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AIETEUR NEWS

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Police ranks, civilian

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to be charged for role

July 21, 2018 - Vol. 12 No. 28

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

in driver’s exam scam

Price $80

P.16

Online readership yesterday 100,710

Controversial sedition clause removed as amended P.07

Cybercrime Bill passed …Opposition says not enough done to protect freedom of speech

30,000 kilos of mercury refused entry into Guyana

P.08

-gold dealers now require EPA permit before being licensed

GPHC conducts inaugural paired exchange kidney

P.15

transplant surgeries

$108M Vlissengen Road pipe project delayed P.21 - rupture of aging main affects Popeye’s

Three years later…

Govt. still to establish committee to blacklist errant contractors

P.12

Guyana still without a national oil spill plan

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

World Bank officials meet Harmon on Dept. of Energy establishment

The World Bank officials with State Minister Joseph Harmon yesterday.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday met with Pierre Nadji, Senior Country Officer, Guyana, Suriname and Belize, Latin America and Caribbean Region and Vickram Cuttaree, Program Leader- Sustainable Development, Caribbean Countries of the World Bank, to discuss the establishment of the Department of Energy, which is expected to oversee the management of the oil and gas sector.

The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of the Presidency, also focused on Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy, the setup of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, which will manage revenues from the oil and gas sector and balancing a ‘green’ economy with an oil and gas future. According to the Ministry of the Presidency, in April 2018, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan announced that Guyana will be benefitting from a

US$20M loan approved by the World Bank for capacity building initiatives ahead of first oil in 2020.

This includes finalizing critical legislation and the establishment of critical units, such as a Petroleum Revenue Unit at the Guyana Revenue Authority, among others. The meeting was therefore held in this regard, as the Department of Energy will be established under the Ministry of the Presidency, for which Minister Harmon has P a r l i a m e n t a r y responsibility.

The Minister of State said that it is the intention of the Government to have the Department up and running by the end of next month.

He noted that the administration understands that this is a potentially massive and transformative emerging sector and it is therefore critical for adequate systems to be put in place for its overall management.

In this regard, he said

that a ten-point plan is being looked at, which will ensure that matters such as organisational structure, legislation and capacity building measures are effectively addressed.

Mr. Nadji said that the World Bank has been working with the Ministry of Finance over the past few months and stands ready to offer whatever technical and other assistance it can to the process.

On February 27, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman announced Cabinet’s approval for the setup of the Department of Energy, based on his recommendation, to be housed in the Ministry of the Presidency.

Patrice de Vivies, Senior Gas Advisor, World Bank Group Energy and Extractives and Ms. Susana Moreira, Extractive Industries Specialist, World Bank Energy and Extractives, were also present.

Carpenter remanded for murder of reputed wife A 36-year-old unemployed man was yesterday charged with the murder of his reputed wife, whom he found dancing with another man at a drinking spot.

Ty r o n J a m e s o f

Oronoque, Port Kaituma, North West District was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

An unrepresented James was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on July 15, at Water Front, Port Kaituma, he murdered 37-year-old Evadnie Baptiste.

A c c o r d i n g t o investigations, James and Baptiste shared a common law relationship. On the day in question, the woman went to a place called ‘The Crack’ at Water Front Port Kaituma, where she began consuming alcohol with some friends.

James went in search of the woman, only to find her dancing with another man.

He then became annoyed and dealt her a cuff to the head which caused her to fall onto the ground.

The woman was picked up and rushed to the Port Kaituma Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

James then went to the Port Kaituma Police Station where he reported what had transpired. A post mortem examination performed on the remains of the woman revealed that she died as a

MURDER ACCUSED: Tyron James result of brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma.

According to detectives on the case, James admitted to cuffing his spouse to the head in a caution statement.

James is to make another court appearance on Monday, when he will appear before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

UG begins construction of new Maths and Science building -as Faculty of Technology rebranded The ongoing construction works

The University of Guyana [UG] has begun construction of a new Mathematics and Science building to improve the service offered by the institution to its students.

At a ‘ground breaking’ ceremony held yesterday at the University’s Turkeyen Campus, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, said that the University has the opportunity to serve its students that are taught and nurtured by staff.

He said that it is within that context the decision to construct the building was birthed and will be a reality through the indispensable support of the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Education.

According to Professor

Griffith, the building will be 4000 sq. ft. with two storeys and will be equipped to better serve the students pursuing courses in mathematics and science fields.

Further, the Vice-Chancellor announced that as of July 9th, 2018 the Faculty of Technology was rebranded to be “The Faculty of Engineering and Technology”. He said that the wisdom behind the name change is to reflect the new focus of the Faculty to accommodate training in areas of oil and gas.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry proffered that the construction of the building is in alignment with the national agenda for education which focuses on STEM [Science, Technol-

ogy, Engineering and Mathematics].

Further, she said that yesterday’s event was significant, since it gave visibility to the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Minister Henry noted that the project is funded by the Government of Guyana in a large way with the financial expenditure of $66M. She said that the services of the building will serve the Faculties of Natural Science, Earth and Environmental Science and Agriculture and Forestry.

Minister Henry said that she was pleased to be a part of the collaborative process and that it is important to have faculties that are relevant in the 21st century.

Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry and Vice-Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, turning the sod at the site of the new Mathematics and Science building.

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 21, 2018

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

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

EDITORIAL

A DISASTROUS SUMMIT After months of complimenting each other via the media, Presidents Trump and Putin met for their first ever summit in Helsinki, Finland, to repair US-Russia relations and to discuss among other issues nuclear arms control, the civil war in Syria, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its interference in U.S. presidential elections in 2016. Neither of the leaders expected any major breakthrough at the summit other than an agreement to continue diplomatic relations.

Several international experts believed that the summit would benefit the Russian leader more than President Trump. Both leaders went into the closed door summit with low expectations, which had both U.S. allies in Europe and U.S. politicians at home worried about what Mr. Trump might do or say that may harm the U.S. or what concession he may or may not make to President Putin.

The summit was always going to be a political risk for Trump whose election victory has been marred by several indictments, including 12 Russian military intelligence agents, by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is still investigating Trump’s accomplices for possible collusion with Russia. But for Putin, the summit is a geopolitical win, because it shows that the U.S. recognizes Russia as a great power whose interests must be acknowledged. It also signaled to Putin that efforts by the West to isolate Russia have failed. The belief by the Trump administration that the U.S. badly needed a rapprochement with Russia turned into a disaster at the press conference after the summit between Trump and Putin. President Trump’s remarks led to a barrage of criticism in the US, by Republicans and Democrats, after he defended Russia over claims of interference in the 2016 elections.

It was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in recent memory when Trump contradicted U.S intelligence agencies by saying that Russia had no reason to meddle in the U.S. presidential elections. He blamed poor relations with Russia by the Obama administration rather than condemn the deceptive actions of the Russians.He took Putin’s denial at face value that Russia had no incentive whatsoever to interfere in the American election system despite the unanimous conclusion in 2017 by U.S intelligence agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the House Intelligence Committee that Russia was behind an effort to tip the scale of the U.S election against Hillary Clinton, with a state-authorized campaign of cyberattacks and fake news stories planted on social media. Many members of the Senate and the House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle asserted that President Trump missed the opportunity to reprimand President Putin in public.

It seems as though President Trump was deliberately deluding himself at the press conference into believing that by accepting Putin’s explanation, that American-Russian relations would magically morph into a new special and cordial relationship. After all, these are the two countries with over 13,000 nuclear weapons or 90 percent of the world’s nuclear stockpile between them, but they often find themselves at odds on several international issues. However, following his return to Washington, amidst the overwhelming criticism for siding with the Russian leader, Trump was forced to backtrack on his remark, asserting that he has always had great confidence in the U.S. intelligence and that the Russians had interfered in U.S. elections.

Trump’s silly comments about Russian meddling in the election have had an adverse impact on his nation. His actions seemed to have undermined the U.S. instead of putting America first. It has caused Republicans and Democrats - who do not agree on much - to stand shoulder-toshoulder and signal their intentions to impose sanctions against the Russian government for its long list of international violations. The last time sanctions legislation against Russia was debated in the U.S. Congress, it passed the Senate 98-2 and the House 419-3.

Trump is quickly realising that in today’s political climate, cooperating with the Russians on anything is regarded at best a waste of time and, at worst, an act of betrayal.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

The Silence of the Lambs Dear Editor, Today I happened to view an interesting feed of various regional leaders (Chair and Vice Chairpersons) of the Regions One, Eight and Nine who had a session of interaction with the media on the sidelines of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting.

The content of their concerns was mostly similar in nature, with major issues being the state of the means of transportation (roads) in their regions, the halt of the Land Titling and Demarcation activities in the villages of the indigenous brethren in these regions, the lack of cooperation of Central Government and the RDCs in successfully completing proposed projects for the past and current fiscal years and the chronic shortage of drugs and of other Medical Supplies to the health facilities of these regions.

I am no Politician and my views are expressed without preference for any Political Organization but as my eyes and ears have led me to believe, these leaders were

representing regions which recently showed strong support for the current opposition.

Many have voiced opinions that the state of affairs was never as bad during the previous administration and statements such as “Guyana is not the coast alone” and “we are also Guyanese” struck a chord with me. Are things really worse than before? I hope not and if things may seem that way I p r a y f o r m a j o r improvements.

I also happened to watch another news story where a young leader, the current Regional Health Officer (recently back from post graduate studies in Israel) of Region Three was giving glowing remarks to the improvement of Health Services in his region. He mentioned four different indices of healthcare which were improved upon for the current year in comparison with the previous year and the improvement in the availability of drugs in the different health facilities in Region Three.

He also asked for all persons residing in the region to first seek medical attention in their respective health centres before going to the hospitals since there was a doctor readily available in every centre. If this is really true, great work Dr. Dudhnath.

This young RHO is the second to make this statement of “a doctor in every health centre” following on the footsteps of Dr. Quincy Jones (RHO Region Four) a few weeks back.

Again I must congratulate the Health Department of Regions Three and Four.

Now I must return to the other conference where all the leaders of the three regions mentioned earlier were soliciting more doctors and the timely deliverance of drugs and medical supplies.

Who are the RHOs of these regions and why do they not have the drugs as the other two?

Is it their fault or is the issue with the famed MMU department of the Ministry of Public Health. As far as Public knowledge is

concerned the Minister of Public Health most recently debunked the theory of there being a shortage of drugs in the country. However the situation in the outlying regions tells another tale.

Maybe it’s because of the roads? I dare not think that after the huge sums spent on drugs and all the issues of the suppliers of same that there continues to be a drug shortage in the country.

A very worrying complaint of the Chairman of Region One was of the influx of “refugees” in his region from our neighbouring country to the west. These refugees are members of the Warrau tribe from the Orinoco Riverain areas who have escaped prosecution from the nefarious Syndicato Gang and the economic hardships of Venezuela’s current situation.

There are currently more than 300 officially documented refugees living in the villages of Region One whose wellbeing depends totally on what is offered by the residents and leaders of this region. The chairman (Continued on page 6)

Indigenous children face unique challenges Dear Editor, On assuming office in 2015, President David A. Granger espoused the bridging of the gap between the hinterland and coastal communities. By this he alluded that there exists a disparity in development and there needs to be more opportunities given to hinterland communities to bring them to par with Coastland development.

Subsequent speeches and tangible support highlighted the president’s passion in underscoring the importance of education in realising his dream. He always referred to Education as the way out of poverty. We do welcome also the boats, buses, bicycles, and breakfast initiatives.

Personally I regard those interventions as extremely helpful, particularly to needy students in the hinterland.

While all of these initiatives are positive ideas, laudable, His Excellency needs to understand the unique circumstances which secondary school children of Indigenous communities face particularly in Region Two. Secondary school boys and girls from the

Indigenous villages of Tapakuma, Mainstay and Capoey have to leave their homes on a daily basis to be in an environment, in an atmosphere that is completely ‘foreign’ to their culture; foreign in the sense that whatever they are

greeted with militate against their very culture.

Whatever they are accustomed to do, say, or believe is sometimes no longer seen as important, or not accepted in the new social environment.

Avoidance Theory suggests

that in such a situation the child either accepts a new culture, or becomes an introvert with a damaged self image.

One child reported he was treated as a misfit, called disparaging names by others (Continued on page 5)

50 Years: A Priest on the Street Dear Editor, Allow me to express my congratulations and gratitude to Rev Fr Compton Meerabux of the Jesuits in Guyana on completing fifty years as a priest. He was ordained as a priest of Jesuits in 1968, July 19. He is quietly well-known pastor in Guyana.

His dedication and unceasing love for the poor has raised him to the public arena in Guyana. He has remained quiet while serving this country. However, he is known to many, from the president of the country to the homeless on the streets. It gives me immense joy to even talk to him because no one can be sad after talking to him.

As a Jesuit priest, he has served in many parts of

Guyana, such as Linden, Mabaruma, Bartica, and Georgetown. His love for the people took him to every corner of Guyana. The people would remember Rev Compton as a ‘priest on the streets.’

Although his age is catching up, he is always on the move to reach out to the homeless and poor. He is truly a priest for others and with others.

