Kaieteur News
PAGE 04
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DEATHS In the last month, domestic violence left two women dead and two injured. On June 10, the police charged 21year-old Rick Sewcharran, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, for the murder of his girlfriend, Sasia Adams, of East Street, Georgetown. A week later, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) sticking to its promise of zero tolerance for domestic violence, charged a lance corporal for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to his wife and sister-in-law. On June 22, Tovonie Simmons, 28, a mother of four of Limlair Village, Corentyne, was stabbed to death by her former common law partner, Imran Lyte, a farmer also from Limlair. On the same day, Omawattie Alvin, 47, of Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, narrowly escaped death when her husband, Lionel Thomas, 62, of Rose Hall stabbed her. He eventually burnt her house down and committed suicide after she managed to escape. Lyte subsequently died of poisoning at the Port Mourant Hospital. Even though some men tend to become extremely violent when confronted with the threat of separation or with the suspicion of infidelity, there is no justification for them to murder women. Women groups have called on the government to implement stricter punishment on those who commit such brutal acts. However, reducing domestic violence is a community and a societal issue. It happens across the full socioeconomic continuum, from poor families to very wealthy families and in every ethnicity, age group and religion. Statistics shows that a few women are offenders. In order to properly address the issue, the attitude of men must change and there must be a full understanding of the complex nature of such conflicts. Part of understanding the nature of domestic violence is that men should acknowledge that women are equal partners to them and they have the same rights. But this truth has been blurred, thus causing men to dehumanize women based on their belief that women are their property.Domestic violence can have long-lasting and in some cases, lifelong impacts on victims, children and society. Society must find ways to educate and implement community programmes such as mediation and anger management training to help people control their emotions. Women who have jilted their male partners should be protected from being murdered. Some claimed that domestic violence and the murder of women by men can be traced back to the school system, where drop-outs among male students are among the highest in the Caribbean. The situation is so complex that Christians have called for divine intervention to curb the murder and abuse of women. Sabre rattling will not help. People, government, women’s groups, the Opposition and the media must mobilize and act. The nation must not surrender to any helplessness of wondering who will be next. Perhaps one of the more pressing issues, given the increase in domestic violence is how do we identify and stem the toxic relationships in the short term and change the mindset of our young men? Studies have shown that men who kill their partners do so out of jealousy, rage, control and possessiveness. While some have labeled such murders as crimes of passion, others believe that men who murder their female partners are intentional killers and that most had problematic childhoods and adulthoods, alcohol or drug problems; that they came from broken homes, were failure at school or were hopeless. Even though some men who killed women had none of these problems, studies show that they had the tendency to do so. Domestic violence accounts for one-third of the murders in the country and it affects one in four women. It is a very serious problem that must be tackled urgently.
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.
Concerns over Amendments to the Financial Institutions Act taken out of context by Ramotar DEAR EDITOR, I am writing this letter in response to an article carried by Stabroek News on June 25, 2018, with the caption, “Ramotar concerned amendment to Financial Institutions bill can target some banks”. In that article, the former President posited that the amendments therein could be used to sanction banks without them having recourse to the courts, which has been overlooked. The former President also went on to call on the banks, the bankers’ association and the private sector to more or less challenge the bill – reinforcing the misinterpreted and misrepresented belief that the bill is intended to target certain banks. It is not clear what would have influenced Mr. Ramotar into doing so. The contents of the referenced article to be
coming from a former President of Guyana is nonetheless grossly worrying. It should also be mentioned too, that, at the time of writing this letter, incidentally – an article carried in another section of the media dated July 02, 2018, the Opposition Leader acknowledged the very financial bills - that the former President Donald Ramotar was referring to are in fact aimed at meeting certain conditions for the US$35 million World Bank Loan that was recently approved for the Government of Guyana. Indeed, these amendments to the laws governing the local financial sector, are necessary to enable much needed reforms of the local financial sector, particularly the banking sector, given that the financial sector of Guyana is largely underdeveloped and
is fundamentally driven by the banking industry. The spirit of the amendments thereto seek to enhance and broaden the supervisory and regularity framework of the Central Bank by now having in place a comprehensive Administration and/or Resolution framework in order to deal with a problematic or a failing banking institution and other financial institutions. In so doing, legislative or legal powers are necessary to be conferred upon the Central Bank, which are in the form of these amendments as well. It is of paramount importance that one understands that the judicial system is inadequate and inappropriate to comprehensively deal with a circumstance in which a financial institution or a bank for that matter is virtually bankrupt and thus needs to activate a liquidation
process. Unlike the process involving the liquidation of any other type of organisation, the uniqueness of a bank’s structure and broader economic purpose for their existence, is much more complex and can also potentially invoke farreaching catastrophic, and systemic macroeconomic consequences. This is so because the financial sector, which in Guyana’s case is dominated by the banking sector, is the heart of an economy. Therefore, if the financial system collapses then the economy will also collapse. For example, in the United States, their financial system unlike Guyana’s, is driven by the stock market, so when the stock market crashed in 2007/2008, automatically there was a global financial crisis which originated in the U.S economy. Similarly, in (Continued on page 6)
We must set a minimum standard for persons aspiring to be President and Prime Minister DEAR EDITOR, As a people, we have to start setting at least some minimum standards for our leadership, particularly at the levels of President and Prime Minister. Our leaders should come into positions of leadership, especially these two positions, with some core values and principles, which will guide their decision making and journey as leaders. We have to begin also to train our children and young people to become leaders. The young student who attained the first position for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this year, indicated that she would also like to become President of Guyana. We have to develop leadership qualities in our children and young people and inculcate in them the requisite values, lifestyle and principles for high offices in our country. Some of our current leaders on both sides who may have their eyes on the Presidency and Prime Minister position have a lot of baggage, and they need to come clean. Guyana is a small place and people talk eh! I am all for forgiving
wrongdoing, because I believe that the love of God covereth a multitude of sins, but our leaders must come clean. Some of our leaders wake up one day after doing all sorts of things and realize that they want to run for high office; nothing is wrong with that, but they must come clean. Repent, ask for our forgiveness, let’s know what you will do differently; and let’s move on. Our leaders must understand that the season for doing whatever they want and leading; however, they want, has ended; this is a new season, we are demanding the highest standard of leadership in this season! And we will not be afraid to call you out on your wrongdoing. I am serving notice. We must hand our children a better Guyana than the one that was handed to us. Guyana has enough for all 750,000 of us and more. Albert Einstein said that ‘the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything’. Back to the point of values and principles,
leaders or anyone for that matter, cannot give out what they do not possess, therefore our leaders must come to positions possessing some fundamental values. One of those values must be an understanding and respect for the role of the institution of the family in any society. Families in Guyana are perhaps at the lowest point we have seen or experienced. Single parenting is a huge challenge. Many studies have showed that many children who were brought up in single parent households face a high probability of becoming involved in crime, teenage pregnancy and falling victims to other social ills. Many persons committing crimes are between the ages of 15 – 25. Most recently, we have seen a dramatic increase both in the number and the severity of ‘family violence’. It is clear that many of our people and families are experiencing difficulties in coping with challenges of life and much more needs to be done to assist families to cope. The family is the first place where a person learns coping skills; we need to
strengthen families. However, a fundamental aspect is role modelling for not only young people but generally the people that you lead. The next President and Prime Minister must be married. Emotional stability is extremely important for leaders at this level and we must hold our leaders to higher standards. If leaders have a gross instability in their own lives they more often than not, transfer that to the people and organisations that they lead, for e.g. through their decisionmaking and the range of considerations which inform their decision-making and actions, which can have long-term impact on a society. Finally, on another point of strong families, it should be a part of the medium to long term economic agenda to strengthen the institution of the family as a strategic development objective for increasing the population. The more stable families are, particularly in the Guyana context, the more likely they are to expand. Yours sincerely, Audreyanna Thomas
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Overblown promises on Guyana’s GAWU cherishes its record of oil share engaging leadership in discussions DEAR EDITOR, On Thursday June 22, 2018, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Eureka! Giant Oil Find Set to Bring Guyana Startling Riches—Maybe”. The Wall Street Journal is among the top business newspapers in the world. It is widely read by many investors and business people such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Thus, it is encouraging that Guyana is being highlighted to international investors who may be willing to use their own money to develop the country’s infrastructure and provide needed services given the anticipated wealth of the country. In that article, Raphael Trotman is quoted as saying, “Each Guyanese is going to be a U.S.-dollar millionaire, or worth that, in a few years”. But the math behind this claim
doesn’t compute. Currently, the estimated oil reserves are 3.2 billion barrels (this does not include the eighth well discovery, which is still under evaluation). OPEC recently showed it is unwilling to have oil prices rise above US$80 a barrel, by increasing production, thus we can reasonably assume a maximum price of oil to be US$80. This would mean that the reserves are valued at US$256 billion. But Guyana will receive significantly less than half of that amount given the 50/50 profit sharing agreement with the oil companies. Based on its current reserves, let’s say in an optimistic scenario it receives US$100 billion. If we divide that by 770,000 citizens that work out to US$130,000 per person not a million. In that same article, Exxon is quoted as saying that Guyana is estimated to earn US$1.6 billion in the first five
years after production starts in 2020. Thus in 7 years, the average Guyanese share would be US$2,078 not a million. But a few can be any number, does the Minister mean in 50 years each Guyanese would be a U.S. dollar millionaire? Maybe, but the world is on a path to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. If electric cars gain traction and solar panels keep increasing in popularity, then in 50 years the world’s use of oil may be significantly reduced. Our visibility on the world stage may be for a limited time frame thus we should take care to improve our reputation as a place to invest. We should not make high school math mistakes on the world stage. World-class investors will think twice about investing in a country when the claims of the country’s wealth by the government are overblown. Darshanand Khusial
Mr. President, please choose wisely DEAR EDITOR, It is common belief among Guyanese that the word corruption, refers specifically to the involvement of individuals taking money to do things when they ought not to do so. Corruption and its implications are actually more far reaching than most would want to think. The recent transfer of police ranks after they did not act on a direct order from superior officers to “stand down” in the execution of their duties, in relation to an errant motorist who was driving a heavily tinted vehicle, and had a number of inconsistencies with his documents, some of which were not enforced, could likely be considered a corrupt act. How does corruption apply to this matter? The laws that govern the Guyana Police Force presently state that ranks are supposed to carry out the orders of their superiors. But what does that mean, should a rank kill someone if they are so ordered? What then guides the superiors from not making wrong decisions, and giving orders that
will be detrimental to others? Are there any orders that could be disobeyed? If a police rank has been trained in the laws of Guyana, what should cause that rank to take an order to disobey those laws? Is it not corrupt to go against the laws you were trained to uphold? Are the laws of Guyana only for the common man, and do not apply to high ranking officials? Have there been any cases that persons were caught in illegal acts relating to drugs and murder, that ranks where asked to “stand down”? Is the fact that there is an epidemic of transfers of police ranks countrywide, after ranks would have carried out their duties in accordance with the laws of Guyana, not a worrying one? Does the Guyana Police Force depend on any one
man’s personal opinions to guide it? Is the Guyana Police Force being interfered with politically, and if so, where is the change that Guyanese were promised? The recent revelations of transfers “willy nilly”, has raised hundreds of questions that bring the word corruption to the forefront. At a time when the Guyana Police Force’s credibility is being questioned on a daily basis, and there is a quest for a new substantive Top Cop, it is therefore very important that the Commander in Chief (Continued on page 06)
of strategy and tactics
DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU was indeed dismayed to see a report appearing in the July 01, 2018 of another section of the media, which aired the views of a small number of workers regarding the Union’s recent move to the Courts on the outstanding severance pay to dismissed sugar workers. The GAWU wishes to advise that contrary to some of the spurious assertions, the decision to go to the Judiciary was considered and approved by the Union’s General Council. Indeed one of those who shared comments was aware that the GAWU had decided to go in this direction and had assisted in conveying the decision to workers. It serves to demonstrate the frivolity in saying that our Union’s decision was made by one man. The GAWU cherishes its record of its commitment to engage its leadership in discussions of strategy and tactics, something that was embraced by Dr. Cheddi Jagan as our Honorary President and who had encouraged us to uphold. The GAWU has remained engaged with the workers of East Demerara as it has been
