Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 5
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Is CPL 2015 new ticket exchange another scam?
Amerindian communities in Region 2 are crying out for just and competent leadership
DEAR EDITOR, Now it seems the home franchises of the CPL 2015 tournament have become entity managing the ticketing arrangements in each territory. Following a media release in 17 July 2015 Kaieteurnews by the Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise (GAWF) regarding a new system called the ‘ticket exchange programme’, the CPL entity nor the ticketing agent, Kyazoonga, appears to be taking the lead on this issue. Is this legal? What is more importantly however is that quite contrary to CPL and Kyazoonga Terms and Conditions concerning its Ticket Refund Policy, the seemingly new ‘authority’ for ticketing, the GAWF, has instead chosen to only offer a ticket exchange programme for the washed out match last Wednesday 15 July 2015. This system offers exchanges only for today’s the 19 July 2015 game at 8pm and such exchanges can only be done
at the Stadium’s’ box office, the latter disappears after next week’s Tuesday game. This system is fraught with danger and is a charade. At midday of the 19 July 2015 one’s examination of Kyazoonga’s ticketing site suggest just over half the tickets have been sold. In theory if all ticket holders show up for their ticket exchange there would be a serious overbooking of the stadium, more so the Grass Mound where you could pretty much pack beyond safety limits even for animals. Where would you be putting the additional 7,500 persons? What about those who persons, I am confident they number in the thousands, who attended the Wednesday game, and also already have tickets for Friday’s 17 July game? Why are you giving them more tickets to see the same game? What is GAWF taking a decision for me to attend
Friday’s game? The Wednesday was near sold out, suggesting people’s preference to see Jamaica square off with Guyana. Sale of Friday’s game is at about 50%, an indication of people’s interest. Now I would be reasonable, but I find GAWF, CPL and Kyazoonga are short-sighted by not offering to widened they exchange programme to cover all of the games, with of course the possibility to later offer of the possibility of a refund, where people had no interest in seeing the other matches or were otherwise inconvenienced to attend. This gives people more options and a more reasonable expectation for future CPL editions. Alternatively, your reputation will be tarnished and you, CPL and Kyazoonga and GAWF will face legal action. R.Persaud
DEAR EDITOR, I would like to refer to Ms. Stacy Cheong’s assertion in her letter in the Guyana Times of Sunday, 12th July, in which she states that “There are as many morals as there are people in the world, since morality is a reflection of culture, education, social development and other particularities of a people”. If we should accept this, then it means that everyone has a right to determine for himself what is right or wrong. Would this not obviously lead to chaos in any society, as everyone would make different judgements on what is fundamentally right? Maybe Ms. Cheong is muddling morality with the code of ethics that is formulated by any group to govern the nature of their interaction, but this also will have as its foundation the sense of right and wrong that morality determines through the use of the conscience that
all human beings are born with, and which is developed through conscious choices. I would like to posit that it is a dangerous thing to propose to immature minds that we each have a choice on what is right and wrong, as then we each would have the right the reject what even the authorities who govern us would include in the laws that rule our actions in our society. It must be accepted that
our birthright of conscience has instilled us with the ability to judge right from wrong, and we have been further endowed with a free will to develop this according to the basic acceptable values that we need to employ to apply these to our environment. May we all understand this basic principle and use it to develop a morally good society. Roy Paul
It is a dangerous to propose that we each have a choice on what is right and wrong
DEAR EDITOR, The residents of some Amerindian communities in Region 2 are crying out for just and competent leadership. For the past 23 years our communities waited. Many of those who opposed the former administration may have been the victims of power-drunk leaders who made no bones about going after the weak and the voiceless; some were suppressed, oppressed and discriminated against. But we were hopeful. Finally it came. The Change we all looked forward to is here. We all welcome the change, Mr. Editor, but this Change must be reflected from our small villages, up. In our hinterland villages, our towns; everywhere, there must no longer be tolerance for corruption. There must no longer be tolerance for incompetent leaders, there must no longer be tolerance for dictatorship in our communities. Yes, there are little dictators, untouchables if you like, even in our little communities in the hinterland of this country. They have to be exposed, and they will be exposed! Let us sound a warning to them, too, who will become leaders of our communities at the upcoming Toshao and Councilor elections during
this month. Let them understand that it would not be business as usual. No elected leader or leaders should be afraid to lead so long as they work in the best interest of their communities. However, at the same time, no one should ever think of holding a leadership position for the expressed purpose of seeking personal gain. He/she will be detected early and the chips will fall where they may. Of course persons must be held accountable now. His Excellency, the President of the Cooperative of Guyana Mr. David A. Granger himself said it: ‘’business will not be as usual”. And these words must reverberate throughout the entire country for residents NOT to allow business to perpetuate as usual. Many have been experiencing what every villager is calling a “one man show”, where all the major decisions were being made by the Head of the village. Now it must not happen. Let the residents of the community be consulted through C.G.M’s and let them understand their responsibility. We must allow them to speak. Their voices must be heard because there will be times when tough decisions will have to be made, made by the casting of ballots, perhaps, for or against. This is a community thing, and
we all have to bear the responsibility of deciding on the major issues, one way or the other. No, it is not a one man show. Consult us, don’t insult us! It is time for our hinterland villagers to seek change for the better, not for the worse. Let us elect those who are competent, those who have the interest of their communities at heart, and those who are trustworthy. It is time to launch activities that will make our villages attractive, places where tourists may want to come. There may be times during the year when we can attract visitors to engage in Sport Fishing? Do we have a lake nearby? Do we have canoes in which to paddle them around, safely? And so on. Let us put our country first, let us put our communities first and yes, let us seek growth and development for all, not for a few, but for all. The challenge is ours, let us accept it. The Change is here. Let us embrace it. Concerned resident
Page 6
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Fighting crime and learning from the... From page 4 ghettoes, it was these groups that most suffered by the implementation of this new mandatory minimum sentencing policy. Further we need to be reminded that the vast majority of imprisoned persons will be set free at some time, and prisons are not the best institution for preparing inmates for life outside of prison. In prison independence is not encouraged. Inmates are told where to go, when to go, when to sleep, when to eat etc. Today successful living in the open society demands that persons be confident and independent. It is this very inability of life in prison to prepare inmates for independent living that is often used to explain the high level of recidivism. The actions of the police coupled with the pressure placed on the courts to hand down harsh sentences (which really translates - longer periods of incarceration) resulted in pressure being placed on correctional agencies. Over time as the courts behavior began to take effect the cost of running prisons began to escalate and became a burden on the resources of both state and federal governments. Effective correctional programs could not be funded adequately and even catering for the housing needs of an expanding prison population became problematic. Some states like Texas for example, found it necessary to resort to erecting tents in prison compounds for housing prisoners. In reference to that period and what Texas learnt, the present Governor of the state – Rick Perry said on
Morning Joe on 16th July 2015, that Texas learnt being tough on crime must be balanced with “being smart on crime.” He then proceeded to speak of actions Texas took in the form of using alternative sentences (non-custodial) for those guilty of committing non-violent crimes. In Guyana some holding to the “get tough on crime approach” as tried in the USA and which led to minorities being discriminated against and the overcrowding of correctional agencies, suggest building more prisons as a solution. However the experience in the USA has shown that once you build them they will be filled. Also building new prisons and staffing same demands tremendous resources. Americans were not prepared to finance prisons at the expense of neglecting to refurbish roads, maintaining parks and playfields or possibly cut out school lunch. It is for having created this mess by way of mandatory minimum sentencing legislation that moved President Clinton to admit he made a mistake. Correcting and bringing order to the justice system will take thought and time. Recently President Obama pardoned 46 nonviolent criminals who were in prison for some time. In Guyana I am told, President Granger also recently commuting the sentences of around 40 young offenders who similarly committed non-violent crimes. These acts of the two presidents must be seen for what they really are – attempts to bring some initial relief to a dysfunctional criminal justice
system. So, it would seem that we in Guyana should choose to learn from the experiences of the USA as we craft our response to crime in the country. If we choose to do this then the USA, in its fight against crime, offers Guyana the following understanding; a) While getting tough (which really translates into a demand for longer periods of incarceration) on crime might satisfy our anger and reduce our fears for a while, it does not solve our crime problem. b) Getting tough on crime tends to lead to discrimination against poor communities and individuals c) Getting tough with crime often creates stress and greater problems in the criminal justice system. As it relates to point (c) beyond the challenges discussed above that the approach leads to in the justice system, there are also some other negatives that are useful for us to consider. For example it is often overlooked that the “get tough on crime” approach often gives rise to a tense relationship between the three agencies of the justice system. We like to talk about a suspect being innocent until proven guilty. However, this position is not true for all the agencies comprising the criminal justice system. The police do not arrest and charge people because they think they are innocent. The only agency that makes real this valued assumption of innocence until proven guilty is the courts. So when persons the police build cases against are set free or given light sentences the police see the courts as not supporting their efforts. On the other hand, judges are overburdened by the unmanageable amount of cases brought before them for adjudication. Judges wonder why the police do not use their discretionary powers to ensure that some of the more trivial matters are dealt with without appeal to over-burdened courts. The correctional agencies (jails and prisons) won-
der what ‘the hell’ the courts are doing by sending more criminals to their overcrowded and understaffed facilities. So in Guyana we need to harness our fears and control our anger, however justified these might be. Every day I read the various newspaper in Guyana I note the comments by office holders and letter writers expressing their concern about the crime situation in Guyana and offering remedies. While this concern is healthy, nearly all of these contributors focus on what the police are doing or not doing as the remedy, as if police action alone can bring about significant reduction in crime in a sustained manner over a long period. It is the behavior or lack of same, of every agency comprising the justice system coupled with other social realities that are really the main contributing factors. But even as I say this I am aware that in Europe there have been those thinkers who suggest that there is a relationship between the level of crime and the weather, noting that crime seems to be highest during the warm season. Fighting crime is a process and there are numerous and varying reasons why persons commit crimes, this is suggested by the fact that both the poor and the rich commit crimes. In Guyana based upon evidence continuing to be uncovered, it seems, as a percentage of their number in the society, the rich commit more crimes than the poor. So crime control will demand action on many fronts other than actions taken by the criminal justice system. All of us who want to make a contribution towards its reduction have the prerogative to choose which contributing factor/s we want to address. But as we do this let our contribution not merely be influenced by emotions but by an understanding of what might best work, based upon our study of what has been tried by others confronted with a similar challenge. Claudius Prince
Congratulations due to the Guyana Police Force DEAR EDITOR, Is it me or has the Guyana Police Force within the last two months solved a number of crimes which most likely would have been unsolved under the prior PPP Government? Against the back drop of the remark that “crime was never out of control” from the Police Commissioner at a recent media briefing is indeed telling. Not only because of the comparison between a 15 percent reduction in crime at this time last year which is being used as the yardstick to measure current levels of crime, but because it seems that political interference as well as rogue elements in the force tarnished the integrity of the force’s intelligence and crime fighting capacity. Congratulations are in order to the Guyana Police Force. In the space of two months the force has solved or made significant leads into several high profile crimes, notably the
assassination of Courtney CrumEwing, murder of Regent Multiplex Mall proprietor Ganesh Ramlall, robbery of MAli and Son Supermarket in Berbice and burglary and assault of a land court judge and her husband. These are much needed and welcomed signs that the Guyana Police Force, minus political interference and with the right leadership, can and has the capacity to solve crimes similar to those listed above. Now the force has to work on its ability to prevent crime, in particular situational crime. Another facet that requires significant strengthening is solving white collar crime which usually involves well known Guyanese elites and elite want-to-be’s. Keep up the good work ladies and gentleman of the Guyana Police Force and continue to grow from strength to strength in your duty to serve and protect. M. Archer
DEAREDITOR, With great gratitude, we are blessed to have a change in our Political system. Under the past administration we were afraid to voice our concerns but today thank God that democracy and good moral values are being enforced, this is what we need in this beautiful and dear country Guyana. Guyanese have suffered under the PPP/C Governance. We have lost parents, children, friends, and men of great value to society, who fought with all of their might to make Guyana a better home of freedom, justice and unity. The voices of these men’s blood are crying from the ground for justice. Let us not forget Chris Andrew Jacob a young man that had so much abilities, who had departed from us mysteriously on the 23rd of November 2014. He was found in a reservoir at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. We are calling on authorities for a new and serious
investigation into this case because the evidence had been tampered with, persons who have access to the engineering and maintenance building cameras at (CJIA) must answer for the missing footage from these cameras on the night when Chris Jacob departed from us. Suppose Chris had some info on the missing $600,000 plus that disappear from one of (CJIA) vehicle. We were told Chris was next in line to give a statement on that huge missing cash on the Monday, he was found the Sunday. What about the reservoir? Which have roof over it and the only way to gain entrance is down stationary ladders that are enforced to the concrete walls, we think that there are a lot of things hidden and still in box that needs to be reveal. Chris was jovial, intelligent with such great potential, we will continue to fight until our voices are heard. A call for Justice From Genuine friends
Please re-open an investigation into Chris Jacob’s death at the CJIA
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Insularity stymying regional unity
Owen Arthur The Gleaner - More than 50 years after the dissolution of the West Indies Federation, a regional political union that lasted from January 3, 1958 to May 31, 1962, insularity remains a major obstacle to achieving any real semblance of political or economic unity among Caribbean states. This, according to Owen Arthur, former prime minister of Barbados, is true, notwithstanding the signing of the original Treaty of Chaguaramas on July 4, 1973, establishing the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) as a regional bloc, and which was followed by the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. “The Caribbean has paid a tremendous price for insular nationalism, and the difficulty in bringing the Caribbean together in a single market and a single economy is that (upon being) granted independence, all of us have become either Barbadians or Jamaicans or whatever else,” Arthur told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum yesterday. “On the fundamental matters where we
have to give up sovereignty to pool it in support of a bigger common good, there is the greatest unwillingness to do so, and in the case of the currency, there is a vanity about it in some respects.” Arthur spoke about the failed attempts to agree on basic things as a common currency such as exists among members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States as one of the hindrances to achieving any real economic gains at the regional level. He told the forum: “It took Europe from 1957 to 1992 to create the single market. Doing the same thing, it took us from 1989 to 2006, but, believe me, it involved a lot of heavy lifting to move from where it was originally to where you could have a single market. Having created the single market, then the reason was to move to single economy because a market is only a place where goods and services are sold, and in 2007, we met in Barbados and laid out a road map to move from the market to an economy - a virtual economy really.”
Page 7
Page 8
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Nuclear deal will not change Iran’s relations with U.S: supreme leader DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday the nuclear deal with world powers did not signal any wider shift in Iran’s relationship with Washington or its policies in the Middle East. The agreement struck this week was met with celebrations in the streets of Tehran as many Iranians anticipated it would allow the economy, battered by years of sanctions, to stabilize and make their daily lives easier. But Khamenei, who has the last word on high matters
of state and had given his blessing to the nuclear talks, moved to dampen any speculation it would lead to a broader rapprochement with the United States. “We have repeatedly said we don’t negotiate with the U.S. on regional or international affairs; not even on bilateral issues. There are some exceptions like the nuclear program that we negotiated with the Americans to serve our interests.” U.S. policies in the region were “180 degrees” opposed to Iran’s, he said in a speech at a Tehran mosque punctuated by chants of
“Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. “We will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon. Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant U.S. will not change,” he said. Several Gulf Arab states have long accused Tehran of interference, alleging financial or armed support for political movements in countries including Bahrain, Yemen and Lebanon. Shi’ite power Iran denies interference but has pledged support for the Syrian and Iraqi governments, which are both fighting insurgencies by a variety of Sunni armed groups. Iran’s pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani struck a more conciliatory tone than Khamenei on Saturday. After a phone call with the ruler of the Gulf Arab state of Qatar on Saturday, Rouhani said the nuclear agreement would improve Iran’s relations with its neighbors. “No doubt, deal will lead Iran to closer relations w/ neighbors, esp Qatar,” Rouhani said on Twitter. Under the agreement
reached on Tuesday, sanctions will be gradually removed in return for Iran accepting long-term curbs on a nuclear program that the West has suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb. Iran denies it seeks a nuclear bomb. Rouhani belongs to the technocrat part of the Iranian establishment and has a more pragmatic approach to diplomacy. He hailed the deal as a “political, technical and legal victory” for Iran and has emphasized that “no deal is 100 percent”. Khamenei, however, has decided to take a more cautious stance and see if any red lines had been breached. The supreme leader said on Saturday he wanted Iranian politicians to examine the agreement to ensure national interests were preserved, as Iran would not allow the disruption of its revolutionary principles or defensive abilities. But his remarks did not shed light on Iran’s procedures for ratifying the accord, which are not known in any detail. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will brief parliament on July 21,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iranian media have said, and the agreement will also be examined by the National Security Council, the country’s highest security body. Zarif is set to travel to Gulf countries shortly after the end of the Eid holiday. In a message to Muslim countries, Zarif echoed Rouhani’s diplomatic stance, saying: “By solving the
artificial crisis about its nuclear program diplomatically, a new opportunity for regional and international cooperation has emerged.” Iran regards its nuclear program as an emblem of national dignity and dynamism in the face of what it sees as decades of hostility from Western countries that opposed its 1979 Islamic revolution. Khamenei’s remarks radiated a broad mistrust of U.S. intentions. He said successive American presidents had sought Iran’s “surrender”, and declaring that if war broke out America would come off worst. He later praised Iranian negotiators who thrashed out the accord in marathon negotiations in Vienna. “During the nuclear talks, we saw the Americans’ dishonesty over and over,” Khamenei said during meetings with senior Iranian officials and ambassadors from several Muslim states, according to his official website. “But fortunately our officials fought back and in some cases showed revolutionary reactions.”
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 9
GBTI warns about sugar industry’s drain on Treasury One of the country’s leading private commercial banks has urged Government to urgently find ways to revive the sugar industry to help reduce the drain on the treasury. Chairman of the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry Limited, Robin Stoby, SC, in his report for the bank’s first half at June 30, said that the David Granger government has moved with commendable alacrity to pass
the amendment to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill. Guyana had been warned to have the legislations passed or face harsher sanctions than the mere warnings issued by the regional oversight body charged with monitoring measures that countries have in place to fight dirty money. The country’s business bodies have been urging for its passage. The Bill was
recently passed in the National Assembly and assented to by President Granger. According to Stoby in his Chairman’s Report published yesterday in Kaieteur News, the recent report of a significant oil find in Guyana’s waters gives hope that over the medium term Guyana should join the group of oil-producing countries. GBTI would be referring to the news by US-owned ExxonMobil that it has
Dem boys seh...