Rev. Compton Meerabux is a former Master at Stanislaus College and has served in this college. His knowledge of English literature has taught his students to shine forth in linguistic abilities. He also spoke fluent French and Spanish.

He was a true treasure of Saints during its glory. He is

also the treasurer of the Guyana Karate College where he is known to many Karate students. No student can pass him without engaging in a gripping conversation.

He also served as the director of the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI). While as the director he pointed out some of the issues that bothered the country such as corruption.

His love for Guyana was evident when he spoke against corruption and nontransparency in the country.

His legacy of patriotism will continue to boil in his blood. I along with many people who know him pay a tribute on this important milestone in his life as a ‘priest on the street.’

Arun Williams

Saturday July 21, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Creating a political storm out of Examine the local government ordinance a tea cup Dear Editor, Just a few weeks ago the intended launching of an indigenous Political Party to represent the Amerindian Peoples of Guyana was splashed across the pages of our National media, so it is no wonder that the organizers of this conference left their homes in the Hinterland to attend this 12th sitting of t h e N a t i o n a l To s h a o s Council Conference to discredit the sincere efforts of the APNU/AFC Coalition.

Over the last three years the Government has engaged the leaders of the Amerindian communities through its many social, educational and economic programs geared to better the standard of living of our Amerindian brothers and sisters.

It seems as though the leaders of the NTC are out in pursuit of political p o w e r, g i v e n t h a t t h i s present administration has worked unceasingly to give Amerindians equal opportunity to benefit from the promised good life.

In Amerindian commu-

nities, children benefit from the availability of boats, buses, bicycles and breakfast at some schools; hinterland airstrips are upgraded and soon the Government of Guyana will provide adequate aircraft to improve transportation services out of our hinterland.

The road from Lethem to Mabura will add to the comfort of the communities, trade from the hinterland will receive tremendous boost.

The mineral rich Hinterland does not only belong to the Amerindians; it is for all Guyana. Africans were here before a few Amerindian Tribes that crossed the border approximately 200 years ago, the Indigenous Africans were already here 200-odd years before their coming.

It is the taxpayers’ money of those who live on the coastland that has been used before and after Guyana became independent in 1966 to develop Hinterland communities.

While they have been receiving Amerindian land titles, African Guyanese communities are fighting to regain those ancestral

lands stolen by the colonial administration and the former PPP Government.

This Government must never bow to deceit and deception by those who seek political power by all means necessary.

They will stop at nothing to embarrass the President and the Coalition Government. Why didn’t they seek an audience with the President and his Ministers before coming to the Convention Centre to discuss those issues they raised at the opening of this much touted National Toshaos Conference. It seems as though they were ill advised.

I commend President David Arthur Granger for not responding to those baseless rants that have dampened the possibility for constructive engagements between NTC and the Government.

I am of the opinion that the NTC has gone into 2020 election mode, it seems a new opposition party is in full gear challenging to occupy the seat of political power.

Yours Respectfully, RAS Aaron Blackman.

Indigenous children face unique...

From page 4 and soon he succumbed to the power of ‘ group think’, and quite understandably dropped out of school.

Sad to say, there are a number of dropouts in our communities, with nothing to do, sometimes with no one from whom to seek help, sons and daughters who through no fault of theirs, could have made us proud, all because of a system which for decades has continued to fail us.

His Excellency certainly meant well when he thought of donating buses to our communities. Certainly His Excellency meant well when he

thought of providing meals.

All these are thoughtful gestures, but to provide a supportive, enabling learning environment for our Indigenous children would be looked down upon in history as the most important of all.

While it is not all possible to place a secondary school in every community, it can be argued that one could be centrally located to serve the three lake communities mentioned. These three Indigenous communities, ( Lake Capoey, Lake Mainstay and Lake Tapakuma) mind you, are in close proximity to each other, located in the Hilly Sand and Clay Region and a sec-

ondary school equipped with dormitories would be most welcome in this part of the world. While it may not necessarily end our educational woes immediately, it will certainly go a far way in improving the lives of our people as is being demonstrated in Indigenous communities elsewhere.

Opportunity is an important factor, but the deciding factor, you will agree sir, is an enabling environment in Education.

May God bless our country Guyana.

Faithfully, Joseph C. Atkinson ( Pastor/ Educator)

Dear Editor, The twelfth National Toshao Conference (NTC) meeting was convened this week. It has become a norm for the policy makers on one hand to tell of their glorious works while on the other hand, others are prone to expose what they see as shortcomings in the policy direction of the current administration.

In the middle of this display, the Toshaos who are cognizant of the realities of their daily life experiences must endure the diatribe of both sides that are in most instances, not in congruence with their expectations.

Our leaders should realize by now that the growing hinterland population is becoming increasingly agitated by their actions of what they perceive as their lack of concern for their welfare and future development.

The output of all the social services that is offered to the Hinterland residents leave much to be desired with scarce resources being spent on projects and programs that do not attain the minimum standard of acceptability by any standard.I will posit that there needs to be an examination of our local governance structure with the focus on it being effective, starting with the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC), which must be the grouping that will set the development agenda for the Regions.

Our Regional Councillors must be persons who can strategically guide and direct our developmental thrust. The current malaise that exists where persons are slated by Political Parties as Regional candidates for the Regional elections every five years has not worked in the interest of

the people for the respective regions if we are to objectively examine our economic and social conditions.

The tendency has been for persons who are not necessarily the most competent but who are most loyal to the respective Parties to be catapulted to these positions.

There needs to be provisions for persons to compete as independent candidates in these elections so that candidates may not be necessarily bound by a Party policy directive that may not necessarily have the interest of the people at the forefront but narrow political partisanship.

This will necessitate a revision of the statutes that guides those elections.

Secondly, the RDCs Heads of Department - Education, Health, Agriculture and Public Infrastructure along with its Executive Officers must not be strangers to the people they administer.

Many officers are known to be desk bound with poor knowledge of the regions they are supposed to administer. If one is not even famil-

iar with his or her Region, how can he or she make proper decisions?

Of importance, also, is the indifference of their approach to the cultural peculiarities of their locality. This indifference has seen the lack of meaningful consultation being practice and total disregard for the people they are employed to serve as public servants.

A governance structure of democratically elected representatives, competent and culturally sensitive public servants, a value system of fairness, equity, transparency and respect will go a long way in addressing some of the issues that have been affecting the residents of the Hinterland.The NTC would be on track to fulfill one of its mandates when it calls for the operations of the RDCs to be scrutinized for effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and accountability and one that practices meaningful consultation.

It can start the process by having its operations setting the benchmark.

Dexter Glasgow

M&CC Anniversary Celebrations Dear Editor, Could the Mayor & City Council include in its forthcoming Anniversary celebratory programme a project for mounting signs of street names in the several areas of Greater Georgetown where streets are agonisingly unidentified?

Somehow, as self-proclaimed hospitable people we yet do not relate to the fact that there is an increasing traffic of visitors to the city from

other parts of Guyana; as well as, of course, from overseas.

Please assist them to find me and my neighbours more easily. Incidentally the Postal Service would be particularly grateful.

E.B. John

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The Silence of the Lambs...

From page 4 has made it quite clear that his region is stretched to the limit in terms of what the people can offer and it is time for central government to take over or assist in resolving this mini crisis.

Many of these refugees have not been adequately vaccinated and a number are suffering from illnesses such as Malaria and Tuberculosis, and almost all from malnutrition. The health department of the region most certainly has its hands full and as I would like to believe would most certainly be requesting more personnel and medical supplies from MOPH to help alleviate the situation.

Where would these doctors, nurses, lab technicians, etc. be solicited from? Maybe the CDC has the answer. I’m more inclined to believe that these regions full of doctors might have to lend a few to help out the situation in Region One. This brings me to the most important part of my letter. A few years ago, these doctors who are currently filling all the health centres and hospitals in the country were lambasted as “half baked” by a certain Freddie Kissoon. These doctors, the majority Cubantrained were portrayed as being inept and undercooked in medical knowledge by the columnist and many Guyanese were supportive of his opinion. Many still are.

The formation of the current Doctors was part of

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

an historic agreement between the then President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Ruz, to provide better health care to all underprivileged countries, Guyana included.

The chief financier of this project was the Cuban Government and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela led by then President Hugo Chavez Frias.

Long may the souls of these great men rest in peace! A grand total of almost 800 doctors were to be formed to return to Guyana to help the needy and give the gift of healing which was taught by their Cuban professors.

Solidarity, humbleness, professionalism, and patriotism were few of the values taught to these doctors.

Five years ago, Guyana was blessed to have the first big batch of almost 270 medical doctors return to serve the country, and served they did; five long years of contractual obligation to the Guyana Government and the population, for having invested in them.

These five years are soon coming to an end. Its 44 days exactly of contractual obligation that the majority of these doctors have with the government.

On September 2, 2018, they can choose to stay and serve more, to go private or to sell their service to the highest bidder. The half baked doctors are suddenly an enticing lot. Will

the health centres remain filled with doctors? Will there be a mass exodus?

Will the system be greatly affected? Questions I wished I had the answer to.

What I am most certain is that these doctors will be valued wherever they go with their five years of experience. Their salaries will finally be a reflection of their worth.

No more being on call for 24hrs for Guy$1800. No more going on a plane at night in the hinterland with no risk allowance; no more going and work in the hinterland where prices are 3 times that of the coast and no hinterland allowance; no more housing allowance of Guy $600; no more being doctor, nurse, porter, lab tech and service plus all in one.

No more lambasting their efforts and virtually accusing them of (stealing) misappropriating public funds as was recently done by the PS (MOPH) at a conference of Regional Health Officers. Has MOPH done its utmost to keep these doctors? Only time will tell. The government and especially the MOPH have a great task at hand. I do hope they would have adequately planned for the future of Guyana and the health of its people. Let the good times get better while we continue to enjoy the present. For the next 44 days let us fully appreciate, “the silence of the lambs”.

Yours Sincerely Gustavo Kuerten.

Some questionable narcotics charges Dear Editor, I tried it before but got no comment on it and no Judicial Officer paid any attention to it. We have seen and heard of persons being charged with being in possession of Narcotics and also of being in possession of Firearm and said persons are remanded, bail having been denied.

I do not see an issue if one is arrested on suspicion and so it is quite in order to have a person arrested for being in possession of ‘leaves, seeds and stems’, suspected to be a narcotics. To have that person charged and brought to court and then remanded is wrong.

Unless the DPP has that substance tested and be deemed a ‘Narcotic’ there should be no charge.

The DPP has to take time to have it tested and so determined before charges are laid.

Unless the substance is deemed to be an illegal substance that file should be classified as ‘incomplete’.

The same should be for ‘firearms’ charges.

Unless a gun is tested by the competent authority and found to be a firearm no person should be charged with ‘being in possession of a firearm, without a licence’.

We are the ONLY country in the world where a person is prosecuted on merely a suspicion. Please Madame DPP and all the legal minds out, there let this be resolved.

Respectfully, Charrandass Persaud Attorney-at-law

Co-operate instead of engage in conflict Dear Editor, it’s with great amusement I read the extracts from the Acting Police Commissioner but I am somewhat at a loss. I believe he’s probably just making a speech to impress people who show an interest.

Here we have a acting (for quite a while) Commissioner who is quite vocal in the media and from all indication, seems to have a no nonsense attitude to the police officers.

He seems very committed to ridding the force of embarrassment.

But for me, someone who would transfer senior officers whom I believe are very efficient based on my observations because they wouldn’t turn a blind eye on lawlessness, is just a waste of space in the media.

The public is hearing that officers responsible for causing damage to the force vehicles will have to pay. We all know that many officers are very much into taking bribes, so, would any investigation be carried out on their financial position whilst they are paying to see if the repayment affects them?

Almost at any police station you go to make a report, if you don’t have taxi money to take the officers to and fro, don’t go because the force never has a vehicle available.

For the longest while we have been hearing about the force going after members of the force with tinted vehicles but it seems the instructions are not effective beyond the lips that issue the directive because to date, many officers in and out of uniform could be seen traversing with private vehicles all over.

Some even park around or in the police station compound.

Bribes are still being paid to officers a lot but are they afraid of the warnings being issued? I guess not even though the warnings are being issued regularly and many are being caught.

Apart from all his glorious speeches, I haven’t really seen any plans being proposed by the Acting Commissioner to combat crime especially the worrisome robberies being committed daily at the parks, especially at the Stabroek Park. These crimes are being committed blatantly in view of many people and not a thing is being done.

I guess it’s impossible to assign plainclothes officers to these parks. Let them talk to the taxis and minibus opera-

tors and I am sure some of them would gladly point out some of the regular crooks and their gangs. Simply monitor them until they commit their crime.

Stabroek area is not a complicated place. If the main entrances are monitored, I am quite sure criminals would be caught because there are no exits these criminals use after committing a crime.

Similarly, the Chief constable is complaining and passing over the responsibility but responsibilities also seem to be lacking of effective leadership. The City Police seem to be casting the blame on others when in fact, they seem incapable of performing their duties.

For many years people complain of the illegal activities being conducted under the gates of the Eastern Sides. One can see buying and selling of stolen articles, there is the use and sale of illicit substances and in some case robberies are being committed.

