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AIETEUR NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

GECOM Chair back to work

today

Tuesday Edition January 22, 2019 - Vol. 12 No. 04

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

- PPP requests elections date, status of preparedness be placed on agenda

Online readership yesterday 132,841

House-to-House registration...

Dead persons on voters' list inconsequential - Former GECOM Chairman

W.C.D. access road damaged by heavy duty trucks - Residents blame contractor, say paved surface now mud dam

CJ upholds larceny Sophia charges against Nandlall shopowner 2,300 kilos drugs bust...Suspect attempts suicide in stabbed Suriname lockups to death

Dead: Godfrey Phillip

Fiscal incentive for oil needs careful analysis - NRGI says there’s a risk of govt. giving away too much

Kaieteur News

PAGE 02

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Health Ministry on mission to raise 'SMART Hospital' awareness

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imed at raising awareness about the importance of the SMART Hospital initiative, the Ministry of Public Health yesterday collaborated with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation [PAHO/WHO] to unveil a billboard.

The billboard, which has been mounted in the compound of the East Bank Demerara Diamond Regional Hospital, seeks to

enlighten the public of the £38M health infrastructure project which, according to P A H O / W H O Representative, Dr. William A d u - K r o w, w i l l l i n k structural safety and disaster resilience with resources. In essence, he said that the initiative will seek to reduce interventions at a reasonable 'cost-to-benefit' ratio, even as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

He, along with Senior Minister of Public Health,

M s . Vo l d a L a w r e n c e , yesterday appealed to media operatives to lend their support to popularize the initiative aimed at transforming the public health sector for the better.

Under the contract brokered with the United Kingdom-based Department For International Development [DFID], with PAHO/WHO acting as the executing agency, five public health institutions namely the Diamond

Officials at the unveiling of the billboard yesterday.

Diagnostic Centre, Demerara/Mahaica [Region Four]; Leonora Cottage Hospital, Region Three [Essequibo Islands/West Demerara]; Lethem Regional Hospital, [Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo]; Mabaruma District Hospital, Barima/Waini [Region One] and Paramakatoi Health Centre, [Potaro/Siparuni (Region Eight] will be redesigned and retrofitted to conform to the SMART hospital blueprint.

The project is said to result in enhanced safety standards, a reduction in downtime and damaged hospitals from natural hazards, as well as a reduction in water and electricity consumption, according to Dr. Adu-Krow.

A document circulated at yesterday's billboard unveiling explained that 30 healthcare workers were trained to apply the SMART Hospital protocol which includes the hospital safety index and a green checklist standard.

When she spoke, Minister Lawrence noted that East Bank residents will benefit greatly from the

'Smart Standards' of the Diagnostic Centre, since it is strategically located on the busy carriageway which facilitates especially passengers travelling from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

“We view the Diamond Diagnostic Centre as a pivotal element within the whole health spectrum, and this initiative will certainly provide care at a higher level for those persons who would want to use the services,” Lawrence said.

She explained that much work is being administered into the human resources to provide specialist doctors with the necessary tools, space and accommodation to ensure patients receive the best services possible.

Two years ago, Guyana embarked on the SMART hospitals programme which includes retrofitting for selected health structures, making them resilient to the impact of nature, including natural disasters.

SMART Hospitals are increasingly viewed as being at the intersection of medicine, information, (continued on page 18)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 03

House-to-House Registration…

Dead people on voters' list inconsequential - Former GECOM Chairman

By Kiana Wilburg

I

t is important for Guyana to have house-to-house registration. But given the special circumstances the country now finds itself in, it would not be a matter of life and death if it is not conducted.

This is the informed viewpoint of former Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (G E C O M ) , D r. S t e v e Surujbally. He was at the time sharing his perspective on whether house-to-house registration is absolutely necessary before the political parties head into the next General and Regional Elections.

To provide context for ensuing discussion, the former GECOM Chairman was informed by this newspaper that some persons believe that the list is overdue for a renewal so that the names of dead persons can be removed as well as those who are living abroad.

It was also brought to his attention that some individuals hold the view that if this is not done, then it leaves scope for corrupted elections.

Dr. Surujbally said he agrees with both observations. He noted however, “Dead people won't be able to rig the elections.”

The former GECOM Chairman said that there are simply too many checks and balances in place to inhibit such efforts. Dr. Surujbally said that even if some are

successful in trying to use the name of a dead person to cast a vote, it would have to be a “massive number of people doing so, and that is just not possible.”

“After lots of deliberations, GECOM had decided a long time ago that the list would be sanitized or renewed every seven years.

But this is an expensive process. It takes six months.

The last one we did started in January 2008 and ended June of that year. And there are a lot of factors that have to be looked at during that process… This includes fingerprints and the facial recognition part of the process…And there is data on the registration form which has to be checked…”

Dr. Surujbally added, “But while this is an important process, it is not a life and death situation that you have to have it…So many countries do not do it before elections…In our case, you can use the list we have…You can even have a claims and objections period which takes about 10 to 14 days if my memory serves me right. So, while I agree with the observation that there are names of dead people on the list which need to be removed, that can be done during the claims and objections period…”

And even if all the persons are not removed from the list and there are a few slips, Dr. Surujbally said that at the various polling stations, there would be several officials armed with all the data they need to verify whether a person is

GECOM to sanitize the list.

He said, therefore, that GECOM did not have a choice but to go forward with the list.

GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander who he or she claims to be.

PARTIES DIVIDED For the last two weeks, the political parties have been divided on the necessity of house-to-house registration before the next elections. The Government says the list of voters has to be sanitized to remove the names of dead people and to include the names of individuals who are now turning 18.

But Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo contends that this is just a frustration tactic.

He believes all the dead people could be cleared out from the list within two weeks and Guyana could get on with the business of holding elections.

During an invited comment, GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, had said that the sanitization of the list goes beyond the dead. He told this newspaper that the list is bloated with persons who are

Former GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally

no longer living here. And if this is not dealt with, he said it leaves scope for corrupted elections. Alexander also said that the list should have been sanitized a long time ago, but funds were not available to facilitate this process.

“For the last few years, we wanted to do it, but we did not get the funding, hence it was not done. In this year's budget, we have gotten the resources, so basically what GECOM wants to do is what should be done as a matter of course…

So forget all the questions.

This is a basic procedure that should be undertaken periodically. And the period we defined is seven years and we have gone past seven…”

In addition to that routine exercise, Alexander shared that concerns were raised about the population having 750, 000 people while the voters' list is 500,000-plus.

He said this clearly means

Female court-regular jailed again after stabbing man in neck

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woman, who is said to be in the habit of beating men, including her lovers, and was recently released from jail, has been jailed again for unlawful wounding.

Gem Rosmund Cadogan, 50, of Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice is a mother of three.

She is well known to the authorities and is a court regular. She was charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Rambarran Sheopaul, 47, a cane cutter of Adelphi, East Canje Berbice. The incident is said to have been committed on 11th November at Goed Bananen Land, East Canje

Berbice. ` The case for the Prosecution as presented by Inspector Althea Solomon was that the accused and the victim are known to each other, since they reside in the same area.

Around 23:45 hrs on the day in question, Sheopaul was among a number of persons at a fun day at the Goed Bananen playfield. He was at the time consuming alcohol with friends when the accused came up to the group and an argument ensued.

Cadogan then broke a bottle and stabbed Sheopaul to the neck. The man was subsequently treated for his wound and Cadogan was later arrested and

charged.

She appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh in the Reliance Magistrate's Court where she was found guilty.

The court was told that Cadogan is a regular drinker and substance abuser.

She was jailed for six months in 2014 for unlawful wounding her lover.

She was also on an attempted murder change which was committed in 2014 on a pensioner. She was also jailed for that crime.

In November 2017, while in a drunken state, she was accused of burning her one-bedroom cottage. In 2018 she was jailed for 10 months on another unlawful wounding charge.

that the list has an excess of the real resident voting population.

“It therefore means that we may have dead people and I would argue the case that the majority of the excess is not dead people.

The dead people are a minor number of the excess …The number of excess people on the list seems to be overseas Guyanese. Having excess people on the list leaves scope for corrupted elections. If you get the identification card of that person, you can get someone else to vote for them so there is a window for corrupted elections if you leave those names on the list.” …BUT LIST WAS VALID FOR LGE O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r, Bharrat Jagdeo had also contended that there is no need for the house-to-house registration since the government and the PPP had agreed on the said list being used for Local Government Elections. Jagdeo said that the list is valid until April 30.

But Alexander said that this argument does not hold any weight. He said there was no money voted for

AND THE 90 DAY DEADLINE? Jagdeo has also argued that if house-to-house registration is conducted, it would prevent elections from being held by the Constitutional deadline of March 19, which kicked in when the No-Confidence Motion was carried on December 21, 2018.

But Alexander finds this view to be flawed. He noted that the Constitution clearly states that the deadline can be extended by the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority. Article 106 (7) of the Constitution states, “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Alexander said therefore that there is no looming constitutional crisis that would occur if GECOM needs time to do house-tohouse registration which would go past the 90 days that is being spoken of by Jagdeo.

“The Constitution says that a date can be set by the House using a two-thirds majority. That is why both sides have appointed a representative to speak with GECOM, because it is our advice that would inform the deadline.”

PAGE 4

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yesterday, Americans and many citizens around the world celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King (Junior)’s birth anniversary.

Dr. King’s birthday is celebrated on the third Monday in January. It is a public holiday to honour his legacy, his fight for freedom, justice and equity and against racism in America. Dr. King, who is widely regarded as America and the world’s foremost civil rights leader, was cut down in the prime of his life on April 4th, 1968. Had he lived, he would have been 90 years old last Tuesday.

The 33rd observance of MLK Day took on a new significance as Blacks and Hispanics are currently faced with rising discrimination under the Trump presidency. His vulgar remarks show his overt disdain for non-white people. This much was strikingly evident in his claim that former US President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

The holiday is meant to transform Dr. King’s life and teachings into community service, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions to social problems.

King joined the civil rights movement in 1954 after a Supreme Court decision that segregated schools were unconstitutional.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, a city plagued by racial discrimination at the time, King’s oratorical skills, courage and determination to raise public awareness of racism and segregation in the US, catapulted him into the leadership of the civil rights movement. Dr. King was the pastor at a Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, which was the epicentre of the civil rights movement against racial segregation in public transportation. In December 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress refused to give up her seat in a bus to a white male. Her arrest and subsequent charge for civil disobedience sparked a grassroots movement led by Dr. King, who organised a bus boycott in Montgomery.

The year-long boycott attracted national attention when he and other civil rights activists were arrested and beaten during protests. The boycott ended with a ban on racial segregation on all Montgomery buses by a United States District Court.

During the next decade, Dr. King organised several non-violent protests and mass demonstrations across the country to draw attention to racial discrimination and to demand civil rights legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. His peaceful demonstrations encountered beatings from white police with dogs and fire hoses.

The attacks generated newspaper headlines across the country and around the world. While Dr. King’s non-violent approach and his moderate stance attracted many progressive whites in America, they were vehemently opposed by the militant Malcolm X who advocated freedom by any means necessary.Dr. King also demonstrated against poverty and international conflict, including the Vietnam War, but he was true to his principles that humans everywhere, regardless of colour, ethnicity or creed, are equal members of the human race. Prior to his death, Dr. King’s leadership of the civil rights movement achieved more progress toward racial equality in America than any time prior. His leadership was so powerful that it led to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. That year, he was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

His charismatic leadership inspired men and women in the US and around the world. It sparked the conscience of a generation that culminated in the historic march on Washington, DC on August 28, 1963, which drew over 250,000.

On that occasion, Dr. King made his most famous and eloquent, “I have a Dream” speech with the belief that someday America would live up to its creed of equality, freedom and justice for everyone. His speech resonated around the world. In these trying times, it still does.

Issues with ANUG’s seeming approach to solving the nation’s problems DEAR EDITOR, While I welcome the ‘A New and United Guyana’ (ANUG) party, I am extremely concerned with Mr. Timothy Jonas’s approach to problem solving, at least on the following issue, and I hope that this is his personal approach and not that of the party.

I make reference to his letter in the Stabroek News on 16 January, 2019 titled ‘ANUG supports call for legalization of marijuana in Guyana’.

There is no doubt that we definitely need to find a solution to the issue of our young people having criminal records due to marijuana (small amounts) related offences, but this must not necessarily be done through legalization.

I read in the media recently, a report from ChildLink ‘Cries in the Dark– Child Sexual Abuse in Guyana Today’. The report sought to highlight some of the health complications of sexually abused children and stated that ‘in some cases, children have suffered from complications such as a ruptured uterus; sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea and HIV; and pregnancy and childbearing’. This is an

issue that ANUG could probably put on its agenda too.

My issue with Mr. Jonas’s approach to finding a solution to this issue, is that it is of more than a legal and economic nature. There are other aspects, which need to be seriously considered, such as sociological, psychological, health, family, addiction, inadequate social and other safety nets, etc.

What about addressing issues which lead our young people resorting to the use of marijuana, whether as a way of trying to cope with life’s challenges, or other? Our society and our young people are grappling with a myriad of other issues, some of which may lead to marijuana use.

One of my concerns is that Guyana is, to a large part, in its current state, because too many of our leaders did not take time, or care enough, to see it as being absolutely necessary; to inform themselves on some very important principles, which are absolutely necessary for good governance and leadership; such as what should inform decision-making, consensus building, problem solving, accountability, etc. I believe that a part of Guyana’s problem, is that we have always

had many lawyers in political leadership and who are essentially ‘only’ trained as lawyers.

This resulted in lawyers/leaders doing what they are mostly trained to do, either seek a legal solution, or confrontation. Our lawyers/leaders have sought to find too many of the solutions to nation-building and governance in the courts or in a confrontational manner. There are other means which should be used to solve our problems and which will bring about much more win-win solutions.

The time has come for our political leaders to develop other expertise and build their capacity in other areas; after everything that this country has gone through, we need leaders who also understand sociology, psychology, executive leadership, executive management, governance, peace building, security, communications, consensus building, business management, etc., or at least listen to people who do.

While I do agree that it is a big issue for our young people to be criminalized for small amounts of marijuana, the issue has to be addressed in the wider context, beyond legalization and the economic benefits of legalizing mari-

juana.

I have never seen in any other country, so many people being ‘high’ in the streets, even in countries with significantly larger populations than Guyana and with extreme poverty situations, and I have been to quite a few places, and that bothers me.

Note, I stated being ‘high’ in the streets.

Is Mr. Jonas aware of how many women in Guyana are struggling with their families, and children? Which are some of the reasons our young people are resorting to drugs, alcohol, etc. ANUG should focus on addressing the causes; let’s fix families and develop more stable homes Mr. Jonas, not legalize marijuana!

Don’t end the race before it is started Mr. Jonas. The ANUG party is a good idea under the current circumstances, build on that. No parent wants to know that their children have a criminal record, but they also do not want to know that they can go into the shop and purchase marijuana.

APNU and the PPP have been very smart about their support in this matter, AFC learnt eventually, well hopefully.

Yours faithfully, Citizen Audreyanna Thomas

We must never forget the Alicia Fosters and Levoy Taljits DEAR EDITOR, In this growingly ugly Guyanese political season of super blood wolf moon, there comes a sobering reminder of what was frighteningly pervasive in this country. In many quarters and corners, and at many levels, it is what is longed for and which mentality and reality brings a deep chill. The political powers pay insultingly scant interest; they do, given the blood on their hands; their aiding and protecting; their guilt by association.

The sobering chilling reminder is that it is ten years since the death of young Alicia Foster. It was a terrible death; a brutal calculated one that should not be wished upon an animal. Only family, friends, and well-wishers are determined to keep her memory alive and in the public’s consciousness remember. They remember, too, the callous nature of her falling.

The street executioner(s), the intellectual authors, the business sponsors, the political enablers-high-rise living, prospering conspirators, wish for the shroud of silence, and the lengthening distance of time. For in the expanse of time, they hope that people

will forget the barbarisms that flourished, and which blasted so many lives and families apart.

This I label the political-commercial-underground complex.

It was not, and is not complex. It is visible, corruptible, and horrible. Listen to its members: they talk of elections and presidency and the future. I think it can only be a future resurrecting and restoring the evil past.

Alicia Foster is dead.

Murdered by the bustling sanctimonious, as if they had pointed the gun and squeezed the trigger. And for what? For being a conscientious civil servant of calibre and cleanliness.

They kill such people in this society. Her blood is on their hands and conscience; it drips from their lips. There are many more like this human candle cut down so callously; snuffed out before her prime by those, who seek another interval at managing and controlling the mother of dragons.

Today, the green swards of Guyana no longer constitute that once magnificent province; it is fitting. But all citizens should beware: dragons are rarely tame; they consume and devour. Just

ask the hurting, grieving, struggling survivors left in the wake of the crumpling of the Foster girl.

And lest any honourable, law-abiding citizen forget (for this is the fervent wish and drive from dark criminal corners inhabited by the diabolical), there must be remembrance of Levoy Taljit, too.

He was another of the young, who was made to pay an inhuman price for being committed, being a clean civil servant.

The unclean hands and unholy minds that orchestrated his continuing disappearance -sudden, mysterious, and loaded with commonsense environmental inferences - form the army of the guilty. Their children attend pricey schools, they cavort in chic places, shop with abandon through the easy dirty, bloody money so addicted to, so worshipped.

These guilty, from far and wide, even grace and bank at houses of prayer; they attract devout friends who lack either understanding or the essence of what godliness represents.

All the while, the troubled, fearful relations of Levoy Taljit must continue with the unbearable weight of their pain, the numbness of not knowing, and the dawning certainty of circum-

stances, perhaps, irreversible and irretrievable.