Luncheon gun lie even in ee coffin …and dem boys don’t mean sleep forever Luncheon, de man wha think he was all powerful and almighty, cry like a baby, yesterday. Dem boys had to watch him and pity him He seh he been in power fuh 23 years before he and he kavakamites get kick out and now he got fuh sit down and watch how de new boys ripping down everything that dem put up. This son of a gun had de nerve fuh tell this nation, yesterday how he govt use to disclose everything. Dem boys seh that this man gone mad, so mad that not even a dawg would believe anything ee seh. All de contracts dem sign was de Waterfalls paper had to ketch dem and expose dem. Is only then dem use to talk half truth and in some case, no truth—pure lie. He seh that this new govt denying former Presidents- Hinds, Jagdeo and Ramotar- dem benefits and dem pension. Nobody ain’t trouble dem pension but dem boys seh that if that was true dem boys support it because de three of dem have done nutten good fuh this country but full dem pockets. Luncheon also seh that de new govt vindictive and spiteful. How dem knock off labba lip Kwame and sexy Lamotar plus Cee fuh Sealey, three good fuh nutten mothers. If dem boys had their way wid dem and some others, certainly dem boys woulda have dem in a boat heading towards de lip of Kaieteur Falls without a paddle. But dem boys ain’t got no time wid Luncheon, now. Instead, dem boys would like to see de new govt jail all of dem, including he, fuh his lying and dutty ways. Is he and dem same three ex-president got
de whole world laughing at we here in Guyana. A PPP man dead and gone to hell. He find that there is a different hell for each country. He go first to the German hell and he ask, “What do they do here?” He is told, “First dem put yuh in an electric chair for an hour. Den dem lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Den the German devil comes in and beat yuh fuh the rest of the day.” The PPP man don’t like the sound of that at all, so he move on. He checks out the USA hell as well as the Russian hell and many more. He find out that all of dem is de same as the German hell.Then he comes to the Guyanese hell and find that there is a very long line of people waiting to get in. Shocked, he asks “What dem does do hay?” De people tell him, “First dem put yuh in de electric chair for an hour. Den dem lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Den de Guyanese devil, everybody know is who, comes in and whips you for the rest of the day. “But that is exactly the same as all dem other hells - why so much people waiting to get in ?” de PPP man ask. “Because there is nevva any ‘lectricity therefore the ‘lectric chair don’t wuk. Brassington cause that. He never complete his hydro seed project. Luncheon tief all the nails, so dem ain’t got none fuh you lie down, and the devil who head de govt does just come in, sign de time book, and then guh look fuh perks fuh he and he best friend. Talk half and watch how Jagdeo and he boys gun get a dose of dem own medicine.
discovered significant quantities of oil offshore Guyana. “This has the potential for raising the level of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and creating new industries that should bring benefits to all.” Turning his attention to the sugar industry, Stoby believed that the new government has huge challenges on its hands to resuscitate the sugar industry to reduce its drain on taxpayers. Since taking office, the new government has plugged around $3.8B into the Guyana Sugar Corporation. The industry is facing a huge cash crisis with production at a two decades low and costs mounting. GBTI also warned that close attention should be paid to the rice and mining sectors “which are both faced with high production cost and low world market prices at this time”. For the first half, gold declarations have reportedly plunged by 17 percent in face of low world prices, poor weather and high costs of fuel. In terms of rice, despite record breaking production levels in recent years,
GBTI’s Chairman Robin Stoby Guyana has been struggling with finding new markets. News that neighbouring Venezuela, which is at odds with Guyana over a territorial controversy, will not be renewing its rice and paddy purchasing contracts beyond November are deeply worrying farmers and millers. “Our bank is paying keen attention to these events and endeavors to anticipate directions so as to take advantage of opportunities as well as to avoid setbacks.”
Stoby noted that global growth is picking up but the momentum has not been as strong as was expected as production has been weaker and investment has been fairly subdued. “With the turmoil in Greece as well as the slowdown of the Chinese economy, global economic recovery is expected to be further slowed. Regionally, signs of recovery are evident with progress in major economies of Jamaica and Barbados.” The Chairman noted that Guyana has just emerged from an election period which has resulted in a change of government after 23 years. “Prior to this, with the proroguing of Parliament no budget for 2015 could have been presented. This naturally has led to a period of reduced economic activity which has had its impact on the banking sector.” GBTI’s net profit after tax for the first six months amounted to $1.05B, about $50M less than the corresponding period last year.
Police officers granted bail on simple larceny, assault charges City Magistrate Fabayo Azore granted two policemen bail in the sum $50,000 each after they were jointly slapped with charges of simple larceny and assault. Darren Cameron, 25, of 30 Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden and his colleague, Odwin Amsterdam, 24, are accused of assaulting Kurt Saulker on January 15, at Kingston Seawalls. It was further alleged that on January 15, at the same location they stole a Blackberry cell phone valued $25,000 and $25,000 in cash, property of Saulker. The policemen pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday, after they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Police Prosecutor, Bharrat Mangru, presented the prosecution’s case. He informed the court that on the day in question, the police were on motorcycle patrol duties
when the victim was sitting with his family on the seawalls. Mangru said that the lawmen approached Saulter, slapped him with a gun and relieved him of the articles mentioned in the charge. They then made good their escape with the articles. The Prosecutor did not object to bail and indicated that ten witnesses are slated to testify in the matter. Cameron’s Attorney, Peter Hugh, asked for his client to be released on his own recognizance. The lawyer contended that Cameron has no pending or previous matters before a court of law. He added that his client has one minor child and is stationed at the Mackenzie Police Station. The defendants were granted bail in the sum of $25,000 respectively on each charge. This matter was adjourned until July 30.
Page 10
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Law students bemoan fees increase
The Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad recently implemented increases in fees for several territories
…foresee difficulties, possible dropouts For countless students currently attending and hoping to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School, the future does not look so bright, thanks to the imposition of an increase in fees. In fact, law students have not only foreseen difficulties in paying the fees but possible dropouts by students. One of those students is Kiev Chesney, President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Hugh
Wooding Law School. According to Chesney, who is also a second year Guyanese student at the school, the new fees increase is disconcerting and disheartening. Noting that it was a “substantial increase”, Chesney said that the new fees structure will make it extremely difficult for many law students to complete their legal education. Further, he said, it may force students who have already begun their education at HWLS to drop out. “Bearing this in mind the increases render access to legal education in the region inequitable and virtually unattainable for the average Guyanese student,” Chesney stressed. He continued, “Thousands of brilliant Guyanese and aspiring lawyers from other jurisdictions and across the region will be disenfranchised if they cannot afford these new fees, leaving the profession open to only those with the adequate finance to enter.” According to HWLS documents, Guyanese students will now be required to pay just over TT$91,000, per year. This equates to approximately GYD$2.9M. Other students from Dominica, St. Lucia and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines will also be required to pay this fee. Accommodation and living expenses are, of course, excluded from the total. Chesney explained that the new fee represents an increase of 38.7% or approximately GYD$833,000 per year. For the two-year programme, the tuition represents a GYD$1.6M difference from the previous fees. The CSR President further estimated that in addition to the nearly GYD$6M for tuition, students will also need to factor in approximately GYD$3M for accommodation, food and other expenses for the two-year period. This would push the estimated figure to nearly GYD$9M. He said, too, that the situation is made more difficult by the fact that a person
cannot practise law within the region unless they receive a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from one of the three law schools which fall under the Council of Legal Education. HWLS is one of these schools. The introduction of increased fees was not the only change implemented by HWLS. Recently, the institution changed its payment policy. Previously, students were allowed to pay a year’s tuition in increments. However, with the updated policy students are now required to pay for the entire year upfront. The 2015/2016 academic year is slated to begin in September. This leaves students with less than two months to find the additional funds. “The Students (continued on page 11)
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Sophia stabbing death…
Murder suspect dies after thrashing from irate residents A 37-year-old father of two is now dead after being attacked and beaten to a pulp by irate Sophia, Greater Georgetown residents who accosted him late Friday evening, believing that he was the one who murdered a 40year-old mother of three who lived in the area days before. Dead is Joel Dalrymple, called Jerry, of ‘B’ Field, Sophia - the main suspect in the stabbing-death of Janice Paul, a 40-year-old shopkeeper. An injured Dalrymple was reportedly taken to the
Turkeyen Police Station by members of the public on Friday evening around 23:15 hours and handed over to the police. By way of public missive, the police said that they observed that Dalrymple had injuries about his body and they took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The police added that their investigations have so far revealed that the public-spirited persons had arrested Dalrymple and “he was assaulted”. According to the police, a man has been arrested and is in police
custody assisting with the investigations. Paul, of ‘D’ Field, Sophia, was fatally stabbed by a man outside her home on Wednesday while her husband was badly injured in the attack. The assailant was identified as Dalrymple and the police had launched a manhunt for him, but that came to end when residents handed him over after first handing him a brutal thrashing. Contacted yesterday by this newspaper, one of Dalrymple’s cousins expressed shock at the situation. “It’s just a sad situation; there is no better word for it.”
Initially surprised by news of him being the main murder suspect for Paul’s murder, the woman said the family had tried countless times, albeit fruitlessly, to contact Dalrymple via telephone. The calls went unanswered but later she received a phone call informing that her cousin had met his demise. She stated that the 37year-old was of sound mind and had been a food vendor for some time. “He was a quiet, conscious-minded person who always believed in
Law students bemoan fees increase From page 10 Representative Council is therefore asking that the Government of Guyana and other stakeholders at the local, regional and at the level of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to intervene to allow us to have reasonable and equitable access too legal education and training in the region,” Chesney implored. The plight of the students
has not gone unnoticed by the Government of Guyana. During last week’s post Cabinet media briefing, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman indicated that that Guyana Government was looking into ways on how to assist the foreign students. He had emphasised that Government would not assume the responsibilities of paying the students’ fees.
Instead, he said, the administration will work along with HWLS and the Council of Legal Education to sort the issue out. He said, too, that the Government will perhaps speak with some financial institutions to see if some arrangement can be put in place to offset any complication. Meanwhile, it seems like
the Barbados Government has also intervened in the matter in regards to its own students. According to HWLS, the tuition fees for Barbadian students is approximately TT$19,000. The Government of Barbados will cover 80% of the cost of each Barbados student for the period 2015/ 2016.
Janice Paul in happy times working for what you want in life.” The dead man’s relative was at a loss for what could have been the root of the problem which led to Wednesday night’s murder. On Wednesday, residents of ‘D’ Field, Sophia were plunged into grief as they learnt that the 40-year-old shopkeeper was brutally stabbed to death and her husband, Eusi Paul badly wounded by a neighbour (identified as Dalrymple) who pounced on them. The Pauls were making their way to their Lot 34 Turkeyen/Sophia, Greater Georgetown home around 20:05 hours when Dalrymple
reportedly cornered them. Residents too had expressed shock and outrage at the attack, stating that they had no idea what could have prompted the vicious attack. In fact, most of them said that the rain was pouring so heavily, they were initially unaware of what transpired in the otherwise quiet area. Reports are that Dalrymple cornered them as they were about to enter their yard but while he managed to kill the woman, the man was badly injured and later rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was treated and sent away.
Page 12
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Sussex Street koker back in operation - Engineers The Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Sussex Street koker is finally back to normalcy after the hardworking G.S Khan Construction engineers worked throughout yesterday to restore the koker. This was ensured by collaboration between the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture to drain the Albouystown area which was severely affected by the record-breaking rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday last. The rainfall had caused increased water level in rivers and canals, which had significantly affected Regions Three and Four with flooding in several communities, in
yards and homes in some instances. As a result, some persons had to be evacuated to various shelters to seek assistance with the situation, such as the Albouystown Nursery School and the Selman Fraser Nursery School. Some communities in Georgetown were still flooded but according to the Minister, Albouystown was going to take longer to drain since the pumps to drain that community were not functioning efficiently. Up to late yesterday afternoon water in the Albouystown area was receding at a fast rate since the engineers were able to fix the koker in a timely manner.
According to the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, they cannot afford a regime of lawlessness that is inconsistent with our efforts to restore Georgetown. “The public needs to cooperate. We have cases where people have built concrete structures over canals which compromised the flow of drainage. And we are now starting the restoration of cleaning the canals, illegal dumping and looking for blockages,” the Major said. He added, “I believe that in a few months or years, we create conditions which are ideal, even when we get this unusual rainfall, the water should move within a few hours. And that is our hope
Hogg Street, Albouystown yesterday evening and dream.” However residents are still being housed in shelters until the situation returns to normalcy. This was confirmed when the Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, visited the areas on Friday last. The Ministry is collaborating with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on this response as mandated by President David Granger and the Cabinet. Similar arrangements have
been put in place in most of the hard-hit communities in Regions Three and Five. The Ministry has engaged the churches, the mosques and the temples seeking their assistance should the need arise. The religious leaders have committed to the Government that they will monitor the situation in their respective regions with the aim of providing assistance since they have a channel through the Ministry and the CDC
whereby they will be given the necessary materials that would be required to assist the affected persons. Minister Lawrence is urging persons in floodaffected communities who have senior citizens who need to be relocated to make contact with her Ministry. “The Ministry of Social Protection will come, evaluate the situation and remove those persons to Onverwagt where they can house about 160 persons” she said.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
GEA, Authentix install solar photovoltaic systems at President’s College It seems as if President’s College is on its way to returning to its former glory as governmental and nongovernmental efforts are being made to improve the facility where the resident students dwell. The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in partnership with Authentix Inc. recently installed three stand-alone Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems to provide energy efficient backup lighting with motion/occupancy sensors in the three dormitories at President’s College. Solar PV systems have gained increased importance as a renewable source of energy due to its many advantages such as little maintenance, no noise and no pollution. Prior to the installation of the three solar photovoltaic systems, there was no alternative or backup electricity supply in the event of a utility failure at President’s College. Loss of power would have resulted in much frustration, inconvenience and negatively impacted the resident students at nights. Power outages at nights resulted in disruption of activities such as studying, doing assignments and School Based Assessments (SBA’s) which in turn may have a negative impact on academic performance at the institution. Therefore, an alternative supply of electricity for lighting during power outages was needed to provide lighting for security purposes during power outages, enable students to complete assignments, homework and projects in a timely manner and facilitate studying at nights during power outages. Designed by Brian Constantine, one of GEA’s Energy Engineers, the solar photovoltaic system provides lighting in priority areas such as the living quarters, washrooms, apartments and corridors in each dormitory and will only
be for use in cases of emergencies or backup. “The system was designed based on the energy use (demand) at each dorm in the event of a utility failure to provide energy efficient lighting on demand using motion/ occupancy sensors,” said Constantine. He further added that “…the energy demand was based on the number of lights (approximately 44 lights per dorm) and the resulting usage time of each light in the various areas.” Based on the preceding criterion, the battery bank was computed to be just over 500Ah, with assumptions of three percent losses in the wiring and 10 percent loss in the inverter. The system was configured using two batteries connected in parallel, thereby supplying 12V. Pure sine wave inverters rated at 1000W were selected to provide the AC power to the energy efficient lights in each dorm. Occupancy sensors were employed along the corridors of each dormitory to ensure operation of the hallway lights only when needed. Sustainability of these systems will be ensured since each inverter is equipped with a low voltage disconnect, thereby preventing overuse of the system. The overall cost of the system was $2,891,328. Authentix provided funding for the project to the tune of US$10,000- the equivalent of $2,090,000. Along with the design, technical oversight and installation, the GEA provided solar panels, inverters and other support to the value of G$801,328 that was needed to complete the project. According to Dr. Mahender Sharma, CEO of the Guyana Energy Agency, “The installation represents a culmination of the learning over the last few years, whereby GEA’s Engineers, using appropriate and energy efficient technologies along with their experiences in sustainable energy
development are able to translate that knowledge to help the students.” Authentix, being the company who provides the ‘marking chemical’ for GEA’s Fuel Marking Programme and GEA have had a partnership since 2003 when the Programme commenced. The company said that given that many of their employees are scientists and engineers, they are aware that a good education is the foundation for a lifetime of success. The project for the President’s College students therefore offered the organization “…a great opportunity to help a new generation of scholars as the renewable-energy system would ensure that the students have the lighting needed to complete their assignments and to benefit from cutting-edge solar and lighting technology.” “One of our company values is to advance science and technology - for a better world,” said Bernard C. Bailey Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Authentix. “As we have been working with the GEA for more than a decade, we are thrilled to be able to provide these students with advanced solar and lighting technology to support their studies,” he further posited. President’s College, Golden Grove East Coast of Demerara, was founded in 1985. The institution has three dormitories which accommodates students from all regions across Guyana. At present, about 250 students are resident at the college. The college significantly deteriorated over the past 10 years. The grade needed for a student to be awarded that school was lowered and long time workers attached had on numerous occasions told Kaieteur News that “the then government (the PPP administration) was deliberately neglecting the school.” Some felt that that was the case because the PPP saw the College as a “Burnham legacy.”
Region Two summons ‘Face the Community’ sessions Senior officers of the Region Two Administration and Heads of Department from the Health, Education, Sanitation, Drainage and Irrigation Departments will interface with members of the various communities in the Region to get an understanding of some of the most critical problems that affects them. Devenand Ramdatt, the Regional Chairman disclosed at a recent Regional Democratic meeting that the “Face the Community meeting” would extend to Communities on the Coastlands as well as areas in the Hinterland Communities. Ramdatt said that flooding and the generation of insufficient electricity were notable problems that residents in the Region
often times complain about. He however said that continued efforts undertaken by the Region have alleviated the problem to a manageable extent. Ramdatt also believes that in venturing into communities and interfacing with residents he and his team would get a clear understanding of the issues and reviews and recommendations would be made. Ramdatt said that he is willing to work with his Council in order to bring about relief where necessary. He held the position of Assistant Director of Youth and Public Relations Officer for the People’s Progressive Party before assuming the position of Chairman. (Yannason Duncan)
Page 13
Page 14
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
National Census report release postponed Nearly a year after the Bureau of Statistics revealed the preliminary 2012 population census to the public, the release of the final report, which was expected to be during the month of July, has been postponed indefinitely. This is according to the Bureau, which had unveiled their preliminary findings in late Ju n e o f l a s t y e a r, s h o w i n g t h a t G u y a n a ’s
population had in fact decreased since 2002. This had encapsulated a drop of about 3,000 persons. However, the body could only provide preliminary information but had promised a subsequent report in the second quarter of 2015. The final report is expected to include a number of additional information, including data on the employment and
unemployment rates in the country along with the ethnic makeup of the population. In a press release, the Bureau stated that due to logistical problems, this could not be done. “The Bureau’s policy intention was to complete the Census Analysis within a period of three years from Census day, thus significantly improving on the five-year time span taken for the results of the 2002 Census to become available.” According to Chief Statistician, Lennox Benjamin, “The Bureau is well aware of the national interest that is engendered in the results of a Population and Housing Census. However, in the face of considerable challenges the Bureau opted for accuracy and credibility over the pressures of time.” The release also noted
Chief Statistician Lennox Benjamin that the Bureau was still within the three-year selfimposed time frame since Census Day 2012, but was in the process of finalizing a data dissemination plan to respond to the most frequently demanded set of
data, including the ethnic composition of the nation, followed by interest in the age-structure, the quantum and components of the foreign-born population, the gender distribution of the population and the economic activity and Labour Force profile of the population. According to the 2012 Census report, Guyana recorded a marginal decline of 3,339 persons from the 2002 Census report. In September 2002, the Guyanese population was recorded at 751,223 while the new count was down to 747,884 persons as of September 15, 2012. The preliminary report looked at the broad parameters of the population including the density of the administrative regions and the male to female ratio of the population. Further, the
preliminary report took a look at the building stocks of the country. The decline from 2002 to 2012 represents an annual negative growth rate of 0.004%, the report showed. It had previously been indicated that the conducting of the 2012 Census had been plagued with challenges including the lack of skilled personnel and issues with making contact with subjects. The 2012 Census was the 17th National Census of Guyana and was also Guyana’s seventh Post-War National Census of Population and Housing. As part of the conducting of the census, Guyana joined the regional movement led by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat as part of the United Nations’ mandate to execute the 2010 Global Round of Censuses.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 15
Page 16
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Flooding around the city …
Meteorology centres predict more showers for next 11 days In response to heavy rains which resulted in flooding of the capital city and the coastal areas of the country earlier in the week, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott, and a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, (CHPA) and Guyana Water Incorporated, (GWI) last Friday, visited several flood affected residents in Lodge, Georgetown. The effects of the two-day flooding were still evident when Minister Scott and his team visited the community. To ensure the health and safety of the flood-affected residents, the team distributed
cleaning detergent, provided by M. Beepats & Sons Ltd. While flooding is not a new scenario, residents were surprised with the amount of rainfall and how quickly the community flooded. They expressed optimism that Government will find a solution to the flooding situation. Also in response to the situation, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had announced that a National Emergency Operations Centre was activated in response to the situation. Minister Harmon was part of the high-level team that included other Ministers of
Minister Keith Scott hands out cleaning detergent to a resident of Hadfield Street Government, representatives of various critical state agencies, the Red Cross and other organisations, at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Thomas lands, Georgetown. Harmon had explained that a localized response utilizing all the national assets including experts and persons with specific skills and knowledge is being brought together to restore communities to normalcy in the shortest possible time. The plan will concentrate on three essential areas, the disruption of life across the country; people who might be misplaced and persons whose
properties and other assets have been damaged. According to information posted on the Government Information Agency , (GINA) website, the Minister of State advised, “We want to say to the nation that the Government is very aware of what is taking place, we are taking steps on behalf of the people to ensure that people’s lives are not disrupted in a prolonged way. We will use all the resources available to the state to bring them to bear on this situation so that the people’s lives can go on as normal.” The GINA report further outlined that Minister of
Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had said that all sluices, pumps and drainage canals are in working order. According to Patterson teams from the Public Infrastructure Ministry are at various locations to provide immediate emergency services if the need arises. The Minister explained that the possibility of getting additional pumps from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority is being considered. Meanwhile, reports from local and international meteorology centres show predictions of more showers in the next 11 days.
