be quicker than him,” added Bottas. “He knows this team really well, has been part of this team a long time, so for me it’s going to be a great reference and we can be a strong pair.” Rosberg’s shock retirement, announced just five days after he wrapped up his maiden world title, presented Bottas with an unexpected chance to land the most coveted seat in the sport, and team boss Toto Wolff expects him to rise to the challenge. “They are very different and not in the same way that Nico and Lewis were,” Wolff
said. “Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve and is a very passionate and emotional driver. “Valtteri is at the other end. As a Finn he is almost shy, timid, and I think as a team you need to have the best of both worlds. “Lewis is probably the best driver in the world at the moment and if he gets it together on a weekend he is, in my opinion, almost unbeatable, but Valtteri has all the ingredients. “We haven’t seen him in a car that has been capable of challenging for championships, and that is a different step, but I certainly think Valtteri can give Lewis a run for his money.”
Wednesday January 18, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your boss may be pushy. Reevaluate your motives. Take care when dealing with older relatives. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Be creative in your pursuits. Take your time and try not to overload yourself. You may find that female colleagues will be more help than you anticipated. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Don't use emotional blackmail on someone you love. Your talents might just be discovered. Get the whole family involved in a worthwhile cause or cultural event. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Get involved in groups that are creative in nature. Listen to the advice given by those with experience. Talk to superiors about problems that you feel are getting out of hand. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You can make gains if you work in conjunction with others. Travel could turn out to be more exciting than you imagined. You need to look into new philosophies. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Do not get into uncertain financial deals. Matters pertaining to work must be completed before you leave. Romance will develop if you get involved in social events that deal with children.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Someone you like may be receptive and actively seeking your company. Financial limitations are likely if you take risks. You can receive recognition for the work you've done. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You can make new friends if you get involved in group activities. Be sure to doublecheck the house on your way out. Discuss your objectives with partners or peers. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You may make someone else look bad. Opportunities for romance will develop through group endeavors; however, the association isn't likely to last. Secret affairs will eventually backfire on you. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Don't let your emotions take over. You can make successful moves. Help if you can, but more than likely it will be sufficient just to listen. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You will gain new friends if you get involved in environmental issues. Your ideas can be put into action. Refrain from overspending on entertainment or luxury items. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You've been a little down and you need a lift. You can make drastic changes in your professional direction today.
Paralympic great Weir brands British Athletics ‘a joke’ (Reuters) Six-time Paralympics gold medallist David Weir labelled British Athletics “a joke” yesterday and said he would never represent his country again. Weir, who won four golds at the London 2012 Games and two in Beijing four years earlier, took to his Twitter account to vent his anger, without detailing exactly what he was
referring to. “Today is the day I officially retire from GB I will never put a shirt on again.#thanksBritishAthletics what a joke,” the 37-year-old wheelchair racer said. In another message he added: “I have been let down again.” Weir endured a disappointing Rio Olympics, failing
to add to his 10 medals. He declared at the time that he would not compete at another Games, saying he had been “stabbed in the back”. London-born Weir won his Olympic golds in distances ranging from 800 metres to the marathon. He has also won the London Marathon on six occasions, the last of which was in 2012.
Defences on top again at dour... (From page 33) centre back Isaac Isinde, who took his eye off the ball as he received a pass and lost possession to Asamoah Gyan, who he then tugged back to concede the spot kick. Ayew tucked the ball away to give Ghana a deserved lead but Uganda’s second-half display, when they dominated the midfield and constantly probed without being able to break
I can do anything... (From page 32) chase. “Since we were four down, England were looking to attack,” Jadhav said. “It was good that many fielders were in catching positions rather than saving boundaries. The wicket was good for batting, so I had a lot of gaps to score boundaries. And my natural game is to try and dominate the opposition whenever I bat. I look to take the bowlers on. So I was just playing in that flow, and because we had to chase 350, irrespective of the situation, we had to maintain the tempo.” It helped that Kohli was at the other end, which meant all of England’s energies were spent on the more accomplished partner. Jadhav had said after the match that he rued that he hadn’t got to bat as much with Kohli as he would have liked. Before Sunday, Jadhav had batted with Kohli three times. “Whenever you bat with Virat, it helps you,” Jadhav said. “Because the bowlers’ focus would be on him - how to get him out, how to control him. So that’s an advantage. If you are batting with him, you sometimes get loose balls and more opportunities to score. The bowlers are not able to put a lot of pressure on you, so that helps a lot.”
through, left a good impression. “We have the quality and the players, but we will have to do more than we did today,” said Ayew, whose side are hoping to end a 35-year wait for their fifth title. “We have players who have taken part in four, five or six Nations Cups and we need use that experience.” The second game was a bruising midfield battle with too many mistakes and
few openings, except near the end when El Hadary had to come out to make a one-handed stop to deny Moussa Marega. Hosts Gabon will hope to liven things up when they face Burkina Fatso in Group A on Wednesday while Cameroon take on debutants Guinea-Bissau, hoping to spring another surprise after holding Gabon 1-1 in their first game.
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
Panesar to mentor Australia’s spinners ahead of India tour ESPNCRICINFO Monty Panesar has been recruited by Cricket Australia as a spin-bowling consultant for their tour of India next month, after spending his winter as a club cricketer in Sydney. Panesar, 34, played an integral role in England’s memorable series win in India in 2012-13, claiming 17 wickets with his left-arm spin in the final three Tests to help engineer a come-from-behind triumph. However, he made the l a s t o f h i s 5 0 Te s t appearances at Melbourne during the 2013-14 Ashes, and was not considered for selection for England’s recent 4-0 defeat in India, despite making a return to first-class cricket for N o r th amp to n s h ir e las t summer following a spate of well-documented personal issues. Panesar’s recruitment to Australia’s ranks came at the
behest of Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s high p e r f o r m a n c e m a n a g e r, whose team were whitewashed 4-0 on their last tour to India four years ago, and recently succumbed to a 3-0 loss in similarly spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka. According to the Australian, Panesar will travel to the Centre of Excellence this week to work with left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe, as well as Matt Renshaw, the opening batsman who was cleared of concussion on Sunday, following the incident that led to his withdrawal from action during the third Test against Pakistan. “Having Monty come up is a nice way to kickstart the squad’s thinking about playing in India,” Howard told the newspaper. “We want the batsmen to be thinking about what the
bowlers will be trying to do to them over there and Monty can engage them that way as well as with the bowlers. “Phil Jaques will run the sessions with Matt, Monty and SOK, Phil has some nice ideas about how to challenge the batsmen,” Howard added. “In Australia we love big turners, but the successful bowlers like [Rangana] Herath and [Ravi] Ashwin are more likely to get you lbw or bowled than any other way, their accuracy and their length is absolutely outstanding.” Panesar was one of nine wickets for O’Keefe during their ongoing Grade match between Manly and Campbelltown Camden at the weekend. “He was brilliant on the weekend and must think cricket is an easy game after taking 9 for 54,” Panesar said.