with all workers. That engagement has seen workers participating in Labour Day and Enmore Martyrs activities under the GAWU banner. We will continue to remain in contact and apprise them of developments. The article also says the workers quoted felt we should have waited another six months before seeking judicial intervention. Had the Union heeded that advice and the workers were not paid by that time, as several signs point to, those who offered a comment may very well say we should have taken action earlier. It goes to show you can’t please all of the people all of the time. The fact remains that the workers were entitled to their full redundancy entitlements since December 29, 2017 when they became jobless. Anything else is a contravention of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, they are no ifs, buts, and maybes. The notion of court action has long been in the air with the Leader of the Opposition, apart from the Union, indicating that such course would be pursued. Just recently, we recall the Opposition Leader
signalling at his address at the PPP Enmore Martyrs activity that an approach to the Courts was imminent. GAWU is also very disappointed that in keeping with proper journalistic ethic and some sense of decency the specific “newspaper” did not even ask our Union for a response. This is not the first time we observed this approach to our Union by this paper. While we seek to have good relations with the media house, at the same time, we believe those relations must be guided by, among other things, mutual respect and we look forward to this being the case in the future. The GAWU also wants to tell the mastermind of this latest, futile, attempt to divide the workers for their own selfish ambitions, the technique will not succeed. Our commitment to the workers remains untarnished and unquestionable. We will continue to represent our members, past and present, through every possible avenue. Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU
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Kaieteur News
Our desire and plan are not adequately complemented by our narrow revenue base DEAR EDITOR, I agree with Anu Bihari on the rebuilding of the La Penitence Municipal Market (Letter in your newspaper issue of June 30, 2018 - La Penitence Market should be torn down and a new facility built in its place). In fact, the reconstruction of that facility is part of a wider plan to lift standards in Georgetown and to provide suitable accommodation [a roof over the head of all of our vendors] for vendors and others, who are desirous of doing business in the city. Other features of the Municipal Market Development Plan include extending the northern side of Stabroek Market, the construction of a multi complex at the New Vendors Mall, and a Mall with special parking fa-
cilities at Bourda Green, and the redesigning of the East Ruimveldt Market. Again, restorative works are in progress at the Kitty Market and we hope to be able to begin allotting those stalls that have already been completed soon. However, our desire and plan are not adequately complemented by our narrow revenue base. That, notwithstanding, we are trying different approaches, including talking with our banks and our international partners and sister cities for assistance and support with this plan. Yours faithfully Royston King Town Clerk City of Georgetown
The flag at Stabroek Market Square is not ours DEAR EDITOR, Please refer to a letter which appeared in your Kaieteur News issue of June 30, 2018 p 5, by Roseanne Rodgers- “Will the City Council ever get it right?” The Council wishes to make it clear that the flag, at Stabroek Market Square, does not belong to the Mayor and City Council. However, the Council did inform the
agency, whose flag it is, about the importance of the day and the need to fly the flag at halfmast. Also, it must be noted that, the Council has always been very happy to listen to the wisdom and follow the strong leadership of His Excellence, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Mr. David Arthur Granger and his administra-
tion, particularly in areas of empathy and respect for the rights of citizens. The Council has never been more proud than it is today of its national government that continues to demonstrate an abiding interest in the welfare and wellbeing of all of the people of Guyana. Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer Mayor and City Council
The usual procrastination with the utilities in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I would sincerely hope that highlighting this problem would finally prompt the authorities to rectify it before life and property are affected. For over three years now, there are a number of lamp posts that have been a hazard to persons traversing Levi
Dam Mount Sinai, North New Amsterdam, Berbice, and after many complaints to the GTT and GPL personnel - and on many occasions having seen for themselves the situation - we are told that “...a report will be taken in and another team will fix soon...” The contractor that planted new GPL posts and ran new lines assured that at the time they would straighten the poles...but never did accomplish this task. A nearby concrete fence
will be broken should these posts fall, notwithstanding power lines will cut and may electrocute children or adults passing by. Telephone and Internet service will be disrupted. But of course, only then will GPL and GTT see it fit to mobilise and to fix the problem at an enormous cost. And I will have to wait on a lengthy process and face the royal runaround to get my fence fixed too. The usual procrastination with the utilities in Guyana. Devindra Malhotra
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Concerns over Amendments to the Financial Institutions... From page 04 Guyana, if the banking sector collapses - bearing in mind that because of the structure of Guyana’s economy, the collapse of a single bank in Guyana could be very problematic if there is no comprehensive Administration and Resolution Process in place to deal with such situations. Thankfully, to date no bank has ever collapsed, but that is not an excuse for not having a framework in place to deal with such events. In fact, the countries in which the global financial crisis emanated from and those that were affected, do have, and had at the time, these comprehensive and stringent regulatory frameworks and yet, these proved to be inadequate, as was demonstrated in hindsight that there was a collapse of the global financial system – which should be s a f e g u a r d e d f r o m these events at all times and at all costs especially since the financial crisis of 2007/ 2008 cost the U.S economy more than U.S$4.1 trillion in losses. It is primarily for these reasons that extensive and ever evolving reforms of the financial system and the entire global financial system became increasingly more important and necessary. Against this backdrop, in Banking Regulation there is something referred to as ‘the
Core Principles’, which is a regulatory standard for the global financial system. The Core Principles are a framework of minimum standards for sound supervisory practices. This framework defines 29 principles that are needed for a supervisory system to be effective which are broadly categorised into two groups: 1. Principles 1 – 13 focus on powers, functions and responsibilities of supervisors. 2. Principles 14 – 29 focus on prudential regulations and requirements for banks. Principle 1 – responsibilities, objectives, and powers: an effective system of banking supervision has clear responsibilities and objectives for each authority involved in the supervision of banks and banking groups within a suitable legal framework. Principle 2 – Independence, accountability, resourcing and legal protection for supervisors: the supervisor possesses operational independence, transparent processes, sound governance and adequate resources, and is accountable for the discharge of its duties. Now, it is therefore logical to think, or to deduce rather, that these amendments to the financial sector’s laws of Guyana were guided through
the technical support of the World Bank and were also guided by these very core principles. On the contrary, some may argue that one has to consider the relevance of the principles to the local economy but one also has to consider the fact that, if we don’t reform and put the frameworks in place to accommodate the development of the financial sector and the economy, then when will Guyana graduate from being a third world country? With such mentality, Guyana will always remain an underdeveloped, third world country. And finally, it was highlighted recently by the Opposition Leader in the press that the IMF (International Monetary Fund) country report on Guyana cited the under - provisioning factor for bad loans by banks which directly affects the profitability of banks. In a previous letter to the editor of this newspaper, a financial institution was highlighted in this regard, in which that particular entity highly and deliberately understated its provisioning for bad loans by a massive amount and thus fictitiously declared higher profits. This is a classic example of a problematic scenario which could potentially become explosive, if not contained in a timely manner. Yours faithfully, Name and Address Supplied
Mr President, please choose wisely... From page 05 take a number of considerations when choosing a head for this noble entity. He must not only be looking at qualifications, but the qualities that would suggest a fit and proper person that is very much needed for an organization that depends on stability among other things, if Guyanese are going to see a better life, which doesn’t only apply to financial benefits, but safety and security. A promise if not fulfilled will shine a bad light on the Government, when Government alone is not responsible for the country’s security, but are the guiders of policies that bring security, with the police force expected to enforce the laws that derive from those policies. Mr President, please choose wisely. Guyanese Critic
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 27, 2018
To the extent it is allowed…
We will make public all documents on financiers behind PPP - Finance Minister By Kiana Wilburg
T
here is nothing in the Government’s framework for Public Private Partnerships (PPP) which explicitly states that all information on shareholders or financiers of future projects would be made public. But Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, insists that the Coalition Administration is committed to transparency and accountability and its actions for PPPs shall be in keeping with this principle. Speaking with Kaieteur News on this matter, Jordan said, “… Within that framework, it allows us to approach investors or for investors to approach us to build a project based on certain principles. We have already indicated that to the extent it is allowed, we will make all documents open, transparent and the ones that have to go to Parliament will go to Parliament.” He added, “Our mandate when we came into Government was one of accountability and transparency and I think, so far, I don’t know you can beat us on our head about any opaque deal. Our manifesto says that is what we are and what we are up to…” PPPAPROACH For the time being, the Government of Guyana has been praised by most for moving ahead with plans to construct a Demerara Bridge
Crossing at Houston, Georgetown. But all those praises can go down the drain if it fails to be transparent and accountable with the people. Making this statement recently in his writings was Chartered Accountant and former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. The columnist noted that the government is using a Public Private Partnership model to ensure the success of the project. He noted however, that PPP arrangements can be very complex, sometimes involving the use of proprietary information, intellectual property and issues of privacy. Goolsarran commented, “Therefore, an appropriate balance needs to be found to satisfy the needs and expectations of the public. It will be unacceptable for confidentiality clauses to be inserted in any proposed agreement that will prevent the public from having a proper understanding of the project, its cost structure and basis under which the toll fees have been arrived at.” In spite of his concerns, Goolsarran said that the proposed construction of the new Demerara Bridge Crossing is a welcome development to ease the severe daily traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara roadway, especially from Diamond to Georgetown. He remarked, “One hopes that the works will be completed in the shortest pos-
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan sible period of time and that the fees to be charged for the bridge-crossing will not be exorbitant.” Given the Government’s expressed desire to adopt the PPP approach to certain infrastructure development works and service delivery, Goolsarran cautioned nonetheless that extreme care needs to be taken not to repeat the mistakes of the past. MARRIOTT DEAL One of the most controversial PPP arrangements in the past is the Marriott Hotel. Since talks of its establishment in 2011 to now, the media and other industry stakeholders have been unable to see the full Marriott Hotel contract because of “confi-
Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran
dentiality clauses.” The Coalition Administration had promised to make the contract public if it got into office but this is still to be seen. In the interest of transparency and accountability, Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial In-
vestments Limited (NICIL), Dr. Maurice Odle, had also said that the contract for the controversial Marriott Hotel should be made public. Odle had remarked that too often, the citizenry hears of agreements being made between the Government and private parties and when there
is a call for scrutiny to take place, “The infamous confidentiality clause is invoked.” The NICIL Chairman added, “And where there is too much confidentiality clause it leads to corruption as in the case of the Marriott Hotel. For the Marriott, too many confidentiality clauses led it into the avenue of corruption. All those different confidentiality clauses that they were invoking led to a set of actions which cannot be substantiated.” Odle emphasized that the more the nature of such agreements are known to the electors and the taxpayers on whose behalf the Government is acting, then the better it will be for the accomplishment of good governance in Guyana. But when asked to say if he will provide a copy of the Marriott Hotel contract to the media, he declined. He had said, “I am Chairman of NICIL and not Atlantic Holdings Inc. (AHI) which is the Board overseeing the operations of Marriott...”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Push to repair Mile 33 Mabura Bridge The bypass bridge in use by vehicles.
An overladen truck which broke the bridge
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MOPI) has announced that it is continuing to execute emergency repairs to broken bridges along the Linden/ Lethem corridor. “Less than two weeks after a bridge was broken in South Rupunini, Region Nine, the Mile 33 bridge, as it is known, located between Mabura and Kurupukari, was recently broken by an overladen truck. Hinterland Engineer of the Ministry, Jeffrey Walcott, explained to the Department
of Public Information (DPI) that the bridge was broken on June 24, last, leaving heavy vehicles stranded for days. Commuters and light vehicles were forced to find ways of shuttling passengers and goods across the bridge to arrive at their intended destinations. Walcott noted that the Ministry, together with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), has already secured the labour and materials to repair the bridge. “A bypass bridge has been built and heavy traffic
has been able to move again. The contractor, International Imports and Supplies gave the Ministry its assurance that the bridge would be repaired within four days once all the materials had been sourced,” Walcott explained. Consistent damage to hinterland roads incurs large sums for maintenance and repairs, which could be directed towards other developmental projects. The Ministry is once again pleading with road users to adhere to the weight limit when travelling on,
particularly, hinterland roads. Connectivity in the hinterland is critical to allow for easy accessibility to the
locations of the extractive industries in Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. In this regard, $1.5B was
allocated in the 2018 Budget for road rehabilitation as well as the completion of all rollover projects.
Mahaica cousins drown Timothy Robinson
Timothy Yearwood The Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, community was thrown into mourning yesterday after news that one of two youths who went missing on Monday while swimming on the foreshore, was found dead. The two boys were said to cousins and were living in Mosquito Hall, Mahaica. According to reports, the body of Timothy Robinson, 14 was recovered yesterday afternoon in the Hope Beach area, near a koker. Still missing is Timothy Yearwood, 10.
According to reports, the boys went to the Mahaica seawall for a swim when the 10year-old started to struggle. The older cousin attempted to lend assistance but both boys went down. According to reports, search parties were out since Monday as frantic family members and others scoured the beach area. It was not until late yesterday that the body of the older cousin was recovered, snagged in the Hope Beach koker.