I regret endlessly these words, no matter how reflective of truth and accuracy they may be. They are bound to inflict unimaginable hurt. I knew Alicia Foster and Levoy Taljit. Just barely. It was enough. There is much greater familiarity with the c o l d - b l o o d e d businesspeople, the colderblooded politicians who pampered the former, while both enriched themselves through blood and death and decimation. They plot to do so again. The incentives are abundant and opulent.

There is a supreme power, too; and forces greater than the comprehensive combination of cowards and conspirators who wage war on truth, integrity, and what is positive.

War has casualties; this Guyana already knows.

To the Taljit and Foster families, I understand your anguish. I identify with your cries. Be strong. Be continuously believing. And in that reference at the beginning about the moon, recall Revelation: Every mountain and island will be removed from its place. That must be the abiding faith.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

Whither Guyana – Towards a Higher Calling or More of the Same?

DEAR EDITOR, Lest my written contributions to Guyana’s current political situation be misinterpreted, let me stipulate the following points, which reflect my opinion on the microlevel issues at hand: • Given the serious implications of the outcome of the NCM, the unprecedented and unusual way in which Mr. Charrandass Persaud came to the position of voting in support of the NCM against the interest of his party, his behaviour immediately afterwards and other seemingly relevant factors that have emerged since, a thorough investigation by the GPF is indeed warranted; • Given the questions raised by some political commentators and the government about what constitutes a true majority vote in the parliament, it is only appropriate that the judiciary should examine the arguments and interpret the legal intent of the constitution where it may be unclear. It is also extremely important to establish a clarifying precedent for how any future NCMs should be interpreted.

While the high court is considering the validity of the NCM, it should also pronounce on the question of when the current or any future government should resign after a successful NCM. In my opinion, it makes little sense for the government to resign immediately, since there is need for a recognized authority to maintain law and order in the country internally, and to officially represent the country externally. Certainly, this cannot be in the form of an unelected opposition.

• If the NCM is deemed valid by the high court in Guyana and provid-

ing there is no finding of corrupt intent on the part of Mr. Charrandass Persaud, Elections should be held in Guyana as soon as it is practical to have free and fair elections, given the constitutional requirement of three months; • If the high court deems the NCM to be invalid, for any reason, APNU should serve out its constitutional term in office preceding new national elections when it is due, unless there is a subsequent NCM that passes with the required and constitutionally defined majority as interpreted by the judiciary.

• The conduct of the next national elections, whether held in 3-6 months or when constitutionally due in 2020, should be, as far as practicable, beyond reproach (including the use of international observers, transparent electoral processes and adequate safeguards against impropriety); • If Mr. Charrandass Persaud participated in a corrupt or external plot to unseat the duly elected government of Guyana, he should be prosecuted to adequate extent of the laws of Guyana for crimes ranging from treason to sedition. Also, any other Guyanese or foreign nationals who actively participated in such a plot should be charged and prosecuted with conspiracy to unseat a duly elected government; Given the deadly seriousness of the current political situation, every Guyanese who feel they have some-

thing to contribute to a proper resolution, has the inalienable right to state or voice their opinion without fear of retribution or disdain from any source, period.

Some may choose to relive the sins of the past as perpetuated by both of the major parties. While I have been out of things for a while, I am fairly confident that there is enough valid criticism to go around.

Common sense (which is not always as common as one would expect) would suggest that the most sensible thing to do is to “let bygones be bygones” and let’s try to focus on what is best for Guyana to go forward.

The role of governance is not to take the opportunity of power to exact revenge for past recriminations, it is instead to use the reins and instruments of government and its affiliated institutions to organize and manage the countries human, technical and material resources to benefit “all Guyanese.”

If we can all agree that this course of action makes good sense, then half of the negative contributions, accusations and wasteful political discourse will drop off, allowing some light to shine on those contributions that are forward-looking, objective, hopeful, aspirational, and most of all what is most needed at this time.

This brings me to the heart of my current contribution.

It is not that I don’t care about the outcome of the current processes in place to resolve the above stated is-

sues. I am, however, convinced that the only truly progressive path forward from this political juncture is a unified Guyanese people behind some acceptable form of unified government. This position renders most of the current noise irrelevant, and allows for the investigative, electoral and judicial processes to proceed in a more normal and noncontroversial manner.

Game theory is a subbranch of Economics used to analyze strategic behaviour by taking into account how participants expect others to behave. It is used to find the optimal outcome from a set of choices by analyzing the costs and benefits to each independent party as they compete with each other.

A zero-sum game is a situation in game theory in which one person’s gain is equivalent to another’s loss, so the net change in wealth or benefit is zero. A zero-sum game may have as few as two players, or millions of participants.

Our current Bicameral system of political organization and government consistently pits the two major parties against each other in a series of zero-sum games where the typical outcome is that one party benefits while the other loses, until it is their turn to win and the other to lose. The problem with this model is that, almost with 100% certainty, the country as a whole loses, despite the temporary gains of either party.

I recently looked at a video of the Opposition Leader’s

speech in support of the NCM and was particularly amazed at his assertion that the ruling APNU was the most corrupt government in the history of Guyana. Former members of the PPP/C have accused the former PPP/C government of being the most corrupt government in the history of Guyana.

My amazement is that, in my beloved country, we have now moved into Trumpian territory with fantastic claims and accusations that, now that the stakes are much higher, can only serve to further divide the Guyanese people with potentially devastating implications and results.

From the outcome of Brexit in the UK to the election of Donald Trump in the USA with the interference of Russia in the electoral process of the most powerful country in the world, the gods are demonstrating how futile Westminster-style political systems and governments can become.

Developed countries may have the luxury of the time and resources it takes to unravel these disruptive and potentially catastrophic political events without self-destruction. However, I am very concerned that, given the realistic prospect of increased levels of outside interference in our political process and also,

given the fragility of Guyana’s body politic, any such seismic political events in Guyana will erupt into an uncontrollable political volcano.

So here we are at Ground Zero. My question is to all Guyanese who continue to be objective, open-minded and desirous of a new, more unified and prosperous Guyana, “Where is this likely to end?”

Do you truly believe that either the PNC/R or its current or future coalitions or the PPP/C and its current or future coalitions can take Guyana to the promised land with about half of the country pulling in the opposite direction?

You have seen the results of tug-of-wars; the winning side almost always falls down.

Governments are not perfect and are not meant to be perfect. However, the people have a right to expect that their duly elected government works as hard as it can to further the interest and benefits of all of the people.

Sometimes governments have to bend-over-backwards to avoid the impression that it is favouring its supporters (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6

Admirable clean-up efforts, but safety and health are conspicuously absent DEAR EDITOR, News that the newlyelected Georgetown Mayor, Pandit Ubraj Narine, over the weekend, led city councillors in a clean-up operation in the city is welcomed. Let me take the opportunity to note his presence at this leadership level at a relatively young age and wish him well.

As a trade unionist, though the clean-up effort is much appreciated, it would be remiss of me not to speak to what has become a pattern conducting work of such nature without the necessary protective gears. The picture of persons conducting this exercise gives rise to concern not only because they are government officials and primarily tasked with upholding the laws, but it could also send a message to City Council and other workers, who do this type of job, that safety and health are not priority in the execution of the task.

A nation’s most vital resource is its workers (people).

Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health laws and standards, which are established with the primary aim

to protect one’s life and health, cannot be over emphasised.

The absence of protective gears such as enclosed shoes/boots run the risk of greater exposure to injuries, that can lead to diseases, and if not treated or captured early, death. Think of a nail stick, which can lead to tetanus.

Also, if that person is diabetic that stick could carry dire consequence(s).

In the conducting of this exercise, based on the picture, there was the absence of respirators, gloves and goggles.

Respirators are needed to minimise the inhaling of gas and fumes that come from the waste, and the process from gathering to disposal exposes handlers to direct and greater risk.

Gloves help to avoid injuries to hands and prevention of possible fungus infection.

Goggles serve as protection for the eyes from objects which should they hit could carry consequences.

A few weeks ago, there was a post on social media of the Council’s Solid Waste Director Walter Narine, another

relatively young leader, and his team involved in a treeplanting exercise.

This effort aids the environment, beautification of the city, and sustainable development, and is applauded.

Aside from the noted positives, the concern exists that the exercise was being executed with persons not wearing the necessary protective gears.

An injured worker is not only a setback to him or herself, place of work and team, the economy, but also the family who relies on that income for sustenance and development. These inconveniences cannot be afforded.

In the circumstances where tasks of the stated nature pose unique threats to life, health and body parts, to take the default action of always wearing protective gears ensure risks are minimised, and one’s safety and health guaranteed. Another factor that cannot be overlooked is that with leadership comes greater expectation for compliance with laws and established standards.

Lincoln Lewis

PPP may lose the elections DEAR EDITOR, Although the news of Irfaan Ali as the PPP Presidential candidate did not come as a great surprise, it is nevertheless the talking point in the diaspora, and I am sure throughout Guyana. One wonders now if the PPP will win an election with him at the helm.

It was Bharrat Jagdeo who was responsible for the PPP losing the government in May 2015, and it is believed that because of his influence, Irfaan Ali was chosen as the party’s Presidential Candidate. It is felt that Jagdeo has a great influence over the former Housing Minister and can yield a lot of power if Irfaan Ali is President. Jagdeo, a Russian-trained economist,

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

it appears, wants to emulate Vladimir Putin/Dmitry Medvedev.

It is a known fact that Anil Nandlall, the former Attorney General is much more articulate, and arguably more Presidential than Ali, yet he was defeated in a contest between the two.

Party supporters are upset with the move, prompting them to reflect at Jagdeo’s history with the PPP. He was never in the trenches like dozens of renowned supporters - many of whom were forced out or kicked out because of Jagdeo’s domineering attitude and behaviour. Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, now two top AFC members among them, not to mention Ralph Ramkarran,

and the late Navin Chandarpal, among others.

I know for a fact, dozens of well-to-do Guyanese in the diaspora who were strong supporters of the PPP, because of Jagdeo’s greed and dictatorial attitude switched their loyalty to the AFC and made large financial contributions to that movement.

Many of them indicated to me that they regretted the move and were thinking of assisting the PPP to win the next elections. Now with this move to have Irfaan Ali as the Head, they might rethink and might very well keep out and stay out.

Given the mood at this stage, it is expected that there will be mass abstention, and this might allow the PNC/ APNU to win. A friend of mine just emailed me stating, “the dictator has had his way.

Nandlall was the brightest of them all, but the dictator wouldn’t have it. APNU has no need to rig now. Goodbye PPP”.

Oscar Ramjeet

Unite and arise, Guyanese brothers and sisters!

DEAR EDITOR This literary appeal is written in disapproval of the tensions and hate developing amongst my fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters, including the perverse exclusion of and unwise discrimination against dual citizens from faithfully serving the land of their birth.

I encourage all Guyanese, whichever part of the globe you may be, to immediately choose unity over strife, cohesion over division, reason over rage, and law and peace over war. Some of the hate mongers are doing this for selfish reasons that only further their own interests and agenda - not the nation’s collective welfare.

Most importantly, we are at the threshold of our country’s history where we can achieve greatness in prosperity, dignity and nationhood, as our resources are being fully revealed and harnessed.

Some of us have collectively fought against systems here in the USA, Canada, the UK and elsewhere, where we are treated like orphans and second class citizens, where strength can only come from unity, understanding, forgiveness and brotherhood. We learnt.

If you dare challenge these systems, albeit for your community’s greater good, you will be targeted by any of the millions of laws that can be invoked to silence or destroy you. Remember, your most tangible gains and democratic victories were won by expatriate Guyanese, many of whom are dual citizens, benefitting you, “our Guyanese brothers and sis-

ters back home.”

Overseas-based Guyanese all across the globe will confirm, from experience, that there are granite ceilings, concrete walls and land mines erected to suppress those of us who confront and seek inclusion in the status quo, empowerment and participation in these and similar countries supposedly built on truth, justice and equality.

I know from personal experience. I have endured that.

I have seen and fought the evil that targets and marginalizes the best and most caring amongst us. My blood, sweat and tears took me to the mountain top.

Make no mistake, wherever we are, Guyanese and West Indians have to fight for everything, and work very hard, sometimes doing multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Yet, our potential is limitless, our future bountiful, and our prosperity is at stake. It is in our hands.

There is no place for divisions, based on race, citizenship or otherwise. A Guyanese is, and will always be, a Guyanese, in his heart of hearts. However, unless we unite and fight against fragmentation, our enemies and naysayers, within and outside of Guyana, will eviscerate our sovereignty, integrity, birthright and future. Take warning!

Keep your eyes on the prize. Unite and Arise, Guyana!

UNITE AND ARISE, GUYANA! Mother of my navel string, I fear for you, Your children are destroying your family,

As they make strife and fight each other, While the deadly wolves lay in wait, licking their lips, Silently waiting to devour any trace of them.

The vultures also circle high above expectantly, Sensing that civil war and sibling blood will soon present them prey, Other beasts gather in for the kill, waiting to strike, While the golden arrowhead cringes, Silently weeping at what it sees unfolding.

Open your eyes and ears, sons and daughters of Guyana, Listen to the painful cries and echoes of the ghosts of your ancestors, Still haunting and roaming in the eerie silence of the plantation graveyards, Trying to whisper in your ear, reminding you of yesteryear, “El Dorado has come, No, no, that is not the way, we are but one people, one nation, and one destiny.”

Wake up, Guyanese, Wake up, man!

Be your brother’s and sister’s keeper, Do not turn your backs on each other, Unite and fight the real enemy, The interlopers lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.

Remember your fore parents’ collective suffering and servitude, Their diverse blood that is mixed deep and courses (Continued on page 24)

Whither Guyana – Towards a...

From page 5 over its critics. While there will always be the disgruntled and those who no government (not even the second coming) can satisfy, having a unified opposition group of critics does little to help with forward, much less optimal, progress.

Nothing (bad or good) happens to anyone or any country anywhere without a good reason: • The margin of political power was so slim and allowed for the possibility of the actions of one person to potentially bring down the current government for a reason; • Guyana has been blessed with significant oil findings at this particular juncture of its history for a reason; • Guyana has seen the

ugly side of race-based politics and conflict in the past for a reason; • Venezuela happens to be in political and economic upheaval at this time and is threatening Guyana’s territorial integrity and political stability for a reason; • The Russians are now targeting Guyana with its new form of exports – political interference - for a reason; • Guyana is blessed with an abundance of the best form of capital – Intellectual human capital – for a reason.

The world is changing before our very eyes. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are the technology leaders of the future.

Given its traditional and new endowments of rich human and economic resources, Guyana has the potential to

become a leader in these spaces, and to enjoy levels of economic growth and development, hitherto unprecedented, in the southern hemisphere.

However, I guarantee that there is only one path that will take us there; that is the path of a unified Guyanese people under a unified government that will lend true credence to our motto, “One People, One Nation, with One Destiny.”

So ‘Whither Guyana?”

Will we rise to the occasion and seize the opportunity before us? Or will we sink back into the mediocrity of more of the same ‘nonsenseness’ (best Guyanese word ever invented) that has been going on for too long.

The ball is in one person’s court and we all know who that is.

J. Sumner

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

GECOM Chairman back to work today Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d), James Patterson, who was ailing for the past few weeks, is due back at work today. He is expected to get right down to work and meet with commissioners for the normal weekly statutory forum.

According to GECOM’s spokesperson, Yolanda Ward, it will be recalled that earlier this month the 85-yearold chairman was given two more weeks by his doctor to rest.

The medical condition of Patterson would be important, as Guyana is facing early elections because of an historic December 21st no-confidence vote by Government parliamentarian, Charrandass Persaud.

Con s t i t u t i o n a l l y, t h e vote has triggered elections within three months.

The vote is being challenged in the High Court.

However, the People’s Progressive Party, which is in the Opposition, through its three commissioners on GECOM, has been pushing for meetings to determine the readiness of the entity.

The presence of Patterson, as Chairman, is critical to those meetings.

Among other things, Patterson was supposed to meet with representatives of both the Government and Opposition to talk about the preparedness of the commission for early elections.

Members of Parliament (MPs), Amna Ally and Gail Teixeira, both Chief Whips for their respective sides, have been nominated.

According to Ward, the Chairman will most likely

- PPP requests elections date, status of preparedness on agenda meet with the commissioners first, which comprise representatives of the two sides, to discuss the meeting with the Chief Whips.

Yesterday, PPP’s commissioner Robeson Benn said that he has received notification for the meeting today.

Benn has since written the commission asking that two items be placed on the agenda for discussion - the timing for elections consequent to the no-confidence vote and the preparations of GECOM for elections.

After falling ill and hospitalized last month, Patterson had set January 8, 2019 for the next meeting. However, GECOM announced that his medical leave had been extended following a visit to his doctor on January 7, 2019. ”The Chairman had earlier indicated that that he would resume duty on 8th January, 2019 and to reconvene a statutory meeting after being absent since early December due to illness.

While, the Chairman has been recovering well, he was advised by his doctor to have some additional rest to ensure that he fully recovers to effectively resume duty,” GECOM said in a statement earlier this month.

Patterson, who was appointed by President David Granger after debates over the “Fit and Proper” criteria, missed a statutory meeting of commissioners last month because of illness.

PPP commissioner in GECOM, Robeson Benn Justice (ret’d) James Patterson being sworn in as GECOM’s Chairman in 2017.

He was then transferred from the Davis Memorial Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, D’Urban Backlands, to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital where tests and procedures were performed.

The Chairman was said to have been in the Intensive Care Unit.

Prior to Patterson missing the December 4, 2018 meeting because of illness, the Opposition commissioners had walked out the week before. The commission would have been just coming out of Local Government Elections (LGE) held on November 12, 2018.

Reports of the elections as well as other critical issues were set to be dis-

cussed.

GECOM has six commissioners, excluding the Chairman. Three commis-

sioners are nominated by the Government and three from the Opposition.

GECOM is an indepen-

dent entity tasked with overseeing General Elections and LGE. The positions are jealously guarded by political parties, with the chairman’s post being something of a hot-seat.