Monty Panesar made a return to Northamptonshire last year after a break from first-class cricket © Getty Images
I can do anything to overcome the odds - Jadhav ESPNcricinfo - Kedar Jadhav is 31 years old, but on Sunday he did what only boys not bogged down by realities of life can dream of. He walked out at 63 for 4, with his parents, his wife and his daughter in attendance, and stunned England with a century that helped India chase down 350. It was an innings that overshadowed a really exceptional effort from a man who now has legitimate claims to being one of India’s best three ODI batsmen of all time. It was an innings where Kohli had to push himself. Imagine. Jadhav played a knock that outshone that Kohli effort. Only boys dream of just walking in with the match all but lost and then running away with it, with a man destined to be an all-time great watching in awe at times. One such time was when Joe Root and Moeen Ali had bowled 10 straight balls without a boundary. Thirtythree runs had come off the last 35 balls. This was the quietest England had managed to keep this Jadhav-Kohli partnership of 200. To the last ball of this over, the 27th, Jadhav made room. Moeen saw it. He fired it into the pads. There was no
room to play a forceful shot now, especially with the leg side packed. Jadhav, though, went ahead with his attempted drive over mid-off to this short ball. The ball flew far enough to meet the boundary skirting on the half-volley. It was just Jadhav’s bad luck that, later in the night, Kohli played a shot even more awesome. This one didn’t get talked about so much. Two days later, Jadhav explained why he could execute a shot like that. And one sweep against the turn of Adil Rashid, straight over mid-on for a six. “As a kid, I played more tennis-ball cricket than with the cricket ball,” Jadhav said. “There used to be a tournament where you could hit fours and sixes only straight down the ground. If you hit on the sides you were given out. So that’s how I got into this habit that even if there is bounce, if the ball is at a manageable height and if I feel I can clear 30 yards, I can do it. I could do this with the tennis ball. So the flow with which I was playing yesterday, I thought if there isn’t much bounce and if I can get a bit of elevation, I can hit out. In that over we
hadn’t got a boundary and you needed a boundary every over to maintain that asking rate. So I took that option and it clicked.” On the night, as Kohli pushed Jadhav with the running between the wickets, you got the impression he was struggling to keep up, but he turned down only those runs that were not on. Jadhav later said he will come back as a better runner, but his strength
and endurance is not to be underestimated. Two years ago he went to Australia to represent India A and played on despite what he thought was some pain in his hand. When the pain didn’t recede even after he came back home, he got it checked only to find he had fractured his hand. “I realised that if I could perform well in Australia for India despite carrying a fracture, I can bear any
pain,” Jadhav said. “If I have to overcome odds, I know I can do anything. That’s how I always think, and since I keep achieving it most of the times, my belief in my abilities continues to grow.” That doesn’t stop Jadhav from watching against complacency. Jadhav’s second century may have given him a more permanent spot in the India ODI side, but he is not taking it for granted. “There shouldn’t be
a change [in my approach],” Jadhav said. “I always play every game as my last game. Whenever you represent your country, you’ve to give more than 100%. I’ll try and do that in whatever games I get, whenever I bat or bowl.” Jadhav played some IPL c r i c k e t w i t h Vi r e n d e r Sehwag at Delhi Daredevils, and he showed shades of Sehwag’s thinking in the way he approached the (Continued on page 31)
Kedar Jadhav did the unthinkable and outshone Virat Kohli - a likely all-time great - with his knock in the first ODI © AFP
Wednesday January 18, 2017
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F1 champions Mercedes sign Bottas, Massa returns LONDON (Reuters) Valtteri Bottas replaced retired Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg at Mercedes yesterday, with Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa coming out of retirement to take the Finn’s seat at Williams. Appearing at the factory with team boss Toto Wolff, Bottas promised to push new team mate and triple world champion Lewis Hamilton as hard as possible. “I’m sure we are going to be close and both pushing each other forward,” said the 27-year-old, who has yet to win a grand prix in four years at Williams but has appeared on the podium nine times. Wolff, who helped guide the Finn’s early career and also has close ties with Mercedes-powered Williams as a former shareholder, said Bottas would fit in well. “He’s very fast as a driver, and he shows our values,” added the Austrian, who has had an unexpectedly busy winter following Rosberg’s shock decision to quit 45 days ago, less than a week after winning his first
championship. “He’s modest, humble and hard-working.” Williams had earlier announced that Massa, who left at the end of last season at the age of 35, had agreed a one-year contract to end the shortest of retirements. Mercedes have been dominant for the last three years, winning both the drivers and constructors’ titles, and will start as favourites again despite major aerodynamic rule changes. MAIN MAN While Hamilton, 32, can expect to be the team’s main man - with many tipping the Briton to romp to a fourth title after winning 10 races in a rollercoaster 2016 - Bottas can be a genuine contender. “Now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can step up to challenge for race w i n s a n d f o r Championships,” Wolff said. “We know that we are already behind the curve in terms of preparations for the new season, so we’ve got a busy programme to get him integrated into the team. One thing is for sure: as I know Valtteri, he will give it
Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton (L) watches as Williams F1 driver Valtteri Bottas speaks to fans at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne. (REUTERS/Brandon Malone/File Photo) everything.” Massa, a former race winner with Ferrari and 2008 world championship runnerup, will partner 18-year-old Canadian rookie Lance Stroll at Williams. “I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but
Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve,” said the Brazilian, who made a tearful farewell to his home crowd last November. “I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for
racing and I’m extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40.” Sauber earlier set the day’s merry-go-round in motion by announcing that German driver Pascal Wehrlein, who was the Mercedes reserve and
Bottas’s main rival to replace Rosberg, would race for them this year. Wehrlein, 22, drove for struggling Manor as a rookie last year but Mercedes felt they needed a more experienced replacement. Bottas’s arrival means Mercedes will have no German driver in their lineup for the first time since the German carmaker bought the former Brawn GP team at the end of 2009 and returned as a constructor. Rosberg was partnered by seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher until Hamilton arrived in 2013. Mercedes said Rosberg had accepted an ambassadorial role with the team for 2017, with his first commitment an appearance with Hamilton on Tuesday for watch sponsor IWC Schaffhausen. T h e d a y ’ s announcements left tailenders Manor, who are in administration and seeking a rescuer, as the only team with any potential driver vacancies for the season starting in Australia on March 26.
