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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
A bitter-sweet election victory It was a little over two weeks since Guyanese went to the polls in the General and Regional elections and elected a new coalition government. Those elections were something of a surprise to many. Former President Donald Ramotar called it much earlier than it was due. In the end, history was made as the people elected the country’s first military officer, Brigadier (R’td) David Granger as President. The elections also saw its first multi-party and multiracial coalition government thus ending 23 years of PPP rule. The election was a bitter-sweet victory. It was bitter for the PPP because it lost and its leaders were visibly upset but was sweet for the victorious and gleeful leaders of the APNU+AFC Coalition. At his swearing in ceremony at Parliament on Saturday May 16, 2015, President David Granger trumpeted the victory of the Coalition as Divine intervention. He pledged to fulfill the promises made during the campaign, including the formation of an all-inclusive government. But the Brigadier was a little too naïve to believe that the PPP would be part of the Coalition government. Instead the PPP continues to claim that it was cheated and not defeated. President Granger promises to unite the races, reduce corruption and crime, increase the minimum wage, old age pensions and salaries, lower VAT, hold Local Government Elections and improve public health care. Today, for the first time the citizens have experienced the rare sensation of a Government that has sworn to serve the needs of all the people. Indeed, for more than a decade the beleaguered electorate has had to contend with a corrupt, greedy and vindictive government that had trampled on their rights dictated to the nation and has created one constitutional crisis after another. Not only has the former President relegated Parliament to a subordinate status, but he also refused to assent to the bills passed by the law-making body. In the last week or two the political landscape in Guyana has changed dramatically. There is an organized campaign to clean-up Georgetown. The entire country, with the full support of civic society, the private sector and the public at large has joined it. The private print media particularly Kaieteur News and Stabroek News which Jagdeo had dubbed the opposition have also been far more active and inquisitive for better or worse in the configuration of the new government. Although the government had just been elected, it had to contend with some controversies and a few errors or missteps such as matters relating to the large size of the cabinet, some lackluster appointments and the creation and re-naming of several new ministries. The fact that there are no personnel changes on state boards and corporations shows that the government is moving at a snail’s pace. The goal is to have a very smooth transition in order to prevent the disruption of goods and services to the people. The new government also had to deal with some truly bizarre and problematic issues such as an empty treasury; inadequate resources at its disposal; floods on the Essequibo Coast; a bankrupt GUYSUCO and the recent flooding of Georgetown. It also has to deal with bribery and corruption. Indeed, if the David Granger led-Coalition government allows corruption and bribery to continue, the economy would shrink, unemployment would increase and the poor would become poorer. The people must make sure that the holders of public office adhere to the prescribed and expected standards of morality. Competence must be mandatory and qualifications are essential for those in public office. Corruption must be dealt with swiftly and discouraged and crime must be reduced. Appropriate checks and balances must be allowed in all government ministries, state agencies and corporations. And last but not least, proper monitoring which is the key requirement for change and to move the country forward must be implemented.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Letters... Where your views make the news
Ann Greene speaks out on “unprofessional conduct” DEAR EDITOR, I am writing in response to the statement in the Newspaper in regards to me being sent on leave. My actions are being totally misrepresented and it amounts to injustice. There was display of unprofessional conduct on the day in question but it was certainly not by me and this could be attested if a proper inquiry is conducted. It seems that trying to represent staff, being honest and forthright amount to being “grossly unprofessional, constituting insubordination, contemptuous and untenable.” The incident took place at the end of the visit and in my office when only the Deputy Director and I along with the
Ministers, the Permanent Secretary and the Permanent Secretary’s Admin. Assistant; no other staff member was present. I presented the Hon. Ministers with packages containing information on the operation of the Agency and a goal for the next year. It was thereafter that I suggested to the Junior Minister, in conversational tone that she should build relationships because the staff and I are hurting from her remarks and utterances during the campaign trail which we feel was an attack on professionals serving the people and should not have been. There is no time that I demanded an apology or said that I am not willing to work with the Ministers, on the contrary
I have been preparing the staff for this from the time the announcement was made. I am not going to say more on this matter, a proper investigation should be conducted for the facts. I stand by what I say and I have been a public servant for over 40 years and worked with a number of Ministers through transition phases and always zealously guarded my professionalism, being honest, genuine and sincere and I see no reason for me to change my approach now. I intend to continue to be a professional; consequently I will have no further comments in the media on this matter. Ann Greene
Liberalization is a must but must take place in a transparent manner DEAR EDITOR, The Government of Guyana announced that, among its priorities for the new parliament, is the liberalization of the telecommunications sector. The telecommunication monopoly was created by the PNC in the 1990s and it would be poetic justice that they, as part of the Government, have to undo one of their own grave wrongs, that is, the 40-year monopoly (which was matched by the PPP’s own private contract covering a similar length of time). That the 1990 monopoly has severely restricted the development of Guyana (as claimed by former HPS Luncheon) may be an indeterminable understatement, notwithstanding the claims of massive investment by legal and illegal telecommunications companies in Guyana. While liberalization was, for a brief period, a passion of then President Jagdeo. Sadly, that caved in. The glaring opportunities of the sector seemed to have become evident to a handful of people who were intent on grabbing everything and so liberalization became a game - one which was designed to only take place when certain private persons and companies were established - in and out of the law - to exploit the opportunities. To its credit, GT&T, at that time, stated that it welcomed liberalization. In
fact, its primary shareholder (ATN) through Michael Prior, not only spoke of liberalization as a welcome step, but promised to help in all practical and reasonable ways to get it done. But a level playing field was important to GT&T as well as the obviously desired protection of its investments. Digicel has demanded a liberalized sector. Its CEO, Greg Dean, was very open about wanting his company to play a progressive role in creating a liberalized environment while securing its own investment, of course. There was a high infusion of energy and zest into the liberalization process by the general public and investors at large. Then the process became affected by suspicious acquisition of data by certain individuals/contractors who are still in the employ of their masters. Predictably, predator politics of the principals focused more on the design of the proposed law that grandfathered certain named companies into the sector (by law) than the process of negotiation with GT&T and Digicel. It must be noted that all those named companies have been suspicioned to have an intimate relationship with the then Government. Meanwhile, the regulators became regulated and were rendered toothless through political diktat. If the Government is serious about Liberalization, it must: 1) Remove that diseased, myopic
clause that guarantees licenses to the named companies. 2) Ensure there is no conflict of interest between Government officers and GT&T. 3) Immediately take its place (on the board) and stop the capital hemorrhage. 4) Urgently call GT&T to the table to negotiate its monopoly. 5) Immediately investigate the spectrum abuse by legal and illegal companies and ensure that the nation’s spectrum assets earn their potential which should handsomely pay for the setup of a proper management system and team. Any other approach will court disaster for an ailing industry that is infested with tax-evasion, back-door deals, illegal entities and of course rampant opportunism. There are other areas within the telecommunication sector that require urgent attention. These will be addressed in subsequent feedback. Liberalization is primary. Finally, the President must be made aware that every day’s delay ensures that millions of dollars’ worth of investment and hard money continues to be swathed in corporate veils to the detriment of this great nation of ours. Liberalization is a must for 2015 but it must take place in a transparent manner. Dr. Yog Mahadeo
The Attorney General is constitutionally charged with representing the state in Court DEAR EDITOR, I refer to Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s comments about the Cameron & Shepherd law firm, of which I am a partner, in his column of 1 June. These are not Mr. Kissoon’s first on the issue and will very likely not be his last, notwithstanding this clarification. He said: “It is also public knowledge that before Ralph Ramkarran parted company with the PPP, his law firm Cameron and Shepherd (sic) did most of the complex and important legal cases for the state.”
The Attorney General is the constitutional authority charged with representing the government and state in Court. It is the Attorney General who in fact appears in the “complex and important” cases for the government and state. There has been much publicity about these in recent years. We currently represent the Attorney General in one case and one is on appeal. We represent several state agencies, as distinct from the state. I wish to state that with rare exceptions, the income received by Cameron & Shepherd for
representing these agencies does not exceed five percent of our overall annual income. Modest though it is, it helps to keep some of our staff in employment. From the time I “parted company with the PPP” until the present, Cameron & Shepherd has not lost any business from any state agency. In fact, there has been an increase. Maybe there is a reason that the firm is perceived to be – and in many cases is retained for “complex and important” legal cases. Mr. Kissoon is free to investigate. Ralph Ramkarran
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Incompetence and mismanagement Let us continue to embrace change by non-CHI team stymies advancement DEAR EDITOR, As an expatriate and a frequent visitor to Guyana, I have been pondering the thought of returning to Guyana for quite a while, either as a business consultant, or as an investor. However, the uncertainties and uneasiness in my homeland had hindered my decision. Nevertheless, I continued my bi yearly visits to enjoy the hospitality of this beautiful country and do some project work. It was only recent that the passion for sharing my professional experiences with my fellow countrymen was rekindled. A few years back, I had started to pay attention to the political environment. This came about while having discussions with locals across Guyana, during my many trips. The key phrase I kept hearing from the diverse population was ‘the need for change’. Then, I was invited to a fund raising breakfast in Toronto for one of the Guyanese political parties. Again here, the word ‘change’ kept coming up during discussions. After this activity, my decision was made, spend some time in Guyana, experience the elections period and then look at next steps. Most of my friends tried to persuade me to delay my trip for several months but my mind was made up. Arriving in Georgetown a few days before elections, I decided to tour around Guyana and get a feeling of the atmosphere. My trip started by heading to the Rupununi and enjoying the fresh air at the Manari ranch. If you have never visited this area, you are missing out on a breathtaking experience. Next in line was the Essequibo Coast to Charity and then up the Pomeroon River. Visiting Kabacaburi, St Monica’s Mission and Karawab convinced me that ‘change’ was still the key word of the land. These areas are so beautiful and peaceful, with the people just waiting for more community development. Although Elections Day was spent in Charity, I could not wait to return to Georgetown and experience the results impact. Yes, it could have been different but this time it was a quiet city as the population waited several days for the final results. I travelled around without any mishaps and by the time Friday came, there were mostly smiles and friendly greetings amongst the diverse population.
