Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur M@ilbox Descriptions of child abuse on the West Coast of Demerara DEAR EDITOR, It has become unbearable for me to continue witnessing daily child abuses and not saying anything to help save children from these torments that they are brought into this world to face. Below I will explain why I choose this format instead of informing the relevant authorities available. After reporting two girls being abused by their stepfather a while back, my family and I got an experience that no matter what happens, the torments we experience could never be erased from our minds. My family and I were subjected to daily abuse and threats. I was assaulted, ended up in Camp Street prison, my house was damaged (which to this day I have not repaired as a reminder to what we go through for trying to help), material lost, and had to attend court for over a year to face various charges made by the same step-father. Stabroek News was most gracious to publish some of my experiences after I penned them and one of Stabroek News columnist even voice her opinion about my experiences. I faced three different Magistrates (Nurse at Vreed-en_Hoop Magistrate’s Court; McGusty and Liverpool at Leonora Magistrate’s Court). The then Commander at Leonora Police Station (Ian Amsterdam) and other officers with their dictatorial attitudes, did not give me a proper hearing to ascertain why the numerous complaints against the individual were made and vice versa. Instead they recommended charges and
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threats of long imprisonment if I am found guilty and an increase in bail every time a new charge arose. At no time were any of them prepared to hear that the problems arose because I reported the man abusing his step-daughter and chastised him for his actions against the girls. Just to be clear, it is my opinion that some of the police prosecutors are in conspiracy along with some Magistrate Clerks. It’s my opinion that both parties colluded with one another and hide case jackets and they then bring them back to Court when you are not around. The Magistrate would give another date and when you not there because you weren’t informed to, she/he dismisses the cases. That happened to me because after getting the Magistrate to put all the cases (9 of them I believe) to one date, I attended court and was told by the Clerk that I will have to check back for another date. After constant phone calls to the Clerk, I never got another date until I got fed-up and forget about calling him back. Would I go to the police station to report child abuse? No, because when you go there, they’ll inform you that it’s a matter for the Child Protection Agency and in my case, they ridiculed me when I was being victimized and told me I should have minded my own business. Many people are under the impression that when you report a case of child abuse to the Child Protection Agency in Guyana, they would swoop in and take the Continued on page 6
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Lincoln Lewis is angry at race baiting in Region 5 DEAR EDITOR, Last Thursday, 21st July, the Region Five Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was once again prevented from conducting its duly statutory meeting. This is as a result of a misconception between the APNU+AFC councillors and the PPP Regional Chairman on a matter that has no place in the formal business of the Council. Councillors are elected to develop and manage programmes on behalf of the citizens of the Region, and this they must do, and be allowed to do. The issue that led to the present impasse has no place on the RDC’s formal agenda. To be demanding an apology for not attending a function that is not on the official business agenda and programme of the Region, is ludicrous. If the Chairman did not attend statutory meeting(s) of the Council, he is duty bound by the rules to make an excuse, or if possible, be censored for not doing so. The unrelenting demand for
an apology on a matter that is not guided by any rule, and the protracted disruption of the Region’s business, are matters of concern. On Thursday last, the protesting Councillors chose to dress in African outfits at a period leading up to the emancipation of African slaves. By their manner of dress they are now communicating that this matter has moved beyond that of a nonsensical apology to that now of race. The new posture is communicating that Africans will not allow the Indian Chairman to work unless he apologies to an African President. This is an act of pitting race against race and cannot be allowed to continue at a time when officials of the government are talking about inclusivity and social cohesion. The intellectual authors who are stoking and condoning this type of conduct, while walking around and talking about social cohesion, are failing to put systems in place to
ensure the races co-exist in peace, harmony, and treat each other with dignity and respect. This opportunity is taken to make a few historical facts known. It was Africans, having fought for hundreds of years for their freedom, when this was finally achieved on the 1st August 1838 saw them with their pooled pennies, which their carried in wheelbarrows and every available container, buying up plantations, converting them to villages, and setting in place a system of selfgovernment. This was the first system of local government, though initially not recognised in the formal system, which later came to lay the groundwork for the establishment of local government authorities. From local government, Guyanese fought for and achieved national government in 1966, and regional government was made possible in 1980. This is the legacy of this nation’s development and Africans have played significant roles in its formation. These
legacies should not now today be treated with contempt at the behest of those whose interests are guided by the acquisition and abuse of power. The Regional Chairman has committed no infraction in the discharge of his official duty by his non-attendance at the handing over event of buses to the Region. The RDC should therefore not be hindered from executing its constitutional duty based on a non-issue. Good sense must prevail on the part of all. Taxpayers, citizens, workers, those who do business with this Region, and all Guyana should be concerned about this ugly turn of events. What is happening at the Region Five RDC has no bearing on governance to deserve disrupting the function of regional government. If the PPP/C Councillors or government had done this they would have equally heard from me. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Lincoln Lewis
Plea of help from Corentyne fishermen DEAR EDITOR, Please grant me space in your newspaper to publish this open letter from the C A R R I B B E A N N E T W O R K O F F I S H E R F O L K ORGANISATION, the GUYANA NATIONAL F I S H E R F O L K ORGANISATION and the SURINAME FISHERFOLK ORGANISATION. We the fishers from Guyana and Suriname have been the most affected by these pirate attacks. Two months ago four fishermen from the Upper Corentyne
Fishermen’s Co-op in Berbice were thrown overboard by pirates and left to die. They were from the same Berbice area. One body was found and he was given a decent funeral; the other three fishermen’s bodies were not found. According to the confessions, they anchored the bodies. The loved ones and relatives of these could not even do a proper burial for them. When the relatives of one of the men was asked if they had received assistance from
the NIS to which he had been making contributions, they said NIS required a death certificate. His body was not found so there can be no death certificate. Mr Editor, we the fishers from Guyana and Suriname are the only ones that are robbed, beaten and killed by pirates. It does not happen in other Caricom countries. We do not know what to do or who to ask for help. Many promises are made but nothing much is done. On Monday 18th July, a fisherman in Suriname was
tied to a car battery and thrown overboard by pirates. When will this madness and cruelty stop. Pamashwar Jainarine
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox Descriptions of child abuse on... From page 5 children away. So, do I go to the Child protection Agency to report what I am witnessing? No. When I made my report, I visited the office to see if they could intervene. After I started to get victimized, I was astounded to discover that they didn’t know the location of the two girls or that they were forced to stop attending school. The loss of the two boys’ lives by the fire at the shelter/ detention centre recently only makes me more fearful to go to them because, I don’t believe I would be at peace to know I make a report to an incompetent agency and their negligence causes lives to be lost instead of being saved. For a while now I have been mulling what to do to help stop CHILD ABUSE in Guyana and have decided to start uploading videos of child abuse and label them ‘Child Abuse in Guyana’ and I have already upload one video of a man chastising a parent in Zeelugt after he witnessed the abuse a child was getting and I will be uploading more heart rendering videos later when my mobile phone which I normally use to write, take pictures and videoing with, is repaired. I will be uploading the videos on YouTube along with Facebook. I prefer using Youtube because once you are curious about child abuse and you Google abuse, child abuse, Guyana or anything pertain to abuse, that link will pop up and thus the world could be aware of what’s transpiring in Guyana. Editor, I mention the above to just let people understand my position for my future actions because almost every day I could hear painful screams emanating from a yard in Zeelugt within a stone throw away from where I would sometimes be
and if you look out you will see a single parent mother of four children either with a whip or belt abusing the two smallest children (boy and girl). This woman would be lashing these children all over their bodies without any care as to what damage she could cause and to the people who would venture outside to look at her actions. Many people around would complain bitterly but not to any authorities and when they ask me to do something, I would cite my experience and continue with my duties. Only recently the girl’s hand was in a cast and she was still subjected to daily abuse. Next to that same woman, there’s an indigenous girl living with a baby. Sometimes she would be doing her chores and that baby could be heard screaming and she just continues about her business even if it takes over one hour. Other times you could hear the sharp sound of slapping and then the child would start bellowing for quite a while. Traverse up the same street, there’s a young couple there (Deputy Headmaster and senior teacher) and they got a woman and her children to live with him. Since this woman started to live there, they have been witnessing the children being abused and are scared to report it because of the people’s attitudes. Friday night whilst walking with one of my inlaws to the public road we heard a small boy screaming very loudly from a house without any lights. We could hear loud wailing the boy was making and almost feel the pains he was feeling along with the loud tumbling in the house. Could you imagine the feelings of this little boy who seems to be around the age of seven to be in a dark
building and blows you can’t see just raining on you from a man with strokes (I know the man and the boy and it is not the first time I observe the boy being abused)? My inlaw seems to get into a mood and suggest that we brick the man’s house down just to save the little boy but regrettably I declined the offer with sadness. Editor, when someone gets murdered/killed by their offspring or relative we assume that the killer might be wayward but do we ever consider that the killer might be fed up of torment or the years of abuse might be too much? Many times I ask why these sadists are parents. Clearly many of them they didn’t want children because, if they did, they wouldn’t have been abusing them the way they do. None of these children is merely getting scolding; they are being abused in a terrible manner which touches everyone who is a witness and as a parent it makes me sad and many times the images just flash through my mind which cause me to feel very sad and angry at the same time. Luckily like most of the times when I witness something, I’m with someone so whatever I mention I have witnesses so I’m not scared to defend myself. As I said before, my phone is down but I plan to repair or replace it so I could go ahead with the intentions I have. Recently I wrote about the atrocities being committed on the road by an ex-police officer and saw someone reply saying I’m lying and threatening of suing me. There are many ways I could have dealt with that letter but I would like to inform the writer (I believe is the same ex-officer) I am not afraid of the threats. And the driver is so stupid to continue his actions which I would be sending pictures of to the media to verify. Sahadeo Bates
Kaieteur M@ilbox The reasons Guyanese migrate DEAR EDITOR, The statement from Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine that 93% of all persons leaving Guyana have obtained tertiary education. He made the comment from the 2016 report by the World Bank on Migration and Remittances. This to my mind is very disturbing news and the Minister considers the situation “a national tragedy and a painful fact the country has to deal with”. He lamented the fact that persons who have been educated locally proceeded to leave after graduating. He gave a few reasons why persons departed from the shores including remuneration, better working conditions and facilities and also referred to other factors including health reasons and to join family members overseas. He, however, failed to mention favouritism, jobs for party supporters and friends, regardless which government
is in power. This was the trend in the Burnham administration, and when the PPPC took over the government it was not better maybe it was worse. If the government wants to curb the mass migration by intellectuals they have to make some drastic changes and this is not likely, maybe impossible because party stalwarts will stand up for their supporters and friends although they might not be the right person for the job. On the other hand, the country cannot offer too many incentives because of its limited resources. British Guiana/Guyana started to bleed by migration - most of them the intelligent ones- before independence in 1966 and during the Burnham era there was mass exit not by only the qualified ones but in all sectors, and this trend continues and maybe worsened when the PPPC took over the government in 1992. I must say at this juncture that while Guyana is suffering
from the brain drain, other countries are benefiting significantly. Moreover scores if not hundreds of Guyanese have excelled in many fields in education, medicine, computer, law, commerce and trade, and many other areas of science and arts. Some of them have made us proud and on many occasions comments were made that if they had remained at home they would not have been given the opportunity to grow to such impressive extent. I should point out also that the standard of living of most of the Guyanese in the diaspora is very high - a level which they could not have reached in the country of their birth. Some of them — unfortunately only a few - are making significant and reasonable contributions at organizations, schools, churches at home. One name stands out - Dr. Tulsi Singh, of Palmyra, who Continued on page 7
I hope Nigel Hughes can persuade... From page 4 The AFC got lost in the big umbrella of the coalition. It would make no sense for the AFC to go into the 2020 election by itself because by then people would see it as trying to survive. And if you do have a third party by 2019, it would eclipse the stardom of the AFC, assuming that the AFC still has stardom. I will end my discussion on this section by saying boldly that I do not think the AFC is the cause for people wanting a third force. It was bound to happen once the AFC lost its identity in umbrella politics. I now come to the leadership of the third force. Letterwriters and some influential people have chosen Freddie Kissoon as presidential candidate and Nigel Hughes to fill the Prime Minister slot. Freddie’s name is a big surprise. I think no one in this
country would deny that Freddie Kissoon has done what no Indian has come even close to doing in modern Guyanese politics going back to the thirties onwards. No Indian activist has crossed the racial barricade as Freddie did and still does. Black people like and trust him. Freddie is admired throughout Guyana but he is not made of politician’s stuff. Most people see Freddie as a lonely dreamer with a philosophical bible in his hands going around the world trying to change it. Such people are good humans who are trustworthy and caring but they will not make good politicians. Certainly not Freddie Kissoon and knowing him, he would be the first to admit that. Nigel Hughes is a large figure of acceptance in Guyana and I cannot see a third party coming off the
ground without his face on its cloth. The man is a man for all season. The problem the third force has is that it will have to find an Indian presidential candidate that could pull Black votes. Freddie is the only one that fits the bill. But since he is out of the picture, it creates a big void. The real purpose of my letter is to suggest some names. I looked around and there aren’t many. I could think of only two credible Indian names; people of quality and integrity. One is Major Joe Singh. The other is Dr. Janet Bulkan. I would bat for Ms. Bulkan. Through family connections, I know her. This is an intellectual woman who would make a fine president. There is still time for Dr. Bulkan to make up her mind. I hope Mr. Hughes can persuade her. Patriotic Guyanese
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Explanations for the increase WHO IS IN CHARGE OF NURSING? in revenues DEAR EDITOR, Recently, Finance Minister, Winston Jordon reported that central government’s revenue totaled $53.4 billion at the end of April 2016. According to him this represents an increase of $3 billion compared to revenue collection during the same period last year. This came about due to tightening up at ports, including the clampdown on illegal activities. The GRA which is the body mandated to supervise our tax policies, has been very compromising in administering the tax system. For personal benefits, many officers of this body have allowed leakage of important revenues which should have been channeled for developmental purposes. The bottom line is that many who corrupt the system to avoid payment of taxes are now made to pay. This represents positive changes and a laudable effort by the Finance Minister. However, there is still some more work to be done by the tax dragnet. Many self employed persons who make tons of profits do not pay any taxes. This is being very unfair to wage earners who work for miserly sums and have to pay regressive taxes, especially on items indirectly taxed. New policies should be formulated and carefully administered as any oversight or lack of consistency can have dangerous connotation which some politicians are like blood hounds ready to exploit . In many of the policies of the past administration, a lot of sweetheart concessions were given domestically and to foreigners. A lot of instances this generosity could not be rationalized and so it should be due for serious review.
Indeed while the Treasury is benefiting from increased tax revenue simultaneously there is also some decline in other areas. The latter however must not be taken out of context but must be properly understood. The main reason for our decline is the fall in revenue from sugar and rice. The El-Nino phenomenon exacerbated this situation. Perennially sugar bailout took a toll on our finance. With rice, an artificial situation was created where Venezuela gave us far above market price for our commodity. To my mind this was to keep us at bay with our activities in drilling for oil. As soon as we “bore� oil this Petro-Carib facility came to an abrupt end. Many farmers who invested found themselves in financial straits. The hangover lingers until this day. It is made to appear that this present government is responsible, even though the past administration cannot give account for hundreds of millions from this fund. A massive reason for this decline is that corruption was so institutionalized that many billions were lost from this scourge. Many people, like the old age pensioners were double dipping. Services that were provided free carried a cost. Many offices were guilty of
this practice. Only recently the R.E.O of Region 2 was looking at a contract of $60 million in lumber. When he checked on the supplier, he hardly had anything to supply. A withdrawal of corruption money from circulation is one of the main reasons for reduced spending in the economy. Narco trade in Guyana has provided lots of the money that used to be in circulation. Drug money and money from corruption always have the greatest velocity of circulation. Money that comes easily also goes easily. This also impacted as measures have now stifled the drug trade. Finally it must not be forgotten that our trade and remittance from ABC countries has not been thriving as it was formally. A lot of countries are facing a downturn from the trade cycle. Trinidad has had serious cutbacks including retrenchment; many Venezuelans are starving; Britain has broken away from the European Union etc. Gradually it will become apparent that though we have this downturn the naysayers will never admit that we have a silver lining with imminent emergence. The propagandists who are in the habit of screaming their unholy mantras are now having a harder time. Nazir Mohamed AFC- Region 2
The reasons Guyanese migrate From page 6 has been assisting his alma mater - Berbice High School for the past thirty years on a regular basis. He has also been promoting cricket. Be that as it may - the government should try to work out a strategy whereby they can encourage their qualified professionals, teachers, nurses, tradesmen, farmers, etc to remain at home.
This is not an easy task, but steps must be taken to prevent the haemorrhage because if the trend continues the Co-operative Republic will be grossly handicapped. This is such an important issue the government should seek the assistance of the opposition, religious, social and cultural organizations. Oscar Ramjeet
DEAR EDITOR, As an executive member of the Guyana Nurses Association (GNA), I take this particular time to ask a few questions of the public so they may be the judge. Nurses for too long have been silent on issues that have affected them over the years either out of loyalty to the profession or the patient. The largest group of health care personnel is the nurses in any country of the world; this is no different in Guyana or at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The attack on nursing started some time ago when there was a plan to flood the Schools of Nursing with individuals qualified or not with the intention to mass produce. Sad to say that experiment failed miserably. The Nursing Council has the evidence to prove this. Then the attack continued where in the highest office of the land, a plan was crafted to take away the building donated to nurses for their training and hand it to the doctors for resting quarters. The faceless and nameless planners continued their attack by removing the Chief Nurse and her deputy from their offices and relocating them to a place not suitable for their roles and functions. The replacement in their office was a doctor. The Chief Nurse in any country is the highest office of nursing in the land. Today another situation has raised its ugly head and has been gaining strength secretly in the guise of specialist nursing at the GPHC. Nursing administration and nurses at the GPHC support specialized training for nurses but do the laws of the Guyana and by extension,
the laws of the General Nursing Council support speciality? If so to what extent? What is specialized nursing? Is it earned after a three-day workshop? Does the specialist nurse receive a certificate for such that can be taken any part of the world to identify the nurse as an expert? What reimbursement if any is offered to the specialist nurse? Is there room for upward mobility in this specialized area or at the institution where the specialized nurse provides his or her services? Where are the nurses to be had for this specialized training? Guyana is building a speciality hospital will we adjust the laws, train and certify nurses in areas like cardiology, diabetic foot care or ophthalmology or will we import like the private hospitals? As the attack continued; we ask- who is in charge of the nurse? There is the need for a serious conversation, and it must involve the nurses at every level since the nurse knows the profession
best. To become a nurse, it requires three plus years of training, in a recognised educational institution, success at the General Nursing Council licensed examination and registration with the Council. The many years of practice at various levels in the profession aptly prepare the nurse. Nursing is in crisis because non-nursing personnel have been making all the decisions for nursing and excluded the nurse amongst others. Why create animosity between the doctors and the nurses? They are all part of the same team but each with their unique roles and functions. Where is the nameless, faceless beast that wants nursing to fail at the GPHC and nursing services to be managed by doctors? Bring back the team effort where the patient is the center of the care because as nurses - We Care! Cleopatra Barkoye RN. Executive Member Guyana Nurses Association
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Sloth in prosecution of rape trials
Public advocacy needed to ensure justice for child victims — CCPA officials With a number of rape cases involving child victims still to be presented for trial, officials of the Childcare and Protection Agency, (CCPA) see the need for greater advocacy by members of public towards ensuring that justice is served. Last April, figures from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) showed that of the 18 sexual offences cases that came up in the January session of the Demerara Assizes, no more than two ended in convictions. Additionally, of the cases listed, the DPP was forced to withdraw (nolle prosequi) five of them because the complainants in written statements indicated that they no longer wished to proceed with their matters. In many instances the victims were under the age of consent. Commenting on the statistics, staff of CPA said that while the agency has its share of responsibility towards ensuring the rights of children are protected, human rights advocates and members of civil society have their part to play too. “The CPA provides
counseling and other support services to victims of child abuse but in many instances court cases are dragged out. By the time they reach the courts the victims are already adults or almost adults. And in most cases, by then these victims do not want to go to court and mentally relive the horrific ordeals,” the CPA officer stressed. The childcare specialist spoke of the difficulty families of children who have been molested have waiting on the cases to be heard. “It is quite frustrating that these children and their parents waiting for the cases to get to trial. They could never really move on with their lives.” However, the CPA official held out that “People are the real champions of change.” “Therefore, instead of just critiquing the system and agencies like the CPA it would be helpful if members of public, human rights activists Non Governmental Organisations, (NGO) use their influence to advocate for the adequate handling of such matters that they will be heard within a reasonable time frame,” the official added.
A recent report by the US Department of State highlighted high incidences of unreported cases of rape, sexual assault and the court backlog on tackling cases of sexual violence in Guyana. In a detailed document, the US government outlined that a large number of cases of rape and other forms of sexual assaults are unreported to authorities, most likely due to fear of stigma, a lack of confidence in authorities, retribution, or further violence. The report also noted that the law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape; successful prosecution of cases of rape was infrequent. “Based on media reports and commentary from Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), a high incidence of rape and sexual assault was not reflected in official statistics.” According to the document, the authorities received 233 reports of rape last year but only 36 persons were charged. For instance, the law does not cover harassment in schools. Acts of sexual Continued on page 10
Credit Reports will help people secure Loans – CreditInfo Guyana It is common practice that persons will approach financial lending agencies to secure loans in order to fund projects, investments or to purchase assets. According to CreditInfo Guyana, a credit profile will improve the approval potential of persons who wish to access a loan from a lending agency. A credit score is a statistically derived number which tells a lending agency or bank how capable a person is at repaying a loan. According to the company the development of a credit bureau in Guyana has created an enabling environment in which persons can access much easier credit within a shorter processing time. In a statement issued by the firm, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), The Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) have become subscribers which play a role in providing information on utility payments. The company said that the use of such information has long ago been proven to be an effective mechanism for creating credit profiles and providing access to credit facilities for persons who have had little or no previous relationship with the banks. CreditInfo Guyana is also able to leverage its proprietary data access to create opportunities for consumers to check their own credit profile and credit score free of charge before approaching a lender for credit. The company said that this will allow prospective borrowers to fix potential
CEO of CreditInfo Guyana, Judy Semple-Joseph
problems ahead of the actual application and increase the borrower ’s chances at approval. CreditInfo Guyana has been in operation for three years now and to celebrate its milestone, it has planned a series of activities. The entity will be hosting its first ever Open Day on Wednesday at its New Market Street, Georgetown Office. The event which is open to the public will feature presentations on the importance of responsible credit practices, understanding a credit report and how to repair bad credit to the public. At the event it will offer free credit reports to persons and answer questions from visitors between the hours of 10:00 to 16:00 hours. At the July 15, 2016 anniversary celebration of the
company, Chief Executive Officer of CreditInfo Judy Semple-Joseph underscored that the single most transformative aspect of the bureau’s operations during its three years, was the passage in the National Assembly of the Credit Reporting (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016. She said this Act will allow the expansion of the list of subscribers from financial institutions, including commercial banks and both state and non-state service entities. According to the company it aims to expand its value-added services including Bureau Certified credit clearances for use by prospective employers and landlords. Additionally it will magnify its online ID and address verification services to be used in the business sector.
