Kaieteur News

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July 09, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 28 - Price $80

Email: kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Online: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com

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

Water Street ambush…

Dead: Victor Da Silva

Gunmen kill one, injure gas station owner,

Injured: Cecil Albert Gajadar

escape with $8M

CID investigates Region Mahaica man killed

Seven TIP incident

…accused police ranks under close arrest

during robbery

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Police brave rain in Route March D

ressed in their distinguished uniforms, over 500 officers on bikes, ATV’s and horses of the different arms of the Guyana Police Force as well as scouts across the nation, braved the weather and completed their annual police march on Saturday.

The 30 groups included ranks from the Tactical Service Unit (TSU), Community Policing Groups, Immigration Officers, ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Traffic Department Assembling at the Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, officers of the different divisions marched out proudly to Brickdam to give their first salute to the

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.

The ranks and other groups made their way through Eve Leary, then to Young Street; into Parade Street, then to Lamaha Street, before entering Wa t e r l o o a n d R e g e n t Streets.

They then marched up to the Avenue of the Republic into Church Street then to Cummings Street.

But the pounding rain drenched the marchers on Parade Street. The rain did not lessen until the march ended at Eve Leary.

However, ranks from the Guyana Police Force band had to be transported by a bus to protect their instruments.

The march ended with the officers giving a final salute to the Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell and the other senior officers of the Guyana Police Force including Crime Chief Seelall Persaud.

At the awards ceremony, the ranks of TSU and the female officers of the Immigration Department walked away with the top honours .

The winning ranks of TSU making their final salute.

Mahaica man killed during robbery

A

26-year-old man is dead following yet another brazen robbery, this time at Supply Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is Omadatt Vickey Persaud of Fourth Street Supply Mahaica, ECD. According to reports Persaud was at home with relatives when tragedy struck. Family members related that three armed bandits invaded the home

and there was a scuffle between Persaud and one of the bandits.

He was shot to the forehead and died before receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Persaud’s brother-in-law who is vacationing in Guyana was grazed by a bullet. He too was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was treated, but subsequently took his

own discharge.

According to reports, the man went to a private institution for medical attention. Up to press time the police crime scene investigators were at the home. The dead man’s mother was still in a state of shock.

Neighbours recalled seeing three men walking in the area last evening just before the robbery.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Death of Guyanese Nurse..

Schools benefit from Bridge company donations Husband sends detailed e-mail to family member

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Berbice Bridge Company official and Headmistress with awardees

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he Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) donated several trophies and prizes to top students of the Cotton Tree Primary School, West Coast Berbice on Friday. The occasion was t h e s c h o o l ’s A n n u a l

Graduation and Prizegiving exercise.

Bibi Zorena Sadiq, Head Teacher (ag) of the Cotton Tree Primary School, had requested a donation of a trophy or a prize for its Annual Prize Giving Ceremony on July 3, 2013.

The students who received the trophies were Tanuga Singh; Vedwattie Ramdeo; Reshmi Samlall; Nesha Ramedhin; and Alesha Alli Children of employees working with the Bridge (Continued on page 19)

Police on hunt for rape accused, nabs wife with marijuana Nalini Baldeo, called ‘Julia’, 27, of Lot 369 Number Two Village, East Canje, Berbice and a mother of two, was on Monday remanded to jail by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

According to Prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sheriff, on July 5, the police were on the hunt for a man accused of rape. They went to a house to execute an arrest. Upon arrival at the premises the cops met the man’s wife who informed them that he was not at home.

Baldeo was at the premises and upon seeing the cops she retreated into the house and attempted to discard a black plastic bag through one of the windows.

The bag was retrieved and opened in the woman’s presence and what appeared to be leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis were found inside.

The woman was taken into custody along with the contents of the bag where it was weighed and tested and found to be 63 grams of marijuana.

In a plea for bail Attorney-at law Carolyn Artiga told the court that Baldeo depends

Nalini Baldeo entirely on her husband who is the sole breadwinner of the family. She is the only person available to take care of her two children. She stated that the woman is willing to surrender her passport.

However in objecting to bail Prosecutor Sheriff argued that no special reason has been advanced for bail to be granted. He said that when the woman was arrested she was alone at home. The man is on the run and has not been seen since her arrest.

The matter will continue on July 22

v e n a f t e r receiving a detailed email from the Nigerian husband of the Guyanese nurse, Lucinda SolomonLee, who reportedly died under mysterious circumstances in India, family members are still hopeful that their loved one is alive.

According to reports, S o l o m o n - L e e ’s f a m i l y received news of her death when her husband contacted them by telephone on Sunday, informing them that she died “three days ago”.

According to the nurse’s mother, Morlyn Scipio, the woman migrated to India in December 2009 and got married last year to the Nigerian national. The family reportedly never formally met the man or knew his name.

“One of her friends who been to India with her brought some pictures with her and him and that is how we get to see him. We didn’t even get to see wedding pictures,” one relative said.

According to Scipio, following the initial phone call informing the family that Solomon-Lee had died, the man called again several times, but the family was unable to gather much information from what he was saying since they could not understand his accent.

Alana Holligan, the nurse’s sister, reported that she requested that the man provide his address so that they could communicate on Facebook.

Holligan said that she subsequently received a text message in which the man identified himself as Austine Molar. She said that using the name provided, she was able to locate him on the social network.

S c i p i o , t h e n u r s e ’s mother, has since visited the Indian High Commission where she was advised to acquire any relevant information of her daughter that would assist in locating

Lucinda Solomon-Lee her or her husband. She should then forward the information to the Guyanese Ambassador to India, Jairam Ronald Gajraj.

Most interesting however, is the most recent information received via email by the husband of Soloman-Lee. About 15:00 hours yesterday, a Facebook message was received by the nurse’s sister, Angelina, stating in detail what led up to the death of the woman.

The message stated that she had been hospitalized two months prior to her death in many hospitals for a certain operation.

“The first hospital is called MGM is a government hospital. The second one is called SAFI hospital, it’s a private hospital and that was where she had the operation.

After the operation they could not follow her up properly on treatment then I took her to the last hospital called NAIR hospital where she passed on July 4 ”.

The man indicated that the body is currently at a th

mortuary and an autopsy will be done. He promised to send the results of the autopsy to the family.

The man added that arrangements are being to have the burial in India since it “will be too expensive” for the body to be transported back to Guyana.

In concluding the email, the man promised to keep in touch with the family “both on phone and on email any time”.

Family members are hoping that with the information provided and with the assistance of the Indian High Commission, they will know what really happened.

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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

Those guns are ubiquitous The police have been reporting that there seems to be a preponderance of guns in the society. This is not news.

What is surprising is that the police have not been able to seize more guns. It would seem as if all they have to do is to stop a vehicle on the road and the result would be the discovery of an illegal weapon.

Indeed, gone are the days of knife-point robberies and even the choke and robbers. Even the very young ‘wannna be’ criminals have guns. People talk about the ease with which people resort to guns and what is now happening is that the clever person avoids disputes while the more hostile get into heated arguments and eventually get shot.

The proliferation of guns is exemplified by recent events. A man and a woman get into an argument in the vicinity of a city funeral parlour. The woman says something that annoys the man so he whips out a gun and shoots her in the leg. The woman ends up in hospital and the man goes on the run.

Before that, a young man calls his friend and shoots him in the head for no known reason. Some claim that he wanted to show the friend that he had a gun—illegal of course. That matter is being determined by the courts.

We hear that some thieves opted to enter a home. They force their way into the home but they did not bargain for the reaction of the victims. In the end they were forced to flee and in the process, they left a firearm behind. This weapon is now with the police.

A few nights ago, a man goes on the seawalls with a woman believed to be someone other than his wife. He is singled out for attack and is shot and killed. It goes without question that the weapon is illegal.

A few hours later, some gunmen park in Kingston and wait for a businessman who was proceeding to the bank.

They shoot up the car, killing a man in the process. They execute the robbery and shoot the businessman before they escape.

From all observations, it would seem that there are more guns on the streets than anyone would wish to consider. The police stop a car that happened to be trailing someone who had just exited a commercial bank. It cannot be by accident that they find an unlicenced firearm and eleven matching rounds of ammunition.

The possession of an illegal forearm is not unique to Guyana. We see the effects in neighbouring Trinidad and Jamaica where people die of gunshot wounds in numbers that defy imagination. The difference is that the populations in those two Caribbean countries are far larger than Guyana’s. Trinidad has almost four times as many people; Jamaica has three times the population of Guyana.

Guyana has tried many things in the past to harness the illegal weapons. At one time, the government of the day cancelled every firearm licence to start the licensing process all over again. We are not sure that the authorities collected all the weapons but we do know that back then there were not as many gun crimes.

The present government has examined a practice that some government uses—the policy of buy back. It pays for every illegal weapon turned in. The problem is that the gunmen only sell those that they do not need. In any case, guns flow across the border. Some say that the guns follow the illegal drugs and that if the government were to clamp down on the drug trade it would eliminate the guns.

But those efforts need support. Some countries have draconian penalties for possession of an illegal weapon.

Despite the overcrowded jails Guyana may wish to impose harsh legislation to curb the presence of the guns.

However, there is another problem, that of the large number of illiterates who simply see the gun as a status symbol. These people simply do not have the sense or the power of reasoning to recognise the dangers a weapon poses.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

The most important cause at this juncture of Guyana’s political history DEAR EDITOR, Almost 21 years after the PPP/C came to power and two years after the groundbreaking 2011 general elections, our country stands at the crossroads. From its earliest hours as a political movement, the WPA has devoted its resources and energies to overcoming and healing the racial division of our people, which we, the members, have always seen as the single most stubborn obstacle to our national development. The WPA reiterates its commitment to National Reconciliation as the single most important political cause at this j u n c t u r e o f G u y a n a ’s political history.

Despite several opportunities to push for a political solution that would guarantee a fair and just system of governance, we continue to operate and malfunction within a political framework that privileges one-party domination and political exclusion. This has fostered a political economy that is deformed by cronyism, corruption and criminality; this has in turn reduced engagement among the parties to an unbecoming display of opportunism, oneupmanship and zero sum politics. The WPA stands by Professor Clive Thomas’ characterization of this development as the criminallization of the state.

Allied to the criminalization of the state there has, since 1992, been a rejection by the PPP, at party and government levels, of all efforts at national reconciliation and arguments for the formation of a national government.

The WPA views this as both a betrayal of the ideals of the pro-democracy forces which fought for the restoration of free and fair elections and a violation of the democratic principle of equality.

It is against this background that the WPA argued and worked for the creation of a broad alliance to contest against the PPP at the 2011 elections. For the WPA, the emergence of APNU has been one of the most significant developments in modern Guyanese political history.

This belief was confirmed by the results of the election that saw the PPP lose its parliamentary majority and ushered in, for the first time since Independence, a divided government.

The WPA interpreted

those results as a popular endorsement of APNU’s campaign for a national government and as an opening for the creation of such a government. It was a matter of considerable disappointment that the President-elect failed to exercise his constitutional right to create a Government of National Unity. His failure to do so has in effect foisted a minority government on the country, creating in the process an unsettled and unsettling political situation.

The WPA viewed such a development as a signal by the PPP that it intended to preserve one-party rule at all cost, even if this meant pushing the country further down the road of dictatorial rule.

While the WPA, in the interest of national reconciliation, has supported, albeit cautiously, the decision by the joint opposition to engage the Executive in dialogue since the election, we are disappointed that the engagement has yielded little in the way of positive outcomes. The government seems bent on using the dialogue as a means of neutralizing the opposition while persisting with the policies and practices of the pre-2011 era.

While the government has finally yielded to the opposition’s demand to involve the parties in the preparation of the budget at the start rather than at the end of the budget cycle, the President’s veto of bills passed by the National Assembly, the secrecy over shabby/fraudulent illprepared investment agreements with external investors, as well as the PPP/C’s stubborn refusal to submit its nominees to the Public Accounts Committee and thereby enable the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission are disincentives to meaningful engagement.

In light of these developments, the WPA feels compelled to urge a rethink of the opposition’s approach to engaging the government. Further dialogue and cooperation with the government should be tied to the following: · The removal of obstacles to the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission. · The rescinding of the Radio licences granted by the outgoing Jagdeo administration and the

amendment of the Broadcast Act to bring the legislation in line with international best practice. · The placing of NICIL, Lotto, GGMC and all other funds into the Consolidated Fund. · A Code of Conduct for all Ministers and Senior Public Sector officials. · An end to the setting-up of IMCs and a commitment to the holding of Local Government Elections by the end of 2013. · The immediate establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate instances of official corruption at all levels of the state. · The re-submission to the National Assembly of the Bills vetoed by the President once an independent judicial review determines that the legislation, contrary to the advice of the Attorney General, did not violate the Constitution. · The freeing of the state-owned broadcast and print media from the control of the ruling party to ensure unbiased news coverage and unobstructed access to the widest range of political opinions. In addition, the

restructuring of the boards of all state media to reflect the composition of Parliament. · The release to parliamentary parties of upto-date economic feasibility study of the Amaila Falls project; the Power Purchase Agreement of GPL; Marriott Hotel; and Bai Shan Lin. · The setting up of Commissions of Inquiry that include Cultural /Social Audits of NCN, GPL, GuySuCo and GGMC. The WPA doubts that the cause of National Reconciliation can be significantly advanced in the absence of a National Government comprising all parliamentary parties willing to be included. Towards this end, we urge a public campaign aimed at winning popular support for such a government and, without further delay, activate the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reform and set in motion the process of constitutional reform aimed at its realization.

The WPA will be fighting both inside APNU, and in its own name, for the implementation of all of these proposals.

David Hinds WPA Executive member

Laughing stock of the Caribbean DEAR EDITOR, Mr LFS Burnham spoke of unity among the peoples at the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Cheddi Jagan spoke of unity among the peoples at his swearing in as President in 1992.

How does President Ramotar expect to bring about unity among the peoples when he chooses not to deny, but to ignore, LFS

Burnham as a Founding Father of CARICOM? It seems to me that President Ramotar did not represent the people of Guyana, but his own selfish agenda, thus sending Guyana and its people further down the road as a laughing stock of the Caribbean.

Thank you Mr. President Paul Harris

Response to “An open letter to Khurshid Sattaur” DEAR EDITOR, The Management of Inter Service Enterprise Security Service categorically rejects the allegations mentioned in a letter published in your July 6 edition and captioned “An open letter to Khurshid Sattaur” The content of the letter is absolutely false. All of our records show transparency and accountability of all our

payment and taxes. We also have compliance with the Guyana Revenue Authority.

We are terribly upset with the false claims made by the purported writers of this letter and we wish to make it known that these allegations are established on the basis of spiteful lies.

Management of Inter Service Enterprise Security Service

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

We must determine and define our reality - The future of CARICOM DEAR EDITOR, I am an optimist of CARICOM’s future. I believe that the Caribbean has a lot to do and a lot to fight for, and that the means are within our reach. But, first we must face reality; we must determine and define our reality.

The world is global village. That is reality. We must always be aware of the realities and not mistake of them. When one mistakes of them, they can be cruel.

History teaches us that.

The event of major importance in the development of closer cooperation among the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean was the summoning of the First Heads of Government Conference in July 1963 in Trinidad and Tobago by the Prime Minister of that country.

The conference, the first of a series that has become a genuine Caribbean institution, was attended by the leaders of four independent countries: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. At the conference, the leaders of these four Caribbean Countries all spoke clearly of

the need for close cooperation in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

THE GEORGETOWN ACCORD The Governments of the Commonwealth Caribbean Countries through their Heads of Delegations to the eighth Conference of Heads of Government of Commonwealth Caribbean Countries assembled in Georgetown, Guyana from 9 to 12 April, 1973. The Commonwealth Caribbean leaders who placed their signatures under Community Treaty were (Hon. Ronald O. P. Armour - Government of Dominica ), (Hon. George Hosten - Government of Grenada), ( Hon. L.F.S. Burnham - Government of Guyana), (Hon. Michael Manley - Government of Jamaica), (Hon. Robert L. Bradshaw - Government of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla), (Hon. John Compton Government of St. Lucia), (Hon. James Mitchell Government of St. Vincent), (Hon. George Prince Government of Belize), (Hon. George Moe - Government of Barbados) and (Hon. Francis Prevatt- Government of Trinidad & Tobago).

Economic integration is therefore about economic development. Economic integration usually involves the creation of a single regional market for goods, adequately protected against outside competition.