Police seek Damian Bissoon for Kitty murder Police are trying to locate Damian Bissoon for the murder of Taj Andrew Jarvis, who was stabbed to death on March 30, at Barr and Alexander Streets, Kitty. A release stated that Bissoon is 31, and his last known address is Lot 34 Shell Road, Kitty. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Damian Bissoon is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 592-226-2870, 592-229-2655, 592-229-2289, 592-227-1149, 592-226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be
treated with the strictest confidence. Jarvis, of Dowding Street, Kitty, was slain on at around 20:00 hrs on Good Friday night in the vicinity of Barr and Alexander Streets, Kitty. The motive was given as robbery. It is alleged that Jarvis was seen walking with a friend along Alexander Street when the suspect confronted him and demanded money. An argument ensued and the suspect stabbed Jarvis to his chest and chin, and allegedly kicked the victim after he collapsed. The attacker escaped
Damian Bissoon south along Alexander Street. Jarvis was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
N
ever before in the history of the PNC has there been such great interest in the post of Chairperson. This year’s Congress will see at least three persons running for the post. Why the interest? According to the Constitution of the party, if the position of Leader is void then it is the Chairperson who assumes the post of Leader until Congress is held. In theory, whoever holds the post of Chairperson is likely to be endorsed as the party leader-in waiting. It is for this reason that there is so much interest in the post of Chairperson for this year’s August Congress. David Granger is not a young man. He is now barred from contesting beyond 2025 when he will be 80 years old. There have even been suggestions
that he is not likely to contest the 2020 elections. Given the fragility of the APNU+AFC’s hold on power – it has a razor-slim one-seat majority in the National Assembly – it is not likely that Granger will indicate his intentions, prior to this Congress. This will create problems for his authority in the final two years of his term. It is therefore likely that the PNCR will have to make two major decisions over the next two years. The first will be the Leader-in-waiting and the second will be its choice for the presidential candidate for the 2020 elections, should Granger decide not to run. The political frontrunners for the Leader-in-waiting are now known. None of these frontrunners is a young person and therefore the youth vote is likely to be concerned
that it can again be sidelined in the country’s and party’s political leadership. There is also the issue of what will happen to the party’s Coalition with the AFC should Granger not contest the 2020 elections. The AFC leadership having tasted the nectar of political office is not likely to pull out of the Coalition but there is no guarantee that it will enjoy the same relations with the PNCR in the future as it does now. The chemistry between the sides has not been the best. There are serious fractures within the Coalition. The AFC has been treated with disrespect and even its appeal for discussions to begin on contesting local government elections have been put on the back burner. The AFC is being under-
DEM BOYS SEH
Guard service ignore its own alarm Everybody who got a business want to feel important. Dem does hire security firms to look over dem property. But even before dem hire de security company dem does put in alarm. These days dem boys does install camera. Technology mek people can stay in dem house and see wha de cameras showing. Even when dem go overseas, dem can look back in Guyana and see wha happening. Dem boys use to seh dat rich people don’t sleep but nowa-days wid de security guards and de alarm and de cameras people does sleep. Imagine how dem boys feel when de wake up and hear dat people rob L. Seepersaud Maraj and Sons. Whoever do it clean up
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
nearly $100 million. De money and de jewellery was so much dat de people who cut open de safe lef everything dem come wid. Dem lef de cutting torch, de lighter, de chemicals and all de things dem carry to break in de jewellery place. But wha nearly mek dem boys faint is when dem hear dat de security company didn’t even budge when de alarm go off. Now de security company had to know dat it protecting millions of dollars; it hear de alarm and it ain’t respond. De security company just like dem in de States, does call de person when de alarm go off. Dis company didn’t call. If de alarm did go off one time was something; it go off three times and none time de
security company call de business place. Is now people starting to look at de security company. If it hear de alarm three times in about one hour and no guard didn’t lef to investigate, it got to protect who was cutting. But then again security guards like sleep and all of dem was probably sleeping. When dem hear de alarm dem just open dem eye and turn over. De police questioning nuff people. But one thing fuh sure, whoever selling back de jewellery got to melt de gold because everybody know Seepersaud Maraj gold. Talk half and study who can lose $100 million and don’t even blink.
mined within the government. The PNCR has carefully assessed the weaknesses of the AFC and has come to the conclusion that the latter is not averse to being humiliated. The ruling Coalition is brittle. What is keeping it together is the fear of a PPP return to power. The PPPC however does not have the political numbers to win an election. And the PPPC, because of Jagdeo’s poor leadership, has done nothing to woo support or build alliances. The PPPC therefore should be the least of the worries of the AFC or the PNCR. It is for this reason that it would be unfortunate if this year’s Congress of the PNCR becomes an exercise in countering the PPPC. The PPPC is not likely to return to power
in the near future. The real threat is from within. Corruption is rank and brazen; incompetence proliferates; implementation is facing serious bottlenecks; no new major projects outside of those conceived by and commenced under the PPPC have been developed; there have been starts and stops in respect to major infrastructural projects such as the Demerara Harbour Bridge; there is widespread perception of nepotism within the government; the country is unsafe and the political climate fatally poisoned by the APNU+AFC’s policies of political retribution. But for the PNCR there is another important issue, which it cannot ignore. The government is being militarized and the influence of military veterans is likely to pen-
etrate within the political establishment. The old guard of the PNCR is likely to feel threatened of being overrun. How is that going to change the character of the PNCR? This year’s Congress, likely to be the last before the elections of 2020, cannot therefore be simply about preparations for those elections. There are other important issues to be settled, including threats to the traditions of the party and the all-important issue of political succession.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Eureka! The CARICOM boss discovers Guyana is an illogical land
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he CARICOM Com mission on mari juana has released its report. In presenting it, this is what the SecretaryGeneral, of CARICOM, Irwin La Rocque had to say, “One thing that I read in the report that stands out so much is that there are in some member states where the penalty for a small amount of marijuana is sometimes more than for some of the other more heinous crimes that are being committed. Now, how can that be? It just defies logic.” The only CARICOM country that jails its citizens
found guilty for the mere possession of a smoking utensil is Guyana. Guyana is the only country that jails for three years, (sometimes four) those found guilty of seven grams of marijuana. If it is on the books in other CARICOM countries, then they do not jail people for seven grams of ganja. You hardly get three years jail for seven grams of cocaine anywhere in the western hemisphere much less seven grams of ganja. My friends from the Caribbean tell me no policeman would arrest anyone smoking ganja in a tourist hotel.
La Rocque is one of the top diplomats in the entire CARICOM jurisdiction; therefore, it is expected that he would not point in the direction of any member-state but you have to be a jackass not to know that the observation takes in Guyana where hundreds have been incarcerated for possession of a smoking utensil and small amounts of the plant stems. Any human on Planet Earth that doesn’t understand that context is the guide to human action is a jackass. And such donkeys should not be in power in any country.
In the context of changing zeitgeists, many of the things that were criminally defined, that were frowned upon, that cost people to be ostracized, that were seen as usual, are now, centuries after, acceptable as normal values. Homosexuality, gender equality, protection of animals and racial equality were things you could not have argued in favour of without being laughed at 100 years ago. The first Black person to receive an Academy Award was Hattie McDaniels for best supporting actress in “Gone
With The Wind” in 1939. It was accepted in American society that AfricanAmericans were not equal to Whites and she was not allowed to go on stage to collect her prize. Black entertainers in the US as late as the sixties could not use the same entrance as Whites. Today, people in many countries can lose their job if they make an anti-gay or antiBlack remark. In Canada and the US, the Indigenous people that were so brutalized have their own territories that outsiders have to apply for permission to enter. In the context of 21st century, Victorian values and 19th century norms have all gone. I digressed into this discussion of context to explain the prevailing situation at the time the Hoyte Government brought in the anti-drug legislation with draconian penalties. Two circumstances were at work –one internal, the other external. In Guyana, cocaine trafficking had entered Guyanese society. Coupled with that, there were reports of marijuana smoking taking place in schools. The external factor was the American attitude. President Hoyte had embarked on a new economic direction and needed the support of the Americans. In was in this context pressure was brought to bear on him to pass formidable anti-drug legislation. It was doubtful that Hoyte would have wanted to displease the Americans by complaining of the harshness of the penalties. At the time, Guyana was emerging as a
Frederick Kissoon serious port of transshipment of cocaine to the US. That was more than thirty years ago. The greatest and most ironic example of changing times is the US penalty structure. Even if you are a foreigner, it is doubtful you would get three years from an American judge for three grams of cocaine much less jail time for possession of a smoking utensil. Some may argue that the most coruscating example is not the penalty system but the changing nature of the law itself in the US in relation to ganja. In many States in the US federal system, marijuana is legal. Canada last week decriminalized it. Let us move away from the marijuana topic and end with La Rocque’s statement about the illogical situation where you get three years for small amount of ganja but some horrible crimes carry the same penalty. Is this the only area of life in Guyana that is illogical? Mr. La Rocque is a diplomat so he cannot speak on life in this illogical wasteland named Guyana. But those areas are literally countless, some of which make you wonder why Guyana is still surviving as a country.
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
23 years jail for child killer/rapist Malaysian ex-PM Najib arrested A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 23 years in jail after he admitted to unlawfully killing nine year-old Shaquan Gittens, whose lifeless body was discovered in a trench with the penis severed aback of Houston, East Bank Demerara. Brian Bobb-Semple who police had charged for the gruesome killing pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge when he appeared at the High Court in Georgetown, yesterday, before Justice Sandil Kissoon. Bobb-Semple, who was represented by Attorney-atlaw Maxwell McKay, was initially charged with murder. That charge had alleged that on April 14, 2015 in the County of Demerara, he murdered Gittens. But at his court appearance yesterday, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence manslaughter. Appearing for the State was Prosecutors Mandel Moore and Abigail Gibbs. According to information, on the evening of April 14, 2015, Bobb-Semple saw the little boy walking along Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and tripped him, causing him to fall to the ground. He then dragged Gittens
in stunning fall from grace
MURDERED: Shaquan Gittens to an isolated area aback of the Houston Backlands where he had anal sex with him. Bobb-Semple choked the little boy who lost consciousness and then slept with him under a nearby tree. However, the following morning after noticing that Gittens was motionless, Bobb-Semple had sex with him again after which he severed the child’s penis and dumped his body in a nearby trench. A postmortem examination revealed that Gittens died of manual strangulation and drowning.
JAILED: Brian Bobb-Semple During a plea of mitigation, McKay begged the court to have leniency on his client. According to the lawyer, no person in their right frame of mind would commit such an act. As such, the lawyer requested for BobbSemple to undergo psychiatric evaluations. In fact, Bobb-Semple, who is now 25, had undergone several psychiatric evaluations at the hands of Government Psychiatrist Dr. Bhiro Harry who deemed him competent to stand trial for the offence back in 2016. He is not eligible for parole.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested on Tuesday in a stunning fall from grace, less than two months after losing an election, amid allegations of massive corruption and misappropriation at a state fund he founded. Najib was arrested as part of the new Malaysian government’s probe into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He is due to be charged in court on Wednesday morning. After leading the country for nearly a decade, it was a swift fall for Najib, the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister, following an unexpected election defeat in May to 92year-old Mahathir Mohamad. Anti-graft agents picked up Najib from his home after serving him with a remand order, sources close to the family said. Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing. In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said not all the accusations against him and his family were true. “Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself,” Najib said.Since his loss at the polls to mentorturned-foe Mahathir, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and had millions of dollars of items seized from properties linked to his family.Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery with government money were among the charges that Malaysia was looking to bring against Najib, 64, adding that Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal. Najib’s arrest was in relation SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, a task force investigating the fund said. And sources close to the matter said he may face several charges. A spokesman for Najib said the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations against the former leader were “politically motivated”, and that Najib will contest these charges and clear his name in court. The scandal around 1MDB plagued Najib’s second term in office, eventually leading to the ousting of a coalition that had ruled Malaysia since its independence from Britain in 1957. Three years ago to the day, the Wall Street Journal reported that Malaysian investigators traced nearly $700 million of 1MDB money into Najib’s personal bank account. Najib has said the funds were a donation from a Saudi royal. FOLLOW THE MONEY Najib came to power in 2009 and soon after founded 1MDB which is being investigated in at least six countries for alleged money
Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak arrested at private residence by anti-corruption officers. laundering.Civil lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice allege that nearly $4.5 billion from 1MDB was laundered through a complex web of transactions and shell companies.The Malaysian government under Najib was accused of blocking probes into 1MDB and not cooperating with foreign agencies investigating the fund, but local probes have been reopened since Mahathir came to power.The initial focus of the Malaysian investigation has focused on how 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) went from SRC International into Najib’s account. SRC was created in 2011 by Najib’s government to pursue overseas investments in energy resources, and was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012.Investigators have been able to track the money trail from SRC more easily because transactions were made through Malaysian entities, whereas most other transfers of 1MDB funds went through foreign banks and companies. Najib’s wife, Rosmah, and his stepson, Riza Aziz, have also been quizzed by anti-graft investigators in relation to 1MDB. Riza is the co-founder of Red Granite Pictures, a company that U.S. prosecutors say financed three Hollywood films, including the 2013 Martin Scorsese movie “The Wolf of Wall Street”, with funds misappropriated by 1MDB. Malaysian police say they have seized nearly $275 million worth of jewelery, handbags, watches and cash from premises linked to Najib, while authorities have frozen more than 400 bank accounts as part of the 1MDB probe.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Legislature woefully unprepared for Aviation Bill targets drunk oversight role in oil sector- Dr. Hinds pilots, runway trespassers
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he legislature of any country would have a pivotal oversight role in the oil and gas industry. But Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds, does not believe that Guyana’s Parliament is prepared for the task that lies ahead. In fact, when it comes to the rigid transparency and accountability that would be needed for the oil wealth to come, Dr. Hinds noted that the legislature may be woefully unprepared. He said it is not a role that the legislature is accustomed to playing, since legislators tend to be very partisan. He commented that usually, it is the opposition legislators who do the real oversight work. The WPA Executive Member said that governing party legislators tend to be less probing of executive officials. For there to be effective bipartisan oversight, Dr. Hinds said that there will have to be a culture shift among legislators. He said, “And I don’t see that happening in the short run. Political tribalism is too entrenched in our political culture. The extent to which the legislature would hold the executive to high levels of accountability would depend largely on the sharpness of the opposition. “But we also have to be careful that the opposition legislators don’t go overboard and use their oversight to score partisan political points.”Dr. Hinds said that he does not believe that the legislature has access to sufficient information to adequately monitor decisions, negotiations, payments and revenue movements related to the extractive resources. “At the moment, I don’t think legislators have access
WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds to sufficient information largely due to the culture of secrecy that the executive has developed in relation to these matters. Accountable government is not part of our overall governance culture. “Because the National Assembly has never asserted its oversight role in a bi-partisan manner, the executive branch gets away with a lot of unaccountability.” The University Professor said that he is not confident in the frequency, depth, and impact of the legislature’s monitoring of the embryonic oil and gas industry. Dr. Hinds remarked, “I think opposition members would do their job in that regard. But I don’t think government aligned legislators would be as forthcoming. A big factor is the resources and staff to do the kind of research and heavy lifting that is needed. We have a very part-time legislature.” The WPA Executive Member said that perhaps, it is time for the citizenry to consider having a more full-time legislature. OVERSIGHT BODY Several local and regional
advisors have made an urgent call for the establishment of a parliamentary body to oversee the oil and gas sector but more importantly, the works of the Petroleum Commission when it comes into being. Former Speaker of the National Assembly and Attorney-at-Law, Ralph Ramkarran, and former Minister of Energy for Trinidad and Tobago and Strategic Advisor, Kevin Ramnarine, both agree with this recommendation. They are on record as stating that such a parliamentary body would be necessary when one considers the scope of work that would be undertaken not only by the Petroleum Commission and even other regulatory bodies. Ramnarine noted that the Petroleum Commission and even Parliament to some extent would be expected to monitor and regulate the efficient, safe and environmentally responsible exploration, development and production of petroleum in Guyana. Ramnarine has stressed time and again that the Parliament would have to be properly resourced if it is to carry out effective monitoring of the new sector.