PAGE 8

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

PPP leaders experienced enough to handle my court matters - Ali It appears as if neither the general leadership of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nor Irfaan Ali, himself, is worried about the criminal charges he has hanging over his head.

On Saturday last, Ali was chosen as PPP Presidential Candidate to contest looming General and Regional Elections. This is despite the fact that the politician is being described as “embattled” as a result of damning questions relating to his qualifications, as well as a criminal court case that he has hanging over his head.

Ali is facing 19 fraud charges. If convicted, he would be constitutionally disqualified from vying for the presidency in the upcoming General and Regional Elections. In fact, the politician would be barred from ever running for president in his lifetime.

Prime ministerial candidate would also be a no for him, as the Constitution states that anyone who does not qualify to be President cannot be Prime Minister either.

In fact, even if elec-

tions are not called soon, the supreme law will force him to give up the seat that he currently holds as a Member of Parliament once he is convicted.

But, when asked about his concern about the court case and the effects of the outcome of the matter on his presidential candidacy, Ali said that his party’s leaders “got things under control”. This was on Saturday just after he was elected.

Ali told the media, “The other issue regarding the court, listen I don’t want to c r o s s t h a t b r i d g e n o w.

When we get to that bridge I will cross it. But I think the PPP has the experience in its leadership that will deal with all of these matters, the whole issue of the court and what comes out at the court, is a bridge we will cross when we get there.”

A few days ago, High Court Judge Franklin Holder granted a stay of criminal proceedings against Ali. Ali had moved to the High Court in relation to the fraud charges he is facing

in a Magistrate’s Court for the controversial Pradoville Two scheme.

As Housing Minister, Ali allegedly played a key role in selling plots of lands at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, to his colleague ministers and other top officials, shortly before Bharrat Jagdeo ended his second term. Jagdeo himself benefitted from lands, on which he built a large mansion.

Last November, Ali was arrested and slapped with 19 charges by the police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Ali was supposed to appear in the Magistrate’s Court again as those matters continue.

The former Minister had however moved to the High Court for an order quashing the decision of the DPP to charge him with the offence of ‘conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law’, on the basis that it was irrational, biased, and influenced by improper considerations and motives.

He also asked the Court for an order quashing the information of oath, of Munilall Persaud, Corporal of Police of

the Special Organised Crime Unit, on the 19 charges.

In an attempt to bar the application, State Counsel Leslyn Noble had argued that Ali‘s request in the High Court was premature, given that matter was not completed in the Magistrate’s Court.

However Justice Holder granted “an interim order restraining the Chief Magistrate or any other Magistrate within the Georgetown Magisterial District from hearing or attempting to hear or determine or taking any further steps in respect of the matter, until the case is completed in the High Court”.

PPP’s Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali

Fiscal incentives for oil need careful analysis - NRGI says there is risk of govt. giving away too much When it comes to the petroleum sector, it is not uncommon to see Governments providing individual companies or groups of companies, with investment incentives or tax incentives which serve as additions or amendments to the legislated fiscal regime.

According to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), these alterations may attract some investment, provide government revenue, and are sometimes used to encourage companies to continue extraction through to the mature stage of the project life cycle.

NRGI noted however, that such incentives can be problematic, and therefore, careful analysis is always needed by emerging producers such as Guyana to ensure that its leaders are not putting the nation at risk of giving away too much. Expounding further on this matter, NRGI said that the incentives can be problematic for four reasons.

The Institute said that first, tax competition between countries is a growing phenomenon in which governments try to attract capital away from their peer coun-

tries. However, as all countries “race to the bottom,” the result merely reduces global tax rates, without necessarily attracting more capital.

Second, NRGI said that there is a risk that a government gives too much away. It explained that economic conditions are constantly changing. It said that a project that is profitable one year may not be the next, and vice versa.

NRGI added, “Investment incentives do not usually take this into account and risk sacrificing revenue on a project that would have been profitable even without the incentive.” Moving on to its third reason, NRGI said there is a risk that investment incentives are not given on a purely economic basis, but as a result of lobbying. And the fourth point for consideration is that those investment in-

centives create multiple fiscal regimes, making tax administration more difficult.

According to NRGI, investment incentives are best avoided, but if a government does use them, it is better to make changes to the overall fiscal regime than provide incentives to individual companies. NRGI said that taxation in accordance with legislation makes it more likely that changes are being made in the interests of the country, rather than as a result of company lobbying of individual officials. Furthermore, NRGI said it is better that investment incentives are limited to deductions from the tax base rather than consisting of complete exemptions from taxes, such as tax holidays.

It said that this ensures that the authorities still collect information on the taxpayer that is useful for the administration of other taxes.

It added, “For example, information on royalties is useful for the collection of corporate income tax, and vice versa. Investment incentives sometimes proliferate when different government agencies, such as the ministries of finance, commerce or investment, are able to give incentives. However, limiting discretion to one authority can be helpful.”

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The deaths of two children should be a wake-up call What will it take for the authorities to recognize that there is a serious problem at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) which needs to be addressed? It ought not to have taken the deaths of two children to drive home to the authorities the concerns over healthcare at that public institution.

It was heart wrenching to have read reports about the deaths of those two children. And whatever is the determined cause of their deaths, it will not subtract from the concerns t h a t t h e c o u n t r y ’s o n l y tertiary healthcare provider has not enjoyed an improvement in the quality of healthcare over the past three and a half years. The Georgetown Public

Hospital is a nightmare which needs to be addressed before more people succumb. But some people have no choice but to utilize the services of that hospital, because private health care is prohibitively expensive.

Political interference and the politicization of the management is one of the principal reasons for the problems at the GPHC. A few years ago, it seemed as if there could have been a turnaround when Dr. Max Hanoman was appointed to be the Chairman of the GPHC. He began to professionalize operations and restore the standing of the hospital. But his tenure was short-lived, because politicians saw the hospital as a cash cow which they wanted to milk for the

benefit of their cronies.

The result was that a ‘fit and proper’ Chairman who had begun to turnaround the institution was ditched and the politicization of the management began. With dire consequences!

Guyana does not have a specialty hospital. Those children should have been treated in a specialty hospital. The APNU+AFC government, however, has decided that it would use funds allocated by India for such a hospital to upgrade public institutions.

What this means in practice is that specialty healthcare has to be provided at the GPHC alone. The hospital therefore cannot afford to losing critical specialists. It has lost critical skills for no reason other than

2,300 kilos drug bust

Suspect tries to commit suicide in Suriname lockups A 43-year-old truck driver from Suriname whose only name was given as Shailindra attempted to kill himself in a lockup there on Sunday.

The suspect was one of at least 10 persons who were detained in connection with a 2,300 kilo seizure in Suriname earlier this month – the biggest ever drug bust for that neighbouring country.

The suspect was being held in a cell of the police’s Narcotics Department.

He reportedly slashed his wrists with a razor. However, he was found in time by officers and rushed to hospital and later released back into custody. Suriname police said that his condition is stable.

They were yesterday making plans to transfer the suspect to another location to better monitor him.

He would have been among those arrested in connection with the coke seizure at the Jules Sedney Port, Paramaribo.

Also arrested over the weekend was a forklift driver.

A Customs officer, broker, and several top officials in Suriname are reportedly also in custody.

The case is of interest to Guyana as just recently, a Suriname rice exporter, wanted for questioning in the seizure, was found dead on the Number 63 beach, Corentyne, with a single gun-

shot wound to the head.

Nitender Oemrawsingh was said to be the owner of Nivash Rice. What the businessman was doing in Guyana is still being investigated.

The cocaine was stashed in an eight-container shipment filled with rice, awaiting loading at the harbour. The shipment was destined for France, through Guadeloupe.

Security workers of the port stumbled upon the shipment during their regular controls.

They alerted the Narcotics Brigade of the police, in Suriname.

The rice was said to be from Oemrwasingh’s factory.

Sophia shopowner stabbed to death Forty-eight-year-old Godfrey Phillip of 3028 ‘D’ Field, Sophia died after being stabbed to the abdomen on Sunday night around 23:45 hours, reportedly by a Pike Street, Sophia resident.

The incident occurred in front of a shop that Phillip operates, after he (Phillip) intervened in an argument between the suspect and a woman, said to be his wife.

Phillip died at the Georgetown Public Hospital in his daughter’s arms after being rushed to the hospital

by public-spirited citizens who were in the vicinity of where the stabbing occurred.

When Kaieteur News arrived at Phillip’s house, family members were making preparations for a wake.

The man’s stepdaughter said that a neighbour witnessed the whole incident and related to her that the suspect and his wife were having an argument in front of Phillip’s shop while he was in the process of closing up, Phillip reportedly came

out and told the couple to go over the road where they lived.

It was then that the suspect pulled a knife from his waist and stabbed Phillip to his abdomen.

He then calmly pulled the knife out of Phillip and placed it back into his waist.

He left on a motorcycle.

Phillip’s daughter immediately summoned for help and got her father to the hospital where he subsequently died.

The suspect has reportedly turned himself in.

politically-inspired decisions.

And this is unacceptable when people’s lives are at stake.

Those persons who were victimized, forced out and sidelined at the GPHC were not competing for political office. They were not hoping to be robed in silk.

Why therefore was it necessary for them to begin to feel unwanted?

Their loss has weakened the institution.

There should be an impartial and independent investigation into the deaths of those two children and the sudden relapse of the other child who is now critically ill after reportedly receiving an injection.

The investigation should be conducted by foreign specialists who have no links to the health care system. At the end of the investigation, the public must be receive the answers they seek – what was the cause of the

deaths of the children; was negligence involved or were defective drugs used.

The GPHC should be commended for launching an investigation into the deaths of the children, but by now it should realize that Guyanese will be wary about the findings of investigations conducted by health professionals into their own peers. This is why it is best that persons not connected to the local health sector be asked to undertake the inquiry into the deaths.

The GPHC’s credibility is bound to take a hit because of the deaths of the children. The hospital should therefore take steps to placate public concerns about the quality of healthcare offered at the GPHC. Right now there is a serious flu spreading across the country. The flu has not reached anywhere near epidemic proportions.

But it has floored a number of adults and caused great

distress to them. The health authorities have to be on their guard, because if this flu gets into the school population it can have serious consequences, judging from its debilitating effects on adults.

So far, no advisory has been issued by the Ministry of Public Health about this influenza outbreak. Perhaps, they have not found the outbreak to be that widespread or dangerous enough to necessitate such a warning.

But it is better to be forewarned. The deaths of those two children should be a wakeup call to the health authorities to put things in order and to reverse some of the negative policies which plague the health sector.

PAGE 10

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Central Housing and the woman who peed in the Botanical Gardens No country in the 21st century has descended so quickly into the pit of uselessness as Guyana. I admit there are a few Central American and African countries whose social fabric is brittle.

I have to travel to those places to see for myself if there is this nagging, primitive horizon that somehow summons in you the dreadful pessimism that one day disappearance will come; come

it will. Guyana is facing the inevitability of disappearance.

Here are two incidents that describe the canvas of horror that this country is. I am getting on in age and I will not be around at the moment when Atlantis sinks into the abyss, but I feel deeply pained at the fate of the young people of Guyana. They deserve a future. They deserve a

country. They deserve life.

I will start with the Botanical Gardens then end with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). The facts here are real, really real.

On Thursday, January 17, 2019, I reached the NIS on Brickdam five minutes after noon. I knew that it would be closed for lunch. I had 55 minutes to kill. My dog was in the car. I looked at places where she could run and play

for 55 minutes. The Botanical Gardens was literally a minute drive away.

My black beauty was running wild in the gardens when she went into an area where I saw a woman behind some small trees and two very young girls watching her. She looked at me gazing in her direction and said, “Mr. Kissoon, please!” Obviously she knew me. I said “I am not looking at you, my dog is heading in your direction”.

She replied, “No, I mean I need some privacy, because I want to pee.”

I called out to my dog, she came, and I turned around and headed in the opposite direction. The woman yelled out, “Mr. Kissoon, just a minute”. I was scared that she would accuse me of being a voyeur, and accost me. I mean, they say I am crazy, but I never peeped at a woman in my entire life.

She came up, had her clothes fully in place, with her two little girls next to her. She intoned, “I would like to talk to you”. She went on; “you know Mr. Kissoon, you have to write about this thing; there are no washrooms for people using the gardens”.

The only washroom in the Botanical Gardens is in the zoo, and you have to pay $200

to enter the zoo to use it. Not one public washroom is available in one of the most enduring places in Guyana. The manager of the National Park, who is in charge of the Botanical Gardens, changed her title from CEO to Operations Manager. She must know when people have operations they need to use the washroom.

Since the beginning of December 2018, I called CH&PA on behalf of my autoelectrician. Every owner of a vehicle becomes familiar with their mechanic, auto-electrician and air conditioner technician after years of service.

The guy said he hasn’t heard from CH&PA on his application and if I could assist. I know what goes on at the Town Clerk’s Office and at CH&PA when you send in your building plan or land use plan. I know what applicants have to do to get their plans approved. This is a sarcoma devouring the body of Guyana.

None of the 27 numbers listed on page 43 of the directory were answered. I stopped during the Christmas season. I resumed in the new year. Last Tuesday, I had enough. I secured the mobile number of the CEO, Mr. Lelon Saul, from a certain high offi-

Frederick Kissoon cial, and called him.

I told Mr. Saul that the CH&PA is a vital institutional in Guyana and no one answers the numbers. I was enraged and after raising my voice, I put down the phone when this man said the following words; “Mr. Kissoon, I can easily be had, I receive calls all the time.” I was livid, really livid. This man was insulting me and I didn’t have to listen to him.

The next day I contacted the Minister of Housing, Ms. Patterson. She explained that all calls to Central Housing are routed through the switchboard, and she has suffered the same fate as I have.

She said she does not agree with the policy. She believes in the existence of direct lines and as a matter of urgency, she will have the policy revisited. Ms. Patterson was polite, courteous and professional. She must be the only one along with Minister Bulkan who is like that.

Controversial fuel licences will be revoked as soon as PPP takes over - Jagdeo

By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell A People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government will not allow the present “lawlessness” that is reigning on the local fuel market, to continue. “We will put a stop to it,” said Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. This was at the most recent press conference held at his Church Street Office.

Jagdeo told the media that government willfully turned a blind eye to the ongoing fuel racket involving senior officials “because even ministers know what is going on.”

Jagdeo went on to say that the PPP, if elected, would revoke many existing fuel licences, especially those granted post-2015 General and Regional Elections.

Jagdeo said. “Many of the licences would be revoked, because they are renting their licences. I heard the vessels

are going to Morawhanna, (North West District, Region One) and they are buying the fuel there, creating shortages for Port Kaituma and all these areas.”

Specifically, Atlantic Fuels Inc. has been accused of this.

The company got its import, storage and wholesale licence approved in late 2015.

There has been intense scrutiny about the procedures.

Atlantic Fuels received its licence in just over a month after application, a rapid approval compared to the months that others have applied and had to wait.

According to officials, it is not unknow n f o r t h e Guyana Energy Agency to grant licences and then these are rented out to importers by the holders of those licences.

Jagdeo said, “All those

holders of licences with close ties to the government who have been renting their licences will have to answer. We will revoke the licences”.

Jagdeo said that since 2015, PPP has been “trying to draw the attention of the government to the huge leakage that was taking place in revenue because of this issue…but they ignored it totally.”

“Because we are close to election they are creating an impression that they are going to address it. I think that if we were not this close to election they would have just swept it under the carpet as they have done before. They knew about it, senior people in government know, ministers know about this, I think they are receiving payments too because of the racket,” said Jagdeo.

While initial reports reaching this newspaper suggested that Guyana is losing hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of fuel smuggling, Jagdeo said that it is more of a “multi-billion-dollar racket.”

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday January 22, 2019

Tuesday January 22, 2019

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Tuesday January 22, 2019

Bodies decompose at N/A Hospital Mortuary after freezer goes down - CEO, Health Director dodge media

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everal bodies including an infant's corpse decayed at the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary after the facility's freezer went down. This revelation was made by a relative of one of the deceased.

Seepaul Ramlochan told this publication that his brother Rabindranauth Ramnarace who died on the 31st December 2018 and whose body was being kept at the hospital's mortuary, was handed over to him in a decomposing state.

The furious man told reporters outside the hospital that he saw his brother's corpse on the 11th January 2019 and his body was still fresh.

According to him, "I ask them if I can remove the body and they refuse. On the 14th when I came back to the mortuary, I keep asking the CEO but she keep refusing me. I ask Mr. Jevaughn (Stephen) and he refuse, they say the dead got to do PM. I tell them that is not a problem, but I know to myself that the dead can go any mortuary and still get a PM done".

Ramlochan stated that when he saw the body then, it was already decomposed.

He stated that the hospital eventually moved the body to the Arokium Mortuary. "I didn't know they didn't do PM. When they call me, they

The New Amsterdam Hospital

tell me that they are not doing a PM anymore and that I could take the dead and bury it. Me brother de already spoil bad, so I bury the body on Thursday".

The man disclosed that other persons who were there at the mortuary saw their relatives' remains decomposed as well, "it had plenty more body in the mortuary that decompose, it had a baby in deh that melt down till they had to take a spade and dig up the remains".

He stressed, "this is overbearing what happen here at the hospital".

When reporters visited the office of the CEO of the hospital, the doors were

closed and her secretary stated that she was in a meeting. Contact numbers were left but she did not call Kaieteur News.

A visit to the Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephen yesterday also was unsuccessful, since he instructed his secretary to inform the media to "make contact with the CEO" in relation to the issue.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Regional Health Committee in Berbice, Zamal Hussain, stated that he too was referred to the CEO for a comment on the issue by the Director. He disclosed that he was informed that several bodies were "spoilt" at the

mortuary; this he noted was due to negligence.

