PAGE 04
Kaieteur News
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL A CRISIS ON OUR BORDER Venezuela is in the grips of the deepest crisis of its recent history. The streets of Caracas are awash almost daily in violence. Neighboring governments have issued stern condemnations of President Maduro’s actions. How did a country once seen as a model for left-wing movements crumble under its own weight. The answer lies in President Nicolas Maduro’s lust for power. His push to rewrite the constitution amid an escalating political crisis has led to a stern warning from the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials. The warning by the US Congress is meant to force the Trump administration to act more forcefully to rein in Maduro. Massive confrontations between protesters, the police and Maduro’s security forces, and his government’s ban on one opposition leader from politics for 15 years and the jailing of others, suggest a hardening of positions between the government and opposition amidst the continued economic and political deterioration. The Maduro government stands accused by the opposition of economic ineptness and political heavyhandedness and for the shortages of foodstuffs and basic amenities, hyperinflation, dwindling foreign reserves and rampant criminality. The crisis in Venezuela shows no sign of abatement. It could have unforeseen effects on its closest neighbour, Guyana. As Guyana grapples with its own problems of the economy, it must keep a sharp eye on Venezuela which seems to be the proverbial train wreck in slow motion. Our government should not take anything for granted because any government that is under stress at home tends to lash out at its neighbors, especially if those neighbors are weaker militarily. Guyana fits neatly into this scenario. It must draft a contingency plan to deal with any possible worst-case scenarios that could emerge from the border dispute and from a flood of Venezuelan refugees, and any spillover of criminality from that country’s economic and political meltdown. While the government should welcome those Venezuelan citizens encroaching on our territory for legitimate business such as shopping for foodstuffs, it must have a heightened vigilance to those with criminal intent. However, given the dire situation in Venezuela, we should offer assistance to refugees rather than deport them. It is unkind, heartless, cruel and inhumane to do so. Guyana is particularly vulnerable in several areas from the collapse of Venezuela. They include the trafficking of illegal guns, drugs and people. Such activities are underscored by a new desperation now in Venezuela that requires the authorities to exercise even greater vigilance as we face our own political and economic challenges. That said, the government should not expect Venezuela which has imploded, to engage in any serious discussion or honour any agreement on the border dispute. The Maduro regime which is engaged in a daily struggle for power and survival does not have the ability or administrative capacity to engage in any basic discussions and deliver on its promise. Its seizure of the General Motors plant is an act of desperation that could dampen foreign enthusiasm to invest in new or existing projects, such as the oil and gas companies to develop the Dragon and Loran Manatee oil Fields in Venezuela. While a peaceful Venezuela is certainly in Guyana’s best interest, our influence towards such a resolution is limited to joining international forums to advocate for good sense to prevail. Meanwhile, with global uncertainty now on our doorstep, the government must heed the adage, “When your neighbor’s house is on fire, carry water to your own.” We have a crisis on our border.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Considerations to be fulfilled before we rebuild the prison Dear Editor, Before any thought is given to the rebuilding (whether we should, or would it be wood) relocating (still Durban or urban), construction (destruction), or refurbishing (new face to old place) of the Camp Street Prison we should instead reconsider and redirect our attention to urgent reexamination of the entire penal system. Such a move calls for a bottom-up remodelling of the prison program, sentencing s tr u ctu r e an d d ef in ite retraining of prison personnel. Thus far what has been the primary goal of the Camp Street prison? Has it been to rehabilitate or incapacitate? Have any of the goal(s) been met? Prisons were initially created and constructed as a form of physical punishment, with some penalties and sanctions regarded as utilitarian in nature with the goals of deterrence. It is blatantly apparent that the current prison system in Guyana has not worked, serving instead as an irritant rather than a deterrent. The incarcerated have been rated as the educators, teaching the personnel all along the way. Urgently needed also is a coming together of wits and bits regarding punishment whether it be capital or
common. Well-run prisons are not conjured up, or come into being by good laws, lawsuits or good philosophy. While these are of vital importance, in the absence of competent, intelligent and inspiring prison leadership there is little to no chance of creating constructive prison environments and operations. In a desperate endeavor to ensure that there is never a recurrence of the prison saga the Government of Guyana should look outside of Guyana for models of prison systems that have not only worked but continue to do so. We cannot afford to lean on our own understanding. Not at this point? The management of a penal institution, where the inmates will observe reasonable rules, not selfmutilate, harm each other or the staff and facility is a challenge. The fact should not be overlooked. In fact the fires and riots bear testimony to the fact that all work and no play leads to brooding, perversion, plotting and riots. So we must find personnel who are up to this challenge. It must be emphasized that no longer can the prison be run as authoritarian command –and-control organizations, nor be effectively managed by a single individual, no
matter how capable, energetic or charismatic. While leadership may start at the top, reinforcement and boosting is necessary all the way down and across the organization. An effective leader in the penal system is demonstrated by his ability to recruit and inspire subordinates. It is essential that leaders have a breadth of vision so that they can challenge their subordinates to think and operate in new ways. Also to be considered is the Union, who in many prisons are silent forces to be contended with. It constitutes an influential stakeholder that can restrict or potentially restrict internal ability to effectuate policy choices. In February 2013 a group of American corrections officials, judges, prosecutors and public defenders spent a week visiting prisons in Germany and the Netherlands, where individuals are imprisoned at about one-tenth the rate of the United States, for far less time, and under conditions aimed at social reintegration rather than punishment a l o n e . S e e http://www.nytimes.com/20 13/11/08/opinion/lessonsfrom-european-prisons.html Based on the group’s research, a submitted report suggested that European
sentencing and penal practices may provide useful guidance in the increasing effort to reform an American prison system crumbling under its very own weight. S e e https://www.vera.org/public ations/sentencing-andprison-practices-ingermany-and-thenetherlands-implicationsfor-the-united-states So, if America with a system of unenviable penology, and with the highest incarceration rate in the world, nearly five times that of Britain, seven times that of France and 24 times that of India, can look at effective prison working system, how much more so can Guyana? The world is watching on as the ashes smolder from the burning prison, a nation mourns the loss of her son in the execution of penal duty and reality becomes clearer to the citizens. Guyana is now called upon to prove that she has learnt from her mistakes. Let haste not be the case where the rebuilding is concerned, the recent incident has only added fuel to the outcry. According to Lord Tennyson,” Knowledge is easy but wisdom lingers”. Let that wisdom not be attributable to the inmates. Yvonne Sam
Sugar union will stand by its membership in facing the challenges Dear Editor, Mr Abel Seetaram continues to write that the industry should have begun a diversification programme since in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s. But that was done as we see the construction of a steam/diesel electricity generation plant at Skeldon, which incidentally earned $9.5B last year, and the construction of packaging facilities at Blairmont and Enmore. Furthermore, several studies found that co-generation plants at Albion, Blairmont and Enmore were viable, as well as the establishment of a refinery at Skeldon and a distillery at Albion. So Mr Seetaram, a programme of diversification was actively being pursued with good results too. Mr Seetaram, time you wake up, after all you’re a Councillor still. But despite the extensive work that was done, this is now being torpedoed by the Coalition and replaced with the revival of the failed other crops programme in GuySuCo. Seetaram goes on to speak about the
Skeldon project and charges “How can you modernize something for the future that has no future”. The statement undoubtedly exposes Mr Seetaram’s obviously confused state-of-mind as, among other things, the entire project was scrutinized and then approved by the international financial institutions i.e. the IMF and World Bank. Certainly, their experts would have taken into account the future in arriving at their conclusions. And, while the Skeldon factory is labelled as “failed” we hasten to say to Mr Seetaram that he ought to be told that buyers are expressing their ready interest, including a team that should be known by his party, to acquire the factory. The actions we see playing out certainly casts doubt on the statements in the letter. We then are told that instead of Skeldon a fund of some sorts should have been set up to assist sugar workers to become entrepreneurs. Well, what a grand suggestion but we wonder, if, for instance, all or many of the sugar workers become businessmen and
women, where will their customers come from especially in light of a declining population? If Mr Seetaram is so convinced about this why is he not making similar suggestions to his ‘comrades’ who are now in the driver’s seat? Is it a case of empty barrels making the most noise? Mr Seetaram also speaks about where the monies would come from to finance sugar’s future. He needs to be reminded that between the EU monies and 20-year (1976-1996) Sugar Levy; the State received as much as $100B. That is apart from several other contributions by the sugar industry by way of workers income tax, corporation tax, drainage and irrigation services, medical services, lands for housing, among other things. This could very well total tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars which, in effect, have been saved by the State over the years. The ramblings of Mr Seetaram are nothing more than to deflect from the serious consequences that would (Continued on page 5)
Tuesday July 18, 2017
I have these questions about the Camp Street jailbreak DEAR EDITOR, -900463817. 1.What were the prison guards doing that allowed three fires to be started at separate locations in the prison? 2. What was the prison guards’ first response after the first fire, this supposedly happening during recreation? 3. Did the prisoners have access to gas or kerosene? How could this be? 4. Corralling the prisoners to exit the prison was too orderly and planned. Was it that the six or eight who escaped decided not to go, and let the prison officers know this? 5. Did the escapees leave the prison through the front
gate of the prison before or after the other prisoners were safely removed from the prison? 6. What time was it that the escapees made it out of the prison? 7. Did they all leave as one group, two, or three groups? 8. If they left after 18:30hours, why were no bright lights used to illuminate the entire perimeter of the prison? 9. Why were vehicles allowed to drive around the prison area during this entire escapade? 10. Why was the vehicle, in which the prisoners escaped allowed so close to the prison as to facilitate the kid-
napping of the driver? 11. As the escapees were making their way out of the prison gate, exactly how many prison guards, police and army personnel saw them leave? 12. How could one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight prisoners escape through the front gate of the prison in this scenario? 13. These prisoners, clearly identifiable with gun(s) and cutlasses, ran to the car without any attempt to stop them? 14. They drove away from the scene in plain sight of the prison guards, police and army while all the police and army vehicles just lay around
parked at the scene or doing their regular traffic stops? 15. How many prison guards, police and army personnel were on the scene at the exact time of the escape? 16. How many police and army vehicles were available and on the scene on the day and time in question? 17. How many helicopters are available to the police, army? 18. Where and what exactly were all of the police, military and private security vehicles in Georgetown doing at the time of the escape? And you now ask me if I think that it was state-sponsored? What do you think? Craig Sylvester
CREATIVITY IN OIL CONTRACTS; GUYANA CAN DO BETTER DEAR EDITOR, Who is the owner of the “proven reserves” once the contract is signed between the oil company and the host country? In a typical contract the “reserves” are monetized and this value is entered on the balance sheet of the oil company. The share price of the Company is maintained and traded based on “booked reserves”. In this type of Contract the host country has essentially ceded ownership to the oil company. Whatever control is left to the host country depends on what is written in the contract? For the host country, the best guarantee of obtaining a decent payoff for its resource is to hire professionals in the oil trade to help you negotiate a good contract. This was not done in Guyana. Middle Eastern countries are very nationalistic and do not want to cede ownership of their oil reserves to foreign companies. So how the oil companies would claim “booked reserves”? This poses a dilemma – but not really. ExxonMobil lawyers can use a little creativity in contract formulations. Steve Coll’s book on ExxonMobil (I regard this book as a bible on EM), page573, explains: “The question was whether EM could develop contract terms that would allow it to book Iraqi oil as proved reserves without forcing Iraq’s government to accept production sharing or other contract forms typi-
PAGE 5
Kaieteur News
cally rejected in the Arab world on nationalistic grounds.... EM’s lawyers had worked on contract formulations that might allow [Iraq] to claim full ownership over its oil before its people, while structuring EM’s position so that, even short of outright ownership, S.E.C. rules would nonetheless recognize the corporation’s right to book reserves for Wall Street”. (S.E.C. is a US govt. agency tasked with preventing Securities fraud). Matter solved – new formulations of contract now provided for EM to be paid for its technical services not with cash but with oil. EM can still claim to S.E.C. that it has guarantees of oil. The point of this letter is that EM has teams of the world’s best lawyers and accountants working for their company. Note how creative they can be with the Iraqi’s and the S.E.C. Who does Guyana have? Guyana’s nationalists and activists – Anand Goolsarran, Chris Ram, Nigel Hughes, Darshanand Khusial (Toronto), Transparency International (Guyana)and many others – they all write letters pleading with Oil Minister Trotman to be sure the i’s and t’s are dotted and crossed with care, but to no avail. Mr. Trotman seemed
caught up in a headlong rush to grant the production license even before properly renegotiating the contract. He claimed the old 1999 contract signed with then president Janet Jagan was a “good contract”. Really? He also talked about “sanctity of contracts”. At this point I lost all confidence in Guyana’s Oil Minister. Let ExxonMobil do the talking about “sanctity of contracts”; they have teams of the world’s best lawyers. Mr. Trotman is not known for being a contract lawyer or an accountant. Goolsarran, Hughes, Khusial – they argued persuasively that in a 50/ 50 sharing of “profit oil”, there is no guarantee that any or much “profit oil” will be left – simply because Guyana has no control over costs, no ability to evaluate costs or contractual right to reject what they may see as inflated costs. Khusial cited an accounting joke in which the accountant says, “I could make profit be anything you want”. This joke often times becomes reality. Also, $5 billion is reported to have been spent on exploration and other related costs and this sum is capitalized (paid-up capital) on EM’s balance sheet; why must it be treated as a loan to be repaid (recovered) on an expedited
basis? Guyana is not going anywhere and the world’s demand of oil is not expected to suffer a precipitous collapse. Recovery of sunken costs can be stretched out over a 25-year period – this item should have been re-negotiated. At this point, Oil Minister Trotman has not been forthcoming on explaining what, if any, corporate taxes ExxonMobil will pay. Article 15 of the Contract on taxation is written in obscure legalese; it should be written for the layman to be able to read and understand. A reasonable clause that should be in the contract also is that within a 5-year period, EM’s Guyana workforce should comprise of at least 75% Guyanese. It is Guyana’s resource and Guyanese should be given the opportunity to acquire skills and work experience in all aspects of the oil trade. This oil business will be in Guyana for at least the next 50-years. Without this clause Guyanese workers will lose out. In March, we read of EITI being set up under the auspices of the Oil Ministry. EITI should be an independent body. Now 5-months later we have stopped hearing anything about EITI. Guyana can do better. Mike Persaud
Whatever happened to prison uniforms? DEAR EDITOR, This type of negligence aided in escapees going unnoticed. You get out without recognition and no one is aware because you are dressed like everyone else standing around the vicinity of the fire. You blend in with the spectators, vagrants, porters and so many other characters without being noticed. It is only natural they have not yet been found, or no real leads have been given. They did not need a change of clothes, so they disappeared into thin air when the smoke settled. The backlands can be searched for weeks and the turn up will be nought.Were the border patrols informed? The public went over twenty four (24) hours without knowing who the other four escapees were. What happens to prisoners’ passports after they are found guilty and sentenced? I am assuming though it is dangerous to assume that it is
not even flagged “serving sentence” or “imprisoned” along with release date since it is electronic. A person could leave the country just like that after a jailbreak, specifically when you are unidentifiable for an entire day or more. All the public schools in Guyana wear a uniform, was the prison system not a part of that deal? Is it not considered a rehabilitation center for the incarcerated? Therefore uniforms should be made mandatory for all inmates. The body in charge of prison welfare needs to look into uniforms for inmates, provide the materials and tools if needed with some of the hefty fines or drug bust funds and organize the female prisoners to get the sewing done. There may also be some tailors in the mix from the camp street prison to assist. Order needs to start somewhere. Latoya Williams
Sugar union will stand... From page 4 befall the people and the communities of the sugar belt. There is no amount of lipstick that the author can put on the proverbial pig that would make the Government’s plans seem more attractive. At the end of the day too many Guyanese will suffer and the future of thousands will be blackened and shattered. As a responsible organization,
GAWU will stand by and struggle with the workers as they face these assaults and challenges. Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU
PAGE 6
DEAR EDITOR, In a recent letter to the newspaper, I outlined the nightmare I encountered while attempting to recoup some bail money lodged at the City Constabulary. As I proceeded with the final stage to collect the money I discovered to my chagrin that the bottleneck appeared to be longer than the distance from City Hall to Imbotero Police Station on the northern tip of Guyana on the Guyana / Venezuela border. The process can be likened to a mixture of English and Spanish which any reasonable person cannot comprehend. Please permit me to briefly
Kaieteur News
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Experience of a nightmare to collect bail money at City Hall
ployee of GECOM, but not as the chairman. I tendered my bail receipt and my identification card to a member of the treasury. He looked at them and went into the office. He returned a few moments later with a cheque for $8,000.00 written in favour of the bailor and asked me to sign for it which I did. No identification card of the bailor, no identification card of the witnesses, no authorisation was required. Call it double standard. Call it inconstancy. Put whatever label you may want to put on it. The present process to recover bail will not improve the image of City Hall or promote public confidence in the operations of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. The process I encountered to recoup bail money has the potential to promote unethical a n d c o r r u p t b e h a v i o u r. Persons in real need to get back their bail may be tempted to offer an inducement to an employee of City Hall to do so and that employee may yield to the temptation. On the other hand employees may demand that persons leave something to get back their money faster. If it has not happened or is not happening it will happen. The words of world renowned Guyanese musician and now Sunday’s columnist Dave Martins keep wringing in my ears. “This is Guyana” It might be interesting to find out how much unclaimed bail money is lodged at City Hall because of the system in place. Something does not smell right at City Hall. No wonder there are so many issues and concerns with garbage and portable toil e t s a t t h e Georgetown Mayor and City Constabulary. All is not lost. There is the need for a more transparent and speedy process to be designed and implemented to refund bail at City Hall. This can be done if those in authority connect the dots and do some more thinking outside of the box. Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)
repeat some issues I mentioned in my previous letter to the media. One of my friends was unjustly charged by a member of the City Constabulary for a very minor traffic offence and place on $8000 cash bail to attend Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He attended as ordered. The magistrate reprimanded him and discharged the case. He experienced great difficulty to get back his bail money. He explained that he is residing at an interior location and it would cost him $32,000.00 in transportation to
travel from that location and back home to make an application at the City Constabulary to recover the bail. In addition he is forced to return sometime after to collect the money when it is available. This will be an additional cost of $32,000.00, thus spending $64,000.00 to recover $8,000.00. As a result he gave me a written authorisation signed by two witnesses to collect the money. I thought that it would have been an easy task to uplift the money. Here is the process I encountered.
