Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

THE KILLINGS CONTINUE In Guyana, the people have seen it all in terms of the vicious crime being committed against them almost daily. Many are horrified and traumatized and have taken shelter in their houses outfitted with iron bars. If nothing else, the multiple brazen killings that marked the start of 2016 have reminded Guyanese how dangerous the country has become and how brutal the criminals are. The killings have also made law enforcement aware of what they will be up against in 2016. The headlines screaming the daily murders send a grim and chilling message to the people that criminals still torment the hapless. It is the same in every country. For example, scarcely a day passes without a report of a shooting or murder by some other means. The safety of the public is not guaranteed anywhere. Gun violence, murders, rapes and armed robberies are common. Guyana is not exempt. The police have their work cut out for them as the criminals continue to be emboldened despite the heightened arrests. Gun violence resulting in deaths has become a reality of life in today’s society. And if the beginning of 2016 is any yardstick to measure the ruthless behavior of the criminals in Guyana, then the people and the police are in for a rude awakening. Despite the assurances given to the public by the Guyana government that the police will step up their game against the criminals, yet murders and armed robberies are committed in broad daylight. The criminals are so bold that they do not wait for darkness to commit crimes. This type of lawlessness and runaway violence has become the norm in a society in which anyone could be robbed and murdered anywhere and at any time of the day. Age, gender or status will not deter the criminals, who have no sanctity for life or respect for anyone. In less than two weeks into the New Year, the police arrested the alleged killers of the British born Dominic Bernard at Kildonan on the Corentyne and Doodnauth Rajkumar and Diane Charmalall of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. Several other hardcore criminals have been arrested and several gangs disbanded. While the efforts by the police are impressive, crime and gun violence continue to spiral out of control. The drive to take illegal firearms off the streets under the gun amnesty programme last year had limited success. For one reason, Guyana’s borders are very porous and this has made it very easy for guns to enter the country illegally and undetected. Today, there are more guns and ammunition that are available on the streets for the criminals than any time before, thus confirming the inability of the government to control the situation. However, the people are still very hopeful that the government will eventually succeed in the battle against crime this year. The methods used by the Police to assess and combat crime are old and well known. While the government and the police experiment with new crime-fighting strategies, the people are waiting with bated breath. And even though the police have succeeded in solving more murders and armed robberies recently, they must fine tune their crime fighting techniques in order to have an upper hand on the criminals. The people are looking forward to the day when the government and the police can keep them safe from the criminals. But it will take a spirited effort by the government and all stakeholders to fix the problem. Legislations that gave police and prosecutors the tool to fight crime and gang-busting have been in place for a while, but they have hardly yielded much positive results in the past. They may or may not be outdated, but the government must put an end to this lawlessness killing that has brought home some painful feelings in the first five days in 2016, when six persons were murdered.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Letters... Where your views make the news

Picket Hamilton Green and Royston King DEAR EDITOR, In the Stabroek News edition of Saturday 16, 2016, some disgruntled persons co-signed a letter that was addressed to the President. Their beef is the City Council’s arbitrary move to implement a parking lot in the East Street area. In his reply, not the President, the Mayor, said, “that the Council would be keeping the parking lot.” In other words, this is a done deal. Now if the Mayor had stopped there that would have been fine. Except he decided in his capacity, the right to talk down to the residents of the city. “People always want to drive everywhere. They want to go to the hospital, market, everywhere they want to drive.” And since the Mayor knows everything, he knows that “most of the signatures were from persons who weren’t even residing in the area.” This man is so full of hubris, it is overwhelming. The unfortunate thing about this entire episode, however, is the ability of

the Council to ride roughshod over the people of East Street. And the reason why this is done is because you people who live in a democracy still do not know what democracy means. Because if you did the letter you sent to the President would not have been sent. Citizens who have the franchise, do not beg in a democracy; they demand. Democracy is not only about voting, then going home and going to bed. No, democracy is much more than that. Democracy is a process that you the citizen have to work at. Let me pull your coats to a few tenets of democracy. 1. Citizens involvement in decision making. (were you, people involve or included in this decision?) 2. A rule of Law 3. The freedom to dissent, without fear of reprisal. 4. Liberty and freedom 5. Education 6. Those with power (the politicians) are responsible to the people they govern and not the other

way around. 7. In a democracy citizens do not beg they DEMAND. Since parking in the lot is beyond your capacity to pay then ignore it. Leave it barren, in other words boycott it. Leave it for the personnel that the Mayor identified. There are several places you can park within the area, though you might have to walk two or three blocks to retrieve your vehicle. The next thing you need to do is to get your bodies into the street. According to the reports, all of you claim to have over a hundred followers, well have them picket (which is allowed in a democracy) the Mayor’s house and the Deputy Mayor’s house and the Town Clerk’s house including City Hall simultaneously. You will get their undivided attention. Personally my feeling is that we should get rid of the present people who make up the City Council. I am happy that the LGE is coming soon. Milton Bruce

Quoting James Baldwin in the debate on crime in Guyana MR. EDITOR, In response to the seemingly high level of crime at present occurring in Guyana the government has, predictably, taken steps to improve the capacity of the criminal justice system. As I understand it the Canadians are at present helping our police improve its investigative capacity. Government has promised a significant sum of money for use in efforts aimed at improving the functioning of our courts with special emphasis on the delivery of swift justice. Also there are indications that steps are being taken to improve the functioning of our rehabilitative agencies. While all these are commendable developments it would be naïve for us to feel that an improved and well-functioning criminal justice system, by itself, will lead to a significant reduction in crime. Here in the USA rehabilitative agencies are generally staffed by well

trained professionals who employ the most modern techniques and embrace a variety of well thought out programs. But in a study done by National Institute of Corrections in which the researchers followed 108,580 adults released from prison in eleven (11) states it was found that within 3 years, 62.5% had been re-arrested and 46.8% were reconvicted. So the uncomfortable truth is that the rehabilitative programs under taken by both juvenile facilities and prisons have not brought us as a nation the results we had anticipated. So, if the justice system is not have the effect of deterring our young people from becoming involved in crime, then it would seem that our best efforts for fighting crime, is for us to do all we can to prevent crimes from occurring in the first place. To do this we need to first understand what give rise to most criminal activities. In this regard I will focus my attention on street crimes,

since these make up the bulk of crime in Guyana and the main source of citizens concern and fear. Mr. Editor, years ago in a letter appearing in the Stabroek News of the 12th June, 2012, I suggested that much of the street crime in Guyana have social structural implications. Those interested in fully understanding my argument in support of this claim can peruse the above mentioned edition. I argued that generally in Guyana we are all socialized to pursue individual success which is defined as having enough material resources to afford certain things. For example a comfortable home, a fairly modern car, nice clothing, the ability to offer our children the finest possible education and at least one family holiday annually. This represents the socially acceptable ends that our socialization imbedded in us that we ought to work (Continued on page 23)

The PPP deliberately neglected Georgetown DEAR EDITOR, Permit me space in your daily to give my bit about the marvelous job the Mayor and City Council has been performing since the change of government. I’ve heard the Council’s excuse time and time again about political interference being the reason why they were not performing, and for a very long time Georgetown residents suffered, living with clogged drains, flooding, dirty, garbage- ridden streets, vagrant invasion, and the list continued. I often wondered why this was happening, because we had a Government and a Council in place. Both sides blamed each other, but I think now it is plain to see who had been stifling whom. I have come to believe now that the former government played a most vital

role in the deliberate degradation of the Capital. After all, they never enjoyed Georgetown’s support. Nonetheless change is here and I am proud to be living in the city. I am still stunned at the beauty which was hidden under all that filth. I am also still very surprised at the short time the Council took to pull this off. There are major changes taking place and work is still ongoing in every corner of the city. The once abandoned, neglected Merriman’s Mall is now alive, fancy and vibrant. I see many families now go to the newly built playground. Such a major child recreational feature has never been promoted on this scale in the city. And the beautiful thing is that even poor families can now regularly enjoy such a high quality experience. I even

see other playgrounds and recreational areas being constructed in small communities. The one in my Roxanne Burnham Gardens area is still under construction but I already like what I see. Editor, I can go on and on about the revitalizing and beautifying, cleaning and clearing, (the fact that I can now see the bottom of a gutter) the attempts to fix the bus stop situation, the congestion situation, parking, buildings, communities etc. etc. One thing is most clear is that change has come for Georgetown. Kudos to the Mayor and City Council. Congratulations to Mr. Royston King and his team. If not all, at least this citizen is rooting for you and I hope to provide useful ideas in my next letter Peter Ramlall

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Don’t make our hands Start exporting fruits to fall, Mr. Commissioner the Caribbean as I did DEAR EDITOR, According to Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud, some of the reasons behind wanted murderers freely roaming the streets of Guyana are poor communication and limited ranksKaieteur News, January 18, 2016. Are the police doing enough to track down wanted persons? Poor excuse one may say, but then again, things are what they are. Innumerable questions have begun to surface and they died with equal subsidence as to whether or not the long arm of the law has been reaching out far enough, or has subtle amputation taken place. The Commissioner failed to outline or elucidate what exactly were the number of things which were preventing the police from identifying and picking up wanted men. While the ranks have seemingly been suffering from lack of setups, the public fuelled by upsets at the delay were perpetuating their own self-activated brand of grab and nab. Imagine the

wanted men being right under the nose of the ranks in broad day and night light and still not detected. The fugitives such as Shawn Fordyce and Seon Anthony Edwards basking in the rays of freedom, must have gone to bed each night smiling at how easily they continued to outwit those who were trained to be and see better. Called into question is an accounting of what measures are currently in place for wanted alleged murderers. Is there a wanted list, and if so to which agencies, if any, are they circulated? Do present circumstances indicate a crying need for the immediate initiation of a National Crime information Center, and a computerized database that is accessible to law enforcement agencies nationwide and worldwide? Should any agency inquire about the individual then they will be informed of his fugitive status. Have the police been utilizing the local media to its maximum? Utilizing the tremendous power of publicity in getting

the public assistance in capturing dangerous wanted individuals who would otherwise flee the country or remain unrecognizable? There is no need to rank the list, but the list should be commonly posted in public places like is done in countries abroad. This latter mentioned measure has resulted in some cases of the actual fugitives turning themselves in on becoming aware of their listing. As we move forward as a nation bolstered by the thought of change that looms on the horizon, all efforts should be made to institute measures that would bring the change within range especially as it applies to those who to coin a well known Guyanese saying “believe that they can commit murder and get away with it.” Both the call and the ball lies within the hands of Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, and with the full support of the Guyanese populace here’s hoping that he does not make their hands to fall. Yvonne Sam

The highest stage of humanity is the soul

DEAR EDITOR, With members of the IRO this week I was fortunate to visit with our President. I admire his optimism. In my own words this is what he said” I have gone beyond all that now…I (speaking about racial unity) I am concern with National Unity, integrating people on a national scale, concerned with bridging the gaps between those on the coast lands and the hinterlands” He was concerned with economic and social unity. He was concerned with total human integration. What a vision. Our President is an optimist. Hear what he said about suicide in the news” People who are happy do not commit suicide” The importance of this statement seems to have been lost on the populace and I wish to turn our attention to it once again. Why should happy people commit suicide? Unhappy people want to move on or move away from a place where the atmosphere is oppressive , uncomfortable and pessimistic. I often remarked to my friends that when I was in primary school our population was 700,000 persons; today it is the same. Today I am sixty five years old. What happened during those years? No growth, people drift. Does this correspond with

the reason for suicide? Is it a fact that the vulnerable minds of victims of suicide are unduly influenced by an uncomfortable, oppressive atmosphere that is accentuated by the daily doses of social, economic and political pessimisms and these are replayed even at the family level? What part do our personal and national histories play in the decadent thinking and conditioning of our minds? Are we stuck in a bitter past? What is done is done. It cannot be undone. If our problem is our parental negligence in early childhood or colonial master policy of divide and rule, why should we allow bitterness and cynicism to dominate our minds to this day? It is a waste on mental energy. While past and future are necessary consideration for the purposes of planning we must be mindful of our thoughts and actions of today. A positive future would depend on positive thinking today. Our pessimisms would carry over to tomorrow, then we will be arguing about what we should have done today. As our President said happy minds do not contemplate suicide. Here is a role for religion and spiritual organisations. They are the people that are concerned with the salvation of humanity. They are

concerned with the third and highest aspect of humanity; that is our soul or spirit. At the mental and physical levels we are failing miserably. The psychiatrist and the medical/ social workers are doing their best but need help because they are working only at the levels of the body and mind. In the thinking of Albert Einstein one cannot correct a fault at the level at which it appears. We need to go higher to have a clearer perspective. It is time the faith based organisation awake and consider their role in shielding the vulnerable minds from the insufferable pessimisms that are choking it and damning the soul. However, you look at it. whether voluntary suicide is contemplated by failure in relationships at home, school or workplaces or other causes (Continued on page 23)

DEAR EDITOR, Experience shows that no one on earth is perfect, only God is perfect. I make this statement because I cannot understand how so called intelligent politicians can continue to encourage members of the public to demonstrate against progress. When one attempts to analyze progress one has to look at the situation as a whole. I am looking at the statement that Wales Estate will be closed down for good by year end. While it is true that lots of people will lose their jobs, this is not the end. One has to look at the development of the country as a whole. Currently there is talk about more companies being given an opportunity to search for oil in Guyana. Also the current oil find will begin to kick off soon. Does this not give anyone an

idea that lots of jobs are in the pipe line? So there is great possibility that anyone losing their jobs at Wales Sugar Estate will be able to find a job elsewhere. Some politicians seem to talk for talk sake without analyzing the logics of their statements. By the statements being made it is clear that the opposition, PPP does not intend to allow this present Government to succeed, and continue holding on to any straw that they feel can bring the Government down or place them in a unsafe position. That is why I am saying no one is perfect and if any politician is serious in making a contribution to our beloved country Guyana, they must be man enough to accept and publicly approve the good things this Government is doing and offer to assist in things that they believe is wrong so that the whole Guyana may benefit.

This is the way to go and not waste time picketing and publicly demonstrating. This will not take you anywhere. I would suggest that since the sugar industry comes under the Ministry of Agriculture that the lands used for planting sugar cane could be now used for agricultural products much needed in the Caribbean. I am not just talking hot air. I personally used to ship pineapple on a large scale to Barbados and Trinidad when the flying fish season comes up in Barbados much lime and lemon, plantain and other vegetables were needed. So there is a definite market in the Caribbean and even further field. When one door is closed several other doors are opened. Stop stupid criticism and come up with constructive suggestions Jonas Coddett Attorney-at-Law

Former AFC official is critical of Minister David Patterson DEAR EDITOR, It is the responsibility of the government to make sure that the rates payers of GPL and the taxpayers are getting their money’s worth. GPL is known for its inefficiencies and mismanagement. GPL is known for having poor human relations and poor customer relations; it does not need a CEO and a Minister who will compound its problems. GPL needs a CEO with the proper qualifications and the relevant and appropriate experience to solve its problems. GPL cannot continue to work with a failed model and a CEO who the public does not have confidence in. The people are frustrated with the constant power blackouts which have destroyed their electrical appliances and if the government does not act, it will lose credibility. The Minister believes that he is not accountable to the public. If the Government does not act and put an end to such arrogance by the Minister, it will definitely lose credibility and would likely feel the

wrath of the people. The Minister must be held accountable fortemptuous actions. In fact, only three Ministers from the AFC - Natural Resources, Public Communications and Business - are performing efficiently. GPL was profitable in 2015 but not from any changes or improvement in services but mainly from declining fuel prices. There are absolutely no improvements to the operations of GPL which continues to overcharge the customers and underserve them. The people are experiencing constant blackouts and there are no plans or policies in place to end them anytime

soon. What is worst is that this inefficient and irresponsible attitude at GPL continues to get the full political support of the Minister who seems to lack the knowledge of the operations and functions of GPL. Maybe, they are too complicated for the Minister to understand because of his lack of experience and because he is slow to learn. The people expect better service from GPL, less blackouts, and more qualified personnel to run it and a Minister who is accountable and fair. It is time for the Government to act on behalf of the people. Asquith Rose

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

GPHC laboratory achieves Gail Teixeira calls on Govt. to push renewed GNBS certification ahead with Integrity Commission Department urged to strive for international accreditation The Laboratory Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC) has achieved recertification under the Guyana National Bureau

of Standards, (GBNS). The certificate was handed over to officials of laboratory at a simple forum held at GPHC, yesterday.