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Dem boys seh... SARU makes significant headway in valuation for Pradoville Two lands Is sheer talk and more talk It appears that the contentious Pradoville Two case would not be stalled for much longer. In fact, officials at the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) said that they are approaching the conclusion of the valuation of lands which it believes were attained at “next to nothing” prices by former President Bharrat Jagdeo and others, and subsequently sold for a fortune. Just a few days ago, Police Legal Advisor, Justice Claudette Singh, opined that the lack of valuation of the controversial lands was one of the loopholes in SARU’s case. Singh said she made it clear to the investigators that if their claim is that the public officials got state lands at “dirt cheap prices”, and then resold it for a fortune, they must first determine what the original cost of the lands was at that time. In doing this, Justice Singh said she would be able to evaluate by how much the lands were undersold. The Police Legal Advisor said, “If they get the valuation of the lands at that time then we can move forward. I made that clear to them weeks now and I am still waiting on that valuation.” Justice Singh made it pellucidly clear that while investigators may want to pursue the criminal route on this matter, it would be incumbent on them to ensure that all the necessary, concrete evidence is available to put forward a “tight case” in the court. “They need to have a tight case with this matter. They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that embezzlement or fraud took place. While there is not enough at the moment to move forward with criminal proceedings, I did explain that the option of civil proceedings is still open to the investigators.” SARU Head, Dr. Clive Thomas, said that he has noted the advice and findings of the Legal Advisor and the Unit has already taken steps to improve the case accordingly. SARU is expected to have the “improved case” returned to the Police Legal before the beginning of August. Dr. Thomas said that the matter is one which remains a priority to the Unit and as such, will take all necessary steps to ensure “no stones are left unturned.” It was in early October 2015 that SARU completed a report which stated that in 2010, the Bharrat Jagdeo Cabinet made a decision authorizing the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to privatize State lands. NICIL
SARU Head, Dr. Clive Thomas
Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo
is the body tasked with overseeing the privatization of State assets. It reportedly spent more than $200M to develop the seafront community without the knowledge and blessings of the National Assembly and other relevant bodies. The said lands were then secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the previous regime. At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold at a price substantially below the market value, thereby depriving the state of its full benefits. SARU said, “There is a direct link between the misconduct and the abuse of powers and duties of their position. The former Cabinet members knew they were doing a wrong in transferring State lands to their names and that of their acquaintances for undervalued market prices for the land. The lands were sold for $114 per square foot at the time.” “Public officers ought to carry out their duties, not for
the benefit of themselves, but for the benefit of the public as a whole. If they neglect or misconduct themselves by their actions in the course of their duties, this may lead to a breach or abuse of the public’s trust. The act of the Cabinet members for their benefit is serious enough to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust.” In a letter addressed to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, SARU had said that based on its findings, it is requesting that Ramjattan’s Office proceed to further investigate unlawful aspects of this matter, with the aim of establishing whether criminal action should be instituted. “It is the duty of this Unit in the Ministry of the Presidency to ensure that no Minister of Government in Guyana would be the beneficiary from any acts of misconduct or unlawful conduct while being holders of Public Office.” SARU had also informed the Public Security Minister that it has also forwarded its
report to the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, along with a copy of a Legal Opinion on the potential misconduct in Public Office by the former Ministers. The document on the Legal Opinion says that there is legal scope for the argument of willful neglect by the former Ministers in performing their duties without reasonable excuse or facilitation to an extent amounting to an abuse of the public trust. Further, based on the cases cited, the document outlines that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, has Legal Standing on this matter. Once sufficient evidence is gathered by his Chambers, Williams had said that civil action against the former Cabinet Ministers will be instituted. He had explained to the media that former President Bharrat Jagdeo could face prosecution. The SARU report however lists the DPP, Miss Shalimar Ali-Hack, as a beneficiary of the controversial Pradoville Two deal. The report said that on September 7, 2011, the DPP bought Lot 184 Sparendaam, ECD, Block IV, which is 0.2767 acres of land. Asked how this looming situation of conflict of interest would be dealt with, Williams had said, “She would have to recuse herself in the determination of the matter.”
Is nuff talking going on. Everybody talking. De government people talking about fighting crime and Soulja Bai talking how he don’t intend to hang nobody. From de time he seh suh, de murder rate gone up. Is like people was only waiting for a sign like how de three wise men wait fuh a sign when de Saviour born. De Chancellor talking too. He talking bout night court. Dem boys was hearing bout night court since Janet was President. Dem even had court in dew afternoon but after couple week dem Judges and Magistrate find out that dem prefer to go and drink rum in de afternoon so dem shut down de afternoon court. Now de Chancellor talking bout night court. He ain’t talk about who gun preside over de courts or how much dem will have. All he seh is that Guyanese will go to court in de night. People like a show. Just like how people does flock de court in de day when people got to go to wuk, imagine people flocking de night court instead of going to disco. Dem don’t have to pay. Then dem got another set of talking. Dem got big problems at de hospital. Some people talking how de matron ain’t got manners and how she ain’t listening to de CEO. That story change suddenly. All of a sudden nurses start to accuse doctors of killing people. Dem boys want to know if dem doctors is terrorist who does just kill people. Of course dem had some. One stitch up a man intestines. Another one give a man injection because de man hand break and de man dead. But is de talking. A man who want to be matron talk till he had no choice but to talk fuh de matron. He walk round and he tell all dem ward sisters fuh stay home in protest. Of course dem stay home. Now is a new talking. Everybody want to know how much credit dem use when dem been home. All of dem at wuk today because dem can’t afford to stay home and talk. Talk half and watch how everybody else talking.
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Drainage and Irrigation Act not being enforced – Dutch Experts … Squatters, Businesses on Govt reserves a major problem The Dutch Risk Reduction Team in its completed report on the drainage system in Guyana has concluded that the enforcement of the Drainage and Irrigation Act is not being enforced. The report said that the team arrived at this conclusion based on interviews and field observations conducted in Georgetown. The report highlighted the fact that the banks of drainage canals are often occupied by squatters and by private companies. Within the report are excerpts from the interviews the team conducted. One of the interviewees
said that there are cases of poor people squatting along drainage canals for kilometres. According to the individual, politicians tend to support the position of squatters so as to secure votes for elections. It was mentioned in another excerpt that there is interference by politicians to encourage improper use of reserved land. The individual said, “The government itself built on the embankment. We said stop building and then we received a phone call by a politician: please let us proceed. Politicians have friends and can go against the rules”. The DRR Team was also
informed that there is a problem whereby wealthy Guyanese would construct huge structures on government reserve land. An interviewee commented that this practise had exploded over the last 15 years; moreover persons have now been granted legal title to the lands which they began occupying illegally. Last May, Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Sharpe-Patterson declared the government’s position on squatting. She told the Government Information Agency that the government would not be regularising areas that are not conducive for the
Squatting obstructs maintenance of canals (DRR-Team Mission Report, Guyana)
establishment of communities. She said that land would have to be made available and re-allocated to squatters. At that point in time the Ministry had allocated 252 house lots to persons who
were squatting under regularisation. These allocations were made in communities within Regions Three, Four and Six. An additional excerpt in the report said Continued on page 66
Public advocacy needed to... From page 8 harassment involving physical assault are prosecuted under relevant criminal statutes. “A judge has discretion to issue a sentence of any length in a rape conviction, depending upon the circumstances and severity of the act committed. The norm appeared to be a sentence of five to 10 years’ imprisonment.”. “Charges of sexual harassment often were settled out of court,” the US reported. The Department outlined monetary penalties and award of damages to victims, but the law’s scope is confined to the workplace, “the report added.
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Linden councillors want Gold Board branch in region Linden councillors would like to see the decentralisation of Government institutions which they say will stimulate the regional economy. At a meeting with the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources on Thursday, Municipal Councilor, Lennox Gasper, suggested the opening of a Gold Board Office in the bauxite community. “What will eventually happen is that the miners will stop right here once they know that they can get their
gold sold, and they can be able to buy their goods and take it back in. That will ease the extra mileage on their vehicles,” Gasper said. Gasper reasoned that this will spark expansion within the business community. “Everything will change. I’m asking and petitioning for them to do that,” Gasper told the members of the committee. The Councillor also suggested that other government agencies such as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) be
decentralised, as well. Another resident suggested a toll system to charge heavy-duty mining and logging trucks for using the roads. The Council can use the money for road repairs. “If we have our own income…they have to pay a tariff because we can repair our own roads.” This would reduce the need to depend on the Ministry of Infrastructure to repair the roads. Chairman of the Committee, PPP/C Member of
Linden Councillors, business officials and Bosai representative during a meeting with the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources.
Professor George Nicholson passes on... From page 3 his supervision of the MRCP (UK) Examinations, as Chief Invigilator for the Barbados site, until the time of his passing. Professor Nicholson was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to clinical practice and service in the area of Nephrology during the 50th Anniversary celebrations held by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2015. In her personal tribute, Pro
Vice-Chancellor and Principal of T h e U W I C a v e H i l l Campus, Professor Eudine Barriteau noted Professor Nicholson's service to the University in many capacities and underscored that in all dimensions, he distinguished himself through his scholarship and dedication. The UWI extends deepest condolences to his wife, family and friends, and appreciation for the life of an outstand-
ing Caribbean citizen.
Parliament, Odinga Lumumba, told Gasper his suggestion was a “brilliant idea” and he would raise it with the Minister of Natural Resources. Other Committee members present at the outreach meeting were APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford and PPP/ C Member of Parliament Pauline Sukhai. Gasper further suggested using the non-operational alumina plant as a processing facility for either lumber or agriculture produce. However, another Councillor, Charles Sampson, said, “There is still the possibility of the re-establishment of an industrial zone in that area.” The area he referenced was a plot of land outside the boundary of the alumina plant. President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Kevin DeJonge asked for representation to be made to have the road to Lethem fixed. He said that the condition of the road is hindering the effective functioning of the container trans-shipment terminal. “That container wharf, based on our understanding, was short-changed because of the deplorable state of the road,” DeJonge said. Lumumba explained that the road to Lethem cannot be repaired to accommodate
Lennox Gasper
containers and needed to be paved. Lumumba also highlighted the high cost attached to having this done. The APNU+AFC
administration last year received recommitment from the Brazilian government to pave the Linden to Lethem road.
Man who threatened to kill Court Marshal, jailed Carlos Hooke, 30, of Blairmont Village West Bank Berbice, was on Wednesday sentenced to three weeks imprisonment by Magistrate Alex Moore when he appeared before him in the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court on a charge of threatening behaviour. The man threatened High Court Marshal Vaughn Trapp on July 1, last, while he was carrying out his normal duties in the Blairmont area. The accused attacked Trapp and threatened to chop and kill him when he attempted to effect a personal service on his mother. The summons is concerning a matter that is currently engaging the attention of the High Court between Attorneyat-Law Horatio Edmonson and some villagers of Ithaca, West Bank Berbice. For his indiscretion and for hampering the High Court Marshall in the performance of his duties, Hooke was sentenced to three weeks in prison.
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Discord at GNBA Board stalls critical work
GNBA Head, Leonard Craig
The Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is in serious trouble. So deeprooted is the discord between two key members of the Board that its performance is being affected and critical work is stalled. It was in April that the GNBA held its first press conference. That was eight months after the Board was appointed. At that press conference, the Board laid out the glorious plans for the broadcasting industry in Guyana. These plans are to be of major benefit to
broadcasters and consumers alike. The Board even said that it would have updated the media within three weeks after the press conference about its decision on how to tackle the existence of illegal radio broadcasters. This would have been with regard to those who were illegally granted licences by former President Bharrat Jagdeo days before he left Office. There has been no other press conference since April and none of the plans outlined have actually materialized. The only communication that the
Board had with the media was about promises that those plans “would soon come on stream.” Early last month, GNBA Chairman, Leonard Craig, said that the Board was reviewing the draft regulations it recently received from the Attorney General’s Chamber. Those regulations, he said, will force all existing holders of Broadcast licences to reapply. This is to be done so that the licences can become compatible with the new regulations. Craig said that when the review is completed, the regulations will be sent to Cabinet for “general approval.” It will then be gazetted and laid before the National Assembly. The Chairman said, “I do not think that the remainder of the process will exceed two to three weeks.” Over a month later, the regulations are still before the Legal Matters and Fees committee—a sub-committee of the Board. The Members of that subcommittee are
Anthony Vieira, Vic Insanally and Abiola Wong-Inniss. Craig was contacted early last week on this matter. He said that the regulations were yet to go to Cabinet. He noted that there was a “holdup.” However, the Chairman failed to state what the “holdup” was. He said that he was busy and suggested that the newspaper contact him at a more convenient time. Efforts to contact him have proved futile. Further queries revealed that it is not an ordinary “holdup” and that this “holdup” as Craig puts it, is nothing that may be resolved soon. The GNBA Board has six members, Craig, Vieira, Insanally, Jocelyn Josiah, Wong-Inniss and Ameena Gafoor. The entire Board meets once a month but the subcommittee meets as often as needed. The Board had two recent meetings. The last meeting was not the usual monthly meeting. That was one to
GNBA Executive Member, Anthony Vieira address the shortlisted candidates to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority. Vieira did not attend that meeting. That was reportedly because he “staged a protest,” at the meeting before. “We haven’t seen him since; I am not sure what to make of that,” said one member who, like other Continued on page 71
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
GPHC MATRON SENT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE...
Minister Norton takes note of nurses’ “very serious allegations” “Disappointing”, was how Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, described a recent statement issued by the Guyana Nurses’ Association (GNA) in wake of a move by the administration of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to send the hospital’s Director of Nursing Services (Matron), Sister Collene Hicks, on administrative leave. The Matron was sent on administrative leave in order to facilitate an investigation into allegations of insubordination and obstruction of the proper delivery of health care, levelled against her. A total of 150 medical personnel (both nurses and doctors) had in fact signed a petition calling for the termination of the Matron’s service. This was also brought to the attention of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Ag), Mr. Alan Johnson and the Board of Directors. The GNA in its statement not only stressed that it was dissatisfied with the decision taken to send the Matron off but it highlighted, too that, “If deaths in other departments are investigated like those in the Maternity Unit the result will shock the nation because wrong diagnosis and poor management contribute to an alarming number of deaths.” It was also outlined in the GNA statement that “sometimes the knowledge displayed by our professional nurses supersedes that of the doctors...” But according Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who only returned yesterday from Paraguay, having attended a joint ministerial meeting on Health and Agriculture, “For the Nursing Association to openly make a public statement that wrong
— prepared to do everything to correct situation at GPHC
Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton diagnosis and poor management are contributing to an alarming number of deaths that they are aware of and they never brought this to the attention of the authorities, talks a lot about collusion.” “Is it because this situation is now unfolding that all of this is being revealed?” questioned the Minister. “One would have thought that in the best interest of the Guyanese public any such occurrence would have been brought to the attention of the authorities. “I find it very disappointing that only now for an entirely different situation, when the Director of Nursing Services, is sent on administrative leave that we are hearing about this, from a professional body.” Regarding the disclosures of the GNA as “very serious allegations,” the Minister said, “I don’t see why they are ‘up in arms’; why they are expressing such anger and discomfort for a situation that they themselves said in their statement requires a thorough examination of the GPHC when this is exactly what is being done...” The decision to have the
activities of the Matron investigated was recommended by the CEO (Ag) and supported by the Board of Directors of the Hospital which in fact has a representative of the GNA. And this is the ideal way to go, the Minister added, even as he pointed out that in order to get the most accurate findings it is imperative to remove the person who has a conflict of interest. The GNA in retaliating against the decision to send the Matron on leave questioned, “Why now do nurses have to be treated as handmaids for doctors, so that they can satisfy their selfish desires? “And since when do doctors have the authority to make decisions pertaining to nursing management?” Making reference to the petition signed by the 150 staffers, the GNA statement added, “It is quite obvious that the medical and professional services (staff) who orchestrated this petition have their own hidden agenda.” But according to Minister Norton yesterday, “I don’t know why they (GNA) are reacting like this at this point...and saying not so pleasant things about doctors. I don’t see why they would say that the doctors have a hidden agenda.” “I thought we were all in this together as professionals to offer health care to the public and when one is going to say openly that sometimes the knowledge displayed by our professional nurses supersedes that of the doctors once again that is an uncalled for statement,” asserted the Minister. He continued by pointing out that it is his expectation that doctors and nurses work together as a team. “I am hurt
when they say ‘why now nurses have to be treated as handmaids for doctors? That is not the case. “Doctors treat nurses as professionals and I know this because I am a doctor...we as doctors cannot execute our duties efficiently unless we have the support of nurses. The nurses should not hold the doctors to ransom and the doctors should not hold the nurses to ransom...We have to work together,” stressed the Minister.
He noted that while the nursing body can be dissatisfied, “I would beg that all statements made be done so professionally. Of the 150 professionals who signed the petition, it wasn’t the doctors alone...it involved nurses too; so sending the Matron home is not a situation to appease the doctors. That is not accurate.” He said that the intent of an investigation, which the GNA has also called for, is to determine whether there is
evidence to support the allegations made against the Matron. “If the investigation is done and there is nothing to support the allegations, they will remain allegations and the Matron will come back to work.” He, however, observed that over the decades he has worked as a medical professional, it was only under the previous and this administrations, that he has Continued on page 71
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Strange case of the missing miner…
More body parts found, DNA tests needed to verify identity
Shawn Clarke and his wife Rachael
The case of missing miner, Shawn Clarke, keeps getting stranger by the d a y, with police announcing that they have now recovered more body parts that they suspect are t h e 4 7 - y e a r- o l d m a n ’s remains. In all, police have recovered bones that appeared to be half of a hand, two legs and shoulders in an area between Mahdia and Konawaruk. Kaieteur News understands that the bones were found some 600 meters apart. A police official said on Friday that relatives of Clarke’s had identified a Wellington (long boot) and part of a pair of trousers that were found with some of the remains. However, DNA samples may have to be taken from the missing man’s remains
for positive identification. Investigators are reportedly getting a “bizarre story” from the two miners that they are questioning about Stewart’s fate. One of the suspects is said to have fathered a child with a female acquaintance of Clarke’s, who is currently pregnant. Police suspect that there might have been some animosity between the two men. It was some time last week that relatives said that they received reports that a body that might be Clarke’s was spotted at Mahdia. However, nothing was found, and it was suggested that someone had hidden the remains. Clarke left his Lot ‘C’ Norton Street, Lodge home on June 15 for North Fork, where he had been working
as a gold miner for over 20 years. His wife, Rachelle Clarke, became worried after he failed to answer several calls on July 10. She had spoken to her husband at around 06:00hrs that day about some items she had sent to the interior for him with a bus driver. Clarke reportedly called the driver at around 20:45 hrs to say he was coming out from North Fork to Mahdia. After calling her husband on July 12 and getting no response, Mrs. Clarke called the driver who said that her husband had not collected the package. The woman related that she was told that her husband and a man named “Marlon” had left North Fork and walked to another back dam.
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
STUDENT LOAN AGENCY…
Measures being evaluated to track, prosecute defaulters - Sharma With the revelations of the extent to which past University of Guyana (UG) students defaulted on their obligations to repay their student loans, a number of proposals have been put forward by a Sub-Committee that is reviewing the matter. And according to Junior Minister of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, the recommendations feature a number of bold, tough measures designed to stem the rate of defaulters. Among the measures, are proposals to boost the Student Loan Agency (SLA) with legal personnel. Sharma said that there were recommendations for stricter monitoring of the loan agency and for the agency to ensure that persons are given letters of warning when they are in default. Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Finance, Wanita Huburn, had announced that a subcommittee had been set up to oversee matters of loan recovery. She had explained that through the subcommittee, efforts are being made to improve the overall system and infrastructure of the Agency. Sharma noted that while previous students signed contracts stipulating the
conditions under which they would pay back, these contracts were not enforced. However, Sharma stated that one avenue is for the Student Loan Agency to submit monthly reports to the subcommittee he chairs. “(They) will now have to report to (the) committee, comprising myself as chairperson, the finance secretary and other persons,” the Minister said. “So this committee will ensure that (the agency) monitors the records.” “Monthly reports will be submitted to the committee (detailing) how (the loan portfolio is) performing, who are paying and who are not paying and then advise our legal (personnel so) that they are going to take action. That should be a motivating factor.” “We are going to be looking at the contract that they sign. You sign a contract which says you have to pay monthly. And if you skip two months, (we) give you a warning. If six months, we say we have to send it to our lawyers. I would even say we are going to prosecute.” With these measures in mind, Sharma stated that they will now have to strengthen the loan agency with legal personnel, since the
contracts students are signing are legally binding. Sharma said that they will be looking at internal measures and working along with the student agency in order to make it more efficient. He said that with the changes to be made, no one staff member will be able to take a decision to send or not send a letter of warning to a defaulting student. BAD DEBTS A forensic audit into UG’s SLA had revealed that from 1994 to May 2015, some 17,567 or 69.4% of 25,335 student loans were deemed delinquent because students were not honouring their debts. The audit report contained the names of some 488 persons who were deemed “delinquent” in the loans. The list included the names of prominent Guyanese professionals and politicians. Judging from the fact that these debts span over a decade Sharma, a public accountant, described such debts as bad debts. “The only way is to find some inducement to get them to pay,” he said. “We have a number of proposals on the table. Maybe one of them is to give them an amnesty period of six months. Maybe (we could) say if you pay off
all the money, you could get a reduction of the interest.” “The previous administration never looked at it and it was all bad debt. And that is a lot of money. We are trying to recover that money so whatever we gain
will be a part of recollection. So we are looking at the effects of the losses.” It was announced last Thursday during a post Cabinet press briefing that Cabinet is now in possession Continued on page 71
Junior Minister of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
Gold miner forced off Kuribrong land by raiders Imagine being entrusted with blocks of land for mining purposes and having your documentation in order, only to have ‘raiders’ install dredges on that land. And then imagine being told that that land is state land which you have no stake in, though you are the holder of a prospecting permit, through Power of Attorney, for the said land. And then you have to watch others work your land while you suffer heavy financial losses. This is the predicament that 35-year-old gold miner, Sheik Halfrose, finds himself in. According to Halfrose, of 52 Third Avenue, Bartica, he acquired his land at Kuribrong, Region Eight, on January 15, 2016 by way of Power Attorney. He said that he discovered the raiders on his property that same month and in March he returned to the property with mines officers from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). He stated that at the time, cease work orders were issued to two separate operations on the land. The father of three, who stressed that
something must be done before either himself or one of his 12 employees were hurt, produced several pieces of documentation to support his contention that the land was his. Halfrose produced a prospecting permit, which was granted to Telford Layne until June 1, 2017. The tract of land, as stated on the permit, is located in the Potaro Mining district No 2, at the confluence of the Kuribrong and Amaila River. He also produced an irrevocable limited Power of Attorney, which was issued on January 15. It gave Halfrose the power to “sell and operate the said mining block, on behalf of (Layne); to apply and take out all concession licences in relation to the mining block.” The Power of Attorney also stipulated that Halfrose had the power “to pay all rental and fees at GGMC” and “in general to do all and every requisite thing in the day to day running of the block.” In spite of the documentation he holds, the opposing side has held on to the notion Continued on page 71
The Prospecting Licence which was issued to Telford Layne.
- despite irrevocable Power of Attorney 35-year-old miner Shiek Halfrose
The Power of Attorney, which grants control of the land to Sheik Halfrose.
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 25
Blind UG student optimistic about advancing his studies, but financially strapped By Sharmain Grainger
If you want something bad enough you simply have to work hard for it. Some may be more inclined to embrace this notion than others. But what can be especially astounding is when an individual who has a disability lives by this mantra. One such individual is a blind young man who has been on the grind for the past few years, desperately trying to make a name for himself academically. And he is surely getting there. His name is Leroy Phillips and he is 25 years old. He is currently a student of the University of Guyana (UG) pursuing studies in Communication. During a recent conversation with me, he disclosed that he has no intention of letting his disability keep him back. He hopes to delve into a career of Public Relations, journalism or wherever life leads. He simply doesn’t live by limitations. This, however, doesn’t mean that he isn’t faced with obvious and not so obvious limitations. A major one in his life is limited finances. But being the optimistic fellow he is, Phillips anticipates that this challenge will soon be a thing of the past. Although he has completed one year of his Communication Studies, he hasn’t yet paid a cent in tuition fee. This is due to the fact that he was assured financial support from the Minister of Education himself, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, to meet this debt. Phillips is hopeful that this would be soon forthcoming so as to ensure that his one-year of studies at the University is not lost. Phillips, like a number of blind persons I have met, developed problems his vision over time. He recalled that he was about the age of six when something rather strange started to happen to him. In fact it didn’t take very long to develop, he recalled. It might have been over a two-week period, he intimated. But complete blindness is not something that anyone could be prepared for. But it all happened too suddenly. “I was sent home from school because my participation was not as expected,” recounted the West Ruimveldt resident. He was essentially tagged a non-performer and because of this he was one day asked to go home and not come back to school. But little did his teacher know that young Leroy’s shortcoming was nestled in the fact that he could barely see. Unable to explain his circumstance at the time, he had no choice but to vacate the classroom. It was the very day that darkness would forever take over his life. Maybe it was the glare of the sunlight, which he wandered in for quite a while before he was rescued by a close relative attending the same school, that fast-tracked the process or just simply fate. But Phillips remembers well that the day he was sent home was in fact the last day he saw
a move. He later went to the Open Doors Centre, yet another school for persons with disability, where he was exposed to computer training and some remedial academic work as well. He also got a chance to freelance for five years as a Broadcaster. But he had a desire to write the C a r i b b e a n S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n Certificate (CSEC) Examination. However, there weren’t any institutions facilitating blind persons to do this. It wasn’t until Ganesh Singh of the Guyana Society for the Blind, with the support of the Ministry of The blind, but very ambitious Leroy Phillips Education, made the bold move to start anything. such an initiative, that Phillips was able to “I was walking in circles looking for the realise his dream of writing CSEC. This exit,” shared Phillips, who was led to the safety initiative was introduced in 2013 and, of his home by his relative. But he didn’t realise he was completely blind until he had reached home. “My grandmother gave me a piece of icicle and it slipped out of my hand...I was on the ground feeling around with my hands for it, much to her amusement...she was like ‘Leroy what’s happening, why are you doing that?’ I knew I lost my sight that very day,” he reflected. But even after several visits to ‘eye doctors’, he was no closer to finding out what really caused his blindness. However, one doctor gave him hope of seeing again when he disclosed that such conditions could be corrected in the United States. However, all hope was gone when that doctor died shortly after, Phillips recalled. Life had to go on, and it certainly did. Phillips was eventually enrolled into the Unit for the Blind at St Rose’s High School, which caters to the blind and the visually impaired. He stayed there for about a decade and later also attended St Agnes Primary and St. Roses High. But although he had a desire to participate in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)-administered examination, he was constantly told he was not ready for such
The Baccoo Speaks There is no end to the madness. There will be another killing in the interior. This one will result from jealousy sparked by a simple conversation. The people in the vicinity would effect the arrest. And the police would be on top of a brutal killing that occurred in the eastern part of the country. The situation does not end there, because the police are going to open an old file. **
The home of a senior citizen would go up in flames. The cause would be diagnosed as a flare-up. A pot would be left on the fire. It would become unbearably hot and would cause the combustion. ** Look out for a careless driver who would dart in and out of traffic. He would clip a car and skid off the road into a crowd of people. The excuse offered would be a failed mechanical system.
according to Phillips, “this was a great opportunity for me and many other blind persons. Here was a chance for us to write CSEC for the first time”. Preparation for the examination lasted for about 18 months. Phillips got a chance to diligently pursue studies in English, Principles of Business, Human and Social Biology, Office Administration and Social Studies – the five subject areas offered. Armed with his CSEC passes and five years of broadcasting experience, he was eligible to start the Communication programme at UG. But there was the issue of finances. While the Ministry, since the start of the programme, has assured scholarships for five candidates who participate in the programme annually, Phillips was not among the five eligible when he commenced studies at UG, due to some logistical challenges. The very vocal Phillips, though brimming with optimism, did confide that “I am pretty much fearful if the Minister or the Ministry do not support me I could have a bit of a setback.” As such, he is appealing to the Education Minister to honour a promise made some time ago. Also standing resolutely in Phillips’ corner, is coordinator of the blind CXC programme, Ganesh Singh. He worriedly reiterated too that “if he (Phillips) doesn’t get that support, his whole year of study will go to waste, and financially he isn’t capable of paying it himself.” According to Singh, Phillips is one of the leading upcoming disability activists, and deserves to be supported in any way possible.