"I was told that somebody was also decomposed at the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary and so this is the inco mpetence that we are seeing. We have seen the government install a new CEO, but the hospital is becoming worse. The former CEO has some amount of control, but the last three weeks there has been a rapid decline".

Hussain said that he has since requested an emergency meeting with Stephen to discuss the pending issues.

He stressed, "because the people of region 6 are

Seepaul Ramlochan, brother of one of the deceased s u ff e r i n g a n d w e a r e spending millions of taxpayers' dollars and we can't get it right". He added that "nobody is paying attention, everybody is busy

and we are getting a failed system".

Kaieteur News also understands that there is an absence of strips for patients with diabetes.

Voir Dire ongoing in Jury empanelled as 16-yr-old 'Mango Man' murder trial goes on trial for murder

A

Sherwin Nero called 'Catty'

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Voir Dire is ongoing in the trial of death row inmate Royden Williams and his co-accused, who are on trial before Justice James Bovell Drakes and a 12-member mixed jury, for the murder of Kumar Singh called 'Mango Man.' Williams, called 'Smallie', and Sherwin Nero, called 'Catty', are alleged to have murdered Singh on August 30, 2007 in the county of Demerara. They have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

According to reports, Singh, who was 51 at the time, was shot after gunmen stormed his home at 51 Craig Milne, Cove and John,

Royden Williams called 'Smallie' Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara home and terrorized his family. The gunmen also shot at his family members during the ordeal before escaping on foot.

Singh sustained several gunshot wounds and died while undergoing surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

In 2017, Williams was sentenced to death after being found guilty on 12 counts of murder in relation to the Bartica Massacre which occurred in 2008.

Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes and Ashley Henry are appearing for the two accused.

Killed: Deonarine 'Baba' Laljit

jury has been empanelled in the Berbice High Court as a 16-year-old goes on trial for a murder committed in 2017.

The teen is on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury for the murder of Deonarine 'Baba' Laljit, 37, a taxi driver, of No. 72 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

The incident is said to have occurred on July 5th 2017. The man was reportedly murdered in his car by the teenager on the Line Path, Corriverton Public Road. He was stabbed in the neck. Laljit was a father of two.

The lad is being represented by Attorney at Law Chandra Sohan.

Attorney at Law Mandel Moore is prosecuting for the State. After the jury was empanelled and the indictment read, there was an adjournment.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

US Congressman urges political stability in Guyana

Gregory W. Meeks

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ASHINGTO N (CMC) – A s e n i o r member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress, Gregory W. Meeks says political stability is key to the advancement of Guyana, where the coalition government of President David Granger has fallen due to an opposition-inspired motion of no confidence last month.

In a statement over the weekend, the Democratic Party legislator, who is the U.S. Representative for New York's 5th congressional district, said that he continues “to closely monitor the unfolding political situation in Guyana”.

The main opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP) has named former government minister, Irfaan Ali, as its presidential candidate for the elections, which it said must be held by March this year in accordance with the Guyana Constitution.

The PPP has been calling for the polls after its general secretary Bharrat Jagdeo successfully tabled a motion of no confidence against the

coalition government last month.

The PPP received the backing of then government back bencher, Charrandass Persaud, in ensuring victory in the 65-member National Assembly on December 21 last year.

The government has gone to the High Court to challenge the validity of the votes cast in the motion of no confidence and the acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George-Wiltshire, said she intended to give a ruling by the end of this month.

In his statement, Meeks said that he wanted to reaffirm the “the bond that the United States and Guyana share” and as a result of such a bond “I want to see democracy prevail as it must in all strong and thriving democracies.

“Guyana is one of our hemisphere's most strategically important partners, and it stands at the brink of potentially transformative economic development.

As an emerging economy, political stability is key to the advancement of Guyana and the people of that great nation,” he added.

PAGE 15

Mothers' Union mourns death of West Indies VP, Joan James

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he Provincial Vice President of the Mothers' Union (MU) in the West Indies and Diocesan President of Guyana, Joan James, has died from injuries sustained in a traffic accident.

Described as a “tireless leader” of the Mothers' Union, Mrs James was a front seat passenger in a MU minibus travelling to Georgetown on January 2nd when it collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction. She, along with the driver of the minibus and another passenger, were taken to Georgetown Public Hospital, where Mrs. James died last Thursday afternoon.

“Joan was loved by all and will be remembered as an outstanding leader, an encourager and motivator who could mobilise communities to take action in any area of Mothers' Union work”, the Worldwide President of the Mothers' Union, Sheran Harper, said.

“She worked quietly and humbly, but was very effective in her work, always ready to give others the praise and glory. We will miss her dearly. May her soul rest peacefully in the arms of Jesus. Farewell dear sister and friend. Until we meet again!”

Mothers' Union Chief Executive, Bev Jullien,

added: “Joan was a tower of strength within Mothers' Union internationally as well as within Guyana, tireless in her service to her community. She was much loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with her. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Joan James became a member of Mothers' Union 34 years ago and was elected Mothers' Union Regional Officer for the West Coast Berbice Region.

She was recognised as an outstanding leader with the ability to mobilise and inspire branches and communities to take action, whether it be in the area of literacy and numeracy, advocacy, campaigning, growing the membership, empowering women and young people or resuscitating branches. She was an encourager and motivator and well respected by all in her region, the MU said in a statement.

In 2006 she was elected to the Diocese of Guyana's MU Executive Committee.

“She was extremely supportive during my six years as Diocesan President”, Mrs. Harper said. “Nothing was ever too much for her. If we had an activity that needed to take place just call Joan and it was sure to happen and be successful too. If funds

Joan James needed to be raised for a programme or project, Joan was at the helm of it in her region.”

She was elected Vice President for Guyana in 2012, becoming Diocesan President three years later. In 2017 she was elected Provincial Vice President of West Indies. She was a

member of the Diocesan Council, a Lay Reader and Cultural Ambassador. She represented Mothers' Union in Anglican Communion meetings in Kenya. Within the Mothers' Union she was known as 'Sister Joan' and within her local community a s ' Te a c h e r P a t s y ' . (www.anglicannews.org)

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Region 2 storing fresh water in light of potential El Niño Stored Fresh Water in the Tapakuma Conservancy

Water being pumped from Dredge Creek into the Somerset and Burks' Main Cross Canal

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ue to the current w e a t h e r situation in the Pomeroon/Supenaam, Region Two, the Regional Administration, in collaboration with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has begun putting measures in place should the dry-spell continue.

Farmlands receive fresh water from the main storage lakes in the region and are irrigated through the many canals.

The main storage lakes are Mashabo/Itribisi, Tapakuma, Capoey and Mainstay. In recent days it was observed that the water levels in these lakes have dropped significantly and to avert a possible catastrophe, fresh water is being pumped from a tributary of the Pomeroon River to replenish the central irrigation system.

During a period of El Niño, the water from the Pomeroon River would normally become salted and useless to farmers, hence the proactive approach by the administration and NDIA is most welcome to farmers.

A c c o r d i n g t o Rameshwar Persaud who plants hundreds of acres of rice, “honestly I was thinking of visiting the REO to register my concern, but there is no need to now because the bodies have already seen the need to prepare for the worst and it is most welcoming. I know all farmers welcome the move”.

According to Regional Executive Officer (REO)

Denis Jaikaran, the four Dawa pumps are fully operational, pushing water from the tributary of the Pomeroon River into the Tapakuma Lake.

“We have to be on top of our game and put proper measures in place to cater for the worst.

The water levels in the lakes have dropped and the Pomeroon River still has fresh water, so before it gets salted we have decided to pump into our storage facilities and will release to the irrigation canals at the appropriate time in collaboration with farmers.

Right now, all four Dawa Pumps are working to pump the fresh water into the Tapakuma conservancy,” REO Jaikaran noted.

Additionally, Jaikaran said that at Somerset and Burks, pumps were deployed to pump fresh water from Dredge Creek which is also coming from the Pomeroon River into the Cross Canal at Somerset and Burks. The cross canal is also the main irrigation canal.

NDIA's Senior Engineer for Region Two, Nandram N a r i n e s a i d , “ We a r e monitoring the situation closely and appreciate the co-operation of the REO and his team.

We will continue to pump fresh water into the storage places so that adequate amounts will be available. I will like to assure farmers that there is no need for concerns at this point in time because we are on top of the situation.”

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

El Niño-like conditions ravaging Region Six agri sector

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n August 2018, the H y d r o m e t Department issued a statement about transitioning to a drier period from a normal period in Guyana using the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) model. Against this backdrop, the period between September and December 2018, droughtlike conditions were predicted.

Following a recen t publication on pumps deployed by NDIA, Region Six farmers contacted this publication, and asked for a thorough investigation in relation to pumps being deployed, and stating that the situation being described as recoverable is far-fetched.

Preliminary repor ts suggest that 8,000 acres of rice are at risk, especially

those on the front lands, from Tain to 51 Backdam and 52-74 Backdams. More than 75 cash crop farms have been affected and over 8,000 cattle are without feed and water.

It was revealed that more than 8,000 acres of rice are at risk of being lost between No 74 Village and Cromarty Village.

More than 8,000 acres of lands are still yet to be cultivated, which represents 13% of the available land uncultivated.

Rice cultivation for the current crop usually starts in December of the preceding year and total available land in Region Six is around 65,000 acres per crop.

This in effect suggests that Region 6 will see a production drop of as much as 25% of total acreage

Clay shrinkage and cracking in rice fields at Tarlogie

Localized spots in a field lost in Wellington Park

accounting for potential loss and non-cultivation.

Most of the fields visited are between 20 days to 35 days.

El Niño-related drought is one of the most important limiting factors to food security worldwide.

Drought interferes with agronomic traits such as vigour, biomass, plant height and yields.

Rajendra Persaud, Chief Executive Officer of Nand Persaud Company Limited,

in a telephone interview stated that the front lands are mainly affected.

When Kaieteur News visited some of the fields owned and operated by relatives of Nand Persaud's, it was found that more than 75% of the fields are in dire need of water ,with several localized sections already

affected by drought.

There are serious implications for farmers, millers and the surrounding businesses.

Many farmers have loans, capital investment, and there are also persons dependent on employment, since rice remains the foremost of agriculture.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Guyana mourns passing of Former Power Producers and Distributors Inc. achieves ISO 9001 certification Honorary Consul, Berend Ter Welle

Ben Ter Welle, CCH, (left) meeting with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon (right) last year with Ambassador Jacob Frederiks (centre), the new Non-Resident Ambassador of the Netherlands to Guyana.

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Management and Staff of PPDI. CEO Aaron Fraser holds the certificate

P

ower Producers and Distributors Incorporated (PPDI) Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Fraser stated that the company's achievement of the ISO 9001 certification “marks a significant milestone.”

Fraser was at the time delivering remarks at a cocktail reception hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel to celebrate the company's accomplishment.

“It is important to note that our ISO certification is for the entire company…we though t it was important and

critical to our success as a new company to bare ourselves to the scrutiny of an external examiner,” the Chief Executive Officer said.

He added that the process served as a reminder that while the company strives for excel lence, there are alternative w a y s in which it can improve, noting there was “no doubt ISO was the way to go”.

PPDI achieved the ISO 9001 certification having fulfilled standard requirements and principles as assessed by the Professional Evaluation and

Certification Board (PECB), North America.

Fraser encouraged other state corporations to follow suit, citing the internal and external benefits to be had.

Staffers of PPDI were awarded for their outstanding contributions to the company.

PPDI is a governmentowned Operations and Maintenance Company which replaced Wartsila Operations Guyana Incorporated in the management of the four Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL)-owned power plants in Demerara.

ong-serving former Honorary Consul for Germany and Austria to Guyana, Berend Ter Welle, CCH, has died.

President David Granger, in expressing sadness, disclosed that the official died on Sunday, January 20, 2019.

His family said that he died in his home in The Netherlands after a short period of illness.

Ter Welle was well known and popular in Guyana, living here for years. He even received a national award.

In addition to serving as Honorary Consul, Ter Welle was also, at one time, the president of the Guyana

Heritage Society.

“President Granger expresses sympathy to his wife, Mrs. Nirmala Ramroop Ter Welle, children and other relatives.”

He was instrumental in making funds available from Germany for the development of the Kaieteur National Park.

Born in 1946 in the countryside of The Netherlands, close to the border with Germany, Ter Welle received his training in Tropical Agriculture and a subsequent obligatory service of two years in the Military, according to the Karanambu Trust & Ecotourist Lodge website.

He moved to the Utrecht University and became a lecturer at the Institute for Systematic Botany within the Faculty of Biology.

In 1981 he visited Guyana for the first time. In 1982, during a botanical exploration in the South Rupununi he met wilderness explorer Diane McTurk, a world-renowned expert on giant otters.

From 1982 to 1997 Ben was the executive secretary of the International A s s o c i a t i o n o f Wo o d

Anatomists (IAWA), a scientific organization of wood anatomists all over the world. In 1989 he became coordinator for the Tr o p e n b o s P r o j e c t i n Guyana.

S u b s e q u e n t l y, w i t h funding from the European Union, and with Father Rodrigues as the first partner of the University of Guyana, Ben was involved in the creation of the Environmental Studies Unit.

His career and life took a turn in 1997 with the appointment as team leader for the Natural Resources Management Project in Guyana, funded by the Government of Germany.

Major activities in this project, which ended in December 2004, were the introduction of GIS Technology to the Guyanese agencies involved in natural resources and the introduction of (regional) land use planning.

In February 2006, the Guyana Protected Areas System (GPAS) started again with funding from Germany. Ter Welle was on a part-time basis as the team leader. He reportedly retired last year.

Health Ministry on mission to raise 'SMART Hospital'...

From page 2 health, and business using information, communication and technology to support healthcare programmes.

Because of these advantages, the PAHO/WHO Representative has noted that the SMART concept should be universalised in the Guyanese health care system to ensure all are functional,

during and after severe crises. According to him, too, equity, solidarity, respect for all and integrity in health services provision in the S M A RT p r o g r a m m e , intertwines with PAHO/WHO's work plan, and the hemispheric and global body will maintain its support for the improvement plan being monetised by DFID.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 19

Decline in HIV-infected pregnant women on treatment warrants probe - PANCAP

A

lthough there h a s b e e n progress in the eliminating of mother-tochild transmission of HIV, there is yet need for an investigation to explain a noticeable decline in the number of HIV-infected pregnant women receiving Anti-Retroviral Treatment [ART].

This is according to information released yesterday by the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS [PANCAP] which revealed that available data for the period 2015 - 2017 shows that HIV-infected pregnant women receiving ART to reduce HIV transmission declined from 92 percent in 2014 to 79 percent in 2015 and further to 75 percent in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

This significant decrease, according to PANCAP, requires an investigation.

Based on the information released by the Derek Springer-headed PANCAP, of particular concern too, is that the annual number of new HIV infections among adults in the Caribbean declined by only 18 percent from 2010 to 2017, from 19,000 [14,000–31,000] to 15,000 [11,000–26,000].

Key populations - that is, men who have sex with men [MSM], Sex Workers [SWs] and their clients, and partners of key populations, transgender persons, and persons who use drugs, accounted for the majority of the new HIV infections [68 percent] during this period.

C o n v e r s e l y, n e w infections among children fell from an estimated 2,300 in 2010, to 1,100, according to PANCAP. PANCAP reports too that while there has been progress in placing more people living with HIV on

treatment, much more needs to be done to increase the numbers and to retain people on treatment.

But significant effort is required for the Caribbean to achieve the UNAIDS 90-9090 Targets [90 percent of people living with HIV are aware of their infection, 90 percent of people diagnosed with HIV are linked to ART and 90 percent of those on ART adhere and have undetectable levels of HIV in their blood].

The gap to achieving the first 90 of the 90–90–90 Targets in 2017 was 54,800 people living with HIV, PANCAP has noted.

The gap to achieving the first and second 90s of the 90–90–90 Targets in 2017 was 74,700 people living with HIV. The percentage of people living with HIV who achieved viral suppression increased from 37 percent in

2016 to 40 percent in 2017.

However, the gap to achieving all three 90s at the end of 2017 was the need for an additional 103,000 people living with HIV to be on ART and be virally suppressed. Given this situation, the Caribbean is at risk of not achieving the 2020 Targets, according to PANCAP. Added to this, global financial resources to support the HIV epidemic have been progressively decreasing since 2011.

However, PANCAP has noted that domestic financing has improved during the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS [CRSF] 2014 – 2018.

The overall goal of the CRSF 2014-2018 was “to halt the spread and reduce the impact of HIV in the Caribbean, while

PANCAP Director, Mr. Derek Springer promoting a sustainable response within Member States.”

According to UNAIDS, “Domestic resources increased between 2006 2017 by 124 percent while international resources declined by 16 percent...As

at the end of 2017, domestic resources were contributing significantly to the cost of A RT a n d t h e o v e r a l l treatment programme.

Despite this trend, national resources to support services to achieve prevention continue to be low, with the implication that the gains could be reversed if this gap is not quickly filled.”

Moreover, calls have been made for all countries to introduce innovative prevention approaches and improve the quality of prevention services to ensure greater impact in reducing new HIV infections.

Added to this, further calls have been made for the Priority Areas Coordinating Committee of PANCAP to develop a new Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS for the period 2019 to 2023.

Suspected Sindicato Gang Real estate agent slapped members remanded for grenades with fraud charge

A

Luis Alfredo Gonzalez

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wo Venezuelans who are believed to be linked to the notorious Sindicato Gang were yesterday charged and remanded to prison after they were allegedly caught with two grenades.

Luis Alfredo Gonzalez, 37 and Daniel Alberto Munoz, 27, both pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on January 17, at Mode Hole, Cuyuni River, Essequibo, they each had in their possession a hand grenade, when they were not licensed firearm holders.

The unrepresented men appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel MarcusIsaacs in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

The men, who spoke through an interpreter, denied being part of the Sindicato Gang.