The creation of such an integrated market in turn involves - first, a removal of barriers to trade (both tariffs and quantitative restrictions) among the Member Countries (thus creating a Free Trade Area); The Common External Tariff and a Common Protective Policy to protect the regional market from imports from outside countries, mainly the developed, highly industrialized countries.

The creation of a single, adequately protected regional

market is not sufficient for effective economic integration - particularly in underdeveloped countries.

Also needed is the adoption of certain joint coordinated actions and common policies both as between the member countries and as between the member countries as a whole and outside countries. These things help economic development?

The CARICOM Single Market & Economy is facing a difficult situation on this question, and while every effort is now being made to ensure a satisfactory relationship for all Caribbean countries with the European Economic Community, it is recognized that it will call for the highest level of statesmanship and vision

from the leaders of the Caribbean countries.

For, without doubt, a unified position on issues is crucial to the preservation of Caribbean integration and unity and it would be more than ironic if Caribbean leaders were to allow the integration of Europe to lead to the disintegration and disunity of the Caribbean.

The movement of skilled and trained personnel in the Caribbean, and growing awareness of the Region, has led to an increase in travel generally between member countries. This development is desirable, as it leads to better understanding of each other among the peoples of the Caribbean, and of their common cultures and backgrounds.

Consideration has therefore been given to the possibility of making such travel within the Region easier through some relaxation of the requirements for formal travel documents such as passports, etc.

A Resolution was therefore adopted at the Seventh Conference of Heads of Commonwealth Caribbean Countries held in 1972, entrusting a Committee of the Ministers responsible for Immigration in the Region to examine the question and to submit recommendations to the member governments.

It was expected that by the end of 1973 it would become much easier for West Indians to travel throughout the West Indies.

Sherwood Clarke

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

People are now more aware of the PPP’s shenanigans DEAR EDITOR, After reading the KN article captioned “Concerns about Public Procurement Commission must be addressed – PPP”, we arrived at the firm conclusion that the PPP still lives in a delusionary world. The PPP still operates like it is the majority.

It is the PPP Government who piloted the amendment to the Constitution to establish a Public Procurement Commission; that was ten years ago. Yet this PPP cannot respect its own directives? So if we are to believe Mr. Irfaan Ali, it took the PPP ten years to arrive at the considered position that they were wrong to have piloted the Public Procurement Laws in Parliament in 2003? What does that say about the party’s leaders?

So this picture that Mr. Ali attempted to paint that the President has got issues with implementing the Constitution is just another example of the hypocrisy of the PPP. As an AFC leader once said; “here they go again!” If the PPP had issues with the Procurement Commission, why did they not address these concerns

before passing the law ten years ago? Why now?

The PPP in this new dispensation wants to follow the same old majoritarian policies where they do what they want with the people’s money. They want to tax more, spend more and feed the greed machine more, which festers within the party and among their closest friends.

It is understandable that the corrupt leaders cannot tell their business buddies that the show has come to an end; but that is their problem, not the people’s problem.

If this PPP leadership was committed to the establishment of the Commission it would have happened years ago.

But they are not interested in public scrutiny and accountability; they prefer the cloak and dagger kind of operations.

If this Commission is established, it is the PPP who will get all the credit. So why all this “bobbing and weaving”?

The law is extremely clear on those who can be appointed. The law says that unless a nominee to the Commission has committed any violation of the Constitution or any gross misconduct and specifying if

that person is convicted by a court of law, there are zero grounds to deny that person from serving. But we know the PPP cannot live with a Chris Ram or a Ramon Gaskin interrogating all the shady Procurement deals they award every week of the year.

This President is playing with “mud” by trying to orchestrate foolish reasons outside the law as to why people cannot serve. If there is a Commission in place, most definitely Mr. BFF will not get an exclusive and noncompetitive contract to provide 80% of the medical supplies to the Government.

Yes, he will get business, but so will other competent suppliers, at fair prices. This is the crux of the matter; nothing else.

The people are now more aware of the PPP’s shenanigans. Let us put them on notice; once there are Parliamentarians like Ramjattan, Nagamootoo, Backer, Greenidge, and Harmon in that National Assembly, no more PPP Bill will be passed until the Public Procurement Commission is established.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

Absent ambulance stalls Linden municipality works The non-provision of an ambulance for the Linden Hospital Complex by the Ministry of Health, even after several requests were made for same, yesterday resulted in the suspension of the July statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council.

The motion for suspension was voted by Councilors Charles Sampson, Maurice Butters and Lesley Gonsalez, and was supported by all the other councilors except one, Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon told media operatives in a press briefing yesterday.

According to Solomon the issue of the ambulance was to be the first on the matters arising from the action list of the last statutory meeting, which was held in June.

The action list, Solomon said, stated that the Chairman should update Council on what the response was from the Ministry of Health (through the Permanent Secretary), relating to the provision of an ambulance for the Linden Hospital Complex.

“Now in the motion that was carried by council, this was amended to include Region Ten, and not just the Linden Hospital Complex, because we recognize that also in Kwakwani we have issues with an ambulance not being available to residents in the sub region areas between Kwakwani, Ituni and Aroaima.

“It is with that motion that the suspension and further instruction by Council to make known to the Minister and the Government that the People of region 10 are totally dissatisfied with the response being shown or demonstrated by the Ministry of Health, in this very important matter.”

Solomon said that it was an utter disgrace that the people of Linden (30,000 residents) and Region Ten (50,000), which is a vital region, should be without an ambulance, as people are at the mercy of private transportation providers.

“As Chairman of Region 10, I am in full support of Councilors’ position,” Solomon declared.

Solomon added that as early as June 6th last, a call was made to the permanent Secretary who was brought up to date on the matter relating to the need for an ambulance. That call, he said, was made immediately after the last statutory meeting of the council.

The response was that there wasn’t much that the Ministry could do at that time, but all was being done to acquire an ambulance, Two more ‘contacts’ were subsequently made in relation to the provision of an ambulance, including one on the very day that two Bosai Workers were killed and three others injured in a horrific accident, on the Coomacka Mines haul road. The injured were unable to be transported properly, as alternative transportation had to be used.

To date no word has been received about the situation as regards the

ambulance, even though the need for one is now, Solomon emphasized.

He added that the Region intends to take further action to ensure that there is an ambulance in the community.

The Linden Hospital Complex has been without the services of an ambulance for over two months now, after the one that had been serving the institution broke down on its way to Georgetown, while transporting a patient to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Repeated calls were made to the Permanent Secretary for another vehicle to provide the services of an ambulance in the interim, according to Councilor Maurice Butters, but to date nothing has been done.

Butters said that for more than five years, the Ministry of Health had been approached for an ambulance, as the vehicles at the hospital are over 12 years old.

Apart from that, an ambulance that had been

provided to the Linden Hospital by the Region in 2006, only worked for about a year. It developed mechanical problems soon after and has not worked since, even though almost $3 million was spent on repairs. The vehicle is presently y parked in the old hospital compound.

Butters said that the amount of money that was spent on the ambulance could have b ought four vehicles.

As it relates to Kwakwani, Butters said that at present there is only one ambulance serving the area, and that whenever it leaves the community, there is no guarantee that it would reach its destination, because of the difficult terrain. Quite often, he pointed out, persons have to be put into other vehicles to continue their journey to Linden.

With this in mind, he suggested that when acquiring an ambulance for the Kwakwani and Ituni consideration should be

Sharma Solomon given to acquire a vehicle that could stand up to the difficult terrain, that the vehicle would have to traverse in and out of these districts.

Vice Chairman Byron Lewis said that it was totally disrespectful and embarrassing for the community to be out of an ambulance for so long, and called the decision to suspend the Statutory meeting yesterday, to attend to the issue of the ambulance, as a

bold and authoritative step taken by councilors.

Also condemning the attitude of the Permanent Secretary and the Ministry of Health were Councilors Audwin Rutherford and Lesley Gonsales, while Councillor Stanley Collins voiced his intention to mobilize persons across the community to take further action, if the ambulance issue is not treated with the urgency it deserves.

Meanwhile Council has made a decision not to proceed with any other matter until the issue of the ambulance is settled. All the Councilors present at the press briefing said that they fully endorsed the suspension of Council yesterday.

Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon has meanwhile said that he expects the issue of the ambulance to be dealt with within a week, or further action will be taken.

Boy, four, allegedly sexually assaulted - perpetrators aged 9, 13, said to be part of gang in crime-ridden community A young mother is seeking justice for her fouryear-old son, who was reportedly sexually assaulted by two other boys who are members of a juvenile gang that is located in a crimeridden community.

She said that the child was molested on Thursday by two boys, aged nine and 13, after he was lured into a house a short distance from his home.

The victim’s mother said

that police detained the culprits but released the elder boy, who is reportedly the main perpetrator. She alleged that relatives of this boy are now threatening her.

She said that around 14:00 hrs on Thursday, her son went to a nearby community to play with other children.

The mother said that a girl in the group was about to give the child some coconut water when she realised that he was missing.

The girl then went to a house in the area and reportedly saw two older boys sexually assaulting the fouryear-old. According to the woman, the girl immediately called an uncle and also contacted her.

Kaieteur News was told that the culprits were taken into a yard and questioned, and they immediately began accusing each other.

The mother said it was also revealed that the boys

had given her son “cigarettes and black sage” to smoke before forcing themselves on him.

The woman said that she made a report at the East La Penitence Police Station, and the two boys were taken into custody.

She was then sent to the Brickdam Police Station, but a rank there informed her that her son wound not undergo a medical examination until the following day.

According to the mother, after he was medically examined yesterday, a female rank told her that the doctor found no evidence of sexual penetration.

She claimed that the rank said “as long as nothing happen to your child you don’t have to worry.”

But the young mother alleged that the mother and a sister of the 13-year-old boy stood outside her home around 07:00 hrs yesterday and threatened to kill her.

The woman said she has told police about the threats, but she is concerned that she may not get justice since police have released the 13year-old boy.

The woman and other relatives alleged that the two young men are constantly picked up by the police, since they are part of a gang of juveniles who prey on residents in their community and even in Georgetown. According to the residents, none of the gang members is older than 13.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

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WHAT IS HARDER TO FIND THAN LOVE? My first job interview required that I produce some form of identification and proof that I was of working age. Since I did not have a Guyana identification card at the time, I took along my driver’s licence and my birth certificate.

I hoped that the former would identify me and at the same time allow me to get into the transport section, while my birth certificate would show that I was of working age.

The interviewing officer took my driver’s licence and wrote something down on a sheet of paper. He then picked up my birth certificate and took a long time looking over it. So long that I decided to ask, “Is anything wrong, sir?”

To which he replied, “Yes, I cannot find the expiration date.”

From the number of birth certificates which the General Register Office issues each year, one may be tempted to believe that birth certificates now carry an expiry date. The sheer number of applications would suggest that persons are of the view that every few years they need to apply for

a new birth certificate.

The problem is that too many persons in Guyana are no longer taking care of their important documents. They are misplacing them much too easily, with the result that every few years they need to apply to have replacements issued.

It is simply unacceptable for such large numbers of applications to be made in any one month. Even for one year, this amount would be simply too much in a small country like Guyana. It places undue pressure on the system, with the result that processing times are bound to be extended. It is unacceptable, and the only persons to blame are those who are losing their certificates.

This was hardly the case up to thirty years ago. People took good care of their documents. Many of them may not have had even a file folder to store their documents, but they resorted to keeping them in plastic bags or used envelopes.

More importantly they had a fixed place, usually some drawer, where all their

important papers were kept.

And keep them safely they did. Today there are persons who still have their British Guiana birth certificates.

Somebody should run-off a competition in Guyana to see who can produce the oldest birth certificate. I am sure that quite a few birth certificates dating back to the early 1900’s can still be found.

Unfortunately, not many of these older certificates are accepted for use. There are many places in Guyana, including embassies, which refuse to accept a British Guiana birth certificate as proof of birth.

It is not clear what position the Registration Office took during the national registration exercise a few years ago, but no one should be denied registration simply because they have a British Guiana birth certificate. In fact, anyone who can produce such a certificate should be given an award for being able to safely keep that document.

In the old days there was no photocopying and persons had to take their documents, for example,

Dem boys seh...

House is big business De crow is de only bird does wait till rain fall before he build he house. Dem had some Guyanese who was like that.

Dem got some birds that does thief nest.

Dem does wait till some bird build a nest and lay eggs, then move.

Of course dem still got a couple people who like that. Dem does move in house wha people build and tek it over.

Is a dangerous game because dem does even get document to tek over de property.

Burnham and Cheddi did know bout that suh dem had a housing programme. Dem didn’t have money like nowadays suh dem housing programme was nutten fancy.

Today, though, is a really big housing programme and it paying off. Dem boys was shocked to hear that all de house lots give away pun de East Coast.

Dem boys know that Eddie Boyah got land fuh build house pun de same East Coast. He buy from de government and dem boys waiting to see if de government will buy it back.

And dem boys notice that in a quiet move Irfaat moving de capital from wheh it deh. He setting up a place called Silica City up de highway wheh global warming can’t touch it. Is nuff land up there and Silica City gun be a powerful place especially since de contractors don’t have to go anywhere fuh de sand.

Now if that is to be de case dem boys want to know wha gun happen to Pradoville2. Dem wouldn’t be surprised if all of a sudden de people who live in Pradoville 2 give way dem house and move into Silica City.

De building expo mek nuff people open dem eye. Dem bank got so much money that dem set up booth and beg people to borrow.

De contractors show off some nice house and some of dem who been last year ain’t show this year because dem busy building house fuh sell. Dem ain’t got time fuh exhibition.

Talk half and watch de housing situation.

when applying for a passport.

They did not lose these documents.

Yet today, with the luxury of photocopying, people are still losing their original documents. Perhaps it is because replacements come too easily. All it takes, according to the General Registrar Office, is for an application to be made and an inexpensive fee to be paid for a replacement copy.

If however, the replacement fee was $1,000, then perhaps persons would lose their original certificates less. It is something that should be considered, for in as much as Guyana would like

its citizens to be able to afford to have replacements of important documents such as birth or marriage certificates, there needs to be some controls and disincentives against persons losing their original documents.

An increase in the cost of these certificates will do the trick, because if there is anything that dissuades Guyanese from losing anything, it is the high cost of replacement.

Guyanese need to keep their documents safely and ensure they are stored in an easily accessible place. A good way to know how organised someone is, would

be to see whether when at home they can find their birth certificate within five minutes.

If they cannot, then it says that they need to get themselves better organised.

In May, last year, President Obama quipped at a dinner that there were a few things in life harder to find and more important than love. Then he added, “Well, love and a birth certificate.”

Stand fan electrocutes two-year-old Police are questioning the parents of a two-year-old girl who was electrocuted around 20:30 hrs after coming into contact with a fan at La Bonne-Intention, East Coast Demerara.

Relatives identified the child as Amanda Bannister.

Kaieteur News was told that little Amanda was running in the house with other children when she accidentally clutched the fan’s cord and was electrocuted.

David Bannister, the child’s father, said he was in

the top flat when he heard screams in the bottom flat.

The child was rushed to the Woodlands Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police arrived at the hospital at around 23:00 hrs to question relatives.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

Miners press for fuel, duty free Don’t be surprised if GuySuCo’s concessions as gold prices slide further Chairman is new CEO – Dr. Luncheon

Dr. Rajendra Singh

Representatives of GGDMA meeting with Minister Robert Persaud and GGMC officials on Thursday.

Miners, claiming pressure from a worrying fall in gold prices on the world markets, wants Government to relax duties on pickup vehicles and take actions against heavy equipment suppliers for price gouging.

According to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), the concessions are urgently needed to help maintain viability in the mining sector.

Members of the recently elected executive of the GGDMA led by their President, Patrick Harding, and President of the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO), Simona Broomes,

met with Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud, senior officials of the Ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) on Thursday to ask for relief.

“The aim of this meeting was to stress the GGMDA’s call for some concessions and to identify additional measures to cushion the decline in the price of gold.”

Among the issues discussed, the association said yesterday, were the relaxation of import duties and taxes on new 4-door pickup vehicles. “Safety for workers including women miners who

would usually have to ride in the tray of these pick-up trucks was highlighted as good reason for the adjusting of the duty.”

The miners also complained that suppliers of heavy equipment were involved in price gouging and not honouring warranties on equipment sold.

Also raised during the meeting was a shortage of foreign currency.

“The unavailability of foreign currency to miners who sell their gold to the Guyana Gold Board was discussed as an outstanding problem, moreso since the Continued on page 32

Government seems all set on the appointment of Dr. Rajendra Singh, the current Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), as the new Chief Executive Officer.