Can’t these two men—the Acting Commissioner and the Chief Constable— work together and try eradicating this daily embarrassment, because the last time I checked, tourists seem to be the main attractions for these criminals.

Sahadeo Bates

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Controversial sedition clause removed as amended Cybercrime Bill passed …Opposition says not enough done to protect freedom of speech

T

he Cybercrime Bill which attracted widespread attention was last evening passed by the National Assembly with several amendments, including the removal of the controversial clause on sedition.

Although the Bill prior to its passage had received two Cabinet reviews, a Parliamentary Special Select Committee review, public consultations and input from experts, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) MPs urged Government to delay its passage, because the new amendments did not go far enough to protect free speech and the rights of citizens.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, who tabled the Bill, indicated that two crucial amendments were made, a demonstration that the government is receptive and responsive to criticisms and committed to the democratic process.

“We recognise that passing of laws affect society and

therefore those who will be affected should have an input in the legislative process,” Williams told the National Assembly to kick start the debate that lasted well over five hours.

The overall thrust of the Bill is to make illegal, certain activities using a computer and over the internet, such as child pornography, cyber bullying, theft of data, and revenge porn among others.

However, there were concerns about aspects of the Bill.

The most contentious was Section 18 (1) (a) of the Bill which indicated that a person commits the offence of sedition if he brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in Guyana.

According to the original Section 18 (1) of the Bill, a person can commit the offence whether in or out of Guyana by intentionally publishing, transmitting or circu-

lating by use of a computer system or any other means, a statement or words, either spoken or written, a text, video, image, sign, visible representation, or other thing.

The penalty proposed ranged from four months in prison to a life sentence where death occurs.

Local community watchdog, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI), had called for the scrapping of the sedition clause in the Cybercrime Bill. Several others publicly called for the Clause to be removed, including the Opposition, Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and local author, Ruel Johnson.

The Clause revealed a division within the Alliance For Change (AFC) with its leader, Raphael Trotman declaring that it should be removed, while party Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, argued for the Clause to remain part of the Bill.

In the end, Williams said that Cabinet considered the comments and decided on

deleting subsection 1 (a) which was the main cause for concern.

However, the Opposition MPs called for the enter Clause to be removed, essentially warning that it opens the door for the state to restrict persons who oppose the Government through statements via cyber space.

There were also concerns about the original Clause 9 of the Bill which made the unauthorized receiving, giving or obtaining of access to electronic data an offence.

Reporters Without Borders were concerned that the Clause could be used to penalise journalists and media for publishing reports based on information from a confidential source, even if the journalists had no basis to suspect that the information was illegally obtained.

According to Williams,

taking into account the concerns, the criminal aspect of the Clause has been removed and is more specific.

PROTECTING THE STATE Williams noted that the amended Section 18 provides for offences against the state.

He indicated that some of these offences are where a person intentionally publishes, transmits, or circulates by use of a computer system, statement or words either spoken or written, text, video, image, sign, visible representation that encourages incites, induces, aids and abets, counsels any person to commit, participate in the commission of, or to conspire with another person to commit any criminal offence against the President or any member of the Government and excites or attempts to excite

Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs, Basil Williams ethnic divisions among the people of Guyana or hostility or ill-will against any person or class or persons on the ground of race.

According to Williams, the clause does not criminalize ‘certain statements or words’ and persons are still free to criticize the performance of the Government.

PAGE 08

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

30,000 kilos of mercury refused entry into Guyana Government is tightening up with the use of mercury, with Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, recently refusing permission for the importation of 30,000 kilos.

Yesterday, the official disclosed that he was alerted by Mexico that an importer had signaled intentions of bringing that large quantity of mercury to Guyana.

According to Trotman, it was unclear what the mercury would have been used for.

Guyana has signed an international agreement to phase out mercury use in a few years, but local miners are insisting it still remains the cheapest alternative in recovery in the gold mining process.

The issue of mercury has been dominating the news recently. From polluting waterways, it has now engulfed the Guyana Gold Board and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, at the Brickdam compound they once shared.

Several staffers were found to have high levels of mercury in their systems. It is believed that they inhaled the fumes from the burning of gold at that Brickdam compound.

Staffers were sent home to recuperate and government announced that international experts were engaged to ensure the area was safe.

Buying by the Gold Board was halted and the process was being done at the facilities of a dealer, on Duncan

- gold dealers now require EPA permit before being licensed

The new mercury control equipment

Guyana Gold Board’s new location in Crown Street, Queenstown.

Street.Recently, the Gold Board was relocated to Crown Street, Queenstown, with Minister Trotman leading a team touring the new offices yesterday.

The new offices, refurbished to the tune of millions, now have new equipment that will ensure that staffers and neighbours are not affected and the fumes are not dangerous after a special process.Present during the tour of the building were also General Manager, Eondrene Thompson, and Chairman of Gold Board, Gabriel ‘GHK’ Lall.It was disclosed that the Gold Board is not buying any

sponge gold (with mercury) because the system is not fully tested as yet. It is only purchasing smelted gold.

According to Trotman, the priority is to get it right to protect the staffers and neighbours. There is a school nearby.The Chairman disclosed that a few customers with “sponge gold” were turned away.With regards to mercury, they said that the Gold Board is also moving to ensure that all dealers secure an environmental permit before they receive the licence to operate.

According to Lall, Gold Board had examined eight or

Minister Trotman being shown the new burning room nine properties before finally settling for the Queenstown one. The property is said to be owned a Mr. Henry Brown.

It was disclosed that Gold Board will not be purchasing sponge gold in the city until it completes testing of new mercury control

equipment.“We’re only purchasing smelted gold, because the system is not fully tested and they are still working on that,” Thompson explained. The Gold Board has procured new mercury control equipment that will break down mercury emission dur-

ing the burning process. The equipment, which is valued in excess of $18M, is being installed by ACTLABS. General Manager, Kevin Gomez, explained the equipment has a three-tiered system that breaks down mercury (Conitnued on page 12)

PAGE 09

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Enfranchisement is the litmus test

T

he majority deci sion-making of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) leaves much to be desired. Following closely on the heels of the fiasco over the selection of a Deputy Chief Elections Officer, GECOM finds itself embroiled in another controversy – this time the rejection of a request from the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) for an extension of the period of continuous registration.

GECOM, in rejecting this request, has sought refuge in the statutory deadlines which govern cycles of continuous registration.

The present cycle which began in May ended a few days ago. With local government elections due this year, the PPPC wanted the registration period extended, so as

to allow those who have reached the age of registration but were unable to register, to do so. GECOM checkmated this request.

The excuse given by GECOM is loathsome.

GECOM is essentially saying that its hands are tied by the laws which regulate the period of each continuous cycle of registration. GECOM’s excuse does not pass muster.

In previous elections, there was an extension to allow for unregistered persons to register. This required legislative changes which was accommodated by the then PPPC government.

GECOM cannot prejudge how the APNU+AFC would have responded to a similar request. Its duty was to determine whether there was merit in the PPPC’s request for an extension. Once there is

merit, GECOM should have requested that legislative changes, if necessary, be made to facilitate the extension of the registration.

The merits of the PPPC’s request are not contingent on statutory deadlines – these can be amended by a request to the government to take the necessary legislative action.

The merits of the PPPC requests are about whether there were sufficient numbers of persons who would be disenfranchised by the closure of the present cycle of continuous registration. If a case was made out, GECOM should have acceded to the PPPC’s request.

GECOM is not refusing the extension on the basis that no such case has been made out. It is saying that it is statutorily constrained from allowing the extension.

DEM BOYS SEH

A reporter seh who don’t go away got AIDS

When nuff people read bout a country dem always feel that de country dem read about is better than dem own. De description of de odda country is always good and that is how people believe that America is de greatest country in de world.

And wha mek matters worse is when Guyanese go to America. Dem walk in Brooklyn, see lights in de night, see people walking whole night and dem can go in any fast food store at any hour. That nice suh America great.

De odda day one American come. Exxon pay him to come and write nice things bout de oil company. De oil company also tell him to write

a story suh people gun believe that Guyana gun be happy wid any money it get.

De article is that Guyana like a li’l child who would tek de shine money and give away de dollar bill.

This man write how GT got some shacks; de whole of Guyana only got three paved highways; how University graduates does go away and all who stay got AIDS. When dem boys read dem things dem get vex. Dem want to know who in dem right senses gun invite a man like that to de country.

This man talk how Guyana gun get money and because it so poor Exxon should cut back pun de money it giving de country. In short, Guyanese is fools and dem

don’t know to spend money.

If dem road boys did hold he throat and sink in he pocket he woulda know if Guyanese know bout money.

To read this article is to get high blood pressure.

This man write how Guyana got nuff Hindu temple and all of dem temple towering over rice field.

Dem got one Hindu statue pun de West Coast that deh near a rice field.

But fuh mek people believe that Hindu people does worship in rice field.

But is de stupidness that Exxon dealing wid stupid people who don’t know money. Dem boys waiting fuh him to come back.

Talk half and watch who talking yuh name and why.

That is not an impediment which cannot be overcome. It has been in the past, and it can again, once there is the political will to do so.

The purpose of registration, indeed the mission of GECOM, is to reduce disenfranchisement . As far as possible, GECOM should always be in the lead in terms of ensuring that every eligible elector is registered and allowed to vote. Enfranchisement is a prerequisite of democracy.

GECOM therefore should not hide behind the excuse of statutory limitations.

GECOM’s work should be

about enfranchising every elector. So long as GECOM is of the opinion that there are significant numbers of persons who are likely to be disenfranchised, the elections body should take steps, including requesting statutory authority for extensions, to ensure that every eligible voter is registered.

But since GECOM is now so concerned about complying with statutory provisions, it should explain what action it has taken in responding to the findings of the special audit undertaken by the Office of the Auditor General into its procurement practices.

Under the law, GECOM is obligated to provide a response to the Auditor General within a specified time.

The Auditor General has given GECOM some extra time, but the public is yet to learn as to what was its response to the findings of the investigation into allegations of corruption within GECOM.

PAGE 10

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

President Granger can help if he is serious I got two calls on separate days from a lady at Guyenterprise, asking me to collect an invitation to the launching of Professor Winston McGowan’s book on Thursday. When she told me it was at State House, my tone changed. She advised that if I was going I have to pick up the invitation because since it is at State House, you will be requested to submit the card.I have mellowed as I grow older. I wanted to tell her off. When I was younger I would have done that.

Guyenterprise did not invite

me to the book launching of a Guyanese that I cherish – Sister Mary Noel Menezes. This is a professor that I have been close to for forty-five years and who never fails publicly to state that I remain one of her favourite students when she taught me as a freshman at UG. This is a sickening, depraved, nihilistic wasteland that is never going to see a future. At the event, the names of some of Sister’s students were called out, some of whom the Guyanese population does not know. I gradu-

ated with the President’s Medal and four other awards.

I am one of the most easily recognized names in my country and taught at UG for 26 years. Yet my name was not mentioned. This is the sickening, petty level to which this country has sunk in the past sixty years. I don’t know why Guyenterprise thought I wanted to be there.

I told the lady I won’t be around because I would be leaving Linden for Georgetown on the afternoon of the event. She suggested that I could make the launch

since it starts late into the afternoon. I politely said I would be tired. I didn’t want any invitation from Guyenterprise.

I want no contact with Guyenterprise.

I came down from Linden at midday and fulfilled a lunch appointment at Nicky’s Fish Shop on Drury Lane in Campbellville with Dr. Hinds.

David indicated he was attending and asked why I wasn’t. State House was my objection. If you know David Hinds, you can ask him. I explained that McGowan spent over forty years at UG, so why State House and not UG or the National Library. I further added that I cannot see a national academic in the US or France having a book launch at the White House or the Élysée Palace respectively.

I got to know Winston McGowan closely during my 26 years as a lecturer and he remains one of the lecturers I am fond of, when he taught me world history so long ago at UG. I owed it to him be there. But as a matter of deep ethical obligation to myself, I couldn’t go because I found the Guyenterprise invitation insulting and the occasion should not have been at the President’s official residence.

During the ceremony, the President sadly lamented the absence of a history degree programme at UG. I found this expression to be strange. The president cannot dictate to UG what programmes it should offer, but the presidency represents the national interests of the nation. The state could use its assets to encourage a history degree programme at UG. It is simple and does not call for governmental interference in UG’s affairs.

The state could finance a study why history is not being subscribed to. Here are my thoughts. I think the job prospects are severely limited for history degree holders.

Poor students looking at their future aren’t going to spend millions for four years to graduate in history, only to find work in the teaching sector. What the state can do is provide lucrative scholarships, especially to interior students. Then after graduation, employment could be guaranteed. To add to this, the government should offer post-graduate scholarships to four or five of the best students.

I am suggesting such an approach could stimulate the

Frederick Kissoon history programme. When the new Vice Chancellor took office last year, one of his major schemes was to rent a huge building downtown at $6M monthly to start a business school. He was interested in business studies. If the Vice Chancellor can see business studies as important to UG and has encouraged at UG a school of entrepreneurship which is funded by the state, why can’t the president facilitate the resurrection of the history programme through governmental initiative?

The state funds UG partially. Of course UG collects money from students. But state grants surely will go a long way to re-starting the degree in history.

What a funny country.

The president laments the lack of a history degree at a time when Guyana is getting a law school.