The men told the court

Daniel Alberto Munoz

that they were passengers in a boat when they were approached by a group of men who told them to place the grenades in their pants' crotch.

They further went on to state that the men threatened to harm their families if they did not comply.

The Magi strate after listening to men entered a not guilty plea on their behalf.

Facts pr esented by Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris stated that on the day in question, members of the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force were on patrol duties in the Eteringbang area when they intercepted a boat with 17 passengers comprising Venezuelans and Guyanese.

The court heard that a search was conducted on the defendants who were acting

in a suspicious manner and the two hand grenades were found in their crotch. The men were then arrested and taken into custody.

Further investigations carried out reportedly revealed that both defendants are in the Sindicato Gang.

Prosecutor Harris was opposed to bail being granted to the defendants on the grounds that they are not Guyanese and are likely to flee the jurisdiction.

He added that the offence is a serious one which attracts a serious penalty.

Magistrate Marcus after listening to the prosecutor remanded the men to prison.

They were instructed to make their next court appearance on March 18, when they will appear in the Kamarang Magistrate's Court.

man who told the court he is a real estate agent was yesterday charged and remanded to prison after being slapped with three fraud-related charges.

Twenty-four-year-old Miguel Dino, of 115 Thomas Street, Kitty, Georgetown, appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel M a r c u s - I s a a c s i n t h e G e o rg e t o w n Magistrates' Courts.

Dino is accused of going to a city bank where he pretended to be a representative from John Snow Research Training Inc and cashed a $1.2M cheque.

The first charge stated that on January 3, 2019, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged one Citizens' Bank cheque in favour of himself, purporting to show that same was genuinely issued by John Snow Research Training Inc. It was further alleged that, on the same day, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $1.2M from Citizens' Bank, with a forged document, purporting to show that same was signed by one Tonia Newton, the secretary of John Snow Research Training Inc. The last charge stated that, on the same day and the same location, with intent to defraud, he gave to Citizens' Bank teller, Sonia Drakes, one forged Citizens' Bank cheque, issued by John Snow Research Training Inc. He denied the allegations after they were read to him.

Attorney-at-law Tiffany Jeffrey, who represented Dino, asked that her client be released on reasonable bail, citing that he is not a flight risk and will return to court for the trial.

However, Police Prosecutor Adunni Inniss made serious objections to bail being granted to Dino, citing the he gave conflicting addresses to the court and the police. She

Miguel Dino added that the defendant gave bank officials 15 different addresses while transacting business at the institution.

Facts presented by the Prosecutor stated that on the day in question, Dino went to the bank and pretended to be a representative of the company and produce a cheque for $1.2M. A representative from the bank later observed several discrepancies as it related to the cheque and they called Newtown, who told them that she did not issue any cheque to the defendant.

The police were then called in and, upon viewing the CCTV footage, they observed Dino entering and exiting the bank around the same time the cheque was cashed. An investigation was then carried out and he was arrested and taken into custody.

The Magistrate, after listening to the Prosecutor, remanded Dino to prison.

He was instructed to make his next court appearance on February 4, 2019.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Chief Justice upholds larceny charge against Nandlall

By Feona Morrison Former Attorney General and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) parliamentarian Anil Nandlall has failed in his bid to have the High Court quash a larceny charge against him over the theft of Law Reports from the State.

After ruling that she has jurisdiction to hear an appeal against a no-case submission that was overruled by Magistrate Fabayo Azore before whom Nandlall is on trial for the offence, Chief Justice Roxane George yesterday dismissed the appeal The charge Nandlall faces, alleges that between May 18, 2015 and May 29, 2015, being a bailee, in the then capacity of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, he fraudulently converted 14 Commonwealth Law Reports valued at $2,313,853, property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit.

Nandlall who has pleaded not guilty to the charge is out on self bail. Following the Magistrate’s ruling on November 23, 2018, Nandlall was called on to lead a defence to the charge.

But Nandlall, through Senior Counsel Neil Boston, Attorney-at-Law Devindra Kissoon, and others, moved to the High Court asking for a declaration that the charge for the offence of Larceny by a Bailee contrary to Section 165 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01, is an unknown offence, and therefore it is in violation of Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Constitution of Guyana.

However, the Chief Justice declared that the offence is one which is known to the Laws of Guyana. She said that Section 165 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act makes provisions for such a charge.

According to that section, “Everyone who commits larceny or any felony hereby made punishable like simple larceny, shall (except in the cases hereinafter otherwise provide for) be liable to imprisonment for three years.” Hence, Chief Justice George declared that the charge against Nandlall is not bad in law.

Nandlall had contended that Magistrate Azore erred in law when she overruled the no-case submission made by his lawyer and when she failed/refused to give any sufficient reason for her judgment as required by the Judicial Review Act Chapter 3:06 and that her ruling is contrary to, and in violation of, Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Constitution of Guyana.

In addressing this, the Chief Justice stressed that

Anil Nandlall

Chief Justice Roxane George

Nandlall failed to outline how his constitutional rights were being violated. She said that from the evidence before her, the Magistrate made a judicial decision and was not inclined to provide reasons on why she overruled the no-case submission.

The Chief Justice went on to tell the court that Magistrates usually give reasons for decision at the end of trials through a Memorandum of Reason. The Chief Justice outlined that the Magistrate was not in violation of Section 15 of the Judicial Review Act, which speaks of reasons for administrative and not judicial decisions.

Section 15 (1) states, “It is the duty of any person or body making an administrative decision, if requested in accordance with this section by any person adversely affected by the decision, to supply that person with a statement setting out the findings on material question of fact, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based and giving the reasons for the decision.”

In ruling that she has jurisdiction to hear the appeal, the Chief Justice noted that it is at the Magistrate’s discretion to overrule a nocase submission. She explained that the High Court can exercise its supervisory jurisdiction to review such a decision by a Magistrate, but only in extreme and limited circumstances.

According to Justice George, moving to the High Court for a review in such circumstance should not be routine, since it would trample upon the process of criminal trials in the Magistrates’ Courts.

E x p r e s s i n g disappointment with the Chief Justice’s ruling, Nandlall told reporters that he

will be moving to the Court of Appeal for a review.

The former Attorney General said that he was shocked by the ruling, since yesterday was fixed for the Chief Justice to rule on whether she had jurisdiction to hear the case.

Nandlall expressed, “The Judge had asked us (his lawyers) to persuade her that she has jurisdiction and that was all that we set out to do.

And we did persuade her that she had jurisdiction, because she ruled that she had jurisdiction to review the Magistrate’s Court ruling.

“And that was the only question we were asked to address. But the Learned Judge decided the entire case.

And then we would invite her to call up the evidence (from the Magistrate’s Court) then we would address her on the evidence. But she decided the entire case, which was not our expectation. That was not what we had argued.”

“We have to appeal. We have to appeal to the Court of Appeal and get the court to stay the judgment,” Nandlall stressed.

In the Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed by Nandlall, Magistrate Azore and Superintendent of Police Trevor Reid, from the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), were named as the first and second Respondents respectively.

Appearing for Magistrate Azore were lawyers from the Attorney General’s chambers, while Attorney-at-Law Leslyn Noble appeared for Reid.

Noble during her submissions had argued that the High Court has no jurisdiction to intervene in a matter that is ongoing in the Magistrate’s Court where the Magistrate is still hearing evidence.

She contended that, “The High Court should not exercise its supervisory jurisdiction to intervene in the

decision of the Magistrate when the Magistrate is hearing the evidence. The High Court did not hear the evidence. The High Court does not know what is before the lower court.”

An application made by lawyers for Nandlall, for Magistrate Azore to produce records of evidence to the High Court, was thrown out

by the Chief Justice who said that the there was no reason for the Magistrate to file a response to Nandlall’s application, because Nandlall had failed to establish that there was a breach of his constitutional rights.

Nandlall is due to appear before Magistrate Azore on Friday, January 25, when he is expected to lead his

defence.

Nandlall was previously reported as saying that when he took up post as Attorney General, he did so at a loss and it was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the Law Reports. He had said that the arrangement received the blessings of then Head of State Donald Ramotar.

However, investigators are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall, and in fact the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place.

The Ministry of Legal Affairs is contending that there is no evidence of an agreement between Nandlall and Ramotar, and even assuming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act. Nandlall was charged after SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.

GPHC provides clarification on treatment of dead cancer patients The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has provided clarification on the death of two young cancer patients.

In a statement to the press, the hospital noted that “speculative information is being circulated regarding the treatment and adverse reaction of several children who are suffering from cancer in our Paediatric Wards after the administration of medication”.

The administration of the GPHC said that it is aware of this situation and has launched an investigation to determine the reason for the adverse reaction to the medication.

“That investigation involves the interviewing of all medical persons directly involved, along with an assessment of the medication administered. Further the usage of that medication has been discontinued.”

“While the investigation continues, we advise members of the public to resist the urge to speculate on what is a sensitive matter and to await the findings of the investigation.

The GPHC reassures the public that every life is precious to its staff and every death is distressing. We continue to work closely with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Public Health, the Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organisation and other agen-

Sherezer Mendonca cies in an effort to improve the services we provide to our patients.”

“At the interim, GPHC express our sincerest condolences to the parents, relatives and friends of the children who were involved in

this tragic situation. The hospital wishes to assure them that we will provide full answers upon completion of the investigation.”

Reports had indicated that three-year-old Roshnie (Continued on page 22)

PAGE 22

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

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For professional bee removal with a warranty call The Bee Musketeers on 639-6911 today House plan drafting from $13,000. Sean #667-2189 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158S For doctoring erectile disfunction problems. Asthma burns, hearing & hair loss.

Call Bush doc. Tel 231-9348

FOR SALE 1 Double Steel Wheel Roller, 1-9 Wheel Pneumatic roller, 2 Bitumen Kettle, 1- 3304 Di CAT engine. Tel#275-0367/ 683-7225 1-CAT 215 Excavator, 1 CAT 428 Backhoe, 1 Mack concrete mixer 8 Cu yds, 1 450 Honda Atv. Call: 275-0367/683-7225 Black German Shepherd pups, Riumzeight Gardens WCD. #269-0671/688-1656 1 (250KVA) generator power

by NT55 Cummings. Contact #269-0603/609-2350/644-1190 Used imported glass showcase L72" x H39" x W24" 40,000 each. Tel#625-1514 USED PARTS FOR 320/324 CATERPILLAR MACHINE. CONTACT 223-5273/74 Tacoma, tundra, titan, FI50 parts - engine, transmission, back & front suspension, alternator, starter etc, CD players. Call 695-6461/6397758 One eight inch bearing block and water pump with 6x4 Y along with matching valves.

Tel#676-5725

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Bottom flat 2 bedroom apartment to rent situated at lot 229 Section A Block X Diamond Housing Scheme.

Contact 696-6463/673-6222 Mini excavator $8,800 per hour, also Bobcat service available. Tel#623-0290 (1) Upper flat (4) bedroom house fully grill in first st Herstelling E.B.D. Contact 265-3844, 662-2687 3 bedroom house,2 living rooms, partially furnished, 3 bedroom apartment ECD. Contact #695-6550/656-9313 One bedroom apartment Middle Road LaPenitance. $40,000 monthly. Preferable bachelor. Contact #666-9534 2 bedroom fully furnished Apt for rent, Providence and Diamond #672-1906/682-6238 PROPERTY FOR SALE House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc.

Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909 Transport property for sale, BB Eccles, EBD. Call: 616-9490 Transported property in Regent Street between Wellington & Camp Street.

Tel#655-3332 Opposite Guyoil Gas Station

TAXI SERVICE EDUCATION Private Customs Brokerage Certificate Training Course, starts this month end, Register now. Call: 694-8322/501-6931.

Job Opportunity Available Nursery: Phonics & Aftercare.

Prenursery & playgroup services. Grades 1-4 phonics & reading. Common entrance preparation. Rising Star Academy. Call 690-9378 HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924 TO LET House to rent. 76 Kuru Kuru road side. #227-1042/691-8420

GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)

House for sale, Eccles Housing Scheme. 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets and bathrooms enclosed. $28.5M. Call 6420391/ 001447587233657 House lots for sale, 200k downpayment, 20k monthly #622-1957

VEHICLE FOR SALE One (1) unregistered new model Tacoma, white in color, crash bar, step, alarm etc. Call 695-6461 or 639-7758 One Hilux Vigo, Smart cab.

Call: 693-7613 Reasonable offer accepted Allion, primo, spacio, allex, noah, RZ pitbull bus, mazda axela, bluebird, 192 fielder wagon. 650-7501

Commercial Property, double lot next to Harbour Bridge,East Bank... must go #622-1957 LEARN TO DRIVE P. Outar and C. Persaud Driving School at Maraj Building. Call: 622-2872, 6150964, 681-2808

WANTED

VACANCY

1 Shop assistant to work in the interior. Experience would be an asset. #669-3162

Cooks, Handyboys, Roti/Puri makers, Apply at Shanta’s 225 Camp St

1 Cleaner to work shift system.

Apply in person Buddy’s Gym. 137 Sheriff St. 231-4104

Salon for rental. Hair & nail stations available. New market street. 638-1106. Massage room available

Urgently need dry Corilla Bush.Any amount from 1lb to 1000lbs. #609-8281 Contract cars at City Taxi Service 8 Vlissengen Rd. Tel: 226-7150 Assistant office administrator. Sales and spares assistant. 628-9268 One female domestic worker.

Must know to cook. Drivers/ porters. Preferably from the East Bank. Call 233-5255, 6109624 One female domestic worker to work in Trinidad. Age 2535. Contact 1868-386-5302

Earn up to $5000 daily selling hotdogs. Food handlers needed. Contact Sean #6672189 Driver/Salesman, Security Guards, Handyman, Bulldozer Operator, Part time Mechanic. # 266 4427 Experienced salesman 40-45 yrs with driver license. Must know to write bills/calculate.

Keyyfood McDoom Village.

Part time domestic. East Bank Demerara preferably Diamond/ Grove area. Cooking included.

Tel: 656-7329

Factory workers male & female. Apply in person to: R.P’s Enterprise Area ‘K’ Le Resouvenir E.C.D. 220-2818 or 3710

One (1) seamstress to work for an established company.

Must have experience. Call 672-4695 for more information

1 Live-in Family. HusbandDriving, Welding. WifeDomestic. Tel#227-1830

General Domestic with cooking experience for East Bank. #614-4358

Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm

Vacancy for skill carpenter.

Apply at Alabama Trading at 65 Robb St Bourda

Office clerk, Senior/Junior CXC English/Mathematics, Computer knowledge an asset. Call: 223-7500

VACANCYFOR PART/FULL TIME WAITER/WAITRESS TO WORK AT AAGMAN RESTAURANT. CONTACT 219-0158

One hair dresser and one nail technician to work. Contact# 698-3018 Relief guard 2 days a week.

Handyman. Must have a bicycle and cellphone. 2275536/ 223-0504 Wanted land to buy. Parfaite Harmonie, Farm, Providence, Tuschen, Diamond, Herstelling, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Zeelugt. Call: 666-2326 LAND FOR SALE Transported land 11.6 acres.

Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109

Salon in Tortola, BVI needs hairdressers, nail technicians and barbers.

Email: divahairbvi@gmail.com or call: 1-284-543-1410

From page 11 Seegobin and Corwin Edwards died while undergoing treatment for leukemia at GPHC. Seegobin succumbed last Saturday while Edwards passed away earlier in the week. The third child, six year-old Sherezer Mendonca, has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Relatives of the children said that GPHC officials have not been forthcoming with information about the incident.

However, an official confirmed the deaths to Kaieteur News and stated that a report will be released when an ongoing investigation is completed.

Hospital staffers who treated the children are said to be ‘devastated’ by the incident. Information indicates that the children’s conditions worsened rapidly after they were administered with an injection.

Meanwhile, relatives of Sherezer Mendonca, who is still hospitalized, are praying for a miracle.

They said that it was only last December that the family found out that the bubbly six-year-old had leukemia.

She was hospitalized briefly at the Suddie Hospital before being transferred to the GPHC, where the cancer diagnosis was made.

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/6560087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM

Urgent 1 male with cooking experience to work in multiple areas. Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine # 695-6550/656-9313

DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM

Natural Beauty Salon & Spa needs an experienced hair dresser & professional makeup artist. Contact#652-5800

Reliable Rentals: Top quality cars, SUV’s at very low rates.

Call: 227-2322/601-2622

Office assistant for the interior. #223-7165 Camp Manager for the interior.#223-7165

PEN PAL

(1) Fenced land Parfaite Harmony - $2M. Uitvlugt $2.5M Neg. Zeelugt $1.5M Neg. Zeelugt $2.3M Neg. Tel: 697-6311/642-1252

Guyanese/Canadian male seeking female career oriented 24-28 in marriage. Tel# 6641966

Land at Best Crane Vreed-enhoop 104x41 $2,000,000 transported, Land at Parfaite W.B.D Tel#672-0416

Parfaite Harmonie 2M 1.3M. Farm 4.5M 5.5M. Providence.

Tuschen. Herstelling. Eccles.

Uitvlugt. Call: 666-2326

LAND FOR SALE

Tuesday January 22, 2019

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

West Coast access road damaged by heavy duty trucks - Residents blame sea defence contractor Residents of La Union, West Coast Demerara, are upset over the state in which heavy duty trucks attached to a sea defence contractor has left one of their main access roads.

Over the past year, residents of the small community located just along the stretch of West Coast highway just outside Crane, have watched as the trucks transformed the once solid bitumen paved road into a pot- holed mud dam.

Ram Singh and his wife Pramie Singh are firsthand witnesses to the destruction of the road. The couple has been complaining bitterly about the problem.

“The road was paved with bitumen but after the trucks break it up, they throw sand and left it to fall apart,” the couple related.

The elderly couple explained the trucks have been utilizing the pathway in front their home to carry out river defence works.