Chief Government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, who is also Head of the Presidential Secretariat, in confirming that the administration has been mulling Singh to take the helm of the troubled industry, said that the New Jersey-based official has returned home to live in Guyana.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised if what I said is a bit stronger than a rumour…that we may in the short term…soon…to be advised…be informed about the appointment of a CEO of GuySuCo.” He went further. “…and I

am saying, do not be surprised if it were to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors of GuySuCo.” Luncheon hinted of a press statement that will be issued shortly on the matter.

“I suspect that a release would soon be forthcoming that clearly identifies…that provides greater clarity about his future association which I am assured will happen (his future association, that is), with the industry.”

There was no immediate word about who the new Chairman is likely to be.

Earlier this week, Kaieteur News stated that Dr. Singh was tipped as the new CEO. That position is currently held

by Paul Bhim.

Government and GuySuCo had taken flak after it was learnt that the stateowned Corporation had been flying in the official every month from the US and paying his hotel bills.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, had defended Singh saying that he is qualified and worked in sugar for a number of years at a senior level and that he has the expertise to manage GuySuCo. Singh reportedly joined the sugar industry in Guyana in 1975 as an Industrial Relations Officer and left as a Regional Industrial Relations Manager. He reportedly has been attached to the City University of New York

Dr. Roger Luncheon (CUNY) for over 20 years now.

Bhim was appointed to the CEO post after Errol Hanoman, a former Booker Tate official, was let go in 2010.

Bhim is now likely to be Dr. Singh’s deputy.

Currently, the Deputy CEO position is held by Rajaindra Singh, a former Chairman of the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Yesterday, a GuySuCo official said that there has been much confusion in the media reports over Dr. Singh and the Deputy CEO, Rajaindra Singh, with even a letter appearing in the media up to yesterday. “These are two different persons though their names sound alike.”

GuySuCo’s flagship Skeldon Factory, failed to take off with a number of technical problems besieging the industry.

The US$200 million modernization project, was supposed to take 2012 national production levels to around 400,000 tonnes of sugar. Last year, the industry fell to 218,069 tonnes-- its lowest in 20 years.

Industry experts have blamed the low production on poor yields, weather, industrial action, worker migration to other sectors and inefficiency.

Parliamentarians have said that factories stood idle around 50 percent of the time during crops. Between 2006 and 2012, Guyana collected compensation payments from the EU of $24.7B, geared to prepare Guyana for the ending of sugar quota to Europe. There have been criticisms that all the monies did not go to the industry.

This year, to fix the Skeldon factory, Government announced the hiring of Bosch Engineering, a South African company to carry our remedial works. A reported US$8M ($1.6B) was said to be budgeted for the works.

At Skeldon, production last year was 33,309 tonnes of sugar and not the 100,000 tons projected. This year’s first crop, across the country, was described as one of the worst in recent years.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Drug enforcers find 640 kilos of ganja in container The drug enforcement agents of the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, yesterday busted a quantity of marijuana that landed in Guyana last month end at the John Fernandes Container Terminal.

Kaieteur News understands that the officials found the illegal drugs yesterday morning in a container that had been stored in the terminal on Mandela Avenue.

An official related to this publication that the drugs weighed some 640 kilograms in 14 bags, and concealed in the container.

The marijuana which was placed in jumbo white, blue and grey bags appeared to be hurriedly packed into the container, probably in Jamaica as the vessel was on its way to Guyana.

A source close to the investigation said that the container had left Japan with

four cars. The vessel transporting the container stopped in Jamaica where someone forced opened the container and stuffed the bags containing the marijuana inside. The source said that no sooner had the local authorities opened the container than the bags began falling out.

One investigator said that this bust coincides with the holding of a major annual event—Jamzone.

He said that the authorities have noticed the trend of large shipments of marijuana coming into the country at this time.

He said that there is nothing to link the Jamzone organizers to the marijuana, but that there are some major dealers who capitalize on the event.

A release from the GRA stated that they discovered a quantity of marijuana in a container containing four motor vehicles at the John Fernandes Terminal,

Industrial Site, Georgetown.

GRA also said that the container originated from Japan and was transshipped in Jamaica and arrived on the vessel Vega Sachsen on June 27, 2013.

“An examination of the consignment was conducted and a large quantity of drugs of a compressed nature with a weight of approximately 640 kgs was discovered in an assortment of bags and packaged with various markings.

“The agency’s Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) was subsequently informed and Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) was called in and took possession of the drugs.

The two agencies are currently conducting examinations and investigations”, GRA said.

Up to late yesterday the shippers and the brokers were cooperating with the local drug enforcement authorities, the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit stated.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Bank of Baroda renews ‘unionised’ labour agreement

(From left to right )President of CCWU, Sherwood Clarke, Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle and the Management team of Bank of Baroda In keeping with mandate of ensuring that clerical and commercial workers are provided with suitable and improved employment conditions, the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union, (CCWU) renewed its labour agreement with the Bank of Baroda (Guyana) Incorporated.

Representatives of the Union and a Management team from the Bank signed the three-year contract at the Labour Ministry Brickdam Office, yesterday.

The agreement was reviewed to ensure the terms and conditions of the Bank’s employment are in accordance with the labour laws. These include the hours of work, salary, overtime allowance and probation of Bank employees.

General Secretary of the CCWU, Ann Anderson, spoke about the relationship between the Bank and the Union.

Anderson said that even as the Bank of Baroda has a “family like relationship with its staff members,” it was the management who approached the union with the proposal after receiving the approval from the staff.

“It is a quiet company, in terms of industrial relations, the staff and management operates more like a family and therefore there is not much dispute for us to interfere …. I would like to compliment the management for their approach and for providing jobs in Guyana.”

Bank of Baroda, Managing Director, Amit Kumar, says that over the years the company has catered to the banking needs of the local populace with the absence of major setbacks.

“We have been creating jobs for the Guyanese people and more opportunities for Guyana and quality working environment for our staff members.”

Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle commended the organisation for their initiative. While, Ogle noted that the Bank of Baroda may be the only ‘unionised’ bank in Guyana, he advised that other companies and organizations should have a similar labour trend.

“I observed that this is a three-year agreement and we always encourage that other companies follow in similar manner, lengthen their agreements …..I’m glad to hear that the initiative came from management; the mere fact that we did not have to intervene or conciliate, a show that there is a good relationship between the two parties and this is commendable for labour relationship.”

Ogle congratulated the Bank Management and the Union on the renewed agreement for continued success, progress and good relations.

Tattoo artist to face Jury for Rose Hall Town killing Shamdyal Ramroop, called ‘Muscle, 32, a tattoo artist of Tain Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice was on Thursday committed to stand trial in the next sitting of the Criminal Assizes of the Berbice High Court.

A prima facie case was made out against him at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry held by Magistrate Roby Benn at the Albion Magistrate’s court.

Ramroop, a father of two was on trial for the murder of Ajai Cecil, 18, of Rose Hall Town Corentyne, Berbice.

The killing occurred on Sunday November 11, 2012.

Ramroop who first made an appearance before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at

the same court was earlier remanded.

He was represented by attorney at law Ian Annamayah.

According to prosecutor corporal Sherlock King, Ajai who had earlier attended a fun day at Rose Hall, Corentyne was on his way home when he was attacked and stabbed to death during a robbery. He was first rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital by his father who found the gate locked. He diverted to the New Amsterdam hospital where doctors pronounced his son dead.

The man had left his home around 19:30 hours on Saturday to attend a Fun Day at the Area Hall Ground, Rose Hall. He was heading home

around 12:30 hours, with a relative when he was attacked by three men, one of whom stabbed him.

Cecil was the only son for his parents but had three other siblings. The young man would have celebrated his first wedding anniversary one day after he died. His wife, Alisha, was eight months pregnant with their first child at the time. The man worked with his father as a vendor.

A post mortem examination performed on the body at the New Amsterdam hospital by Dr Vivekananda Brijmohan gave the cause of death as shock and Hemorrhage due to a stab wound to the heart.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

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UG workers not impressed following meeting with VC Although it commenced on an optimistic note yesterday, a meeting between Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi and workers of the University of Guyana ended in discouraging mode.

According to reports, nothing new was disclosed at the meeting thus workers were unimpressed. They said that there is still no concrete output from the Vice Chancellor’s leadership and there is no clear directional plan.

“We were told nothing new at the meeting and it is clear that he is still learning the University’s system,” said Vice President of the University Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Melissa Ifill.

She said, too, that it is the view of the University’s Workers Union (UGWU), that the meeting lacked expected details such as a financial road map to extricate the institution from its existing challenges.

There was also no mention of an enhanced policy assurance proposal, said Dr. Ifill, who noted that there was no definitive financial sustainability plan that would serve to avert future delayed payment of

salaries.

Yesterday’s meeting followed on the heels of a request from the Union after workers were last month denied payment of salaries on the stipulated date, an occurrence said to be nothing new to the institution.

At a recent emergency press conference it was revealed that in addition to late salary payments, the University has not been making payments towards workers NIS, PAYE, pension and other contribution dues.

In light of the unacceptable outcome of yesterday’s meeting, the Union now has plans to engage in discussions with the university’s negotiating team with a view to addressing the concerns of the workers.

At an earlier forum President of the UGSSA, Dr. Pat Francis, suggested a Government bailout as the way forward for the University.

Alluding to the ever growing financial crisis of the tertiary institution, the UGSSA President made reference to a revolving student loan fund which was established by Government several years ago. Although

Dr. Melissa Ifill designed to accrue interest to aid the functioning of the university, she noted that this has not been the case since a lot of students have not been repaying their loans.

However, the financial challenge should not be one placed on the shoulders of the University.

According to Dr. Francis, “This (Students’ Loan) Unit only sits at the University but is not part of the University’s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n responsibility...”

She explained that “somehow or the other in the accounting done in the budget it is placed in there as though it is, but it really is

not...so the University finds itself where it is underfunded for many years.”

This plight remains, according to her, despite the fact that the Students’ Loan system was put in place to alleviate the very problem that exists.

“We have been going into debt little by little; even our pension.

The Actuary had determined several years ago that significant money should have gone into taking us out of a hole but we headed to some kind of bad situation...They have never honoured that so over the years the debt has grown until we are in this terrible state,” Dr. Francis lamented.

It was this development, according to her, that had prompted the Government itself to start questioning the efficiency of the University’s operation.

As such she expressed her belief that “at this point regardless of what the auditors find, the debt that has been built up over the years has to be written off.”

This is necessary, Dr. Francis noted, if Government “really wants to give this Vice Chancellor a chance. They will have to write off that debt

Another Corentyne man penalised for beating wife Looknauth Sundat, 50, of Lot 356 Belvedere Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice was on Friday ordered to pay $10,000 or spend 20 days i n jail by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s court and pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting his wife,

Deomatie Nandram.

Prosecutor Corporal Sherlock King told the court that on June 29, last, about 18:00 hrs., the accused returned home and started to behave in a disorderly manner.

He was upbraided by his wife and an argument ensued.

The accused got angry and

dealt the woman a series of blows about her body.

The matter was reported to the Albion Police Station and the accused was arrested and charged. In court he pleaded guilty.

When asked by the magistrate if he had anything to say he declined.

The woman told the court that it was not the first time that her husband had beaten her up.

and then they will have to put money into this University at various levels.”

But addressing the various concerns at the University of Guyana requires a holistic approach and not merely a Government bailout, said Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand.

She said that the “easiest thing to do would be a bailout but that is not going to solve the issues that caused the University to be indebted in the first place...it is far more than a bailout that is needed.”

The Minister’s disclosure was forthcoming when she addressed a press conference on Thursday at the National Centre for Education Resource Development. She disclosed, then, plans to meet with officials of the University yesterday.

But according to her it is imperative that moves be made at the tertiary institution to “divorce ourselves from every other agenda – political, social...and aggressively

address the issues that UG has, so that we can sustain the kind of University that Cheddi Jagan envisioned and the kind that many of us matriculated from.”

The Minister alluded to the work of Consultant Trevor Hamilton and Associates which was tasked with conducting a consultancy titled: Review and Enhancement of the Regulatory Framework for the Improvement of Operations at the University of Guyana.

With funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the consultancy was aimed at enhancing the University’s capacity to carry out its daily operations and to boost its effectiveness to function as a national tertiary education institution in the 21 st Century.

The consultancy has since produced a final report which outlines what should be done to enhance the operation of the institution.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Over 60,000 visited Building Expo - Tremendous response for Housing Ministry Booth

By Rabindra Rooplall More than 60,000 persons visited the fourth International Building Expo over the three days that concluded Sunday night, according to figures released by the Ministry of Housing.

Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali underscored that the building expo 2013 was a huge success especially for the Turn-Key Homes Project which had an overwhelming turnout. For the first day, 18,000 persons visited; the second 20,000 and the final day 23,000.

Thousands showed interest in the $14M and $19M homes being built for young professionals.

At the end of this year’s International Building Expo, 1,000 potential homeowners are expected to secure their house lots having accessed

financing from financial institutions to erect their

dream homes.

During the Building Expo, people had the opportunity to fill in their applications.

An assessment was done to determine the eligibility of the applicant to acquire their desired home. If they were

not able to render cash payments, they were referred to the banks, or New Building Society (NBS), to obtain mortgage financing.

The successful allottee would inspect the home and enter into an agreement of sale and sign papers for the

title/transport.

These will later be forwarded to the bank. The applicant will also have to submit a letter of satisfaction to the bank.

Upon the completion of its own process, the bank or NBS will forward a check to

Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) for the ‘turn-key’ home.

Overall $4.5B has been invested in infrastructure works and almost $6B has in land acquisition.

This year, Minister Ali pledged that another $4B will be injected for development along the East Bank Demerara.

Ministry officials noted that many people are moving away from buying land alone and seem more interested in purchasing a plot with a house already built.

Government announced its largest housing programme recently.

That project will see it undertaking the construction of 1000 ‘turn-key’ homes at a new scheme in Providence, East Bank Demerara.

It was also announced that a deal is being worked out with furniture giant, Courts Guyana, in another partnership programme to meet the growing demand for these ready-done homes.

The homes will come in two models – a 20 feet x 30 feet, two-bedroom structure for $4.9M and a threebedroom, about 1000 square feet, for around $9M. Already, Government has built a number of turnkey homes and selling the smaller units for under $5M. It is also selling the threebedroom Florida-style ones at Eccles for just under $14M, complete with lands.

Also engaging the attention of visitors to the exposition was Silica City, a new housing development project set to come on stream further inland along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Speaking at the launch of Building Expo 2013 at the Princess International Hotel, Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali had said that Silica City would be the first real initiative that will take industry, commerce and residential housing to higher grounds.

He explained that this is necessary not only because of the rising sea level, but also because of the availability of land.

Guyana is at a defining moment in its history when a large number of citizens are becoming home owners.

Partnerships with the financial institutions have seen more low income earners having access to low cost mortgages to purchase or construct their homes.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

50th anniversary memorial site for Son Chapman explosion S

ome 49 years ago, on July 6th, 1964, on a sunny day, Son Chapman, a river launch that plied the Demerara River, exploded and sank, killing 43 passengers. There were reportedly 33 survivors.

Now, on the eve of the 50 anniversary of the incident which has been described as the single largest loss of life at any one time in Guyana, the town of Linden is getting ready to build a permanent memorial.

According to the Opposition a Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday, a site has been selected for the permanent memorial to the victims of the Son Chapman tragedy.

The monument will be built on the West Bank of the Demerara River between Stewart Path and Bruce Path, Christianburg, Wismar.

Making the announcement at a solemn ceremony on the 49th Anniversary of what many consider the most gruesome act of political violence in our nation’s history, Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon on Saturday said the monument will be erected and ready for the 50th Anniversary of the tragedy next year.

Solomon, in asking those gathered to reflect on the terrible events of July 6, 1964, said the tragedy must be used as a source of strength. He urged that fear must not be allowed to conquer hope and called on th

Guyanese to not forget the incident but to remember and use it as a dwell on what went wrong as a nation.

Guest speaker, Opposition Leader Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger, MP, gave a historical analysis and recalled some of the events that led-up to the bombing of the passenger launch.

The Demerara River was liquid history of sacrifice of blood. It tells the story of Guyanese with the remembrance service and the laying of wreaths not an empty ritual, but a recommitment that such an atrocity should not happen again. He said: “Don’t let hate consume your energy, let this river (the Demerara) not be a river of hate but a channel of commerce; a river of prosperity for the people of Linden and Region 10. Let the pain of the past propel us to peace and prosperity in the future.”

