Monday January 30, 2017
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Police monitoring ex-cops believed linked to high-profile crimes By Michael Jordan The Guyana Police Force is taking “immediate steps” to monitor the activities of some of its former members, amid concern over the growing number of ex-cops who are being implicated in serious crimes, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum revealed yesterday. “The recent arrest of three ex-GPF members, who were allegedly found with a high powered rifle, handgun and ammunition, and were placed before the court, is a trend that is of grave concern to the Guyana Police Force,” Blanhum told Kaieteur News. “This trend has been recognised also, with the arrest of several other ex-GPF members in relation to some high–profile crimes. These expolicemen who have been arrested have either been dismissed from the Force for corrupt transactions, breach of the Police Standing Orders, or withdrew their services from the Force. “It is clear that some of these policemen have turned to a life of crime and have sought to utilize their specialized training in firearms, and their familiarity with the GPF’s Standard and training on what action would draw suspicion of ranks of the Force, to aid them in their criminal activities. “They are also utilizing their knowledge of what clues and pieces of evidence investigators look for at crime scenes to effect serious crimes without being detected,” he added.
- Situation ‘of grave concern,’ - Crime Chief Blanhum
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum “As such, the Guyana Police Force, after careful consideration, has taken the decision to immediately commence monitoring the movements of specific exGPF members who have been linked to serious criminal activities.” Blanhum’s revelation comes just days after three former police ranks were arrested following the discovery of an assault rifle, a handgun and ammunition at a house in the city. One of the ex-policemen was charged and later freed, in connection with two murders. He was also questioned about two execution-style killings during the crime wave. Another was previously
Nine years jail for gas station bandit It’s back in the ‘pen’ for known convict Andrew Lowenfield. Lowenfield, who had robbed the No. 50 Gas station at Leeds and tried to rob an elderly resident at Alness, has been jailed for nine years. Lowenfield, who was recently released from jail after spending a lengthy time on a murder conviction, was on Friday sentenced on three charges. He appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to all of the charges. It was alleged that on Tuesday 17th January while armed with a cutlass and a crow bar, he entered the David Subnauth Gas Station at No. 50, Village, Leeds. He proceeded to rob 24year-old employee Sheniza
Muniz, called ‘Jenny’, of $17,000. He also robbed 18year-old Demacus Williams called ‘Skinny,’ a pump attendant, of No. 50 village, of a considerable sum of cash, before escaping on a bicycle. Lowenfield was also charged with attempt to commit a felony, to which he pleaded guilty and was also sentenced to three years. The particulars of that charge as read by Prosecutor Inspector Bernard Brown are that Lowenfield, along with two others, broke into the home of Lalta Mohabeer, 73, of Alness Village, Corentyne. It was revealed that the victim who recently returned from overseas lives alone. On the night in question he secured his building and retired to bed. He was aroused by noises on the back (Continued on page 19)
charged in connection with gun related robberies on individuals who were coming from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. It was particularly during the 2002 to 2008 ‘crime wave’ period that the names of several former police ranks were linked to death squads and the narco trade. At present, a number of former members of the Force are before the court for various offences, ranging from narcotics trafficking, unlawful possession of arms and ammunition, to murder. Last November, former Police Sergeant, Colin Bailey, was committed to stand trial for allegedly murdering his reputed wife, Sirmattie Ramnaress.
REMANDED over arms find: From left: Ex-policemen Teon Alleyne, Andre Pollydore and Lloyd Roberts Lot 486 Section ‘D’ Block ‘X’ Diamond, Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara; Lance Corporal Mark Fernandes, 34,
“It is clear that some of these policemen have turned to a life of crime, and have sought to utilize their specialized training… to aid them in their criminal activities…” Blanhum It is alleged that Bailey and Colin Grant killed Ramnaress between August 30 and August 31, 2013 at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. Other ex-policemen who have been implicated in criminal activities include former Police Anti-Narcotics branch rank, Ian Michael Johnson, recently jailed for seven years on two counts of possession of Narcotics for the purpose of trafficking; Constables Bharat Shattapaul and Delroy Fraser, charged with drug trafficking. On August 8, 2016, five policemen accused of robbing three gold miners of 15 pennyweights of gold while on patrol, were ordered to post $600,000 bail each and report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown; Constable Kosi Arthur, 25, of Linden, Region 10; Constable Raphael Lowenfield, 25, of
of Annandale, Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara; Constable Delroy Duncan of Lot 71 Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara; and Constable Akeem Thompson, 21, of Lot 65 Bel Air Village, Georgetown; were all arraigned before City Magistrate Judy Latchman. It is alleged that on July 25, last, at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, they robbed Sherman Noel of five pennyweights of raw gold. It is also alleged that on July 25, at the same location, they robbed Heeralall Girdhari of four pennyweights of raw gold. They are also accused of robbing Euri Samuels of six pennyweights of raw gold. The lawmen were each instructed to post $200,000 bail on each count. The complainants were robbed at around 14:20hrs on the day in question at Army Base Camp Stephenson, Just last week, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo
lauded the Guyana Police Force for moving away from the “past lawlessness and excesses,” in less than two years. Addressing members of the Force at the opening of the Police Officers’ Conference, Nagamootoo had said that, under the new government, “Guyana has no death squads, no extrajudicial killings, no electronic support architecture for the criminal enterprise, and no agreement with the narcosyndicate to be an auxiliary of the national security apparatus”. “It seems, not so long ago, that we experienced the gruesome episodes of torture, executions, and use of excessive force, which had impugned the professionalism of the Guyana Police Force. That you have distanced yourself from the contamination of past lawlessness and excesses, in
less than two years, must be justification to say, ‘well done, you could do better’, and better you did”. Between January 1 and September 30, 2016, the Police Complaints Authority received 145 complaints about alleged police misconduct. Of this number, 135 have been closed. The others are pending. The complaints included three corrupt transactions, nine unlawful arrests, two unlawful Seizure of property, nine acting in a manner likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the Force, four assault, two demanding money to prevent prosecution, six wanting in civility to members of the public, eight police misconduct, 10 abuse of power, two threats, 10 police harassment, one for conducting himself in an oppressive manner, one use of more force than necessary, and one of abuse.
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Monday January 30, 2017
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
PASSING THE TORCH The Biblical saying that there is a time for everything holds true in almost all circumstances. In the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes, which contains many pearls of wisdom, proclaimed on a profound truth about the human condition and earthly existence. It is worthy of serious reflection by everyone, but more so by those in positions of power and authority, who seem to delude themselves and somehow develop presumptions about their invincibility. Ecclesiastes Chapter Three reminds us that there is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose on earth. It cited several examples, among them are a time to be born and a time to die; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to keep and a time to cast away. The lesson here is that no one or nothing on earth lasts forever, except for the Creator. This should be a sobering thought and a humbling reality for those in authority, who many believe are making the fundamental mistake of believing that they would have power forever. No one does. Instead of recognizing their limitations and seize the opportunity to be the servants of the people, many are arrogant and abrasive. Others are un-approachable and do not want to exit the political scene with grace and dignity when their time is up. They choose to hang on, often for purely selfish reasons, only to be forced out unceremoniously because of their failure to recognize that they had lost their relevance to the very people who they are supposed to serve. They tend to ignore that there is a time for everything, and passing the torch is one of them. In Guyana, some of our leaders have passed the age of retirement and should have passed the torch long ago to youths. Their grip on power has been weakening against the backdrop of a deteriorating economy which has created hardships for many, especially the poor and the lower working class. By clinging to office, they are denying youths the opportunity to gain work experience, leadership and to rise to the occasion to make Guyana a better country for all. Besides the economy, the nation is faced with many other serious challenges for which there have not been any concrete solutions. For example, crime continues to spiral out of control, agriculture production has decreased, power outages are constant, health care and the education systems are crumbling and it seems that the only solution available is more taxes and more talk with no follow-up action. By imposing a 14 percent VAT on the consumption of water and electricity above a certain usage could place the government on shaky grounds with the people. This seemingly ineffective and elitist leadership is out of touch with reality. Their grip on power seems to be slipping away. It appears that the current leadership has sidelined quite a few potential youths at home and in the diaspora apparently for no reason other than to employ their friends and relatives. They seem determined to continue along this path, even though the evidence suggests the country’s interests would be better served by a new team of youthful leadership who would bring a new approach and more relevant vision to the country. Could it be that because they have successfully formed a coalition and defeated the PPP in the May 2015 general election that they believe they have rights of ownership to the country? If that is the case, it is most unfortunate for our democracy. Notwithstanding these facts, there are some in the country who believe that the government has not fulfilled its promise to create jobs for youths. The current leadership needs to rethink their strategies and provide more opportunities for youths. In any case, their season will inevitably come to an end.
Trump and the coming of Christ! DEAR EDITOR, I am challenged to reveal that which was shown to me, by way of inspiration and Revelation. I do not regard myself better than any that have the understanding or knowledge, that is with me, but I regard myself as the least of the less of all Ministers across this Nation, and in the same vein, I have held on to a principle, since I left off My Bible College studies over thirty years ago. [A President/King is a servant of God for the people and a Preacher/Priest is a servant of God to his congregation for God]. They both hold two distinct offices, thus, one cannot intrude or intervene on the others’ jurisdiction, unless so allowed by God who has ordained both. It is because of this principle; I now attempt to share with the readers what was revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. In the month of August 2016 I revealed that Mr. Donald Trump will likely become the next President of The United States of America, many people with little understanding of the purposes of God opposed my declaration. This was published in the local press for all to read. Others have accosted me on whether he is the Anti-Christ. He is not! We are living in a time and season of prophetic utterances concerning the world we live in and the events that are unraveling before our very eyes. For instance nations, names, places, happenings, and objects are all symbolic in
understanding the Prophecies of the Bible. One of the most mystical and Millenniumistical [I have created this word to name my next published works] teachings of the Holy Bible is the coming of Jesus Christ to rapture the Church: and also the appearing of the AntiChrist. I would attempt to single out two of the five symbolic things used in understanding the Millenniumistic Prophecies of the Bible. Names and happenings: now I dare say that the name TRUMP is symbolic in understanding the prophecy concerning the coming of Christ. This word is mentioned in the Holy Bible twice- 1st Corinthians chap.15:52; 1st Thessalonians 4:16. It is used as a shortened version of the word Trumpet and not the name of a man, but symbolically and prophetically the word can be used to spell out the name of a man – TRUMP. I speak as a man of understanding in the office of a Priest, and I do declare that this same “insane and crazy” President Trump, is God’s chosen man for this dispensation of time that is left for us as a people to understand that there is a God who dwells in the affairs of men. This man is likened unto Jacob in the Holy Bible who was noted for wheeling, dealing and scheming, yet God chose him to fulfill his purpose. Now, through this word Trump, the Lord Jesus will make his appearance within
the lifetime of this same Trump who many have despised for good reasons that is inexplicable. This name and man TRUMP is a sign of the times recorded in the Holy Bible. For those reading this thesis, please take note of what is said here, because I place my integrity in the revealed word of the Lord for this generation. That is for names; now for happenings! On another note; late last year some were amazed and shocked over the scandals that emerged over a selfproclaimed Pope in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. I was not in the least perturbed over this atrocious act and snare to the true Church of God, for I have over the past thirty years been aware of the cultic organizations that have inundated this nation, since before the days of Jim Jones and his People’s Cathedral. I dealt with this in that day and time. I say this, categorically, that many pastors, priest and leaders of religious organization are false teachers. The word of God mentions this and Jesus himself taught that in the last day many false prophets shall arise. You shall know them by their fruits. Even now, there are many that demand huge sums of money [millions] from unsuspecting women [grandmothers and mothers] who are easy prey promising them, that they will be rich and prosperous, if they obey them and bring their bank books
and empty it at their feet. The HOLY BIBLE denounces such teachings. This cultic teaching is creating confusion and chaos in families across the continent of Europe Africa and the Caribbean. Those that practice such abominable teachings will themselves receive their just reward when Jesus Christ comes. Then, there is an unprecedented increase of violence, homosexuality, disobedience, inordinate pleasures, materialistic desires, greed, haters of good, boasters, wars, destruction of lives, suicides, evil devices, false religions, lovers of power, lovers of self, devil worshipers, arrogance, ignorance, legalized witchcraft, heresies, drunkenness, adultery, fornication, wrath, strife, murders, filthy communication, blasphemies, lying, maliciousness, extortions, wickedness and all that is evil and abominable. Also there are increases of natural disasters: earthquakes in various places, massive flooding, hurricanes, planetary distortions, global warming and many other disasters are all mentioned in the BIBLE before the coming of the Lord Jesus. So my conclusion to this whole matter is a dark and mystic day across the world such as was not known, since the Roman soldiers over two thousand years ago, placed Jesus Christ of the Cross and crucified him on a Friday. Apostle Vanrick Beresford Senior Pastor/Author
THOUGHTS ON WHAT ARTICLE 161 OF THE CONSTITUTION MEANS DEAR EDITOR, I refer to my letter of Saturday on article 161 of the Constitution dealing with GECOM’s Chairman and the use of the term invented by me; the 3-I’s- the attributes of integrity, impartiality and intelligence. Here the 3-I’s must be the most dominant consideration to which the draftsman has directed attention; for it could not by such wording wholly, or even predominantly, have intended to add, simpliciter (i.e. simply), to the existing “J” category of professionals on a subject or context such as is GECOM Chairmanship, without regards to the questions of fitness and propriety of any nominee for that high constitutional office. By “J” category in my Saturday letter, I mean judge, Magistrate or Lawyer. By O”” category I mean other person than a judge.
A non-legalistic reading of that cognate formula is this: no person/nominee comes within the ambit or purview of “any other” unless, and to the extent only, that he/she is “fit and proper”; fitness and propriety is the cardinal, crucial determinant for eligibility for appointment. In other words, in this Chairmanship matter (i.e. the 3-I’s) is inextricably intertwined with the matter of status (i.e. profession). The words “fit and proper” is no mere surplusage or tautology. This brings me to the second part of my twofold answer. I submit that by that formula there is commonality and similarity of the constitutional TEST as to what is fit and proper, for both category “J” and “O”. By some illogicality (matched by their obstinacy). Mr. Jagdeo and Counsel (when their position and arguments are
closely examined), takes the untenable and incongruous position that, by law, there is no requirement of similarity of attributes as between category “J” and “O”; for how else, can one rationally explain their obstinate disagreement with the President’s position that Mr. Jagdeo’s nominees be persons with demonstrated, empirically evidenced, attributes of the 3-I’s. The law is not an ass. The draftsman by “fit and proper” must be presumed to have intended to cut down or limit the generality of the words “any other”, by the attributes of 3-I’s that inheres in category “J”. Sheer commonsense and constitutional logic screams to us that it does. Here, context is everything (and this point cannot be stressed enough). Can any nominee for chairman be anything but
possessed of the 3-I’s? And by the wording “not unacceptable to the President” article 161(2)itself has made the President (not the Opposition Leader), the ultimate decider of who, in both fact and law, is fit and proper for appointment as GECOM chairman. So, this brings me to the Badri Prasad case (law). Does it tend to or compel a different conclusion to ours. Counsel citing and relying on it, argues as regards the meaning of the words “any other fit and proper person” thus: Article 161(2) contemplates different, separate and distinct categories of persons bearing no similarity to each other. …”(emphasis mine). The flaw in this generalization is palpable. First of all, as I have articulated above such a myopic proposition gives an Continued on page 6
Monday January 30, 2017
The PPP politicized the judiciary into dysfunctionalism DEAR EDITOR, Guyana’s Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, has forcefully articulated how successive PPP administrations calculatedly politicized Guyana’s judiciary into dysfunctionalism. Alarmingly, the dysfunctionalism to which he alluded, potentially predeterminedly obstructed the course of justice. These injustices and prejudices constitute consequential violations of citizen’s constitutional rights. I am living testimony of such politically engineered injustice. I am the plaintiff in Rickford Burke V. Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Kwame McCoy, National Communications Networks Inc, Et, Al: Case No 2013 No. 38/W, Demerara County. This is a libel case in which the defendants, eight media entities and/or practitioners associated with the PPP, maliciously slandered, defamed and libeled me. My lawsuit has inexplicably been in
continuance in the Supreme Court for five years, notwithstanding several letters and submissions to then Chief Justice (Ag) Mr. Ian Chang, from me and my Counsel, Mr. Nigel Hughes, for a trial date. The matter is in a state of dormancy, for no judicial reason, by “gatekeepers” in the judiciary who have the constitutional obligation to uphold the law and act as fair and dispassionate arbiters of justice. My case is that between January 29, 2013 and February 1, 2013, and thereafter, the defendants, acting as political agents, knowingly published and/or broadcasted flagrantly false, malicious and defamatory information about me. Upon the direction of my Counsel, the Guyana Chronicle newspaper and National Communications Network subsequently retracted their false stories and apologized to me. The other defendants refused. The Chronicle’s retraction and apology were nugatory, as the newspaper refused to
remove the article from its website; causing it to be republished by media in the Caribbean region and the United States. This article, which is globally accessible, remains published on the Chronicle’s website as of today, in defiance of repeated demands from my Counsel for its removal. Moreover, it remains published although a presiding Judge in 2013 inquired of the raison d’etre for its continued publication. With impunity, Chronicle, backed by the PPP government flaunted the law and demonstrated contempt for the courts. Its nefarious, malicious, premeditated intent was expressly to slander me, assassinate my character and cause permanent injury to my character and professional reputation, and no lawsuit or court would deter this mission - Its maliciousness evidently inspired by a confidence in its protectors. After all, even the application for an emergency injunction has not yet been heard; five years later.