The prosecutor who is difficult to contact in or out of court is required to endorse the bail receipt stating that the case was completed and that the money can be returned to the bailor. Thereafter, someone from the court office has to check several piles of disposed case jackets to find the one under review. The jacket and the endorsed bail receipt are then taken to the administrative officer for his approval. He is not always available as he sometimes performs duties at night and is not on duty
Arguments for “Don’t Blame Ramjattan” do not add up DEAR EDITOR, I write in response to the article titled “Don’t Blame Ramjattan” published in another newspaper. Before I get into the substance of the article, the recent fire at the Camp Street Prison was a tragedy and concerns all Guyanese. Some families have lost loved ones in the situation; to those families I share my sympathies and keep them in prayers. Regardless of their crimes, no one should have to lose their life in such a tragedy. Simultaneously, the rest of the country is deeply concerned about the safety and security of their families and businesses, especially since some inmates are on the run. The public’s frustration and mounting questions relating to the prison fires, setting aside all other security concerns, must not be shrugged-off as an attempt to cast blame or to politicize these horrific incidents. These are genuine and serious questions for which the public deserves some answers from the relevant authorities. Answers to any questions relating to these incidents benefit both the public and the government. For the public such answers help build and retain trust and confidence in the institutions of government. For the government, such answers help to determine whether such tragedies could have been prevented or whether negligence, poor judgment, poor management, or other factors were the underlying causes. In this re-
gard, I believe the President and the Minister of Public Security’s statements fell terribly short in providing clarity, closure and assurance of safety to the public. In fact, their statements raise more questions as to whether or not these incidents could have been prevented and if so why weren’t they. According to the article, the President said “the Minister inherited a broken prison system and should not be blamed for the two Georgetown fires in March 2016 and last Sunday”. Unfortunately, this statement does not vindicate the Minister from taking responsibility for these incidents. This is the sole responsibility of the ministry and Minister of Public Security. So, let’s pull back the curtain here for a minute and try to unpack what the president is saying. For argument sake, lets accept that the Minister inherited a broken prison system, what has the Minister done since taking office to immediately fix the system to ensure the safety and security of all Guyanese? Especially since the Minister knew he was inheriting a broken prison system. Whatever fixes were made, assuming some were made they certainly didn’t prevent the March 2016 fire. At this juncture, what additional assessments were done and security measures put in place immediately after, to ensure all existing facilities are free of similar defaults and the safety and security of both inmates and the public is guaranteed?
According to the President, he was aware of the decrepit state of the infrastructure at all the country’s prison facilities more than 14 years ago while he was a member of the Disciplined Forces Commission. If 14 years ago these facilities were in a decrepit state and the current administration inherited a broken system, why was securing all prison facilities not the number one priority of the current administration, noting the public safety and security risk any breaches in the prison system poses to families, businesses, communities and the economy? Even if it was not the number one priority, and was among the top priorities of the administration, what has the Ministry of Public Security done, at the least, to ensure all buildings currently housing inmates are safe and secure? Minister Ramjattan’s argument that support for the sugar industry somehow limits the government ability to construct a new prison facility is more of a political talking point than a policy response to a primary responsibility of the government. The Minister’s statement does not add up with the fact that in 2016 and 2017 budget, the Ministry of Public Security was allocated almost $6 billion dollars more than its predecessor received in 2015. Total allocations for the Ministry of Public Security for 2017 are $17.3 billion, an increase of 24 percent more than 2016. I did not have an estimate at the time of writing
this article, but I am willing to guess that a new prison facility would not cost $6 billion? And even if it did, $6 billion is a lot of money and could pay for some significant enhancement to the current facilities. So, what portion of the $6 billion was used to fix the broken system or facilities? And if so, specifically what improvements in the prison system were fixed? Providing such answers to the public would allow people to make informed judgement of what went wrong, what could have been avoided to what could not have, give closure to families who lost loved ones, and more importantly reassure the public that their safety and security are not just a top priority of the government but a system has been put in place to ensure families and communities are safe and secure. Only then can Minister Ramjattan be vindicated and the public could have or retain confidence and trust in the Ministry to ensure its safety and security. The hallmark of good democratic governance is transparency and full accountability. When people pay taxes, they are taking monies that could have been spent on improving their own lives and those of their families to pay for the greater good of society. Naturally, when tragedies such as these taxpayers who are footing the bill of the government are going to ask questions for which they deserve answers. Dhanraj Singh Economist
the following day. After approval is given there is a mandatory fourteen working days period of waiting to uplift the money from the treasury. I felt that it would have been an easy task to collect the money after the long and agonising fourteen days waiting period had expired. After the expiration of the waiting expired I went back to the City Constabulary. I was given back the bail receipt and the authorisation and politely directed to the treasury to collect the money. Written on the wall is a notice stating, “Cheques etc, Monday to Friday 9.30-11.30 am, 1.00-3.30pm.” I gave a member of the treasury the authorisation, my identification card and that of the bailor as instructed by the City Constabulary. He examined them more closely than SOCU’s anti money laundering investigators would have done. He went into the office and returned about five minutes later. He told me that he wanted to see the identification cards of the two persons who had signed the authorisation. I was shocked. I explained to him that i did not have their identification cards. The witnesses were in the interior and it would take me at least seven days to get their identification cards. He uttered a terse statement, “Sir, you have to get the identification cards of the witnesses or you cannot get the money.” I left the office. While in compound I saw a senior member of the constabulary who will remain nameless. He asked me if I received the money. I explained to him what transpired at the treasury. In an effort to assist me he went into the treasury. He came out a few minutes later and told me that I have to get the identification cards of the two witnessed in order to uplift the money, that is the procedure. I returned ten days later armed with identification cards of four persons spanning across four of the ten administrative regions of Guyana. Perhaps, I could have qualified as a fit and proper person to be an em-
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Collusion suspected between contractors and Region 8 RDC In a surprising turn of events at yesterday’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, it appears as though there is collusion between some contractors and the Region Eight Democratic Council. This collusion has led to overpayments that were made on projects. The PAC dealt with issues highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for 2015, one of which was that the Regional Administration was still to recover overpayments totalling $12.781M made on 15 contracts during the years 2011 and 2013. Further, it was noted that the Regional Administration was yet to recover mobilisation advances totalling $2.213M paid to contractors but whose contracts were terminated for failure to complete the works within the contractual period. The region was advised to recover the overpayments and put proper systems in place to avoid future occurrences. When asked how the overpayments could have occurred and what steps are being taken to prevent a reoccurrence, the Regional Exe c u t i v e O ff i c e r, G a v i n Gounga, said that the bill of quantities may not have been prepared properly. Gounga was not the REO during the period these overpayments were made but yesterday he was required to be updated on the issues as he has assumed the position of accounting officer. He added that so far two contractors have begun repaying the excess money to the region, the most recent being yesterday morning. He said that the contractors have been written to and they have responded expressing their commitment to repay the money owed by the end of this year. The REO, when asked if the contractors who currently owe the region money are still benefitting from the award of contracts, responded in the affirmative. Further, it was explained by PAC member and Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, that this is a
PAGE 7
Kaieteur News
PAC Chairman, Irfaan Ali matter that has been before PAC for about six years. “This is not yesterday, and we keep adding to the list as we go along. The Auditor General’s engineers, when they measured the works, you had overpaid for works that were not done. This had nothing to do with bill of quantities. You all paid people for works that were not done.” She said that the last time the regional appeared before PAC, queries were made about a certain contractor that owed money to the region and was still bidding for new contracts in the region. According to Gounga, the payment made yesterday by one of the contractors totalled $100,000. This was picked up as a red flag by PAC Chairman, and People’s Progressive Party parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali. He questioned whether it was a coincidence that the sum was paid on the morning of PAC. This contractor was Curtis Garraway of Mahdia and the contractor that paid at an earlier date was Salim Yusuf of
Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara. Additionally, the REO said that the other contractors that owe the region are Nigel Forde of Bartica, Troy Dainty of Mahdia, and Ramuping Wilson of Kitty, Georgetown. Further, the PAC Chairman asked the REO to read the letters of commitment that the contractors sent to the region. Three letters read were sent on the same day, May 2, 2017 and were written in the exact format as though the contractors followed a template. This was another red flag; the reaction by PAC members was that there is collusion between the contractors and the RDC and that the contractors are being protected at the regional level from repaying the contracts. The letters were submitted to the PAC. It was recommended by PAC member Charandas Persaud that the region can recover the money in the new contracts signed between the contractors and the region if the overpayments are subtracted from the new contract sum. The REO was asked what measures are being considered besides writing contractors to recover money. To this, Gounga said that legal advice will be sought to recover the money. Last May, Rafel Downes, who preceded Gounga as REO, was sacked from his position following issues raised while before the PAC regarding spending in Region Eight. On one occasion he was asked to leave the chambers. He was accused of lying to deliberately mislead PAC on a number of matters.
Govt to sign Agreement for Specialty Hospital alternative Two years after the Government of Guyana (GoG) requested a cancellation of the Line of Credit (LOC) it had with the Export/Import (EXIM) Bank of India, the state is now moving to sign a similar agreement with the agency to upgrade primary health care facilities here. Finance Minister Winston Jordan will be signing the agreement on behalf of the state tomorrow at his Ministry, Georgetown. According to the Finance Ministry, the LOC will allow residents of five Administrative Regions to benefit from upgraded primary health care facilities. These Regions according to the Ministry are Pomeroon/Supenaam; Essequibo Islands/West Demerara); Cuyuni/ Mazaruni: Potaro/ Siparuni; and Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice. The last LOC that Guyana had with the Indian lending institution in the area of healthcare, resulted in the Specialty Hospital debacle, from which Guyana is still reeling. The facility was estimated to cost somewhere in the vicinity of US$15M. The contract was terminated for several reasons including the construction firm, Surendra Engineering’s inability to meet deadlines. Following the termination of the contract, Government moved to the Commercial Division of the High Court and sued the company.
Government was claiming damages in excess of $100M, as well as special damages amounting to over US$4M. By then, Surendra had flown the coop and had vacated its local office in Berbice when court officials visited to serve the writ. The matter was called twice and no one appeared on behalf of the company. The court awarded judgment in favour of the Government of Guyana. From all indications, Government is still to collect over US$4M from the embattled firm. Following the APNU+AFC government’s accession to office, it reviewed the project and concluded that since there was no existing contract that could be enforced, it was deemed “impractical” to continue to keep the LOC in its existing form, especially since it was attracting commitment fees. Government therefore requested EXIM Bank of India to cancel the LOC for the Specialty Hospital and to reallocate the balance of funds to a project to modernize three Primary Healthcare Facilities. However, the Government of India (GOI) in its response, while indicating it’s no objection and support for the modernization
of Primary Healthcare Facilities suggested that the David Granger administration consider salvaging the Specialty Hospital, as it will complement primary healthcare facilities in Guyana. The administration having examined the merits of the proposal began searching for a willing partner to complete the Specialty Hospital using the remainder of the LOC. In the interest of time, Government approached Fedders-Lloyd to explore the possibility of the company completing the project. This company at the time of the tendering stage of the project in 2012 had submitted a bid. Not only was that bid lower, the company also had actual experience in constructing specialty hospitals across the world. H o w e v e r, F e d d e r s Lloyd has since been blacklisted from Indiafunded projects following a penalty by the World Bank for alleged procurement violations. The government had approached the EXIM bank to have the remainder of the monies to be spent to upgrade the primary health care facilities. The EXIM Bank has seemingly given into the request hence the inking tomorrow.