At the ceremony, floral tributes were placed in the river by Granger, Sharma Solomon, Horace James of Linmine Secretariat, Joe Chapman - Son of the owner of the Son Chapman, a representative of the National Congress of Women (NCW) and the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM).

The ceremony was held on Saturday at the new site for the Son Chapman Memorial monument at Wismar Waterfront between Stewart Path and Bruce Path,

Christianburg.

On that July day, 1964, an explosion blew apart the Sun Chapman launch as it sailed up the Demerara river from Georgetown to Mackenzie. Forty-three people died either due to the explosion or drowned when the launch sank. Most of the thirty-three survivors, including the entire crew, were those fortunate to be on the deck or bow when the boat exploded.

The launch exploded shortly after leaving Horadia, about sixteen miles from Mackenzie. By July 8, the bodies recovered from the river and taken to the Mackenzie Hospital morgue to be buried numbered 32.

Some badly decomposed bodies were also buried at Horadia.

Most of the victims were Lindeners traveling home from Georgetown along the Demerara River. Back then, the river was commonly used for this journey before the Linden-Soesdyke highway was constructed in 1968. The explosion was caused by a bomb, but the persons responsible and the type of explosives used remain unknown.

APNU’s Leader, David Granger, laying a wreath in the Demerara River for the 49th anniversary of the Son Chapman tragedy.

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Tuesday July 09, 2013

Saturday July 06, 2013

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Tuesday July 09, 2013

Education stakeholders must redouble Accident victim efforts to improve NGSA performance recounts injustice

I

n light of statistical evidence that schools in the Coastal Region have over the years outperformed those in the Hinterland Regions at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), a clarion call has been made by Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, for education stakeholders to redouble their efforts to reverse this trend.

According to Sam, efforts must be directed at ensuring that there is improved performance in all subject areas, more specifically in the key areas of English and Science that continue to fluctuate over the years.

The Chief Education Officer’s disclosure was made during a recent Education Ministry press conference at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) located at Kingston, Georgetown.

Sam shared the findings of an analysis of the 2013 NGSA results which revealed that some of the overarching findings clearly suggest that females have continued to outperform males in all subject areas in all Regions.

The analysis however

Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam did not see the Ministry seeking to disaggregate the performance of public and private schools. According to Sam “I am more concern about how all children are doing and I am convinced that the schools are using the same curriculum.”

He said that while performance in Mathematics has improved generally over previous years, the performance in English and Science continues to fluctuate.

“We have seen a decline in those two areas while there is just consistent performance across the board with regards to Social Studies,” said Sam. He emphasised the need to target teaching in these subject areas to ensure better performance in the Hinterland Regions.

“I think we have done quite a bit with regards to our

programme in Mathematics, our broader literacy instructional programme and I think the results we are seeing in Mathematics are directly related to what we would have noted with the introduction of the Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) programme.”

Sam noted that the Ministry is looking to see similar trends in relation to English Language and Science education.

According to him, “it is very important to us and so with the introduction of some new strategies, including the use of micro-science kits and better training for our teachers in the delivery of science in the primary level, we are hoping to see these performing indicators improved.”

Sam underscored that the concern of the Education Ministry has always been,

with regards to regional performance, that the Hinterland Regions begin to close the gap between themselves and the Coastal Region. It is for this reason, he said that the Ministry is encouraged by what is being obtained in Region Ten. Region Ten has been identified as the region with the largest number of trained teachers, and according to Sam, the performance there has certainly improved. “I think it speaks to what we know to be sound educational policies that there is a direct correlation between the number of trained teachers and students’ performance.”

Sam said that it is clear what the Ministry has to do in order to meet the needs of the Hinterland Regions to ensure that the performance there improves.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, commenting on concerns about the tabulation for placement of pupils following the 2013 NGSA, said, “We haven’t had more appeals than usual.”

The Minister disclosed that an initial batch of appeals have been dealt with even as she pointed out that “we make sure we do it thoroughly and no child has been given grades that would change the schools they received...If we have changes we will let you know,” the Minister told media operatives.

F

ormer policeman John July is still in pain, almost three years after he was struck down by former Local G o v e r n m e n t M i n i s t e r, Kellawan Lall.

When the mishap occurred, July was the pillion rider on a motorcycle on the East Coast Demerara Public Road. The date was September 4, 2010. His right leg was severely injured.

So ghastly was his injury that doctors gave him two options. July could either have his leg amputated and replaced with a prosthetic leg or have a hot pack which is commonly known as steel, fitted in place of his distorted limb. He chose the latter.

However, due to the unrelenting pain, July is made to relive the ‘unsavoury’ occurrence daily. He has recently completed the third surgical procedure to repair his damaged foot.

When this newspaper caught up with the ex- cop, he was lying in a bed at the Male Surgical Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, with his injured leg swollen and bandaged.

“Yuh know I don’t want tek this thing on cause the clock would stop work. I was coming from a function and I beg a friend to drop me home… and de Minister Kellawan Lall knock we down and drive away.

September coming gun mek three years and not a word from he or nobody in the Government,” July recounted his experience At the time of the

accident, July was a special constable attached to the Supreme Court.

Since then, he has been walking with the assistance of crutches. This prohibited him from adequately performing his duties as a law enforcement officer.

During this period, July was also the bread winner of his home. The father of four found it difficult to provide for his family.

According to the man, the former Government Minister never reached out to his family in any way.

“He never had de manners to check or nothing; no courtesy. De worst part is that he never get investigate or charge.”

According to reports, the lights on the Minister’s vehicle were not on and it was veering between the lanes.

A policeman who witnessed the accident said that after the Minister struck down the two persons he sped away from the scene.

Other eyewitnesses said that the Minister’s son returned to the scene of the accident with the same vehicle and transported the injured persons to the hospital.

However in an earlier report, Lall had refuted allegations made by the policeman. He claimed that July sustained injuries to his leg not as a result of hitting his vehicle but due to July’s motorcycle colliding with the metal rails of the bridge.

Mr. Lall told reporters that the only time July came into contact with his vehicle was when he was placed in the back seat.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Countdown to 2013 congress…

Page 19

PPP denies party split

T

he ruling People Progressive Party (PPP), ahead of an August forum to choose new leaders for the next three years, has insisted that it remained united despite attacks, especially from former senior members who have left.

It will be the first National Congress at which none of the Jagans, the party’s founders, will be around. Dr. Cheddi Jagan died in 1997, five years after taking the party to power, while his wife, Janet Jagan, passed away in March 2007.

Admitting that the PPP made mistakes, and as a result lost its Parliamentary majority in the 2011 General and Regional Elections by not doing enough on the ground, Clement Rohee yesterday made it clear that his party has since regrouped and is working to correct these mistakes. There are no factions or split in the party.

Rohee, currently the Minister of Home Affairs, is a Central Committee member and Chairman of t h e p a r t y ’s N a t i o n a l Congress Committee.

There were serious questions asked following the 2011 elections with senior executive stalwart Ralph Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly, resigning from the party in July last year, reportedly citing failure by the party to address the issue of corruption.

Responding to media questions of criticisms that the party has veered away from the ideals of the Jagans, Rohee said that these criticisms were coming from “certain individuals” and “detractors” and “defectors” who have left and are constantly plugging that line. The allegations are never coming from current members of the party.

INFLUENCE The intention, he said, is

Khemraj Ramjattan

Ralph Ramkarran

to “influence” the outcome of the upcoming congress.

According to the official, the PPP has had to reinvent itself over the years, with a decision in 1992 to add the civic component. The party has never lost an election and under any free and fair system is unlikely to do so, Rohee said.

Rohee even had his own “calculated” answer as who some of the detractors are.

His mathematical formula to explain this was SN+KN+RR+MN+KR=0.

While he challenged media operatives to “decodify” the formula, it was clear that it meant…Stabroek News+Kaieteur News+Ralph Ramkarran+Moses Nagamootoo+Khemraj Ramjattan=0 R a m k a r r a n , Nagamootoo and Ramjattan were all top PPP executive members who have left in recent years with the latter two being part of the Alliance For Change. All three have been critical of the party in newspaper articles. Ramkarran has a weekly column in the Stabroek News. Both Kaieteur News and Stabroek News have been accused of being part of the “Opposition media”.

According to Rohee, it must be pointed out that none of “detractors” have left the party with any large

number of followers.

“The party still remains.

The party has not split. We are going to the congress as a committed party.”

There is no doubt, he said, that the PPP is under attack. As a matter of fact, there are different fora within the party that allow members who are unhappy to raise complaints …it is part of the democratic machinery at work.

These fora are at the regional and district levels also where all kinds of issues are raised about bridges, roads, garbage and the functioning of the NDCs, he added.

Regarding the 2011 elections, the executive member noted that there was an “electoral setback because of certain mistakes w e m a d e … We h a v e regrouped. We have worked since elections to correct these mistakes.”

The regrouping has nothing to do with what is being written by the detractors.

The upcoming congress will also serve as a forum for more analyzing, he said.

“The mistakes we made were on the ground.” The party, however, “somehow overlooked” what it was best k n o w n f o r … organization…and paid the price as a result.

GENERAL SECRETARY Meanwhile, it is very possible that there may be a

Schools benefit from Bridge...

From page 3 Company, who wrote the National Grade Six Assessment 2013, were also awarded.

There was a trophy for Alisha Ally for obtaining the highest marks for the National Grade Six Assessment 2013.

The Company stated that it will continue to donate and sponsor other events that would benefit the School and the students.

The BBCI has supported Ministry of Education extensively over the years by donating trophies to a number of schools and Technical Institutions, waiving toll charges for school tour buses transiting the Bridge and sponsored various school activities.

On Friday, too, the company made

similar donations to the Latchmansingh Primary School as well as the Blairmont Primary School, also in Region Five.

Chief Executive Officer of the BBCI, Omadatt Samaroo, told Kaieteur News that the company not only plays the role of collecting tolls and facilitating vehicles crossing the Berbice River Bridge and vessels transiting through the Retractor span and under the High Span “but also, discharges its corporate responsibilities.

More importantly it plays an integral part in the development of education and sports; it facilitates national events and makes donations to charitable organizations in close proximity to the Bridge”

PPP’s PR official Romel Roopnarine, Clement Rohee and Zulficar Mustapha, during the press conference yesterday. debate over the issue of the General Secretary’s position in the party during the upcoming congress. That position, currently being viewed as the de facto leader of the party, is the most powerful one and held by President Donald Ramotar.

Since the death of the party’s leader, Dr. Jagan, the General Secretary position has been viewed as the top one.

According to both Rohee and Executive Secretary, Zulficar Mustapha, there is nothing stopping any moves by the delegates to make any

resolutions for a new General Secretary, which could pave the way for elections for that post. The issue would be a closely watched one with speculations rife about possible moves from the party’s seniors.

Currently, the Credentials Committee of the party is receiving information and will soon be analyzing these, Mustapha said.

Mustapha stressed that party systems are strict with delegates who are attending the congress. They must show proof of being

financial members and integral to the organization’s various arms.

Ashton Chase, one of the party’s founding members, will be a guest speaker while President Ramotar is expected to deliver the charge to the congress.

The congress which is expected to be held between August 2 and August 4 at the Port Mourant Community Centre in Region Six, East Berbice, will also include representatives from the party’s overseas’ arms with long serving members to be honoured.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Energy management important T

he concept of energy management is changing around the world and business owners are beginning to understand that their energy has to remain a key agenda item in day-to-day deliberations.

“Energy has to be managed in the same way as finance, production and other aspects of business.”

This was the main thrust of the workshop titled “Measuring for Efficient Energy Management” and conducted by Dr. Carl Duncan, an energy specialist.

He is, among other things, a

- Management Specialist Fellow of CIDA, IDB and the UK Government. He is trained in Power Station Operation and Maintenance, and NonConventional Electricity Generation.

Dr. Duncan is one of two international Consultants retained by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) to execute a landmark energy efficiency awareness and implementation project in Guyana.

This project is being funded jointly

by the Multilateral Investment Fund of the IDB (70%) and the GMSA (30%).

He believes that across the Caribbean region there is still a dearth of available information for entrepreneurs about the many easy ways to measure, monitor and reduce energy usage, and to harmonize conventional systems with renewable sources.

The good news, he said, is that the momentum is picking up in CARICOM countries. Jamaica,

Barbados and some countries in the Eastern Caribbean have already developed policy frameworks that are to be ratified by their heads of state.

“What seems to be lacking is the commitment from leaders in the public and private sectors to embrace conservation, employ renewable sources, and implement wide ranging education programmes that highlight the real monetary benefits,” he stated. It is extremely important that business leaders buy in to the concept of energy management, the specialist added.

Dr. Duncan gave Kudos to the

Dr Carl Duncan GMSA for spearheading Guyana’s push towards effective, efficient energy management in business places. He contended that with the application of energy measuring equipment, the auditing of information via online systems and constant monitoring, businesses would begin to really manage their consumption, and develop patterns aimed at conservation.

Production priorities, he said, have traditionally taken precedence over most other aspects of business, but the positive effects on the bottom line of any company that takes its energy management seriously would be worth it.

During this current 20-day intervention, the specialist consultant visited the project’s pilot companies and conducted on-thejob training sessions at each location for engineering and finance operatives. He was also able to make significant recommendations for changes in equipment and fuel usage among other things, after surveying the facilities and reviewing the data gathered by the measuring instruments.

His initial calculations indicate that these companies would soon be able to save at least five percent of their annual energy expenditures which, in some companies, amount to as much as US$5M. This Energy Efficiency Project is critical to the development of enterprises in Guyana. It directly addresses the often contentious issue of high energy costs, and is aimed at sensitizing companies to the best means of measuring and managing their energy distribution equipment/components and consumption.

It was designed specifically to assist local companies especially in the Manufacturing and Services Sectors to make the most efficient use of their Energy applications and simultaneously, employ the most effective methods of Energy Conservation.

This applies to companies powered from the national grid and those that selfgenerate.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

CID investigates Region Seven TIP incident

By Abena Rockcliffe Tw o p o l i c e r a n k s attached to Sherima Police Station who were accused of raping victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) are now under close arrest at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters.

Kaieteur News has also learnt that all five of the victims are in Georgetown and have given their statements at CID headquarters.

On Sunday, five women were rescued from the sex trade in Region Seven. The rescue was the work of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in partnership with the Guyana Wo m e n M i n e r s Organization (GWMO).

Two of the rescued females accused two ranks of Sherima Police Station of rape.

According to reports the two policemen allegedly raped the young women to allow them and their “madam” access into the 14 Mile Issano, Seven mining District.

Simona Broomes, GWMO president, said that the ages of the five TIP victims were 14, 16, 18, 20 and 26 years.

From all indications, the young ladies believed that they were going to be gainfully employed in a shop in the interior. However, reality quickly forced itself upon the naïve bunch when they were forced to hide under an old zinc sheet in a truck at the security check point at the Sherima Police Station.

They reportedly hit the zinc sheet to gain the police’s attention but their source of “help” soon became enemy as well.

Instead of preventing the girls from entering the backdam without identification, the police allegedly demanded sex and it all went on in a barrack room on a bench.

In light of the incident, Natural Resources and the Environment Minister, Robert Persaud yesterday issued a statement calling on

officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission to exercise a higher level of vigilance at its various check points to continue to support the campaign against TIP and underage workers in the hinterland.

However, no comments came from the Ministry of Human Resources on the issue as yet. Broomes said that she contacted the Ministry and informed it of the issue but couldn’t confirm if the Ministry will be working along with her on this one.

In May, after a similar rescue by Broomes, leader of the Majority Opposition-A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)—Brigadier David Granger, emphasized his call for President Donald Ramotar to set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate Trafficking in Persons. The call was cemented in the National Assembly when Mr. Granger moved the Motion titled, “Appointment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incidence of Trafficking in Persons in Guyana”.

Granger told the National Assembly that Trafficking in Persons is a form of modern day slavery.

He added that it is a crime against women and children.

Taking a swipe at the government, Granger said that denial of the existence of TIP in Guyana makes matters worse. Granger also pointed out that the state is responsible for protecting those persons.

R e c e n t l y, G r a n g e r criticized the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s failure to act “decisively to stamp out the scourge of trafficking in persons.”

Citing the US Department of State’s annual ‘Trafficking in Person’s Report’ which “usually gives Guyana an unfavourable ‘Tier 2’ ranking”, Granger called on the Government to reorganize the Guyana Police Force to enable it to enforce the law and comply with international conventions

against trafficking.