Prominent Venezuelan Opposition figure banned from legislature Venezuela (TelesurTV) Prominent Venezuelan opposition figure and Miranda State Governor, Henrique Capriles, was banned from his own state legislature Thursday, after legislators slammed him for issuing controversial comments on Guyana. The state legislative council voted to declare Capriles a “persona non grata” – effectively barring him from entering the legislature. The Council’s President, Aurora Morales, said the vote was prompted by Capriles’ recent “irresponsible” public comments. Morales and the majority of council members are aligned with Venezuela’s ruling socialist party, the PSUV. “On July 11, 2015 … Henrique Capriles appeared giving statements in favour of the government of Guyana … thereby demonstrating his position and pro-imperialist character, an attitude that is contrary to the patriotism and sovereignty of the Venezuelan people, and specifically the people of Miranda state,” said Morales.
Locked Out: Henrique Capriles Morales was referring to Capriles’ commentary on a territorial and maritime claim by Venezuela on Guyana. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle earlier this month, Capriles accused the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of “beat(ing) its chest” over the long simmering territorial dispute. “What they want is to put an issue on the table to divert the attention of the Venezuelan people from the
issues that affect them,” Capriles claimed. Formerly a presidential candidate, Capriles was once the de facto leader of Venezuela’s opposition, though his popularity has been eroded in recent years amid a power struggle within the right-wing. The territorial dispute by Venezuela long predates the Maduro administration. Venezuela reignited the issue earlier this month, after US oil giant ExxonMobil announced that it has discovered oil in Guyana waters. Maduro argued the Guyana government should have consulted Venezuela before going ahead with exploration, and accused ExxonMobil of trying to force a wedge between the two South American countries. Maduro has since called on the United Nations to mediate the dispute. http://www.telesurtv.net/ english/news/VenezuelasCapriles-Banned-from-OwnStates-Legislature-201507170017.html.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 25
The role of managers in healthcare delivery and professional development By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine I believe that healthcare managers should be the link between the daily operations and the strategic planning of a healthcare organization. They have dual roles whereby they are involved in developing the plans of the organization and also ensuring that these are reflected in day-to-day operations. They therefore represent the interest of the healthcare organization, the staff they supervise, and the patients that benefit from their input. The best way they can represent the interest of the organization is to develop effective and efficient goals, resources, and policies which will govern the daily operations of the system. An example of this at my institution is the development of treatment policies for patients. The manager is responsible for the formulation, implementation and adherence to the treatment policies. He/she will collaborate with the medical staff and then appropriately develop treatment policies.
These policies will be proposed to the hospital board for approval and the manager will have to ensure that he/she collaborates with the medical staff to ensure that the policies are delivered towards the enhancement of patient care. Other than treatment policies, managers are supposed to collaborate with medical staff on various operational matters which should serve to improve patient care and staff satisfaction. At my institution there is the provision of specialty training to emergency doctors. As the head of my department, I function in a similar capacity. My role is to ensure sustenance of the specialty training programme in emergency medicine. I am able to improve staff satisfaction by improving their medical knowledge and skills. This will be then transferred to more effective patient care. A similar model is urgently needed for the nurses if we are to continue to strive for the betterment of patient care. As like other developing systems, managers will face resistance to improvements like these, but they should not let this
The Baccoo Speaks Vigilantism has reared its head. People have been boosted by the police action in capturing criminals almost as soon as they commit their act. This man whom the police would be seeking would be caught by members of a community in the city. The people would beat him to death for killing a woman. ** Road accidents are never far away. A car would end up in a tricky situation because of speed. The driver would be rather careless when trying to overtake. He would end up in the path of an oncoming vehicle and cause both vehicles to take evasive action. The result would be horrific.
** The eastern part of the country continues to attract gunmen who would otherwise have been making their mark in the capital. But things are not going to be easy. One group would attack a household only to be thwarted by the quick response of the police. One of the men would be shot.
deter them from achieving the higher goal, which is improved medical care for the patients. Effective patient care is achieved when efficient and effective management of patients is delivered. This can only occur when patients are satisfied and have appropriate outcomes from their illnesses/injuries. A manager is therefore required to ensure that quality improvement measures are implemented and followed up.
We routinely do patient mappings where patients are tracked from the time of their presentation to their disposition. Feedback is then given to the staff and the institution, so that commendations and improvements can be made when necessary. This therefore highlights the dynamic role of managers in healthcare delivery. It is an ever-changing role in an everchanging field. I conclude by sharing my rule on how I
manage my system at home. I am a believer in the 80:20 rule I have developed to guide my practice as a manager. It is basically a guide which means that at any point in time, 80 percent of my staff should agree with my plans; a minimum of 80% of patients should be happy with the care they receive and at least 80 percent of my plans for the department should be achieved. While all of this is happening, I am busy
Dr. Zulfikar Bux focusing on finding opportunities to minimize the effects of the other 20 percent.
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
A SHORTCUT THAT KILLS By Michael Jordan I’ve come to dread this short, winding track, with the bushy stretch of land nearby where the cows graze, and the small white bridge that links Diamond Housing Scheme to the neighbouring Grove community. I sometimes pass this way at dawn with the joggers and track-suited walkers. Never after sunset, though. Residents call this area ‘The Aqueduct’. They might as well have named it the devil’s shortcut. Bad things seem to happen to people who use it at night, thanks to the young robbers—male and female, I understand—who lurk there. It’s not unusual for those living nearby to hear the screams of the victims. Bharrat Pitamber, the tailor, knew of the risks of using the shortcut at nightfall. He’d almost been robbed before while riding through that track. But that didn’t stop him from cutting through ‘The Aqueduct’ on the night of Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Maybe he was anxious to go home to his wife and six-month-old daughter, and to a hot dinner after a hard day’s work. Earlier in the day, at around 07:40 hrs, Pitamber left his home at Lot 1401 Section ‘C’ Grove, East Bank Demerara. He then headed for his tailoring shop, located on the East Bank Demerara public
road. While there, Pitamber sold a caged bird to an acquaintance for $45,000. He reportedly collected another bird from the same acquaintance. Then he rode through the shortcut for the very last time.
They also retrieved a bicycle and the murder weapon. And here’s where things became devilishly strange.
THELITTLE BOY’S TALE It’s said that at around six o’clock that same night, a 15year-old boy left his Grove home on a bicycle to buy some chicken at the East Bank Demerara Bounty Farm outlet. A friend accompanied him on the same bicycle. Because he had an injured leg, the 15-year-old reportedly told the friend to ride to the outlet and buy the chicken, while he waited. The 15-year-old was reportedly joined by two other boys, and they all rode west up a roadway in Grove that runs parallel to the Diamond access road. And they were a short distance from ‘The Aqueduct’ when they saw the friend, who had gone to buy the chicken, riding towards them. This boy alerted the others that he had seen a man lying on the roadside near ‘The Aqueduct’, and that the man was calling out for help. The 15-year-old alleged that when they reached the scene, the wounded man, later identified as Bharrat Pitamber, was still alive. Two bicycles were reportedly on the ground nearby, as well as a caged bird.
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD WITH TAILOR’S BIKE On Saturday, July 2, the day after Pitamber’s murder, a 12-year-old boy reportedly came to the home of the 15-yearold whose mother had sent him to purchase chicken the previous day. The younger boy had a bicycle, and that bike belonged to the murdered tailor. “What you doing with that bike?” the elder boy reportedly asked his friend. It is alleged that the lads then decided to take the bicycle to Pitamber’s relatives. The mother of the older lad claimed that Pitamber’s relatives took the lads back to the scene and then handed them over to the police. It was then revealed that one of the boys who had found the tailor had picked up Pitamber’s bicycle. Another took the caged bird. The lad who took the bicycle reportedly tried to exchange it for a phone, but the friend refused to make the swap after learning that the bicycle had belonged to a murder victim. But what of the bicycle that police found near Pitamber? It turned out that someone had stolen that bicycle from
Bharrat Pitamber and his wife
They also saw a large ‘Rambo’ knife, with which Pitamber’s assailant had reportedly stabbed him in the chest. The 15-year-old and a 12year-old rushed to the nearby Diamond Fire Station and told the staff about the injured man. The men summoned the police who took Pitamber to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital. By then, the tailor was already dead. At the scene, police observed a blood trail which suggested that Pitamber was
attacked soon after riding through the shortcut into Grove. He then tried to run east up the roadway, but collapsed. From cuts on the slain man’s hands, police deduced that he had put up a struggle that caused his attackers to drop the murder weapon and flee empty-handed. Pitamber’s cell phone, the $45,000 he had collected after selling his bird, and a receipt, which showed he had paid the rent for use of the tailoring shop, were all in his pockets.
an elderly man, while the owner was cutting grass for his cattle. Police have suggested that the bike thief and the killer are the same. They suggested that the killer panicked and left it at the scene. Police rounded up all the lads, as well as an 18-year-old, who all denied involvement in Pitamber’s death or knowing the identity of his killer. They have all been released, but police are reportedly planning to consult with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on the way forward. Meanwhile, those who believe in fate would say that Bharrat Pitamber’s time had come. Others are left to wonder at what might have been, had the tailor avoided the shortcut that night and chosen to ride the long way home… If you have any information about this case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location, or reach us on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, 22-58473, or 2258491. You can also contact Michael Jordan on his email a d d r e s s mjdragon@hotmail.com. You need not disclose your identity.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 27
== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
I lived in white man’s country. The non-white record is awful I am a non-white citizen of the Third World, born and raised in a non-white country. No one in this entire world can sell me any nonsense of how bad the white world is and what the white world has done and is doing against the nonwhite peoples of the world. If I am in any forum, anywhere in the world among the most learned anti-white scholars, I would reject that as nonsense and the persons peddling it as idiots. I don’t care if those scholars are the greatest brains civilization produced. From the time I was born I have been hearing how the white man told us to close our eyes and pray, when we open our eyes, the white man had our land and we had their bibles. Is that a fact? The answer is yes? Is it a fact that the white man exploited the resources of the colonial world? The answer is yes? It is a fact that the Western conqueror tampered with our culture and our psychology. The non-white world had produced scholars as great as Europe and they have showed us the ravages of colonialism. Edward Said, CLR. James, Walter Rodney, Frantz Fanon among others. I grew up, became a grown up adult, and I am still hearing how bad the white man was and how permanent has been the damage of the white man on the colonial mind. Well, there is a simple way out. If the white man has so ravaged the psychology of the non-white races, then why do we still want to live as damaged goods? Why don’t we all commit suicide because we would never achieve dignity, innovative ideas and free
minds? What the hater of the white man doesn’t tell us is what we have done to ourselves long after the white man left. And that our lack of development, inventions, attractive ideas, modern thinking, may be due to genetic factors rather than the permanent destruction of our national cultures by western plunder. What the anti-white preachers don’t show us in the Third World is the damage we have inflicted upon each other long after the white man took our resources and left. What have we done with our countries since he left? Have we reclaimed our dignity? Have we treated our own non-white folks with more respect or is it the opposite –that we are crueler than the white man has ever been? I remember the words of Joshua Nkomo. After the success of the Zimbabwean revolution and he fell out with Robert Mugabe, he wrote that he was never more persecuted in his life than under his own people. You look around the world today and you will find that the richest woman in the world is not the daughter of a ruler in any white country. But she is the daughter of former guerrilla and current president of Angola, José Dos Santos. We blame the white man for every major depravity we commit in the Third World yet the white world is far more civilized than us. We put young men in jail in Guyana for mere possession of a smoking utensil, something that is unimaginable in any white country, including New Zealand and Australia.
The white colonial destroyed our national cultures and our institutions and what have we done to reclaim them long after the white man left? In this country, one of the poorest in the world, a president spent sixty million American dollars on a Marriott Hotel to cater for foreigners who will never come, while the country’s only university falls to pieces. By what asinine logic can we in the Third World blame
Western penetration for the mess we are? The white man’s country was just as primitive as we are now in the Third World but the white man, out of nationalist love, fashioned a modern nation. In white man land, the leaders are in a hurry to build bigger universities, larger trains, cleaner hospitals, while we in the Third World, long after the white man left, are nowhere near those goals. Here in Guyana, we have mere months before we
celebrate fifty years of Independence. What is there to celebrate? Certainly not the achievements of human rights. In which white country could a child be expelled peremptorily from primary school for the mere possession of a cell phone? This morbidity takes place quite often in Guyana. In Guyana fifty years after Independence, you sue the police for brutality, you sue your employer for wrongful
Frederick Kissoon dismissal, you sue the state for violation of your rights and the case comes up fifteen years later - long after you are dead and gone.
Page 28
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Careful preparation for oil production is imperative A number of readers, among them business owners and professional engineers, have asked for this column to be re-printed since it contains a key message for policy makers and a “heads-up” for current and potential entrepreneurs. The latter, they say, must begin immediately to examine the opportunities for new enterprises that should come on stream well before the first barrel of oil is extracted. Actual oil production from the first significant find in the Stabroek Block is years away. In the interim, citizens should have already begun to research the many downstream services and the types of trained skills that a hydrocarbon operation would require. More importantly, the time is now for related courses to be included in the curricula of public and privately-operated trade schools and other institutions of tertiary education, particularly certificate and degree level programmes in Petroleum Engineering. Below is a truncated version of the column that first
appeared on Sunday 31st May, 2015. “The discovery by ExxonMobil of huge deposits of oil within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone spells progress for every citizen - economically, socially and even psychologically. One more positive factor is the US Geological study conducted several years ago which surmised that the Guyana Basin was the second largest unexplored area for hydrocarbon deposits in the world. The Guyana government understands very clearly that the road to massive capital revenues will be long and challenging. This road is laid with paving stones for thousands of jobs in the manufacturing, services and commercial sectors, since new upstream and downstream support industries will be required many years before oil extraction begins. The government intends to facilitate specialized technical and vocational training and to invest heavily in health education, research and development, environmental studies and assessments of the likely impacts on the
population’s economic activities. A much broader Education sector is one major benefit for a nation in preparation for a hydro-carbon industry. The immense range of skills that will be required includes mechanical, electrical, automotive and heavy duty machinery engineering for maintenance of oil extraction rigs, transport vessels, allterrain cargo and personnel vehicles, peripheral equipment, and specialized communication and other technological systems. Guyana’s capacity for providing support services is also expected to improve hundred-fold in the hospitality and food industries. There are an estimated 116 types of secondary industries that could evolve in the preparatory and operational stages of hydro-carbon mining. The skills of A c c o u n t a n t s , Environmentalists and laboratory analysts will be needed alongside research developers and primary to advanced health care providers.
There have already been offers received from oilproducing countries, the United States and Canada in particular, to assist with Guyana’s preparation for an industry of this magnitude. The most essential stage of the entire process is the crafting of appropriate legislation and strategies for their implementation and sustenance. The regulations must encapsulate the potential effects of seismic surveys, drilling and extraction operations upon the natural environment and the users of that environment. It must take into account the effects on marine wildlife, on the livelihoods of the people who subsist on marine life and those who dwell in the vicinity of onshore oil-related operations. It accounts for every potential environmental emergency (e.g. oil spills) to ascertain that immediate response measures are in place. THENEWFOUNDLAND, CANADAEXPERIENCE The challenge of realizing the potentials of an industry as large and diverse as petroleum production is as immense as the opportunity itself, according to the former Head of a Canadian Mission. The experiences of the Canadian province of Newfoundland are very instructive. Since the discovery of huge quantities of oil and gas in the Atlantic Ocean due north of New York State, USA, (1979) the province has prospered and the financial, social and economic benefits
spread out to the citizenry and the private sector. Effective Management, foresight and a strict Regulatory Model with Environmental Protection as a key element were the pillars that transformed the province into its current state of wealth. Newfoundland today records the highest GDP growth in Canada and its capital, St. John’s, is regarded as one of the world’s 16 ‘energy cities’. It now records the second highest GDP per capita, the second lowest unemployment rate, and high re-migration rates, as jobs became more available in the public and private sectors. This, of course, translated into a booming housing sector and a wealthier population whose interests were protected, including the people involved in the traditional fishing industry. The search for oil and gas began in offshore Newfoundland in the 1960’s. The four largest basins were discovered in 1984 and actual production commenced in 1999. The advanced technologies of today were not available. The province was poor in 1979, with the lowest per capita GDP in Canada, lowest wage rates, highest unemployment and heavy dependence on fiscal transfers. Between the first find and actual oil extraction, the provincial government had established the Offshore Petroleum Impact Committee with a mandate to forecast impacts and opportunities and recommend strategies for industry development, economic and social growth. Widespread training was
instituted and as the industry grew along with its downstream businesses, so too did the universities and tertiary vocational institutions that were re-tailored to produce the necessary skills. A slew of research projects were commissioned to ascertain labour force needs, tax and royalty regimes, environmental impacts and potential complications to marine life. The development and implementation phase (pre- oil production) also involved close collaboration with the public service to enhance relationships with communities located close to the petroleum installations. ASSISTANCE FROM THE US The US embassy in Guyana has already begun to deliver a planned series of Energy Governance sensitization programmes to help boost Guyana’s technical and human resource capacity for creating new laws and regulations for the emerging oil and gas industry. The appropriate legal mechanisms and effective policing of those regulations will minimize or, at best, remove the likelihood of corruption, mismanagement and sectoral conflict. The United States has been sharing its experiences on environmental analyses, public input, safety, rigorous oversight and enforcement. The experts have reiterated that transparent management of the energy sector will deliver and sustain the benefits from the energy resources to the citizens of this nation.”
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
MY COLUMN
Trying to change David Granger The recent heavy rains have taught many people some things about President David Granger. For the second time since he acceded to the presidency he got up in water. I remember making a joke about him waking up during the first flood and yelling after he stepped into a cold lake. On that occasion I said that he yelled so loudly that he scared his security guards, one of whom fell of a drink box on which he was standing. But joke aside, I learnt some more about the simplicity of the man. He had the option of moving out of the flood waters and into State House, but he did not. The second rains came and it was a repeat of the first occasion. This is a man who refuses to seek the finer things in life. I suppose he would say to himself that he has them all - a great wife, a roof over his head and grown children who seem incapable of getting into trouble.He is strong, mentally. I remember those mornings when I would leave home about five for my morning jog and I would see him walking along Homestretch Avenue to do his two miles every morning. On those occasions when we walked together we
would talk about the things in Guyana, none of us (perhaps I better talk for myself) thought that he would actually get a chance to do something about it. I have been picturing my president picking up the rugs on the floor and fetching them outside to get the sun. This is a man who never moved away from the everyday people, doing the things that they do and suffering along with them. He is supposed to move into State House by the end of this month, and I am certain that he is not looking forward to that move. For one, he would be at a loss to occupy the immense space in which he would be ensconced. I am also thinking about his wife, Sandra, who over the years has been cooking for herself. As ordinary people they don’t care too much for people fawning over them, so the time comes when David and Sandra must get accustomed to having people doing things that they have been doing for themselves. But that is only a part of the story. The rest has to do with his determination to make his mark on a society that is begging for someone who cares to change their lot.
When the previous government decided that old age pension should be $8,500 a month, President Granger immediately asked for a meeting with President Donald Ramotar and managed to get the old age pension hiked. I have never known a president in this country who, less than two months into his presidency, has had to confront so much. He ran head-on into the threat by the Guyana Sugar Corporation to shut down operations. He has dealt with that, but no sooner had he tackled that problem than he had a bellicose Venezuela making him spend some sleepless nights. There is the threat of a cut in fuel supplies from Venezuela and this must be addressed. Of course Trinidad has offered to step in, but it is a question of money, which is not at a premium. I have been wondering whether he has one spiteful bone in his body. I was there when the Office of the Presidency hosted an impromptu birthday gettogether. He looked at the people around and simply said that he saw people who had served four presidencies. He told them that he was not there
to take bread out of their mouths but to ensure that they get a better life. But enough of my maudlin about him. He has to do so much and although he is still less than three months into his presidency people expect a lot, more than they expected of the previous government during its twenty-three years in office. People know that there was rampant corruption by his predecessors, but so far no one has been brought to book. They want something to be done for young people, many of whom believe that their fortunes lie in the streets. Where is the promised Guyana National Service? That was an institution that helped to fashion so many lives. I always point to Paul Slowe, one of the products of that institution. There were the many carpenters and masons who fashioned most of the homes around. Of course, President Granger has said that the institution would be reintroduced and of course, the old criticisms would resurface. But those who criticize also want him to put a lid on crime, and he knows that everything ends up at his
door. He said so himself. His team is also trying to do a lot but things seem to be moving so slowly, largely because change does not come overnight. For one, there has been remarkable success against crime. None has gone unsolved since David Granger acceded to office. This is just one of the positives, although there are more. Some claim that there has been a slowdown since the change in government, but this is more imagined than real. It was the same when people said that crime had spiked. But David Granger cannot stop to linger over these things. He still has to make some improvements in the life of public servants. His Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, says that there will be.