PAGE 8
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
SWF fund needed to build public confidence The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its 2017 report on Guyana’s economy said that the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is important for the building of confidence in the public and in financial markets. The body noted that the authorities in Guyana have made it a priority to put in place a credible framework for the management of future hydrocarbon revenues. But this framework is yet to be finalized. IMF said that the framework will contribute toward resolving potential uncertainties regarding how oil revenues would be spent and how they could affect macroeconomic developments. “Once the draft SWF law, and the resource management framework embodied in it, are finalized, it will contribute to building confidence in the general public and financial markets” IMF said that in order to ensure that the operation of the SWF is consistent with the macro-fiscal objectives, the SWF law should be linked to a fiscal responsibility law. Further, the international body said that all hydrocarbon revenues and any public spending related to these revenues should be channeled through the state budget. The report noted, “As the SWF investment activities will have direct domestic macroeconomic implications, these activities can be usefully coordinated with relevant au-
thorities such as the owner (Ministry of Finance) and the Bank of Guyana through regular meetings (e.g., quarterly). That can help ensure consistency with the overall macroeconomic policies.” IMF also said that the building up of assets in a SWF and its investment strategy should be seen in the broader context of Sovereign Asset and Liability Management (SALM) framework. Related aspect for indebted resource-rich countries is striking the right balance between debt repayments and the building up of SWF assets for stabilization purposes. Hydrocarbon revenues can be used to reduce the stock of government foreign debt to sustainable levels. The exact target for debt reduction would be guided by the FRL. The appropriate level of the stabilization fund should be evaluated in a SALM framework; taking account of interest rate levels and the size of the public debt.” A SWF is a governmentowned investment fund. It has been set up by many countries with oil wealth, and there are several models to choose from. While the policy to govern the establishment of SWF was to be delivered since last year, the public continues to keep watch for when government will actually make good on its promise. From all indications, the holdup is not with the Minis-
try of Natural Resources. Kaieteur News understands that the Bill is in the hands of Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, and has been with him for some time now. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, spoke confidently in the National Assembly that the policy would have been delivered to the House in 2016 for discussion and debate. This was as he made his contributions to the 2017 Budget debate. Last year ended without the policy being taken to the House, and to make matters worse, the second quarter of 2017 is finished and the policy is still to reach Cabinet where it must go before reaching the House. Trotman has told Kaieteur News that the draft policy was completed by his Ministry and is now with the Ministry of Finance. He refused to be specific as to how long the draft has been with Minister Jordan, but noted that his (Trotman’s) Ministry met its deadline. Sources at the Ministry of Finance confirmed that the document has been there since January. Trotman told Kaieteur News that he is confident about the quality of the draft policy, which benefitted from the expertise of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Private Sector and the very Ministry that is now doing the review. Trotman said that when the
Ministry of Finance is finished with its review, the Bill will go to Cabinet for approval, then for public consultation, before reaching the National Assembly. ”There is no intention to rush the Bill. We are some years away from production, so there will be consultation, but the point is we have a Bill which the Ministry of Finance is amending,” said Trotman. In an address to the National Assembly, Trotman had said that it is important that the extractive industries that fuel Guyana’s growth today “also provide for our children tomorrow.”
He told the House that the Sovereign Wealth Fund will enable the government to “protect the economy from the volatile nature of natural resource revenues, help grow and modernize the sustainable non-extractive sectors of the economy, and further enhance the capacity of our people”. Trotman outlined the considerations for the three subfunds within the Sovereign Wealth Fund – the Stabilization Fund, Infrastructure and Social Development Fund and Citizens Participation Fund. He said that the government
has already begun seeking advice and guidance on developing such a Fund from the School of Public Policy – University of Calgary and the Commonwealth Secretariat, both of which are equipped with strong expertise on extractive resource governance. Trotman told the House that the creation of a long overdue sovereign wealth fund will demonstrate to Guyanese and the world at large that hydrocarbon development, and by extension all other extractive industries, can be catalysts for a green economy
CANTO 33rd confab convenes…
Regional ICT Heads to promote region as ICT business location The Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations (CANTO) 33rd Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition is taking place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. For Information and Communication Technology (ICT) stakeholders, this is the Caribbean’s premier telecommunications event for industry professionals, academics and regional governments. The theme of CANTO 2017 is “Reimagining ICT as a Tool for National Growth and Development”. The event opened last Sunday and the caucuses are expected to “produce a superior standard of industry pioneering and policy guiding conversations” over the next three days, according to CANTO. The organizers are confident that the high profile delegations would produce new perspectives and plans for action that will galvanize the growth of ICT within the region. The conference will feature a number of Roundtable discussions on promoting the Caribbean as a choice business location for new ICT industries; protecting data privacy; stabilizing employment rates in the sector in
the face of unlicensed services competing with licensed ICT service providers who are the largest employers in the sector, and related topics. The delegates also include Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Gaston Browne; Guyana’s Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; Antigua & Barbuda’s Minister of State Information, Broadcasting & Telecommunications, Science & Technology, Melford Nicholas; Barbados’ Minister of State responsible for Telecommunications Immigration, Energy and Investments, Darcy Boyce; and Belize’s Minister of the Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities, Frank Mena. Also present are senior representatives from Huawei Technologies, Cable and Wireless, Digicel and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), in addition to representatives from regulatory agencies in the Caribbean. CANTO is the leading authority in the Caribbean and the Americas responsible for shaping the trajectory of Information Communication Technologies.
Porkknocker charged for trafficking over two pounds ganja Twenty-five-year-old Seon Nickle, of Lot 65 Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice, yesterday made an appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. The porkknocker denied the charge which alleged that on May 21, last, at First Avenue Bartica, he had in his possession 1261 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing that no special reason was
outlined by him, and the prevalence and penalty the charge attracts. The Prosecutor went on to tell the court that the defendant when arrested gave the police a caution statement accepting ownership of the marijuana. Prosecutor Moore went on to tell the court that another person was charged in connection to the same marijuana which was found in a haversack and was placed on $200,000 bail. The prosecution told the court that the first accused who was charged for the offence told the court that Nickle provided the marijuana. Moore added that the
defendant will be charged separately for the charge. When the Chief Magistrate inquired why both defendants will be tried separately for the same offense, the prosecutor told the court that Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) advised that Nickle be charged for the same offence and that the matter s h o u l d b e t r i e d separately. The magistrate in return granted bail to the defendant in the sum of $200,000 citing that someone else was charge for the same offense. The defendant will make his next court appearance on July 21 for statements.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
PAGE 9
Kaieteur News
The Procurement Act has loopholes that aid corruption - T&T Expert, Nandlall By Abena RockcliffeCampbell Guyana’s Procurement Act of 2003 needs to be strengthened. Like any other law, it has loopholes that have become apparent over the years. But the debate now seems to be whether those loopholes were engineered or not. As for former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, he refused to admit that the Act has “engineered loopholes.” He did admit that the Act can benefit from improvement in the areas of securing the interest of the government specifically as it relates to quality assurance. Nandlall said that penalties should be added to the Act for engineers who collude with contractors to shortchange the country. Nandlall made these comments yesterday during an interview with Kaieteur News. His comments came in response to statements by Professor Afra Raymond. Professor Raymond is a Trinidadian expert who was a panelist on the recently concluded oil and gas symposium hosted by the Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) in
Court rules… A ruling handed down by Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George yesterday essentially ruled against President David Granger’s interpretation of the constitution as it regards the appointment of a chairman to head the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM). The Chief Justice in her ruling noted that the constitution gives no reference for judicial persons but for other categories of persons who are found to be fit and proper for the post. In her ruling Justice George noted that the GECOM chairman does not necessarily have be a judicial officer, or a person qualified as such. The person, she noted, however, must have judgelike qualities and possess integrity honesty and impartiality. She stressed that the words ‘fit and proper’ can apply to persons from a number of professions or calling. The judge noted that Article 162 (2) of the Constitution speaks to the need for dialogue and compromise. As such, she noted that Granger in rejecting the list provided by the opposition should give reason for the rejection of the names as it would give an indication of those to be accepted. While agreeing with the Court‘s determination, Attorney for the Guyana Bar Association, Sanjeev Datadin, raised concerns in relation to certain aspects of the ruling. Datadin said that based
collaboration with the Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting (CIFA). Professor Raymond was critical of Guyana’s Procurement Act of 2003, which he said seemingly contains “engineered loopholes” in addition to antiquated provisions that allow for a situation to be taken advantage of by corrupt persons. According to Professor Raymond, the Procurement Act of 2003 allows Government to enter into government to government arrangements outside of the ambit of the procurement laws for international agreements. He said that this is a major loophole. Speaking to the statement made about “engineered loopholes” Nandlall responded, “As far as I can recall, the Procurement Act which was enacted in Guyana was, at the time, one of the most modern of the international models. It was the most modern in the Caribbean and in many respects it still remains one of the more advanced legislation of its type in the Caribbean.” He continued, “But that does not mean that (the Act) does not have loopholes, which with the passage of
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall
Professor Afra Raymond
time, and experience are now apparent.” Nandlall pointed out that no legislation is ever perfect. He said that one has to use experience and look at how the legislation has worked over a given period in order to identify shortcomings if any and take corrective measures. “But I do not subscribe to the view that there were engineered loopholes.” Nandlall said, “In terms of government to government transactions these are not normally the subject of procurement matters.” However,
the former Attorney General said that there are indeed some instances where procurement may be involved in government to government arrangement. Nandlall pointed to the arrangement between Guyana and the India Exim Bank which is wholly owned by the Government of India. He said even in that case “there was a level of competitive procurement done.” Nandlall said that when the loan from the Indian Exim Bank was obtained for the Specialty Hospital project
there was an “element of public procurement.” He said that the bank had shortlisted a number of contractors that were given to the government of Guyana on the condition that those on the list would then compete for the contract in accordance with Guyana’s procurement laws and processes. “But certainly there are some loopholes that can be plugged.” Pointing to one such hole, Nandlall said that consultants or engineers who are supposed to represent the government’s interest in projects are sometimes found “wanting” in their assessment of work done. Nandlall said that such eventualities lend to the view that there may be collusion between the engineer and the contractor. “So you have substandard work being passed as meeting standard requirement or you have the engineer or consultant agreeing to grant variations to the contract. The variations may subsequently discovered not to be in the best interest of the state whose interest the engineer should have been representing. That is one as-
pect of our procurement law that needs strengthening.” The former Attorney General said that this can be addressed by imposing serious penalties on the contractors, consultants and persons functioning in those capacities. Nandlall also spoke about aspects of the Procurement Act that speak to evaluators and said that they need to be reviewed. This is so that more technically sound persons “and persons of sound integrity and independence can serve as evaluators. What we have are ordinary public servants, some of whom are not suitably qualified, functioning in those capacities.” Nandlall pointed to the ambiguity in the Act with regard to Cabinet’s role in the procurement process when there is a functioning Public Procurement Commission (PPC). He said that the provisions in the Act relating to this issue are currently left to interpretation. “That should be put to rest once and for all, because the intention obviously was to end Cabinet’s involvement upon the establishment of a procurement commission.”
GECOM Chairman need not be a former judge on the ruling, it is his personal view that the Judge was not entitled as a matter of law to make pronouncements on matters which are not directly before the court on an issue without inviting parties involved to offer submissions on the subject. A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said that Chief Justice, Madame Roxanne George-Wiltshire, upheld the Government’s conviction that it is the President who must determine whether the list of nominees submitted by the Leader of the Opposition for the position of Chairmanship of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is acceptable. The Chief Justice also confirmed in her ruling that it is the President, acting in his own deliberate judgement, who must determine whether a person is ‘fit and proper’. The ruling was made on a case brought against the Attorney General, Minister Basil Williams, by Mr. Marcel Gaskin, a private citizen, who had asked the High Court to provide an interpretation of the Constitution as it relates to the selection of a Chairman for GECOM. The Chief Justice advised that there is no legal requirement for the President to state
reasons for rejecting a list, though it is her belief that in the furtherance of democracy and good governance, he should since Article 161 (2) speaks to the need for dialogue and compromise. The President has made consultation and dialogue a priority, meeting with the Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo and other members of the Opposition as recent as June 12, 2017. They had previously met on March 08, 2017. The Chief Justice further advised that it is the Head of State who has sole discretion on the determination of what is ‘fit and proper’ and as such, the President is not obligated to select a person from the six names on a list of which he has determined positively that the persons thereon are unacceptable as fit and proper persons for appointment. Further, the Chief Justice stated in her ruling that the President must consider each person unless the President provided the Leader of the Opposition with guidelines of who is unacceptable. President Granger did provide the Leader of the Opposition with a list of criteria based on his interpretation of the Constitution, for a person to be
qualified for the position of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission in a letter sent on March 16, 2017. The Leader of the Opposition did not object to those criteria and submitted a second list. The Chief Justice ruled that the President did not have to wait for the submission of a new list. He, according to the Constitution, could have gone ahead and appointed a Chairman, having rejected the first list. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has a problem with this. “I am informed that in the course of her ruling, the Honourable Chief Justice is interpreted to have said that
if the President deems every name on a list as unacceptable, then the proviso to Article 161 applies,” Mr Jagdeo noted. “If this report is correct, we respectfully take issue with this aspect of the Chief Justice’s ruling. We maintain most resolutely that the proviso only applies when no list has been submitted. That once a list has been submitted, the proviso has no applicability.” It is public knowledge that a list was submitted several months ago. The first six names on that list were rejected and a second set of six names was substituted.
“The second set of names has also been rejected and a third set of names shall be submitted shortly—all upon the invitation of the President.” Mr Jagdeo contended that the proviso to Article 162 of the Constitution was not placed before the Court for its interpretation, nor was it part of any of the questions posed to the Court, nor was it the subject of any legal submissions, either from the Applicant’s, nor the Guyana Bar Association’s nor his Attorneys-at-Law. It is therefore rather strange that such a proposition appears to form part of the ruling in the case.
PAGE 10
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
An encounter with Justice Navindra Singh in the supermarket Each day in Guyana, memories and reflections tell the story of unpredictable life in Guyana and their Freudian impact on me. I was about to open the freezer door in the supermarket to take out a packet of chicken liver for my dog when reaching for the freezer door also was a judge I have known in an earlier life. He said; “Like you don’t remember me.” To which I replied; “How can I forget you?” Navindra Singh was very helpful in my struggle for justice at the University of Guyana. And as we spoke, memories were invoked of how brave he was to take on a case for me against the powerful government of Bharrat Jagdeo, a case that we both won and lost at the
same time. An explanation is detailed below. We talked about his approach to sentencing as a judge and since nothing sensitive and confidential was spoken, I don’t think he would object to me writing about it. But I will call him first just to make sure. In that previous life I was the Vice President of the University of Guyana Workers’ Union. The Council of the University had voted by a narrow margin not to renew the contract o f J a m e s R o s e a s Vi c e Chancellor. It appointed Mark Kirton as Vice Chancellor. The next day, President Jagdeo, acting through the medium of the then Education Minister, Henry Jeffrey, cancelled Kirton’s appointment.
The union and the students’ body sought an injunction against the ruling and got it from Justice Winston Patterson. Attorney-at-law Navindra Singh agreed to do the case for me pro bono on the recommendation of a friend of mine. It was at this juncture that I got to know Navindra Singh. Kirton was not allowed to continue because UG’s lawyer, Ralph Ramkarran (is he still UG’s lawyer, I hope not?) informed the Pro Chancellor that Justice Patterson’s order of certiorari didn’t not include the retention of Kirton. Rose came back. Khemraj Ramjattan at that time wrote an elegant letter in the newspapers criticizing Ramkarran’s legal advice to the university to ig-
nore Justice Patterson’s ruling. I went to Navindra Singh’s house that night on Camp Street with the head of the student union, Jason Benjamin, and trade union leader, Norris Witter to ask him to file contempt charges against the Pro-chancellor. It never happened so in the end, President Jagdeo, Henry Jeffrey, Ralph Ramkarran and James Rose won out and Mark Kirton and us, lost. We didn’t lose fairly. We lost because Bharrat Jagdeo and Henry Jeffrey and Ralph Ramkarran were part of a state apparatus that did what it wanted in Guyana at that time. It makes you want to throw up when you read Anil Nandlall’s daily ruminations in the newspapers about the rule of law being violated,
Bharrat Jagdeo’s nonsense about political victimization of PPP supporters at his weekly press conferences and the arid sermons about violations in the letter section of the newspapers by Donald Ramotar. All three of these former PPP Leviathans should be ostracized by civilized society. Sadly, we don’t have such a society in Guyana. So where are these players now? Jagdeo may very well face the court on criminal charges. Henry Jeffrey does a weekly lamentation on the wrong roads the PPP Government took, a government in which he was a Minister for 18 years (God, that’s a long time!) and the cul-desac the present government is driving towards. We are still waiting to read definitive accounts of the depravities of the PPP’s journey when Henry was Minister. Ralph Ramkarran was denied the presidential nod for the 2011 general election by Jagdeo in preference to Donald Ramotar became embittered and left the PPP. I honestly cannot admire Ralph but I have to admit as an analyst that I believe he would have won the 2011 elections for the PPP.