One of the experiences I usually enjoy in Georgetown is passing time with friends by Stabroek market in the evenings. Some may say that I am crazy to be there but are we not one people? They keep telling me that I could be robbed and injured, while walking around in the city. Yes but this could happen to me any day in other countries! The elections period had the same atmosphere, diverse people enjoying time with friends and looking at those passing by. Returning to visit a couple of regions after the elections, the atmosphere was subdued but the comments mostly heard were ‘let’s give them a chance and see what will happen’. As I travelled by mini bus and speedboat across the regions, it was quite clear most of the population had moved on and now focused on the necessary changes to come. Passing by the stadium, and then looking at the Inauguration on Independence Day were experiences that will stay with me forever. I can see unity building but we all have to play our part in bringing about change. During a recent trip to Moruca, I was fortunate to witness history in the making. The newly built Benab had its opening ceremony last Sunday with Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe in attendance. It was pleasing to hear her plans for the future of Moruca and for our indigenous people in general. As a Guyanese living abroad and now thinking strongly about resettling in Guyana, I foresee hope and a bright future for my country. If the present cleaning up of Georgetown is any indication, it looks like we are moving at full speed! I am ready to do my part and use my professional experiences for the betterment of this beautiful country. As the new government takes its place, there will be many challenges to be faced. I would think that we should allow them the opportunity to succeed. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Keith Hernandez
DEAR EDITOR Over the past few months there has been an increase reference to the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) in the print and social media. More recently allegations of a deliberate plan to undermine CHI by the previous administration have surfaced as well as a letter from the well-respected Dr. Hughley Hanoman. Much of this has negatively impacted on staff morale and our efforts to expand the service portfolio of CHI. Patients are uneasy and valuable time is spent answering questions that should not have arisen in the first instance. I am writing to highlight the facts and to curb uninformed speculations. The Caribbean Heart Institute has been in existence since 2006 serving the Guyanese population as well as patients from the wider Caribbean. Since its establishment there has been about 200 open-heart surgeries, 800 coronary angiograms, 250 coronary stents, 100 pacemakers and ICDs, 6000 echocardiograms, 2000 stress tests, countless ECGs, outpatient and inpatient consultations for cardiac diseases. The patient outcomes at CHI are comparable to larger and more experienced centers regionally and internationally. I have presented some of this data at the 2013 Caribbean Cardiac Society meeting in Curacao. Prior to CHI’s existence patients had no realistic options for many of these services unless they were privileged to go overseas. The costs for these services at CHI are at a fraction of what it costs in Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and the USA. This lower cost is achieved by a combination of factors. Significant among these for open-heart surgeries are the free services from the Surgeon (Dr. Gary Stephens) and perfusionist. The operational model for CHI is quite novel (Public Private Partnership) – Government buys the major equipment (Catheterization Laboratory) and provides the space for function while a group of private investors
purchase the monitor, consumables etc. required to keep the institution operational. In this model there is no cost billed to the patient for facility or equipment use. In cost ratio analysis this usually accounts for 60-80% of the total billable cost. This is why CHI can do cardiac interventions at 25% of the cost compared to private centers in Trinidad. CHI functions on a small profit margin only so much so as to allow for the recruitment and retention of the requisite skilled professionals and to ensure its long-term survival. Given the scale of Guyana’s economy and lack of proper medical insurance the majority of patients requiring cardiac interventions are unable to afford even this reduced cost. Therefore the Government, through the Ministry of Health, still had to provide partial funding to patients. Unfortunately over the past two (2) years this assistance to patients has been drastically reduced. The process to access this help for the ordinary person has been exhaustive and starts with a letter from CHI, addressed through the Director of Medical and Professional Services (DMPS) of the Georgetown Hospital, to the Ministry of Health. There is an assessment scheduled in the office of the DMPS then this is forwarded to the Ministry of Health. From here the request is sent to Cabinet and then the decision is relayed to CHI through the Ministry of Health. This process routinely takes 2-3 months although a few special cases were approved VERY quickly. This system is very inefficient when dealing with life saving and life changing procedures which are best addressed within hours of the patients’ presentations. Much has been made of the new Hybrid facility currently being developed. Once I had accepted the job to come home and manage the CHI, Dr. Stephens consulted me on the type and specifications of the new equipment given my unique dual advance Fellowships in
Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology, a field of study that remains a mystery to even the most experienced physicians. I advised on the hardware and software required to accommodate Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Vascular Interventions and Cardiac Electrophysiology. The requirements for open - heart surgery were comprehensively dealt with by Dr. Stephens. This new facility can therefore be used to perform four (4) types of cardiac services. Once completed this would be the only such facility in the English speaking Caribbean, allowing us to provide better care to patients. Incompetence and mismanagement from the non-CHI team has so far delayed the installation and functioning of this facility. Obviously there are lots of areas that can be improved
and various models can be useful, however care must be taken to ensure that a realistic and sustainable system is within reach before the previous one is dismantled. The management of CHI has always been interested in meaningful dialogue aimed at enhancing patient centered care in Guyana. We would welcome any initiative that will improve delivery of care and maximize the benefits of limited resources. The reality is that tertiary cardiac care is not free anywhere in the world, the developed world provides for its citizens by heavy taxations and extensive health insurance coverage. Therefore no third world Government should be expected to provide tertiary care for free - this is not tenable. There is no better time for Guyana to pursue Health Sector reform. Dr. Mahendra Carpen, MBBS DM FACP
Human failings are chiefly responsible for the floods DEAR EDITOR, Each time we experience heavy rainfall with its attendant flooding we tend to hark back at the old days when flooding was not so severe or did not happen so frequently. Our coastal flooding is as a result of several factors, chief of which can be attributed to human failing. In past times we had large tracts of lands that served as reservoirs and retained water until tide action took care of it all. However we used these lands for housing and in the capital we filled up canals for car parking and promenades. To me this action represented poor planning. To stop flooding we need to re-plan and re-zone our cities and villages. Indeed some areas are overpopulated to the extent that basic services are inadequate and we suffer as a result. Then, our famous and most useful harbor bridge on the Demerara contributes to the siltation of the outfalls in the harbor from Friendship to Fort Groyne. To add insult to
injury the previous administrations were not regularly desilting the outfalls and this has led to exceedingly slow run off of normal rainfall. Thus when we have unusual rainfall the flooding just cannot be prevented. Our problem is an engineering one and must be so addressed in due course. I guess that the incoming administration will lay plans to alleviate this situation and no doubt seek overseas funding to acquire suitable dredging equipment. Finally after local elections the local governing bodies must be given the resources to take charge of drainage and irrigation works in their communities. They functioned well in the past and with more political awareness these days I feel they will do even better. Cyril Walker
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Tuesday June 02, 2015
PPP Govt pays reporter $16M to cover Walter Rodney COI By Abena Rockcliffe As he opined that the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) probably never envisioned defeat, Attorney General, Basil Williams, revealed that he has already discovered evidence of PPP careless utilization of the state’s financial resources. Williams noted that to date, the previous administration spent over $325M on the “witch-hunt” it disguised as a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney. Of that amount, $150M has been expended on salaries for the three commissioners, two lawyers and “a certain journalist.” Williams divulged this information yesterday during an interview at his Carmichael Street Office. The Minister was reluctant to share the name of the journalist who benefited heftily from the COI, but noted that the individual was paid US$7,300 per month. This journalist has since been identified as Canada-based Shaun Samaroo. Williams said that
Samaroo was handed US$80,300 ($16.8M) for his work which the PPP obviously found to be quite exquisite. Even when pressed to reveal the journalist’s name, Williams held out that the person’s identity will be revealed in due time. However, the Attorney General indicated that “he” was attached to a state media entity. Williams also noted that the entity is classified as print media, eliminating the National Communication Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA). This means that this millionaire journalist was attached to the only other state media house-the Chronicle. “They didn’t know the government would have changed,” said Williams as he inferred that the PPP thought this would have never been revealed. Williams told the media that this “useless” venture has already cost the state too much and the new government will therefore seek to ensure that the Commission wraps up its work soon “We are going to
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall wind it down, we can’t afford it.” The $325M quoted by Williams does not include the costs for future sittings, the next of which should take place in July. Before the CoI is concluded, however, the various lawyers will be allowed to make submissions, after which the Commissioners must present their decision. Williams said that there
will be a sitting for submissions to be made, upon completion of which, the Commissioners would render their decision on the matter. He said that the lawyers would most likely be given a three-week notice to prepare their final submissions. “We are convinced that the real reason for it was political” said Williams. However, he said that the PPP’s plan backfired as the electorate showed that it did not believe “this contention that the PNC was responsible for Dr. Rodney’s death.” He also said that the CoI ended up serving “no useful purpose aside from vindicating the PNC…It was hearsay upon hearsay upon hearsay.” Williams represented the interest of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at the CoI. Because of his new position, Williams will have to withdraw. He will most likely be replaced by Attorney at Law James Bond. On June 13, 1980 Dr. Walter Rodney, a scholar, social activist and founder of Working People’s Alliance (WPA) was killed when a
device exploded in his car that was parked near the Camp Street Jail. Following the incident, there was speculation that the event was set up by the then Prime Minister and Leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. As such, close relatives and associates of the late historian made numerous requests for a Commission of Inquiry into his death. Decades after the event, On June 13, 2013, the Government of Guyana (GoG), under the Donald Ramotar Administration, announced that it had approved the establishment of the COI following a request from the Rodney Family. Public notices on the matter outlined that the purpose of the COI is to receive testimony and evidence from interested parties to determine the circumstances immediately prior, at the time, and subsequent to the incident, in order to determine who or what was the cause of the explosion which resulted in the death of Dr. Rodney.
Attorney General, Basil Williams Among other things, the COI was set up to determine whether the cause of the explosion in which Dr. Rodney died, was an act of terrorism. Ramotar had said that such an inquiry was necessary to allow Guyana to start the healing process after more than 30 years of uncertainty concerning Rodney’s death, and to avail his family closure. The inquiry commenced April 2014, and was supposed to wrap up at the end of the year. The government, however, announced that it was extending the life of the Commission, indefinitely.
New Ministry moves to speed up house lot applications With thousands of house lot applications on file, the new administration said that it has started an assessment of the available lands to speed up the process. According to Minister Keith Scott, who is charged with responsibility for housing, the new Government has also embarked on a project to establish a unit of engineers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), and the former Ministry of the Local Government and Regional Development. The latter
- Ceres named to head special engineers’ unit Ministry has been renamed the Ministry of Communities, and includes the housing sector portfolio. “As you know, we are aggressively working to create communities that are fully functional. It will mean that we have to use our combined assets, our available capacity. We are aware also, that many applicants are justifiably concerned about the pace in
which their applications for house lots are being processed. This is a priority, of course, to us.” According to the Minister, he has already requested a list of the ongoing projects and housing schemes, as well as the contractors and other details, like costs. The previous administration had said that lands in high demand areas like the East Bank Demerara were fast running out. A project was under development along the Soesdyke/Linden highway area to open up new lands for housing as well as commercial zones. Plans were on stream,
Engineer, Charles Ceres also, to buy sugar cane lands in the areas behind Ogle and Eccles for more house lots. All these will be examined to ensure the applications are processed quickly; the necessary infrastructure works are in place and construction can begin. “I am being told that many persons have paid for their house lots in some cases for years now but are unable to receive one. I have asked for the “One Stop Shop” exercises to be suspended as it makes no sense unless we
Minister Keith Scott do a full assessment. You can’t ask people to borrow monies and pay and you are not giving them the house lots.” There are reportedly almost 10,000 house lot applications on file at CH&PA. Scott explained that the proposed unit of technical experts will be called the Engineering and Infrastructure Development Support Group.
The unit will be headed by engineer Charles Ceres who will also serve as Special Advisor to Scott. Interviews will be conducted with the engineers to determine their expertise with training to develop their skills. “The focus would be on the implementation of technically sound solutions to engineering and infrastructure development, and on the development of minimal acceptable standards for engineering analyses and design.” President David Granger had signaled his intentions to create safe communities that not only offer playgrounds, but would create opportunities for jobs and offer services only available in the city or in towns. He has merged the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development with the Ministry of Housing, creating the Ministry of Communities. According to Granger, the idea was to ensure that there is a faster rollout of services not only in the coastlands but also in critical far-flung hinterland areas.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
Migrant boat still being held off Myanmar coast
More than 700 migrants found packed aboard an overcrowded boat in the Andaman Sea were still being held offshore by Myanmar’s navy on Monday, more than three days after the converted fishing vessel was intercepted off the country’s coast. “The government is checking their identity, asking what they want to do and where they want to go,” government spokesman Ye Htut told Reuters, without providing further details of the boat’s location. “Usually, most of them want to go back to Bangladesh, so we will arrange according to their wishes.” Government officials have been tight-lipped about the identities of 727 migrants on the overcrowded boat, found drifting and taking on water early Friday, as well as their eventual destination. The government initially labeled the migrants “Bengalis”, a term used to refer to both Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims, a largely stateless minority in Myanmar that the government refuses to refer to by name. Officials later said they believed most of those on board were from Bangladesh. Myanmar has come under harsh criticism for its treatment of Rohingya, more than 100,000 of whom have fled persecution and poverty in Rakhine State since 2012. Myanmar denies discriminating against the Rohingya. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said the United States had asked Myanmar to allow the immediate disembarkation of and provision of humanitarian assistance to the migrants. “The safety and well-being of these migrants is the highest priority of the international community, includ-
ing the U.S., which stands ready to provide assistance as needed,” Marie Harf told a news conference. U.S. President Barack Obama told young Asians invited to the White House on Monday that Myanmar needed to end discrimination against Rohingya if it wanted to be successful in its transition to a democracy, something he has sought to make a legacy of his presidency. “(O)ne of the most important things is to put an end to discrimination against people because of what they look like or what their faith is,” he said. “And the Rohingya have been discriminated against. And that’s part of the reason they’re fleeing.” Journalists from Reuters and other foreign media were briefly detained and turned back to land after approaching the fishing boat on Sunday. Navy officials made journalists delete photographs and video of the boat and at one stage a sailor pointed a rifle at reporters. A navy officer, who declined to be named, told Reuters on Sunday some migrants aboard were able to speak Rakhine, a local language in the western state not widely spoken in Bangladesh. Myanmar says the Rohingya are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh, and denied during a 17-nation meeting on the crisis in Bangkok last week that it was to blame for a crisis that has seen more than 4,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi “boat people” arrive across Southeast Asia in recent weeks. The migrants were abandoned at sea by people smugglers after Thailand launched a crackdown on trafficking in early May.