Hurdler Hyde hoping to build Defences on top again at dour on successful 2016 season Nations Cup
Jaheel Hyde KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Rising Jamaican star, Jaheel Hyde, says he is looking to build on his success of last year, as he begins preparation for the upcoming international season. The 19-year-old successfully defended his
400 metres hurdles title at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Poland and also qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rio. A u g u s t ’s Wo r l d Championship in London will be the highlight of the season and Hyde says the event will be his focus.
“The plan this year to take it one step further. We are still taking it one step at a time, but the aim is to go one step further, and that’s what we are working towards,” Hyde told the Gleaner newspaper. “I want to PB (personal best). Each time I run, I want to personal best, so it’s just to grow in the sport and become the best.” He added: “But my main goal this year is to make the t e a m [ t o t h e Wo r l d Championships] and take it from there.” Hyde was tipped for prominence from early ever since he won the sprint hurdles at the CARIFTA Games in 2012 and at the W o r l d Yo u t h Championships in Donetsk the following year. He returned in 2014 to win at the Summer Youth
Games in China before capturing the first of his Under-20 titles in Oregon that same year. His spot on the Olympic squad was a huge fillip for the young hurdler and he said he planned to use this as a springboard. “(In) 2016, I set some goals and I went out and achieved them, so I am pleased with myself,” he noted. “I won at World Juniors, I defended my title, and I went to the Olympics. I made the Olympic team, so those were two pluses for me. “I didn’t go to the Olympics and win. I said I wanted to make the team as a learning experience. I am still young, and there are a lot more Olympics for me. That’s what I am aiming towards.”
P O RT G EN TI L, GABON (Reuters) Defences were on top again on another dour day at the African Nations Cup on Tuesday when the two games produced a meagre one goal between them, scored by Ghana from the penalty spot. Andre Ayew converted the spot kick in the 32nd minute as the four-times champions scraped a 1-0 win over Uganda, who were making their return to the finals after 39-year absence. Egypt, who themselves had not taken part at the finals since winning the title in 2010, played out a dreary goalless draw with Mali, remarkable only for the presence of their goalkeeper Essam El Hadary at the age of 44. El Hadary, who started
on the bench but was brought on in the 23rd minute after Ahmed El Shenawi was injured, became the oldest player in the tournament’s history. Overall, there was little to excite the crowd in the double bill at the newlybuilt Stade de Port Gentil and the tournament was left crying out for some excitement after Monday’s two games in Oyem also produced a single goal between them. Uganda’s qualifying record, when they scored just six goals and conceded only two in six matches, suggested a goal feast was unlikely and so it proved. The Cranes defended doggedly until they gifted Ghana a penalty with a moment of madness from (Continued on page 31)
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
FA mulls retrospective bans for diving (Reuters) The Football A s s o c i a t i o n ( FA ) i s considering introducing retrospective bans for players who dive, according to a media report. Diving came under the spotlight yet again after Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass won a spot-kick during a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace last month and later conceded that the penalty should never have been awarded. T h e FA w i l l s e n d officials to Scotland to see how the punishment works there, according to the Times. “On the face of it, it’s a
good idea. The devil is in the detail, but as a tool to penalise blatant simulation versus ‘did he dive or slip?’ it is now being investigated,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed FA official as saying. “It is being discussed with the SFA (Scottish Football Association) and some FA people are going up to Scotland for a meeting on how it is working.” Premier League managers, including Burnley’s Sean Dyche and West Bromwich Albion’s Tony Pulis, have called for retrospective bans to eradicate diving.
Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann brings down Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass for a penalty. (Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic)
Seven sports to challenge cut from UK’s Olympic funding
Badminton Men’s Doubles Bronze medallists Marcus Ellis (GBR) of Britain and Chris Langridge (GBR) of Britain pose on the podium. (REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo) (Reuters) Seven sports, including badminton, are looking to challenge UK Sport’s decision to stop funding their programmes for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Despite Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis winning the men’s doubles bronze in l a s t y e a r ’s O l y m p i c s , badminton had its funding cut and is among five sports which were funded for Rio 2016 and are ready to challenge the decision. “We’ve got a really strong case. Our
understanding is that UK Sport doubt our Olympic medal credentials,” Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy told BBC Sport. “However, we have players who have not only won Olympic medals but also won world tour titles and super-series titles and these are the biggest events in our sport and we are regularly beating the best in the world.” The five sports are joined by goalball and table tennis
— not supported in 2016 — as the administrators believe these sports contain a few medal prospects for the 2020 games, according to British media. Apart from badminton, goalball, table tennis, a r c h e r y, f e n c i n g a n d weightlifting will all have until Jan. 17 to bid for a reprieve. Great Britain finished second in the medal table at the Rio Olympics, as they picked up 67 medals, including 27 gold medals.
