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SARA lead investigator lies

Thursday Edition July 18, 2019 - Vol. 12 No. 29 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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- was president of ABR when oil blocks probe started

Online readership yesterday 119,815

GECOM to begin house-to-house

registration Saturday - Opposition Leader says it is illegal according to CCJ orders Granger, Opposition Leader meet on GECOM Chair ...

Cops who solved money changer, daughter’s murder gets highest award Jagdeo rejects two names proposed by Pres. Granger - submits another four nominees

Alexander, others chide Opposition-appointed Commissioners' attempt to 'intimidate' GECOM Secretariat

Inspector Lowe accepts the award for the team involved in the solving of the Money changer and daughter case from Commissioner Leslie James.

In five years 1,190 persons suffered snakebites, 95 died

Stabroek Block's 5.5B barrels

reserve an understatement

- Hess CEO

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 03

Stabroek Block's 5.5B barrels reserve an understatement - Hess CEO

By Kiana Wilburg

H

ess Corporation which holds a 30 percent stake in the Stabroek Block believes that its shareholders and industry stakeholders are yet to see the full potential of the world-class offshore concession.

In fact, the firm's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess, recently noted that the estimate of 5.5B barrels of oil equivalent reserves is on the low side.

Speaking at the Bernstein 35th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference that was held a few weeks ago in New York, Hess said that the 5.5B estimate really ties to 10 or 11 discoveries and not 12 or 13 which were made.

Hess said that there is going to be a resource upgrade by year end but the drilling programme for the Stabroek will be going forward. The CEO said that most likely, the Stabroek block license holders will keep investing in a two rig exploration programme.

It was noted that the cost to drill the Stabroek block wells are not only relatively cheap by industry standards but only take about 22 days to be completed. Along these lines, the Hess CEO noted that the firm has a long

Hess Corporation CEO, John Hess runway of drillable prospects going forward.

He said, “And we have a long way to go as it is still in the early innings and it is the equivalent of 1,150 Gulf of Mexico blocks...It will be phased over time.”

A PROMISE TO HONOUR When one considers the exemplary discoveries on the Stabroek Block, Hess was asked to say if he believes the government of Guyana will allow the license holders to continue making high returns over the coming decade plus.

In this regard, Hess said that the license holders have

been assured by President David Granger and the People's Progressive Party (PPP) that they will honour the existing contract. He noted that both sides have told the company this privately and they have said so in public too.

The CEO said, “We also have Exxon as our partner and CNOOC which I think helps us in ensuring the Production Sharing Contract is followed and so, you know, I am not saying the political risk is zero but we feel pretty confident that we can work well with both parties and they want to honour those contracts and that is what we have been told.”

He continued, “There is always media speculation by maybe one or two people who may be opponents down there (and) we have it in our own country. But I think you can't take too seriously that media speculation. Recently there was talk about a government investigation into how some of the blocks were awarded, but neither Hess nor Exxon was approached in terms of it.”

Hess added, “We feel our blocks are secure. We followed all applicable laws and regulations in getting those government approved blocks. So you will hear noise every once in a while

Scrap metal exports earned - Ministry $766 million last year of Business

S

crap metal exports from Guyana contributed approximately $766 million to the economy last year.

According to Cordell McClure, Ministry of Business' Communication Officer the sum represents monies garnered for seven months--from May to December, 2018.

McClure said that the sum was accounted for after the Scrap Metal Unit, (SMU) commenced work under the Ministry of Business.

The Communication Officer explained that the unit is currently monitoring the work of 22 dealers and 23 exporters and 42 collectors.

The Scrap Metal Unit was created by Cabinet approval using the old Metal Dealers Act 1980 (amended twice). The trade is only open on a limited base to facilitate dealers who had a backlog of metal and

contracts to remove old metal from large facilities.

McClure said that this limited resumption will continue to be in force until the new legislation comes into force.

“A draft legislation to effectively manage the scrap metal trade is currently with the Attorney General's Chamber for review. The trade is being overseen by the Scrap Metal Unit within the Ministry of Business.

The unit utilizes standard operating procedures and a software system (which is being tested) to monitor the trade.”

The overall objective of the SMU is to strengthen the regulatory framework, taking into account international best practices and unique national circumstances, in order to adequately address the problems plaguing the Scrap Metal Trade Industry.

Information available on the Ministry of Business website outlined that over an era the Scrap Metal Trade has provided viable business opportunities for a number of small and micro enterprises in Guyana.

The Trade contributes to the accomplishment of some of the country's socioeconomic objectives as envisioned in the policy of the Government which includes employment creation and trade promotion.

Notwithstanding these benefits, there are many issues that have been raised by stakeholders relating to procurement, pricing, and the marketing and distribution of scrap metal that continue to impasse the development of this Trade in Guyana.

The Business Ministry said that the development of (continued on page 21)

Map showing discoveries on Stabroek Block (Sourced from Hess Corp.) from the media but I think you have to take it with a grain of salt. All I count on is

what the President of the country has told us as well as the opposition and they are

going to honour those Production Sharing Contracts.”

PAGE 4

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The British Ambassador’s comments

T

he British Ambassador delivered a storm that is raging on both sides of the pond. This one is not in a teacup. Compliments of leaked cables, the whole truth is out and it is not pretty. In fact, it is most degrading and dismissive in the best stiff upper lip tradition. Britannica did return to dominate the airwaves briefly.

A sampling of the spicy details from a few quotes reveal the hard sentiments from the now former top British diplomat to the US. “Clumsy” and inept” and lack of belief in any promise that matters could “become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable….”

(New York Times, July 7). That is some heavy artillery and, as many believe, long overdue. It has to hurt that this is coming from a special relationship involving the closest of friends.

Though brutal, that is what close friends are for: speaking to truth. And outgoing Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch certainly pulled no punches.

The believed star spangled American was made to look as the latest incarnation of the perennially mocked and scorned ugly stereotype. That is all well and good for a beer-swilling, loud-talking, powder-sniffing lowlife from any society. But the first citizen of the United States of America? The leader of the free world, if not the whole world? That is saying a lot of the patented contempt-long concealed, manfully contained, and diplomatically, if not globally, managed-distaste for the twitter antics and mental tics of a bona fide political maverick, if not rustic.

Matters have deteriorated so comprehensively that others have broken the seal of protocol to deliver their assessment of the corny, insensibility, and outright incorrigibility exhibited at the highest leadership level.

For in a July 10 article in the New York Times, there was this trumpet blast, ‘It could have been any of us’: Disdain for Trump runs among ambassadors.” Gerard Araud, recently retired French Ambassador, shared that, “For me, as a foreigner, it was fascinating.” As a euphemism “fascinating” stands in for the cruder language of vulgar, or disturbing, or low.

It should be remembered that, while the English are renowned for their blandness, the French are nothing, if not cultured. As has become more obvious, other senior envoys share almost the same thinking on leader specifically, and administration, in general.

For its part, the New York Times in another July 8 article reported that the British Government has stoutly defended it ambassador’s right to send home “honest, unvarnished assessments” of the political situation in Washington.

That’s what diplomats do.

As all of this has unfolded, there are several questions staring all Guyanese in the face. First, if this is what is thought and committed to diplomatic cables to the home country about the United States leadership, what do diplomats on duty in Guyana think of Guyanese leadership, past and present? And relatedly, about Guyanese and Guyana?

Second, with such a heavy and necessary foreign presence involved in helping to find a way out of Guyana’s primordial political swamps and electoral woes, how do all of these publicly sweet speaking, invariably unruffled and polite representatives (usually urbane and savvy) really, honestly assess this backwater hellhole?

In spite of its muscle and might in so many different areas, the United States leadership still came in for serious hammering. Without a doubt, Guyana—lost, limp, pathetic, and almost inconsequential—is not worth interrupting the cocktail hour, other than to speak disparagingly (very much so) as to its hard and fast realities, and its fading, perhaps not-worth-the-interest possibilities.

Today, local leaders are pleaded with, whispered to, exhorted, and pressured to find a way, to discover commonsense and reason by an influential diplomatic community. It is one (in particular) that has always influenced elections outcomes. Leaders better listen.

The continued exclusion of the National Assembly from this process is shameful and irresponsible DEAR EDITOR, Is appearance and form the true or dominant reality or does substance and content really matter?

The following questions may also be asked in the context of our recent political experiences: 1) What does my/your vote, in a general election, mean? Does it represent the right and ability to choose your party and government or is it merely symbolic and illusionary and can be taken away on a whim by a Member of Parliament acting out his personal agenda The courts, at every level, have validated Charrandass Persaud’s contempt for the APNU+AFC constituency and for the position that their vote has any meaning.

2) What is the meaning of the no-confidence motion (NCM) and can this instrument be legally or politically

adjudicated and enforced?

It is my understanding that the passage of an NCM almost always signifies that the executive (government) is accountable to the legislature (parliament) and has lost its support and, therefore, its legitimacy and ability to govern.

In our present context, neither is true; the President is elected directly by the people, not by Parliament, and the government’s parliamentary majority remains intact and so, the commentary that the government has fallen by the NCM represents more wishful thinking rather than fact.

Seven months after the vote on the NCM in December 2018, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has determined that the NCM was validly passed in the National Assembly, but recognizes that there are no legal conse-

quences or impositions, only political ones. It could not order the resignation of the President and Cabinet or determine a date for elections.

Its opinion that the APNU+AFC administration has been reduced to an interim or caretaker government is more political rather than judicial in nature and trespasses on the prerogatives of the legislature.

Surely, it must now be for the National Assembly to impose its consequential orders on the government and to enforce its NCM, as would be the case in any normally functioning parliamentary democracy and procedurally-correct NCM. The Opposition Leader began his fight in the National Assembly and he should end it there, and not seek to involve unconstitutional mechanisms, notwithstanding the fact that he has made

it abundantly clear that he has no use for the legislature that delivered his NCM victory.

The PPP/C’s political strategy has, so far, been masterful; it has succeeded at every opportunity in determining the arena (National Assembly, the courts, public media, international community) it desires to fight in, and now sees no benefit in returning to the National Assembly.

The National Assembly was constituted as a deliberative body, under the constitution, to debate and formulate policies of national importance, and its continued exclusion from this process is shameful and irresponsible, and must end now.

To demand restrictions on government, and sanctions, is premature, contemptuous, undemocratic and hostile.

Sincerely Oscar Dolphin

We are a nation held in suspense DEAR EDITOR, We are a nation held in suspense. President Granger has accepted that he now heads a Caretaker or ‘interim’ government, but refuses to comply with the clear provision that states his Cabinet stands resigned.

We are subject to a steady stream of double-speak and transparent ploys to delay or obfuscate the holding of elections on or before 18th September 2019 as required by our Constitution and ensuring unbroken democracy in Guyana.While David Granger has us suspended in his web, he may want to consider what else is in suspension because of his intransigence.

Local Content legislation cannot be passed into law;

discovery of Oil in commercial quantity was announced on 21st May 2015, the failure to formulate policy and accompanying legislation is unforgivable dereliction of duty to the people of Guyana.

I have no knowledge that any legislation has been prepared for debate. In the absence of laws, Guyanese are reliant on ExxonMobil to be a good actor in this regard.The Leader of the Opposition has already made it clear that vital Sovereign Wealth legislation was not passed by legitimate means and is of no effect.

Such legislation will have to be tabled and debated postelections, in the new Parliament.

The Oil revenue that should flow to the nation’s

coffers will also be in suspension, ExxonMobil is cognizant of its mistakes in Equatorial Guinea and Angola, and has committed itself to transparent operations in Guyana.

Oil production will not be delayed or suspended; ‘First Oil’ will be produced and sold.

Guyana is supposed to receive her share in Oil, for resale by her own devices, however, with a caretaker or ‘interim’ government in place, Guyana’s portion of Oil will in fact be sold and the revenues placed in a Suspension account. This is not an escrow account held in trust by a third party such as the US Federal Reserve; it is in fact a paper transaction to account for money held in ExxonMobil’s operational ac-

count. It will earn no interest and may become subject to US taxation and eventual seizure if the situation persists for a longer period. Even if the money is all there when this period is behind us, time that should be spent kickstarting our economy will be lost, and cannot be recovered.It may be prudent to ask ExxonMobil to confirm its course of action in the eventuality that “First Oil’ precedes the next General & Regional Election.President Granger has suspended Democracy for now, but will find he is hoisted by his own petard in the end, for every rope, no matter how long, ends with a backward jerk into reality.

Respectfully Robin Singh

DEAR EDITOR, As a patriotic and revolutionary-nationalist formation, Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP) will always prioritize the defense of Guyana’s sovereignty. A fundamental tenet of our ideology is to move beyond what we call “flag-and-anthem independence”. Our aim is to achieve true independence and economic justice in our lifetime.

Given our position, we are once again appalled by the blatant interference in our domestic affairs by diplomats from the US, UK and the European Union. They need to understand that the political quagmire we find ourselves in is one that can only be remedied by the Guyanese

people themselves. One of the factors that has contributed to the current situation is our misguided mimicking of others and following the directives of these imperial countries. In 2019, can anyone really believe that the ABC countries and the EU have anyone’s interests at heart but their own? Former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, said it in plain language for all to understand but still our leaders cannot seem to heed the man’s words: “The US has no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests” Guyana is no longer a colony. Do we really understand what this means? It means that our political lead-

ers must stop allowing these same ABC countries and the EU to lecture us on how we must comply with the CCJ ruling. In simple words, how Guyana proceeds from this moment onwards is, in truth, none of their business.

The ABC countries have the audacity to lecture us on what we should or should not do, even though these countries themselves can best be described as lawless. They have collectively broken every international ruling, law and fundamental understanding of what it means to be a member of a community of nations. They have this audacity because our leaders allow it and enable them. Their behaviour is not only inappropriate in that it clearly

oversteps the boundaries of their role as diplomats; it also exposes their contemptuous and racist, neo-colonial mindset. Instead of our conceptually incarcerated misleaders tripping over each other to please their foreign masters, they need to remind them of their duplicity. In 2004, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favour of Antigua and Barbuda regarding a ban on gaming imposed by the US. The ban deprived Antigua of over 200 million dollars in revenue, and to this day, the US continues to ignore the ruling and has still not paid the compensation ordered by the WTO. In another case, the International Court of Justice has recently (Continued on page 5)

Guyana is no longer a colony. Do we really understand what this means?

Thursday July 18, 2019

Parents, think before you take pre-teens to R-Rated Movies DEAR EDITOR, A few weeks ago, my husband and I had a movie datenight after over 2 years!

We left our son with his Grandparents, who loved nothing better, and headed to the Caribbean Cinemas at Giftland Mall to see a movie we both wanted to see: the then new John Wick: Parabellum. We chose this theatre since they started at an earlier time of 6 p.m. as opposed to MovieTowne at 8 p.m.Upon entering the movie theatre, we were surrounded by children who also made their way into the theatre pointed out to us by the attendant.

We were seated amidst rows of children excitedly talking. At this stage, my husband had to verify with two adults seated next to us if they were there also to see John Wick or if we were in the wrong theatre, because of the strikingly young audience, but alas it was the right theatre.I understand that ultimately the choice is up to parents as to what they deem okay for their child, but seriously! I cannot fathom taking little children or pre-teens to R-Rated movies.

I’m not suggesting parents should read every review on movies or anything. But the ratings system has done an invaluable service. So, for

Guyana is..

From page 4 ruled that the UK should cede control over the Chagos Islands after it illegally carved up Mauritius. So far the World Court’s decision has been ignored by the UK. As we say in Guyana: “Jackass ears big, but he don’t hear he own story”.

Gerald A. Perreira Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

example, if maybe you see a comic book movie is rated R—instead of the customary PG-13—you should look into why that is so.

And maybe, if you poke around a little bit and find that it’s filled with imagery that could make little children horrified, cry or scared, just maybe parents shouldn’t take them….In any event, that evening, as the lights dimmed and the pre-reviews of other equally rated movies started, all with explicit content, I assumed that the parents would have then perhaps realised the type of movie and exited with their children, but this was not so. To my horror, everyone remained seated and the graphic, violent adult movie started.

There were many, many times when I myself had to bury my head into my husband’s shoulder until scenes passed because of the brutal violence.

The theatre was void of any children’s voices once it started: I am still now, a few weeks later, wondering what nightmares/trauma that movie caused to the young minds of our country.I’m not a prude when it comes to rated movies. I recall when I, myself, was a teenager and in High School when my parents were with me and my siblings as they introduced us to what was then rated “adult” movies: Back to the Future and ET at the Universal Studios in Orlando. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.

But seriously, how young is too young?Taking a child maybe under 13 to see John Wick is borderline parental malpractice. This is a movie which is a brutally violent, bloody thriller focusing on an assassin.

There’s a very high body count: Characters are shot,

maimed, stabbed, beaten, threatened, killed with firearms at close range, blown to bits in an explosion, strangled with bare hands….

There’s lots of profanity, a fair amount of drinking, potsmoking and more.

And especially because so much of the violence is depicted in this cool, glamourous way. And to say nothing of what it’s teaching our children about the lengths to avenge a puppy.

I am terribly disappointed in Caribbean Cinemas for in the first place, selling a children’s ticket to such a movie. Even if it was an oversight, the attendants outside the theatre could have also screened and realised it was not appropriate and advised parents. Something needs to be done concerning the censorship, since it is my view, and shared by many of my friends and colleagues with whom I expressed this concern, that taking children to see a film like this is borderline child abuse.Children under thirteen should be denied entry to these R-rated movies, even if in the company of an adult. The rating is in place for a reason and due to violence or sex scenes that are inappropriate for that age group. They do not understand that it is a movie and may act out inappropriately.

These movies are for older age brackets that can better understand the content.

These films can even be disturbing at times to certain adults.

I hope that Caribbean Cinemas can pay attention to this and address future movies, especially since the school holidays have just started and our children will be wanting activities and movies to see.

Sincerely, Mommy V

The Chief Justice should be appointed Interim GECOM Chairperson DEAR EDITOR, Chief Justice (ag) Madam Roxane George-Wiltshire should be appointed as the Interim GECOM Chairperson for this upcoming General Elections.

Without a shadow of doubt the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judgements on the No Confidence Motion and GECOM Chairman appointment were fair, unbiased, impartial, ethical and in accordance with the rule of law.

Also without a shadow of a doubt, all the rulings made

by the CCJ was a complete endorsement of the decisions made by the Honorable Chief Justice (ag).

It therefore stands to reasoning that the Chief Justice (ag) Madam Roxane George– Wiltshire is fair, unbiased, impartial, ethical, as well as a person that will make decisions in compliance with the rule of law.

The Chief Justice is the person of integrity that is needed to bring some common sense to our two highly immature constitutional actors and should be the interim

GECOM Chairperson for this election, after which she should be appointed as the Chancellor of the Judiciary to be the custodian of this important third branch of the Government.

With the Chief Justice as GECOM Chairperson, the partisan commissioners will have to present their positions from the point of the rule of law and not from narrow political agendas.

The nation will gain from this appointment.