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 27
== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
In finding yourself in Guyana, democracy has to be a casualty I have been on television panels where the topic of President Forbes Burnham’s autocratic politics came up. On every occasion, the panelists, who are admirers of Mr. Burnham, would shamelessly say that Burnham had to work under serious disadvantages that were put in his way, so he didn’t have the space he so desired to channel his visionary politics. I didn’t buy that argument and will never buy it. Leaders who do not have sufficient maneuverability to pursue their goals do not go about victimizing their critics. That is nonsense and it will remain nonsense. When Barack Obama pioneered his health insurance legislation nicknamed Obamacare, he had to strip the Bill of several dimensions, because he didn’t have support even among his own Democratic legislators for his version. Litigation in the Supreme Court saw even more stripping. When Obama won a second term, he lost congressional majority and lacked space to pursue his remaining goals like immigration reform. During all these obstacles, Obama never slid into autocratic tendencies. One recalls the days of Michael Manley and his pursuit of democratic socialism. Manley was trying to reform traditional Jamaica that didn’t embrace the model. Yet Manley never went in authoritarian directions. When you start a job, either as President, Prime Minister, head of the armed forces, head of the judiciary, head of a major financial institution, despite the obstacles, you cannot
become a dictator and get rid of those who who defeated South African forces in Angola. disagree with you. Rights, freedoms and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela emulated Castro. justice are not contextual. They have no Chávez attempted to overthrow an elected context. government, failed, and was jailed for a mere They have objective existence. Natural law few years like Castro was. Chávez dealt has no context. harshly with those who Natural law exists plotted against him. as part of the City Hall, under the natural order of unelected monarch named life. Royston King and Czarina, Governments Patricia Chase-Green, is as cannot cite difficult far away from good circumstances to governance as Alaska is justify harming from Guyana. City Hall is a others. Fidel den of authoritarian Castro benefitted behaviour. Yet President from legal Granger and Minister recognition of Raphael Trotman are rights, then went inclined to justify autocracy on to deny others at City Hall. First it was the who criticized him President who said that the that similar legal review of the parking meter recognition. contract was done to detect C a s t r o any financial impropriety. attempted to But is it only financial overthrow the impropriety that makes a B a t i s t a contract repugnant? Surely, Frederick Kissoon Government, a contract can be riddled failed, and was with moral and political jailed instead of improprieties. being executed. Castro executed countless If I give my helper a contract to repair numbers of Cubans who tried to remove his computers and she knows nothing about government and those he felt threatened by, computers, even without any financial including someone ordained by Castro skullduggery, such a contract is improper. This himself as a national hero – General Ochoa, is exactly what happened with the parking
meter situation. The President may be relieved if no money nastiness was involved, but is he denying that the thing is a scandal, given the other sordid dimensions? Isn’t a scandal an act of impropriety? I guess the President may have his own definition of what constitutes an improper arrangement. Let’s quote from the Chronicle on the position of Minister Trotman on City Hall politics. “[You will find]…today something is said, tomorrow something is done or is not done, so all of this, or the way I see it, is part of the Council finding itself; finding its way and its identity, and going on to do well for the City,” said Trotman. Cabinet, he said, has pronounced on the parking meter issue, but is not prepared to intervene in affairs of the City Council. “(Government will) not intervene and instruct, and take over the process. It has to be allowed to flourish.” So if you are a new teacher at school, and you molest a few students, it is understandable, because it is all part of finding yourself. If you take a few bucks and start a mechanic workshop, it is alright to steal your customers’ car parts, because it all part of finding yourself. After you have found yourself, you will (to use Trotman’s peculiar word) flourish. Democracy never flourished, because it never existed in Guyana, so our rulers do not know what it is. The way they treat political and moral violations, I doubt they ever will.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION BILL …second reading by the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes This Bill repeals and replaces the Public Utilities Commission Act, Cap 57:01. It is composed of: (1) The provisions of the Public Utilities Commission Act 1999 as amended by Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) Act, 2003 (No. 7 of 2003) and Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) Act 2010 (No. 16 of 2010), and (2) the provisions that are required to complement and harmonize with the Telecommunications Bill No. 15 of 2016. This Bill does not disturb the existing harmony with the Electricity Sector Reform Act (ESRA) or any other law governing “public utilities” under the PUC’s jurisdiction. Originally, the provisions that are required to complement the Telecommunications Bill No. 15 of 2016 were prepared as yet another amending Bill to the PUC Act. The government, however, formed the opinion that it would be cumbersome for anyone to have to read the PUC Act and still have to refer to the Principal PUC Act of 1999 along with the three Amending Bills. As such, it was decided to prepare a consolidated PUC Bill that incorporates the PUC Amendment Acts of 2003 and 2010 and the new provisions related to the telecommunications sector. Thus was created the new consolidated PUC Bill that is now before this House for debate and passage into law. The new provisions incorporated into the 1999 Act as amended that relate to the
telecommunications sector cover the areas telecommunications sector – something that that I shall now indicate. the 1999 Act which is more appropriate for the These new provisions provide for regulation of monopolies, did not provide for. “Telecommunications undertakings” (i.e., any This new Bill accomplishes this by several entity subject to the new Telecommunications means: Act and regulations) being removed from the 1) It creates a new definition for provisions of the PUC as a “telecommunications public utility and being undertakings”, which will regulated in accordance with now be a different term the provisions set out in the from “public utility” used s e c t o r - s p e c i f i c for other utilities over Telecommunications Act/ which the PUC exercises regulations. jurisdiction. Under this bill, the PUC will The new term refers to continue to function as the any operator of economic regulator of the telecommunications telecommunications sector networks, provider of with responsibility for telecommunications ensuring:services or other person * A competitive that is subject to the environment Telecommunications Bill. * Seamless The Bill ensures that only interconnection and access those telecommunications between and among undertakings that provide Minister of Public telecommunications networks services to or for the public Telecommunications, * Price regulation only will be regulated by the Cathy Hughes where required to protect PUC. consumers and competition, 2) The Bill ensures that with the expectation of greater choice, better the PUC’s activities with regard to service quality and lower prices telecommunications are governed by both the The PUC will carry out these functions in PUC Act and the Telecommunications Act. a manner that is specific to the proper 3) The Bill ensures that the PUC’s regulation of an open, competitive functions in areas of rate-setting and regulating service quality are governed by the Telecommunications Act rather than by the provisions of the PUC Act. 4) The Bill provides that the PUC will be required to give effect to the terms of a licence issued to a telecommunications undertaking
and any agreement between the Government and a telecommunications undertaking. The further telecommunications sector related amendments include a clause that seeks to ensure that the rate of interest on customers’ deposits that a telecommunications operator or service provider is required to pay is based on a formula that is fair and consistent with practice in the commercial sector. For this purpose, the interest rate is proposed to be changed from an annual compound rate of eight percent to a rate that is equivalent to the average Treasury bill rate for the preceding three hundred and sixty-four days. There is also a provision that ensures that the annual assessment to be imposed on telecom operators and service providers is based on the same formula that applies to the annual assessment imposed on electricity companies that fall under the jurisdiction of the PUC, i.e. a rate of one percent of the gross revenues derived from services or one hundred million dollars, whichever is less. I wish to say that the Bill is sound and reflect international best practices – the new telecommunications sector-related provisions in the Bill along with the Telecommunications Bill will definitely establish the environment for bringing Guyana to a new exciting frontier – one of full, effective participation into the global information age and one that sets us up to close the digital divide within Guyana, and between Guyana and the developed world. (To be continued… The General Provisions of the new PUC Bill)
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
My column It is amazing how people can insist that life is sacred at a time when there are those who seem not to care about the other person’s life. A team from the Human Rights Commission descended on Guyana to meet with the local judiciary. The talk was about removing the death penalty from the statutes. I am one of those people who believe that life is sacred. I celebrate with those among us who live to become a centenarian. We would treasure these people because we see them as repositories of knowledge about the country in which we live. There was one centenarian I loved. She lived to be 113 and I made it my duty to be with her every chance I got. She had some interesting stories to tell. She provided me with an opportunity to see this country as it was 100 years ago. I saw many things through her eyes. I saw how young people behaved, how they attempted to escape the watching eyes of their elders in society. My own mother is 92 and I consider myself lucky to still have her. I sat with her 96year-old aunt just yesterday and chatted with her. Of course the passage of time has taken its toll. Her eyes are dimming, but she is as lucid
The call is to have mercy on those brutal killers as the day I met her sixty years ago. She is still mobile. My visiting sister was with me. When we left we marveled at the longevity of our relatives and we thank the Man above for every day he allows us to enjoy them. And so it is that I am upset when people just snuff out the life of someone. When that person dies we would never know how they would have fared later in life. A few weeks ago, a colleague, Dale Andrews died. He was 47. His children would never know what it would be like to take care of an elderly father. They would never be able share his experiences when he was their age. On Friday, I got the news of a triple-murder in Black Bush Polder. Two men and a boy were shot out of hand aback of the village of Mibicuri. Reports are that they had gone to fish. At least someone called them to tell them that there was hassar (an armoured fish and a delicacy) in the canals in the backlands. The killing was brutal. The three never had a
chance. Photographs of the bodies are circulating on the internet. So gruesome are these photographs that a friend, Ralph Seeram, sent a message from his home in Orlando, Florida, begging me not to make these pictures adorn the pages of Kaieteur News. The Human Rights people have not said a word. It is as if these lives do not matter, but they will rush to say that the state should not mete out the same treatment to the killer. It will not matter that a young boy who had ventured into the backlands with the now dead relatives heard two gunshots, then two more. He was spared the grim sight by a security guard who advised him to go home. My friend, at least he was before he acceded to the Presidency, tells the world that he would not be putting anyone to death. I can understand his position. Like me, he has an immense value for life, and this has made the human rights people very
happy. But can I afford to be angry if the relatives of those slain cry for blood? They are the people who are hurting. They are the ones who would be devoid of the company
Adam Harris that the now dead people provided. Then there is the anger in the community in which these people lived. What could these people have done to deserve that fate? Word is that one man was the target, but because the others knew the killer they had to die. There is another murder,
this time in the hinterland. A man disappears and his body parts now surface. What manner of evil stalks the land? We also have the case of a man found in a wardrobe. The police say he was strangled and his killer has been caught. The killer has also reportedly confessed. But he can rest assured that he would not be executed while David Granger is president. Minister Raphael Trotman made an interesting point about some of the countries that have abolished the death penalty. He pointed to the reaction to the acts of terror that hit those countries. These countries launched blistering attacks against the source of the attacks, killing guilty and innocent alike. He concluded that those countries may not have the death penalty, but they are not averse to applying death to those who dare to kill their citizens. There is the argument that the death penalty has not been proven to be a deterrent, but the late President Desmond Hoyte once said
that should the death penalty be applied then for sure that person would never kill again. I knew a man who killed twice. The first time he got five years for manslaughter. Then he killed again and was released from prison to marry and live a normal life. I suppose that the demons would always be with him, but who cares. The demons are not deterrents either. A man kills his children, three of them, and gets to spend about 20 years in jail. He will be out when he is not quite my age, and hopefully, with lots of life. One lawyer said to me that having spent so much time in a prison, the person would not be as healthy as his counterpart who had been living on the outside. The conclusion, then, is to deny killers their liberty. That is punishment enough. Take away the desire to go to a party, or to enjoy a candy, and a child would do right the next time. Hopefully. But a killer is not a child in our society. Well I might not have been too accurate there, because we do have our child killers, one of whom would be in jail for at least 60 years. Yet I cannot have any sympathy if the society decides to kill the man who slaughtered those three men in the Black Bush Polder.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
Guyana is part of the next frontier for tourism (Excerpts from an Address by His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, at the Annual Awards Dinner of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana) Tourism is an essential element in the national economy. It is not a hobby, a pastime or a sideshow. Guyana must learn to manage the tourist industry with the same seriousness and thoughtfulness with which it manages the gold and rice industries. Tourism is an essential element in the world economy. It was, a couple of years ago, the seventh fastest growing sector of the global economy. The rate of growth of the sector in 2015 outpaced the rate of growth of the global economy. The industry generated US$ 7.2 trillion dollars annually or 9.8 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product. It accounted for one in every eleven jobs in the global economy. Tourism has established itself as an extremely resilient economic sector. Its prospects are bright. The industry is projected to enjoy sustained global economic growth over the next decade. This growth is expected to be driven by emerging destinations. Guyana has been designated as an emerging destination for tourism. This country was listed by National Geographic’s travelers’ magazine as among 21 destinations which should be visited in 2014. Guyana is part of the next frontier for tourism. The tourists of the world are becoming sick of the sun, sand and sea wave that enveloped much of the Caribbean after the end of the Second World War. Tourists are seeking to understand the world in which they live. They, more intelligently, are becoming increasingly conscious of the need to protect the environment. Tourists are seeking exciting experiences. They are choosing, increasingly, ‘adventure’ tourism; ‘education’ tourism; ‘eco’-tourism; ‘geo’-tourism and ‘wildlife’ tourism, in preference to hunting expeditions and trophy
innumerable sites and attractions for the safaris. These numerous and various products are development of ecotourism. Protected Area available as part of the basket of products in Systems will ensure that these resources are our tourist industry on which this country conserved for sustainable tourism for future could be, should be and would be generations. We will place an additional 2 million hectares of land and waterways under concentrating. Eco-tourism, and its related forms, has the conservation, in accordance with our greatest potential and, probably, is the most commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change. promising product Protected areas will we have. It is the be established in each one product that can of our ten regions to make our country a ensure that global player is in conservation is the international national in scale and tourism market. It covers all of our has the capacity to ecological zones in become the most scope. Ecological transformative parks, nature reserves subsector in the and sanctuaries for our economy. Our endangered species c o u n t r y ’ s will be established to competitive protect our flora and advantage lies with fauna and our natural ecotourism. We must habitats, ecosystems. exploit this G u y a n a ’ s advantage. e c o t o u r i s m Guyana is competitiveness will strategically situated be enhanced by the in one of the world’s fact that we are part of most attractive geoCaribbean and also the physical zones. We Continent. We share are a part of the borders with three Guiana Shield South American which is one of four countries. We are of the world’s President David Granger placed strategically to remaining tracts of tap into the large r e l a t i v e l y tourist markets of our sister states of the undisturbed tropical forests. The Guiana Shield covers an area of 2.5 Caribbean and the continent. We are also a politically tranquil place. This million square kilometres and is believed to be over two billion years old. It incorporates contrasts with the war zones of the world parts of Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Guyane, which are experiencing conflict and warfare. Suriname and Venezuela. The Guiana Shield Our stability should encourage increased is one of the most biologically diverse regions tourist arrivals in the years ahead. The promotion of eco-tourism will be on earth. Forests still cover over three-quarters of essential to the enlargement of our national our country’s territory. We possess vast areas economy over the next two decades and of unexplored and virgin territory. We possess beyond. We aim at ensuring that our eco-
tourism sector will be developed more deliberately and more methodically over this period. The protection of the environment is a central pillar of a green economy. We will ensure that the development of the ecotourism sector will accord with the principles of sustainable development to which our country has long subscribed. Eco-tourism, for us, involves the preservation and conservation of our natural assets, including our flora and fauna. Guyana’s eco-tourism product, however, cannot be developed without improvement in investment, infrastructure and information technology. Investment by the private sector is needed to develop more eco-resorts, and lodges and to open new attractions. Investment is also needed to renovate existing resorts and lodges which have been affected by low occupancy and the underdevelopment of the sector in past years. We will aggressively court investment for the ecotourism sector. Infrastructure, especially transportation, is essential to ensuring the competitiveness of our country’s tourism product. Our most desirable destinations are located in the hinterland. High transportation costs can undermine the competitiveness of our eco-tourism product. We will, as part of our national infrastructural drive, invest in improving the infrastructure of our hinterland regions, including aerodromes, bridges, highways, roads and stellings. The infrastructure that will be introduced and improved in the coming years will act as a catalyst for the development of tourism. Information is transmitted at the speed of light. Tourists around the world search ceaselessly for information about potential destinations. Our country’s ecotourism product is attractive but not attractive enough to sell itself without the aggressive dissemination of information. The experience of satisfied tourists can do much to promote our country’s tourism.
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Checking if you have cancer By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Checking to see if someone has a cancer is called cancer screening. Most often patients are misled with the fact that they can do one test which tells if they have cancer or not. Unfortunately it is not that easy and screening for cancer depends more on your risk factors and the type of cancer you are more at risk of acquiring. Today we will discuss the main forms of cancers and the best way to go about screening for them. WHAT IS CANCER SCREENING? Cancer screening is a way in which doctors check for some forms of cancer in the body. Cancer screening is done when a person feels healthy. The goal of cancer screening is to find those cancers that can be found as early as possible, before a person has any symptoms. Different tests can be used to screen for different types of cancers. The age at which screening starts varies, depending on the type of cancer being screened for. That’s because different cancers tend to strike at different times in a person’s life. WHY SHOULD I HAVE CANCER SCREENING? Cancer that is found early often is small, and can sometimes be cured or treated easily. Treating certain cancers early can help people live longer. Sometimes, screening finds cells that do not yet show cancer, but that might turn into cancer cells. Doctors often treat this “pre-cancer” before it has a chance to become cancer. DOES EVERYONE HAVE THE SAME CANCER SCREENING? No. Not everyone is screened for the same types of cancer. And not everyone begins cancer screening at the same age. For example, people with a family history of certain cancers might begin screening at a younger age than people without a family history. People might have repeat screening tests at different times, too. Ask your doctor: *Which cancers should I be screened for? *Do I have a choice about screening tests? * At what age should I begin cancer screening? *How often should I be screened? DOES AN ABNORMAL SCREENING TEST RESULT MEAN THAT I HAVE CANCER? Not always. An abnormal screening test result means that you might have cancer. It does not mean that you definitely have cancer. If you have an abnormal result, your doctor will probably need to do other tests to find out for sure if anything is wrong. Try not to worry about having cancer until you follow up with your doctor. WHICH CANCERS CAN PEOPLE BE SCREENED FOR? Some of the types of cancer for which screening tests are available are: * Breast cancer – The main test used to screen for breast cancer is called a “mammogram.” Doctors do not always agree about when women should start having mammograms. But most women start around age 40 or 50. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer might begin screening earlier. Work with your doctor to decide when to start breast cancer screening and at what age you might stop screening. * Colon cancer – There are multiple screening tests for colon cancer. The choice of which test to have is up to you and your doctor. Doctors recommend that most people begin having colon cancer screening at age 50. Some people have an increased chance of getting colon cancer, because of a strong family history or certain medical conditions. These people might begin screening at a younger age. * Cervical cancer – The main test used to screen for cervical cancer is called a “Pap smear.” In Guyana we use VIA which is also very effective. Cervical cancer screening often begins when a woman turns 21. Doctors might add on another screening test after a woman turns 30. Women who are older
than 65, might not need to continue cervical cancer screening. * Prostate cancer – The main test used to screen for prostate cancer is called a “PSA test.” It is unclear whether getting screened for prostate cancer can extend a man’s life or help him feel better. For this reason, most experts do not recommend routine prostate cancer screening. Instead, experts recommend that each man work with his doctor to decide whether screening is right for him. In most cases, men should start discussing prostate cancer screening around the age of 50. Most doctors do not recommend screening for men age 70 or older, or for men with serious health problems. * Lung cancer – The main test used to screen for lung cancer is an imaging test called a “low dose CT scan.” If you are at high risk of lung cancer, for example because you smoke, ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of screening. But if you really want to reduce your chances of getting or dying from lung cancer, the best thing you can do is to stop smoking.
* Ovarian cancer – To screen for ovarian cancer, doctors can do a blood test, an imaging test called an ultrasound, or both. But these tests are not very accurate. Still, the Dr. Zulfikar Bux tests are sometimes used in women with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer. For them, screening might begin at age 30 to 35. Screening is not recommended for women who do not have a family history of ovarian or breast cancer. Cancer screening depends on your risks. If you are not sure of your risks, then your best option is to visit your doctor to discuss and figure out where you stand.
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dits of public enterprises and statutory bodies up-to-date. Additionally, the economist noted that all audits will be brought up-to-date by December 2016 based on financial statements received. For years, Auditor General Deodat Sharma would scrutinize the accounts of various budget agencies and often make recommendations on how they can correct various forms of financial irregularities that he may find. But the inaction by various ministries, Departments and Regions would push Sharma to even make a recommendation for his advice to be acted on. In fact, in his latest report, the AG reminded that 318 recommendations were made in his 2013 Audit Report. He said that a review was done on recommendation to determine what action, if any, was taken by the respective Accounting Officers. At the time of reporting, Sharma said that 76 (24%) of the 318 recommendations were implemented, and 77 (24%) partially implemented, while the remaining 165 (52%) were not implemented.