Djokovic fends off Nadal-slayer Verdasco M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Novak Djokovic may have cursed the draw for throwing up Fernando Ve r d a s c o a s t h e f i r s t opponent in his Australian Open defence yesterday but the tough match-up against the Spanish giant-killer ultimately proved a blessing in disguise. The Serb launched his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an impressive 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over the man who knocked Rafa Nadal out in the first round of last year’s tournament. Djokovic was forced to save five match points to beat Verdasco at the recent Qatar Open and was broken twice during a thrilling second set under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. But the second seed defended brilliantly to defuse the veteran lefthander’s power game and closed out the two-hour 20-minute clash. “I knew that winning the second set w o u l d b e crucial because I definitely didn’t want to give him wings,” Djokovic told reporters after setting up a second
round clash against Uzbek Denis Istomin. “I didn’t want to have him start swinging at the ball, as he knows. “I don’t know how he felt about the draw. But I personally think that I could have drawn... an easier player. But nothing is easy obviously. “From one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first-round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point.” Djokovic has owned Melbourne Park for almost a decade and his continued reign seemed assured as he roared to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Verdasco felled Nadal in five sets last year by swinging at every ball and his aggression was rewarded when he broke Djokovic twice early in the second. But he was furious with himself for letting the chances slip, cursing in Spanish and bouncing his racket off the court in
disgust. He double-faulted at 4-4 to give Djokovic two break points but saved them both before holding serve, leaving the Serb yelling out his own frustrations from his chair at the change of ends. It took a moment of Verdasco madness to open the door, the Spaniard wafting a sliced backhand well beyond the baseline to concede two set points. Djokovic wrapped up the tiebreak with a monster serve and sprinted away in the third set. Beaten emphatically in a string of baseline skirmishes, Verdasco fell behind 4-1 and he threw his racket at his chair. It felt more like a towel being tossed into a ring as there was no stopping Djokovic in full flight. “It feels like home,” said the Serb on the court where he won his sixth Australian Open title a year ago. “Already in the last couple of weeks, I was really eager to come back to the court and get into the competitive mode, just be back in the office.”
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Limacol Football Tournament kicks off next Monday The 2nd Annual Limacol Football Competition is scheduled to commence next Monday with a double header slated to be played, at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda. The fixtures are as follows: Guyana Police Force (GPF) goes up against Mahaica Determinators, while Riddim Squad square off against Camptown. Four days later, the competition resumes with Western Tigers opposing New Amsterdam United in a Group-B affair and Santos tackling Ann’s Grove in a Group-C encounter. The following day the action goes to the Mackenzie
Sports Club (MSC) ground in Linden with Milerock hosting Northern Rangers and Winners Connection performing similar duties in their clash with Grove HiTech in Group-A. The final fixtures of Round One scheduled for January 29th will see Uitvlugt against Eagles United in Group-B and Pouderoyen against Den Amstel in Group-C. Meanwhile, the winner of each group will receive $100,000, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed finishers will be given $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 each. The winner of the competition will take home
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Man City’s Toure turned down huge offer from China - agent Manchester City’s Yaya Toure celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters / Scott Heppell Livepic)
$500,000 and a trophy, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams will collect $250,000, $125,000 and $75,000 respectively and trophies. Below is a graph of the four groups and the teams that they contain. Group A- Milerock, Winners Connection, Grove H i Te c a n d N o r t h e r n Rangers G r o u p B - We s t e r n Tigers, Uitvlugt, Eagles United and New Amsterdam United Group C- Santos, Pouderoyen, Den Amstel and Ann’s Grove Group D-Police, Riddim Squad, Camptown and Mahaica Determinators.
Sagna fined and warned for social media post
(Reuters) Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has turned down a 520,000 pounds ($643,812) a week offer to play in China, his agent told Sky Sports yesterday. Dimitri Seluk said the 33-year-old was targeted by Chinese club Jiangsu Suning in the winter transfer window. The BBC reported he had been contacted again in the current window. “Yaya plays on another level. He wants to play at the highest level. He’s happy at Manchester City. Yaya likes football more than money,” Seluk was quoted as saying by Sky. Chinese Super League clubs have been flexing their
financial muscles, with a number of high-profile recent signings. Shanghai SIPG bought Brazil midfielder Oscar from Chelsea for 60 million euros ($64.22 million), while their rivals Shanghai Shenhua have signed Argentine striker Carlos Tevez for a reported 84 million euros. Toure had a difficult start to the season but has clawed his way back into City’s first-team plans in recent months. The Ivorian, who had been a midfield mainstay since arriving from Barcelona in 2010, appeared surplus to requirements after the arrival of manager Pep Guardiola in the close season.
The Spaniard had sold Toure to City when he was Barca boss. Things got worse when the midfielder was left out of City’s Champions League squad, a decision which drew fierce criticism from Seluk, who accused Guardiola of ‘humiliating’ Toure. In an effort to rebuild the relationship with his manager, Toure apologised fully at the start of November for “misunderstandings of the past” and quickly forced his way back into Guardiola’s plans. To u r e , w h o s e C i t y contract is up in the close season, has now made 11 appearances since late November.
Crowd escapes as Czech sports hall roof collapses mid-match
Manchester City’s Bacary Sagna looks dejected after Everton’s Ademola Lookman scores their fourth goal. (Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic) (Reuters) Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna was fined 40,000 pounds yesterday and warned about his future conduct after a post on social media that appeared to accuse a referee of bias. The French international
was charged with misconduct by the FA for his “10 against 12... but still fighting and winning as a team” Instagram post after City beat Burnley 2-1 in the Premier League on Jan. 2. Referee Lee Mason sent
off City midfielder Fernandinho in the 32nd minut e a n d t h e FA alleged that Frenchman Sagna’s comment, which was later deleted, questioned the official’s integrity. ($1 = 0.8124 pounds)
(Reuters) Around 80 spectators and players had to sprint for the exits when the roof collapsed at a new arena in the Czech Republic where two junior floorball teams they were competing. They all managed to escape without serious injury when the snow-laden roof of the sports hall in Ceska Trebova began giving way on Saturday, local news agency CTK reported. Two boys who were taking part in the tournament were treated for slight injuries. The arena, 180km (110 miles) east of Prague, was
hosting its first event since building work was completed on Jan 2, at a cost of 58 million Czech crowns (1.9 million pounds).