Frederick Kissoon Justice Patterson has retired from the High Court and is now the Ombudsman. I plan to see him soon about my UG contract termination ruling by his predecessor. Mark Kirton returned to Guyana the past week after retiring from the University of the West Indies. We met last Saturday at Julian’s at Cummings Street and Sixth Street in Alberttown where I made a joke to the gathering that he was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana for a day. James Rose has faded into obscurity. Ramjattan is a senior Cabinet Minister. That leaves me. Well, all Guyana know my UG contract was terminated at the start of 2012 effectively bringing an end to my life as a UG academic and trade unionist.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
PAGE 11
Kaieteur News
Problem management workshop gets underway - to help boost local mental health capacity Aimed at empowering those who have been rendering some level of support to persons vulnerable to mental health problems, a strategic training workshop got underway at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel yesterday. The five-day Problem Management Plus [PM+] training workshop represents a collaborative move between the Ministry of Public Health, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation [PAHO/WHO] and the Loma Linda University of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The workshop is being facilitated by Dr. Carolina Osorio, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry at the Loma Linda University. Dr. Osorio credentials include training in Psychiatry in India, training in Mental Health in Colombia and a great deal more of training in the United States. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop yesterday, Dr. Osorio shared that she is passionate about the mental health of people for many different reasons. “Culture for me is extremely important and even though I am here to teach you some skills, I am here to learn from you...to learn from the Guyana culture,” Dr. Osorio said. This, according to her, will translate to the modification of some case studies so that they apply to the
Dr. Carolina Osorio. Guyanese setting. Those who will benefit from Dr. Osorio’s pedagogy are social workers, psychologists and health education officers, among others. Delivering the feature address at the ceremony, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, said that the workshop is both appropriate and timely as it comes at a time when the Ministry is addressing treatment gaps in the public health care setting and scaling up mental health services provision. Moves in this regard were fast-tracked on the heels of the United Nation in 2016 launch of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]. Number three of the goals, which are slated to be achieved by 2030, speaks to good health and wellbeing. “We are to ensure healthy
A section of the gathering at the opening of the workshop lives and promote wellbeing for all, at all ages,” said Dr. Cummings as she turned her attention to target number four [of the Number Three SDG] which states that “by 2030 we are to reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention, treatment and promotion of mental health and wellbeing.” Target number five [of Goal number three] on the other hand, emphasises the need to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse including narcotic drugs abuse and harm-
ful use of alcohol. Minister Cummings said yesterday that “the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Public Health, has a firm resolve to achieve Sustainable Development Goal number three by 2030.” She related that aspects of Sustainable Development Goal number three and its fourth and fifth targets are in fact reflected in the Ministry of Public Health’s vision 2020. One of the strategic action plans for mental health highlighted in the Ministry of Health Vision 2020 Strategy, is to improve the quality, ap-
propriateness and responsiveness of mental health services in Guyana. This includes the provision of an appropriate comprehensiveness range of therapeutic hospitals and community based treatments with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery from mental illness and distress. According to Minister Cummings, the Ministry of Public Health has established a Mental Health Unit to aggressively address mental health issues that occur in the population that are significant cause of disability, reduced
quality of life and decreased productivity in the Guyanese populace. As such the Public Health Minister asserted that “the goal of the Ministry of Public Health is to decrease the burden of mental illness and its devastating effects on individuals, families, communities and the society through improved mental health services delivery by highly skilled and trained public health professionals.” The training, according to Minister Cummings, is a low intensity psychological (Continued on page 23)
PAGE 12
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Court rules in favour of wrongfully dismissed NBS boss - orders compensation More than a decade ago, Maurice Arjoon was hauled before the Courts on allegations of fraud and misconduct perpetrated against the New Building Society, (NBS). Arjoon, a former Chief Executive Officer, attached to the financial institution was
accused of conspiracy to defraud NBS of $69M. Arjoon was on the verge of retiring when charges against him were instituted; he was dismissed from NBS, thus losing his pension and other benefits. He therefore sued NBS for wrongful dismissal and for withholding his pension. The case dragged on for in excess of six years in the Court. And after months of
delay in providing a judgment, the Court finally ruled yesterday. Arjoon was however not present for the hearing, reportedly due to his ill health. The presiding Judge, Brassington Reynolds handed down a ruling in favour of Arjoon around noon. He essentially ruled that Arjoon suffered as a result of wrongful dismissal from NBS and should be com-
pensated financially for the damages. The Judge also determined that the former executive is entitled to his pension, and severance benefits stipulated by law. The Court however made no specific determination of the sum to be awarded. The former Executive Director had sued for some $550 million worth in damages. Counsel for the plaintiff, Edward Luckhoo, (S.C) therefore requested that the Court make a calculation of the award. He noted that it should not be left to opposing parties to determine such figures. His request was acceded to by Counsel for NBS, Mr. Ashton Chase (S.C). The Court is therefore expected to give a computation of the amount in damages today. The Court nonetheless awarded court cost to the tune $200,000. Reynolds offered his profound regrets for the delay in rendering the decision. The judge blamed the setbacks on his extensive administrative obligations. The Judge noted that in addition to his work, he dealt with the death of two close family members this year— his mother and son. In a summation of the evidence provided in the civil trial, Reynolds pointed to the testimonies of witnesses of the defence as well as the evidence provided by Arjoon, himself. He noted while NBS claimed “just cause” for the summary dismissal of Arjoon, the defendants did not underscore in the evidence led, the circumstances of the alleged misconduct. The Judge said further that the New Building Society provided for summary dismissal in cases of misconduct. The Society had cited Arjoon for serious misconduct; a term which he (Arjoon) said could not be justified. NBS had pointed to the withdrawal of almost $70 million from a saving and prosper account belonging to Bibi Shamina Khan. The withdrawal was made by way of a Power of Attorney; a matter which the society took an issue with. In a
Former CEO Maurice Arjoon
Justice Brassington Reynolds
letter addressed to Arjoon prior his dismissal, the society said the unauthorized withdrawal was due to a dereliction of duty, fraud, neglect and or serious misconduct on the part of the former CEO. The Society had concluded that Arjoon had acted with serious misconduct. But, the Court in its ruling determined that NBS failed to provide evidence which amounted to misconduct on the part of Arjoon, serious or otherwise. “It is more probable than not that the Plaintiff was dismissed without reasonable or probable cause.” Additionally, the Court ruled that the defendant failed in its bid of a counterclaim. No justification It had been noted, too, that in lieu of his dismissal, the plaintiff was invited to a meeting with the Board of the Society. Arjoon had requested through his attorney, Anil Nandlall, particulars of the alleged breach of his contract — but the Society refused to supply Arjoon with particulars it reportedly identified as part of the breach. The Court said that the plaintiff by law was entitled to particulars of the allegations levelled against him but they were never given to him. The Court therefore concluded there was no justification for NBS’ allegation. Systematic failures Further the Court outlined that recommendations were
made for the strengthening of the financial system of NBS following the matter involving Arjoon in 2007. The Court opined that it could be safe to say that at the time of the withdrawal, systems were not in place. “The failures, gaps and omissions were therefore systematic and not to be attributed to the officer that sat at the pinnacle of the chain of command.” The Court therefore declared that the system ought to have been better enforced. Back in 2007, Arjoon was accused of conspiracy to defraud the NBS of $69M along with Kissoon Baldeo, 38, of 86 Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara (Assistant Mortgage Manager of NBS) and Kent Vincent of 1247 Canje Pheasant Lane, South Ruimveldt (Operations Manager). They had faced a trial in the Magistrates’ Court. That matter was later dismissed for lack of evidence. The former CEO claimed that he was framed after he refused to illegally endorse the lending of $2B, in 2006; moved to sue NBS for wrongful termination of his contract. A report by the Ombudsman had outlined that Arjoon’s decision to only lend an amount in keeping with Guyana’s financial laws, apparently angered former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who allegedly threatened to deal with the CEO.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
U.S. provides visas to up to 15,000 temporary workers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is allowing 15,000 additional visas for temporary seasonal workers to help American businesses in danger of suffering irreparable harm because of a shortage of such labor, the Department of Homeland Security said yesterday. U.S. Secretary of Home-
sors had sought permission to temporarily hire more immigrants. Congress originally had set the cap at 66,000 workers for the fiscal year. In May, lawmakers gave Kelly authority to approve up to about 70,000 additional temporary visas and lawmakers had pleaded with him to issue more of them.
land Security John Kelly found after consulting with Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta that there were not enough qualified and willing American workers available to perform temporary nonagricultural work, the department said in a statement. “As a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to supporting American businesses, DHS is providing this one-time increase to the congressionally set annual cap,” Kelly said in a statement. Many seasonal businesses such as resorts, landscaping companies and seafood harvesters and proces-
But advocates of stricter limits on immigration criticized the move, saying American workers should get job openings. Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, said in a statement the decision “threatens to reverse the trend of reports emerging around the country of employers working harder and raising pay to successfully recruit more unemployed Americans for lower-skilled jobs.” Beck called the decision “yet another example of the administration and Congress failing to keep the Trump campaign promise of putting American workers first.”
President Donald Trump campaigned on an “America First” platform of favoring Americans for hiring. But Trump’s golf resorts in Florida have used the visas to hire temporary guest workers, Reuters reported. A group of U.S. companies and groups that use the visas, called the “the H-2B Workforce Coalition,” in a statement praised the “minimal relief granted... Though we fear this gesture may be too little too late for thousands of small businesses ... the additional visas may help save some small businesses this year.” The group added that “from landscapers in Colorado to innkeepers in Maine to seafood processors along the Gulf Coast to carnivals nationwide, we hope the visa expansion will help some businesses avoid substantial financial loss, and in some cases, prevent early business closures during their peak season.” Kelly told Congress “we really do need a long-term solution.” He said many temporary workers “are victimized when they come up here, in terms of what they’re paid.” DHS said the government has created a new tip line to report any abuse of the visas or employer violations. Asked how additional visas for temporary workers fit with Trump’s Hire American policy, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the president was focused on a more merit-based immigration system. “It’s not just the number, it’s a lot of the qualifications,” he said at a news briefing.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will end visa-free entry for Qatari nationals with some exceptions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said yesterday, the latest measure taken against Doha which Cairo and three Gulf governments are boycotting. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar on June 5, cutting diplomatic and transport ties with the tiny Gulf monarchy, after accusing it of financing militant groups and allying with their regional arch-foe Iran. Doha denies the accusations. “It does not make sense to keep making exceptions for Qatar and giving it privileges in light of its current positions,” said Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. Qatari nationals will now have to apply for a visa in order to enter Egypt. Qatari nationals with Egyptian mothers, those married to Egyptians, and Qataris studying in Egypt will be exempt from having to apply for a visa, he added. Sources at Cairo International Airport told Reuters the decision would be implemented as of Thursday July 20, which the Qatari Foreign Ministry later confirmed on Twitter. Foreign workers make up around 1.6 million of Qatar’s 2.5 million population, and hundreds of thousands of them are Egyptians, making them one of the biggest foreign contingents in the Gulf country. So far no action has been taken against them.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told his Kuwaiti counterpart earlier yesterday that Egypt is standing by the list of demands it and the three Gulf countries made of Qatar and will keep sanctions against Doha in place. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts between Qatar and the four Arab states boycotting it. Its top diplomat Sheikh Sabah alKhalid al-Sabah met Shoukry and President Abdel Fattah al Sisi in Cairo yesterday. “The Foreign Minister affirmed to his Kuwaiti counterpart Egypt’s commitment to the list of demands presented to the state of Qatar and the continuation of sanctions taken against it,” Abu Zeid said in a statement earlier.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly
Egypt ends visa-free entry for Qataris, insists Doha meets demands
PAGE 21
PAGE 22
EDUCATIONAL I.A.E – Registered now for full-time secondary school, lessons, CXC/CSEC classes, adults, students, repeaters. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyanapassport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
WANTED 1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com 1 live in domestic- Call:6741767 Experience taxi and bus drivers at Princess taxi service. Call: 616-5419 Experienced taxi drivers and dispatcher. Call: 622-6413/ 667-9013 One male experienced merchandiser apply in person @ James Trading, 136 Regent Street. Call: 226-0114
Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045 Repairs to refrigerators, gas stoves, A/C units, washing machines. Call Lindon: 6411086/ 694-2202 Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158
LAND FOR SALE La Parfaite Harmonie (main road) - $2M, $1.6M, $1.4M, $1.8M, Herstelling -$3M, Tuschen - $1.2M, Farm $3M. Call: 666-2326 La Parfaite Harmonie $1.6M, $1.4M, $1M, $2M, Eccles - $5.5M, Herstelling $3M, Tuschen - $1.2M, $5M. Call: 604-6724 or 686-9608 House lots in Blankenburg $3.5M. Contact-6500402\603-1402 MINING BLOCKS FOR SALE @ OMAI & CUYUNI NEAR BUCKHALL GY$2,500,000 EACH. CALL: 622-7563
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 MASSAGE Neisha’s Massage Spa. Call: 674-8147
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Summer Classes for slow learners in Maths, Phonics, Reading, Spelling and much more. Call: 675-4379 Summer Classes: Phonics, Reading, Language, Mathematics, Art & Craft & fun day (4-12yrs) July 17th- August 11th @ Roxanne Burnham Gardens-Tel:218-2076; 619-4355 INSTITUTE OFACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Registration commenced for I.A.E Secondary school, forms 15, termly fee -$30,000. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 Summer School ages 4-14, Rising Star Academy, Phonics, Reading, Mathematics, Science. 5 Weeks: July 17-Aug18. Call: 677-0296 Rising Star Academy: Register now for kindergarten & Grades 1-4, build a strong foundation for common entrance. Call: 6770296 9 Course, Diploma in computer- office 2016, windows 10 -$20,000 off for CXC students 2017 @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057 Summer Computer classes for age 5-14 early registration starting @ $8,500 @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057
26 Happy Acres, East Coast, 5,830sq (53X110), 25 Million, negotiable. Call: 614-4358
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
FOR SALE
VACANCY
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Property for rent - 2 storey house at Republic Park, E.B.D $1200USD. Call 647-1773
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
Office clerk, apply at Survival Lot 10 Vlissengen Road, Newtown, Kitty.