“Just days after the Bangkok summit on the boat people and the Myanmar authorities are already shamefully violating what was agreed there,” Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, told Reuters. Myanmar should immediately grant access to the migrants to international agencies, Robertson said, “especially since no one in the international community believes (its) rash and rushed assessment that these people are all from Bangladesh”. Kasita Rochanakorn, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Yangon, said UNHCR had previously been invited to help refugees at a disembarkation point in southern Myanmar, but had been “subsequently told that the place of disembarkation had been changed”. The UNHCR was still waiting for more information on where the migrants would be unloaded, she said. Myanmar officials had said last month that another migrant boat found at sea with more than 200 people on board was mostly filled with Bangladeshis. But interviews by Reuters found more than 150 Rohingya had earlier been on the same boat, but were quietly whisked off by traffickers before authorities brought the boat to shore. Last Thursday, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein painted a “grim picture of discrimination against Rohingya” at a closed-door briefing at the U.N. Security Council, a council diplomat said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power called the conditions the Rohingya faced “troubling and inhumane.”
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Tuesday June 02, 2015
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SAVING GEORGETOWN! People are making a big fuss about the flooding in the city. What did they expect? All manner of excuses are being made. It was said that pumps were not working. These pumps are always not working. They always have to be fixed. This is nothing new. There were also complaints about the sluices not being opened on time. This happens from time to time with tragic consequences. We have also heard about the neglect of the drainage system. It was described as criminal. Well this neglect has been ongoing for more than thirty-five years. All of the excuses and reasons for the flooding are immaterial. All the complaints as to who is responsible do not matter. What matters are the statistics. If five inches of rain falls over a short period of five hours, there will be widespread flooding. All the pumps could have been working; all the drains could have been de-silted and clean; all the sluices opened on time; all the outfalls cleared, and still it would not have mattered. If five inches of rainfall descends over a period of a mere five hours, there is nothing that can be done to prevent flooding , nothing. We are lucky that more rain
did not fall. Then there would have been a catastrophic situation. When it rains in Guyana, it gets very slushy. It was not always that way. But the drainage system has long been compromised. The main canals are not being dredged on a regular basis and when they are cleaned it is not to increase their depth but merely to remove weed. The canals lack sufficient storage capacity because they are too shallow. Outflow to the river is slow because the main drainage canals are clogged with debris and the outfall channels to the river are silted up. These things have long been known. They are not new. They require money, big money. A few people getting together to do community work is not the answer. What is needed are tens of billions of dollars, money that cannot be found to do the work that is needed. This is what it will take to fix the city’s drainage system. Less rain may have fallen this past weekend that the downpours that triggered the floods of 2005. But in terms of the city, the flooding was more tragic that in 2005. This is what people must understand. They must understand what it will take to put things
Dem boys seh...
Nuff people now understand blackout A lot of people disappear and in this country when you don’t see somebody is either dem gone overseas or dem dead. That is why every night more people sit down looking at Sharma TV and at Blackman TV for the jumbie hit parade. That is de new name fuh death announcement. Dem boys use to see Kwame all de time; he use to behave like if he is de most powerful person pun de face of de earth. He disappear. Dem use to see de Chat-3, Irfaat, Rob de Earth, Priya, you name dem and de whole country use to see dem. Now people want to know when dem gone. And is not like if dem can’t talk pun de radio. Dem got more radio station than de government. And is not like if dem can’t get in de newspaper. Even de Chronicle which dem use to control like mother hen controlling she chicks reporting pun wha dem saying although dem no longer in control. Dem don’t even answer dem cell phone when people call dem and is not shame dem shame. Dem boys seh that is just that dem crying so much that dem can’t talk. Jagdeo seh that if de PPP Ministers never understand blackout, dem should do so now. Blackout is de loss of power and everybody should now see that wid no power you can’t do nutten. You can’t listen to music and fuh sure you can’t see TV. And if you car loss power then you can’t go nowhere which is wha happen to all of dem. Rohee still talking bout begging de See Jay fuh try a thing. He claim that without de Pee Pee Pee in power it affecting dem children education. He seh that when a teacher ask who is de president de children who accustom to saying Ramotar now got to learn Granger name. “Dem should be learning something else.” That is wha Rohee seh. Then dem got de corruption. Is now dem boys seeing how even Donald use to throw away taxpayers money. Shaun who was punishing in Canada get a payday just like how Jagdeo give Fip Motilall a payday. Talk half and wait fuh when de police gun step in.
right. And they must ask themselves whether it is worth the while to try to save Georgetown. Why spend tens of billions of dollars to fix the drainage system in Georgetown when one year from now it will again be compromised. There needs to be continuous cleaning and removing silts from the canals and outfall. Does anyone appreciate the billions that it
will take simply to clear the outfalls? Look at the main burial ground in the city. Millions of dollars were spent to clear it of its jungle-like overgrowth. Millions more were spent to apply weedicides to stop the regrowth of bushes. But that has not stopped the rapid overgrowth. The question that needs to be asked therefore, is Georgetown worth the price that will have to be paid to fix
it. Billions are needed to fix drainage. Billions will be needed to resettle squatters living on the banks of the main drainage canals. Billions will be needed to implement proper zoning facilities. Billions will be needed to remove all the garbage. Billions will be needed to rebuild the markets. Billions will be needed to provide compensation for vendors. Billions will be needed to provide proper bus parks and
car parks in the city. Where is all this money going to come from? And even if it can be found, would it be worth the investment if standards cannot be maintained. Is Georgetown worth all of that investment?
Guyana will have vastly different AML Bill …Britain to make submissions
Attorney General, Basil Williams (far right) during meeting with UK, High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn (far left) and other UK officials Come October, when Guyana turns up to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill in hand, it will be a far cry away from the draft presented by the People Progressive Party/Civic Government. Yesterday afternoon, Attorney General, Basil Williams, said that the new government will seek to pass the Bill with the same amendments it proposed while in opposition during the Tenth Parliament. Back then, the submissions were not accepted by a PPP/C Government which needed the then combined opposition’s voted in the National Assembly to pass the Bill. However, now the table has turned, the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government does not need the PPP/C vote to pass the legislation since Guyana no longer has a minority government. Williams told the media, ”Whereas the former government was dealing with the CFATF and FATF and the Americas Regional Review
Group (AARG) in relation to their version of the Bill, our government will be proceeding with the bill we had put in the Select Commit in the last parliament.” The new amendments to the parent AML Bill will see significant changes to the Financial Intelligence Unity (FIU). The new government will see that the FIU is removed from under the supervision of the Finance Minister and placed under the supervision of an independent entity which would be determined by the National Assembly. Williams said that just as it has proposed while in opposition, the government will ensure that the President no longer has the power to hire or dismiss the Director of the FIU. Under the APNU+AFC, that power will be removed from the Executive branch and given to the legislative branch. When the new Bill is passed the Director of the FIU will get security of tenure. He will then only be fired “through due process, that will have to take up the attention of the (Parliamentary) Committee of Appointments, then it will go to the floor (of the National Assembly).
Also, FIU will no longer be financially dependent on government. “We thought that was really an all government thing and it (the FIU) needed to have independence” said Williams. The new government is also seeking to introduce criteria for qualifications for the Director and other staff members of the FIU; this was not in place before.
Yesterday the United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn met with Williams at his Ministry on Carmichael Street, Georgetown. After the meeting, Quinn told the media that it was the passage of the AML/CFT Bill that was the focus of the discussion. “This was an opportunity (Continued on page 23)
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday June 02, 2015
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
A challenge to BK International I missed recent convert, Brian Tiwarie’s exuberant, emotional panegyrics of the new APNU-AFC government on television a few nights ago. People told me about it. Many said, “Freddie yuh should hear BK.” Well I am sorry I missed it given Tiwarie’s bitter denunciation of me last March when I wrote about the contracts he got from the Jagdeo Government and a loan he took from GBTI to buy the Teperu/Itabu quarry. I think I missed the programme because I was at the AFC head office on Railway Line where I socialize with people who campaigned with me to remove the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal so that the new
government can implement the Procurement Commission. This commission is for contracts to be transparent in the awarding process. The rejection of a Procurement Commission is one of the things I hated the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal for. Writing about the quarry purchase in his tirade against me, Tiwarie wrote; “All of this is thanks to Jagdeo’s efforts to set (sic) this quarry going again” Well, Mr. Tiwarie has to be grateful to Mr. Jagdeo because the quarry is doing well Mr. Tiwarie reacted ragingly to the following words in my March 15, 2015 column. “You can count on
your fingers, the private contracts Brian Tiwarie gets. His contracts, thus his wealth, came from the twelveyear reign of Mr. Jagdeo and he is still getting more under Ramotar.” I thought that was public knowledge and saw nothing malicious in the statement. The whole of Guyana knows that BK International expanded prodigiously due to state contracts. Mr. Tiwarie got his PR spokesperson, Alex Graham, to fire the first shot. Mr. Graham wrote; “Mr. Kissoon must know that there are no private projects of that scale and magnitude for which BK International is qualified to compete.” But the story of BK
International took an interesting twist when the man himself, Brian Tiwarie, got into the act. Mr. Tiwarie now glaringly contradicted his own PR guru when he, Tiwari, wrote; “Mr Kissoon speculates that most of our business arises from Government contracts without any verification whatsoever. The fact of the matter is that a large portion of BK International’s work arises from private companies and individuals.”(end of quote) How can the PR firm of a company say it gets state contracts because there are no such private contracts in Guyana, then the firm’s boss says the bulk of the firm’s contracts come from private businesses and individuals. So which is the truth? This column here will ask BK International to clear up this ugly discrepancy and other requests. The man himself decided to get personal with me. In a section of his long letter in the Guyana Times (which is rumoured to be owned by Bharrat Jagedo) he
confronted me with the following words; “In the interest of transparency, I challenge him (that is me) to publish the names of all the businessmen who built his house, if any. I bet you he never would.” I will take up that challenge with GHK Lall and Ramon Gaskin in a forthcoming column. For now the challenge is directed to Tiwarie and it is done against the background of Tiwarie’s own words which I reprint here; “BK does not report to anyone the source of our funds, the terms of our loans and our repayment, given the private nature of those transactions…” Yet this very man wants me to publish details of the businessmen who helped me with my house. But I am not averse to the publication of the names at all. I won’t even consult these four persons when I publish their identities because I believe they no longer fear PPP retaliation. I am ready to publish the names of the four businessmen who assisted
Frederick Kissoon me and detail my relationship with them. The information will come as a huge surprise to readers because I hardly relate to two of them and haven’t spoken to them in years. In exchange, could Tiwari answer the following questions? How many state contracts did he get under the Jagdeo presidency? What kind of work does Ramon Gaskin do for him and for how long now? What kind of private contracts did he receive during the Jagdeo presidency? And finally, is he aware that the loan from GBTI to buy the quarry was actually a news item in one of the daily newspapers? GHK Lall and Gaskin want to know who these businessmen are. I am putting both of these gentlemen on alert that in exchange, I will request they divulge information that readers would like to have. Sorry to hear Mr. Gaskin’s friend, Carol Sooba, has lost her job, but she deserved to.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Mining pit attack... DPP
recommends Indian national bled charges for security guards out from multiple excise wounds
Mario Figueira stands in the way of one of the gunmen
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that the police institute charges against four security guards implicated in an attack on a Konawaruk mining camp last month. This is after the police submitted a file containing their findings in the May 10 attack, to the DPP’s office last Friday. The attack, which took place in District H45, Konawaruk mining camp belonging to former Wonderland Tour owners Alisha and Mario Figueria, is alleged to have been orchestrated by a rival mining concern, Tesouro Mining Company, on whose land the Figuerias are prospecting. According to the couple, they were allowed to prospect on the claim. Rumours of the
financial returns from the operations caused Tessouro to become envious and encroach on the land. They were subsequently granted an injunction from Chief Justice Ian Chang barring Tessouro from making any encroachments on the land until May 18, when the case pertaining to the land will be heard in the High Court. However on Sunday four gunmen, dressed in Tessouro security guard uniforms and armed with shotguns, went on a rampage in the camp, shooting at any mining equipment within sight and causing an estimated $60 million in damage. They also shot the Figueira’s excavator operator, Ray Murray, to the back of
the head, requiring him to be air dashed to the city, for further treatment. The men then proceeded to spray the camp with shotgun pellets, all the while declaring that they had been sent to destroy the camp. As a result of the shooting rampage, the Figueiras are claiming over $60M in damages, in addition to their excavator operator, Ray Murray being shot to the back of the head. The attack which was partially caught on tape, was reported to have left the workers traumatized and Kaieteur News understands that since the incident, all the original workers have vacated the camp, forcing the couple to get new workers. The attack is alleged to
have been orchestrated by Tessouro Mining Company, a rival mining concern on whose land they were prospecting, in a bid to get them to vacate the claim. Meanwhile, the guards in question were invited to the Mahdia Police Station, but were subsequently released on their own recognizance. This has left the couple seething, since the video evidence of the attack, showing the security guards armed with shotguns threatening camp owner Mario Figueira, was submitted to the Police. The Figueiras’ are having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that the attack has left their livelihood in tatters. They have also repeatedly expressed fear for their lives.