SUNDAY SPECIAL NO MORE OLD AGE PENSION FOR OVERSEAS-BASED GUYANESE… PPP/C TURNED A BLIND EYE TO SPECIFICS IN OLD AGE PENSION ACT – NANDLALL Even as the Ministry of Social Protection continues to take step towards curbing the incidence of fraud and illegality committed against the Old Age Pension Scheme, citizens, law makers and Opposition politicians are raising their concerns about the matter. Former Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall is one such politician. In a detailed post on his social media page, Nandlall who is also, a People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Member of Parliament, outlined what he described as a convenient shield by the Coalition Government for the provisions of the Old Age Pension Act. Commenting specifically on the decision by the government to no longer pay Old Age Pension to persons who are resident overseas, the former AG admitted that the specifications of the Old Age Pension Act have been the law since 1953. Nandlall said , though, that over the last 20 years, the PPP/C Government turned a blind-eye to them and paid Old Age pension to every person who attained the age of 65. ”Age, therefore, was the only qualification used by the PPP/C administration. It was never a question of law,” the former AG quipped. The decision of the Government to cut the pension to overseas Guyanese is a desperate act to preserve the failing economy, he said.The matter came to the fore, after Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence revealed that the Ministry will soon be putting measures in place to ensure that Guyanese living in other countries do not access a Guyanese pension, a process she described as “double dipping.” The Minister noted that the old age pension scheme has been a subject of abuse. ”When persons not living in Guyana access pension from both the Guyana government and the country in which they live; it is unfair especially for elderly persons living here,” she said. Lawrence said that recently the old age pension scheme grew as a host of overseasbased Guyanese, who had returned for 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations, took advantage to register to draw down the monies. INTERDICTED SOLDIERAMONG TWOAPPREHENDED FOR LA JALOUSIE ROBBERY An interdicted soldier was among two persons arrested last week Saturday, approximately one hour after four gunmen stormed a mini mart at Lot 26 La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash, jewellery and phone cards. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank, who was interdicted from the force’s intelligence section two years ago, pending a murder probe, was taken into custody along with a second individual based on descriptions of the robbers. The two men were intercepted in a minibus during a roadblock in the vicinity of Schoonord, West Bank Demerara (WBD) while heading to La Parfaite Harmonie. They were sitting next to each other. Kaieteur News was reliably informed that ranks found $58,000 on one of the men. They
Sunday July 24, 2016
were later questioned at the Leonora Police Station. Rajmattie Panday, owner of the A & S Variety Store said that a little after midday, Saturday, a man (bandit) went into the store and asked to purchase cranberry juice. “We normally close for lunch and this guy come in and asked for the cranberry juice. He was at the counter and my husband was outside with a guy, helping him put in a phone card in his phone,” Panday said. She explained that before she could have handed the juice to the man, she noticed her husband walking into the shop with one of the bandits while the other two men rushed in from outside of the store. The men were not masked and at least one of them was armed. “My husband had just come from the doctor and before they harass him, I tell them that I will give them what they wanted,” the woman recounted. She added that after they searched the store and packed whatever they wanted in garbage bags, one of the men took her upstairs where he disconnected the surveillance cameras and took away the DVR. A DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is the device that stores the images or the recordings for surveillance purposes. “They took the computer, laptop, phones and they cut the phone line for the land phone,” the store owner added. The woman said that when she went back downstairs, the bandits had tied up her two children and husband. MONDAY EDITION IN BID TO STEM FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES… BUDGETAGENCIES MUST IMPLEMENTAUDITOR GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS – SAYS FINANCE MINISTER
Finance Minister Winston Jordan says that plans are in place to ensure that all budget agencies implement recommendations stemming from audits conducted by Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma. Jordan stressed that there was no followup mechanism after the AG’s annual report is issued. He said that it is only when the next cycle of audit commences that recommendations are followed up. Jordan believes that timely follow-up on the recommendations is an established practice and provides for greater effectiveness of the work of the Office of the Auditor General. He said that it also enhances accountability. Jordan said that all budget agencies will be required to submit to the Auditor General, on a quarterly basis, via the Ministry of Finance, the status of implementation of recommendations. He said that the Auditor General’s staff can carry out on-site visits to verify implementation as well. He said, too, that the Auditor General’s Office can intensify efforts to conduct performance audits of selected agencies and report the results to the National Assembly. The Finance Minister stated that at least four such audits will be carried out by December 2016. He said that the Auditor General’s Office should also intensify efforts to bring the au-
GOVT. SEEKS INTERNATIONALHELPIN KN GRENADEATTACK PROBE The Government of Guyana has appealed for international help in tracking the ‘intellectual authors’ behind the June 4 grenade attack on Kaieteur News. The appeal was made even as police seek the whereabouts of Shemar Wilson, who is believed to have fled overseas. Outgoing Deputy Chief of Mission, Bryan Hunt, had commended the Government for trying to ascertain the identities of the perpetrators and having them prosecuted. He had also said that finding the intellectual authors will be an important test of Government’s commitment to protect press freedom. In a statement shortly after the attack, government had described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism which was attempted against the newspaper.” Three men have since been charged with lobbing a grenade at a vehicle belonging to Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall. Alfie Garraway, 36, of Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown; Janeil Howard, 20, of 322 Section ‘C’ Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara and Leroy Williams, 25, of 11 D’Urban Backlands, are accused of conspiring with other persons to cause an explosion by way of grenade likely to endanger lives and cause (Continued on page 33)
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
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(From page 32) damage to property. The offence occurred on June 4, at Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. At a July 7, court hearing Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones had told the court that the police file was still incomplete and that they were seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the way forward. Jones had explained that a ballistics report was still outstanding from the file, even though it was completed by a ballistics expert. TUESDAY EDITION SOCU SEEKS COURT ORDERS TO PROBE BANK ACCOUNTS OF MONEY LAUNDERING SUSPECTS Approaches have been made to the High Court for the Special Organised Crime Unit to access to the bank accounts of many people as part of a money laundering investig a t i o n . Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) Lt. Colonel Sydney James’ comments came in the wake of the PPP weekly press conference. PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee had told reporters at the press conference that the coalition government had approached the Courts for warrants to not only probe ex- Ministers’ bank accounts, but also to conduct searches at their respective residences. When asked to reveal who were the PPP members that were involved, Rohee demurred, claiming that he did not know the names. Nor could he confirm if the warrants were issued. He reiterated, however, that the courts were approached for warrants. James, however, clarified what investigators actually did. He stated that the courts were approached for orders that would allow SOCU to access the bank accounts of a number of people. He emphasised that it was not aimed at former PPP Ministers, but at people who are being probed for money laundering-related offences. James also debunked Rohee’s claims that search warrants were sought. According to the Lt. Colonel, the unit had no need for search warrants at this time. These revelations come at a time when a series of damning forensic audits, which we r e c o n d u c t e d i n t o s t a t e entities and covered the time the PPP was in office, have been released. They also come in the wake of revelations that Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency, Omar Shariff, had billions of dollars in a number of accounts at local banks. It is believed that the monies were deposited over a five-year period. Shariff was sent off on leave earlier in July, by Minister of State Joseph Harmon in order to facilitate a probe by both SOCU and the State Assets Recovery Unit. In addition to being questioned, Shariff also had his home searched by Law Enforcement officers. Investigators are probing how Shariff, a former candidate of the PPP, ended up with that amount of money in the accounts. From indications, they are not buying a story that Shariff owned a business that raked in almost $100M annu-
ally for the last seven years. There seemed to be little evidence that taxes were paid. NICIL YET TO COLLECT US$16M IN BAD DEBTS The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) seems to be taking quite some time before it can begin correcting a substantial amount of what was said to have been done wrong under its previous management. The company is yet to collect over US$16M from various agencies even though it is said to be in need of every cent. Earlier this year, NICIL sent one of its Board Members, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, and a Legal Officer to China in an effort to retrieve US $5M. This is money owed by Hong Kong Golden Telecom. The money remains outstanding from the sale of Government’s 20 percent shares it had in GTT. While NICIL has been making efforts to collect this money, going to the extent of sending representatives to China, it is yet to collect monies owed to it by various local companies, both private and
state-owned. Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, pointed to these debts in his report of the forensic audit he conducted into the affairs of NICIL. The forensic auditor reported on several provisions of bad debts quoting various amounts. Pointing to one set in particular Goolsarran said, “…Included in Related Party Receivable is an amount of $754.398 million shown as provision for bad debts. These relate to Guyana Electricity Corporation – $566.633 million; GT&T – $142.738 million; GUYSUCO – $42.968 million; and LINMINE – $2.059 million. It therefore means that the total provision for bad debts as at 31 December 2014 was $3.270 billion. The comments made earlier about specific Board approval and the Minister’s involvement in relation to these large provisions for bad debts are also relevant.” Further, Goolsarran commented, “It should not be over-emphasized that a provision for bad debt has the same effect on the results of NICIL’s operations as that of a write-off and is usually a precursor to the latter, hence the
need to involve NICIL’s Board and the Minister.” In this regard, Goolsarran was referencing to an issue he pointed to in other sections of his report which is that several actions were taken by NICIL’s former management without the approval of the Board and the Minister of Finance. TELECOMS (AMENDMENT) BILL 2016 PASSEDAFTER TUMULTUOUS DEBATE After tumultuous efforts and motions by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to get the Telecoms (Amendment) Bill sent to a special select committee, the Bill was passed Monday evening with all of its clauses intact in the National Assembly. This comes after years of the Bill being subject to deliberations, consultations and delays. Meanwhile, there have been clashes between Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), Guyana’s sole telecommunications service provider over the years, and Digicel. The Bill is expected to create a competitive playing field in the telecommunications sector, by providing for an open and liberalised sector. This, it is opined, will serve to attract investors and new entrants to the market. PPP Member of Parliament Gillian BurtonPersaud argued that the Bill duplicated work done by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). This line was backed up by her colleague, Charles Ramson Jr., (who was repeatedly warned to stay within the merits of the Bill in his submission by Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland). Ramson also argued that the Bill was a public relations flop and that the government missed a chance to fully engage the public and educate them about the particulars of the Bill. The opposition posited that the Bill gave too much power to the Minister, in this case Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes. Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, however countered that the Bill provided for any policy decision made to be rooted in on advise. Greenidge also stated that advertisements were placed in the print media for consultations regarding the legislation. He said that (Continued on page 34)
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Kaieteur News
(From page 33) the Government did make efforts at consultations. Noting the circumstances under which the Bill was introduced, Greenidge stated that there was no need to send the Bill to a special select committee, but that the matter must be dealt with expeditiously. PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira however asserted that with the ever-changing Telecommunications landscape, there was certainly a need to have the Bill sent to a special select committee. She argued that while the PPP failed in its attempts to improve the sector, such as with the Fibre Optic cable, the government of the day had to be responsible in addressing the issue. Minister Hughes rebutted the attacks on the Bill. She chastised the opposition for not bringing the Bill to the floor for years, even as Guyana lagged behind in its telecoms sector. WEDNESDAY EDITION WE MUST OPEN OUR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT TO INT’L COMPETITION… “IT IS A POWERFUL TOOL TO FIGHTING CORRUPT PRACTICES, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY” - MINISTER SHARMA Along with its other plans in the pipeline, it appears that the Ministry of Finance is gearing to open Guyana’s public procurement market to the international community. This was announced Tuesday by Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma, during a procurement workshop that was held at Herdmanston Lodge. During his opening remarks, Sharma alluded to the fact that opening up the local
market to international competitors would ultimately force local companies to up their game when executing contracts or projects they have been awarded. Sharma made it clear that he is very concerned about improving the procurement process in Guyana, as it is an area that remains a stimulus to the economy. He emphasized, too, that it is also an area that has a substantial effect on world trade.
The Junior Finance Minister said that in Guyana, public procurement has been estimated to account for 27 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on the 2015 budget. Sharma added, “Opening our public procurement markets to international competition can be beneficial for several reasons. It is very important and we want to do it because it would enhance government’s ability to obtain better value for money and increase efficient use of public resources. It will also be a powerful tool to fighting corrupt practices and increase transparency and legal certainty.” With this in mind, the Junior Finance Minister said that businesses in Guyana must be prepared to be competitive. Sharma also updated his attentive audience on some of the measures government has taken to help improve the procurement process. He said that while the administration is aggressively focusing on the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, steps have been taken to increase the “limits” of various boards, starting with the ministerial boards and regional tender boards. In this regard, Sharma explained that Government took this approach in order to give the various board levels the power to process contracts which are of a large sum. AUDITOR RECOMMENDS NICIL RECOVER $138M FROM BBCI, GPL Forensic Auditor, Anand Goolsarran has recommended that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) make moves to recover millions from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI). Goolsarran conducted a forensic audit into the affairs of NICIL. His findings were vast and alarming. He recommended prosecution for key players in the schemes he highlighted. The auditor recommended that the entire former board of NICIL and the entire former Cabinet be charged and put before the courts. Among the issues highlighted by
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Goolsarran was the fact that NICIL spent money on the Berbice River Bridge and on GPL, and that these charges are on NICIL’s accounts. He said, “The amounts of $84.732 million and $53.131 million expended on behalf of the Berbice River Bridge and the Guyana Power and Light respectively are also not a proper charge to the accounts of NICIL and should have been recovered from these two agencies.” When the charges were incurred, Winston Brassington was Director of NICIL; he was also the Chairman of GPL and company secretary of BBCI. In his audit report, Goolsarran noted, “By letter dated 4 July 2006, the HPS approved of NICIL meeting all additional cost in excess of the $20 million provided by the Ministry of Finance towards compensation of the identified occupants of D’Edward Village. Prior to 2006, NICIL incurred expenditure totaling $52.089 million, and for the period 2006-2014, a further $32.643 million was expended. This gives a total expenditure as at 31 December 2014 of $84.732 million which was improperly charged to the administrative expenses of NICIL.” Goolsarran said that NICIL commented that the expenditure was incurred in relation to public-private partnerships and that it was treated as expenses of NICIL based on advice given. Goolsarran also found it apt to note, “It is not clear what role NICIL played in relation to the construction of the Berbice River Bridge and in deciding on the mix of financing for the project. The Executive Director of NICIL was also the Company Secretary of BBCI from its inception, but it is not clear at what point he relinquished the position.” THURSDAY EDITION GUYANA TOPS THE WORLD IN LOSING TERTIARY-EDUCATED MIGRANTS Minister of Foreign Affairs and Second Vice-President, Carl Greenidge, said Wednesday that Guyana still tops the list as the country with the highest rate of emigrating tertiaryeducated citizens. Greenidge was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening session of the workshop on Migration and Development: Mobilizing Financial and Business Know-How Resources Generated through Migration at the Cara Lodge Hotel. He said that although it is usually a good thing for a country to be featured at the top of any global ranking, the reality which Guyana faces concerning losing its educated folk is something which his government is committed to fixing. According to the 2016 Migration and Remittances Fact Book 93 per cent of the total persons leaving Guyana have a tertiary education. Coming in second is Haiti with 75.1 per cent and Trinidad and Tobago third with 68.2 per cent. Greenidge said that the presence of a large number of Guyanese in the Diaspora is responsible for a large inflow of remittances into the country. He said that as a consequence, remittances or “small piece” as it is locally called, have become part and parcel in the process of planning by the government. “Remittances are sent to facilitate improving the wellbeing and welfare of relatives and dependents left at home and to purchase assets,” said Greenidge. He reported that recently there was a change in the use of the money. He said that now persons are directing their attention (Continued on page 35)
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(From page 34) towards funding investment projects. As a consequence, the Minister said that remittances have now become one of the important factors in the macro economic performance of the country. In 2012, the inflow of remittances to Guyana amounted to US$469M, according to the Minister this represented 16% of the nation’s GDP. PASSED TELECOMS BILL 2016… BRING IT ON! With the passage of the Telecoms (Amendment) Bill of 2016 on Monday, opportunities for investors have been increased. It also means that companies such as Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) will have to stay on top of their game, against the competition likely to come as the sector becomes more liberalized. According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTT, Justin Nedd, this is a challenge that the company is preparing to meet. During a press conference called by the company Wednesday at its head office, he expressed “happiness” at the passage of the legislation and promised a clearly defined strategy for the company within two months.
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Nedd was optimistic at the prospect that Digicel Guyana, GTT’s main competitor in Guyana for mobile phone service, may also expand and apply for the requisite licences. For years Digicel lamented the telecoms monopoly and had called for legislation that would allow it to provide increased service. ”It is certainly a positive step and a significant move to bring better and improved service to the people of Guyana. And in order to have liberalization, GT&T and the government have to engage in discussions.” ”It means positive economic benefits for Guyana and we are ready, right now, to engage the government. Last week, I had a discussion with the Minister of Telecommunications. And we got a commitment that we will be moving, very quickly, to engage the government so we could get liberalization and open the market.” Nedd also emphasized that GTT will not be making a case for the monopoly to remain in place, since the company “wanted” the liberalization of the sector. The CEO stated that instead, GTT will be ensuring that proper negotiations are conducted. ”But I am confident and I have been given assurances by the government that
our contract rights will be respected,” Nedd revealed. “We’re in talks right now, so I don’t want to get into details.” FRIDAY EDITION BOUND BODY OF HERSTELLING MAN FOUND IN WARDROBE The nude and bound body of a 53year-old Herstelling man was found in a wardrobe in his Herstelling, East Bank Demerara home at around 23.30 hrs on Thursday. The body of Terry Lakhan was discovered by his downstairs neighbour at his Back Street, Herstelling apartment. His legs were tied and he also appeared to have been strangled. The neighbour said that she was relaxing at home when she heard strange noises coming from Lakhan’s upstairs apartment. She then heard someone opening the gate and on looking outside, saw a strange man leaving the yard with a bag. She immediately became suspicious and on checking Lakhan’s apartment, observed that all the lights were off. She subsequently tried the front door and found it open. Upon checking the apart-
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ment, she noticed that several items were missing. As she continued her search she found Lakhan’s nude body in his wardrobe. This publication understands that pictures and pills were strewn around Lakhan’s body. One relative told Kaieteur News that she got a phone call from a neighbour and she immediately left her West Ruimveldt home and rushed to the scene. Upon arriving, she was informed of the discove r y . Other relatives surmised that the stranger who was seen leaving the yard was known to the victim. Neighbours said that Lakhan was seen at a Chinese restaurant imbibing earlier in the night. BILLION-DOLLAR SCHOOLAT KATO… AUDIT FINDINGS NOTHING SHORT OF CRIMINAL – TROTMAN – AG TO REVIEW REPORT ON WAY FORWARD Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman, told media operatives at a post-Cabinet media briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday, that the findings of the audit report into the Kato Secondary School Complex Project is (Continued on page 36)
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(From page 35) ‘nothing short of criminal’ . The Minister said that the report was tabled by the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and was prepared by Rodriguez Architects Limited – the agency that carried out the audit of the project at government’s request. Trotman added that the report addressed the audit in three sections: Structural assessment, building defects and contact administration. All of these sections, the Minister said, highlighted a number of discrepancies. He said that Cabinet has noted the comments in the report in relations to the designer,
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the consultants and the contractor of the project as well as, the cost of remedial works should the Government decide to undertake them. Cabinet has requested that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, review the report to determine accountability and to advise on the appropriate action to be taken, Trotman pointed out. ”The building of the school at Kato, what those findings revealed (are) nothing short of criminal but at the appropriate time, the press is going to be invited not just to see the report, but to see also the defects as they exist in Kato.” Commenting also on the approximately
40 audit reports alrea d y c o m p l e t e d , Trotman said that Cabinet is overwhelmed by the scale of the findings. He added that the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and the Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, will be going through those reports, which can be brought forward earlier rather than later. This process he said is ongoing and within a few weeks, Guyana will see some action. The school at Kato in Region Eight, has continued to cause headaches for the Government. The structure has numerous structural defects and has been deemed unfit for occupation. Kares Engineering had won the contract for the construction of the school. OFFICIALS CAUGHT DEFRAUDING STATE MUST FACE FULLEXTENT OF THE LAW – AUDITOR GENERAL Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma is extremely pleased that the Finance Ministry has taken the initiative to ensure all budgetary agencies implement his recommendations. He insists, however, that such transparency and accountability measures must be taken a step further. In an exclusive interview, Sharma said that in his annual reports he would often speak to the alarming number of instances of overpayments to contractors by officials within budgetary agencies. He said that in many cases, his recommendations for this to be corrected never saw a second glance, much less serious action. With a new Finance Secretary (FS), Hector Butts, in place, the AG hopes that the FS will make use of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, which provides the power for officials found to be complicit in the overpayments, to be surcharged. He said that the law also provides for a fine and carries a term of imprisonment for anyone who engages in such acts that lead to the state being cheated of its resources.
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The FMA Act specifically states, “An official who falsifies any account, statement, receipt or other record issued or kept for the purposes of this Act, the Regulations, the Finance Circulars or any other instrument made under this Act; conspires or colludes with any other person to defraud the State or make opportunity for any person to defraud the State; or knowingly permits any other person to contravene any provision of this Act, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable on conviction to a fine of two million dollars and to imprisonment for three years.” The Auditor General said that while the previous Financial Secretary never made use of this part of the Act, he hopes that the incumbent will rise to the occasion and demonstrate “a much more no-nonsense approach.” ”This is something that must be implemented so that officials who try to defraud the state can understand that their actions would no longer be tolerated. They must face the full extent of the law. It is a new time and it is a new season,” Sharma emphasised He said that in the meantime, meetings have since been held with the Financial Secretary and accounting officers in an effort to discuss prior year matters and moving forward. SATURDAY EDITION TRIPLE MURDER ROCKS BLACK BUSH POLDER… FISHERMEN FOUND WITH BULLET WOUNDS -COPS DETAIN FARMER Fear gripped the small Black Bush Polder Village of Mibicuri, Berbice on Friday, after the bodies of three men, with gaping bullet wounds, were found in the Kokrit Savannah backdam. Those dead were identified as 37-year-old Pawan Chandradeo, called ‘Suresh’ of 163 Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder; 33-year-old Naresh Rooplall called ‘Ticka Bai’ of No. 77 Village, Corentyne and 15-year-old Jaikarran (Continued on page 49)
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Monitoring Guyana’s monetary supply By Kiana Wilburg
Keeping a close watch on the changes in money supply in a country is of paramount importance, simply because it has a direct impact on inflation levels, the exchange rate, and the business cycle. In a nutshell, drastic changes can mean a shift from a nation’s economic growth to contraction. There are several ways by which economists monitor money supply. It can include using the monetary base, called M1 and M2. The monetary base is the sum of currency in circulation and reserve balances. M1 is the sum of currency held by the public and transaction deposits at depository institutions which are financial institutions that obtain their funds mainly through deposits from the public, such as commercial banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, and credit unions. M2 is defined as M1 plus savings deposits, smalldenomination time deposits; those issued in amounts of less than $100,000, and retail money market mutual fund shares. According to the Ministry of Finance, money and quasi-money (M2) increased slightly in January. M2 rose by 2.1 percent over the 12 months ending in January, compared with an average of 4.7 percent in 2014. The entity said that slower money growth is associated with lower inflationary pressures, assuming growth in demand for money remains constant. It was noted that the currency in circulation increased by 5.3 percent over the 12 months ending in January, while demand deposits, cashier’s cheques and bank acceptances grew at a meagre 0.6 percent. Time and savings deposits, which make up a little over 60 percent of money and quasi-money, grew about 1.5 percent over the same period. Additionally, interest rate movements were mixed in January. In fact, interest rates on Treasury Bills were unchanged, except for the rate on 182-day Treasuries, which fell eight basis points to 1.73 percent. The commercial bank weighted average lending rate raised 46 basis points to 11.02 percent in January. The small savings rate for commercial banks was unchanged at 1.26 percent. With regard to Private Sector Credit, it was noted by the Ministry of Finance that domestic loans fell to $134.5 billion in January, down from
$137.6 billion in December, a 2.3 percent decrease. Compared to January 2015, credit grew 2.5 percent. Loans to private businesses in the services sector fell by 4.9 percent in January. This reflects a seasonal pattern of increased lending to the sector in December, and a return to lower levels of lending in January. A similar temporary bump occurred in December 2014. Generally, lending to the
services sector has been robust, increasing 5.3 percent since January 2015. While loans to private business in agriculture and mining increased modestly in January, lending to these sectors has been tepid over the past year. Within agriculture, lending to the sugar industry has fallen 20.3 percent since January 2014. Lending in the manufacturing sector fell compared to December, and to the year before. The 12month decline is largely due to a 19.4 percent decrease in lending to private businesses engaged in rice milling. Lending to households fell by 1.6 percent in January, but remained 12.1 percent above the level of lending in January 2015. Lending to the general government increased 9.0 percent to $48.3 billion in January, representing a morethan 2000 percent increase since last year. It was noted too that the Bank of Guyana has maintained an exchange rate of 206.50 Guyana dollars to one U.S. dollar since March 2014. The rate was unchanged in January. With regard to foreign reserves held by the Bank of Guyana, this rose from US$24.6 million in January to US$624.9 million, following a US$9.86 million increase in December. Reserve levels were mostly stable in 2015. The Ministry of Finance estimates that the Bank of Guyana’s foreign reserves are currently equal to about four months of imports, above the three-month minimum generally considered to be a benchmark for reserve adequacy. The Bank of Guyana publishes official estimates of reserves in terms of import
cover on a quarterly basis. An alternative measure of reserve adequacy is the ratio of reserves to M2. In January, official foreign reserves were equal to 39 percent of M2, well above the benchmark minimum of 20 percent. Guyana’s reserves are well above this benchmark as well as the import benchmark. With regard to inflation, statisticians noted that prices decreased marginally by 0.18 percent in January, 2016 compared to prices in December 2015. This marginal decrease in price was primarily driven by decrease in food prices while the prices of most other items remained relatively stable compared to their levels in December 2015. Meanwhile, Central Government current revenues totaled $8.7 billion in January 2016, which reflects a marginal decline of 0.7 percent compared to revenue collections in January 2015. This was mainly driven by a decline in non-tax revenues. Tax revenues increased marginally by 0.3 percent, reaching $8.54 billion, primarily driven by increases in internal revenue taxes. That was as a result of increases in Pay as You Earn (PAYE) and self employed taxes, by $223.8 million and $27.9 million respectively, comparing January 2016 to January 2015. Net property tax also increased by $13.6 million. Both withholding and corporation tax declined, comparing January 2016 to January 2015. The decline in non-tax revenues was due to reduced revenues from a few government ministries. Additionally, total noninterest expenditure reached $7.2 billion in January 2016, an increase of 11.7 percent over the level achieved during the same period in 2015. The lowest levels of expenditure are usually recorded in January, as historically the Budget is usually passed in March. The rise in non-interest expenditure is mainly attributed to a rise in transfer payments of 77.5 percent, comparing January 2016 to January 2015. The increase in transfer payments is primarily attributed to the addition of the Constitutional Agencies to this category as well as increases in old age pension, statutory pensions and gratuity and payments to local and international organizations. Employment cost also increased by six percent due to the increase in wages and salaries given to public servants in 2015.