German shepherd puppies. Call: 220-2277/220-8904/6291471/639-5466
1 Fully furnished apartment at Victoria Avenue Eccles, E.B.D, inclusive of: parking, cable, internet & 2 bedrooms (oneAC). Call: 667-2536
Sale @ The warehouse, Lot 1 Melanie Public Road, E.C.D. Tyres: 445, 65, 22.5, 1400/20 new, 295, 80, 225. Call: 698-5203
One big two bedrooms top flat house at Phoenix Park, lot 20 West Bank Demerara. Call: 643-9286
1 Set of used magrims, 4 holes 17". Call: 685-6874/653-2477
1 Bedroom/2 bedrooms/3 bedrooms apartment for rent in Eccles. Call: 603-9726 Office & Classroom space available for rental between 9am & 4pm. Call: 231-1284/ 227-1028
Register Now! Summer Courses in cosmetology & nails 7th -18th August; Cost: $20,000. Limited space available. Call: 618-2417
TO LET 1 Two bedrooms bottom flat at Patentia Housing Scheme, W.B.D-Call:646-2120or603-3119
VEHICLE FOR SALE Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, NZE, Honda CRV, Toyota IST, RZ & Pit-bull – Call: 650-7501 (2) 2010 Vitz - $2.2M negotiable each, 2010 Suzuki swift & Nissan March - $2M negotiable each (all unregistered). Call: 649-7771/690-7155
1 Bedroom apartment situated @ Lot 319 East Street. Call: 266-3387
1 Toyota Vigo, 4 wheel drive immaculate condition, make an offer. Call: 225-3234 2006 Audi – A4 PRR series$3.1M. Call: 623-3839 Pitbull bus super GL with magrims and music. $2.4M negotiable- Call: 667-5681
One three bedroom concrete house for sale Contact Mala: 917-254-2909, location: Vryheid’s Lust, North. Call: 699-4111/626-2208 Need cash? Selling your house/land? Call:(592) 6817120 1 Transported property. Call: 265-3586
(2) RX8 black ported powered engine, red no engine. Both $2.2M neg. Tel/ whatsapp- 680-3298 serious inquires only. Just in from UK Leyland DAF 145, 150 Flatbed 7.5 tons, immaculate condition. Call Terrence: 698-5203 1 Extra cab Hilux pickup, 5L Diesel GVV series, test drive offering. Call: 673-3335/6043275/233-6218 1 Minibus- price -$1.850M. Call: 673-7934
Property at lot 4 James Street Albouystown, suitable for business, price $50M, negotiable. Call: 666-2645/ 266-5655 ACCOMMODATION Journey Inn apartment rental, short term with AC & Kitchen, as low as -$15US. Call: 642-1783/ 646-3011634/ 718-2301695
One experienced female Accounts Clerk- Apply in person to Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street Bourda. One female general domestic apply in person to 65 Robb Street Bourda. Male with experienced in poultry farming to work on chicken farm in the interior, age 25-45yrs. Call: 680-2702
Farm worker, interested person only. Call: 265-3586
1 – Semi furnished 3 bedrooms bottom flat, Upper Charlotte Street, residential area. Call: 696-1112
Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
Cleaner/Janitor Shakoor’s Seafood, Eccles. Call: 233-2546/ Male fish cleaner @ Shakoor’s Seafood Eccles. Call: 233-2546
Experience Tutor/ nanny to read, teach & care for 2 years old from 12:00hrs to 5:30pmCall: 623-1615
One bedroom apartment, well secured for working couple or single person $35,000 monthly, light & water included. Call: 638-8858
PROPERTY FOR SALE
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. -CosmetologyCourses:$120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Paint Sale! Until supplies last! Coloured latex paint, 50% discount. Call: 265-3541/ 6954785/616-3411
Fully furnished luxury apartment to rent 2 & 3 bedrooms, long and short term stay. Call: 665-3505
Computerized Accounting, PC Repairs, graphics courses. Register Now @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057/Study in Canada or USA Call Now!
2 ½ Acres riverside land, 5 Acres land with 5,000 sq.ft building, Brickery, East Bank Demerara. Call: 653-2477/6856874 Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397 Land at Well Street Ogle, E.C.D, back lot, 65feetX105feet - $12M. Call: 625-1514
FOR RENT
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj Building- Call: 644-5166; 6222872; 615-0964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
Cook/ Baker for interior. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 1 Salesclerk, 1 Part-time domestic, preferably from West Bank/West Coast Demerara. Call: 600-1559 1 Maid for East Bank area. Call: 614-4358
Tuesday July 18, 2017
PAGE 23
Kaieteur News
PS Alfred King admits to breaches of FMAA within Ministry Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Alfred King, yesterday admitted before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that breaches of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) have occurred in his Ministry. These breaches surround purchases for tractors and trailers for a number of Amerindian villages and projects done in additional communities. In the Auditor General’s Report on the Public Accounts for 2015, it was noted that the Ministry obtained approval from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and procured six John Deere tractors and trailers along with six disc ploughs and harrows valued at $52.080M. It was noted that the items were delivered and entered into the records of the Ministry. Three of the vehicles were distributed to Santa Arataka Mission in Region Three, Wikki/Calcuni in Region Ten and Kwaimatta in Region Nine. The remaining three tractors were to be delivered to Yarakita, Sebai and Karrau villages. Queries were directed to ministry officials whether there was a warranty date for the equipment, however, the Deputy Permanent Secretary could not provide the information. Chairman of
Permanent Secretary, Alfred King PAC, Irfaan Ali, said that the ministry would have displayed this lack of knowledge on a number of occasions. He said that as a result, he believes that there was no contract for the supply of the equipment. According to PAC member, Juan Edghill when equipment are taken possession of they need to be tested to ensure that they are in working order. However, it was revealed that the vehicles were not tested upon receipt. It was later revealed that there was no contract between the supplier of the equipment, General Equipment Guyana Limited (GENEQUIP) and the Ministry. The supply of equipment
was done without a contract to the tune of $52M. The Permanent Secretary was asked whether he was aware that there was not a contract; to do this, he said that he was not aware. “When I questioned the transaction I got the impression that all the requirements for tendering at this level would have been satisfied and therefore there would have been a tender board award.” King was not the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry at the time of the transaction. As a result, the previous Permanent Secretary, Vibert Welch, was asked on what basis is a cheque signed for payment without a contract. He said that it is his belief that there was tender board approval but GENEQUIP was chosen since it was the sole provider of John Deere tractors. At this point, the PAC Chairman explained that the tender document could not have included a specific brand of tractor since it would favour a specific entity. Welch was asked whether he saw a written contract since he signed off on the payment. The Permanent Secretary then said that he could not remember signing off on the payment. He said that if indeed he did it would mean that he saw a contract. It was later revealed from
documents presented by the auditors that it was the Deputy Permanent Secretary that signed the payment. However, Ali explained that as Permanent Secretary, Welch should have known since he was the accounting officer of the ministry. The PAC meeting was further frustrated as the Deputy Permanent Secretary told the PAC that at the time of signing off on the payment a contract was not prepared. The circumstances surrounding the situation were described as ‘a shocking revelation’ by PAC Member and APNU+AFC parliamentarian, Jermaine Figueira. Meanwhile, there were construction projects in Amerindian Villages totalling $39.129M. This sum went to-
wards the construction of village office, meat bird rearing facility, woodworking centre, sewing and catering projects and construction of a duck pen. All the money for these projects was paid out at the end of 2015 and 2016. Also, it was noted that at the time of reporting in September 2016, the Ministry was unable to present evidence indicating that the projects were completed. King was asked on what authority were 2015 resources paid in 2016. To this, the Permanent Secretary said that the common practice was that such projects are treated as rollover projects. He said that it is a problem which is being resolved. However, the PAC Chairman explained to King that since there was no formal approval to
rollover the projects then they cannot be treated as such. King admitted, then, that the projects could not be described as being rollover projects. He was then asked whether the initiative to have the projects carried over into 2016 without approval from the Finance Secretary was a breach of regulations. King again admitted the Ministry was at fault for not seeking approval and therefore breaching the FMAA. It was expressed by some PAC members that there seems to be some systemic issues at the Ministry that need to be rectified as the breaches of regulations and the FMAA were unacceptable. King made assurances that the concerns raised will be addressed.
Problem management workshop... From page 11 training intervention for adults who are impaired by distress and dwell in communities where they are exposed to adversities such as loss of family, friends or livelihood, sexual violence, among others. Dr. Cummings added, “Individuals who experience adversity generally reside in impoverished circumstances where they lack social security, access to basic services and opportunities to improve
their livelihood which places them at increased risk of developing both mental health and social problems. Such individuals need to have access to mental and psychological support and intervention.” The Problem Management Plus intervention is a two-part programme that involves problem management and problem solving counselling or problem solving therapy. This intervention addresses feelings of helpless-
ness, and practical problems such as family conflicts said Minister Cummings. She added, “This programme is focused on individual assessment and interventional sessions but with the consent of the client may be extended to include family members or friends. This programme was not created to diagnose mental health problems but may provide relief for emotional problems such as anxiety disorder.”
PAGE 24
Venezuela opposition turns heat up on Maduro with strike call CARACAS (Reuters) Venezuela’s opposition called yesterday for a national shutdown against President Nicolas Maduro in a major escalation of protests against a leftist government it accuses of flouting the people’s will. “We are not going to allow the destruction of Venezuela. The whole country overwhelmingly rejects the Maduro regime,” said opposition leader Freddy Guevara, announcing the first 24-hour strike in nearly four months of anti-government demonstrations that have led to some 100 deaths.
Venezuela’s leading business group Fedecamaras, which played a major role against Chavez in 2002, said it would be up to each company and its workers to decide whether to heed opposition actions. On Sunday, opposition supporters voted overwhelmingly - by 98 percent - to reject the proposed new assembly, urge the military to defend the existing constitution, and support elections before Maduro’s term ends. ‘SHOW OF FORCE’ The 7.6 million people who participated in Sunday’s
Opposition Leader Freddy Guevara The opposition - which wants restaurants, shops and transport to come to a standstill on Thursday - said it would also take steps to set up a “national unity” government and name new alternative judges to the proMaduro Supreme Court. That raised the possibility of a parallel state structure to challenge governmentcontrolled institutions. The opposition said it brought 7.6 million people out on Sunday for an unofficial vote intended to de-legitimize a man they call a dictator. Maduro’s foes are demanding a presidential election and want to stop his plan to create a controversial new legislative super-body called a Constituent Assembly in a July 30 vote. They are also seeking freedom for about 400 jailed activists, independence for the opposition-controlled legislature, and permission for foreign humanitarian aid to Venezuelans suffering shortages and hunger. Guevara said the opposition would only talk with the government if the constituent plan was withdrawn. The hardball strategy recalls events before a short-lived coup against Maduro’s predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez in 2002.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
event was just under 7.7 million opposition votes in the 2015 legislative elections, that it won by a landslide. The turnout followed just two weeks of organization, with voting at 2,000 polling stations, seven times fewer than those used in the official 2015 vote. “The result is a remarkable show of force for Venezuela’s opposition,” New York-based Torino Capital said. “The results seem to confirm that the opposition would easily defeat the government in any election.” Maduro, 54, a former bus driver and long-serving foreign minister for Chavez, narrowly won election in 2013 and his ratings have plunged to just over 20 percent during a brutal economic crisis in the South American OPEC member. Maduro insists opposition leaders are U.S. pawns intent on sabotaging the economy and bringing him down through violence as part of an international right-wing conspiracy led by Washington and fanned by private domestic and foreign media. Most Venezuelans oppose the government’s Constituent Assembly, which will have power to rewrite the constitution and annul the
current opposition-led legislature, but Maduro is pressing on regardless for the vote in two weeks’ time. “The ruling Socialist Party cannot win a free and fair election of any kind, and the Constituent Assembly is designed to resolve their collective electability problem by tilting the electoral playing field,” Eurasia consultancy said. “And even if it is generating discomfort internally, including among the security apparatus, most groups within the ruling coalition seem willing to see if Maduro can in fact get away with it, given the fact that exit costs remain very high.” ‘KIDS VOTED’ Maduro, whose term is due to end in early 2019, dismissed Sunday’s event as an internal exercise by the opposition with no bearing on Venezuela. He says the Constituent Assembly is the only way to bring peace to the nation of 30 million people. State media largely ignored Sunday’s poll, concentrating instead on a simultaneous, governmentorganized practice run for the July 30 vote. Maduro’s allies accused the opposition of inflating numbers with multiple voting and false registrations. “Ten-year-old kids voted, thousands of minors, Australians, U.S. citizens ... a gigantic fraud,” Socialist Party official Jorge Rodriguez said, mocking Sunday’s vote which also took place among Venezuela’s large diaspora communities. Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said some media passed off photos of government supporters participating in the practice for July 30 as if they were opposition sympathizers at Sunday’s referendum. The total vote would be impossible to check, he said, as opposition organizers were going to burn ballots. The coalition has said it will do that in coming days to keep the vote secret and prevent reprisals by officials. “The media have a permanent pact with the opposition,” Moncada said. This year’s political turmoil has taken a heavy toll on Venezuela: 95 deaths in unrest since April, thousands of injuries, hundreds of arrests, and further damage to an economy in its fourth year of precipitous decline. The U.S. government condemned violence by “government thugs”, and called for the July 30 vote to be canceled, with “free and fair” elections scheduled instead.
Talks to end protest by CAL pilots at a standstill PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Ministry of Labour says it is unable to intervene in efforts to bring an end to protest action being taken by pilots with the regional carrier – Caribbean Airlines (CAL). According to Labour Minister Jennifer BaptistePrimus, based on the Industrial Relations Act, the Ministry’s hands are tied. “I cannot intervene based on the Industrial Relations Act… outlines the conditions under which I intervene in any dispute. And neither of the parties (CAL and T&T Airline Pilots Association— TTALPA) have requested my intervention at this time,” the minister told the Trinidad Guardian, while adding that based on information received “the pilots have agreed to go back to work.” However, she referred to reports of several flights being delayed – “You don’t need rocket science to work that out…that they have not really gone back to work.”
Jennifer Baptiste-Primus CAL pilots are refusing to fly the five ATRs for the airline because of what they say is the airline’s total refusal to address serious safety issues and concerns they have raised. Since Friday, several flights had to be cancelled and were delayed due to the pilots refusing to operate the
aircraft which they say have been experiencing constant technical problems. At the Tobago’s terminal and Piarco International Airport on Sunday, passengers complained of waiting for hours. Last Sunday, a CAL flight crew had to make an emergency landing at Hewanorra International Airport in St Lucia after a warning light came on. Two days later another ATR aircraft scheduled to fly to St Lucia faced technical problems and passengers were forced to disembark and utilise another aircraft. On the weekend, CAL’s communications manager Dionne Ligoure confirmed the flight delays. “In the airline business when you have delays running one after the other you would expect spill overs into the next day and we have had delays today as well. But that was expected.” Ligoure could not say how many flights were delayed.
New UWI Chancellor takes office KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago national Robert Bermudez has assumed duties as the sixth Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI). Yesterday, the regional institution welcomed Bermudez as the new Chancellor – the highest office holder in the UWI system. Bermudez was appointed at the University Council’s annual business meeting on April 27 to succeed Sir George Alleyne. According to the University’s Statutes and Ordinances, “the Chancellor shall preside at meetings of the Council [the highest governing body of the regional university] and any Convocation and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be conferred upon the holder of the office of Chancellor by The UWI Charter or any Statute, Ordinance or Regulation.” Bermudez has been an entrepreneur for over 40 years. “He led the growth of his family-owned firm, to a regional business throughout the Caribbean and Latin America and has enjoyed a distinguished career in business, serving as either Chairman or Board Director for several corporate bodies in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.”
New UWI Chancellor Robert Bermudez The UWI says “his vision for the University outlines a keen sense of the mission, effectiveness, relevance and interdependence of academia and the economy. His professional experience as a Caribbean-wide entrepreneur with business acumen garnered from across the region suggests that he will continue the outstanding tradition of Chancellorship at the University. His predecessors include Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1948-1971); Sir Hugh Wooding (1971-1974); Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis (1975-1989); Sir Shridath Ramphal (1989-2003); and Sir George Alleyne (2003-2017). The institution also thanked Sir George Alleyne for his tenure of 23 years working at the University, including 14 years of service as Chancellor.