The publication achieved its intended consequence. I was smeared and defamed. My character and professional reputation suffered irreparable harm. I was forced to defend my good name and reputation as well as correct the record in publications in Guyana, throughout the Caribbean and in the United States. The retraction and apology by the defendants are an admission of guilt and liability. The defendants’ actions were not only malicious and intractable, but evidently contemptuous of the law. I have been denied my day in court, justice and my constitutional right to judicial remedies. The practical effect of the unfathomable five-year delay and obstruction of my lawsuit is a perversion of the course of justice and the constitution. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. admonished us that “The Arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” I have patience of a saint. I await my day in court. Rickford Burke
THE TIMING OF THE NATIONAL GRADE ASSESSMENT IS MISPLACED DEAR EDITOR, Mathematics is one of the major subjects taught in our schools and the teaching of it is of paramount importance. This particular subject plays a major role in daily life. Therefore, there is a fundamental need to teach Mathematics in schools. Mathematics is a challenge for many, so one may ask the question; “Why teach Mathematics?” or “How can learners have acceptable grades for this subject?” There are many reasons why we teach the subject Mathematics. Some of these reasons are: It opens the door
for many promising career paths, e.g. scientists, engineers etc. It is a requirement of the Ministry of Education -timetabled subject. It is a major requirement to gain entry into universities and colleges. It allows learners to be critical thinkers through problemsolving and many more. However, for the past years Guyana has failed to attain acceptable pass grades particularly at the National Grade Six Assessment, for this major subject. What can be the possible reason(s) for this consistent failure? The National Grade Six
Minister Trotman is taking us for fools DEAR EDITOR, It is time that Ministers of the Government, and in this case Minister Raphael Trotman, credit the population with some level of intelligence. Mr. Trotman pontificates that the Government will not intervene in the parking meter imposition but the city council is a creature of the Government and of the PNC. Mr. Oscar Clark, who is General Secretary of the PNC, is one of the main advocates of this unfair, unconscionable, undemocratic and burdensome imposition. Further, the parking meters became law under the hand of Minister Bulkan. So what foolishness is Mr. Trotman telling us - that the Government will not intervene. I think it is time that some of these Ministers credit the nation with some common sense. Merlin Richards
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Assessment (NGSA) over the years and at present is being written in the months of March or April which would often be in the second term of the school year. This is ONE major factor contributing to the failure of our children in the Grade six classes throughout our country. In my view, teachers are not given adequate time to deliver the curriculum. A curriculum is so designed and planned with various concepts for an entire school year. It is impossible for a teacher in the Grade six class to deliver the entire curriculum for five (5) hours a day in 7-8 months time. Why is it that work planned for the entire school year has to be delivered in less time? All the other National Examinations are written in the August Term of the school year during the month of June. Why is the National Grade Six Assessment the only exception? The time is too limited to deliver the
curriculum in its entirety during normal working hours and I strongly feel that this policy needs to be revisited so that the NGSA be written in the month of June like every other National Examinations. Also, when these pupils write the NGSA in the months of March or April most of them do not make attendances for the final term and we as educators would place emphasis on the importance of attending school regularly yet, our system is designed in such a way that pupils stay away from school. I wish to emphasize, should this examination be written in the final term of the school year teachers would have adequate time to effectively deliver the curriculum and at the same time children would attend school regularly. Mr. Editor, I will be profoundly grateful if the authorities can have this policy revamped and reschedule this National Grade Six Assessment to a later time in the school year. Ashan Bacchus
The Solicitor-General says the AG did not accept her advice DEAR EDITOR, I refer to the article at caption “AG orders Deputy Solicitor General off all State cases”, published on page 72 in the Sunday January 29, 2017, edition of the Kaieteur newspaper and though I would prefer to not be involved, I feel that I am duty bound to correct some misrepresentations made therein. Firstly, contrary to what was reported, I did not prepare nor approve the Appeal in this matter. The Deputy Solicitor General Ms. Prithima Kissoon at all material times and at all stages had conduct of the matter and she was aware that an Appeal was being prepared. When the Appeal was to be filed Ms. Kissoon could not be found to affix her signature to same. The pleadings were brought to me for signature, whereupon I declined to sign same. I then went to the Honourable Attorney General and advised that he could not be
a party to the action for the very same reasons stated by Mr. Mursaline Bacchus in his letter published in the January 24, 2017, edition of the Stabroek News newspaper, BUT the Honourable Attorney General was adamant and instructed me to sign and file the Appeal. This was done. However, I again brought the issue to the attention of the Honourable Attorney General at a general staff meeting in the presence of the staff of Litigation Department including Ms. Kissoon. After discussions Ms. Kissoon agreed that she would apply for an extension of time to amend the rubric of the Appeal. Secondly, I did not resign from the Office of the Solicitor General. I sought and was given approval to proceed on pre-retirement leave. I should be grateful if you can seek to give these corrections the same publicity as you have given the original letter. Sita Ramlal Solicitor General
Why name and shame these hapless women? DEAR EDITOR, Is it really in the Guyanese public interest to name and shame the women mostly women and men who are caught in raids and brought before the courts for overstaying their time in Guyana? So many Guyanese have supported their families back in Guyana from places where their stay was illegal. Is it necessary for the media to publish all those immigration details, and pictures and speculations on the professions of the women especially who are caught? Does it make us better Guyanese to know that poor people from other countries come here to hustle as so many of us have done in other places? Does it makes us more proud of our Guyanese identity to know that we can stone and pelt people out of the country, because that is
what the media gaze does. The people have committed no other crimes. Who is the victim when a woman or man comes to Guyana and tries to hustle without having some ink in their passport giving them permission? While some of the raids seem to start as raids to ‘rescue’ trafficked persons, it is so easy to turn from trafficked person into immigration criminal in Guyana. There is no need to keep publicly listing and shaming people who are doing what humans have done for years, try to move to get better lives. Vidyaratha Kissoon
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This Govt.’s performance is creating hardship DEAR EDITOR, After being on the minority side for some 23 odd years, one would have assumed that after taking over leadership of Guyana, we would be seeing rapid changes for a better life for all in Guyana; sadly we are daily being forced into extreme hardship. I would have expected better ideas of governance and creations, instead industries are being forced to downsize, or close and people’s only means of earning legal money to maintain their family are being taken away without a solution, only promises. For me, it looks as if this administration is hell bent on penalizing everyone for the atrocities that was committed by some of the PPP/C and supporters with their bully attitudes and some of us are too scared or ashamed to condemn their actions. When Brigadier Retd. David Granger started appointing ex-military officials many were concerned but I was of the belief that they are equipped with the knowledge to deal with many issues effecting Guyana especially our embarrassing crime statistics and the alarming road fatalities that continues to hunts us daily. Instead they are being paid huge salaries, allowances amongst others and given medals/ honors and can’t come up with any meaningful
ideas to help Guyana. My honest opinion is that they are there to accumulate what they could achieve in a hurry without any second thought of the public’s opinion. Editor the latest parking fiasco is a typical example of their bullyism and incompetence. A police officer could drive his/her vehicle and park it anywhere that has a parking meter, without paying. All they have to do is put their police hat or, police shirt on the dashboard of the vehicle and they are okay. I’ve seen a lot of that in Guyana, even when they are driving their heavily tinted vehicles, they would either display their uniform, hat or ID card and they continue to break the law whilst we are being punished. If those behind the parking meter had any brains, they would have put mechanisms in place to give teachers some sort of identification to put on their vehicles that would identify where they could park free because there are drivers that would claim that they are teachers just to park where teachers are supposed to park at the schools. Likewise they could have done similar to companies to allow their employees to park either with a contractual arrangement, instead of installing and looking like jokers as they presently are. Sahadeo Bates
Thoughts on what article... From page 4 incomplete and imperfect view of article 161(as a whole) and misconceives the wider purport of those words as I have endeavoured to explain above, as cutting down, as a matter of sheer necessity, constitutional logic and common sense, the prima facie wide ambit of “any other” viz-a-viz that hybrid creature created by the words “any other fit and proper person”. His fatal pitfall is his misplaced obsession with “any other”. So, now, I ask Mr. Nandlall; if those nominees in the category “O” are not contemplated by article 161(2) as having the similar attributes of the 3-I’s, (he argues strenuously that our laws has dispensed with the ejusdem generis rule and require a disjunctive interpretation of dissimilarity as between category “J” and “O” nominees) then, what other attributes could the constitution-makers and draftsman of article 161(2) have contemplated, by the wording “fit and proper” in relation to category “O”?
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Kaieteur News
Was category “O” nominees permitted in a latent, silent, perhaps inferential way, to be persons of partiality; lack of integrity; illiteracy? The President is entitled to insist that any and all nominees possess the 3-I’s. The insurmountable hurdle and difficulty Counsel faces in the position he takes that the rule has been outlawed by statute (i.e. section 5(1) of the IGCA Cap. 2:01) and that that statute compels that the words “any other fit and proper person” be interpreted as meaning nominees in category “O” are contemplated as being dissimilar to category “J”, is that there exist (what I call) a unity of dissimilarity as per the cognate limbs “any other”, and “fit and proper” in article 161(2). By their cognate formulation, if “any other” has an interpretation of dissimilarity; so, too, does “fit and proper”. The ejusdem generis rule applies. Chancellor Crane (who delivered the leading judgment in Badri Prasad) as regards a view, (shared by Mr.
Nandlall), of the nonapplicability of the ejudem generis rule in Guyana, wrote thus: “judges, surprisingly, have taken this view, I however think that view is wrong …” (see at (1981) 3IWIR page 206-9). Moreover, the preceding section 4(1) (which Counsel has ignored) to which section 5(1) must yield,, says in paraphrase that the definitions in section 5(1) applies “unless there is anything in the subject or context repugnant or inconsistent with such meaning”. In the context of a GECOM, Chairmanship (the conjoint effect of articles 161 and 177 role, function and electoral powers) the application of the rule is inescapable. And status of Judge, economist, historian, businessman, academic etc. (profession), and the 3-I’s (attributes) are indivisible hybrid conceptions in the subject matter of the constitutional office of GECOM Chairman Maxwell E. Edwards Attorney-at-Law
I have resigned from the AFC Region 2 Management Committee DEAR EDITOR, It is indeed regrettable that I have had to inform the AFC Region 2 Regional Management Committee (RMC) that as of now, I have resigned from the body, for more than one reason. The most important is the failure to hold the RMC election, due since July of 2016, citing no reason or reasons, and while calling names may not be prudent at this time, failing to hold elections will only serve the personal interest and egos of a few. It is totally wrong and runs counter to the interest, purpose and spirit of the party’s constitution which deals extensively with the holding of elections. My conscience would not
allow me to be part of that group of persons who to many members are there illegally; it is grossly unfair to other members who are electable, and have the ability and ambition to serve the party in the region at that level. However, it must be made abundantly clear that I am not and will not let go of my membership of the party in which I have pride. Free and fair elections are one of the main pillars on which democracy is constructed, and failing to hold them must be criticized by all, be it election for the management of a church body, a sports organization or a business organization. It must be done in a timely manner. By way of an election,
I was given the opportunity to serve the party at its highest level, on the National Executive Committee (NFC). I was the Chairman of the RMC, a member of the Regional Elections Committee (2011) and a member of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) 2006-2013, until I resigned to take up an appointment with BK International, Quarry Division, a fast growing company at TiperuItabu in the Mazaruni River. My decision to resign from the committee may not go down well with a few people in the region, but it has been done purely with the interest of the AFC party at heart. Archie W Cordis Former AFC Councillor
Quoting Thomas Jefferson in relation to power abuse in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, The second half of 2016 to present has been rather tumultuous for those elected by the people to serve their interest, above everything else. The city council’s imposed parking meter, 14% vat on water and electricity are among recent measures that are irritating the wider populace. From all appearances, the people, not the opposition, have been airing their displeasure privately and publicly. But our lords and masters are trying so desperately, without success, to drown the houses of disquiet with implausible justifications. Why is it that the powers that be cannot hear the cries of the populace? Are they so preoccupied believing that this disquiet will soon subside and people will return to life as usual. Or don’t they ever bear before “their eyes” that the privilege of government (power) does not give them the divine right to think they only know what is best for the people?
How can a Cabinet comprised of less than two dozen know that what is right for the 750,000 of us, not in the corridors of state house, government offices and parliament? Or have they quickly forgotten in whose hands real power lies? The power to vote as well as power to veto. One little quote from Henry Clay, late US lawyer, statesman and planter will suffice as a timely reminder to our nation’s current leadership; “Government is a trust and the Officers are Trustees. And both the trust and trustee are created for the benefit of the people.” I believe that late American President Thomas Jefferson explains our present leadership dilemma: “Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others or have we found angels in the form of ‘kings’ to govern him? Let history answer this question.” Ovid Schultz
Wastage of electricity every night at Stabroek Market Square DEAR EDITOR, Persons traversing the Stabroek Market Square can see at the night the entire structure ablaze with hundreds if not thousands of decorative light bulbs that adorn the building, which apparently were placed there as part of the Jubilee Celebrations last year May. But with Jubilee and Christmas long over, one is
left to wonder what purpose and utility is being served by such irresponsible behavior on the part of the Council? How could the city afford such wastage of electricity when they always claim to be broke? But worse they already owe the Guyana Power & Light hundreds of millions of dollars that they have shown no intention of paying and now they are adding this to the bill. How ridiculous? These are not LED or energy saving bulbs but rather energy wasting incandescent bulbs. The citizens and visitors to Georgetown do not need the Stabroek Market to be illuminated at nights, but would prefer to have the insides of the various markets better lit in the day time whilst they are shopping to improve security conditions.
They need better lighting on the streets many of which are dark and unsafe at nights. In fact the money spent placing all of those lights on the front of the Stabroek Market, and lighting them up each night would have been better spent repairing the badly dilapidated roof over the Stabroek Market wharf which collapsed since 2014, and which was left just like that by the Council, and for repairing the non-functional clock which was supposed to start ticking again in time to ring in our New Year 2017 as its rehabilitation was expected to be finished by December 31 last year, but never did. The City Council just seems to have its priorities mixed up. Shanta Singh
Monday January 30, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Attorney General to initiate disciplinary Nagamootoo appointed ‘Elder action against Deputy Solicitor General Statesman/Political Advisor’ The dispute between Attorney General Basil Williams and Deputy State Solicitor Prithima Kissoon escalated yesterday, with Williams revealing that he has taken steps to initiate disciplinary action against Kissoon. Williams made the revelation in a statement, while repeating allegations that the Deputy Solicitor was undermining pertinent legal matters between the Government and the Opposition. The Attorney General is presently in Jamaica for a Council of Legal Education meeting. “There are numerous memoranda issued to her for numerous infractions. On my return to Guyana I shall reveal, in greater detail, Ms. Kissoon’s hatred of the change in government,” Williams added. The AG revealed that he has instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Attorney General Chambers/Ministry of Legal Affairs to inform the Public Service Commission, of the Chambers’ intention to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Ms. Kissoon, and further, to enquire of the PSC’s procedures pertaining to same. Williams’ statement came in response to Kissoon’s claims that the Attorney General had taken steps to remove her from all state cases. The Deputy Solicitor General had been accused of undermining pertinent legal matters between the government and the opposition. In a previous statement, the AG had accused Kissoon of being openly supportive of the PPP/C Opposition and the Party’s lawyer Anil Nandlall. But Kissoon filed an official complaint against Minister Basil Williams with the Public Service Commission, claiming that she was ordered to cease all cases on behalf of the AG
- adamant that Kissoon acted in favour of Opposition
Deputy State Solicitor, Prithima Kissoon
Attorney General, Basil Williams
Chambers. However in his statement last evening Williams accused Kissoon of attempting to cloud the facts of a situation. Last week, State-owned newspaper, Guyana Chronicle had carried a critical piece, insinuating that Kissoon was to be blamed for Government recently losing a race-baiting appeal case against former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Following the article, the Deputy State Solicitor, in an undated letter to the Public Service Commission, claimed that she was ordered to cease all cases on behalf of the AG Chambers. She also denied she was to be blamed for the race-baiting case being tossed out. The Deputy Solicitor General said that Williams, despite being reminded that he has to file an affidavit in response, did nothing. Kissoon made a request for the commission to investigate the case and also allow her to proceed on leave and grant permission to leave the country. According to the complaint against Attorney General Basil Williams, Kissoon was hired by the commission as Deputy Solicitor General in February 2013. Before that she worked with three previous Attorneys
General. Kissoon said that her first three months with the new AG starting in May 2015 were “somewhat” cordial. However, the AG was slow in granting his approval and signature on a number of cases and decisions. The official claimed she represented the AG Chambers in the majority of cases even when it was Williams who had undertaken to appear. “The Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, has failed to approve or sign written submissions prepared by me or examine pleadings despite those documents being sent to him via email or being given to his Confidential Secretary, Ms. Demi Hipplewith, Ms. Andrea Marks and other assistants he has retained over the past year,” Kissoon claimed. Kissoon claimed that Minister Williams even instructed his secretary and his other assistants to refuse to accept any documents or correspondences from her, and as a result, “I have had to resort to registering or express mailing him my correspondence and at all times emailing him and carbon copying relevant recipients.” “The Deputy Solicitor General alleged that the AG has effectively ensured that (Continued on page 24)
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo now has another political title to his name: “Elder Statesman/ Political Advisor” for his Party. This was based on the unanimous approval of the Alliance For Change (AFC), which held its National Conference Saturday at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School, on the West Bank of Demerara. The position has no term limit, and Mr. Nagamootoo will serve on the party’s Management Committee as a full voting member. The appointment came as a pleasant surprise to Nagamootoo, who had been nominated to contest the positions of Leader, Chairman and Vice Chairman, but withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the elections, citing the need to “make space in the party leadership for a new generation of leaders”. Nagamootoo did however; contest for a position on the party’s National Executive Committee and received resounding support, coming in second with 104 votes among the 12 elected members of the Council. The other members of the council include: Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, Member of Parliament Audwin
- AFC Rutherford, Director of Public Information Imran Khan, Government Information Agency (GINA) Director Beverly Alert, Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan, Business Executive Nicola Trotman, Attorney-at-Law Joel Edmund, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Member of Parliament Michael Carrington, Former Member of Parliament Trevor Williams and Ministry of Public Infrastructure official Neilson McKenzie. Khan topped the vote tally with 132 votes, followed by Nagamootoo (104), Carrington (100), GarridoLowe (96) and Patterson (94). According to the Party, Nagamootoo’s political career spans more than 50 years, during which time he served in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) under former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan and held several ministerial portfolios. He joined the AFC in 2011 and in 2015 was elected Prime Minister under the APNU+AFC Coalition. At the Party’s conference, Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, was elected the new leader of the
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo AFC, while Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, was appointed as the new Chairman. Public Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Minister, Cathy Hughes, was elected Vice Chairperson and young businessman Marlon Williams is the new General Secretary. In addition, the Women For Change (WFC) also held elections for the position of National Chairwoman as part of the National Conference. Alert and Trotman ended in a tie, however Trotman magnanimously withdrew, allowing Alert to head WFC. WFC is the women’s arm of the AFC and its immediate priority will be to organize a National Women’s Conference at which elections for other positions will be held.