The revised Civil Aviation Bill will include stern measures against crew members found operating under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances. This is according to Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lieutenant Colonel, Egbert Field. He said that the perpetrators would be fined and penalised. Also, people found trespassing on runways while an aircraft is in operation would be fined.“These are new items included in the bill which seek to address care of aerodromes in the interior. There are a number of items in the Bill that will make things clearer than the last Civil Aviation Act. “The last Act was implemented when we were just being formed into an authority so many things were not included. Over the years, we have seen changes in aviation thus, this Civil Aviation Bill will include all those items drawing on our experience,” Field explained.The Civil Aviation Bill is currently before a parliamentary committee and should be finalised this month. The authority is in the process of revising its regu-
Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) headquarters in Kingston. lations. Stakeholders in the aviation industry and GCAA’s staff were instructed to present regulations to the Director-General who will peruse them before presenting them to the subject minister by July 15.The first draft had to be reviewed following comments and critical suggestions by stakeholders, Field said. “Regulations are difficult to put together when it comes to the aviation industry, especially one unique as Guyana. “Because we derive or for-
mulate our regulations from what the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Industry Organisation] puts out in its annexes. But those are really international regulations. We have to retool the regulations and annexes into ours to accommodate the size and operation we are doing in our domestic industry.” Even as the regulations are being retooled, the authority will remain within the ambit of safety and security and compliance with ICAO.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Lessons from Chad and ExxonMobil reveal…
New laws cannot beat “oil curse” if general governance is weak- Int’l Expert By Kiana Wilburg here are many nations that hold an abundance of lessons on what not to do in the oil industry. Chad is just one of them. In an exclusive interview
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with Kaieteur News, Director of Power and Money at Oxfam America, Ian Gary shared a few of these that Guyana would find useful. It is an area Gary has written on extensively. The Oxfam Director noted
that Chad like Guyana, had signed a contract with American oil giant, ExxonMobil which was considered by some observers to be generous towards the company. But there were many mistakes that
followed. In this regard, Gary said, “In Chad, oil exploration, development and production proceeded much more quickly than the development of new laws and institutions to manage oil and the associated revenues.” He noted that capacity building programmes from donors such as the World Bank were slow in delivery and the government made it difficult by frequently changing ministers and key staff in government agencies. The international oil and gas expert said that the “twospeed” nature of Chad’s oil project meant that ExxonMobil and its partners moved much more quickly than the Chadian government and society could handle. He added, “A lot of hopes were placed on Chad to defeat the ‘oil curse’ or ‘resource curse’ because of an innovative law which required the government to spend oil revenues on certain priority areas – such as health and education – and to set up a citizen oversight committee to manage investments. The law also earmarked five percent of oil revenues to local communities close to the oil fields.” Gary stressed however that these hopes were dashed when the government changed the law and allowed money to be used on military expenditures. He said that a lesson here is that a new law will not beat the “oil curse” when general governance and rule of law in the country are weak. GUYANA’S PREPAREDNESS On a weekly basis, the government continues to face scathing criticisms for its lack of preparedness for the oil and gas sector. In fact, the needed legislation and policies for the sector are still to be finalized. The completion of the
Local Content Policy for example, is now up to Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin. This crucial document will provide guidance on the employment of locals as well as the use of goods and services provided by indigenous companies. That said, Guyana’s draft Local Content Policy has been criticized in recent months for lacking provisions, which would safeguard against exploitation by companies. The draft is still receiving “finishing touches” according to Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman. The draft however speaks nothing of how to avoid procurement fraud, conflict of interest and favouritism, among other crucial areas. Instead, the Local Content Policy framework seeks to address, the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses. It also describes what will be done to ensure that the activities in the petroleum sector are conducted in a manner that transparently secures the m a x i m u m benefit for the people of Guyana, while recognizing the limitations of the country; an d h olding all actors accountable to the present and future generations of Guyanese who are the owners of the na t i o n ’s petroleum resources. SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND The draft legislation which will pave the way for the establishment for the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is also receiving finishing touches. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, has
Director, Power and Money at Oxfam America, Ian Gary announced, however, that the draft document will be the subject of several rounds of consultations before it gets to Parliament by year end. In the interim, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already provided advice to the government on the different areas in which it should improve on in the draft document. One of the areas it commented on in this regard speaks to the need for clearer reporting requirements when the SWF is used by officials. PETROLEUM COMMISSION The Petroleum Commission is still stuck in a sub-committee of the National Assembly. It has been the subject of much consultation and criticized heavily for its many flaws. One of the most disturbing concerns regarding the Bill pertains to the uncapped authority given to the Natural Resources Minister. Not only will the Minister have the power to select the members of the Petroleum Commission but he can also select and appoint the members of the Board along with its secretary. In fact, the Minister can even disrupt the work of the Commission as he pleases. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has already indicated that he intends to have such powers in the Bill diluted.
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Heist from Stabroek Market Jeweller‌
Burglars torch safe, cart off estimated $90M in gold, diamond
Proprietors of the jewel stall talking with investigators just outside the vault. A multi-million-dollar jewel heist that was discovered yesterday has left one long-standing jeweller family counting losses in the millions. The jewellery stall that has been in the Stabroek Market for over six decades, was said to have been secured on the last day of business of the market, last week. They further checked on Sunday and found the stall still secured. This was not the case on Tues-
day morning at 07:00 hrs when an employee turned up to find a vault housed in the jewellery stall torched, and the door ajar. The padlocks for the grill that secured the stall from front were cut and the grill wrenched open. There were a bag at the scene and a jersey. There was also the equipment used to torch the vault. That included gas bottles and a torch. When this publication visited
The jewel stall in Stabroek Market that was robbed.
the scene, investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department and City Police were in the process of examining the entry points and dusting the scene for fingerprints. The Crime Chief, Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams, was also at the scene. The vault is a walk-in vault that stands six feet tall. Before that vault could be gotten to, there is a quarter inch steel-plated door that is secured
by multiple locks. Then the vault door has a combination locking system. The vault itself carries 12-inch thick walls and is fireproof. This has the proprietors pondering how such a heist can be achieved without the market security having a clue. The jewellers were very tightlipped about what transpired, but some staff were adamant that it was
an inside job, since they claim that it would take over five hours to cut all the locks and torch the safe, and there was no evidence of a break-in to the market itself, to their knowledge. There was supposed to be City Police securing the Market, they said. This publication made attempts to talk reach the Clerk of Markets for the Stabroek Market, but was told he was in a meeting.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Badal secures court order validating Govt. announces limited UG scholarships for young people reduction of Govt shares in GSL Majority Shareholder of the Guyana Stockfeeds Ltd, Robert Badal, is convinced that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is seeking to do what he knows best— ”scheme, lie and cause mischief.” Badal said this yesterday as he sought to make it clear that he has not entered into any deal with the Government of Guyana for it to reduce its shares in Guyana Stockfeeds Ltd. Badal said that Jagdeo knows exactly what happened and that he is either suffering from dementia or deliberately “lying as is his usual self.” The businessman said this in response to an article in Kaieteur News. That article documented Jagdeo’s concerns that the government might have entered into a deal with Badal to reduce its shares in the company. Jagdeo recalled that in 2000, “Badal manipulated” the shares of Guyana Stockfeeds. The volume held by Government plummeted from 38 percent to seven percent. This prompted a move to the courts by the government. Badal’s so called manipulation ended up seeing Government’s share reducing from 38 percent to seven, Jagdeo said. Jagdeo said that up to when the PPP/C left office in 2015, the share remained at 38 percent. He said that he was at a loss to find out that the
I
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
Majority Shareholder of GSL, Robert Badal
share plummeted again. It was on that premise that Jagdeo suggested that there must have been “a deal.” Yesterday, Badal said, “Jagdeo knows there was no deal.” Badal said, “Let me take you back to the beginning.” He then said that in 2000, the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) received instructions from Jagdeo not to take up the reduced shares that were issued, “but that was its rightful share.” “There was a share issuance and NICIL refused to take up the allotment so other shareholders took it up in proportion to their holdings. A year later, they decided they want back their shares.
“They waited until one year after when I started exposing the corruption in Government publicly. We all know it does not happen like that. So what they did, they sue myself and Guyana Stockfeeds to restore the shares. They went to court to preserve what used to be their shareholding.” Badal said that acting Judge Jainarayan Singh Junior ruled in government’s favour. “He ruled that the share issue was null and void.” This meant that Government’s original share would have been restored. Badal said, “it is important to note that Jainarayan Singh Junior, on the day he retired, gave 20 judgments none of (Continued on page 26)
n keeping with its promise to direct focus to young people, Government has been making available a number of scholarships in several areas. The scholarships which target people 35 years and younger are in the areas of General Psychology [Diploma], Applied and Exploration Geology [BEng], Entrepreneurship [BSc], Finance [BSc], Geography [BA.], Geological Engineering [BEng.], Information Systems [BSc.], Mathematics [BSc], Medicine [MBBS], Physics [ BSc.] and Sociology [BSc.] In a notice published in the Sunday Edition [July 1, 2018] of Kaieteur News, it was revealed that Government is offering a limited number of these scholarships at the University of Guyana for the 2018/ 2019 academic year. Aside from being 35 years or under, those eligible to apply must be in good health to complete the programme successfully and must possess a minimum of five subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Certificate Education [CSEC] examination level inclusive of English Language and Mathematics with Grade I, II and III.