Adam Harris Should this happen by the end of August when the budget comes out, David Granger would once more be in the midst of celebrations, even if he has to look at the proceedings from the huge halls of State House, a place where he does not want to go, but he must.
Page 30
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
ICT and Law Enforcement By Lance Hinds I was on a project some years ago where, in a requirements definition meeting, some veteran policemen argued passionately that information technology is not the panacea for the challenges faced by the Police Force. They insisted nothing beats the work on the ground, examining the crime scene, interviewing witnesses, taking statements, searching for clues, identifying suspects, making arrests and ultimately laying charges. They are of course, correct, although the quality of the abovementioned work may attract significant comment. It is however a reality that in the year 2015, policing is an information business with intelligence-led policing and basic information management core components of the policing function. Crime has become extremely sophisticated, not to mention deadly. It is critical that the Police Force has all the tools, in particular information technology, at its disposal. Police must have
improved information management capacity with its core offence, person and file management systems developed in an information systems environment alongside intelligence and response management systems, The creation of an underlying data repository will provide a new depth of metadata to improve operational policing, management decisionmaking, and justice sector research. The vision therefore is a state-of-the-art crime information system that will effectively serve the day-today operations of the Guyana Police Force and also be an information warehouse for those law enforcement agencies authorized to access in support of their own investigative and prosecutorial activities. This system will address and support the following areas: I N F O R M AT I O N RECORDING AND STORAGE - There is a voluminous amount of data collected and stored by the Guyana Police Force and other law enforcement agencies. The manual storage
of records currently in existence is not sustainable over the long term. It costs too much (i.e. binding/filing, cost of physical space) and poor quality of the storage areas will ultimately lead to the destructions of records over time. Any computerized solution must facilitate effective data entry and storage. This solution will reduce the space requirements and ensure the longevity, durability and security of the records over the long term. The system will provide electronic data entry functions that will assist the officer with the collection, editing and storing of data from a crime, accident or any other incident scene. The officer will only need to fill out one electronic report that collects all the information and will allow users to securely enter all occurrences and related information from the level of the police station all the way to Force Headquarters. INVESTIGATION – It is envisaged that the new system will provide extensive search and retrieval
capabilities that will allow users to review all information required to support investigative and querying activities crucial to the work of the Guyana Police Force and the other law enforcement agencies. It must be designed to support reference information from agencies such as the Guyana Revenue Authority, Passport Office, General Registry Office, Maritime Administration, Civil Aviation Department etc. The Criminal Record subsystems will be expanded to support other crime-related information from other law enforcement agencies, thus providing significantly more information to support the investigative process. PROSECUTORIAL – The system envisaged will support the decision and workflow process required to support the preparation of cases for prosecution. The electronic decision and workflow features will provide the following benefits: 1) The elimination of isolated paper-based reporting processes, usually characterized by high costs and large-scale duplication of information. 2) Easily integrate information processes within and across departments, and 3) Improve quality of records information. Specific functions must include the electronic routing of files to the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice and guidance. Ideally, the DPP should have direct access to the criminal information system to provide direction and support on the preparations of the cases by the police force and related law enforcement agencies. Any new information systems will have an interface which will allow the Magistrates’ Courts to access and update specific cases in terms of Magistrates’ decisions and the subsequent updating over the criminal records databases. INCARCERATION - As
part of the overall data flow from the reporting of the occurrence to the final disposal of the case in the Magistrate’s Courts, the ICIS will also provide a module to support to the day-to-day operations of the Guyana Prison Service. The functions that will be supported include Prison Admissions, Parole Scheduling, Prisoner Education/Training, Court Appearance Scheduling, and Discharge Calendars and Visitation tracking and scheduling. REPORTING AND STATISTICS - The use of an information system will eliminate the need for a specific exercise to collect data for statistical purposes. The idea is that the base data entered by the police stations will contain the necessary data elements required to generate the statistical outputs. Since the police stations will be entering data on a daily basis, it then makes it easier to generate statistical reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These reporting features will be integrated so as to generate the required outputs on demand for management analysis and decisionmaking. Police commanders must be able to identify criminal hotspots immediately and decide to how to allocate resources in response. Statistical outputs highlighting the prevalence of certain types of crime will support effective policy decisions. It is even possible with a well-planned integration with socioeconomic data, that it may well support the use of predictive analytics that reduce if not prevent criminal occurrences. This is the vision of the informatics solution that I believe is necessary for the effective functioning of the Guyana Police Force. The hopeful news, however, is that over the last few years the Force has been
Lance Hinds implementing a series of information systems to support its day-to-day operations. I believe these new systems are intended to provide the same functionality that I outlined in my vision. The issue now will be the successful acceptance and adoption of these new systems. It is important that all police ranks are trained in all operational areas of the new criminal information systems. The nature of the disciplined services means, however, that personnel get shifted/transferred based on different needs and priorities. It is important, therefore, for the force to incorporate a permanent ICT division or department into its overall administrative structure, with specific reporting responsibilities and a budgetary allocation. This will to a large extent ensure the sustainability and continued usage of the new information systems. During the implementation and deployment process it is critical that the cutover process from hard copy to electronic information be carefully planned. This process will take time and will more likely require changes in policy in terms of information workflow and storage, but it must be done to ensure the success of the new information systems and, by extension, the modernization of the Guyana Police Force in general. Lance Hinds is the current President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of the BrainStreet Group, an ICT consulting and information services company.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 31
SUNDAY SPECIAL
Guyana must stop shipping any rice to Venezuela,” Holder explained in an interview with this publication. According to the Minister, initial attempts to seek clarification from the Venezuelan Ambassador were futile. The Minister then got hold of Guyana’s Ambassador in Venezuela, Geoff da Silva. Da Silva made it clear he was not told of the suspension of the rice shipments.
Third term debate … CJ ruling inexcusable, bereft of rationality – former CCJ Judge Retired Caribbean Court of Justice Judge, Duke Pollard, has blasted the recent ruling by Chief Justice Ian Chang, describing the legal argument used by Chang as “bereft of rationality” and in breach of the provisions of Article 1 of Guyana’s Constitution. Even worse, according to Pollard, the CJ, in seeking to make alterations to something already clearly and definitively pronounced on, had tread dangerously into conflict with judicial supremacy of the constitution of Guyana, as laid out in the proviso of Article 164 (2) of the constitution, something “no Judge should dare do”. The Judge was responding to a recent ruling by Chang, which overruled the limitation specified in Act No. 17 of the 2001 constitutional amendment, that had previously barred an individual from being elected President for a third term. Central to the issue is the court case Cedric Richardson vs. the Attorney General and Raphael Trotman, which sought to determine the extent and nature of the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution of Guyana. Richardson had contended that the limit was unconstitutional and illegal. He sought to show that the amendment should have been determined through a referendum in the first place, instead of the two-thirds parliamentary majority method that was used. Richardson alleged that Act No.17 of 2001 purporting to amend Article 90 of the Guyana constitution, which disqualified a person from seeking election more than
Craig man charged for Nandy Park, Agricola minibus killings
Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder meeting with members of the Guyana Rice Millers and Exporters Marketing Association twice as President of Guyana, “diminished and restricted the electorate’s democratic right of choice.” MONDAYEDITION New GPC, others face scrutiny as forensic audit into drugs procurement begins – Junior Finance Minister Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma disclosed that his team of auditors is already one week into the forensic audit launched into the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital to once and for all settle the decade-old controversy over the procurement of drugs and pharmaceuticals. This has come as good news for some legal and financial minds, who believe that the move is long overdue. Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo in a brief interview, noted that the forensic audit into the GPHC will see an investigation into past procurements, expired drugs and those companies that are part of the
“procurement gravy train including New GPC.” This company is owned by Dr. Bobby Ramroop, who has close ties to former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Over the years, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) have spoken against the award of billiondollar drug contracts in favour of the New GPC owner. They have also spoken about the manner in which the previous administration changed the laws to ensure that Ramroop’s company would be used for the sole sourcing of drugs. Govt. moves to establish anti-corruption court – PM Government is to set up a special court to preside solely over corruption cases. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo made this disclosure at the recent book launch of former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, which was held at the Pegasus Hotel. Since government assumed office, it has
established a State Asset Recovery Programme headed by Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Dr. Clive Thomas. This is in addition to forensic audits it has launched into some 30 state agencies, national projects and funds. The First Vice President made it clear that the findings of the forensic audits will be used to build cases that can be won beyond the shadow of a doubt in the courts. But given the complaints of backlog of cases in the judicial system, the Granger-led administration will be making moves to have a special court that will preside over corruption cases. The Prime Minister said that the anti-corruption court will have to be established when all the anti-corruption laws are in place. He noted that government has already made steps towards this end, in addition to its efforts to strengthen already existing anti-graft laws. His disclosure was given full support by Minster of Public Security , Khemraj Ramjattan, who reiterated that
the number of cases government expects to have in the future on defaulters of the law, would perhaps necessitate an entire court. TUESDAYEDITION Venezuela rice shipments to resume Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, has come out to clear the air on the Guyana/ Venezuela rice agreement imbroglio, revealing that a rice and paddy deal was actually not in jeopardy of being halted as was reported. Rather, it was all due to a misunderstanding between the wharf receiving the ships in Venezuela and the Guyana Rice Development Board. The Minister, during a meeting Monday with the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, explained that while there was no question of Venezuela putting a halt on rice shipments before November, when the annual contracts end, there was a responsibility on Guyana to slow up its shipments, in keeping with the agreed schedule. The delegation, which was headed by Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, Dr. Peter De Groot, sought an update from the Minister, as to whether the Guyana/Venezuela rice deal was in jeopardy. According to the Minister, in a bid to ensure that rice shipments on the wharf were cleared as fast as possible to make room for more shipments, rice was actually being exported in excess of the agreed schedule, overwhelming Venezuelan rice authorities. “On Friday, the logistics Officer of the GRDB got a call from someone who receives rice (shipments) on the wharf in Venezuela, stating that
Orpheus Johnson, who is accused of killing Travis Rudder and Gladstone George, was Monday arraigned before a city Magistrate, slapped with two murder charges. Johnson, 28, a porkknocker of Second Street, Craig, East Bank Demerara, is accused of murdering Rudder, on June 21, at Republic Park. Gunmen firing semiautomatic pistols through a bedroom window, pumped 12 bullets into career criminal Rudder and a few more rounds into his wife and baby son, as they slept in their bedroom. The second charge facing Johnson alleged that on April 22, at Agricola East Bank Demerara, he murdered Gladstone George. George, called ‘Brother’, 32, of Agricola, was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), minutes after he received two bullets to the head while he was sitting in a minibus. WEDNESDAYEDITION TERROR GANG SMASHED - Ringleader killed, wounded suspect among 10 detained Police have smashed the gang that was behind a recent spate of killings and violent robberies, following a SWAT team-led operation that left the gang’s alleged ringleader dead, and another suspect and a police rank wounded. Ten persons in total have been detained. The alleged ringleader, Rolston Morrison called ‘Mappy’ or ‘Sadam’, was killed at around 02.00 hrs Tuesday, after police cornered the gang in an apartment at First Street, Craig, East Bank Demerara. Police had issued a wanted bulletin for the 29-year-old in connection with the murder of Dwayne Kennedy, who was gunned down at the Golden Grove Market on March 14, 2015. Another suspect, Continued on page 43
Page 32
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Communities are more than houses (Excerpts from an address to Parliament by Hon Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan M.P.) “Your Government aims at providing accessible and affordable housing in sanitary and safe communities, with the necessity for wholesome and dignified living, for citizens in need. We shall ensure that all state-sponsored housing developments are provided with recreational, educational and sports facilities in addition to basic infrastructure services such as electricity, telephones, roads, solid waste disposal and pure water supply.”- H.E. President, David Granger MSM, MSS By now it may be well known that a new Ministry has been created, that is the Ministry of Communities. This Ministry encompasses what were formerly the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development as well as the Ministry of Housing and Water. The Ministry comprises four departments. These
being the Department for Housing, the Department for Water, the Department for Local Government and the Department for Regional Development. It is quite a large portfolio. In fact, when I was offered by the President if I was interested in accepting the position, which I now hold, that was the very comment he made. However, I am ably supported in my tasks and endeavours by having two capable and competent Ministers in my Ministry, these are Minister Keith Scott and Minister Dawn Hastings. The obvious questions are why there is a new name and why there is the combining of those two Ministries. The brief answer is that it is a new philosophy or new mindset. The focus, therefore, is that from a governmental perspective it is not on the provision of individual services, for example Housing or Water, but on a larger objective which is addressing human needs or the human condition. The Government therefore sees its responsibility to those
in need as more than the provision of shelter but rather as delivering a community experience. A community by definition goes beyond a collection of houses. It has to have certain amenities to so qualify. Local government, regional development, housing and water all relate to people’s quality of life, of which the condition of one’s community is a major component. Central coordination will now result in a more rational formulation of policy and more effective delivery of governmental services. Following on the foregoing, it can be said that the Ministry is created to influence the conditions that fulfil the vision for more cohesive, empowered and sustainable communities (CESC). In pursuit of CESC vision, the Ministry will implement a strategy for sustainable communities by empowering and equipping local democratic organs to deliver satisfactory services, promote integrated water resources
and sanitation management and provide quality, affordable housing solutions to satisfy the needs of communities and residents across Guyana. Some key objectives of the Ministry: (i) It will promote decentralisation and democratic engagement and we will end the era of topdown government by finally honouring constitutional provisions relating to local governance and local democracy. The constitutional provisions, to which I refer to, came into being in the year 1980. It was actually strengthened in the year 2001, with new additions to our Constitution and the subsequent process of local government which reforms, refines and defines a clearly articulated role for local democracy and local government organs. (ii) Strengthen the regional administration mechanism in keeping with the foregoing. (iii) To operationalise the Local Government Commission (iv) To create a national solid waste management plan to secure a sustainable solution at the level of the communities. The plan will result in an integrative solid waste management system that is efficacious in the storage, collection, transportation and
disposal of waste. It will explore initiatives resulting in marketable by-products for the agriculture, energy and construction sectors. It is disgraceful that in the year 2015 our country does not have a single landfill site, one that provides for environmentally-safe disposal of municipal solid waste. The Haags Bosch facility, on which huge amounts of money was spent, has never operated the way it was conceptualised. It functions as a dumpsite. Improper management of municipal solid waste results in blights on the landscape, countrywide. It is a problem that exists on the coast as well as in the hinterland. We have shown callous disregard for waste management. This administration will treat this issue with the seriousness which it deserves. This administration will solve the problem of managing solid waste. (v) Re-establishment of the National Water Council to promote integrated management water resources. (vi) Development of a national waste water management plan to transform current national waste water practices and achieve international compliance. (vii) Development of a housing policy and strategic plan that targets provision of cohesive communities in which housing solutions are complemented with
Ronald Bulkan
educational, health and recreational amenities. Affordable alternative options, direct housing and land divestiture will be incorporated in this plan. (viii) A loss reduction and energy efficiency plan to improve operational efficiency at the provision of potable water service. (ix) Institution of a hinterland water strategy to mitigate the impact of climate change and mining on the provision of safe water in remote and indigenous areas. (x) S t r e n g t h e n e d community disaster risk management mechanisms to build capacity for early warning and early response to droughts, floods and other disasters impacting on the well-being of the community. (To be continued next week)
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 41
Page 42
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Sunday July 19, 2015
From page 31 identified as Warren McKenzie, 22, of Brutus Street, Agricola, was shot in the stomach. He was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. A constable from the SWAT unit was shot in the thigh. His condition is stable. According to a Guyana Police Force release, the ranks, “working with a concerned citizen”, were able to track several persons wanted for the murders of businessman Ganesh Ramlall at La Jalousie, WCD, and Travis Rudder at Nandy Park, EBD, and the armed robbery on a Judge at her home at Felicity, ECD, to a house at Craig, EBD. THURSDAY EDITION Robbery/murder of Multiplex Mall owner … Attack was planned two months earlier – suspects confess As detectives continue to tie up loose ends in their investigations into the operations of a gang that was busted on Tuesday morning…at least two of the suspects have confessed that the attack on Regent Multiplex owner, Ganesh Ramlall, called Boyo, was hatched two months ago. The suspects, Fazeel Bacchus called Javed, and his partner, Lennox Roberts, known as Soldier Man continue to provide investigators with information they have on the Ramlall attack, implicating each other in the process. The two men, who are both taxi drivers, were arrested on Tuesday on the West Coast Demerara, hours after the police SWAT unit raided a Craig, East Bank Demerara apartment where a group of gang members were holed up. It did not take the two taxi drivers long to begin
Kaieteur News
coughing up information on their roles in the La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara attack. Bacchus had earlier confessed to picking up the bandits and dropping them off near Ramlall’s house. Wednesday, both Bacchus and Roberts snitched on each other telling investigators that it was the other who had set up the robbery. Crime was never out of control – Top Cop – as several ranks awarded for outstanding work Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has said that despite the numbers, the crime situation in Guyana within recent times was never out of control. Speaking at a special police awards ceremony, on Wednesday, the country’s Top Cop said that the statistics and the perception of the current situation show different pictures. Up to June month end, the Guyana Police Force recorded a nine percent increase in serious crimes, with murders showing a runaway increase of 14 percent when compared with the same period last year. “The perception is that since the last elections (May 11), crime has spiraled out of control…but the statistics is showing that last year we had a fifteen percent reduction and that this year we are measuring those reported crimes against the reported crime last year, of that 15 percent reduction,” the Commissioner explained. He said that the force has seen increases since February and continuously. “So, it’s not a case that it’s after the elections that we saw increases.” He stated as a matter of fact that the largest increases in criminal activity so far this year in any one month occurred in March.
FRIDAYEDITION Robbery/murder of Multiplex Mall owner… Ramlall bought beers for gang member minutes before being killed – Eyewitness More evidence has emerged that one of the men who has been held in the terror gang-related investigations is not just a taxi driver, but a career criminal who has been involved in a number of other criminal enterprises. Lennox Roberts called ‘Soldier Man’ was held on Tuesday after he was implicated by fellow taxi driver, Fazeel Bacchus called Javed, the reported mastermind of the attack on the robbery which led to the murder of businessman Ganesh Ramlall called ‘Boyo’ at his home in La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara, two Sundays ago. As interrogation intensifies, both men are opening up about each other’s role in the attack. But investigators are focusing on Roberts’ past criminal links, which they believe will shed some light on his character. “For example, what kind of man would sit down and drink your beers knowing that he and his cohorts plan to attack? That is the same man who say that ‘Boyo’ is a good man who does bless dem up every time he see dem,” said a source who organized the barbeque at Cornelia Ida where Ramlall spent some of the last minutes of his life.