A post mortem examination performed on the body of Harkirat Singh has revealed that the Indian national died from shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple excise wounds. Singh, 38, who had a history of mental illness, is alleged to have snapped and attacked his brother- in- law Amrindeo Singh, 32, with a knife and hammer. The attack took place in the quiet gated community of D’Aguiar Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on May 26. The brother-in-law is said to have sustained stab wounds to his neck and face, as well as lacerations to the back of the head, but was subsequently listed as stable. The police also recovered a hammer and a knife near the front door. The slain man’s sister, who witnessed the first stages of the attack, said that her brother was schizophrenic, and that he recently threatened to kill family members and take his own life. She blamed staff at the Georgetown Public Hospital for ignoring pleas to have him admitted for psychiatric treatment. According to reports, the sister was feeding the couple’s small son, while her husband sat at a dining room table, when the mentally-ill man sneaked up behind his brother-in-law and struck him with a hammer. He reportedly then began to stab the injured man. Neighbours were alerted to the attack when they heard the wife screaming and saw her run out of the house with her small son.
“She was saying help me…help me…Ashook (the brother) and Harry fighting,” a resident said. On entering the yard, residents reportedly saw Harkirat Singh, the husband, sitting at the front door entrance, and bleeding profusely from wounds to the neck and face. A resident remembered staunching the blood and then helped take the injured man to the hospital. Residents said that the family has been living in D’Aguiar Park for some six years. According to one report, Amrindeo Singh became mentally unstable in India, after sustaining on-thejob injuries. He was reportedly employed at an East Coast Demerara location. But his sister said that his mental condition recently deteriorated and he began to threaten family members with violence. She alleged that the brother, while armed with a knife, had jumped the fence about a week ago and had threatened to kill everyone in the family and take his own life. She said that relatives took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital and begged a staffer at the Emergency Unit to have him hospitalised. However, family members were reportedly told that Amrindeo Singh’s condition did not warrant him being admitted to the Psychiatric Ward. Residents who lived in D’Aguiar Park for several years said that they could not recall any other such violent occurrence in the community.
GTU President, Mark Lyte
Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine
field.” He is convinced that a school’s Parent Teachers Association (PTA) together with its administration could be an efficient enough management team. “Members of the PTA are more likely to have an interest in what
happens at a school because they (members) have children attending that school,” the GTU President speculated. And since it is the claim of recently appointed Minister of Education, Dr. (Continued on page 23)
GTU prompts Education Minister to examine School Boards’ performance School Boards oftentimes do not work in the interest of schools. This is the firm belief of President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, who has expressed hope that moves will be made to “do away with School Boards as far as possible.” According to Lyte, the need for a revision of the School Boards Secretariat and by extension, School Boards has long been an issue gaining the attention of the Union. “This has been something that we have asked for a long time because we find that there is a lot of conflict. People who do not necessarily understand education are placed on School Boards based on their
political affiliations,” said Lyte. The GTU President said that School Boards comprising political appointees “generally they do nothing for the schools. So we would like to see School Boards being reviewed with a hope that it could become a thing of the past.” School Boards are appointed by the School Board Secretariat which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education. And according to Lyte, on most occasions persons are selected by the Ministry. He however disclosed that during the lead-up to the May 11, 2015 elections, Head Teachers were asked to identify persons to comprise
the Boards. But according to Lyte, finding the ideal people, who are interested to volunteer a great deal of their time to the uncompensated work of the Board, is not always an easy task. “These people are not given a stipend for their travelling or anything,” said Lyte of the School Boards members for this reason they may not have the schools’ interest at heart, he suggested. Ahead of the recent call for Head Teachers to identify potential Board Members, Lyte said that “persons were selected from external places based on their affiliation to be a part of Boards, and many of them did not know education
policies so they could not make informed decisions.” Another shortcoming of the Board highlighted by Lyte is that, while teachers of nonboard public schools are appointed by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), those at Board Schools are appointed by the respective School Boards which translates to some variances. For instance, while TSC requires a teacher to apply for a Head Teacher position to undergo an evaluation complete with the writing of an essay, this is not required by the Board. There are currently about 30 Board Schools and according to Lyte, “It is simply not a level playing
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Kaieteur News
Three cops turned bandits, jailed on robbery charge Three ex policemen who were nabbed in a car last N o v e m b e r o n t h e We s t Coast Berbice public road following the robbery of a Cambio dealer, were sentenced to three years imprisonment each. The men Darren Bentick, 22, of 142 Cooper Street, Albouystown; Nigel Quely, 21, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, and David Alder, 22, of Zorg-enHoop Housing Scheme, Blairmont West Bank Berbice were found guilty by Magistrate Rhondell Weaver before whom they appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court on a charge of robbery. They were charged with robbing money changer Heeralall at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, of money totaling $1.9M. It included US dollars, British Pounds, Canadian and Guyana currencies. According to Prosecutor Inspector Grace Bristol, on the day in question, Heralall was on his way home on his motorcycle when in the vicinity of Cotton Tree, his path was blocked by a motor car containing the three men.
Nigel Quely
Darren Bentick
The men who were in a white heavily-tinted motor car which had on a false number plate, wound down the windows and shouted “police”, before showing the man a badge. Heeralall attempted to drive away, but his path was blocked. Two of the men came out and accosted the man telling him that he is wanted at the police station. His bag with the money was taken away and he was told to walk to the car. However, as he was making his way to the vehicle accompanied by two of the
‘policemen’ they sprinted away, re-entered the car and sped away. The police were informed and mounted a roadblock at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, where the men were intercepted. The thieves professed their innocence and stated that they were police officers. However, they were arrested and taken into custody. The bag with the money and the other items were recovered in the vehicle. The suspected getaway car with registration plate, PSS 5406, is owned by Bentick. During investigations, the men constantly changed their story. On one occasion they stated that they were hired by the victim to stage the robbery, and that the money was to be divided.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
$1.6M GRA parking lot heist…
Commissioner General calls on alleged victim to withdraw allegations
Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, has noted with concern, allegations made by Auto dealer, Nigel Ramah, 33, of 18 Chateau Margot, East Coast Demerara, who allegedly lost a black shoulder bag containing $1.6 million five minutes after leaving it stashed in his Ford F-150 vehicle in t h e Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) staff parking lot on Camp Street.
Mr. Sattaur said, “It is discouraging that the alleged victim is trying to find a parallel with the warehouse theft by putting blame on security. It must be pointed out that Mr. Ramah misrepresented himself as a staff of the Revenue Authority, and subsequently bribed the security in an effort to have his vehicle secured. Had Mr. Ramah not been dishonest from the inception, then his story would have had more credibility.”
However, the GRA notes the rather pathetic response by Mr. Ramah of accusing two drivers employed by the Agency of breaking the lock on his car and stealing his money. The Commissioner General is also of the opinion that Mr. Ramah should withdraw such statements, unless he has evidence to support his allegation, since the GRA’s code of conduct does not condone such behaviour. Nonetheless, Mr. Sattaur intends to investigate this allegation and the relevant department will be contacting Mr. Ramah in due course to obtain further information that would assist in substantiating his claim. Additionally, the GRA is urging the individual to continue to pursue the theft with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) since it was carried out presumably in a public place and as such, ought to engage the attention of that agency. Once investigations into this allegation have been completed, the Revenue Authority will provide the findings to the various media houses. Kaieteur News understands that Ramah had just withdrawn the money from a city bank before heading to GRA to make duty payments on a vehicle. He went upstairs to the GRA building leaving the money in the vehicle. It is unclear why he left the money behind instead of taking it to transact his business. After some five minutes of being in the building, Ramah returned only to be greeted with a broken left side door lock and his ‘bag of money’ missing.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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CJIA technicians remanded Slain taxi driver’s wife detained, cops seek lover for cocaine in rum A triangular love affair gone wrong, rather than robbery, appears to be the motive behind last Sunday’s murder of taxi driver Dennis Narine, at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. Police yesterday confirmed that detectives have detained Narine’s spouse and have searched a Grove, East Bank Demerara residence for a male acquaintance of the slain man’s wife. However, police failed to locate the suspect. Kaieteur News understands that the woman has denied that the acquaintance was at the couple’s home when her spouse was slain. Narine, 26, of Lot 598 La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD was shot to the chest, allegedly by robbers who were trying to break into his home. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. Residents reportedly saw a man fleeing the scene, but were reportedly unable to see his features in the darkness. It was alleged that Narine, his wife and three children were asleep when he was aroused by noise at a window. Narine is said to have quietly alerted his wife to take
SHOT DEAD: Dennis Narine his three sleeping children to safety, while he armed himself with a cutlass and went to investigate. It was reportedly then that someone fired a shot through the window. Yesterday, the slain man’s grief-stricken father said that he is convinced that the report of a robbery is a fabrication. The victim’s mother, Bibi Shamina Khan, who lives a few doors away, recalled hearing two gunshots at around 02.00 hrs and hearing her daughter-in-law’s screams. Khan said that she rushed over to check on the family. “I found my son in blood with a hole (wound) to his left side stomach. I picked him up and tried to talk to him and
ask him what happened to him but he could not say anything. He just like take a deep breath and that was it.” The grieving woman said that her son was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Narine‘s mother had ruled out the theory that someone might have carried out a ‘hit’ on her son. At the time, she suggested that he was the victim of a botched burglary. “My son was a good man. Find out from anybody. He ain’t got no problem with people. He is a very peaceful person. Ask people, he ain’t got problems with people.” Mrs. Khan however, recalled that her son had received a threat from someone after his car was broken into a few weeks back. “About two months back, somebody break he windscreen. He made a complaint to the Community Policing Group about it then somebody left a threatening message at the base that he does work taxi, but he ain’t know the person. The person left the message and he just drop the story because he didn’t want trouble with people.”