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Lance Hinds reappointed GEA Chairman; vows to ensure agency is strengthened

PAGE 11

…even as forensic audit recommendations remain outstanding

C

abinet has reap pointed business man Lance Hinds as Chairman of Guyana Energy Agency (GEA)’s Board of Directors. This was revealed yesterday by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during the post-Cabinet press briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Others listed as board members are: Nadia Sagar; Mark Bender; GEA’s CEO, Dr. Mahender Sharma; and the Deputy CEO of the GEA, Dr. Vincent Adams.

Hinds is a former Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President. According to his Linkedin profile, Hinds is also the Chief Executive of the BrainStreet Group, a business information technology solutions company that offers management information and business system consulting services for government and private sector agencies.

The businessman’s work is cut out for him as there are complaints that GEA is still not operating optimally.

When the APNU+AFC Government took office, GEA

was deemed one of the more corrupt agencies that operated under the PPP/C regime.

GEA was one of the agencies that government mandated undergo a forensic audit.

That audit was done by Nigel Hinds Financial Services.

Reports are that many of the recommendations of that report are still to be implemented.

Yesterday, this newspaper spoke to Lance Hinds. He was reminded that auditors found that GEA was using an accounting software called “Peachtree” to automate and manage its accounting functions.

However, the agency does not have a licence to use Peachtree Accounting Software. The auditors found the use of the software in this manner to be illegal.

Hinds said that the GEA is still in the process of addressing that. He said, “One of the things coming out of that was an overhauling of the applications. However, I will have to check and see what is happening on that front. It is not something being dealt with directly at a board level,

but what we did in the last session was begin modernizing the financial system. I will need to check on that”.

The audit had also found the Fuel Marking Division of GEA to be a haven for corruption of all sorts due to frail internal control systems. In fact, auditors stressed that the abuse of and non compliance with the rules and regulations of the programme was closely linked to high levels of fuel smuggling.

Forensic auditors also found that GEA was using a highly compromised manual system to prepare and issue invoices for licences. These include wholesale, retail, import, export, bulk transportation carriers, and storage licences.

The auditors noted that the annual revenues generated from licensing fees averaged $25 Million for the years 2011 to 2014 - amounting to over half of GEA income, when fuel marking fees are not considered. They asserted that the generating and issuing of invoices for licensing fees are not governed by a standardized system and

are not integrated in the agency’s accounting system.

“For example, an invoice is only issued when requested by customers or when management elects to issue.”

Hinds said that addressing the loopholes that facilitate corruption continues to be a work in progress.

“We have improved our monitoring processing to reduce corruption. Whenever it happens, it is addressed and dealt with condignly.”

Also, Hinds said that the GEA is working on putting in an automated licensing system. This will replace the manual operation that now prevails which leaves much room for altering of records.

Hinds said that he and other GEA officials are working to ensure that GEA is strengthened to better serve Guyana.

Forensic auditors have

recommended “strong disciplinary action” for lax oversight of the Fuel Marking System which led to the loss of millions of dollars.

The auditing team noted for example that GEA has been incorrectly recording funds that it collects from oil companies on behalf of the Government of Guyana as revenue on its financial statements.

The auditors noted that the International Accounting Standard #18, Paragraph eight states that, “In an agency relationship, the gross inflows of economic benefits include amounts collected on behalf of the principal and which do not result in increases in equity for the entity. The amounts collected on behalf of the principal are not revenue. Instead, revenue is the amount of commission.”

The report of the forensic

GEA Chairman, Lance Hinds auditors said that the monies paid to GEA for fuel imported

by GEA on behalf of the Government of Guyana should be treated as Accounts Payable instead of Revenue.

The audits also found that GEA accepts payments for fuel from Rubis Guyana Inc., Sol Guyana Inc., and Guyana Oil Company Limited. It noted, however, that premium charges were granted to the Guyana Oil Company Limited.

The team of highly qualified forensic auditors emphasized that there was no basis for this premium financial package.

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Three years later…

Judge throws out no-case submission Govt. still to establish committee

by Sanasie murder accused High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds has ruled that accused killer Richard Stanton must mount a defence at his murder trial now underway at the High Court in Georgetown.

Attorneys-at-Law Mark Waldron and Keoma Griffith, who are overseeing the trial on behalf of Stanton, had asked Justice Reynolds to find that the prosecutors had not made out a case against their client.

After listening to arguments from defence counsel and State Prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Seeta Bishundial and Narissa Leander, the Judge threw out the application yesterday.

The arguments were heard in the absence of the jury.Stanton will return to court on Monday, for continuation of trial.

According to reports, 45year-old Sanasie was riddled with bullets by gunmen clad in black. She was shot to the chest, abdomen, neck and groin.

It was reported that Romona Sanasie, a daughter of the deceased, positively identified Stanton as her mother’s killer.

At the time of her

to blacklist errant contractors

S

MURDERED: Patricia Sanasie

MURDER ACCUSED: Richard Stanton

mother’s death, the young woman was in the car with her mother.

Previously Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo, had testified that he was present at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Headquarters on April 21, 2015, when Stanton was placed on an identification parade. Back then Sergeant Sarrabo was a detective attached to the Major Crimes Investigations Unit (MCIU).

According to Sarrabo, Stanton was among eight men who were of similar

height, age, size and complexion.

The police witness told the 12-member jury that Romona Sanasie, the daughter of the deceased, was the sole witness to the identification parade.

The detective told the jury that after being identified as the person who shot and killed her mother by Romona Sanasie, Stanton was cautioned in accordance to the judge’s rule and afterwards replied, “I don’t know anything about that. I is not a murder man.”

ince 2015, the coali tion government promised the establishment of a Debarment Committee which would blacklist companies that take on big projects only to deliver sloppy work. But this is yet to be done. Earlier last year, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure initiated the process of creating a database to keep a track record of the number of projects awarded to local contractors and their performance with respect to each. This process was also intended to support the debarment initiative. But even the work in this regard has not been completed.

Head of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham told Kaieteur News that the Debarment Committee is a necessary element in the area of procurement, but its establishment is no longer in the hands of NPTAB. He said that it is with the Public Procurement Commission. This body was created since 2016.

NPTAB Head, Berkley Wickham Considering the fact that Guyana’s procurement system is not only plagued by a culture of corrupt practices, but also the acceptance of slapdash work provided by contractors, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran has been a staunch advocate for the implementation of the Debarment Committee.

He says that it is one of the sure ways to ensure that companies bring themselves

in line with international best practices and that the country gets value for money.

Debarment mechanisms are practiced by various Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, and international agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Guyana’s laws also provide for the installation of a debarment committee but under the previous Government, this was never given priority.

Goolsarran believes that the Committee is necessary since the country’s weak public procurement system has led to the loss of millions of dollars annually. He said that it is a broken system which often sees contractors providing substandard work with little or no consequences, while stressing that the time is now to show that Government means business.

In fact, he contends that the weak systems of the NPTAB need to be addressed by the administration once and for all, as they are costing the country approximately $28B annually.

30,000 kilos of mercury refused entry ...

From page 8 emission.

The mercury will first pass through a condensation unit, then be scrubbed through another system before being cooled and passed through an activated carbon checkpoint. It will finally be released into the atmosphere, Gomez e x p l a i n e d .

He assured that any mercury released after processing would be way below the admissible level of 50,000 nanograms. The new facility has met approval by a Pan American

Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) team which had assessed the Brickdam complex.“We said to the gold dealers that they will now be required to have an environmental permit issued by the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] on a yearly basis if they are going to be licenced by the gold board to be dealers.”

Lall said the Board will overcompensate to ensure burning practices are safe and healthy for the surrounding environment and those using the facility.

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Minister Norton, Al Creighton meet on Guyana Prize impasse - sides appear optimistic; awards will be presented this year There appears to be a glimmer of hope that the controversy over the delayed Guyana Prize for Literature awards may finally be coming to an end.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. George Norton met on Thursday with Secretary of the Guyana Prize Committee Al Creighton with the two sides reportedly seeking to hold the long-delayed literary award this year, An official from the Minister’s office said that D r. N o r t o n a n d M r.

Creighton met “to determine the way forward with the Guyana Prize.”

One issue that is reportedly to be sorted out is whether the Guyana Prize falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Education or under the Ministry of Social Cohesion with the responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport.

“They are still looking at year-end (to host the award ceremony); they understand the impact it has on local writers,” the official told Kaieteur News.

Confirming that he had

met with Minister Norton, Mr. Creighton said that the sides held “promising, constructive discussion,” that he hoped would lead to the holding of awards for the Prize this year.

The Guyana Prize for Literature Award is held every two years. But it was p o s t p o n e d l a s t y e a r, reportedly after funding was not released. Government and the Guyana Prize Committee had faced criticism over the postponement A s k e d f o r a n explanation, Norton had told Kaieteur News recently that he was checking on reports that the Guyana Prize “is not being run the way it should be.” He had said that, “a lot of money was invested” in the Guyana Prize… and if we spend money behind a prize, we would have to ensure that we get value for o u r m o n e y. ” M i n i s t e r Norton had also said that he wanted to discuss the issue with Cabinet, since he had been receiving negative comments about the way the handling of the Guyana Prize was organised.

Public servants to begin studies in Dutch Language The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is partnering with the Language Institute of Guyana, located in Prashad Nagar, to conduct a course in the Dutch language.

Seventeen (17) public servants, including Foreign Service Officers, are expected to participate in this round which started on July 13, following an orientation programme at the Language Institute.

The course, which will last for 10 weeks, will be conducted by Germa Van Der Shief who was born in the Netherlands and holds a degree from the NHL Stenden University of

Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

Since its reestablishment in 2016, the FSI has been offering Guyanese public servants, the opportunity to study the languages of neighbouring countries so they may better understand the politics, economics and culture of those countries.

To date, the FSI has arranged courses in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, and will soon implement similar arrangements for Portuguese.

So far, more than 300 public servants have taken advantage of the courses offered.

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

GPHC conducts inaugural paired exchange kidney transplant surgeries The transplant patients. From left: Ravi Narine his brother Ghansham, Freddie Budhoo and his wife Kumarie.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] recently undertook an historic feat when it conducted its first bout of paired exchange kidney transplant surgeries.

Those operated on were 30-year-old Ravi Narine of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, who was awaiting a transplant for two and a half years, and 58-year-old Freddie Budhoo of Berbice, who was in waiting since last year.

The two, as well as their donors, are recovering well, according to Kidney Transplant Surgeon attached to the GPHC, Dr. Kishore Persaud, who spoke extensively of the procedures yesterday during a press conference. The surgeries were conducted last week and each spanned a period of about eight hours. All patients will be eligible for lifetime follow-up attention at the GPHC. Dr. Persaud, the lone Kidney Transplant Surgeon at the GPHC, was supported by a team of doctors and nurses who helped to care the patients throughout the surgical procedures.

The move to adopt paired exchange kidney transplant surgery was premised on the fact that a number of patients with kidney failure are unable to undergo surgery because they do not have

compatible donors.

Moreover, the paired exchange notion is one which sees kidney failure patients exchanging donors, once they are found to be a suitable match, in order to increase the chance of compatibility. This approach is one that has been adopted in a number of developed countries, since it has been found that although the relatives of some patients are willing to donate a kidney to their loved ones, they are sometimes found to be incompatible.

Although Budhoo’s wife, Kumarie, was found to be a suitable donor, a number of Narine’s family members, including his brother Ghansham, were found to be incompatible and therefore could not donate to him [Narine]. However, a cross donation move [the paired exchange] saw the patients exchanging their donors. “It was fortunate that they were both compatible,” said Dr. Persaud.

Explaining the compatibility of patients yesterday, the Kidney Transplant Surgeon explained that “a compatible donor is somebody whose blood group and tissues match the patient. If they are not compatible, their body will reject that kidney and they will lose it right on the (Continued on page 20)

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Police ranks, civilian to be charged for role in driver’s exam scam

Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine recently addressing ranks about corruption and other issues in the force.

A police sergeant, two corporals and a civilian are to appear in court soon on multiple charges connected to the massive driver’s licence examination scam that was unearthed last April.

A release from the Police Public Relations Department stated that legal advice has been obtained and three Subordinate Officers and a civilian will appear in court in relation to the uncovering of “seemingly massive irregularities” in

the Guyana Police Force learner Driver Theoretical Examinations.

The examinations were held on Thursday April 12, 2018 at the Felix Austin Police College, Georgetown.

According to the release, a police sergeant will be charged with 12 counts of having conspired with others to commit a misdemeanour, while a female corporal and a male corporal will be charged with 18 counts and 20 counts respectively for the

same offence. The Charge is laid under Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01.

The Civilian will be charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretence.

The ranks were all seconded to the Traffic Headquarters, Eve Leary when the offences were committed.

They were transferred to the Canine Section and other locations while the probe spearheaded by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) was in progress.

The investigation was launched after the Guyana Police Force Chaplain informed Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine that at the conclusion of the examination, other pastors who invigilated the examination reported the following: One hundred and seventy four (174) persons were registered to write the examination but 106 persons presented themselves on the day in question.

However, 207 scripts were received at the conclusion of the examination, and 155 of the 207 scripts were completed.”