Applicants must also gain admission to the University of Guyana and current students must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.8. Applicants must also have a valid Guyana passport, the notice added. Those desirous of applying can obtain forms from the Scholarships Department of the Ministry of Presidency, Department of Public Service. Closing date for applications is Saturday July 7, 2018. Since ascending to office in 2015, the APNU+AFC Government has been giving immense emphasis to scholarships. Soon after taking office, the Government was forced to cast its attention to the issue of scholarships for top performing students of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination. On that issue, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said that because of its emphasis on young people, the coalesced APNU+AFC Government was committed to continuing the granting of scholarships to the top performers to universities of their
choosing up to the end of 2015. He had however divulged that, “Thereafter Cabinet has mandated the Minister of Education to examine the programme carefully and to come up with firm recommendations.” Harmon had disclosed that Cabinet had given guidance to the Education Minister that in looking at the condition for the award of scholarships that “the Minister and the Ministry consider scholarships for people in Guyana at UG.” This, he had related, would translate to the expansion of the scholarship programme where it is no longer limited to the top performing students pursuing studies abroad but also to include “deserving students in Guyana who can pursue degrees at UG.” Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, commenting on the scholarship for top performers told this publication, “Whatever people are due, they will get. There is no plan to disadvantage anyone so once they are due, they will get it. I don’t think they have anything to worry about; once they are eligible.”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
‘Badly injured’ bandits flee after thrashing by victims FOR RENT
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One Excavator, Minor repairs, engine in excellent condition. Tel# 671-4019 VEHICLE FOR SALE 2011 Ford Raptor fully loaded, 6.2 litres 4x4 excellent condition blue #610-5370 2006 Suzuki Escado (White) Excellent condition. Price $3.6M Neg. Contact #6093777/697-4557 PEN PAL Seeking Female companionship. Mr Other, Hesky Mount 92-96 Lord Street, PR81JR, England. HEALTH Herbal remedies: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney & Gall stones etc. Call Sparman #676-5924
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One General Domestic, must know to cook. Apply @ Keyfood, next door to Post Office, McDoom. Housekeeper wanted in Trinidad to live with an elderly person, call between 10am-3pm Call: 868-705-8073 Wanted land to buy on the East Bank, Parfaite Harmonie or West Coast. Tel# 681-8746 Contract cars: Contact City Taxi Service 8 Vlissengen Rd. Tel# 227-6868/696-0002
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From page 25 which were written. Included was one that the share issue was null and void.” Badal said that he was later told that the acting judge was threatened by Jagdeo to rule the way he did or risk not receiving his pension. The businessman said,
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ence of a sibling, relieved him of a large sum of cash. During the ordeal, the suspects gun-butted the siblings. But the brothers fought back and managed to disarm one of the intruders after the magazine fell out of his gun. The brothers then armed themselves with implements and wounded the robbers, who fled in the waiting vehicle. Police said that the victims pursued the car but were forced to retreat after they were reportedly fired upon. Police, after a brief chase, intercepted the car at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.A suspected bloodstained jersey as well as traces of blood was found inside. Two live 9mm rounds were found at the scene and an unlicensed 9MM pistol, allegedly taken from one of the two armed suspects during a struggle, have been handed over to the police.
Badal secures court order...
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Police are on the hunt for two bandits believed to have been badly injured during a robbery at the residence of an Alliance, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara businessman. They are also questioning a driver who allegedly transported the robbers, while impounding his blue NZE Toyota, which had a bloodstained garment and traces of blood inside. Police sources said that the robbers escaped with some $700,000, but not before being beaten with rolling pins and other household implements. Police said that the 31year-old mechanic, who is also a businessman, was sleeping in a hammock under a shed in his yard when two men armed with handguns confronted him and demanded valuables. They then took him inside his house and, in the pres-
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“After I realized what happened, I appealed the decision and late last year the appeal court reversed that (Singh’s) decision.” Badal continued, “Even though it was known to NICIL that I appealed and NICIL accepted the ruling last year, the Opposition Leader in his tradition of brutal lies, wants to show the government in a bad light by saying that they are patronizing me. “My business is open market, it is growing. My business doesn’t depend on Government contracts; I receive no favours from the current government. My business is competitive and it is serving the economy of Guyana significantly.”
Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
GRA denies seizing luxury SUV from businessman
T
he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has refuted claims by a businessman, that the tax agency seized his Nissan Armada SUV valued some $18M. Commissioner General of GRA, Godfrey Statia, said yesterday that the vehicle is not in their possession. This revelation comes one day after police said that businessman, Sarwat Tatsie, told detectives that his vehicle was repossessed by GRA. Police were at the time responding to an article titled ‘Businessman returns to Guyana to (find) household items, vehicle missing’ which was published in Sunday’s edition. According to the statement issued by the police, “The businessman later informed detectives probing the case that the vehicle mentioned in the article was not stolen but rather repossessed by the Guyana Revenue Authority.” Tatsie of Earl’s Court, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, had said that he came back to Guyana from Canada last week Friday and found his vehicle missing along with millions of dollars
in household items. Tatsie, who owns and operates Kishan’s Aluminium Windows & Doors at Good Hope on the East Coast Demerara, said he left Guyana on June 12, for Canada. The man said that he discovered his vehicle missing and his house broken into. A number of items were missing. He had said that the missing household items and tools included three television sets, one music set, and a number of electric tools; all valued in excess of $2.5 million. The businessman had said that the Nissan Armada SUV had registration number PPP 7456. He had said that he believes individuals broke into his house, then loaded the items into his vehicle and left, since the vehicle is one of only five in Guyana, and there is little that can be done with it.
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Wednesday July 04, 2018
Members picket GTU headquarters From page 3 should have, at least, been on the verge of inking an Agreement by the end of this school year, which his slated to come to an end Friday. “This Union is sitting down! This is time that you should call out your members; get your members on board and let’s take a stance....its overbearing, frustrating, you name it, all are happening to teachers,” said an animated Mars. He continued, “These very teachers have to sit in the classroom and perform. They have to give of their best and all the Minister [of Education] could say ‘Oh good common entrance results, good CXC results and teachers we must thank you’. “But nobody is saying ‘Teachers we see your pain and we are going to get your money; nobody is saying those things.” It is his expectation that
the action of the South Georgetown branch will agitate the other branches of the Union to take similar action too. “We are from South and South will always take a stance to start the move...And if we have to take a stance against the Union... If it takes us alone, we don’t mind. We fed-up of this very same nonsense over and over and over.And if we fed-up then it means they have to start doing something for us... Teachers are asking me questions and I can’t give them answers.”Recognising the concerns expressed by the teachers as legitimate, McDonald, the Union’s General Secretary, said, “Teachers are quite upset that everybody sees them as just a teacher; you ought to be in the classroom. “Teachers feel that they are being disrespected as the moulders of the nation hence
the reason for the teachers being out there today [yesterday].”McDonald also dispelled allegations that the Union has been idle in its representation. “We have been making calls to various Ministers, we have been writing letters but these letters and these calls have not been yielding fruits. “Our teachers are saying to us now as their leaders, ‘you have to say something to us or we know what to do’ and so they are here and we are saying to the government, we don’t want to hear any longer the document is with the Minister of Finance. We want to hear how early you are going to be completing that document and how early that Agreement is going to be signed.” “We cannot continue to wait for this Agreement to be signed. Teachers have retired in 2015, 2016, 2017; teachers are retiring in 2018 and they
will continue to retire. “What do w e s a y t o them after teaching for 35 and 28 and 32 years? Are you saying to them that they will exit the profession without having their due reward? I t i s n ot fair to our teachers! These are the same people who have been giving their all to this system. “These a r e t h e s a m e people who have been working day-in and dayout...These are the people who turn up at school at 7 o’ clock [07:00 hours] in the morning to receive children at 7:15 [07:15 hours] because their parents have to go to work. “These are the teachers who stay at 7, 8 and 9 o’ clock at nights with children to ensure that children are successful at the exams. Are we saying that all of these labours are not counted? Come on, somebody needs to
say sometime to us,” asserted McDonald. Government’s failure to indicate the way forward swiftly could very well see the continuance of the strike action, which was aborted with the establishment of the Task Force, McDonald informed yesterday. And the Union will be fully backing its membership’s decision to take action since, according to McDonald, “we were promised within a short while, and we took a short while to mean short, that we would have had that document addressed and the official signing off of that document so that our teachers can receive their benefits. “Since then , we have been hearing the documents are with the Minister of Finance. As recent as last Friday, I received a document saying that the document
is with the Minister of Finance and that he is going to entertain us as soon as he returns from his official visit to Vi e t n a m o r s o m e w h e r e like that. I don’t know how much our teachers can c o n tinue to wait for the Minister of Finance and his team to address that document.” At the end of 2015, a previous multi-year Agreement inked between the former government and the GTU came to an end. As a result, the Union presented a proposal for a new multiyear Agreement to the current government. Entailed in the proposal was for a 40 percent across the board i n c r e a s e f o r teachers for 2016; 45 percent increase for last year and 50 percent for this year and the following two years (2019-2020) for all categories of teachers.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
CANU busts shipper, five others with 7 kilos of coke at CJIA - mother travelling with baby girl excretes cocaine pellets
A vegetable shipper and a mother of a baby girl are among seven in custody after they were intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport with what is suspected to be cocaine. A release stated that the shipper, Navindra Sarwan, and five others were arrested around 23.00 hrs on Monday in relation to seven kilograms of suspected cocaine found under Sarwan’s vehicle. At the time, the vehicle was parked inside the compound of the CAMEX Bond at the CJIA, Timehri. The release stated that Sarwan was scheduled to ship ground provisions and pumpkins on a cargo flight OJ 258 destined for Canada. And around 22:00 hrs
yesterday, Natasha Blair, a 37year-old cosmetologist of Lot 92 Grove Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was on her way to the departure lounge after checking in her luggage, when she was intercepted by CANU ranks. The woman was booked to travel on BW 726 to JFK New York on Caricom Day Monday July 2, 2018 through CJIA. She was escorted to a city hospital where suspected cocaine pellets showed up in her digestive tract during an xray. The x-rays also detected an object that was inserted “in her lower extremity.” “She was admitted as a patient and has since extracted one large object suspected to contain cocaine that
was observed in her lower extremity. She has so far excreted three suspected cocaine pellets and remains hospitalised. “This suspect is the mother of an 11-monthold baby girl with whom she was travelling when she was intercepted,” the release stated. “The baby has since been handed over to her grandmother. “CANU is now in search of the ‘child father’ of the said woman.” The release identified the individual as Sherwin Stoby also known as Kong. It gave his last known address as Lot 87 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown. Anyone knowing his whereabouts is asked to contact CANU at 592-227-3507.
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Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
September trial date for kidnap/murder Quartet
MURDERED: Rajendra Singh
F
our men who were charged back in 2014, with the murder of Rajendra Singh, a businessman from Foulis, East Coast Demerara, will go on trial for the offence from September 3, says Justice Brassington Reynolds. The State will present a joint murder indictment before Justice Reynolds. The men, Doenauth Katwaru, also known as ‘Pumpkin’, ‘Doodnauth Katwaroo’ or ‘Doodnauth Ketwaru’; Tony Christopher Thomas, also known as ‘Mataran’, ‘Matteron’, ‘Job’ or ‘Fix Up; Michael Lewis called ‘Michael Joseph’, ‘Jet Lee’, ‘J- Ice’ or ‘Mikey’; and Adony James called ‘Don’, were brought to the High
MURDER ACCUSED: Tony Christopher Thomas Court in Georgetown, yesterday. It is alleged that they murdered the businessman between April 5, 2014 and April 9, 2014 during a kidnap. According to reports, Singh, a spare parts auto dealer was kidnapped by two gunmen on April 5, 2014 at his Foulis, East Coast Demerara business place. His kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $50M from his family, but they later reduced that amount by half. The ransom was never paid. Subsequently, Singh’s car was found abandoned in Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara by his wife. Still hopeful that her husband might return home, the wife
MURDER ACCUSED: Michael Lewis
got news of her husband’s lifeless body being found in an isolated part of Le Repentir Cemetery. Singh was discovered with his mouth and nose tied with a jersey. His hands were bound with what appeared to be a belt. He was stuffed in an alcove created by some fallen trees. Back in court, the four murder accused sat quietly in the prisoners’ dock as they listened attentively to Justice Reynolds who said he was acting based on instructions given by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). A look of disappointment was smeared all over their faces when they were
MURDER ACCUSED: Doenauth Katwaru and Adony James
informed of the trial date. In the meantime, they will remain on remand. Attorneys-at-law Satyesh
Kissoon, Bernard DaSilva, Nigel Hughes and Adrian Thompson are representing the accused respectively.