Yours sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

DEAR EDITOR, It would be remiss of us, the three government-nominated Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), not to comment on the missive of Shadick, Gunraj and Benn, the self-proclaimed partisan GECOM Commissioners of the PPP/C, which calls upon GECOM to “immediately start preparations for elections”.

In the first instance, they know that the Secretariat was given a directive to do all in its powers to acquire materials and to undertake nonstatutory activities in preparation for elections, albeit the date was still to be determined; and that statutory activities could only be undertaken if a date for elections has been determined and/or the relevant directive given to the Chief Elections Officer.

They also know that GECOM

requested supplementary funding for the early conduct of elections and that the National Assembly acquiesced to that request, although the PPP/C absented itself from that sitting of the Assembly.

So what are they calling for, apart from attempting to intimidate the Secretariat into action for which it has not been given a directive?

What should be of concern is the need for a Chairman of the Commission to be appointed, for it is then and only then that the Secretariat can be given the relevant directives, some of which will be determined by the date on which the elections are pro-

claimed to be held.

All that has been pointedout above is in keeping with the Rule of Law, rather than the cockeyed attempt to intimidate the Chief Elections Officer into action without the requisite basis or authority.

Yours truly, Vincent Alexander Charles Corbin Desmond Trotman GECOM Commissioners

A cockeyed attempt to intimidate the Chief Elections Officer

PAGE 6

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

New narrative needed DEAR EDITOR, Democracy Perception Index 2018, a survey conducted

by Dalia Research, Alliance of Democracies and Rasmussen Global, found that 54 percent of citizens in democracies believe their voice doesn’t have an impact on political decisions, and 64 percent think their government doesn’t act in their interest.

Human beings view the world with a narrative and, for decades, the majority of the world believed that the world would become more globalized and liberal democracy would improve the quality of life of everyone.

A lot of people no longer believe in that story and it’s causing social and political upheaval, globally and locally. Locally, inequality has increased and a lot of people are living in subhuman conditions.

The election of US president Donald Trump, the yel-

low vest movement in France, Brexit and many government corruption scandals in Guyana and the Caribbean are manifestations of people dissolution with the present political architecture.

The increase in exclusive nationalism is ironic, because to solve our local problems such as unemployment and poverty requires global collaboration. To create jobs in our economy, we either increase Foreign investment, increase tourism or increase export. Developing a calculus that increases our influence in the international community is prudent.The first country in history was Egypt (310 BC). Besides political considerations, management of the Nile, which was vital for the survival of its populace, was only possible under a nation instead of separate tribes. The problems such as climate change, nuclear weapons proliferation and technologi-

DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) hosted a Seminar on Wednesday July 17, 2019 under the theme ‘ A Century of Trade Unionism’.

Several of the presenters lamented the fact that the trade union movement remains fragmented and that labour is downgraded from a full-fledged Ministry to that of a Department of Labour.

This is indeed unfortunate. Labour is not only a factor of production but it is also purposeful human action to create wealth.

Sadly, because of the nature of capitalism, the distribution of that wealth is uneven and the tendency to

exploit labour remains strong.

Hence the need to have robust pro-labour legislation.

Under the previous PPP/C government, several proworker legislation were enacted such as the Trade Union Recognition Bill and the introduction of a national minimum wage.

The challenge facing the labour movement today is to rise above party politics and put the interests of workers as its primary consideration.

There are thousands of workers today who are not unionized, especially domestics, security guards, workers in the commercial sector and in the emerging communications and oil and gas industry.

cal disruption, cannot be solved by any one country.

For example, the ethics of artificial intelligence in warfare need to be agreed by all nations. Artificial intelligence has the potential to be more destructive than nuclear war.

The future political order must be global, but will only occur after a global catastrophe. The irony is the people and nations who currently benefit the least from the current international and local order will continue to suffer.

We cannot go back to the 1950s, with exclusive nationalism but inclusive nationalism - from nationalism for 780 thousand to internationalism for 8 billion people.

As electioneering is near, we must have national dialogue that’s not parochial but must be meaningful with the intent to fight for implementation of progressive policies.

Yours truly, Brian Ellis Plummer

There’s the need for robust pro-labour legislation The trade union movement has a duty and responsibility to protect the working and living conditions of these categories of workers.

After a century of trade unionism in Guyana, we cannot have a situation where large segments of our working people remain un-unionized and therefore prone to exploitation.

Trade unions are as relevant and necessary today as in any time in our history.

The contradictions between labour and capital will continue to be a factor in our national existence.

Hence the need for a strong, dynamic and resilient labour movement.

Hydar Ally

WE NEED COOL HEADS NOW IN THIS NATION DEAR EDITOR, The entire saga of the NCV is but a sordid dream that cannot come true.

First off, for a NCV to succeed, a government has to lose its majority in the House.

This has not happened in the extant case. Under the PR system - which is the driver of our politics - this is well nigh impossible, since the leader of the list can simply knock out an errant member and have him replaced.

This said, the current administration can continue, since the constitution and whatever else cannot demonstrate that the government has lost its majority.

On another matter, we find that GECOM is impotent when it comes to dealing with snap

elections. Whoever crafted the constitution didn’t really mean to have a government replaced, when knowingly it could select new members from its list and simply continue. For a credible official list of electors, we have to definitely wait on GECOM to produce same. In the meantime the government, of necessity, has to continue. Without that credible list the elections would be a sham, and it could bring with it great difficulties for all concerned. We need to wait and ensure that a credible list is generated in the shortest possible span of time.

The triumphalists must understand that the alternative to credible elections is a military government, and

many of them who are now baying would in no way desire same.

We must rein in the excessive energies of the few who would rather court bedlam and disaster. One would think that doomsday is at hand when we witness the many calls for immediate elections and predictions of the gloom and doom to come if this is not facilitated.

We need cool heads now in this nation; people of purpose and willingness to work for equitable solutions.

Above all, we need to engineer a reversal of wealth patterns if we want to have lasting peace and security, and for this nation to succeed.

Regards, Cyril Walker

Hold representatives accountable on land ownership DEAR EDITOR, Much has been in the media recently on land acquisition. Both political sides accuse each other of giving away precious land while enriching the recipients and themselves (the politicians).

The country (the lower and middle classes and the lumpen) suffers while the politically connected enrich themselves. The nation (middle and lower class voters) need to take matters in their own hands – hold the politicians accountable. Hold back your vote and demand fairness in the distribution of land. The rich should not get almost all available land and the poor get almost nothing.

Both political sides are guilty of abusing the process of land grants (sale) giving away (leasing) or selling precious land to the big guys (the crooked) who use the land to enrich themselves, building houses or extracting resources that are exported.

It is true that the rich add value to almost worthless land. But the middle and lower classes should also be given equal opportunity to develop (add value to) the land. The middle and lower classes and/ or community groups (small businesses) should also be given opportunities to enrich themselves like the fat cats and the political elite.

It is noted that those who fought the dictatorship and championed democracy, and have fought against corrup-

tion, experience extreme difficulty to get a house lot, much less land to enrich themselves like the fat cats or the corrupt.

They are told in no uncertain terms that there is no land for them because of political neutrality or honesty. I know of decent colleagues (from the diaspora and in Guyana) who fought the dictatorship and applied for a house lot since the 1990s and are still waiting for it.

So many showed me housing lot applications that are over a decade old, some over 20 years old. Their crime is they fought against the dictatorship and corruption.

Imagine that you fought against the dictatorship sacrificing over two decades of your life and you liberated the country, but you can’t qualify for a house lot or a few acres to improve your living condition or have a roof over your head for your family or self and progeny.

It is noted that those who did not fight the dictatorship, and/or worse, supported the dictatorship, have been richly rewarded, acquiring huge tracts of land from which they have become multi-millionaires (some even billionaires) in American dollars. The antidictatorial activists and the working class are victimized for their honesty and democratic values – sorry, no land for you.

The fat cats and politically connected and those giving bribes easily acquire

lands; they enrich themselves at the expense of the honest and the rest of the nation. The lower class and the landless have encountered daily difficulty to get a house lot much less a few acres to grow food or engage in a small business.

I routinely passed in front of the Ministry of Communities (Housing) and observed long lines for a house lot. I heard and felt the frustration of the poor and the working class to get a lot going back almost two decades; I saw copies of many applications and letters from Housing.

The hard working middle class and the poor have been told you have to wait for land because none is available for you. Some people complained that they were even forcefully pushed out of the Ministry or compound, and even insulted.

They complained that the corrupt got (and still get) land quickly. They complained that if you have money for bribes and or you are (were) politically connected, there was (is) endless amount of lands available for you.

It is the people’s fault that they can’t get a piece of land (for housing or farming or a small business) that actually belongs to them. The people need to hold their representatives accountable – demand that they commit to giving you a fair share (lot) of the land of the nation.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

CARICOM’s silence may remain because…

DEAR EDITOR, CARICOM should ensure that Governments have abiding respect for human rights, the rule of law, and take action to ensure social and economic justice. It should also provide proactive, visionary leadership for promoting and reinforcing the spirit and commitment to regional integration, emphasizing transparency, accountability and operational excellence within all organs and institutions of CARICOM countries.

On the CARICOM website, under the caption, “Who we are” and subsection “Pillars of Integration”, it is stated that, “CARICOM rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security”.

However, I was shocked when Pat Robinson Commissiong, in his letter published by KN on July 16, was trying to protect Caricom for their silence and reluctance to speak out on the

present political situation in Guyana.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a creation of CARICOM, despite which countries may use it as their final Court, as such CARICOM must ensure that the CCJ is not being made ineffective, and that judgment issued must be honoured and respected by all stakeholders.

The claims of Pat Robinson Commissiong that CARICOM will continue to remain silent because they are not political is mind-boggling to say the least, since CARICOM was one of the first organisations that spoke out on the political situation in Guyana after the 15th December 1997 elections.

In fact, the then PPP/C Government committed itself in facilitating every effort by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to have a successful intervention of a toplevel CARICOM Goodwill Mission to Georgetown, to diffuse three weeks of tension that gripped the city after the

PNC rejected the poll results.

The Mission, comprising eminent Barbadian Sir Henry Forde, Guyanese Sir Shridath Ramphal, and Grenadian Sir Alister McIntyre, succeeded in getting minority leader Desmond Hoyte to agree to a poll audit, among other things, to agree with President Janet Jagan.

In a press release on the 1st June 1998, (Ref#:43/1998/ 868), CARICOM committed to playing a major role in the implementation of the Herdmanston Accord it brokered with Guyana’s political parties post-1997 elections unrest.So the question is: why has CARICOM suddenly became dumb, deaf and blind on the present situation that is strangling Guyana’s democracy, but reacted in three weeks during the postelections unrest in 1997?

CARICOM’s silence may remain because the PPP/C is not disruptive enough to get its attention.

Regards Zamal Hussain

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

GECOM begins house-to-house registration Saturday - Opposition Leader says it is illegal according to CCJ orders

GECOM’s CEO, Keith Lowenfield

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

The current process to select a chair for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been throwing up one hurdle after the next.

There is another development now that is likely to pit the Coalition Government and the Opposition on another collision course.

GECOM, in a recent publication in the Official Gazette, announced that it will start house-to-house registrations from Saturday, July 20, 2019.

The exercise is set to conclude on October 20.

However, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, last evening was adamant that GECOM cannot go ahead with the house-to-house registrations, which could take months and derail elections which the Opposition wants

by September.

The issue has been a thorny one for the political parties.

The Coalition Government, facing early elections after a shocking defeat on the no-confidence vote on December 21, last, has been in-

sisting that the Voters’ List, used in the 2015 elections and Local Government Elections, is filled with the names of dead persons and more than 200,000 incorrect entries.

It also claimed that thousands of voters, now of age, would be disenfranchised.

The Coaltion wants the list sanitized by conducting house-to-house registration.

However, the Opposition has been objecting, believing house-to-house registration was but a ploy to delay elections.

The Opposition said that any sanitization can be handled in a claims and objections period.

Last week, with respect to several court cases, the Caribbean Court of Justice ordered that parties adhere to the Constitution which says elections within three months after a government would have faced a successful noconfidence vote.

According to the Order made under the National Registration Act, GECOM said that the order shall come into

operation on Saturday, July 20.

“Persons to whom this order applies shall in accordance with Section 6 of the Act, be registered under the process of house to house registration with reference to October 31st and the registration shall begin on July 20th, 2019 and end on October 20th, 2019.”

The order said that it shall apply to all persons who are qualified to be electors and on the qualifying date of October 31st, 2019 shall have attained the age of 14 years.

The order was made on June 11, 2019 by former Chairman, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson.

However, the Opposition Leader was clear last evening about the legality of that order by Patterson who resigned on June 24, days after that order was purportedly made.

According to Jagdeo, the order which suddenly appeared online after the CCJ orders last week, is what the GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, has been using to push for houseto-house registration.

“It was not online; nobody knew about that Gazette notice. There was one on June 14, an addendum of the one of (June)11, about the (electoral) divisions. They kept this (order) quiet, while the cases were awaiting a decision before the CCJ. This only surfaced a few days ago when we saw a copy of it.”

However, Jagdeo said he is not worried.

“They obviously have been busy behind our backs with this order for house-tohouse. That order has been overtaken by the orders of the CCJ. GECOM is bound to respect the Constitution of Guyana.”

According to the Opposi-

SARA lead investigator lies - was president of ABR when oil blocks probe started On July 7, last, Kaieteur News reported that Special Assistant to the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA), Eric Phillips, is listed on an application for an offshore oil block that is located in ultra deep waters.

The company that applied for the block is called African Business Roundtable Oil and Gas Exploration (ABR), of which Phillips is a co-founder.

Before publication, Kaieteur News made numerous efforts to contact the official for clarity on several issues related to the application made in 2016. But Phillips refused to take the calls.

After a few messages were sent to him via

Facebook Messenger, Phillips said that he was out of the jurisdiction. It was explained that based on records at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), he is listed on the application as a shareholder.

When asked if he is still part of ABR, Phillips said that this newspaper should speak with veteran Engineer, Charles Ceres, who is also listed on the application as a shareholder/beneficial owner.

Ceres subsequently explained that he left ABR last year September on the occasion of his 65th birthday and that up to that time, Phillips was still part of ABR. Kaieteur News did not di-

vulge to Phillips what it had learnt at that time. He was only told via Facebook Messenger that Ceres was contacted. Phillips subsequently claimed that he was no longer part of ABR. Asked to say when he left the company; there was no response via that messenger chat. Kaieteur News clearly explained that in a published piece. After the publication of the article, Ceres subsequently contacted Kaieteur News to say that Phillips has authorized him to speak on the matter on his behalf.

Ceres could not say when exactly Phillips left ABR. He said that the SARA official (Continued on page 12)

tion Leader, a former president of Guyana whose two terms ended in 2011, this late publication of the Official Gazette, strategically after the CCJ orders, would just shows how duplicitous the Coalition Government is.

“They just did this behind the back of the court. Elections are due in three months

in accordance with the Constitution, they told the Court in their presentation that the earliest they will be ready for elections is December 25th.

They want to go to house-tohouse… clearly house-tohouse is not acceptable.”

The Opposition Leader noted that fortunately, the international community has called on all the actors to respect the Constitution and the orders of the Court.

“We are not just gonna accept it. We are clear- the CCJ ruling overtook that order when it says that GECOM must comply with the Constitution and the CCJ enjoined them as a party to the proceedings.”

Kaieteur News has attempted to elicit a comment from GECOM, but was unable to make contact with anyone from the Public Relations department.

PAGE 8

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

GPF 180 Anniversary Celebrations…

Cops who solved money changer, daughters murder gets highest award - $19.5M distributed at award ceremony

The cops, who solved the murder case of the money changer and his daughter, got the shock of their lives when they learnt that they were the recipients of the highest monetary award for GPFs Annual Awards Ceremony.

Each was awarded $200,000. Inspector Devon Lowe collected on their behalf.

The money changer,

Aaron Latchman, and his daughter, Ariann Latchman, were robbed and shot in cold blood and rocked Guyanas foundation, The ranks of the Major Crime Unit A and C Divisions respectively were commended for the speed and the manner in which the case was handled. It was a matter of days after the killing that arrests were being made and

questioning done.

On Monday five suspects were taken to court and charged after statements were given which implicated them in the act.

Acting Crime Chief Michael Kingston was also congratulated for the manner in which he assumed his new role and operated within its reins.

On Sunday, the Fallen Heroes were remembered for their sacrifices while executing their line of duty, and they were honoured with wreaths that were laid at the monument of Fallen Heroes after which their relatives were invited to have breakfast at the Police Officers Mess Hall.

However efforts of the living were not forgotten and yesterday the Force hosted its Annual Awards Ceremony at which a whopping $19.5M

was distributed to various ranks from various departments for a number of patriotic acts.

The ceremony which is held every year is a way of giving back to ranks who lived up to and surpassed their expected duties. It is also as a means of motivation for the others who may be lagging behind.

Master of Ceremonies, Deputy Commissioner Administration, Paul Williams, said, “This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice, because he is good.

He is favourable to us as it relates to the weather; he is favourable to us as it relates to life, health, prosperity and good friendship.”

He added that it was a commemoration of one of their usual activities done in observance of the anniver-

sary. However that particular activity would be considered as remarkable and special because it is in observance of the Force s 180th anniversary.

Deputy Commissioner Williams then noted that the force had 180 years to contribute to numerous histories, records and characters.

“History stands on the basis of time, space, events and characters. The Guyana Police Force is the only law enforcement agency, that serves this nation along with other sister agencies. Power has been vested in it along the basis of the disciplinary aspect.”

The force continues to set the example and lead in terms of ensuring that there is a safe and secure environment, he said. He then urged ranks to remain resolute to their oath and task of duty.

Commissioner Leslie James, said, “There is a saying that there is a positive correlation between the growth of an object and the attention it garners. This analogy is also true [with] regards

to actions and outcomes.

Recognition and or reward for positive actions invariably lead to more positive actions.”

The reason for the ceremony was to reward positive action as they were there to reward stellar performances of policemen and women, who were the people that allowed the force to maintain its forward thrust, the Commissioner said.

These people proceed beyond the call of duty, and clearly understood their roles, functions and responsibilities, he added.

“As serving members of the Guyana Police Force, indeed this event has long been a practice of the forces administration and is now a prominent feature on our calendar of anniversary activities.”

He further noted that he is pleased to announce that the force has paid out in excess of $154M to deserving ranks.

Yesterday they paid out $19.5M and another portion (Continued on page 21)

Jagdeo rejects two...

From page 2 no-confidence vote was carried, causing the administration to fall.

However, the administration went to court.

The cases, including the legality of the vote and that of Charandass Persaud, the government parliamentarian who sided with the Opposition.

Persaud was accused of being a dual citizenship.

The matter went all the way up to the Caribbean Court of Justice with the court last month upholding the vote but said it is illegal to hold dual citizenship and still sit in the National Assembly.

The court, in orders, last

week stopped short of announcing an elections date.

Rather, it ruled that the 2017 unilateral selection of Justice (Ret'd) James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM was flawed.