Government. This development was confirmed by Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, at the weekly postCabinet press briefing convened at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday. Trotman disclosed that while the decision to introduce the grant was a laudable idea it was badly implemented. He also noted that the review was premised on the fact that Cabinet was advised that it is a fiscally unsustainable endeavour. “When one studies developmental economics, when you give a grant or cash transfer it must be accompanied or guided by a means test,” Trotman explained. A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for government assistance, based upon whether the individual or family possesses the means to do without that help. Moreover, Trotman underscored that the purpose of the review is to ensure that the most vulnerable in society are the sole or primary beneficiaries of the grant. “So to have a grant of $10,000 to every school child without it being focused to those who need it more is not fiscally sustainable for any economy, and particularly ours,” the Governance Minister noted. SATURDAY EDITION Suspect held in Courtney Crum-Ewing assassination
Govt reviewing “fiscally unsustainable” $10,000 cash grant
– Crime Chief describes arrest as ‘significant development’
The continuance of the $10,000 cash grant that was offered to each public school child by the previous administration last year will be dependent on the outcome of a review being undertaken by
Four months after he was assassinated with a bull-horn in his hands, police appear to be close to solving the murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing. Crime Chief,
Page 43
Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, announced Friday that ranks from the force’s Major Crime Investigation Unit have questioned a suspect in connection with the March 10, 2015 killing that shocked the nation. Blanhum said that the suspect, whom he declined to identify, was contacted and questioned yesterday and remains in custody. “We have a new lead…Investigators are working on a new lead on the Crum-Ewing case,” the Crime Chief said. “During the course of today (Friday), ranks from the Major Crime Investigation Unit conducted an intensive interview with the suspect.” Declining to say whether the motive seems to point to a “political assassination,” Senior Superintendant Blanhum noted that the investigation is still in its “preliminary stage,” but described the arrest as “a significant development.” Contacted Friday night, Crum-Ewing’s mother, Donna Harcourt, said that she too
had heard about the arrest. “I feel good; I thank God that they are making progress. I hope that all of them will be brought to justice. People must not be allowed to kill and go free.” Crum-Ewing, a former Queen’s College student and army officer, was riddled with bullets on the evening of Tuesday March 10, 2015, as he stood on Third Avenue in the Diamond New Scheme. A post mortem revealed that he was shot thrice in the head and twice in the chest. The killer used a .32 pistol and fired at such close range that gunpowder burns were left on his victim’s clothes and body. His assassination occurred as he used a bullhorn while advocating for persons in the Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, area to support A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition in the May 11 General Elections. This had prompted many to suggest that his murder was being politically motivated.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 57
Auditor questions GuySuCo’s COI…
Current Terms of Reference will not solve fundamental problems - Chris Ram THE FUTURE OF GUYSUCO AND SUGAR – THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY Introduction My last blog post followed the announcement at the annual Enmore Martyrs Day observance that the Cabinet had approved bailout money for the ailing stateowned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The announcement of some $3,800 million of bailout money was reported in the Stabroek News of June 17. One week earlier, the Minister of Finance had been reported as stating that Parliament was the body to approve any bailout. Seems bailout was done anyway, without parliamentary approval. And as some have suggested, in violation of article 219 (3) of the Constitution which permits only expenditure on the public services when there have been elections and no budget. There was at the time an indication that a Commission of Inquiry would be appointed and I welcomed it on what I understood such Commissions of Inquiry to be. Not too long afterwards, consistent with a commitment made in the APNU + AFC Manifesto, the Minister of Agriculture announced such an Inquiry into the operations of the Corporation. The Commission’s members are: Mr. Vibert Parvattan (Chairman), Prof.
Clive Thomas (Financial and Economic Analysis), Dr. Harold Davis and John Piggott (Agronomists), John Dow and Joseph Alfred (Factory Operations), George James (Sugar Processing), Nowrang Persaud (Industrial Relations), Claude Housty (Marketing) and Mr. Seepaul Narine, a representative from the main sugar workers’ union, GAWU. By my reckoning the majority of the members had some association with GuySuCo and bring relevant experience to the exercise. But even relevant in this case seems inadequate. For starters, it seems both misleading and a misnomer to call the body a Commission of Inquiry. The members were appointed not by the President under the Commission of Inquiry Act but by the Minister of Agriculture as an administrative act. And significantly, the focus is more about GuySuCo than about sugar generally. Too much caution In my view, the proposed approach, while consistent with the Manifesto promise, is far too cautious and unlikely to address what I consider to be the four most critical issues: • Whether Guyana can become competitive in sugar given that its current cost of production is approximately US$0.40 per pound while the
world sugar price is approximately $0.14 per pound; • Whether, how much, and for how long taxpayers should be asked to sustain GuySuCo with subsidies; • Whether, and to what extent, GuySuCo and Guyana should remain in sugar; and • If so, whether GuySuCo should remain in state ownership, alone or with private investors. These issues not only seem beyond the scope of the Commission but appear to have been presumed as answered for them. According to a GINA report, the Commission is required to “develop a 15-year plan which is expected to bring the industry back to profitability and ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability.” Sugar in Guyana is more than GuySuCo. There are large private cane farmers in West Demerara, as there are in the Skeldon and Albion areas of Berbice. Not only are these operators not represented among the persons appointed by the Minister of Agriculture but this “Commission of Inquiry” is not required to take evidence. It is almost inevitable then that important voices and views may be excluded. It does not even meet the minimum requirements which leading economist Professor Clive Thomas advocated a mere months ago.
Thomas’ views Professor Clive Thomas, an acknowledged expert on sugar, both locally and internationally, is a key member of the Commission. He has written extensively on sugar and GuySuCo. In a series he did in 2014 on sugar and GuySuCo he had identified two preconditions for charting the way forward. One was the establishment of a National Task Force leading widespread consultation, and the other, a professionally executed forensic audit. I recall that Prof. Thomas did not rule out privatisation
or ignore downsizing, estate closures and returning to foreign management. Readers will recall that it was Mr. Hoyte who had brought in Booker Tate in the late eighties. Neither of Thomas’ preconditions has been met nor do the terms of reference – a copy of which I obtained only after dozens of telephone calls – explicitly require the Commission to consider the broad areas which he had identified as options. It would therefore be interesting to see how Thomas’ bold views on the entity and the industry are reflected in the report the
Commission is required to produce in seventy days from the commencement of its work. My own view is that the scope of the Commission of Inquiry, its composition and its methodology are too restrictive to solve the fundamental, existential problems facing the industry. Even if this Commission of Inquiry were to demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking, the more controversial of its recommendations would have to be put to the country for wider discussion. Every day of GuySuCo in its present (continued on page 58)
Page 58
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
State assets recovery…
Govt. denies bluffing, says progress made Government has denied that it is bluffing about its promises to recovery stolen state assets. Responding to questions Wednesday about the administration’s commitment, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, defended the progress and insisted that headway is being made. The official, who heads up the Ministry of the Presidency, made it clear that the recovery of assets is certainly not just talks. Rather significant “backroom” work is being done. Already, the State Assets Recovery Unit, headed by Dr. Clive Thomas, has been established with work started. Thomas’s offices are up and running, fully staffed and
located in the Ministry of the Presidency, Harmon disclosed. “The important thing is that we recover those assets, we are going to go after those persons who have them but I am advised that it is better that we take certain steps before you actually publicize the names and the companies that are involved.” His reassurance would come as questions and impatience continue to grow over the process. The coalition, while in Opposition and campaigning for the May 11 General and Regional Elections, had vowed to crack down on corruption and to go after public officers whom they accused of stealing state assets.
The previous PPP/C-led Government had been dogged by accusations of corruption. Shortly after taking office, the David Granger administration confirmed reports to Kaieteur News that several state vehicles transferred to private individuals under suspicious
circumstances days before the May 11 polls have been recovered. Still another scam was uncovered where private vehicles were collecting fuel without authorization with a number of Ministries being billed. Several officials who have been under scrutiny for a
number of projects and contracts have been sent on leave or did not have their contracts renewed. Several audits have started on a number of state agencies and projects but not yet completed or made public. There have been questions about the
administration’s seriousness. According to Harmon, progress has been made, with several assets already recovered. He admitted difficulties. Individuals and a company have been written to about the illegal collecting of fuel by vehicles. “There is one (continued on page 60)
Current Terms of Reference will not ... From page 57 form costs the taxpayers millions of dollars. There is no luxury of time. The PPP/C would be chomping at the bit to create discomfort for the Government with their “we told you so” rhetoric as they seek maximum political
mileage out of any brave new proposal. It is therefore difficult to understand why the Government did not take a bolder approach involving wider consultation and contributions from all stakeholders, including the PPP/C. Their exclusion allows them to criticise without any responsibility to make and defend their own proposals. Conclusion One of the major concerns about sugar and GuySuCo must surely be to break the cycle of subsidies into which the country and taxpayers have been trapped. The country will not move forward if it has to treat economic entities as if they were social services. No taxpayer can or will be happy with an endless flow of subsidies. It seems to me to make more economic sense to spend the money on termination benefits and retraining rather than annual subsidies. The days for
treating sugar patronisingly must surely be over by now. Perhaps because of the approach the Government has adopted, the Commissioners may have chosen to avoid publicity. Some persons (mis) interpret this as secrecy. They are not too far wrong. To get a copy of its Terms of Reference reminded me of the unacceptable difficulties of obtaining information under the last Government. This action is being taken in the name of the people. The subsidies are borne by them. What can be the justification for excluding them from the process, they ask. Trust and secrecy are seldom good travel companions. I close with a qualification. A July 13 article on GuySuCo with the strap line “terms of reference” stated that the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar sector has been mandated to address
the option of divestment if necessary. I would like to believe that the terms of reference I was able to obtain was accurate. Now I wonder. I was also explicitly informed that the Commissioners would not be conducting any hearings or receiving submissions. I have since learnt that one person had an extensive engagement with the Commissioners and has been invited for another session. If this is so, then such mixed messages hardly match the seriousness of the matter but I guess there is some good reason. Note: I had indicated in my last post that I would make proposals for the future of sugar. However, in deference to the Commission, I have decided to await the publication of their report. The author is a recognized auditor/lawyer and social activist. (Taken from chrisram.net)
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 59
UG students found guilty of $8M armed robbery Two University of Guyana (UG) students who were found guilty of an $8M armed robbery on Wednesday last, are to know their fate in two weeks, pending a probation report. Darion Bess, 20, of Lot 429 Guyhoc Park and Joel De Mendonca, 21, of Lot 17 Providence Park, East Bank Demerara were both charged with robbery under-arms and found guilty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court at the conclusion of their trial. The duo was found guilty of robbing Golyn and Sons Fashion Store, on Robb Street of a quantity of cellular phones worth $8,968,000, on January 25, 2014. City Magistrate, Judy Latchman presided over the matter and ordered that a probation report be prepared for the men. Morris Gibson, 22, of Lot 334 East Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, was also charged with the duo. However, the charge was dismissed against him
…sentencing deferred pending probation report
Darion Bess earlier in the trial. The Magistrate based her ruling on the sworn testimonies given by the two accused and the store clerk, Mohanlall Narine. De Mendonca had testified that he saw Bess running from the store on the day in question. He had said that Bess swiftly got in the car and urged him to hurry. DeMendonca also testified that he knew nothing
about the robbery until Bess told him he had just robbed the store. He said that at the time he ordered Bess to exit his car. As it relates to the four cell phones found at the back of the car, DeMendonca said he did not know how they got there but conveniently implicated Bess. The Magistrate told the court that she did not believe that DeMendonca knew nothing of the robbery. The store clerk had given his account of the robbery and seeing Best get into DeMendonca’s car. However, he said he did not see Bess get out again. During the court hearing, Attorney Peter Hugh, who represented DeMendonca, told the court that his client has no previous convictions. He said that DeMendonca is an Accounting and Business Management student at UG. Hugh asked the court to exercise lenience and
discretion in these circumstances. The Attorney pointed out that everyone is entitled to second chance. Hugh is of the view that placing his client with hardened criminals will make the situation worse than it already is. The lawyer indicated that if he is not satisfied with the decision made by the court, he will appeal the matter. Meanwhile, Bess’ Attorney, Adrian Thompson told the court that his client is a first time offender with a medical condition. He also told the court that his client is a student at UG. On the day in question, about 9:00 hours, Gibson approached the clerk at the store inquiring about the prices of various cellular phones and a fan. Whilst he was inquiring, Bess entered
the store, approached the clerk and pointed a gun to his head then ordered him to pack up the cell phones. The clerk complied. Best left the store and joined a waiting car on King Street and the party escaped. The matter was then reported to the Brickdam Police Station. About one hour after the report, ranks who received information about the robbery, dashed to Peter’s Hall and intercepted Bess and Gibson. At the time, Bess was carrying a haversack on his back which when checked by the ranks revealed a quantity of cellular phones. Both students were
arrested and through police interrogation they subsequently led ranks to DeMendonca’s house in Providence. DeMendonca confessed to being the driver who fled the scene with Bess and Gibson. When the house was searched, four cellular phones were found. Even though all the phones were not recovered, the ones retrieved were identified by Narine as the assets belonging to the said store. The students first appeared before former Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry and denied the allegation. This matter will be called again on August 3, for sentencing.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Page 60
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Guyanese fined TT$5,000 Former Magistrate, Haymant fine for stabbing man at bar K. Ramdhani launches lawsite
Trinidad (Trinidad Express) - A Guyanese national who stabbed a man du-ring a bar brawl was ordered by the court to immediately pay a TT$5,000 fine. Michael George entered the guilty plea to the charge of malicious wounding when he appeared before Deputy
Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington earlier this week. At 11.55 p.m. on June 6, the victim was at a bar along Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo, when there was a fight between a group of men. The victim tried to pull away one of his friends from the fight when the defendant
Govt. denies bluffing... From page 58 company that we attempted to serve documentation, only to discover that the company had shut up shop. By the time we got to the registered office of the company they had moved to some other location.” He made it clear that the Government’s resolve to recover stolen assets and bring the people to justice remains as sharp as when the process was started. “But now we are more fortified. In fact we are now operating on a wider scale…in relation to the inter-agency collaboration on crime, we are having a greater level of coordination by agencies of the state in this regard.” Harmon stressed that despite the fact that his Government only entered office in May, significant work has been done. Last week, Alexei Ramotar, Head of the EGovernance project and son of former President, Donald Ramotar, was sent on leave for an audit to be conducted on that multi-billion dollar project. Also sent on leave for major reforms in the Ministry of Health was Permanent Secretary, Leslie Cadogan. According to Harmon, with access to information and in control of the ministries and state agencies, things are becoming much clearer now with the administration better positioned to take action. “The work which we are doing to recover these assets is not just collecting it but strengthening the institutional arrangements.”
approached him and dealt him several stab wounds to the upper chest and stomach area, police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said. A report was made to the Gasparillo Police Station and the victim was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was treated and listed as a patient in stable condition. Following investigations, George was met at School Trace, Gasparillo, and informed of the report. He told police he and another man were fighting, and he stabbed the man “three times to defend myself”. He was arrested. Before the court, Wel-lington told him from the information read, there were no threats made against him. He also reminded George the victim had been stabbed in the chest. George had no previous convictions. The Magistrate fined him TT$5,000. In default of paying the money forthwith, George was ordered to serve 12 months in prison. Wellington, who told the Guyanese national there was a detention order against him, advised that he have someone pay the money on his behalf.
Defence Lawyer Mr. Haymant K. Ramdhani who was a former Magistrate, is now providing a legal platform where the public can easily access areas of the law and practise their constitutional rights and freedom. According to Ramdhani, it is of significant importance that every citizen knows the laws of their country and more so their legal rights and to be able to recognize when these very rights are being infringed on, and the course of action which one can take to remedy the infringement. The lawyer stated that some of these rights are bail consideration in both the Magistrates’ Courts and the High Court, issues of landlord and tenant, domestic violence and maintenance applications, drafting of legal documents such as Wills etc. Mr. Ramdhani said, “Readers must bear in mind that the site is informationbased and therefore sets out to provide quick access to legal information and not “legal advice”. “It may not answer all of your legal questions.
Lawyer Haymant Ramdhani Consequently, it does not replace an Attorney-at-Law. Further, many legal problems require the help of good lawyers whether it be advice or representation. However, a careful study of the site may help you to ask the right questions and to properly decide if you need an Attorney-at-Law.” If you are criminally charged, and without a lawyer, then guylaws2015@yahoo.com may be informative especially with regards to a criminal trial.
You will also find that the laws, practice and procedures in the Magistrates’ Courts and Criminal Jurisdiction are light reference by the defendants. The site carries a Question and Answers column along with articles such as “My First Day in Court”, “Meaning of Allegations”, “Role of the Magistrate”, “Role of the Police Prosecutors”, and “Powers of the Police”. It further showcases legal institutions and their respective purpose, developments in the Law, court news, cases, decisions, the posting of legislation, amendments and penalties. The lawyer added, “Whilst the site is chiefly intended for the unrepresented, he would be more than delighted if Law students, Attorneys-at-Law, and Officers of the Criminal Court find it more resourceful.” As information is being added daily to the site, the Lawyer, Publisher and Founder says that he looks forward to meaningful contributions to improve this Legal Forum.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Consumer concerns
Kaieteur News
Page 61
BUYING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
PAT DIAL Among the most distressing complaints which the Guyana Consumer Association receives are those relating to household electrical equipment such as washing-machines, cookers, food-mixers, blenders and vacuum cleaners which become dysfunctional in a short time after use. These items are usually purchased by ordinary simple consumers, many of them from the countryside. Most of these folk never visit the longestablished stores, since there is a widespread myth that the prices in these longestablished stores are much higher than those of the numerous small stores which have proliferated in the
downtown areas of Georgetown, and to a lesser extent in New Amsterdam. Most of these small stores are owned and operated by foreigners, mainly East Asians. Most of the goods sold in these establishments are deceptively cheaper than goods sourced from established manufacturers with known brand-name products but the quality and durability are invariably inferior. This is particularly true of household electrical appliances. Most of these appliances bear brand-names of which Guyanese consumers have never heard and which are suspected of being given to products in an ad hoc manner; sometimes they may even carry forged well-known
brand names. A fairly high proportion of these appliances perform very poorly or become dysfunctional in a few weeks and the purchaser has to incur the costs of repairs since these items are often sold without warranties or have no more than four-week warranties, which in any case is difficult to enforce for a variety of reasons. Almost all these East Asian appliances carry no spare parts. Consumers are urged to protect themselves by the following action:(1) Before purchasing consumer durables and other household appliances, ascertain what is on offer at the established stores. Check on the brand-names, the guarantees or warranties which go with the product, the
Jermaine Anderson, a 21 year-old of lot 34 Linden, allegedly broke into Ronel Paris’ storeroom and carted off a quantity of drink items. It is alleged that he committed the act between July 6 and July 7. On Friday he made his first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer
to a charge of Break and Enter and Simple Larceny. The court heard that Anderson stole two cases of Banks beer, one small case of cooking oil, and other items, all totaling $34,000. The defendant denied the allegation before Magistrate Ann McLennan. Anderson’s Attorney, Mortimer Coddett,
during his bail application, asked for his client to be released on reasonable bail. Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers objected to bail citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. The items were not recovered. Anderson was ordered to return to court on July 22 after he was refused bail.
Lindener before court after alleged storeroom break-in
repair and technical services which are provided, the availability of spare parts, whether free or subsidized transport delivery service is provided, and to insist that from the time an appliance is reported as being out-of-order to the time of its return in good order, that time should not be debited to the period of the warranty since the consumer would not have been able to enjoy usage during that time. (2) If a consumer decides, for one reason or another, to buy his appliance from one of the smaller recently established stores he should:(a) Insist on being given a proper bill or receipt which should carry the name and address of the store; the correct price clearly stated; the item purchased adequately described; the date of the purchase; and revenue stamps if required. Except you have a valid receipt of purchase, you cannot prove ownership, for example, if a police problem were to arise; or you wish to return the purchase; or you wish to complain about the item to the
store or to the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA). If the store refuses to issue a proper bill, do not make the purchase. (b) In the purchase of electrical home equipment or appliances, the price is only one of the several factors you should take into account. Some of these factors are outlined at (1) above. We will however emphasize a few of these factors:The warranty. Many of the stores tell you there is a month’s warranty but this is meaningless as the store will never honour it and this was done simply to dodge the requirement in the Consumer Protection Act which provides that if no warranty is given an automatic six-month warranty becomes applicable. Repair facilities and spare parts. All these small stores have no technicians or repair facilities and they never stock spare parts. If one’s appliance goes bad, the purchaser will almost certainly have to abandon it, thus losing the money he had paid.
Voltage. Check carefully on the electrical voltage. Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n . Established stores offer free delivery of purchases within a certain radius and subsidized delivery outside of that radius. Small stores offer no delivery. Delivery costs could increase price sharply. Consumers are strongly enjoined to “Get value for money”. And remember in buying electrical equipment, price is only one of the several factors to take into account. In the event a consumer has exhausted all efforts to have problems with the vendor redressed, he may contact the Guyana Consumers Association at email: patdial26@gmail.com
Page 62
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
What floods, cricket and two hypocrites have in common By Ralph Seeram It was just a one line statement on her Facebook page, “OMG! My apartment has been flooded again”. It was a simple statement, but it really doesn’t tell the real story of the devastating effects last week’s floods had on the poorer families in Guyana. I knew the individual, a single mother; I knew her apartment was flooded with knee high water late last year, when a koker door for lack of maintenance was blown away by the force of the Demerara River. The individual is a friend of mine so I made a call on Facebook messenger (free of course. I love that App) to check on the extent of damage. Some clothes were ruined, some retrievable by washing.