The official installation ceremony for Bermudez will be held in September 2017, at the university’s Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. “Our new Chancellor has demonstrated through his many roles as a man conscious of his Caribbean identity and responsibility, and willingness to provide leadership to our people at home and beyond, in the entrepreneurial arena and elsewhere, that he is amply energized for the role of Chancellor of our beloved UWI. He comes to office on the eve of our 70th anniversary during which the university community will be reflecting upon 70 years of service and leadership. It will be an honour for us to have him presiding over these activities,” said ViceChancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 25
PAGE 26
Kaieteur News
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
South Korea’s new government proposes military talks with North Korea SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea yesterday proposed military talks with North Korea, the first formal overture to Pyongyang by the government of President Moon Jaein, to discuss ways to avoid hostile acts near the heavily militarised border. There was no immediate response by the North to the proposal for talks later this week. The two sides technically remain at war but Moon, who came to power in May, has pledged to engage the North in dialogue as well as bring pressure to impede its nuclear and missile programmes. The offer comes after the North claimed to have conducted the first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month, and said it had mastered the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on the missile. South Korea and the United States, its main ally, dispute the claim. “Talks and cooperation between the two Koreas to ease tension and bring about peace on the Korean peninsula will be instrumental for pushing forth a mutual, virtuous cycle for inter-Korea relations and North Korea’s nuclear problem,” the South’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told a news briefing. The South Korean defence ministry proposed talks with the North on July 21 at Tongilgak to stop all activities that fuel tension at the military demarcation line. Tongilgak is a North Korean building at the Panmunjom truce village on the border used for previous inter-Korea talks. The last such talks were held in December 2015. Cho also urged the restoration of military and government hotlines across the border, which had been cut by the North last year in response to the South imposing economic sanctions after a nuclear test by Pyongyang. In all, the North has conducted five nuclear tests and numerous missile tests. The South also proposed
separate talks by the rival states’ Red Cross organisations to resume a humanitarian project to reunite families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War in closely supervised events held over a few days. The South Korean Red Cross suggested talks be held on Aug. 1, with possible reunions over the Korean thanksgiving Chuseok holiday, which falls in October this year. The last such reunions were held in October 2015 during the government of Moon’s predecessor under a futile push for reconciliation following a sharp increase in tension over border incidents involving a landmine blast and artillery fire.
Sulaimania, IRAQ (Reuters Exclusive) - A top Kurdish counter-terrorism official said yesterday he was 99 percent sure that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi was alive and located south of the Syrian city of Raqqa, after reports that he had been killed. “Baghdadi is definitely alive. He is not dead. We have information that he is alive. We believe 99 percent he is alive,” Lahur Talabany told
Reuters in an interview. “Don’t forget his roots go back to al Qaeda days in Iraq. He was hiding from security services. He knows what he is doing.” Iraqi security forces have ended three years of Islamic State rule in the Iraqi city of Mosul, and the group is under growing pressure in Raqqa - both strongholds in the militants’ crumbling selfproclaimed caliphate. Still, Talabany said Islamic
BEIJING IN FAVOUR China, which has close ties to Pyongyang despite Beijing’s anger over North Korea’s missile and nuclear tests, welcomed the proposal, saying cooperation and reconciliation between the two Koreas was good for everyone and could help ease tensions. “We hope that North and South Korea can work hard to go in a positive direction and create conditions to break the deadlock and resume dialogue and consultation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing.
The proposals come after Moon said at the G20 summit in Hamburg earl i e r t h i s month that he was in favour of dialogue with the North despite the “nuclear provocation” of its latest missile test. When Moon visited Washington after being elected president, he and U.S. President Donald Trump said they were open to renewed dialogue with North Korea but only under circumstances that would lead to Pyongyang giving up its weapons programmes. “The fact that we wish to take on a leading role in resolving this (North Korean) issue has already been understood at the summit with the United States and the Group of 20 summit meetings,” Cho said yesterday. In the proposal for talks, South Korea did not elaborate on the meaning of hostile military activities, which varies between the two Koreas. South Korea usually refers to loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts by both sides, while the North wants a halt to routine joint U.S.-South Korea military drills. Moon suggested earlier this month hostile military activities at the border be ended on July 27, the anniversary of the 1953 armistice agreement that ended the Korean War. Since no truce was agreed, the two sides remain technically at war.
Tillerson to make announcement on Iran nuclear deal: White House WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will “very shortly” make an announcement on Iran’s nuclear agreement with world powers that President Donald Trump has called a “bad deal,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said yesterday. Under U.S. law, the State Department must notify Congress every 90 days of Iran’s compliance with the 2015 deal. Monday is the deadline, and a senior U.S. official said last week the administration was very likely to say Iran was adhering to the agreement although Trump has reservations about it. “The secretary of state will have an announcement very shortly on that deal,” Spicer told reporters. “I think you all know that the president has made very clear that he thought this was a bad deal, a bad deal for the United States.”
Islamic State leader Baghdadi almost certainly alive - Kurdish security official State was shifting tactics despite low morale and it would take three or four years to eliminate the group. After defeat, Islamic State would wage an insurgency and resemble al-Qaeda on “steroids”, he said. The future leaders of Islamic State were expected to be intelligence officers who served under former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the men credited with devising the group’s strategy.
PAGE 27
PAGE 28
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
T&T PM, opposition leader to meet today PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and opposition leader Kamla Persad Bissessar will be meeting this afternoon on matters of national importance. Last week, the Prime Minister extended the invitation to the opposition leader, who accepted the invitation. According to Office of the Prime Minister, Rowley requested – “A private meeting for preliminary discussion on selected matters of national interest. The matters selected are, in the view of Prime Minister Rowley, areas in which the Opposition should be engaged.” Persad-Bissessar told supporters last week that there are a few things she wanted to discuss with Rowley especially the crime issue, the economy, and to “let him know he’s brought T&T to its knees.” The opposition leader said she would suggest ways to resolve the impasse within the judiciary and that a tribunal be established to deal with the Ayers-Caesar matter to
“determine who is telling the truth” in that. The Prime Minister’s initiative follows recent statements on several issues – which may require Opposition help. The Prime Minister also hinted that Parliament may have to be recalled from its current recess for a special session regarding solutions to issues in the judiciary. The judiciary’s problems stem from 53 criminal matters left undone after former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar accepted appointment as a High Court judge before she was forced to resign. The judiciary has stated all of her matters must be restarted, but the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Office says it’s burdened by the cases. The handling of AyersCaesar’s High Court appointment by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) has been a source of controversy that was further compounded last week when two n JLSC members resigned.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
PAGE 29
Kaieteur News
South Africa crush England to level series Jamaican end U-18 Champs with 8 medals From page 30 Morris (2-7) taking the honours. South Africa outplayed England in every aspect of the game, with the tourists’ first innings lasting one ball longer, at 96.2 overs, than England’s two combined. Hopes that England might chase down a world-record 474 runs for victory were dispelled by the second over when Philander removed Keaton Jennings’ off-stump, following up soon afterwards by having Gary Ballance for lbw. Both Jennings (3) and Ballance (4) will find their positions under pressure after contributing just 44 and 85 runs respectively in four innings this series. With their departure, England looked to Root and former captain Alastair Cook for resistance but the excellent Morris claimed both bats-
men before lunch, bowling Root (8) and bouncing out Cook (42) with a vicious lifter. The hosts fell away alarmingly after the interval when Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali surrendered their wickets to poor shots while Philander removed the dangerous Ben Stokes with the sharpest of return catches. The final indignity came when Stuart Broad, Mark Wood and Jimmy Anderson all fell on 133, leaving former England captain Michael Vaughan to post on Twitter, “This is absolutely terrible ....... Far too much talent in this team to play like this.” Root offered a more diplomatic assessment, saying: “It has been a tough week. We weren’t good enough with the bat for the whole game. We prepared very well and had two good practice days.” England have delayed selection ahead of the third
test, which starts at the Oval on July 27, and could make changes. By contrast, South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis was delighted, dedicating the win to absent coach Russell Domingo, who missed the game following a family bereavement. “It was for Russell,” he said. Du Plessis added he admired the way his side refused to relinquish their stranglehold once they got on top. “It was important to get into a position of strength and not lose our momentum,” he said. Scores: South Africa 335 (Amla 78, de Kock 68, Philander 54, Anderson 5-72) and 343 for 9 dec (Amla 87, Elgar 80, du Plessis 63, Moeen 4-78) beat England 205 (Root 78, Maharaj 3-21, Morris 3-38) and 133 (Philander 3-24, Maharaj 3-42) by 340 runs.
Tuesday July 18, 2017 Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19 Today is a great day to move forward, Aries. Your emotions are stable, leaving your heart free to take off to the clouds. Daydream.
Libra: Sep 23 - Oct 22 Enjoy yourself, Libra. You have a lot to be grateful for, so give thanks. Take pride in all you've accomplished so far and share your joy with others.
Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20 There's a conservative feeling to the day that asks you to get serious and take care of business. This may not be such a bad idea.
Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21 This may be one of those days when you don't know which way to turn. For some reason, you just can't make a decision, so you keep going around and around. Stop and rest.
Gemini: May 21 - Jun 20 There is a conflicting push/pull aspect to today that may leave you feeling unsure about how to proceed. On the one hand, you may feel like you want to plan things out and get your emotions stabilized so you can function at full capacity.
Sagit: Nov 22 - Dec 21 Romance is coming your way as long as you stay levelheaded about the situation. Take care of the daily tasks and then let your heart soar.
Cancer: Jun 21 - Jul 22 Get your chores done early, Cancer, so you have time to play tonight. Let your imagination carry you to a whole new realm of pleasure.
Capri: Dec 22 - Jan 19 Your emotions may be reserved, Capricorn. Take a break from the spunk and fire and simply lay low. This is a good time to sit back and receive.
Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22 This is an excellent day to tell people exactly how you feel, Leo. Your emotions are more stable than usual, so open up and speak from the heart. Listen.
Aquar.: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Family issues play an important role in your day, Aquarius. Speak from the heart and tell your kin how much they mean to you. In general, you might feel reserved with your energy.
Virgo: Aug 23 - Sep 22 Today may be tough, Virgo. Does it seem like nothing fits into place? Are you trying to be someone you're not? If things don't seem to be working out, don't press the issue.
Pisces: Feb 19 - Mar 20 Something may urge you to act yet you want to lay low. Carefully think the situation through before you make a move.
Jamaica Observer - Jamaica ended the 10th and final IAAF World Under-18 Championships at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya Sunday with eight medals adding three more on Sunday’s final day of competition. They won a gold and a bronze in the girls’ 100m hurdles, and a silver in the mixed 4x400m relays in front of yet another reported full house of 50,000. It was a commendable performance from the Jamaican team that got into the east African capital the previous Sunday after 48 hours of travelling, capturing three gold medals, two silver and three bronze, finishing seventh on both the medals and points table. Also Sunday, Annia Ashley finished 10th in the girls long jump with a windaided 5.82m (2.9m/s). Jamaica participated in all 10 renewals of the championships. Including the eight medals won this past week, they have won a total of 58, having won 50 coming into this championships: 19 gold, 15 silver and 16 bronze. South Africa topped the medals table in Nairobi with 11, including five gold, three silver and three bronze, just edging China who also had 11 medals including five gold,
National Table Tennis Coach... From page 35 Junior Sportsman of the Year Award, as a perfect example of how a table tennis player so young can inspire and motivate others his age to strive for excellence. “I have been able to see a few places due to my involvement in Table Tennis and Camps like these open doors for those who are focused, disciplined, committed and who are prepared to work hard. Attendance is also important since only those with a ninety percent or above attendance will be issued with certificates,” Johnson stressed. Table Tennis has taken Johnson to the Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia, Islamic Table Tennis Championship in Iran, Mini Cadet, Pre Cadet, Cadet, Junior and Senior Caribbean Championships in the Caribbean, ITTF Junior Circuit in Cuba and Colombia, Latin American Junior Qualifier in Colombia, Commonwealth Youth Games in India, South American Youth Games in Peru, Inter Guiana Games in Suriname and French Guiana National Table Tennis League in French Guiana.
two silver and four bronze. Cuba finished third with eight medals — five gold, two silver and a bronze. Host nation Kenya won the most medals, 15 with four gold, seven silver and four bronze, while Germany won 13 medals. Britany Anderson performed up to expectations by winning the gold medal in a wind-aided 12.72 seconds (4.1 m/s). France’s Cyrena SambaMayela, who came into the championships as the second-ranked athlete, took silver in 12.80 seconds, while Jamaica’s Daszay Freeman finished third in 13.09 seconds. It was the first time that Jamaica were winning two medals in the event but the second gold medal after Yanique Thompson won in 2013 in Donetsk, Ukraine, where she set the championship record and World Youth Best 12.94 seconds. It was also a clean sweep of the sprint hurdles for Jamaica as Dejour Russell had taken the boys 110m hurdles
in a championship record 13.04 seconds earlier. The mixed 4x400m relay team made two changes to the team that ran in the semi-finals and just missed the gold, beaten by Brazil who were winning their only gold of the five-day championships. The Jamaican team of Shaqueena Foote, Anthony Cox, Sanique Walker and boys 400m gold medallist Antonio Watson clocked 3 minutes 22.23 seconds as Brazil won with 3:21.71 seconds, with South Africa, having three individual gold medallists in their team, taking the bronze in 3:24.45 seconds. Cox, who replaced Tyrese Reid, ran a brilliant second leg after taking the baton from Foote well behind in third place and handed over to Walker just behind the Brazilians. Walker, the 400m hurdles silver medallist who replaced Joanne Reid from the previous round failed to make up any ground, and Watson did enough to ensure the silver medal was secured.
PAGE 30
De Grasse wins 200m to book Diamond League finals spot (Reuters) - Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse claimed the victory he needed in the 200 meters to book a place in the end-of-season IAAF Diamond League finals during the latest stop in the series in Rabat, Morocoo on Sunday. The Olympic silver medalist stormed home in 20.03 seconds ahead of American Ameer Webb (20.18) and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (20.22). Like many of the athletes on show, De Grasse was using the event as a warm-up for the world championships in London from Aug. 4-13. He was pleased with his run, but has yet to go under 20 seconds this season. “It was a good race and a good performance,” De Grasse said. “I was pushed in the bend, but I wanted to finish strong today and to stay relaxed. This was a race to tune-up for the world championships and it went pretty well.” Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson picked up her 14th victory in a row in the 100 meters, edging Ivorian MarieJosee Ta Lou. Thompson’s time of 10.87 was an improvement on her run in London last weekend by 0.07, and more success for the double Olympic champion, who has focused only on this distance in 2017. “I’m pleased with my race,” Thompson said. “I’m in the shape that I want to be in and I’m looking forward to the world championships in London.”
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse UJAH VICTORY With Jamaica’s Yohan Blake having pulled out of the men’s 100 meters competition, Britain’s Chijindu Ujah claimed victory in 9.98 seconds, 0.02 off his personal best. Ivorian Ben Youssef Meite was second in 10.01, while another Britain, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, was some way off the pace in third in a time of 10.18. Moroccan rising star Soufiane El-Bakkali claimed the men’s 3,000 meters steeplechase in a personal best of 8:05.12. Kenya’s Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto did not finish the race. The eagerly-anticipated women’s 400 meters battle between Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and South Africa’s
800 meters Olympic champion Caster Semenya was a nonevent. Miller-Uib coasted home in 49.80, but Semenya was well back in seventh in a time of 51.53, though that was her best run of the Diamond League series. American Ryan Crouser claimed a 10th straight win in the shot put with 22.47 meters, while Colombia’s Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen returned to winning ways in the triple jump with 14.51 meters after defeat by Yulimar Rojas in Rome. The next Diamond League meeting is in Monaco on July 21. The two finals meets are in Zurich and Brussels, with half of the 32 events contested in each. The Diamond League title in each event is determined solely by results at the finals.