Granger said that Guyana’s biggest problems with regard to human trafficking are those of poor

enforcement by the police and the widespread perception by perpetrators that their crimes will go unpunished.

- accused police ranks under close arrest

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Brickdam Enhancement Project nears start up - Chief Development Planner A

s part of the o v e r a l l beautification a n d revitalization of streets throughout Greater Georgetown, the Brickdam Street Enhancement Project, featured at this year ’s International Building Expo, is currently in the stage of d e s i g n i n g i t s implementation strategy says Chief Development Planner of the Ministry of Housing & Central Authority, Rawle Edinboro.

According to a Housing Ministry representative, the proposed enhancements are aimed at extending the improvements that had been made in the Parliament to another portion of the road.

Models of the Brickdam streetscape, at the Housing Ministry booth, depicted a n u m b e r o f t h e enhancements to be made, beginning from the intersection of Brickdam and The Avenue of the Republic and continuing on to the intersection of Brickdam and Manget Place.

Proposed enhancements to the intersection of Brickdam and Camp Street Included in the plan is a footpath, lamps to provide adequate lighting to the footpath, street lamps which will facilitate banners for advertising national events and ensuring that the streets are well labeled and the road

well marked.

Although the project is spearheaded by the Central Housing and Planning A u t h o r i t y ( C H PA ) , existing commercial, institutional, and residential stakeholders as

well as other key government agencies are said to be on board with the proposed plans; with main objectives being to create a unique street identity, to balance pedestrian and vehicular movement,

reduce parking and traffic congestion and circulation issues and to preserve the remnants of Brickdam’s rich historical past.

Being one of the most traversed thoroughfares in Georgetown, particular

interest has been given to the haphazard parking and traffic congestion experienced on the roadway.

According to a project outline

by CHPA, inadequate and improper locations of parking spaces have resulted in incidents of ad hoc parking, interruption of traffic flow and compromises to the organized appearance of the street.

In addition to parking proposals aimed at alleviating parking irregularities, the plan explores a wider walkway and street furniture and enhancement of Brickdam’s greenery by planting fast-growing ornamental trees to create a continuous tree-lined carriageway while regularly maintaining the existing trees by painting and trimming as well as the regular maintenance of the many heritage sites situated on the road.

Although all planning has been completed, the Chief Development Planner was unable to state when the project will be executed.

Ten homeless after mysterious fire ravages Cromarty house

By Leon Suseran A mysterious fire at Lot 15 Cromarty Farm, Corentyne, has left 10 persons homeless, including a nine- day old baby.

Those homeless are S h e l i z a S i n g h , Ry a n Persaud, Naomi Devi Persaud, Steven Persaud, Kevin and Talisha Singh, To t a r a m P e r s a u d , Satyawattie Singh and a n i n e - d a y - o l d b a b y.

Investigations to ascertain the cause of the blaze are ongoing.

According to one of the occupants, Parbattie Singh, she left for the Port Mourant Market when she received a call that the entire house was ablaze.

Her daughter, Talisha and grandchildren were in the bottom flat of the two- storey home around 10:00 hrs on Saturday.

“Then when me get call that the house burn down, I came home same time.” She has been living at the house for over 21 years and is a single parent.

Singh stated, too, that the

next door neighbours alerted Talisha and the kids that the upper flat of the building was on fire. “She [her daughter] was washing clothes downstairs…and when the girl watched… she picked up her children and went on the road.”

“I ain’t get anywhere to stay”, the woman lamented.

One neighbour, Shelly Jankie, who saw it all, said, “When I was coming from the road, I saw the upstairs with smoke around 12:00 hrs and when I watched I saw one big fire in the house and the girl and her children were downstairs. I shouted ‘fire upstairs!’ And then she [Talisha] run on the road and called her sisters,” she stated.

Jankie noted that the fire appeared to have started in a bedroom. The eyewitness said that the fire spread quickly. Tenders arrived but too late since the entire building was destroyed by then. “When Whim [Police Station] sent them down, the entire house did already burn down,” Jankie stated.

The shack in which the family is now forced to sleep at nights Kaieteur News was told that the home was not powered by electricity and that there was no candle or lamp that was left burning.

“We ain’t get nothing.

People give we some

clothes,” Singh added.

Neighbours constructed a zinc shack so that the family can rest in the nights. The victims have been sleeping on zinc sheets since the fire.

She noted that she lost all

items totaling some $2M. “ N o t h i n g a i n ’ t save…everything gone! One big house with four bedrooms and two kitchens.

We ain’t even get clothes to wear…All things burn up.”

The family is desperately appealing for assistance to rebuild and recuperate from the tragedy. They can be contacted at telephone numbers 687- 4191 and 3253267.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

Ryan Hoppie, Bibi Khan are GT&T Jingle and Song Competition winners - judges’ scores coincide with national votes

G

uyana has voted, and West Bank Demerara’s Bibi Halima Khan and Georgetown’s Ryan Hoppie have been named this year’s Guyana Stars.

And it seems rightly so, because Guyana’s votes coincided with what the judges had on their scoring sheets. This was according to Sean Bhola of the English segment, and the Bollywood’s Aditya Persaud.

The winners, Khan and Hoppie, each won a Toyota Raum motor car, a BlackBerry Z10 phone, and $1M. Khan was followed in the Bollywood segment by Essequibo’s Andy Rambharack who earned for himself a BlackBerry Z10 cellular phone, and $750,000.

Likewise, this year’s youngest finalist, Michael

Ecstatic winners: Ryan Hoppie and Bibi Halima Khan Small, copped second position in the English segment, outshining his more mature rivals. He is

now the rightful owner of the latest BlackBerry cellular phone, a Z10, and $750,000.

Guyana had about a

month to vote, and the much anticipated results were announced yesterday during a simple ceremony at the Guyana Telephone and Te l e g r a p h ( G T & T ) ’ s B l a c k B e r r y O ff i c e o n Brickdam in Georgetown.

Like Brandon Harding and Gail Ann Singh, Bibi Khan and Ryan Hoppie have suddenly become household names, with already established fan bases.

Hoppie is a 25-year-old former Saint Joseph’s High School student who grew up in Lodge, Georgetown. He has a passion for Gospel singing and has been doing so from an early age.

On a mission to help Guyana’s young people live better lives, Hoppie founded the ‘Come Alive Network’, a non-profitable organization for youths.

He is also a mentor for the Youth Ambassador Programme undertaken by the United States Embassy.

Upon being named the winner, an overly ecstatic Hoppie said that he is very pleased that Guyana chose him as the winner of the English segment, but added that his rivals are as equally talented.

“I knew that I was a strong contender, but I also knew that the others were equally talented, so while I was hoping for the best, I didn’t know what (yesterday) would bring,” Hoppie said During the Jingle and Song finale, Hoppie copped the hearts of his audiences when he reinvented Chris B r o w n ’s ‘ C r a w l ’ . H i s smooth performance had the packed National Culture Centre going wild, and received much praises from the judging panel.

Meanwhile, Bibi Khan, the vocal power house as described by the judges, is a mother of two who resides at Vr i e s l a n d , We s t B a n k Demerara. She is 28, and her eldest child is 11.

Khan grew up singing in Masjids and in Qaseeda Competitions. She then emerged to be the Melody Queen of Region Three.

The cash prize, she said, would help her to further secure the future of her children, while the car that she already had, would be replaced with her brand new Toyota Raum. Her older vehicle would be placed into a taxi service for the purpose of generating additional income. The woman is currently employed with the DAX New Generation Band as a singer.

She was a contestant of the GT&T’s Jingle and Song Competition before, but did not get very far. Nonetheless, Khan believed in dusting oneself off and moving forward, so she did just that.

And today, she is looking back to give herself a tap on the shoulder for getting back on the horse and auditioning once again.

Heading into the competition, Khan said that

she wanted to mostly make a name for herself, and gaining as much experience as she could.

“I used to always look at the billboards around and say to myself that I want to be on one of those someday.

My aim was to make a name for myself. I wanted people to know who Bibi Halima Khan is,” a smiling Bibi Khan told Kaieteur News.

Her last performance was a treat to the NCC audience, and saw the panel of judges lauding her with a standing ovation. She showed off her vocal range by doing short pieces of two filmi songs, as well as a chutney piece that had the audience on its feet.

Following that performance, the vocal powerhouse was also deemed the next Guyana Star and the judges were not wrong.

Both winners, overwhelmed and ecstatic, plan to make good use of the one year contract offered to them by GT&T. Khan and Hoppie described their major support as being their respective families and communities.

The other finalists in the Bollywood segment included Yeataindra Singh Denishwar Bisessar, Eric Sukrah, Reshma Persaud, Devchandra Ramrattan, Bunty Singh, and Haresh Singh.

The English finalists were Lerone Souvenir, Natasha Yhap, Diana Chapman, Lemuel Chester, Dorian Obermuller, T’Shanna Cort, Edward Perez, and Darren Benjamin.

The finalists all received BlackBerry Z10 cell phones.

They are all very thankful to the telephone giant for once again promoting young talents, and moving them one step closer towards fulfilling their dreams of making their own music.

So thumbs up to GT&T for pulling off yet another successful year of the Jingle and Song Competition.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

Police celebrate 174th anniversary in Berbice

A section of the gathering of ranks from the disciplined services yesterday L to R: Commander Hicken, Traffic Chief Brutus, Representative of Republic Bank and St. Francis Community Developers President, Mr. Alex Foster “I am asking you as we celebrate our 174th Anniversary to come on board with us…We cannot do it alone.”

The Police Commander of ‘B’ Division, Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken made an appeal to members of civil society to come on board and to assist the police with the execution of their duties. He was speaking at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Thanksgiving and Interfaith Service in observance of the 174TH Anniversary of the organization, yesterday, at the Divisional Headquarters in New Amsterdam.

He said that having experienced 174 years, the police force is very much a part of civil society. “They have Godly laws and Earthly laws—and that is where we [the force] come into play.”

He noted that the organization was established to ensure that humans don’t impede on the rights of others. “Our society is going through a change.”

He spoke about how globalized the world is becoming especially as it relates to technology. “We are required to exhibit to a professional Code of Conduct when dealing with members of the public.”

Hicken added, “You have to come on board with us in order for us to achieve our goals and objectives in the force.”

He stated that the GPF is going through a modernization process at the end of which the Strategic Action Plan will be realized.

He also praised the construction of the state-ofthe-art Forensic Lab in Georgetown. “That is to make our work easier and accessible to technology.”

The senior rank noted that while some of the members of the public are supportive of the police from

time to time, others are not.

In the aspect of the media, he stated, “They are the ones giving us the glory and they are the ones who are sending the message to society whenever there is misconduct by members of the force.”

Hicken said that, instead of getting into confrontation with defaulting police officers, the public should approach the Management Committees or senior ranks of the police stations and let their complaints be heard.

There is also the Community Policing Group (CPG)” and we are doing as much as we could to ensure we gel with society.”

The Commander noted the importance of the core values in the police force and stressed that they be respected and upheld at all times. The force, he added, is in the stage of development and it will be a gradual process which “cannot be done drastically”.

“As we develop, we will want you to keep embracing your faith and put the Lord first in the GPF, because only the blessing of the Lord can change us to be the type of force we want.”

He urged everyone to “put the past behind, to start a new step and let’s live in love—If you see we’re doing wrong…don’t upbraid us in a manner that can cause confrontation, but get on to the leaders or superior of these people so that we can deal with it and can have a professional force so that we can provide the service that are required by you, the members of the public, who are paying taxes for us to support and protect you.”

Pastor Wilbert Daniels was the guest speaker at the event while other religious leaders offered prayers for a ‘cleaner’ and less corrupt police force in Guyana.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

Cops fleece passengers of ‘speeding’ car - Driver not charged

F

requent reports of bribery on the part of supposed law enforcement officers have led many to question whether it is the police that they should be on-guard against.

Following his own ‘costly’ confrontation with the police, Jagdesh, a United States citizen vacationing in his homeland, is concerned that the situation has been occurring too regularly.

He said that the money “passed” to police officers without legal cause could have been used to the advantage of the poor.

The man recounted that, en route to his residence following a visit to neighbouring Suriname, a t r a ff i c r a n k a t Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, halted the vehicle.

At the time the vehicle was carrying a Suriname national and another Guyanese in addition to himself and driver.

He said that after charging that the car had been moving beyond the speed limit, a “black clothes police” ordered everyone to r e p o r t t o t h e Beterverwagting Police Station, where their pieces of luggage were opened and searched.

Jagdesh said that the passengers, all carrying several bags and suitcases were required to open up their luggage after which the police rummaged through them, charging that the items contained in the bags were being smuggled into Guyana or that they contained drugs.

“After they search we,

Jagdesh they tell we that we have to go to Eve Leary, what we gon do?”

Jadgesh said that he had already interpreted the meaning of that question, but was not in a position at the present time to offer any payments.

According to the man, the police demanded $50,000 to be handed over before he could be freed.

Seeing the situation as unavoidable, Jagdesh was compelled to solicit a family member to have the payment delivered.

He said that after being freed, he found out that the other passengers were also required to “pay up” before they were allowed to leave; however, the driver had not been charged.

Jagdesh says that he finds it very strange that the car was initially stopped on charges that the driver was speeding, however, no such charge was issued.

The passengers reportedly handed over in excess of $100,000 to police in order that they may freely proceed on their way to their respective destinations.

Building Expo to...

From page 21 housing in Guyana, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds emphasized the journey to a transformative housing sector from haphazard squatting to ones where house lots are allocated through a system.

He stressed that when the PPP/C Government took office regularizing squatting settlements was one of its main tasks. Areas that were being eyed as prime squatting locations were

developed by Government as housing schemes.

And, Government has reached a level where it could provide already constructed houses on lands for citizens.

More than 100 exhibitors, including companies from United States of America, Canada, China, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and Malaysia are participating in this year’s event that is slated to conclude on Sunday.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

Egypt left leader backs military At least 17 dead as Islamist role, sees short transition protests spread across Egypt

CAIRO (Reuters) Egypt’s leading left-wing politician endorsed military intervention to oust elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and said he expected a short transition to a new democratic president and parliament.

Hamdeen Sabahi, leader of the Popular Current movement, who came third in last year ’s presidential election, said the army had implemented the will of the people and was not seeking power for itself.

“This action has led to a reconciliation between the people and the army after a long time of estrangement,”

he told Reuters in an interview yesterday as pro- and antiMursi demonstrators clashed in central Cairo.

Those who called Mursi’s removal this week a military coup were insulting the Egyptian people, who had turned out in their millions to demand his ouster, Sabahi said.

He called for former U.N. nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent liberal politician, to be appointed prime minister for an interim period he hoped would not last longer than six months until an amended constitution was in place.

The armed forces

suspended the constitution, placed Mursi in detention and appointed the head of the supreme constitutional court, Adli Mansour, as interim head of state.

Sabahi, a firebrand orator who models himself on former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, spelled out the sequence of steps he said had been agreed for the transition.

“We have agreed on a roadmap that has a new constitution that will be drafted by a committee to amend the suspended constitution and change the disputed articles, after which people will vote on it in a referendum. Then, there will be a presidential election, then a parliamentary election,” he said.

Sabahi accused Mursi of having pursued the same wrong foreign policy of following the West as expresident Hosni Mubarak, toppled in a 2011 popular uprising. He blamed the United States for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood long after Egyptians had turned against the Islamist president.

Protesters who are against former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi throw stones at pro-Mursi supporters yesterday. (Reuter) CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 17 people died across Egypt yesterday as Islamists opposed to the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi took to the streets to vent their fury at what they say was a military coup.

Five of the confirmed dead were in Cairo, security sources and state television said, and pro- and anti-Mursi protesters clashed in running street battles after dark, while armored personnel carriers sped between them on a bridge close to the city’s historic Egyptian Museum.

Five police officers were gunned down in separate incidents in the North Sinai town of El Arish, and while it was not clear whether the attacks were linked to Mursi’s ouster, hardline Islamists there have vowed to take up arms in protest.

In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, one person was killed in sometimes fierce clashes between rival factions, and in the southern city of Assiut at least one more person died from gunshot wounds.

Tens of thousands of

people marched across the country in what Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement called a “Friday of Rage” to protest against his ouster and an interim government set up to prepare for new elections.

Egypt’s first freely elected president was toppled on Wednesday, the latest twist in a tumultuous two years since the fall of Hosni Mubarak in “Arab Spring” uprisings that swept the region in 2011.