He resigned a few weeks ago. With elections expected within months, the choice of a new chair has been a hardfought battle.

By regulations, the Opposition Leader submits a list of six names and the President chose one not unacceptable to him.

However, CCJ opened the door for the President to also submit names.

The process of shortlisting those names is what is happening now.

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The President has to act now The President of Guyana has to act in relation to conflicts of interest- real of potentialwhich exist or may exist within his government. It is time not just for a code of conduct to guide public officers but also action to be taken where there is likely to be a conflict of interest.

If a public officer is involved in investigating stolen state lands, then that officer cannot be also involved in buying large tracts of lands. If a public officer is going to investigate corruption in the award of Government contracts, then that officer should not be seen being in a position to also have to tender for contracts.

If a public officer is investigating the distribution of oil blocks, that public officer must also not have any interest in acquiring oil blocks.

These are fundamental principles which should be observed within Government.

There is no need for anyone, not in this day and age, to have to point this out to the government.

The government will continue to be put in an embarrassing situation unless it lays down the ground rules as to what a public official may or may not do while in the employ of the state. Without these rules, there will continue to be situations which will cause the government headaches. The test of conflict of interest is not rocket science. It was outlined in the historic ‘Pinochet’ case before the House of Lords. Some background is important in understanding the principle.

I have written about this before in these columns.

In 1973, and with the support of the United States, Augusto Pinochet, a Chilean general, toppled the government of Salvador Allende.

Thus commenced one of the most brutal reins of any President. Thousands of persons were tortured and more than 3,000 disappeared during Pinochet’s bloody rule.

After he retired, some of his victims brought proceedings against him in a Spanish Court. Far away in Chile, the general and former President could not have been worried.

No former Head of State had ever been convicted on the basis of the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allowed a person to be convicted in a foreign state for abuses in that person’s home state.

In 1998, Pinochet was on a

Dem boys seh ...

Nuff people sorry Dr. Steve ain’t deh Is more than a week that Soulja Bai and Jagdeo trying to find a chairman fuh de elections commission. Is not that dem didn’t have one. In fact dem had two and Jagdeo try till he get rid of all two.

Now he searching fuh a third.

Dem had Dr. Steve. He was de longest serving. He get picket buy de Government and de opposition.

That is why dem boys does seh you can’t please everybody. When Jagdeo and Donald been in power Soulja Bai people picket Dr Steve.

When Soulja Bai get in power Jagdeo and Donald picket him. This is de case of a man who good one time and when you move out he

suddenly bad.

Soulja Bai put in Patto.

From de time that happen was trouble. In de end de matter go to court and de court seh Patto can’t be chairman. He resign.

But Jagdeo and he team want elections in a hurry. Now dem saying that if Dr Steve been in de chair he woulda call elections by now. All this talk bout house to house registration he woulda solve. After all he is de man who refuse to move dead people from de list unless de Registrar send a death certificate.

Patto, before he resign, agree to house to house registration. De notice in de Gazette ketch Jagdeo like when Camoodie ketch duck. De ex-

ercise gun start Saturday and dem boys sure that dem wouldn’t have a chairman by Saturday.

Of course if dem do get a chairman then de commission can call for a vote to halt de registration. That vote gun be just like de vote on de no-confidence motion in de parliament. Nobody ain’t sure who gun vote how till de last minute.

De bottom line is de elections deh pun hold. Everybody want deh in de seat when de oil come up. And of course, de oil contract up fuh review in 2020. Is sheer nice time waiting fuh who deh in power.

Talk half and watch how some people wishing.

private visit to England for medical treatment. Amnesty International, a global human rights body, got wind of the visit. Amnesty International had for decades been highlighting and condemning human rights violations in Chile during the rule of Pinochet.

Upon learning of Pinochet’s proposed visit, it immediately sent out a missive to all European governments reminding them of their obligation to arrest Pinochet for violations of the Convention on Torture.

Eventually, a Spanish judge issued an arrest warrant for Pinochet.

Pinochet was arrested and held in a London hospital where he was seeking medical attention. He challenged his arrest and was successful in having the initial warrant quashed.

A second warrant was also quashed, but this decision was stayed, allowing for the authorities to challenge the quashing before the House of Lords. Amnesty International joined the case at that stage.

Pinochet’s bid for freedom rested on his claim of immunity as a former Head of State.

The House of Lords allowed the appeal against the quashing of the second warrant, which meant that Pinochet was still under arrest and awaiting an extradition hearing to stand trial in Spain.

It was later brought to the attention of Pinochet’s legal team that one of the judges was linked to a charity which had raised funds for Amnesty International, and that the said judge’s wife was also an administrative staff with Amnesty International.

Pinochet therefore appealed the decision of the House of Lords on the grounds that its decision was tainted with bias because of this conflict of interest.

Pinochet, through his legal team, argued that the relationship between the judge and Amnesty International “gave rise to a reasonable apprehension or suspicion of bias”.

The new panel of judges in their decision held that what was being argued was

not actual bias, but the appearance of bias. This today has become the litmus test of conflict of interest – not only actual bias but the appearance or mere suspicion of bias. The Lords held that the judge had an ‘interest’ which must lead to his disqualification.

The President of Guyana must take action to prevent controversies relating to conflict of interest. It is time for action. And that action is simple. Those who are in or likely to find themselves in a position of a conflict of interest should remove themselves from office.

If the President does not act now, his approval rating will fall further. If he acts, he will be seen as a man who stands for principles.

PAGE 10

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

A small population that produces curiosities by the billions When you subtract the large number of people under16 years of age, then Guyana’s population is indeed very small. But it is a small society that produces an enormous amount of curiosities.

How can such a country with a mere 400,000 adults generate so much interesting things?

Eric Philips comes to mind.

One of Guyana’s most prominent citizens, a personality that is a household name and is a close friend of editor-inchief, Adam Harris, called me yesterday morning and said, “Freddie please write that it looks like the man who is recovering state assets is also recovering assets in another way.” He was laughing his head off.

Then he got serious and asked me if it is not an interesting thing that Eric Phillips is the lead investigator at SARA but is quite involved in business ventures. One

has to admit that is a curiosity indeed.

Should someone who is constantly investing in business prospects be the lead investigator for a state agency tracking down corrupt business transactions done under the previous government?

What bigger curiosity do you want than what President Granger did?. Granger insisted that he, too, not only the Opposition Leader, should offer names to become GECOM chairman and in what has to be a gargantuan joke, he put on the list, Justice Patterson.

The same Patterson that voted to remove the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Vishu Persaud, on the basis that the man’s character is questionable. And the same Patterson admitted that he never met Persaud or spoke with him so he could have assessed his character.

So how did Patterson know

Persaud was a shifty person which is what he said about the man? He read it somewhere. And to date he has not produced the document where he read it from.

Could it be a book from the lost empire of Timbuktu?

The rate at which this country produces inexplicable things is simply mindboggling. A lady that runs a bar named Liquid Love was jailed for 15 years for trafficking two women.

The same magistrate, Ann McLennan, found a woman found guilty on the same charge involving the same number of persons. The Guyana Government was livid and through the relevant agency, issued a press statement rejecting the magistrate’s decision because the law stipulates a prison term for trafficking in persons.

Of course the 15 years made sense. The lady’s love was liquid. Liquidity is easily

dissolvable. Perhaps if her bar was named Silicone Love, she might have escaped with a fine. Silicone sticks and lasts forever even when it is moldy.

Now it is curious why SARA didn’t investigate that magistrate’s decision. When I see Eric I will ask him. I plan to apply to SARA for a job because right now I am unemployed. I too want to recover things - like my job at UG. The madness never stops in Guyana. An economist, Dr. Tarron Khemraj, is investigating the underground economy in Guyana. Now that is tricky business. It is not easy to get statistics for the underground economy. It is very difficult to ascertain the volume of money that passes through the underground economy because it is a business for which data is not easily available.

However, this same economist has written time and time

again in the newspapers that it is impossible to arrive at ethnic ownership of wealth in Guyana.

What a huge curiosity. The determination of ethnic ownership of wealth in Guyana is a straightforward and simple research.

The data is enormous and the data is there to be collated.

But this same gentleman who finds such research impossible believes he can secure information on the underground economy. Maybe the date for ethnic ownership of wealth in Guyana was lost when the ancient empire of Timbuktu withered away.

No curiosity is more fascinating in Guyana than prison sentences. Gruesome murders are committed, a guilty plea is entered and the convict can walk away with a ten-year sentence.

Now it must be remembered that a year is actually nine months in the prison system. So some teenagers mur-

Frederick Kissoon dered one of Guyana’s most brilliant professors in political studies and got ten years.

No one found guilty of sex with an underage person ever gets away with a stretch below 20 years.

Yet for taking a life of an innocent person you can easily walk away with a five-year term. Just kill and plead guilty and you will be out in a couple of years. Finally, I’m curious about why Royston King is not charged as yet based on what the Commissioner of Inquiry discovered about him. Is Eric recovering City Council’s assets?

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

10 years later…

By Feona Morrison Looking to set aside his manslaughter conviction, Mark Fraser has now taken his fight to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), where he is seeking special leave to challenge the decision of the Guyana Court of Appeal.

In 2007, Fraser was convicted for manslaughter by a 10-2 majority verdict and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment following a trial before Justice Winston Patterson.

He then appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal and was granted bail pending appeal. It, however, took 10 years before the Court of Appeal heard the matter, and upheld his conviction. The court held that the inordinate delay in hearing of the appeal was a breach of Fraser’s right to a fair trial within a reasonable time. As such, the court stayed any further imprisonment for him.

According to reports, on October 26, 2006, Fraser, a former Guyana Defence Force soldier, was heading for patrol when he stopped and uplifted a gun. Whilst doing so, he shot and killed Oneal Rollins, his fellow soldier with an AK 47 rifle at an army base at Buxton, East Coast Demerara. Based on reports, following his conviction on November 15, 2007, Fraser had been released on bail pending appeal through an application filed in that regard on December 4, 2007. During a hearing for special leave on Tuesday, Fraser’s lawyer, Kamal Ramkarran, argued this was a case of gross negligence manslaughter.

Advancing his case,

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

Ex-soldier seeks to overturn manslaughter conviction at CCJ

Attorney-at-Law Kamal Ramkarran Ramkarran told the panel of five judges included the CCJ’s President Justice Adrian Saunders, that Justice Patterson failed to give the jury proper directions on the standard of proof. In this regard, Ramkarran contended, that among other things, the conviction cannot stand having regard to the evidence adduced at trial. Ramkarran is also arguing that the prosecution misrepresented the law when it demonstrated how Rollins might have been shot.The lawyer has dubbed the prosecution’s actions “inappropriate”. “There is no description in the judge’s notes of what the prosecutors did with the weapon. Prosecutors have a duty to be fair.

If two people knew what happened one of those persons is dead, the other person is giving an account of what happened and if that account

is different from the demonstration that you are doing, then your demonstration is unfair.”

For his part, Justice Saunders told Ramkarran that Fraser did not dispute his caution statement. But Ramkarran was not in agreement. In fact the lawyer responded, “Yes sir. It was disputed and there was a voir dire. The judge accepted it (the caution statement) without giving reasons.”

“No, No, No,” Justice Saunders replied to Ramkarran. The CCJ judge then sought to explain that the voir dire was done to determine the voluntariness of the caution statement. According to Ramkarran, “In his (Fraser’s) address from the (prisoner’s) dock the statement that he gave contradicted the (caution) statement. And he said that I never said that I heard the gun cranked or I never pointed it at the fellow (Rollins).”

Justice Saunders, however, said whatever Fraser said from then became a matter of fact for the jury to deliberate on. Furthermore, Ramkarran put forward that there was a case of bias against his client. He told the CCJ that the trial judge erred when he failed to conduct a proper inquiry of a real possibility of bias of a juror who was seen talking to a prosecution witness.

In her address to the CCJ, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack said that Fraser was convicted on November 14, 2007.

Some 10 years later he filed

an appeal.

According to the DPP, the Court of Appeal in staying the sentence followed the CCJ judgments in the cases of Suraj Singh v Sichan and Harrychan and Vishnu Bridgelall v Hardat Hariprashad.

It was DPP’s argument that since this is a criminal appeal, the criminal standards are now engaged and Fraser has to prove that he suffered a serious miscarriage of justice “as was the term used in some of the CCJ decision or that there was a potential miscarriage of justice.

Weighing in recently appointed CCJ judge Peter Jamadar said, “So that is the test. What is the standard?”

Justice Jamadar asked the DPP, “Do you believe that the standard is arguability?”

“Yes sir,” Ali-Hack replied adding that it has to be an arguable or deserving case.

“He (Fraser) will have to prove to this court that he has an arguable case that there was a miscarriage of justice.

The reason why I mentioned this was because in his written submission, Ramkarran has asked this court to find that the standard applicable for this application is that of a civil case. His (Ramkarran) main contention is the 10 years delay which is a breach of the applicant’s (Fraser) constitutional right to a fair

hearing within a reasonable time.”

The DPP acknowledged that the Court of Appeal has recognized, accepted and granted redress. Ali-Hack said that while these proceedings are criminal, they involve a constitutional point as is not unusual in many criminal proceedings before the regional court.

In these circumstances, the DPP asked the CCJ not to grant the application for special leave to appeal.

Ali-Hack submitted, “I therefore ask your honours not to concede to counsel’s request to lower the standard to that applicable to civil cases as this is undoubtedly a criminal proceeding and the standard required in this application is for the applicant to establish that there is a realistic possibly of a miscarriage of justice if leave is not given for full hearing or they have raised a point of law of public importance if not overturned a questionable precedence might remain on the record.” Addressing the point of gross negligence manslaughter raised by Ramkarran, the DPP said that this argument was fully vetted at the Court of Appeal which was satisfied that adequate directions were given to the jury by the trial judge.

The DPP stated that the Court of Appeal in its consid-

eration on gross negligence manslaughter stated, “We feel therefore that the summing up taken as a whole did convey to the jury what was really required in relation to the elements of the offence and the burden of proof. And therefore we feel no complaint could be made in the circumstances.”

In relation to Ramkarran’s point of bias on the part of a jury, Ali-Hack stated that the trial judge did indeed conduct an investigation and that the trial continued. This, she said, was supported by the records of the trial and the record states that counsel for the state and prosecution consented for the trial to continue with 12-jurors after the probe.

“It is my respectful submission that it is improper now for counsel (Ramkarran) to have consented at the trial and then raise it as an issue on the appeal after there is a conviction. And this was considered by this honourable court in the CCJ decision of James Anthony Hyles v DPP and Williams v DPP.” In all the circumstances, the DPP held that there was no serious miscarriage of justice having considered all the circumstances of this case.

The CCJ has completed hearing arguments in this matter and has reserved its decision.

I was never on ID parade – man tell court A 31-year-old man was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared in a city court where two robbery charges was read to him.

Lynden Flavius, a construction worker of Agricola appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ court before Magistrate Faith McGusty.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges. The first charge stated that on July, 10, 2019, in the vicinity of Georgetown while in the company of another and armed with a gun he robbed Ramsarran Ramsuk of a Samsung S7 value $78,000 and $140,000 cash a total of $218,000.

The second charge stated that on the said date in the vicinity of Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun he also robbed Alin Shaw of a bag containing clothes value $22,000 and $11,000 cash a total of $33,000.

Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail being granted to the defendant because of the prevalence and seriousness of the offence and the fact that a gun was used. He added that the defendant while on identification parade was positively identified by both victims.

When asked by Magis-

trate McGusty if he had any explanation for his action, the defendant then stated that,”Your worship I was never on ID parade. Y’all tell me when I did this parade thing. These people just accusing me all the time.”

The prosecutor then told the defendant the date and time he was on ID parade where he was positively identified by both victims.

After listening to what the prosecutor had to say and the explanation that the defendant gave the court, Magistrate McGusty remanded him to prison until July 31, 2019.

SARA OFFICIALS CRITICISMS...

From page 7 has to answer that on his own. Continued attempts to contact Phillips on the matter all proved futile.

In light of the foregoing, it is utterly dishonest and revolting for the SARA official to then state in a letter to the media that this news outfit displayed “reckless disengagement of fact-checking or due diligence.”

The only recklessness that is evident is Phillipss fail-

ure to show what Kaieteur News failed to fact-check, when he has refused to face the crucial questions being posed by this entity on the issue. Contrary to Phillipss illinformed contentions, this newspaper wishes to make it clear that at no point was it stated that ABR received or was granted the block.

In the July 7 article, it was categorically stated that the said block will be subject to a licensing round following the

revision of Guyanas archaic petroleum laws.

Furthermore, Kaieteur News has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of exposing all issues that could or have already affected the protection of Guyanas wealth.

A non-partisan approach in this regard will continue to be vigorously pursued, irrespective of the baseless remarks from the likes of Phillips and others.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 13

In five years 1,190 persons suffered - moves made to complete snakebites, 95 died anti-venom treatment protocol

I

n the past five years [2010-2014] a total of 1,190 persons were victims of snakebites of which 95 proved fatal. This is according to statistics released yesterday by the Public Health Ministry.

Based on the statistics provided by the Ministry men were more prone to the lethal bites.

Given this development, the Ministry has be n on a focused mission to thwart the impact. This has translated to the Ministry's recent acquisition of antivenom treatment from Costa Rica. The anti-venom is currently available at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], said Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud.

He disclosed that the Public Health Ministry has put the final touches on its protocol for treating snakebites while simultaneously anti-venom treatment is being made available at certified public health sites.

D r. P e r s a u d s a i d available statistics and anecdotal evidence suggest that the public health sector must take a more aggressive stance to help curb incidences of lifethreatening bites from venomous vipers rampant especially in the country's heavily-forested interior communities.

“The Ministry procured separate preparations of antivenom [PoliVal–ICP antivenom]. They are available at Ministry of Public Health sites that have the necessary capacity to administer this treatment.

e

Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Zulfikar Bux, GPHC's A&E Head

This poly-valiant antivenom is indicated for use in the common viper [Labaria and Bushmaster] envenomation,” Persaud revealed.

GPHC currently has the capacity to implement the new protocol. The institution also has the ability to manage possible complications from the use of anti-venom including: allergic/anaphylactic reaction, which could be lifethreatening.

The most common anaphylactic reactions are to foods, insect stings, medications and latex. If one is allergic to a substance, one's immune system overreacts to the allergen by releasing chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.

Dr. Persaud said the GPHC Accident and Emergency [A&E] Unit is spearheading a training scheme for all relevant staff at Regional and District Hospitals nationwide to help prevent over-burdening the GPHC system.

The Ministry is also exploring best practices to monitor the physiological effects of envenomation [the process by which venom is injected into a victim through bite or sting] and its complications.

The current management protocols include supporting pain control, tetanus protection, blood transfusion, infection control and wound care for victims.

The Ministry is also in the process of rolling out the newly-crafted protocols nationwide and making available the necessary paraphernalia for proper management of snakebites.