The GNBS certification is a requirement of the Health Facilities Licensing Act of 2007. The GPHC Medical Laboratory undergoes the process of re-certification every two years under the Laboratory Certification Programme. The documentation was issued after the laboratory is recognised for meeting the requirements of the Guyana Standard (GYS 170) – General requirements for the operation of a Laboratory. GNBS carries out surveillance and monitoring activities during the period of certification to ensure that laboratories are maintaining the system. Through its National Laboratory Certification programme, the GNBS determines whether laboratories involved in testing, measurement and or calibration activities are satisfying the criteria outlined in the National Standard. During the handing over ceremony, Executive Director of the GNBS, Evadnie Enniss, congratulated the staff of the Unit on their excellent performance in the standards and quality of service they delivered. But while she congratulated the department on its achievement, the GNBS Director urged the Unit to work towards attaining greater heights. Ennis encouraged the department to strive towards acquiring accreditation of the ISO 15189 Standard, which is recognized internationally. International accreditation will give the work of the laboratory universal recognition and acceptance. This accreditation provides a uniformed approach for determining laboratory competence by encouraging laboratories to adopt globally accepted testing and measurement practices. This effectively reduces costs for manufacturers, importers and consumers. It also reduces or eliminates the need for products to be retested in another country. Laboratory Director of GPHC, Dr. Pheona MohamedRambarran in her remarks to (Continued on page 21)

Being in Office for just over eight months now, it is pathetic for A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government to still be blaming the Opposition for certain things, especially the non-existence of a decent and independent Integrity Commission. That was the contention of Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, as she stood in Parliament on Thursday last to speak to an Income tax motion. The Motion was one that called for all Members of Parliament to publicly declare their income tax for the last 10 years. It also called for the House to pass legislation to give effect to the Motion. That will however not be happening as a result of government proposed amendments to the Motion. Teixeira’s argument, like her colleagues on the opposition benches, was that such a motion would speak to the integrity of the politicians and promote a positive image. She told the House that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is still waiting on the government to nominate persons for both the Integrity

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira Commission and the Human Rights Commission. “You cannot still be blaming us for the Integrity Commission. You are in office now; you have been in office for eight months now. You do it,” said Teixeira. Amendments submitted from the government for the Motion included a promise that the government will ensure that the Integrity Commission is allowed to function as a legitimate and fully operational independent institution within the first half of 2016. The law empowering

the Integrity commission, which stipulates that certain categories of the public officials must declare their assets, was passed in 2000. The law stipulates that the President in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition will decide on those who are to form the Commission. Members of Parliament of the APNU and AFC have not been submitting their information to the Integrity Commission while in Opposition as they did not approve of the Chairman.

Linden carpenter charged with killing reputed wife A carpenter, who is alleged to have fatally stabbed his reputed wife, before attempting to take his own life, was on Thursday remanded to prison charged with murder. It is alleged that on January 18, last, at Phase One B Wisroc Squatting Area, Linden, Clarence Carter killed 34year-old Leolyn Sullivan. He was not required to plead to the charge, after it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The accused, who was clad in a jersey and denim jeans, had a bandage across his throat area. He had no legal representation. According to reports, Sullivan was stabbed to death early Monday morning allegedly by her 57-year-old reputed husband, during a

Murdered: Leolyn Sullivan

Charged: Clarence Carter

heated argument over some pictures that were in her cell phone. It was reported that the woman had left home for Georgetown since last Friday to transact business and did not make contact with Carter throughout the weekend. The now dead woman is reported to have made an unsuccessful bid to escape by jumping through a louvre window, shattering several panes

in the process. She died before receiving medical attention. Sullivan’s daughters were also injured during the altercation. After the incident, the accused is said to have slashed his throat in an attempt to take his own life. He was admitted to the hospital and subsequently charged. This matter was transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for February 2.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Islamist gunmen kill 17 in Somalia beach restaurant attack

Relatives carry the body of their kin killed in an attack at beachside restaurant Beach View Cafe on Lido beach, in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, yesterday (Reuters/Feisal Omar) At least 17 people were killed in the Somali capital of Mogadishu when five Islamist gunmen set off bombs and stormed a popular beachfront restaurant late on Thursday, Somali police said. Al Shabaab, a militant group aligned with al Qaeda, said its fighters set off two car bombs at the Beach View Cafe on Mogadishu’s popular Lido beach, and engaged in a gun battle for hours with government troops trying to flush them out. “The operation ended at 3 a.m. and at least 17 civilians were killed,” police officer Osman Nur told Reuters. Somalia’s security minister, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed, said four of the gunmen were killed and one was captured alive.

“The government forces rescued hundreds of civilians who were dining there,” he told state-run Radio Muqdisho. Police said al Shabaab fighters set off the first car bomb at dusk. A huge second blast, which witnesses said echoed around the city center, struck about an hour later as government soldiers laid siege to the restaurant. Al Shabaab, which regularly targets hotels and restaurants in the capital, seeks to topple the Western-backed government and impose a strict version of Islamic law across Somalia, a nation racked by conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 1991. The group at one point controlled most of Somalia, including the capital

Mogadishu, but in recent years an African Union peacekeeping force has wrestled most of that territory away from the group. Somalia’s prime minister urged the public to remains calm and called the attack on a civilian target was a desperate move by a group facing annihilation. “Let it remain clear that (the attack) will not hamper the commitment of my government and that of our people to resurrect Somalia,” Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke said in a statement. The attack came a week after al Shabaab overrun an African Union base near the Kenyan border, saying they had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers. Kenya has not commented on the toll.

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Saturday January 23, 2016

Watchdog body says Ministry dragging foot on steel pan investigations Corruption watchdog body, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) has slammed the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport for its sloth in an investigation involving steel pans.

According to TIGI yesterday, on June 23, 2015, it received a complaint alleging that the state-owned steel pans were being misused by staffers of the department.

“The complainant elaborated that staff had been using the steel pans for personal gain at events not sanctioned by the Department of Culture, Youth & Sport. The complainant went on to

indicate that senior officials were aware of the problem but have failed to intervene.” After receiving the complaint, TIGI said that it wrote to Minister within the Ministry of Education,

Nicolette Henry, on the matter on July 2, 2015. “Following up on our letter, we called the Ministry and were told that it had been forwarded to another senior official who will handle the

matter. We awaited feedback from this official for several weeks but to no avail. We then sent a follow-up e-mail on August 14, 2015 urging an investigation into the complaint and requested that the findings be forwarded to us. We received a response the same day stating that the Ministry had launched an investigation into all related complaints and that a copy of the report will be forwarded to us upon completion.” TIGI said that more than five months later, no report has been received by TIGI. “After several follow-up e-mails and phone calls, we were told by the senior official in November 2015, three months after stating that an investigation was ongoing, that the Ministry had expected a report to be available by the end of August but it had not yet been completed.” TIGI noted that as an organization committed to eradicating corruption in Guyana, it is appalled and disappointed at the sloth demonstrated in investigating and reporting on such an important matter. “We expected that a Ministry would work with a greater sense of urgency towards protecting its integrity. We would like to strongly encourage organizations, particularly Government agencies to take matters of accountability seriously and to uphold high standards of transparency by disclosing information to the public in a timely manner. This is important in building trust with your citizens. We are still hoping to see the findings of this investigation some time soon.”

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

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POLITICS IS ALSO A CAUSE OF VIOLENCE Political parties, and particularly the PNCR, should not attempt to extricate themselves from the culture of violence in which the country is ensnared. It is one thing to speak about the violence that erupted from 2002; it is another thing to ignore its links to political crises in the country. A crisis erupted in Guyana following the 2001 elections. Buxton was the starting point of that eruption after agitators complained that election material was being removed, as is the norm after any election. This was just the pretext for subsequent violence that erupted later that day not just at Buxton but at a number of communities along the East Coast. The violence on that day was orchestrated and organized. It was not spontaneous. The prison escapees used Buxton as their base to launch attacks on innocent Guyanese. The gang that was in Buxton even went against the women of Buxton. They burnt down an old lady’s home. They raped the women of Buxton and launched bloody robberies from that base. The gunmen, through their spokesman, Andrew Douglas, who was later killed in a shootout in Sheriff Street, claimed his men were freedom

fighters. In whose cause were they fighting? Not a single target related to the PNC was touched during the many forays of that gang which emerged after the 2001 elections. The PNC lost those elections. It had also lost the 1997 elections and it was after that defeat that there was violence and looting in the streets of Georgetown following prolonged street protests after the then PNC leader launched his “slow fyah, more fyah” campaign. There is a history of violence in this country following political conflict. The violence of the 1960s’ is part of that history. The PPP was tormented by protests and violence from 1961 to 1964. There was violence following the 1992 and 1997 elections. Every time there has been a political crisis in this country, there has been an upsurge in criminal activities. The link between violence in the society and violence in the homes must therefore also apply to political violence and not just to criminal violence. Time and time again there has been correlation between political crisis and criminal violence. Domestic violence existed long before the problems of the post 2001 period. This

Dem boys seh...

Today Jagdeo tun a bigger boy In some countries today would have been a national holiday. Dem boys don’t mek joke wid religion but at least de world does observe de birthday of two great men. In de modern day people does mek dem birthday holidays too. North Korea mek Kim Il Sung birthday a national holiday and when he dead dem mek he son birthday a holiday. Now de son dead and dem mekking de grandson birthday a holiday. Dem boys seh that fuh some people birthday is a special thing. When Jagdeo was president nuff restaurant would cook up a storm fuh him pun he birthday. If you go in some of dem and try to buy food dem would tell you that dem ain’t got none because somebody order all. Friends use to tek money from de treasury to buy gifts to impress him. Dem boys seh that Jagdeo got a safe with more diamonds than de queen of England. He got some gold band too. Rob de Earth did tek some gold that he get from dem mines and he give Jagdeo as a gift. One man even send a woman as a special gift. Dem boys seh that Jagdeo stop talk to that man and not because he was a moral person. Well today is he birthday again. He collect he pension de other day and he decide that he gun spend some money pun a birthday bash. He only invite ten people. But dem boys promise to invade de party and stop it because when he was president he was de threatening person. He threaten everybody, even Sam and mek Sam resign. He threaten doctors, that is why he don’t risk going to any hospital in Guyana. He frighten. He threaten dem air traffic controllers and he get he ministers to threaten dem diplomats. Dem boys intent to do more than threaten. Dem intend to invite him out and tek him to a place wheh dem think he gun get de best party of he life. Dem gun tek he to a cell fuh de party of he life. De gift gun be a long sentence. Talk half and tell Jagdeo to keep he promise to sell he chandlier to de Waterfalls boss man.

violence still exists. There is no empirical evidence that it is higher today. It is more deadly though. The violence in homes has continued since May 11, 2015 despite the fact that there was no unrest in the country. The PPP made their excuses about the elections but they did not launch the sort of political protests that the PNCR had launched after

the 1997 and 2001 elections. If anything may be said it is that with Inspector Gadget and all the other so- called “freedom fighters roaming, women felt safer at home than in the streets at that time. The PPP used the excuse of drug gangs being responsible for the post-2002 violence because it did not wish to admit to its helplessness in the face of the assaults by

these criminal gangs. They therefore tried to pass it off as the work of drug gangs, but it believed that there were political undertones and possible links to this violence. A great deal of political revisionism is taking place today. An attempt is being made to link domestic violence to criminal violence and to violence within the State. There may be such links

but if such links exist there is no plausible reason why political conflict cannot be added as a cause of domestic violence.

Civil society must play increased ‘watch dog’ role in extractive industries By Jarryl Bryan The Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI) held a workshop at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre yesterday as part of efforts to collaborate with the Government of Guyana with the latest advent of crude oil being discovered off Guyana’s Stabroek Block. During the workshop Dr. Roger Hosein, a lecturer and researcher of energy trade at the University of West Indies (UWI), urged that the oil belongs to the people of Guyana and not politicians. In light of this, Dr. Hosein decried the fact that civil society is not more hands on and involved in keeping the administration in check. “I am not coming to you to recommend harsh measures. I am coming to tell you that the oil in the ground is not the politicians own.” “Civil society’s role extends throughout the economy,” Hosein said. “Like those in the Caribbean, civil society is a great watch dog, especially when billions of US dollars are at stake. We cannot rely on a government where we have an influence once every five years. Civil society can correct some of the gaps in between the five year period.” Hosein stated that the EITI would help add value to the process, with its measures bringing the process out into the open. He made it clear that if a company wanted to make huge profits out of its venture, but did not want a penny to go back into the economy, then civil society should have a great deal to say about that.

- Trinidad economist

Economist, Dr. Roger Hosein “The government and the politicians, yes they are in power, but the power must not be so magnanimous during the five years. We have to challenge them on a continuous basis. The civil society movement in Guyana basically needs to become more aggressive. It has to move from dead to aggressive.” Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, spoke to the trend in the oil and gas sector during a recent seminar. Stressing a cautioned approach and its inherent benefits, Trotman also sought to remind the forum that managing an emerging sector such as oil, requires careful planning. “Preparation for the development of a full-fledged Hydrocarbon sector will take many years and requires a strengthening of institutional frameworks not only within the natural resources sector but also in the spheres of business services, foreign affairs, the justice and educa-

tion systems, social protection, and the environment just to name a few,” Trotman had said. “An entire nation has to get on board together and with one plan of action. I ask aloud and rhetorically – will we allow our political differences to divide and diminish our potential once again?” He observed that as recent oil price fluctuations and its impact have shown, managing a new extractive industry is a major challenge for many of the governments in the developing world. He said that the past 30 years are replete with examples of Governments that have not adequately developed institutions and regulatory frameworks that allow for an effective functioning of the industry; “including the use of oil and gas revenues to finance policies that are economically conducive to both growth and poverty reduction, or to weather the storms of oil price swings.”