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Cabinet did not blunder in asking Auditor General to conduct detailed NICIL audit - Finance Minister Finance Minister, Winston Jordan has rejected claims that Government blundered in handing over the transactional audit into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to Auditor General, Deodat Sharma. He was at the time, responding to local anticorruption activists who are against the decision. Their aversion to government’s decision is rooted in the fact that it was Sharma who in previous years gave NICIL a “clean bill of health”. It was a 2015 forensic audit commissioned by this very government which uncovered nothing but damning acts of corruption at the said entity. But in spite of what Sharma did in the past, there was simply no avoiding him when it comes to the transactional audit that was recommended by the NICIL forensic audit report. This is according to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. Jordan told this newspaper that in the case of the transactional audit, the appointment of anyone besides the AG would require Sharma’s permission. “The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would have to give a fiat if the Government wants to employ private prosecutors. She has to give you the clearance. It is similar with the Auditor General. The AG would have to give you the clearance to go to other persons for the transactional audit and he would even have to appoint them.” “I am sure you would have observed that in some instances, the AG cannot do the audit for everyone so what you would find is that he would contract the audit
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to other firms. Under the Constitution, he could appoint others to do it. The government couldn’t just ask anyone else to do the transactional audit. “In the case of the forensic audits, the Audit Act allows government to do the forensic audits. So cabinet did not err in asking the AG to do the transactional audit. Cabinet cannot take the transactional audit any place else. It is up to the AG if he is overwhelmed to pass it on to someone else.” But Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran is of the firm conviction that the Government blundered in assigning the NICIL transactional audit to the office of the Auditor General. Goolsarran said that it was this very Auditor General who in the first place, carried out the financial statements audit and subsequently issued a “clean bill of health” on NICIL over the years in question. The former Auditor General stressed that it was also Sharma who found nothing wrong with NICIL’s transactions and reported this accordingly to NICIL’s board and to the National Assembly. The Chartered Accountant said that in spite of being aware of this, the Government still asked the Auditor General to carry out an audit of these very
Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma transactions. With this in mind, Goolsarran said that this perhaps explains the lack of progress in the transactional audit and the apparent shifting of blame. He noted too that it has been more than a year since the decision was taken, and citizens are yet to be informed of the results of the said audit. The financial analyst said that he observed the Officerin-Charge of NICIL, Horace James making comments in the media to the effect that the Auditor General was having difficulty in proceeding with the audit because the related documents were with the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) and that original documents were needed. He noted too that a few months ago, the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan made a (Continued on page 12)
840 complaints lodged against police ranks last year A total of 840 complaints were lodged to the Police Complaints Authority, (PCA) against law enforcement ranks last year. According to information compiled by the PCA, 251 reports were lodged directly with the PCA and 599 reports were sent to the Office of Professional Responsibility, (OPR). A d d i t i o n a l l y, investigations were launched into seven cases of alleged unlawful killings by law enforcement officers for the same period. As part of their duties last year, officials of the authority visited the various regions conducting a number of public outreaches. During the first half of the year, the PCA conducted outreaches in Essequibo and Lethem. Members of the PCA visited the Police Stations in the regions, the various radio/television stations and met with residents. A team from the PCA also visited Bartica and Linden in the second half of the year. The PCA also hosted lectures at the Force’s Training Centre with newly promoted subordinate officers and station management officers. Chairman of the PCA, Justice Cecil Kennard, had noted that the outreach, and training of officers, forms a necessary component of the work of the Authority, since neglect of duty is the most common infraction committed by ranks. “It remains a top issue among members of the Force,” he said. Between January 1 and September 30, 2016, the PCA received 145 complaints. Of this number, 135 have been closed. The complaints lodged by the PCA included three corrupt transactions, nine unlawful arrests, two unlawful seizure of property, nine acting in a manner likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the force, four assault, two demanding
- PCA report
Justice Cecil Kennard money to prevent prosecution, two for conducting themselves in an important manner, six wanting in civility to members of the public, eight police misconduct, 10 abuse of power, two threats, ten police harassment, one for conducting himself in an oppressive manner, one use of more force than necessary, and one of abuse. However of the total complaints, the 68 that dealt with police ranks neglecting their duties represented the majority of complaints reported to the PCA. Among the complaints against the police for neglect, Justice Kennard said are failure to record or investigate a police report, failure to attend court, failing to make the necessary entry in the station dairy and unlawful violence by the officers , unlawful arrest and detaining people in excess of 72 hours. The PCA is an independent office which is supported by the constitution to investigate
and to make pronouncements reports against members of the GPF. According to information provided about the work of the PCA, in order for an investigation to be conducted, a complaint must first be lodged at the PCA. Following this, a statement is taken from the complainant; the police of whom the complaint was made against, is contacted and asked to give an explanation on the said matter by way of statement. Both the complainant and the accused are entitled to produce a witness or multiple witnesses. When the investigation is completed recommendations are made and given to the Police Service Commission for the necessary action to be taken. In cases where the ranks are from Constable to Sergeant, disciplinary hearings are conducted through the Office of the Commissioner of Police. If the ranks are above that of an Inspector and Assistant Commissioner, disciplinary measures will be conducted by the Police Service Commission. Once policemen are fingered in corruption “they can be charged departmentally or they can be charged and made to face the court. A number of penalties can be imposed such as a warning, imposing extra duties and/or fines, confinement to the barracks for any period not exceeding 28 days; they can be transferred, be demoted or dismissed.”
Monday January 30, 2017
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Kaieteur News
The facts of an allegation must be objectively assessed Within hours of the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump of the United States of America and the detention of persons arriving from Muslin countries, massive protests were mobilized outside of the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Within hours of permanent residents being told that they could no longer be allowed entry, court papers were filed demanding their release. I am willing to bet that if those protests continue in the United States for a few more days, the protestors will be
joined by person right here in Guyana. Yet we here have so many other things which are going wrong, but which no one is willing to protest over. People are alleging abuse and victimization and oppressive measures being imposed on them, and there have been no protests over any of these measures. One of the reasons why this happens is because of the divisions within our country. Politicians have a way of deflecting criticisms from themselves by simply accusing their accusers of having links with the other
side of the political divide. Once this happens, half of the persons in the country agree with the accuser and the other half with the accused. No one takes the time to objectively examine the facts to see who may be telling the truth, or who may be lying. The assessment, of the facts, which take place, is invariably colored by political considerations. This is the downfall of Guyana and the reason why civil society is so weak. Right now there is a controversy brewing within the chambers of the Ministry of Justice. The Deputy
Dem boys seh...
De parking meter people helping bandits Parking meters come to Guyana and it causing a stir. Fuh a long time City Hall was saying that it need money. De PPP use to ignore de call but when Soulja Bai come to power de council decide to flex its wings. De meter meet wid objection from de start but de law seh that de city can do certain things. That was de big mistake because City Hall start to target vendors. De vendors kick up a racket and all that happen is that they move from one point to another. Couple constables decide to join in and dem hustle couple vendors. But de problem come wid de parking meter. De Council decide to set up meters all about wheh people does go.
Dem start wid school. Some smart people know that parents got to pick up dem children from school so de council put up meters. De noise that it cause mek de council decide to move de meters. Then de council target churches. People got to go to church and de council decide that dem have to pay. Dem go so far as to put up meters outside Freedom House because people des go there every day. Dem trap poor Donald. And that is wheh de fun start because is only then people know de meters can talk. De meter that trap Donald had a voice like Kit. It seh that Donald park illegal. He didn’t park parallel and he didn’t park
in de middle of de road yet he park illegal. Kit stand up like de parking meter and seh how once people park, dem parking illegal. He even point to a spot wheh de council mark off. De only thing is that who park deh got to walk to Regent Street to pay and then walk back. Is de same thing wid dem banks. Dem boys want to know if de council wukking wid bandits because if a man got to park far then he got to walk wid he cash to de place wheh he park. All dem bandits got to do now is stand up by de parking meter. In fact, dem boys now saying that dem suspect that de parking meter people was de bandits from de start. Talk half and watch who gun get shoot.
Solicitor General is leveling certain accusations. This person is a tenured employee. She cannot be dismissed at the whim and fancy of anyone. There has to be due process undertaken by the Public Service Commission. She has made certain accusations. People need to decide whether the accusations have merit or are without merit. The best way of doing so is to objectively assess what is being said. But Guyana’s stark political divisions make that difficult but not impossible. We have seen, for example, a small group of persons protesting against a government Minister over comments she would have made on a matter. We have seen the PPP protest what they saw as attempts to evict the tenants of Red House. We have seen counter protests being organized. Protests because of Guyana’s vicious political divide never become large enough or sustained enough to be able to bring about change. What happens therefore is that those who are aggrieved go away and lick their wounds but they never quite can bring closure to the injustices they suffer
because they never obtain justice. We have a whole country of persons walking around therefore with chips on their shoulders because of some wrong that they are suffered or that of someone they know. It is a heavy burden which the nation nurses. These scars of injustice are within them forever. A country cannot develop when so many people are carrying around such scars. This is holding back our country because people do not wish to give of their fullest to a country which has not addressed their grievances or at best sweep these grievances under the carpet. Too many accusations of wrongdoing in public administration are not being independently investigated. In such instances, people feel
that they are at the mercy of an all-powerful state and that they have no remedies against the caprice of official action. It is hoped that in the present instance involving the Deputy Solicitor General that the President will order an independent investigation into the allegations made so that all concerned can feel that a sense of justice and fair play has been served. If this does not happen quickly, then perhaps civil society, especially our women’s organization can organize protest action to demand such an investigation. Perhaps “a fit and proper person’, a retired judge, can be asked to head such an investigation.
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
EIGHT YEARS LATER…
Family of slain West Ruimveldt hairdresser wants case reopened “We want know who kill she. All we looking for is justice,” cried the relatives of Shenese Richardson, the West Ruimveldt, Georgetown hairdresser, who was knifed to death in her bedroom on December 15, 2008. Richardson, 25, also called Bucky, was stabbed 21 times about her body at her home by intruders at around 22:45hrs. She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) but died a few hours later in the operating room. Although the intruders robbed the family of cash and jewellery, the victims are still convinced that the men were sent to kill Richardson. The family is pleading with police to reopen investigation and have the killers brought to justice. Police had questioned Richardson’s estranged husband about her murder, after arresting him at the GPHC, hours after his wife died. He was subsequently released. To date, no one has been charged with the gruesome murder. Richardson had just returned home and was in her bedroom eating, when one of the hairdresser’s sisters heard a man calling at the door and requested to purchase cigarettes. This was nothing strange, since persons would visit the home at all hours to purchase items. The buyer paid with a $500 note. When Richardson’s sister turned her back, the man pushed open the door and signaled to three other men. At this point, the men who were all armed with ‘big guns’ barged into the home and headed to a room at the back, after grabbing a knife from a kitchen drawer. While four men entered the family’s home, two others remained on the road. Richardson’s sister and mother were pushed into another room and forced to lay face down, while a gunman stood over them. A few minutes after, loud screams were heard coming from Richardson’s room, “mommy, mommy.” But her mother and sister could have done nothing to help. The gunmen spent about 30 minutes in the home. “We find Bucky lying on a mat in her room. She was lying straight. Like he (killer) put she to lay there and stab she up. Like they stab her out of anger… she had stabs on she breast, thighs, hands all over. She was the only one who was harmed. She ain’t put up no resistance or
DEAD: Shenese Richardson nothing that would have caused them (gunmen) to kill her”, another relative added. A relative said, “This wasn’t no robbery. They came to kill her (Richardson). They killed her and left the bloody knife on a chair handle before leaving. He (the killer) take out a towel from her drawer and wipe off the blood from his hand before leaving.” Kaieteur News understands that Richardson was a very easy going young woman and had no enemies. “She doesn’t deh about the place. She ain’t got any enemies or problems with anybody. I just want to know who kill her. Every day I think about her. I can’t do anything without looking at her photos.” An uncle of the dead woman is still hopeful that Richardson’s killers will be brought to justice. He is pleading for police to reopen investigations in the matter. According to the uncle,
police have been very proactive over the past year in solving several cold cases. He even pointed out the Babita Sarjou murder case. “Look how police find the man that (allegedly) kill her and bury her in his yard. It will take some time for them to go over back the case file. But I believe this year we will get justice for her.” The family is also calling on the Caribbean American Domestic Awareness Organization (CADVA), a human rights organization to intervene. CADVA works with the abused and families of murdered women in the Caribbean and had been working closely with Babita Sarjou’s mother since her disappearance in 2010. “All of we (family) run at the hospital to give she (Richardson) blood but it was too late. The killer slashed she throat to.” I don’t know how that person could live with himself. He has no conscience. He still is walking about out there.” The man recounted that some of the men who invaded his niece’s home wore kerchiefs on their faces, while others had caps pulled down in their face. “They even left some of the bandanas (kerchiefs) behind. We find a green and blue one in the house and white one on the road.” Richardson had moved out of her matrimonial home at Ogle, East Coast Demerara and returned to her mother’s home, where she did cosmetology.
Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it
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Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
AFC National Conference was show Pradoville Two... I was selected based on merit of strength, relevance and unity By: Brushell Blackman
- Special Prosecutor Trenton Lake
Special Prosecutor Trenton Lake says that he was selected on merit to represent the State in the very contentious and controversial Sparendaam Housing Project, known as the Pradoville Two case involving former President Bharrat Jagdeo and former Ministers of the previous administration. Lake has debunked claims of conflict of interest and ‘money for the boys’ allegations leveled against him. He is one of six Attorneys, including Michael Somersall, Hewley Griffith, Lawrence Harris, Patrice Henry and Compton Richardson that were selected by the government to prosecute the case. The allegation is that members of the previous administration, including Bharrat Jagdeo, had bought prime house lots for undervalued prices. An audit was subsequently commissioned and found that criminal cases were made out against those that were involved in those purchases. Lake said that he is one of three partners in the law firm he works with, and it is not controlled by any Government Minister. However, he did admit that Harmon is one of those partners. Lake said that he has been practicing law for seven years and has had many successes as a criminal
businessman and he is doing what he does to make a living and once all the terms and conditions are agreeable, he will accept the government’s offer. Lake stated he is still unaware how much he will be paid, since there has been no agreement yet. The young attorney said that those who are ready to criticize should understand the nature of the matter and where it is at this time. Responding to the former Attorney General Anil Nandlall claims of ‘money for the boys’ Lake said he will not allow himself to be placed in the ranks of those who are willing to be drafted into Nandlall game of ‘tit for tat’. It was during the Bharrat Jagdeo administration Cabinet made a decision authorising the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to privatize State lands. NICIL is the body tasked with overseeing the privatization of State assets. NICIL reportedly spent more than $200M to develop the seafront community without the knowledge of the National Assembly and other relevant bodies. The said lands were then secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the PPP/C. At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold at a price substantially below the market value, thereby depriving the state of its full benefits.