As part of the snakebite sensitisation plan, communities will be educated about proper measures to implement and minimise contact with

snakes and avoid their deadly bites. They are also being provided with guidance on safety measures to follow if bitten and participate in capacitybuilding training for all medical and health professionals on the management of snake bites at public health facilities.

One innovative move, Dr. Persaud said, will be establishing a national network of snakebite survivors to help raise awareness and promote safe practices among residents vulnerable to the reptiles of death.

The Ministry is also seeking the cooperation of all residents of high-risk areas including farms, forested areas, woodlands, grasslands and newly developed housing areas to: ensure that possible breathing sites for snakes be reduced by eliminating dumping and heaping of organic and vegetation waste such as branches, weeds, cuttings and coconut shells; remove overgrown vegetation that may serve as avenues to residents' yards and public waterways by dangerous species of snakes; d e s i s t f r o m discarding/dumping unused foods and food materials indiscriminately. This may attract rats and also snakes [searching for food] to the domestic surroundings.

Using personal

protective equipment [PPEs] and observe caution signs when exploring, clearing or venturing into high-risk areas are other avoidance measures.

Bleeding, neurological complications and extensive tissue necrosis [e.g. gangrene] usually accompany bites from venomous snakes. And because anguine chomps frequently take place in the country's heavily-forested interior areas, victims routinely have to be airdashed to the capital for lifesaving treatment.

This is always an expensive enterprise.

However, coastal victims of bites from venomous serpents are a bit more fortunate in that they can readily get treatment at local health facilities for envenomation, which involves preventing further release of toxins in the victim's body.

A c c o r d i n g t o D r.

Zulfikar Bux, Head of the GPHC's Accident and Emergency Unit, doctors must exercise more caution when administering antivenom to snake-bite patients and must also familiarise themselves about likely side effects.

“The anti-venom is not like regular medication. You have to know about the dosage and how to administer it to the patient because not every single

snake bite [is poisonous]. It's the complicated bites…that are more serious [so] you have to anticipate complication because they are some amount of risks of hypersensitivity and severe allergic reaction to the antivenom,” Dr. Bux explained.

Dr. Bux, who is also an emergency specialist, was instrumental in helping develop the protocol which guides administering of antivenom in Guyana. He said the protocol meets the medical requirement and was accepted and approved by the Medical Advisory Committee of the GPHC. Following the acceptance of the protocol, 20 doctors from the District Hospitals in Pomeroon Supenaam [Region Two]; Essequibo Islands/West Demerara (Region Three]; and Mahaica/Berbice [Region Five] were trained in implementing the new guidelines to treat snake bites.

“The training was well received by the doctors. We did a pre-test assessment which showed that physicians have limited knowledge in administering the anti-venom. Post-test results following the training showed that their knowledge base increased quite drastically,” Dr. Bux related.

He added, “Our next step will be to take the team to the hinterland to conduct the (continued on page 19)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

EMS system reportedly stymied by nonmaintenance of ambulances “ We d o n ' t h a v e a n y ambulance for the day,” said the operator who answered the 912 emergency number, yesterday.

The 912 number doubles as the national medical and fire emergencies response number.

While responses continued to be readily available for fire emergencies yesterday, none were available to persons with medical emergencies. When pressed to share more detail as to why the medical response was halted, the operator only added, “Have a nice day.”

However based on information filtered to this publication, the state of affairs may be farther reaching. This publication was reliably informed that the three or four ambulances attached to the Emergency Medical Service [EMS] and stationed at the Guyana Fire Service [GFS'] Stabroek, Georgetown headquarters have become inoperable reportedly due to lack of maintenance.

It was posited that this state of affairs could essentially cripple the national Emergency Medical Service [EMS] which has been offering its services across the capital city. The EMS programme represents a tactical collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health and the GFS. Moreover, the halt to the service saw Kaieteur News seeking answers from the relevant officials. The national EMS director, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, was first on the list.

However, when contacted, the emergency specialist was oblivious to the prevailing state of affairs. He was unable to comment on the status of the ambulances as this aspect of the programme does not fall within his remit. He, however, shared how passionate he is to see the EMS programme be sustained as it is one that has been helping to save many lives.

Calls to the mobile phone of Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, went unanswered yesterday.

This publication subsequently learnt from another official that this was owing to the fact that he is currently out of the jurisdiction. No one contacted yesterday was at liberty to comment on when the EMS system will return to normalcy.

The blow to the EMS programme comes a mere few weeks after talks about its expansion were announced.

Dr. Bux had disclosed, “Right now we are only covering areas in Georgetown (continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

Calls made for restoration of Health Centre amid medical outreach

PAGE 15

Local oil and gas sector piques Japan's interest

Sachiko Hirayama, wife of Japanese Ambassador, Ambassador of Japan, H.E Tatsuo Hirayama, Prime Minister of Guyana, Hon. Moses Nagamootoo, and First Secretary to the Ambassador, Yamata Kabayashi.

The Region Four Health Services team attending to residents during the medical outreach at the Better Hope Community Centre Ground.

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number of residents within proximity of the Better Hope Community Centre ground were the beneficiaries of a medical outreach held there this past weekend. The medical outreach was spearheaded by the Region Four Health Services Department.

It was organised by Regional Health Officer, Dr. Quincy Jones, in collaboration with the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited [NICIL].

According to NICIL's Chief Executive Officer [ag], Mr. Colvin HeathLondon, the outreach was geared towards ensuring that residents of former sugar communities benefit. He said that NICIL in recognising the fact that sugar once played a major

role in these communities deliberate efforts were made to partner with various stakeholders to assist in community medical outreaches.

The recent medical outreach also saw the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention Neighbourhood Democratic Council partnering and playing a critical role in sensitizing residents to the several services that were on offer.

The reported outcome was several hundred persons seeking to access the medical services that were offered including dental, ECG, paediatrics, obstetric and gynaecological consultations, hypertension and diabetes tests, family medicine, general surgery consultations, optometry and ultrasound.

It was while accessing

the services, Dr. Jones said, that calls were made by residents for the restoration of the currently defunct Better Hope/LBI Health Centre.

He said that the closure of the health centre close more than a year ago was due to its extremely deplorable state. Residents were, moreover, redirected to the Plaisance Health Centre to access health services.

“About one year, six months ago we at the Health Services Department in Region Four were forced to close the Better Hope/LBI Health Centre. While we were cognisant that it was there to serve some 8,200 persons from the Better Hope, LBI community, the challenges faced by the health centre were (continued on page 24)

H

is Excellency, T a t s u o Hirayama, NonResident Japanese Ambassador (Designate), yesterday paid a courtesy call on Moses Nagamootoo, Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

“Both the Prime Minister and Japanese Ambassador expressed satisfaction with the relationship between Japan and Guyana.

Ambassador Hirayama indicated that there is an eager interest on the part of Japanese companies to invest in Guyana's oil and gas industry.”

The ambassador also disclosed that he has been following developments in Guyana more especially the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) proceedings as he is based in Trinidad and Tobago. Prime Minister Nagamootoo explained the

current political situation in Guyana, noting the on-going consultations between the government and the opposition. He emphasised the administration's commitment to a clean voter's list and credible elections.

The ambassador was accompanied by his wife, H.E Sachiko Hirayama and First Secretary to A m b a s s a d o r , Ya m a t a Kabayashi.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 17

Nile Cozier NDC assessing needs of Pomeroon Farmers “The visiting team with a farmer.”

“The model drainage system in a coconut farm in the Pomeroon.”

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he newly formed Neighbourhood Democratic Council [NDC] within the Nile Cozier district, Upper Pomeroon, is assessing the needs of farmers, who may be at flood risk.

The area was recently visited by the NDC Chairman, accompanied by representatives from the Regional Administration, including the Regional Executive Officer Mr. Denis

Jaikaran, and the National Drainage and Irrigation [ N D I A ] Te a m . T h e Pomeroon area is quite popular for its production of coconuts, citrus fruits, ground provisions and other cash crops.

As of recent, however, the Pomeroon River and Savannahs throughout the Pomeroon, have become a threat to farming during spring tides and the rainy season. With the poor

drainage system, farmers contend that they would have lost entire cultivated farms due to flooding.

The establishment of an NDC within the area is deemed a strategic move by Government, since it will aid in bringing some measure of relief to the farmers living within the farming area.

The objective of the recent visit, Kaieteur News understands, was to assess the needs of the farmers, who

were already requesting the construction of a high-level dam, to protect their crops from the Akawini Savannah water in the rainy season.

These farms are located on the western banks of the Lower Pomeroon River from the area of Cozier to the Nile.

After spending decades on their farm lands, many farmers are acquainted with the system that needs to be set in place. The Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Jaikaran said that he visited the area on request of the farmers, who would have spent tremendous sums of

Stakeholder engagement is important to tourism development

T

he Guyana T o u r i s m Authority (GTA) has been working closely with a number of sister agencies and private stakeholders to elevate the tourism sector in Guyana.

To f o r m a l i z e t h e approach, the GTA, this month, successfully completed two round-table stakeholder engagements in Georgetown—one on June 6, 2019 and the other in Lethem on June 12, 2019.

A total of 45 stakeholders representing tour operators, interior lodges, resorts, hotels, communities and non-governmental organizations such as the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Conservation International (CI), Visit Rupununi and North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) were in attendance.

At the press conference that was held yesterday at the

agency's office in Sophia, Director of the GTA, Brian T Mullis, and Deputy Director of GTA, Carla James, spearheaded the engagements.

They facilitated the session held under the u m b r e l l a - “ To u r i s m Development Challenges and Solutions: We all have a role to play.”

Discussions were focused on the tourism strategy, priorities and outcomes to date for the 2019-2020 period. The primary focus was on fostering a dialogue on the importance of collaboration in an effort to create shared ownership and buy in for roles that all stakeholders need to play.

Emphasis was placed on how critical areas such as reinstating regularly scheduled flights into the hinterland, prioritizing policy and critical i n f r a s t r u c t u r e improvements, and raising awareness of the importance

and value of tourism nationally.

All reliant on the roles each individual stakeholder plays in tourism.

Further, by increasing the collective reach of the

tourism sector through cooperative marketing and promotions, and meeting the growing market demand by meeting international safety , quality and sustainability (continued on page 20)

money to dig canals to drain their land during the rainy season.

The team was privileged to visit one of these model farms where dams were built up to block the Akawini Savannah water from passing through their farmlands to the Pomeroon R i v e r. T h e R e g i o n a l Engineer, Kawan Suchit, said that a high-level dam at

the Western end of the farmlands, based on the model farm, would be ideal for blocking these waters.

T h e R e g i o n a l Administration indicated that it will approach the Central Government to provide funding, which will aid in constructing the dam in phases with the cooperation of the Nile Cozier NDC

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Thursday July 18, 2019

Final design of Abram Zuil secondary School presented

T

he Abrams Zuil Secondary School, which is located on the Essequibo Coast, will finally undergo a tremendous leap of transformation, now that the final design of the building has been completed.

The design was recently presented by the Consultants to the Regional Administration, Department of Education, and Staff of the School.

The school to be constructed will have a modern look, replacing the worn out wooden building.

The Abrams Zuil secondary ranks amongst the top schools on the Essequibo Coast; securing the CSEC top spots within the country on several occasion. This publication understands that the school presently accommodates an average of 490 students. The completed double flat building will be capable of accommodating 750 students.

Regional Executive Officer Mr. Denis Jaikaran said that the next stage of the process is vetting of the documents and public tender. The construction, he noted, will commence later in the year and will roll over to 2020.

“The three-dimension Design of the propose Abrams Zuil Secondary.”

Berbice hotel remains in limbo over wind turbine

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Berbice hotel says it is continuing to be held in limbo over approvals for a wind turbine that would be used for electricity.

Officials of the Classic International Hotel and Suites disclosed, yesterday, it has submitted a project documents, and even had personnel of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) visiting with follow-up phone calls.

“All we can say is that we followed this government's call for green energy. We made an investment in a wind turbine. We invested in a hotel that meets international standards and we remain at square one,” a senior official said yesterday.

The hotel is owned by the Sugrim family which has also been involved in the heavy equipment business.

“We had site visits that

included engineers at Skeldon, Berbice. We spoke to several officials from GPL's Projects Department.

We have made calls and sent correspondences. There has been no feedback.”

The turbine was imported last year for use by Classic International Hotel, Corriverton, Berbice.

The hotel, in a statement earlier this year complained that although erected and ready to go, authorities have not given permission, despite several meetings and correspondence.

The turbine has been placed in Skeldon, a few miles from the hotel, which was open with much fanfare last year.

Management indicated that they are frustrated. They said that the investment was made in response to the Government's calls for alternative energy and for the greening of the country's

economy.

The frustration had forced the hotel management to say it is contemplating

taking down the turbine and shipping it back to India.

Classic Hotel (continued on page 20))

The wind turbine in question, already erected at Skeldon, Berbice.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 19

Woman's home collapses one month after she lost husband

T

here is a popular saying, "when it rains it pours".

For Minerva 'Mini' Sancho of Rose Hall Town, that phrase is something she knows and is experiencing all too well.

Sancho, 56, lost her husband, a Security Guard, nearly a month ago after he was found dead with a gaping wound to the back of his head by his colleague at his worksite in Georgetown.

Her husband was living and working in the city for years while she remained in Berbice to take care of her disabled brother at a home she rented for 12 years.

Her world came crumbling when she got the message that her husband was allegedly murdered and just a few weeks after the home she lived in came crashing down with her disabled brother trapped inside.

For Sancho, life could not get any more difficult since she is now without a husband and a home.

Speaking to her at the site of her crumbled house, she told Kaieteur News that she was in Georgetown tying up some final errands in relation to her husband's death when she received a call Friday last informing her that the house she shared with her sickly (Down's Syndrome) brother came crashing down during the continuous heavy rains Thursday night (11th July).

Her sick brother was in the house when the incident took place but neighbours rushed to his assistance and he was removed from the building unhurt but traumatised.

"I got a call from my nephew saying that the house fell and I came up Saturday because I was so in shock I just could not make it

the said Friday. But when I came and saw my home, I was so shocked, like I collapsed in town because I know my brother was in there and I seh to myself 'God, like is another death again'. Everything just crumbled in it.

My husband had bought a new fridge for me and it is not working, my appliances all damaged", she relayed through tears.

According to her, when her mother passed away many years ago she took on the responsibility to take care of her brother. Her nowdead husband had agreed that she would remain in Berbice while he worked and took care of her, their children and her brother.

Sancho explained that while she was in the city tying up loose ends, her 30year-old son, took care of her brother. But on the day of the incident she stated that her

In five years 1,190 persons suffered snakebites, 95 died From page 13 training. Once they have been certified as successful, we will distribute the protocol to those hospitals and implement the antivenom participating medical institutions.”

Guyana is home to a wide variety of species of snakes, and of these, four are known to be deadly: the Labaria [Bothrops atrox]; the Carpet Labaria [Bothrops taeniata] and its close relative, the Bushmaster [Lachesis muta].

The latter is found in most parts of the country but is especially prevalent in the moist coastal plains, rainforest and arid grasslands.

The other deadly species include the Rupununi Rattler [Crotalus durissus] found

mainly in the savannah grasslands and the Coral snake [Elapids] found in a variety of environments and move seasonally to diverse areas in search of food.

Guyana's economy still depends heavily on agriculture and the heavy dependence farming, logging and mining exposes locals to the risk of contact with venomous snakes and their deadly and their lethal bites.

Meanwhile, the Ministry will continue y e a r- r o u n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h a l l stakeholders to help reduce the incidences of snake bites should they occur. This Ministry officials are convinced will position the public health sector to guarantee timely intervention and adept management of victims to save their lives.

EMS system reportedly stymied by non-maintenance of ambulances From page 14 but by the end of this year [2019] we will be hitting the East Coast, the East Bank and West Berbice.”

He had spoken about officials green-lighting the addition of more ambulances and the training of Emergency Medical Technicians [EMTs] who are tasked with providing basic medical care to the emergency cases on scene and en route to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC].

Since being introduced in 2016, the national EMS system has catered to more than 8,000 medical emergencies. These

emergencies, according to Dr. Bux, have ranged from women in labour to persons suffering from heart attacks.

According to him, the service is executed by a number of trained EMTs with basic but sufficient medical knowledge who make their way to various medical emergencies by way of ambulance.

In medicine, Dr. Bux had explained, there is something called the “golden hour” or the first hour after a traumatic injury occurs when emergency treatment is most likely to be successful.

According to Dr. Bux, “Studies have proven that

this has helped to impact and save the lives of many people.”

Moreover, he had shared his conviction that many more lives are likely to be saved with the expansion of the programme.

“A lot of work and commitment have been placed into getting to this level and we will continue to put more because I have seen the benefits of EMS working in developed systems; I have seen what it can do for John Public,” Dr. Bux had posited.

However, with this recent development the sustenance and expansion of the programme could very well be in jeopardy.

It pours: Minerva 'Mini' Sancho in front of her home. son told her that he had just left the home to purchase something at a nearby shop and when he returned the house was no more.

The tearful woman said that what has taken place has affected her a lot. She is forced to stay with her daughter at No.1 Village.

"This is really hard on me because I just buried my

husband only three weeks back and now this.

“Although I am staying with my daughter with my sickly brother I do not want to burden her because she has a family of her own to take care of.

“My other son and my small daughter is working in Georgetown. This is really taking a toll on me but I am

trying to be strong".

Sancho stated that she has a house lot in Rose Hall Town but due to the lack of finances she could not start building her home.

Persons who are desirous of assisting Minerva Sancho in rebuilding, can contact her on numbers 322-1576 and 675-7831. She is willing to accept any assistance given.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Thursday July 18, 2019

“Wild Buck” remanded for possession of unlicensed gun

“The vandalized machines.”

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Woman of unsound mind smashes betting machines

A

woman who is believed to be of unsound mind vandalized five betting machines at the Xenon International Hotel and Bar, which is located at Charity, Pomeroon.

Based on reports, the Xenon Hotel and bar is owned by the Alfro Alphonso Group of Companies. Kaieteur News understands that the woman ventured into the business premises some time between 13:00hrs and 14:30hrs

Tuesday afternoon. The manager of the establishment told this publication that the woman bought a ticket valuing $2,500.

The manager went on to say, “Usually you got 30 seconds to place a bet, even if you don't place the bet the machine will utilize the money… the woman wait out the entire 30 seconds and she didn't place the bet, so she didn't win any money.”

Based on reports reaching this publication, after several request to have

the money refunded, the woman picked up a chair and bashed in the five machines.

She then collected the money and attempted to storm the money canister.

The woman, who was later identified as Cheryl Benjamin of the Charity Extension scheme, was later apprehended by police. She is presently in police custody.

Kaieteur News understands that each machine values in excess of $1 million.

Stakeholder engagement is...

From page 17 standards, the tourism sector will undoubtedly reap the benefits and raise its profile.

“The stakeholder engagements are important for the GTA and members of the tourism sector to share our strategies and priorities and discuss the ways in which both can be improved,” said Mullis.

He further noted that only through that level of multi-stakeholder collaboration can tourism realize its potential as a force for good in Guyana.