South Africa crush England to level series
After avoiding disaster, Froome ready to tackle Alps in close Tour LE-PUY-EN-VELAY, France (Reuters) - After narrowly averting disaster in the Massif Central, Chris Froome believes he is ready for the final stretch of the Tour de France with a handful of rivals breathing down his neck. The Tour will hit its last mountain range, the Alps, with a couple of gruelling stages tomorrow and Thursday, and the defending champion still has the yellow jersey on his shoulders. He also has a virtual extra advantage in the form of Saturday’s final time trial in Marseille, a strong event for the British rider. Things went pear-shaped for the three-time champion on Sunday when he dropped out of the main contenders’ group due to a mechanical problem. But he eventually powered his way back just before the top of the last climb. “That was a huge save. I think I’m really, really grateful I’ve gone through yesterday,” Froome told reporters yesterday, the second rest day of the three-week race. “If I hadn’t reached that front group by the top of that climb, I don’t believe I would have made it to the finish line in yellow.” The Team Sky rider leads Italian Fabio Aru, who appears to be running out of gas, by 18 seconds, and French daredevil Romain Bardet by 23, with Colombian dark horse Rigoberto Uran in fourth place, 29 seconds off the pace. Ireland’s Dan Martin is fifth 1:12 behind, and Froome’s own team mate Mikel Landa of Spain, who has been in ominously good form, lies sixth 1:17 off the pace. Bardet believes Thursday’s mountain-top finish at the Col d’Izoard, 2,360 metres above sea level, will be key. “I think that with the two
Defending Tour de France champion Froome speeds downhill during the 13th stage (AP) consecutive stages in the Alps and the finish in altitude, there could be big gaps,” said Bardet, Froome’s runner-up last year. ALL IN The AG2R-La Mondiale leader has ridden very aggressively, and although alliances are a bit of a fantasy, Uran could possibly join him in trying to overthrow Froome, as the Colombian is something of an all-in type of rider. “For me, if we risk everything and it ends up in fifth place because we rolled the dice and it went the wrong way, c’est la vie,” his Cannondale-Drapac team manager Jonathan Vaughters said. “A front against Froome? Have you seen any kind of front against Froome since the start? For now it looks pretty ominous because nobody takes initiatives, and Froome has such an armada with him that they are tough to unsettle,” Bardet said. While Bardet and Aru could well lose around a
minute to Froome in Saturday’s 22-km solo effort in Marseille, Uran fares better riding against the clock. “Uran is more of the dark horse who slips under the radar but he is the strongest time-trialist of the group of riders (challenging me),” said Froome, who believes he timed his peak of form well. “I am feeling better and better as the race goes on. I came in really fresh, I hope that means going into the third week that is going to put me in better shape than some of my rivals,” the 32-year-old said. Froome can also rely on the support of the strongest team in the field - a fact which often frustrates his rivals. “Their strength is that they have three or four potential (team) leaders. Sometimes it can be discouraging,” said Bardet. That strength could also be Sky’s weakness, however, as Landa may fancy his own chances after some impressively smooth rides in the mountains. “He’s the X-factor,” said Vaughters.
Frankie Fredericks: IAAF council member suspended pending ethics investigation
Ben Stokes couldn’t believe it when he punched a return catch to Vernon Philander, England v South Africa, 2nd Investec Test, Trent Bridge, 4th day, ©Getty Images NOTTINGHAM (Reuters) - South Africa took full advantage of an abject England batting display yesterday to complete a crushing 340-run win in the second test at Trent Bridge which levelled the series 1-1 with two games remaining. The defeat was Joe Root’s
first as captain in his second game in charge, and England’s eighth loss in 13 matches. But it was the manner of their capitulation inside 45 overs and with a day and a half to spare that will trouble Root most. Instead of mounting the required rearguard action,
England collapsed to 133 all out, with the last three wickets falling without the addition of a run. The wickets were shared among four bowlers with man-of-the-match Vernon Philander (3-24), Keshav Maharj (3-42) and Chris Continued on page 29
BBC Sport - IAAF council member Frankie Fredericks has been provisionally suspended from athletics pending an investigation into a potential ethics violation, the sport’s governing body said yesterday. The Namibian is being investigated by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over payments he received from Papa Massata Diack, the son of ex-IAAF president Lamine Diack. In March, French newspaper Le Monde claimed former sprinter Fredericks received a payment days before voting on the 2016 Olympics host city. The four-time Olympic silver medallist says the payment was legitimate and related to his role in the promoting of several athletics events. He told told Le Monde the payment had
“nothing whatsoever to do with the Olympic games”. Fredericks stepped down from two key administrative roles in March following the accusations. He quit as head of the evaluation commission for the 2024 Olympics, and left a taskforce helping Russia return to international competition. As head of the IOC evaluation commission, Fredericks was to lead an inspection visit to 2024 candidate cities Los Angeles and Paris. In his written judgement, the chairman of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal, Michael J Beloff, said Fredericks’ suspension was not a presumption of guilt.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
CWI announces player amnesty, preparing for WC qualifiers ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The region’s stars are now likely to return to international cricket after Cricket West Indies yesterday announced a temporary player amnesty, the first step towards scrapping the contentious eligibility rule. CWI’s chief executive, Johnny Grave, said that a working group of the Cricket Committee were expected to present recommendations on the rule to the Board of Directors shortly, which would be discussed at a meeting in September. In the interim, Grave said, all “registered players” would be eligible for selection. “The agreement forms part of a wider strategy to be more inclusive and to improve player relations aimed at reengaging all players within our system so that they can perform at their best for the Windies Team,” Grave said. The move by CWI comes with West Indies almost certainly set to miss out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup in England.
PAGE 31
Kaieteur News
They are currently ninth in the ICC one-day rankings with only hosts England and the remaining top seven nations in the world by September 30, assured of automatic qualification. Ten teams will then contest a qualifying tournament next year for the two remaining spots at the World Cup. West Indies have one more chance to achieve direct qualification when they face England in a five-match series in September but Graves said CWI were already preparing for the prospect of playing in next year’s qualification tournament in order to reach the World Cup. “We recognize that it is highly unlikely that we will now automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup, so whilst the qualifying tournament has yet to be confirmed by ICC, we may only have eight (8) ODIs against England and New Zealand in the next six months to prepare,” the Englishman explained. “It is crucial that we can have our best performing
Windies players available for selection in these important games.” Without their marquee players, West Indies have struggled in the shorter format, winning just four of their last 21 matches – including an embarrassing loss to then ICC associate side Afghanistan in St Lucia last month. Superstar opener Chris Gayle has not played since the 2015 World Cup while allrounder Dwayne Bravo has not suited up since the controversial abandoned tour of India three years ago. Former Test, one-day and Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy and energetic allrounder Andre Russell have also sat on the sidelines for the last two years – even though the latter has been serving a one-year suspension for an anti-doping “whereabouts” violation since last January. Batsman Marlon Samuels was also barred from selection this year because he did not play the full Regional Super50.
The eligibility rule stipulates that players must make themselves available for the domestic tournament in which they wish to represent West Indies. However, those domestic tournaments usually clash with lucrative global T20 leagues. Recently, incoming director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, described the rule as unsustainable and said it “might not be helping our cricket in the short and long term.” Also yesterday, CWI said it would soon launch a registration process for all players – men’s and women’s in all age groups – in an effort to “identify the full slate and categories of players we have in the West Indies.” “This will show commitment on the part of the players to be available for the format/s of the game they wish to play; a commitment to participate in the regional set-up and to honour the system to be in place by then,” president Dave Cameron said.
Afghanistan A replace Australia A in tri-series
Afghanistan fans will see their A team tour South Africa for the first time © Peter Della Penna ESPNCRICINFO - Afghanistan A will join South Africa A and India A to play a seven-match, 50-over tri-series starting on July 26 in Pretoria. Cricket South Africa (CSA) had extended an invitation to the Afghanistan Cricket Board after they were informed that Australia A, who were originally scheduled to participate in the tri-series, pulled out over a long-standing pay dispute with their board.”We are very pleased to accept Cricket South Africa’s invitation to participate in the upcoming triangular series,” Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chief executive Shafiqullah Stanikzai said. “This will be our first-ever visit to South Africa and I am certain that this will give Afghanistan A team very good exposure to competitive cricket.” This came on the back of Afghanistan securing Test status at the culmination of the ICC board meetings in June and CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat congratulated them on their rapid rise. Afghanistan also made their debut at Lord’s last week against MCC, but persistent rain led to play being called off midway. “Afghanistan were deservedly granted Full Member status at the ICC annual conference last month after showing impressive growth in recent years,” Lorgat said The ACB tweeted their squad for the tour and it features
11 men who have already played international cricket including the likes of openers Usman Ghani and Javed Ahmadi, middle-order batsman Najibullah Zadran and wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai. Ihsan Janat, Younas Ahmadzai, Nawaz Khan, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai are the only uncapped players in the 15-member squad. Afghanistan A: Usman Ghani, , Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Younas Ahmadzai, Nasir Jamal, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah, Afsar Zazai (wk), Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Yamin Ahmadzai, Fareed Ahmad, Ihsan Janat, Younas Ahmadzai, Nawaz Khan, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai. A team series schedule · Jul 26 - Afghanistan A v India A · Jul 28 - South Africa A v India A · Jul 30 - South Africa A v Afghanistan A · Aug 1 - Afghanistan A v India A · Aug 3 - South Africa A v India A · Aug 5 - South Africa A v Afghanistan A · Aug 8 - TBA v TBA · Aug 12-15 - South Africa A v India A · Aug 19-22 - South Africa A v India A
Jamaican Thompson breaks meet record in Rabat victory
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson. RABAT, Morocco, CMC – Olympic champion Elaine Thompson’s smooth build-up to next month’s London World Championships continued when she streaked to a new meet record in capturing the women’s 100 metres at the Rabat Diamond League here Sunday. The 24-year-old clocked 10.87 seconds to post her 17th consecutive 100m win and finish ahead of Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou in 10.90, with Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye clinching third place in 11.02. Thompson, the heavy favourite ahead of next month’s showpiece, said she was exactly where she wanted to be in her preparation. “I’m pleased with my race. I came here last year and the organisers made a lot of effort for me,” the Jamaican said. “My races are going fine, I’m in the shape that I want to be in and I’m looking forward to the London World Championships.” Running out of lane five, Thompson was kept honest over the first 40 metres by countryman Christiania Williams in lane one and Nigerian Blessing Okagbare and Ta Lou, as they all challenged strongly. Ta Lou in lane six seemed to be getting the better of the last 40 metres but Thompson battled back superbly to pull away at the end. Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo also tasted success when she raced to victory in the women’s 400 metres to clinch her 10thstraight win. Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic champion, clocked 49.80 to force Americans Natasha Hastings into second with 50.86 seconds and Quanera Hayes into third with 51.08. “This was actually a training race for me,” Miller-Uibo said. “This time is good but it is not very important for me now. What counts are the World Championships.” Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills (51.18) and Shericka Jackson (51.20) finished fourth and fifth respectively. In the men’s 200m, former Anguilla star Zharnel Hughes finished third in a season-best 20.22 as Canadian Andre de Grasse took the win in a meet record 20.03. Jamaicans Rasheed Dwyer (20.43) and Warren Weir (2.48) were sixth and seventh respectively.
Roger Federer up to ATP No. 3 after Wimbledon; Garbine Muguruza WTA No. 5 LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer’s eighth Wimbledon title has pushed him up two spots and back to No. 3 in the ATP rankings after he ended last season at No. 16. Garbine Muguruza’s first championship at the All England Club returns her to the WTA’s top 10 at No. 5 yesterday, a rise of 10 spots, while runner-up Venus Williams goes from No. 11 to No. 9. Karolina Pliskova becomes the 23rd woman to
be ranked No. 1, a debut guaranteed last week, based on results at Wimbledon. She had been No. 3, and swaps positions with former No. 1 Angelique Kerber. Serena Williams has not competed since January because she is pregnant, and by losing rankings points she earned last year by winning Wimbledon and reaching the French Open final, she drops to No. 15, out of the top 10 for the first time since April 1, 2012.
PAGE 32
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Priyanna Ramdhani excited about making Guyana tackle Barbados U-17 Pan Am debut Regional U17 tourney...
in final round today
By Zaheer Mohamed in Trinidad and Tobago In association with V Net Communications, Mike’s Pharmacy, 4R, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre and Ramchand’s Auto Spares. Following their 82-run victory over Jamaica in their previous game, Guyana will take on Barbados in the final round of the regional U17 50over tournament today at Gilbert Park. The Guyanese have won two and lost two games, while Barbados won two and lost one with one being rained out. Host nation Trinidad and Tobago have three victories and one loss and are leading the points table, while Leeward and Windward Islands have two wins each and Jamaica is yet to win a game on tour. The tournament is still open with five teams, except Jamaica, still in contention, but a win will guarantee Trinidad and Tobago the title, but if they lose to the Leeward Islands at the National Cricket Centre, then either Guyana, Barbados, Windward or Leeward Islands can take home the crown. Guyana will have to beat Barbados with bonus points and hope that Leeward Islands and Jamaica triumph, for them to take the title.
The Guyanese have been below par so far, despite their win against Jamaica, nevertheless there are some still some positives. Left arm spinner Kevin Umroa and Kevlon Anderson are two of the three bowlers with five-wicket hauls in the tournament so far with Sameer Ali of Trinidad and Tobago being the other. Anderson stood out with the bat as well, notching a half century against Jamaica, while Sachin Singh, who has struggled to find form on t o u r, i s t h e o n l y o t h e r G u y a n e s e w i t h a f i f t y. Much was expected of the attacking Alex Algoo, but he seems to be coming into his own with a shot-filled 42 versus Jamaica. He is one of the three players from this team selected for the regional U19 tournament in St. Kitts and must adapt quickly to the pitches outside of Guyana, that tend to have more bounce. Sachin Singh is in his second year at this level, but has not been his usual self, but faced 118 balls for his first
fifty of the tournament against the Jamaicans. He has been selected to lead the West Indies U16 team to England later this year. Orlando Jailall is yet to bat in the tournament and while the Guyanese fast bowlers hasn’t yet got a decent opportunity to run in at the opposition. In fact, Guyana have been dependent on spinners to do the bulk of the bowling, not only because of rain or the opposition’s weakness to spinners, but mainly due to their batsmen not putting enough runs on the board. So the West Indies selectors haven’t got an opportunity to see much fast bowling in the competition. Although most of the teams have got a number of spinners and largely depend on them to win games, their batsmen have found it difficult to negotiate slow bowling. Umora and Anderson are among the leading wicket takers so far, while Kevin Christian has done well behind the stumps, but needs to come good with the bat. Points Standing T&T 18.7 Barbados 14.3 Windward Islands 13.5 Leeward Island 12.4 Guyana 12.3 Jamaica 0.3
Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic VIII set for official Launch Friday The Management Committee of the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic will be launching the Eighth Edition of one of Guyana’s most prestigious athletics competition on Friday at 11:00am at Chicken’s Sports Bar on Republic Avenue in Linden. Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic VIII is scheduled for August 12 and 13 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. This Launch will be recorded live and rebroadcasted in Linden at 9:00pm Friday night. As was evident last year, the event will again be attracting the participation of athletes from the Caribbean and North America. This event has hosted several of the region’s most popular athletes in Guyana since
2010, including Aliann Pompey competing for the first time in Guyana at the Second Edition in 2011 and Marian Burnett a year later. Every notable Guyanese athlete has competed at the Classic with most holding meet records, including Brenessa Thompson. For more information on the activity persons can visit their facebook Page at: h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / BoyceJeffordTrackAndFieldClassic/. This meet is coordinated in accordance with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Rules and is sanctioned by The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG).