Attorney-at-law Trenton Lake Defence Attorney. Further, he said that he has prosecuted many cases and was very successful in those. He has rejected the notion that he was selected because of his affiliation with Minister of State Joseph Harmon. Lake said that he has proven himself as a competent young attorney. While he appreciates the conflict of interest claim, he believes those with concerns should remember Guyana’s population is small and people’s associations and connections may overlap at times. However, he believes that this is not sufficient reason why he should not be a part of the battery of attorneys prosecuting the case. Lake said that he is a
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman believes that the party’s National Conference was a show of strength, relevance and unity within the party. Yesterday, Trotman said, “The strength and relevance of the party was most evident at this National Conference and re-awakened the desire in everyone present to work harder to achieve cohesion and better governance.” The Natural Resources Minister said that it was quite gratifying to see all ethnic groups interfacing with each other and embracing and promoting the ideals and principles of the party in a show of unity. At the packed National Conference with full representation from all 10 administrative regions, the Caribbean and the North American Diaspora, Trotman was elected Party Leader, with a two vote margin over fellow Co-Founder Khemraj Ramjattan (127 votes to 125). Following the National Conference, Ramjattan said, “I am delighted with how democracy prevailed in the AFC, and I have every confidence that my friend, Raphael, will lead this party extremely well as he had done in the past, and I am very happy to pass the baton back
- Trotman
AFC Leader, Raphael Trotman to him for the next two years.” Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, who was also nominated to contest for the position of Leader, Chairman and Vice Chairman, had previously withdrawn his candidacy and was elected to the party’s National Executive Committee by an overwhelming number of votes. He was also unanimously appointed to a newly created position of Elder Statesman/Political Advisor following a motion to that effect that was brought before the National Conference. Having been elected Leader and with the third candidate, Public Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Minister, Cathy Hughes withdrawing her candidacy, Ramjattan was declared
Chairman. Hughes however prevailed in the elections for Vice Chairperson with 116 votes ahead of Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe (76 votes) and Mr. Audwin Rutherford (47 votes). Nagamootoo was the incumbent Vice Chairman but did not seek re-election. CoFounder Leader, the late Sheila Holder was the first Vice Chair and prior to Hughes the only female to hold the post. Businessman and real estate agent Mr. Marlon Williams (with 125 votes) is the new General Secretary, winning over incumbent Mr. David Patterson (83 votes) and Mr. Michael Carrington (12 votes). Delegates attended the National Conference from as far as Warapoka, Santa Cruz, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma in Region One; Kopinang, Paramakatoi, Bamboo Creek, Micobie and Campbelltown in Region Eight; and Lethem, St Ignatius, Karasabai, Annai and Karaudanau in Region Nine. Delegates from the United States of America and the Caribbean also attended and participated. The Returning Officer for the elections was Mr. Clayton Hall.
Cabinet did not blunder... (From page 8) similar assertion. SOCU has since cleared the air that it handed over the documents requested by NICIL and the Auditor General’s office since last year November. Goolsarran said that the transactional audit involves the examination of vouchers and related documents in support of the expenditure incurred. In this regard, he said that it is unlikely that these would have been in the possession of SOCU since they have no bearing on the results of the original forensic audit. Additionally, Goolsarran said that it remains unclear whether the Auditor General formally notified the Cabinet of the difficulties he was experiencing. Goolsarran also stated that there was no mention of this in Sharma’s 2015 report to Parliament which was presented to the Speaker on 30 September 2016. The investigations by SOCU and the transactional audit by the AG’s office were as a result of the damning findings stemming from a forensic audit into NICIL by Goolsarran.
During the forensic audit, Goolsarran discovered that in relation to the expenditure on the 2007 Cricket World Cup, NICIL had transferred amounts totaling $650 million to the Local Organizing Committee, but failed in its responsibility of ensuring that there was proper accountability for the amounts transferred. As regards the construction of the controversial 44 High Street property, the forensic auditor found that the contract was awarded in 2007, but at the time of reporting, the building remained substantially incomplete. Goolsarran stated in his report that the building was abandoned, and the structure was expected to be torn down because the floors were not constructed to the required specifications. As the “Project Executing Unit”, he said that NICIL’s role was to ensure that the works were executed according to the agreed specifications, and the entity had again failed to discharge its responsibility for this project, resulting in some $350 million of taxpayers’ funds being wasted. Goolsarran in his report
also stated that despite the size and complexity of its operations, NICIL does not have its own procurement rules, which is key requirement of the Procurement Act. In the circumstances, he said that it would have been more appropriate for NICL to involve the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in the assessment of tenders received for the award of contracts. Instead, the assessment of bids was done internally and would have lacked the level of independence, especially for large projects such as the Marriott Hotel. Given the aforementioned findings among others, Goolsarran recommended that Government commission a further independent audit to examine in detail transactions over the last six years under NICIL. He also recommended that the relevant authorities institute criminal/ disciplinary actions against all those responsible for other violations, including the failure to properly account for State resources under their control.
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
FROM COP TO CRIMINAL
What do the names Axel Williams, Marlon Letlow, Ryan Vaux, Neil Bovell and Warren Anthony Blue have in common? They are all ex-policemen who wound up dead after ending up on the wrong side of the law. Reports about policemen and their former colleagues becoming hard-core criminals escalated between 2002 and 2008, when the nation was hit by an unprecedented wave of violent crime, including armed robberies, kidnappings, execution-style killings and the brazen gunning of lawmen. It was then that reports surfaced of former policemen aligning themselves with killing squads and drug gangs. One of the first of these ex-cops to be identified as a ‘hit man’ was Axel Williams. On August 8, 2002, Williams visited Rasvill food vendor Rodwell Ogle, and made a purchase. According to reports,
Slain after robbery: Ex-policeman Warren Blue
Slain after robbery: Former TSU rank Ryan Vaux, called “Gaza”
Williams came up $20 short and refused to pay. A quarrel ensued and Williams punched Ogle in his face. It is alleged that when the vendor returned the blow, Williams fell to his knees. Embarrassed, Williams reportedly ran to his car, returned with a handgun and shot Ogle three times. Ogle succumbed in the Georgetown Hospital’s High Dependency Unit. Williams was reportedly
detained briefly, but released on orders from a senior rank. The police reportedly sought advice from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and it was recommended that Axel Williams be charged with murder. However, that recommendation was changed and an inquest was ordered into Ogle’s death. It was later learnt that, even after the inquest was
Slain: Ex-cop Royston Waldron
Slain: Ex-cop Neil Bovell
Executed ex-cop and hit man Axel Williams
Slain during alleged robbery attempt: Leadon Aaron
Slain during alleged robbery attempt: Ex-policeman Marlon Letlow
ordered, the then Commissioner of Police Floyd Mc Donald had authorized that Axel Williams’s .32 pistol be upgraded to a 9mm pistol. Then Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj would later acknowledge that he knew Axel Williams. Axel Williams was gunned down on December 10, 2003, while driving in Bel Air. RAPIST AND SERIAL MURDERER For close to three years, women who resided in Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, between October 2003 and December 2006, lived in fear of a rapist and killer. He was a former policeman and his name was Neil Bovell, and before he was eventually slain, he had butchered two women and burnt an elderly man in a house. He had also abducted and raped at least three other females. Bovell’s name became linked to crime on December 22, 1992, when the then 25year-old stabbed his reputed wife 19-year-old Shondell O’Brien, several times with a kitchen knife. He was captured a few days later at Bartica. But although charged, he was never convicted, since no eyewitness ever testified to seeing the attack. On September 6, 2003, Bovell got into an argument with 31-year-old Philippa Harrison, his second reputed wife. Later that evening he ambushed her in an alley in East Ruimveldt and stabbed her to death. He then escaped in a car. Police recovered the suspect’s white station wagon, with a bloody knife blade inside, in front of the Stanleytown home of Bovell’s father. On October 4, 2003, Bovell sneaked into the Lot 139 Stanleytown home of 64year-old mechanic Vernon Bernard. He killed the elderly man and then waited for Bernard’s daughter, Velda, to arrive home. When she came just before midnight, Bovell held her at knifepoint and tied
her up. He then placed the dead man’s body in the twobedroom house, doused it with kerosene and set it alight. The killer then hoisted the diminutive woman bodily and took her into the dense Canal Number Two backlands. After two days in the mosquito-infested backlands, Bernard managed to untie herself from a tree and flee while Bovell slept. The raids by police appeared to incense Bovell. He vented his rage on villagers, sneaking out at night to abduct and rape young women. One of the victims was a 32-year-old West Coast Demerara woman. She was grabbed at gunpoint from her boyfriend’s house on Thursday, August 14, 2003. The outlaw held her hostage for hours before she managed to escape. Eventually, on December 27, 2006, police ranks, acting on a tip, visited the Lot 137 Stanleytown home of Bovell’s father. They found Bovell preparing a meal in the backyard and shot him dead as he attempted to flee. COPS TURNED ROBBERS In October, 2012, the bullet-riddled corpses of Constables Marlon Letlow and Leadon Aaron were found at Paramakatoi, North Pakaraimas. Aaron’s body was found a short distance from a crashed All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that the constables had left the police station with. His .38 service revolver
was missing. Letlow’s remains were found in a clump of bushes several hours later with his weapon, and a magazine with eight live rounds, close by. It is believed that the two policemen were victims of retaliation from miners whose camp they had attempted to rob. According to reports, Aaron was riding the ATV when individuals they had tried to rob confronted them. Constable Marlon Letlow was reinstated into the Police Force, on August 06, 2012, after being interdicted from duty and charged, following investigations into the robbery and murder of two gold miners at Bartica on September 05, 2010. AMURDERED TEACHER, A MISSING POLICEWOMAN Burly, soft-spoken, and driving a battered yellow cab, Royston Waldron sure had many of his neighbours in Kitty fooled. Beneath that quiet façade lay a cunning, criminal mind and a smoldering rage that caused him to target women…at least, that’s the profile that some investigators had put together of Waldron before two bullets ended his life Royston Waldron joined the Guyana Police Force, but was eventually dismissed. He drove a battered yellow hire car and could be seen with other drivers parked near High Street. It is believed that his specialty was armed robberies, and that he may have used his police (Continued on page 20)
Monday January 30, 2017
PAGE 19
Kaieteur News
Miss France crowned Miss Universe
Impact of mining on Indigenous communities “considerably greater” - GHRA report urges safeguards
Mining is currently having a negative effect on some Amerindian villages
Iris Mittenaere of France is crowned as the 65th Miss Universe by last year’s pageant winner Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach from the Philippines MANILA, Philippines — A 23-year-old dental student from France won the Miss Universe crown yesterday in the annual pageant held this year in the Philippines. Iris Mittenaere from the small town of Lille in northern France said in reply to a final question from pageant host Steve Harvey that she would be honored if she just landed among the three finalists, but was visibly stunned when she was announced the winner among the field of 86 contestants. Mittenaere was speechless and put her hands on her face as the outgoing winner
from the Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, crowned her as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause at the packed Mall of Asia Arena by Manila Bay. In her profile, she said she would "advocate for dental and oral hygiene" if she takes home the crown. In the final question to the top three finalists, the candidate were asked to cite a failure in their life and explain what they learned from the debacle. "I've failed several times in my life," Mittenaere said without elaborating but added that "when you fail, you have to
Nine years jail for... (From page 3) verandah. On making checks, he saw a man, armed with a cutlass trying to gain entry through a window. However the intruder was thwarted by the grill work on the window. Mohabeer then armed himself with a cutlass and went to confront the intruder, but observed two other men trying to break through a door. He raised an alarm and retreated to the front of the house and jumped about 10 feet from the verandah to the ground, breaking his right leg in the process. He however managed to run to a neighbouring yard and hid, until he verified that the police had arrived. The thieves escaped and Mohabeer was treated at a hospital. The accused is also before the court on a number of other charges.
be elevated and you have to try again and keep going ... I have failed before but for me this is the great first opportunity." Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier, a 25-year-old survivor of the devastating 2010 earthquake that destroyed her hometown, was named first runner up while Miss Colombia, 23-year-old, Andrea Tovar, was second runner up. "I survived the earthquake," Pelissier said in reply to the same question, citing the quake the Haiti government estimated to have killed more than 300,000 people and displaced more than 1.5 million others. "I felt I was failing myself because I was not living my dreams ... But I chose to be a very positive person, and learned a great lesson from it because if I am here today, it is because I am living my dreams." As he closed the ceremony, the American comedian host declared: "This is Steve Harvey, I got it right," referring in jest to his mistaken announcement of Miss Colombia as the winner in the last pageant in Las Vegas more than a year ago that sparked an uproar.
The Guyana Human Rights Association has warned that unless conscious steps are taken to resist the effects of mining, the communal dimension of indigenous life will continue to be sacrificed at an accelerating rate. According to the report entitled “The Impact of Mining on Amerindian Communities: Survival Strategies for Interior Communities in Guyana,” the threat of mining on Indigenous communities is significantly greater than when the GHRA would have first engaged with the problem years ago. In a statement issued by the association, it said that indigenous communities are pressured to a much greater extent to be more ambitious, to improve their material lifestyle, and to provide their families with educational opportunities, all of which require access to a cash income, which only mining can currently provide. To address the issue the association’s report suggests a range of specific actions to
Teen mom fought to keep... (From page 17) neighbour and his gang who started the fire because while her house was burning, she went over to a house next door where the gang would allegedly meet up and divide the spoils after a robbery. She allegedly found gasoline, slippers and papers which she believed were used to start the fire. As a result of the fire and the death of the toddler, Holly and her relatives are scared to return to the area, since the suspects might also be there. Anyone willing to assist the family can contact 6708476.
reinforce the communal dimension of life, which will both build capacity for a more autonomous direction of communities and combat the ill effects of mining. Firstly, the development of community life plans would strengthen the community’s sense of itself and where it wants to be over the next decade. “Such a plan provides purpose and context for
evaluating specific plans and proposals brought into the communities from external agencies. The planning exercise should involve the whole community in developing internal agreements with respect to issues such as community, governance, territorial boundaries, productive activity, infrastructure, education, language and (Continued on page 24)
PAGE 20
Kaieteur News
Monday January 30, 2017
FISHY BUSINESS AND MIGHTY SPARROWS One thing about all fishing stories and tall tales is that the one that got away is always bigger than the one you “gotta” weigh. However, science has come up with an even bigger fishy business. Experts believe that the Cornish codfish, which make sounds with their swim bladders to attract mates, may have regional accents – and if males cannot “chat up” females who speak a different dialect it could threaten their ability to breed. There are also concerns that noise pollution from boats and other marine activities could be drowning out the “gossip” cod need to establish territories, raise the alarm and for mating. This would be bad news for all saltfish lovers for whom, as the Mighty Sparrow sang, “Nothing in the world is sweeter…” Even more interesting is that Caribbean sperm whales, although not fishes, communicate through specifically spaced clicks called “codas” and are known to have dialects. Codas are different from codspeak and are “Morse-codelike patterns of clicks” made by the whales. An article in
MACLEAN’S by Kate Lunau, entitled, “‘Have we met?’: Sperm whales can talk, and even have dialects” reveals, “Shortly after birth, whales begin to babble, and eventually pick up a dialect, which distinguishes them as members of a particular ‘vocal clan.’ Each clan can encompass thousands of sperm whales. Members of different vocal clans are culturally different: they might not travel the same routes, and won’t interact much.” The article is based on research from the Dominica Sperm Whale Project which tracks sperm whale families. According to Dr. Shane Zero and his colleagues on the project, whales are able to identify their vocal clan, their family and themselves— saying something like, “My name is Shane, my family is Gero, and I am Canadian.” And the accent differs with Caribbean whales having a different accent from whales from other regions. It would be interesting to know if the Dominican whales speak “Cocoy” (or “Kokoy) the mixture of English and French creole or patois and pronounce “seat” as “sit” and “sit” as “seat”. More, would the Trini whales be unable to roll their “Rs” and
pronounce “Mother” as “Mudder”, male Guyanese whales call each other “Bai”, Jamaican whales sing Bob Marley standards (Jamming, Waiting in Vain, Stir It Up or Positive Vibration while keeping time with their tails) or the Barbadian whales pronounce “Television” as “Televidgeon” and say “Above” when they mean “Further ahead”? One thing, coming from the Caribbean, they would always have a whale of a time and demonstrate why they are “sperm” whales. This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. The Telegraph newspaper says, “The famous songs of humpback whales can be heard underwater for thousands of kilometres…and are subject to fashion and fads. Every so often a whale will change up a new segment of the song, and this will gradually spread throughout the community. It is like a Trinidad Roadmarch without the gyrating. It is not just the cods and whales who do it, birds and bats do it too. Brian Palmer, writing in the Washington Post, says, “Don’t pat yourself on the back for our unique language-leaning abilities, though. Humans are not quite alone in our ability
to acquire language.” He quotes Ofer Tchernichovski a bird communications expert from Hunter College, New York, “Songbirds are fantastic learners. A nightingale can learn to sing 60 different songs after hearing them only a few times.” Palmer points out that individual members of the same songbird species sing different songs based on their home town and different population groups combine the sounds in different ways. They seem to learn their local patterns in the first three months of their lives by listening to adults and this is how ornithologists can immediately identify a whitecrowned sparrow’s place of birth from its song. I am no bird-man but I can tell a bald-headed, aging Sparrow from Grenada by his magnificent voice and repertoire from another Sparrow hunting for food in Kensington Oval. This leads us to bats, not those at Kensington, but more likely in the WACA and MCG, the Australian cricket grounds. A team of Australian scientists found
that the creatures, not the weapons of cricket warfare, develop dialects depending on where they live. Bats use their calls to navigate and hunt using a process called echolocation in which high frequency ultrasounds, inaudible to humans, hit objects and echo back. However, they are not autographed and might even now be looking for sponsors. If anyone has seen Dr. Dolittle, please let them know as they badly need an agent. The Telegraph newspaper has added cats to the list: “A group of animal behaviorologists believe cats may pick up regional “accents” from their owners and that there may even be several dialects of cat in different parts of the same country.” While in terms of animal research this might be the cat’s meow, the Telegraph has widened the field to include a bunch of other creatures, “From wolves to dolphins, numerous species of animals are thought to have
‘accents’ when they communicate.” Wolves, jackals and dogs have different “accents” based on their breed and location. Experts noticed dolphins living in pods in certain areas off the coast of the UK communicating with unique sounds. Dolphins produce whistles during social situations, when separated from friends, when excited, when happy and when panicked. Different whistles are produced in different situations, and scientists have been attempting to catalogue and categorize whistles from study populations for some time. Clearly, the next step for these extremely intelligent animals is for the British Premier League to hire them as referees. I bet they will perform swimmingly. *Tony Deyal was last seen saying that a bunch of Jamaican sperm whales are on their way to Trinidad for Carnival. If immigration stops them, they plan to say they are looking for Nemo.