The furniture, carpets and so forth were damaged, but the frustrating part was the clean up after the flood. No one takes the time to ascertain the economic hardship these floods have on the poorer section of the society, the “small man or woman to be correct”, who struggles daily to “make ends meet”. We are talking of thousands of households here; people who probably still owe Courts for their furniture, and will still have to pay for them regardless of whether they were destroyed by the floods. Absent in all of this is the economic loss and damage to individuals, farmers, the business community and the Government as a whole. There are pictures of the flooding as usual, flooding (pardon the
pun) social media, which has become a routine these days; people just dismiss it as “oh Georgetown flood again”. No one has made any effort be it the press, the Private Sector or the Government past and present to quantify the loss due to these devastating floods, in terms of dollars. No doubt the loss will be in the billions of dollars, when taken as a whole. What the population gets is the usual “knee jerk” band aid reaction, Ministers and Government officials at the scene where a few canals and trenches are being cleared with excavator. Later the water recedes and all is forgotten. This week I was amused watching pictures of two politicians at the scene of some of the floods. As I watched the photos the word hypocrites came to mind.
There was Hamilton Green who presided over the deterioration of the Georgetown from garden city to garbage city; who presided over the lawlessness that took place by business as well as individuals by impeding, nay, blocking drains and canals with their construction in the City. Hamilton Green just woke up from his slumber of the last 20 years and still does not realize that it is the responsibility of the City Council to keep the canals, trenches and drains of the city clean, de-silted and free of garbage. Then there was former President Bharrat Jagdeo and some PPP officials visiting and talking to flood victims. I am saying to myself, now what can Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP tell these poor victims
who suffered from years of this old problem? What comfort can he give them? He certainly can’t pass the blame on the new APNU-AFC government which has only been in office for barely two months, just getting its “feet wet” literally and figuratively. So I am asking myself again what could he be possibly telling those affected victims of the flood? More so what can they be telling him? Could they be telling him that he and his PPP have been in power for 23 years and what did it do to resolve the recurring flooding problem. One would have thought that after the devastating floods of 2005, that a National Plan would have been implemented to relief Guyana of the flooding nightmare. Look. It’s no rocket science; everybody knows what the problem is and what the solution is. Those of us who are older know that there were never such devastating floods as the country is experiencing now. The infrastructure is there or was there. It needs a bold initiative by the Government to implement a plan regardless of cost, and I am sure it will cost less than what it is costing the economy and the poor man’s pocket now, Everyone knows you have to clean all the canals and trenches, not just clearing weeds but de -silting them, dredging them to make them deeper; keep drains clean. If you have to break all the
illegal bridges and culverts that block or impede the flow of the drainage then do so. We know that since Guyana is below the sea level, we have to wait on low tides to open the sluices or koker into the rivers. What is lost on those responsible is the fact that the trenches and canals act as a catchment to retain the water until the tide is low to drain. The system was in place years ago and the country except for a few farming areas never experienced the frequency of the problem. Whether this new Coalition Government will have the will to take bold action to resolve this nightmare remains to be seen. It is not an insolvable problem. I mean, even President David Granger could not leave his house without getting “his feet wet”. That may be a good thing; sometimes you have to ‘walk in the wet shoe” like the other person to know how soggy it feels. President Granger held an emergency meeting to discuss the flooding situation. To be honest the PPP held a lot of emergency meetings about floods, but whatever decisions were made, as soon as the water receded those plans, faded and dried up as quickly as my friend’s damaged furniture, thrown in the garbage, awaiting the next round of floods. Oh, and according to (continued on page 64)
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
SALON Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design,Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. Balloon decorating for birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc, make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS - CALL:6294946 OR 225-4822 Professional painting services available for private and contract work- Tel: 6044036 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar:2310655,683-8734 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves - Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 GET YOUR USA, CANADA & UK VISA’S FILLED OUT PROFESSIONALLY. CALL FOR APPOINTMENT: 2315789/90 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall: 225-6496, 662-6045 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician: FB/ Brian.Moe.165: Home and Office visits at your comfort!! K. Lakeram, building contractor: carpentry, masonry, drawings of plans, general maintenance – Call:216-0671, 622-0267, 6928 4 6 4 / klakeram.construction@gmail.com
WANTED One salesgirl; excellent worker –Call 226-5793 between 9:00-5:00 (Mon-Sat) & Call: 666-3569, 233-2865 (Sunday)(Anytime). Accounts clerk @ Aracari Resort 16 Plantation Versailles, W.B.DPhone:264-2946/8. Email: info@aracariresort.com. Apply in person. Waitress/ bartenders @ Aracari Resort 16 Plantation Versailles, W.B.D- Phone:2642946/8. Email: info@aracariresort.com. Apply in person. Legal clerk/typist: applications with CV - Legal Aid 185 Charlotte & King streets, Maraj Building. By 20th July, 2015 One Salesgirl to work in shop; age 17-24, also one boy. Text your information to 661-8647 Hairdresser, nail technician, tattoo artist, pedicure/manicure –Tel: 613-8710/ 680-7813 One diesel mechanic; to work in Georgetown –Tel: 218-1455 One Female to cook for family in the interior –Tel: 679-8765
Summer Special: In cosmetology, nails, wig design & hair cuttingClasses commence -13 July Tel: 619-7603, 666-5241
VACANCY International Employment: waiters, cooks, housekeepers, carpenters, plumbers, cleaners, securities, receptionists, printers- Contact: 2316296, 650-9880 www.plzrecruitme.com Work from home, earn $5,000$20,000 daily Call MondayFriday 9am-5pm #233-6517, 6 3 8 - 0 5 9 5 www.jobfairworldwide.com One Receptionist - Contact: 223-5273 /4 One Chef for 704 Sports Bar Contact: 223-5273 /4 Cashier 6am-3pm & 3pm12pm, inventory clerk. Submit application to Shell Station Providence EBD, shellramsburg@gmail.com.
Junior Accounts Clerk with passes in English, Mathematics & Computer literacy. Apply @ Mike’s Pharmacy, 56 Sheriff Street G/ Town. Girls to work in Bar –Tel: 2564096 Attractive live in waitressTel: 228-5129, 604-8277 Driver for taxi in base –Tel: 687-8728 Land to rent for washbay – Tel: 646-8748 Driver for canter – from WCD -$25,000 weekly –Call: 6848231
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVEAUTORENTAL: CARS & SUV FOR RENTAL$4,000 & UPPER DAY-CALL: 643-5122, 219-3900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL @YAHOO.COM DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up- Call: 690-6494
FOR SALE/RENT American pools table- Call: 277-0578
ACCOMODATION Specials on room! Free breakfast, Wi-Fi luxuriously & comfortably @ Signature Inn, 82 Laluni Street, Georgetown –Tel: 226-2145; 227-5037
Supermarket space for rent, 1 acre land in La Grange, Independence Road for sale. Call Nitesh: 684-7853 45" Free Standing Advertising display, capable of displaying your bold & colourful graphic posters still & video ads. Call: 680-9611
TOURS Trip to Suriname for 5 days (21st -25th August) $34,000 per person, transportation & accommodation inclusive; food exclusive –Contact: 660-0312
VEHICLE FOR SALE We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 1 new unregistered Mazda Axela, excellent condition -Tel: 649-0956 PRADO TZ Land Crusier, automatic diesel, PHH series, fully loaded -$M –Tel:2332546; 688-5554 1 Mitsubishi Canter, 4D 31 engine, GTT Series -$2.6M – Contact: 612-0320 1 Toyota Pickup GRR 9565 & 1 ATV motor bike- Call: 6600422 2008 Fielder -$2.5M, 2004 Spacio -$2M, Carina 212 $1.9M, all vehicles unregistered –Tel: 617-2891 1 Toyota 212 Yellow Cab, Excellent condition –Tel: 2235615 One 318 BMW never register for $ 3.1M down payment $ 800,000- Contact # 650-0402 Fantasy Auto Sales at 38 Alexander St, Kitty. Get $100,000 discount on preorders- Contact: 611-1833 Fantasy Auto SalesAvailable: 2010 Mitsubishi RVR, Nissan X-Trail 2008. New model Premio & AllionCall: 611-1833 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 2013 Mercedes C250 turbo AMG coupe, retractable glasstop, mileage 15K, alcantara leather interior, brush aluminum acc- Call: 650-5136 Minibus BJJ 9267 $700,000 in good condition- Call: 6791813 Toyota- AT 212, AT192, BB, Premio, Rush, Hilux pickup 4x4. Nissan bluebird, Honda 600 RR- Tel: 644-5096, 6971453 Pitbull unregistered (roof rack) $3M- Call: 668-0000 New model Raum PRR series $1,475,000 negotiable. In excellent condition- Call: 6999011, 266-2059 2006 Honda RR 1000cc. Price $1,300,000- Tel: 600-3177 1 Mini Cooper PTT 2675. 1 cold storage canter-Call: 6190846 One Toyota Raum; old model PPP series, excellent condition –Price -$1.150M negotiable- Call: 653-0120 Unregistered Toyota IST (2002) –Tel: 657-1796 2 Ton Canter, excellent condition - $800,000, price negotiable. Contact Michelle Harrinaraine. Tel: 646-5838, 686-3794, 261-6119, 261-5547
Page 63
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
D. Persaud Auto Deal- deals on wheel promotion on Toyota Premio & Spacio- Tel: 681-7117
1-Ford Ranger extra cab (4x4) automatic, fully loaded, AC, alarm. Price $1.8MContact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902
Unregistered Corolla Fielder 2003, body kit, fog, rear spoiler, dark interior, roof rack Call: 617-5536 1-192 Carina alarm, A/C, music deck, working condition$850,000 negotiable, serious persons only, owner leaving country –Tel: 687-3241 1 Toyota IST – $1.1M –Tel: 639-1997 3000GT sports car, 3000cc 5 speed, 18 mag wheel & alarm. All $975, 0000- Call:639-2000 Toyota BB 2007, 40,000km only, auto start, 18" rims, triple TV system, back-up camera $1.9M- Call:639-2000 Dodge stealth sports car, 3000cc, auto- $795,000- Call: 639-2000 Mercedes Benz S300, fully armored, fully powered, leather, 19"rims & more $975,000- Call: 639-2000 Blow Out Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota IST - $2,050,000Bodykit, TV, Spoiler, Fogs, Alloy Wheels, Crystal Lights & Alarm – Call: 643-6565, 2269931 97 Chevy Tracker jeep 4X4, owner migrating, good condition – $800,000 or best offer. Tel: 663-9219 1-AT192 Carina (private), automatic, fully powered, A/ C, mags, CD Player, price $850,000 Contact Rocky 2251400,621-5902
1-Honda CRV (immaculate condition) automatic, fully loaded, mags. Price $1.9MContact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1- Mitsubishi Pajero (Junior) automatic, fully powered, A/ C, 4X4 (1100cc), price $1.2M - Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1-Toyota Raum (new model) automatic, fully loaded, A/ C, alarm, mag rims, price $1.7M - Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1-Toyota RZ long base (15 seater bus) - BRR series, automatic (VVTI), mag rims, immaculate condition, price $1.6M - Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 Lady driven: Toyota Runx, PPP series, remote start, alarm, excellent condition, $1.7M negotiable –Tel: 6100991, 601-1067
EDUCATION Institute of Academic Excellence- registration commenced for our Secondary school (forms 15), lessons & adults CXC classes- Tel: 683-5742
1 Isuzu canter open back (diesel engine), manual, short base, price $1.3M- Excellent condition- Contact Rocky 225-1400,621-5902
Affordable summer classes for weak children in reading, spelling, phonics, composition etc. for all agescall: 675-4379
1- Toyota RZ (excellent condition) manual, CD player, mags, 15 seater, price $950,000– Contact Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902
Spanish Classes!!! Learn Spanish in 3 Months: Introductory, Intermediate, Advance, children creativeSaturday –Tel: 673-8605. Classes start -20th July 2015
1-AT212 Carina (private -new model), automatic, fully powered, A/C, mags, CD, alarm, Price $1.350M Contact Rocky 225-1400,621-5902
Lessons: Maths, English, Accounts, Physics, Social Studies and office Administration, Location: Campbellville –Contact: 610-6087
1- Toyota Land Rover (Discovery) manual , fully powered, alarm , 4X4 Diesel (2700 cc) Price -$6.7M Contact Rocky: 225-1400, 6215902 1- Toyota Raum (PPP series) automatic, fully powered, AC, alarm –price -$1.3M - Contact Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902 1- Toyota Picnic (7 Seater) 4 doors, automatic, fully powered, A/C, mags, alarm CD –Price -$2.3M –Contact: Rocky: 225-1400, 621-5902
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 6895997 Continued on page 64
Page 64
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Surinamese nabbed with ganja at back track crossing LAND FOR SALE Herstelling -$3.5M (110ftX50ft), Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M (80ftX50ft). Ron’s Land Investment-Tel: 611-7223; 223-1443 1 Land in Diamond Scheme $2.8M & 1 Land in Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M (on main Road). Tel: 690-6327; 695-1508 1500 acres transported land 4½ miles from Bartica Rock, Quarry, Forestry, Agriculture. Contact Mark: 603-1266; 6259788 50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front -reasonable offer accepted, serious enquiries only! – Tel: 695-3493
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Dr. Evelyne Hanoman Eye Clinic @ 120 Parade Street Kingston- Sale! 20% off all spectacle frames –Tel: 226-2829 Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, phone games & applications. Delivery also – Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 1 Fishing boat 52ft, 2300lb 7½ inch, 1200lb new seine, 8000lb ice box, 1 outboard, 40 Yamaha -$3M- Tel:6906327; 695-1508
Herstelling - $4M (110ftX56ft) Parfaite Harmonie, corner lot Fluffy puppies. Tel: 626-4234 main road (130ftX48ft) - $2.7M & $1.2M –Tel: 611-7223, 223- Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, 1443 timers, gearbox, motors, etc Friendship house lot for sale- call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Call: 692-8513, 223-0733 152ft complete cabin cruiser. Land @ Parfaite Harmonie & In excellent condition- Tel: Tuschen -$1.5M each, house 592-654-2817, 592-622-2958 & land @ Belle West, 1-2 One Ducati 1098cc storey property @ Crane – motorcycle in excellent Call: 604-6724 condition- Call: 617-6934, 30.5 Acres residential & 674-0137 agricultural land @ Long IMPORTED AMERICAN Creek. Creek passing through BULLY PUPS –CONTACT land -$7,000,000 M HARRY: 220-7933, 667negotiable–Tel: 686-3794, 4845, 610-0068 646-5838, 261-5547, 261-6119 ( W H A T S A P P Professional Realty: we buy/ AVAILABLE) BBM PIN sell/rent/value your real 52E62193 estate –Call: 694-3875; 649- Instock subject to being 0535; 654-6198 unsold; 1,000 - 10,000 watts; 144x37.4 FT house lot Complete Solar Units- Mr. available at Webster Avenue, Beepat – 600 - 5253 Buxton. $2.2M- Call: 696-8391 1 Ford Econoline Van (left hand drive), excellent condition, sale price -$1.8M. Contact Ms Rooplall: 2333512
FOR SALE Pile driving hammers, weight 3 and 4 tons, 6 cylinder Leyland engine, 10 tons double steel wheeled roller – Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 D4H CAT bulldozer, Leyland DAF 55 Tipper truck, 20 lengths- plastic sheet piles– 1930 front end Contact: 2750538; 683-7225
From page 63
FOR SALE
Dell desktop & laptop computers from $55,000. Free games & educational software- call FutureTech: 231-2206. Table stove, microwave, stabilizer, line conditioner, kid’s scooter, trolley, dart board, USP 450W. Tel: 6652942; 665-6512 Yamaha Outboard Engine 60HP, 25HP, 200Yamaha FootContact Steve: 325-3077; 6507407
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Oceanicvillas air conditioned, apartments/ fridge/stove/washer/dryer/ microwave. Contact Shiv: 678-6887 or email: oceanicvillas@yahoo.ca Vreed-En-Hoop Junction: Storage bond, office, lessons place & other- Call: 680-9905 Offices to rent @220 South Road near High Court $50,000 per office- Tel: 2271042; 601-3369 1 Business place, 1-2 bedrooms flat @ Windsor Forest –Call: 276-0818 Space for office or business purposes, located on public road- Contact: 613-0448, 6728625 Newly constructed 3 bedrooms top flat @ Great Diamond, secured, mosquito protected, hot & cold & other modern amenities –Contact: 687-2027, 671-1474 Bottom flat Diamond – EBD – Tel: 678-3388 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE- CALL: 6750767, 627-5098 1-8000 SQ.FT modern warehouse/ manufacturing facility, Eccles Industrial Site - $5,000 US per month – Contact: 233-3512 Lodge apartments (Vlissengen /Durban): Unfurnished $55,000-$60,000 monthly; furnished (for visitors) US$500 monthlyCall: 677-9638 Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar, weekly & monthly rates –Tel: 227-2993
1-43ft boat with ice box $700,000 - Tel:690-6327; 6951508 One Mitsubishi Canter; Good condition; 2.5 ton, has dumper- $2.1M negotiable. Tel: 612-1848 One tractor driven 16" Bore pump on trailer @ bargain price –Tel: 227-1830 Brazilian line red nose pit bull pups –Tel:667-0338 Sharp 80" LED Aquos Smart TV, almost new, 6" thick $650,000–Call: 639-2000
PROPERTY FOR SALE Two executive houses in gated compound at Oceanicvillas -$58M eachTel Shiv: 600-6681 Property for sale, Grove $18M neg. Tel: 625-5461. House for sale at Craig- Call: 679-8091 or 718-213-6496 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue, E.B.D- Call: 629-4017 Property for sale @ Bachelor’s adventure, E.C.D, two storey concrete house $42M negotiable- Contact Gavin 225-8101 2 Storey concrete property for sale at 2nd Avenue, Diamond H/Scheme, E.B.DTel: 674-9266 or 686-9248 Property @ Leonora New Housing Scheme-Tel: 6799851 Agriculture Road, ECD, two story four bedrooms -$14M – Call: 612-2522 2 Bedroom house section “B” Non Pariel, E.C.D -$8.5M –Tel: 615-1319 2 Storied 22ftX45ft transported concrete property upstairs 2 bedroom & downstairs – bedrooms, fully grilled, Block ‘8’ MonRepos, E.C.D - $20M – Tel:625-1514, 231-7255 Lot 13 Plantain Walk Triumph Beterverwagting, E.C.D – Price$5.2M. Call: 275-1053; 644-0780; 665-6671.
TO LET For foreigners fully furnished two bedrooms apartment in South. Hot & cold, cable, washing machine & internet. Tel: 689-5877 Golden Grove Diamond house to rent- Call: 692-8513, 223-0733
TO LET Robb Street, BourdaBusiness/ professional office spaces available- Phone: 2262409, 682-1602 FOR SALE Pneumatic roller – 9 wheels, 2,500 GLS, steel tank, 2,000 GLS, steel tank , 428 CAT Back-Hoe Call: 275-0538; 6837225
Bagotstown Public Road -2 Storied commercial Property (next to Ray’s Auto) -3,500 sq.ft –Tel: 233-2546, 233-5859 Newly built 2 bedroom apartment and house @ Vreed-en-Hoop- Call: 6986496 Rooms in Alberttown, apartments in Eccles available from August 1st–Tel: 2253234
One day after the government disbanded the controversial Berbice Anti Smuggling Squad (BASS) the police in Berbice have upped the ante against smugglers in the Berbice area. Police in Berbice nabbed a Surinamese national who was trying to leave the country on Saturday via the back track route. The man who resides at Timmers Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam was about to board a boat at the No79 back track landing when he was nabbed by police. Information revealed that
the police acting on information went to the area around 07:30 hrs and saw the individual acting in a suspicious manner. He was challenged and taken into custody. While in custody the police searched him and found a parcel containing what was suspected to be leaves, seeds and stems of the marijuana plant. The suspect and the find were taken into custody where the contents were tested and checked and found to be 8KG of marijuana. Investigations are ongoing and charges are likely shortly.