The architect who designed the arena denied the 25 cm of snow on the roof could have caused the collapse, local media said.
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
STAG Nations Cup KO Football restarts tonight at Grove Playfield Grove Hi Tech face NA United; Ann’s Grove battle Den Amstel Rivalry in the STAG Nations Cup knock-out football championship is set to resume this evening at the Grove Playfield with what is anticipated to be a fierce double header kicking off from 19:00hrs, the final two matches in the round-of-16. These matches were scheduled for December 23 at the same venue but due to consistent rainfall, that double header and remaining matches were put on hold. It’s now back to business for the teams, fans and all others. If teams were not active during the past couple of weeks they had off involuntary, those were, would be walking all over them whenever they collide as more pretenders are expected to walk the plank come this evening, two to be exact. Home team Grove Hi Tech, winners of the threeassociation format of the what was the STAG Super 16 in 2014/15 and 2015/16 will be matching skills with Berbice’ New Amsterdam United for the final quarter final spot up for grabs. This feature clash will no doubt be keen as both teams will want to be in the reckoning for the top prize of
Trevor Jones Grove Hi Tech FC 2 Million dollars and they are also the only teams left standing form their association’s quota of three and four, respectively. Already walking the plank for the East Bank FA are Kuru Kururu Warriors and Herstelling Raiders, while for the Berbice FA, Mahaicony Thunders, Cougars and Rosignol Uni t e d w e r e b o o t e d which makes this match a must win for either side and a must see for the fans. What the sides also share
Nicholai Matthews Grove Hi Tech FC
in common is that they are both the #1 clubs in their respective associations. NA United won an intense and nerve racking playoff match 4-3 on sudden death kicks from the penalty mark against Golden Stars to get into the round-of-16. Their coach revealed that it was the first real competitive match for the year for the club and it is left to be seen how they will stand up to the challenge of taking on the pride of the East Bank. They will again bank on
the services of Captain Adrian Adams, Leonardo Adams, Jason Drakes, Quinn Hazel, Rei Joseph, Delroy Dean, Jamal Butts, Jeremy Samuels, Dexter Allen, Julian Success, Garfield Millington, Shkeel Grant, R o n Ly k e n , O m a r i Bentham, Jovano Dos Santos, Keon Williams, Dwayne Alleyne, Graham Thomas, Joshua Wilson, Ray Reddock, Sion Bacchus and Steffon Boucher to bring another win their way as well as a quarter final berth.
Grove Hi Tech is hoping to, apart from home advantage, bank on the experience and collective on-field skills of Teshawn Blackman, Dexter Archer, Seon Thompson, Orson Francois, Sherman Doris, Trevor Jones, Clive Matthews, Kevin Padmore, Akel Forde, Delroy Dodson, Moses Fraser, Shane Singh, Antony Stanton, Nicholai Matthews, Denzil Crawford, Joel Dick, Mervin Squires, Devon Joseph, Akeem James, Alwyn Haynes, Jermaine Benjamin and Ronaldo Romelho to take them one step closer to the top prize and a possible third title. Tonight’s opening clash will be just as intriguing with East Demerara’s Ann’s Grove locking horns with t h e We s t S i d e ’s D e n Amstel. Like Grove Hi Tech, this will be Ann’s Grove’s first match of the championship and they will be hopeful of stepping over this first hurdle as they have done successfully in the past two tournaments. Winning this match will be important to the East Coast unit as they have succumbed in the past two finals to Grove Hi Tech and would want to set that right this time around but would first have to get
past a tough Den Amstel which downed Kuru Kururu Wa r r i o r s 4 - 2 in their playoff m a tch. Gavin Graham and Kevaughn Ward, who netted a double each for Den Amstel in their win over the Warriors, would be aiming to transfer that form into tonight’s match to produce another win for their team. They will have support from Maurice Charles, Kerwin Ward, Clevon Pryce, Travis Hilliman, Akimbo H e n r y, J o s e p h P a y n e , Wycliff Simon, Derron Wilson, Alista Lynch, Keon M a r c u s , Ry a n H u n t e , Prince Payne, Kevin Murray, Colin Benn, Jamal Perreira, Kerry Harvey, Welton Jordon and Anton Jackman. Ann’s Grove will be featuring, Ryan Seales, Quincy Barry, Quincy Johnson, Antonia Jackson, Anil Hernandez, Steve Francis, Daniel Francis, Kevon Barry, Daniel Pellew, Andri Francis, Phillip Williams, Levon Adams, Jermaine Clarke, Mervin Hardy, Gerald Sobers, Odel Gulliver, Travis Allen, Maxton Adams, Navado Denny, Oswald Duke, Nickose Denny and Jamain Rogers as they go after win number one, this year.
Serena swats doubts, Bencic aside to advance M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Two matches in four months, a dodgy knee and a sweltering day had doubts swirling around Serena Williams as she took centre court for her first round match against
talented Swiss Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open yesterday. It took 79 minutes for the 35-year-old American to bat them all away, however, an emphatic 6-4, 6-3 win at Rod Laver Arena
providing a near-perfect launch of her bid to clinch a record 23rd grand slam title in the professional era. Fiancé Alexis Ohanian, a social media entrepreneur, was a spectator in the crowd but the wedding plans remain on hold for at least another match, and much longer if the American great has her way at Melbourne Park. “I just kept saying that February I’ll start looking at the bigger picture of my life,” Williams, seeded second, told reporters. “But right now I’m just so focused that this is kind of all I can think about.” Former world number seven Bencic, who is
expected to have a big future in the game, was supposed to give her opponent something to think about. She had upset Williams in Toronto in 2015 and became the y o u n g e s t player to do so in a completed match since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova felled her at the 2004 WTA Finals. Bencic trailed 3-1 within minutes of a match that started in oppressive heat on Tuesday but battled back to 4-4 in the first set before Williams changed the game with a single shot. Pumping her creaky knees to lunge for a wide backhand, Williams’ sliced an improbable cross-court
winner past the net-bound Bencic to hold serve. It was a deflating moment for the 19-year-old, who had been on a roll, and she duly dropped the set when Williams fired a return that all but punched a hole through her racket. From there, Williams roared to 5-0 in the second set with only a late slump stalling her victory march. Bencic rallied to break Williams a second time and the American double-faulted on her first match point, drawing gasps from the crowd. But Williams made no mistake with her second, closing it out with a thumping forehand volley to
set up a clash against Czech Lucie Safarova. Safarova, a former world number five and French Open finalist, might present a tough test in the second round but after the way she brushed Bencic aside few would bet against Williams ploughing on to the second week. Williams revealed in her post-match media conference that she had been devastated to learn of British singer George M i c h a e l ’s d e a t h i n December. It prompted a reporter to ask which was her favourite song from the former pop idol. Fittingly, she responded: “Faith.”