But the road is not the only thing that is negatively impacted by the operation.

“Because the road is so bad now when the rain fall it get holes and then the sun come it turn to dust again. It’s not just the condition of the road, the dust affecting us. When the

wind blow the house is covered in dust from the road. All our food and everything is covered in dust, we can’t continue to live like this.”

Before the project commenced, Mrs. Singh recalled that officials from the construction firm visited their home to inform them about the impending work.

“Three officials came and they told me that they will have to do work with lots of big bricks and heavy duty trucks and so. They said that it was for the sea defence. I never thought it was such a massive project. These vehicles, long like train and they carry these huge boulders, so whenever they pass the house shakes.”

“However when the officials visited us, they said that they took photographs of my house, the road and environment and so on. They told us that they were committed to repairing any damage done during the process of the time when they would pass with these things to do their work.

When they finish they said they were going to repair it or compensate us, and I took their word for granted. Now, the trucks

Fetus left on parapet at Liliendaal Persons traversing the Liliendaal Embankment yesterday morning around 06:00 hours got the shock of their life, after discovering a fetus on the parapet.

Police received a report of a fetus being on the road corner and discovered same when arriving on the scene.

It was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home for storage and it is expected an autopsy will be performed.

When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, witnesses claimed seeing a silver grey Toyota Premio pulling up to

the corner of the road. Two doors were then opened, and a woman was seen stooping down.

One witness, who was driving by at the time, thought the young woman was urinating.

After realizing that the woman was there for an extended period, the man told Kaieteur News that it looked suspicious.

The man said the woman got back into the car and the vehicle drove off. A passerby raised an alarm after noticing the fetus in the grass.

break up the road and leave big holes… when the rain falls it has pools of water in front my gap.”

Mrs. Singh said that she recently reached out to the contractor to remind them of their commitment.

“I called them at Lenora to complain about the road.

I reminded them of the commitment they made to repair it and so on, but they told me that they don t have bitumen. Now I hear, they about to close off the sea defence project, so we are worried over what will happen to our road.

“As a citizen of Guyana I believe we have to make a certain amount of sacrifices, but we must have a certain amount of rights too. The contractor would not live in a condition like this. So why must he be allowed to put others through this. And we are taxpayers too,” the woman added.

Approximately fifteen households occupy the quiet rural community of La Union. Members of the community have approached the contractor before on the matter.

Residents like Ramesh Sugrim, the proprietor of a Shell Gas Station had initially held their peace on the issue because they believed the sea defence work was vital.

“We recognize the sea defence works must continue, but with billions of taxpayers’ dollars being spent on road projects each year, these contractors must not be allowed to destroy the roads like this,” Sugrim stated.

The frustrated businessman noted that on a daily basis, he collects at least two wheelbarrows of

sand from around his service station.

“That‘s the amount of dust that blows in the atmosphere as a result of the work. It has even affected my eyes. I had to go to the clinic at Balwant Singh Hospital for treatment.”

“Our problem is that the contractor committed to repair road and so forth.

They have a wealth of experience in road construction and access to material to fix the road. Why not fix it?” Instead they want to hog all money and put sand on top the road. We understand that the sea defence is vital, but measures must be in place to alleviate what is taking place in the environment.”

“The engineer needs to visit the area, talk to the residents and fix the problem,” the businessman added.

M i c h a e l S a n d y, t h e owner of a nearby snackette, told this publication that he has experienced notable difficulties plying his trade ever since the road was damaged. He noted that sand that the workers used to patch the road has led to significant erosion.

“The workers keep throwing sand to cover the holes, so as soon as a heavy breeze blows it all over snackette and the house –it is affecting people’s lives and livelihood.”

“We have asked them to throw crush and run, but they throw sand. So when it blows, it affects my business.

Nothing can be left open, it is real uncomfortable; I am hoping that something can be done,” the man added.

Mr Ram Singh points to pot holes caused by the heavy duty trucks

PAGE 24

E’bo man taken into police custody dies hours later - Wife detained for questioning A carpenter from the Essequibo Coast died under mysterious circumstances last Sunday night, while in police custody at the Anna Regina Police Station.

The deceased, who has since been identified as 46year-old Om Singh, was reportedly taken into custody following reports of a domestic disturbance.

A brother of the deceased, Suresh Prabunauth, explained to this publication that the father of five was arrested around 9:45 p.m. by ranks of the Anti-Crime Patrol Unit.

According to him, the unit received a call from a neighbour, who reported that there was a heated argument between Singh and his wife.

Singh was subsequently arrested at his home in Alma Street, Danielstown, Essequibo Coast, and was taken to the station.

Kaieteur News understands that the man’s daughter Nalini Singh, visited her father shortly after his arrest, during which time she saw him lying on a bench motionless. She noted that sometime about 02:30hrs yesterday, ranks informed her that her father had died.

Family members indicated to this publication that Singh was taken to the police station in good health and his sudden demise is puzzling.

Relatives are further claiming that something went wrong at the Police Station, resulting in Singh’s death.

They further believe that he was only transported to the Suddie Public Hospital after his death, and was pronounced dead on arrival.

The police in response gave a completely different story.

Based on a police source, Singh was arrested after a

patrol was stopped by his wife, who they claim reported the domestic disturbance.

Police also said that the couple was intoxicated and involved in a fight, during which Singh was hit to the face with an object by his wife.

While at the Anna Regina police station, both Singh and his wife requested that a warning be served.

According to police, Singh later complained that his face was feeling numb.

The man was then transported to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he remained under police guard. Singh reportedly went into a seizure and later succumbed while being treated at the medical institution. The man’s wife is presently in custody assisting with the investigation.

Singh’s body is at the Onderneeming Funeral Home awaiting an autopsy.

Trust in Russia’s Putin falls to 13-year low: state pollster MOSCOW (Reuters) Public trust in President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level in 13 years, according to a Russian state pollster, a setback for the Kremlin which works hard to burnish Putin’s image as a wise father-of-the-nationstyle leader.The poll, by the Public Opinion Research Centre, found that trust in Putin had fallen to 33.4 percent, its lowest level since 2006.

The results do not pose an immediate problem for Putin who won a landslide election victory and a new sixyear mandate in March last

year, but could embolden would-be successors to begin what is likely to be a long game of jostling for position.

Putin’s overall approval rating, which is different from his trust rating, is still high at just over 60 percent.

His approval rating has slipped from its peak of nearly 90 percent amid dismay over falling household incomes and unpopular government moves to raise the retirement age and hike value added tax.

Putin’s trust rating hit a high of 71 percent in July 2015 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea the previous year.

On the eve of last year’s presidential election, it stood at 55.3 percent. Since then, public trust in him has dropped sharply, falling to 38.3 percent three months later, ending 2018 at 36.5 percent.

Putin remains far more trusted than any other politician in Russia however, the same poll showed.

The second and third most trusted politicians in the poll were Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who received trust ratings of 13.7 percent and 9.3 percent respectively.

Unite and arise, Guyanese brothers...

From page 6 proudly through your veins, The real enemy will reverse the hands of time, And while they divide and conquer, they will steal your future prosperity, While you fight amongst, and kill off each other.

Unite and arise, children of Makonaima, stop fighting for scraps!

Keep your eyes on the prize, you will soon reap the harvest, Unprecedented prosperity for all for generations to come, There’s enough for all whose navel strings are buried within your sovereignty,

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

Yes, awake, for no one can stop us now, except ourselves.

Greatness beckons you, utopia is at your door, hear them knocking, Don’t be swine that grunt away your future pearls, Be worthy, stop the hate and strife, and embrace each other, Big up, wise up children, and extend the hand of sibling love, All Guyanese belong, for whether foreign or local, we are one.

Unite, be vigilant and walk into a new dawn together, Put down your weapons, heed what matters most, Rally together and fight

the real enemies, The slickly clad overseas corporations who will suck your oil money dry, The contentious neighboring dictators who shamelessly covet our country’s resources.

Do not treat your brothers and sisters like orphans and prodigals, They, like you, broke the same bondage and share the same heritage, How dare you call them strangers and exclude them as dual citizens?

When they carried you in your darkest days?

Wake up, children of Guyana, wake up, please!

Albert Baldeo

Taliban attack on Afghan security base kills over 100

Afghan soldiers on guard as ambulances arrive.

KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban attack in central Afghanistan yesterday killed scores of security personnel, officials said, with some estimates putting the death toll at more than 100, amid government silence about one of the most deadly insurgent attacks in months.

Attackers rammed a captured military Humvee packed with explosives into a training centre of the National Directorate for Security in Maidan Wardak province, west of the capital Kabul. At least two gunmen followed up, spraying the compound with gunfire before they were shot down.

“We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion in-

side the military training centre, eight special commandoes are among the dead,” said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Local officials also said that scores of troops and NDS personnel were killed in the attack but there was no official confirmation of the casualty toll, with officials ordered not to talk to media for fear of damaging morale.

“I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts,” said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul.

The complex attack on a highly secured base underlined the heavy pres-

sure facing Afghan security forces as increasingly confident Taliban fighters have stepped up operations, even as diplomatic efforts to agree a peaceful settlement to the conflict have begun.

Ta l i b a n i n s u rg e n t s , fighting to drive out international forces from Afghanistan and reintroduce their version of strict Islamic law, claimed responsibility for the attack, which spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said killed 190 people. The attack, the most serious against Afghan forces in months, occurred on the same day that Taliban representatives met Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, in Qatar.

Report reveals an undeclared North Korean missile base headquarters WA S H I N G TO N (Reuters) - One of 20 undeclared ballistic missile operating bases in North Korea serves as a missile headquarters, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published yesterday.

“The Sino-ri missile operating base and the Nodong missiles deployed at this location fit into North Korea’s presumed nuclear military strategy by providing an operational-level nuclear or conventional first strike capability,” the report said.

The discovery of an undeclared missile headquarters comes three days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he “looks forward” to another summit to discuss denuclearisation

with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February.

CSIS, which last reported on the 20 undeclared bases in November, said the Sino-ri base has never been declared by North Korea and as a result “does not appear to be the subject of denuclearisation negotiations.”

The report noted that missile operating bases would presumably be subject to declaration, verification, and dismantlement in any denuclearisation deal.

“The North Koreans are not going to negotiate over things they don’t disclose,” said Victor Cha, one of the authors of the report.

“It looks like they’re playing a game.

They’re still going to have all this operational capability,” even if they

destroy their disclosed nuclear facilities.

Located 132 miles (212 kilometers) north of the demilitarized zone, the Sinori complex is a sevensquare-mile (18-square-km) base that plays a key role in developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching South Korea, Japan, and even the U.S. territory of Guam in the Western Pacific, the report said.

It houses a regimentsized unit equipped with Nodong-1 medium-range ballistic missiles, the report added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Satellite images of the base from Dec. 27, 2018 show an entrance to an underground bunker, reinforced shelters and a headquarters, the report said.

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Tuesday January 22, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Soccer star Ronaldo to answer tax fraud England favourites charges in Spain but danger lurks in West Indies...

Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy - January 12.

(REUTERS/Alberto Lingria/File Photo)

MADRID (Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo is due in court in Spain today to answer charges of evading taxes during his nine-year reign as Spanish side Real Madrid’s all-time highest scorer.

The Portuguese striker is expected to plead guilty after he struck a deal last year with authorities in Spain to settle the case by paying an 18.8 million euro ($21.4 million) fine and accepting a suspended jail sentence.

The 33-year-old Juventus forward is unlikely to serve any time in jail, as the 23month term prosecutors have requested is within a two-year threshold that can be served

Tuesday January 22, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A friend from far away could contact you by phone, email, or even in person, Aries. This person might bring great news that suddenly turns your life in a new direction.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You might try to learn a new computer program today, Taurus. You could find it a little confusing at first, but as you continue to learn, you will find that it makes things easier for you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today you may stumble into an unexpected new friendship, Gemini. This could come as the result of a social event or an introduction by a close friend.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A group meeting of some sort, perhaps job related, could take place in your home today, Cancer. Whatever business the group has planned should be taken care of quickly LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A phone call from a close friend or love partner could bring a thrilling surprise your way today, Leo. An event has occurred that you either gave up on long ago or never dreamed of.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you own property, you might discover that its value has increased far beyond anything you dreamed of, Virgo. This might involve real estate, but it could also involve other resources like stocks, bonds, or family heirlooms.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A surprising phone call or email could come your way today from a friend you haven't heard from in a long time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today you may discover that you have a previously untapped talent for the occult sciences. This might involve astrology, numerology, alchemy, or using oracles. A class or workshop could be involved.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) There's someone you've wanted to meet for a long time, Sagittarius, and today you might have the opportunity to introduce yourself.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Do you feel helpless in the face of problems with technology? If so, you might surprise yourself today.

Some software that you use a lot could go haywire AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) If you've been thinking about studying astrology, numerology, or other occult sciences, Aquarius, this is the day to start. There may be a school or teacher that you've been considering.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A woman you meet at work might point you in a new direction, Pisces. You should investigate all possible options. This could be a new intellectual interest, a technological skill, or possibly a new and more lucrative source of income. It may involve an unusual field, but don't worry about that.

on probation for a first offence under Spanish law.

Ronaldo asked for special security measures for accessing the court, but the request was denied, a Madrid judge said in a statement. Spanish media reported he had asked to be allowed to enter the courtroom via the car park.

Officials say today’s hearing will be short, and only require Ronaldo to confirm he accepts the deal.

Ronaldo’s agent in Portugal did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

In 2017, Ronaldo denied the accusation that he knowingly used a business structure created to allegedly hide income his image rights generated in Spain between 2011 and 2014.

He had paid a fine of 5.7 million euros, plus interest of about 1 million euros, in July 2018, the prosecutor’s office said last week.

Between 2005 and 2010, the so-called “Beckham law” allowed foreign soccer players in Spain to curb their tax payments.

It was lifted as financial crisis strained state coffers and prosecutors set their sights on the tax affairs of household names of the soccer world including Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo’s former team mate Xabi Alonso is also due in court on Tuesday to respond to charges in a separate tax fraud case, in which prosecutors are seeking a five-year jail term and a 4 million fine.

Alonso, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning national team before retiring from the game in 2017, is accused of defrauding the Spanish state of two million euros between 2010 and 2012. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. ($1 = 0.8802 euros)

Report: Manny Pacquiao’s...

From page 28 had a little left in the tank. As if the development of a potentially serious eye injury wasn’t enough, Pacquiao also reportedly discovered that a safe in his Los Angeles home containing thousands in cash and jewelry had been plundered. Police responded to an apparent break-in Saturday night when they noticed the door was left open during the fight, the house having been left empty by Pacquiao’s entourage.

From page 32 Cup and an Ashes series looming.

Yet whatever the state of West Indies cricket, on and off the field, a visit from England usually gets the juices flowing.

“Whenever we come here, you get the feeling that West Indies really want to beat England,” Anderson, part of the 2004 squad, told the Guardian.

“It’s something that’s been ingrained in them. You can see it in the players’ eyes when you play against them and that means we’ve got to be on top form to be able to try and challenge them.”

Anderson will relish getting his hands on the Dukes ball after toiling in Sri Lanka, but so should the West Indies attack.

In Gabriel and Roach, they have a potent duo while pacey youngsters Alzarri Joseph and Oshane Thomas will hope to make a name for themselves.

The hosts’ unreliable batting will also be bolstered by the return of left-hander Darren Bravo after a twoyear absence.

Bravo, who has a test average of 40, was cast aside after a row with the West Indies Cricket but is now set for his 50th test.

PAGE 28

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Outcry over appointment just Messi comes off the bench “politics”, says focussed Pybus to inspire Barcelona win BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Richard Pybus has dismissed the furore over his appointment as interim West Indies men’s head coach as “Caribbean internal politics”, and says he is focussed on ensuring the team is properly prepared for their tough assignment against England starting this week.

The Englishman was controversially appointed to the interim role earlier this month, a move that reportedly sparked discontent among Cricket West Indies directors since he was not among the shortlist put forward by director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, and approved by the board.

In fact, director Enoch Lewis claimed the former director of cricket had been “hand-picked” by CWI president, Dave Cameron without “without pre-authorisation and input from the board”, actions which the Leeward Islands Cricket Board president labelled as “unfortunate, unacceptable and unethical”.

A n d t h o u g h P y b u s ’s appointment was also criticised by distinguished members of the Caribbean c r i c k e t f r a t e r n i t y, t h e former director of cricket says the controversy was a feature of the region.

“It’s the Caribbean, you’ve got 16 countries. It’s not like England, Australia or South Africa,” Pybus said on

Sunday in his first public comments since his appointment.

“With the internal politics, there’s always discussion. Unless you’ve spent a considerable amount of time in the region it’s difficult to understand quite how challenging it is.”

The CWI had approved the choice of Nic Pothas to succeed departing Australian Stuart Law, but after negotiations with the South African reached a stalemate, Lewis claimed Cameron then “made contact with Pybus, negotiated and concluded a deal worth more than what Pothas had been offered”.

CWI subsequently ignored Lewis’s call for the appointment to be rescinded, publicly backed Pybus and subsequently referred Lewis’s comments to its ethics committee “for review”.

Pybus, who never applied for the vacant head coach post, said criticism was part of sport and should be expected.

“It’s part of the landscape.

I have just got to get on with the job, really,”Pybus continu e d . ”Criticism is part of the tapestry and the drama around sport. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into England. I don’t want to sound too ‘Zen’ but I’m really focused on the first day

and making sure we’re ready.”

One former player, twotime Twenty20 World Cupwinning skipper, Darren Sammy, has been vocal in his criticism of Pybus’s involvement in West Indies cricket, questioning the official’s appointment as high performance director last year.

Pybus had previously spent an extended tenure as CWI’s director of cricket, during which time he oversaw the implementation of the Professional Cricket League.

However, he also courted controversy with his crafting of the policy requiring players to play domestic competitions in order to be eligible for international selection.