At 15 Guyana’s Priyanna Ramdhani is a four times medalist (U-11, U-13 & U-15) at the Pan American Junior Championships in Badminton including three gold. The talented teen has also done outstandingly well in her age group at the Caribbean Badminton Championships. The National Girls and ladies Champion, who started her dominance at the Caribbean level in 2012 when she captured the U-11 Gold in the Dominican Republic, is now excited about making her U17 debut in this year’s Pan Am games in Canada from July 2428. “I am excited about playing in the Pan Am games for the first time as a U-17 player. I have done well at the U-11 to U-15, but this time the competition should be tougher but I am confident of making Guyana proud,” said Priyanna with a glint in her eyes. In 2013 Priyanna was adjudged as Runner-up Junior Sportswoman of the Year after winning Guyana’s only gold medal when the Suriname International Easter Badminton tournament was played at the Walter Amo Sports Hall in Paramaribo. Priyanna attends the Marian Academy and is about to enter fifth form and practices every morning before doing physical exercises in the afternoons. “It’s very hard to find the time to balance academics and Badminton but I try to study
Priyanna Ramdhani plays a drop shot at the National Gymnasium yesterday. (Sean Devers photo) especially on weekends since next term at school will be important for me,” said Priyanna. Selected as a part of a nine member team for the Caribbean Championships which is set for Trinidad from August 9-25, Priyanna is focused on her Badminton career and says her ambition is to play in the 2024 Olympics. “After I complete High School I hope to get a scholarship for a college in Canada which has a Badminton
programme so that I can move forward in the sport,” disclosed Priyanna. Her 19-year-old brother Narayan is the only internationally ranked Guyanese Badminton player and last year received a scholarship to study and play in Canada. Priyanna said her father, Gokarn Ramdhani, a certified Coach and former National Badminton player during the 1980s, is her Coach, while her sibling also gives her some tips during her practice sessions. (Sean Devers)
Priyanna Ramdhani (top left) going through her ‘warm down’ drills yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)
St Lucia women pull out of U-20 qualifiers HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – St Lucia have pulled out of the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifiers to be held at the National Stadium here, officials have said. St Lucia’s late withdrawal has reduced Group B from four teams to three, with host nation Bermuda now facing
Curaçao in the opening match tomorrow night. Bermuda will play Jamaica in their second and final group match on Sunday. Jamaica face Curaçao on Friday. Group matches are also being played in Haiti at the Stade Sylvio Cator and at the Dominican Republic’s Estadio Juan Felix Sanchez
Stadium on the same dates, with the three group winners joining host nation St Kitts and Nevis in the finals from November 22-26. In Group A, Haiti will host Anguilla, Cuba and Dominica, while Dominican Republic will play in Group C against Antigua, Puerto Rico and Bonaire.
Tuesday July 18, 2017
PAGE 33
Kaieteur News
GBA & MOE Badminton School Vacation Camp
Powerade/Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme/GABA Tournaments
‘Six MOE Sports Camps across Bounty Colts, UG Trojans, and Pacesetters complete winners’ row in night 6 action Guyana’ - Nicholas Fraser By Sean Devers The Ministry of Education (MOM) through its Unit of Allied Arts programme has collaborated to organize School Vacation Camps around Guyana and the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) in conjunction with the MOM is holding one of those camps. Their two-week Badminton Camp at the National Gymnasium began on July 10 and concludes on July 21 and according the Head of the Physical Education component of the Unit of Allied Arts Nicholas Fraser, six School Vacation Camps around the
basics of playing Badminton. Students from Eccles Primary, Marian Academy, University of Guyana, Queens College, St Joseph’s High, School of the Nations, Bishops High School, North Georgetown Primary and Covent Garden’s Secondary are involved in the Badminton Camp. According the 19-yearold Ramdhani, who copped the NSC Junior Sportsman of the year Award last year after being nominated for three previous years, seven of the students involved have never played Badminton before but after one week have shown
much better than here in the Caribbean, while the standard of Education is also high. “My goal for the next five years is to play more International tournaments, getting into the seniors ranking and qualify for the 2020 Olympics. If I had one wish it would be to win a gold medal at the Olympics and I intend to work really hard to make that dream come true,” the youth promised. “The Caribbean does not really view Racket Sports as important as they should while the standard of badminton in Guyana could be better. We need more players and
Play continued on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association in collaboration with Banks DIH 1st, 2nd and U-23 Division tournaments. Game1- This was contested between Pacesetters
he guided his team past Cobras in the U-23 division with an identical 17 points. In the win over Sonics, which UG Trojans scored exactly double what Sonics managed, Peterkin sunk 4 three-pointers. He was supported with 10 points from Sherland Gillis
ter they led by 2 points 22-20, the third by 10 points 41-31, until full time 64-55. Travis Burnett (18 points) top scored for Cobras, supported by Jermain Slater 13 points. Pacesetters, Nathan Saul played well with a game high 21 points inclusive of 3 three-
Action in the GABA tournament was shifted to teh Sports Hall during the past week but is set to return outdoors tomorrow.
Narayan Ramdhani teaching the youngsters to play Badminton during yesterday’s Badminton Camp at the Gymnasium. (Sean Devers photo) Country have been organised. “Four Camps have been set up in Linden which includes a Skipping Camp, a Basketball Camp in Region Three at the West Demerara Secondary School and this one for Badminton here at the Gymnasium in Georgetown,” stated Fraser. Fraser informed that Skipping or ‘Jumping rope’ is actually a sport with a registered Association but is not a part of the Olympics. The Badminton Camp has 20 participants and National Junior and Senior Badminton Champion Narayan Ramdhani, who is home on vacation from Canada where he is studying for a degree in sports science at Douglas College, is assisting with teaching the youngsters the
eagerness to learn. Narayan, who first represented his Country at the tender age of seven as the youngest member of the side, emerged as the only player to win medals with two ‘Gold and a Silver’ in Suriname, knows what it takes to be an ambassador for your Country as a pre-teen. “We try to teach the kids life skills in addition the Badminton to help make them a rounded person from a tender age,” explained Ramdhani, the only internationally ranked Guyanese Junior player. Ramdhani, who won a Bronze medal in the Pan Am and three Gold Medals in Suriname, says that going to Canada was a good decision since the standard of players and facilities is
facilities, especially outside of Georgetown,” Ramdhani lamented. It is felt by some that Camps like these are used by some parents as a free ‘Day Care’ to send their kids when school is closed, while having little or no interest for the Sport of Badminton which results in such a low attendance rate. But Ramdhani, who will represent Guyana in next month’s Caribbean Badminton Championships in Trinidad as a senior for the first time, said that there is lots of natural talent among the little ones but the lack of proper facilities and opportunities force those who hope to make Badminton a career to leave these s h o r e s t o i m prove their game.
and reigning champs Bounty Colts in the second division. As expected, the Colts continued their winning streak in the tournament with an edgy 52-50 points win over Pacesetters. Pacesetters would have definitely been disappointed after surrendering a 13 point lead in the first half and an 11 point gap after the third quarter, which finished 43-32. But as champions do, Bounty Colts stepped up when it mattered and outscored Pacesetters 20-7 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Dey 13 points and Yohan Burrowes 9 points were the stand out scorers for Bounty Colts. Pacesetters Tafawa Daly’s game high 16 points was in vain as Colts came from behind to remain unbeaten in the tournament. In Game 2 - Another second division encounter between UG Trojans and Pepsi Sonics. The Trojans won that game 62-31, a good response by UG after successive defeats to Eagles in the Under23 and Second divisions, bouncing back with wins over Cobras in the Under-23 on Saturday and now against the Sonics in the second division. Kadeem Peterkin with 17 points was once again the stand out player for the University of Guyana, as was the case on Saturday night when
in the huge win for UG. Game 3 - Pacesetters basketball club finished the night on a low with their second loss, this time in the 1st division. They went down 64-55 to Cobras. The game was tied after the first quarter with the score 12-12, but the Cobras, who themselves had their share of licks (against UG Trojans, losing 101-63 in the 2nd division on Saturday) kept extending their lead after each of the following periods of play. The second quar-
pointers in his team’s toss. Sherland Legall (15 points) also performed well for the losers, Pacesetters. The tournament resumes tomorrow evening at the Burnham court with two matches in the Under-23 division. The first game will be Pacesetters against the undefeated Eagles at 6:30 pm. The second match, which is scheduled to begin at 8:30 pm, will peg the defending Champions Colts against Guardians.
Uefa charge Linfield and Celtic after Champions League violence LONDON (Reuters) - Linfield and Celtic have both been charged after violent scenes at last week’s Champions League match in Belfast, Uefa said yesterday. The Irish Premiership champions have been charged after their fans threw objects on to the pitch and invaded the playing area at the end of the 2-0 defeat in the secondround first-leg qualifier. Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths, who had a bottle thrown at him, has been charged with provoking spectators, while Celtic face an improper conduct charge for receiving five yellow cards. The match had been identified as politically charged. Media reports said Griffiths tied a Celtic scarf around the Windsor Park goalpost and made a 5-1 gesture — a reference to the predominantly Catholic side’s win over Glasgow rivals Rangers, a Protestant club with close ties to Linfield. Police in full riot gear, backed up with dogs, ended the Belfast game on the pitch keeping rival fans apart after several hundred Celtic fans obtained tickets despite the Scottish club’s decision not to take up their allocation. The disciplinary charges will be dealt with on July 20, the day after the teams meet in the return leg in Glasgow.
PAGE 34
Tuesday July 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
CARICOM win the Ministry of the Presidency Tapeball competition CARICOM won the Ministry of the Presidency Tapeball competition on Sunday last at the National Culture Centre Tarmac, when they defeated Guyoil in the final, which was organized by James Lewis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
with 51 for 4 in their 6 overs. Imrad Abdool of Caricom won the prize for the highest score in the final, along with teammate Sherwin Burnette who got the prize for the bowler with the most wickets in the final, 2 wickets. In early games, Caricom
dency P.S.M. Division. Then Guyoil defeated Craig N.D.C. In the Domino Competition, Ministry of Agriculture N.D.I.A. defeated G.P.H.C. and Ministry of Public Telecommunications in the finals to win the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trophy and $40,000,
The winning Caricom team pose with their trophy and medals following victory in the Ministry Tapeball competition. Caricom batted first and scored 103, for 3 off of their 6 overs with Imrad Abdool top scoring with 33. Three (3) bowlers from Guyoil took 1 each wicket. When it was Guyoil’s turn to bat, they could only reply
defeated Ministry of Agriculture who batted first scoring 33 for 6, Burnette took 4 for 13. Caricom replied with 36 for 2 in 4 overs. Guyoil defeated Forestry Commission and Craig N.D.C. defeated Ministry of the Presi-
the runner up team, G.P.H.C., got $20,000. The next Domino Competition is set for Saturday 29th July and this would be the pre-Emancipation work place KO and day competition. The venue would be named shortly.
Banks DIH onboard Four Horsemen promotion Emancipation One Day Meet Banks DIH Limited is on board in a major way as preparations continue for the Four Horsemen Promotion Emancipation one day horserace meet. With race day drawing nearer most of the top stables in Guyana are fine tuning their charges for the event which is slated for Tuesday 1st August at the Port Mourant (Big Yard) Turf Club, Corentyne, Berbice. The feature event will see the return of the much vaunted Storm Bird to the track as it seeks to regain its dominance. However, a formidable lineup has been entered in the event for animals classified E3 and non-winners for 2016 and 2017. It also caters for animals’ classified F and G that has not earned over $500,000 for 2017 over 1300M. Horses such as Media Day, Climate Change, Bridgestone Corner, Because I Say So and Midnight Blues have already indicated their interest in challenging for the coveted first prize of $350,000
and trophy. So far 35 horses have been entered for what is expected to be an exciting day of racing in the seven race meet. A whopping $5M in cash, trophies and other memorabilia are at stake and an action packed day of racing is anticipated. The other events will see the 3 years old Guyana Bred animals galloping over 1300 meters for a winning take of $300,000 and trophy. The animals classified H3 and lower over 1200M running for a first prize of $300,000 and trophy. The 2 yrs old Guyana bred animals will be racing over 900M for a $250,000 reward and trophy. The race for I3 & lower animals will be a 1200M affair for a wining prize of $200,000 and trophy. The J3 and lower animals and those 4 years and older and K class will be racing over 1100M for a winning prize of $150,000. The L class non earners of $150,000 in 2017 will be rac-
ing for a winning take of $120,000 and trophy over 1200M. Other major sponsors on board are, Just Water, Delmur Trading Company, Toolsie Persaud Limited, Cummings Electrical, Attorney at Law R.N. Poonai, Fazal Habibulla of Hablaw Meat Center and Rising Sun Cattle Ranch, Assuria Insurance Incorporated, Sankar Auto Works – Valvoline, Fix It Hardware and Bothers Incorporated among others. The top jockey along with the runner up, the top stable and champion trainer will all be presented with trophies and other incentives compliments of the organisers. Interested persons can contact Bobby Vaughn on 624-6788, 223-5097, 227-7061, 333-0290 or 333-0301; Fazal Habibulla on 657 010; Ramnauth on 337-5311, 6971979 or Campton Sancho on 690-0569 for information on entry or any other details of the event. Colin Elcock is the Coordinator. Race time is 12:30 hrs.
US coach Arena opts for experience for Gold Cup knockout phase (Reuters) - Goalkeeper Tim Howard, midfielder Michael Bradley and forwards Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore are among six players recalled to the U.S. national team for the knockout
2017 GCB/CWI/Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Camp starts today
stage of the Gold Cup, U.S. Soccer announced on Sunday. Coach Bruce Arena also called up midfielder Darlington Nagbe and goalie Jesse Gonzales after the six were rested for the group stage. Teams are allowed to make six changes immediately after the knockout phase, and Arena opted for experience for the business end of the tournament. The United States finished first in their group, with two wins and a draw. Making way for the six are goalkeepers Brad Guzan and
Sean Johnson, midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Cristian Roldan and Kelyn Rowe and English-born forward Dom Dwyer. “When you play so many less experienced and younger players together, it’s not easy,” Arena told reporters. “But we wanted to give everyone an opportunity and that’s the way we decided to do it and I think they came through with passing grades, all of them.” The United States will meet El Salvador in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia tomorrow.
Corona Invitational Football Tournament resumes on Friday
Participants in previous Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Camp enjoy the moment. The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), in collaboration with the Cricket West Indies and Scotiabank, commences its School Holiday Camp activities today in Upper Demerara from 09:00 hours to 15:00 hours at the Bayroc ground. The camp targets students from grades three to six, and shall be primarily used to impart cricket knowledge and its requisite discipline and commitment attributes to the participants. The goal of the campis to identify 30 talented male players and 20 talented female players from the targeted district locations earmarked for the camp. The GCB/CWI/Scotiabank Cricket Camp seeks to attain
their objectives of helping the targeted pupils to develop a greater interest and passion for game, helping students to acquire the skills of batting, bowling, fielding, as well as conceptual skills just to name a few. The programme also aims at helping pupils to identify the need for a holistic development. The GCB/CWI/ScotiabankKiddy Cricket Camp will also be conducted at the Albion Community Centre in Berbice, and West Demerara at the Zeeburg ground with both of these activities commencing from the 25th July and at Imam Bacchus ground in Essequibo on the 27th July.
Play in the Top Brandz Corona Beer Georgetown Invitational Football tournament is scheduled to resume on Friday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground with a triple header. Last weekend’s matches were postponed due to the inclement weather leaving the venue in a waterlogged state, not conducive for football. The Petra Organisation organised event will see the fixture continuing in the order it was originally scheduled. The games set for Friday are as follows; At 17:00 hrs, Pele FC will open proceedings against East Veldt FC, while to follow at 19:00 hrs, Santos FC are down to oppose Flamingo FC, while in the nightcap at 21:00 hrs, Riddim Squad FC take on Northern Rangers FC.