According to Trotman, “Those that chose to run through the open door unmindful of the force behind it have paid a heavy price.” Time can be a friend or foe, he said, depending on “how we utilise it…Guyana will respect time and not rush it.” He noted a world energy demand growing and projected to be 37 per cent higher in 2035 with India and China accounting for half the growth while in the near future, projections of oil prices suggest an increase from today’s average of US$46 per barrel to an average of US$59 in 2016 and climbing. According to Trotman, this fact declares that there is room and much benefit for Guyana to not only provide for its energy needs but also to join the energy provision market. He said, too, that it also raises a number of issues with which the country must treat responsibly such as embracing “a new world order that expects transparency in the management processes and equity in the sharing of natural resources as equally as it demands respect for the environment, and a lessening of global warming and the movement towards the greening of the economy which is an inevitability whose time has come.” Trotman had also sought to assure that the development of the Hydrocarbon sector must be implemented on the basis of the country-specific political and socio-economic context.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The Traffic Chief gave his word; I will hold him to it On Thursday morning, I rang the Traffic Chief after reading a public statement put out by the police administration that traffic personnel are not permitted to conduct routine stop of drivers and demand to see their documents. They are under instructions to stop a vehicle only if they observe a violation has occurred. I will come to what the Traffic Chief told me but it is important to note what the Commissioner of Police said in March 2015. He made two serious pronouncements. A roadblock must be in the vicinity of a

police station. If it is not and it is late into the night, the driver is advised not to stop. The Commissioner also stipulated that routine traffic stops constitute harassment and are discontinued. The very day the Stabroek News published those edicts by the Commissioner, I encountered a nocturnal roadblock on the Railway Embankment and it was nowhere near a police station. It was conducted by Inspector Dass who professionally accepted what I showed him from the Stabroek News (see my March 24, 2015 column, “I saw improper police behaviour and I intervened,”). From March 2015 until what I read yesterday, the police throughout the length and breadth of this country have engaged in almost daily routine stops of drivers (see

my January 10, 2016 column captioned, “The police and Lisa Smith on North Road”). If on January 8, 2016 I saw routine intercepts, then surely logical deduction would tell you they have been going on a long time despite the March 2015 instructions by the Commissioner. One can cite two reasons for this. The Commissioner’s edicts were for public satisfaction but were never issued as a direction to the police force. Or the police ranks have been ignoring the Commissioner’s instructions. I now return to my telephone exchange with the Traffic Chief. He said that he is aware of the January 21 proclamation and the police force will adhere to it. He said that in days to follow all traffic heads throughout Guyana will be

apprised of this policy. Now here is the section of Traffic Chief Moore’s conversation with me that I will remind the entire police force. Mr. Moore said that if he is informed that any rank has ignored the policy and engage in routine checks, that rank will be disciplined. I respect the professionalism of Mr. Moore. But I have my work to do as a media operative and human rights activists. I am cynical about police behaviour. I believe the police as soon as today will perform routine checks on the roads. I have instructed my daughter not to stop if a traffic rank pulls her in at random. I will put a photocopy of this column in her car and she is advised to show the traffic cop it. He can ignore it if he wants but my advice to my daughter is once she is driving normally and does not commit a violation the police

cannot make a routine pullover. I am advising my friends, relatives and the Guyanese people to not comply with random stops if you are just going about your business. It is improper for them to intercept you. You should not be a willing party to improper police behavior. The word, “harassment” was used by the Commissioner when he issued his March edict. And indeed it is harassment. Why should a family driving to a picnic, a man, a woman going to their work, be held up by a rank who has absolutely no clue as to if they committed an offence but wants to see their papers? This is an invasion of privacy and it doesn’t obtain in democratic countries. Traffic and anti-crime police act on suspicion and they are within their rights to stop and question you based on reasonable suspicion.

Frederick Kissoon But it is unacceptable nonsense for you to be with your spouse going to your kid’s school party and there is a policeman in the middle of the road requesting you pull over. Pull over for what? It can be said that despite the January 21 public repeat of the March 2015 edict, citizens, who now know that the police cannot stop them at random will willingly comply. They will go to their glove compartment and meekly hand the cop their documents. As the cop takes his time to peruse the papers in his hands, a line will form behind the driver. Traffic will be held up and the police will do that for hours to come. He knows that he is dealing with sheep.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Govt shoots down Opposition motion on compensation for elections violence The Opposition was most disappointed on Thursday night after Government refused to support one of its motions which called for compensation for victims of 2015 Elections Day violence. Bringing the motion to the House was Opposition Member, Joseph Hamilton. Hamilton made it clear that he is not saying that any political party was responsible for the violence which erupted during that time. He emphasized that the thrust of his motion is to hammer home the point that those who suffered during that period deserve to be compensated. His motion raised the point that Elections Day violence occurred on May 11, 2015 and reports of incidents in that regard were made to the Guyana Police Force and to the public. The Opposition Member said that the victims were, among other things, psychologically abused, physically assaulted, robbed and their properties damaged and destroyed. Hamilton told the House that Elections Day violence also took place at a number of polling stations on East Coast Demerara and Georgetown. In one instance, a victim required expensive emergency surgery and vehicles on the scene were damaged.

In another instance, he said that Elections Day violence occurred in “C” Field, Sophia where for over 12 hours the Guyana Police Force was unable to control a riotous crowd that encircled two homes, terrorized residents, fire bombed the homes and vehicles and engaged in looting of personal property. He said that the survivors were left traumatized and their properties, including eight vehicles were destroyed by arson, two vehicles vandalized and two homes looted and damaged. The Opposition Member said that representation was made to the Government by the affected Sophia victims several months ago. That ended in them failing to obtain relief. He called for the National Assembly to ensure that the Government complies with the principle of respect for human life and make available, compensation for victims of specified forms of Election Day violence as occurred on May 11, 2015. He also emphasized the fact that it cannot be underestimated how these circumstances have affected the victims and said that it is important for the House to agree that compensation for those persons cannot be treated as a trivial matter. His motion also called for the Government

to agree to meet and consult the victims of Elections Day violence and to have claims for compensation addressed as soon as possible, and submit a Report to the National Assembly within three months with regard to what action has been taken. Speakers on the Government’s side of the House disagreed with the merit of Hamilton’s arguments. They made it clear that it would not be supported. This was also demonstrated when the motion was put to a vote. The Government’s side gave a resounding, “No” when House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland asked for those who opposed it. When the motion was not passed, members on the western side of the House expressed their disappointment. They stated that it reflects just how callous the administration is. The members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) also told Kaieteur News that the matter, like others raised on Thursday, shows that “the government is simply drunk with power and opposes input from the Opposition even if a case has merit. They just don’t want us to have anything in the House. We are clearly witnessing the death of democracy in the Eleventh Parliament.”

Regional Chairman accused of disrespecting the President, RDC Meeting suspended The statutory meeting of the Region Five Democratic Council, RDC, is held on the third Thursday of each month. Councillors turned up as usual on Thursday, for the RDC meeting, but it was not business as usual at the Fort Wellington Boardroom for the first meeting of the year. The APNU+AFC Councillors had a bone of contention with Regional Chairman, Vic Ramphal of the PPP. He was a no show when President David Granger visited Region Five last Friday to hand over two school buses to the Region, an event organized through the Ministry of Communities. The Regional Chairman now stands accused of disrespecting the President by absenting himself, when he knew that the Head of State was scheduled to be in the Region. The meeting began around 10:05 AM. Councillor Abel Seecharran of APNU + AFC, rose and asked the Regional Chairman to explain his absence when the President visited the Region. He also accused Mr. Ramphal of disrespecting the President. What followed was total chaos. Both sides hurled accusations at each other. PPP Councillor, Loyda Angus, was accused of being in breach of regulations which dealt with inappropriate comments. She was also accused of

being in breach of the regulations that deal with offensive language to members. The Regional Chairman was then accused of failing to deal with the issues in the appropriate manner, showing bias towards his PPP colleague, thus plunging the meeting into greater chaos. Having lost control of the proceedings, Mr. Ramphal was forced to suspend the meeting. APNU+AFC councilors are unanimous in their posture that Mr. Ramphal ought not to sit as Chairman of the RDC unless he offers an apology for his actions. During a subsequent interview, the Regional Chairman surrounded by PPP Councillors, was quick to point out that while they welcome the idea of assisting school children with transportation, he was not invited to the event, neither was he part of the planning , or the programme. As a result he did not show up for the event. He added that it was evident that there was a lack of proper communication. He said that he was hoping that there would be better communication in the future. The Regional Democratic Council is responsible for planning and executing programmes that should make life better for (Continued on page 24)

Page 11

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

GRA: Sattaur backdates GRA’s pension claim, collects $12M - illegally shared information with embassy - collected pension while on the job The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched an investigation into a suspicious $12M pension payment that Commissioner-General, Khurshid Sattaur, received shortly before the May 11 General Elections last year. The transaction was one of several reasons that prompted GRA’s Governing Board of Directors on Thursday to terminate the services of the embattled tax chief. Several senior GRA officials were present yesterday at the entity’s Camp Street Headquarters to explain the sacking. According to Chairman, Rawle Lucas, the Board during its 171st meeting, decided to end GRA’s relationship with Sattaur. The decision was spurred by a number of considerations. During a recent meeting with the Board, Sattaur, who was sent on more than 200 days leave last month to facilitate a forensic audit, admitted that he broke confidentiality rules of GRA when he shared information on taxpayers with unauthorized third parties. The Board, Lucas said, learnt that approximately one month before the May General Elections last year, the Commissioner General divulged sensitive GRA information to persons who were not authorized to receive such information. This particular issue is not new to Sattaur. In late 2014, he was implicated in an explosive leaked email in which he is alleged to have shared tax information on Kaieteur News, the country’s leading newspaper, with ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo and former Attorney General, Anil

Chairman of GRA, Rawle Lucas (left) and other GRA officials. Nandlall. The email indicated a plot to bring down the newspaper. The newspaper’s Publisher, Glenn Lall, and his wife were also targeted-they were placed before the court on a charge of evasion of tax duties. Those charges were later dropped. Yesterday, Sattaur admitted that he indeed shared information but it was with a local embassy and that the person involved was not a taxpayer (SEE additional statement issued by Sattaur), The sharing of information to unauthorized third parties is strictly forbidden by GRA’s secrecy regulations. However, Lucas argued that the transaction only benefitted Sattaur and not the citizens of Guyana. SAFE The official also disclosed that GRA discovered that Sattaur had a safe in his Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara home. That safe was supposed to be under the control of the Head of GRA’s Information Technology Division. It was normally used for storing confidential taxpayers’ data. Questioned, Sattaur claimed that the safe was in

his home on account of his son, who is an Information Technology operator at GRA. But aside from this, GRA also found a number of other questionable things about Sattaur’s presence at GRA. For instance, weeks before the November 2011 elections, Sattaur decided to voluntarily end his employment with GRA. He opted for his pension. Reportedly, he would have received millions in a lump sum. Those payments to Sattaur would have had to be approved by the former GRA Board of Directors and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. Since 2011, Sattaur has been receiving his pension with the last payment made this month. The problem with this arrangement that after the 2011 elections, Sattaur somehow stayed on as the tax chief of the country without a written contract. GRA officials looking into the arrangement could find no contract, implying it was an oral one. According to the Chair-

man, investigations by the Board found that Sattaur was appointed CommissionerGeneral on September 1, 2003 by ex-President, Bharrat Jagdeo. However, the power to appoint was placed in the hands of the Governing Board of Directors when new GRA laws were passed. ORAL CONTRACT Lucas said that from all indications it appeared that Sattaur was on an implied contract which meant that another transaction that was discovered was highly questionable. It was explained that though he retired since 2011 from being a permanent staffer of GRA, Sattaur shortly before the 2015 elections filed backdated claims from a pension scheme that GRA had for staffers. He collected $12M. He dated his claim back to 2007. GRA’s legal team was asked to advise on the legality of the transaction but, according to the Chairman, it could not provide any legal basis for what appears, at first glance, a highly irregular

course of action- that is that Sattaur was a permanent staffer and not on contract. “The Board regarded this action as inimical to the public interest and highly prejudicial to the interest of the Guyana Revenue Authority.” The Board also found another problem with Sattaur’s handling of the affairs of GRA. Two vehicles, one of which had been gifted to GRA, were found with the same registration plates. Asked about it, Sattaur at first could not recall who gave GRA the vehicle. He did eventually provide some helpful information, Lucas said. It was found that the gifted vehicle was driven by a person not doing GRA’s business. That matter is under investigation also. “It is in light of the foregoing factors, that the Board found it to be in the public’s best interest to discontinue the working relationship between Mr. Sattaur and the Guyana Revenue Authority.” Questioned yesterday, Lucas confirmed that the shar-

ing of information by Sattaur was not related to the highly publicized one involving Kaieteur News. He also could not speak of other cases. However, GRA has records of what Sattaur told the Board when he met with them recently. GRA is currently putting measures in place to ensure taxpayers’ information is kept even safer and prevent staffers on leave, especially, from having access. Lucas made it clear that of priority at the moment will be providing the enabling environment for GRA staffers to carry out their mandate. He said that any action taken by the Board is purely intended to make the tax collection agency stronger. Asked about whether GRA is likely to pursue criminal charges against Sattaur, the Chairman disclosed that GRA is examining its options. Late last month, shortly after the Commissioner General was sent on leave, GRA officials descended on his (Continued on page 24)

There were disclosures yesterday that GRA’s Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, leaked sensitive information to an Embassy here.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Cocaine mule GPHC laboratory achieves renewed GNBS... jailed for 4 years It was the compelling case put forward by Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor, Corporal Bharrat Mangru that led to a man being convicted for the offence of drug trafficking Thursday, at the Providence Magistrate’s Court. The man, Robin Llewellyn Wills was jailed for four years by Magistrate Leron Daly, after being found guilty of having 3.32 kilograms of cocaine in his possession on January 31, 2014 at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara for the purpose of trafficking. The prosecution contended that on the day in question, Wills had given two bottles of Crème Liqueur to an individual by the name of Sonya LaRose for her to take to the USA. Wills escorted

the woman and her sister to the airport. It was at the airport that LaRose became suspicious of the contents of the bottle and left it with the airport security. Airport security made contact with CANU who conducted field tests on the contents of the bottles. It was later discovered that the Liqueur in the bottles was laced with cocaine. Investigations were conducted and LaRose was arrested. Based on information she provided to the police, Wills was contacted and charged with the offence. A total of four witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution. Attorney Adrian Thompson represented the convict throughout trial.

Staff of the GPHC laboratory Unit enjoys a photo op following the simple certification ceremony, yesterday. From page 6 the gathering expressed delight that the laboratory is once again able to attain recertification to the National

Standard. She expressed her gratitude for the support provided by the GNBS and the commitment of her laboratory staff in realizing the

20 year-old jailed for causing death Coconut Man is still alive

Magistrate Leron Daly, sitting in the Providence Magistrate’s Court, on Thursday imposed a one-year jail sentence on a 20-year-old driver, after he was found guilty of causing the death of a pedal cyclist by dangerous driving. Ryan Chetram of Lot 44 Supply Village, East Bank Demerara (EBD) drove motorcar PGG 569 in a manner dangerous to the public on July 3, 2013 and caused the death of Nicholas Lambelino. The accident occurred on the Land of Canaan Public Road EBD. Chetram’s trial began on November 25, last. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the

charge and was released on $300,000 bail. He was represented by Attorney, Leslie Sobers. The prosecution led by Police Inspector, Michael Grant, contended that on the fateful day, Chetram was driving the motorcar at a fast rate north along the Land of Canaan Public Road. According to the Prosecutor, Chetram subsequently lost control of the vehicle and collided with Lambelino. Lambelino was picked up in an unconscious state and was pronounced dead on arrival at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital. Six witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution.