“We feel it is important to have general and stakeholder engagements of this nature to identify solutions to the shared challenges we face within

the tourism sector and to determine tourism policy and infrastructure priorities,” echoed Carla James. “As part of its annual budget planning cycle, the GTA intends to host yearly stakeholder engagements with a solution-oriented approach to build a stronger tourism sector,” she further noted.

man who was charged for discharging a loaded firearm while partying at a creek on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway a few days ago, was remanded to prison yesterday after making his first court appearance.

T h i r t y - t w o - y e a r- o l d Devon Atkinson, known as 'Wild Buck', a mechanic from Kitty, Georgetown, appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Providence Magistrate's Court where the charge was read to him.

Atkinson denied the charge which stated that on July 14, 2019, at the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, he had in his possession a

Remanded: Devon Atkinson Bushmaster Carbon 15 AR15 Pistol when he was not a licensed firearm holder.

Atkinson was represented by attorney-atlaw Siand Dhurjon who made a bail application for his client to be released on a reasonable sum of bail.

According to reports, on the day in question Atkinson was at a creek partying outside the Splashmin's Resort when he whipped out the gun and fired several shots. The crowd then started to scatter after hearing the gun shots and the police were then summoned.

He was then arrested and charged for the offence. He has been in custody since the incident.

Principal Magistrate Latchman remanded the defendant to prison until August 6, 2019.

Berbice hotel remains in limbo over...

From page 18 had offered to give some of the power to the Demerara and Berbice grid and in return, receive the credit for what is used.

Earlier this year also, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had said that the matter is more than what meets the eye.

“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MOPI), and by extension the Government of Guyana (GoG), applauds the proprietor of Classic International Hotel, Mr. Shamnarine Narine, for his supposed interest in pushing for a “Green State” and in contributing to the national grid,” the Minister said in a statement.

“However, it is disappointing to read Mr. Narine's claim of non-

responsive on the part of the GoG (Government of Guyana) when several correspondence from different agencies within MPI were sent to him.”

Patterson said he had met with Narine in the past concerning this matter.

In April 2017, the Ministry and its energyrelated agencies were “surprised” to read reports in the media of the launch of Mr. Narine's hotel and wind turbine.

The Minister said that on October 17, 2017, Narine briefed him via a letter on his 300 kW wind turbine, which would become operational at the end of the said month.

“In this correspondence, Mr. Narine shared that only 50 kW of the generation capacity was required by the hotel and, as a result, he would be willing to offer the excess 250 kW to the national grid.”

Patterson said that Narine was advised that it was not possible at this time for an individual to connect to the grid unless the supply met the minimum of 1.5 MW. “He was further advised that GPL was limited due to ongoing development of a policy, and legal and technical frameworks to permit and guide supply that is less than 1.5 MW and the sensitive technical issues affecting any supply of power of an intermittent nature (such as wind or solar) to the grid.”

However, the Minister said, despite this, it was agreed to examine Narine's proposal with GPL with the objective of identifying and addressing the technical issues while the framework for intermittent power supply below 1.5 MW to the grid was being developed.

Patterson had also noted that while the public may be anxious to seize the opportunity of solar and wind energy and to connect to the grid to save on the cost of energy storage, the complexity of utility size generation, transmission, and distribution of power – a complexity which is further compounded by the weaknesses of GPL's grid and the sensitivity of intermittent supply – requires judicious adherence to feasibility studies and grid interconnection processes, which are typically detailed and costly, but which are necessary to ensure reliable and stable supply of electricity and the safety of the grid.

“Furthermore, the Government of Guyana commends all private citizens and business owners who are willing to move towards the use of renewable energy. However, we wish to urge those who are interested in supplying power to GPL's grid to first check with GPL to determine whether policies and technical and legal frameworks exist to accommodate such requests.”

Thursday July 18, 2019

Passengers remanded for attempting to kill taxi driver A construction worker and poultry rearer, yesterday appeared before a city magistrate to answer to an attempted murder charge.

The court heard that the men hired a car to take them around Georgetown but during the trip they allegedly stabbed the taxi driver and relived him of his cash and jewellery.

The accused Ernest James, 25, of Lot 179 Old Road Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and Linden Flavius, 31, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts. The men were not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that on July 11, 2019, at John Fernandes Squatting Area, Georgetown, with intent to commit murder, they unlawfully and maliciously wounded Derrick Nelson.

James was represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson, who made a bail application for his client. He asked that he be released on a reasonable sum of bail citing that his client is the sole breadwinner for his family.

Police prosecutor Neville Jeffers objected to bail being granted to the defendant on the grounds of the serious nature of the offence, the incident

was caught on a CCTV recording and both accused was positively identified. The fact that the victim is still hospitalized in a severe condition should also be a factor for consideration.

On the day in question Nelson, who is a taxi driver, was hired by the accused to take them to West Ruimveldt Back Road. When the victim picked up the men and was on his way to the instructed destination.

Flavius pulled out a gun from his pants and held the taxi driver at gunpoint while James dealt the victim several stabs about his body with and ice-pick. The men then relieved the victim of his cash and jewellery before escaping through some nearby bushes. The vehicle then crashed into a pile of wood and the victim was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he remains a patient. The matter was then reported and an investigation was launched leading to the arrest of the two accused.

The men were then remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate McLennan until August 6, 2019, where they are expected to make another court appearance.

Taiwanese President arrives on state visit CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – President Tsai IngWen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) arrived yesterday on the latest stop of her “Journey of Freedom, Democracy, Sustainability” tour of Taipei’s allies in the Caribbean.

She has already visited Haiti, St. Kitts-Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the Far east country moves to strengthen the relations with the handful of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries despite the efforts by China, which regards it as a renegade province, to have countries recognise its “One China” policy.

During her visit to here, President Tsai will meet with Governor General, Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac, as well as Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, Senate President Jeannine GiraudyMcIntyre and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Andy Daniel.

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Kaieteur News

Youth charged for robbing race car driver, others A youth who was charged for robbing race car driver Kristian Jeffery and others, appeared before a city magistrate, yesterday, to answer to the armed robbery charges.

Shamar Charles, 22, a miner, stood in the prisoners dock before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts.

The first charge stated that on July 10, 2019, at Lombard Street, Georgetown, while armed with a gun he robbed Tessa Profon of one A9 Cellular phone valued at $135,000, a gold band valued at $100,000 and a gold chain valued at $300,000.

The second charge read that on May 26, 2019, at Agricola, East Bank Demerara, while armed with a gun he robbed Jermain Inniss of one gold chain valued at $440,000.

And the final charge on the same date and location, while being in the company of others and armed with a gun he robbed Kristian Jeffery of one gold chain valued at $400,000, a wallet and $15,000 cash.

The defendant denied all

Kristian Jeffery shortly after the robbery

Remanded: Shamar Charles

the charges that were read to him.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail being granted to the defendant based on the grounds of the prevalence, serious nature and the punishment the offence attracts.

Prosecutor Blackman then stated that on July 10, 2019, about 12:30hrs the victim was at work standing outside when the defendant arrived

on a motorcycle and armed with a gun he relived her of the articles mentioned in the charge.

The matter was then reported and the defendant was later arrested and placed on an identification parade where he was positively identified by the victim.

Principal Magistrate McGusty remanded the defendant to prison until July 31, 2019.

Scrap metal exports earned $766...

President Tsai Ing-Wen A government statement said she will also discuss and exchange ideas on bilateral and international issues of mutual concern and will address a joint session of the Parliament on the “cordial and mutually beneficial relations between Taiwan and St. Lucia”.

The visiting head of state will also attend the sod-turning ceremony for the St. Jude Hospital Redevelopment

Project, the launch of Phase II of the Government Islandwide Network (GiNet) and the dedication of the Gros Islet Human Resource Development Centre.

The statement said that a tour of the Inland Reception and Distribution Centre (IRDC) will also be featured to highlight Taiwan’s role in the success story of St. Lucian banana industry’s renaissance.

Cops who solved money changer...

From page 8 is to be paid out later in the year. The awards and recognition are never in vain, for the records still show that all recipients will continue to excel and venture beyond the call of duty.

Awards were given to Community Policing Groups, Individuals, Branches and Divisions. A total of 34 Community Policing Groups received awards for their outstanding contributions.

Seven of those groups were from the A Division, six from B Division, six from C Division, five from D Division, five from E Division and six from G Division.

In the individual category within the Community Policing Groups and Rural Constables attached to the Neighbourhood Policing Department 33 awards were handed out.

A Division copped ten awards, B Division eight, C Division five, D Division six and E

Division four.

Individual ranks were awarded for their bravery be it in regards of discovery of ammunition, weapons and narcotics during raids, outstanding investigative skills and arrests of suspects which led to them being charged.

A few such cases involved the two ranks at the mining camp raid last February when a cache of ammo and guns was discovered and the suspects were arrested and charged.

In January a rank was on joint patrol with the GDF in the Cuyuni River and conducted a search on open vessel with 17 occupants. Two Venezuelan nationals each had in their possession a grenade. They were arrested and charged. Those three ranks were rewarded with $100,000 each.

Other ranks were rewarded with sums ranging from $58,000 to $100,000 for their accomplishment in similar cases. Some were promoted and awarded at the same time.

From page 3 this new Scrap Metal Legislation is vital to the introduction of new regulatory measures to govern the Industry.

Specifically, the legislation seeks to provide the framework that will ensure greater compliance with trade requirements, registration and other issues to ensure maintainable development of this Trade.

In 2015, as part of efforts to regularize and monitor the industry, the government had temporarily banned all scrap metal trade.

Business Minister at the time, Dominic Gaskin, had announced that a new framework is being prepared for the eventual resumption of the trade. Gaskin had said that one of the important things to monitoring the trade is the establishment of a SMU. Further, Gaskin said that the trade was proven in the past to be detrimental to a lot of businesses and private individuals. He had reported that people were stealing manhole covers and grill work to export as scrap metal thereby increasing the need for

the trade to be regulated.

The trade was closed on June 15, 2015 to facilitate a forensic audit which was completed that December. The audit which was done by Chartered Accountants Ram and McRae had recommended that the legislation governing the local industry is in need of an update.

It was highlighted that in the old Metal Dealers Act 91:08 there was no provision for the collection of export fees. Despite this, the auditors found within financial statements records of the unit's income described as Export fees.

The temporary reopening was granted since the Ministry of Business is in the process of putting together new guidelines and regulations and is now in a position to authorise a limited restart to the trade.

Inspections revealed that there is a build-up of scrap metals across Region Four in particular as a result of the trade being closed for so long. Exporters can now ship out the existing scrap for the limited period.

Belize on dengue alert BELMOPAN, Belize CMC – Belize health officials say they are monitoring the outbreak of dengue fever in CentralAmerica and some Caribbean countries particularly as they have been reported deaths in Honduras. Belize, a Central American country which is part of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping, said that “source reduction strategies are the most effective way to prevent mosquito borne diseases. “We take note of our neighbour Honduras that has reported over 30,000 dengue cases, majority classified as severe or hemorrhagic. Deaths as well in Honduras with over 75

per cent reported in the younger population,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

It urged people here to ensure that potential breeding locations, including: flower pot saucers, vases, tyres, buckets, barrels, plastic drums and water storage containers are regularly cleaned, removed, turned over or treated to support the Ministry’s source reduction efforts.

The ministry is also urging Belizeans to follow the advice of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in protecting themselves from mosquito bites, including sleep-

ing under mosquito nets.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health said that as part of its ongoing initiatives to provide quality healthcare medications, it had submitted five different generic medications to the CARPHA’s Drug Testing Laboratory, which is CARICOM’s regional reference laboratory for testing.

It said the medications range from antibiotics to antidiabetic drugs that were sampled from the public sector and that all five unidentified medications have passed the quality tests performed as in keepi9ng with international standards.

PAGE 22

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

VACANCY Vacancy for (1) maid must be able to cook Vegetarian meal, Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb St Bourda

SERVICES

FOR SALE

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

Combines 7300 John Deere (2000hrs), Fiatagri L413 (2500hrs), Laverda 132 & Tractors: Massey 399, Fiat 110/90, Ford 6610, 290 Massey # 695-2220

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

Cassava & fine plantain available. Contact#223-5273/ 223-5274

Professional Repair Service: Computers, Tv’s (LCD & LED), Cellphones & Other Electronics.Ph#629-6470/6962 8 4 3 . E m a i l : akinscott@outlook.com

Houselots 3 mil. New Development, payment plans available-no interest #2336997/667-0140

LAND FOR SALE

Foundation, Column & Curb wall already bulit 57ft x 30ft for 2 storey house Lot 1402 Westminister, WBD. Call: 6825813 Farm main road (East Bank) $6.8M Schnoord $3.6M (100ftx50ft) Dairy $2M Parfaite Harmonie $1.5M Tel#648-1635

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/6912561

1 three bedroom apartment for rent in Diamond. Tel#6022563/609-4365

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Farm road front E.B.D. Behind Park Vue hotel. High income land. Tel#669-5781, 696-7777

DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL @ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 (2) bedroom top flat apartment in Riumveldt Tel#227-8529

Industrial Sales Representative, 5 Subject CXC Age 25+ Experience in Sales, must own vehicle, email r e s u m e : vacancy@josarltd.com

IMPORTED Pure breed rottweilers for sale. Contact S.S Royal K9 @ 638-1111

Lanscaping Services, Cutting & Spraying, East Bank #6670140

PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’sPER DAY- CALL: 656-0087 / 6435122,EMAIL:PRO_ A U T O R E N T A L @YAHOO.COM

VACANCY

Experienced Salesman to work @ Innovation America, Knowledge in sales & vast experience in hardware atmosphere.

Apply: innovationsamericamng @gmail.com

(1) One bedroom apartment to rent for a single person preferably. Contact #697-8867

Installation, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing Machine, Stove etc. Call Nick 630-1600, 627-3206

CAR RENTAL

WANTED

30x48 Sash windows, black & white (Regular size) casement and awning windows. $12,000 each. Tel#679-3325

(1) Transport land located at Parfaite Harmony, West Bank Tel# 664-7481

Stove Repairs. Tel#627-7835

FOR RENT

Parfaite Harmonie transferable $1.9M, $1.5M Business spot $2.5M Parfaite Harmonie with foundation $3.5M. Call: 6662326

EDUCATION Edu Care Academy, Now enrolling. Former IBE, Lusignan Public Road.

Enrollment 5-9 August. #6420302/649-5987/676-9909 STEWART’S ACADEMIC INSTITUTE- SUMMER PROGRAMME: 22nd JULY16th AUGUST 2019) For more information, Contact Mr. Stewart Cell# 697-3801 CAREFORELDERLY, CARE FOR CHILDREN, FIRSTAID AND CPR TRAINING. #2274881

House for sale, Eccles Housing Scheme. 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets and bathrooms enclosed. $28.5M. Call 6420391/ 001447587233657/ yasharabhola4@gmail.com House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc.

Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909 Property on the Soesdyke Linden Highway (serious enquiries only) #644-3515/ 698-9711 (1) 3 bedroom house located at Stewartville. Tel#625-3299/ 268-3129

VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Honda CRV. includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crash bar, Low mileage. PTT Series (First Owner) Contact #6490956 1-Toyota Tundra 4 wheel drive $1.9M, 1 BMW 3181 $1.4M, 1 Audi Convertible $2.8M, 1 -416 Cat Tractor loader $3.5M Contact#6500402/603-1402 New model premio, pearl white 2009 registered $2.3M , Toyota Vitz 2010 Black unregistered $1.8M . Tel#2235615/600-4212 Car King Auto Sales Nissan Sylphy 2017, low mileage, fog lamps, $3.75M Call: 6146948 Nissan Dualis 2011, Lady Driven, Low Mileage, fog lamps, backup camera. $4.5M neg. Call: 630-3584 PEN PAL Seeking a male pen pal for a serious relationship, must be loving and caring. Call: 6213082

Live in or Live out Domestic worker. Call from MondaySaturday between 8:154:15pm #223-7500 Male & Female to work in Factory, Apply in person to R.P Enterprise, ECD. Tel#2202818 One male to look after layer birds in the interior. Tel#6693162 One heavy duty mechanic to work in interior, must have driver’s license. Contact# 6802702 Brush cutter operators, Landscaping workers. Tel# 656-1326 1 experienced cook, 2 counter staff wanted. Call: 623-8654/ 610-0603 1 salesgirl for snackette.

Tel#666-3569/698-4288/6711544 Waitress to work in Bar #6614863

Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown.

Tel#227-8748/622-4970 1 experienced driver, must have license for car/van/ minibus & motorbus, residing in G/town between ages 24-50 yrs old. #225-1429/ 641-5075 (1) Cashier to work @ Innovations America, must be between ages of 30-45. Send applications/CV’s to: innovationsamericamng @gmail.com Cashier, Ark Enterprise/The Container House. Bring application and police clearance to 17 Lombard Street.

Experienced Male Porters & Salesgirls with 2 yrs experience. CXC maths & english. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529

Seamstress. Contact: 6911918. Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm

Vacancy for experienced mason. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Bourda

1-male able-bodied clerk. Call: 231-2029/616-5954

Vacancy for 1 massage therapist, 1 hairdresser & 2 nail technician at Natural Beauty Salon & Spa. #652-5800

Wanted land to buy Parfaite Harmonie, Herstelling, Providence, Farm, Tuschen, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Best price pay cash. Call: 666-2326 Experienced live-in waitress to work in bar. Age 18-22 yrs, must have ID. Contact# 2212785/659-1930 Security wanted to work in Georgetown. #227-1717 Wanted Industrial electrian to work in Georgetown. #2271717 HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: DIABETES, INFERTILITY, MENSTRUAL DISORDERS, ENLARGED PROSTATE, KIDNEY, GALL STONES & SKIN DISORDERS ETC. CALL SPARMAN #676-5924 VACANCY Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 5024002/600-8457 General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook.

Apply with 2 references.

KeyFood McDoom village

DemBake @ Land of Canaan is seeking experienced Motor Lorry drivers & Sales agent.

Email CV: admin@demerarabakery.com / call: 266-5848 Annabel’s Bistro located @ 36 Public road, La Grange WBD is seeking cooks with baking skills. Tel#675-7313/ 500-1500 One experienced legal computer clerk. Call: 624-7087/ 226-4283/258-0213/ email :husainsaphier@yahoo.com General Domestic to cook and clean for East Bank. Call: 6144358 Female cleaner office & home.

Call: 642-9823 Vacancies @ Bonny’s Butchery for sale girls & boys, Apply in person with written application @ 302 Church St. Tel#226-7310 Driver, Factory worker, must have a sound secondary education, for more information. Please call: 2230090

Vacancy exist for a Spanish Teacher- must be able to teach (2 & 7) years old. Call: 600-6887 for more information Vacancy exist for a Full time/ Part time teacher, must be able to teach (2 & 7) years old. Call: 600-6887 for more information

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Make Agriculture a Business – Minister Garrido-Lowe tells Santa Cruz residents “Our friends who are looking for business opportunities, they will want to bring fancy fruit juice and fancy plantain chips in fancy packs and open business right here.