Appearing for the State are prosecutors, Tiffini Lyken, Narissa Leander and Seeta Bishundial.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Maradona offers to coach Argentina for free after World Cup debacle
Diego Maradona unveiled a flag of himself during Argentina’s win over Nigeria. (Getty Images)
Wednesday July 04, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Suddenly things are coming to a head for you, Aries. The drama is escalating and you aren't sure if you can remember all your lines. Take things one step at a time. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A great deal of attention will center on your emotions today, although being centered in and of itself will be quite the challenge. You may feel like a yo-yo at the mercy of someone else's hand. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Maintaining equilibrium might not be the easiest task today, but if anyone can do it, you can, Gemini. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Desire is the name of the game for you today, Cancer. If you want it, you can get it, but it won't come easily. The prize will go to the person who desires it the most. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today will be like playing a game on your home field, Leo. You have fans out there supporting you and you know the territory. Take advantage of the little things that you have going for you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Enlist the help of others today. You'll find that information exchange is the key to putting the last few puzzle pieces into place. Doing things on your own is important and necessary. At some point you need to realize that its time to move on.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This is an excellent day for you, so live it up! Your ego is strong, and beautiful things are flowing your way in general. You should enjoy a good mood that will attract favorable people and situations. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your emotions may be a bit erratic. It could be hard for you to focus on anything today, Scorpio. Things continue to shift from one topic to the next with little resolution of any. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) There is an extra blast of wind to fill your sails today, Sagittarius, so make sure you've got both hands on the steering wheel. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The day's energy is erratic and you're apt to jump all over the place, Capricorn. Don't worry about trying to firm up any plans at this time. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Get up and get going today, Aquarius. You have no time to lose. Your quick mind will be busy working on many tasks, but this suits you just fine. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your heart may experience some wild fluctuations today, Pisces. It may seem as if your emotions are on a runaway train with no track. If so, the best thing to do is sit by yourself and write. Compose a letter.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Diego Maradona wants to return to the position of Argentina coach and is willing to work for free, as Jorge Sampaoli faces pressure to resign following their World Cup travails. Speaking on his “Hand of God” television show, the 57year-old Maradona, who coached Argentina for two years from 2008-10, said it was painful to see the current state of the national team. “I would return to leading the national team and I would do it for free, I wouldn’t ask for anything in return,” Maradona said on his programme, which runs on Venezuelan channel Telesur. Sampaoli is resisting intense pressure to resign following Argentina’s 4-3 defeat to France on Saturday during a World Cup campaign that was fraught with tension and disputes. The coach is believed to have lost the support of his players with some claims attributing team selection and tactics to cap-
Coombs struck... From page 36 any other) at both national and international level. A fine in the amount of USD 40,000 has also been imposed on Mr Coombs.” FIFA said it had also informed Coombs of its decision yesterday, with the ban taking immediate effect. Coombs is the latest Caribbean football official to be sanctioned by FIFA, following a number of high profile cases in recent years. Last year, Antiguan Gordon Derrick, president of the Caribbean Football Union, was banned for six years on similar bribery and conflict of interest charges, and fined US$31 000.
Kcaysha Medas... From page 40 stated that she owns the 400m and they might take the 100m and 200m from her due to her absence for a year but declared ownership of the 400m event. With regions coming up in a few weeks and the Junior Olympic games in three weeks, Kcaysha Medas-King noted she will be going back to the drawing board and plan the way forward with her coach.
tain and star Lionel Messi. Sampaoli, though, has another four years to run on his contract, meaning the Argentine Football Ass o c i a t i o n ( A FA ) w o u l d have to pay a reported US$15 million to sack him. “Hopefully God will give me the strength to return to the bench,” said Maradona, whose own World Cup coaching campaign in 2010 ended in an ignominious 4-0 thumping by Germany in the quarterfinals in South Africa. “I’m 57, watching my country, which was beaten by a team that isn’t one of the best in the world — it
really hurts to see everything that we’ve built destroyed so easily.” Maradona was a genius as a player, leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and again to the final four years later. But his coaching career has been far less glamorous despite his stint in charge of the national team, in which he presided over a record-equalling 6-1 defeat to Bolivia. His last two jobs were in the United Arab Emirates, most recently failing to guide Fujairah to promotion from the Emirati second division last season.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Halep enjoys first win as Guyana hockey women place second in tri-nation series grand slam champion LONDON (Reuters) Simona Halep, the newest member of the Grand Slam champions’ club, silenced a roaring Japanese army of supporters as she demolished Kurumi Nara 6-2, 6-4 “on the most beautiful court in the world” to reach the second round of Wimbledon yesterday. Playing with a lighter load on her shoulders after winning the French Open title last month, Halep rolled back her arms and let the winners fly off her racket strings. “I was relaxed when I came here. I didn’t push myself. I didn’t put pressure on myself. I felt ready today,” Halep said with a smile after winning her first match as a major champion. “I have expectations for myself, but not with the result. I feel ready to fight.” The Romanian world number one was broken once in the opening set and also faced two break points at 2-1 up in the second. A forehand winner and a Nara error allowed Halep to sidestep that pothole and she wrapped up victory when Nara smacked a forehand long. Like French Open men’s champion Rafael Nadal, Halep opted to rest her aching limbs following her win over Sloane Stephens in the Roland Garros final. She turned up at Wimbledon without playing any competitive matches on grass and the gamble did not
Guyana’s opening scorer Shebiki Baptiste in possession against Barbados. Romania’s Simona Halep celebrates winning her first round match against Japan’s Kurumi Nara. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) harm her game plan yesterday. “I was a little bit worried because I didn’t have a match on grass (before coming here),” added the 26-yearold who is bidding to improve on her 2014 semi-final appearance in London. “But I was thinking that I had played many matches during the clay court season. So I was kind of ready.” Many of her fellow topeight seeds, however, were not ready for the challenge.
By day two of the championships, four of them had departed. Fourth seed Stephens and fifth seed Elina Svitolina failed to survive the opening day while Petra Kvitova, the winner here in 2011 and 2014, and France’s Caroline Garcia checked out on Tuesday. “Here on grass, you don’t know what to expect,” summed up Halep, who will next face China’s Zheng Saisai.
After drawing 1-1 against Barbados and beating Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 on the opening day of competition, Guyana were positioned in the top spot going into the penultimate day of the tri nation women’s hockey series being held at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex at Wildey. With Trinidad having defeated Barbados 1-0 in the first round, Guyana knew that the ladies from the land of the Hummingbird would be eager to exact revenge on their earlier duel against them. Guyana’s second round
match played against Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) last Saturday afternoon, started on unsteady ground for the Guyanese as early unforced errors resulted in a T&T field goal by striker Brianna Gouvia just four minutes into the match. With the Guyanese still struggling to compose themselves, Trinidad grabbed their second goal in the 25th minute by Felicia King from a penalty corner and a third in the 27th minute by Britney Hingh. The second half of the game saw a different team Guyana. The players seemed more organized with better spells of possession and improved defensive structure. In the 49th minute Guyana executed a swift right side attack that found striker Princessa Wilkie who was able to eliminate the final Trinidadian defender and secure a goal for Guyana. The final score however would reflect a 3-1 victory for Trinidad. This game marked the 50th International Cap for former team captain Trisha Woodroffe. Guyana then entered their final match in the blistering Sunday morning heat against hosts Barbados with whom they drew 1-1 in the opening round. Team Guyana seemed more relaxed and confident as the game began with accurate passes, better ball control and a solid defensive structure. The game was a very physical one and the teams were evenly matched with some amount of frustration showing in both sides.
In the 40th minute of play a penalty stroke was awarded to Guyana due to a careless desperation tackle by the Bajans full back in the scoring circle. Former national captain Trisha Woodroffe stepped up to the challenge and sent a hard, flat, push to the left side of the goal beating the Bajan keeper and putting Guyana at a 1-0 advantage. The Bajans fought to the end and, with seconds remaining, secured a penalty corner against Guyana. Barbados would save themselves from defeat as the goalmouth scramble that ensued saw the ball squeeze past eventual goalkeeper of the tournament, Alysa Xavier, ending the game at a 1-1 draw. Trinidad finished in the top spot of the series followed by Guyana with Barbados third. The teams will face each other again in the pool round of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) games which is scheduled for July 20 – August 3. Guyana’s first match in the CAC will be on day one when they come against T&T followed by its match against Jamaica two days later on the 22nd then Barbados on 24th. The other teams in the competition are hosts and newcomers, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico. The full results of the series are: Guyana vs Barbados 1-1 Trinidad vs Guyana 0-1 Trinidad vs Barbados 1-0 Guyana vs Trinidad 1-3 Barbados vs Guyana 1-1 Barbados vs Trinidad 0-0
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Junior C’bean Squash C/Ship
Team Guyana ready for battle in Jamaica
Team Captain Rebecca Low speaks at yesterday’s press briefing. By Sean Devers Barbados ended Guyana’s 12-year-winning streak last year when the Junior Caribbean Squash Championships was held in Guyana, although Taylor Fernandes took the Girls U19 title and 14-year-old Shomari Wiltshire won the U15 title. This year’s tournament is being held in Jamaica from July 8-14 and Guyana’s aim is to reclaim their team title but with Fernandes unable to defend her title due her being over-age this year, title-hopes rest on the Caribbean best U15 Racquet wielder, Wilshire to help this Country to another team title. Unlike their period of Caribbean dominance which began in 2004 when their U-17s and U-19s spearheaded the team to glory, this year Guyana will bank on Wilshire and the U-15s and U-13s to prop up the older team members if they aim to bring back the bacon. T h e t e a m ’s p r e m i e r Sponsor is Exxon Mobil and the Company that has the contract to drill for Oil in Guyana was represented by their Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe who said that this was her first day on the job and was happy to spend it with such a great group of Boys and Girls. “We are pleased to be associated this young team as they Journey to Jamaica to represent their Country and we wish them well.” President of the Guyana Squash Association, the hard working David Fernandes, who travels with the team as Assistant Manager to former Southern Caribbean Squash Champion Garfield Wilshire, said sponsorship is very important in keeping Sports alive in Guyana. “I am sure the GOA and the Government will be sup-
ExxonMobil’s Senior Director Public & Government Affairs Deedra Moe at yesterday’s Press briefing.
portive of teams which bring glory to this Country as the Junior Squash team has done by winning the Caribbean title 12 times in a row,” Fernandes stated. Fernandes thanked the Sponsors, Coaches and parents for the support and encouragement of the team members. “A bid has been made for Squash to be included in the Olympics and hopefully if it is in the 2024 Olympics you could be Guyana’s first Squash players to compete at the Olympics,” he told the eager youngsters in the team which were present yesterday decked in their National Uniforms. “ Wi n n i n g i s n o t t h e most important thing but how you play the game is. Winning is a bonus for playing hard and fair,” Fernandes added. Team Captain Low said Squash has given her the opportunity to travel to new places, make friends and meet people. She urged her team mates to make the most of this opportunity by playing to their best and making their Country proud. “Once we are in it, our aim is to win it,” declared the affable Low with a confident smile on her face. While Coach Carl Ince was not present yesterday, Taylor Fernandes, one of three Assistant Coaches, said the strength of the team is the Boys and the depth. “We a have few overseas players but I believe the performances of the U-15s and U-13s could give us a great chance of winning Medals this year,” Fernandes said. Apart from their premier Sponsor Exxon Mobil, Bounty Farm Ltd, Fly Jamaica, Connections Travel Service, GOA, Go-Invest, Ansa McA, Pas Cargo, Burger King and
John Fernandes Ltd are the other Sponsors who have come on board. The Team reads: Boys: Alex Cheeks, Rithew Saywack, Daniel Islam, Anthony Islam (overseas based), Shomari Wiltshire, Samwel-Ince-Carvalhal, Michael Alphonso, Shiloa Aspegado. Girls: Rebecca Low, Abosaide Cadogan, Madison Fernandes, Kirsten Gomes, Aliyah Persaud, Paige Fernandes, Christiana Fernandes. Individuals: Gianni Carpenter, Lucas Jonas,
Shomari Wilshire could play a key role for Guyana.
Demetrius De Abreu, Ethan Jonas, Mohrayan Baksh, Nicholas Verwey, Louis Da Silva, Quin Lilico, Chad De
Abreu. Support Staff: Garfield Wiltshire (Manager), David Fernandes (Asst Manager),
Carl Ince (Head Coach), Taylor Fernandes (Asst Coach), Nyron Joseph (Asst Coach), Tiffany Solomon.
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Wednesday July 04, 2018
Kaieteur News
Swedes steam into last eight with big names in their wake
Sweden players celebrate after defeating Switzerland in the round of 16 during the FIFA World Cup 2018 at St. Petersburg Stadium. (Cao Can/Xinhua/Sipa USA via USA TODAY Sports)
ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Sweden’s brand of football may not be easy on the eye but yesterday they added Switzerland to a list already including the Netherlands, Italy and Germany as they marched into the World Cup quarter-finals. Had results in qualifying, the playoffs and the group stage gone another way, it might be any one of that illustrious trio preparing to face Colombia or England in the last eight on Saturday. Much as it might offend the purists, however, it is Janne Andersson’s no-name outfit who will make the trip to Samara after a typically rugged 1-0 victory over Switzerland in St Petersburg. The Dutch, third in Brazil four years ago, were barged out of the way in qualifying when Sweden edged the three-times World Cup finalists on goal difference to finish second in a group that France won. In the playoffs the Swedes were paired with four-times world champions Italy and sensationally saw them off over two legs to keep the Azzurri out of the World Cup for the first time since 1958.On seeding, defending champions Germany would have expected to be in Samara on Saturday but they finished bottom of Group F in Russia, an ignominious exit that would have come sooner had Sweden held out for a few seconds more to draw their clash in Sochi. And yesterday, Sweden
proved that once again that dogged defending and huge collective effort can be very effective, even in the knockout stages of the World Cup. Sure, they were helped by the fact that Switzerland were toothless up front but no team is going to find it easy to break down the Swedes. Ranged across the pitch in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, they are happy to cede possession - Switzerland enjoyed 63 percent yesterday confident that by working indefatigably for each other they would get it back. In attack, they lack the world-class edge that Zlatan Ibrahimovic once brought but they are big and strong and keep pumping balls into the box until one falls right for them. In St Petersburg, their goal came with an element of luck when Emil Forsberg’s shot from the edge of the area took a huge deflection off defender Manuel Akanji and spun into the net. The yellow-shirted hordes in the stands cheered it just as loudly as they once would an Ibrahimovic wonder-strike and, like the fans, Andersson does not really care what outsiders think about the way his team plays their football. “We know that we are a good team, we’ve earned our successes, we know how we’ve got this far,” he told a post-match news conference. “What other teams and countries think about that, you’ll have to ask them.”