The charges against the ranks come just a few days after Commissioner Ramnarine noted that for the first half of this year, there was a 50 percent decrease in complaints against police ranks, with 149 complaints as against 280 for the same period last year. The Force has been attempting to stamp out fraud in the learner/ driver t h e o r y a n d practical examinations.

The Commissioner asserted that in September 2016, in the wake of numerous complaints, the Force decided to have the Cops and Faith Community Network (CFCN) involved in the examination process for potential drivers. ”They (CFCN) were first involved in the theoretical examination (the invigilating and supervision of the examination).

“When that system was first introduced, there was some resistance at first, but then it settled down,” Ramnarine had said back in April.

He pointed out that before the CFCN got on board, there was a 70 and 80 percent pass rates from the theory examination.

After the CFCN got involved, that pass rate (Continued on page 24)

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 21, 2018

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 21, 2018

GPHC conducts inaugural paired exchange kidney transplant...

From page 15 operating table or shortly after...”

According to Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Sheik Amir, who shared the spotlight with Dr. Persaud yesterday, the paired exchange programme is one that serves to emphasise the fact that patients can benefit from donors outside of their family.

“Maybe I wanted to donate to my family, but we are not compatible, and then you think that all hope is lost, but no, families can cross donate,” Dr. Amir assured. In fact he revealed yesterday that at the Kidney Failure department of the hospital “they have a database and they have all [the names of] patients who are eligible for transplant and will be able to identify who can have a donor.

This is in light of the fact, he added, that not all patients who develop kidney failure are eligible for transplant surgery. However, for those who are eligible, once a potential donor is incompatible, this by extension means that the patient will have to remain

on dialysis.

Dialysis is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in those whose kidneys have lost the ability to perform in a normal way.

“They will have to remain on dialysis for the rest of their lives until they find someone who can donate to them,” said Dr. Persaud as he added, “some patients end up living their entire life on dialysis until they die.”

Death for a patient on dialysis could be within three years after they commence dialysis, according to the Kidney Transplant Surgeon. In fact, he revealed that some patients have been known to die within the first year of dialysis which he informed is also a very costly process.

Currently, there are over 100 patients on dialysis.

While patients are afforded initial free sessions of dialysis at the GPHC, they are subsequently required to seek this service at private institutions. At the private institutions, a single session of dialysis could cost at least $15,000.

“If you calculate that,

GPHC health officials in the company of the transplant patients and their donors yesterday. two sessions a week is $30,000... So you could have a patient spending over $45,000 a month...when you calculate their overall expense it is approximately $3million a year...” Dr. Persaud shared. In fact, he added that “to keep one patient alive for 10 years alone would cost the patient [about] $30 million.”

Moreover, since patients are able to receive kidney transplant surgery free of cost, save the cost for the cross-matching test, Dr.

Persaud said that those eligible for transplant are encouraged to take advantage of the service instead of remaining on dialysis. “A patient coming for dialysis has to make time to come, they spend time at the hospital and that is like two times a week. Generally, these patients are not productive but if you get your transplant you don’t have the burden of dialysis anymore...so there are lots of advantages, all things being equal,” added Dr. Amir.

Even as he too highlighted the advantages of kidney transplant, Dr. Persaud said that the life expectancy after surgery could amount to 15 years and patients can undergo a further transplant if it is required.

“The longest transplant I know a person had, it was for 40 years. So it depends on how you take care of it; you can attain approximately 12 to 15 years from a [single] transplant and even more, so that is a good aspect of it,”

said Dr. Persaud.

The most common contributors to kidney failure are diabetes and hypertension. Moreover, Dr. Persaud said, “if you do not monitor and take care of that, they will contribute to kidney failure and that is universal, throughout the entire world.”

Dr. Amir added, “the bottom-line is the quality of life of diabetics a n d hypertensives, if they were to look after themselves, which is a cultural thing in Guyana...people tend to only look after themselves when they are sick [even though] they know they are diabetics.”

“They know they are hypertensive [but] they don’t take their medication.

If they don’t change their lifestyle, diet and things like that, they will end up with the complications of these diseases,” underscored Dr. Persaud.

Another bout of paired transplant surgeries has been planned and these, Dr. Persaud said, will be in addition to the regular transplant surgeries that the hospital has been conducting.

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

$108M Vlissengen Road pipe project delayed - rupture of aging main affects Popeye’s The breakage in front of Popeyes.

Last year, the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) went out to tender for the laying of 560mm High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes from the Kitty seawall area to its head office, on Vlissengen Road.

The $108M contract was awarded late last year to LGS Barnes General Building Construction and Civil Engineering. This was after the tenders were opened since April 25th, 2017 by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.

Three companies submitted tenders. The other two bids came from S. Jagmohan and Sons in collaboration with Nabi for $156.9M and R Kissoon Contracting Service for

$151.9M. LGS Barnes General Building Contractors had bid $108.1M, Currently, the work is said to be way behind. In fact, the contractor has a container of pipes on a plot of land located north-east of the Lamaha Street and Vlissengen Road intersection, with little activities seen.

GWI was intending to replace its aging water pipes around the city.

According to residents, a “worst case scenario” happened Thursday evening when a breakage occurred in the vicinity of the Popeye’s restaurant. It flooded the area.

According to GWI, the breakage occurred in the morning and was as a result

The container of pipes on the land near the intersection of Lamaha Street and Vlissengen Road.

of the aged pipe infrastructure that currently exists in Georgetown.

GWI said it has plans in stream to upgrade this existing network.

“If the contractor and the engineers of GWI or whoever were paying attention, then the work would have been far ahead and we could have averted what happened last night,” an angry Kitty resident said.

The area was without water for several hours.

Workers were at Popeye’s late yesterday afternoon attempting to fix the breakage.

However, aside from this, there was little activity in terms of pipe laying on Vlissengen Road.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018 LEGALNOTICE

FOR RENT

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6004212: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

Repairs to refrigerators, gas stoves, A/C units, washing machines. Call Lindon: 6411086/ 694-2202 Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etccall Nick 627-3206, 6301600 Eagle’s: Re-gas –low prices, washing machine repairs, gas stove, plasma flat screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158

FOR SALE Organic potting soil $700, Palms from $1000, Lawn grass, Ashoka trees. Tel# 6261044 1 CAT 215 Excavator 1 Mack 8 Cu yds mixer truck 1 CAT 428 Backhoe 1 double steel wheel roller. Call: 275-0367/ 683-7225 1 Pneumatic 9 wheel roller 2 Bitumin spray kettle 215 excavator spares. Call: 2750367/683-7225 One complete Water dragger Excellent condition, Ready to use, Equipped with satelite TV. Tel# 671-4019 One Excavator, Minor repairs, engine in excellent condition. Tel# 671-4019

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Furnished two bedroom apartment with AC for rent located at Lot Q Hadfield Street, Wortmanville. Tel# 651-4745/638-1112 Self-contain rooms for working couple/single person $35,000/$32,000 monthly, Light & Water, Lodge. Call: 623-0076 Room $3000 daily furnished apts $5000 $6000 daily, we also do laundry $700 a load. #223-0994/678-5827 1 flat concrete house, 3 bedroom & 1 master room, PVC ceiling, tile, grill, Parfaite Harmonie, Onderneerming #662-6818

Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203 1- Honda 450 ATV. Contact # 275-0367/683-7225

EDUCATION First AID/CPR & home nursing courses available week-days and saturdays.

Tel:225-9082 Register your child at Hidden Treasures Summer classes for slow learners in Phonics, Reading, Math etc. #675-4379

Excavator for sale CAT 320 DL 7000 hrs Good condition, Location Kuribrong $15M Negotiable as is/where is #613-5062

SALON Summer special 16 July-Aug Cosmetology Advance Makeup Nails $15,000 per package. Free products included. Abby# 614-6749 Cosmetology advance hair, nails & make-up $20,000.

Certificate will be given. All products provided. Contact: 698-3018 TOURS Suirname Tour trip 26 July Ret 2 August, tours, shopping, sightseeing, Dolphins. #639-2663/6655171 ACCOMMODATION Secret Villa & Harmony Inn, Fully furnished, Airconditioned apartments. $6000-$9000. #225-6337/2181400/266-5243/602-8769

2 complete 6" Land dredge 2 Perkins, 1 MWM, Kubota, Miller 15 & 25 Yamaha 12 & 16ft Aluminium boat $10M Negotiable #613-5062 Hanging baskets, Crown of thorns in pots and more. Tel# 662-9832 One Juke. Contact #612-3706 Land of Canaan $5.5M an acre, Herstelling front $5.5M, Sophia $5M, Support river front. #618-7483 TOLET 1 room apartment bathroom and living room @ 294 4th Field Cummings Lodge ECD, Job letter required #222-0401/ 673-2467 Preferably UG students.

2 Bedroom apartment in Eccles. Rooms in Albertown.

Tel# 225-3234/225-9223

1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/698-1134.

Live-in family, wife- domestic, husbandmechanical/ driving/welding, person to sand and lacquering floor.

Tel#227-1830 Wanted experienced hire car drivers and dispatchers at Ramada Hotel. Contact #2657075/616-5419 Barbers. Contact #683-1534 1 Salesgirl preferably from East Bank Demerara. Call# 265-3586 Experienced pastry maker to work in Georgetown. Contact # 225-9409/618-1212 Models Wanted Urgent. Call: 592-682-0611 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie, Uitvlugt or East Bank. Tel# 642-1252

Toyota Tundra 4x4 Off-road wheels, Lift kit, Off-road suspension. Contact #6022518, Asking $3,000,000.

Fridges, freezer, 6 seater sofa set, 30 inch gas stove, wardrobes, hanging baskets, 1 Xboom stereo. Contact# 266-5013, 681-8333

WANTED

Wanted persons to assemble bicycle, apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda.

Driver wanted 5 yrs experience Car/Van/Lorry reference and police clearance, Zoon Inv 288 Middle Street.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill.

WCB 3 House Lots, Rice cultivation 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818 Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ HEALTH 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM

Business Spot 27 Public road, Bagotstown, next to Bakewell.

Contact #662-3837,664-7663 House and land Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.

Telephone # 233-6777/6545667 Located at Hope second corner from road call# 6933841

DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 226-3693LAND FOR SALE DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D 18,731 acres mining land Gold OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM & Diamond Mazaruni WING’S CAR & PICKUP $5,000,000 USD Contact: 695RENTAL: LOW DOWN 1356, 687-8445 PAYMENT, CHEAP 2 acres of title land situated R AT E S , S P E C I A L OFFERS! . CALL: 690- @ 1st St Garden of Eden EBD $6.5M Neg. Call Terrence #6386494 7836. email: AIDAN’S CAR Latchmanrich@gmail.com RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD Herstelling Prime Houselot FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY (between 1st & 2nd bridge OUTINGS, CHEAPEST upfront 110ft x 60ft) $5M. RATE . Call: 698-7807 Tel#656-0701/656-1345

GUYANA WATER INCORPORATED, a company incorporated in Guyana under the Companies Act 1991 of the Laws of Guyana and having it’s VACANCY principle place of business at One experienced cook to work Vlissengen Road & Church @ Beer Garden preferably Street, Bel Air, Georgetown, Demerara. Applicant –andfrom WBD #679-2612 GOVINDRA OUDITH Experience Cook/ Respondent Housekeeper, Parika/Bushy NOTICE Park #693-0636 for details.

TO: GOVINDRA OUDITH 1 Maid/Cleaner, 1 Security Lot 89 Albert Street, Guard for Georgetown. #227- No. 79 Village, 1717/659-9967 Corentyne, Berbice Porters/Salesmen, apply in TAKE NOTICE that a Fixed person with application to Date Application was filed on ARK Enterprise/The the 8th day of May, 2018 in the Container House. 17 High Court of the Supreme Lombard Street, Werk-En- Court of Judicature in Berbice Rust. by Guyana Water Incorporated for the following Experienced sales girls with 2 order: a) The sum of yrs experience. Apply @ $145,639.00 (one hundred and Christine’s Variety, Lombard forty-five thousand, six St. Contact: 227-8529 hundred and thirty-nine dollars) being the sum due, Bartendercomputer owing and payable by the knowledge, Blue Martini 169 Respondent to the Applicant Lamaha & De Abreau St. Call: in water rates.

656-5544 5pm- 6pm b) Interest in the said sum at a rate of 6% per annum and 4% Room attendant, Female thereafter until the full sum is supervisor, Male deskstaff paid; 25-50 yrs. Tel# 225-0198 233 c) Costs South road, Lacytown d) Such further or other order as the Court may deem just.

Vacancy for: Marketing clerk, Logistic clerk, Garage UPON APPLICATION in supervisor, Purchase clerk. person or by letter to Mr. Nigel Contact #218-5120/603-4541 Niles and/or Ms. Tiffany e m a i l : David, Attorneys-at-Law for chungsvacancy@gmail.com the Applicant, whose address for service and place for Jos-el Educational Institute business is at Guyana Water seeks Grade 1 & 5 teachers, Incorporated, Vlissengen science teachers & abeka Road and Church Street, Beltrained teachers. Phone: 226- Air, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana certified copies of the 7868 Fixed Date Application, Notice Cook/Baker & Kitchen of Appointment of Attorneysassistant for interior location. at-Law and all related Call: 618-2020 for details. documents filed herein will be delivered or sent to you.