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Ensuring careful management of Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals By Kiana Wilburg
From the manufacturing and mining sectors, to the field of agriculture, extremely toxic chemicals are used and emitted on a daily basis. And failure to monitor how these industries transport, store and use these chemicals can have dire consequences for not only our environment but our health. This is where the Pesticides and Toxic
Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) plays a key role in ensuring harmful substances are carefully managed and utilized by the respective sectors. The PTCCB is a semiautonomous Agency within the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and operates under the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Act 2000 (No. 13 of 2000). It is operated by its permanent secretariat which
carries out the mandate, operational and administrative policies coming from the Board of Directors. Last year, the PTCCB was involved with a wide range of pertinent activities which were all integrally linked to its principal responsibilities. With regard to Pesticides registration, the Board received 66 applications last year. This represents a 22% increase in registration
submissions from 2014. These products were evaluated to ensure that submissions were in keeping with the regulation before registration. A total of 42 products satisfied registration requirements and were registered for import and use in Guyana. However, five products which were submitted did not meet registration requirements while 19 are currently being reviewed.
In addition to this, a total of 335 products were registered at the end of 2015 for import, distribution and use in Guyana. There was a 13% increase in overall product registration in 2015. The List of Registered Pesticides for Guyana is updated annually and is printed for free distribution. The Board also issued 1911 import licenses for Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals for last year. The Board Members stressed that farmers and other persons within various sectors should note that the following five pesticides were officially gazetted as restricted use pesticides in keeping with the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Regulations 2004 Part II subpart C: a) A l u m i n i u m Phosphide and its products b) Paraquat Dichloride and its products c) Methomyl and its products d) Oxamyl and its products e) D D T (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) Also, in keeping with its obligations to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions on chemicals management, the Board aims at the protection of human health and the environment through elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) In addition, the Board Members said that they are particularly proud of the commissioning of its Chemical Storage Facility which is housed in the compound of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). The Board said that for some time, it has been emphasising the need for proper storage facility to house the many seized illegal pesticides entering Guyana. The facility was completed in July 2015, at a cost of $46MG$. The Board reminded that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) currently has a project to rid the region of illegal and obsolete chemicals. FAO representative to Guyana, Mr Rueben Robertson stated that the FAO continuously
seeks to assist member countries of CARICOM with the packaging and proper storage of obsolete chemicals. ”We consider the challenges faced by each member state of CARICOM by ensuring the proper registration, storage, use and distribution of these chemicals,” Mr. Robertson said. He also stressed the need for more education and promotion of the proper use of pesticides, as this is only done during pesticides awareness week. He stated that “it is a moral responsibility to inform our fellow man on the harmful effects of toxic chemicals.” Supporting his statements was Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder who said, “the use of toxic pesticides to manage pest problems has become a common practice around the world. Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of human health illnesses, ranging from shortterm impacts such as headaches and nausea, to chronic impacts like cancer, cognitive disorders, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption. It is important to note that these health impacts are inherently linked to use practices”. The Minister also mentioned that “using improper storage procedures is an open invitation for a disaster to happen. Nearly threefourths of all pesticide accidents are non-use accidents, often involving children less than 10 years of age. Improper pesticide storage is therefore dangerous to your health, your family and can harm the environment”. As part of the Government’s mandate, the Minister urged for the achievement of the Global Sustainable Development Goals. “This demonstrates our commitment to sound chemicals management since seven of these goals are integrally linked to chemicals management”. While the PTCCB is proud of its many accomplishments, it recognized that there are still a number of key issues and challenges which need to be addressed.
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Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
Cancer risk falls with higher levels of vitamin D Researchers suggest improving people’s blood level of vitamin D could be an important tool for preventing cancer, after their study found that the risk of developing the disease rises as vitamin D levels fall. In the journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine report how they analyzed the link between vitamin D and cancer to determine what blood level of vitamin D was required to effectively reduce cancer risk. The study included all invasive cancers, excluding skin cancer. One of the authors, Cedric Garland, adjunct professor in the UCSD School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, says their study is the first to put numbers on this relationship, as he explains: “We have quantitated the ability of adequate amounts of vitamin D to prevent all types of invasive cancer combined, which had been terra incognita until publication of this paper.” Vitamin D, which is produced by the body through exposure to sunshine, helps the body control calcium and phosphate levels. It was Prof. Garland and his late brother Frank who first linked low vitamin D with cancer in the 1980s. They found people who lived at higher latitudes and thus had less access to sunlight had lower levels of vitamin D and were more likely to develop bowel cancer. Since then, further studies by the Garland brothers and others have found links between low vitamin D and other cancers, including cancers of the breast, lung and bladder. The only accurate way to measure vitamin D in the body is to measure the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. The kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the active form that helps control calcium and phosphate levels. There has been much debate in recent years about what the recommended blood levels of vitamin D should be. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a target of 20 ng/ml for bone health, which could be met in most healthy adults (aged 1970), with the equivalent of 600 IU of vitamin D each day. Since then, other groups have argued that the target level should be higher, at 50 ng/ml or more. In the new study, Prof. Garland and colleagues wanted to find out what blood level of vitamin D effectively reduces cancer risk. They took an approach that is not normally used. They used the results from two different types of study: one a clinical trial of 1,169 women and the other a prospective study of 1,135 women. For some of their analysis, they kept the two data sets separate and compared them, and in another part, they pooled the data to create a larger sample. The median blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the participants in the clinical trial was 30 ng/ml, and in the participants in the prospective study, it was 48 ng/ ml. The researchers found that the rate of cancer incidence in the clinical study group (that had the lower median vitamin D level) was higher than in the prospective study group. The figures were 1,020 cases per 100,000 person-years and 722 per 100,000 personyears, respectively. They also found that cancer rates went down as 25hydroxyvitamin D levels rose; women whose vitamin D level was 40 ng/ml or higher had a 67% lower risk of developing cancer than women whose vitamin D level was 20 ng/ml or lower. The researchers did not say what the optimum intake level of vitamin D should be - or how it should be generated, whether by greater exposure to sunlight, dietary changes or supplements. Prof. Garland says their findings simply show that it is possible to see reduced cancer risk when blood levels of vitamin D reach 40 ng/ml, and that higher than this, the risk drops even further. He and his colleagues conclude: “Primary prevention of cancer, rather than expanding early detection or improving treatment, will be essential to reversing the current upward trend of cancer incidence worldwide. This analysis suggests that improving vitamin D status is a key prevention tool.” Last month, Medical News Today also learned of a study that found a link between low vitamin D and aggressiveness of prostate cancer. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Sunday July 24, 2016
(From page 36) Chandradeo called ‘Kevin’ of Mibicuri North. Their bodies were discovered around 09:00 hrs on Friday. All appeared to be shot at close range. This suggests that they knew the identity of their attackers. Police have detained a farmer on whose land the victims were reportedly fishing when they were slain. Shoba Devi Luckicharan, the mother of Naresh Rooplall, told this publication that her son ventured to the backdam to catch fish. With him were her son-in-law and two grandsons, Jaikarran and Alvin. She added that they left at around 15:00 hrs on Thursday and were to have returned Friday morning. “Dem call me son and seh that hassa deh ah back dam and because meh son deh pon leave, he seh he gon come and ketch fish wid dem.” She recalled in tears that the following morning around 03:00 hrs, she received a call from relatives informing her that her son-inlaw, grandson and son were dead. Indrawattie Rooplall, called Pam, who lost her son, husband and brother in the horrific incident, said that she received the grim news Friday morning. “Somebody call and ask for me husband and me seh dat he deh ah backdam wid me son and brother. Me ask wha wrong. He tell meh wha happen wid the shooting and suh and me ask if is meh husband and dem seh no, nah he.” She added that she subsequently received another phone call confirming that her husband, son and brother were indeed dead. The woman said that she, her father and police ranks ventured to the scene of the crime. They then discovered the bodies on the embankment with gaping gunshot wounds about their bodies and their fishing equipment still in their possession. The grieving widow added that her younger son, Alvin, the lone survivor returned home without his father, brother or uncle. He stated that he was instructed by his father to stay at a camp in the backdam while they ventured ahead. He said that about 10 minutes later he
Kaieteur News
heard two gunshots and five minutes after he heard four more. The terrified lad said that since he didn’t see his father, uncle or brother return, he waited at the camp until morning where he began searching for his family. A security guard at the camp then told him to return home and he walked for several miles until he arrived. Meanwhile, Commander of ‘B’ Division, Ian Amsterdam, disclosed that a man is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. “We’re hoping that this person will give some sort of clue as to what transpired and hopefully we will get a breakthrough in this case.” KN GRENADEATTACK... GOVERNMENT HAS A RIGHT TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL HELP – TROTMAN Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman, during a recent Post-Cabinet Press Briefing, defended the Government’s request to seek international help over the grenade attack on Kaieteur News back in June. The Minister was asked by the media why the Government was asking for international help and not the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He responded, “Normally with these matters, it is called fugitive offenders, and there’s an act that is not triggered by the institution but is triggered by state. So it is the responsibility of the state to seek another state’s intervention.” He added, that the Police Forces of the respective states could be deputised or could delegate the function of going through the details, but the whole process of extradition is a state function that comes under treaties. It requires government and not the police. According to reports, the Government of Guyana has appealed for international help to track the ‘intellectual authors’ behind the attack on the Media House. The appeal was made even as police seek the whereabouts of Shemar Wilson, who is believed to have fled overseas.
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Coffee may protect against liver cirrhosis Drinking coffee every day is linked to a reduced risk of liver cirrhosis, according to a new review of published evidence that also suggests drinking two extra cups a day may nearly halve the risk of dying from the disease. The systematic review and meta-analysis is published in the journalAlimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. The researchers - from the University of Southampton in the UK - pooled and analyzed data from nine longterm studies covering nearly half a million men and women from six countries. They found that increasing coffee consumption may substantially reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis. The analysis shows a dose-response relationship between coffee consumption and liver cirrhosis - with more cups per day linked to lower risk. Two extra cups of coffee per day were linked to a 44% lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis and a nearly 50% lower risk of death to the disease. Liver cirrhosis can be fatal because it raises the risk of liver failure and cancer. The condition develops when healthy tissue in the liver is replaced by scarred tissue, often as a result of long-term and persistent injury from viruses like hepatitis C and toxins like alcohol. Liver cirrhosis is an important public health concern and a significant cause of disease and death in the US. The prevalence is likely to be higher than official figures suggest because many cases are undiagnosed. A recent estimate suggests around 0.27% of Americans - some 633,323 adults - have liver cirrhosis, with 69% unaware of the fact they have the disease. In their paper, where they discuss the results, the authors explain that coffee has many biologically active ingredients, in addition to caffeine. These include “oxidative and anti-inflammatory agents, such as chlorogenic acid, kahweol and cafestol,” and there is evidence, they note, that these may “confer protection against liver fibrosis.” In addition to a direct biochemical effect, there could also be an indirect effect of coffee protecting against cirrhosis, suggest the researchers. For example, they cite lab studies that show various compounds found in coffee block hepatitis B and C viruses and studies that show links between increased coffee consumption and reduction in type 2 diabetes. The paper concludes that the analysis shows the link between increased daily coffee consumption and reduction in risk of liver cirrhosis is large - larger than that of many medications used for the prevention of disease. “For example,” note the authors, “statin therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 25%.” They also point out that “unlike many medications, coffee is generally well tolerated and has an excellent safety profile.” Lead and corresponding author Dr. O. J. Kennedy, of Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine, concludes: “Coffee appeared to protect against cirrhosis. This could be an important finding for patients at risk of cirrhosis to help to improve their health outcomes. However, we now need robust clinical trials to investigate the wider benefits and harms of coffee so that doctors can make specific recommendations to patients.” In November 2015, Medical News Today learned how chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are among the reasons death rates are increasing among middle-aged white Americans. Our Knowledge Center article - ”Coffee: health benefits, nutritional information” - looks at some of the other ways the popular beverage may benefit our health, as well as the risks associated with it. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Delivery method, infant diet could impact long-term health The gut microbiome of 6week-old infants appears to be affected by both delivery method at birth and the way they are fed afterward, says research published online in JAMA Pediatrics. “Gut microbiome” refers to the diversity of bacterial life that colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract. It develops after birth and after the start of feeding, and it has been increasingly linked with health outcomes in adults. Meanwhile, cesarean delivery has been linked with obesity,asthma, celiac disease and type 1 diabetes later in life, and breastfeeding has been related to a lower risk of asthma, obesity, infection, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, compared with formula feeding. It is thought that exposure to microflora present during vaginal delivery could be related to the microbiome patterns in infants, but how this happens is unclear. Previous small studies have indicated a link between the intestinal microbiome of infants, delivery mode and whether or not they were breastfed. Less is known, however, about how early life exposures shape the gut microbiome and its long-term effects on health. In addition, there is evidence that human milk primes and matures the infant gastrointestinal system, potentially promoting a unique microbial colonization profile that could lead to
healthy outcomes. In the current study, researchers hypothesized that exposure to maternal vaginal microflora and/or to breast milk could cause specific microbes to be acquired in a particular order during the establishment of the core microbiome. This could represent a key mechanism underlying differences in immune development that influence lifelong disease risk. Anne G. Hoen, PhD, of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, and coauthors examined associations between delivery mode and feeding method with the composition of the gut microbiomes of 102 infants. The team collected information about the delivery mode from medical records, details on feeding from questionnaires and data
about microbiome composition from stool samples. The infants were born at an average gestational age of nearly 40 weeks; 70 were delivered vaginally and 32 by cesarean section(Csection). In the first 6 weeks of life, 70 were breastfed, 26 received a combination of breast milk and formula, and six of them consumed only formula. Results showed a link between the composition of the gut microbiome and the delivery mode. Differences in microbiome composition between infants delivered vaginally and infants delivered by C-section were equivalent or greater than the differences in composition by feeding method. The microbiome of infants who were breastfed exclusively was different from those who consumed formula
milk or a combination. Those who were exclusively fed formula and those who were fed the combination shared a similar microbiome composition. There have been no longterm longitudinal studies of the effects of early feeding method on the microbiome, but it appears that early feeding methods could have lasting effects on microbial community structure. These findings could provide one explanation for how breastfeeding benefits health both in childhood and in the long term. The authors conclude: “Understanding the patterns of microbial colonization of the intestinal tract of healthy infants is critical for determining the health effects of specific alterable early-life risk factors and exposures. To this end, we have identified measurable differences in microbial communities in the intestinal tracts of infants according to their delivery mode and diet, with possible consequences for both short- and long-term health.” Limitations of the study include its small sample size and the population being from a single group in the US. Future studies could also take into account the exact proportion of the infants’ diets and timing. Medical News Today recently reported on research suggesting that people with anorexia have a unique gut microbiotacomposition. http:/ / www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Based on the fact that about two thirds of our bodies are comprised of water, it may seem obvious that consuming water is important for our health. But a new study finds that by increasing plain water consumption, we can control our weight and reduce intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat. The study, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, is led by Prof. Ruopeng An, from the University of Illinois. Though most people meet their body’s fluid requirements by drinking plain water and other beverages, we also get some fluids through certain foods, such as soup broths, celery, tomatoes and melons. To further investigate how
increasing water intake can affect parameters of health, the researchers used a nationally representative sample of more than 18,300 adults in the US from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2012. The researchers asked participants to recall all foods and drinks they consumed on 2 days that were between 310 days apart. Prof. An then calculated the amount of plain water that each participant consumed as a percentage of daily dietary water intake from both foods and drinks. Although drinks such as black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not assessed as sources of plain water, Prof. An did include their water content in the calculations of
total water consumption. On a daily basis, the participants consumed an average of about 4.2 cups of plain water, which accounts for just over 30% of their total water consumption. The average calorie intake for each participant was 2,157 calories, which included 125 calories from sugarsweetened beverages and
432 calories from “discretionary foods” desserts, pastries, snack mixes and other foods that are not essential. Medical News Today previously reported on a study that suggested placing water dispensers in schools lowers obesity in students. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Drinking more water reduces sugar, sodium and saturated fat intake
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Kitty stabbing victim loses movement in arm
Selina Ramotar
Selina Ramotar, the 29year-old woman who was brutally stabbed more than 20 times by the father of her child, has been released from the hospital. However, she has temporarily lost movement in the left arm due to the severity of injuries she received. Ramotar was knifed to her breasts, hands, stomach and face on July 9, after her estranged lover Uttanpad Sewnaraine, ambushed her from a dark corner at her Lot 65 David Street, Kitty, Georgetown home. The mother of one was admitted to a private city hospital in a critical condition with gaping stab wounds about her body. Ramotar’s mother, Melina, said that she was released from the hospital last week. She added that doctors indicated that the arm should heal within the next two weeks before they proceed with therapy. The mother explained that the wounds her daughter received were so gaping, they
damaged several nerves. She said that her daughter is unable to walk without aid and still has to visit the hospital for check-ups. It was reported that Ramotar and Sewnaraine, 39, a bus driver, of Campbellville, Georgetown once shared a relationship and have a nineyear-old daughter together. A sister of the woman said that the relationship ended a while back but Sewnaraine refused to let go of her sister although he is married and has three children with his wife. Family members of Ramotar claimed that the man would stalk her on numerous occasions and had planned to kill her. A few days after the attack, Sewnaraine was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate charged with attempted murder. He was not required to plead to the indictable offence and was remanded to prison. He is being represented by Attorney Mark Waldron.
Bail was set at the tune of $20,000 for a Russell Street, Charlestown resident who was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, after it was alleged that she published nude photos of a woman. It is alleged that Sherene Singh also known as Sherry Singh, knowingly and without lawful excuse, exposed to the public, obscene pictures of the daughter of a popular businessman between May 1 and May 25, 2013. Singh appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the allegation. Kaieteur News understands that the defendant turned herself into police after the matter was reported. The prosecution had no
objections to her being released on pre-trial liberty. She will make her next court appearance on August 3.
Woman before court for posting nude photos of another
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
Transporting petroleum by bulk transportation carriers The transport of petroleum and petroleum products using bulk transportation carriers is a daily business for many of truck owners in Guyana and because of the volatility of these products and the threat they pose to the safety of their transporter and other road users, a national standard was recently developed by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). The standard was developed to be enforced by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA). According to the standard “Requirements for the transport of petroleum and petroleum products by bulk transportation carriers” (GYS 513:2016), a bulk transportation carrier is a “vehicle or vessel capable of transporting 2000 litres or more of petroleum and petroleum products”. Usually, these bulk
carriers transport containment such as drums, bottles and similar containers of petroleum products from terminals or bulk storages to retail outlets. In many instances, these carriers, which are trucks and canters with modified trays, are used to sell directly to the consumers. To reduce risks in the transport of petroleum and petroleum products, particularly by those taking such products into the interior and other unfavourable terrains, the standard adequately addresses a number of crucial aspects. Firstly, it addresses the condition of containment. It clearly states that containment shall not be used if they have evidence of dents corrosions, leakages or any other condition that may render them unsafe for the transport of products. The types of materials from which such containments are constructed, are also
indicated. The use of glass containment is strictly prohibited by the standard. The standard also outlines requirements for the storage and security of containment during transport, including the railings of trays and the manner in which the transporting crew handles products. Requirements for maintenance and repairs of bulk transportation carriers are also included. Owners of bulk transportation carriers used for the transport of petroleum and petroleum products are also required to ensure that their carriers are fitted with fire extinguishers, appropriate warning signs, placards, and illuminating lights. Operators must have the relevant training and contingency plan to deal with emergencies, if they are to comply with the national standard. The acquisition of this standard and conformance to the requirements therein, no doubt will ensure safety in the transport of petroleum and petroleum products on our roadways and it will also ensure that dealers meet regulatory requirements. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190062, 219-0065, and 2190066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org
Two months later…Doctors still to remove bullet from shot teen waitress Doctors are yet to remove the bullet that is lodged in Onika Luke, the 16-year-old waitress who was shot during a botched robbery at the Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. Luke has been discharged from a private city hospital and is at home recovering. Yesterday, a brother of the teenager, Wendell Ranjee, said that he is unsure of when doctors will operate on his sister. However, he said that her condition has been improving.
The bullet which was lodged near the teenager’s spine has since moved giving doctors hope that she will survive surgery, the brother said. “The bullet has moved about one inch from her spine,” Ranjee disclosed. Ranjee had said that doctors have been delaying the operation because it would have been risky to perform surgery on her because of where the bullet was lodged. Luke, of Lot 1 Vryheid Lust, East Coast Demerara, was shot at around 22:45hrs
on May 28, last, by a man who had visited the restaurant to order a meal. While paying for the food, the man held onto Luke, who was behind some grillwork and pulled out a firearm and demanded cash. When she resisted, he shot her in the face and escaped. The bullet passed through her chin and was lodged in her throat at the time. Her left thumb was also shot off. The teen attends the St. John’s College and had been working part-time at the restaurant after school hours.
From page 10 that a company on the Demerara embankment blocked an outfall channel and has refused to do anything to allow access to the channel. It was pointed out, too, that people continue to throw their solid waste and building waste into the drainage canals. According to the DRR team, the information which they recorded from these interviews shows that the space for water that is needed for good drainage is not respected by a large majority of the involved people. The report said that politicians, government,
private companies, rich and poor people all contribute to the occupation of reserves and to the blockage of drainage canals. It added that the authorities mandated to look at water management in Guyana are not succeeding in convincing the Guyanese people that space is needed for water in order to reduce flooding. The interviews were conducted with managers and senior staff from a number of Government entities. These included the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture, Georgetown
Mayor and City Council, Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/ Agriculture Development Authority, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Civil Defence Commission, Guyana Water Incorporated, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Communities and GuySuCo. The interviews focused on items such as water legislation, enforcement of legislation, plans and policies related to water, spatial planning and space for water, organisation and maintenance issues, resiliency of the population against flooding and financing instruments.
Drainage and Irrigation Act not...
Sunday July 24, 2016
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
Renaissance of the university needs full support PAT DIAL The University of Guyana has always been a major concern of the public and this is seen at the times of the Common Entrance and CXC Examinations when parents are in great anxiety and worry that their children may not achieve good grades. Parents would desire their children to achieve good grades so that they could adequately satisfy the entry requirements of the University of Guyana (UG). Despite this widespread desire to attend and study at the university, the institution has been in a state of decline over the last several years and has suffered widespread criticism. Such criticism has been directed not only to the institution but to the graduates who are often described by employers as not being able to write a sentence in proper English. It seemed that nothing could be done to change or improve this state of affairs and it appeared that the University was destined to remain in the doldrums of decline for the foreseeable future. There however seems to
be a characteristic of Guyana that when it is thought that all is lost, there very often is an unexpected bounce back into success. And, over the last few months the university has unexpectedly embarked upon a course of renewal. At the beginning of the year Professor Nigel Harris took up the post as Chancellor. Mr. Nigel Gravesande was appointed Registrar. These are able, qualified and experienced Guyanese and they started on the work of rebuilding. In February, the Transformational Task Force which had been appointed under their leadership began serious deliberations. The Task Force’s membership consisted of several talented and able persons such as Major General Joe Singh. The cloud of pessimism which had enveloped the institution began to dissipate. To complete this team and greatly reinforce it, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith was appointed Vice-Chancellor, in effect Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the university. Prof Griffith began his academic career as a student of UG. As a UG
graduate, he entered American Academia earning its highest academic qualifications and continued his very notable and distinguished career in the strictly academic and also administrative fields. Unlike most distinguished Guyanese who had achieved honours and recognition in the Developed World, Prof. Griffith returned to Guyana to give back to the country of his birth. Though Prof. Griffith has taken up the office of ViceChancellor only just about a month ago, his leadership, creativity and energy have already begun to impact the Society and the University. An example of this is his first meeting with the public at the launching of the “Turkeyen Talks” series which was held at Duke Lodge to address the very topical issue of Britain leaving the European Community. Prof. Griffith impressively moderated the evening’s proceedings where the distinguished panel consisting of Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, British High Commissioner Greg Quinn,
CARICOM Ambassador Colin Granderson, Ms. Patricia Bacchus, Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Containers and Chair of GoInvest, and Dr. Thomas Singh, Economist, representing the University, presented. The occasion was a great success. It heralded the new extramural impact the University would be offering the Society. Prof. Griffith’s leadership seems to have already started to inspire the staff, for the university people who organized the occasion did so with enthusiasm. They included Public Relations Officer, Paulette Paul who welcomed the attendees in a gracious and personal way, Dr. Paloma Mohamed who did the difficult comprehensive back-room organization and Dr. Thomas Singh who was an intellectual live-wire. Prof. Griffith, in the very few weeks he has been in
office, has adumbrated some of the elements of the program he has in mind to bring about the Renaissance. He will be making full use of Information Technology in the various aspects of University activity. This will not only bring UG into the modern academic world but would also result in greater economies and efficiency. He intends raising the standard and quality of the Education offered at UG; to better the welfare of both students and staff; to improve infrastructural conditions; to encourage research and publications; to introduce a new faculty offering Petroleum Technologies; to strengthen the link between the alumni and the university since the alumni constitute a valuable resource; to address the financial state of the university and to assert the independence of the university. Guyana and the university
are lucky at this time to have such a team administering the institution. It is a team informed with and committed to constructive policies and capable of executing them. Students, staff, government, political parties, NGO’s and the public at large need to give them full support to achieve the success we all desire. Such support requires some sacrifice and above all, the exorcising of the pessimism and negativity which have so deeply infected the Guyanese psyche and society resulting in failure or inability to begin any constructive activity. The Renaissance of the university could be the catalyst for revival of the country.