“But guess what; would it belong to us? And do you want that? That is why we have to utilize our land and start looking at Agriculture as a Business. We have to start thinking that we can get rich through Agriculture,” Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe said recently.

Minister Garrido-Lowe led a team to Santa Cruz, Moruca Sub-district, Barima-Waini, Region One on Sunday. Fruitful discussions were held with residents who are seeking to venture into value added agriculture production.

The Minister is ensuring Santa Cruz is fully prepared to become one of the most industrious fruit juice, jelly and marmalade producing villages in Guyana.

With the expected benefits to be derived from the imminent oil sector, Minister Garrido-Lowe assured, “We will have enough people to eat what you plant and that is taking advantage of the situation, since Agriculture is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.”

Guyanese Agronomist and Veterinarian and a son of the soil (Imbetero Community) Dr. Leroy Santiago, who was also a member of the team, shared improved planting techniques with farmers.

Speaking passionately about the villages agriculture pursuits, Dr. Santiago

said, “You cut down a field and you burn the soil.

Why do you burn it? Because its tradition.

“Our ancestors tell us we must do that …you have about 12-14 inches of leaves that have fallen for hundreds of years - compost, another two feet of organic matter. When you burn that you get Potash.

So you plant the first crop you get a good crop. What you did, you kill the soil and then we want to know what happened to the rest of the crop”.

Dr. Santiago also shared techniques for pest control.

Recently sworn in Member of Parliament, Raynard Ward, who is also an Agriculturist, and a member of the team, also took the opportunity to interact with residents.

Ward said, “As long as the government is here; I am here. I’ll try to ensure that agriculture i s p u t alongside the oil industry because the revenues coming in from oil can help to develop our agriculture sector.

“Please ensure that you, as a community, put your voices together with your community leaders.

Let’s not forget that agriculture is important and we need to keep it going.”

Twelve farmers were selected and will each be planting one-acre plots of several varieties of fruits.

Among the plantlets are cherry, orange, tangerine, lime, guava, pear, sour sop, papaw, golden apple, pineapple and banana.

It is estimate that fruits

will be ready to be harvested between 18 months and three years by which time a factory will be established and fully operational.

Production will be done in keeping with international standards. Minister Garrido-Lowe has underscored Government’s commitment to continue providing the necessary support needed to ensure the project is sustained, villagers are gainfully emp l o y e d , p h y s i c a l and infrastructural development realized and the goal of ensuring food security is achieved.

The Fruit Farm will complement Kwebanna’s Cassava Processing Facility, the Santa Rosa Ground Coffee Project both in the Moruca sub-district, and

the Smith Creek Fish and Crab Processing Facility in the Mabaruma Sub-dis-

New Amsterdam Hospital gets new equipment CT scanner to be in operation soon after lengthy wait Health care delivery at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital has received a $9M boost. The medical facility in East Berbice- Corentyne recently received two theatre beds, two delivery beds and one anesthetic machine to a total cost of $9M. The equipment is among several others, along with furniture, that was purchased by the Regional Health Services through the Regional Democratic Council in Region Six. The delivery beds are an “upgraded” version. They will provide easier access for doctors to carry out their delivery methods. The mothers will also be much more comfortable.

With the addition of another anesthetic machine, the (Continued on page 24)

trict.

All are viable economic projects piloted by Minister Garrido-Lowe.

This will ultimately lead to poverty reduction which is on the front burner of the

David Granger-led Coalition Government.

Santa Cruz is home to more than 400 residents who are involved in farming and fishing as the main economic activities.

PAGE 24

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

U.S. judge blasts drug lord El Chapo’s ‘overwhelming evil,’ imposes life sentence NEW YORK (Reuters) Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the Mexican drug lord who twice escaped maximum-security prisons in that country, will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. penitentiary, a federal judge said yesterday after accusing him of “overwhelming evil.”

Guzman, 62, berated the U.S. justice system, and a former associate described how he had paid a gang $1 million to try to kill her before U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan imposed the mandatory sentence of life plus 30 years.

Cogan also ordered Guzman to forfeit $12.6 billion in a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn.

The judge said that even if the law had allowed him any leeway, he would have imposed the harshest sentence available, adding that any redeeming qualities Guzman might have were erased by his “overwhelming evil” actions.

A jury in February convicted Guzman of trafficking tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana and engaging in multiple murder conspiracies as a top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, long known as one of Mexico’s largest, most violent

drug trafficking organizations.

Guzman, whose nickname means “Shorty,” developed a reputation as a Robin Hoodlike figure that made him a folk hero to many in his home state of Sinaloa, where he was born in a poor mountain village.

He has been held in solitary confinement in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a fortress-like jail in lower Manhattan. Cogan last month rejected Guzman’s request for more time to exercise on the jail’s roof, after prosecutors said that would risk an escape.

Guzman, who recently grew a mustache, complained about the terms of his confinement before his sentence was handed down.

“It has been psychological, emotional, mental torture 24 hours a day,” said Guzman.

He alleged that the jurors on his case allowed media accounts of the trial to influence their thinking - an argument his lawyers have also made.

“Since the government of the United States is going to send me to a prison where my name will not ever be heard again, I take advantage of this opportunity to say there was

no justice here,” he told the court.

‘NEVERAGAIN’ Before he was finally captured in 2016, Guzman twice escaped maximum-security prisons in Mexico. He was extradited to the United States to face trial in January 2017.

“Never again will Guzman pour poison over our border, making billions while innocent lives are lost to drug violence and addiction,” U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue told a news conference outside the Brooklyn courthouse.

“We can ensure that he spends every minute of every day of the rest of his life in prison.”

Guzman made a name for himself as a trafficker in the 1980s by digging tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border that allowed him to smuggle drugs more quickly than his rivals. He amassed power during the 1990s and 2000s through often-bloody wars with rivals, eventually becoming the Sinaloa Cartel’s bestknown leader.

His 11-week trial, which featured testimony from more than a dozen former associates who had made deals to cooperate with prosecutors, offered an unprecedented

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman look at the cartel’s inner workings.

Andrea Velez, a former associate of Guzman, said on Wednesday that Guzman had paid the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang $1 million to have her killed, and that she had escaped with the help of U.S. authorities.

“I confess that I sinned, but I paid a high price for my faults,” Velez said of her work with the cartel.

The trial witnesses, who included some of Guzman’s top lieutenants, a communications engineer and a one-

time mistress, described how he built a sophisticated organization resembling a multinational corporation.

He sent drugs northward with fleets of planes and boats, and had detailed accounting ledgers and an encrypted electronic communication system run through secret computer servers in Canada, witnesses said.

U.S. prosecutors have claimed that Guzman sold more than $12 billion worth of drugs, and Forbes magazine once listed him as one of the world’s richest men.

Guzman often lived on the run. Imprisoned in Mexico in 1993, he escaped in 2001 hidden in a laundry cart and spent the following years moving from one hideout to another in the mountains of Sinaloa, guarded by a private army.

He was seized again in 2014, but pulled off his best known escape the following year when he disappeared into a ventilated, mile-long (1.6-km) tunnel dug into his cell in a maximum-security prison.

He was finally recaptured in January 2016. The Mexican government says he blew his cover through a series of slipups, including an attempt to make a movie about his life.

Guzman’s lawyers have said they intend to appeal his guilty verdict, citing a report that jurors disobeyed court rules by reading news reports about the case during the trial.

Despite Guzman’s downfall, the Sinaloa Cartel had the biggest U.S. distribution presence of Mexican cartels as of last year, followed by the fastgrowing Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Ebola outbreak in Congo declared a global health emergency GENEVA (AP) — The deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo is now an international health emergency, the World Health Organization announced yesterday after a case was confirmed in a city of 2 million people.

A WHO expert committee declined on three previous occasions to advise the United Nations health agency to make the declaration for this outbreak, even though other experts say it has long met the conditions.

More than 1,600 people have died since August in the seconddeadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which is unfolding in a region described as a war zone.

A declaration of a global health emergency often brings

greater international attention and aid, along with concerns that nervous governments might overreact with border closures.

The declaration comes days after a single case was confirmed in Goma, a major regional crossroads in northeastern Congo on the Rwandan border, with an international airport. Also, a sick Congolese fish trader traveled to Uganda and back while symptomatic — and later died of Ebola.

While the risk of regional spread remains high, the risk outside the region remains low, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said after the announcement in Geneva. The international emergency “should not be

used to stigmatize or penalize the very people who are most in need of our help,” he said.

Tedros insisted that the declaration was not made to raise more money — even though WHO estimated “hundreds of millions” of dollars would be needed to stop the epidemic.

Dr. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, said she hoped the emergency designation would prompt a radical reset of Ebola response efforts.

“The reality check is that a year into the epidemic, it’s still not under control, and we are not where we should be,” she said. “We cannot keep doing the same thing and ex-

New Amsterdam Hospital gets...

From page 23 hospital will now be able to facilitate more patients needing this service.

In addition, 12 beds were recently installed at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit and in some of the wards.

A Computerised Tomog-

raphy (CT scan) machine was one of two purchased since 2018. Another is slated to be used at the Hospital. Modifications had to be made to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital to house the highly radioactive machine This comes as the Health Department is working on re-

ducing referrals of critical cases to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

With the new machines the hospital will be in a position to reduce transfers The two scanners were handed over by RAD-AID, in 2016, at a cost of approximately US $200,000.

pect different results.”

Liu said vaccination strategies should be broadened and that more efforts should be made to build trust within communities.

This is the fifth such declaration in history. Previous emergencies were declared for the devastating 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,000 people, the emergence of Zika in the Americas, the swine flu pandemic and polio.

WHO defines a global emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. Last

month, the outbreak spilled across the border for the first time when a family brought the virus into Uganda after attending the burial in Congo of an infected relative. Even then, the expert committee advised against a declaration.

Alexandra Phelan, a global health expert at Georgetown University Law Center, said yesterday’s declaration was long overdue.

“This essentially serves as a call to the international community that they have to step up appropriate financial and technical support,” she said, but warned that countries should be wary of imposing travel or trade restrictions.

Such restrictions “would actually restrict the flow of goods and health care workers into affected countries so they are counterproductive,” she said. Future emergency declarations might be perceived as punishment and “might result in other countries not reporting outbreaks in the future, which puts us all at greater risk.”

WHO had been heavily criticized for its sluggish response to the West Africa outbreak, which it repeatedly declined to declare a global emergency until the virus was spreading explosively in three countries and nearly 1,000 people were dead.

Calls made for restoration of Health...

From page 15 enormous,” said Dr. Jones.

With the inhumane and unsafe condition of the facility, Dr. Jones said that the health centre at Plaisance was required to cater to double the amount it was required to.

Nevertheless, several residents who visited the outreach claimed that they are very satisfied with the quality of service offered at the alternative health facility.

“What we did when we closed this health cen-

tre [Better Hope/LBI] was to transfer the patients from here to Plaisance so that they could still access the health centre services. I am therefore happy to see the response of the residents as it reinforces the view that there is definitely a need to have a health centre return to Better Hope,” he underscored during the recent outreach. The RHO in commending NICIL for coming on board with the initiative, noted that in the promotion and dissemination of health services in Guyana, strategic partnerships are always imperative.

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

PAGE 26

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

UNC: PM must resign over E-mailgate NEWSDAY - The UNC yesterday said Dr Keith Rowley must resign as Prime Minister and PNM leader for allegedly piloting the Emailgate affair as a naked power grab.

Welcoming the police statement that individuals named in the affair will face no charges, a UNC statement said the affair was a hoax perpetrated by Rowley and the PNM for which he must now account.

The UNC said inquiries by the Integrity Commission, Google, FBI, the police and independent ICT experts had showed the deception of the country and its MPs. It accused Rowley of using the cloak of the Parliament “towards the direct purpose of creating a sense of panic and distrust to a sitting Government.” The UNC said the then PNM deputy leader Orville London said E-mailgate was a game-decider that would

Dr Keith Rowley

leave only one man or one woman standing.

Saying Rowley’s action was “the cornerstone of his election campaign in 2015,” it recalled that last Sunday he said TT’s future lies with honesty within public office and public officers.

Rowley himself had not met these standards, it said.

“This is why he has no

achievements in four years and will be remembered as an absolute incompetent and head of the worst government in our history. “Today, by his own words, Dr Rowley must resign as both the political leader of the PNM and as Prime Minister. Rowley lacks the competence, compassion, intelligence and character to lead TT.”

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

Alexander, others chide opposition-appointed commissioners attempt to “intimidate” GECOM Secretariat The three Government-nominated commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have taken issue with the commissioners appointed by the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), over attempts they made to have GECOMs secretariat start early preparations for elections.

In a letter to Kaieteur News, Commissioners Vi n c e n t A l e x a n d e r, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman, have accused Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn of attempting to intimidate the secretariat into action for which it has not been given a directive.

The Opposition appointed commissioners had issued a missive calling on GECOM to “immediately start preparations for elections”.

The Government appointed commissioners wrote, “In the first instance, they [Shadick,

Gunraj and Benn] know that the Secretariat was given a directive to do all in its powers to acquire materials and to undertake non-statutory activities in preparation for elections, albeit the date was still determined.”

They continued, “Statutory activities, like preparation for elections, could only be undertaken if a date for elections has been determined and/or the relevant directive [has been] given to the Chief Elections Officer.”

Hence, the commissioners asked, “So what are they calling for, apart from intending to intimidate the Secretariat into action for which it has not been given a directive?”

The letter stressed that Shadick, Gunraj and Benn already know of the fact that GECOM requested supplementary funding for the early conduct of elections and that the National Assem-

Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman, Charles Corbin bly acceded to the request, granting those funds without protest.

The letter added that, even in this process, the Opposition refused to attend Parliament when the appropriation was being discussed.

The main concern, the letter stated, should be

Vendors and M&CC clean up Stabroek Bazaar and waterfront Mayor and City Council (M&CC) in a joint venture with some of the vendors of the Stabroek Market cleaned the markets bazaar and waterfront area.

Engineers from the council supervised and assisted the vendors during their thorough clean up of the vending area.

Seventeen skip bins were removed, each weighed about five tonnes after they were filled of nothing but garbage and waste.

And according to the Director of Solid Waste Management Committee of the M&CC, Walter Narine, that clean-up will help to pave the way for more developmental works on the market area.

This cleanup, the director noted, will be conducted once every month.

He urged vendors to maintain the level of cleanliness of their surroundings, and to desist from paying vagrants to collect and dispose of their garbage in an unfit manner.

There are some reports of vagrants throwing waste, and littering the waterfront of the Stabroek Market.

“The solution is that we have established a Public Health and Market Committee and the group have developed a policy for vending. This policy will require that each vendor has a receptacle.

This container will be provided by the Council at a cost, or they can source a suitable receptacle for themselves. It will be collected by persons from the M&CC when it is filled.

This should come on

stream shortly,” he explained.

This clean up, Narine added, will assist in the alleviation of the flooding in the market since drains were clogged.

He emphasized both vendors and business persons must be more responsible when it comes to discarding their garbage. The recent improvements in the Stabroek area have been welcomed by vendors plying their trade there.

Narine disclosed that this coming weekend the M&CC engineers will be cleaning the drains in the area.

the need for a GECOM Chairman.

That matter is still being ironed out by the President and the Opposition Leader. It is unclear when the selection will be completed.

Alexander, Corbin and Trotman described the attempts by the Opposition aligned commissioners as a “cockeyed” one to intimidate Lowenfield into action without basis or authority.

The request made by Shadick, Gunraj and

Benn had also been made by former Attorney General and PPP stalwart, Anil Nandlall, in a letter to Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

In that letter, Nandlall noted that on the July 12, 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) delivered orders made consequential to its decisions rendered on June 18, 2019, in the matters of Zulifikar Mustapha vs AG and Others; Christopher Ram vs AG and Others; Bharrat Jagdeo vs

AG and Others and Charandass Peraud vs Compton Reid and Others.

Nandlall pointed to the CCJ rulings which stemmed from the December 21, 2018 No Confidence motion in the National Assembly which saw the Coalition Government fall.

Nandlall stressed the caveat of Article 106 as the basis for the Oppositions request for immediate election preparation. The article notes a protocol to be followed in the event that a No Confidence motion is validly passed.

Part of that article states that Government should hold elections within three months of the motions passing, or longer, as the National Assembly allows through a vote of at least two-thirds of its members.

Nandlall stressed that the court in speaking on the provisions of Article 106 of the Constitution of Guyana said that, “their meaning is clear and it is the responsibility of Constitutional actors in Guyana to honour them.”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

World Cup hero Roy given first England Test call, Wood sidelined AFP - England have give Jason Roy his first Test callup to face Ireland after the Surrey opener played a key role in his country’s historic World Cup triumph, but pace bowler Mark Wood will be sidelined for between four and six weeks.

Roy was a crucial part of England’s first World Cupwinning campaign, with his return after missing three matches with a torn hamstring coinciding with the winning streak that carried them to the title.

South Africa-born Roy scored 443 runs in the World Cup, but England’s selectors were keen to get him red-ball practice ahead of the Ashes series against old rivals Australia, which starts on August 1 at Edgbaston.

However, Durham’s

Wood, who has a side strain, and Sussex paceman Jofra Archer, suffering from the same injury, were not selected for the Ireland clash.

Wood is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks following the injury he sustained in Sunday’s final, leaving him certain to miss the start of the five-Test Ashes.

Roy’s aggressive approach set the tone for England’s World Cup run, which culminated in Sunday’s thrilling final victory over New Zealand.

With England meeting Ireland at Lord’s in a Test match next week — scheduled for four days instead of the standard five — Roy will be handed the chance to underline his ability to thrive in the longer form of the sport as well as in limited overs.

- Fine form It will be the 28-year-old’s first first-class match since last November when he batted at number three for the England Lions against Pakistan A in Abu Dhabi, making 59 off 73 balls.

England chairman of selectors Ed Smith confirmed Roy would make his debut against Ireland, telling Sky Sports: “We have total confidence he will be able to adapt to red ball cricket.”

On James Anderson’s chances of being involved against Ireland as he returns from a calf tear, Smith added: “It’s not clear. He’s making good progress and, if he’s fit to play without risk against Ireland, that’s a possibility.”

After Eoin Morgan captained England’s World Cup team, it is Joe Root who

Thursday July 18, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) There's a conservative feeling to the day that asks you to get serious and take care of business. This may not be such a bad idea. This grounded atmospher

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This may be one of those days when you don't know which way to turn. For some reason, you just can't make a decision, so you keep going around and around.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) There is a conflicting push/ pull aspect to today that may leave you feeling unsure about how to proceed. On the one hand, you may feel like you want to plan things out and get your emotions stabilized so you can function at full capacity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Romance is coming your way as long as you stay levelheaded about the situation. Take care of the daily tasks and then let your heart soar.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Get your chores done early, Gemini, so you have time to play tonight. Plan a romantic getaway with a loved one.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) This is an excellent day to tell people exactly how you feel, Cancer. Your emotions are more stable than usual, so open up and speak from the heart. Listen.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today may be tough, Leo. Does it seem like nothing fits into place? Are you trying to be someone you're not?