We are happy to report that Contrary to what was reported in yesterday’s edition, Paul Waterman, also known as Coconut Man, is very much alive. The man who lost his daughter in an accident two Wednesday’s ago after running into a utility pole remains a patient in the Georgetown Public Hospital. This publication had inadvertently reported that he had died based on information from a female member of his family as well as the report from a senior City Hall official. Both were very sure about their information which turned out to be mere rumours that they had received and relayed amidst reflections on their encounters with Waterman. We apologize for any discomfort that the report may have caused.

achievement. The services provided by the Department cover testing such as Microbiology, Haematology (Blood Compatibility) and Biochemistry Sections of the Laboratory. Dr. Mohamed-Rambarran said that the recent certification highlights the commitment of the Laboratory to provide quality testing to their customers. Meanwhile the GNBS in a release yesterday stated that Laboratories which conform to the requirements of the Bureau’s standard are provided with formal recognition that they have implemented a

laboratory management system, thus providing quality assurance for customers as they identify and select reliable testing or calibration services to meet their needs. The recertification of the GPHC Laboratory has kept it among the group of certified medical laboratories in Guyana which includes St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Laboratory, Eureka Medical Laboratories, Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital Laboratory, Medical Arts Centre Laboratory, Georgetown Medical Centre, Quest Medical Centre Laboratory and Woodlands Hospital Laboratory.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

WANTED General Workers-Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) Experienced Cashier and store manager at American Variety Store, Lot 140 Regent & Light Streets. Call: 2251864 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. Building Construction, house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 Building Contractor: drawing of house plan general, home maintenance, free estimateCall: 216-0671; 692-0267; 6928464

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Saturday January 23, 2016

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VACANCY Cook/baker and truck driver for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Urgent: Cleaner & kitchen helper (dayshift) required at Aagman Indian Restaurant. Apply at aagmanrestaurant@gmail.com or call: 219-0158 1 Cashier/clerk: apply with written application @ August Beverages Ent. Experience, Maths & English will be an asset. Tel: 225-5501 Cleaner, office clerk, carpenters, masons, welder fabricator, labourers, housekeeper & drivers, interested person call: 603-4094 Security officers wanted by security company-Contact: 672-1920, between 8:00am5:00pm Network technician to install outdoor internet wireless antennas. Email CV to jobs@awngy.com Interested in working in a Private School? Apply POBOX 101818, include your contact number. Male security, male desk staff, room attendants, between ages 25-45yrs @ 233 South Road, Lacytown- Call: 2250198

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Office Space at Camp Street. Call Naz: 639-4499 1-3 Bedrooms upper flat @ Section ‘A’ Diamond, H/ Scheme E.B.D, fully grilled & concrete fence with parking space- Call: 6629335; 612-3244 SD Real Estate: executive 2 bedrooms Apartment, in exclusive residential area with all modern amenities. Call for appointment Tele 653-2920 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park- 2 bedrooms, recently renovated, free WiFi asking $80,000-$90, 0000Call: 227-5194 2 Bedrooms apartment @ Middle Road, La-Penitence -$47,000 monthly – Call: 666-9534; 226-6374 Refurbished 2 bedrooms apartment at Liliendaal Greater Georgetown (between Bel-Air & UG) parking space. Call: 265-3964 One salon at 214 Shell Road Kitty- Call: 672-0686

Perkins Mechanic contact 223-5273 Hicks Ville Hotel: Receptionist, Hotel Attendant, Washer/Presser, Bell Boy. Email: info@hicksvillehotelguyana. com/call:231-0951 Vegetarian Gardens: driver/ salesman. E-mail: info @vgiworld. com/ call:223-3448; 227-7714 Accounts clerk: experienced in QuickBooks, accounting software, VAT, NIS & PAYE, @ Technical Services, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles. 1 Female cleaner apply Technical Services, Lot 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D Security Officers, apply in person. Massey Security (Guyana) Inc, Lot 0 Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Call: 225-5773-6 Massage Therapist & cosmetologist: must be certified in facial waxing, manicure & pedicure. Call: 672-1230; 226-1172 Driver / Expediter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273 Manager / Accountant. Requirements: 8 subject CXC including Maths and English, Peachtree would be an asset. info@xen1net.net. Hairdressers, nail technician, barbers, also hair & nail stations available for rental location: New Market StreetCall: 638-1106

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/WWW. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494 Vehicles for rental: cars, SUV, pickups etc, long term only @ Ray’s Motor Spares and Auto Sales. Call: 231-7839 VACANCY Popular East Coast Gas Station Day/Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 669-4755; 695-9880, Non-Pareil Office Clerk: minimum 3 CSEC subjects, apply: Avinash Complex, Water Street, Georgetown. Call: 226-3361; 227-7828 Continued on page 23

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Letters... Where your views make the news

Team Benschop on the campaign trail DEAR EDITOR, I am writing to register my concerns (over the apparent one-sided) approach to the provision of housing for any one category of workers, without fully consulting the public. I am referring to the article which appeared in the Guyana Chronicle on January 20, 2016 under the title “Gated Community for M&CC staff”. Before my disapproval is misconstrued as my outright lack of support for this initiative, let me unequivocally say that I do support bringing affordable housing to our workers, regardless of where they work. My contention with this move centers on what seems like City Hall’s license to operate without consulting anyone. The article makes reference to this being a form of boosting employee morale. I think the first step of boosting employee morale should be creating a work environment

that is conducive to growth, productivity and the overall well being of said workers. I have a number of questions for the administration of City Hall: How did land suddenly become available for housing? Does the Mayor’s position at the CHPA give the council unilateral access to these lands? Why the areas of Guyhoc, South Rumiveldt and Bel Air? Why wasn’t this done before? At what cost would these lands be developed? The administration of City Hall needs to be more accountable to the people it serves. Led by the Mayor of Georgetown, the City Council and administration seems to be operating with its own rules and agenda. Ronson Gray Campaign Manager, Team Benschop for Mayor.

Quoting James Baldwin in...

From page 4 toward achieving. To achieve this socially acceptable goal the society has identified a socially acceptable mean- a good education, which it (society) hold –up as essential to citizens being able to gain well- paying jobs, thus being able to afford all the before mentioned things. However access to this socially acceptable mean (good education) is unequal, since access is determined by wealth and contact and there is usually a relationship between the two. Thus while youths from poor families are also socialized to value and strive to attain the before mentioned socially approved good, their parents lack the means to send them to the “better schools,” or offer them ‘lessons’ after school. So the young man deprived of a good education and under or unemployed but is filled with the society’s values can only resort to crime to gain the socially approved good. Almost exclusively when unemployed and underemployed young men choke

and rob, hold- up a businessman at gun point, or snatch and run etc, these acts are undertaken with the aim of gaining those socially approved goods they have been taught to strive to obtain. Mr. Editor let me point out to my beloved county a truth that should make us all uncomfortable. In the years’ immediately after emancipation and with the village movement destroyed by the wicked and malicious acts of sabotage perpetuated by estate owners, hundreds of the exslaved moved to the city and later to McKenzie in search of work. However, since the city and McKenzie could not provide jobs for all needing same (a case of too many chasing too few jobs), hundreds of young men were left to aimlessly to wonder the streets of the city. Soon these young ex- slaves had no option but to turn to petty crime for maintaining themselves and families. They too had been offered a definition of the socially acceptable goal and yearned to achieve some of it (the immediate one being able to feed

The highest stage...

From page 5 the final straw that breaks the back is the hopelessness and despair due to lack of positive support. Religious and Spiritual messages are ones of hope. They are the ones out to save the soul from damnation. They spent much of their time counseling the members of their groups. It is time they reach out to the Community at large, work with other groups, form interfaith coalitions in all towns and villages, share facilities, train members as first responders for suicide prevention and give out this message “There is Hope” in form and substance to the hopeless who would otherwise continue to live on the far reaching daily and dangerous diet of negativity. Here is where the unity of religion is most

needed. Happy people do not commit suicide. It has been said by one saint “that if to be rich is a good quality then we should make others rich”. If rich means happiness to you, then, you should make others happy. There is hope my friends. Be optimistic. Kenneth Daniels Secretary, Science of Spirituality

one’s family). However, they were just like their descendants; not allowed access to the socially acceptable means – a good education, which would have allowed them to obtain well-paying jobs so as to afford the socially approved goals (racism apart of course). It is interesting to note that this condition was not peculiar to Guyana, Headley noted the same condition existed in Jamaica after emancipation. I feel confident that further examination would show that same was true for most of the English speaking Caribbean. This year – 2016, Guyana will be celebration its 50th year of independence. I understand the present government is planning a big celebration in honor of the occasion. I hope that the warning from the Mighty Chalkdust that “smut can’t help poor people in any way” is heeded during the celebrations. I hope that some time would be set aside for encouraging the nation to engage in serious discussion on why in so many areas, we seem not to have made progress over the years. Why, if that late great black American writer – James Baldwin had to write about Guyana today he would note that in 2016 Guyana celebrates 50th year of independence, 50 years too soon. Claudius Prince

From page 22

LAND FOR SALE Westminster Major Road$1.8M, Onderneeming $1.5M, Dairy (100ftX50ft) $2.8M & Pafaite Harmonie with foundation & structure -$2.6M. Call: 604-2207; 611-7223 House lot 50X100, for sale in Gated Community, Land of Canaan -$4M negotiableCall: 694-7817; 668-0306 Residential: Ramsville Court, Cove and John 50’X100’ corner, quiet neighbourhood. Call: 226-7585 Providence Scheme (115ftx81ft) located on a Cul de Sac close to Bai Shan Lin - $8.2M negotiable. Call: 6014163; 223-0719 Parfaite Harmonie -$ 1.6M, 1.8M, $1.5M, 1.3M, Tuschen 11 street -$3M with foundation, Phase 2 – $1.4M, Uitvlugt -$3M, Terms available – Call: 604-6724 33 Acres prime agriculture land located at Plantation Flensberg W.B.D-price negotiable-Contact Erick Boodhoo: Call: 654-6229; 627-0556 One houselot at Mon Repos (Martyrsville) E.C.D, price $3.9M negotiable. Call: 2200538/645-2395 or Joel: 629-5300 Eccles-$4.5M, Herstelling (110ftX90ft) -$4.5M, Parfaite Harmonie Main Road$1.6M, Zeelugt-$1.6M. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207

TO LET Business place located on Robb Street next to Bourda Market. Call: 623-7731; 6290636 3 Bedrooms upper flat for rent at Vreed-en- Hoop –Call: 661-0162 Modernize 2 bedrooms apartment –W.C.D (Vreeden-Hoop) in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496

VEHICLE FOR SALE STAR CARS AUTO SALE: 30-06 PREMIO, 03-07 FIELDER, NEWRAUM, IST, BLUEBIRD, AXELA, PITBULL. CALL: 679-3140; 268-3509 Noah & Voxy: unregistered & fully loaded -$1.7M (black, white & silver). Call: 603-9700

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Earth Delivery on spot, also bobcat & excavator rental. Call: 617-5536

Honda Accord, 2003, leather, TV, DVD, radio, 35,000km, like new, price negotiable- Call: 689-1194

Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts. Call: 670-2343

BMW 318i- $2.9M, BMW 320i- $4M, Audi A4- $4M, Suzuki Escudo- $4M, new model Premio- $3MContact# 650-0402/260-4988

ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212

1Mitsubishi open back canter truck, single wheel and good driving condition -$600,000. Call: 684-8231; 661-9447 1 RZ Mini bus, BJJ seriesCall: 678-5887; 677-3177 New model Premio 2007 model $3.1M negotiable. Preorder Allion, Premio, Bluebird 2006 model- Call: 655-3400 Toyota Hilux , Toyota wagon , food mobile canter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273 2008 Fielder- fully loaded vehicle, never registered $2.5M- Call: 617-2891 1 Toyota 4X4 Hilux surf, excellent condition -$1.1M negotiable- Call: 684-8231; 661-9447 One Accent Hyundai $225,000.Call: 695-1744 Noah & Voxy in ‘G’ series, fully loaded, never registered -$1.7M –Call: 617-2891 Honda CRV, PJJ series GYD$1M –Call: 231-5080; 641-4704; 613-7091 1 Toyota Fun Cargo: AC, CD, 17" mags and flair kit never worked hire -$1.250MCall: 619-1047 Unregistered fielder wagon 2003, roof rack, rear spoiler, dark interior, body kit, fog, TV-Call: 617-5536 Toyota Wish (7seats), PKK series, excellent condition & one owner -$1.3M. Call: 698-9771

Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 1,500 lb snapper sein e i n excellent condition. Call: 657-0044 One Yamaha 2007 R1 with chrome rims. Call: 662-2569 Lots @ Blankenburg behind the gas station- $3.9M- Call Us Today: 650-0402 Toyota Runx; PPP 560 $1.65M. Call: 676-5229 26" Mountain Bicyle & Speed -$12,000 each. Call: 226-1316; 691-0230 House and land @ 118 Akawini Street, Section ‘K’ Campbellvilee. Price $37M negotiable. Call: 641-3532/ 651-8172 1-620-240 DAF Engine, foreign used, 1 Canter GNN 722, 1 Twin Steer CF DAF, GSS 5964. Call: 228-5655; 628-1756 TM 6X6 parts for sale: engines, gearbox, power box, def, drive shaft, etc. Call: 601-7001 1 Complete music set and also studio equipment (music studio). Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) 290 MF Tractor- $1.4M, 330TK Bedford dump truck$1.2M; in working orderCall: 614-9262; 604-2540 Wooden building structure in Georgetown, ideal for house lot owner, price is negotiable-Call: 227-4285

Honda CRV 1995, price $1M negotiable, in excellent condition. Call: 696-0100; 679-2753

One (8) eight inches river dredge -$2M. Call: 661-9431

Modified Toyota Glanza- $1M, 2005 Nissan Frontier 4 Wheel drive -$3M negotiable. Owner migrating-Contact: 614-2659

1 Chicago 7¼” circular saw, all in one multi-function tool (cutter, grinder, sawder). Call: 621-9604; 694-1748

TO LET

LAND FOR SALE

Fully furnished luxury apartment: 3 bedrooms for rent- Call: 603-6351

Land for sale in gated community, Providence E.B.D. $9.5M neg. Phone: 621-6888

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

Son of former GRA Boss fined GRA: Sattaur... on dangerous driving charge

The 19-year-old son of former Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, was on Wednesday ordered to pay a $25,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to a dangerous driving charge in a city court. Fiyad Sattaur of 136 Ogle, East Bank Demerara admitted that on January 17, he drove a motorcar without care and attention. The charge was

read to him by Magistrate Renita Singh when the teenager appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The prosecution contended that on the day in question, Sattaur was driving the car along Sandy Babb Street, Kitty in a reckless manner. He was later approached by a police rank and told of the offence. Police in a statement had said that Fiyad Sattaur was

observed by a Traffic Police Sergeant in her private motorcar, overtaking a line of vehicles waiting at the traffic light on Sandy Babb Street, Kitty. The statement said that the Sergeant made a note of the young man’s vehicle number PRR 4423, intent on following up with prosecution. However, she caught up with the vehicle at the intersection of Lamaha and Albert

Streets, where she drove up alongside the driver and told him of the offence committed, but Sattaur drove off. Fiyad Sattaur was once again caught at Lamaha and East Street, by the traffic cop, who came out of her vehicle and told him of the offence committed. He was instructed to go to Traffic Headquarters, Eve Leary and he complied, according to the statement.