Yesterday’s fatalities add to the dozens of deaths in a month of unrest during which huge rallies in Cairo and other cities called for Mursi’s resignation, amid anger over economic stagnation and perceptions of a Brotherhood power grab.

His overthrow was

greeted with wild scenes of celebration involving millions of people, but infuriated supporters who fear a return to the suppression of Islamists they endured under generations of military rule.

It has also deepened Egypt’s crisis. With its supporters enraged by M u r s i ’s r e m o v a l f r o m power, the Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with what the army has billed as an inclusive transition plan, culminating in fresh elections.

The military has provided scarce details - its roadmap gave no timeframe for a new ballot - adding to political uncertainty at a time when many Egyptians fear violence could worsen in an increasingly polarized society.

Judge denies request for Zimmerman acquittal SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge has denied a request from George Zimmerman’s defense

attorney to acquit the neighborhood watch volunteer of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara argued for acquittal yesterday after prosecutors rested their case.

O’Mara said prosecutors hadn’t proved their case. He said there was enormous evidence presented over the past two weeks that Zimmerman had acted in self-defense.Prosecutor Richard Mantei argued the state had met its burden and that Zimmerman had lied about what happened.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting 17-yearold Martin last year. He pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

EU threatens to suspend data-sharing with U.S. over spying reports (Reuters) - The European Union is threatening to suspend two agreements granting the United States access to European financial and travel data unless Washington shows it is respecting EU rules on data privacy, EU officials said yesterday.

The threat reflects European disquiet about allegations that the United States has engaged in widespread eavesdropping on European internet users as well as spying on the EU. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU’s home affairs commissioner, wrote to two senior U.S. officials on Thursday to voice European concerns over implementation of the two agreements, both struck in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and regarded by Washington as important tools in the fight against terrorism.

“Should we fail to demonstrate the benefits of (the agreements) for our citizens and the fact that they have been implemented in full compliance with the law, their

Cecilia Malmstrom credibility will be seriously affected and in such a case I will be obliged to reconsider (whether) the conditions for their implementation are still met,” Malmstrom said.

EU-U.S. relations are going through a “delicate moment”, she wrote in the letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and David Cohen, Treasury under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

“Mutual trust and confidence have been

seriously eroded and I expect the U.S. to do all that it can to restore them,” she said in the letter, seen by Reuters.

Malmstrom is dispatching a team of officials to Washington next week for previously scheduled reviews of both information-sharing agreements.

The Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) provides the U.S. Treasury with data stored in Europe on international financial transfers. The Passenger Name Record agreement covers data provided by passengers when booking tickets and checking in for flights. All such information is passed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The United States and the EU need to show that the two data-sharing agreements “continue to bring benefits to our security and that the robust safeguards attached to them are respected to the full.

We need complete transparency and a maximum of information on both programmes,” Malmstrom wrote.

Britain’s PM Cameron wins symbolic vote on EU referendum LONDON (Reuters) Prime Minister David Cameron won a parliamentary vote yesterday on making a referendum on Britain’s European Union membership legally binding, but his victory is largely symbolic as it will not tie the hands of a future government.

Trailing in the polls before a 2015 election, Cameron hopes his support for the bill will end his Conservative Party’s feuds over Europe, win back voters lost to antiEU rivals and expose the opposition Labor Party’s refusal to back a referendum.

MPs backed the bill, which legislates for an EU referendum by the end of 2017, by 304 votes to zero, in an exercise seen as a way to convince eurosceptic Britons that Cameron is serious about giving them an “in/out” EU vote.

Cameron’s pro-EU coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats, and most opposition Labor MPs abstained after dismissing the vote as a parliamentary “stunt” that wasted lawmakers’ time.

Unable to put forward a referendum bill as a government due to Liberal Democrat opposition, Cameron threw his support behind the bill proposed by

his party’s youngest lawmaker, 29-year-old James Wharton. “It is about time we gave those millions of British people who want a say the chance to do so,” Wharton told a charged session of the House of Commons.

Cameron, who wants Britain to stay inside a reformed EU, says upheaval in the EU since the euro zone crisis makes it the right time to give voters their first say on Europe since they opted to stay in the bloc in a 1975 referendum.

The bill could still be defeated as it passes through parliament. Even if it becomes law a future government

could repeal it. The Liberal Democrats pointed out that Britain already has a law guaranteeing a referendum if the 28-nation bloc seeks treaty changes that would transfer more powers to Brussels.

Labor leader Ed Miliband refuses to back an EU vote, though media reports suggest the party might soon change tack, perhaps even seeking an early referendum.

Page 29

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe launches “fight for life” poll campaign HARARE (Reuters) Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe launched a “fight of our life” campaign yesterday to extend his three-decade grip on power in a July 31 election already being criticised as poorly planned, underfunded and plagued with irregularities.

Speaking to tens of thousands of supporters in a sports ground in Harare’s Highfield township, the 89year-old said his ZANU-PF party wanted to stay in office to push through its plans to increase black ownership of the economy.

Critics accuse Mugabe, who led the former Rhodesia to independence from Britain in 1980, of ruining one of Africa’s most promising economies by seizing whiteowned farms and giving them to landless blacks with no farming experience.

“This is the fight of our lives. This is a battle for survival,” Mugabe told the crowd, adding that ZANU-PF had reorganised and strengthened itself for a “devastating victory” after

Robert Mugabe nearly losing power five years ago. “Those who work with our enemies, our former colonisers the British, never again shall we allow them to taste leadership of the state,” he said. Although there have been no formal opinion polls, surveys in the past year by Freedom House, a U.S. political think tank, and African research group AfroBarometer have given Mugabe a narrow lead over his main rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The campaign launch comes a day after the

Constitutional Court rejected appeals, including from Tsvangirai, to delay the vote in order to allow more time for reform of the security forces and state media.

The legal argument over the election date has raised fears of another disputed poll, although with just three weeks to go, there are few expectations of the kind of violence and bloodshed that marred the 2008 elections, after which Mugabe and Tsvangirai were forced into a power-sharing government.

Instead, Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the biggest threat is ZANU-PF “software rigging” essentially tampering with the voters roll, or making it hard for MDC supporters to register to vote.

ZANU-PF have denied the allegations.

The MDC also alleges that some members of the army have been deployed in the countryside to intimidate potential opponents - a charge the security forces also deny.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

‘Comprehensive tax reform, no piecemeal’

Chamber, JMA add their voices

From left) Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President, Francis Kennedy; Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica President, Chris Zacca; and Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association President, Brian Pengelley.

Jamaica Observer - Two private sector lobby groups have heaped more pressure on the Jamaican Government to implement sweeping tax reform.

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) in separate statements called on the authorities to urgently make broad-based changes to the tax policy, saying the measures are desperately needed to stimulate economic growth.

They added their voice to calls from the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), which last week made several proposals, including the elimination of input taxes for exporters and dropping corporate income tax to 15 per cent from 25 per cent.

The JCC said comprehensive tax reform was long overdue, noting that the last one occurred in the 1980s.

“Virtually all tax reform measures since then have been piecemeal, and designed almost solely to increase tax revenue to meet budget shortfalls caused by Jamaica’s continuing lack of growth,” the JCC, which is led by Francis Kennedy, said yesterday.

“The JCC is calling for a comprehensive tax reform that promotes exports through full integration with the international marketplace. We believe this is the only way to promote the faster economic growth required to lift ourselves out of Jamaica’s current debt trap,” added the organisation.

According to the JCC, “Jamaica’s last best chance for economic transformation” is the country taking advantage of its location and transforming into one of the world’s top logistic hubs, similar to Singapore, Dubai,

Rotterdam and Panama. But, noting that competing nations are more businessfriendly with much lower corporate tax rates or extensive incentives, the JCC said Jamaica is throwing away the opportunity out the door with its prohibitive tax policies.

“To have any chance of becoming an Englishspeaking ‘Gateway to the America’s’, specifically the alternative to Panama or Miami, we will require a tax and tariff regime that is far more competitive,” the JCC said.

He reasoned that the cutting of input taxes and lowering of the corporate income tax rate would help with the elimination of distortionary tax incentives, while creating a globally competitive economic environment for investment in Jamaica.

Saturday July 06, 2013

CARICOM leaders discuss transportation PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders went into an all day retreat yesterday, resuming “frank and open” discussions on the issue of air and sea transportation within the 15member grouping.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told reporters that the issue had been discussed during the first day of deliberations on Thursday as well as matters pertaining to the CARICOM Multilateral Services agreement.

Gonsalves said he had presented the leaders with a report from the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) that dealt with the air transportation issue in May. “Among the issues discussed were issues concerning the new Multilateral Air services Agreement, some issues relating to the aeronautical services entity here in Trinidad which manages the Piarco flight information region which covers the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) region as well as Barbados, the taxes and the relationship between the various state owned airlines and critically the issue of the subsidy”.

Gonsalves confirmed that the discussions would continue in caucus yesterday but said he was heartened by

the frank and open discussions to date by the regional leaders.

“The discussions were very open, very frank so that we knew where all of us stood on the question. I am optimistic that we will have a resolution on some of the issues and particular modality adopted on others going forward.”

The leaders have gathered in Point-a Pierre in the south of the island at the Petrotrin compound for their retreat, and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said he too remains optimistic about a solution to the air transportation problems in the region. “we discussed the matter fully and various aspects on a very important topic were ventilated.

We decided at the end of the day that the heads should look more closely into the matter when we meet in caucus...and coming out of those deliberations some decisions will be arrived at”.

Spencer said “anything having to do with transportation” will be discussed at the retreat “because as you realise that transportation is key to the integration process and we have to make sure that we get it right this time around”.

He described the deliberations among the leaders on Thursday as “being very candid on the

matter” with regional leaders stating their position “in a way that was not aggressive.

“It was just a question of stating the situation as they saw it and for us to address this thorny issue which we have been skirting along for a very long time and we all have decided we need to deal with this matter if the whole question of integration is to make any sense, if the CSME (CARICOM Single Market and Economy) is to make any sense we need to address this issue frontally.”

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller also has her own concerns as it relates to the ongoing relationship between Air Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines.

In 2010, Port of Spain and Kingston agreed to a deal that allowed the Jamaica government to own 16 per cent of CAL as part of the conditions for CAL taking over the lucrative routes of Air Jamaica.

The deal also allowed for Trinidad and Tobago agreeing to a US$300 million transition plan for CAL to acquire and operate six Air Jamaica aircraft and eight of its routes.

But the deal has had teething problems and Jamaica has given the new board of Caribbean Airlines one month to get its house in order or face the prospect of Kingston withdrawing the Air Jamaica brand.

Teachers left out of IMF deal

Danny Roberts Jamaica Gleaner - A leading trade unionist has urged the Government to revisit the deal it struck with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it relates to education.

Head of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute, Danny Roberts, said the IMF deal fails to take into consideration the important role teachers have to play in moving the

education system forward.

Speaking at a forum by the institute held on the University of the West Indies, Mona campus on Wednesday, Roberts said although the IMF has called for education to be the main driving force behind economic stability, many of its stipulations were done without consultations with the teachers.

“Some of them (IMF conditions) are not about empowering the teachers as an important part of the system, but about bureaucratising the process, and the dead hand of bureaucracy is going to cripple the system,” Roberts noted.

He also chided the Government for making such an important agreement that will affect the operations of the education system without the teachers.

Meanwhile, senior adviser to Education Minister Ronald Thwaites, Dr Franklin

Johnston, said the IMF is now a major stakeholder in the country’s education system.

“As of last month, we can add one other major stakeholder to this group, and I refer to the International Monetary Fund because they are now relying on good educational outcomes to get their loan paid back.”

However, JTA president Clayton Hall said the IMF is being used as a sledgehammer to run with policies that will not benefit the education system.

He reiterated his questions as to how long will the teachers be asked to make sacrifices under the agreement when other stakeholders in the ministry are not holding up their end of the bargain.

The forum at the trade union institute was held under the theme, ‘Special Interest vs Public Good: Reconciling the Debate over the Teachers’ Issue’.

Tuesday July 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Letters... Where your views make the news

Shame on you litterers!

DEAR EDITOR, I was again appalled at the disgusting condition of the parapet and environs of the National Stadium at Providence.

It seems as though the patrons at the International Building Expo held over the last weekend, did not see it necessary to properly dispose of their garbage.

I guess the area now looks more attractive when it is scattered with plastic bottles, food boxes and other debris.

This is definitely not a first time incident of this nature at these public places. For a few days after the regular shows are held at the Stadium, the area always resembles a dump to passersby. Apparently during the reveling, the litter becomes a natural part of the session.

At Guyexpo, which is held annually at the Sophia Exhibition site, the location is left in a filthy state when persons leave. Additional resources always have to be undertaken for a massive clean-up afterwards. The Seawalls, the National Park and other such places are an eyesore after any celebration or event is held.

This trend is now a common and expected occurrence and it appears that the public is immune to this disturbingly nasty attitude of tossing trash around while walking or standing.

It is a disgraceful situation and a dirty habit. Everyone needs to take the initiative and stop littering. I am sure there

are other ways to dispose of your garbage when you are not at home. Why scatter your surroundings with trash only to have someone else clean-up after you? Morals and values, regard for the environment and simple etiquette have seemingly

disappeared from this society.

Adults and teenagers need to show an example to young children because this cycle of garbage pile-up and improper waste disposal will only continue to occur.

Shame on you litterers!

P. Daniels

Page 31

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Incestuous father in custody Charges of attempted murder and rape have been instituted against the 52-yearold father, who, according to his daughter repeatedly raped her over a period of time at the family’s Friendship home in the Lower Pomeroon River. He was apprehended by police Wednesday night.

He had previously evaded the police after his daughter lodged complaints pertaining to sexual molestation and attempted murder against him.

He is scheduled to appear at the Charity Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Reports’ relating to the allegations by the girl suggests that between June 19 and June 20, last, the man raped her.

After he was seen by his younger daughter, who informed their mother, he proceeded to scold the victim.

He attempted to set her alight after dousing her with gasoline. Fearing for her life, the victim managed to escape by swimming a canal in the Friendship Area.

After her escape, she visited the Charity Outpost, where she related to the police her horrifying story, which subsequently led to the police hunting the man.

The child was later taken into her aunt’s custody, at Lima Sands, where she was examined by a doctor, at Suddie Public Hospital, after she had a miscarriage. During that period, a relative had related that the child was in a weak state and was in need of blood.

Most recently, the mother and her two daughters had returned to the Pomeroon.

The victim’s mother teaches at the Friendship Primary School.

In another case involving a pastor and his granddaughter, who accused him of repeatedly raping her also, the Lima Sands man was previously arrested and later released on $25,000 bail.

Police have engaged the Director Of Public Prosecution.

To date the file has not been returned.

Only a few weeks ago, a Westbury man accused of raping his eight-year-old granddaughter, was released on$150,000 bail, after being on remand for almost a month.

The 54-year-old man was cautioned by magistrate Sunil Scarce not to have any contact with the eight-yearold, or her siblings.

He was also advised to relocate and to desist from living in the same premises as his grandchildren and his daughter.

Miners press for fuel, duty free...

From page 10 miners need funds to import spares, etc, which will greatly assist their mining operations.”

According to the association, a mechanism for relief in the price of fuel was also discussed and a proposal will be presented to the Government of Guyana soon.

“The programme of interior roads was also discussed indicating key roads and bridges linking the hinterland/mining locations, thereby greatly assisting miners to transport their equipment and supplies to

their locations.” The newly elected Executive Committee of GGDMA comprises Patrick Harding – President; Charles Da Silva – Vice President; Azeem Baksh – Treasurer; Terrence Adams – Secretary and Andron Alphonso – Organizing Secretary. Dabria Marcus, Chunilal Baboolal, Terry Singh, Mahendra Persaud are Committee Members, with Alfro Alphonso as the Past President.

“As a follow-up to this meeting, the GGDMA plans to meet with President Donald Ramotar later this month to

accelerate actions on the issues which were discussed.

The meeting between the GGDMA and Minister Robert Persaud, GGMC and GGB Officials is part of an ongoing agreement for monthly meetings to address issues in the Mining sector.”

Gold prices dropped even further yesterday to US$1223, after reaching a high of over US$1900 per ounce.

Gold was the biggest foreign export earner for the country last year with production the highest since large scale producer, Omai Gold, pulled out in mid-2000.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Bath murder...