If things don't seem to be working out, don't press the issue.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Enjoy yourself, Virgo. You have a lot to be grateful for, so give thanks. Take pride in all you've accomplished so far and share your joy with others.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your emotions may be reserved, Sagittarius. Take a break from the spunk and fire and simply lay low. This is a good time to sit back and receive.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Family issues play an important role in your day, Capricorn. Speak from the heart and tell your kin how much they mean to you. In general, you might feel reserved with your energy.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may be undecided about a loved one today, Aquarius. Something may urge you to act yet you want to lay low. There's an important next step that you must take now.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today is a great day to move forward, Pisces. Your emotions are stable, leaving your heart free to take off to the clouds.

Daydream. Now might be a good time to make plans with a romantic partner.

resumed his role as Test skipper against Ireland.

Root’s squad includes Somerset bowling all-rounder Lewis Gregory, who earned his first call-up after impressing for Somerset and the England Lions.

The 27-year-old has been in fine form this campaign taking 44 wickets at an average of 13.88.

He is currently captaining the England Lions against Australia XI in a tour match at Canterbury.

Warwickshire seamer Olly Stone, who made his England’s one-day international debut last winter in Sri Lanka, earns his second call up to the Test squad.

Stone, 25, has fully recovered from a back injury, which had kept him out for most of this season.

England’s Jason Roy has been given his first Test call-up to face Ireland. (AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar) Lancashire wicketkeeperbatsman Jos Buttler and Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes — man of the match

in the World Cup final — were both rested after their exploits in the 50-over tournament.

Archer, who has yet to make his England debut in Test cricket, will have a period of rest before being considered for selection for the Ashes.

He will have a short break in Barbados before returning to the UK later this month.

After playing a pivotal role in the World Cup triumph, Archer has been awarded an increment contract by the ECB for the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, a squad of 16 players will attend a preAshes training camp this weekend at St George’s Park, the Football Association’s national football centre in Burton.That group includes World Cup winners Roy, Root, Buttler, Stokes, Wood, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. England squad to face Ireland in Test match at Lord’s, starting on July 24: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.

Aussie rookie Ewan wins ...

From page 32 hold of the under-25’s white jersey and said Ineos would remain calm in their quest for the yellow jersey.

“We won’t be attacking just yet, but I feel good going into the mountains” said Bernal, on his second Tour.

There are two major mountains on the menu on stage 12 today, with yellow jersey Alaphilippe vowing to defend his lead.

“It won’t be easy tomorrow, there will be attacks, and it will be a big day on the Tour, but I’m up for it,” said the 27year-old former soldier ahead of the first day in the Pyrenees.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

All Season’s Racing Service onboard Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools’ cricket tournament for Faye Joseph dominoes tourney Both Guyanese Schools suffer All Season’s Racing Service has thrown their support behind President of the Guyana Dominoes Federation Faye Joseph for the staging of her birth anniversary competition which is set for Saturday at Dynasty Sports bar. Shunile Haniff, a representative of All Season’s Racing Service presented the first place trophy to Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Association, Mark Wiltshire at the entity’s location in Robb Street, yesterday.

Haniff wished the teams well and said she is looking forward to an exciting and successful tournament, adding that they are pleased to be part of the competition.

Wiltshire who plays for Mix Up, the defending champions, expressed gratitude to the sponsors and said the tournament is expected to be keenly contested.

Entrance fee is $12,000 and the winning team will take home a trophy and $150,000, runner up a trophy and $75,000 and third place $35,000. The Most Valuable Player will receive $5,000 and double-six time is 14:00hrs.

heavy defeats

Mark Wiltshire accepts the first place prize from Shunile Haniff.

Other sponsors on board are so far are Golyn and Sons, Gold is Money and Big Boss Transportation Service. Teams can contact Wiltshire on 659-8672 for registration.

Hetmyer ready for CPL challenge The 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was a breakout season for Shimron Hetmyer, which he has used as a platform to further his international career and get picked up in other T20 tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Having finished last season as the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ top scorer with 440 runs, including a maiden T20 hundred, Hetmyer says he will be trying hard to improve on those stellar returns when the 2019 CPL gets underway on 4 September.

“Well, I’ll be looking to outdo it but let’s see how it goes. At this point I’m really feeling good about my batting where that is concerned and my overall game as well, so I’m looking to take it one step at a time and just try as much as possible and as hard as possible to try and take Guyana one step further this year.”

The CPL has played a big part in the development of many young players from the Caribbean, and Hetmyer says he has learned a huge amount from the tournament.

“It’s taught me a lot actually. It’s brought me up to the world stage knowing different players from around the world and playing against some of the guys I’ve never played against before.

[CPL] helps because you basically play with some of the guys that’s more established and in and around the international stage. It always helps in different ways, it gives the younger guys a little bit of a chance to rub shoulders with some of the more experienced guys on the team and some of the more experienced guys have played

The 33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools’ cricket tournament in Barbados continued on Tuesday with both Guyana Schools suffering heavy defeats.

At Rubis: Alleyne School beat Queen’s College by 114 runs.

Alleyne made 197-9 in 40 overs with Hans Campbell 74, Roland Husbands 46 and Achilles Browne 31 all wasting excellent starts.

Bhedesh Persaud captured 5-41 for Queen’s College who were bowled out for 83 from 29.5 overs with Navindra Persaud top scoring with 12 in a disappointing batting performance as Shamar Marshall 4-14, Jechoni Holder 2-20 and D’Angelo Springer 2-22 did the damage with the ball for the Bajan School.

At Content: St Leonard’s Boys’ beat The Business School of Guyana by 71 runs.

St Leonard’s made 167 all out in 31.2 overs with Corey Hoyte 23, Tremaine Dowrich 18, Jai Clarke 17, Coshon Scott 16, Tauron Gibson 11, Jaron Riley 14 and Todd Miller 10 all getting into double figures.

Tathesh Shivrattan 3-34, Christopher Harry, the Business School’s leading wickettaker continuing his work with 3-38. Marlon Boele 2-6 and Ushardeva Balgobin 2-48 supported with a couple of scalps each.

The Business School were bundled out

B’ce U-19 pacer Christopher Harry continues to have a good time with the ball in Barbados. for 96 in 25.1 overs despite Ushardeva Balgobin 18, Christopher Harry 15, Joel Gilkes 13 not out and Jamel Montel 12 offering token resistance as Tremaine Dowrich sliced through the Guyanese batting like a hot knife cutting butter to finish with 6-14. (Sean Devers)

Marcello, Abel, Persaud, Dyal among victors at White Diamond MA

Shimron Hetmyer finished last CPL season as the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ top scorer with 440 runs, including a maiden T20 hundred. world cricket and from other countries as well.”

“So it all helps you as a young player to develop your game and to know your strengths and weaknesses, and work on them as early as possible so when you do get to that stage it gets a little bit easier for you and you make a less amount of mistakes.”

Hetmyer was one of three Guyanese players the Amazon Warriors retained before the draft took place, and he is very pleased with the rest of the squad that has been selected for the upcoming tournament. “I think it’s a great pick. I must commend the management staff on picking such a well-rounded team. I would say also a very young team we have this year as well, with the exception of Shoaib.

For us now it’s just about basically getting the right combination on the park on that

specific day. We do have a very good team on paper so it’s all about us now just going out and putting on a very good show on the field.”

The Amazon Warriors have made the CPL final four times, including in 2018, and Hetmyer says he really wants to bring that CPL trophy home to Guyana.

“That’s the feeling I’m actually waiting to explain on that stage, I’m waiting for when we actually get to that hurdle and just stepping over it. Last year was heart-breaking for us to get, for us to be working that hard to get to that final and then we just lost it in that last game.

So, it’s just about going out this year to just do our best yet again in our group stages, in our group stage matches, and then just take it one step further this year in the final.”

Members of the Academy of contemporary Martial Arts with their accolades.

The White Tiger Martial Arts Academy held its championship at the Town Hall in New Amsterdam on Sunday last where a number of Martial Arts schools, including The Academy of contemporary Martial Arts participated. The tournament proved to be a success whereas a number of students were rewarded for their efforts in the various forms of Martial Arts. Malia Marcello of the Academy of Contemporary Martial Arts was in fine form as he got 1st in speed kick, sparring and freestyle kata, while his team mate Ezekiel Abel won the sparring segment and placed third in freestyle kata.Neil Machado also of the Academy of Contemporary Martial Arts finished third in the free style kata, Naipaul Persaud won the traditional kata, took the runner up spot in sparring and freestyle kata respectively. Dhanraj Dyal took first place in tradi-

tional kata, second in sparring and second in freestyle. Chad Bourne placed third in traditional kata, third in freestyle kata and third in sparring; Rodwell Alleyne placed first in sparring, first in traditional kata and second in freestyle; Aaron Bourne won the freestyle kata and sparring while he placed second in the traditional kata. Instructor Master Dellon Hyman was awarded second in traditional kata and freestyle kata, while the Academy of Contemporary Martial Arts placed second in team kata. Meanwhile, training continues at the Mahaica Guinness bar and Perth Society Hall and Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary in Essequibo as per schedule and grading in Essequibo will be held on the July 24.

Interested students can contact Ullanda Hyman on 687-7427 or 666-3416 for registration.

Thursday July 18, 2019

Australian newspapers lose Chris Gayle masseuse defamation appeal Sydney, Australia (AFP) — An Australian media group Tuesday lost an appeal against an Aus$300,000 (US$211,000) defamation payout to West Indies cricket star Chris Gayle after claiming he exposed his genitals to a masseuse.Gayle was accused by former media group Fairfax, which at the time was publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, of exposing his penis and indecently propositioning the woman in a dressing room during the 2015 World Cup in Sydney.

Gayle vigorously denied the allegations, claiming the journalists behind the series of stories published in the newspapers in 2016 were out to “destroy him”.

He won the defamation case in October last year after jurors found Fairfax was motivated by malice and had failed to establish a defence of truth.

The publisher appealed the case arguing it did not receive a fair trial and the judge should have discharged the

Bounty Paper Towel & Solo Drinks hockey leagues Restart delayed again

Cricketer denied increased payout

Chris Gayle jury after Gayle’s barrister attacked the credibility of the massage therapist.

Gayle also appealed the size of his payout, seeking an increase.A New South Wales court dismissed both appeals.

Gayle caused a stir in Australia in 2016 prior to the Fairfax stories being published when he attempted to flirt with a presenter on live TV, asking her out for a drink and telling her: “Don’t blush, baby.”

After winning his court case last year, he tried to spark a bidding war for a tell-all interview, promising that “when I break this down to y’all it will be like a movie”.

“Biding (sic) starts at US$300K for this interview!

So much to say & I will!” he tweeted to his then 3.75 million followers.Fairfax newspapers are now owned by commercial broadcaster Nine Entertainment, which purchased the media company last year.

WINDIES A-Batting not up to scratch, says skipper Chase ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Captain Roston Chase has lamented West Indies A’s batting woes, after they crashed to a disappointing 148-run defeat to concede the five-match one-day series here to India A here Tuesday.

Set 296 to win at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, West Indies A folded for 147 in the 35th over with only number 10, Keemo Paul, with a top score of 34 and opener Sunil Ambris, 30, showing any enterprise.

In last Thursday’s opener at Coolidge Cricket Ground, they collapsed to 125 all out in pursuit of 191 and were dismissed for 190 chasing 256 in Sunday’s second match at the same venue.

“It’s the same thing over and over again, the batting is not coming up to scratch,” a dejected Chase said after Tuesday’s last game.

“No one is really putting up their hand and getting that big score that can take us over the line.”

All-rounder Raymon Reifer has been the only West Indies player to notch a halfcentury, in what has been an indifferent display from the host side.

Perhaps the most disappointing performance came in Tuesday’s defeat. For the first time in the series, West Indies A got a decent start when Ambris and senior team

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Kaieteur News

YMCA OF Aces midfielder Theodore Thierens tries to find his way through an army of Saints Hockey Club defenders during play in the Bounty Paper Towel second division.

The Bounty Paper Towel Quicker Picker Upper- men’s and women’s outdoor, second division, development hockey league and the Solo Drinks under-20 men’s and women’s outdoor leagues will have to wait until next week to recommence following their two month break to accommodate the wet season.

Play was set to recommence this weekend but although the rain has rescinded, preparatory work needs to be done on the venue; St. Stanislaus College (SSC) ground, so the organisers, the

Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), for a second consecutive week, has decided to push the restart back to a one more week.

When the last match day of the second division league was played in May, Saints women defeated Bingo Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Spartans 2-0 to maintain their 100% record after winning each of their three games played.

On the men’s side, a hattrick from Captain Hilton Chester spurred Saints Savages to a 4-3 win over Old Fort

Rusty; a result that ultimately saw them going top in the men’s second division.

Meanwhile, GCC The Sequel lost their grip at the top of the men’s second division after losing 2-1 to Hikers Cadets.

In the boys’ under-20, YMCA Old Fort Hockey Club (OFHC) Ballers top the points table with 10 points with a better goal difference than second place GCC Pitbulls.

On the distaff side, Bingo GCC Spartans are top after winning each of their three games played.

6th NEE/Mohamed’s Enterprise Futsal tourney launched

Raymon Reifer … the only West Indies A player to register a half-century. opener John Campbell (21) put on 51 for the first wicket.

At 89 for two, the hosts still appeared in touch but then suffered a dramatic collapse that saw seven wickets tumble for 28 runs in quick time.

“The pitch was a good one and they played well but I still thought that we bowled well in patches, so I didn’t think it was too much of a [large] score,” said Chase, who has made 24 runs from three innings.

“I just think the batting is not coming up to scratch. We have to find a way to get some runs. We had a decent start

today but then we just lost wickets in clusters.”

West Indies will hope to rescue some pride when they face India A in the fourth match at Coolidge tomorrow, and Chase said it was important the side remained focussed.

“We have to stay positive and confident. The series is over but it is still good to play good cricket and see if we can at least win the last two games,” he noted.

“I’m just actually hoping the batsmen can put up their hands, put their heads down and come up with some numbers.”

Futsal action returns to the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) basketball court next week Friday (July 26th) as the New Era Entertainment with their flagship sponsor Mohamed’s Enterprise, kicks off their sixth annual futsal tournament for Linden teams.

The event was launched yesterday at Mohamed’s Enterprise headquarters on Lombard Street when the organisers noted that the tremendous support has allowed the event to be increased from 15 to 18 teams.

Over $2million in cash and prizes will be up for grabs by the respective top performers and the tournament that has three teams invited from region four will follow a group round-robin/knockout format.

There are a total of four groups with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.

The curtains will fall on

-Over $2million in cash and prizes the event on August 17th when the winning team will pocket $600,000, second place $250,000 and teams finishing third and fourth will take home $100,000 and $55,000 respectively.

Managing Director of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Nazar Mohamed, posited during yesterday’s launch that, “It is really an honour to be associated with New Era in this futsal competition for six years.”

This is by no way Mohamed’s Enterprise first support of football or sports in general and Mohamed further explained that, “We (Mohamed’s Enterprise) have been the main sponsors of the Kashif and Shanghai tournament for over three decades and it is an honour and it is with great pleasure that we associate ourselves with this

New Era group and we will continue to do so for many years to come.”

During his address, Mohamed also called on the government to invest more in sports.

Co-director of New Era Entertainment, Kenrick Noel, expressed gratitude to Mohamed’s Enterprise for their continued support of not only sports but towards projects in the mining town of Linden.

Noel’s partner, Aubrey Major Jr., shared with the media during the brief that he intends to keep the event a region 10 tournament and he has plans to invite teams from Ituni, Kwakwani and the highway come next year.

Among other sponsors of the event include Cellsmart and Ansa Mcal through their Heineken Brand.

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Kaieteur News

Aussie rookie Ewan wins bunch sprint in Toulouse AFP - Australian Caleb Ewan picked up his first Tour de France stage win in a mass sprint at Toulouse yesterday as Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe kept the overall lead.

With defending champion Geraint Thomas and his Ineos teammate Egan Bernal also finishing in the pack, there was no change in the overall top three after a 167km run from Albi to Toulouse, marked by a fall that forced Nairo Quintana into a successful race to catch up.

Ewan timed his explosive burst to perfection, catching and overtaking Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen right on the line after a long home straight. Elia Viviani was third on a finish designed for the pure sprinters.

“It took me half the Tour de France to get my win, but I got it in the end,” said Ewan.

“I let him go, caught his wheel and just had him on the line,” explained, the stocky 25-year-old.

In his first season with the

Caleb Ewan edged Dylan Groenewegen. (AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat) Lotto-Soudal team, Ewan has now won stages on all three Grand Tours after three wins on the Giro and one on the Vuelta.

It was a narrow win with the photo-finish, which takes

thousands of shots a second from both sides at the finish line, showing a marginal victory.

Sprint points leader Peter sagan of Slovakia kept his green jersey after finishing

fourth behind Ewan.

“I congratulate him, he’s too fast for me on that kind of course, said the 30-year-old Sagan.

Colombian Bernal kept (Continued on page 25)

Springboks choose eight black players in team for first time AFP - South Africa will field eight black players in a starting XV for the first time when they face Australia Saturday in the opening round of the 2019 Rugby Championship in Johannesburg.

The Springboks have twice before chosen seven black starters, against France in Durban two years ago and against Wales in Washington last season.An agreement reached several years ago between the government and rugby officials says that 50 percent of the 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan this year should be black.In the apartheid era, rugby was racially segregated with blacks barred from representing the Springboks.

Progress towards a team more reflective of a 92 percent black population in the republic has been slow since the collapse of apartheid almost three decades ago.

The 1995 World Cup-winning team had only one black, winger Chester Williams, and the 2007 champions just two, wingers JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana.

Full-back Warrick Gelant, wingers Sibusiso Nkosi and Makazole Mapimpi, fly-half Elton Jantjies and scrum-half Herschel Jantjies are the five blacks in the backline.

An all-black front row of Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane brings the number of black starters to eight.

Herschel Jantjies, pictured playing for the Stormers, is one of eight black players included in the South African squad for Saturday’s match against Australia. (AFP / Rodger Bosch) There are also three blacks — winger Dillyn Leyds, prop Lizo Gqoboka and lock Marvin Orie — on the bench.Herschel Jantjies, the ‘find’ of the Super Rugby season among the four South African sides, and Toulouse flanker Rynhardt Elstadt will win first caps when they face the Wallabies.Gqoboka is the third uncapped player in an experimental matchday 23 that will be led by lock Eben Etzebeth as regular skipper and flanker Siya Kolisi is injured.The team shows 13 changes from that beaten by Wales in Cardiff last November in their previous outing with only centre Jesse Kriel and flanker Pieter-Steph du

Toit retained.

“I want to congratulate Rynhardt, Herschel and Lizo on their first inclusions in a Springbok matchday squad,” said coach and former Springbok loose forward Rassie Erasmus.“We have planned to mix things up in the first two Tests of the season, in order to give game time to as many of the players in our wider squad.