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St Lucia PM wants CARICOM united on foreign relations CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — St Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet wants the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to adopt a unified position when dealing with the United States. According to Chastanet, while St Lucia completely supports the United States, by not speaking with one voice CARICOM has marginalized itself. “We have become irrelevant,” he said, adding that he was disappointed that the Caribbean was not at a meeting in Ottawa between Canada, Mexico and the United States.“The fact that we were not at that meeting,
Sunday July 24, 2016
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the fact that a lot of the things that were given to us initially that gave us an advantage we have lost and when we look at the amount of money that is being spent in the Caribbean in expectation they have for us to be able to provide proper security in this region is insufficient,” Chastanet told the Times Newspaper here. He said in addition, the issues surrounding correspondent banking relationship could lead to a crisis and supported the position taken by CARICOM leaders at their summit in Guyana to have united position on the matter. “We need to take responsibility and engage the
US in a different way, which means that all of us need to do more lobbying, become more familiar with the American political system, more familiar with state politics – meaning Governors, Senators and Congressmen, as well as on a national basis,” Chastanet said. Many CARICOM countries depend heavily on remittances and foreign direct investments that are facilitated by some of the world’s largest banks based in North America and Europe. But to comply with international regulations and lessen threats to their reputations, the banks are ending relationships in the region stigmatised as a tax haven.
Obama pays tribute to Patrick Manning
Flashback… US president Barack Obama greets then Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, during an event at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009. Photo: SHIRLEY BAHADUR
Trinidad Guardian - Late former prime minister Patrick Manning will be forever remembered for his powerful example of leadership and solidarity within T&T and throughout Latin America, US President Barack Obama has said. Obama made the comment in a condolence letter to Manning’s family, which was posted on Manning’s still active Facebook page Friday. Manning died on July 2 at age 69 after being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare, aggressive cancer, on June 30 at the San
Fernando General Hospital. He was laid to rest on July 9 after a state funeral. In a letter dated July 11 to Manning’s wife Hazel, Obama stated: “On behalf of the American people, I extend my deepest condolences on your husband’s passing. Prime Minister Manning was guided by his commitment to strengthening T&T in our time and for generations to come.“Through his service, he endeavoured to express possibility in the lives of his fellow citizens and in so doing, he helped change the life of his country. His legacy
will live on and for his powerful example of leadership and solidarity - within T&T and throughout Latin America - he will be forever remembered. “At this difficult time, please know Michelle and I are keeping you, Brian and David in our thoughts.” Obama also singed the letter. Obama had met Manning in 2009 when T&T hosted the Summit of the Americas - one of Manning’s pioneering initiatives. This involved North, South and Central (Latin) American leaders.
Regional woman candidate vying for United Nations top job NEW YORK, USA — A Costa Rican woman is in the running for the position of secretary general of the United Nations. Christiana Figueres was nominated by the government of her home country in early July. As of now, there are 11 candidates to succeed Korean Ban Ki-moon, the current UN secretary general, whose tenure concludes January 1, 2017. The UN has never had a female secretary general in its 70-year history, and some argue it’s time for a woman to be at the helm. However, Figueres isn’t the only woman nominated. Argentinian Susana Malcorra, Croatian politician Vesna Pusic, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, former Moldovan chancellor Natalia Gherman, and former New Zealand prime minister and current
Christiana Figueres
administrator of the UN Development Programme Helen Clark are all being considered.Economist and analyst Figueres is the daughter of José Figueres Ferrer, who served three times as president of Costa Rica. Currently, she is the executive secretary of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and participated in the talks for that convention and the Kyoto Protocol. About climate change, Figueres warned in 2015: “[…] the fight against climate change is a process and the necessary transformation of world economy won’t be decided by a conference or an agreement, [but it’s] probably the hardest task we’ve engaged in, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history.”When asked if she thinks Latin America supports her nomination, she answered: “[…] nominations to UN Secretary General “should not be understood as sub regional or regional nominations. They should be understood as global nominations.”
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Kaieteur News
Bullet-riddled bodies at Berbice…
Friend who invited men Munich gunman fixated on mass to fish among suspects killing, had no Islamist ties
Murdered: Dawan Chandradeo c/d Suresh
Murdered: Naresh Rooplall c/d Tika boy
Murdered: Jaikarran Chandradeo c/d Kevin
A farmer’s employee and a friend of murder victims Pawan Chandradeo, Naresh Rooplall and Jaikarran Chandradeo, are among three people in custody, as police try to find out who blasted the victims with a shotgun in the Mibicuri backdam last Friday. According to police sources, two of the detained men are security workers at a camp near a rice farm, located a short distance from the area where the victims had gone fishing. From information received, police have indicated that the killers and their victims were well acquainted. “We have some leads that we are following so hopefully we will be able to make some more arrests and give the family some closure,” Divisional Commander, Ian Amsterdam, said yesterday. “This is a very tragic incident and we are working around the clock to ensure that the family has the justice they deserve.” However, investigators are still seeking a motive for the brutal execution-style killing. “The first man (that was detained) would have invited
them (to fish), and we have heard that somebody did not want them fishing in the rice field.” Kaieteur News understands that one of the detained men had initially denied that he had accompanied the victims to fish. The bodies of 37-year-old Pawan Chandradeo, called ‘Suresh’ of Lot 163 Mibicuri, BBP; 33-year-old Naresh Rooplall called ‘Ticka Bai’ of No. 77 Village, Corentyne and 15-year-old Jaikarran Chandradeo called ‘Kevin’ of Mibicuri North, were found around 09.00 hrs on Friday in a backdam at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne. The slain teen still had a bag with fish slung around his shoulder. The corpses bore gaping shotgun wounds to the heads and upper bodies. Three shotgun cartridges were found near the bodies. Investigators are trying to ascertain whether any of the detained individuals own a shotgun. According to reports, the victims were found by Sudama Jagmohan, a rice farmer of Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder and his
workmen. According to Jagmohan, he was on his way to his rice field at Cookrite area where he also has hassars. Jaghoman said that on their way to his farm, they group found the bodies lying on a dam in his rice-land. He immediately called a neighbour who informed the police. The police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Marlon Taylor and residents, secured boats and journeyed to the area where they eventually came upon the graphic scene. Shoba Devi Luckicharan, the mother of Naresh Rooplall, told Kaieteur News that her son ventured to the backdam to catch fish. With him were her son-inlaw and two grandsons, Jaikarran and Alvin. According to reports, 13year old Alvin Chanderdeo, who accompanied them, was left at a pump station on a dam, as the others went further into the savannahs to fish. The lad stayed at the pump station from where he reportedly heard gunshots. The bodies are at Ramoo’s Funeral Home awaiting Post Mortem Examinations.
Cameron made last-ditch pre-vote appeal to Merkel over immigration – BBC
Reuters - Days before Britain’s referendum on whether to leave the European Union, former Prime Minister David Cameron made an appeal to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for limits on the free movement of people, the BBC reported yesterday. Britons voted on June 23 to exit the EU, with the issue of immigration and control of the free movement of people from the bloc a key campaigning issue for the “Leave” camp. As polls indicated immigration concerns were swaying the public towards supporting Brexit, the BBC said Cameron, who quit after
David Cameron
the EU result, telephoned Merkel to ask if she was willing to issue a statement with other EU leaders agreeing to make concessions on free
movement if Britain voted to stay. The idea was eventually shelved and the BBC said Merkel had told Cameron at an EU summit after the vote that there could be no compromise on free movement within the bloc. Andrew Cooper, an ally of Cameron who was the main pollster for Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, said the “Remain” camp had failed to respond to public fears about immigration. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Friday he had “no doubt” that a balance between overall access to the single European market and freedom of movement could be struck.
Reuters - A GermanIranian teenager who shot dead nine people in Munich was a deranged lone gunman obsessed with mass killings who drew no inspiration from Islamist militancy, police said yesterday. The 18-year-old, born and raised locally, opened fire near a busy shopping mall on Friday evening, triggering a lockdown in the Bavarian state capital. Seven of his victims were themselves teenagers, who police said he may have lured to their deaths via a hacked Facebook account on what was the fifth anniversary of twin attacks by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik that killed 77 people. The Munich shooting, in which a further 27 people were wounded, some seriously, was the third act of violence against civilians in Western Europe - and the second in southern Germany - in eight days. Bavarian state crime office president Robert Heimberger said the gunman, who German media named as Ali David Sonboly, was carrying more than 300 bullets in his backpack and pistol when he shot himself. Munich police witnessed the suicide at 8:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT), the police force said yesterday. Following a police search of the attacker’s room, where a book on teenage shooting sprees was discovered, Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae all but ruled out an Islamist militant link to the attack. “Based on the searches,
A young boy places flowers near the Olympia shopping mall, where Friday’s shooting rampage started, in Munich, Germany. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
there are no indications whatsoever that there is a connection to Islamic State” or to the issue of refugees, he told a news conference. “Documents on shooting sprees were found, so the perpetrator obviously researched this subject intensively.” The gunman was born and brought up in the Munich area and had spent time in psychiatric care, and there was no evidence to suggest he had an accomplice, Andrae said.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said it was also too early to associate the Munich shootings with Breivik, who in 2011 shot dead 69 attendees at a youth summer camp hours after murdering eight others by detonating a van bomb in Oslo. But he told German public television the government would look carefully at its security measures once the investigation was completed to see if any changes were needed.
Turkey’s Erdogan shuts schools, charities in first state of emergency decree
Reuters - President Tayyip Erdogan tightened his grip on Turkey yesterday, ordering the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions in his first decree since imposing a state of emergency after the failed military coup. Turkish authorities also detained a nephew of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.based Muslim cleric accused by Ankara of orchestrating the July 15 coup attempt, the Anadolu state news agency reported. A restructuring of Turkey’s once untouchable military also drew closer, with a planned meeting between Erdogan and the already purged top brass brought forward by several days. The schools and other institutions are suspected by
Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish authorities of having links to Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup attempt in which at least 246 people were killed. His nephew, Muhammed Sait Gulen, was detained in the northeastern city of Erzurum
and will be brought to the capital Ankara for questioning, Anadolu reported. Among possible charges that could be brought against him is membership of a terrorist organisation, the agency said. It is the first time a relative of Gulen has been reported detained since the failed coup. Turkey has also captured a key aide to Gulen, a presidency official said. Halis Hanci, described as the cleric’s right-hand man, apparently entered Turkey two days before the abortive coup, the official told reporters. Hasan Karakus, the pilot who bombed the special forces command in Ankara and killed 42 police officers, was also caught in Turkey, said the official.
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WANTED One experienced cook to work in snackette & bar – Call: 647-7432; 223-5798 Mini bus driver; 40yrs and older. Call: 665-2619 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535.
Register now for summer courses in cosmetology and nails between 2nd -25th August – Cost $15,000 Call Abby:619-7603
INNOVATIVEMARKETING& PUBLISHINGINC–TEL:6004212: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:6294946 or 225-4822 RAMDASS VISA APPLICATION & immigration services, room A-4, Maraj Building, Georgetown. Call Samantha: 227-0295; 615-9295 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045
Earn a certificate in cosmetology; enroll now at Artee’s Beauty Salon & School of cosmetology. Call: 275-0267; 680-0156
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Get all your grillwork done, best prices. Call: 647-6569 B U I L D I N G CONTRACTOR: HOUSE PLAN ESTIMATES, ETC, GENERAL HOME MAINTENANCE –CALL: 216-0267; 692-8464 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician: FB/ Brian.Moe.165: Home and Office visits at your comfort!! FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578 ACCOMMDATION Harmony Inn: clean, comfortable & affordable apartments/rooms, long & short term – Call: 668-0306; 218-1400; 694-7817
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
2 Experienced hallow block makers. Call: 619-8761 Office Assistant/Secretary. Call: 609-3650; 600-0051 Housekeeper needed to work 8am to 4pm. Attractive salary. Please call 685-1403 after 12pm Upholster to work on chairs, bus seats and car seats. Call: 680-1967 Wanted urgently, general domestic workers, good pay. Call: 641-3687 Experienced mason for plastering and laying tiles. Call: 227-1830
LAND FOR SALE
Land for sale at Eccles and Diamond. Call: 609-7766 We have interest in buying lands at Farm & Herstelling. Call: 266-0693 Transported land for sale @ Heywood Enmore, E.C.D-Call (592) 622-5824; (592) 671-5395 Transported land for sale located at the Right Bank of the Essequibo River- Call (592) 622-5824; (592) 671-5395 Transported land for sale located on the eastern side of Palmyra, Berbice. - Call (592) 622-5824; (592) 671-5395 Residential 100X100 lease lot @ Kuru Kururu, first Hill from SoesdykeJunction-Call:680-6136
Corner property in Grove, 1 block from Main Road- Flat House, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572 High value transported land and 2 bedrooms newly built house, Greater Diamond E.B.D -$16M negotiable. Call: 265-4338 Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 Fully furnished transported commercial/residential property @ 249 Buzz-BeeDam, Craig, E.B.D; also 3 Canter trucks -$240M negotiable. Call: 652-0519/ 628-6847 Newly built @ Craig E.B.D (land size: 91X50 feet), (House 40X28), 3 rooms, 1 self contained. Call:718-213-6496; 679-8091 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities -$41M –Call: 6629335; 612-3244
Land @ La Grange Public Road to Sea Dam, 4 Acres, could be use for commercial /Housing Scheme-Call: 625-1514 La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.1M, $1.6M, $2.5M; Tuschen School Street -$2.5M, New Road Vreed-en-Hoop -$26M, $30M. Call: 604-6724 Eccles - $5M, Herstelling$5M, Tuschen front-$5.5M, Leonora -$3M, Zeelugt, Uitvlugt -$2.5M, Zeeburg $5M Call: 604-6724
FOR RENT PROPERTY FOR SALE
VACANCY Vacancies exist for workers @ Ice Factory and Meadow Bank Wharf. Call: 231-1408; 642-9191 8am-2pm Popular East Coast Gas Station (Non-Pareil) Day/ Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 695-9880 Cashier 6am-3pm & 3pm12pm. Submit application to Shell Station Providence East Bank Demerara, shellramsburg@gmail.com Janitorial Staff with experience, able to work flexible hours. Applications must be sent to PO.BOX 12329 1 Nanny to read, tutor & care for 1 year old baby boy. Apply in person @ Alabama Trading, Ferry Stelling Stabroek. TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
1 Church building in front and 2 story building at the back 30X120, vacant possession, 180 Charolotte Street Bourda. Call:624-7341/227-6817/226-5183 Transported property in Regent Street between Wellington & Camp. Call: 625-1514 New Road Vreed-en-Hoop $17M, La Parfaite Harmonie $5M, $7M, $20M, Parika$50M, $8.5M, La Grange $18M, $24M, terms available. Call: 604-6724 2 Bedrooms house top + bottom by the line at 35 Key Drive Road, Enterprise Gardens, E.C.D- Call: 691-7307 Property with 6 bedrooms at Pouderoyen, Coghlan Dam, WBD, Third Lot on the Left of Street -$4.5M- Call: 6787355 House Lot For Sale @ Parika, Old Road. Contact#650-0402 Lot 764 Sixth St, Plantation Paradise, Dazzle H/Scheme, E.C.D-Call: 255-3437 Furnished wooden house & land & neighbouring land 60X100 -$20M Negotiable, Sol separately also M.M.Z, W.C.D. Call: 655-0767 Transported property for sale @ Logwood, Enmore, E.C.D-Call (592) 622-5824; (592) 671-5395
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM Wings 4WD pickup rental: 679-3525
CAR RENTAL
TO LET
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL. COM
One bedroom apartment, self contained unfurnished @ Land of Canaan E.B.D. Call Navo: 692-3617; Bob: 6420867
Aidan’s Car Rental: 4WD pickup. Call: 698-7807
1- New 2 bedrooms house in Triumph E.C.D -$50,000 negotiable. Call: 615-4178
VEHICLE FOR SALE 2010 IST -$2.6M, 2011 BLUEBIRD -$2.7M, 2011 RACTIS -$2.6M, 2009 AXIO -$2.4M, 2009 BELTA -2.4M. CALL: 617-2891
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
SALE! SALE! 2010 IST $2.4M, 2009 NOAH -$2.5M, ARUIS -$2.5M- CALL: 6172891
Teepee Suites Apartments: Lot 7 Princes Street, Charlestown, Guyana. Call: 592-223-7903/email: teepeesuites@yahoo.com
3 TON CANTER ENCLOSE AND OPEN BACK WITH 4D ENGINE, PRICE -$3.6M, NEVER REGISTERED – CALL: 617-2891
Space ideally for Creole Restaurant/clothing/ cosmetics, located by Stabroek Market, Royal Castle. Call: 642-7743
2004 MITSUBISHI CANTER, 4D 33 ENGINE, 2 TON, UNREGISTERED -$2.4M. CALL: 642-7295 2010 TOYOTA FIELDER, BODY KIT, MAGS, CD, FULLY LOADED, UNREGISTERED -$2.5M. CALL: 642-7295 2010 TOYOTA PREMIO, FULLY LOADED, UNREGISTERED -$3.3M. CALL: 642-7295 One Hilux E/Cab pick-up, manual, gasoline, A/C. Call: 676-0931 Oswin J’s Auto Imports: Premio 2008-2011, Allion 2008-2011, Rush 2008-2009, Fielder -2008, Axio 2008. Call: 609-2815 Closeout Sale! 2002 Premio $2M, 2004 Spacio -$2M, 2007 Belta -$2.1M. Call: 269-0432; 686-0323 One Toyota Raum for sale, HB 9090, in good working condition. Call: 220-7989; 6437741 Long base canter-$2M, Honda Fit -$900,000, 212 Car -$1M, Mitsubishi Car $700,000. Call: 604-6724 1 Mazda RX8 2006, immaculate condition, price negotiable. Call: 216-0578; 697-9140; 680-3813 1 L-Touring Wagon (yellow) for sale $750,000 negotiable. Call: 616-0111
2 Bedroom apartment in exclusive residential Airport, close to Ogle Airport , with all modern amenities. Call for appointment 622-5725. Two bedrooms bottom flat situated at Lot 6 Drysdale Street Charlestown -$50,000 monthly. Call: 677-5031 One two bedrooms apartment at lot 1031 ‘B’ field Sophia. Call Maureen: 6508827 & Colin: 621-5781 One business place to rent at Stewartville opposite Stewartville Primary School WCD. Call: 613-5261 Newly renovated; 2 bedrooms bottom flat with parking in LBI. Call: 220-3394; 628-8210 One 2 bedroom apartment located at Section ‘A’ Block ‘X’ Great Diamond, E.B.D. For more information, please call: 643-9286; 603-0067 1-3 Bedrooms house in 1st Field S/E Cummings Lodge -$50,000 monthly. Call: 225-9748 Business to rent ideal top flat spot for: restaurant/bar/ nightclub/day or night business, Georgetown. Call: 694-7266 Commercial space @ Regent Road Bourda & event space for rent. Starting at $50,000. Call 683-3609
Honda Civic M/Car “SS” series -$1.4M negotiable. Call: 696-2815
Newly renovated 2 bedrooms apartment situated in Wortmanville – Call: 6260651; 611-9070 MASSAGE
1- Toyota IST 2003 $1,950,000, 1-Toyota Alteeza 1999 -$2,000,000. Call: 6145258; 651-8350
The Gent’s Spa: take time for yourself with lovely masseuses. For appointments call: 658-6677
1 RZ, PLL, good condition. Price -$1.2M Call: 617-6781
FOR SALE/RENT 4 Storey concrete building located @ Regent & Alexander Street, suitable for mining companies, Brazilian restaurants/Bars. Call: 626-1150
1 Nissan X-trail, low mileage -$3M; 1 Chevy Cruze, minivan -$1.6M (both in excellent condition). Call: 626-1150 Toyota Belta 1300CC, one owner, PLL 9400 + Series, 2006 model - $1.7M negotiable. Call: 655-0767
4 Storey concrete building located @ Regent & Alexander Street, suitable for bars and any other accommodations. Call: 626-1150 Continue page 71
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Gold miner forced... Minister Norton takes... From page 16 of ownership and has gone public. Halfrose, whose frustration has reached a boiling point, was forced to make police reports of threats and even gunplay to the Bartica Police Station VIDEO FOOTAGE Kaieteur News was able to view footage taken by Halfrose from his mobile device after his attempts to confront the ‘raiders’ were rebuffed. According to Halfrose, he was fired on by one of the raiders. Halfrose, who is a licensed firearm holder, chose the path of least resistance, but returned in order to obtain video evidence of the situation. In the footage, the ‘raiders’ can be heard telling Halfrose that he did not own any land there and
daring him to do something about the situation. The taunts included “you can carry that (film) to the marines.” When Halfrose asked why they were working on the land without permission, the response was “just like how people working, we working.” The man went on to say, on film “Government got to pull in their tail! They frighten for people call their name.” Halfrose called on the relevant authorities to do their job in a professional a n d t i m e l y m a n n e r, especially as lives may be at stake. Noting that officials seem at a loss about the true status of his land, Halfrose referenced his documentation and made it clear that the law must be respected.
Discord at GNBA... From page 12 members, spoke on the grounds of anonymity. The member said that Vieira is convinced that Craig is less than competent to be the Chairman of the Board. Vieira even wrote a letter to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, at one point expressing zero confidence in Craig’s ability to lead the board on any issue related to broadcasting. He told the First Vice President that he would step down as a member as he refuses to be led by an inept person. There are reports that Vieira had even attempted to move a no confidence motion to the Board against Craig. And there are also reports that Vieira sometimes invited members from the Board to his sub-committee meetings so he can make decisions there. He then returns to the full Board saying, “We have made these decisions.” Members say that the responsible Minister, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, is aware of the situation but has taken no action. “The Minister knows. I think the entire cabinet knows.” Nagamootoo could not be reached. From all indications, the current struggle between Vieira and Craig is nothing new “but most of us thought they would have sorted things out by now.” Aside from what has been reported by members of the Board, there have been public hints that Craig and Vieira are not on the same wave length, for want of a better term. A few months ago, Vieira had made statements about the radio licences. Craig later told the public that Vieira was out of order with his remarks and that his statements were
not an accurate representation of the discussions of the Board. Some members are of the opinion that Craig is trying his best, while others feel that he is in way over his head and they support Vieira. Vieira chose not to comment on the reported discord between him and Craig. He said that there are “some issues holding us up.” Craig had explained that plans previously announced by the Authority cannot be implemented unless the necessary regulations are in place. If the regulations become approved by Cabinet, GNBA’s Board will then ask all broadcasters to reapply for licences that will now conform to the new regulations. Craig said that on file applicants will be asked to update their applications to also confirm with the new format.