Cosmetologist, Maintenance worker, Carpenter/ AND TAKE NOTICE that you Mason,Travel agent #265- the said GOVINDRA 3586 OUDITH do have within 28 (twenty-eight) days after the HEALTH second and final publication Herbal remedies: Diabetes, within which to file your Hypertension, Infertility, Defence.

Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney & AND TAKE FURTHER Gall stones, Arthritis etc. Call NOTICE that this matter is returnable for Directions Sparman #676-5924.

Hearing on the 21st day of September, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.

LAND FOR SALE Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397

AND TAKE FUTHER NOTICE that if you fail to file such Defence and/or if you fail to appear at the hearing final judgement may be given against you not withstanding Zeelugt - $2.3M Tushen - your absence. $1.5M. Tel# 697-6311 LEGALNOTICE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE OFGUYANA ( C O M M E R C I A L JURISDICTION) 2018-HCB E R - C I V- F D A - 1 6 8 BETWEEN:

Dated this 5th day of July, 2018

Continued on next page

Company repays full $15M for faulty bulldozer in Region 6 K&P Project Management, who supplied a faulty bulldozer to the Regional Democratic Council, Region Six, has reportedly repaid the full sum of $15M. This is according to the Regional Chairman, David Armogan.

Armogan stated that he was informed by the Regional Executive Officer, Kim Williams-Stephen that the money was paid back to the accounting general. He said on several occasions he tried to make contact with the accounting general to authenticate what was told to him by the REO, but he was told that the official was busy.

He added, “If this was done indeed then we would have lost the bulldozer because it gotta be put back for this year as a purchase for this year.

The money was claimed to be returned to the consolidated fund and if that was so you can’t go and re-tender for that bulldozer there, you got to go back now and do the whole process again”.

The Chairman pointed out that procedural errors were made with acceptance of a bulldozer that was defective and the paying of money without the relevant inspection certificates.

He said “basic procurement procedures” were flouted.

In June, the Managing Director, Terry Thomas had

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Uncle charged with murder of nephew

5

3-year-old Ganesh Lall was yesterday charged with the murder of his nephew, when he appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Wales Magistrate’s Court The charges against Lall stem from the discovery of 30-year-old Rajendra Lall Hira who was found motionless in a toilet at his lot 7 6 S i x t h St r e e t , A n n a C a t h erina, West Coast Demerara home in the wee hours of July 16, last.

The accused was remanded to prison and the

The bulldozer in question. told Kaieteur News that the company submitted a cheque of $14M to the region and was expected to pay out the remainder shortly.

The bulldozer was also collected from the region.

Regional officials had received a D4 bulldozer in the sum of $14.8M from the company in December 2017, when in reality the bid documents had stipulated a D3 bulldozer.

A report from a special investigation done by the Auditor General’s office unearthed major breaches in the trans-

action.

The report was turned over to Regional Executive Officer (REO), Kim WilliamsStephen on June 12.

Thomas had explained that the company won the bid for a D3 bulldozer which they should have s u p p l i e d .

He stated that as they were not getting a D3 at that time at the price in the bid, they thought that they could have supplied a D4 which is a higher specification than what the region wanted.

The contract was signed on September 12, 2017.

VEHICLE FOR SALE VEHICLE FOR SALE 4 Flatbed DAF Lorry for sale, excellent condition Tel#2285655/649-8449 1 620-240 DAF engine for sale, foreign used. Tel# 649-8449/ 228-5655 LAND FOR SALE Land at Tuschen Housing Scheme, near school, 3 minutes away from main road.

Call: 407-491-2026 or email: gzplayter@aol.com 5 acre to lease, Coconout & other fruit trees on Demerara river.

Email: gzplayter@aol.com SERVICES HOUSE PLAN TO BE DRAWN OR YOU JUST NEEDAN ESTIMATE. CALL: 216-0671/692-8464/6220267

case transferred to Leonora Magistrate’s Court where it will be next heard on September 11.

According to police, investigators discovered marks of violence around the dead man’s neck and an autopsy revealed that he died from compression injuries to the neck.

Three persons were taken into custody including the uncle.

Investigations revealed that the victim, who was an alcoholic, went home about 01:30hrs and about 05:30hrs

Dead: Rajendra Lall Hira was discovered seated motionless on a toilet. There was no sign of forced entry into the home.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Wholly ridiculous!

Lawyer-dominated Cabinet remains comfortable with “outdated, inadequate” petroleum legislation - Ram

By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell

H

ow can the governing officials of a country depending on oil to improve its economy still sit back comfortably with the existence of “outdated, inadequate” petroleum legislation on its books?

That is essentially the concern of attorney-at-law and chartered accountant, Christopher Ram. There are pieces of petroleum legislation that haven’t been amended since 1986. Ram thinks that this should not be the case. He posits that this state of affairs is bad for Guyana. He said that it is bad whether the status quo remains, as a result of contentment of ignorance.

In recent writings, Ram said, “One of my biggest disappointments is that the Cabinet, which includes several lawyers, has not made

any amendments to or repealed and replaced the existing statutory framework which therefore remains outdated and inadequate.”

Ram said that the Constitution in itself has to be updated.Ram then pointed to the Petroleum Production Act, Cap. 65:05 which he noted is down to two sections.

The Petroleum Production Act, Cap. 65:05 vests in the Stat e “ t h e property in petroleum and natural gas within Guyana and to make provision with respect to the search for and getting of petroleum a n d natural gas, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid”.

The Act is of 18th November, 1939 and was last amended 1986.

Ram also pointed to the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Cap. 65:04 this became legislation in 1986 and was amended in 1992 and

1997.The Petroleum Exploration and Production Act outlines the regulations that companies and individuals are to be guided by - some of which may be outdated. It makes provisions for the Chief Inspector and other inspectors, restriction of disclosure of information, prohibition against holding license etc., by certain persons, indemnity and service of documents.

There is also the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Regulations 1986 (Regulations 5 of 1986).

Ram said, “What is particularly troubling is that apart from Local Content legislation which can be made under the existing Act, the Government has not articulated any legislative intent or agenda for the sector. It is equally bad, whether this is a sign of satisfaction with the status quo or a confused state of mind.”

Police ranks, civilian to be charged ...

From page 16 dropped to 45 and 50 percent, which justified the complaints the Force was receiving.

“It became a very real and encouraging sign.

Now we moved it a stage further with the CFCN marking the exam paper under police supervision in a police environment, so persons who used to feel that they will have somebody go there and write the exam or someone to fix them up – all that is through the window,” the Commissioner (ag) had said.

Kaieteur News was told that persons are now buying their learner’s package, studying

the booklets and attending classes.

Over the years, there have been reports of persons purchasing their Letter of Competence from corrupt police ranks, as opposed to buying their package and going through the right process.

A Letter of Competence is issued by the police when a person successfully completes the practical part of the driver’s examination.

Once issued, the letter is taken to the Guyana Revenue Authority where the person pays a fee and gets a driver’s licence.It is said that a letter of competence can cost someone as much as $90,000.”

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Saturday July 21, 2018

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Kaieteur News

German Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fastest in second practice BBC Sport - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the surprise pacesetter ahead of the two Mercedes drivers in second practice for the German Grand Prix.

The Dutchman, whose team are not expected to be able to compete for pole position with Mercedes and Ferrari, pipped Lewis Hamilton by 0.026 seconds.

Hamilton, who made a mistake on his best lap, was 0.225secs clear of title rival Sebastian Vettel.

The Briton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas was also ahead of the German’s Ferrari.

“It’s very hot, which makes it very demanding and physical in the car,” said Hamilton, who trails Vettel by eight points at the top of the drivers’ standings.

“The car was feeling

good, but it is very close, so there’s lots of work to do tonight.

“Both Ferrari and Red Bull were very quick and I think it will be very similar tomorrow and on Sunday. It’s going to be a serious challenge and it’s not an easy track to get right, so we will have to give it everything.”

Verstappen’s fastest time meant Red Bull topped both sessions yesterday, after team-mate Daniel Ricciardo set the pace in the morning session from Hamilton by just 0.004secs.

Ricciardo, who will start from the back of the grid as a result of penalties for using too many engine parts, was only 13th fastest after a late start to the session and a spin, which meant he did not do a qualifying simulation run like

the rest of the drivers.

Red Bull in general had a difficult day, despite setting the pace. Verstappen suffered an engine problem midway through the second session and was not able to complete a race-simulation run, trying the car on heavy fuel.

“I feel like we have a good balance with the car,” said Verstappen. “It was a nice surprise to start so competitively here but we have to remember it is only Friday. The others will be quicker for qualifying but certainly a better than expected start.

“We lost a few laps due to a small oil leak this afternoon but this was quickly fixed and I managed to get a few laps in at the end of the session to make sure everything was fine.”

Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fifth fastest, ahead of the Haas drivers

Saturday July 21, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today, Aries, matters surrounding business and finances need immediate attention, and this could prove a bit disheartening.

Do you have a lot of unfinished tasks that have piled up? Gear up and get to them.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) New opportunities to advance your professional standing may arise, Taurus.

The aspects bode well for business and money.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Restlessness may plague you throughout the day, Gemini, because you could be brimming over with physical energy but have no outlet for it.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Though current business and money matters could well encounter obstacles, at this time you may find yourself reaping the rewards of past efforts.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today your powers of persuasion are at an all-time high. This is a good day to ask for a raise or promote a new project.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This day bodes well for accomplishments in business and finance. Long-term investments of either time or funds may finally pay off.

New opportunities could come your way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your insight, creativity, and inventiveness are in full swing, and new ideas come thick and fast. However, you might find yourself too caught up in boring tasks to do very much about it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) As a natural healer, you might find yourself experiencing a rush of transformative energy today, which you should put into practice.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Be prepared to work diligently toward making your dreams a reality today, Sagittarius. Success is definitely on the way, though it may not be approaching quite as quickly as you might like.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You could find it harder than usual to wake up this morning, as your energy may be flagging. Personal or professional pressures might stir feelings of futility, but don't fall into this trap.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today it might suddenly hit you that you have a lot of unfinished tasks that need to be completed, and this might lead to a case of the blues.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Business and financial matters look promising today, but you could find yourself torn between the need to attend to these matters and the desire to relax at home.

Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

On the long runs, when teams prepare for race conditions, Ferrari appeared to have a small advantage over Mercedes - Vettel was an average of about 0.2secs quicker than Hamilton on both the ultra-soft and the medium tyre, although Bottas and Raikkonen set almost identical averages on their runs on the soft.

Vettel said: “We are missing a little on one-lap performance.

I think we can improve.

“I wasn’t entirely happy.

It was the only shot I had on the ultra-soft but the car is fine and I think we can still gain something. It seems very close.”

S a u b e r ’s Charles Leclerc, tipped to be promoted to Ferrari at the expense of Raikkonen next year, continued his impressive progress with the eighth-fastest time, 0.4secs and six places ahead of team-mate Marcus Ericsson, and ahead of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and Force India’s Esteban Ocon.

Ticketmaster Travel...

From page 32 Tickets would be on sale at the Providence National Stadium during the 2 ODIs, WI vs Bangladesh, so be on the lookout look for our ticket vendors. Tickets are on sale at specified outlets around the country and from any executive member of the GCB.

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Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

What cricket means to West Indians

By Sean Devers Presently just the thought of West Indies cricket can take one into deep depression. Administrators, who only seem to serve their own agendas, players, most of whom seem only motivated my money and fans that have lost all interest in watching Test cricket that involves a weak West Indies team are ‘normal’ today.

But when Jamaican Robert Karl Nunes led the West Indies onto Lords on June 23rd 1928 to face England, it marked the birth of one of the most colorful and exciting teams to play test cricket and provided a major opportunity for West Indians to gain international acclaim.

In the early days the West Indies team comprised players from the British Federation along with British Guiana, located in South America.

Today the team is made up of players from the English speaking Caribbean Islands and Guyana.

West Indies were the fourth team to play test cricket after Australia, England and South Africa.

In a region dominated by ‘whites’ in the days of slavery and indenture ship, cricket has played an important role in the social, economic, cultural and political development of Caribbean people.

The slave rebellion in the 1790s in Saint-Domingue resulted in Haiti becoming independent in 1804 to become the first black republic in the Americas.

Four years later Britain abolished the slave trade, while slavery itself was abol-

Sir Frank Worrell

Guyanese Maurice Fernandes ished in the British West Indies in 1833.

By 1838, the agriculture production in British Guiana (now Guyana) had fallen by 60 percent and plantations were being shut down since most of the freed slaves refused to work for plantation owners who had mistreated them.

With most of the freed slaves heading for towns or forming villages of their own, the plantation owners, in search of cheap labor, turned to immigrants from England, Germany, Ireland and the British West Indies; starting the indentured system.

However, due to the tough working conditions, these workers did not last long.

During the days of slavery

when the British were growing sugar cane in Guyana, they were also powerful in other parts of the world and had entered an Indian Province called Uttar Pradesh in 1765.

Under British rule in India, thousands of Indians were unemployed and living in poverty. Many who wanted to escape the poor living conditions opted to go to the ‘new world’ to work as indentured servants on the Sugar cane plantations in Guyana and later (1845) Trinidad and Jamaica.