From COP to CRIMINAL (From page 14) connections to stay ahead of the law. But in June 2008, Waldron was arrested, charged and remanded for harbouring two key members of the Rondell ‘Fine man’ Rawlins gang. He was also charged for armed robbery. Prior to his arrest, Waldron had started a common-law relationship with Patriena Nicholson, a lance corporal in the Guyana Police Force. On Friday August 9, 2013, Lance Corporal Patriena Nicholson left her post at the Police Mounted Branch. She was never seen again. Shellon Nicholson says that police arrested Waldron, but were forced to release him after 72 hours. He was never rearrested. On July 6, 2014, Waldron reportedly dropped 34-yearold Nyozi Goodman, a teacher at the prestigious St. Stanislaus College, to the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue. In late July, the skeletal remains of a woman were found in a bushy lot at Pattensen, on the East Coast of Demerara. DNA testing
eventually confirmed that the victim was Goodman. The prime suspect was Waldron, who was living at Lot 48, Public Road Kitty. Meanwhile, it is believed that Waldron and some of his acquaintances continued their criminal activities. From information detectives received, Waldron and two other men robbed a businessman at gunpoint in Georgetown on October 11, 2014. It is believed that on October 22, last, Waldron and his gang also robbed a woman at gunpoint in Avenue of the Republic, shortly after the victim had left a commercial bank. On November 14, 2014, police intercepted Waldron in a car at Alexander and Thomas Streets, Kitty. With him were two men who were wanted for questioning in connection with a number of armed robberies. Police allege that “gunfire was opened” at the ranks, who returned fire, hitting Waldron. He was taken to the GPHC where he succumbed while receiving medical treatment. The two other men were detained.
THE SAGA OF ANTHONY BLUE On September 11, 2012, Shaquille Grant, 17, was fatally shot by police ranks at Agricola, East Bank Demerara. Grant, of Lot 72 ‘BB’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara, sustained bullet wounds to the head, chest and buttocks. Among the ranks who shot Grant were Lance Corporal Warren Blue and Special Constable Jamal Lewis. Lewis was charged, but eventually freed. Blue went into hiding and emerged as a bandit. In December, 2014, expoliceman Blue, and University of Guyana graduate Mahendra Sukull, shot and robbed Montrose, East Coast Demerara proprietor, Latchmie Baburam, 52, of an undisclosed amount of cash. Mrs. Baburam survived. Her attackers didn’t. Police ranks who arrived on the scene shot and killed Sukull in the supermarket. Blue was shot dead while fleeing the scene. In May, 2016 Ryan Vaux, called “Gaza”, 36, a former member of the Tactical Services Unit of the Guyana Police Force, was shot dead by the police. He had allegedly pointed a gun at ranks and tried to escape after he was arrested for an alleged robbery committed on a Cummings Lodge resident.
Monday January 30, 2017
PAGE 21
Kaieteur News
Global backlash grows against Trump’s immigration order Reuters - A global backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration curbs gathered strength yesterday as several countries including longstanding American allies criticised the measures as discriminatory and divisive. Governments from London and Berlin to Jakarta and Tehran spoke out against Trump’s order to put a fourmonth hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily ban travellers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries. He said the move would help protect Americans from terrorism. In Germany - which has taken in large numbers of people fleeing the Syrian civil war - Chancellor Angela Merkel said the global fight against terrorism was no excuse for the measures and “does not justify putting people of a specific background or faith under
general suspicion”, her spokesman said. She expressed her concerns to Trump during a phone call and reminded him that the Geneva Conventions require the international community to take in war refugees on humanitarian grounds, the spokesman added. Merkel’s sentiments were echoed in Paris and London; “Terrorism knows no nationality. Discrimination is no response,” said French Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, while his British counterpart Boris Johnson tweeted: “Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality.” Along with Syria, the U.S. ban of at least 90 days affects travellers with passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, including those with dual nationality that includes one of those countries. Trump said his order,
Activists gather outside the White House to protest President Donald Trump’s executive actions on immigration in Washington January 29, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein which indefinitely bans refugees from Syria, was “not a Muslim ban”, though he added he would seek to
U.S. judges limit Trump immigration order; some officials resist curbs
Judge Leonie Brinkema
Judge Ann Donnelly
Reuters - U.S. judges in at least four states blocked federal authorities from enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. However, lawyers representing people covered by the order yesterday said some authorities were unwilling to follow the judges’ rulings. Judges in Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington state, each home to international airports, issued their rulings after a similar order was issued on Saturday night by U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York’s Brooklyn borough. Donnelly had ruled in a lawsuit by two men from Iraq being held at John F. Kennedy International Airport. While none of the rulings struck down Friday’s executive order by the new
Republican president, the growing number of them could complicate the administration’s effort to enforce it. Condemnation of the order was swift and broadbased. Democratic politicians and civil rights groups weighed in, as well as U.S. allies who view the actions as discriminatory and divisive. Attorneys general from California, New York, 13 other states and Washington, D.C., meanwhile, in a statement condemned what they called Trump’s “dangerous” and “unconstitutional” order, and pledged to use their offices to fight it. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security yesterday said it “will comply with judicial orders,” while enforcing Trump’s order in a manner that ensures those entering the United States “do not pose a threat to our country or the American
people.” Striking that balance has caused confusion, according to lawyers who worked overnight and yesterday to help confused international travellers at airports. Immigration lawyer Sharifa Abbasi said some Border Patrol agents at Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia refused to permit lawyers to talk with detainees, even after being shown an order from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema requiring such access. Abbasi said the agents instead told the lawyers to call their agency’s office, where no one was answering. “There is really no method to this madness,” Becca Heller, director of the New York-based International Refugee Assistance Project organization, told reporters on a conference call. Supporters of Trump’s order said authorities acted properly in swiftly taking steps to enforce it. “It is better (to) be safe than sorry,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the conservative Centre for Immigration Studies in Washington. Lawsuits brought on behalf of more than 100 individual travellers have been filed nationwide, some activists and lawyers have estimated. Some have been brought by large corporate firms, including Kirkland & Ellis and Mayer Brown.
prioritise Christian refugees fleeing the country. The Arab League - whose members include many of the countries included in the ban as well as allies of Washington such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - expressed deep concern and said the restrictions were unjustified. The government in Iraq, which is allied with Washington in the battle against ultra-hardline Islamist group Islamic State and hosts over 5,000 U.S. troops, did not comment on the executive order. But some members of its parliament said Baghdad
should retaliate with similar measures against the United States. In Baghdad, influential Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said American nationals should leave Iraq, in retaliation for the travel curbs. “It would be arrogance for you to enter freely Iraq and other countries while barring to them the entrance to your country ... and therefore you should get your nationals out,” he said on his website. There was no immediate reaction to the curbs from Islamic State, although in the past it has used U.S.
monitoring of Muslim foreigners to stoke Muslim anger against Washington. The Tehran government vowed to respond in kind to the U.S. ban on visitors from Iran, but yesterday Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that Americans who already hold Iranian visas can enter the country. “Unlike the U.S., our decision is not retroactive. All with valid Iranian visa will be gladly welcomed,” Zarif said. Authorities in Sudan, which is also targeted by the ban, summoned the U.S. charge d’affaires in Khartoum. They said the order sent a “negative message”, coming two weeks after Washington announced it would ease economic sanctions on the country. Trump’s executive order on Friday took effect immediately, wreaking havoc and confusion for would-be travellers with passports from the seven countries and plunging America’s immigration system into chaos. The Department of Homeland Security said about 375 travellers had been affected by the order, 109 of whom were in transit and were denied entry to the United States. Another 173 were stopped by airlines before boarding. Fuad Sharef, his wife and three children were among the Continued on page 23
Trump, Saudi king back ‘rigorously’ enforcing Iran nuclear deal Washington (AFP) President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman want to “rigorously” enforce the Iran nuclear deal, the White House said yesterday, despite the US leader ’s long opposition to the agreement. The pair, in a phone conversation, also spoke of the need to address Iran’s “destabilizing regional activities,” fight the spread of “radical Islamic terrorism” and establish safe zones in war-ravaged Syria and Yemen, the White House statement read. No further details were provided about those plans. Trump opposed the nuclear agreement signed by Israel’s arch-foe Iran and world powers, including the United States, in 2015 and has said he wants to undo it. Some of his key nominees have adopted an openly antiIran stance, including secretary of state candidate Rex Tillerson, who is seeking a complete revision of the accord.
Saudi King Salman Israeli President Netanyahu said last month that there were many ways of “undoing” the Iran nuclear deal and that he would discuss that with Trump. But before he left office, former president Barack Obama warned against rowing back the pact, emphasizing its “significant and concrete results.” The deal places curbs on
Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Tehran is a major foe of both Washington and Ryad. The Sunni majority Saudi kingdom is engaged in a power struggle with the Shiite country for dominance in the region. Trump and King Salman “agreed on the importance of rigorously enforcing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and of addressing Iran’s destabilizing regional activities,” the White House said. Trump also spoke by telephone with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, committing to “further strengthen cooperation on fighting radical Islamic terrorism,” the White House said. It said the pair also discussed establishing safe zones for refugees displaced by conflict in the region, and the crown prince “agreed to support this initiative.”
PAGE 22
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TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
Bottom flat to rent for store, shop, etc at Lot 117 Bagotville front, W.B.D. Call: 647-1347/ 665-3512
1-2 Storey building 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 apartments downstairs, all self contained, Avenue ‘B’, Diamond, E.B.D- Call: 6585452 1-2 Storey building 3 bedrooms – 1 self contained, Water Street, Agricola, E.B.D- Call: 658-5452
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
1 live in waitress with secondary education, starts at $70,000 monthly, boarding and lodging free. Call: 6103974 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15-4:15
1 Big music set, owner migrating. Call: 690-5225
2009 RAUM -$2.2M, 2009 SIENTA -$2.3M, 2011 MAZDA AXELA -$2.7M, 2011 NOAH & VOXY $2.6M. CALL:617-2891
Experienced drivers, waiters, roti/puri cooks, day shift only. Apply at Hack’s Halaal with written application, 5 Commerce Street.
Popular taxi service for sale located on Sheriff Street Georgetown, includes 16 radio sets. Call: 695-0704
3 TON OPEN BACK CANTER, NEVER REGISTERED -$3.5M. CALL: 617-2891
Cook & Cashier for snackette, attractive salary. Call: 697-5387/ 677-9279
Cat 928F Loader $7.3M, 3406 Caterpillar Engine $1.3M, 3306 Caterpillar Engine $1.3 M - Contact: 6500402\260-4115
1 Toyota Verossa, PTT series. Call: 657-8843
1- Honest Driver salesman, must have lorry license, CXC subjects. Mail application to 10 La Grange, W.B.D.
Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras – Tel: 621-4740/686-3500
3116 Caterpillar Engine$1.1M, 3208 Caterpillar Engine $700,000, Diesel Welder, BMW 318I $2.5M, IST $2M. Contact: 650-0402\260-4115 Leyland DAF 75 Hauler in good condition GNN series -$2.2M. Call: 655-5117 or 623-3839
One Towa ace small bus, in working condition. Call:6751787/ 614-4275 Land Rover, Suzuki Sport X-90, Chevy Cargo Van, Grand Jeep Cherokee. Owner Leaving! Call: 227-8519/ 653-4287 Silent diesel generator 10KVA (1 with welding set), Jackhammer, used Indian Costumes and accessories. Owner Leaving! Call: 2278519/ 653-4287
Need immediately dry cow mold 400 bags, preferably from Berbice Area. Call: 6437193 Experienced cook & pastry maker, salesgirl. Call: 6266835 Urgently wanted a professional cosmetology at Natural Beauty salon and spa, Grove, Market Street, E.B.D – Call: 652-5800
Imported German Shepherd & Huskies dogs, fully vaccinated and processed through G.L.D.A, make bookings early. Whatsapp: 615-5343
Newly built @ Craig E.B.D land size 91X50feet; house 40X28, 3 rooms, 1 selfcontained. Call: 718-2136496/617-7691
1 Brand new pool table 8ft (slate). Call: 691-1161
Bartender, cook & waitress. Call: 227-4897
One 6 inches dredge owner is ill. Call: 673-7883/ 619-5784/ 610-6738
VACANCY
1 Waitress, 1 bartender & 1 bar supervisor. Call: 6965768/ 218-0013/601-1949
The #1 Plant Shop, sale staff and general maintenance and sales persons 20-30yrs. Call: 643-7193
Arc/Acetylene welder with fabrication, driving and mechanical experienced. Call: 227-1813/ 227-1830
Live in/live out waitresses. Call: 643-9007/ 666-4647
Carpenter/painter. Call: 2253234
Driver/General assistant for city location and cook/baker for interior location. Call: 618-2020
Labourers for wood concession -$5,000 per dayCall: 618-0487
Male supervisors (housekeeping Dept) 3255yrs @ 233 South Road, Lacytown. Call: 225-0198
Handy boy, must have police clearance. Apply to Shanta’s @ 225Camp& New Market Street
All rounder person to work in salon at Lot 6 North Road . Call: 666-6917/ 223-1821
Live-in housekeeper to care for sick person; cook and general care. Call: 603-3571 between 7:00am-7:00pm
Property @ 28 Johana Cecilia Essequibo Coast, suitable for supermarket, bar etc $12M. Call: 630-4744 One concrete building (incomplete) south Amelia’s Ward Linden -$6M negotiable. Call: 644-1869 EDUCATIONAL Classes for slow learners in Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, and much more for children all ages. Call: 675-4379
One complete sawmill situated at Yarrowkabra Industrial Site Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. Call: 6441190/ 609-8041 Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231 Houses at Blankenburg$12.9 M and Up. Contact # 650-0402/260-4124 One Perkins 27 KVAGenerator $1.2M negotiable. Call: 644-1869
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807
WANTED
Nissan Bluebird 2011 model -$2.7M, Toyota Rush 2006 model -$2.8M. (unregistered vehicles) Call:655-3400
Elevator very good condition, price negotiable. Call 231-1284
CAR RENTAL
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Toyota Allion PVV series: TV Camera, HID, lights, alarm & remote start $2.1M negotiable Call: 649-0956
2 Storey house 35X45 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained @ 5th Avenue Diamond, H/ Scheme. Call:677-0583/6645052
FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578
TOURS Need a weekend getaway? Pay just $36000 for a return trip to Suriname. February 2326, 2017. Contact: 600-5509/ 268-2507/600-0312
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122, EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494
Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999
Driver, porters experienced in water sales. Call:682-1048
1 Female cleaner for office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745 LAND FOR SALE Concrete structure (upper flat) 24X40, Diamond New Scheme -$7.5M. Call: 6533381 High income houselot in Uitvlugt, price negotiable. Call: 676-4051
TO LET Rooms in Alberttown. Call: 225-3234
Transported corner lot with approved building plan @ 90 Garnett & Republic Streets, Newtown Kitty. Call: 6016000
Wanted Urgently! 1 Houselot in Diamond between 7th to 11th Avenue. Call: 610-5957 LAND FOR SALE Land @ Soesdyke, 6 lots measuring 135’X175’ -$24M negotiable. Call: 627-3334/ 696-8935, email:fcranmore@ guyanavoice.com Land @ La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.2M, $1.4M, $1.6M, Uitvlugt- $2M, Tuschen School Street -$3M, Providence -$5M, Eccles $5M. Call: 604-6724
Monday January 30, 2017
Dominica’s latest diplomatic passport scandal could hurt region
Alireza Monfared (left) and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. BASSETERRE, St Kitts (WINN) — Concern has been expressed about the possible negative impact that the latest diplomatic passport scandal in which Dominica has found itself embroiled can have on the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries. An Iranian man accused of helping to embezzle billions of dollars while the country evaded international oil sanctions has been arrested by Interpol after a lengthy international manhunt. Alireza Monfared, 43, is accused of involvement in Iran’s biggest-ever corruption scandal, working alongside tycoon Babak Zanjani who was sentenced to death last year for pocketing $2.8 billion while helping the country bypass sanctions. Monfared, described as a Dominica diplomat, is reported to have had two Dominican passports, a diplomatic one and another obtained earlier through Roseau’s economic
citizenship programme. The head of Iran’s international police department is quoted as having said that Monfared was extradited via Havana and Moscow before arriving in Tehran on Sunday. He is reported to have been arrested in the Dominican Republic. Regional broadcaster, Vincentian Jerry George said this latest scandal can hurt not only Dominica but the OECS and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). “A Dominican passport is sold, yes, but it affects me, Jerry George in St Vincent on two levels, because firstly, the passport I carry is an OECS document. I am part of the OECS therefore whatever happens in Dominica happens to me, whatever Dominica exposes I am exposed to and secondly it is a CARICOM passport, it is going to affect all of us now or in the future. There are pictures with
Global backlash grows... From page 21 first victims. They had waited two years for a visa to settle in the United States, selling their home and quitting jobs and schools in Iraq before setting off for a new life they saw as a reward for working with U.S. organisations. They were prevented from boarding their connecting flight to New York from Cairo airport on Saturday, detained overnight and forced to board a flight back to northern Iraq. Trump, a businessman who successfully tapped into American fears about militant attacks during his campaign, had promised what he called “extreme vetting” of immigrants and refugees from areas the White House said the U.S. Congress deemed high risk. He said on Saturday of his order: “It’s working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over.” The travel curbs, however, also drew criticism from several other countries around the globe. In Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the Muslimmajority nation deeply regretted Trump’s plans for “extreme vetting” of people from some Muslim countries. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said “open society, plural identity, no discrimination” were the “pillars of Europe”, while the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian governments also registered their opposition. Danish foreign minister Anders Samuelsen tweeted: “The U.S. decision not to allow entry of people from certain countries is NOT fair.”