Police have released the three suspects that were held for the gruesome murder of 34-year-old Jaipaul ‘Jai’ Sampuran of Waterloo New Housing Scheme, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, on station bail.

Two of those detained were last seen drinking with the dead man while another was arrested where Sampuran’s dead body was discovered.

A post mortem performed on the body on Wednesday at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital by Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan concluded that Sampuran died of a fractured skull and cerebral haemorrhage.

But new details about the murder are coming to light. Kaieteur News spoke with Sampuran’s brother.

Charranjit ‘Ryan’ Sampuran stated that the family believes that robbery was the motive behind their relative’s murder.

He stated that Sampuran left his home shortly after returning from work on Friday afternoon last on his bicycle with his earnings of over $100,000 in his possession.

He was reportedly having a few drinks with two individuals at a shop at Number 11 Village, when an argument ensued.

“One of he friends, Rakesh, came and called he around 10:30 am [Friday] to go to the wedding house and he came and they went. Like an hour later, the friend came home back and called for Jai’s wife…She asked what had happened and asked for her husband.”

Police release suspects on bail He added that the friend reported to the dead man’s wife that he left him at the shop and asked if he had come home. “And he went away and she didn’t hear back anything until the next morning.”

Sampuran did not come home that night and his wife became worried.

She then visited the friend’s house the following morning and enquired again about her husband’s whereabouts. He said that the friend stated that he did not know.

She then filed a missing person’s report at the Fort Wellington Station. It was that same morning around 04:25 hrs when Sampuran’s bloody body was discovered under a house in Number 11 Village, some distance away from the shop where he was last seen drinking with the friends.

Charranjit went on to state that the body was then taken to the morgue at Number 4 Village.

The owner of the house was also questioned at the station. “He said that around 3 am he heard a couple men beating somebody at his downstairs and he thought it was the police were beating thieves.

When he peeped he saw a man lying downstairs and he called the neighbours and the police and nobody assisted to take the man to the hospital because it was said that he was still bleeding.”

Charranjit believes that the friends attempted to rob his brother and he (his brother) resisted and they ran him down the road and beat him to death.

“All of them were drinking at the shop,” he stated.

Nobody in the village saw anything, he stated.

They also criticized how the police are handling the case. “They ain’t come and tell we nothing”, stated Babita Ramoo, a cousin of the murdered man.

She said that the police gave the family all assurances that the three suspects would have passed through court on Thursday but to her surprise she discovered that the men were released on station bail.

“All the police told me that the file gone to DPP….because up to yesterday at the post mortem; they said they got enough evidence to send those men down.”

“It appears to be a robbery because he had a large amount of cash like over $100,000—he draw pay at his workplace, so with the same pants he left the home…apparently it’s a robbery and he fought back and they double bank him.”

Only $500 was discovered in the man’s pocket.

The dead man’s brother believes that the murderers combined their efforts, since his brother was a big- built individual.

He believes that they beat his brother to death with the piece of wood recovered from the murder scene.

Additionally, the murdered man’s bicycle was also never recovered.

The man’s relatives are concerned about the welfare of the five children as well as the man’s pregnant wife. He was the sole breadwinner of the home.

Sampuran leaves to mourn his wife, Renita and children Rajpaul, 4; Shaun Paul, 1; Tiffany, 3; Britney, 8; and Sherry, 15. There is also Jenny, 12 from another union.

Sampuran will be buried today at the Bush Lot Cemetery.

American social worker...

From page 15 were done, it showed that several persons were also involved and charges are likely to befall those implicated.

A remorseful Rodney who has no previous convictions known to the court, then said, “Your worship, I was fully aware of what I was doing and what I was carrying. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I am sorry your worship. I did this because I have my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, two brothers and one sister back home and my mom and I are the only bread winners of the home. I am really sorry for what I did your worship and at this time I beg for your leniency.”

The Chief Magistrate then said, “Taking into

consideration the a g g r a v a t i n g circumstances…the prevalence of the offence, quantity trafficked and the fact that you are remorseful and you are taking responsibility for your actions, you are sentenced to four years imprisonment together with a fine of $30,000.”

Though Gustavo volunteered to give a written statement and was cautioned, bail for the mastermind behind the plan, was refused by the prosecution on the grounds that he was convicted for a matter of a similar nature.

The matter of Gustavo was then transferred before Magistrate Ann McLennan who adjourned the case until July 13 for report and fixture.

Saturday July 06, 2013

MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 06:00hrs - Living Word presentation 06:30hrs - Peace Love & Harmony (live) 07:00hrs - Dabi’s bhajan Hour 07:30hrs - Times of Refreshing (live) 08:00hrs - Full Life Broadcast with Pastor Findlay 08:30hrs - News Update 09:30hrs - Living the Life 10:00hrs - Camille’s Institute Presentation 10:30hrs - Children movie: Kung Fu Panda 13:00hrs - National Geographic: Mile Wild Tornado

Kaieteur News

14:00hrs - National Geographic: Oceans Border 15:00hrs - Sitcom 16:00hrs - Sitcom: Friends sponsored by Payless Variety 16:30hrs - Alabama Trading Music break 17:00hrs - Birthdays & other Greetings 17:15hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:30hrs - CNN News 18:00hrs - Searching the Scriptures with Pastor Floyd 18:30hrs - Cabinet Briefing 19:00hrs - Apex Forum (Live) 20:15hrs - MTV music break 20:30hrs - Indian Movie: Madhoshi 23:00hrs - English Movie:

One for the Money Sign off DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. Robot and Monster 10:00 hrs. Smart Guy 11:30 hrs. Prime News 12:00 hrs. Movie: Wild Things 14:00 hrs. Movie: The Perfect Roommate 17:00 hrs. The Baptist Hour 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move (Live) 21:00 hrs. DTV’s Summer Movie Fest 00:00 hrs. Sign Off

Saturday July 06, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You can earn someone’s affection today with your honest and innovative approach to love.

Unfortunately, you could also alienate a close friend if you don’t know when to call it quits.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): It’s nearly impossible to be rational about what you like today because your key planet Venus aligns with unpredictable Uranus. You might as well set aside your responsibilities for a while and do something new and exciting.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Your fantasies create a buzz today that you find irresistible. You crave more action and yet you probably already have so much going on that you can’t figure out how to add one more thing on to your plate.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Although the idea of adventure sounds enticing today, it’s hard to imagine yourself out there on your own when you don’t even want to leave the safety of your home.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You have big ideas about doing all kinds of amazing things today, but your goals might be so unrealistic that you don’t have a chance of reaching them. You may feel trapped by a previous commitment, but your fear of stagnation feeds your recklessness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Your friends and associates may turn your day inside out if they do something that’s not very sensible now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Your key planet, Venus, is zapped awake by shocking Uranus today, attracting unusual people, places and things like a magnet collects iron. Your reluctance to doing everything the same old way enables you to test the waters by interacting with someone who is completely different from anyone else in your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Your world is alive with social possibilities and you’re ready to shake things up and do something out of the ordinary. Still, you worry about participating in an activity where you don’t have complete control over your schedule.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You may have relationship issues to handle that could get in the way of more adventurous plans today. Perhaps you assumed that it would be difficult to find encouragement for your current dreams.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): You can be unusually freewheeling in your approach to relationships today, but your temporary sense of detachment may conflict with your more serious nature.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You can make an exciting conceptual breakthrough today that turns your life around and forces you to come up with a whole new set of plans.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): A surprising solution to a long-standing money problem might catch you off guard today, but don’t push it away before giving it a try.

Page 33

CONCACAF Selects Group of Elite...

From page 30 We are confident that this group will manage each of the important CONCACAF Gold Cup matches at a world-class level.”

One referee, two assistant referees and a fourth official will be named for each CONCACAF Gold Cup match, beginning with Sunday’s opening double header at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, featuring matchups between Canada and Martinique, followed by Mexico and Panama.

The referees for those opening day matches, as well as those assigned to the opening rounds of Group B in Harrison, NJ, and Group C in Portland, will be announced on-line via the GoldCup.org and CopaOro.org websites, at 2:30 PM Pacific Time on Saturday June 6.

Following that announcement, referees for each additional group play double-

header will be revealed online 24 hours prior to the beginning of each match day.

At the conclusion of group play, ten referees and ten assistant referees will be selected to officiate the critical quarterfinal and semi-final matches. From this group, two referees and two assistant referees will be appointed to direct the final game of the tournament. The 36-man official roster (6 referee assessors and 30 referees) for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup is as follows: Referees: Aguilar, Joel (SLV); Bonilla, Elmer (SLV); Boria, Eric (USA); Brea, Marcos (CUB); Brière, Philippe (CAN); Browne Graeme (SKN); Campbell, Courtney (JAM); Castro, Armando (HON); Cruz, Hugo (CRC); Fletcher, Joseph (CAN); Gantar, David (CAN); Geiger, Mark (USA); Hurd, Mark (USA); Jara, Octavio

(CRC); Leal, Hermenerito (GUA); Louisville, Ramon (SUR); Marrufo, Jair (USA); Morgan, Ricardo (JAM); Page, Garnet (JAM); Quesada, Walter (CRC); Quintero, Marcos (MEX); Ramírez, Christian (HON); Rodriguez, Marco (MEX); Rodriguez, Héctor (HON); Santos, Javier (PUR); Solís, Jeffrey (CRC); Torrentera, Marvin (MEX); Torres, William (SLV); Wijngaarde, Enrico (SUR); Zumba, Juan Francisco (SLV) Referee Assessors: Campos, Donald (NCA); Darville, Stanley (BAH); Ramírez, José Francisco (MEX); Recinos, Neftali (SLV); Wilbur, Donald (USA); Yero, Luis (CUB).

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 06, 2013

PETER SAGAN WINS STAGE SEVEN IN ALBI Green jersey holder Peter Sagan extended his lead in the Tour de France point’s competition as he outsprinted John Degenkolb to win stage seven.

Britain’s Mark Cavendish saw his chances of winning the green jersey suffer a blow as he was part of a group dropped on the second climb of the day.

Slovak Sagan, last year’s point’s winner, won by a bike length in Abli to take his first stage of the 2013 Tour. Chris Froome finished in the

peloton as Daryl Impey retained the yellow jersey.

With no real change in the overall race standings, Friday’s 205.5km race from Montpellier was all about the point’s jersey.

Sagan picked up 45 points for the stage win, to add to the maximum 20 he collected for winning the intermediate sprint, to move onto 224 points, a lead of 94 over Germany’s Andre Greipel, while Cavendish is third on 119.

Sagan’s Cannondale team-mates pushed hard on the toughest climb of the day, just 90km into the stage, in an effort to distance sprinters Cavendish and Greipel, who have both won on this year’s Tour.

The tactic worked

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO TO DEFEND TITLES AGAINST ALEXANDER POVETKIN Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko will defend his multiple heavyweight titles against Alexander Povetkin of Russia in Moscow on October 5.

Povetkin, 33, has held the WBA Heavyweight belt since August 2011 and is unbeaten in 26 professional fights.

Ukrainian Klitschko holds the IBO and IBF belts, and is also the WBA and WBO “super champion”.

“This is the best fight that the Heavyweight division has to offer at the moment,” said Klitschko.

The WBA enforced a rule in 2012 meaning Povetkin, their “regular champion”, had to face Klitschko as mandatory challenger.

Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medallist, won his WBA title when he outpointed Ruslan Chagaev.

He has successfully

defended his title four times, most recently in May when he stopped Poland’s Andrzej Wawrzyk in the third round for the 18th knockout of his professional career. Klitschko retained his WBA, IBF and WBO World Heavyweight titles on 4 May with a sixthround stoppage victory against Italian Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim, Germany.

“I’ve never boxed in Moscow and I’m looking forward to many Ukrainians and Russians who will come to the arena and create a special atmosphere,” said Klitschko, who boasts a career record of 60 wins with three defeats.

He has not been beaten since being stopped by Lamon Brewster in 2004, and his elder brother Vitali holds the WBC version of the world heavyweight title.

Peter Sagan celebrates winning the seventh stage of the Tour de France

handsomely, with Greipel losing two minutes on the climb and Cavendish three.

The duo’s respective Lotto Belisol and Omega PharmaQuickstep teams came

together to try to chase down the Cannondale-led peloton but eventually called a truce with around 40km of the stage remaining.

Cavendish, who won the

green jersey in 2011, tweeted: “Well, one of the “maybe a sprint” days definitely wasn’t!! Finished with about 80 riders after @opqscyclingteam did some gutsy chasing.”

Sagan still had to finish off the sprint in Albi and he almost ruined the good work of his team-mates when he ran wide at a roundabout in the closing kilometres.

However, he regained his composure and emerged from Degenkolb’s slipstream in the final metres to take the win, with German rider Degenkolb holding off the challenge of Italy’s Daniele Benatti. The race now heads into the Pyrenees and race leader Impey is already resigned to losing the race leader’s yellow jersey on Saturday.

British rider Froome, who finished second behind Team Sky team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins last year, is in seventh place.

With Wiggins unable to defend his title because of illness and injury, Froome is favourite to become the second British winner of the race and he will start Saturday’s stage eight seconds adrift of Impey.

Froome is six seconds clear of Alberto Contador, his main rival for the overall victory. Saturday’s 194km race - from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines - contains two mountain ascents and a summit finish at the ski station and the riders who have ambitions of winning the race are expected to come to the fore.

WICB, Scotiabank strengthen stand Kingston, Jamaica - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and Scotiabank on Wednesday signed a new five-year sponsorship agreement, which will see the banking institution continuing as the official bank of West Indies cricket and exclusive sponsor of its Kiddy Cricket programme.

The signing, which took place at the offices of the Jamaica Cricket Association, will see the two entities deepening their relationship though a number of initiatives aimed at improving the standard of the regional game.

New WICB President, Dave Cameron, and CEO Michael Muirhead led the board’s charge during the contract signing proceedings, while Heather Goldson, director of marketing for the English Caribbean represented Scotiabank.

HIGH-PRIORITY INITIATIVE “The WICB holds the Kiddy Cricket programme as a high-priority initiative, as it is the base of the cricket development path in the region, and we are very pleased to renew this sponsorship with our longstanding sponsor and partner, Scotiabank,” said Muirhead.

The five-year deal, which is set to see the bank going close to doubling its investment in the Kiddy Cricket programme, represents the longest sponsorship contract

that the bank has signed with the WICB during their 14year association.

“We have seen significant progress in the Kiddy Cricket programme over the last 14 years as title sponsors,” said Goldson.

West Indies and Scotiabank officials share a light moment after the signing.

“We have reached over 750,000 children since inception, and have had the satisfaction of seeing Kiddy cricketers rising to the pinnacle of the game as national and as West Indian players.

“We are, therefore, fully committed to continuing to play our part in growing the sport, and building that next generation of cricket greats,” she added.

The partnership, according to Scotiabank, will, among other things, allow the WICB to execute an expanded technical education programme aimed at teaching foundation cricketing skills to the more than 150,000 students who are currently enrolled.

As part of the expanded programme, Scotiabank is also set to fund the provision of close to 10,000 Kiddy Cricket

programme gear and equipment kits featuring bats, balls and stumps to a number schools across the region.

The sponsorship arrangement is also set to

play a role in the new Cricket Coach Education programme that was recently launched by the WICB in association with the University of Technology.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Guyana Police Force Headquarters host sports and fun day The Guyana Police Force Headquarters will be the hosts of a fish fry and fun day at the police Sports Club Ground tomorrow morning and patrons are assured of a fun filled experience.

Activities will get underway with a 5-a-side football competition followed by a six a-side 5 overs cricket tournament followed by a domino competition among several teams.

Each participating domino team is asked to contribute an entrance fee of $10,000 while the football teams pay a $5000 entrance fee; the cricket teams pay a similar amount.

Competitors will battle for trophies and other prizes while music will be provided

by International Sound System.

Food and drinks will also be on sale. Activities get underway at 09:30hrs.

Saturday July 06, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

TCL Cricket Academy & Republic GAY POSTS SECONDFASTEST 100M OF 2013 Bank Summer Camp starts Monday

Leading the way: Noone could keep up with Gay, who is having a superb 2013 Tyson Gay proved that he is the man in form over 100 metres this season as he eclipsed a high-quality field to win the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne. The American powered through in 9.79sec, the second fastest time in the world this year.

Only Gay, 30, has run quicker, and has recorded the three quickest times of any athlete in 2013.

Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has run only 9.94, and world champion Yohan Blake is a doubt for August’s World Championships in Moscow with a hamstring injury. Gay said: ‘I’m pleased.