From page 13 seen the same Matron being accused of insubordination by two Chief Executive Officers. “She has been refusing to carry out instructions of the CEOs and the law states in no uncertain terms that she is accountable to the CEO of the hospital.” According to Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, the CEO (Ag) at a recent Board meeting disclosed that he had written to the Matron on multiple occasions about her behaviour and she had not followed his instructions. The Matron was also written to last year by Mr. Michael Khan (CEO), who is currently on administrative leave himself, pending the outcome of a forensic audit of the hospital. Khan has also cited the Matron for “gross insubordination” and had terminated her services, a decision which was subsequently rescinded. “This alone tells you that there is something that is not in the best interest of the public and that worries me. If I have any insinuation, any indication, any inclination that something is not going in the best interest of the public then I would do everything to correct that situation,” said Minister Norton.
From page 70
CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery; also edible images and Wedding dresses for sale. Call: 670-0798
MIX BREED PUPS –CALL: 615-0146
Measures being... From page 15 of a report that has the workings of a Parliamentary Sub-Committee which recommended several steps to be taken to enable the agency to recover loan balances. This was revealed by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman. He had stated that the Sub-Committee recommended a review of the organizational structure and business processes of the agency, to make it compliant with auditing and accounting frameworks. He added that included in the report also, were a number of recommendations for short and medium term measures to streamline the agency and to set “clear” conditions for loan applications.
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
EDUCATIONAL Electronic Course. Starting 9th August. Hands-on training repairing all types of TVs,etc.Call:226-6551;225-0391 IAE: Register for full time school (Grades 7-11) CSEC lessons; adults and school leavers CXC classes. Call Mr. Roberts: 683-5742 Summer classes in Maths, English, Phonics, composition writing and much more for slow leaners. Call: 675-4379 Summer Classes: age 5-17 yrs, Phonics classes Forms 1-5 CXC adults classes, all subject area. Call: 690-5008; 693-4588; 621-8809
One 6 base music set with QSC amps, RCF speakers. Call: 622-0503; 689-9932 1-210 Hyundai excavator, good condition, any reasonable offer accepted. Call: 610-0515; 216-1390 German Shepherd puppies, 1 adult German Shepherd, 2 adult Rottweiler. Call: 2202277; 220-8904; 629-1471 Crazy Deal! Dell laptops & desktop computers, loaded with lots of games & educational programs from $49,000. FutureTech: 231-2206 Perkins V8 Turbo Charge 170KVa Generator in working condition, Call 223-7380 Used XBOX 360 and play station 3- $35,000, plastic barrels -$4,000. Call: 621-7497; 603-8643 1 -580C Hymac), 1-130 KVA Gen Set 4-Cly, 1-55 dump truck with Hiab, 1-600 RR CBR 2010, 1-3 Ton Road Roller. Call: 6411421; 684-4804 ROAD TO BELWASA & A DIP AT THE SANGAM. AVAILABLE @ AUSTIN’S BOOK STORE- TEL: 2267350/7 & AT LATCHMANSINGH DRUG STORE. TEL: 226-5053 Raw loam & mix loam (any quantity) for sale. Call (592) 627-0903; (592) 671-5395 1 Steel hull cargo boat 50’X13’X6’ engine- 671-GM. Call: 691-5104; 609-3447 9 Stalls 64 to 72 (47feet long x 7 feet wide) @ La Penitence Market Albouystown, Also 80 Mannequins @ $800 per piece- Call: 225-4410; 2184837 1 Craftsman generator 42,000 watts-$50,000. Call: 628-7337 Top flat; 3 bedroom house 24X40, $14.9 M, $3M down payment. Contact#650-0402 Land at Blankenburg $3.9M & up, financing available. Contact#650-0402 Land at Schoonord, Boodhoo’s Housing Scheme $6.5 M, financing available. Contact#650-0402
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Attacking Trump, Democrat Kaine makes campaign-trail debut Reuters - Tim Kaine made his first appearance on the campaign trail as Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential running mate yesterday, urging Democrats to make history by putting Clinton in the White House and leaping to attack Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s record.
founding the failed Trump University. “When Donald Trump says he has your back, you better watch out,” Kaine said, with Clinton sitting at his side nodding. “He leaves a trail of broken promises and wrecked lives wherever he goes. We can’t afford to let him do the same thing to our country.”
In choosing the softspoken Kaine, a former Richmond mayor and Virginia governor with a long establishment resume, Clinton opted for a steady and experienced hand who she hopes will offer a clear alternative to Trump’s volatile campaign and his Republican vice presidential choice Mike
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator Tim Kaine take the stage at a campaign rally in Miami, Florida, U.S. July 23, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Joining Clinton at a rally in the battleground state of Florida, the bilingual Kaine peppered Spanish-language phrases into a speech focused heavily on introducing himself to voters unfamiliar with the low-key U.S. senator from Virginia. Kaine criticized Trump’s recent suggestion that he might not honour U.S. security commitments to NATO in Europe, and the real estate mogul’s history of casino bankruptcies and
Clinton unveiled her choice of Kaine late on Friday, grabbing the political spotlight from Trump, who accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night after a chaotic four-day convention. The former secretary of state will formally be nominated as her party’s presidential candidate in the Nov. 8 election at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, which opens tomorrow.
Pence. “Senator Tim Kaine is everything Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not. He is qualified to step into this job and lead on day one,” Clinton told the Miami crowd. In his speech, Kaine described his childhood in Kansas City helping his father in his metal-working shop and his Catholic mission to Honduras, where he helped teenagers with carpentry and welding and they taught him Spanish.
Negative International Perception Affecting Correspondent Banking For Jamaican Banks The Gleaner - At least two local banks say Jamaica is finding it difficult to do correspondent banking with overseas banks because of the negative perception international banks have of the Caribbean region, even though they are in compliance with regulations. Correspondent banking allows overseas banks to partner with local banks so Jamaicans can send and receive money across jurisdictions. But many International banks have been refusing to do correspondent banking with the Caribbean region, citing the region’s reputation for money laundering offenses as one of the reasons. Last week Jamaica National Building Society and Victoria Mutual Building
Society (VMBS) announced that a UK correspondent bank has signaled that it is no longer interested in doing business with them, as part of a decision to sever ties with banks in Latin America and the Caribbean. Both banks have revealed that thousands of Jamaicans with UK accounts including pensioners and those who use remittance services are likely to be affected. At a press conference Friday VMBS and JN representatives stated that they are in compliance with international regulations that govern correspondent banking. But VMBS Vice President of group legal compliance, Keri-Gaye Brown says Jamaican financial institutions are suffering because the Caribbean is
viewed as a risky region for correspondent banking. In the meantime, VMBS and JN have given the assurance that Jamaican financial institutions are seeking help to address the problems that the country faces with correspondent banking. JN Executive of government Relations and Public Policy, Onika Miller says negotiations are being held with stakeholders to make international r e g u l a t o r s aware of the negative effects of their lack of partnership. Miller states that the Caribbean is not unique to correspondent banking challenges, adding that many developing countries around the world face similar issues with large banks from developed countries.
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Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Former Argentina leader slams corruption probes as political plot EL CALAFATE, Argentina (Reuters) - Facing corruption probes that threaten to land her behind bars, former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez described her growing legal troubles as part of a “persecution” of progressive Latin American leaders that has boosted the right in the region. Speaking to foreign media at her Patagonian estate, Fernandez compared her situation to that of Brazil’s suspended centre-left President Dilma Rousseff, now subjected to an impeachment trial in the
Senate. “In the case of Brazil, the intervention of a partisan judiciary is very clear, and you’re seeing it here as well,” Fernandez said, describing parallel efforts by media to smear progressive leaders. “It’s obvious it’s a judicial persecution.” Fernandez, 63, said allegations of graft and money laundering during her administration were trumped up by unnamed powerful interests who want to punish her for putting Argentines before foreign investors as she managed Latin America’s third biggest economy
between 2007 and 2015. Investigations targeting Fernandez have moved rapidly since her centre-right nemesis, Mauricio Macri, replaced her as president in December. In May, Fernandez was indicted on charges related to the central bank’s sale of dollars in the futures market. Soon after, anti-corruption police searched her properties and she was embarrassed anew when her former public works secretary was caught stashing bags of cash in a convent in a Buenos Aires suburb last month.
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Munich gunman fixated on mass killing, had no Islamist ties Reuters - A GermanIranian teenager who shot dead nine people in Munich was a deranged lone gunman obsessed with mass killings who drew no inspiration from Islamist militancy, police said yesterday. The 18-year-old, born and raised locally, opened fire near a busy shopping mall on Friday evening, triggering a lockdown in the Bavarian state capital. Seven of his victims were themselves teenagers, who police said he may have lured to their deaths via a hacked Facebook account on what was the fifth anniversary of twin attacks by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik that killed 77 people. The Munich shooting, in which a further 27 people were wounded, some seriously, was the third act of violence against civilians in Western Europe - and the second in southern Germany - in eight days. Bavarian state crime office president Robert Heimberger said the gunman, who German media named as Ali David Sonboly, was carrying more than 300 bullets in his
A young boy places flowers near the Olympia shopping mall, where Friday’s shooting rampage started, in Munich, Germany. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
backpack and pistol when he shot himself. Munich police witnessed the suicide at 8:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT), the police force said yesterday. Following a police search
of the attacker’s room, where a book on teenage shooting sprees was discovered, Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae all but ruled out an Islamist militant link to the attack.
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Hungarian GP: Nico Rosberg keeps pole after investigation but others under scrutiny Nico Rosberg will keep pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix following an investigation into his conduct in qualifying. Race stewards decided after a studying data from the car that the German slowed sufficiently for waved yellow flags for a car stationary on track. Rosberg’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton lost pole because he slowed after McLaren’s Fernando Alonso spun. Rosberg was running behind Hamilton and slowed only fractionally.
Stewards did not announce they were investigating the incident until 19:16 local time - more than three hours after qualifying finished. But they subsequently decided that he had “reduced speed sufficiently into Turn Eight”. But the grid could yet change because, in the hectic conditions of a wet first qualifying session that featured three crashes and four red flags, half the field did not set times within 107% of the fastest lap in that session. According to article 35.1
of the sporting regulations, any car that does not manage this will not be allowed to start. Exceptions can be made, but in that case the drivers in question are classified in the order of final practice. This could mean that Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will be demoted from third and fourth places on the grid to 12th (Verstappen) and 13th. And Williams’ Valtteri Bottas could drop from 10th to 14th. No decision has yet been made on this issue. (BBCsport)
Lewis Hamilton trails Nico Rosberg by just one point in the standings heading into this weekend’s race
Usain Bolt criticises Justin... dren will be most rewarding. Good day for romance. Love could develop with someone of a different cultural background.
(From page 74) treatment he would not receive were he American. ”He’s injured, gets a medical pass, that’s what his country does. Our country doesn’t do that,” Gatlin, who has twice served doping bans, was quoted as saying
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You should not get involved in joint ventures. Joining organizations will provide you with stimulating romantic contacts. Try to take care of the needs of those you love.
Tallawahs brimming with...
Sunday July 24, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) They will not be in the right frame of mind to put up with tactless comments. You will have a problem with your boss if you haven't done your job. Get involved in philosophic groups that will enlighten you. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You have a lot to offer. Spend time with friends or family. Take the time to do your job correctly or you may find yourself looking for a new one. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Compromising could be on the agenda today. You can have a working relationship with children if you exercise patience and understanding of the dilemmas they face. Contracts will not be as lucrative as you think. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You would be wise to socialize with as many people as possible. You're in a high cycle for romance. Do not let others exhaust you financially. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) In-laws or relatives may oppose your personal intentions. Better still, take your mate and let them foot the bill. Direct your energy wisely. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Build on friendship rather than starting out in an intimate encounter. Social activities will be satisfying. Your family may not be pleased with your decisions. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your involvement with chil-
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You have done all you can to sort things out a personal level. You should put a little extra effort in at work. Take care of yourself or you can expect to suffer from minor illness. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may be angry if someone tries to take credit for something you did. This is not the best time to take a risk, to gamble or spend money you really can't afford to part with. Sign up for courses that will help you understand yourself better. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Don't bother complaining, do the work yourself. You will have a problem holding on to your cash today. You can make financial deals, but it may be best if you're not using your own cash. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Don't let domestic problems interfere with your objectives. You may find that family members may not be too easy to get along with. Changes regarding your career direction will payoff handsomely.
(From page 78) Tallawahs stars Kumar Sangakkara, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton and Coach Paul Nixon conducted a coaching clinic, in association with the International Cricket Council, for 150 children in Central Broward Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida on Friday morning to preview the ground-breaking Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) leg of matches which starts next Thursday, 28 July when Guyana Amazon Warriors face Barbados Tridents (7pm). In addition, Hero CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe was joined by City of Lauderhill Mayor Richard J. Kaplan, Broward County Commissioner Dale V.C. Holness to discuss the opportunities for growth of West Indies and American cricket. The Ticket Office at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, located next to the Central Broward Stadium, is selling tickets from Monday to Friday (10am-5pm) and on Saturday (12 – 4pm) to enable fans to physically buy tickets in advance of the biggest party in sport this summer. (CPL)
in the American press. At the Olympic Stadium on Friday night, Bolt finished 0.15 seconds ahead of Panama’s Alonso Edward in second, with Britain’s Commonwealth silver medallist Adam Gemili
third. The fastest 200m time of the year is 19.74 by United States sprinter LaShawn Merritt, while Bolt’s word record - set in 2009 - is 19.19. (BBCsport)
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Gordon Derrick re-elected CFU President for a Second Consecutive Term Miami, Fl. — With a majority of the votes, Gordon Derrick (Antigua and Barbuda) was re-elected President of the CFU for his second consecutive term. The XXXIX Ordinary Congress is being held at Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel, Yankee Clipper Conference Room where all 31 members of the union are present. The other members elected were: Cheney Joseph ( G r e n a d a ) F i r s t Vi c e President; Rignaal Francisca (Curacao) Second Vice President; Lyndon Cooper (St. Lucia) Third Vice President; Richard Dijkhoff ( A r u b a ) F o u r t h Vi c e President; and Randolph Harris (Barbados), Eric Labrador (Puerto Rico), Bruce Blake (Cayman Islands), and Jeaninne Wong Loi Sing (Bonaire) Executive Committee Members. The elections were
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Gordon Derrick conducted by CFU General Secretary Neil Cochrane, who was assisted by Marco Leal, CONCACAF’s Head of Member Associations and Legal Affairs. The scrutineers were drawn from the Dominican Republic, St. Martin and Suriname.
The elections, which were originally listed as the last item on the agenda, took place early after Puerto Rico successfully moved a motion to bring the process forward. In accordance with the CFU Statues, the mandate of the new Executive Committee will begin after the conclusion of the Congress. The official election r e s u l t s a r e : President - Gordon Derrick (Antigua and Barbuda) First Vice President Cheney Joseph (Grenada) Second Vice President Rignaal Francisca (Curacao) Third Vice President Lyndon Cooper (St. Lucia) Fourth Vice President Richard Dijkhoff (Aruba) Executive Committee Members - Bruce Blake (Cayman Islands), Randolph Harris (Barbados), Eric Labrador (Puerto Rico), Jeaninne Wong Loi Sing (Bonaire).
Joe Root hits 254 as hosts dominate at Old Trafford Joe Root made a career-best 254 and Chris Woakes took three wickets as England dominated Pakistan in the second Test at Old Trafford. Root helped England declare on 589-8 before Pakistan crumbled to 57-4 on the second evening, trailing by 532. Woakes, who made 58, removed Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and nightwatchman Rahat Ali in six overs late on. Ben Stokes also had Younus Khan caught behind to put England - 1-0 down in the series - in a commanding position. Unbeaten on 141 overnight, Root batted for more than 10 hours in total, facing 406 balls and hitting 27 fours, although Younus dropped a sharp low chance at slip off Yasir Shah on 155. Root put on 113 with Woakes, 57 with Stokes and 106 in only 20 overs with Bairstow as England added 275 to their overnight at more than four runs an over. He was largely content to play the anchor role - it took him 23 deliveries to go from 190 to 200, reaching the milestone with a reversesweep off Yasir - before cutting loose either side of tea. The leg-spinner, Pakistan’s match-winner with 10 wickets at Lord’s, finished with 1-213 from 54 overs. Stokes hit five fours in his 34 before he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz following a Pakistan review, despite no apparent conclusive video evidence that he had gloved a pull. Root eventually fell to a top-edged pull off Wahab Riaz, and Bairstow’s dismissal shortly after prompted the declaration. Nightwatchman Woakes played a key role with the bat alongside Root, scoring freely on the second morning. He hit the only six of the England innings - a superb upper-cut over third man off Mohammad Amir - before offering a tame return catch to Yasir.
Joe Root punches the air after bringing up his second Test double-century © Getty Images
But Woakes’ most important contribution came with the ball, adding to his 11-wicket haul at Lord’s with three early victims in Pakistan’s reply. He had Hafeez taken by Root at second slip in his first over and caught Azhar one-handed above his head off his own bowling. After Younus Khan gloved Stokes down the leg side via his glove, Rahat fended a Woakes bouncer to short leg to cap a day of almost total England dominance. England 589-8 dec: Root 254, Cook 105, Woakes 58, Bairstow 58. Pakistan 57-4: Woakes 3-18, Stokes 1-11. Pakistan trail by 532 runs.
Froome poised to land third Tour title
Yellow jersey leader Team Sky rider Chris Froome (C) of Britain rides with team mates during the stage. Reuters/Juan Medina TPX Images of the Day Chris Froome enhanced his reputation as one of the best Tour de France riders when he virtually secured his third title, holding on to his overall lead in the last competitive stage, won by S p a i n ’s I o n I z a g i r r e yesterday. Froome will wear the yellow jersey in the closing stage, a largely processional ride to the Champs Elysees in Paris today and is highly likely to join Belgium’s Philippe Thys, American Greg LeMond and France’s Louison Bobet on the list of triple winners. Ahead of them are fivetimes champions Miguel Indurain of Spain, Belgian great Eddy Merckx, Frenchmen Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil. ”It’s been a really intense race. It’s an incredible feeling to cross the finish line with my team mates, I want to thank them for their hard work, they’ve been with me every step of the way,” Froome said. The 31-year-old, who started the 146.5-km stage with a bandage on his right knee following a crash on
Friday, was never threatened on a stormy and rainy day in the Alps. He stayed safe on the slippery descents, well protected by his Sky team mates, and crossed the line with a relieved smile on his face. Froome, who is set to become the first rider to retain his title since Indurain in 1995, leads France’s Romain Bardet by four minutes five seconds. Nairo Quintana of Colombia, runner-up in 2013 and 2015, is third overall, 4:21 off the pace, while another Briton, Adam Yates, is fourth at 4:42 and will don the white jersey for the best under-25 rider in Paris. Riders and officials, with German champion Andre Greipel in front of the peloton, observed a minute’s silence in tribute to the victims of Friday’s mass shooting in Munich before the start of the stage. C z e c h R o m a n Kreuziger, who started the day in 12th place overall 9:45 off the pace, was part of the day’s breakaway that also featured his Tinkoff team mate Peter Sagan, the
world champion voted the most aggressive rider of the race, as well as 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali among others. They built up a maximum advantage of 6:22, meaning Kreuziger was virtually second overall, but the Astana team, protecting Fabio Aru’s sixth place in the general classification, pulled in front of the pack to reduce the gap. Aru cracked on the last climb and slipped out of the top 10. On the last climb to the intimidating Col de Joux Plane, an 11.6-km ascent at an average gradient of 8.5 percent, Nibali attacked to catch and drop France’s Julian Alaphilippe and Colombian Jarlinson Pantano. P a n t a n o , h o w e v e r, joined him near the top along with Izagirre, who came from behind, and the three went on to contest the stage win on the dangerous, wet descent. Izagirre took risks, reaching a top speed of about 80 kph to ride clear for Spain’s first stage win in this Tour. (Reuters)
Usain Bolt criticises Justin Gatlin after 200m win Usain Bolt accused sprint rival Justin Gatlin of “disrespect” after the sixtime Olympic champion won the 200m at the Anniversary Games in London. Bolt, 29, clocked 19.89 seconds in his first appearance since pulling out of the Jamaican trials. He was picked for the Olympics after getting a
medical exemption, leading to comments from Gatlin and others. “For me I felt it was a joke, I felt it was a disrespect they think I’d back out of a trials,” said Bolt. ”I’ve proven myself year on year that I’m the greatest. I laughed when I heard it, I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin.” Bolt won
gold in both the 100m and 200m at the London and Beijing Olympics, and will defend both titles in Rio next month. Gatlin, considered his main 100m rival, was among those who claimed the Jamaican - who has struggled with a hamstring injury - got preferential (Continued on page 73)
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
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Shami, Yadav make West Indies follow on Mohammed Shami bowled through the 2015 World Cup with a busted knee. By the end of it, he needed a surgery, lost out on the IPL earnings and missed more than a year of international cricket. The BCCI compensated him for the loss of IPL money, a first such recorded instance. Once he was fit, Shami walked into the Test XI in Antigua, and showed why he might be a man worth looking after. On a slow pitch where it looked difficult to dismiss batsmen who didn’t play shots, Shami bowled with menace to take four wickets after which Umesh Yadav chipped in with a four-for of his own to make West Indies follow on 323 runs behind. In the follow-on, the other quick, Ishant Sharma got rid of Kraigg Brathwaite, a man known for quiet defiance who denied India for 218 balls in the first innings, in the first over. The time away from the
game was well spent from the looks on it. In his last Test series, Shami was guilty of offering runs on the pads too often as he bowled for l o n g e r. T h e c o a c h e s identified long strides in his run-up as the problem, a result of too much bowling in his first year of international cricket. Shami came back with shorter strides, stayed at the batsmen for longer, provided fewer freebies, and took out the heart of the West Indies batting when it looked difficult to prise wickets out. A word of caution, though: West Indies, not the best going around, contributed to their dismissals. Brathwaite didn’t. From the time he and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo frustrated India for 16 overs, it was clear the bowlers would have to work hard. Patience, the buzzword leading into the series, was tested. A measure of the difficulty in taking 20
wickets was how both wickets in the first session came through injudicious shots. It was a period when West Indies didn’t look for runs, which made it difficult for wickets to come. The resistance was led by Brathwaite, who rode his luck a little at the start of the day’s play. When he was attacked with a forward and backward short leg, he failed to keep the balls angled into his ribs down on at least three occasions, but managed to avoid the fielders. His partner Bishoo’s outside edge was beaten at least seven times. It would have frustrated India all the more that Bishoo faced only 15 balls in the first eight overs of the morning. The early jitters out of the way, Brathwaite dug in for the kind of innings he is known for. Bowling outside off to him, if not a long halfvolley, was a waste of energy. At the other end, though, India began to make inroads. Amit Mishra,
Mohammed Shami dented the West Indies middle order ©Associated Press
introduced ahead of R Ashwin, provided the first breakthrough when Bishoo played an impatient sweep shot and dragged his foot over to be stumped. Just before lunch, Kohli sensed an opportunity and went back to Shami, who had been
Regal Sports supports National U15 cricketers
Laikram Gopaul (left) presents the gears to Daniel Paul (right) and Dwayne Dick (2nd from right) and GNIC SC coach Jason George As part of its corporate responsibility Regal Sports have continued to support young cricketers. On Friday last the entity presented a quantity of gears
to cricketers Dwayne Dick and Daniel Paul at its location 69 Seaforth Street, Campbellville. Both players have been selected to represent Guyana at the upcoming Regional
Under-15 tournament and are members of the GNIC Sports Club. They both expressed gratitude to Regal Sports and said they would put their best foot forward while
Laikram Gopaul who made the presentation urged the players to remain disciplined and to focus on their game. He wished the players well.