By the 1860s Indians also settled in smaller numbers in St. Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and St Kitts.

The first batch of 244 Indians arrived in British Guiana on a British ship named Whitby on May 5th 1838 and up to today many of their decedents still work on the sugar Estates in Guyana, St Kitts, Barbados and Trinidad.

Those early days exposed the freed slaves and the indentured servants to cricket, played mainly by British Military teams.

Since then cricket has

George Headley

Rohan Kanhai,

played the biggest role in uniting West Indians from different Islands, giving them a sense of pride and self worth.

Cricket for West Indians goes way beyond the boundary in a region populated by over ninety percent nonwhites. It was the only opportunity for most people in the British West Indies and British Guiana in the early days to gain recognition.

Cricket in the West Indies was a tool to gain respect and equality for a people desperately trying to emancipate themselves from the mental slavery that still engulfed their daily lives.

The whites, although being the population’s minority, still controlled cricket in the West Indies long after slavery ended at a time when the class and status structure was still strong in the region.

In 1930 at Bourda in British Guiana, Guyanese Maurice Fernandes became the first Captain to lead the team to victory when they beat England 289 runs in the third Test.

It was not until the 1950’s that non-whites were given

leadership roles in regional cricket teams.

Black players like George Headley (the first Black man to Captain West Indies), Sir Frank Worrell (First long-term black Captain), Clive Lloyd (Most successful Captain), Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Brian Lara and Carl Hooper along with those of East Indian decent like Rohan Kanhai (first Indian to lead West Indies), Alvin Kallicharran, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Ganga and Denish Ramdin were to eventually assume leadership roles of modern West Indies teams.

It was in fact on the Sugar cane plantation of Port Mourant in British Guiana that Sir Clyde Walcott (who worked with the Bookers Sugar Estate in 1950s & 60s) discovered Test batsmen Kanhai, Basil Butcher and Joe Solomon.

Today most of the West Indians of ‘White’ ancestry have gravitated to sports like Hockey, Motor Racing and Squash and the West Indies team is made up of mostly players of black and Indian decent.

A lot has changed since those dark days of the 19th century but cricket is still the ethos around which West Indian society revolves.

The 1950 victory against England at Lords for instance, still remains the single most satisfying moment in the history of West Indies cricket.

It was the first victory over their former colonial masters on English soil and signaled the coming of age of the ‘calypso cricketers’. The famous win inspired Lord Kitchener to lead a crowd of Calypso singing West Indians around the ground at Lords.

So great was the triumph

by John Goddard’s team for all West Indians that Lord Kitchener wrote a calypso to celebrate.

“Cricket, lovely cricket At Lords where I saw it Yardley did his best But Goddard won the test With those little pals of mine Ramadhin and Valentine” The song said it all as two 20-year-olds, Trinidadian Sonny Ramadhin (26 wickets) and Jamaican Alf Valentine (33 wickets) destroyed England.

The highs and lows, those who excelled during the glory years when the regional team was not beaten in a single series for 15 years, the Calypso cricketers becoming professionals under the leadership of Sir Frank Worrell and later Clive Lloyd, the first ever tied test, the Kerry Paker affair in 1978, the rebel tour to apartheid ruled South Africa in 1983, the fall from grace in 1995 and the new breed of West Indies players, many of whom seem to comprehend very little about the significance of wearing the prestigious Maroon cap, are all a part of the rich and exciting history of West Indies cricket.

We s t I n d i e s c r i c k e t faced tough times both on and off the field as we ended the 1990s but let us be inspired and motivated by what began several decades ago on a cold English day in London and the blood, sweat and tears that have flowed to keep the most celebrated sport in the West Indies alive since the 18th century.

Since their first Test, West Indies have played 513 Tests, won 165, lost 176, drew 171 and Tied 1. (Records updated to end of test series against Bangladesh in Jamaica 2018)

Saturday July 21, 2018

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

No top sprinters left? All good for Sagan as Thomas retains Tour lead VALENCE, France (Reuters) - With most of the top sprinters out of the Tour de France after punishing mountain treks, world champion Peter Sagan claimed a third stage victory at the Tour de France yesterday, winning the relatively flat 169.5-km ride from Bourg d’Oisans by a whisker.

Sprinters Fernando Gaviria of Colombia and Dylan Groenewegen of the Netherlands, winners of two stages each, abandoned the race during Thursday’s stage ending atop the iconic Alpe d’Huez, exhausted after an opening block of racing in extreme heat.

Slovak Sagan, however, went through the first three mountain stages with relative ease and had enough gas in the tank for the final effort in Valence, where he outsprinted Norway’s Alexander Kristoff and Frenchman Arnaud Demare into second and third place respectively.

“My team did an amazing job. I took Kristoff’s wheel for the sprint,” said Sagan.

Briton Geraint Thomas retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after he and Team Sky mate Chris Froome were booed by the crowd before the start.

The overall standings remained unchanged at the top with Thomas leading defending champion Froome by one minute 39 seconds and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin by 1:50.

The stage went through Virille, once home to 1990 Tour King of the Mountains Thierry Claveyrolat, who committed suicide in 1999.

The peloton set off from Bourg d’Oisans without Vincenzo Nibali after the 2014 champion withdrew from the race following a crash apparently caused by a spectator in the climb up to l’Alpe d’Huez.

A four-man breakaway featuring New Zealand’s Tom Scully, Swiss Michael Schar as well as Belgians Thomas De Gendt and Dimitri Claeys were kept on a tight leash by the main bunch.

Schar went solo with 25km

BORA-Hansgrohe rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia celebrates on the podium, wearing the green jersey. (REUTERS/Stephane Mahe) remaining, but Demare’s Groupama FDJ team accelerated in front of the peloton to set up a mass sprint, and it was a compact bunch five kms from the line.

In yet another incident affecting the race, a flare was thrown into the peloton with under 20kms left, but no riders were injured.

One kilometer from the finish, former world champion Philippe Gilbert jumped away from the speeding pack but came up short.

Demare launched a sprint 200 meters from the line, only for Sagan to come around and snatch his 11th career Tour victory and extend his lead in the points classification.

Zaman smashes Pakistan’s first double hundred, shares record opening stand (Reuters) - Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman became Pakistan’s first double centurion in one-day internationals, when he smashed 210 off 156 deliveries against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo yesterday.

The 28-year-old pushed on after registering his third ODI century to surpass Saeed Anwar ’s previous record of 194 against India at Chennai in May 1997.

Zaman smashed 24 boundaries and five sixes in a blistering innings and went on to become the sixth international batsman to score a double hundred in the 50-overs format.

Up against a weak Zimbabwe attack, openers Imam-ul-Haq and Zaman adopted a ruthless approach to record the first 300-run opening stand in ODIs. The record for the high-

est opening partnership was earlier held by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya, who had added 286 against England at Leeds in July 2006.

Ul-Haq blazed away to 113 off 122 balls, studded with eight fours, before falling to spinner Wellington Masakadza.

Asif Ali joined Zaman to build an unbeaten 95 run partnership as they finished with 399 for 1 at the end of the innings.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bat in the fourth ODI. The visitors have dominated the series, bowling Zimbabwe out for 67 on Wednesday to clinch an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Scores: Pakistan 399 for 1 (Fakhar 210*, Imam 113, Asif Ali 50*) beat Zimbabwe 155 (Tiripano 44, Shadab 428) by 244 runs.

PAGE 30

Saturday July 21, 2018

Kaieteur News

Gayle humbled by UWI award Windies Coach says tomorrow KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Hard-hitting West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle has expressed his delight at being recognised by the University of the West Indies for his contribution to cricket.

The 38-year-old Gayle along with fast-bowler Patrick Patterson, was honoured by the university during a match between a Vice Chancellor’s XI and Bangladesh at Sabina Park on Thursday.

“It is always (great), whenever you get these accolades. You always feel privileged and thankful,” Gayle said.

“The turnout of spectators as well has also been good and it makes you feel as if you have made a contribution to their lives.”

Patterson was unable to attend the presentation ceremony and his award was collected by former West Indies and Jamaica teammate, and now Bangladesh bowling coach, Courtney Walsh.

“The selection of Gayle and Patterson was handpicked by the Vice-Chancellor (Sir Hilary Beckles) himself

will be start of WC preparations

Big-hitting West Indies opener Chris Gayle was honoured by the UWI for his contributions to cricket.

this year, who has an admiration for the contribution that Patterson has made by his fierce fast bowling, which he believes has dwindled a bit the Caribbean, and is something he would like to revive,” said Dr Akshai Mansingh, Dean of the Faculty of Sports at UWI. The game, which was enjoying its 19th staging, is held annually against touring Test

- Only those who want to play will be considered

teams. In 2017 it was presented to veteran West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul in St Kitts against touring England.

Other West Indies players who have also been awarded for their contributions include legends Sir Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and Walsh.

Curators Wasim Habib and Kent Crafton with the match officials for tomorrow’s ODI at Providence look at the match pitch yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

By Sean Devers Windies Head Coach, 49year-old Australian Stuart Law, says with 16 ODIs to go until the start of the Next Year’s World Cup in England and Wales, tomorrow’s first ODI of the three-match Series against Bangladesh at Providence is the start of the World Cup preparations.

Law, who played his only Test in 1995 against Sri Lanka, said that after bowling well in Trinidad in the Test against Sri Lanka, Guyanese leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was not used much when he played because the conditions more suited the pacers who took the bulk of wickets.

Law feels that most Asian teams play spin well and their fast men bowled them to victory in three days in the last Test against Bangladesh to give Windies their first series win in four years provided their players with extra rest.

Law was appointed Windies Head Coach last year for a two-year period and was Head coach for Sri Lanka in 2011 and Bangladesh from 2011-12.

He said he expects Bangladesh to put up a better showing in the ODIs. Law said that no series are easy as we saw in the World Cup Qualifiers. This series is important and the players know the scenario.

“We have to start winning series as we gain momentum for the World Cup. Our strength is our firepower. We play explosive cricket once we can be consistent in all areas we should win matches.”

Law confirmed that

Windies Head Coach Stuart Law

Marlon Samuels was rested due to injury and disclosed that he was still a part of the Windies World Cup plans. He however emphasized that only those players who want to will be considered for selection moving forward.

The Head Coach, who replaced the sacked former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons as Coach, said Guyana’s Shimron Hetymer waited for his chance and made use of it as he batted very well in Jamaica. Law said the left-handed Hetmyer was a special talent, but needs understand his role.

He was also high in praise for 19-year-old Guyanese Kemo Paul who bowled well on his Test debut, and says

that while the batting is still a concern he feels the team is heading down the right track.

The Aussie who played 54 ODIs expects the pitches here will be low and slow but both CWI’s Head Curator St Lucian Kent Crafton and local Curator Wasim Habib says some grass would be left on the pitch which they informed will have good bounce and be good to bat on.

Law informed that Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Rovman Powell, who stayed back to play in UWI game in Jamaica, were expected to arrive in Guyana yesterday afternoon, while Bangladesh were expected here last evening.

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

Gayle and Russell fail to fire as Bangladesh defeat Chancellor’s XI Andre Russell was unimpressive playing for the Chancellor’s XI.

K

INGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – N e w l y recalled West Indies allrounder Andre Russell and swashbuckling opening batsman Chris Gayle both had little impact as Bangladesh trounced a Vice Chancellor’s XI by four wickets at Sabina Park on Thursday.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, the Vice Chancellor’s XI could only muster 227 for nine off their 5 0 o v e r s . I n r e p l y, Bangladesh eased to 230-6 in 43.3 overs.

Bangladesh’s efforts were led by Litton Das (70) and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who smashed an unbeaten 75 as they romped to victory with 39 balls to spend.

Known for his usual aggressiveness, Gayle made 29 from 44 balls while Russell scored just 11 as the Vi c e C h a n c e l l o r ’s X I crumbled to 89 for six at one point.

A fightback was led by Kavem Hodge, who made 44 and Yannik Ottley, who scored 58, during a 91-run seventh wicket stand, after Musaddek

Saikat had ripped through the Vice Chancellor’s XI top order.

Saikat finished with the impressive figures of four for 14 from 10 overs and Rubel Hossain snagged 340 from his nine overs.

In their turn at the crease, Bangladesh lost an early wicket, that of Anamul Haque Bijoy, lbw to Russell for nought.

Das and Nazmul Shanto then enjoyed a 90-run partnership, before Das was forced to retire hurt on 43 after getting hit on the hand

by Powell.

However, with the score on 156 for five, Das resumed his innings and together with Rahim steered Bangladesh to relative safety through a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Rovman Powell was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2-32 from his seven overs, while Russell took one wicket for 22 runs in his five overs.

Bangladesh will now turn their attention to the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against West Indies starting in Guyana tomorrrow.

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Saturday July 21, 2018

Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh sponsors BCB 2018 Pentecostal Fire’s Linden Inter Church Academy, early preparation of 2019 Basketball final at MSC hard court tonight - Pumps over $540,000 in BCB “Never in the history of Berbice Cricket, has the Berbice Cricket Board been able to attract sponsorship on a large scale. This I am sure is because of the outstanding work of the Board since our election in February 2018, and because sponsors and donors trust us with their money. Once I remain President of the Berbice Cricket Board we shall not only be visionary but would make sure that every committment to our sponsors are fulfilled.” Those were the words of Berbice Cricket Board President Hilbert Foster as he announced that overseas based Guyanese Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh has deposited over $540, 000 into the Republic Bank Account of the Berbice Cricket Board.