What floods, cricket... From page 62 Facebook posts, the rainfall and flooding are easy to predict; just schedule a big cricket match at the Providence Stadium. If you doubt me just ask the thousands of cricket fans who turned up for last Wednesday’s match at the Stadium, especially those who travelled from Berbice and Essequibo. So there you have it, you can predict floods by cricket matches. Next time my friend will know to move her furniture and clothes to higher ground when “big cricket” in town. Did I tell you she lives near the Stadium too? Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com and Facebook
Rice and Sugar currently biggest threat to... (From page 3) one needs to consider Guyana’s dilemma in this regard as the Petro Caribe coffers are empty and new rice markets are still to be found. Compounding the problem is that the Finance Minister had said that during his recent visit to Venezuela, he was told in no uncertain terms that the South American neighbour would no longer be interested in renewing the oil for rice barter under the Petro Caribe deal which will come to an end on November 16, next. He said that Guyana was told to find new markets for its rice. Venezuela’s decision regarding the rice deal comes at a time where it is claiming sovereignty over Guyana’s waters since the significant oil find by the American oil giant, Exxon Mobil just 100 miles off of the Stabroek Block. But Government has made it clear that it will do all that is necessary to ensure that those who depend on the industry are not made to suffer from any impending economic shocks. Dr. Thomas said that with the state of the two traditional revenue earners in mind, there is no doubt that government would be tempted to ensure that they prevent both sectors from any collapse. He emphasized however that in doing so, the “economic” plans of the APNU+AFC government will be affected. The Presidential Advisor opined that the state of the economy is perhaps beyond what the government imag-
ined was taking place. The Finance Minister said that he agreed with Dr. Thomas’ points. In an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday afternoon, he said, “The new administration is indeed facing two significant threats to the 100-day plan which includes the reduction in the Berbice Bridge toll and significant salary increases for government workers and for old age pensioners.” Jordan added, “The transfer of the monies to the sugar industry was indeed large and unanticipated expenditure. But the state of the rice and sugar industry will not affect the implementation of our plan. It will only affect the magnitude of it.” “For example, the increases promised to the public servants will be implemented but it would not be of the magnitude as we had planned for. In many instances, we covered ourselves before assuming office as we had always said that our plan will be dependent on what we found in the Treasury.” Since the coalition government assumed office, it has been on a hunt for hidden accounts holding millions of taxpayers’ dollars and having them placed into the Consolidated Fund. This will aid them in ascertaining the fiscal position of the country as the Finance Minister prepares the country’s budget which he hopes to lay in the National Assembly by August month end.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
US, Britain reportedly call for St Lucia police commissioner to be fired
Vernon Francois
CASTRIES, St Lucia — According to US intelligence sources, security services in both the US and Britain have written to the government of Saint Lucia calling for commissioner of the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), Vernon Francois, to be fired. Local reports further indicate that the government has written to three senior police officers requesting them to resign. The UK involvement in the matter is said to stem from, among other things, unresolved questions and dissatisfaction over the investigation into the still unsolved murder of British hotelier Oliver Gobat in Saint Lucia in April 2014. Earlier this month, it was reported that, Francois, who was expected to return to work on June 30 after an extended vacation leave, had been instructed to remain on leave for another 30 days. Almost two years ago, on August 12, 2013, Caribbean News Now published a report that, according to local sources, Francois had been requested to take accumulated vacation leave totalling some 400 days following an incident when he
was not permitted to board a flight from Hewanorra International Airport in Saint Lucia to the United States to participate in US organized and financed training programmes. The report prompted a flurry of official denials, culminating in press release entitled “False Statements” from the Office of the Prime Minister. It is understood that a report by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) into the activities of the RSLPF that is having serious repercussions. The US State Department’s 2014 human rights report on Saint Lucia also again highlighted concerns surrounding the police, the penal and justice system that resulted in the suspension of all financial and technical assistance by the US to the RSLPF. During the so-called Operation Restore Confidence (ORC) in 2010 and 2011, 12 persons were killed during encounters with officers of the RSLPF in response to an unprecedented wave of homicides and violent crime
on the island. Five of the 12 men shot dead were killed in a single operation in Vieux Fort. In 2012, local inquests concluded that six of the shootings were justified but the US indicated that it did not have confidence in the outcomes of the hearings, while relatives of the victims have insisted they were murdered. The Saint Lucia government enlisted the services of eight investigators from the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) through IMPACS to investigate the police killings. Sanctions against Saint Lucia took a variety of forms, including travel bans, asset freezes, arms embargoes, capital restraints, foreign aid reductions, trade restrictions, and general export controls by the application by the US of the so-called Leahy Law. Earlier reports included the US visa revocation of the former deputy commissioner of police, Moses Charles, who led the special task force during Operation Restore Confidence. On March 8, 2015, Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony delivered a televised address “A Distressing Issue to Confront” based on the findings of the report by the JCF. He called the report “extremely damning” because “it could compromise investigations that were still taking place, and to protect witnesses” and that, “The crime problem in Saint Lucia is facilitated by corrupt politicians, government officials, business persons and the police officers,” that the force worked from a “black list or death list” of persons deemed criminals and officers staged all shootingdeath sites to legitimize their actions.
Page 65
Page 66
Kaieteur News
Fifa corruption: Jeffrey Webb pleads not guilty in US Former Fifa Vice-President Jeffrey Webb has pleaded not guilty in connection with a massive corruption scandal in the world’s football governing body. He was placed under house arrest on $10m (£6.4m) bail by a New York judge. Mr Webb, from the Cayman Islands, is accused of accepting bribes worth millions of dollars in connection with the sale of marketing rights. He was detained in Switzerland in May, along with six football officials, and was lasts week extradited to the US. Mr Webb, 50, is a former president of the Central and North American football federation (Concacaf).
The other six people arrested are fighting their extradition to the US, where the charges were laid. The men were held at the
Mexico’s Attorney General has charged seven prison officers with involvement in the escape of the notorious drug lord, Joaquin Guzman, yesterday.Officials said a further 15 people were being
investigated. Guzman escaped from a maximum security prison through a tunnel that surfaced in his cell and ran 1.5 km to a building outside the prison walls. Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel is
Jeffrey Webb
request of the US Department of Justice, which has indicted a total of 14 current and former Fifa officials and associates on charges of “rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted” corruption following a major inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The investigation was initially sparked by the bidding process for the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups, but was widened to look back at the dealings of world football’s governing body over the past 20 years. The Department of Justice’s indictment says that the corruption was planned in the US, and that American banks were used to transfer money. (BBC News)
Guzman escape: Seven Mexico prison officers charged
responsible for much of Mexico’s trafficking of drugs to the US. President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has just arrived back from an overseas trip, said he shared the sense of frustration and anger of the Mexican people about the escape. He said: “We are not going to resolve this only with anger and filling ourselves with fury. The only way to reverse this is with a recapture.” (BBC News)
Sunday July 19, 2015
TTDC chair wants full participation but...
Debates on with or without PM Trinidad Guardian Chairman of the T&T Debates Commission (TTDC) Andrew Sabga wants all the political parties which qualify to take part in the forthcoming Leaders Election Debate. But if for some reason Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar cannot participate, he says, the debate will take place on August 20 and 27 as planned. “It is our intention to secure with all parties,” Sabga said during a press conference at the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Westmoorings, Friday. “We are going back to our original criteria that have been accepted by most of the participants and we will stick to that criteria and our approach will be based on international best practice. We will stick to that and we are hopeful we will get all players to take part. “Once they qualify they are welcome to participate, but it needs to be clear that it is the leader only and not his or her deputy and not an assigned individual. It is the leader of the party that must participate on August 20 and 27.” When asked if the debate would take place without the PM, Sabga replied by saying once there were two or more parties that qualified the debate would go
Kamla Persad-Bissessar on.He listed two criteria under economic environment, who which parties or alliances are nationals of T&T, will could qualify: political parties determine the questions must be contesting at least 21 beforehand and those will be seats or they must have polled kept confidential until the a favourable vote of at least questions are put to the 12.5 per cent in the last two debaters. national polls conducted prior Sabga said while the to nomination day. names of panellists have not He also said following been made public, the nomination day the commission has already commission would be in a commenced discussions with position to indicate which interested parties to seek parties or alliances qualified agreement on the moderator and would then formally and once confirmed the public invite leaders of those entities would be advised. to be part of the debate, adding “We have made much this should be no later than progress since our launch in August 7. May of this year [with] the The agreed format will be 2015 Leaders Election a moderated event with a Debate,” he said. single moderator who will be Yesterday, Larry Lalla, putting to the candidates spokesperson for the questions derived from a team People’s Partnership, sent out of panellists. In addition to the a media release saying he did moderator, a panel of four not have confidence in the eminent people TTDC and he had accepted knowledgeable about local CNMG’s proposal to hold a politics and the social and debate on July 30.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 67
Gov’t ‘non-disclosure’ creating atmosphere of uncertainty - Luncheon - despite record of misinformation as HPS Former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday lashed out at the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government, accusing it of creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, because of not disclosing information to the public. This was reported at the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) press conference at Freedom House, yesterday. Dr Luncheon, who hosted the event, said that the actions of the new APNU+AFC administration had resulted in uncertainty in the country. Luncheon pointed to three areas— non disclosure of information, discrimination and authoritarianism, all of which he accused the Government of practising. “It makes absolutely no sense for an incoming administration, particularly one that faces the reality of being out of Government for 23 years and being represented by novices to the use of executive power, to go and destroy what existed in the public service,” Luncheon said, describing the dismissals of various Heads of State institutions as the administration “cutting its
nose to spite its face.” Dr. Luncheon also chose the forum to lament on former Presidents- Hinds, Jagdeo and Ramotar- being “denied” their pension benefits, despite the fact that under the new arrangement, former Presidents benefits are only provided with a cap. Before the President’s amendment Bill was introduced earlier in the Month, a former President had enjoyed a tax free pension equivalent to seveneighths of their sitting salary. Subsequent to the Bill, their pension was not touched, contrary to Dr. Luncheon’s assertion, yesterday. Luncheon also accused the administration of not disclosing certain information that would normally be disseminated to the public. However, when reminded about the myriad of cases where by Luncheon, as HPS, had played footsie with disseminating information to journalists at Office of the President, especially on Egovernance questions, Luncheon maintained that he had always been open with providing information to the media. “I started out emphasizing on uncertainty, and the contributions non disclosure makes to uncertainty. I do not
accept that we were nondisclosing about the Marriott. I think the records would show the level of disclosure about the Marriott, the court cases would be awesome.” Luncheon also held up one instance where he had taken journalists into his office in order to present them with information as proof of being open to the public. However, back in April while Luncheon yet held the office of HPS, there was much controversy as to the actual cost of the Brazil fibre optic cable. The cable restoration, entrusted to Dax Contracting Services for rehabilitation and repairs after the project was virtually abandoned due to damage to the cable during the laying, had been given great support from Luncheon, who had been adamant that the fibre optic cable would be rehabilitated at “no cost to the Government.” The subsequent disclosure of the contract between Dax and the Government, signed on March 16, would reveal the shocking truth. In the agreement, Dax was allowed
to import two SUVs and three four door pickups every three years for the life of the agreement, spanning twentyfive (25) years. In addition, Dax was provided the option to renew the agreement for a further fifteen (15) year extension. Following checks, it was determined that two high end SUVs (Mercedes or Lexus 570 or BMW), and three four door pickups would attract some GYD$250M in duty and taxes. Nor did the contract stipulate that Dax necessarily had to keep the vehicles, leaving the option open to sell them. In addition, Dax was granted full usage and access to the cable and every other aspect of the project, including use of road access, access to poles, and access to repeater stations, in addition to applicable tax holidays, remissions, waivers and duty free concessions on imported equipment, spares and tools. In April, the former HPS became embroiled in another non disclosure case, in this instance surrounding the Cabinet giving its no objection for the awarding of
contracts to a ‘mysterious’ bidder, for the procurement of medical supplies for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) totaling $219.8M and the procurement of drugs for the same hospital amounting to $1.16B. When pressed by the media to reveal the identities of the bidders, Luncheon had steadfastly refused, in addition to also declining to say when the bid was opened or whether it had followed the due process, Luncheon had also procrastinated. Also in 2015, Luncheon came under fire after he disclosed, weeks before the multimillion Marriott Hotel opened, that tax payer dollars had funded the project thus far. This followed court cases, in particular one launched by
former APNU+AFC parliamentarian Desmond Trotman, which had held back the release of in excess of US$30M. Despite being a sitting member of the Board of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), the main investor in the hotel through Atlantic Hotels Incorporated (AHI) at the time, Luncheon had steadfastly refused to disclose where financing for the Hotel had come from. The PPP/C administration had also emulated this tight lipped stance on disclosing the financing. Meanwhile, Luncheon also revealed that a Deputy Speaker for the National Assembly had not been identified as yet.
Page 68
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 69
Page 70
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
“Go, Soca Warriors, Go!” Colin E. H. Croft When I suggested in my last article that Trinidad & Tobago’s “Soca Warriors”, despite favorites USA and Mexico, can cause serious upsets to get to the final of CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015, readers and acquaintances enquired about my sanity. No, I am not mad but I know that sports and life can throw up upsets and mind changers to not only confuse, but by their very fickleness,
to confirm unpredictability. NASA – USA’s National Aeronautics & Space Administration – recently held its collective breath as a plan in the form of a space capsule launched in 2006, with results hoped for but unsure, became reality nine years later when advanced New Horizons, after travelling billions of miles, passed close to, then took photographs of, former ninth planet, now down-graded Pluto. Dr. Alan Stern, New
LUSIGNAN GOLF CLUB CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Golf Club Members and the Public are being notified that the Club has been closed with effect from Friday 17th July, for an estimated seven (7) days or until further notice, depending on the weather situation. Fairways have been
flooded after the heavy rains of 15th and 16thJuly, preceded of course by the month of continuous rainfall. The Club Executive hopes that conditions would permit a return to the grounds earlier than the seven days estimated.
Horizons’ top scientist, correctly boasted that this trip was “the Everest of space travel, as this is the greatest achievement in space exploration.” But it also indicates that even with so much technology to assist, nothing is guaranteed! If you recall, West Indies could have recorded, as completed by Australia 1999, 2003 and 2007, the first ever “three-peat” in ICC Cricket World Cup history, if WI had won CWC No. 3 in 1983. Favored WI not only lost to then un-fancied India in that third CWC final, but WI’s fortunes have waned badly since, while India remain very near top! 1974 - Muhammed Ali beat favorite George Foreman in Zaire; 1980 - Roberto Duran outclassed highly hyped “Sugar” Ray Leonard in Canada, their first meeting and best fight for both boxers. Then supposedly unbeatable “Iron” Mike
Sunday July 19, 2015 ARIES (MAR. 21APRIL 20) Have some fun, but draw the line if someone tries to fast talk their way into your heart. TAURUS (APR. 21MAY 21) After all, they may have valuable information to pass on. You can make changes to your living quarters, but not everyone will be pleased with your efforts. GEMINI (MAY 22-JUNE 21) You will have to make some changes regarding your direction if you wish to keep on top of your career expectations. CANCER (JUNE 22JULY 22) Family trips or projects should be on your mind. You may be fortunate while traveling. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) A passionate party for two might be just the remedy. Try to be reasonable. Take time to help children with projects that may be too hard for them to do on their own. VIRGO (AUG. 23 -SEPT. 23) You can make favorable real estate offers today. Focus on your domestic scene. Get together with friends or relatives. Limitations at work might set you back.
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 -OCT. 23) Don't be afraid to make a move if you aren't happy with your emotional situation. Use your creative abilities to come up with new ideas and directions. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 NOV. 22) Your ability to deal with others will help you in getting the support you need. Be aware of deception when it comes to your position, and be sure not to jump to conclusions. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) Family responsibilities are escalating. Don't waste this exciting day by sitting at home. CAPRICORN (DEC 22.- JAN. 20) You can gain valuable cultural knowledge through dealing with foreigners. Your personal partner may be less than willing to accommodate you today. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 FEB. 19) Complete those hobbies you started a long time ago. Minor accidents may occur if you don't concentrate on what you're doing. PISCES (FEB. 20-MAR. 20) You can make major accomplishments while on short trips. Don't invest too much of your own money.
Tyson was bludgeoned into submission by James “Buster” Douglas in Japan in 1990, Tyson never being the same after that humiliation. Okay, so you say that that was an individual sport, “mano y mano”, so, sure, upsets will happen. True, but, back to cricket, what about England, underdogs in present Ashes series, comprehensively outplaying and embarrassing quasiunbeatable Australia in Test No. 1 at Cardiff. WI played both teams recently, and while they managed a drawn series v England, Australia handily beat WI in two Tests. Few gave England any chances whatsoever to beat Australia in this Ashes series. Now, wavering minds are even wagering for an England series win! Australia will come back hard, as already seen in Test No. 2 now transpiring at elegant Lords Cricket Ground, London, but the Aussies are coming off a knock-down. By the time these teams get to Kennington Oval, also in London, at August’s end for Test No. 5, England could
even end up winning by knockout, upsetting most predictions. Who knows? Even Pakistan’s Test series victory last week against Sri Lanka was an upset, the Lankans not the same since losing Mahela Jayawardene. But what a comeback for Younis Khan and Pakistan, who have not played Test cricket at home since that shooting incident featuring, coincidentally, Sri Lanka, in 2009. Yet, as proverbial wanderers, Pakistan always still persevere to win. And normally lowlyconsidered Bangladesh are enjoying unaccustomed victory dances, having also upset highly-rated South Africa in a tense one-day series, with a Test series still to come later. Upsets happen, so Trinidad & Tobago, who have never played in a final in CONCACAF Gold Cup’s history, their best being a semi-final berth in 2000, could well capitalize this time. “Soca Warriors” remind me of WI circa 1970’s and 1980’s. Putting political and financial obstructions behind
Colin E. H. Croft them, they are playing like men possessed, elevated by their own ambitions. But there might be much more driving T&T forward, as this must be captain Kenwyne Jones’ swan-song tournament. So it could be very personal, the big man hoping to go out with a bang. Even getting to the final, if not indeed winning CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015, would be a tremendously appropriate farewell for Jones, the only remaining playing member of T&T’s squad for 2006 FIFA World Cup, a time past which brought much excitement and pride to all. That 4-4 tie with Mexico in their last ‘Group C’ game was titillating, tantalizing, even traumatic, for T&T had to come back from a debilitating, inadvertent owngoal from their leader. Luckily, livewire Yohance Marshall scored that eight and final goal almost in the final second. Those last ten minutes versus Mexico showed magnificent fight from T&T, warriors to the end. That they celebrated like only Trinbagonians can at the end was the least they could have done. Manager Stephen Hart’s antics must have gone viral on social media. What a great show! Anyway, 62 nd FIFAranked Panama, to date, has done nothing special, drawing all three preliminary games 1-1 against adventurous Haiti, cautious Honduras and underwhelming USA, while 55 th FIFA-ranked T&T impressed by beating confused Guatemala 3-1 and agile Cuba 2-0, before that 44 draw v very tough Mexico. In today’s quarter-final v panama in New Jersey, T&T’s “Soca Warriors” must pull out all stops, digging deep while legs try to genuflect to tiredness. T&T must be actuated by adrenaline, confidently knowing that they have ample ammunition to continue winning, for there is nothing like success. So, warriors, just win! Enjoy! E-mail address = c.e.h.croft@gmail.com
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 71
believes her positive style of play makes her difficult to beat, and with her execution of the cross court strokes and drives, is a key player on the national squad. The 2013 national champion has been working on her play in the front court, and believes she is especially well prepared for this tournament considering her mental and tactical improvement, and the constant training she has put in leading up to the tournament.