Tax Chief refutes GRA's reasons for... From page 15 further state that the Head of the Mission wanted to know about his staff who was providing businesses with certification that were fraudulently obtained. This staff is not a taxpayer and had the Board sought a proper explanation from me they would have been told that the diplomat visited my office and in my presence certified that his staff did or did not issue a fraudulent document from his Mission. With regards to the claims by GRA Chairman, Rawle Lucas, earlier in the day, I wish to emphatically state that I never revealed taxpayer information to anyone. Those are

all fabrications that I find most offensive and atrocious. This is most disgusting as I never admitted to the Board that I gave out taxpayer information. I further wish to state that while at the Board meeting, I was put on the spot and I did not have an opportunity to explain the background. I do however admit that I was aware of the particular question and I responded in a manner that did not implicate me in revealing taxpayer information to anyone. As a background of that situation, I did recall a month prior to the May 11, 2015 General Elections, a diplomat asked me to facilitate a probe that the foreign government

had been conducting into one of its staff members. One of their staff is not a taxpayer of this country. That staff member had allegedly breached a very serious protocol and had given the GRA information on someone which should not have been the case and as such the Diplomat was asked by his government to investigate the matter. NOTHINGAT HOME I am of the belief that one of my former very senior GRA staff members, and who was suspended for one week afterwards for falsification of documents, later reported that interaction with the embassy official to either the Board or the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. This particular individual, who was with me at the meeting I had with the embassy officials, whom I took deliberately to be a witness to what I was discussing with the Diplomat, would have appeared to have misled the Board or the politician in retaliation. On the issue of the safe being at my home, my son was employed by GRA in the IT department, in a senior capacity and he was given responsibility for storing the tax agency's data at another safe place offsite, a situation that the previous Board and government did not find offensive

and distrustful, as a temporary measure. However this storage of the data at my home was abandoned about five years ago. My home or the safe was no longer the repository of that information. I categorically state that the safe never had any data. I wish to state further that the infrastructure related to the backing up of the data has since been removed under the directive of the new GRA Board. The use of the safe was discontinued years ago when a new back up site was created at another location but the safe continued to remain at my home to store my GRA weapon and ammunition up until recently. In closing I am sadden (sic) by the fact that after serving the tax collection agency for decades and increasing revenues by 192 percent in 11 years, the GRA has a Chairman who appears to be operating in a highly questionable manner. I have spent many years of dedicated service to the agency and the least I can expect is the Chairman to display some level of intellectual honesty towards me. I have given appropriate direction to my lawyers so that they can act in my best interest. End.

From page 12 home, removing hard drives, an IPAD and other items. Also removed were four of six GRA vehicles Sattaur had at his home. The allegations against Sattaur would raise alarm bells over the manner in which the previous administration was managing GRA, the country’s premier tax collection agency. A number of frauds involving duty free concessions have been uncovered in the past but there has been little word from Sattaur and GRA over the status of the probes. Recently, Lucas disclosed that tax compliance was a major problem for GRA

with an initial assessment by the new government finding worrying signs, especially in economic hotspots across the country. The current disclosures about GRA would raise serious questions about the level of oversight by the previous administration on the stateowned agency. With alleged, widespread corruption on the wharves and a large number of noncompliant taxpayers, GRA had overtime become feared as an entity for another reason- that it could be used as a weapon by the administration against taxpayers. (See Sattaur’s reaction on p.18)

Regional Chairman... From page 11 the people in the Region. RDC meetings are attended by senior public servants such as the Regional Education Officer, Regional Health Officer, Police Officer in Charge of the Region among others. Some of these senior government functionaries have expressed disgust that meetings have not been moving along in that progressive and respectful manner, and do feel that there could be a better approach to business at the RDC since the planning is supposed to be for the betterment of the lives of the

people in the Region. It therefore behooves the politicians to put aside their differences and work assiduously towards making life better for the people. According to the Regional Chairman, some of the matters which require immediate attention include the plight of farmers in the wake of the prolonged dry weather and the increase in violent crimes in the Region. He assured media representatives present that the meeting would have to be reconvened, but could not give a date for such meeting.

Scores of Berbicians participate in Suicide... From page 20 suicide…The good books; the Holy Bible, the Quran, and Bhagavad Gita do not speak about suicide,” Ferguson told the gathering. Guyana has the highest rate of suicide per capita in the world. According to reports, close to 200 Guyanese die by suicide yearly. Every year 800,000 people die from suicide; therefore, within every second 40 people kill themselves, Minister Ferguson said. She also urged persons to assist in the battle to eradi-

cate suicide, by offering words of encouragement to someone whom they know may want to commit the act. To the young people, she said, “Choose life, love life and save life.” Even as government is working to address the issue of suicide Minister Cummings emphasized that, “For too long this issue has brought about a stain on the social fabric of this beautiful nation. Let us look at ways in which we can work together as Guyanese citizens and tackle suicide in our society.” (GINA)

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Over 1000 Region Nine students benefit from ‘shoes that grow’ Students queue-up to receive their pair of ‘shoes that grow’ from First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger and other assistants who travelled to Region Nine to distribute them.

-to complement President’s education drive Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, and First Lady, Sandra Granger, yesterday distributed footwear to more than 1000 students from Region Nine (Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu) schools, to complement President David Granger’s “Boats, Buses and Bicycles” initiative aimed at ensuring that all the nation’s children can attend school. The project which is spearheaded by Mrs. Granger in collaboration with Ernie Ross, Guyana’s Consul General in Trinidad and Tobago under the ‘Rethink Initiative – Kind Soles Project’, started after he saw a photograph in a magazine depicting children in the hinterland areas going to school bare feet. The project targets 30,000 hinterland students. The initial tranche of the donation was dubbed “the shoes that grow” as the shoes were expandable and were estimated to last each child about five years. So far, students in Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Nine and those residing at the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown have benefited from this gift. Ministry Ally, in presenting the shoes to the students of the Arapaima Primary, Arapaima Secondary, Culvert City Nursery and the St. Ignatius Secondary School dormitory, said that the President has a “great passion” for education and aspires to see every child in school. “Our government has at the helm, a man who loves education; a man who wants you and the children of the coastland to have an education and equal opportunities. Our President promised a good life and we are doing [these] things to ensure that you all have a good life,” Minister Ally said. She also told the students that the gift of shoes should further motivate them to improve their attendance and performance at school. Mrs. Granger said that the partnership would not have come to fruition had it not been for the efforts of Mr Ross and Caribbean Airlines, which has been bringing the shoes to Guyana free of cost. She noted that the initiative caters particularly to students in the hinterland areas, since they are the most vulnerable.

‘We need shoes’ Headmistress of the Arapaima Primary School, Mary Torres, praised the project. It may seem small and inconsequential to many, it is a big boon to the students, their families and the entire region. The Headmistress said 200 of the 345 students at her school are in dire need of the shoes, since their families are challenged in many ways. “It is very exciting. These shoes are going to be very beneficial to them because most of these students come from single parent homes, broken homes and even sibling homes. Right now, everyone is rushing to Marudi to work in the goldfields and these children are left on their own. Some of them, when they come to school, you as a teacher, when you see how they are attired, you want to help them but you can only do so much. This is a very good start,” Mrs. Torres said. Over at the Arapaima Nursery School, one of the students, upon seeing the shoes, shouted, “We need shoes; I hate these ugly shoes I have on”, when Minister Ally announced that she had arrived with footwear for them. Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, also welcomed the initiative, noting that it will do well for the students in their pursuit of education. “I hope that you will cherish this and it will help you in your studies. Use this to motivate yourselves. We hope that you will use this opportunity to be present in school more often,” he told the students. Last month, some of the schools who benefited from today’s exercise also received a number of bicyles under the ‘Three Bs’ programme. New project The First Lady announced another partnership with Ross, titled “Project Happiness”, which seeks to train teachers to interact, identify and treat depressive behaviours, counsel and motivate students. Mrs Granger said that the project is thought to be critical to helping treat troubled children and is another step government is taking to reduce the incidence of suicide in the nation. (GINA)

Nagamootoo satisfied with GNBA progress -says “I did not expect different at this point” While observers comment on the slothfulness of the Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has said that he is satisfied with the work done so far. Though Cathy Hughes has been appointed Minister of Communications, Nagamootoo still has responsibility for GNBA. The Board has been in existence almost five months now. It met on several occasions but has not been able to do what the coalition had promised the people of Guyana—a review of the Radio Licences. Nagamootoo said that he was totally satisfied with the work of the Board thus far. Further questioned as to whether he would have, by now, expected a full review of the licences and a decision as to the next step, Nagamootoo responded in the negative. The Prime Minister said, “I do not think they would have had anything definitive because their remit was to review and they had a large pile of applications that were in backlog and so they would have to settle in a little and do review.” The Board has said nothing definitive about the stalled applications nor has it made a clear statement about the legality of the existing licences. Nagamootoo referred to a sub-committee headed by Anthony Vieira that was set up to review the legality of

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo the licences. But said, “At this point and time, as Minister with responsibility for that sector I would rather wait until they give me a report on what they are doing.” Vieira had said that GNBA found that the conditions under which former President Bharrat Jagdeo granted 11 radio licences in 2011 contradicts the law as well as political agreements that were in place at the time. He said that the committee found that it would be wrong to allow those licences to stand and as such the Board decided that it will soon move to revoke all licences. However, following Kaieteur News’ publication of such, the Chairman of the Board, Leonard Craig told other sections of the media to disregard what Vieira said as he was just an over exu-

berant member of the Board. The Broadcast Act does not provide for the independence of GNBA, therefore, it can very well receive instructions from the ruling administration. Nagamootoo said that he may meet with the Board “some time soon.” He also said that he is expecting a report from the Board “some time soon.” However, the Prime Minister said that he has no intention to ask the Board to endeavour to move faster with its work. Nagamootoo was very vocal about the unfair and unlawful distribution of Radio Licences before he entered office. At an elections rally, the coalition held at Golden Grove, Nagamootoo had said that the state media would be liberated and questionable frequency transactions would have been investigated as priority if the APNU+AFC was elected. “We have a plan. We will review all those television stations, and those radio stations that were given to friends. We will ensure that they are re-distributed to those who deserve to have and who are responsible,” he said. He also spoke of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), which he said would be reorganized to ensure fairness in the distribution of media ownership.

Before that, on April 8, 2013, Nagamootoo said that there was a serious conflict of interest with regard to the allocation of frequencies. “It is disgraceful and scandalous. This is naked nepotism,” Nagamootoo declared. He had stood in the National Assembly calling for a reverse. Jagdeo, before ending his two terms in office in 2011, approved several radio and cable television licences for mainly friends and his party members. In so doing, he sidelined applications from several prominent media houses including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Capitol News, HBTV Channel Nine and CNS Channel Six. This was despite a standing agreement for no new licences until new broadcasting regulations and the GNBA were in place. Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, received one with multiple frequencies. Also receiving a similar number of frequencies was The Mirror, a newspaper which belonged to the ruling party at the time and Telcor, a company owned by Robert Persaud’s wife, Kamini Persaud and his sister. The disclosures of the licences, which also included approval for two cable TV operations, sparked court cases and several days of protests, as well as local and international condemnation.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

Five years on, unrest tests ‘Arab Spring’ model Tunisia

Protesters shout slogans during a protest outside the local government office in Kasserine, Tunisia. (Reuters/Amine Ben Aziza) On Dec. 17, 2010, a young, desperate Tunisian vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze in a suicide protest over unemployment and police abuse that spread revolt across the Arab world. Five years on, Ridha Yahyaoui, another young Tunisian, has killed himself in frustration after being refused a job, inflaming protests through the same impoverished towns that once brought down the regime of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. If Tunisia was hailed as the success story of the Arab Spring revolts for its democratic progress, it has also become an example of the dangers in failing to tackle economic malaise, alienation and frustrations of North African youth. In Kasserine, the impoverished central city where this week’s protests began, more disaffected young men have threatened to kill themselves. Two were injured after trying to throw themselves off the roof of the local government building in fits of anger over the lack of jobs. The unrest has quickly spread to other towns in the north and south of the country and shows no signs of weakening — protesters have stormed police stations and local government offices and killed one policeman. Tunis has been mostly calm, but sporadic rioting hit two poor districts on Thursday night. Yesterday, the government declared a nationwide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to cope with the unrest. At least 19 people were arrested in the capital overnight, a security official said. Chanting “Work, Freedom, Dignity”, protesters have been quick to evoke the 2011 “Jasmine Revolution” and echo demands over its promises of political freedom and the economic opportunities they say have failed to materialize. Many protesters are al-

ready blaming the nonchalance of former Ben Ali regime officials like President Beji Caid Essebsi, who have returned to power even after the revolution that forced the autocrat himself to flee the country into exile. “I thought the revolution would give us hope to find work with dignity,” said Haamza Hizi, 28, an unemployed man in Kasserine. “I never thought I would repeat the same demands as five years ago. The old regime has robbed our dreams.” Tunisia managed mostly to escape the kind of violent after-shocks seen in other “Arab Spring” countries that toppled long-standing leaders in Egypt, Yemen and Libya, which are still struggling to find stability. Its young democracy brought a new constitution, a political compromise between secular and Islamist parties and free elections praised as a model for transition in a region where the gun has often beats out the ballot box. But political progress has not been matched by economic advances. Unemployment stood at 15.3 percent in 2015, up from 12 percent in 2010, due to weak growth and lower investment. University graduates comprise one-third of jobless Tunisians after student numbers increased. Mohamed Bouazizi was a graduate who had to sell fruit and vegetables to survive. Those conditions are part of why even middle-class, educated Tunisians sometimes fall prey to Islamist militant recruiters seeking jihadist fighters for their ranks in Syria, Iraq and now Libya. More than 3,000 Tunisians are believed to be fighting in Islamist militant groups in Iraq and Syria. Frustrations are most prevalent in poor urban districts of the capital and in the rural, marginalized communities where this week’s protests

erupted. “Ridha killed himself because he lost hope,” said Yahyaoui’s father Hathmane, clutching a photograph of his son. “I have lost my son, but I warn the authorities, my son will be the new Bouazizi and his death with create more protests for work and dignity.” PROMISES, BUT WHAT NEXT? Sidi Bouzaid and Kasserine were the first cities to rise up against Ben Ali in the 2011 revolt. Unemployment in the olive and fruit farming region bordering Algeria is almost double the national average. It has always been a sensitive area. Two years ago, an attempt by the government to trim subsidies by rising vehicle taxes triggered rioting in Kasserine and one man was killed. Since the revolution, the region has also been affected by violence linked to Tunisia’s low-intensity conflict with Islamist militants, who use the border region with Algeria as a base for their operations, mostly against the army. President Essebsi on Wednesday announced the government would seek to employ more than 6,000 youth in Kasserine and start construction and development projects. On Thursday, thousands came out to register at the governor’s office. “We understand well the demands of protesters and they are legitimate,” government spokesman Khaled Chouket said. “But there may be attempts to infiltrate the protests to darken the name of Tunisia and undermine our democracy.” The unrest comes at a delicate moment for the government. Unlike its oil-wealthy neighbors Libya and Algeria, Tunisia has few natural resources and the years of instability have crimped investment.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Saturday January 23, 2016

At least 43 migrants drown when boats capsize off Greek islands ATHENS - At least 43 people, including 17 children, drowned when their boats capsized off two Greek islands near the Turkish coast yesterday, coastguards said, marking one of the deadliest days for migrants risking the perilous route to Europe from Turkey. According to survivors’ testimonies, dozens were on board a wooden sailboat which went down off Kalolimnos, a small island in the Aegean Sea close to Turkey’s coast, one coastguard official said. Twenty six people were rescued and at least 35 migrants drowned in one of the worst incidents in months, the official said. It was not clear why the vessel capsized, but witnesses said strong winds were blowing at the time. Fishing vessels assisted the search and rescue operation which lasted hours. “They weren’t wearing life jackets, I don’t understand. They couldn’t swim,” Michalis, a local fisherman, told Reuters.