desperately unlucky in his first spell of 6-1-16-0. Shami glided in and remained threatening even if the batsmen were patient. Darren Bravo wasn’t even patient. This was the time India were getting restless, but he calmed them down by flirting with a wide delivery five minutes before lunch. The ball did bounce more than expected to take the edge, but Bravo had played with an angled bat with his feet stuck on the leg stump. On the way back for lunch, Kohli was heard telling his bowlers, “This is the reward for patience.” More reward was to follow in the second session. Marlon Samuels, who might be playing his last Test series, is not a proactive batsman. He likes top sit back on the back foot, and lets bowlers bowl where they want. Shami did so soon enough, in the fifth over after lunch. He bowled an inbetween length, which dragged Samuels forward even though his weight was back. The ball held its line to take the edge. An aggressive short ball took the shoulder of Jermaine Blackwood’s bat to end a double-wicket maiden. This was the first dismissal that didn’t include Wriddhiman Saha. From 92 for 5, Brathwaite and debutant Roston Chase resisted for more than 16 overs. They were undone by a man often guilty of not using the crease and also offering freebies on the pads, Yadav. While he did offer freebies here too, especially in the first session, he showed a clear intent of using different angles to make the batsmen play at
balls they would otherwise leave. The reward came unconventionally. Chase pulled an inviting short ball straight down the lap of short midwicket followed by a brute to Brathwaite, who on 74 didn’t look like he was going to make a mistake. Yadav went wide on the crease, angled a bouncer in, got Brathwaite to throw his gloves in front of his face. Playing his first Test as a specialist wicketkeeper, Shane Dowrich scored his second Test half-century, an unbeaten 57, to hold India off in the final session of the day, but didn’t cause enough damage to prevent a followon. Yadav took out Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite in successive balls to seemingly end the frustrating experience with the tail. Holder edged a wide outswinger to give Saha an India record-equalling sixth dismissal, and Brathwaite pre-meditated a leave to be bowled. Dowrich, though, annoyed India a little more in partnership with No. 11 Shannon Gabriel, who lasted two balls once the legspin of Mishra was introduced. With only 90.2 overs bowled in the first innings, with a possible 13 overs to go before a full night’s rest and with five bowlers in his side, Kohli enforced the first follow-on for India since late 2012 against England in Ahmedabad. Ishant Sharma provided instant pay-off with an inswinger that trapped Brathwaite in front, but Bravo and Rajendra Chandrika prevented further damage. (ESPNcricinfo)
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WICB Women’s T20
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Unbeaten Jamaica and Barbados face-off tonight at Providence; Guyana battle T&T in second game
After a break yesterday the penultimate day of the WICB Regional Women’s T20 cricket tournament is scheduled for Providence with three matches today including the contest under lights from 19:00hrs between the only two unbeaten teams, Barbados and Jamaica. Debuts Leewards play t h e Wi n d w a r d s f r o m 09:00hrs, Guyana battle Trinidad & Tobago from 14:00hrs while last year’s 50-over finalists Barbados and Jamaica, the only two unbeaten teams, go head-tohead in a crucial match-up tonight under lights from 19:00hrs. Leewards along with the Windwards have lost both of their encounters and are no longer contenders for the title. Guyana & T&T each have a win and a loss while tonight will see either Barbados or Jamaica sail through the preliminary rounds unbeaten unless their
game is washed out. In that case both teams will be tied on points but Jamaica, with their superior net run rate, will stay in front. On day one, Hayley Matthew led Barbados to a 32-run win over 50-over Champions Trinidad & Tobago with Matthews hitting 27 and sharing in a 52-run opening stand with Kycia Knight (23) before Barbados slipped from 75-2 to 106-8 when their 20 overs expired. Leanya Kirby (219) and Anisa Mohamed (221) were the most successful bowlers for T&T who were bowled out for 74 in 17.2 overs as Matthews had 4-17. Skipper Stefanie Taylor (64) shared in two half-century stands; with Natasha McClean (21) and 67 with Chedean Nation (29), to lead Jamaica to 148-3 from 20 overs in the second game on Thursday. The Windwards were restricted to 92-5 from 20 overs as Juliana Nero (23) and Skipper Afy Fletcher
(19) offered some resistance. Roshana Outar had 2-16. In the night game, Guyana beat the Windwards by 55runs as Shemaine Campbelle scored an unbeaten 64 and shared in a 111 second wicket stand with Melanie Henry (34) to see Guyana to 138-2 off their 20 allotted overs. Skipper Shawnisha Hector took 2-26 for the Wi n d w a r d s w h o w e r e restricted to 83-9 from 20 overs as left arm pacer Erva Giddings finished with 4-15. On Friday, in the opening game, Shanel Daley had 511 as the Leewards crawled to 61-9 from 20 overs with Jenisen Richards and Amanda Edwards both making 16. Jamaica raced to 63-2 from 5.2 overs as Taylor (35) and Jodian Morgan (19) added 51 for the first wicket. An unbeaten 62 from Barbados Skipper Shaquana Quintyne led her team to a 49-run win against Guyana. Quintyne got support from
Kycia Knight (29) and Shamilia Connell (19) as the Bajans galloped to 140-6 from 20 overs. Giddings took 2-34 for Guyana who were 91-5 off 20 overs despite 43 not out from Shemaine Campbelle. Deandra Dottin took 220. In the night match T&T made 134 -4 off 20 overs with Brittany Cooper making 51 and Skipper Merissa Aguilleira 50. Akeria Peters had 3-36 for the Windwards who could only reach 66 in 18.3 overs. Juliana Shayelle Lord, Anisa Mohamed and Karishna Ramharack took two wickets each for T&T in their 73-run victory. Guyana’s Campbell is the only batter to reach 100 runs, and along with Jamaican Taylor (97 runs), 20-year-old Bajan Quintyne, Aguilleira and Cooper of T&T have each registered a half century while Jamaican left-arm spinner Daley (511) has the only five-wicket
Shanel Daley of Jamaica haul. Guyana’s Giddings and 18-year-old Bajan Hayley Matthews have captured 4wicket hauls. Shawnisha Hector, the Leewards Captain, despite her lack hard of ball cricket
experience, looks a very promising fast bowling prospect and will hope to help her team to their first ever win in Regional cricket when they the Windwards today.
Women’s World Cup 2017 logo unveiled
With exactly a year to go to the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, the International Cricket Council yesterday released the event logo which reflects the unique connection between the spirit of the sport and its place of origin in England and Wales. The 11th edition of the tournament, which was launched before the men’s event in 1973 in England, will get underway on 26 June 2017 and culminate with the final at Lord’s on 23 July 2017.
Eight sides –will go head to head in a total of 31 matches including two semifinals and the final. The games will be hosted in Bristol, Derby, Leicester and Taunton with the final at Lord’s in what is expected to be the best-attended event to date. The event logo is an inspirational link to the distinctive outline of England and Wales, and the form of a cricketer playing a bold forward stroke. It emphasises the dynamic essence of the game – and its
special relationship to the host nation – over and above the gender of the players. Commenting on the logo, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “With the ICC Women’s World Cup taking place in the sport’s spiritual home of England and Wales, it can’t get any bigger than this for women’s cricket. And this is nicely encapsulated in the logo, which reflects a celebration of women’s cricket in the host country colours. ”The next 12 months will be exciting for women’s cricket as the top nations aim for the ultimate prize in women’s cricket. The sport is on a high and I am sure next year’s event will take it to even greater heights with outstanding cricket and record breaking a t t e n d a n c e s ” Clare Connor, who played in three World Cups for England from 1997-2005 and is now the Chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, commented: “With exactly one year to go until the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, it is a great time to reflect on the huge progress that has been made in the women’s game during this World Cup cycle.
”Over these past few years, we have seen an increase in the number of professional female cricketers around the world with the introduction of player contracts. We have seen significant global growth in TV audiences and commercial interest for the women’s game and, critical for the sustainability of our sport, we have seen increased female participation around the world.”Most notably, these few years have seen the introduction of the ICC Women’s Championship – a programme of bilateral cricket for the top eight women’s teams providing a clear and meritocratic qualification pathway for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. During this Championship, we have witnessed the standard and profile of the women’s game continue to grow and, consequently, I am confident that the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 will be the best there’s been – for our players, our existing supporters and new fans.” Steve Elworthy, ECB’s Director of Global Events and Managing Director – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, remarked: “The
summer of 2017 is an exciting one for cricket with two ICC Global Events in England and Wales. The competitiveness across the w o m e n ’s g a m e h a s increased and we too will be raising the bar in delivery, ensuring this will be the biggest and best ICC Women’s World Cup to date. ”We know Bristol, Derby, Leicester and Taunton will be exceptional hosts for the group stages and semifinals, and our expectation is also that the final at Lord’s will attract high interest and demand for tickets.” E n g l a n d w o m e n ’s captain, Heather Knight, said: “It is every cricketer’s dream to captain in a World Cup on home soil, and I am sure that it will be a very proud moment for me to lead the girls out in England next s u m m e r . ”The ICC Women’s World Cup is the pinnacle of our sport – it is the blue riband event that everyone wants to win, and I know that all the players in the England squad will relish the challenge. It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the women’s game in front of what I sure will be a passionate home crowd, and inspire the next generation
of cricketers.” The top four sides from the I C C W o m e n ’ s Championships will automatically qualify for the World Cup. Currently with five of seven rounds completed, Australia, West Indies, England and New Zealand are occupying the top four positions. The four sides in the second half of the table are South Africa, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The penultimate round will be p l a y e d i n September/October and the inaugural event will conclude in November. The bottom four sides will have a second chance to qualify when they will feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier, which will be staged in the first quarter of next year. In addition to the four bottom sides of the ICC Women’s Championship, the qualifying tournament will feature Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe (Africa region qualifier), Scotland (Europe region qualifier) and Papua New Guinea (East-Asia Pacific region qualifier). The 10th side will emerge from the Asia region qualifier, which will take place in Hong Kong from 7-17 October. (ICC)
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10 year-old Sulivan, Hicks, Hearts of Oak FC and Humphrey recognised History was created on Friday last when ten-yearold Patrina Sulivan became the youngest ever awardee of the Gregory Gaskin Memorial / Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Berbice Sports Award. The pint sized Sulivan who attends the Auchlyne Primary School was selected by a panel of judges headed by veteran journalist Gregory Rambarran as the Berbice Sportswoman of the Ye a r – 2 0 1 5 f o r h e r outstanding performances at the National Schools Championships. Sulivan won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m races. The other
awardees Berbice Sportsman of the Year – Andrew Hicks (national junior cyclist), Berbice Sports Club of the Year – Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club and Berbice Sports Personality of the Year – Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster in giving the feature address at the presentation ceremony informed that the judges this year concentrated on other sports apart from cricket in an effort to reward others noting that cricketers have dominated the awards in the past. HE said that most
Team Unity express shock and sadness at passing of Monedderlust Manager, Kevin Layne Sr. The football fraternity has been plunged into a state of mourning following the passing of Manager of the Elite League Club side, Monedderlust FC (MFC), Kevin Layne Sr. The 38 year-old who hails from #5 Village West Coast Berbice and was one of the pillars in the rise of the MFC passed away yesterday morning. Layne, whose involvement in football spans over 20-years, took on the responsibility of being Manager of MFC over six years ago and has been one of the stalwarts that have contributed towards the rise of the club and its eventual qualification as one of the first Elite League Club sides in Guyana, historical. Layne’s wife, Nichelle, remembers him as always being on the positive side of life despite his challenges. He was also one of the persons that led in the development and transformation of the #5 ground which is the pride of Berbice in terms of a standard football facility. This ground has one of the better surfaces and has hosted Elite League matches as it is equipped with the requisite amenities needed, testimony to Layne’s vision
cricketers are professionals who receives huge earnings adding that it was important to recognise others who train daily to achieve success without financial rewards. The Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award was established with the main objective of honouring sports personalities and clubs in Berbice which promote sports as an alternative to a life on the road and to identify positive role models to young sportsmen and women. The Awards also seek to make sure that heroes in Berbice are honoured as the National Sports Commission tends to bypass Berbicians despite success on and off the field in the sporting arena. F o ster, who has spearheaded over 6000 programmes over the past two decades at the RHTY&SC, urged the awardees to uphold the high tradition they have set themselves and to work harder to achieve more in the future. He also issued a special appeal for other sports organisations to make an effort to make a positive difference in the lives of their members. He said that youths live in a modern world, where
Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Awards
Awardees poses with the representatives of Sentinel Security Inc. numerous social ills affect their personal development. A challenge was issued to all major sports clubs and national associations to get involved in social and educational programmes like the RHTY&SC, M.S. Operations Manager of Sentinel Security Inc., Cedric Browne in brief remarks stated that his company was pleased to be associated with Guyana’s leading club to honour the memory of the late Gregory Gaskin, Founder and CEO of Cops Security Ltd. Gaskin, he noted was a passionate supporter of sports and someone who strongly believed in using
sports as a vehicle to keep youths out of negative activities. He praised the club for its vision of hosting programmes of such nature which inspire youths. Like Foster, Browne urged the awardees to uphold their high tradition and to always strive for excellence. Hicks was honoured for his outstanding performance as a junior cyclist throughout 2015 while Humphrey was recognised for working beyond the call of duty to promote football in the Ancient County. The Heart of Oak Masters Football Club was
recognised for its contributions towards football and for assisting youths to fulfil their potential. Each of the awardees received a trophy, a medal, Certificate of Excellence and a collection of gifts. The Awardees also expressed gratitude to the club and Foster for honouring them while spearheading efforts to promote sports across Berbice. RHTY&SC thanked Mrs Noreen Gaskin and the Management of the Sentinel Security for their continued sponsorship of the Gregory Gaskin Berbice Sports Awards.
UG Social Work Class 2041-2016 rewarded for hosting Walk-A-Ton on Domestic Violence Kevin Layne Sr. to have one of the best facility’s in Guyana. Members of Team Unity and the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation whilst expressing condolences top the wife, children and family of the late Layne, expressed shock at his passing noting that he was a dedicated servant of the game. Layne Sr leaves to mourn his wife Nichelle, son Kevin Jr, daughter Trevlyn and other family members. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Kaieteur Sports also extend sincere condolences to the wife and family of the late Kevin Layne Sr, may his soul rest in peace.
T h e e ff o r t s o f t h e students of the University of Guyana Social Work Class 2041-2016 in contributing towards the awareness of domestic violence through a Walk-A-Ton and Rally have not gone unnoticed. At the inaugural Guyana Social Work Practitioners and Educators Conference held July 20-21, the Diploma in Social Work Class of 2014-2016 received an award for demonstrating leadership in advocating for the eradication of social ills within the Guyanese society. This award was as a result of the Walk-A-Ton and Rally for the awareness of domestic violence held on June 25, 2016. The students are expressing gratitude to the University of Guyana Social Science Department, Ministry of Social Protection, Rent-A-Tent,
In photo from left, Shelisa Camacho-Khan, Kimbeley Conway, Shanice Edwards (holding award), Joumal Johnson, Mrs. Barbara Thomas Holder (UG Social Work Lecturer) and Nickesha Bacchus.
NAMILCO, American Home Tile and Stone, Dyna’s Embroidery, IPA Group of Companies, King’s Jewellery World, Web Source Guyana, GUMDAC,
Fas Gafix, Hot N Spicy Creole Corner, Humphrey’s Bakery, Kisskadee Intl. Couriers, Bacchus and Sons, C e v o n ’s Wa s t e Management, Stereo Sonics,
Sculpture Craft, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Civil Defence Commission and all participants who supported the Walk-A-Ton and Rally.
PAGE 82
Sunday July 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Zouks maintain winning feeling against Tridents in Hero CPL The St Lucia Zouks have made it two Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) wins in two at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium thanks to the bowling of Sammy himself and runs from Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher. The win takes them to six points and makes qualification for the knockout stages for the first time in their history a real possibility for the St Lucian side. Chasing just 138 to win Charles and Fletcher got the home side off to the best possible start. In the first 10 overs the openers managed 80 runs without losing a wicket. It was actually a quiet start until the ninth over that was delivered by Imran Khan. That one cost 17 runs as Johnson Charles smashed two sixes. The Zouks lost Fletcher not long after that when he nicked a low catch through to Nicholas Pooran behind the stumps. Charles was joined by Shane Watson who could well have departed on 10 when he skied a catch off Ravi Rampaul that was well caught on the rope by Shoaib Malik. It was a no ball from
Rampaul and Watson was reprieved. A rain delay shortened the chase by one over meaning that when play got back underway the Zouks needed 30 runs from 36 balls. It looked to be a cruise for the home team but the Tridents were given some hope when Charles went for 41 to the second ball after the resumption. Watson also departed before the end of the game to a brilliant tumbling catch by Ahmed Shehzad but the Zouks cruised home with 15 balls and seven wickets to spare. It was a steady start by the Tridents after they won the toss and decided to bat first. They reached 40 for no loss from their six over PowerPlay with Kyle Hope and Shehzad batting steadily in the opening exchanges. The first wicket fell when Shehzad completely misjudged a slower ball full toss from Sammy and spooned it straight up in the air. Sammy then picked up his second when Shoaib Malik mistimed a short ball and he was well caught by Mike Hussey on the
Kristian Jeffrey clocks fastest time to claim pole
Kristian in Jamaica Reigning Caribbean Motor Racing Champion Kristian Jeffrey will start on pole today after recording a blistering 39:01 seconds to relegate Jamaica’s Doug Gore (39:08) into second place, while Barbados’ Mark Maloney (40:10) clocked the third fastest time. The event which is the
second leg of the CMRC is being held at Wallerfield in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana has sent a strong contingent to defend its crown. Among those who are representing Guyana are Stephen ‘Valentino Rossi’ Vieira, Matthew Vieira, Afraz Allie, Danny Persaud and Shan Seejattan.
Sammy celebrates another Barbados Trident wicket with teammates. midwicket boundary. While wickets were falling at the other end Hope was making his career best T20 score, finishing with 55 from 48 balls – his first fifty in this format. T h e Tr i d e n t s h a v e struggled to find a successful opening pair in this tournament and Hope making the spot his own bodes well for the Barbados team going forward. Hope and captain Kieron Pollard came together with the score on 60-2 and looked to set a platform from which they could launch in the death overs, but neither man got that far.
First Hope lost his wicket to Sammy, Hussey once again the catcher at midwicket. Then Pollard departed to a brilliant caught and bowled from Delorn Johnson who swooped low in his follow through to pull off a great grab. Going into the St Lucia leg of the tournament local
hero Sammy had claimed just one wicket in three matches. Since he arrived he has claimed four wickets in two games. In this match he finished with figures of 3-18 from his four overs. When Nicholas Pooran also fell going to a big shot the Tridents had stumbled to 98-5 in the 16th over.
Things got worse when Shamar Springer and David Wiese had a horrible mix up and West Indies Under-19 star Springer was run out by the length of the pitch. Wiese struck some lusty blows but the Tridents lower order couldn’t do the job that the top order had failed to do as they reached just 137-8 thanks to some brilliant bowling from the Zouks, a total that was chased down with some ease. St Lucia Zouks 131-3 (A Fletcher 45, K Pollard 2 for 19) beat Barbados Tridents 137-8 (K Hope 55, D Sammy 3 for 18) by seven wickets with 15 balls to spare (DLS method). UPCOMING FIXTURES: Sunday, 24 July - St. Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors, Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium (5pm). CPL
Tallawahs brimming with confidence in Florida The Hero CPL is moving on to Florida in the coming days and the Jamaica Tallawahs have arrived in the USA sitting at the top of the league table and with a place in the knockout stages already assured. Tallawahs’ Coach Paul Nixon has been delighted with his Hero CPL so far and is full of praise for the improvements the tournament has made since his last stint with the Jamaican franchise in 2013. ”I was here in the inaugural season of the Hero CPL and seeing the difference now, with the world class professionals that are here is wonderful. It is incredible how much the competition has grown in s t a n d a r d s a n d professionalism. ”To come out here to Florida with an exciting Tallawahs team that is top of the league, things couldn’t
Jamaica Tallawahs stars taking the kids through the paces in Florida. be going better. We have an American guy, Timroy Allen, in our side who has been working closely with Dale Steyn over the last few weeks. What more does a cricketer want who wants to grow himself in the game?” One of the impressive things about the way the Tallawahs have performed this season has been the number of players that have contributed to their success, amongst
those that have had a big impact have been local players like Chadwick Walton and Rovman Powell. Nixon is pleased to see so many of his charges contributing. ”The West Indies in the last few years has been heavily reliant on one or two key people. The Tallawahs in the first couple of years was about Chris Gayle and Andre Russell. Thankfully for us
now the management team has done very well picking a great squad and now every member of that squad is winning matches.” The Tallawahs will play two matches in Lauderhill, if they win one of those they will be guaranteed a top two spot and a place in Playoff 1 which gives them two shots at making the final. Meanwhile, Jamaica (Continued on page 73)
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 24, 2016
PAGE 83
Top club runs away with $1M at Boyce/Jefford Classic VII The winning club of the 2016 Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic VII will run away with a whopping $1M prize while about $3M in total prize money will be up for grabs on August 27-28 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden This was disclosed yesterday when the event was officially launched at the Sports Maxx Store at the Giftland Mall. The event will be held just after the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and will see Guyana’s top performing clubs handsomely rewarded. The prize money will continue all the way to fourth place, with the second place finisher taking home $500, 000. Third place is set to receive $300, 000, while fourth place will walk away with $200, 000 for a total of $2M for the club prizes. In addition, there are eight international races that carry a total purse of $100,000 each for a total of $800,000. The Masters’ and Media races amount to $110,000 in total prize money while there will be $50,000 each doled out to the Champion Male and Female athletes. The sums carry the prize
-Championship officially launched at Giftland Mall
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (third, left) joins members of the Boyce/Jefford Committee (seated) among athletes and coaches yesterday to launch the seventh edition of the Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic at Giftland Mall. monies up for grabs over $3M. Chairman of the Boyce/Jefford Track & Field Committee, Colin Boyce, a former athlete, reminded those present that the event was born with the idea of aiding in the development of athletes by providing them with a means to earn the much-needed financial
support. “Athletics deserves much more than what we’re receiving now, and we thought it fit that we, as former athletes, recognise the need to put cash prizes into the coffers of the clubs because of the arduous training that the athletes have to go through,” Boyce
said. “We would have seen the other sporting events receiving healthy cash prizes, and so we thought of this meet and this year, we would have seen the need to increase the cash prizes to the healthy $1M first prize,” Boyce added. He pointed out that not
only giving the athletes monetary support, as the event continues to grow the organisers will be looking at further ways to help the athletes. According to Boyce, that’s one reason that the international events have improved from six to eight.
The other international events carded for the Championship are the Women 200m, 1500m, triple jump and javelin, along with the Men 200m, 800m, long jump and javelin. Thus far, athletes are confirmed from Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and To b a g o , A n t i g u a a n d Barbuda and the United States. Director of Sport, Christopher Jones commended the organisers for their continued effort with the meet, stating that Government is committed to the development of sports. Jones said that the event will benefit from lots of support in a collaborative effort between the National Sports Commission, Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Linden Municipality. Edison Jefford informed that the event would not be possible without the support of sponsors and as such he named Digicel, E-Networks, K&B Mining, Courts, Giftland Mall, Ansa McAl with its Smalta brand, National Sports Commission, Fly Jamaica, Caribbean Airline and Jai Signs/Design as early contributors.
Keen rivalry anticipated in today’s quarter-final matches Today’s quarter-final round of matches in this year ’s Digicel Schools Football Championship promises keen rivalry among the remaining teams. Reigning champion and four-time title holders Christianburg / Wismar play host to Region 6 champion Tutorial at Wisburg and while the forecast predicts a victory for the champs their opponents should not be underestimated, especially at this stage of the competition. Very often only the best teams reach this far and heading into a game over confident could be perilous for any team. Christianburg / Wismar is coming off a
tough win in a penalty shootout against a stubborn North West Secondary and that narrow escape should provide the impetus for the host to put on a convincing display, especially playing at home in front of what is anticipated to be animated home support. They should also feel more comfortable with the return of two key players and their Coach Anthony Stephens, who was the Head Coach of the national Under17 squad. Tutorial on the other hand played impressively to beat Orealla to win the regional title and must be feeling special about their recent performance. Over at No.5 ground in West Berbice, Region 5 champs Bush Lot tackles Soesdyke Secondary and while not much is known of the two teams, the mere fact that they’ve reached this far means that they possess
Part of the action in this year’s Digicel Schools Football Championship between Soesdyke and Diamond. players of some quality. The Khan brothers will spearhead Soesdyke’s quest for victory. Over in Lethem, Region 9 champs Annai takes on North Georgetown winners Chase Academic Foundation and this encounter promises to be a sizzler. The host is usually very tough to beat at
home and even though Chase Academic Foundation will enjoy the return of their star players from national duty, they will be playing in an environment far from home where the crowd support is extremely unforgiving. At Bartica, Region 7 title holders DC Caesar Fox
(formerly Waramadong) square off against South Georgetown champions Sir Leon. DC Caesar Fox like so many of the teams are going through a rebuilding phase, but this has not stopped them from putting on some exciting performances. They’ve shown that they will be just as formidable as
the other years and will definitely take some doing to be beaten. On the other hand, Sir Leon possesses players of a high calibre at this level and is capable of creating an upset. It promises to be an thrilling encounter worthy of seeing.
t r o Sp
Shami, Yadav make West Indies follow on
The Indian players celebrate after Mohammed Shami dismisses Darren Bravo ŠAssociated Press
Unbeaten Jamaica and Barbados face-off tonight at Providence; Guyana battle T&T in second game
Lashuna Toussaint is bowled by Hayley Matthews at Providence on Friday. (Sean Devers photo)
Top club runs away with $1M at Boyce/Jefford Classic VII Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210