Choosing to sidestep Sammy’s criticism, Pybus said there was little value in delving into what had gone on before.

“I don’t want to unpack the past. Darren is entitled to his opinion,” he said.

“I don’t want to give boring one-liners but I did three years as director of cricket and what’s in the results bank is in the results bank. It’s the players on the park who deliver. But I was satisfied at the time with how the programmes supported players.”

West Indies face England in the first of three Tests at Kensington Oval here tomorrow.

Ousmane Dembele (left) made a career-best 12 dribbles in the first half more than he has managed for Barcelona in any match. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire La Liga leaders Barcelona to victory over Leganes - their seventh successive win in all competitions.

Ousmane Dembele fired in to give the champions a firsthalf lead before Martin Braithwaite, on loan from Middlesbrough, tapped in the equaliser.

Luis Suarez handed Barca the advantage again when he poked home after Messi’s superb free-kick had been saved.

Messi then grabbed the third in stoppage time with a thumping shot.

The result moves Ernesto Valverde’s team to 46 points from 20 games, five ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid with arch-rivals Real Madrid third with 36 points.

However, it seemed for a while that Barca’s advantage would be only three going into the next round of games.

The fixture began brightly for the Catalan club during a one-sided first half dominated by the brilliance of France forward Dembele, his trickery and sensational pace embarrassing the opposition defence at times.

The first example of his blistering speed came in the 12th minute when he burst into the area before feeding Philippe Coutinho, who fired his shot high over the bar.

Then came his goal. Defender Gerard Pique began the move by dribbling past two Leganes players, before the ball eventually reached Jordi Alba on the left.

The Spaniard found Dembele in the area, who

turned his foot and directed a first-time strike past the reach of Ivan Cuellar.

Mid-table Leganes barely threatened the Barca area, but that changed after the break when Braithwaite converted from close range following a swift break.

Messi and Ivan Rakitic were introduced not long after, although Barcelona suffered another blow when Dembele came off with an ankle injury.

Despite that setback Barcelona reasserted their control. They took the lead once more when Cuellar failed to deal with Messi’s strike and Suarez poked in.

And in stoppage time, Messi made certain of the points with a fierce right-foot finish after good combination play with Alba.

“It’s good to be back in the quarters. That’s where I want to be,” Pouille told reporters.

“Borna is 11 or 12 in the world. So if you want to beat those kind of guys, obviously you have to play some good tennis.

“I’m sure I can be better, much better, but I’m on a good road, and we are going to still work to be better.”

Pouille has turned to compatriot Amelie Mauresmo, a double Grand Slam champion and former coach of Andy Murray, to help him push for the sport’s biggest prizes.

He said one of their goals was to get him to mix his game up a bit more with the workaday baseline pounding.

“And to be more consistent, especially from the baseline,” he added.

“When you don’t have to go for it, then you have to be patient and try to play some good shots in the good zones.

We have been working a lot on this, so it worked pretty good today.”

The Frenchman made hard work of the fourth set, allowing 11th seed Coric to break back and drag the match into a tiebreak in the twilight at Melbourne Arena.

He raised his game when it mattered, however, flicking a delightful lob over Coric to move within two points of victory.He earned four match points when Coric netted a volley and converted the first of them when the Croat hammered a shot over the baseline.

“We worked very hard during the pre-season and during the beginning of the year, so I think, as we say, hard work pays off,” said Pouille.

Report: Manny Pacquiao’s camp fears boxer suffered potentially career-ending eye injury Pouille reels in Coric to make first Melbourne quarter-final Yahoo Sports - Manny Pacquiao seemed set for a rematch against Floyd Mayweather after easily dispatching Adrien Broner on Saturday, but those plans might have to be put on hold, potentially for good.

Some in the 40-year-old Pacquiao’s camp fear that the boxer might have suffered a detached retina after he complained of pain and vision loss in his left eye on Sunday morning, according to the New York Daily News’ Wallace Matthews.

Pacquiao is reportedly scheduled to fly home to the Philippines to see an eye specialist.

Matthews also reported a different source in Pacquiao’s camp claimed the injury was a minor corneal scratch from the tape on Broner’s gloves.

If Pacquiao is indeed diagnosed with a detached retina, it would likely derail

Manny Pacquiao, right, hits Adrien Broner during a WBA welterweight title boxing match Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) not just a potential future matchup against Mayweather, but Pacquiao’s entire boxing career.

This development is shocking given that Pacquiao seemed to have no trouble

dispatching Broner, no matter what his opponent claimed after the fight. The win improved the Filipino senator’s boxing record to 617-2 and showed that he still (Continued on page 27)

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Lucas Pouille rallied from a set down to overcome Borna Coric 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 7-6(2) and advance to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time yesterday, decisively banishing his dreadful record at Melbourne Park.

The French 28th seed had never won a match in five previous trips to Melbourne but he will now play off for a spot in a maiden Grand Slam semifinal against Canadian serving machine Milos Raonic.

Former world number 10 Pouille has knocked on the door at the majors before, making back-to-back quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2016.

But the 24-year-old talent failed to get past the third round at any of the Slams last year.

Tuesday January 22, 2019

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Kaieteur News

NBA roundup: Wolves’ Rose Ethiopians Shifa, Basa add halfbeats buzzer to bury Suns marathon crowns to 10k titles

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose (25) drives in the fourth quarter against Phoenix Suns at Target Center. (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports) Derrick Rose buried a 20foot, tie-breaking jumper with nine-tenths of a second remaining Sunday night, delivering the Minnesota Timberwolves a 116-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves trailed 110-106 before Rose capped a 31-point performance by scoring eight of Minnesota’s final 10 points over the closing 3:25.Karl Anthony-Towns shot 13 for 13 from the free throw line in a 30-point, 12rebound double-double for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

T.J. Warren had a teamhigh 21 points for the Suns, who completed a winless

four-game trip with two losses in two days. Phoenix lost at Charlotte on Saturday.

Clippers 103, Spurs 95 Tobias Harris poured in 27 points, and Patrick Beverley scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Los Angeles held on to defeat host San Antonio.

The win snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak for the Clippers, who controlled the game even without injured stars sixth man Lou Williams and forward Danilo Gallinari.

LaMarcus Aldridge led all scorers with 30 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who saw their two-game winning

snapped while losing their second straight home game.

Pacers 120, Hornets 95 Victor Oladipo scored 21 points as host Indiana won its second straight game and avenged a 127-109 loss at Charlotte in November.

The Pacers, who have won 18 of their last 23 games, jumped out to a 16-point lead in the first quarter, led by 15 at halftime, and stayed in control the rest of the game.

Kemba Walker had 23 points and seven assists to lead the Hornets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. They were looking for their first four-game winning streak of the season.

(Field Level Media)

Escape artist Nishikori beats Carreno Busta to reach quarters M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) - An exhausted Kei Nishikori battled from two sets down to outlast S p a i n ’s P a b l o C a r r e n o Busta 6-7(8) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(8) in an epic encounter yesterday and book his place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Dragged into a five-set dogfight for the third time in four rounds, Nishikori struggled to deal with the physical and mental strain early on as Carreno Busta took a two-set lead but the eighth seed clawed his way back to level the contest.

The Japanese blew an early a break in the fifth set but prevailed in the tiebreaker to seal the win in five hours and five minutes, much to the delight of his compatriots in the crowd at Margaret Court

Japan’s Kei Nishikori in action during the match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.

(REUTERS/Adnan Abidi) Arena.

Nishikori will next take on the winner of the match

between world number one Novak Djokovic and Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Ethiopians Suleman Shifa and Meseret Basa capped a memorable Bermuda Marathon Weekend by adding Sunday’s half-marathon crowns to the 10kilometre titles they picked up the previous day.

Shifa, a New York resident, finished the half-marathon in one hour 10 minutes and 58 seconds, beating Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield, a US-based professional triathlete, into second place for the second day running.

Butterfield, who finished three seconds behind Shifa in Saturday’s 10K, hit the tape in 1:11.36. Dennis Mbelenzi, of Bermuda, recorded a personal best to finish third in 1:16.34. ”I came here with my confidence high and it’s been a good weekend for me,” said Shifa, who also placed third in the men’s mile elite race on Friday night. ”It was good running together with Tyler. We talked as we ran together and I gave him some advice after the race. He’s strong and is also a very good guy.”

Basa, sixth overall, won the women’s title in 1:19.33. ”It feels good to win

Jamaica-born Deon Breary. again and I’m so happy,” said 30-year-old Basa.

Cecilia Mobuchon, of France, was second in the women’s race 1:23.05, with Heather Kampf, of the United States, third in 1:26:25.

Rose-Anna Hoey (1:28.28) was the first local woman to finish in the halfmarathon, with Jamaica-born Deon Breary (1:30.12) second and Karen Smith (1:34.24) third.”I was looking to run around 1:30 and I’m happy with that; I can’t complain,” said Breary.

Canadian Greg Cartmell was the only runner to break three minutes in Sunday’s full marathon.

Cartmell, from Waterloo in Ontario, prevailed in the

windy and challenging conditions to cross the line in 2:52.1, ahead of compatriot David Langen in 3:05.22 and American Alex Egan (3:12.18).

In the women’s division, Stephanie Hodge continued her longstanding love affair with Bermuda by crossing the line as the first female finisher in 3:31.02 and 10th overall.

Newfoundland native Hodge, who first competed in the event back in 1994, and tasted victory in 2010, turned back the clock to finish comfortably ahead of her nearest rivals Leana Coetsee, of Bermuda (3:53.07), and American Cindy Lewandowski (3:54.48).

Inspired by young guns, Osaka marches on in Melbourne MELBOURNE (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka said she drew inspiration from Stefanos Tsitsipas’s shock win over Roger Federer after booking her maiden Australian Open quarter-final spot with a grinding 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Anastasija Sevastova yesterday.

The Japanese fourth seed had to come back from a set down for a second successive match at Melbourne Park, having survived a big scare a g a i n s t Ta i w a n ’s w i l y Hsieh Su-Wei on Saturday.

At a tournament featuring thrilling runs by a number of youthful players, 21year-old Osaka hunkered down to watch 20-year-old Tsitsipas take on Federer on Sunday, and seeing the Greek topple the Swiss master gave her an additional spur.

“I was watching all these kids winning and saw Tsitsipas beat Federer last night and was like, ‘whoa’,” Osaka said on court after beating Latvian 13th seed Sevastova at Rod Laver Arena.

“I was watching him and also (Frances) Tiafoe, they were playing really well. They came out here against the top players and won. I wanted to do that as well.”

Tiafoe had a 21st birthday to remember as the American upset former semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov in another upset on Sunday.

Having beaten Serena Williams in straight sets during the U.S. Open final, there was nothing particularly shocking about Osaka reaching the quarter-finals in Melbourne where she will meet sixth seed Elina Svitolina.

Yet she was grateful not to join a long list of first-time Grand Slam champions that have flamed out quickly at their next major.

“To reach the quarter-finals here, of course, I’m very happy,” she told reporters.

“A little part of me is relieved, because I have never reached the quarter-finals of a tournament (at) a Grand Slam aside from New York. So, definitely this was one of my goals.”

Another will be to start better against Svitolina, the

reigning WTA Finals champion.

Osaka was far from her best as she struggled to hold serve against U.S. Open semifinalist Sevastova and berated herself regularly during the sun-bathed clash at Rod Laver Arena.

She held firm when it counted, however, breaking Sevastova in the seventh game of the decider before sealing the match with an imperious forehand down the line.

Osaka’s post-match media conferences have been entertaining, a mix of awkwardness, humor and disarming candor.

Having known only tennis since a child, she said she still needed to mature both on and off the court.

“I think I don’t really have to deal with the things that I guess normal people have to deal with,” she said.

“Outside of the court, too, my maturity level isn’t that big. I don’t have the biggest responsibilities.

“I just play tennis, and that’s basically it. On and off the court, definitely I think I need to improve that.”

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Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

Providing infrastructure for athletes development is priority – Bartica Mayor Marshall - Congratulate new BFA President, Alden Marslowe

By Franklin Wilson Mayor of Bartica, His Worship Gifford Marshall has disclosed that he is very pleased that a key stakeholder in the Town, the Bartica Football Association (BFA) has been able to get its act together and is up and functioning once again under the Presidency of Alden Masrlowe.

Marshall was speaking with Kaieteur Sport recently about plans for the robust development of sports facilities in the Town that will have a positive impact on the development of youths who are hungry to have their talent showcased and honed with the ultimate aim of representing Guyana. ”I say key stakeholder because most of the youths play football, so our responsibility over the next few months will be to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place. So we have works going on at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, we also have additional works

Bartica FA President that will happen at additional grounds within the Township but we want to put the infrastructure in place so that the stakeholders e.g. the BFA, the volleyball, basketball and cricket associations will have the necessary infrastructure and resources to execute and provide for our young

people.”

Marshall noted that, unfortunately Bartica do not have too many options when it comes to advancing in any one sport discipline, stating that athletes would have to leave the area to pursue careers. ”If you want to advance

in sports you would probably have to move out of Bartica and probably live in Georgetown, so we want to change that so we have a major role to in terms of putting the necessary infrastructure in place.

As it stands, we only have one ground that is equipped and of a high standard that is undergoing a major upgrade as regards the field; the Community Centre Ground which also has a basketball and volleyball court.

But by 2020, at least three grounds in the community would be well developed and meeting the needs of various sporting disciplines.”

The rehabilitated community center building can accommodate table tennis and other indoor sports and was funded by the Municipality through its subvention, while the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Department of Culture Youth and Sport has funded the courts and the stand as well as the playing surface presently under construc-

tion.

Mayor Marshall is also working towards hosting sports teams from other areas and informed that come April, he is working towards hosting the inaugural Mayors Cup in Bartica. ”We hope to attract especially teams from the new towns, we hope to have Mahdia, Lethem and also we’ll see how it goes with Mabaruma.

Waramadong, right in this region, they have a very strong team and we want to bring them down so we’re hoping with the support of the BFA to have the first Mayor’s Cup in April for the Regatta season and of course incorporate other teams coming in. So that too will help to build our capacity and put the community on show.”

Naming of New Stand – Neil Hernandez Marshall pointed out that it is always important to remember outstanding persons in the sports arena who would have contributed posi-

tively and made an impact on the lives of others as a positive role model.

He shared that Bartica has produced numerous standout athletes and officials the likes of Diane Ferreira-James a former FIFA Referee, current President of the Guyana Football Federation Wayne Forde and the Late National Footballer, Neil Hernandez after who a new stand would be named in his honour. ”We have started consultations and we’re looking to name the pavilion after Neil Hernandez, a great son of the soil who had great potential and a player who contributed well at the club and national level.

Neil also had great influence among the youths but unfortunately we lost him at a very young age.

There are many others out there who would have also and are good role models but we want to start with him {Neil} to remember him and the good work he did.”

Djokovic passes Medvedev test to reach quarter-finals M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic struck back for the old guard at the Australian Open early today, soaking up the pressure from an impressive Daniil Medvedev before crushing the young Russian 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 to reach his 10th quarter-final at Melbourne Park.

The night after Roger Federer was stunned by Greek tyro Stefanos Tsitsipas, there was another sniff of an upset at Rod Laver Arena as 22-year-old Medvedev rocked the Serb with a furious assault of power hitting.

Yet the Russian wearied in the constant attrition during yesterday’s fourth round match, and top seed Djokovic ended up cruising to victory soon after mid-

night, having passed easily his biggest test at what had been a sweat-free tournament.

The world number one did not emerge entirely unscathed, however, and was troubled by a back strain in the last set.

“I didn’t feel so great in the last 20 minutes of the match, so we’ll see tomorrow how the body reacts,” he told reporters.

“It was just a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of back, nothing major ... But there are a couple of things that have surfaced.”

Djokovic will continue his bid for a hat-trick of successive Grand Slam triumphs and a record seventh title at Melbourne Park against eighth seed Kei Nishikori, who squeezed past Pablo Carreno Busta in a five-set

epic.

“Since I guess my next opponent is watching, I’m feeling fantastic, never felt better in my life,” 31-year-old Djokovic joked in his on-court interview with Jim Courier.

“I was hoping you were going to say the other guy won, but well done, Kei.” Federer’s exit on Sunday has been widely touted as a changing of the guard and Tsitsipas’s victory an inspiration for the Tour’s upstarts.

Fifteenth seed Medvedev was certainly up to continue the theme and it took a lunging backhand drop-shot from Djokovic to save a break point in the fifth game.

The rangy Russian fought back from a break down but double-faulted to give up a set point and Djokovic sealed it with a forehand winner down the line.

A red-faced Medvedev trudged to his seat to munch darkly on a banana but did not spend too long chewing on the setback.

He bravely fought off five break points in the second game of the second set and broke back to 4-3 after a breathtaking rally, scrambling back and forth to retrieve drop-shots and lobs before passing the Serb.

It was Djokovic’s turn to fume, and he wound up to smash his racket into the court before stopping himself.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during the match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. (REUTERS/Edgar Su) There was no shaking the Russian, who edged an epic 42-shot rally and raced to a 41 lead in the tiebreak.

The Serb was rattled, and he bungled a drop-shot to give Medvedev two set points before finding the net to square the high-quality contest.

Djokovic needed cheap points but there were none on offer, and he took a tumble at

the net on serve at 2-1, drawing a gasp from the crowd.

But after dusting himself off and saving three break points from 0-40 down, the Serb was revived.

After taking Medvedev down in another marathon rally, Djokovic broke in the fifth game and the Russian suddenly appeared spent.

Nothing fires Djokovic like the smell of blood, and he

went after Medvedev mercilessly, roaring through the set and breaking again to lead the final stanza 3-1.

Though dragging his feet between points, Medvedev snuck a break point at 3-2 but saw it disappear with a searing Djokovic forehand.

From there, the Serb kept him at arm’s length before closing out the match with a string of clean winners.