He rescued three migrants but one of them, a 50-year old man, later died in his small fishing boat. “The hospital is now full of dead people.” Survivors said that more people were missing, he said. “There must have been a lot of people on board. It was one of those closed yachts with a small hatch. You can imagine what happened if it had a lot of people on board,” the fisherman said. In the sinking at Farmakonisi, another small island also close to the Turkish coast, six children and two women drowned when their wooden boat crashed on rocks shortly after midnight. Another 40 migrants on the vessel managed to swim to the shore. “Once again, last night ruthless human smugglers at the Turkish coast crammed dozens of refugees and migrants in risky and unseaworthy vessels and led innocent people, even young children to perish,” the shipping ministry said in a state-

ment. The International Organisation for Migration said the deaths of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean already make this “the deadliest January on record”. The latest incidents bring the number of people killed on the eastern Mediterranean route in the past year to at least 900, said IOM spokesman Joel Millman in Geneva. The total number of arrivals in Europe by sea rose to about 37,000 in January, more than six times the combined figures for the same month in 2014 and 2015, usually a slow month due to the bad weather. Fleeing war, thousands of mainly Syrian refugees have braved rough seas this year to make the short, but precarious, journey from Turkey to Greece’s islands, from which most continue to mainland Greece and northward into wealthier western Europe. Winter conditions make the journey even more dangerous.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Hikers 2016 Hockey Festival & Fun Day launched The 2016 Edition of the Hikers Hockey Club One-Day Hockey Festival and Fun-Day was launched yesterday, during a simple ceremony which was conducted at Antonio’s Grill on Sheriff Street. Among those present at the occasion were President of the Club Devin Munroe, executive member Kenisha Wills and Stag Beer representative Linden Henry. Munroe in his remarks said the Festival will be staged on January 31 at the St. Stanislaus Ground on Carifesta Avenue and a number of the country’s best players will be participating in the event. Ten (10) teams are slated to battle for the top prize of $100,000 and the right to boast of being the best team on the day, while there will be a take away lunch and drinks on sale throughout the day as the club envisages a day where families can come and enjoy a fun-filled occasion. Munroe stated that the day’s activities will be played in a round robin format with twenty-four minutes alloted to each match.

The President revealed that the ten captains along with the teams were selected during the club’s cocktail event via a transparent round robin selection process. Wills, who plays as well, said the event should provide an excellent exhibition for hockey fans and following that there will be an after party. Meanwhile, Henry in his remarks disclosed that Ansa

Mcal was happy to be a part of the event and urged persons to come out with their families and support the event. Among the other sponsors to be on board are: Camex, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), 704 Sports Bar, Antonio’s Grille and previous winners of the 2014 edition Jai’s Signs. The day’s action will commence at 10:00hrs.

UEFA rules out presidential election until Platini appeal decided (Reuters) UEFA will not schedule a presidential election to replace banned Michel Platini until the Frenchman’s appeal has been decided, the European soccer body said in a statement on Friday. Platini, who had been strong favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, was banned for eight years from all football activities by the world body’s ethics committee last month.

“The UEFA Executive Committee decided there will be no UEFA presidential election scheduled until the sports justice appeal bodies, including potentially the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have taken a decision regarding Michel Platini’s suspension,” UEFA said. “We hope his name is cleared and that he can return to the European football family as quickly as possible.”

Saturday January 23, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may be emotional if you allow your lover to take advantage of your good nature. Be quiet about your intentions or ideas that might bring added cash. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Knowledge can be acquired if you listen. You will have the discipline to make changes you feel are necessary. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Pamper yourself for a change. You may have more to do with children today; keep an open mind. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Discuss your objectives with peers or lovers. Your passionate nature may make you jealous if your mate has been too busy to take care of your needs. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You can make a serious attempt at quitting those bad habits that you've picked up over the years. Stay calm and focus on things that will help you understand the situation better. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) . Don't allow personal problems to conflict with professional duties.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A passionate party for two might be just the remedy. You need to control your temper and deal with the situation rationally. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Discrimination will be in order. Control your temper when dealing with your emotional partner. You mustn't give too much to your children. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't let friends convince you that you should contribute to something you don't believe in. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Be cautious who you deal with financially. You mustn't make promises that you won't be able to keep. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You can help sort out problems that friends are facing. Don't let your personal partner hold you back or slow you down. Accept the inevitable, and opportunities for advancement will follow. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This will not be the best day to make changes or renovations to your residence. Your involvement with children will be most rewarding.

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Letters to the Sports Editor

Guyana’s cricket is alive, Mr. Claude Raphael Mr. Editor, Please allow me space in your newspaper to respond to a letter published in the Stabroek News of Sunday, 17 January 2015, captioned “How could our legal system embrace such an obvious illegality for five years”, and in the Guyana Chronicle of Tuesday, 19 January 2015, captioned “Guyana Cricket will die a natural death”. Both letters were signed by Mr. Claude Raphael describing himself as “Former President, Malteenoes Sports Club; First President, Georgetown Cricket Association; Former President, Demerara Cricket Board; Former Chairman – Cricket Development Committee, Guyana Cricket Board; Former Chairman of Selectors – Guyana Cricket Board”. I would venture to state that Mr. Raphael as indicated in his sign off holds no sub-

stantive position on any legal cricket entity. I will take the liberty of saying that I know this individual so I would assume that this is also the person that jointly filed numerous court actions against the GCB and countless individuals serving or once served these entities. I recently drove past the Malteenoes Sports Club and noticed quite a lot of improvements. Why did this happen after you left Mr. Raphael? As former chairman of the GCB Cricket Development Committee, you should have stated your achievements as it seems that a lot has happened since your departure six years ago. Many think that you sat in that chair because of Mr. Chetram Singh. You should not have even ventured to speak about being chairman of the GCB Selection Panel. Since you took over from Mr. Hunte, the Guyana senior team slid to the

bottom of the regional table. Thanks to renewed vibrant leadership at the GCB, our teams at all levels have risen to the top regionally. No longer are selectors picking teams because of cricket politics and friendship. Mr. Raphael, Guyana’s cricket is alive. Since your removal as WICB Director by a democratic process, you seem to be on a crusade to destroy a once vibrant structure. You and your cohorts in the PPP administration did not succeed yet you continue. Your many court matters ably assisted by the former Attorney General, Anil Nandalall failed to disband the GCB. The unconstitutional PPP Cricket Administration Bill will face challenges in the court all the way to the CCJ, so Mr. Raphael, be prepared for a long haul. Yours sincerely, Anand Dyal.

Javier Hernandez and Carli... (From page 29) CONCACAF Male Best XI GK: Tim Howard (GK/ USA); Everton FC (ENG) DF: Roman Torres (DF/ PAN), Seattle Sounders FC (USA); Giancarlo Gonzalez (DF/CRC), US Citta di Palermo (ITA); Hector Moreno (DF/MEX), PSV Eindhoven (NED); Miguel Layun (DF/MEX), FC Porto (POR) MF: Andres Guardado (MF/MEX), PSV Eindhoven (NED); Michael Bradley (MF/ USA), Toronto FC (CAN); Joel Campbell (MF/CRC), Arsenal FC (ENG); Jesus Corona (MF/MEX), FC Porto (POR) FW: Javier Hernandez (FW/MEX), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER); Bryan Ruiz (FW/CRC), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) CONCACAF Female Best XI GK: Hope Solo (GK/ USA), Seattle Reign FC (USA) DF: Kenti Robles (DF/ MEX), Atletico Madrid (ESP); Becky Sauerbrunn (DF/ USA), FC Kansas City FC (USA); Lixy Rodriguez (DF/ CRC), UCEM Alajuela (CRC); Diana Saenz (DF/CRC), University of South Florida (USA) MF: Carli Lloyd (MF/ USA), Houston Dash (USA); Shirley Cruz (MF/CRC), Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA); Katherine Alvarado (MF/ CRC), Saprissa (CRC); Veronica Perez (MF/MEX), Canberra United FC (AUS)

FW: Alex Morgan (FW/ USA), Orlando Pride (USA);

Raquel Rodriguez (FW/CRC), Penn State University (USA)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

Mobile Wizard 10/10 knockout stage begins today The quarterfinals draw for the Mobile Wizard 10/10 organized by the Guyana Softball League and sponsored by Mobile Wizard, Trophy Stall, Miss Love (West Coast) Trading, Rohan’s Furniture Establishment, Imtiaz and Imran Hack has been completed and all the quarterfinalists are rearing to go today at the Tuschen ground. The fixtures for the day are follows: MASTERS’ EXHIBITION: Parika Defenders versus West Coast Blazers: Both teams have been working hard on their line up in anticipation of this clash. Players like Ramnarine Rambarose and Devanand Kanan will be in the limelight as bowling all-rounders, but the two can change the course of the game. Blazers will depend heavily Mohamed Saffie and his brother Riaz Saffie along with Albert Padmore as they will carry the team. QUARTER FINAL: Wolf’s Warriors versus Vipers XI: Wolf ’s Warriors have been training hard since their loss to Speedboat SC and has dominated all their matches up to this point. The side is a good all round side and their aggressive play will certainly keep their opponents on their toes. Viper XI will remember in the round robin segment where they had them on the ropes only to drop some 4

catches allowing the Warriors to escape. They have indicated they will match their opponents’ ball for ball in this encounter. Crossbreed Warriors versus Omesh XI: Both camps have been hard at work on their weaknesses and this match is up for grabs as the teams are evenly matched. The bowling on both sides seems to have improved a lot. Omesh XI will depend on Ricardo Adams and Vickram Kissoon to set the pace, but Crossbreed bowling is an experienced one and will hope to run through the first five batters. This match will be very close and can go either way. Settle XI versus Speedboat XI: Settle XI started well in this tournament dominating all the teams until they reached the Speedboat SC in the round robin stage and lost miserably. They have indicated that this is a different time and they have learned from there mistake and will make amends. They will depend heavily on all-rounders, the dangerous Diaram Persaud and skipper Nazim Azeem, to take them to victory. Speedboat SC have played unbeaten so far with the minimum of fuss and will look on every player to come to the party in order to be victorious. This match will be

exciting. Leonora Youths versus Power XI: This match is a repeat of the last round but on that occasion Power XI were the victor with Leonora Youths taking them for granted. This time around Leonora Youths are more aware of that and have pledged to beat the Power XI by a bigger margin as the match has now become a grudge match between Leonora village and Anna Catherina who are located next to each other. This will be a cracker with emotions flowing from both teams. EXHIBITION: Leguan Superstars versus Omesh XI: Leguan Superstars will offer a stern test for the boys from West Demerara. They have nothing to lose, but Omesh XI will have their status at stake. The strength in the teams is their batting and they will have to come good to be victorious. This match will be close as the pressure surrounding both teams has been visible. FEMALES: Wellwoman versus Lady Jags: The teams are in training every day and know each other, but Wellwoman have the edge in terms of victories, but Lady Jags have strengthened their team absorbing some of Trophy Stall players

Tenelec Inc Under-15, Two-innings Cricket Competition in Berbice

Rose Hall Town and Blairmont Community Centre clash in Two-day Final this weekend

Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes will have its hands full to stave off a strong challenge from giant killers Blairmont Community Centre this weekend in the final of the Tenelec Inc Under-15 Two-innings Cricket Competition today and tomorrow at the Blairmont Ground. Joint defending champion Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes will be spearheaded by their two Guyana Under15 cricketers Kevlon Anderson and Junior Sinclair, who together with Berbice allrounder Keith Sinclair led the way in their batting line up, with Anderson registering the highest score in the competition so far with 113 together with four half centuries leaving him with 392 runs, the most so far. Sinclair for his past totals 299 runs including a 90 and two other half centuries. Their spin based bowling attack includes Sinclair, Anderson, Simpson and Emanuel Seecharran and Brandon Corlette. Blairmont however, hav-

Kevlon Anderson

Javid Karim

ing defeated Young Warriors in the quarter-finals and created an upset of sorts to inflict an innings defeat on favourites Albion Community Centre, will be a handful. Their batting will be led by Berbice Under-15 cricketer Javed Karim, who has so far scored 228 runs in the competition, including 83 against Young Warriors and 76 against Albion. He will be supported by Chandradat Veersammy, Adim Shiwtahal and Seon

Glasgow Jnr. Their bowling attack will be led by offspinner Glasgow, left arm spinner Nigel Deodat, both of whom have represented Berbice at the Under-15 level, as well as offspinner Shiwtahal. The umpires officiating are Moses Ramphal and Rafik Latif with Joseph Simon as the stand-by. The match is scheduled to start at 10:00 hours each day.

and will go all out to defeat their more experienced opponents. Both teams will depend on their batters up front to give them a good start and bat the other out of the match. This will go all the way and no clear winner can be predicted. MASTERS: Savage Masters versus West Coast: Savage Masters have a very strong line up led by Nadir Baskh and include some of the best players on the East Coast, but they will be hard pressed to defeat the

West Coast team in their own backyard. This match will determine who has the best team in East Coast or West Coast. Meanwhile, lots of entertainment is planned by the organizers as Chow POW will host the evening with Granny Ivelaw and Shorty etc in his company. There will be an hour of comedy for the patrons. The music will be handled by Slingerz and Sandella One man band. The organizers will give away cell phones and t-shirts as well as other items to the spectators who are chosen randomly

from the crowd. Additionally the one ball manto “Put your money weh yuh mouth deh” which goes for a top prize of $10,000 dollars plus credit will continue its qualifying stage. The semifinals and the finals are slated for Saturday 13th February 2016 where all the players and officials of all sponsors will assemble to witness a grand finish to a wonderful tournament. The entertainment will be even more with more giveaways planned where spectators can win USD for prizes.