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this man and he is with the prime minister of Dominica. According to what is said it seems they are in some kind of business together. Is this really, really, the level to which our Caribbean leadership has come to?” George said. A statement from the government of Dominica said Monfared became a Dominican citizen in 2014, and was found to be a respected businessman with substantial business ties in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. According to the statement, the Iranian demonstrated a great desire to be of assistance in promoting Dominica and sourcing business and investment opportunities on behalf of Dominica in that part of the world. The government said due diligence investigation was conducted in 2014 in respect of him by an internationally recognized US due diligence firm as required by the relevant regulations. The statement said too that Monfared’s due diligence report showed no areas of concern in any jurisdiction or country including Iran, and he passed all other security checks. The Roosevelt Skerrit-led administration said Monfared’s diplomatic passport was recalled and cancelled and all official ties with him were severed effective one year ago on January 20, 2016, upon receiving information that he may be a person of interest to authorities. The opposition United Workers Party said its leader Lennox Linton has been vindicated, after Linton was harshly criticized for his comments on the CBS 60 Minutes programme Passports for Sale that a number of fraudsters and people of ill-repute had been made diplomats by the Dominica Labour party administration. (West Indies News Network)
Nations University supports move for local law school
Head, University of London Law Programme Simon Askey, flanked by Directors of Nations University The Nations University is looking forward to the establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School, since the university also produces its sizeable share of law degree graduates. The University currently offers a tutorial support programme for the University of London’s (UOL) Law Degree or LLB (Literally Legum Baccalaureus) through its Georgetown campus. Head of the University of London’s Law Programme, Simon Askey who is here on a courtesy visit, said the UOL degree is also offered in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. He said that some of the students who graduate tend to go the United Kingdom or United States of America simply because there are no provisions locally to accommodate them. However, he said that the JOF Haynes Law School will extend the possibility of graduates from the law programme. Askey said that the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), one of the private partners involved in the opening of the law school, also offers the UOL law degree in Jamaica. Askey is scheduled to meet with Attorney-General Basil Williams to discuss the collaborative agreement, and to ensure that students who graduate with the London degree would have access to the law school along with those graduates from the University of Guyana. He said that such access should not be a problem, particularly since UCC is one of the UOL’s teaching institutions. He added that it is possible that graduates from the UOL programme attending the JOF Haynes Law School may be able to practise in the UK.
“There are two legal professions in England; there are different legal systems in England than in Scotland. So in England and Wales, you can either be a Barrister or Solicitor. So if that student has our degree, they can come to the UK and do the equivalent of your LEC (Legal Education Certificate), which is called the BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) and the LPC (Legal Practise Course). So yes, the degree will allow them to do that.” Additionally, Askey said that the degree will allow graduates to practise in certain American States. He said that presently, the UOL has about 600 students in the US pursuing the degree. While it is not the most straightforward path, it offers students a route they would not have, since studying law in the US is extremely expensive. Further, he said that qualified attorneys in Guyana wishing to practise in the UK can easily do the Qualified Lawyer Transfer test (QLT). On the issue of performance, Askey said that the Guyanese students pursuing the UOL degree have been doing extremely well over the years. He credited this to the dynamism
of the Head of Law at Nations University, Ashme Singh. According to him, her success in managing the programme would be as a result of her actually being a product of the system. Meanwhile, Director of School of the Nations, Brian O’Toole said that the law school comes at a time when Guyana is on the crest of tremendous development. He added that some of the recent coverage in the media concerning the school has been relatively negative labelling the JOF Haynes Law School as a threat to the LLB programme. After following the issue very closely, O’Toole said that it seems to be misinformed, since Nations University is one of the major players in the entire arrangement. He said that at Nations, there are 55 students enrolled in the UOL programme who stand to benefit from this intervention. He said that the relationship with the UOL started 10 years ago and has incredibly blossomed. To further expand the law programme offered by the Nations University, O’Toole said that the tutorial support in Georgetown will soon be offered at their Stanleytown, New Amsterdam campus soon.
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
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How President Trump’s AntiAbortion Order could hurt HIV Programmes in Barbados BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – US President Donald Trump’s signing of a ban on US government funding international groups that perform or provide information on abortions could have an unlikely casualty in Barbados. The Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA) just might lose out on funds for its HIV programmes. On his first day in office last Monday, Trump signed an executive order reinstating an expanded version of the Mexico City Policy (also called the Global Gag Rule which was first announced in 1984 by the Reagan administration). The policy requires foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to certify that they will not provide abortion services, counselling, or referrals, even in countries where abortion is legal. It means these organisations must sign a formal agreement that they will not use their own funds or funds from any source on abortions services, counselling, and referrals, as a condition for receiving all
forms of US global health assistance. Under prior administrations, the gag rule was limited to funding for family planning programmes and did not impact HIV programmes. The policy has been rescinded and reinstated by subsequent administrations along party Democrat and Republican Party lines. It has been in effect for approximately 17 of the past 32 years. President Obama rescinded the order for the duration of his administration. In a statement issued a day after Trump’s decision to reinstate the policy, the BFPA said while it does not rely heavily on US government funding or external funding to sustain its work, it currently has an important programme of work around HIV which is partially supported by a USfunded international nongovernmental organisation (NGO) that must comply with the order. “Consequently, this order may cause BFPA to lose US funding for ongoing HIV programmes. We are uncertain and we are currently awaiting a formal
Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland advisory about the status of our US funded projects from our US funders,” it said. “BFPA stands in solidarity with our sister organiations across the globe who rely heavily on US funding.” The association’s executive director Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland lamented that the gag rule compels the BFPA to choose between being silent about a lawful service for women and receiving international funding from US government sources. (Caribbean360)
Union gives Barbados Govt. last chance to give public servants a pay hike BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Freundel Stuart administration has been given “one last chance” to return to the negotiating table to discuss the protracted salary increase for civil servants, says President of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Akanni McDowall. Following a two-hour meeting with public sector employees S a t u r d a y, McDowall told reporters his members had taken strong exception to the vote by parliamentarians this week to restore their salaries and that of other senior Government officers who had taken a ten per cent cut back in 2014 at the height of austerity. Amid an ongoing wage freeze for civil servants, who have not enjoyed a pay hike since 2009, despite having higher taxes and a higher cost of living, McDowall said the workers also made it clear they were no longer interested in any dialogue, only firm action in support of their pay demands. The NUPW is currently seeking a 23 per cent rise
Akanni McDowall for Government workers. However, to date there has been no firm agreement on the matter with both NUPW officials and their members seemingly anxious for a resumption of the wage talks, which have been suspended since last October. In fact, while Friday afternoon’s meeting was attended by fewer than 100 workers, NUPW General Secretary Roslyn Smith said the level of frustration expressed was “as if we had
ten thousand people in there this afternoon. “It is a thread that goes right through the public service where persons have been disadvantaged for so long that even if you had one person, they would bring the feelings of all the members of the public service,” she explained. And though not ruling out the possibility of industrial action, McDowall assured that “as a responsible union what we would do is make sure that the process is followed to give Government one more opportunity to come back to the table because we want to follow the process, despite what people might say”. The union president was however unwilling to go into details on the actual proposals that have been left on the table, even though he suggested that the NUPW would be willing to accept a reasonable compromise. “What we will not do is throw out the baby with the bath water. We will ask for whatever is reasonable for Government to give,” he said. (Barbados Today)
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
India readies budget to soothe voters after PM Modi’s shock cash crunch Reuters - India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the most challenging budget of his tenure on Wednesday, as he seeks to appease voters still hurting from the radical monetary shock therapy that his government has administered. The 2017/18 budget comes less than three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold and risky gamble to outlaw high-value old currency bills, which has slammed the brakes on Asia’s third-largest economy and hit the poor particularly hard. According to one survey, a third of people say their incomes have fallen, with nearly a tenth saying they are much worse off. Judging how quickly the economy will recover is a tough call, making Jaitley’s revenue projections a shot in the dark. A delay in the launch of a new national sales tax has added to the uncertainty. The Goods and Services tax (GST) is expected to improve tax compliance and check evasion, but the federal and state governments have yet to work out its details. Officials say his fourth budget will likely offer modest tax concessions and ramp up spending to ease the pain caused by Modi’s decision in November to scrap 86 percent of the currency in circulation in a bid to purge the cashreliant economy of illicit “black money” and expose untaxed wealth. Paying for those giveaways may require Jaitley to slow the pace of fiscal tightening, officials told Reuters. As well as buoying consumer spending, which
Arun Jaitley contributes nearly 60 percent to gross domestic product, sops to voters could also shore up the fortunes of Modi’s nationalist party in five regional elections for which voting begins on Saturday. The electoral outcome, particularly in the battleground state of Uttar Pradesh that is home to one in every six Indians, is being viewed by analysts as a midterm “referendum” on Modi. If voters deliver a negative verdict on his cash clampdown, his chances of winning a second term in 2019 as prime minister would suffer. Yet even though the cash crunch has inflicted the most
pain on the poor, Modi has said in his campaign speeches it would punish the venal rich. Bad economics may be good politics, say some analysts. “Indian politics is determined by intangible factors of voter perception and not necessarily just the tangible economic numbers,” said Shailesh Kumar, a senior analyst with Eurasia Group. “For the Indian voter, demonetisation signals that Modi is trying, and is perhaps the only one doing something to address corruption.” Private economists expect Jaitley to plan a federal fiscal deficit of 3.3-3.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for 2017/18. That is higher than the 3 percent pledged earlier but lower than 3.5 percent that the government has budgeted for the current year to the end of March. That would create space to invest an extra $6 billion, but would be anathema to ratings agencies concerned that India’s high national debt exposes it to shocks, such as a possible spike in oil prices. Federal revenues are expected to increase as a share of GDP by 0.5 percent in the current fiscal year, thanks to incremental hikes in fuel duties.
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Monday January 30, 2017
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The President wants to enlist local police in immigration crackdown PHOENIX (AP) — To build his highly touted deportation force, President Donald Trump is reviving a long-standing programme that deputizes local officers to enforce federal immigration law. The programme received scant attention during a week
in which Trump announced plans to build a border wall, hire thousands more federal agents and impose restrictions on refugees from Middle Eastern countries. But the programme could end up having a significant impact on immigration enforcement around the
Venezuela cannot now afford to export its oil CARACAS, Venezuela — More than four million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil and fuel exports are stuck in tankers in the Caribbean because Venezuela’s state-run oil firm Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) cannot afford to pay for cleaning dirty tankers and port inspections, Reuters reported. According to PDVSA’s trade documents and Reuters shipping data, some 12 tankers full of around 1.4 million barrels of crude oil, diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, and LPG were anchored in Venezuelan and Caribbean waters and were waiting to be cleaned. In addition, another 11 vessels full of oil and oil products have been retained or embargoed by port authorities, maritime agencies and inspection firms because PDVSA has not paid its bills. The 11 tankers and a few smaller vessels held for other operational delays contain a total of 2.9 million barrels of crude and fuels, Reuters data showed. Maritime laws do not allow dirty tankers to travel through international waters. PDVSA generates almost all of the export revenues for Venezuela. (Caribbean News)
country, despite falling out of favour in recent years amid complaints that it promotes racial profiling. More than 60 police and sheriff’s agencies had the special authority as of 2009, applying for it as the nation’s immigration debate was heating up. Since then, the number has been halved and the effort scaled back as federal agents ramped up other enforcement programmes and amid complaints officers weren’t focusing on the goal of catching violent offenders and instead arrested immigrants for minor violations, like driving with broken tail lights. Sheriff Joe Arpaio used the program most aggressively in metro Phoenix, and he became arguably the nation’s bestknown immigration enforcer at the local level in large part because of the special authority. In a strange twist, he was thrown out of office in the same election that vaulted Trump to the presidency, mostly because of mounting frustration over legal issues and costs stemming from the
A Seattle police officer pushes the last group of protesters out of the airport terminal after giving a final dispersal order around 2:00 a.m. yesterday. (Genna Martin/seattlepi.com via AP) patrols. In his executive order this week, Trump said he wants to empower local law enforcement to act as immigration officers and help with the “investigation, apprehension, or detention” of immigrants in the country illegally. The move comes at a time when the country is sharply divided over the treatment of immigrants. Cities such as Chicago and San Francisco have opposed police involvement in immigration while some counties in Massachusetts and Texas are
now seeking to jump in. Proponents say police departments can help bolster immigration enforcement and prevent criminals from being released back into their neighbourhoods, while critics argue that deputizing local officers will lead to racial profiling and erode community trust in police. Cecillia Wang, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, said police bosses who want to get into immigration enforcement should consider what happened when 100 of Arpaio’s deputies were given
the federal arrest power. The longtime sheriff used the authority to carry out traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. The patrols were later discredited in a lawsuit in which a federal judge concluded Arpaio’s officers had racially profiled Latinos. The lawsuit so far cost county taxpayers $50 million. When asked to comment on Trump’s effort to revitalize the programme, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said the executive orders would speak for themselves.
Bahamas PM Stays at Helm of Ruling Party after First Leadership Vote in 7 Years ASSAU, The Bahamas – Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) delegates declared Perry Christie the “right man for the job”, handing him a resounding vote to remain at the helm of the ruling party in the Bahamas. In the party’s first leadership election in seven years, Christie late last week crushed challenger Alfred Sears, securing 1,264 votes to his opponent’s mere 169. Pundits suggest the Prime Minister’s retention of the PLP’s leadership was a foregone conclusion, noting that he was still regarded as a favourable leader by Bahamians. It was a difficult night for Sears who had earlier
Perry Christie challenged the integrity of the election process. In his concession speech, he said the process was “far from
perfect” but he would deal with those concerns internally. He however insisted that he would remain on board with the PLP. Last Wednesday, Sears had filed a formal complaint to party trustees, charging that more than 300 councilors were installed just last Thursday and this would affect his chances at the election. But PLP chairman Bradley Roberts rubbished the claims, telling The Nassau Guardian newspaper: “The results, I believe, will affirm to Mr Sears in the clearest of terms that the Progressive Liberal Party’s voting delegates prefer Mr. Christie to continue as their leader.” He also insisted that the party had not changed the rules governing internal elections. In the other vote of the night, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis was elected unopposed as deputy leader of the PLP. (Caribbean360)
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Promoting Reifer was Shiv’s Federer outlasts Nadal in Melbourne for 18th grand slam idea says Johnson Confident of reaching semis By Sean Devers in Barbados In Association with Bounty Supermarket, Vnet Communications, Life Time Reality & Ming’s Products & Services After being defeated by Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions, Guyana Jaguars got their Regional Super50 campaign going with a moral boosting eight-wicket win against CCC Marooners and according to Captain Leon Johnson the team is going into today’s game against ICC Americas with plenty of confidence. Chasing 130 to win inside 40 overs on Saturday night at Kensington Oval, the Jagaurs lost Assad Fudadin in the fourth over with just eight runs on the board and to the surprise of many, in walked Raymon Refier at number three. The left handed Reifer grew up on fast Barbadian pitches and was playing against a team he once represented and he masterminded a 117 second wicket stand with Rajendra Chandrika, clobbering a run-aball 67 with nine fours and a six and by the time he was removed five runs short of victory the promotion had worked perfectly. Johnson explained how the idea to promote Refier after for the third time, the openers failed to provide their team with the foundation they were hoping for. “It was Shiv’s idea! At our team meeting Shiv suggested promoting someone up the order and we thought
Raymon was the best equipped to do it and it paid off,” Johnson revealed. “I am very happy with the improvement shown in both departments, the bowlers maintained good lines and lengths throughout and built lots of pressure on the CCC batsmen, resulting on them giving their wickets away,” said Johnson the 29 year-old left-hander. Johnson, who played nine Tests and six ODIs for the West Indies, said Devendra Bishoo, who was the most expensive bowler in the first two games, but bowled beautifully on Saturday, is showing signs of confidence which is good for the bowling attack. “My major concern has been the opening partnerships so far. We have been one down inside four overs in all three games and it’s a bit worrying but I am confident it’s an area we will also improve in,” said Johnson who started the tournament with an attractive 55 coming in at 1-1. The Jaguars have used Fudadin and Shemron Heytmer in the first two games and Fudadin and Chandrika in the last game without success. Coming from ultra slow and low pitches in Guyana most of the batsmen including Chanderpaul, looked a bit uncomfortable to the extra pace and bounce here in Barbados but Johnson feels the pitches have been generally good for batting. “The new ball has done a bit but then it gets much easier after 10 overs. We just were not able to get a good start against Barbados and
Leon Johnson Jamaica to capitalise on those middle overs,” Johnson, who has led the Jaguars to backto-back four-day titles in the last two seasons, pointed out. The Guyanese have not done so well in 50 overs cricket winning the last of their nine titles at Bourda 12 years ago. They reached the semis nine times since then including two finals. In 2015 in their last final in Port-ofSpain they were bowled out for 65 which is their lowest total in Regional 50-over cricket as Sunil Narine had 69 from seven overs. Despite their poor start here Johnson is still confident of advancing to the Semi-finals in Antigua from February 15. “We are still very confident of qualifying for the ‘final-four’ we need to win four or all five of our remaining matches. This win has done our confidence well and we will be looking to replicate that kind of performance in the remaining matches,” Johnson concluded. The Jagaurs, with five points and only ahead of ICC Americas who have lost all of their games, plays their next match today against ICC Americas from 09:00hrs.