Coombs struck with two-year ban over ticket scandal ZURICH, Switzerland, CMC – Football’s world governing body, FIFA, yesterday slapped St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation president, Venold Coombs, with a two-year ban and a hefty fine after finding him guilty on corruption charges. FIFA in a statement said it had investigated Coombs’s re-sale of tickets for the 2014 World Cup and discovered that he had breached its Code of Ethics relating to bribery and corruption, conflicts of interest and loyalty. He has been banned from all football-related activities at both national and international level and fined US$40 000. “The investigation into
Mr Coombs was opened on 9 June 2016 and focused on the resale of tickets for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil,” FIFA said in a statement. “The investigatory chamber analysed allegations that Mr Coombs had sold tickets purchased by the SVGFF and by him personally, in his capacity as a FIFA standing committee member, for a profiteering mark-up. “The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Coombs guilty of having violated articles 21 (Bribery and corruption), 19 (Conflicts of interest) and 15 (Loyalty) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.“Mr Coombs is therefore banned for two years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or (Continued on page 33)
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Kaieteur News
England beat Colombia on penalties to reach last eight
England’s Jordan Pickford saves a penalty during the shootout from Colombia’s Carlos Bacca. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach) MOSCOW (Reuters) - England finally ended their penalties curse when they beat Colombia 4-3 in a shootout after drawing their World Cup last-16 clash 1-1 following extra time after the South Americans equalised in the 93rd minute. England had previously lost all three World Cup shootouts and three of four in the European Championship but prevailed yesterday when Mateus Uribe and Carlos Bacca failed to convert, leaving Eric Dier to win the game for England. It was the first time Colombia had been involved in a World Cup
England’s players celebrate after their penalty shootout victory over Colombia. (Reuters Carl Recine)
shootout and they took first blood when Jordan Henderson missed his spot kick - but for once fortune smiled on England. Earlier Harry Kane smashed in a 57th-minute penalty, his sixth goal of the tournament, and England looked to be through until Yerry Mina headed an equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time. It was England’s first win in a knockout game since 2006 and earns them a quarter-final with Sweden, who were far from impressive in beating Switzerland 1-0 earlier yesterday. Then comes a potential semi-fi-
nal against hosts Russia or Croatia with yesterday’s win appearing to vindicate - just - coach Gareth Southgate’s decision to field a second-string side in the final group game loss to Belgium to secure an easier route. Colombia’s hopes suffered a huge setback before kickoff when key playmaker James Rodriguez was ruled out with a calf injury and without him they took a defensive approach and never rarely threatened. England were always the more purposeful side but they lacked the key final ball and needed a gift to
take the lead. The South Americans had been getting away with blatant holding and wrestling at each of England’s many corners and the referee’s patience finally snapped when Carlos Sanchez hauled down tournament leading scorer Kane once too often. After four minutes of mayhem as the Colombians protested, Kane kept his cool and smashed in his third spot kick of Russia 2018. When Juan Cuadrado blazed horribly over the bar with the goal gaping 10 minutes from time with Colombia’s first chance of the match
it looked all over for them but there was a fiery sting in the tail of normal time.England keeper Jordan Pickford made a superb save to touch wide a furious long shot by Uribe but from the following corner - Colombia’s first of the match - giant defender Mina rose highest to head in the equaliser and send the massed Colombian fans into a frenzy. England substitute Dier missed the best chance of the extra period when he headed over the bar but he made up for it in emphatic fashion with the winning penalty in the shootout.
Nadal powers past Sela at the double LONDON (Reuters) There was never a chance Rafael Nadal would take anything for granted as he walked out on Centre Court to play Israel’s Dudi Sela i n t h e Wi m b l e d o n f i r s t round yesterday. Israeli Sela might be 127th in the world but since Nadal won the last of his two Wimbledon titles in 2010 four players with three-digit rankings have scythed him down on the grass. Sela did not join Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis, Nick Kyrgios and Dustin Brown on the list of Rafa slayers, though, as a fired-up Nadal romped to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Centre Court. Nadal had played no competitive grasscourt matches since bounding to a record-extending 11th French Open title last month but it mattered not as the 32-year-old made an impressive start to his quest for a third French Open/Wimbledon double.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal walks in front of the Rolex logo on the scoreboard during his first round match against Israel’s Dudi Sela. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) After being cheered loudly on to court the world number one and second seed looked totally at home on the still-lush turf,
thumping 31 clean winners past a skilful opponent who lacked the kind of big weapons needed to worry Nadal on grass.
T h e S p a n i a r d ’s o n l y blemish was a double-fault that cost him a break of serve at the start of the third set. Apart from that it was a trouble-free victory completed with a backhand rifled beyond his 33-yearold opponent. N a d a l ’s d r a w l o o k s promising — he plays 77th-ranked Mikhail Kukushkin next — but the Mallorcan knows danger can lurk in unexpected places at the All England Club. He was happy enough with his start though. “Good start. Good result. Of course I did things very well, and other things that I have room to improve,” he said. “I played one bad game with my serve, first game of the third. But I am happy more or less with the forehand. I went to the net quite often. Of course I can improve on the return side. “I think the return was
the worst thing that I did this afternoon. That’s it no? There are no more strokes to talk.” Sela resisted well early on, playing his part in some eye-catching rallies, but when he doublefaulted to drop serve at 3-4 Nadal assumed control. Nadal moved two sets clear with a punishing forehand return and although he double-faulted to gift
Sela a break at the start of the third he repaired the damage and powered to victory. The 17-times Grand Slam is looking to emulate his 2008 and 2010 feats when he won the Wimbledon title fresh from triumphing on the Parisian clay. Only Bjorn Borg has managed it three times, his doubles coming in successive years from 1978-1980.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
BCB receives assistance from Bravo leads Hawks win, Gayle NAGICO Executive Chairman fails again in Knights victory for Reds Perreira visit The outstanding work of the Berbice Cricket Board continues to attract the attention of prominent overseas based Guyanese. The Berbice Cricket Board over the last two months have been able to obtain sponsorship through the tireless effort of its U.S.A based Liaison Officer, Oscar Ramjeet. Overseas based Guyanese Brian Ramphal, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and Vernon Throne have all made financial contributions towards Cricket Development Programmes organised by the Berbice Cricket Board. Executive Chairman and CEO of NAGICO, Mr. Imran Mc Sood Amjad has now join hands with Guyana’s most dynamic County Board by providing financial sponsorship toward covering expenses of the visit of Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira. Perreira, the widely respected International Cricket Commentator and Sports Administrator would be visiting Berbice from the 19th to 22nd July, 2018, as part of a comprehensive development programme. He will meet with players, umpires, Berbice Cricket Board Executives and Representatives of Clubs as part of an effort to strengthen
management at the Club and Board levels. NAGICO sponsorship would cover expenses for accommodation, meals, transportation and a One-Day Seminar with one hundred persons. Berbice Cricket Board President Hilbert Foster, who is spearheading the historic visit, expressed gratitude to Mr. Imran Mc Sood Amjad for his timely support and also to former Berbice Cricket Board Secretary Oscar Ramjeet for working beyond the call of duty to assist Berbice Cricket. Ramjeet, he stated has single handedly assisted the Berbice Cricket Board to raise over $2M in sponsorship from overseas based Guyanese. The main objective of the four days visit by the St. Lucia based Perreira is to assist clubs to strengthen their Management Structures so that they can achieve more on and off the cricket field. Special emphasis would also be placed on strengthening the overall operation of the Berbice Cricket Board, while getting officials to understand their list of duties. Perreira would also be meeting with all of Berbice Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and Female
Cricketers as part of a comprehensive personal development programme. The Berbice Cricket Board and the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS would also be honouring the legendary Commentator for his service to Cricket. Imran Mc Sood Amjad, ACII is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAGICO Insurance which has its Head Office in St. Marten. The Company has offices in twenty two countries and is one of the top Insurance Companies in the Caribbean. Amjad played cricket in Guyana alongside the likes of Faoud Bacchus, Rupert Gomes and is a passionate lover of the game. He is the founder of the St. Marten Cricket Association and sponsored the Leeward Island Cricket Association Tournament for ten years. NAGICO also sponsored the West Indies Cricket Board 50Overs Tournament for several years. Ramjeet, who served as Berbice Cricket Board Secretary in 1965, stated that he was humbled to serve Berbice Cricket once again as he was very impressed by the vision and passion of the current Executives.
TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Dwayne Bravo produced a solid all-round effort to hand Winnipeg Hawks their second victory but superstar Chris Gayle failed for the straight straight game though his Vancouver Knight also posted their second win, in the Global T20 Canada league here Monday. Playing at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground, Hawks defeated Toronto Nationals by 56 runs while in the second match of the doubleheader, Knights got the better of Montreal Tigers by 18 runs. In the opening encounter, Hawks rallied to 164 for six off their 20 overs, with captain Bravo hitting 41 from 31 balls and fellow West Indies and Trinidadian batsman Lendl Simmons top-scoring with 44. Yet again, banned Australian opener David Warner failed, falling for one with as many on the board but Simmons struck four fours and three sixes in a 34-ball knock as he helped add 77 for the second wicket with Ben McDermott (25) and repair the innings. Simmons and Darren Bravo (0) fell in the space of seven balls as Hawks lost three wickets for two runs in the space of eight balls to slump to 80 for four in the 11th, but Dwayne Bravo arrived to lash a pair of fours and four sixes, to add rally the innings late on. West Indies seamer Kesrick Williams picked up two for 33 from his four overs. In reply, Trinidadian Tion Webster grabbed four for 22
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo … shone with bat and ball. with his medium pace as Nationals crumbled to 108 all out in the 18th over. Former Windies speedster Fidel Edwards claimed Man-of-the-Match honours with a brilliant spell of two for eight from four overs while Dwayne Bravo finished with two for 23 with his medium pace. New Zealander Anton Devcich top-scored with 34 while Kieron Pollard got 25 and Windies teammate Johnson Charles, 22. Gayle, meanwhile, perished for just four as Knights reached 166 for six off their 20 overs, after being sent in. His opening partner Evin Lewis (16) and Andre Russell (13), both also Windies teammates, failed with the bat as well but South African Rassie van der Dussen smashed an unbeaten 83 from 56 balls to bail his side out. Tigers then lost Dwayne
Smith to the first ball of the innings as they were dismissed for148 with two balls remaining, with left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell finishing with two for 37. Scores: Winnipeg Hawks 164/6 in 20 overs (Lendl Simmons 44, Dwayne Bravo 41; Muhammad Naveed 229, Kesrick Williams 2-33) defeats Toronto Nationals 108 all out in 17.2 overs (Anton Devcich 34, Kieron Pollard 25; Tion Webster 422, Fidel Edwards 2-8, Dwayne Bravo 2-23) by 56 runs. Scores: Vancouver Knights 166/6 in 20 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 83; Lasith Malinga 3-41, Peter Siddle 2-28 defeats Montreal Tigers 148 all out in 19.4 overs (George Worker 43, Moises Henriques 40; Tim Southee 3-20, Saad Bin Zafar 3-21, Sheldon Cottrell 2-37) by 18 runs.