Berbice driver granted bail after alleged $M theft Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry released a Corentyne driver of $125,000 bail after he was charged with simple larceny. Satyanand Paramhance, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, denied the allegation that he stole one hydraulic hose valued $500,000, one engine, a computer box valued $5M among other items all totaling $14.8M, property of Anand Persaud. Paramhance explained to the court that he has no pending or previous matters and that the victim is his brother. Police Corporal, Bharrat Mangru, told the court that the defendant and victim are known to each other. He said that during the month of November 2014, Persaud secured his mining equipment, left them in care of the defendant and went overseas. When Persaud returned last month he was informed that the defendant had removed his items. The victim subsequently made a report to the police and the accused was arrested and charged. The prosecutor objected to bail citing the seriousness,
Dafang Tian
Satyanand Paramhance
prevalence and penalty attached to the offence. He also pointed out the value of the items allegedly stolen and the fact that they were not recovered. Mangru also informed the court that the defendant provided the police with a statement indicating that it was his friends, who had stolen the items. However, his compelling objections were overruled by the Magistrate as she granted the accused bail and ordered that he return to court on June 11, at the Bartica Magistrate’s
Court. At that hearing the matter is expected to be called for reports and fixtures. Meanwhile, a Chinese national was ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 after he pleaded guilty to an illegal entry charge. The charge alleged that at Springlands Corentyne, Dafang Tian, entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an Immigration Officer. He explained through an interpreter that he did not have the money to pay the fine and requested to make contact with his family.
Three men were brought before the court yesterday charged with attempting to traffic three bottles of Eldorado Rum laced with cocaine to the United States of America. Chris Douglas, of Timehri; Loric Williams of 57 Prospect, East Bank Demerara; and Keon Brewster, 21 of Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge; pleaded not guilty to a drug trafficking charge after it was read to them by Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry. The charge alleged that on May 29, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Timehri, they had 6.3 kg of cocaine in their possession. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Bharrat Mangru, told the court that Douglas is an American citizen. He said that on the day in question, Douglas was an outgoing passenger on a Dynamic Airways flight, destined for John F. Kennedy Airport, USA. Mangru revealed that a routine check was conducted on the defendant and three bottles of El Dorado Rum were found in his hand luggage. The rum was probed
because the contents of the bottles seemed thicker than usual. The substance in the bottle tested positive for cocaine. As a result, Douglas was arrested and told of the offence. He later implicated the two other defendants. The police then reviewed CCTV footage from the airport, which showed Brewster and Williams leaving the washroom area acting in a suspicious manner. Mangru also stated that the defendants provided the police with caution statements admitting to the offence. Attorney, Latchmie Rahamat made a bail application on behalf of Williams. She argued that during investigatios the police forced her client to sign a statement. The lawyer contended that the accused has no knowledge of the alleged narcotic. Rahamat explained that Douglas provided the police with a statement, which they demanded that her client sign. She asserted that the accused has an unblemished criminal record and at the time of his arrest he was employed as an
Chris Douglas air-conditioning technician at the CJIA. Douglas’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, requested that his client be released on reasonable bail because he has no knowledge of the alleged cocaine. He too contended that his client has an unblemished criminal record. However, the prosecutor objected to bail because the special reasons advanced by both attorneys were not enough to satisfy the court. Investigations are still ongoing in this matter. The trio was remanded to prison until June 16, for reports and fixtures.
Another charged with killing Sterling Products’ guard Yet another person has been charged with the murder of Sterling Products Limited guard, Wilfred Stewart, last December. Uree Voswick appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday and was not required to plead to the indictable offence. Particulars of the charge alleged that on December 8, 2014 at Providence, he murdered Stewart during the course of a robbery. The Sterling Products Limited security guard of Graham’s Hall East Coast Demerara, was shot dead in December 2014, by gunmen who forced their way into the Sterling Products Limited Compound. Orin Arthur and Rayon Paddy, who are currently before the court on several charges, were also charged with the Stewart’s murder. The charges range from possession of an illegal firearm, possession of narcotics, abduction and robbery under arms. The men allegedly posed as cops and carried out robberies at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, on March 18, last. Arthur Paddy and Steven Prescott, also known as ‘Assassin’, are currently on remand for the murder of
Dead: Wilfred Stewart
Murder accused: Uree Voswick
Guyana Geology and Mines (GGMC) engineer, Trevor Abrams. Abrams 32, of Lot 131 Samatta Point, East Bank Demerara, was riddled with
bullets on February 26, last at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, after heavily armed men ambushed him and opened fire on his vehicle.
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Kaieteur News
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Private customs brokerage training certificate course. Starting 29th June 2015. Register now and save! Call: 223-1506; 681-7567; 694-8322 Private homeschooling for CXC English and all SSEE subjects –Call now:696-7467 LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
1 (3) bedroom house situated at 17 Herstelling New Scheme - Tel: 233-5240 or 689-6965 Five bedrooms house, 107 Lamaha Gardens & Large Parking; AC Rooms Hot & Cold, Purified Water System Call: 661-8908, 335-3590
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665. Staff for plant shop, Located in Georgetown, Plant knowledge an advantage. Tel: 643-4049
Hall for wedding, all occasions, seawall view @ 44 Public Road Kitty –Tel: 231-1908/12
One live in domestic to work in Mahaicony River. Tel:2256571; 644-6905 Receptionists, bar attendants (shift work), live in handyman, apply in person. Tel: 223-6284
GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE- CALL: 675-0767, 627-5098
Experienced cashier: must know point of sale (shift work) @ Fortune House Restaurant, 98 Sheriff Street.
One 3 bedroom upper flat apartment for rental in 5th Avenue, Diamond H/Scheme E.B.D. Tel: 662-9335
Live in domestic must know to cook Indian dishes, salary $70,000 monthly - Tel: 610-3974
New spacious 2 bedroom apartments with kitchen, bath, camera, grill, fenced, secured yard, Vreed-en-Hoop - Call: 6825230; 628-9596
Female to work in prodcution department - Call: 644-5151 One live-in person to care for an elderly man in Georgetown- Call:223-9888
EDUCATION
12 Offices @ 220 South Road G/Town –Tel: 227-1042, 6013369
One bedroom apartment, for rent located in Eccles, Old Road, E.B.D –Monthly fee $35,000 –Contact: 610-0640; 223-6987 Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: office, storage bond or other business. Call: 680-9905
One mature and knowledgeable, live in maid, preferably from the country areas. Phone: 691-7790
1 family to work & live in for an elderly man & living @ Timehri (living accommodation free) - Call: 223-9888
Rooms with Wifi internet, furnished / bed optional, students welcomed- $20,000 per month – Call: 223-1757 (after 6pm)
Urgently needed live in waitress-Tel: 693-4154 1 Maid to wash and clean @ E.C.D-Tel: 603-5416; 644-9802 Experience female accounts clerk- 4 years working experience. Apply in person @ Alabama Trading Georgetown Ferry stelling Stabroek
VEHICLE FOR SALE Caldina Wagon PMM 753 Call: 613-1286 1 Toyota Hilux Vigo 2003, 1 Lexus IS200 – Call: 610-3707 Unregistered fully loaded, Toyota IST $2M - Call: 6917475
Taxi Drivers wanted at Princess Hotel - Tel: 616-5419
1 Mechanic to work in the Interior must know about Cummings & Perkins Engine. Tel: 691-6260
Tuesday June 02, 2015
FOR SALE/RENT 1 Three Storey building, established business- Call: 227-1042; 601-3369 1-1200 HP TVG, fully equipTel: 662-1124
1 L-Touring Wagon, excellent condition - A.C Alarm & Remote start, flair kit, CD player, 16" mags, price $1.3M - Tel: 626-2884 Minibus BKK Series; price$950,000, owner leaving country –Tel: 222-6628 or 692-2602 V8 Titan (2005) KIA SPORTAGE 2003 - Call: 275-1230 Noah and Voxy Unregistered. Call: 668-0000, 603-7900 Star Cars Auto Sales: In Stock, Premio, Vitz, Bluebird, IST, Alteeza, Benz C200, Spacio –Tel: 679-3140 1 Noah BSS excellent condition-$1750, 1 Noah recently registered, blue bird Sylphy 2006 (unregistered) – Tel: 652-0709; 614-4777
VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$4.4M Neg. Call: 643-2403 1 Toyota Premio (PNN Series) in immaculate condition. Including: mag rims, HID lights, alarm. $2M negotiable- Call:679-9800 One Toyota Allion 2004 Model & 1 new & unregistered Mazda Axela, excellent condition -Tel: 649-0956 2 Ford F350 2006 model, extended cab 4X4, 6" lift kit, 35" tyres, diesel, auto, excellent condition - Tel: 610-5370 Unregistered Nissan Bluebird 2006 for sale $2.650M negotiable – Contact: 689-7325/644-9277 04 BMW 318I (MYSTIC BLUE) M SPORT PRR 9445 , DVD DECK, REMOTE STARTALARM, REVERSE CAMERA -$3M. CONTACT FARAD: 619-4544 1-2007 Audi A4, excellent condition- $2.7M negotiableTel: 661-6161 2004 Spacio -$2M 2008 Fielder (new shape) -$2.5M unregistered –Tel: 617-2891
Toyota Hilux 5L Manual $2.350M negotiable –Tel: 684-1776; 617-8188
We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 Unregistered Corolla Fielder 2003, body kit, fog, rear spoiler, dark interior, roof rack Call: 617-5536 Massey Ferguson 399 Contact: 601-9903 1 Toyota Prado & Toyota Hilux both in excellent condition, owner migrating – Call: 601-0053; 691-8079
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. One Mitsubishi freezer canter- GPP 4798- Call:6225717 Complete engine/ electric Lucas Mill - $1.2M. All mill spares and frame - Call: 693-5281 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 1-Miller Welder, Duetz engine (diesel) –Tel: 661-6161 1-20 KVA generator, like newTel:661-6161 One accent Hyundai- Price $250,000 neg. Contact: 6100517 2-20 Ton American dump truck- Tel:661-6161 1- AT170 EFI car for parts, 1-AT170 Stick shift driving Tel: 677-5041 2004 Honda 500 ATV 4X4 strong running engine for $400,000 negotiable. Call: 650-6178; 688-1202 Rare and expensive stamps first day covers/post cards/ coins & paper moneyContact: 227-6817; 624-7341
(2) 75 DAF GHH 7237, GNN 5366, 1 IST Car PMM 755 – Contact: 613-5212, 664-1030 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154
FOR SALE
TO LET Prime office space @ lot 239 Quamina Street, Central Georgetown, parking available in Private yard. Tel: 592-227-2913, 592-689-3033 Two bedroom apartment & studio @ Eccles – Call: 6447000, 233-3133 or 233-2369 One three bedrooms top flat L.B.I East Coast - Call: 2267585 Church to let @ 180 Charlotte St. Bourda -$150M negotiable- Call:227-6817 or 624-7341
Brand new 2 storey, 3 bedrooms building for sale in 5th Avenue, Diamond H/ Scheme E.B.D. Tel: 662-9335. One two stroke 90 Yamaha outboard, one 14ft aluminum boat, one 25 Yamaha 4 stroke outboard – Contact: 601-1138 DAF truck: flat rack, Perkins eagle turbo, 350LM, 12.17LT, 350HP, GVW 32,000KG, mileage 71,000kmCall: 676-9413, 223-0050 Crashed Toyota IST 07 Model. Price negotiable, tel: 614-1443
One tractor operator to work in Mahaicony River must know about rice work. Tel: 225-6571; 644-6905 Toyota Allex, Raum, BB, AT192, AT212, Premio, Hilux Pick up, RZ minibus & Pitbull, Nissan Blue Bird –Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 1 212 Carina AC, CD, Mags with wood finish interior, PNN, never work hire, excellent condition -$1.150 – Call: 619-1047 Tractor Massey Ferguson from Canada: MF 135- $1.2M, MF 165 -$1.8M, MF 265 $2.1M, ranger pickup -$1.5M Tel: 682-5230, 628-9596
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL: CARS & SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security – Tel:698-7807
LAND FOR SALE Land at Farm East B a n k Demerara Call: 668-0000, 603-7900 10 Acres Kuru Kuru, High Way Roadside for Resort Business –Tel: 601-3369 or 227-1042 Commercial lots available at Eccles E.B.D $14M - Tel:592227-2913 or 592-689-3033 Continued on page 23
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 23
PPP undecided on parliamentary participation, says Rohee Though the main opposition party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) has not yet decided whether its members will be taking their seats in the eleventh parliament when it convenes, yesterday, it revealed that consultations are underway to decide on its National and Regional representatives. As he addressed members of the media at Freedom House, Robb Street, the party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, explained that the process of indentifying their candidates on the Regional, Geographic and Top Up lists for the last elections required quite lengthy consultations from “the grassroots level coming all the way up to the leadership of the party.” Rohee told members of the media that the same process will be taken in selecting its Members of Parliament (MPs) as well as representatives at the Regional Council levels. “The consultation period took quite an extensive length of time for us to get them on the list. When you present the list, you don’t want some backfiring because your membership is not in agreement with the list,” said Rohee. He said the party members must be in agreement with the list. “Now we have to go back through that same process in respect to Regional Councillors, Regional and Vice Regional Chairmen of those regions we won, as well as those regions which we
have not won, particularly the Councillors and then for the MPs as well,” he said. The General Secretary went on to say that the consultative process is one that must be thorough. Asked when the list will be completed, Rohee said that they had started the consultative process yesterday, and the party is working to develop a preliminary list that will be presented to its members and could be amended. He said after this, there will be another round of consultation before it is announced. Noting that there had been quite a number of persons on the lists they presented on Nominations Day, Rohee said that those who will not be representing the party at a Regional or National level will be informed during the consultative process so that a “fifth column situation” would not develop. Rohee said, too, that neither former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo nor Donald Ramotar had indicated their interest in being part of the eleventh Parliament. He did not pronounce either, whether former Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their former Prime Ministerial Candidate, Elisabeth Harper would be representing them. Rohee said that those discussions are ongoing. According to him, “One has to make a distinction between determining who goes to Parliament, who goes
From page 22
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PPP Executive Secretary, Zulficar (left) and the party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee on the Regional Democratic Councils, who goes as Chairman and Vice Chairman; between those decisions and the decision to go to Parliament. These are two separate and distinct decisions.” He made clear, however, that the selection does not mean they would go into Parliament right away. Rohee said, “There have been periods in our history where we settle on our Parliamentarians but we did not go into Parliament; also for the PNC (People’s National Congress). Soon after the Herdmanston Accord, they had settled on their MPs under Former President Desmond Hoyte, but they did not go into Parliament at the same time,” said Rohee.