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
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Kenya’s Sumgong seeks to retain London marathon title LONDON (Reuters) Kenya’s Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong will defend her London title in April against one of the strongest fields ever assembled for a city race, having recovered from a fall to win last year, organisers said yesterday. Sumgong, 32, cracked her head on the road three miles from the end of the 2016 race but bounced to her feet and fought back to take victory with a terrific late burst. Four months later she became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic marathon gold. Compatriot Mary Keitany, who also fell after tangling with Sumgong but faded to ninth in London last year, returns for the race on April 23 seeking a third win to match the hat-trick of New York City Marathon titles she completed last
November. Keitany, 35, became the second fastest women’s marathon runner of all time, behind Briton Paula Radcliffe, when she won her second London race in 2012 in 2:18:37 but her lowly finish last year cost her a spot in Kenya’s Rio Olympics team. Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, who won bronze in Rio behind Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa, is another big name in a lineup that includes all three medalists from last year’s race, three of the top five finishers in Rio, four previous London Marathon champions, and the winners at last year’s Abbott World Marathon Majors races in Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago and New York. “London is the marathon every runner wants to win,” said Sumgong. “I can’t wait to return to defend my title.” THIRD TIME Keitany, formerly half-
Jemima Sumgong (KEN) of Kenya celebrates after winning the Rio Olympics race. (REUTERS/Johannes Eisele/Pool) marathon world record holder, is also desperate to do well. “I love running in London,” s h e s a i d . “After the sickness I had before the race
Letter to the Sports Editor
That’s why I’m investing Dear Sports Editor, Thanks for space in your newspaper, as I read through this and other newspapers and also listening to quite a few people it leave me no choice but to write this letter. First I would like to start off by saying I’m proud of all my co-workers and many sponsors who have invested in Track and Field with me. Then I would like to thank all the Television stations (ie) Basil Bradshaw show, HGTV/CH16/67 for hosting me and to many of my viewers who sit by their television and watch me, not forgetting the management of Channel 9 who sent me some wonderful words of encouragement and to the staff of this very newspaper Kaieteur News for allowing me space in their news paper so I can get the word around to the people. I know some of your readers are wondering why I am thanking these people, oh not to forget Youtube where a lot of the things I have done are posted. There are many reasons why I am thanking them. (1) I could have never done this without them. (2) It cost me a minimum of $40.00 US dollars for every medal my daughter won. (3) At the end of every season it cost me a minimum
of $2,000 US not including outdoor season which is far more expensive with the Junior Olympics National Championship alone costing me in airfare minimum of $2,500 US plus hotel fees for seven nights minimum $800; not including food, tolls, gas, car rental, drinks running gears etc. and I have not mentioned other outdoor m e e t s l i k e H e r s h e y ’s Outdoor Championship, region 1 qualifier , and a few more outdoor meets and this is just for one kid here in the USA . So people do the math I know we can all do addition. The reason why I am saying this is to respond to those who think an Olympic Medal is cheap, it’s not, you have to invest big. So to see the GOA spending money on themselves and not the athletes is a shame and if you should add up my expense per year yet I am still able to contribute to the athletes in Guyana I would simply say to some of those writers like Mr. T. Pemberton and Harri Narine Singh and others, what have you ever contributed to make any given sport in Guyana, if you did, great, put more or SHUT UP. I would like to say to the many people in Guyana winning an Olympic Medal is not cheap, like anything in
life it comes with a cost, hard work along with blood, sweat and tears, once you make up your mind to go through it I promise you that the end product would be great. So athletes don’t just sit there and believe that it’s not possible, the heads for the various Sports Associations needs to be held accountable by you the athletes, the clubs, and most of all parents who give your kids to these coaches who in turn sell out because of what’s in it for them and the athletes loose out. It’s hard to read and see all these things that went on yet Juman Yassin was put back there, I think he needs to come clean about where the money really went and he needs to be under a microscope since this is his final term in office. To the Minister of Sports and Culture and the President of Guyana, we need more money allocated in the Budget for sports, much more money. I think some of those money that were wasted on Investigating the previous Administration would have been better spent toward the development of our Nation’s Athletes, after all it’s tax payers money(our money) not yours. Respectfully yours, Andy Medas-King
a n d t h e f a l l l a s t year during the race, I want to show everyone what I can do. “My goal is to win the Virgin Money London Marathon for the third time
and to demonstrate to everybody that I could have won the Olympic Games last year if I had been selected.” Also in the field is Ethiopia’s triple Olympic
and five-time world track champion Tirunesh Dibaba, who finished third on her marathon debut in London three years ago. “This is a stellar field and everyone who is anyone in women’s marathon running will be in London on 23 April,” said race director Hugh Brasher. A similarly impressive men’s field was announced last week, with Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the second-fastest marathon runner in history and probably the greatest-ever all-round distance runner, top of the bill. Bekele, due to compete in the Dubai marathon on Friday, ran t w o h o u r s three minutes three seconds to win in Berlin l a s t S e p t e m b e r, s i x seconds outside Kenyan Dennis Kimetto’s world record there in 2014 and which will be in his sights this year.