RHTADO, Ministry of Social Cohesion stage Corentyne festival of Sports and fun day The Rose Hall Town Anniversary and Development Organization (RHTADO) in collaboration with Ministry of Social Cohesion will stage the first ever Corentyne Festival of Sports, exhibition and fun day. The event, which is expected to be a mega affair, will be staged on Saturday February 18th at the Rose Hall Town Community Center Ground Area H, Corentyne Berbice. According to the RHTADO the event is about promoting Social Cohesion in communities in Guyana under the theme.... “Embracing the future Social Cohesion a must”. The aim and objective of this event, is to ensure everyone is aware of the concept of Social Cohesion using sports and other activities and the importance of seeing ourselves as Guyanese. In accordance of the organisation’s motto, “Success comes through togetherness” and the theme of the activity, “embracing the future social cohesion a must”, there will be an opening ceremony where the honourable Minister of Social Cohesion Dr. George Norton will declare the event open.
According to PRO of the RHTADO, Andrew Griffith, the organisation met with Social Cohesion Officer for Region 6, Miss Shurla Scott and held discussions on organising and promoting the event, which they intend to make an annual affair. We also intend to have lectures at secondary schools on cohesion. Griffith said it is a wonderful idea to bring people together in the best interest of unity and development. He mentioned that over the years the RHTADO has been organising and promoting a number of activities that showed togetherness and Social Cohesion. He said that over the years the organisation has surmounted a number of hurdles in their effort to get the message of togetherness and Social Cohesion out in according to their motto. A number of organisations from throughout Berbice and other parts of Guyana are already on board for the big event. There will be a variety of games including traditional and ring games, cartoon characters, Tassa and African drums, music, food booths among other activities. (Samuel Whyte)
MELBOURNE (Reuters) Roger Federer came out on top after a rollercoaster ride in the 35th chapter of his rivalry with Rafa Nadal to win his fifth Australian Open 6-4 3-6 6-1 36 6-3 and clinch a first grand slam title in four and a half years yesterday. The 35-year-old capped his triumphant return from knee surgery with a recordextending 18th major title after a vintage battle with his Spanish rival, who had won all three of their previous meetings at Melbourne Park. Lefthander Nadal, also returning from injury this year, showed sustained periods of his brutal best from the baseline but was just unable to stay with his rival in the gutwrenching drama of the deciding set. Federer was forced to endure a nervous wait for his victory after Nadal unsuccessfully challenged the line call on the second championship point before becoming the first man to win five or more titles at three different grand slams. The Swiss, for many the greatest player of all time, celebrated with tears in his eyes but his first words were for his old friend and rival. “Tennis is a tough sport, there are no draws in tennis but I would have been happy to accept one tonight and share it with Rafa,” he said. “I would have been happy to lose to be honest, the comeback was as good as it was. I hope to see you next year but if not, then it was a wonderful year here and I couldn’t be happier tonight.” Nadal, the 2009 champion, was also typically gracious after losing his third Melbourne final and coming up short in his bid for a 15th grand slam title. “It was a great match and I think Roger probably deserved it a little more than me,” the 30-year-old said. “I played a great quality of tennis. That’s great news for me. I believe that if I have my body in the right condition, I can have a great year.” FIRST BREAKTHROUGH Federer made the slower start to the contest but it was the Swiss who made the first breakthrough, converting the first break point of the match with a forehand winner to go 5-4 up. That was enough to take the opening set but this was never going to be a straightforward win for either player and Nadal was all over his opponent’s serve at the start
of the second and grabbed a 2-0 lead. Federer had two break points in the next game but Nadal fought them off and then broke again as his rival struggled for accuracy under the Spaniard’s onslaught. Four big forehands gave the Swiss a break back but Nadal held firm to serve out the set and Federer needed three aces to save three break points at the start of the third. The momentum had swung, though, and Federer stepped up a gear and rattled off the next two games with Nadal left scrambling to fend off a second break in a marathon fourth game. He was unable to repeat the feat in the sixth game and Federer, his crosscourt backhand causing Nadal all sorts of problems, secured a two sets to one lead with a drop volley. The pendulum had not finished swinging yet, however, and Nadal broke for 3-1 in the fourth and held under huge pressure in the next game with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner at full stretch. Nadal again closed out the set and Federer took a medical timeout before the start of the decider, returning to court only to give up his first service game. Federer was not prepared to give up easily on a first grand slam title since Wimbledon in 2012, though, and upped his aggression to put the set back on serve at 3-3 when Nadal sent a rasping forehand wide. He needed another five break points on Nadal’s next service game before the Spaniard finally cracked as Federer sealed the title with a forehand winner that Hawk-Eye confirmed hit the line. “In the fifth set, I didn’t win one serve easily. Even if I played great in the break points, I was suffering a lot,” said Nadal. “He probably remained a little bit more free on points on my serve. That’s what I needed in that moment, and I didn’t have.” With Federer’s contemporary Serena Williams having won the women’s title for the seventh time on Saturday, the 2017 Australian Open is destined be remembered as the retro slam. Federer gave a reminder that no one is immune to the ravages of time, however. “Now it’s time to celebrate in a massive way,” he said. “(But) at 35 years old, I don’t like to say it, but I’m so old and so the body hurts, it aches.”
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Olympic champion ‘relieved’ after US travel clarification BBC Sport - Britain’s fourtime Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah says he is “relieved” he can return to his US home after it was clarified that President Donald Trump’s travel ban did not apply to him. Somali nationals are among those banned from travelling to the US under the executive order issued on Friday. That had applied to Farah, who was born in Somalia, until the announcement by the UK Foreign Office late on Sunday. Farah, 33, called Trump’s policy “divisive and discriminatory”. Trump’s executive order halted the entire US refugee programme and also instituted a 90-day travel ban for nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson held conversations with the US government on Sunday. The Foreign Office then advised British travellers that dual citizens were only affected if travelling to the US
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
Gold medalist Mo Farah (GBR) of Britain. (Getty Images) from one of the seven banned countries. “We understand from the statement released this evening by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the executive order will not apply to Mo, and we are grateful to the FCO for urgently clarifying the situation,” said a spokesperson for Farah, who has lived in Oregon for six years with his family. “Mo is relieved that he
will be able to return to his family once his current training camp concludes.” The statement added that Farah “still fundamentally disagrees with this incredibly divisive and discriminatory policy”. Writing on his Facebook page earlier on Sunday, Farah had said: “On 1 January this year, Her Majesty The Queen made me a Knight of the Realm. On 27 January, President Donald Trump seems to have made me an alien.” Farah said he believed Trump’s policy “comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice” and that his own story was “an example of what can happen when you follow polices of compassion and understanding, not hate and isolation”. Farah, who moved to Britain aged eight, is at a training camp in Ethiopia as part of his preparations for August’s World Championships in London, and is not planning to return to the US for a number of weeks.
Brilliant Bumrah secures India’s thrilling win Jos Buttler was bowled in the final over, India v England, 2nd T20, Nagpur, ©AFP
(Reuters) Jasprit Bumrah kept his nerve to send down a brilliant final over and secure India’s series-levelling fiverun victory against England in the second Twenty20 international yesterday. Chasing 145 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, England needed eight runs from the last over but the 23-year-old Bumrah bowled with ice in his veins, conceding only two runs while claiming two wickets. Both Ben Stokes and Joe Root made 38 but their contributions were not enough to get England across the line. Root, though, was unlucky to be given out legbefore on the first ball of the eventful final over with replays suggesting an inside edge. There was no argument, however, when Bumrah bowled Jos Buttler with his fourth delivery of that over. Needing six runs of the last ball, Moeen Ali failed to connect with the Bumrah delivery. Earlier put into bat, India posted a modest 144-8 with opener Lokesh Rahul (71)
Jasprit Bumrah rejoices during his match-winning final over. ©AFP supplying nearly half of the total in an otherwise insipid batting display by the hosts.
Chris Jordan (3-22) drew first blood dismissing Virat Kohli for 21 in the fifth over but Rahul propped up the Indian innings with some crisp hitting, which included six boundaries and a couple of sixes. The right-hander added 56 with Manish Pandey (30) to set the stage for a late assault which never came. Clever bowling by Jordan, Stokes and Tymal Mills, backed up by England’s excellent fielding, stifled the Indian batsmen. The pace trio, time and again, outfoxed the batsmen with well-disguised slower deliveries as boundaries dried up. Jordan enhanced his death-bowling reputation with a tidy final over in which three Indian wickets tumbled with only five runs added to their score. The target was modest but England wobbled early with Ashish Nehra (3-28) dismissing openers Sam Billings and Jason Roy off successive deliveries. After Eoin Morgan’s exit, Root and Stokes looked poised to finish off the contest when Nehra injected fresh life into the match by dismissing Stokes. Beaten in the preceding test and one-day series, England were very much in the contest but Root’s unfortunate dismissal and the lower order’s struggle against Bumrah meant England finished on 139-6. The teams now move to Bangalore for the third and final Twenty20 International which marks the end of England’s tour. Scores: India 144 for 8 (Rahul 71, Jordan 3-22) beat England 139 for 6 (Stokes 38, Root 38, Nehra 3-28) by five runs.
Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
Berbice Volleyball Association had an excellent year in 2016 Dubbed one of the better organisations in the Country
Outstanding players pose with DoS Christopher Jones, GVF President John Flores, BVA President Levi Nedd and Chairman of the proceedings Linden Murray. The Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) had an extremely good year during 2016. That was the sentiment of those gathered when the BVA held their first ever awards and presentation ceremony yesterday at the Port Mourant Community Center. Giving the review of the association performance during the foregoing period was President Levi Nedd. Nedd who took charge of the body in 2016 gave a detailed review of the Association and its performance to a responsive audience in which he estimated that The BVA achieved about 90 percent of its set target. Among those in attendance were Director of Sports Christopher Jones and President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) John Flores. Nedd in his address expressed his thanks and appreciation of being given the opportunity to lead the body. The year 2016 saw the BVA successfully convening elections for office bearers. The aim and objective was to revive the game in the Ancient County by targeting male, female and youths, with the emphasis more on the females, beach volleyball, education and training. For 2016 some 31 teams registered with the BVA in all
categories -senior male, female and junior male. During the year the BVA and teams within the BVA participated in a number of competitions both locally and on the international scene. The year began with the Aswell Mohair tournament at Blairmont, an outreach to Orealla, a suicide prevention tour to Siparuta, an outreach to Black Bush, the playing off of the D’Edward Three Doors Strikers open tournament, the BVA Volleyball Extravaganza which saw 222 players from throughout Berbice participating . The Corriverton Jets and Fyrish Clubs open tournament, a Mashramani Open tournament, an all 4’stournament sponsored by Berbice Chamber of Commerce at Blairmont, a female tournament at Line Path and Two junior tournaments at D’Edward, West Bank Berbice. Among the overseas ventures undertaken was the U19 tour to Trinidad to participate in the Flow senior tournament, a number of goodwill tournaments to Suriname by the senior team, female and U19 male teams. The BVA senior male team toured Boa Vista in Brazil, while the U19 male team successful participation in the Inter Guiana Games competition against Suriname in Guyana.
The BVA also successfully organised referees and coaches seminars as well as sessions for teachers and club officials. Senior male and female teams were shortlisted while teams participated in the Trade wind Tankers tournament. Nedd in his speech highlighted a number of hindrances, which he feels can be overcome and propel Guyana to further heights in the sport. Nedd mentioned sponsorship. Players need something to look forward to, based on the enormous sacrifice that they make to keep the ball flying. As such overseas tours for participation and to have players experiencing the outside arena are organised and funding is realised by petty sponsorship. Most of all players have to go into their pockets. Much more can be done so as to enhance the sport, He urged. Upgraded facilities and training time are also key. “Most training sessions are being done in the afternoon period. Coupled with the fact that many players are employed and work shift, thus hindering the time they have to train. It also hinders the cohesiveness in them training together. To experience effective training it is incumbent upon us to have
lighted facilities so that maximum training time can be realized,” Nedd noted. Team preparations for international ventures are inhibited by late selection of teams. He is advising that a pool of players be kept in training in all categories. The U19 team received special mention for retaining the IGG volleyball title against Suriname. “It must be noted that due to our stringent junior training programme in Berbice we have players available to participate in the IGG as far as 2021,” he stated. Special mention were made of The National Sports Commission, Businessman Balram Shane of Rose Hall Town, Guysuco, The PMTC Alumni – USA Chapter, The Guysuco Training Centre, The Guyana Volleyball Federation , Spready’s Bakery and Snackette , St Francis Developers; Poonai’s Pharmacy Of Rose Hall Town, A. Ally & Sons, M and M of Demerara and Mr. Gregory Rambarran of DTV Channel 8. Nedd said that without a doubt the BVA is the leading association in the country and the mecca for volleyball in Guyana over the years. He ended by urging all present to live up to the challenges facing the BVA. He urged them for 2017 to continue to ‘Dress good, look good and play good.’
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Thompson opens season with fast 7.02secs over 60m at Queen’s/Jackson meet Jamaica Observer - Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson opened her season with a fine personal best clocking of 7.02 seconds to win the women’s 60 metres at the 16th staging of the Queens/Grace Jackson Invitational Meet at the National Stadium Saturday. Thompson, who opened her season at this very meet last year with a 7.17-second clocking, put in an even more impressive display to post what is an early world-leading time and lowered her previous personal best time of 7.04 seconds. The MVP representative has all but signalled her intentions for what could be another impressive season, as her performance in a positive 0.7 metres per second wind speed bettered the previous world-leading time of 7.17 seconds clocked by American English Gardner at an Indoor Grand Prix in Boston earlier Saturday. The 24-year-old, running from lane four, got up well and covered the field coming out of her drive phase to power home despite a late challenge from MVP teammate Christanya Williams (7.05s). Audra Segree (7.27s) of GC Foster College was third. Thompson, the joint 100m national record holder of 10.70 along with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was pleased with the manner in which she opened her account. “This is a very good way to start my season as part of my preparation for Indoors next month. It was a little bit windy and I am not sure if I executed well, but I finished healthy and injury-free and I am happy for that,” she told journalists shortly after the race. “This is a huge PB for me and I am excited. So I am looking forward to my next meet which will be the Milo Relays, hopefully or in Birmingham to go even faster,” a beaming Thompson added. Julian Forte, running from lane three in heat three of the timed final event, won the men’s equivalent in a fast 6.55 seconds in a positive 1.3 metres per second wind speed.
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Monday January 30, 2017
Kaieteur News
GCB HOST AGM MINUS ELECTIONS Berbice clubs attend after a lengthy absence
By Zaheer Mohamed The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held its Annual General Meeting yesterday at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence, LBI, but the election of office bearers was the lone item absent from the agenda. This is because of a pending court matter in which a number of plaintiffs including the GCB have challenged the Cricket Administration Act and certain aspects regarding the constitutionality of the act. Addressing the media after the AGM, Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie said that a motion that came from the OGM in relation to nominations for the positions of the executive committee on the GCB was presented; this was done on October 23 as required by the constitution of the GCB. Sanasie said that the motion which indicated that there was only one nomination for each position was accepted but due to the ongoing court matter, it was ruled that there can be no elections under the act and as a result the election process was not preceded with, therefore those nominations will stand until such time that elections can be held. Sanasie added that after a five-year absence the majority of Berbice clubs including two of their area associations attended the AGM, as well as full delegates from the Essequibo and the Demerara boards. He said that the subject of election is beyond their control since the matter is engaged in the court. “It’s a process where the order clearly states that their have to be a completion of
the constitutional challenge to the cricket bill. I can’t say how long it will take but the board is ready to have elections when the process is over,” he added. Despite the court issues, Sanasie stated that the GCB has been trying their best to develop the game locally adding that Guyana’s cricket has been going places in that the country is being well represented in all forms at the regional level. Sanasie indicated that the clubs in Berbice have approached the GCB with some issues, but while the board have accepted and listened to their concerns, those clubs were told that they need to handle their affairs, adding that the GCB will assist if necessary. He explained that in Demerara the various factions continue to express their challenges but those matters are tied up in the courts so it is beyond their control. When quizzed about Coaching courses, Sanasie explained that the WICB has now move back to the English certification programme and courses will be held shortly. He said that first aid and child protection courses which are a prerequisite to being a certified coach will also be held. The Secretary stated that the local franchise leagues including 50-over, T20 and three-day will continue but the national selection process will be based on cricket that is played through out the year. He informed that the preparation for the Pakistan series in ongoing and they are in the process of finalising a MOU with the WICB.