Guyana will have vastly... From page 9 for us to talk through the plan for submitting the legislation to parliament in the next 100 days before recess, and on the sorts of things which we might be able to provide advice based on our own experience,” said Quinn. He said that from all indications the new government is “committed to the passage of this Bill.” The UK High Commissioner said that “a country blacklisted becomes significantly more difficult to
do business with…and no one wants Guyana to be blacklisted.” When Williams spoke about the meeting, he said that the UK High Commission indicated that it has no qualms with the amendments that were put forward but High Commissioner Quinn said that his interest in proposing new amendments as well. Commenting on the nature of proposals to be made, Williams said, “They are designed to be futuristic…so that you would not have to
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run back to parliament in a short space of time.” He added, “Our compliance (with international requirements) by the passage of this bill will really be the crux of the matter.” Williams also said that he has met with Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Paul Geer. He said that Geer was given an update on Government’s intentions regarding the Bill, and that he was apprised “of the need to have a bill passed in time for the FATF meeting is October.”
He added, “One has to look at this thing in all its complexities given the fluidness of the political situation that is occurring at this time.” He insisted that both parties have had these experiences and noted that their Parliamentary strategy and tactics, there are “some commonalities and some differences.” He said the final decision
on whether the party goes to Parliament is made by the Central and Executive Committee. Pressed for a specific time, Rohee merely said “as soon as we have settled on one or the other tactical move.” He said these things will be discussed by the party’s Central and Executive Committee, of which Rohee is Chairman.
Cashier, helpers & commission sales person, apply with written application @ Sachi General Store, 136 Regent Street – Tel: 227-2472 Cashiers & supermarket helpers apply in person with written application at Nirva Supermarket @ 49, Sheriff & Craig Street C/ Ville –Tel: 227-5771 One female clerk - Call: 2315171
GTU prompts... From page 11 Rupert Roopnaraine, that he has “a lot of respect for what the Union is saying” he intimated his willingness at least to review the work of School Boards. Dr. Roopnaraine in an invited comment noted, that while he hasn’t a fixed position on the issue “it is something we have to examine. I think that probably not all of the Boards should be lumped into one...there are probably some Boards that work well and there are probably some other Boards that don’t work well.” As such, the Education Minister said that his intent is to give close attention to the individual performances
of the Boards. This, according to Dr. Roopnaraine, would allow him to ascertain what corrective measures, if any, are required. “I can understand the feeling and the idea that the PTAs’ might in fact be the best formation to take charge of the School,” said the Education Minister as he claimed awareness of some systems where the PTAs’ have the decisive role in what happens in the schools. “We will look at this. I am very open to see what works and what doesn’t work. What works we will continue to go forward with, what doesn’t work we will correct or change,” assured the Minister.
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $18M neg. Tel: 625-5461. Property at Covent Garden E.B.D, serious inquiries – Call: 265-3586 Property at Leonora New Scheme –Tel: 678-9851 Property at Kersaint Park LBI, price $13M negotiableContact:664-1865; 698-5713 Property for sale or rental located in Eccles. Contact: 602-8703 Residential lots ad houses for sale at Eccles, E.B.D $7.5M. Tel:592-227-2913 or 689-3033 1 Flat concrete house 20X38 feet, land space: 100X200 feet. Tel: 694-1090 or 661-6073 Transported concrete property for sale at Lot 458 Block “8” Mon Repos, E.C.D, Top flat 2 bedrooms, bottom flat 2 bedrooms -$20M. Tel: 625-1514 Property @ Lot 63 West Ruimveldt, Estate Housing Scheme Georgetown – Contact Mark: 618-9744 Property at William St Campbellville, 2 family – 3 bedrooms over 2 bedrooms, 3 Baths 50FTX100FT lot. Call Cheryl: 226-8915 (9am4:30pnm) & Winston (917) 202-7444
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
Suicide attacks in Iraq’s Anbar kill 41 from security forces BAGHDAD (AP) — Three Islamic State suicide bombers targeted a police base in Iraq’s western Anbar province with explosivesladen Humvees on Monday, killing at least 41 police and Shiite militiamen, officials said. Related Stories The attack on a police station in the Tharthar area north of the IS-held provincial capital, Ramadi, caused a large secondary explosion in an ammunition depot, the officials said. Another 63 security forces members were wounded in the attack. Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to brief the media. Monday’s attack resembled the massive, coordinated assault launched on Ramadi last month that allowed IS militants to capture the city, marking their biggest gain since a U.S.-led coalition began launching airstrikes against the extremist group last August. In that assault, the IS group also used Humvees looted from Iraqi security forces. The loss of Ramadi prompted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to order Shiite militiamen into the vast Sunni province, which was an insurgent hotbed during the eight-year U.S. military pres-
ence. The Shiite militiamen have played a key role in pushing the Sunni IS group back elsewhere in Iraq, but have also been accused by rights groups of carrying out revenge attacks against Sunni citizens, charges denied by militia commanders. The IS group and other Sunni extremists view Shiites as apostates deserving of death. Meanwhile, The United Nations mission to Iraq said Monday that more than 1,031 people were killed and another 1,648 were wounded in violence across the country last month. The U.N. figures showed that 665 civilians and 366 members of the Iraqi security forces were killed in May. Baghdad was the worst affected province with 343 killed and 701 wounded. But, the UNAMI statement excluded deaths from ongoing fighting in Anbar, due to problems in verifying the “status of those killed.” The figures also leave out insurgent deaths. In announcing the latest casualty figures, the U.N. mission said that military action alone is not enough to defeat the IS group and called for a power-sharing among Iraq’s ethnic and sectarian groups. “”For any military gains to be sustainable, the government of Iraq must adopt a set of confidence-building mea-
sures toward disaffected communities, enabling them to assume a share in governing their matters,” said Jan Kubis, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral’s Special Representative for Iraq. Also, Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said the United Nations is launching an appeal for 500 million dollars to support critical humanitarian assistance in Iraq. The appeal will be launched next Tuesday in Brussels at the European Parliament. “We are doing this because the humanitarian operation, which is currently reaching millions of people desperately in need, has run out of money. If we don’t get money in now, if we don’t secure financing, programs all across the country are going to be closing in the next weeks and months,” said Grande during an interview with The Associated Press. Internal fighting has displaced more than 2.7 million people inside Iraq, including 110,000 who fled from renewed fighting in and around Ramadi in the past two weeks. Many of these are living with other families, inside mosques or in makeshift camps around the western periphery of Baghdad. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of thousands more displaced Iraqis in the northern Kurdish regions.
Chinese ferry with 458 aboard sinks in storm, 12 rescued A passenger ship carrying 458 people, many elderly Chinese tourists, sank in the Yangtze River on Monday night during a storm and only 12 people had been rescued so far, state media said, in what could be one of China’s worst disasters for years. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered that no efforts be spared in rescue work and Premier Li Keqiang was heading to the scene of the accident in central Hubei province, the official Xinhua news agency said. Xinhua, citing the Yangtze River navigation administration,said those rescued from the Eastern Star included the ship’s captain and engineer, who said the vessel sank rapidly after being caught in what it said was a cyclone. The official Hubei Daily said the ship had capsized and that the hull of the stricken vessel was still visible in the river, where the
Rescue workers carry a boat to conduct a search .
Page 25
Jamaican Parliamentarians to be schooled in accountability, transparency The Houses of Parliament will this week host an international conference aimed at strengthening the capacity of parliaments to carry out their oversight of public expenditure. The conference will be held from June 24 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston and is being hosted in collaboration with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, ParlAmericas, Inter-American Development Bank. Participants will include parliamentarians, experts on legislative oversight issues, Supreme Audit Institutions and professional accountancy bodies from Jamaica and overseas. WEAK OVERSIGHT “This conference is very important for parliamentarians because what it will do is enhance the capacity of Parliament to oversee the operations of the Government. As you know Parliament carries out three functions: legislation, representation and oversight and we are very weak in the oversight department because of a lack of facilities, lack of resources. So this conference comes at the right time when we are looking at improving our ability to function as a Parliament,” Speaker of the House of Representatives Michael Peart said. The conference aims to strengthen the leg-
Michael Peart islative oversight function of parliaments in order to “foster accountability, transparency, and sustainable development”. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will address the conference tonight.