The US$2,700 donation represents full sponsorship of the 2018 Cricket Academy of the Berbice Cricket Board and monthly preparation from July, 2018, to January, 2019 for players expected to represent Berbice next year at the Under-15, Under-17, Uner-19 and Female levels.

The two events are part of a comprehensive development programme that the Berbice Cricket Board has unveiled under the leadership of Foster. The Cricket Academy would be held from tomorrow, Sunday 22nd to Thursday 26th July, 2018, at the Albion Community

Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Centre and would be conducted by Coaches Winston Smith, Julian Moore, Balram Samaroo and Albert Smith. A total of seventy players drawn from Under-15, Under-17, Under19 and Female Players would be part of the Academy.

Special emphasis would be placed on correcting all technical problems of every individual player, while making them better batsmen, bowlers and fielders. A lot of off the field work would also be done with the aim of making the players aware of the rules of the game and their role as ambassadors of the Ancient County. The total cost of sponsorship for the Academy is $369,600.

With the objective of winning every title at the Guyana Cricket Board InterCounty level, the Berbice Cricket Board would also be organising training sessions one day every month from July, 2018, to January 2019.

The sessions would be conducted by a panel of Coaches who would make sure that every Berbice Player is mentally and physically fit to represent the County.

Emphasis would also be placed on building bonds between the players and identifying potential leaders.

An initial squad of 70 players would be selected for the monthly sessions but more players would be added based on performances at the different levels in tournaments organised by the Berbice Cricket Board.

President Hilbert Foster was full in praise for Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, who he described as a true friend of Berbice Cricket. This is Dr. Singh second major contribution after investing $516,000 in a countywide Coaching Programme. He joins fellow overseas based Guyanese Brian Ramphal as individuals who have contributed over $1M dollars to the Berbice Cricket Board Cricket Developmental Programme over the last five months.

Foster also expressed gratitude to Berbice Cricket Board Liaison Officer in the United States, Oscar Ramjeet for his hard work in promoting the Board to donors. The New York based former Berbice Cricket Board Secretary has raised over $2.5M for Berbice Cricket.

ExxonMobil School boys and Girls football finals and third place off on today

T

he third place playoffs and respective finals of the ExxonMobil Schools Football tournament will be contested today at the MOE ground.

Keen competition is anticipated as the boys and girls from the respective team’s battle for top honours following several weeks of competition. Action starts at 11:00am with a few playoff matches which will be followed by the third place play offs followed by the finals.

According to the organisers Petra, in regard to the girls’ semifinals between East La Penitence and South Ruimveldt: The South Ruimveldt team was found guilty of violations of the tournament rules in which a protest was made by East La Penitence and was upheld and as such East La Penitence will be contesting the Finals with Charlestown.

The tournament is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Pepsi and the Ministry of Public Health.

Full fixtures: Girls 7/21/2018 Finals and Third Place Play-Off MoE Ground Match # 11:00 hrs - Tucville vs Vergenoegen Secondary 17 7&8 11:00 hrs - Uitvlugt Secondary vs Dolphin 18 5&6 Third Place Play Off 13:00 hrs - South Ruimveldt Secondary vs New Campbellville 19 Third Place Girls Final 14:00 hrs - Charlestown Secondary vs East La Penitence 20 Finals Boys 7/21/2018 Finals and Third Place Play-Off MoE Ground Match # 12:00 hrs - Marian Academy vs Dolphin Secondary 53 7&8 12:00 hrs – Tucville vs Vergenoegen Secondary 54 5&6 13:00 hrs - St John’s vs Buxton Youth Development 55 Third Place Boys Finals 15:00 hrs - North Ruimveldt Multi vs Chase Academy 56 Finals

- Can Fire out South AOG again… Pastors in shootout also

I

t promised to be a fitting final but the question is if South Assembly AOG can topple the multiple defending champions Pentecostal Fire A O G , a n d t a k e championship honours tonight when the 12th annual Linden Inter Church basketball final comes off at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court While the Fire has been lit form the start, burning their way to an impressive five game wins and no defeats, the South Assembly are optimistic they can pull this off after suffering their only loss77-64 in the round robin stages against the hosts.

To reach the final, Pentecostal Fire breezed past Emmanuel AOG 116-43 as Yannick Tappin poured in 35 points and Daniel Lee, the tournament’s leading scorer thus far, had 28, while Tappin’s brothers Keifer and Kobe had 11 and 10 points

respectively.

Only Stephon Arthur and Gavin Clarke showed any fight for the losers with 17 and 15 points respectively.

In the other semifinal, South Assembly overcame Calvary Temple 70-62 to earn a place against the only team which they lost to, Fire.

South Assembly were led by Emmanuel Archibald, better known for his athletic ability, with 23 points, while Vibert Benjamin had 18, Donnel Benjamin 15 and Leon Benjamin 10.

This time around they will need all the fire power to get past the Pentecostal Fire as they have in their list of players the tournament’s top scorer in Daniel Lee who has 130 points for an average of 26 per game, while teammate Yannick Tappin has scored 105 points to average 23 per a game.

The south side’s Vibert Bejamin, who has a tournament high 44 points, is

averaging 21 points per game after totaling 105 in the games leading up to this final. His support will come from siblings Donnel Benjamin and Leon Benjamin as they hope to halt the Fire from repeating as champions.

The third place playoff game is at 19.00hrs between losing semifinalist Emmanuel AOG and Calvary Temple but that game will be followed by the Pastors’ shootout where among the contenders will be the reigning champion Richard McDonald and he will be challenged by Praise Tabernacle’s Pastor Selwyn Sills, Emmanuel‘s Gavin Clarke and Fire’s Linnel Warden.

There will be a female free throw shooting competition also before the final.

The championship trophy was donated by United States -based Ian Adams.

Ticketmaster Travel Agency sponsors 4th Prize for GCB 75th Anniversary Raffle The Guyana Cricket Board had launched its grand fund raising 75th Anniversary Raffle in aid of youth and female cricket development in April 2018.

The Guyana Cricket Board was officially formed in 1943 and is currently celebrating its 75th year of existence, usually referred to as the Diamond Anniversary.

This raffle was the very first activity planned by the GCB. The GCB also held a Prayer Breakfast at the GCC Members Pavilion in May, 2018. Other activities are planned for the remainder of the year.

The controllers for the raffle are: Anand Kalladeen, Raj Singh & Anand Sanasie.

There would be 8 very attractive prizes to be raffled out at its final drawing. The first and second prizes take c a r e o f t h e w i n n e r ’s transportation woes, an awesome motor car would be the first prize with a beautiful Jialing Motorcycle as the second prize which is sponsored by Marics & Co. The 3rd prize is a 60" Television set.

The fourth prize is a return airfare to New York, which is being sponsored by Ticketmaster Travel Agency, which is a popular travel agency in Georgetown.

Marketing Manager of the Guyana Cricket Board, Mr. Raj Singh, receiving the commitment of the Return ticket to New York fromLuciana D’Andrade, Travel Consultant of Ticketmaster Travel Agency.

There is a condition attached to this prize that it does not include a visa but it is anticipated that the ticket holder can either obtain a visa on his/her own or the GCB and the sponsor may be flexible to agree to a transfer of the ticket to a relative or friend of the ticket holder.

The fifth prize is a beautiful gold necklace which is already sponsored by popular jewellery establishment, Steve’s Jewellery. The sixth prize is an Acer laptop computer which is sponsored by SPR Enterprises located on Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown. The seventh

prize is a return trip for 2 to Kaieteur Falls which is sponsored by Roraima Airways, a member of the Roraima Group Of Companies with the eight prize being a day trip for 2 to one of our most exotic resorts, Arrow point resort, which is sponsored by Arrowpoint Tours, a member of the Roraima Group Of Companies.

Raffle tickets have been priced very inexpensively at just $200 per ticket and are very conveniently in books of 25 for an even $5,000. The final drawing is set for November 17th 2018.

(Continued on page 27)

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 21, 2018

PAGE 33

Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation donates safety gear to the Guyana Police Force

GSSF President Mr. Ryan McKinnon (front right) hands over ear and eye protection to the OC, TSU Mr. Guy Nurse (front center) in the presence of GSSF Director Mr. Aleemul Ali (front left), while flanked by ranks of the TSU.

T

he Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation in keeping with international sport shooting standards has adopted the policy of mandatory ear and eye protection for all shooting events.

“Compliance to safety while handling firearms is always paramount,” reiterated President of the GSSF, Mr. Ryan McKinnon in his comments while handing over a donation to the Guyana Police

Force to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of the GSSF last week.

The GSSF ensures that all members follow all firearm safety rules and are personally protected during shooting by wearing protective gear for their eyes and ears. All shooters, instructors, range safety officers, scorers and spectators in proximity to the shooting points are required to wear eye protection while the range is hot.

The Foundation in strengthening its partnership with the Police Force made the donation to aid the safe training and development of ranks with firearms. The equipment is thus specifically targeted for use by the Training Section of the Tactical Services Unit. The presentation of the ear and eye protective equipment was made at Police H e a d q u a r t e r s , E v e L e a r y, Georgetown to the OC, TSU, Mr.

Guy Nurse.

Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Clifton Hicken opined that he appreciates the Foundation’s recognition of the importance of safety while handling firearms.

The Foundation looks forward to continued collaboration with the Guyana Police Force and commits to giving assistance, building capacity and aiding in the general development of the force and its ranks where possible.

The GSSF wishes to thank all its members, partners, collaborators and supporters for the valuable contributions made towards the development of the organisation and by extension the sport of shooting in Guyana. The Board of Directors wishes to express its continued commitment and dedication to the development of the Foundation while working closely with local regulatory departments and authorities.

Trophy Stall on board with BVA tourney CPL tickets go on sale in Berbice and Essequibo from Monday

G

BVA President Levi Nedd (right) collects the sponsorship from Rep of the Trophy Stall, Eshwar Bharrat.

The Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) will stage a male, female and novice Beach Volleyball tournament tomorrow from 10:00hrs at the Number 63 Beach in Corentyne and the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market is on board.

The tournament has attracted players from Orealla to Mahaicony and Ramesh

Sunich of the popular Trophy Stall, an ardent supporter of all sporting entities in Guyana, readily acquiesce to offer support.

The tournament will be an handicapped one and is aimed at selecting the top male and female pairs to represent the ancient county in a beach tournament proposed for French Guiana later in the year.

Heineken Open Golf tourney postponed Owing to the unpredictable weather that drenched Georgetown with more rain in recent memory, and deference to our major sponsor Heineken, the decision to postpone the Heineken Open to next Saturday was taken with heavy heart, a release from the Lusignan Golf Club informed.

The tournament was launched earlier this week and promised keen competition among the leading players that were expected to turnout. However, players and fans alike will have to wait until next Saturday for the real excitement is to unfold. The club is inviting all to come out then and enjoy the competition and all the other comforts they have on offer.

However, the club is open all weekend and they will have a full bar with drinks and food specials available.

EORGETOW N, Guyana – Cricket fans and cricket enthusiast of Berbice and Essequibo now have the opportunity to purchase their tickets for the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League Guyana g a m e s f r o m Monday23rdJuly2018 according to a release from the organisers.

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: · M r . V i j a i Ramdhan (Residence) at Lot 19 Princess Elizabeth Road, Queenstown New Amsterdam, Berbice. · Imam Bacchus & Son’s Limited at Affiance Essequibo Coast.

Patrons can purchase their tickets from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

The cost of tickets for this year’s CPL games is as follows: · R E D A N D G R E E N S TA N D S G$5,000 · O R A N G E STAND - G$3,000 · GRASS MOUND - G$2,500 Patrons are asked to make early purchases so as to avoid the rush as we get

closer to match Days.

Tickets will be available for the first three games as follows: · Thursday 9th August – Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at 6:00pm · S a t u r d a y 11 t h August – Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Lucia Stars at 4:00pm · Sunday 12th August – Guyana Amazon

Warriors vs Barbados Tridents at 6:00pm For further information on ticketing can be accessed by calling the CPL Guyana office on telephone numbers231-5344, 2312035 or 225-5840 and or em a i l – cplguyana@gmail.com or Mr. Ramdhan on #6220982/#333-5981 and Imam Bacchus & Son’s Limited on #771-4996.

rt o p S

Windies Coach says tomorrow will be start of WC preparations - Only those who want to P. 30

play will be considered

Coach Law in a ‘throw down’ session with Kemo Paul at Providence yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

No top sprinters left? All good for Zaman smashes Sagan as Thomas retains Tour lead Pakistan’s first P. 29

double hundred, shares record opening stand P. 29

Peter Sagan (right) of Slovakia, Arnaud Demare (left) of France and Alexander Kristoff of Norway sprint at the end of Stage 13 of the Tour de France Cycle race yesterday.

(REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)

Fakhar Zaman prepares to belt the ball, Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 1st ODI, Bulawayo, July 13, 2018 © AFP

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