Former champion Sharapova beaten by fellow-Russian qualifier LONDON (Reuters) Wimbledon’s 2004 champion Maria Sharapova tumbled out of the tournament in the opening round for the first time, beaten at her own game by fellowRussian Vi t a l i a Diatchenko 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-4 as the evening shadows crept across Court Two yesterday. Sharapova, seeded 24th, managed to stay with qualifier Diatchenko, who plays with a similar
heavy-groundstroke style, through long baseline rallies and numerous deuce games, hoping her experience would tell. Diatchenko, 27, had a medical time-out at 3-3 in the first set for treatment on her side and back. She appeared to be moving well afterwards but called the trainer again in the final set. Nerves jangled as the first set reached its climax and she could not find the shots to disturb the 31year-old five-times Grand Slam winner in the tiebreak, which Sharapova won with an unreturnable serve. Sharapova, 31, broke Diatchenko’s serve early in the second set and looked
to be cruising until her opponent roared back with stunning stokes to win three games in a row and bring the scores level. The younger woman was more composed during the second tiebreak, earning early minibreaks and winning the set with a big serve that Sharapova put wide. Both players roared with effort as they exchanged shots and each pulled off some stunning winners in the third set. Sharapova broke twice but each time Diatchenko replied in kind and she wrapped up an unlikely victory in just over three hours when the former champion double-faulted.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 04, 2018
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Sparton capture Wiltshire, Boston, James dominoes title Sparton chalked up 94 games to win the final of the Mark Wiltshire, Orin Boston and Dereck James dominoes tournament which concluded on Sunday at Turning Point. Led by Terrence Willis and Stephon Duncan with 18 games each, Sparton defeated Medi Care who made 84 and Thunder 67. Kevin Boston and Mark Rodrigues made 17 and 16 games respectively for Thunder.Sparton won their semi-final encounter with 81 games ahead of Mix Up 71 and Masters 70. Shawn McKenzie and Terrence Willis made 16 each for Spartons, while Gilbert Mendonca got 16 and Ewie Gordon 15 for Mix Up. Charlene Barnwell and David Chapman were Masters leading players scoring 16 games apiece. Medi Care won the second semi final encounter with 82 games, while All Seasons finished second on 72 and Phantom third on 69 g a m e s . A l l S e a s o n ’s Raymond Ali and James Naidu made 16 and 15 games
The victorious Sparton team (file photo) in that order while Rawl Peters got 15 and Tyrone
Ambrose 14 for Phantom. The winning team
received a trophy and $200,000, runner up a trophy
and $100,000, third place a trophy and $50,000 and
fourth place a trophy and $25,000.
Djokovic races past Sandgren in Wimbledon opener
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. (REUTERS/Andrew Boyers)
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O N D O N (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic did his best to finish off his firstround match at Wimbledon in time for Court One fans to head off to watch England’s World Cup clash with Colombia yesterday. The Serbian just failed
but a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of American Tennys Sandgren was an impressive way to kick off his challenge for a fourth title at the All England Club. Djokovic, 31, is seeded 12th here — his lowest Wimbledon seeding — but after a problematic 12
months since pulling out of last year’s tournament with an elbow injury there are signs that the former world number one is coming back to form. He was clinical against the 57th-ranked Sandgren who was making his Wimbledon debut and who
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a shot in his first round match against Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. (REUTERS/Andrew Boyers) had played only one Tour match on grass prior to arriving in London. When he moved a double break ahead in the third set the end seemed imminent but Sandgren rescued one break to delay the inevitable before Djokovic finished with a flourish.
He broke again for a 5-2 lead and served out to love for his 59th Wimbledon match win — moving him level with John McEnroe in fifth place on the all-time list. “It was windy and it was one of those days you want to start well and get that first set
under your belt and start to feel more comfortable,” 12times Grand Slam champion Djokovic said. “I didn’t want to give him an opportunity to come back to the match. I do feel good, it’s quite refreshing and I’m looking forward to see how I progress in this tournament.”
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday July 04, 2018
BCB hosts Rhonda Lewis Memorial Munaf clear winner of LGC Club Tournament on Sunday Tournament for Lower Corentyne Teams
President Aleem Hussain and Dr Joaan Deo (standing in for Captain Chen Deo) pose with 2 of the 3 winners – Paton George (2nd from right) and Munaf Arjune (extreme right). Showing tremendous skill Munaf Arjune 64/9, (who won the recent Ganesh Parts inaugural tournament of May 1) seemed to enjoy playing on the 1st of the month as he chalked up another win at the Lusignan Golf Club on Sunday last. While there was some jostling for 2nd to 6thpositions, the nearest competitor was some 10 strokes behind Munaf. In the LGC’s 7th Club Tournament for the year 2nd was Club Vice President, Paton George 74/19; 3rd Bridgelall Harry 75/16’ with 4th – 6th
respectively Mike Mangal 76/9; Aleem Hussain 77/11 and Deanand Bissessar 78/22. The Course continues to hold up well as the rainy weather seems to be receding, and Groundsmen are doing a continuous work to maintain the Course in good playing condition. With fine weather expected for the August, September period, one can expect up to as much as 6 tournaments a month. Meanwhile, golfers can look forward to the huge 2-day Lusignan Open now rescheduled for August 4th and 5th.
Croatia’s Subasic expects Russia to play above themselves
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OCHI, Russia (Reuters) Backed by a partisan crowd, Russia will play above themselves in their World Cup quarterfinal against Croatia but Zlatko Dalic’s men will have the answers ready for the challenge posed by the hosts, goalkeeper Danijel Subasic said yesterday. Having won all of their Group D games, Croatia beat Denmark in a shootout in their last 16 clash to set up a quarter-final against Russia on Saturday in Sochi on the Black Sea coast. Russia took a similar route to the last eight with a win on penalties over Spain in the Round of 16. “It’ll certainly be a hard game, they play at home, they’ll have the fans backing them,” Subasic, Croatia’s hero of the win against Denmark, told reporters through a translator. “They’re a good team, they play well and of course it’ll be hard, as each time so f a r. T h e n a g a i n , t h e challenge is that much greater when everything is against you.” Subasic made three
saves in their 3-2 shootout win - only the second keeper to do so in World Cup history after Portugal’s Ricardo versus England in 2006. Russia played with five at the back and a lone striker in Artem Dzyuba against Spain and it worked as their opponents managed to create just one chance in 90 minutes on Sunday. It might not be the same against Croatia, with the Balkan nation having shown flashes of their stellar attacking game when they beat Nigeria, Argentina and Iceland to top their group. “I don’t know, they’re playing at home, I suppose they should attack us. I don’t know how they’ll play, I’m not their coach,” Subasic said. “They have a good squad, good individuals... (it will be) a game as difficult as any other. “It’s certain they’ll go beyond their abilities, playing at home, in front of their fans. I think we have the answers to all that’s waiting for us.” Hrvoje Custic, Subasic’s former NK Zadar
team mate, died in 2008 aged 24 after hitting his head on a railing near the pitch during a match and the keeper always wears a vest in his memory. Asked on Tuesday about the message on his vest, Subasic broke into tears. He could take no further questions. After a patchy qualifying campaign during which Croatia sacked coach Ante Cacic in the closing stages to make way for Zlatko Dalic when they slipped from first to third in the group, they have looked impressive in the World Cup group stages. “We were in a bad situation. you may say ‘in the canal’,” defender Domagoj Vida said. “We’re aware of our quality, our possibilities and what sort of players we have and, in the end, we were always at our best when it was the hardest. “We showed in this World Cup that we have the right to hope for big things. We play really well and we have such players that we certainly should believe that we can go to the very end.”
The efforts of newly elected President of the Berbice Cricket Board Hilbert Foster to play cricket as never before in the Ancient County, continues to bear fruit. Foster, who is spearheading an aggressive campaign to attract sponsors, disclosed on Friday last that overseas based Guyanese Lindon Lewis and his family would be hosting a 20/20 cricket tournament for teams in the Lower Corentyne area. The Tournament would be played in memory of Rhonda Lewis, Lindon Lewis eldest child who died of cancer on the 3rd July, 2006, at the tender age of 16. The Tournament would be played by teams between No. 1 Road to No. 42 Village on the Corentyne Coast. The teams expected to participate are No. 1, Fyrish Road, Fyrish, Chesney, Jai Hind, Albion, Toopoo, Belvedere United, Tamarind Root, Rose Hall Town Bakewell, Port Mourant, Tain Block Four, Rose Hall Town Tigers, Big Star, Kildonan and Ramnarine Memorial. The Tournament would be played on a Knock-Out basis and would be played on Wednesday afternoons due to the packed schedule of the Berbice Cricket Tournament. The finals would be played at the Hampshire Cricket Ground on the 20th October, 2018 from 13:00 hours and the Lewis family is expected to be present. Foster disclosed that only players who played for Clubs in other 2018 Tournaments would be allowed to play for them, while only Berbicians would play. Teams are also reminded that all players would be required to be properly attired in white uniforms
Lindon Lewis
while no form of indiscipline would be tolerated. Walkovers shall be granted half hour after the schedule start of play if any team fails to turn up, while teams shall forfeit their right to the toss if they fail to be present at toss time. The Berbice Cricket Board President expressed gratitude to Lindon Lewis and family for their sponsorship of the To u r n a m e n t . F o s t e r reassured the family that he will personally make sure that the event is properly organised and is completed on time. The Rhonda Lewis Memorial 20/20 is the third tournament to be secured for Lower Corentyne teams after the Magic Moments 20/20 and Raffik Construction 100 Balls Tournaments. Foster, stated that no one can complain about the lack of cricket as was the case in the past and disclosed that more tournaments would be unveiled for New Amsterdam/Canje and West Berbice teams shortly. Once the weather improves, the Berbice Cricket Board would also be hosting cricket at the Under-15, Under-17,
Under-19, Unde-21, Female, Secondary School, Intermediate, Second Division, First Division and Zone levels. Lindon Lewis stated that he was pleased to be associated with the current Berbice Cricket Board administration and expressed full confidence that the tournament in memory of his late daughter would exceed all expectations. He committed himself to a long term relationship with Berbice Cricket, Rhonda Lewis memorial T20 competition 2018. Trophies will be presented to the: 1. Winner 2. Runner-up 3. Man of the match in final 4. Most runs in final 5. Most wickets in final 6. Best fielder in final 7. Most runs in competition 8. Most wickets in competition 9. Best keeper in competition 10. Best all rounder in competition 11. Most discipline player
Kcaysha Medas-King wins latest 400m Last weekend, Kcaysha Medas-King came out victorious in the female 12 years and under 400m final of the USATF (governing track and field body in the United States) Track and Field Championships at the Brockfort, New York State University. With the top athletes from across 25 states including the mighty California, Kcaysha ran a superb race from start to finish in a time of 1 minute .7 seconds, defending her title
and also defeating the favourite Jada Kenner who would have won the 100m and 200m in distinctive fashion earlier in the day. Kenner of Just Blaze track club finished in a time of 1 minute 10 second, while third place Abigail Charles crossed the line 1 minute 1.18 seconds. With Jada Kenner having the fastest time going into the finals it was clear she was in a mood for a clean sweep. Just before the race Kcaysha (Continued on page 33)
Kcaysha Medas-King
Wednesday July 04, 2018
Kaieteur News
Sleepin Int. Hotel & 711 Beverages on board for the first time
GABBFF Senior C/ships
President of the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) Coel Marks has expressed gratitude to the owners of Sleepin International Hotel & Casino and 711 Beverages which have come on board to support the senior championships for the first time.The federation’s biggest show is set for July 15 at the Parc Rayne Event Centre, Rahaman’s Turn, Houston, East Bank Demerara with the price of admission set at $2,500.Both entities handed over their contributions to Marks recently and pledged their continued support for the sport. Marks in return thanked the entities for contributing to the show which will showcase the best male and female athletes in Guyana, come Sunday July 15. Meanwhile, Atlantic Marine Supplies has committed for the second year towards the event.
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BCB expresses sympathy to two former board presidents The President and Executives of the Berbice Cricket Board has expressed profound sympathy former Presidents Rampersaud Ramnanand and Lennox Phillips on the recent deaths of their wives. Mrs. Dhandai Ramnanand age 86 died in Canada, while Millie Phillips died in Patterson, New Jersey at the age of 85. Lennox Phillips served as the longest President of the Berbice Cricket Board from 1972 to 1985 while Rampersaud Ramnanand served as President from 1970 to 1971. The Berbice Cricket Board would like to reassure both former Presidents that they would remember them in their prayers and wished them God’s richest blessings and comfort in their moment of sorrow. Dhandai Ramnanand and Millie Phillips both contributed in their own small way to the development of Berbice Cricket and would always be remembered for their charm and grace. The support to their husbands enabled them to contribute beyond the call of duty to the development of Berbice Cricket.May God bless the souls of both former First Ladies of Berbice Cricket and Grant them eternal rest. May he also provide comfort to our former Presidents in their moments of grief a release from the board stated.
Manager of Sleepin International Hotel, Clifton Bacchus (left) hands over sponsorship to Coel Marks.
rt o p S
Guyana hockey women place second in tri-nation series P. 34
Team Guyana with Coach Damon Woodroffe and Manager Latoya Fordyce.
Junior C’bean Squash C/Ship
Team Guyana ready for battle in Jamaica
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The National Junior Squash team leaves for Jamaica on Friday. (Sean Devers photo)
Swedes steam into last eight England beat Colombia on with big names in their wake penalties to reach last eight P. 36
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