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Ace high Karlovic prevails in Court 19 marathon M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Ivo Karlovic fired down 75 aces in a record Australian Open marathon against Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos which lasted five hours, 15 minutes and finished in a 6-7(6), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20 first-round victory for the Croatian yesterday. The 37-year-old 20th seed threw his hands in the air in delight after Zeballos ballooned an attempted lob high into the night sky to finally bring an end to the grueling 157-minute fifth set. Karlovic embraced his exhausted opponent then exchanged high fives with a large part of the crowd which had stuck with the contest from its start in the afternoon sun to the finish under the low wattage lights on the tiny Court 19. Wi t h a l l t h e o t h e r matches on the outer courts long finished, a carnival atmosphere had developed as the two players tried and failed to break each other’s serve in the final set. Organizers sent ballboys running off to get more energy drinks as the marathon continued with the gloom punctuated occasionally by fireworks being set off at a match at the neighboring Melbourne Cricket Ground. “I was just trying to hang in there, just point by point,” said Karlovic. “(I had energy drink) gatorades and water, I don’t know. I mean, I began really bad. As the match was going on, it was little bit less hot also. So that kind of also gave me opportunity to be more, how you say, not tired.” Karlovic’s ace total was an Australian Open record for a match and he flung down 38 in the final set
Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic celebrates winning match point in his Men’s singles first round match against Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
alone. Zeballos chipped in with 33 in the match and 15 in the last stanza. The break point Karlovic converted was only the fourth in the 42 games in the deciding set, with long rallies at a premium as the serves continued to thwack into the back fence at both ends. Despite its length, the contest was still 38 minutes shy of the record for the longest match at the Australian Open - the 2012 final between Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal having gone five hours and 53 minutes. However, it was a record for the highest number of games in Melbourne in the tiebreak era, beating by one the 83 American Andy Roddick played to beat
Younes El Aynaoui 4-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 at Melbourne Park in 2003. The longest match in the record books is American John Isner’s 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7) 7–6(3) 70–68 victory over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours, five minutes of play over three days at Wimbledon in 2010. In that duel Isner served a world record 113 aces, closely followed by Mahut’s 103. Karlovic’s 75 was not his highest total in a match, falling just shy of the 78 he served against Radek Stepanek in a Davis Cup tie in 2009. “I was thinking about that other match Isner against Mahut, I was hoping little bit it could go this long so I could also have a record,” said Karlovic. Karlovic will have two days to rest his legs before his second round contest against local wildcard Andrew Whittingham, a serve volleyer who earlier beat Czech Adam Pavlasek 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a relatively modest 145 minutes. “Arm is good, but my knee, my back, little bit not so good. Elbow,” he said. “I don’t know how I will recover. Tomorrow off. I will not even hit. I’m just going to do the ice bath, try to hit good, go to sleep early. Hopefully that will be enough.”
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Letter to the Sports Editor
Heartiest Congratulations to Bro Shabbazz Dear Sir, Following the Golden Jaguars consecutive losses in the third round of the Caribbean Cup, to Suriname and Jamaica, both of which occurred in extra time, despite the locals leading in both instances, at the end of the second loss by a 4-2 margin to the Reggae Boyz, the average football fan/man in the street was demanding the former head coach Jamal Shabbazz, be fired instantly. This was against the backdrop that moreover, with a 2-0 half time lead over the Jamaicans, the locals had no right to lose. While it may be true from a tactical perspective, maybe the second half instructions were not heeded to, albeit when possession is lost each player must get behind the ball. But with this being my opinion, it’s not necessary that it may be so. H o w e v e r, w i t h t h e absence of domestic football at the time most importantly the Elite League, would have deprived all the local based national players of competitiveness and game time. Was this the fault of Brother Shabbazz and his coaching staff? Absolutely not! That with the most, four full training sessions, compounded by the entire squad being present, surely, editor this administrative blunder places local football
and by extension, meaningful preparation in a quandary. Had the GFF ensured the nation’s premier competition, the Elite League was up and running, then a more favourable account of the Golden Jaguars would have been forthcoming barring the two losses. Were it to be two victories instead, the Gold Cup inaugural participation by Guyana would have been a step closer. That French Guiana, an overseas based territory of France, along with Guadeloupe and Martinique, which don’t play in no FIFA Qualifying World Cup Tournaments advanced. Editor, this remains a clear indication what development, in totality is all about. Since French Guiana, have already booked their place in this year’s Gold Cup, where is Guyana, when will they be qualifying, in what year? So close, yet so far! Bro Shabbazz, you have walked the walk and talked the talk, at the end of the day, your resignation as Head Coach, Golden Jaguars was quite rightful, within the realm of professionalism. After all you are not a magician. Meanwhile, your recent appointment as a member of the T&T Coaching staff, ahead of 2 important World Cup Qualifying matches
early in 2017, beyond any stretch of imagination is the limited success Guyana’s football secured was with you and your coaching staff. The most significant of which was defeating your native land by a 2-1 margin at the National Stadium, Providence on 11. 11. 11 in t h e 2 0 1 4 Wo r l d C u p Qualifier. This performance enabled the Golden Jaguars to advance its furthest ever in the World Cup Qualifiers. Bro Jamal in silencing your critics locally, the tide has changed; the tables have turned; your just reward, securing employment with T&T Senior Male National Team. In words of a former national captain and stalwart, Earl O’Neal “90% of the local spectators at a match knows virtually nothing about what they are seeing. But yet still, remains extremely critical of administrators, coaches and referees”. On more than one occasion, I was forced to rebut comments that: “ S h a b b a z z c a n ’t g a i n employment in Trinidad with a male national team”. M y h e a r t i e s t congratulations Jamal and may the grace of Allah and the fellowship of the Prophet, be with you now and forever more. Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey
Atalanta coach gets two-match ban for insulting officials (Reuters) Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has been given a two-match ban for insulting match officials a n d To r i n o ’ s S i n i s a Mihajlovic has been fined for breaking an interview backdrop screen, Serie A’s disciplinary tribunal said yesterday. Gasperini was sent off during his side’s 2-1 defeat at Lazio after he “blatantly and repeatedly protested against a refereeing decision, uttering seriously insulting expressions towards the fourth official”, the tribunal said in a statement. After he was dismissed in Sunday’s match, Gasperini “uttered more gravely offensive remarks” towards the referee. Lazio coach Simone
Gian Piero Gasperini (REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo) Inzaghi, sent off in the first half of the same match for dissent, was given a warning. Mihajlovic, angry after Torino squandered a 2-0 lead and drew 2-2 with AC Milan, was fined 2,000 euros ($2,100) for his behaviour at the end of
Monday’s match. The former Fiorentina, AC Milan, Sampdoria and Serbia coach “violently used his hand to strike the board used as background for conducting interviews, ripping it apart”, the tribunal said. ($1 = 0.9348 euros)
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Wednesday January 18, 2017
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GUMDAC ANNUAL OPEN Watson praises Brathwaite DOUBLES TOURNAMENT impact on resurgent Thunder SET FOR NEXT MONTH
Narayan Ramdhani & Jonathan Mangra (left) who won the Men’s Doubles title last year. The Guyana Badminton Association will be running off the GUMDAC Open D o u b l e s To u r n a m e n t February 01and 03, at the National Gymnasium 6:00pm - 9:00pm both days. This is the first of a series of local tournaments.