Brady-Manning XVII super matchup for Super Bowl spot

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans in the second half at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports) Reuters - A spot in Super Bowl 50 will be on the line when the New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but the stage will belong to Tom Brady-Peyton Manning XVII. For a decade NFL fans have debated who is better, Brady or Manning, and Sunday’s outcome is not likely end that discussion. The AFC conference championship will mark the 17th, and perhaps final, time the two future Hall of Famers will clash on the American gridiron and since the matchup was set the focus has not strayed from the quarterbacking giants. Both Brady, 38, and Manning, a creaking 39-year-old, may be on the downward slope of brilliant careers but the rivalry, hyped to the extreme, still holds an undeniable allure. The numbers alone are spellbinding. Brady holds a considerable 11-5 advantage in their head-to-head meetings but in the postseason they are 2-2 with Manning coming out on top in the last two meetings. For all his greatness Man-

ning has not always been able to produce his best when the spotlight is brightest while Brady seems to have been born for the big stage. Manning owns the records for passing yards and touchdowns and a trophy case packed with a five NFL most valuable player awards but is an underwhelming 1213 in postseason play and hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy just once in three Super Bowls. When it comes to individual accolades Brady cannot match Manning’s resume but with a win Sunday will be chasing a fifth Super Bowl ring to go along with three Super Bowl MVP awards. Playing with a chip on his shoulder after last season’s “Deflategate” scandal over the use of under-inflated footballs tarnished the Patriots’ Super Bowl celebrations, Brady has performed like a man with something to prove. Brady threw for more than 4,000 yards for the fifth straight season and led the NFL in touchdown tosses with 36. Manning in comparison

has had a forgettable campaign, missing six games with a plantar fascia injury that has raised questions about his playing future. “Peyton’s a great player. We’ve had tremendous battles against him through the years,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “His preparation, his consistency, his skills, I would never ever, ever underestimate him under any circumstances.” The rivalry has taken on the aura of a heavyweight title fight, even though the two men are never in the ring at the same time and have both made it clear it is the Patriots against the Broncos, not Manning v Brady. Almost lost in the Manning-Brady hoopla are two Super Bowl caliber teams. These are two organizations that know better than most what it takes to get to the Super Bowl, the Patriots looking to make a record ninth trip to the championship game while the Broncos are bidding for a record-tying eighth. After a regular season that saw Brady work his magic with a patchwork offensive lineup, his arsenal will be back near full strength. Julian Edelman returned last week for the playoff game against Kansas City after sitting out two months with a foot injury and caught 10 passes for 100 yards, while tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has scored in his last four playoff games, remains a frightening force. In one season the Broncos have been transformed from a team that scored at will with a high-powered attack to one that relies on a defense led by DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller that topped the league in sacks with 52 and were the NFL’s best pass defense.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Guyanese Hall of Famer, Alex Bunbury, holds clinic in Linden Guyanese Alex Bunbury, who played Football at the National level in Canada and who was inducted in the Canadian Hall of Fame, held a football clinic at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground on Monday for school children and coaches. According to Bunbury, this tour of his home was forty years in the making. He said he came back to present his vision to the country from the grassroots up and it starts with education. He claims his focus is education and he is using sports as a means to getting children on board and football is his choice. “Football obviously being the sport of my choice and the things I have accomplished as a footballer and being from Plaisance and where I am the youngest of thirteen and didn’t have much in terms of monetary gains, but I had the opportunity to enhance the gift that God has given me when I moved to Montreal, Canada when I was nine years of age.” Bunbury noted that he thinks what is lacking in Guyana is the opportunity for young people. “I want to use

my fame and resources to put together a project that will focus on academics and focus on academics big time, not just in words but putting up a State of the Art facility that will be a safe haven for these kids and I am going to be presenting this to the President.” The Hall of Famer said he hopes the Government will be behind him because he will need their support to make it possible. He noted, to promote what he intends to do, he will be going into different local areas and run some goodwill clinics for the children and provide them with backpacks and all kinds of things including an autograph so they can remember that it all started in their neighbourhood. Bunbury spoke to the children about the important of academics, the importance of structure, the importance of believing in themselves and being independent when it comes to providing for themselves and others. “Not being put in a position where we were four hundred years ago; We were enslaved and if you are not educated you will be

Alex Bunbury (3rd right front row) with some of the children participating in the recently held programme at Linden. dependent on the Government and others and that’s a form of slavery. I want young people to know that they have it within themselves to educate themselves, because now they have a voice and if

Elizabeth Styles Under-19, 50-Over Cricket Competition

Albion Community Centre and Port Mourant to meet in the Final today The often postponed final of the Elizabeth Styles Under19, 50-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice will at last be played off today at the Albion Community Centre Ground. Doing battle for the coveted trophy will be defending champions Albion Community Centre and Port Mourant. Albion will field a formidable batting line up, which includes two Guyana Under19 allrounders, Balchand Baldeo, who registered the only double hundred in the competition so far, 203 against Sand Reef and Sharaz Ramcharran, who slammed 147 N.O. against Kendall’s Union. Backing them up are Berbice Under-19 batsman David Latchaya (159 N.O. against Kendall’s Union), Berbice Under-19 batsman Matthew Hardyal (104 against Sand Reef) and Guyana Under-17 batsman Adrian Sukhwa. Their spin based bowling attach have Baldeo, Ramcharran, Guyana Under19 player Daniel Lewis,

Manoj Loakhnath

Balchand Baldeo

Latchaya and Satesh Dookna. Port Mourant for their part will however be no pushover, having defeated the previous year’s losing finalist, Rose Hall Town Pepsi and Tucber Park on their way to the final. Scoring centuries for them are former Guyana Under-17 allrounder Arif Chan and former Berbice Under-15 batsman Nicholas Cameron. Also there are two other Berbice Under-19 cricketers Samuel Kisnasammy and

Dimitri Cameron as well as Daniel Samaroo and Manoj Looknauth. They have a fiery opening pace attack in Dimitri Cameron and Looknauth who will be ably supported by Chan, Kisnasammy, Vivehanand Jagjit and Jamal Lancaster. Umpires will be Zaheer Moakan and Imran Moakan with Omadat Samaroo as the stand by.

we can use athletics as a means to get these young people into the righted track it would be fantastic and this has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with our country and I am talking unity.” The Hall of Famer said he doesn’t care what colour of skin you are and what Political Party you are in, the bottom line is about the children and their future and it shouldn’t have politics. He thinks he is a fresh face and doesn’t need anything from anyone and claims he is successful by the grace of God. “So I come here and I don’t need any handouts from anyone, I don’t need any favours from anyone, I’m just talking the truth. Hopefully the Government and the people in general would be behind us and will make this a reality because it is needed.” Bunbury noted that this country could be the shining light of this region and this is the most beautiful country he has ever been to. According to Bunbury he didn’t expect to see Guyana so beautiful after forty years so why not use the face of someone who came from this country and has become a Hall of Famer? He said he is renowned, a Guyanese and from Plaisance and the children can relate to it and he is going to take full advantage of it if he needs that to get his project going. When asked if he will be back, Bunbury answered in the affirmative, “I’m not do-

ing this just to show up once. This is not just lip service, I’m here. A lot of people might talk but I am here. I’ve spent my resources to come here to show the kids in this country that I mean business.” He claimed he brought in his associates and they are going straight to the President. “I’m not joking around this is for real. Timing is everything. There is a new Government in place, but whether it was or wasn’t I was going to do it anyway.” He was asked if he has any interest in doing an academy like the special project GFF was looking for from FIFA and again he said ‘Of course’. Bunbury said there will be a certain location that will be the flagship, but they

will be spreading throughout the country the reason for him going to the interior to conduct clinics. “So we would be putting different sites and I will be using resources to make sure that places like Linden have the resources to develop these young people. We will piggyback off of that and that is what our intention is. We need to work together as a group and this is not about politics for me at all. I don’t want to get into any politics. I don’t want any red tape. I want to go to the President directly, directly to the President and say ‘Mr. President this is what we have been talking about, this is progressive. Let’s work together and do this, no red tape’. (Jacquey Bourne)

GVF Referees Clinic commences today at Coast Guard Headquarters The Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) has invited all interested persons to attend a Referees Clinic starting today and runs until tomorrow, at the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard Headquarters, Riverview,

Ruimveldt. According to a release from the Federation, persons can register with Marlon Pearson on tele# 617-3880 and for any additional information. Starting time is 09:00 hrs.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 23, 2016

Milestones race by as Djokovic, Serena lead old guard through

Russia’s Maria Sharapova (Reuters/Jason Reed) MELBOURNE (Reuters) Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams reached the fourth round of the Australian Open without having lost a set between them on Friday as the grand slam establishment held firm on day five of the championships. Tougher challenges will undoubtedly come but the untroubled progress of the two reigning champions and dominant players of 2015 has started to resemble a proces-

sion in the first week of the year’s first grand slam. Djokovic, champion for five of the last eight years at Melbourne Park, played a rare match away from Rod Laver Arena but still proved too strong for Italian Andreas Seppi, securing his 210th grand slam victory 6-1 7-5 76(6). The Serbian had to work for his victory through some long rallies but always looked like he had an extra gear when

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (Reuters/Issei Kato) he needed it. “I served my way out of trouble several times,” he said. “But certainly I must be pleased with a straight-set win because both sets could have gone a different way.” Williams did a twirl on Rod Laver Arena after crushing Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-1 to extend her record of wins to 71 matches, the post-match chatter quickly turning to her cropped-top outfit.

“It’s not warm but it’s built for speed,” the six-times champion quipped. Rain washed away much of the day’s action on the outside courts at Melbourne Park, only intensifying the focus on the elite playing under cover on the three main arenas. Roger Federer is still very much part of that elite despite having gone three years without adding to his 17 grand slam titles and he notched up a

Amla and Cook lead South Africa to 329-5 PRETORIA (Reuters) Stephen Cook became the 100th batsman to score a debut test century and his innings of 115 helped South Africa amass 329 for five on the first day of the final test against England on Friday in their bid to salvage pride in a lost series. Hashim Amla scored his 25th test century as he and Cook shared a second-wicket stand of 202 but captain AB de Villiers departed second ball on a day of contrasting fortunes as England, 2-0 up in the four-test series, fought back to claim four wickets after tea. Temba Bavuma (32) and Quinton de Kock (25) were not out at the close of play at Centurion Park. Handed his debut at the age of 33, one of five South Africa changes from the team badly beaten in the third test in Johannesburg last week, Cook brought his domestic form to the test arena with a dream start to his international career. He survived two dropped catches, two close run-out calls and an lbw appeal unsuccessfully reviewed by England before reaching three figures — a nervous spell in the 90s exacerbated by the departures of Amla and De Villiers. But Cook, whose father Jimmy was dismissed

second test, was out for his second duck in successive innings, caught at second slip by Joe Root off Broad. Yet another freakish catch by James Taylor at short leg dismissed Dean Elgar for 20 for the first wicket of the day as the short leg fielder contin-

Stephen Cook (Reuters/ Siphiwe Sibeko) first ball on his debut for South Africa in 1992 at the age of 39, looked organised from the start, hitting a four off the first ball of the match when James Anderson’s delivery strayed down leg side. He should have been out on 47 but was dropped by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off Stuart Broad’s bowling. He was eventually bowled after an innings of 187 balls when he got an inside edge to a delivery from Chris Woakes. Amla, who gave up the captaincy after the second test to concentrate on his batting, looked effortless as he raced to three figures, scoring 109 off 168 balls with 19 boundaries before he played on to Ben Stokes. De Villiers, captain for his

ued a run of spectacular dismissals in the series. JP Duminy was Moeen Ali’s second wicket, trapped lbw for 16 — the last wicket of the day as England checked South Africa’s progress after they had look poised for a huge total on 237 for one.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer (Reuters/Thomas Peter) record 300th grand slam victory for a man by beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4. Bulgarian Dimitrov was dubbed ‘Baby Fed’ for his similarity in style to the Swiss master but after briefly troubling the four-times Australian Open champion to win the second set, he looked more pale imitation than doppelganger. When Federer was asked what he would write in a letter to his 18-year-old self, his answer might have been directed to Dimitrov and the others players trying to break into the top echelons of the game. “Talent takes you only so far. But the rest of it is you have to teach it to yourself and learn it, get it right,” the 34-year-old said. “You got to be patient. Can’t expect to win slams at 16, 17, 18 any more these days, skyrocket through the rankings, unless you’re out of this world.” Fifth seed Maria Sharapova also lost a set to Lauren Davis but that only infuriated the 2008 champion and she raced through the decider 6-1 6-7(5) 6-0 to claim her 600th WTA victory. ONE CASUALTY The 28-year-old will next face Belinda Bencic, a teenager who is expected to be challenging for majors before too long. The Swiss was the first player into the round of 16 after overhauling Kateryna Bondarenko 4-6 6-2 6-4 and said she would not be intimidated by playing a five-times grand slam champion. “I’m very happy to play all these big players,” she said. “That’s what I play for.” Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, a semi-finalist in 2014, played through the pain of a leg injury to beat Puerto Rica’s Monica Puig 6-4 6-0. “Pain is my second

name,” the Pole said. “The spray doesn’t work, the strapping doesn’t work, I just have to get on with it.” Radwanska next faces 21year-old German Anna-Lena Friedsam, who beat last year’s U.S. Open runner up Roberta Vinci. Former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic was the one major casualty of the day in the men’s draw, going down 6-4 7-6(5) 7-5 to Roberto Bautista Agut. Japan’s seventh seed Kei Nishikori brushed off a wrist problem to move past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 26 6-3 6-4 and set up a last 16 meeting with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 76(7) 7-6(4). A night after Melbourne Park bid an emotional farewell to Lleyton Hewitt, the locals noisily embraced their newest darling after Daria Gavrilova backed up her upset of Petra Kvitova by beating Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 4-6 11-9. “I’m just really excited and I just want to hug the whole stadium,” said the Moscowborn 21-year-old, who got her Australian passport last month. Hewitt was back on Rod Laver Arena to watch Australia’s most promising young men’s player, Nick Kyrgios, lose 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-4 to sixth seed Tomas Berdych in typically tempestuous style. The reverberations from allegations that tennis authorities had failed to act on suspicions of match-fixing, which overshadowed the first days of the tournament, had all but faded away on Friday. “The story that was supposed to be big is not really big,” said Djokovic, who on Wednesday angrily denied throwing a match early in his career. “I guess we have to shut it down.”