Tuesday January 22, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Serena edges top seed Halep to reach last eight MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Serena Williams staved off a spectacular fightback from world number one Simona Halep to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open yesterday and remain on course for her first Grand Slam triumph since becoming a mother.

Williams’ thrilling 6-1 4-6 6-4 win was a major step towards the 37-year-old American great equalling Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam wins as she set up a last-eight meeting with Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova.

The seven-time Australian Open champion was eight weeks pregnant when she won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park and only returned to tennis last year after the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia in September, 2017.

She made two more Grand Slam finals last year only to lose the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open but this triumph over the world’s leading player felt like another hugely significant step on the road to regaining her old dominance.

Williams showed she has

lost none of her brutal power and athleticism against French Open champion Halep, who has finished the last two years on top of the women’s rankings.

The Romanian broke Williams’ serve in the first game but that was the only one she managed for the rest of the opening set as the American bulldozed her way through the set in 20 minutes, serving it out with an ace.

Coming into the match with eight wins in her nine encounters against Halep, it looked as if Williams would breeze through the match after the opening set mauling she handed out.

But the 27-year-old fought back by forcing to move Williams more and drew level at one set apiece after breaking her a second time.

“That’s why she’s number one. She literally lifted her game to a new level. I didn’t. I kind of stayed at the same level, and I should have looked at my game, as well,” Williams told reporters.

“But it’s a part of this journey on my way back. It’s 10 months, so I can’t be too upset at myself. I felt like I did have an opportunity to win

that in straight sets, but then I’m playing the number one player in the world.”

The deciding set turned into a war of attrition as both players landed heavy groundstrokes and Williams had to save three break points for a crucial 3-3 hold.

Williams landed the decisive break in the next game before holding firm to seal the match in an hour and 47 minutes when Halep hit a forehand wide.

“I will start with a joke. I felt like I had been hit by a train in the first set. Everything was too fast,” Halep said with a wide grin, leaving reporters to burst out laughing.

“I didn’t get scared about the first set, because I knew I have a better level.

“After the first set, I got fire inside myself, and I said that now I start the match. So it was much better. Game by game, I felt that my level is growing, and I had more confidence to go through it.”

For a place in the semi-finals, Williams will meet Pliskova, who thrashed twice Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 6-3 6-1 earlier on Monday.

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her match against Romania’s Simona Halep. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson) “We have had good matches. She’s beaten me on an occasion or two or three,” Williams said of her next opponent. “She’s always someone that comes out and serves big and plays well.

“I’ve got to return a little bit better the next day that we play, but I will be ready. I’m ready. She’s ready. Let’s do it.”

Arinze Chance breaks national indoor record

By Calvin Chapman Guyana’s sprint ace, Arinze Chance, who attends South Carolina University in the United States of America (USA), gave himself a wonderful birthday present last Friday when he broke the local indoor 400m record during the Gamecock Inaugural track meet at the University of South Carolina’s recently remodeled Indoor Track and Field Complex, in the city of Columbia.

Chance, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Sunday, registered an official time of 46.15s seconds, the best time by a Guyanese on a normal indoor track, bettering the previous best of 46.49s by Jermaine Griffith in 2017.

The South Carolina senior who is majoring in Global Studies; specialising in leadership and economic development, also broke his university’s 400m record that stood for 16 years, by just one hundredth of a second.

Friday’s performance was the continuance of a purple patch for Arinze since the previous week he had broken Guyana’s 300m record with a blistering 33.00 seconds at the Orange & Purple Elite track meet.

The student-athlete’s,

who currently enjoys a full scholarship, time in the 300m is the third fastest this year, while the 46.15 is the quickest time in the NCAA so far this year in the 400m.

During an interview with Kaieteur Sport, Chance noted that his goals for 2019 are to finish the season strongly with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the World Championships which will be held in Doha, Qatar, this September.

The qualifying time for the World Championships in the 400m is 45.4 seconds but Arinze explained that, “What many persons back home (in Guyana) don’t realise is that it is much harder to run an indoor race as opposed to the outdoor so I will be at least a second faster which will bring my time down to around 45.1 seconds which is within the qualifying time for the World Championships.”

During the interview, the scholar called for more emphasis to be placed on developing sport infrastructure in Guyana, not only in athletics but sports in general.

He also stated the need for better management of athletes, “When I needed support I didn’t receive it, I wrote many times and made many calls to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to no avail.

Patriots beat Chiefs to join Rams in Super Bowl (Reuters) - New England and 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady will be going to their third consecutive Super Bowl after they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime on Sunday, with the Los Angeles Rams standing between the Patriots and a sixth NFL title.

The Rams secured their berth in the Super Bowl after a controversial 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints in the National Football Conference title game.

The teams will meet in the Super Bowl in Atlanta, Geor-

gia on Feb. 3.

American Football Conference champions New England beat the Atlanta Falcons 3428 in overtime in the 2017 Super Bowl and lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles a year ago.

Their 11 Super Bowl appearances are the most ever.

The Rams have played in three previous Super Bowls, beating the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Atlanta in 2000 when they were based in St Louis.

They last appeared in the title game in 2002 when they lost to the Patriots 20-17.

CWI names assistant....

Arinze Chance has his sight set on qualifying for the World Championships in Qatar this September.

By the grace of God, my family and the Bishops’ High School Old Students’ Association along with Attorneyat-Laws Kadeem Davis and Emily Dodson, I was able attain a decent platform to reach where I am today while staying motivated; something which is very difficult to do as a Guyanese Athlete.”

The former Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete praised the efforts of his Coach Curtis Frye who has brought him a far way and he emphasised that as an athlete you get a lot of support in

Guyana when you have proven yourself at the top level but none is given when you are now developing, “So I am urging the relevant bodies to be diligent in identifying talent and providing them with a platform to flourish.”

Arinze will be in action this weekend at the Dr. Sanders Invitational at the New Balance Armory in the state of New York and he has challenged all Guyanese in the areas to come out and support him as he strives to continue raising the bar in his performances.

From page 32 the West Indies trifecta of 2 0 1 6 Wo r l d C u p t i t l e s ( Wo r l d T 2 0 , Wo m e n ’s World T20 and Under-19 World Cup) while serving as WINDIES cricket director.

He will receive assistance from the coaching team for the tour of England, the Triangular Series in Ireland, the 2019 Cricket World Cup (CWC), and the visit of India in July and August.

The full WINDIES squad and management team for the upcoming England test series follows: Jason Holder (Captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron H e t m y e r, S h a i H o p e , Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican.

NOTE: Oshane Thomas has been called up as cover

for Alzarri Joseph MANAGEMENT Rawl Lewis – Team Manager Richard Pybus - Head Coach Khevyn Williams - Physiotherapist Vasbert Drakes - Assistant Coach Esuan Crandon - Assistant Coach Toby Radford - Assistant Coach Zeph Nicholas - Massage Therapist Mushtaq Ahmed - Spin Bowling Consultant Philip Spooner - Media Manager Dexter Augustus - Analyst UPCOMING TEST MATCH SCHEDULE 1st Test: Kensington Oval (Barbados) – Jan 23-27 2nd Test: Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (Antigua) – Jan 31 to Feb 4 3rd Test: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground (St. Lucia) – Feb 9-13

PAGE 32

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

Singh’s ton propels DCC, Everest, CWI names assistant coaches Police triumph - Khan slams 90 for ECC for busy cricket season Opener Sachin Singh struck a fine century to lead Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) to a 103-run victory over University of Guyana (UG), while Everest Cricket Club and Police registered wins when the Georgetown Cricket Association/New Building Society Second Division 40-over tournament continued on Sunday last.

Host Demerara Cricket Club rattled up 261-1 off their reduced 39 overs, batting first.

Singh slammed an unbeaten 166 and added 95 for the opening stand with Garrick Persaud who made 17. The left handed Singh then dominated an unbroken 196-run second wicket partnership with Alphius Bookie to further frustrate their opponents.

Singh clobbered 13 fours and 11 sixes in his innings, while Bookie made 44 not out. UG were limited to 158-9 in reply.

Linden Austin made 43 and D. Paul 34; Carlton Jacques claimed 3-32 and Steven Sankar 3-47.

At Everest, the host batted first and posted 231-6 from their reduced quota of 35 overs. Amir Khan struck five fours and four sixes in a top score of 90, while Adrian Sukwah slammed seven fours and one six in scoring 61 and Saheed Mohamed 60 with six fours and two sixes. Keon Morris grabbed 3-40 and Rawle Merrell 2-34.

Malteenoes SC responded with 196 all out in 34.3 overs. Marcus Watkins made 60 including four fours and three sixes, while Nicoksie Barker scored 43 with three fours and two sixes

- Vasbert Drakes, Esuan Crandon and Toby Radford to assist Richard Pybus

Kevon Boodie

Chris Deonarine

Sachin Singh

Amir Khan

and Shaquille Mosley 31 (2x6). Left arm spinner Javed Rasheed claimed 3-26, Travis Persaud 2-43 and Raylex Payne 2-60.

At Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Police scored 1913 off their allotted 40 overs after they were inserted.

Kevon Boodie stroked 53, while Kemol Savory made 47 not out and Andrew Lyght Jr 44.

Devon Lord took 2-27.

GCC were set a revised target of 149 from 24 overs following a rain interruption and were bowled out for 138.

Mavendra Dindyal made 47, while Deonarine Seegobin got 22 and Lord 19; Eon

Rodrigues had 2-13, Jason Heyliger 2-30, Hemchand Persaud 2-41 and Raun Johnson 2-42.

At MYO, the game between the host and Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) was abandoned due to rain.

Batting first, GYO were 185-4 in 32 overs when play was halted at 13:05hrs. Chris Deonarine was unbeaten on 82 while Eon Hooper made 35.

A reliable source informed Kaieteur sport that when the rain came, the pitch was exposed for too long to the showers (before the covers came on) which was the primary reason that the game was called off.

England favourites but danger lurks in West Indies LONDON (Reuters) With eight wins from their past nine tests, a three-match series in the West Indies should hold no fears for Joe Root’s buoyant England team — but things are never straightforward in the Caribbean sunshine.

A struggling West Indies sit eighth out of 10 in the ICC’s test standings and lost 2-0 to Bangladesh last time out with the red ball yet England have won only one of nine series there in the past 50 years — under Michael Vaughan in 2004.

The most recent series between the nations, in England in 2017, was supposed to be a walkover for the hosts yet it was surprisingly close and offered some hope for

those desperate to see a revival of West Indies test cricket.

Young batsman Shai Hope announced himself in that series, scoring two sublime centuries in bowlerfriendly conditions at Headingley as West Indies pulled off an audacious victory.

In the experienced Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach, they also have pacemen ready to exploit continued uncertainty in England’s top-order.

The jury is still out on England opener Keaton Jennings and while he started England’s 3-0 win in Sri Lanka well, scoring a century in the opening match, his form has dipped since.

He will almost certainly open the batting with Rory Burns in the first test, which starts in Barbados on Wednesday, but needs to offer convincing evidence that he is the man for the job in this year’s home Ashes series against Australia.

Jonny Bairstow, who scored a century in a warmup game, will get the chance to establish himself at number three.

England’s bowling attack will once again be underpinned by James Anderson and Stuart Broad but it is not out of the question that leftarmer Sam Curran will be thrown the new ball, one that should offer plenty of swing.

Victory for captain Root’s side would be the perfect way to start what could be a memorable year, with a home World (Continued on page 27)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Cricket West Indies has added experienced former Caribbean and international players to its coaching team as the WINDIES prepares for an upcoming busy cricket season, beginning with a series of engagements with the touring England side this week.

Former West Indies allrounder Vasbert Drakes, former Guyana allrounder Esuan Crandon and former Middlesex and Sussex batsman Toby Radford are teaming up in the Caribbean to assist newly appointed interim Head Coach of the WINDIES Men’s team, Englishman Richard Pybus.

The newly assigned assistant coaches are currently working to prepare the Caribbean team for its test campaign against the English, which opens tomorrow at Kensington Oval with the first of three test matches. The two teams will play three tests, five one-day internationals and three T20 Internationals.

“It is an honour to be back working with West Indies cricket again,” said Drakes, coach of the 2016 West Indies women champions during the ICC Women’s World T20. “As someone who played the game at the high-

Vasbert Drakes

Esuan Crandon

est level, it has always been my wish to contribute to West Indies cricket and give back to the young players. We have a tremendous group of players here, full of ambition and hungry for success. Our role as coaches is to offer leadership and sound advice and to share knowledge and create an environment of learning. I want to see West Indies cricket grow and flourish.”

Crandon, who coached the Guyana Jaguars to four consecutive Regional Firstclass titles, is also keen to work with the players, most of whom he is familiar with. “I am passionate about the game of cricket and a true supporter of West Indies cricket, so ultimately I want to make a contribution to the game in

the region and see the players perform at their best,” he said. “I am a calm individual and I’m here to do what is required to help the team succeed … that’s what I enjoy doing, coaching and helping others.”

Radford, who served as an assistant coach of the championship-winning 2012 WINDIES men’s team during the ICC World T20 competition and a former head coach of the West Indies High Performance Centre, joins his Caribbean colleagues along with former Pakistan legend Mushtaq Ahmed, who will continue in his role as spin bowling consultant.

Head coach Richard Pybus was the architect of (Continued on page 29)

Sir Garry visits Windies camp ahead of England series...

From page 31 greatest cricketer the world has ever seen, was on hand at Kensington Oval as the Windies continued their preparations for the Wisden Trophy Test Series against England which bowls off here tomorrow.

He met the team as a group and also had one-onone discussions with some of the players.

Left-hander Darren Bravo, who is making a comeback to the Test side following 27 months on the sidelines, said he was delighted to see Sir Garry.

“As a little boy growing up in Trinidad my father would always talk about Sir Garfield Sobers and the amazing things he did on the cricket field,” Bravo said.

“I would listen and it was obvious that from he way he spoke I knew he was a fantastic cricketer. Whenever

I’m in Barbados I try to see him and speak to him. He was a great player and always has time to offer advice and knowledge. ”We’re here preparing for this Test Series and to have him take the time out to come and spend time with us is truly wonderful. We really thank him and want him to know we appreciate what he’s done for us.”

Bravo’s counterpart, Shai Hope, one of the region’s best young players, said it was a honour to listen to words of wisdom from the country’s National Hero. ”Sir Garry is a awesome person and it always great to see him and have him around,” Hope said.

“He has tremendous presence and you can learn so much from just listening to him as he speaks and shares his knowledge of the game and especially how to go

about your batting. ”Having him join us today is an inspiration. It’s the kind of thing that can give you a boost ahead of a game and a series.

It’s always a honour to be in his presence. He has vast knowledge and experience and we are happy he took the come and speak with us.”

During his playing days, Sir Garry set several records and broke many barriers. He represented the West Indies in 93 Tests, scored 8032 runs with a highest score of 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 – his maiden Test century.

At the time, it was the record for the highest Test score and stood for over three decades.

He also took 235 wickets with his mixture of left-arm fast-medium bowling and left-arm spin.

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Kaieteur News

Patrick Ford Memorial set for Feb 17 - T&T to send team list tomorrow - GBA

T

he Guyana B o x i n g Association (GBA) in collaboration with Alford McDonald will host the second edition of the Patrick Ford memorial tournament on February 17 at the National Gymnasium.

This will be the GBA’s first International Card for the year and will have 15 bouts.

President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle told Kaieteur Sports yesterday that TTBA’s President Cecil Forde has confirmed that the list of the Trinidad & Tobago Boxing contingent for this card will be sent to the GBA tomorrow.

“We told the TTBA what the divisions we wanted to focus on; the Middleweight, B a n t a m w e i g h t , Lightweight, Welterweight, Junior Welterweight and

Light Heavyweight and they will send their list on Wednesday. St Lucia and Suriname have confirmed participation and will send the lists of their teams by Friday,” Ninvalle informed.

Ninvalle also informed that the rankings for Guyana’s top six Elite boxers are Commonwealth Youth Games silver medalist and Caribbean and National bantamweight champion, Keevin Allicock (1), Middleweight Desmond Amsterdam who moved from 3 to 2, Welterweight Colin Lewis who slipped from 2 to 3, Lightweight Jamal Eastman (4), Markenber Pierre (5) and Sean Griffith (6) ahead of Pan Am Games scheduled for April.

The GBA head who had applied to AIBA for the

Caribbean Boxing Championship (CBC) to be made a qualifier for the Pan Am Games, said he should get response on this today.

Ninvalle said that the GBA has plans to honour 1978 Commonwealth Gold Medalist Winfield Braithwaite.

“Braithwaite won a Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Games and did well for Guyana in Amateur Boxing and we are looking to honour him for what he did for Amateur Boxing,” said Ninvalle.

In addition to the Patrick Forde Memorial, the GBA have cards named after Te r r e n c e A l i , L e n n o x Blackmore and Mike Parris, Guyana’s only Olympic Medalist who won Bronze in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

(Sean Devers)

PAGE 33

GBA’s President Steve Ninvalle (right) and Guyana’s number one ranked Elite Boxer Keevin Allicock.

Sir Garry visits Windies camp ahead of England series BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies were treated to a surprise special guest at their training session on Saturday when legendary all-rounder and former skipper Sir Garry Sobers paid them a courtesy visit.

The 82-year-old icon, rated around the globe as the (Continued on page 32)

Legendary Sir Garry Sobers.

t r o Sp

Arinze Chance breaks national indoor record

Arinze Chance during his record breaking 400m run last Friday at the Inaugural Gamecock Invitational.

Serena edges top seed Halep to reach last eight

Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates after winning the match against Romania’s Simona Halep. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

An artist’s impression of the Neil Hernandez Stand.

Providing infrastructure for athletes new development is priority – - Congratulate BFA President, Bartica Mayor Marshall Alden Marslowe

His Worship, Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall

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