Barbados reinvents itself to woo visitors Faced with serious regional and extra regional competition, Barbados is looking to T&T to boost tourism, the mainstay of its economy. Vicky Chandler, Caribbean and Latin America director of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) said T&T is the island’s number one market in the region and fourth globally. She said of the 78,594 visitors to Barbados last year, 27,952, or 35.6 per cent, were from T&T. However, there has been an overall decline in visitors to Barbados due to competition from the United Stares and Canada. “Last year was the third year that we had seen a reduction in numbers from Trinidad but it is not only
Trinidad, it is the entire region,” she said Chandler said tourism officials in Barbados are going all out to recapture this interest as the decline can cause further stagnation of the industry. As a result, a contingent from the BTMI rolled out a series of incentives aimed at wooing visitors during a Barbados Evening at the Royal Hotel, San Fernando. Chandler told guests at the function while many T&T nationals felt they have already visited and done everything, in Barbados, the experience has been reinvented cuisines, tours, accommodations and the island’s major event, the Crop Over Festival. She said they are also
working on tactical programmes with Caribbean Airlines and Liat to provide more attractive air fare options to visitors. “I think what we can do is try to mitigate against the cost by offering some kind of value added to the consumer so that the final cost is something that is manageable.” She added: “I think we need to be more creative in how we sell the destination. Barbados is a known entity and that is one of the things we keep hearing from your Trinidadian counterparts. “Most people have been to Barbados, they love Barbados but they have done almost everything already. We really do try to reinvent ourselves.”
Former Dominican head of state dies
water was about 15 meters (50 feet) deep. Weather forecasts said heavy rain was expected on Tuesday, making the job for rescuers more difficult. Among those on board the ship were 406 tourists, aged from around 50 to 80, on a tour organized by a Shanghai tour group, and 47 crew members, the People’s Daily
said on its microblog. The newspaper said the boat had the capacity to carry more than 500 people. The vessel was heading to southwest China’s Chongqing city from Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province. It sank at around 9:28 p.m. local time in the Jianli section of the river.
ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has led the nation in paying tribute to Dr Nicholas Liverpool, Dominica’s sixth head of state, who died on Monday. He was 80 years-old. In a radio broadcast, Skerrit praised the Liverpool, who served as President between 2003-12 and died in Miami where he had been obtaining medical treatment. Skerrit said that Liverpool’s “death has robbed us of a most revered ambassador for and of this
country”. Liverpool, who obtained a doctorate in 1965, was awarded Dominica Award of Honour in 2003. “Dominica is very much the poorer, with the death today of former President, His Excellency, Dr Nicholas Liverpool. Dominica has lost a cherished son... I, personally, have lost a friend and mentor,” Skerrit said. Liverpool served as senior lecturer and Dean at the Faculty of Law at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and
was also a judge of the High Court in Antigua and Montserrat and Appeal Court judge in Belize, the Bahamas and Grenada. Liverpool also served as the island’s ambassador to the United States. The prominent jurist was also the author of numerous articles and papers and last year, the government renamed the new highway leading to the airport in his honour. Liverpool is survived by his wife, Verna and five children.
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Bahamas builds resilience against a surging sea
NASSAU, Bahamas– Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have championed the phrase “1.5 to stay alive” in demanding that global temperature increases be kept as far below 1.5 degrees C as possible to limit the anticipated devastating effects of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable countries. But for the countries of the Caribbean, the challenge associated with the ongoing climate change negotiations is that even if the goal to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees C is achieved, they will still experience severe adverse impacts for which stronger programmes of adaptation would necessarily have to be implemented. In The Bahamas, if the sea level rises some five feet, 80 per cent of the country would disappear. To assist with ways to build resilience against this bleak possibility, the InterAmerican Development Bank Multi-Lateral Investment Fund (IDB- MIF) and CARIBSAVE have given The Bahamas a grant of US$100,000. It’s part of the Climate Change, Coastal Community Enterprises: Adaption, Resilience and Knowledge (CARK) project that has a total budget of US$2.5 million. Regional Director of CARIBSAVE Judi Clarke said The Bahamas was an easy pick for the grant because it is one of the most low-lying countries in the world. “We’ve been working with the Bahamian government for nearly 10 years on climate change resilience and trying to strengthen the resilience of The Bahamas and the Bahamian people,” Clarke told IPS. “We want to get through the tough times that have been happening in terms of climate change and the impacts of sea level rise, increased temperatures and degradation of the environ-
ment so that we can try to reduce the vulnerability of the tourism product.” With a regional headquarters in Barbados, an office in Jamaica, and registered entities in St. Lucia, Grenada and soon Guyana, CARIBSAVE’s work spans the wider Caribbean. They bring together specialist knowledge, project management expertise, convening power and innovation with the goal of achieving a sustainable future for all. Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie said the situation for his country and others in the region is rendered especially urgent in the face of information that ocean acidification, sea surface temperatures and sea levels are already rising. “The region is not fully able to adapt or to mitigate the loss and damages associated with climate change induced upon us,” Christie told IPS. “These, particularly sea level rise, will irreversibly change the geography and ecology of many coastal states and territories. It has been projected that responding to these factors can have particularly disastrous consequences causing a perpetual recession on each of the CARICOM member states for a significant period as our infrastructure-built environment, settlements and economic wellbeing are concentrated in coastal areas prone to flooding and inundation. “For the region, climate change magnifies the growing concerns regarding food security, water scarcity, energy security and the resource requirements for protection from natural disaster,” he added. The Bahamas’ grant will be used in micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) and communitybased organisations (CBOs) in New Providence, Abaco and Andros. The grant is expected to impact more than 3,000 local direct and indirect beneficia-
ries. “The Bahamas is gaining the reputation of being at the forefront of environmental issues and looking at sustainable ways that we can protect this environment,” Director General of the Ministry of Tourism Joy Jibrilu said. “We know that tourism is the cornerstone of our economy and so it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we protect the environment not just for our current use but for future generations. It is grants such as this that ensures that in fact takes place.” The islands of the Bahamas are already experiencing some of the effects of climate variability and change through damage from severe weather systems and other extreme events, as well as more subtle changes in temperature and rainfall patterns. Detailed climate modelling projections for the Bahamas predict an increase in average atmospheric temperature; reduced average annual rainfall; increased Sea Surface Temperatures (SST); and the potential for an increase in the intensity of tropical storms. The CARIBSAVE regional director stressed that climate change isn’t just something to worry about in the future. “It’s already happening and more and more, scientists are attributing some climaterelated events to global climate change – because the science supports this conclusion,” she said. “Even though small island and low-lying coastal states like those in the Caribbean are not historically responsible for the causes of climate change, we are some of the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts. “Therefore we need to adapt (find long term solutions to present and future climate challenges). However, we must also play our part in the mitigation of climate change – hence do our utmost to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This makes economic sense anyway. In a region with so much sunshine, why aren’t we using it more?” Serious adverse impacts are already being felt by island states at the current 0.8 degrees C of warming, including coastal erosion, flooding, coral bleaching and more frequent and intense extreme weather events. The UN’s lead agency on refugees has already warned that some particularly low-lying island states are “very likely to become entirely uninhabitable”.
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
Guyana’s WC Squad to be selected today Intra Squad game in honour of two founding fathers set for Leonora Football field All the hard work done in training sessions will be tested today when the Golden Jaguars engage in an intra squad match at the Leonora Football Field to select Guyana’s squad for next week’s FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Qualifying competition. Guyana, drawn in Round 2 of the CONCACAF leg of qualifying would play their first game of the home and away tie against St. Vincent & the Grenadines next Wednesday (June 10) at the Arnos Vale Playing Field in that Island with the return game set for the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday June 14
from19:00hrs. Today’s match, which kicks off at 15:30hrs, would be played in honour of two of Guyana’s founding Fathers, with the respective teams named the Burnham X1 and the Jagan X1. All the players have been hard at work over the past two weeks and will be in contention for spots on the 18-man squad that will travel to St. Vincent, while at home, 23 players would be on the roster. The Technical staff led by Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz with assistance from Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover would have their work cut out in selecting the squad which will
see the likes Christopher Nurse, Trayon Bobb, Pernel Schultz, Marcel Barrington, Matthew Briggs, Neil Danns, Sheldon Holde r, K e v i n Beaton, Emery Welshman, Sam Cox, Ricky Shakes, Vurlon Mills, Kanata Manning, Eon Alleyne, Brandon Beresford, Daniel Wilson, Daniel Whyte, Walter Moore, Adrian Butters, Colin Nelson, King Solomon Austin, Kris Comacho, Jamaal Smith Akel Clarke, Derrick C a r t e r, A n t h o n y W h y t e and Matthew Allick all staking a claim for a spot. (Franklin Wilson)
Tuesday June 02, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try to stay disciplined and focused today, Aries. This may be easier said than done, but it's crucial for preserving your sanity. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) These rewards won't come without hard work and discipline, however, and this seems to be a focus of the day. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Don't mess with superiors or people in authority today, Gemini, or you might end up in some serious hot water. Take it easy and try not get bogged down by negative emotions. CANCER (June 21–July 22) . Make sure you're building with bricks and not straw, and that the mortar you use is strong. Try not to get discouraged by negative emotions. The situation is probably better than it seems. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) There's a sober feeling to the day that may leave you feeling a bit down, Leo. There may not be any specific instance or situation that causes you to feel this way, so don't sweat it. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) People may be extra stubborn today, so try to avoid any confrontations that could lead to full-scale war. Your emotions may feel restricted and restrained.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your freedom-loving nature may seem a bit dampened today, Libra, but don't let it get you down. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today is a great day to get rid of the stuff that's cluttering up your life, Scorpio. Get to the heart of the issue and stop beating around the bush. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't sweat the small stuff. You may feel like something is restricting your otherwise light, witty nature, but don't worry about it. Things probably seem worse than they really are. CAPRI (Dec.22–Jan.19) There are opportunities open to you now whether you realize it or not. It may be hard to be aware of them today, given the astrological weather. Your emotions may feel restricted and weighed down, like something is trying to tie you down. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your emotions may feel restricted today, Aquarius. You may feel bad about something you did in the past. Somehow your heart isn't able to let it go. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're going through a period of major evaluation and assessment of certain life projects. Today's energies bring much of that tension into focus, and put it right in the place where it affects you most - your heart.
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Change in Normalization Committee The Guyana Football Federation has announced the appointment of Mr. Eric Phillips as the replacement for Mr. Stuart May, Normalization Committee Member on the FIFA’s Normalization Committee. Mr. Stuart May has been a part of the Normalization Committee since its induction by FIFA in October, 2014. His resignation from the
Normalization Committee is due to family commitments. As a result, FIFA has appointed Mr. Eric Phillips to complement the Members of the Normalization Committee effective 25th May, 2015. Mr. Phillips will join the Normalization Committee in an effort to complete the mandate provided by FIFA by its 30th September, 2015 deadline. Chairman of the Normal-
ization Committee, Mr. Clinton Urling has expressed his appreciation to Mr. May for his time devoted to the development and restoration of systems and procedures at the Guyana Football Federation. He also stated he is looking forward to working with Mr. Phillips to ensure that the work of the Normalization Committee is completed within its specified timeline.