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Javier Hernandez and Carli Lloyd Named 2015 CONCACAF Players of the Year

Javier Hernandez (espncdn.com) M i a m i – T h e Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced yesterday that Javier Hernandez and Carli Lloyd are the 2015 CONCACAF Male and Female Players of the Year, respectively, as winners in eleven different categories for the annual CONCACAF Awards were revealed. In an equally-weighted vote among Member Association women’s and m e n ’s n a t i o n a l t e a m coaches/captains, media and fans, both stars won for the first time in the three-year history of the honours. Hernandez, who has been in exceptional form w i t h B a y e r 0 4 Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, stood out for his performances with the Mexican National Team. He scored the first goal in a 3-2 CONCACAF Cup triumph over the United States, which gave the Tricolor a berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Lloyd led the United States to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup title, earning the competition’s Golden Ball award. The midfielder also merited 2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and 2015 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year accolades, while notching a team-high 18 goals. Wi n n e r s i n o t h e r categories are: Goalkeepers of the Year - Tim Howard (USA, first three-time winner of any CONCACAF Award), Hope Solo (USA); Coaches of the Year - Hernan Dario Gomez (Panama Men’s National Team) and Jill Ellis (USA Women’s National Team); Referees of the Year - Joel Aguilar (El Salvador) and Kimberly Moreira (Costa Rica); Goal

of the Year – Carli Lloyd (USA, 16th minute v Japan, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final). Also, for the first time, Best XI squads were selected, with Mexico and Costa Rica placing five players on the Male and Female teams, respectively. The CONCACAF Awards are designed to honor the year’s outstanding performers and achievements in confederation-sanctioned competitions involving national teams at all levels and age categories, including FIFA World Cup matches and qualifying for both genders. Performances also eligible for recognition included those achieved in professional club football leagues within the CONCACAF Member Associations, as well as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. The votes of three important stake-holding segments within the Confederation were counted in compiling the results. Member Associations’ national team coaches and captains (women’s and men’s), accredited media and fans each accounted for one third of the final vote. A semifinal list of maximum 10 nominees in each category was determined by a vote of Technical Directors from each of CONCACAF’s 41 Member Associations and the CONCACAF Technical Study Group, which analyzes tactics and rates performances at all official CONCACAF tournaments. Here’s a closer look at the vote in each of this year’s categories: CONCACAF Male Player of the Year 1. Javier Hernandez (FW/MEX); Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) 2. Bryan Ruiz (FW/CRC);

Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) 3. Andres Guardado (MF/MEX); PSV Eindhoven (NED) CONCACAF Female Player of the Year 1. Carli Lloyd (MF/USA); Houston Dash (USA) 2. Alex Morgan (FW/USA); Orlando Pride (USA) 3. Shirley Cruz (MF/CRC); Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA) CONCACAF Male Goalkeeper of the Year 1. Tim Howard (GK/USA); Everton FC (ENG) 2. Jaime Penedo (GK/PAN); Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) 3. Guillermo Ochoa (GK/MEX); Malaga FC (ESP) CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year 1. Hope Solo (GK/USA); Seattle Reign FC (USA) 2. Dinnia Diaz (GK/CRC); Moravia (CRC) 3. Cecilia Santiago (GK/MEX); Apollon Limassol (CYP) CONCACAF Male Coach of the Year 1. Hernan Dario Gomez (COL); Panama National Team 2. Caleb Porter (USA); Portland Timbers (USA) 3. Miguel Herrera (MEX); Club Tijuana (MEX) CONCACAF Female Coach of the Year

1. Jill Ellis (USA); United States Women’s National Team 2. Amelia Valverde (CRC); Costa Rica Women’s National Team 3. Raiza Gutierrez (PAN); Panama Women’s National Team/Panama Women’s Under-20 National Team CONCACAF Male

Referee of the Year 1. Joel Aguilar (SLV) 2. Roberto Garcia (MEX) 3. Fernando Guerrero (MEX) CONCACAF Female Referee of the Year 1. Kimberly Moreira (CRC) 2. Lucila Venegas (MEX)

3. Carol Anne Chenard (CAN) CONCACAF Goal of the Year 1. Carli Lloyd (USA); USA vs. Japan (16') 2. Paul Aguilar (MEX); Mexico vs. USA (120+2') 3. Darwin Quintero (COL); Club America vs. Walter Ferretti (13') (Continued on page 25)

J Z Mohamed of City Bias, NY provides part sponsorship for BCB inter zone U15 tourney Wi t h l i m i t e d t i m e remaining before the Inter County Under-15 cricket competition, the Berbice Cricket Board was able to secure part sponsorship for a fifty overs inter zone round robin competition for the four geographic areas in Berbice from J Z Mohamed of City Bias of 327 West 36 Street, New York, NY, USA. J ZEE, as he is popularly known, is a very good friend of Berbice cricket. He is also actively involved with the game in New York. The competition will commence on Saturday January 30, 2015 at venues across the Ancient County with the finals slated for the historic Albion Sports Complex on Saturday February 23, 2016 and will involve the two top teams after the preliminary rounds. The BCB youth selectors

Jameel Mohamed will use the tournament to assist in selecting the Berbice team. In an effort to make sure that the competition is successfully completed, the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Albion Cricket Club, Blairmont Cricket Club and Young Warriors Cricket Club have pledged

their support so far. Other clubs/associations and businesses are expected to come on board. The board would like to say thanks to National Communication Network (NCN) for their sponsorship over the years and will soon send a proposal to renew it for the 2016 edition. Gratitude is extended to J Z Mohamed. This tournament along with the Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruntzel sponsored Tenelec Inc. Inter Club Under-15 championship contributes significantly to the success of Berbice cricket, not only at the junior level but also at the senior level with recent national senior cricketers Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd being the latest players coming out of these tournaments.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Umpires training

workshop successful

Saturday January 23, 2016

Fight confirmed, Dexter Gonsalves to square off with Brazilian opponent Elton Dharry

Dexter Marques Dexter Gonsalves By Michael Benjamin

Shannon Crawford makes a point during the clinic Several local cricket umpires were given lecturers on ways to improve their trade at a workshop held yesterday at Mayor and City Council Union Building, Woolford Avenue. The clinic was facilitated by senior umpire Shannon Crawford. Among the topics discussed were umpires preparation, match management, technique, teamwork and on- field communication. Umpires were also asked to give a talk on a given topic after being involved in group discussion and were shown videos on decision making.

In an invited comment Crawford who is also the president of the Georgetown and Demerara Cricket Umpires and Scorers Associations said it is an ongoing process and he is delighted to share with local umpires his knowledge and experience gained at the regional level. He added that this will help the umpires to progress so that they can better serve the game. U m p i r e To t o r a m Ramnarine welcomed the initiative adding that this will be beneficial not only to umpires but players as well and expressed gratitude to Crawford.

Just over two weeks after he was advised to intensify training sessions for an impending bout, recently crowned Fecarbox junior/welterweight champion, Dexter Gonsalves, have received confirmation that his Brazilian opponent, Jonivan Barreto, has agreed to the showdown, a 10 rounds junior/welterweight affair slated for the Giftland Office Max Mall, Liliendaal ECD February 20. This is the feature attraction of a 4 bouts card that also pits the skills of recently crowned IBF InterContinental bantamweight champion, Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry, and Flyweight contenders, Dexter Marques and Mandessa Moses, all up against Brazilians to be named later. Marques and Dharry’s bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds, while Moses will engage in a 6 rounds flyweight duel.

Local light/heavyweight champion, Kwesi ‘Lightening Struck Assassin’ Jones, may have to wait just a little longer to ‘strike’ since his American opponent, Samuel Clarkson, has pulled o u t o f t h e i r light/heavyweight encounter while citing an impending engagement. They were scheduled to fight for the World Boxing Council light heavyweight FECARBOX championship. Officials of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) have said that they had tried to fill the breach but this might not be possible in such a short space of time. T h e D e x t e r Gonsalves/Jonivan Barreto bout is shaping up to be an interesting affair. Born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Barretto stripped off his shirt in 2006 against his countryman, Adelino Jesus Santos, and stopped him in the 1st round of a scheduled 4 rounder. The Brazilian then

chalked up 5 more victories, 2 by technical knockout, before suffering the first of his 2 losses to another Brazilian, Aldimar Silva Santos. Barreto shrugged aside that disappointment and went on to register three wins, two by TKO, but lost his last fight, a knockout to Hardy P a r e d e s in the latter fighter’s hometown, Chile, late last year. His has an impressive 9-2-0 record, of which he won 5 by knockouts to compile a 45% knockout ration. Gonsalves has attracted a healthy fan base and really need no introduction to local pundits. Sporting a wiry frame, Gonsalves has deceived many of his opponents into believing that he was a slouch, that is, until the first bell rang. At the moment, he is going through his paces at t h e F o r g o t t e n Yo u t h Foundation (FYF), Albouystown, under the

guidance of Sebert Blake and Joseph Murray. As noted in earlier bouts, Gonsalves’ wiry frame belies the power of his punches and his many opponents have paid the price after underrating him. Unlike the many other boxers that have flaunted their stuff at press conferences with bold predictions and vicious threats, Gonsalves is not the chatty type but he came out of his shell during a press conference of his bout with Atwell to pronounce that Atwell will sleep in the 4th round. The knockout came 5 rounds later but the mere brutality of his applications left his opponent in a crumpled heap and his supporters in awe. Naturally, he will be out to replicate this feat. Kaieteur Sport will continue to monitor the progress of the boxers as they continue to whip themselves in shape.

Saturday January 23, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 35

SUNBURST / EBFA U-17 set for tomorrow Grove Hi Tech collide with Soesdyke Falcons for top prize Defending champions Grove Hi Tech will be going all out to retain the billing as the best Under-17 team on the East Bank when the final of the SUNBURST / EBFA championship is contested tomorrow from 15:00hrs at the Grove Playfield. Standing in their way would be Soesdyke Falcons featuring an array of exciting players that would be led by the Khan brothers, Tyrone and Tyrell. Competing in the third place match would be Herstelling Raiders and Mocha Champs from 13:00hrs. Grove have an exciting group of players who have also been doing well having had senior team exposure and are eager to prove that they are still the best at this level on the East Bank. They have hammered all and sundry on their way to the final, their last victim being Mocha Champs in the

semi final, a 12-1 triumph to take their tally in the tournament to a whopping 30 goals. The home team attack will be centered around some potent forwards and midfielders the likes of Alwyn Haynes, Nicholai Matthews, Threvon Pluck, Tevin Millington, Denzil Crawford and their leading marksman as well as the tournament Kevin Dalton (8) along with Goalkeeper Randy Smartt hoping to keep the Soesdyke boys at bay. Soesdyke will not be under the level of pressure as Grove and are expected to put on a good performance having had some extra time to prepare for tomorrow. Apart from the Khan brothers who have been their mainstay, Custodian Dyonta G r a n t - S t u a r t , Ta v i n Marshall, Shonan Somnauth and Shane Meusa will all

Tyrell Khan have to combine efforts to topple Grove in order to lift the championship trophy. Both Herstelling and Mocha will want to close out this competition on a high and are expected to take the fight to each other. Herstelling, beaten finalists in 2014 have not lived up to expectations in

Tevin Marshall the 2015 edition of the tournament therefore will want to do well against a Mocha side that will be seeking to take them out. Both matches will be of 90 minutes duration and fans from the respective villages are expected to come out in their numbers to urge their villagers on.

Guardians guard against Colts rampage tonight

Tyrone Khan Marketing and Sales Manager of sponsors, Continental Agencies L i m i t e d , M r. Av a l o n J agnandan along w ith his team w ill be on hand to witness the matches and assist w ith the pres entation of prizes. The top four teams will

Plaisance Guardians will guard against a publicly proclaim rampage from Colts tonight when the two teams meet at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the final of a best-ofthree series for the first major basketball title in G e o rg e t o w n f o r 2 0 1 6 from 8pm. The two improbable candidates will collide for the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Division I League title in the third of what has been an exciting three-game series. They will no doubt produce a final classic for the crown tonight. One point has separated game one in favour of Guardians and three points made the difference in game two for Colts. The same trend is expected to continue in what should be one of better finals in Georgetown since Colts played Pacesetters for the National Championship last

Shane Webster

Nikkoloi Smith

February. That is an indication of how good the two teams have been. I n d i v i d u a l l y, g u a r d Nikkolo i S m i t h h a s ignited an up-tempo brand of bas ketball in Plaisance that has made no room for ‘big men’ like Mark Richards. The team has relied heavily on their guards to push the ball up the court in a running offense that suits Smith.

Veteran guard, Enoch Mathews has fitted well into the Guardians offense as is Trenton Woolford and John Campbell. Whether this still emerging team can continue to stop the rampaging Colts is to be seen. Colts have committed to a blow-out tonight. The Colts camp has said that they have changed their offence from the up-tempo form to a more slow-paced rotation that includes ‘big

man’ sets for their national centre Shane Webster and Kurt ‘Gypsy’ Elias, which contrasts with Guardians style. This is what makes the game tonight interesting: two emerging teams with two contrasting styles of basketball. This is what led to the closeness of the series thus far, and will continue to p r o v i d e t h e entertainment. Apart from the two ‘big men’, Elias and Webster, Colts are deep with guards Dave Causway and Shelroy Thomas capable of also playing up-tempo basketball. Kurt English has been a revelation for Colts, which is the more established club in this contest. Apart from playing in the N a t i o n a l C l u b Championship Final, which they lost last year, Colts are 2015 GABA Under-23 and Division I League champs, and Forbes Burnham Division I Memorial National Champions.

all receive trophies with gold, silver and bronze medals at stake for the top three. The most disciplined team will receive the Fair Play trophy, while the highest goal scorer, most valuable player and best goalkeeper will also be rewarded.

4th Annual Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition

Reigning champion Chase Academy kicks off campaign against Tucville today

-Division 1 basketball title on the line By Edison Jefford

Kevin Dalton

The 4th Annual Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition kicks off today with four matches, at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue. In the opening fixture at 11:00hrs, East Ruimveldt tackle St. Winifride, while Cummings Lodge and St. M a r y ’s c o l l i d e f r o m 12:30hrs. Those matches will be followed by the clash between Dolphin Secondary and Kingston Secondary at 14:00hrs, while reigning champion Chase Academy will get their campaign started when they face Tucville Secondary from 15:30hrs. The following day will see four more matches being played at the same venue. Meanwhile, Chase Academy will lead Group-A which also includes East Ruimveldt Secondary S c h o o l , S t . Wi n i f r i d e Secondary and Tucville Secondary.

Group-B consists of Cummings Lodge S e c o n d a r y, D o l p h i n S e c o n d a r y, K i n g s t o n Secondary and St. Mary’s Secondary, while Group-C contains Brickdam Secondary School, Lodge S e c o n d a r y, N o r t h Georgetown Secondary and St Joseph High School. The teams stacked in Group-D are Houston S e c o n d a r y, M o r g a n Learning Center, North Ruimveldt Secondary and Queen’s College. In Group-E are Carmel Secondary, Christ Church Secondary, Sir Leon Lessons and Richard Ishmael Secondary, while Group-F includes Bishop’s High, Central High, School of the Nations and South Ruimveldt Secondary. Those placed in Group-G are Queenstown Secondary, St. John’s College, St. George’s Secondary and Tutorial Secondary, while Group-H consists of Charlestown Secondary, Freeburg Secondary, Mae’s Secondary and St Rose’s Secondary. Thirty-two teams are participating in the competition.

t r o Sp

Hikers 2016 Hockey Festival & Fun Day launched &

4th Annual Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition

Reigning champion Chase Academy kicks off campaign against Tucville today

SUNBURST / EBFA U-17 set for tomorrow Grove Hi Tech collide with Soesdyke Falcons for top prize

(From left)- Ansa Mcal /Stag Beer Representative Linden Henry, Hikers Club President Devin Munroe and executive member Kenisha Wills at yesterday’s Launch.

Guyanese Hall of Famer, Alex Bunbury, holds clinic in Linden Students from Linden do drills at the MSC ground during the Alex Bunbury visit to Linden this week.

Fight confirmed, Dexter Gonsalves to square off with Brazilian opponent Milestones race by as Djokovic, Serena lead old guard through

Serena Williams of the U.S. hits a shot during her third round match against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 22, 2016. (Reuters/Thomas Peter) Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210