Hurricanes beat Volcanoes by 184 runs – 12th game ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Leeward Islands Hurricanes defeated Windward Island Volcanoes by 184 runs in the day/night 12th game of the Regional Super50 at Coolidge Cricket Ground here yesterday. Scores: HURRICANES 333 for six off 50 overs (Kieran Powell 135, Rahkeem Cornwall 70 not out, Montcin Hodge 54, Kevon Cooper 28 not out; Liam Sebastien 3-42, Kyle Mayers 2-66). VOLCANOES 149 off 27.2 overs (Kyle Mayers 45, Darren Sammy 37, Shane Shillingford 27; Alzarri Joseph 6-37).
Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie (3rd from left) addresses the media with other members of the executive committee.
Clubs strengthening ahead of Transfer Window closure tomorrow A number of clubs are strengthening their rosters ahead of the next season of the Stag Elite League as well as the various domestic competitions in the associations as the Transfer Window draws to a close tomorrow. Kaieteur news now shares with you the latest transfers that have been sanctioned and approved by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) through which all transfers must be channeled through in order for it to be valid. Elite league clubs Guyana Defence Force and Victoria Kings are leading the list with the most transfers to date, five each while the most prominent name on the list of Player Rockael Reddy Travis Henry Kevin Dundas Leo Lovell Jumal Bristol Kwame Holder Donald McKenzie Alden Lawrence Royon Morrison Inceford Charles Andrew Williams Pierre Joseph Mervin Hardy Ryan Hackett Soloman Austin Tevin Crawford Trenton Lashley Rondel Hutson Kester Jacobs Gideon Payne Jamaal Harvey Trayon Bobb Seon Bobb Leroy Halley Delbert Wilson Ozese Halley
Trayon Bobb
Travis Henry
Gideon Payne
Transfers, Trayon Bobb formerly of Slingerz has now gone back to his original club, Uitvlugt Warriors, the #1 club
in the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA). Kaieteur Sport would continue to keep you up to
date with the movement of players as the window draws to a close at midnight tomorrow.
Former Club Eagles Monedderlust Alpha United Alpha United GFC Slingerz Conquerors GDF Pele Alpha United Mahaica Monedderlust Ann’s Grove Santos Alpha United Pele Slingerz Slingerz Slingerz Slingerz Slingerz Slingerz Slingerz Monedderlust Monedderlust Monedderlust
Former Ass. WDFA. GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF EDFA GFA GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF
New Club GDF GDF GDF GDF GDF Northern Rangers Northern Rangers Victoria Kings Victoria Kings Victoria Kings Victoria Kings Victoria Kings Buxton United Conquerors Conquerors Topp XX Topp XX Den Amstel Den Amstel Den Amstel Uitvlugt Warriors Uitvlugt Warriors Uitvlugt Warriors Ann’s Grove United Ann’s Grove United Ann’s Grove United
New Ass. GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFA GFA GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF GFF WDFA WDFA WDFA WDFA WDFA WDFA EDFA EDFA EDFA
Monday January 30, 2017
Port Mourant Family Fun day and Gymkhana
Banks DIH Limited, Nand Persaud, Benjamin Sports and Republic Bank on board As action day draws nearer a hoard of sponsors led by Beverage Giants Banks DIH Limited, Nand Persaud Group of Companies through its Karibee Rice Brand, Republic Bank Guyana Limited and Benjamin Sports of Fyrish Corentyne, Berbice among others have quickly jumped on board for the staging the first ever Port Mourant Family Fun day and Gymkhana. The much talked about activity which is organised by the Sha’veh Business Enterprise of Portuguese Quarters Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice in association with the People of Port Mourant is slated for Sunday 5th February at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Corentyne Berbice. Other major sponsors on board so far are Jumbo Jet, Colin Elcock Delmor Company, Associated Construction, Lewison General Store, Top Branz Enterprise, Kris Jagdeo Construction, Poonai Pharmacy, Shariff Business Enterprise and Annirude Construction. Music will be supplied by Guyana biggest sound system, the Might Crown Vibes International Sound Company. According to organiser Mr. Sha’veh, the activity is done with the people of Port Mourant in mind and in observance of the Mashramani Celebrations. He said that the Turf Club was a gift from the British to the people of Port Mourant area. So the mega event is being done to bring the people back to the venue which was once the mecca of activities
in the Corentyne area. He feels that it is fitting to do something especially around this Mashramani time that would involve as much persons as possible. Cycling and Horse cart racing have been added to the multitude of activities planned for the day which will be highlighted by the horseracing events. Also on the days programme are donkey racing, climbing the greasy pole, catching the greasy pig, catching the fowl cock, Bun eating, bag and dog races and Gymnastics among other novelty events. There are also flat races involving the top athletics clubs in Berbice. Horses are expected to take part in events such as the H and Lower over 6 ½ Furlongs gallop for a winning purse of $200,000, the race for J and Lower animals, three Years old Guyana Bred non winners race, events for K and Lower, L and Lower and L class non winners. In an effort to involve everyone, the organisers have included two special events. The first is for the horses classified J, K and L that participated during the day but did not win or place. The other event is for horses that would have never raced on a race track in Guyana or the Cow or Cart horses. For more information persons are asked to call organiser Sha’veh on telephone numbers 604-4195 or 671-3343 or Tribuwhan “Gingo” Jagdeo on 618-7278.
Law says Simmons conversation convinced him Windies move was right one BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Newly appointed West Indies coach, Stuart Law, said a conversation with his predecessor Phil Simmons helped convince him he had made the right decision to link up with the Caribbean side. Australian Law was last week confirmed by the West Indies Cricket Board as the new men’s senior team coach on a two-year contract, and will formally assume duties next month ahead of England’s one-day tour. In a recent chance meeting in the United Arab Emirates, Law said Simmons had nothing but praise for the quality attitude of players in the Caribbean. “Funny enough I have just been in Dubai with the Australia under-16 team and I bumped into Phil Simmons. He was very forthcoming with information,” Law told the Courier Mail. “One thing he said was how much the players love cricket and wanted to learn for each other. That really caught my attention. It’s all you really need to hear.’’ Law takes over a West Indies unit which have been on the decline for over a decade and languish at number eight in the ICC Test rankings and number nine in the One-Day Internationals. In fact, the Windies win over Pakistan in Sharjah last November was their first Test victory in 19 months, only their second in 17 matches and first on foreign soil in four years. Law, who has in the past coached Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said he was also encouraged after speaking to WICB president Dave Cameron, and was looking forward to the challenge. “The West Indies job is similar to when I went to Bangladesh and I took over from Jamie Siddons who did a lot of hard yards to make them competitive and I came in and tried to add something a little special on top of that and we got them to an Asian Cup final for the
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Kaieteur News
Newly appointed West Indies head coach, Stuart Law first time in their history which was a huge achievement,” the 48-year-old former Australia international batsman said. “The West Indies are a team on the up and after speaking to the board president about what they have in place it could be a very good period of time.” He added: I’m excited. I have known about the opportunity for quite some time. I had one more thing in the pipeline but I have gone for this and it is a great move.” Of importance to Law will be the Windies Test status and he said he would be working hard to improve the side’s fortunes in the longest format. “One perception people have about West Indian cricket is that they are only T20 focused but I know that is not the case,” he contended. “There are a lot of young players who I know want to play Test cricket. That excites me.’’ Law replaces Simmons who was axed last September, five months after leading West Indies to the capture of the Twenty20 World Cup in India.
Limacol Round Robin / KO Football Competition
Reigning champ Milerock ensure Linden maintain perfect record Round 2 action commences tonight at GFC Reigning champion Milerock ensured that teams out of the Mining community of Linden maintained a perfect record in this year’s Limacol Round Robin / Knockout Football Competition after beating Northern Rangers 2-1 in the feature clash on Saturday, at the GFC ground. On target for the winners were Troy Lewis, who netted in the 10th minute and Akeem Green whose goal came on the stroke of halftime. Their wins follow that of Eagles, who defeated Uitvlugt on Friday at the National Track & Field Centre at Leonora and now places all the Linden-based teams in a strong position to qualify for the knockout phase which will be played following the completion of the round robin segment. Lewis gave them the lead when his fiercely struck right footer from a free-kick taken at the top of the box ricocheted off a defender, before beating the goalkeeper to his left. Milerock bouyed by their early success continued to orchestrate numerous raids and had the Northern Rangers backline scrambling on many occasions to avoid conceding another goal. However, Green just on the stroke of halftime collected a ball from just outside the penalty area and in one flowing motion delivered a missile that flew past the goalkeeper hit the base of the crossbar, before bouncing over the goal-line. The second half saw a more purposeful Northern Rangers, but despite some impressive buildups in the Group-A Team Winners Connection Milerock Northern Rangers Grove Hi-Tech Group-B Team Western Tigers Eagles Uitvlugt NA United Group-C Team Den Amstel Santos Ann’s Grove Pouderoyen Group-D Team Guyana Police Force Mahaica Riddim Squad Camptown
From left Akeem Green and Troy Lewis pose for a photo op. mid-field, getting into the Milerock goal area proved to be a difficult task, while the visitors always looked threatening on every offensive excursion. Devon Johnson, however, was able to penetrate the stubborn Milerock defence and scored a beauty when he bent a free-kick from about 22 yards out past the flailing attempt of the goalkeeper one minute into extra time. It was more of a consolation strike because the final whistle sounded shortly after. Earlier, Winners Connection cruised past Grove Hi Tec by a 3-1 margin with Garey Thompson, Sedrick Hunte and Rawle Gittens netting in the 13th, 32nd and 69th minute respectively. For Grove Hi Tech, the talented Kevin Padmore found the target in the 78th minute.
The competition resumes today with another double header, at the same venue. In the opening fixture at 18:30hrs, Winners Connection will be in action against Northern Rangers, while the feature game pits Guyana Police Force (GPF) against Camptown at 20:30hrs. The winner of each group will be awarded $100,000, while the respective finishers will pocket $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 apiece. The overall winner of the event will take home $500,000 and a trophy, while second, third and fourth placed teams collect $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Banks DIH Limited under the GT Beer Brand, Trophy Stall and Star Party Rentals are also on board. Meanwhile, the current Points Standing is seen below:
GP 1 1 1 1
W 1 1 0 0
L 0 0 1 1
D 0 0 0 0
GF 3 2 1 1
GA 1 1 2 3
GD +2 +1 -1 -2
Pts 3 3 0 0
GP 1 1 1 1
W 1 1 0 0
L 0 0 1 1
D 0 0 0 0
GF 2 2 1 1
GA 1 1 2 2
GD +1 +1 -1 -1
Pts 3 3 0 0
GP 1 1 1 1
W 1 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 1
D 0 1 1 0
GF 2 1 1 0
GA 0 1 1 2
GD +2 0 0 -2
Pts 3 1 1 0
GP 1 1 1 1
W 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
D 1 1 1 1
GF 2 2 1 1
GA 2 2 1 1
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 1 1 1 1
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Kaieteur News
REGIONAL SUPER50
Jaguars aim for another win today Battle ICC Americas in first day match
By Sean Devers in Barbados In Association with Bounty Supermarket, Vnet Communications, Life Time Reality & Ming’s Products & Services The Guyana Jaguars victory over CCC Marooners on Saturday night in the Regional Super50 tournament could be injection the sleeping Jaguars needed to wake them up and provide momentum for them to continue winning as they seek a place in the next m o n t h ’s s e m i - f i n a l s i n Antigua. The win, their first in three matches after losing to Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions, got them moving with five points and today at the Windward ground in Lucas Street they are confident of winning number two against an ICC Americas’ side that remains the only team in zone ‘B’ without a victory in a game scheduled to commence at 09:00hrs. Needing to get 130 in less than 40 overs, the Jaguars lost Assad Fudadin in the third over at 8-1 after he had clipped Rovman Powell for back to back boundaries. The South American Franchise took no chances in pursuit of a bonus point and promoted Raymon Reifer who has represented both Barbados and CCC to number three. The plan worked to perfection as the best all rounder in the Jaguars unit, a title formerly held by IPL a n d We s t I n d i e s p l a y e r Chris Barnwell, belted nine four and a six in a run-aball 67 and added 117 with Rajendra Chandrika who overcame a shaky start to be unbeaten on 44 in the eight wicket win. Te s t leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo struggled badly in the first two matches but produced his best performance against CCC. Left-arm spinner Ve e r a s a m m y Permaul had three wickets, Ronsford Beaton two, while off-spinner Steven Jacobs continued to impress with his third
Steven Jacobs
Devendra Bishoo
Raymon Reifer
Alex Amsterdam
frugal spell in three games. Guyana has never played against ICC Americas before and Johnson, a West Indies Test player, disclosed that his team is confident of another victory today. The Jaguars have tried two different opening pairs in three matches and are yet to get a solid opening partnership but could go again with Fudadin and Chandrika today. Shiv Chanderpaul joined Kraigg Braithwaite and Kieron Powell as the batsmen with centuries in this year’s tournament and need 32 runs to pass Floyd Reifer as the leading scorer in Regional 50-over cricket and two more centuries to join Brian Lara (4) as the leading centurion in the this tournament which began in 1976. Barnwell should have another chance to impress with the bat, while Anthony Bramble, Jacobs, Bishoo and Permaul provide Guyana with a potent batting line-up, at least on paper. The outfield at the Windward ground is big and fast while the pitch is
to be good for batting and Johnson, who has lost the toss in every game, would hope that changes today. The ICC Americas have two Guyanese in their squad in Berbician Alex Amsterdam and Akeem Dodson who played for city side Malteenoes. They will depend on 22-year-old lefthanded opener Kamau Leverock, nephew of Bermuda left arm spinner Dwayne Leverock and Keeper Srimantha Wijeratne, the 27-year old Colombian, to give ICC Americas a firm foundation at the top for Canadian Nitish Kumar, Amsterdam and Dodson to build on. The 22-year-old Nikhil Dutta, the Kuwait born Canadian played for the Patriots in the CLP and has one ODI to his name while Nicholas Standford will be on home soil. A lot is expected from Jamaican Timroy Allen, Pakistan born Canadian left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar, Pakistan born USA leg spinner Timil Patel and 23-year American pacer Jasdeep Singh to get the wickets.
Monday January 30, 2017
Curry sizzles for 43 points as Warriors slice up Clippers (The Sports Xchange) Stephen Curry bombed in five three-pointers in a personal 25-point, third-quarter explosion, helping the Golden State Warriors run away from the Los Angeles Clippers in a 144-98 victory on Saturday. The All-Star starter, playing at home for the first time since the formal announcement last week, poured in a game-high 43 points, delivering the Warriors (40-7) an eighth consecutive regular-season win against their Western Conference rival. The 46-point victory margin was the Warriors’ biggest of the season. The Clippers, meanwhile, had not previously lost by more than 26 this year. Curry swished a 51-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the second quarter but his best was yet to come. He connected on eight of his 11 shots, including five of his eight three-point attempts in the third quarter, during
which the Warriors went for 45 points and ran off to a 11774 lead. Despite not playing in the fourth period, Curry recorded his third 40-point game of the season and came within three of his season-high, set in November against New Orleans. Kevin Durant contributed 23 points and a team-high seven assists, and Klay Thompson had 16 points for the Warriors, who notched their fifth straight home win. Curry (9-for-15), Durant (3-for-4) and Thompson (2for-3) combined for 14-for22 shooting from threepoint range, as the Warriors made half their 34 attempts from beyond the arc as a team. Curry also found time for a team-high nine rebounds and six assists, helping Golden State gain a 48-32 advantage on the boards and record 30-plus assists for the 31st time this season with 35.
The Warriors are now 301 when logging 30 or more assists in a game. Blake Griffin, playing for just the second time since returning from knee surgery, led the Clippers with 20 points. J.J. Redick added 13 points for Los Angeles (30-18), which has not beaten the Warriors in the regular season since Dec. 25, 2014. The Clippers fell to 1-4 since losing star guard Chris Paul to thumb surgery. The Warriors gained an immediate upper hand in the game when Griffin drew two early fouls and was pulled in the contest’s fifth minute. Golden State went up by as many as 11 in the quarter, then pulled away with a 41-point second period that featured 5-for-5 shooting on threepointers. Curry had two threes in the run, including his curtaincloser on the half from one step beyond half court.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the basketball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Serena to play fewer tournaments... From page 35 2016, Serena won 288 matches, second only to Poland’s Agnieska Radwanska, who won 289. But while Radwanska lost 107 matches in that period, Serena lost just 29. Mouratoglou said Indian Wells, in March, would be Serena’s next stop but didn’t expect to see her at too many events before the next grand slam, the French Open, which begins on May 29. “We’ve already done the schedule for the whole year,” Mouratoglou said. “It doesn’t
mean that the schedule is not going to change, it’s meant to adapt to situations. But generally speaking it’s already set for the whole season.” Mouratoglou said numbers alone were not the main factor behind Serena’s continuing hunger, even in her 20th year on tour. “She was not motivated by 22, she was motivated to win grand slams,” he said. “That’s her motivation. This won’t change until she maybe one day wakes up and is not motivated to win grand
slams, but for now she is. That’s enough. The record is not the thing that makes her play.” And Mouratoglou said Serena would not obsess over the record of 24 held by Court. “With all the respect for Margaret Court, it was another era, the draws were like 16 players and they were not professionals,” he said. “Of course the record is here and we definitely want to beat it, but there was a professional era and the record was Steffi Graf.”