Player Profile of the Guyana National Junior Squash Team - FEMALES The Guyana National Squash Team has departed for the 33rd annual Caribbean Amateur Squash Association’s (CASA) Annual regional junior squash Tournament, where they are defending champions. Below are profiles of the female national players expected to vie for titles this year in Barbados from July 17th-26th.
that her return of serves is an area she has been striving to improve, and confidently believes she is ready to do well at the games. With her love and enjoyment of the sport a stand out feature of her play, the young Fernandes stated that her best experience thus far in squash was simply hitting her first ball.
she believes that her strengthening of cross court shots and the mental awareness to time kill shots well are the areas that can help her go the distance this year. The Queen’s College student athlete affirmed that “squash is half a mental game, so you have to be in the right frame of mind to win”, and with her immaculate record on the educational frontier much can be expected of her on the court. Fitness and shot selection at a premium for the in -form player, Larissa has been working on the use of lobs and serving aces as ways of dismissing her opponents. A hard worker, she believes that constant training, increasing her fitness and her mental fortitude have been the pillars of her success over the years. Most recently, the Junior athlete enjoyed a grueling five set match with senior Ashley DeGroot, narrowly missing out on a win.
which she credits for her progress thus far in the sport. Low said that rather importantly she learnt from her last experience at CASA that “every point counts” and that when representing the country “every person on the team makes a difference”. The right handed player believes that she tactically defeats her opponents, especially with the use of her cross court-shots, but opined that confidence is an important facet of her game, being both a negative and positive at times.
Gabrielle Fraser
Kirsten Gomes
Madison Fernandes
Makeda Harding: 13 year old Makeda Harding endured a difficult CASA experience in 2014, but returns this year determined to improve, noting that her return of the serve has improved markedly since that time. She believes that she can test her opponent’s skill the most through her serve, and also believes her power and ability to think under pressure makes her a dangerous opponent. Harding, who also plays hockey, opines that there is still room to improve her drop shots, which she has been working on in the build up to the year’s top tournament for developing squash aficionados. As with many successful athletes, she believes that the sheer volume of dedicated and focused training, as well as the support of her family and coaches, have been the biggest factors in her progress thus far as an athlete. This progress was evident even in her loss to Nicolette Fernandes in the recently concluded National Senior Tournament, which she said was her best experience in her young squash career.
Haley Carpenter: 10 year old Haley Carpenter expects to put in her best effort at her debut for Guyana in Barbados this year. Showing her skill in the recent Junior tournament, which was good enough to earn a spot on one of Guyana’s most successful Junior Teams, she highlighted practice and dedication as the reason for her recent success. Favoring the back hand strokes, and to a lesser extent forehand drives, she believes her control of the serve and use of drop shots still has some distance to go before they are the finished product.
Madison Fernandes: 11 year Old Madison Fernandes trained almost daily for this, her first CASA tournament, and boasts in her repertoire strong serves and drives. The young athlete said
Larissa Wiltshire: Lithe, lean and experienced 17 year old Larissa Wiltshire is ready to compete and win at this year’s CASA. Finishing second in her last dig at the tournament,
Larissa Wiltshire
Rebecca Low: Fourth place in the last CASA tournament, 15 year old Rebecca Low feels “as ready as can be” for this year’s event, and is extremely determined to do well. Her exuberant style of play reflects this determination,
Akeila Wiltshire: Always a calm fortress, Akeila Wiltshire is the current 18 year old Junior National Squash Champion and captain of the Guyana’s Girls teams at this year’s CASA tournament. With experience of finishing second at her last outing, Wiltshire is expected to be the front runner this year for the title. Working especially her on her back hand drives, the racket wielder possesses powerful drives, and makes smart use of lobs, as well as drops, with the added skill of a strong serve. Akeila related that her highest point in the sport so far has been winning her first CASA in 2011, and this year she’ll be looking to regain the title in her last attempt as a Junior. She returns this year more mentally prepared, fitter, and with a higher skill level. Gabrielle Fraser: 18 year old Gabrielle Fraser is no stranger to the games, having placed 7th at her last attempt at the event. Noting that from that experience she needed to be fitter, Fraser believes she has prepared well, and is eagerly anticipating testing her current skills against her opponents.
Sarah Lewis: 15 year old Sarah Lewis believes she has learnt from her previous experience of the Caribbean tournament that she needs to hold her nerves, and as evidenced by her recent performances in the local tournaments, looks set to compete and show her improvement on the regional arena. Noting natural talent, power and supreme fitness as key points to her success, she has been working on her serves, and believes she is just about ready to do well this year.
Aliyah Persaud Kirsten Gomes: 10 years old. First CASA Aliyah Persaud: 11 Years old. First CASA
Taylor Fernandes: Recently recovering from an ankle injury, 17 year old Taylor Fernandes is an experienced national player, who placed 3rd the last time she competed at CASA. With a never-say-die attitude, she
Page 72
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Warriors buckle under pressure By Sean Devers Urged on by another sellout crowd, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, chasing 126 from 120 balls to win to move to the top of the table and book a place in the semi-
finals of the Hero CPL T20 Cricket tournament, buckled under pressure and fell 15 runs short of victory against the Barbados Tridents, who maintained their lead in the tournament with 12 points from their full quota of 10
Defending Champs maintain lead with 14-run win matches. South African medium pacer David Weise ripped out five Tridents batsman for 35 runs from four impressive overs and Devendra Bishoo claimed 223 to limit the visitors 125-9. Only Jason Holder (30) and Rayad Emrit (22) reaching 20 in a valuable 45-run seventh partnership which rescued their team from 65-6 in the 13th over. But baffling tactics by the Warriors, who removed Assad Fudadin (who did not bat at all) from the opening spot, replacing his with 40year-old Brad Hodge, who had been doing a wonderful job at number four and the inability of form batsman Lendl Simmons, who struggled with his timing at during the ‘power-play’ overs meant the Warriors, who wasted 61 dot balls (more than half of their overs) were always behind and limped to 111-6 when their overs expired. Simmons (15 from 31) and Hodge (27 from 28) put together 43 for the first wicket but they took 10 overs to do so and faced 32 dot balls and when they fell in the space of three runs with Simmons going to stupendous catch at backward point by Imran Khan off Skipper Kieron Pollard, who picked up 4-30, the local Franchise were
making reaching the target as hard a turtle climbing Mount Roraima, Guyana’s highest mountain. Despite the overwhelming crowd support, the required run rate kept climbing with every dot ball as some brainless wild swings by especially Christopher Barnwell (24 from 13) and Weise rarely resulted in willow connecting with leather with 43 needed from 18 balls and only Barnwell, who hit the first ball of the last over for six before his stumps were rattled by Pollard, had a three-figure strike rate but he wasted too many balls trying to swipe and his effort was too little too late. The top five batsmen all got into double figures but failed to make any meaningful score chasing a relatively small total on a lightning fast ground and a pitched which played much better than the night before when the Warriors struggled to win, chasing 112 made by the Zouks. Emrit (1-20) with the new ball and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson (0-16) who shared it with him were frugal as were Khan (1-22) and Ravi Rampaul (0-23) as the Warriors were kept in shackles throughout their innings which never went into second gear. Barnwell and Umar Akmal (20 from 22) both hit two fours
Australia tighten grip on England at Lord’s BBC Sport - England face a mammoth task to avoid defeat in the second Ashes Test after Australia turned the screw on the third day at Lord’s. Alastair Cook scored 96 and Ben Stokes 87 as the hosts made an admirable recovery from 30-4, but they were eventually dismissed for 312, still 254 runs behind. Australia opted not to enforce the follow-on, instead advancing to 108-0 at stumps to lead by 362. David Warner, dropped on nought by Adam Lyth in the gully, has 60, while first-innings centurion Chris Rogers is on 44. With two days remaining, Australia are strong favourites to seal the victory that would level the series at 1-1 with three Tests to play. England need to win the series outright to regain the Ashes urn. Cook the 90s man Cook anchored England’s innings with a typically measured knock, sharing partnerships of 145 with the
free-scoring Stokes and 55 with Moeen Ali (39) as England made a significant recovery from 30-4 on Friday evening. He was reprieved on 63 when Smith Smith put down a chest-high catch at square leg and appeared comfortably on course for his 28th Test century before engineering his own downfall. Chasing the boundary off Mitchell Marsh that would take him to three figures, he overstretched and got a thick inside edge onto his stumps. It was the seventh time Cook has been dismissed in the nineties, the most by an England player, and only three shy of the least desirable of Sachin Tendulkar’s many records. Marsh takes his chance In taking two key wickets with his medium-fast seamers, all-rounder Marsh went a long way to vindicating his inclusion at the expense of veteran Shane Watson, who went wicketless in Cardiff.
and a six were the only players in Green and Gold to hit the ball over the boundary much to disappointment of the noisy, flag waving fans in the stands who were eagerly waiting on an opportunity to earn US$1,000 if they took a one-handed catch. The tridents, led by arguably the best Captain in the tournament, won the toss and elected to bat on a track with a tinge of green but Wiese removed both openers to leave the score on 30-2 with the dangerous Dwayne Smith, who scored a brutal unbeaten 104 against the Warriors last year, going to a brilliant catch on the boundary by Akmal. Weise took another wicket when Jonathon Carter (7) edged to Ramdin, while Bishoo removed Misbah-ulHaq (6) and Peterson (13) and Permaul bowled Pollard (2) with the ball of the match as the danced down the track and got himself into a tangle, the defending champ were wobbling on the ropes on 656. But even though Holder and Emrit offered a late order rally, the Tridents’ total looked inadequate at the half-way stage. But the Warrior’s woeful batting display, astute leadership by Pollard and excellent bowling by his team, ensured the Warriors remained on 9 points for 9 matches. But with one match remaining against the Red Steel on Tuesday, they are still second on the points table due to their superior net run rate. The Red Steel are on 9 points from 8 games and the Jamaica Tallawahs on 9 from 9. Both the Zouks (9 points) and the Patriots (8 points) have completed their 10 matches with the Patriots no longer in contention for the CLP title. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, an excellent performance from Darren Bravo with the bat and from Dwayne Bravo with the ball has seen the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel defeat the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Hero Caribbean Premier League. Darren Bravo made a superb 40 runs off just 15 balls to set up a very challenging target. Brother Dwayne then collected three wickets for just 15 runs as the Patriots chase looked to be on and then fell away. Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel (134-5) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (123-7) by 18 runs (Duckworth Lewis Stern Method) - Match reduced to 14 overs per side.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 73
Exciting clash of bodies loom, Canada based Eustace Abraham might be in the mix Supligen/GABBFF Mr. Guyana 2015...
and has been training but it is not certain if he would be one of the competitors this evening. The close off for athletes to affirm if they are competing is today between the hours of 9 and 1pm which will also serve as the weigh in at the competition venue. Kaieteur Sport understands that up to last evening, 34 athletes would Eustace Abraham
Kerwyn Clarke
Reigning Mr. Guyana Kerwyn Clarke is set and ready to defend his title when the Supligen Mr. Guyana 2015 body building and fitness championships takes place this evening at the Park View Hotel, Farm, East Bank Demerara.
Clarke has been dominating as the best in the land for the past two years and would not be easy to beat but on the same note, other athletes are eager to dethrone the champ but will have to come good. Canada based Eustace Abraham whose exploits are well known on the body building stage is in Guyana
Overseas based Lady Jags arrive for One Week Camp - Sessions slated to start today The overseas based (England, Canada, USA) Lady Jags arrived in Guyana yesterday to commence a one week camp aimed at further preparing the flagship team for next month’s Caribbean Football Union Olympic Qualifying competition. Kaieteur Sport caught up with the players just after they had lunch yesterday at the team hotel in the City. Justin Rodrigues who was with the team when they competed at the CONCACAF Female Gold Cup Finals in Cancun, Mexico in 2010 said it was great to be back and they {players}are all excited to see each other again. “It’s good to reunite and make our country proud once again so we’re excited to be here.” Rodrigues also shared her thoughts on what they would do different as they seek to qualify for next year’s Olympics in Brazil. “Just making sure we are one step ahead of the opponent, we want to make sure we are more in shape, we’re training that much harder; we’re doing lots of
team bonding making sure we’re all as a team and coaches in sync and hopefully this time around, having the skill ensure we push that extra mile to ensure we get into the next round.” Another player, Donna Joseph explained that the majority of players have experience from the last sojourn and they know what to expect. “This time we don’t have the same jitters; we can be more confident and trust each other, the programme and the coaches to do better this time around.” Kayla DeSouza noted that all the players back in the programme are more experienced since it was five years ago they were battling for the Lady Jags. She said they will be passing on some of the knowledge to the players who were even younger than them then, who are now in the programme. The trio said they are hoping that all and sundry would have trust and confidence in them as they seek keep the Golden Arrowhead aloft. (Franklin Wilson)
have signaled their intentions to compete including three females. Clarke will be coming up against the likes of Sylvester Andrews, Alfred Jordon, Alex Hamilton, 2015 Novice Champion Chaitram Nagessar and Ron Lonke among others. Competition categories are: Men’s Physique, Miss
Bikini, Miss Body Fitness, Junior, Masters, Under-132 lbs, Under-143 lbs, Under154 lbs, Under-164 lbs, Under-176 lbs and Over 176 lbs. The respective male category winners will clash for the title of Mr. Guyana 2015. Attractive prizes are at stake for the respective category winners including
hampers compliments of Fitness Express while the Mr. Guyana would also be rewarded with a 42" TV, compliments of Digital Technology. Guest Poser is Huskin ‘ B i s c u i t s ’ Wo r r e l l o f Barbados, a 16-time CAC gold medalist in the Under176lb category. Show time is 19:00hrs. (Franklin Wilson)
Page 74
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 19, 2015
Linden clubs unite for Boyce/Jefford Classic VI The two athletic clubs in Linden, Upper Demerara Schools Track Club and C h r i s t i a n b u r g / Wi s m a r Secondary School (CWSS), are expected to present a united force for the 2015 Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic VI in Linden next month. This is according to the Coaches of both clubs, who seemed buoyed about the development when contacted for comment. It is understood that Linden’s,
- aim to challenge for first overall title Wanda Richmond, Guyana’s only Level V National Coach, negotiated the agreement with the clubs. Coach of CWSS, Moses Pantlitz indicated that both teams met and discussed presenting a united force for the sixth Boyce/Jefford Classic that is scheduled for August 15-16 at Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden. “Out of that meeting, we
discussed the merger, which in my view is a good idea where we will be able to be more competitive than ever before as one Linden team,” Pantlitz, who coaches athletes like Cassie George, Cassie Kirton and Compton Caesar, who are all national athletes, stated when contacted for comment. Pantlitz informed that he recommended that all the
athletes in Linden train together and from the training sessions, the best team to represent Linden should emerge. According to the Coach, they are working together in hope that they can win the event. Meanwhile, Upper Demerara School Coach, Johnny Gravesande, echoed similar sentiments when contacted. “We are coming as Linden. It is a good idea that Linden clubs could come as one team, as
opposed to competing against ourselves,” Gravesande noted. Gravesande said that the merger is the right way since a lot of people in Linden have been calling for that a long time now. He said that they will give the people what they want and hopefully, the result will be different from previous years. “We have no problem with merging; that is the way to go; Linden is too small to continue to carry two teams. Once the athletes are happy I’m happy and so far, I have not heard any complaints that this is not the right thing to do. Linden wants it,” Gravesande said. Linden will continue to be host to Guyana’s most lucrative and only international track and field meet next month. As such, pressure continues to mount on the Linden clubs to at least put in a top three performance. The winning club will pocket $600,000 cash while second place takes home $400,000; third place $250,000 and fourth place $150,000.
Moses Pantlitz
Johnny Gravesande
Orland Rogers returns to aid amateur ranks
B
oxing Coach Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers has returned to helping amateur fighters after more than a year away from tutoring the young fighters and is now at a gym in the mining town of Linden. The new gym has progressed steadily since opening earlier this month with a current membership of 25. President of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle said he met with Rogers on matters relating to the gym. He applauded the effort and said, boxing was on the down swing in Linden for some time and that Roger’s initiative is both timely and welcomed. Ninvalle noted that there is need for more gear if the gym is to produce fruit. “We (the GABA) were able to get him off and running following a presentation of some basic equipment. However, that would not be enough to sustain a gym. An approach is being made to the Director of Sport to assist in this department,” Ninvalle informed.
The appropriately named Pocket Rocket Gym is located in Victory Valley Wismar with a 22 male and three female members. Rogers is to approach the association during the course of this week for an official transfer. In Berbice where he was previously located, Rogers was credited with uncovering and neutering many of the nation’s top young fighters including the talented Jamal ‘The Jaguar’ Eastman, one of the most skillful young fighters in the country. Ninvalle welcomed the added activity in Linden. Ninvalle informed that national coach Wincell Thomas is working with a group of youths in Ann’s Grove. This was given support from the National Sports Commission and the Director of Sport Christopher Jones. Thomas has been making visits to Ann’s Grove five days a week to have sessions with youths with the intention of opening a gym in that area. He will later shift attention to other locations in the country.
Sunday July 19, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 75
49th ISKF Master Camp & Goodwill Tournament
Medals for Shotokan Karate-Do of Guyana members
T
hirteen members f r o m t h e Shotokan KarateD o o f G u y a n a (SHOKOGUY) returned from USA after successfully attending the 49th Master Camp & International G o o d w i l l To u r n a m e n t hosted by the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) and held at Camp Green Lane, Pennsylvania, June 12 -19. The team comprised of Chief Instructor - Sensei Christopher Chaves, Sensei Marvin Singh, Rudolph Dyal, Pamela Das and nine children namely; Loren Black, Timothy Chand, Mikhail Da Costa, Arron Austin, Kamani Murphy, Reyad Yassin, Jared Yassin, Akeem Morgan and Aashish Dyal. Speaking exclusively with this newspaper, the team’s management stated that the experience was humbling and they all felt privileged to be exposed to training conducted by high ranking guest Masters who are world renowned. These included 9th Dan–Master Yutaka Yuguchi of the USA, Master Masaru Miura from Europe, and Master Shunsake Takahashi from Japan, along with several other 7th and 8th Dan Instructors. ISKF founder and Chief Instructor - Master Teruyuki Okazaki 10th Dan was present and conducted sessions also. The camp attracted in excess of 400 Karatekas who represented over 40 countries. During the Camp, the International Board of Directors met and head representative for ISKF Guyana Sensei Chaves attended. Training sessions were held six hours daily in the morning and afternoons. Teaching seminars and lectures were also a feature
of the camp that sought to address and cover several personal developmental and building skills. Instructor’s seminars were also held. The children’s competition saw the competitors being placed into groups - Kata and Kumite. This format promoted unity and friendship among the participating countries. In the end, all participants were awarded medals for their efforts. In the adult category, competition was fierce and Guyana performed well to the extent of being successful in the Male Brown Belt Division with Rudolph Dyal attaining first place in both Kata and Kumite by defeating Juan Rubiera of Spain, while in the female beginner ’s division Pamela Das placed 3rd in both Kata and Kumite. That division was won by Teona Tkebuchava from the state of Georgia. At the awards ceremony, Brazil was rewarded for being the best supportive country. However, the Brazilian team felt Guyana was most deserving of this accolade, thus, graciously representing the said award to Guyana for what they considered excellent camaraderie, participation and a superb first impression. SHOKOGUY Chief Instructor Sensei Christopher Chaves expressed pleasure with the performances of his charges whilst conveying the organization’s appreciation to all the parents, sponsors, members and the Ministry of Education for assisting them in realizing their attendance and participation at this years’ event. Chaves noted that they are anticipating a much larger contingent for 2016. Notable upcoming plans for ISKF include the
CPL Ticket Office remains open today The CPL OPCO Guyana Inc Office on Middle Street, Georgetown will be opened today, July 19 between 9:00hrs and 15:00hrs. Fans can therefore get their tickets early for the Guyana Amazon Warriors versus Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel clash, set for Tuesday, July 21 at 18:00hrs at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara. Ticket holders are reminded to get to the ground early to beat the afternoon traffic, as the Stadium gates will be open two hours before match time.
hosting of the Shoto Cup World Tournament schedule for Cape Town, South Africa, August 20 - 21, 2016. Also in 2016, the Master Camp is anticipated to be mega as it will commensurate with ISKF’s 50th anniversary celebrations. This is slated to be held in June 10 - 17.
Shotokan Karate-Do of Guyana participants to the 49th ISKF Master Camp & International Goodwill Tournament.
t r o Sp
Warriors buckle under pressure DEFENDING CHAMPS MAINTAIN LEAD WITH 14-RUN WIN
Kieron Pollard was devastated after being clean bowled by Veerasammy Permaul at National Stadium Providence Guyana. (CPL)
David Wiese captured 5 wickets against the Tridentsat National Stadium Providence Guyana. (CPL)
Overseas-based Lady Jags arrive for One Week Camp - Sessions slated to start today
The Overseas based Lady Jags take time out for a photo after touching down in Guyana yesterday.
Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210