I feel good. It’s all about consistency, staying fit and

keeping competing at this level.’

Four men took advantage of a two metres-per-second tailwind to break the 10second barrier, with Asafa Powell second in 9.88 and Michael Rodgers third in 9.96.

Veteran Kim Collins, now 37, set a St Kitts and Nevis national record of 9.97 to finish fourth.

Great Britain’s Shara Proctor came third in the long jump with 6.92m, a season’ s best and the second-longest leap of her career.

Tiffany Porter also ran her quickest time of 2013, 12.65secs, to finish fifth in a very strong 100m hurdles race. Christine Ohuruogu,

however, was a disappointing fourth in the 400m, running 51.03secs.

Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz cleared 2.24metres but then failed three times at 2.27m to finish last in the high jump.

Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko, however, scaled 2.41m, the highest jump since world record-holder Javier Sotomayor in 1994 and a feat that puts the 23-year-old third on the all-time list.

Glasgow, meanwhile, lost out to Buenos Aires in its bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

It got just 13 votes and was knocked out in the first round.

Watch out Messi, Neymar has your number Brazilian Neymar and Argentina’s Lionel Messi will form a mouth-watering strike force for Barcelona next season but they were on opposite sides on Wednesday for a charity match in Peru.

The South American stars joined the likes of Dani Alves, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano and Eric Abidal for the match between Messi and friends and the Rest of the World. It was the first time they had been on the same pitch since Barca legend Johan Cruyff suggested fourtime Ballon d’Or winner Messi might be sold to make way for the £50million new arrival.

‘No, I wouldn’t have signed Neymar,’ Cruyff told Marca. ‘With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (right) and Brazil’s Neymar Messi - and some would agree with that, others not.

And Neymar eclipsed Messi, who were both wearing No 10 for the match, by scoring a stunning 45-yard lob. He then produced a moment of magic to embarrass Malaga’s Uruguay

defender Diego Lugano. But Messi had the final word as his side ran out 8-5 winners.

All proceeds from the fixtures will go directly to the foundation, which works to build a better future for children and adolescents internationally.

The 16th annual Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) Cricket Academy organised by the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) is set to bowl off on Monday at the Area ‘H’ Ground from 09.00hrs.

Some 120 young players between ages 8 to 18 years would be part of the two weeks Academy which is being sponsored by TCL (Guyana). The Club would also from Monday be hosting the 6th annual Republic Bank Summer Camp for Sixth Grade students and the first ever Mathematics Summer Camp for Secondary School Students.

Plans for all three summer programmes have been completed according to RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster who stated that the Academy would be conducted

by Coaches Michael Hyles-Franco, Winston Smith and Renwick Batson. Special emphasis would be placed on developing the young cricketers’ abilities on the field of play while at the same time ensuring that they understood their responsibilities as role

models and sporting ambassadors.

The Club at the end of the Academy is hoping to name an elite list of 40 promising players for further coaching and personal development programmes.

The Republic Bank Summer Camp is especially for Grade Six Students preparing for Secondary School and would last for five weeks. The students would be taught five subjects – Mathematics, Spanish, English A, English B and Integrated Science.

They would also receive special coaching to improve their cricketing skills. The 60 students will also be involved in several lectures on topics of importance including drug abuse, peer pressure, importance of education and public speaking.

The Mathematics Camp would he held three days per week from the July 8 to August 9, 2013 will attract students from Forms 3 and 4.

Admissions to all the programmes are free and the Club would like to encourage youths in Berbice to take advantage of the available opportunities.

All-round India crush West Indies After a listless performance against Sri Lanka, where they were trounced in all departments, there was a feeling that India had lost its intensity and drive after the highs of the Champions Trophy.

However, against a different opponent and at a new venue, none of those weaknesses were on show.

Virat Kohli led by example with a blistering 102 off 83 balls to lift India to an imposing 311 before the seamers turned a new leaf and consigned the match to a nocontest even before the halfway stage.

West Indies struggled either side of a lengthy rain delay and at no stage were they allowed to mount any kind of resistance. The Indian seamers drew plenty of criticism against Sri Lanka, failing to pick up any.

Following the rain delay, they attacked as a pack, getting the ball to bounce, nip and keeping the batsmen in check.

They helped seal the game in comprehensive fashion, restricting West Indies to well under 219 to bag the bonus point and open up the tournament. It wasn’t a bad toss to lose for India after they were put in to bat on a pitch that had a layer of grass.

Dwayne Bravo had plenty of expectations from his bowlers, but the wait for the first wicket lasted 23 overs, by which time the Indian openers had added a healthy 123.

It provided the platform for Kohli, who built a skyscraper in quick time to push the score past 300 in a frenzied assault against pace and spin. Shikhar Dhawan showed class when driving through the off side, punishing width and bisecting

a packed off side-ring that included an extra cover.

The powerful square drives, missing against Sri Lanka, reappeared today.

Rohit Sharma was in good touch with his drives through cover and it was he who gave the innings momentum after a watchful first three overs.

Dhawan fell clipping the ball to deep midwicket but India then went off the radar, losing four wickets for 45 when it was time for consolidation.

Both Kemar Roach and Tino Best picked up wickets to lift West Indies, but it was a matter of time before India snatched back the initiative.

Kohli, and the demoted M Vijay, helped India add a breezy 42 in the Powerplay.

The seamers tried bouncing the batsmen again but Kohli negotiated the short stuff with ease and his confidence seemed to rub off on Vijay, who feasted on some poor bowling.

Vijay’s dismissal, caught at backward point, and Ravindra Jadeja’s run-out raised West Indies’ hopes of possibly wrapping up the innings within 50 overs, but R Ashwin and Kohli upset those plans. The West Indies seamers were shoddy with their lengths, bowling far too short and allowing Kohli in particular enough time to find the gaps on the leg side.

Bravo himself was no less guilty, leaking 17 in his sixth over. The yorkers were nonexistent and when the bowlers resorted to bowling short, they were pulled and slashed down to third man.

Kohli brought up his 14th ODI century with a push wide of midwicket and in the process gave his bowlers a strong total to try and redeem themselves after the Sri Lanka

hammering.

West Indies were denied a strong start when they lost their biggest hitter, Chris Gayle, cheaply. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, back after missing the previous game, showed how much India had missed him.

Bowling over the wicket to Gayle, he got the ball to move away and a circumspect Gayle merely poked his bat out, edging to Dinesh Karthik.

Bhuvneshwar then changed his angle to Darren Bravo, pitched it up and induced a drive. It was wide outside off but Bravo didn’t move across enough to get behind the line and ended up edging to first slip. After completing the shot, his head was still facing cover.

Rain intervened after the 10th over, forcing the players off the field for an hour and a half. The target was then revised to 274 off 39 overs, adding further pressure on the batsmen. Marlon Samuels looked out of sorts against Ishant Sharma, and after surviving a confident appeal for caught behind off a delivery that lifted, edged the next ball to the keeper.

Bhuvneshwar got one to kick up, forcing Kieron Pollard to slash to slip for a golden duck, before Ishant got Johnson Charles to top edge to square leg. Charles was the only batsman to show some aggression, scoring 45 off 39, but his dismissal had all but squeezed out West Indies’ hopes.

Umesh Yadav nipped out three quick wickets to hasten India’s march to victory.

Final scores: India 311 for 7 (Kohli 102, Dhawan 69, Rohit 46) beat West Indies 171 (Charles 45, Bhuvneshwar 329, Yadav 3-32) by 102 runs

by D/L Method.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ferocious battle of wits and words as Gafoor goes after McDonald’s title

By Michael Benjamin Moen Gafoor is thinking WIN while Abigail McDonald will be thinking RETAIN; both are scrabble words and the person with superior vocabulary, buys the right tiles and form the most bingos, is sure to cart off the spoils when they square off for the coveted crown when the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) stages a 3 best of 5 duel to determine the National Scrabble Champion at the Bank of Guyana Sports Club, Avenue of the Republic Georgetown, this afternoon.

The two players have earned the right to contest for the accolade after occupying the two top spots in the just concluded qualifiers where McDonald scored 19 points and a positive spread of 2951 while Gafoor amassed a tabulated total of 18 points and a positive spread of 3955.

Indeed, both players are in top form; Gafoor had enjoyed two phenomenal days where he had compiled a huge spread and at the start of the final round, was comfortably placed at 17 games and a positive spread of 3767. Up to that point, McDonald had amassed 18 points and a positive spread of 2671 while the other front runner, Fred Collins, was placed at a threatening 17 points and a positive spread of 2196. In reality, it was anyone’s game for, had McDonald lost and Gafoor win the final game, the latter player would have advanced while the former would have suffered a setback.

Further, with Collins lurking in the third place slot,

just one point adrift, with a large spread, McDonald could have been relegated to the third place slot thus paving the way for a showdown for the national championship between Gafoor or Collins.

The astute word former threw a monkey wrench into the equation when she humbled Michael Benjamin by a large spread of 180 points while Gafoor triumphed over Grace Hercules. At last year’s nationals McDonald and Leon Belony had scored the highest points and had proceeded to battle for the top prize.

During combat, fortunes had swayed like a pendulum, from one way to the other, before McDonald eventually prevailed by a mere 7 points to retain the accolade 3-2.

When she faces Gafoor today the situation is expected to be just as grueling but it is difficult to predict a winner.

Both players possess impeccable concentrative powers coupled with a wide array of unconventional words. McDonald has had immense exposure and has represented this country at the 2009 World Scrabble Championship in Malaysia.

Gafoor might not have had such exposures but he has demonstrated verve and alacrity that has stood him in good stead. He has also carted off the lion’s share of prizes at most of the competitions staged for the year and his meritorious rise to the top where he has outshone top seeds the likes of Collins, Leon Belony, James Krakowsky and Colin Chichester among others speaks highly of his determined spirit.

Otherwise, both players

will ponder on the luck of the bag; there are days when fate works terribly against the players and sometimes one may buy a plethora of vowels or consonants. For this reason, both McDonald and her foe will be keen to learn words where the vowels outweigh the consonants and vice versa.

Game strategy will also play a decisive role in the determination of the champion and both players have employed witty strategies in the past.

Scrabble can hardly qualify as a spectators’ sport but supporters have viewed the actual matches on close circuit television at the venue while debating on the validity of plays and wits and offering moral support to their choice.

Whichever way it goes, this afternoon’s duel is shaping up to be intense and only one champion can emerge. Who will it be? The nation will just have to wait until the final tile has been placed. The winner of this year’s Nationals 2013 will cart off $50,000 and a chance to represent Guyana at the World Scrabble Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, December 3 – 8, next. The runner up receives $30,000 while the third place finisher receives 20,000. The 5th and 6th places will receive $10,000 and $5,000 respectively while the best newcomer pockets $5000. There will also be other prizes for the highest individual score and most bingos among others.

Both principals may be in line for some of these auxiliary prizes but for now their thoughts are on the bigger stakes—the National Scrabble Championship of Guyana.

Saturday July 06, 2013

SEBASTIAN VETTEL TOP AS REVISED PIRELLI TYRES LAST Formula 1’s first day of track action after the multiple tyre failures at the British Grand Prix passed without incident at Germany’s Nurburgring. Five days after six cars suffered dramatic punctures at Silverstone, new tyres produced here performed well.

Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull topped the times in each of the two practice sessions. The day centred on tyres after drivers threatened a race boycott if there was a repeat of the Silverstone problems.

World champion Sebastian Vettel said: “The bottom line is, one: we are very happy Pirelli brought a new tyre for this event so they had the flexibility to react in a couple of days.

All but three of the drivers are represented by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), which put out a statement on Thursday saying they would “immediately withdraw” from this race in the event of further failures.

Chairman Pedro De La Rosa clarified on Friday morning that in the event of a failure the drivers would seek to establish what has happened with tyre supplier Pirelli before making any decision about how to proceed.

The three non-members are Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Williams’s Valtteri Bottas.

Raikkonen and Bottas sad they would race regardless, while Sutil said he would “think about” joining any boycott should there be one.

Pirelli has supplied a new tyre using different materials in its construction to ensure there were no further problems.

The Mercedes cars were fastest by a second in the first session, with Hamilton ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg.

But Vettel turned the tables on them in the second, pipping Rosberg by 0.235 seconds.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber was third in the second session, ahead of Lotus’s Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen, and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Hamilton was eighth fastest behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.

McLaren’s Jenson Button was ninth fastest ahead of Scot Paul Di Resta in the Force India. Hamilton was 0.653secs behind Rosberg on one-off lap time but looked in good shape

compared to his partner on the race-simulation runs later in the session.

Those laps, when the teams fill the cars up with fuel and prepare for the race, suggested that Ferrari were back to their usual form after struggling at Silverstone.

Red Bull looked very strong on race pace while Mercedes were difficult to read - they are either in the region of half a second slower than the Red Bulls and Ferraris or were running a heavier fuel load to see how their tyres performed under the most challenging conditions. Vettel said: “Mercedes were quick this morning. We couldn’t have done that [time].

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra summariser Susie Wolff, the Williams development driver, said: “I think it will be a tight fight at the front. I do think Mercedes have the edge on Red Bull in qualifying at the moment, and Lotus and Ferrari are close behind.”

7TH CARIBBEAN & 14TH IPF/NAPF/FESUPO PAN AMERICAN POWERLIFTING C/SHIPS

Morgan smashes Pan Am deadlift record; becomes 5-time Caribbean champion RCMTC&SF & PMTC Horse Race Unprecedented is the day two, Thursday.

American deadlift record that Meet dates are confirmed word to describe Guyanese Morgan’s performance was minutes before set by

The Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities (RCMTC&SF) of Alness Village, Corentyne, Berbice and The Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) also of Corentyne, Berbice have confirmed that the new date for the upcoming Race Meet is Sunday, July 21st at the famous Port Mourant Turf Club from at 12:30hrs.

According to the organisers, this will be the first Meet to commence the second half of the 2013 Horse Race season and after a long layoff due to the prolonged inclement weather.

Horses will have adequate time to get in shape after the long layoff.

The activity will now be a sprint Meet with none of the races over 1300M and this is to ensure that horses will not have to do too much on their first day back on the track after the long break. This Meet will also be used as preparations for the highly anticipated Digicel Meet set for August 1st at the PMTC. More sponsors have come on board for

the RCMTC&SF/ PMTC Race Meet - Toolsie Persaud Limited, South Land Incorporated, Bobby and Indranie and R and C Poonai all joining forces with those on board so far which includes The Trophy Stall of Bourda Market, Banks DIH Limited, Omai Transportation and Delmur Shipping Company, among others.

With the rain taking a break, most of the stables have already started to utilize all of the available space to get their animals in shape for this mega event. Nine events will be contested with over $6M up for grabs in cash, trophies and other incentives.

On track activities will be run using the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA).

Interested persons can contact the Club’s Office at Number 13 Hermitage East Coast Berbice (19 Road). Bobby Vaughn (624-6788), Loresa Mohabir (333-0290, 333-0301), Francis Chichester (2332984, 690-1943), Kris Jagdeo (624-6123, 3220369), Rajendra (618-7278), Ramnauth (3375311) or any member of the PMTC.

powerlifting sensation Randolph ‘The Accomplisher’ Morgan who once again destroyed the best the Caribbean has to offer in his category at the 7th Caribbean Powerlifting Championships that is taking place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Miami Florida, USA. Competing in the 83kg class yesterday, Morgan led one/two finish for Guyana which saw Anis Ade-Thomas taking the silver medal capping another successful day for the Guyanese athletes which saw Kimberly MarsLonke winning gold on day one followed by Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby and Vijai Rahim with similar feats on

saw him being crowned Caribbean champion for the 5th consecutive year, a wonderful achievement.

In the Pan American segment of the competition, the World No. 4 ranked Jose Castillos of Ecuador denied Morgan the gold medal, the Guyana Police Force Officer having to settle for the silver medal.

Castillos winning Total was 895kg with Morgan’s being 835kg and Ane-Thomas who took the bronze coming in at 687.5kg.

This category was the most competitive and attracted 14 lifters. Despite not winning the gold medal, Morgan smashed the Pan

Castillos who did 325kg, Morgan erased that mark with a new deaflift of 330kg.

Based on reports from Miami, almost all the Guyanese lifters have set new records in the Caribbean of competition but full details will be known upon ratification by the relevant body.

Meanwhile, Rahim became Guyana’s first lifter to be selected for drug testing.

He is no stranger to this having been tested last year at the South American Championships which returned negative.

The results of this current test will be known in one month’s time.