The tournament will be played in the Men and Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles. All players are asked to start training for this tournament which has been running for the last 4 years. Entries Closes on
January 30th. Last year ’s winners were: Men Doubles: Narayan Ramdhani and Jonathan Mangra Ladies Doubles: Priyanna Ramdhani and Siya Persaud.
SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Sydney Thunder skipper, Shane Watson, has hailed the influence of West Indies all-rounder, Carlos Brathwaite, in the f r a n c h i s e ’s r e c e n t resurgence during the ongoing Big Bash League. Barbadian Brathwaite played critical roles with the ball in the last two outings as Thunder extended their winning streak to three games, after starting the tournament with a fourgame losing skid. “Carlos has been brilliant, he’s an impressive guy, we all know what he can do on the cricket field as well,” Watson said. “He’s bowled very well the times that he’s come on and just the energy he’s provided in the field, but also off the field as well. “He’s a very engaging guy, so everyone’s loved having him on board. He’s certainly provided that spark that we’ve been looking for.” Brathwaite was a late replacement for West Indies teammate Andre Russell who was forced out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. He picked up two wickets in his first game as
Sydney’s West Indies all-rounder, Carlos Brathwaite. Thunder beat Hobart Hurricanes by six wickets and claimed three wickets in his second outing to help the reigning champions down crosstown rivals Sydney Sixers by eight wickets. Watson said Brathwaite had been an excellent replacement for Russell. “He’s certainly brought a nice energy to our group, not that Andre Russell didn’t, I
suppose,” he pointed out. “It’s just a different feel that Carlos has brought, especially where Andre unfortunately is with his things that are hanging over his head at the moment.” Brathwaite is expected to feature again as Thunder take on Kieron Pollard’s Adelaide Strikers in a mustwin contest today at Spotless Stadium.
Australian Open blazes but extreme heat avoided M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Fans frolicked in front of mist fans dotted around Melbourne Park yesterday as Australian Open organisers breathed a sigh of relief that this year’s tournament might escape the worst excesses of the weather. The Melbourne scorcher is a rite of passage for players and fans at the year’s first grand slam, and temperatures above the 40 degrees Celsius mark in 2009 and 2014 forced the cancellation of matches and the invocation of the extreme heat policy. The two-week tournament moved into its second day of play on Tuesday and while it was undoubtedly very hot, the mercury peaked at 37.8C, leaving tournament meteorologist Bob Leighton confident there would be no need for special measures. “We’ve had two years with severe heatwaves in the past 10 years. So far it’s a fairly normal year,” he told Reuters.
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki serves during her Women’s singles first round match against Australia’s Arina Rodionova. (REUTERS/Edgar Su)
“Tomorrow we’re going down to the low twenties and there should be a couple of warmer days from next weekend — Sunday and Monday.”
On the air-conditioned Rod Laver Arena, players such as Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal breezed through their matches despite the stifling
conditions outside. “It was fine. I didn’t have a problem with the h e a t , ” Wi l l i a m s t o l d reporters. The duo were the singles
champions in 2009, when the heatwave that hit the tournament resulted in the Black Saturday bushfires that blazed across Victoria a few weeks later, claiming 173 lives. In 2014, a ball boy and player fainted during a match, and organizers were criticized for allowing the tournament to continue. Since then, they have planted trees and added 3,200 square meters of shade in the redevelopment of Margaret Court. KONTA MEASURED Te m p e r a t u r e , w i n d direction and humidity are taken into account under the extreme heat policy that leaves it to the discretion of the referee to suspend play and close the roofs. For Australian-born Briton Johanna Konta, who won the Sydney International last week and beat Kirsten Flipkens in the first match on the Margaret Court Arena, Tuesday’s heat was all relative. “It was hot, but last week
in Sydney, we experienced something a lot hotter,” she said. “So I think it was almost cool in comparison.” While players may have found conditions tolerable on Tuesday, they were still keen to escape the heat. “I don’t know how much degrees there was, but I felt okay,” said Czech Karolina Pliskova, who raced to victory against Spain’s Sara Tormo on Rod Laver Arena. “But I was there an hour, I think if I had stayed longer, it would have been worse.” A n n e Wi l l i a m s , a spectator from rural Victoria attending the tournament for the first time, had sympathy for Rogerio Dutra Silva and Jared Donaldson, who slugged it out for three hours on the exposed Court Five in the full heat of the afternoon. “Some of the players will be used to the heat, and they may have an advantage. Others, the Eastern Europeans for example, may find it tougher,” she opined from beneath the brim of her straw hat.
t r o Sp
Serena swats STAG Nations Cup KO Football restarts tonight at Grove Playfield doubts, Bencic Grove Hi Tech face NA United; Ann’s Grove battle Den Amstel aside to advance
NA United will be banking on the form of the following players from left, Leonardo Adams, Graham Thomas, Jovano Dos Santos, Steffon Boucher and Shkeel Grant.
Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her Women’s singles first round match against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
Limacol Football Djokovic fends off Tournament kicks Nadal-slayer Verdasco off next Monday
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a shot during his Men’s singles first round match against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco. (REUTERS/Edgar Su)
Part of the action in the inaugural tournament last year.
Panesar to mentor Australia’s spinners ahead of India tour
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