“This is the right combination to face a very good and competitive Australian side so we are in for a great contest.”The Rugby Championship, usually a two-round competition also involving Argentina and New Zealand, has been shortened to one

round because the Rugby World Cup kicks off on September 20.

South Africa (15-1) : Warrick Gelant; Sibusiso Nkosi, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Elton Jantjies, Herschel Jantjies; Francois Louw, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Rynhardt Elstadt; Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth (capt); Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Tendai Mtawarira Replacements: Schalk Brits, Lizo Gqoboka, Vincent Koch, Marvin Orie, Marcell Coetzee, Cobus Reinach, Francois Steyn, Dillyn Leyds Coach: Rassie Erasmus (RSA)

Thursday July 18, 2019

Berlin tarmac to host Guinness football matches on Saturday The Berlin tarmac located in the environs of High and Drydale Streets, Georgetown, will officially make its long awaited return to action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown Championship.

The venue which was utilised in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, will stage the second group night matches on Saturday July 20th. Eight matches will be hosted at the venue.According to an official release from tournament coordinator Three Peat Promotions, “They have been calls from the communities via elders and players for the venue to make a grand return to action and we have acquiesced to their requests following discussions with tournament sponsor Banks DIH Limited. The Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ phenomenon is an event rooted in the community culture and Berlin is a part of that fabric that has made the tournament what it is today.” The release further said, “We are pleased to be returning to a venue that was part of the inaugural edition as the tournament will always be synonymous with and identified by its community origins, which is an attribute that should never be changed. We envision a mammoth crowd to descend on the venue especially from the surrounding environs as it is a historic night.”The round robin stage will conclude on July 26th. The top two finishers from each section will advance to the quarterfinal and subsequent semifinal round.Winner of the event will collect $500,000 and the championship trophy, with the second, third and fourth place finisher copping $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding trophy.They will also automatically seal a place in the National Championship in August.To date Beacons [Bartica Champion], Melanie-B [East Coast Demerara winner], Brothers United [West Demerara/East Bank Demerara winner], Trafalgar [Berbice champion] and High Rollers [Linden champion] are the teams to have secured automatic berths to the national championship.Below features the group assignments and complete fixtures for the group stage: Group-A Gold is Money Broad Street LA Ballers John Street Group-B Sparta Boss Albouystown-B Alexander Village Charlotte Street Group-C Leopold Street Tiger Bay Future Stars Albouystown-A Group-D North East La Penitence Back Circle Sophia Rising Stars Friday 19th National Cultural Centre (1)North East vs Rising Stars (2)Charlotte St vs Albouystown-B (3)LA Ballers vs Broad Street (4)Leopold Street vs Albouystown-A (5)Tiger Bay vs Future Stars (6)Gold is Money vs John Street (7)Back Circle vs Sophia (8)Sparta Boss vs Alexander Village Saturday 20th Berlin Tarmac (1)LA Ballers vs John Street-19:00hrs (2)Tiger Bay vs Albouystown-A-19:30hrs (3)Alexander Village vs Albouystown-B-20:00hrs (4)Back Circle vs Rising Stars-20:30hrs (5)Leopold Street vs Future Stars-21:00hrs (6)North East vs Sophia-21:30hrs (7)Sparta Boss vs Charlotte St-22:00hrs (8)Gold is Money vs Broad Street-22:30hrs Friday 26th National Cultural Centre (1)Alexander Village vs Charlotte St-19:00hrs (2)Broad Street vs John Street-19:30hrs (3)Albouystown-A vs Future Stars-20:00hrs (4)Sophia vs Rising Stars-20:30hrs (5)LA Ballers vs Gold is Money-21:00hrs (6)Leopold Street vs Tiger Bay-21:30hrs (7)North East vs Back Circle-22:00hrs (8)Sparta Boss vs Albouystown-B-22:30hrs

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

Winfer Gardens through to final

Moses Cordis Winfer Gardens will play their first Windball cricket final after they defeated Enterprise when play in the AL Sport and Tour Promotions 22nd Annual End of School

Terrance Wilson Year Edward Cobenna Memorial Primary Schools Champions trophy continued recently at the National Gymnasium.

In the first semi final,

Winfer Gardens won the toss and invited Enterprise to take first strike, they made 109 with Moses Cordis scoring an unbeaten 68 with five fours and eight sixes while Colin

Infantino says African football will ‘significantly improve’ with FIFA help CAIRO (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino said yesterday that the unprecedented move to step in and jointly administer African football with the regional body CAF will “significantly improve” the sport on the continent.

Infantino also brushed aside suggestions that there was widespread opposition to the move which followed corruption allegations against CAF president Ahmad Ahmad.

FIFA is sending its Senegalese secretary general Fatma Samoura on a ninthmonth secondment from August to overhaul CAF which has been plagued by chaos.

Infantino attended a CAF executive committee meeting yesterday where members were shown an 11-point plan.

Suggestions in the plan, seen by Reuters, included possible changes to the format of CAF competitions, a review of refereeing and a task force to improve stadium security.

Other points included a review of CAF’s judicial bodies, full transparency of money flows and implementation of good governance principles.

“What counts is that we decide to cooperate, that the highest FIFA administrator is coming to work with CAF...to improve African football significantly,” Infantino told reporters.

“This is about democracy.

We take on board all comments of everyone and together we try to do our best.

The only thing I ask is to judge on us on the results and not on speculation.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during his news conference in Rome, Italy, February 27, 2019. (REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo) Ahmad was reported in March to FIFA’s ethics committee by CAF general secretary Amr Fahmy, who was then fired.

Further allegations of fraud have recently been made against Ahmad, who was detained and questioned

by French authorities in June as part of a corruption investigation.

Ahmad has denied wrongdoing in several media interviews but has not responded to repeated requests

by Reuters for comment on the specific allegations against him.

FIFA has confirmed there is an ethics investigation into Ahmad, although he has not been suspended.

The second leg of the African Champions League final was abandoned in May in a row over the absence of the technology when it had been scheduled to be used.

When the referee disallowed an effort by Wydad Casablanca, they stormed off in protest that VAR had not

been consulted, even though they had been told before the game that the system was not operational.

Their Tunisian opponents Esperance were initially declared champions but CAF then back-tracked and ordered a replay. Both clubs have since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), asking to be declared champions.The ongoing Africa Cup of Nations was only awarded to Egypt in January after the original hosts Cameroon were stripped of the right to stage the tournament.CAF vice-president Amaju Pinnick said it was wrong to say that FIFA were taking over.

“We want to change the narrative from takeover to partnership and collaboration,” he said. “People just feel that they are taking over but it’s not the case.

“Basically, it’s to strengthen our judicial, our governance and our fiscal discipline.....its pure collaboration.”

Members of the Winfer Gardens team with supporters.

Gravesande made 36 with six sixes.

Winfer Gardens made 113-

2 in reply with one ball remaining. Shane Prince struck 64, while Shakel Marshall made

18 and Ovid Playtev 12; Terrance Wilson had two wickets.

Changes made to Grenville Felix 6th Memorial Cycle Race as lucrative prizes available

Mrs. Joan Perry and Wienel Felix presents the cheque to organiser and coach Randolph Roberts for the event.

A few changes have been made by the organisers as all is set for the sixth edition the Grenville Felix Memorial cycle road race in Berbice, as the organisers and donors strive to make the event bigger.

The event, which is set for Sunday 21st July, is sponsored by the Felix Family and organised by the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC). It is being held in honour of the late engineer who passed away five years ago at the age of 96 and is being coordinated by cycling coach Randolph Roberts.

The event is open to cyclists throughout the country and all the top riders are expected to be on show since lucrative prizes will be up for grabs.

The cyclists are expected to pedal off at 13:00hrs with a rolling start from his childhood place of residence at Betsy Ground, East Canje Berbice, in front the Betsy ground Primary School. The rolling start will see the riders covering a further two miles

from his former place of residence at 22 Canefield East Canje. At Canefield the cyclists will get the starters flag from Deputy Mayor of New Amsterdam, Wainwright Macintosh. They will then proceed to the No 51 Police Station before turning back to finish in front his former residence at Canefield, covering a total of 62 miles.

There will be categories for senior, veterans and juveniles 12-14 and females.

All the top cyclists in the country are expected to be on show since lucrative prizes will be up for grabs. Prizes will be awarded to first eight finishers, first three juveniles, first four 12-14, first two females and the first three veterans. There are eight sprint prizes up for grabs.

A top flight team of riders from Berbice will be among the lot as they vie to keep the coveted trophy on home soil.

The likes of Romello Crawford, Andre Hicks, Curtis Dey, Balram Narine,

Andre Green, Ajay Gopilall, and Ralph Sewnarine will be looking to withstand the efforts of the other riders from out of Berbice.

The defending champion is Jamal John. The Grenville Felix Memorial Trophy is a lien trophy and will be given to the first person who gets their name on it three times.

Felix, a father of 10, who was one of Guyana’s first and oldest engineers at the time of his demise, worked with the Bookers and Guyana Sugar Corporation in Guyana and various parts of the world.

This is the eight cycling event held in his honour. The first two was held in honour of his birthday. It was changed to a memorial event after he passed away.Mrs. Joan Perry and Wienel Felix daughter and granddaughter of the late Mr. Felix during the week presented the sponsorship cheque for the event to organiser and coach Randolph Roberts.

(Samuel Whyte)

PAGE 34

Thursday July 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

Minister Norton in successful visit to Orealla and Siparuta Accompanied by Olympian Michael Parris up the Corentyne River Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton over the last week made a visit to the Corentyne River Villages of Orealla and Siparuta.

Dr Norton during the visit was accompanied by Guyana’s lone Olympic medalist and boxer, Michael Parris.

The Minister along with Parris presented the residents with a punching bag which will be used to enhance their boxing skills.

The Minister also met with two coaches who are in the village of Siparuta for a one-week training camp.

Former national footballer and hinterland coach, Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Brathwaite and Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers are there to enhance the football and boxing skills of the residents of the community.

The deployment of the coaches in the Region 6 village was in response to a request made by the village council to Minister Norton.

Residents are excited and thrilled that the coaches are in the area, because it will benefit everyone. They intoned that the youths are very interested in sports and they are happy and will take the training seriously.

The residents were elated when they found out that

Football Coach Gordon Brathwaite going through some paces. coaches will be visiting the village to train residents in the two sports disciplines. They requested that the coaches remain for two weeks instead of one. According to Senior Councilor Kingsley Hudson, sport is one of the main ways they have been empowering and ensuring the young people are gainfully occupied.

Both coaches have high expectations from those persons who will be participating in the one-week camp.Coach Brathwaite said he could not wait to get started. “They really love

football and I am expecting to get a good reaction from them.” Boxing coach Rogers was impressed by the interest displayed, especially by the young women. “It is great to know that young women will come out because if we have a large number of women, we know for sure when there is boxing we will see real competitiveness among the women.”Minister Norton indicated that the coaches are interested in working in the hinterland to identify talent.

“For us in Guyana to make an impact, we have to involve

Boxing Coach Orlan Rogers holds the punching bag, while Suzika France takes a few swings.

the best team and we can only get the best team if we give everyone a chance. This is the beginning. Persons in the football fraternity might not know of Siparuta but Siparuta has a lot of talent, the interest, the enthusiasm and they are dedicated,” he said.

During the time residents meet and interact with Parris.

Residents also received sport gear which included boxing gloves, a punching bag and footballs among others. Both males and females are participating in the coaching sessions.

Guyana’s lone medalist at the Olympics, Michael Parris.

St. Lucia is first to qualify for Rd. of 16 with third win; Bermuda beat Suriname

Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship – Group A

St. Lucia, led astutely by their Captain Krysan St. Louis, who blasted all three goals against Antigua and Barbuda last night, became the first team from Group A to advance to the round of 16 when the third night of action in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship was played at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

The St. Lucians notched their third win of the group in as many matches and lead the points standings with 9 with their final match to play tomorrow against Guyana which will determine which nation tops the group.

Last evening’s second match saw Bermuda securing their first points thanks to a 4-1 win over Suriname which remains winless.

St. Louis continued her rich scoring form and is the leading scorer with five (5) following her double against Bermuda on Monday evening last when they triumphed 2-1. Like

she also did in that Bermuda win, St. Louis found the back of the nets early, she was on the score sheet in the 14th and 20th minutes setting the perfect platform for her side.

They never looked back and despite Antigua and Barbuda reducing the advantage when Danesia Wilson scored in the 39th minute from a long range shot, the St. Lucians never panicked as they went on to record another victory and qualification to the round-of16.

The lone goal in the second half was scored by St. Louis in the 72nd minute, formalising their dominance on proceedings.

Bermuda were able to stem the tide of losing with a comfortable 4-1 win over Suriname having lost to Guyana and St. Lucia, before. They were only ahead by a single goal after the first half thanks to Nia Christopher’s first goal of two which was scored in the first minute of added on time (45+1).They looked a bit

The Bermuda players celebrate their opening goal against Suriname. scratchy in the first half and were not composed in the final third but that scenario changed for the better in the final half as they fired in three more goals to Suriname’s, one.

Ryley Simmons tucked in a brace of her own in quick succession (56th & 58th) after which Christopher emulated her with her second of the match on the 61st minute.

Suriname had netted a consolation goal one minute before Christopher achieved her double when Orthea Riley found the back of the nets.

Meanwhile, Coach of the St. Lucia team, Emanuel Bellas expressed delight at being the first team to qualify out of the group noting that that was their aim all along. ”We are also aiming to top the

group because we still have one game but I am satisfied with the amount of effort the girls have put into the tournament knowing we have some persons who are nursing injuries and still giving you the effort that is needed, I think that is commendable.”

Bellas was high in praise for his charges that have scored a total of nine (9) goals to date

in their three victories. Already, he said they would be pulling out all the stops for the round-of-16 where they would be coming up against teams of a higher caliber, “So we’ll make sure that our training is going to be intensified.”

Bellas also informed that apart from the programme the St. Lucia has in place for the girls, their level of determination and interest in the sport must also be recognised. ”Some of these girls have come from the school system but I think the programme that we have back home that is aimed at developing female football, could be credited towards the performance of these girls.”

Play will continue tomorrow with what is anticipated to be the match of the group when Guyana’s ‘Lady Jags’ matches skills with St. Lucia in the clash of the unbeaten nations from 20:30hrs.

Opening rivalry will bring together Suriname and Antigua & Barbuda from 18:00hrs.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 18, 2019

PAGE 35

Junior CASA 2019 Guyana boys & Girls teams Team Championship sweep St Vincent 5-0 Boys beat Bermuda 4-1

The Guyana contingent participating in the Junior CASA in Trinidad were successful on opening day of the team competition.

A day after sweeping the individuals Boys and Girls U-17 with Abosaide Cadogan taking Gold and

number one-ranked Shomari Wiltshire capturing Gold in the Boys division as the Guyanese won four Gold

R&D Engineering Inc. supports Jefford Classic X

Senior Supervisor at R&D Engineering, Marvin Duke (left)hands over the sponsorship to Edison Jefford yesterday at the Company’s North Road Office.

R&D Engineering Inc. yesterday handed over its support for the upcoming Jefford Track and Field Classic X scheduled for Sunday August 11 at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground, Linden.

Founder of the Classic, Edison Jefford, thanked the construction company for their support, indicating that the gesture will sponsor the Masters Male 60m and one other event.

Jefford said that the cash incentives will go directly to the athletes as opposed to the clubs. According to Jefford, securing the athletes cash prizes was a top priority of his and he is heartened by the support he has gotten to ensure that the athletes are rewarded properly after they compete at

the meet in Linden. He said that athletes will collect their incentives immediately at the prize giving ceremony after their respective events.A total of $2 million will be handed out directly to the athletes in Linden.

Each event carries a total purse of $80,000 with the winner carrying home $40,000, second place $25,000 and third place $15,000. Jefford indicated that he has already secured the athletes prize monies, including medals.

Managing Director of R&D Engineering, Reginald Roach, said that his company will continue to be associated with Jefford and is proud to offer him support for a venture he came to him with many years ago,

Medals, the Boys Team won all of their matches against St Vincent and Grenadines 5-0.

The Guyana Girls beat the Vincentians by a similar margin as team Guyana enjoyed a highly successful day on the Court.

The Guyanese lads began the team competition in auspicious fashion as they aim to return to glory days of Junior Squash when they won every team title between 2005 and 2016 before being dethroned by Barbados on home soil in 2017.

The Guyanese boys were aided by two walkovers, while Mohyran Baksh easily disposed of

Jaydon Williams 11-3-11-611-9.

Gianni Carpenter then got a walk-over before Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, who got Bronze in the Individual U-17s, crushed Rashid Constance 11-7-11-1-11-2.

New U-17 Champion Wiltshire had an easy morning when dominated Mikhail Quashie 11-1-11-411 - 2 b e f o r e M i c h a e l Alphonso’s Walk-Over handed the South Americans won 5-0.

The Girls also dominated the Islanders as Beau Fernandes beat Ciara George 11-6 11-4 11-6, Madison Fernandes got a Walk-over, Makeda Harding got the better of Jada Ross 11-6 11-5 11-3, Caribbean U-17

Singles Champion Abosaide Cadogan received a WalkOver before Kirsten Gomes beat Nadira Morgan 11-5 111-11-1.

In their Evening action Guyana Boys disposed of Bermuda 4-1with Samuel Ince-Carvalhal having to come from behind, losing the first set, then beating Anaya Smith in four 3-1. Daniel Islam after taking the first set 12-10, went under to Taylor Carrick 3-1, while the other boys had comfortable wins.

In the scheduled matchups: Mohyran Baksh overcame Andrew Cox 11-3 11-3 11-4 Samuel Ince-Carvalhal beat Anaya Smith 9-11 11-8 11-5 11-6

Daniel Islam lost to Taylor Carrick 12-10 0-11 311 4-11 S h o m a r i Wi l t s h i r e brushed aside Charlie Riker 11-3 11-5 11-3 Michael Alphonso strode past Ethan Roserea 11-2 11-0 11-0 Meanwhile, in other Results from yesterday, Bermuda Boys beat T&T 32; Cayman Islands Boys beat Jamaica 4-1, Barbados Boys beat BVI 4-1, Bermuda Girls beat T&T 3-2, Barbados Girls beat BVI 5-0, Jamaica Girls beat Cayman Islands 41, T&T Boys beat St Vincent & the and Grenadines 4-1 and Cayman Islands Boys beat BVI 3-2. Barbados Boys beat Jamaica 4-1 in the afternoon game.

Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship – Group A... t r Spo The St. Lucia Women’s Under-20 Team following their victory against Antigua and Barbuda.

St. Lucia is first to qualify for Rd. of 16 with third win; Bermuda beat Suriname From left, Kenrick Noel, Aubrey Major Jr. receives the sponsorship cheque from Nazar Mohamed, as Shareef Major and Ansa Mcal’s Jamal Baird watches on during yesterday’s launch.

6th NEE/Mohamed’s Enterprise Futsal tourney launched - Over $2million in cash and prizes Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.