Platini to lead Europe’s... (From page 26) change — we did not achieve that aim. Now we as Europe must watch that we keep to a clear line and of course we will continue to work closely together in UEFA on this. “We must, for example, watch out that we do not lose power in the ExCo because the number of members from other continents is increased. We must now deal with the situation and consult again as UEFA before the Champions League final.” The soccer world will also be watching to see if any leading players — like Barcelona’s Messi or Juventus’ Pirlo — take a stand against Blatter. In the run-up to Blatter’s re-election, the
GCC Ladies finish... (From page 30) Jardine on the far post for the finish. It was 38 minutes into the match and GCC had finally made their breakthrough. The goal was a shot of adrenaline for the GCC side as they relentlessly attacked the Ventures circle over the next few minutes earning several penalty corners in the process. After winning a penalty corner in the 48th minute, Tricia Woodroffe’s strike was blocked by the diving Plaza only to be rebounded in by Gabriella Xavier on the near post. The score of 2-0 would hold to the end of the match laving GCC victorious on their final match of their successful debut season. Although GCC have competed both their rounds of matches, there are still several outstanding matches to be contested by local Trinidadian teams which is likely to see the season running down into July.
stars of the game stayed silent despite the FIFA corruption scandal leading the news agenda globally. That frustrates David Bernstein, the former English FA chairman. “We need action now,” Bernstein said. “I’d like to hear football managers speaking out. I’d like to hear footballers speaking out. I’d like Lionel Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo coming out. “I’d like to hear football clubs coming out and trying to influence their supporters.” In Britain, Prime Minister
David Cameron has been urged by the opposition Labour Party to convene an emergency summit on FIFA. Legislator Chris Bryant, who speaks on sports issues for Labour, said British teams should consider snubbing FIFA competitions. The Serious Fraud Office in London also said it was assessing “material in its possession” after British banks Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank were named in U.S. indictments as among the financial institutions used to transfer cash as part of the alleged conspiracy.
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Tuesday June 02, 2015
Platini to lead Europe’s fightback against ex-ally Blatter LONDON (AP) — In the buildup to the Champions League final, Lionel Messi and Andrea Pirlo could be overshadowed by a star of the showpiece 30 years earlier: Michel Platini. As Barcelona and Juventus descend on Berlin to contest European soccer’s annual extravaganza on Saturday, the UEFA president will be formulating the continent’s fightback against Sepp Blatter’s FIFA. Platini, a European Cup winner with Juventus in 1985 who helped Blatter first get elected in 1998, has put UEFA on a direct collision course with FIFA in what he says is a mission to restore credibility to the sport. Platini and UEFA led efforts to oust Blatter from power, supporting challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in Friday’s election, but the 79-year-old Swiss official extended his 17-year grip on power. Blatter’s victory
came despite some of his close allies, including FIFA vice presidents, being arrested in Zurich ahead of the congress as part of an American investigation into soccer corruption. Platini will now lead a UEFA meeting in Berlin on Friday to discuss their next move: begrudgingly put up with four more years of Blatter or seriously threaten a European exodus from FIFA. English soccer leaders have been long-standing critics of Blatter and are hoping for action from Platini. “It does require real leadership and Mr. Platini has now got to stand up,” English FA chairman Greg Dyke told the BBC on Sunday. “He stood up and criticized Sepp Blatter. He’s now got to lead the opposition.” A World Cup boycott does not appear to be a credible threat without the weight of the game’s powers behind UEFA.
Re-elected FIFA president Sepp Blatter, right, is congratulated by FIFA vice president and UEFA president Michel Platini after his speech during the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. (Patrick B. Kraemer / Keystone via AP) “If we could get 10 large countries to do the same thing then I think you could have a big impact,” Dyke said. German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach, a new member of FIFA’s ruling executive committee, cau-
tioned that “boycotts are always a bad weapon.”
England v New Zealand: Rain ends play early in second Test
(SB Nation/Yahoo Sports) Serena Williams needed a comeback to defeat Sloane Stephens, but the women’s No. 1 seed survived a slow start to earn a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory Monday at the French Open. The match started with a break for Stephens, followed by two more breaks later in the set that concluded with a 6-1 dusting of Williams to set the tone early. Stephens was the offensive aggressor for much of the match, but Williams overcame with her blend of unrivaled power and athleticism to storm back. Stephens kept the momentum rolling in the second set by winning her first three serves to snag a 3-2 lead, however, Williams finally earned a break of her own to take a 4-3 lead in the set.
Bad weather arrived four overs after lunch on the fourth day and prevented any further play. BBC Sport - England’s chances of saving the second Test against New Zealand were boosted by the Headingley rain. Bad weather arrived four overs after lunch on the fourth day and prevented any further play. England, who lead the two-match series 1-0, had reached 44-0 by that time in pursuit of a Test record 455 to win. New Zealand had earlier plundered 116 runs in 16 overs to declare on 454-8, with Mark Craig hitting an unbeaten 58 and Tim Southee 40 off 24 balls. At the time of the declaration, England had more than five sessions to bat, enough time to pull off a fanciful chase but too much for the draw to seem a realistic possibility. Now, with all 10 wickets intact, with which to negotiate the final day, England
could yet escape with the draw that would give them a series victory. Weather permitting, they will resume with Adam Lyth unbeaten on 24 and captain Alastair Cook 18 not out. The opening pair negotiated 13 overs, Lyth in particular playing a number of eyecatching strokes through the off side. But New Zealand off-spinner Mark Craig found enough assistance to suggest that he will trouble England’s seven left-handers on the final day. Craig played his part in another riotous opening session as England’s attack once again had few answers to a New Zealand lower-order assault. The Black Caps scored at more than seven runs per over, with Craig adding 43 from the 42 balls he faced. He and Southee were dropped as England committed more er-
rors in the field - Craig offered a tough diving chance to a diving Stuart Broad off James Anderson on 24, while a Southee edge off Mark Wood was watched to the boundary by Ian Bell and Joe Root in the slips. At the time, Southee had only one. He capitalised to dish out fierce punishment to Broad, who once again resorted to an excess of short-pitched bowling. Southee took 20 from one over, including three fours and one straight six, while Craig also played one glorious lofted drive off Broad over long-off. Their partnership, which began after Anderson found bounce with the new ball to have overnight centurion BJ Watling well held at third slip by Root for 120, yielded 77 runs in 8.4 overs. Southee eventually heaved Moeen Ali’s off-spin to Anderson at long-on, but there was still time for number 10 Matt Henry to hook Broad for two sixes. The declaration came straight after, with New Zealand set for a win that would draw the series. Instead, the Leeds weather may have already played its part in saving England. Scores: England 350 and 44 for 0 (Lyth 24*, Cook 18*) need a further 411 to beat New Zealand 350 and 454 for 8 dec (Watling 120, Guptill 70, Craig 58*, McCullum 55).
“I don’t see that it helps us Europeans to boycott the (FIFA) executive committee,” Niersbach told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. Blatter warned on Saturday of the main potential consequence of a UEFA boycott: players deserting Europe’s wealthy leagues to ensure they could continue playing for national teams. In a Swiss newspaper interviewed published on Sunday, Blatter pointed out: “Europe couldn’t even get together its own candidate.” Dutch football federation president Michael van Praag and Portugal great Luis Figo withdrew their candidacies a week before the poll, leaving Prince Ali as the UEFAbacked challenger.
Blatter ’s daughter, Corinne, weighed in to defend her father’s integrity on Sunday and questioned why Platini ducked out of contesting the presidential election. “How can UEFA, who say they are the strongest confederation, not put up a candidate?” Corinne Blatter told the BBC. “If (Platini) was serious about it he should have (stood).” Platini’s plans were derailed, though, when Blatter reneged on a 2011 pledge to step aside at the end of his four-year term. “If he had kept his promise and recommended that his protege Platini should be his successor, a clean transition would have been possible,” Niersbach said. “We wanted (Continued on page 25)
Serena Williams avoids upset with comeback win over Sloane Stephens Stephens quickly atoned for the break with a break of her own on the very next game, but one more break for Williams eventually led to a 7-5 win that forced a third game. Williams held serve throughout the third set and pulled away for a 6-3 victory in the third and final set to seal a trip to the quarterfinals. It was the second match in a row that Williams came from behind to win. In the third round, she dropped the first set to Victoria Azarenka before taking the match in three sets. A victory over Williams wouldn’t have been a first for Stephens, who defeated her American counterpart at the Australian Open in 2013 in three sets. The other four head-to-head matches between the two were won by Williams, though, including
two previous victories for Williams over Stephens earlier in 2015. Stephens, 22, started her tournament by defeating Venus Williams in the first round is straight sets followed by two more straight-set victories. It is the fourth consecutive elimination in the fourth round of the French Open for Stephens, who doesn’t yet have a Grand Slam victory in her career, but advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 Australian Open. Williams avoided becoming the second victim of a huge upset in the women’s singles draw on Monday, after No. 2 Maria Sharapova lost earlier in the day to Lucie Safarova. Williams will now advance to face No. 17 Sara Errani, who defeated Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-2 on Monday.
US player Serena Williams returns the ball to compatriot Sloane Stephens during their fourth round match at the French Open in Paris, on June 1, 2015 (AFP Photo/Kenzo Tribouillard)
Tuesday June 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Federer sweeps into French Open quarter-finals Paris (AFP) - Second seed Roger Federer reached the French Open quarter-finals for the 11th time on Monday with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over France’s Gael Monfils. Federer, the 2009 champion, will now face Swiss Davis Cup winning teammate Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semi-finals. He raced through the final two sets on Monday in just over an hour after the last-16 tie was delicately poised at a set apiece when it was suspended in the chilly gloom of Sunday evening. “I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarterfinals again after missing out last year,” said Federer, who was beaten by Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 in 2014. Monfils, a semi-finalist in 2008, was nowhere near his swashbuckling best on Monday slipping to a break down in the first game of both sets. At 2-1 down in the fourth, he needed the trainer to be called although the Frenchman’s problems appeared more related to the cold from which he was suf-
fering rather than any physical problem. He lost the last five games of the contest and although he saved a match point with a trademark cute drop volley, an equally characteristic wild forehand sealed his fate. Monfils blamed a fever for his erratic performance. “It was tough because I’m sick. On the eve of the match I was not at my best. I had a bad night and woke up repeatedly. I didn’t have any fever this morning, but my body was sluggish,” said the 28-year-old Frenchman. “I couldn’t keep up the pace and I had a stuffed nose. So it was even harder.” It was 33-year-old Federer’s ninth win in 13 meetings against Monfils who had triumphed over the Swiss star on clay in Monte Carlo last month and in November’s Davis Cup final. Meanwhile, Federer will take a 16-2 career advantage over Wawrinka into today’s quarter-final, including a win on clay in Rome earlier this month. “It’s special to play Stan,
Switzerland’s Roger Federer returns the ball to France’s Gael Monfils (AFP Photo/Patrick Kovarik) there aren’t many Swiss players in the draw,” said Federer. “I’m quite positive about it.” Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer recorded his 40th career win at Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Croatian ninth seed Marin Cilic to also reach the quarter-finals. Ferrer, the runner-up in 2013, will take on either thirdseeded Andy Murray or
unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy for a place in the semifinals. World number one Novak Djokovic, bidding for a first French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, faces French 20th seed Richard Gasquet. The top seed has a 10-1 winning record over Gasquet whose only win over the Serb came eight years ago. Djokovic will look to extend his run of successive
Spain’s David Ferrer hits a return to Croatia’s Marin Cilic (AFP Photo/Dominique Faget) Grand Slam quarter-finals to 24 while a win for Gasquet would make him just the third Frenchman to record 400 Tour-level match wins. He is also looking for a place in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time at the 12th attempt. Murray, the number three seed and twice a semi-finalist, was defending a 6-1 career record over Chardy, including a successful meeting
on clay in Rome on the eve of Roland Garros. Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal can clinch his 70th win at the French Open and reach a 10th quarter-final when he meets Jack Sock of the United States for the first time. Victory for 22-year-old Sock would make him the first American man to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals since Andre Agassi in 2003.
Concussed Chris Rogers RHTYSC invites nominations for Ansa McAl and Gregory to miss first Test ESPNcricinfo - Australia opener Chris Rogers will miss the first Test against West Indies in Roseau from June 3 because of a concussion he suffered after getting hit in the nets on Sunday. Shaun Marsh appears likely to take his place. Rogers batted briefly after the blow to the helmet, inflicted by a local net bowler, but pulled up sore on Monday morning and was ruled out by the team doctor Peter Brukner. Brukner tested Rogers at the team hotel on Sunday afternoon and found evidence of various concussion symptoms such as dizziness; they had not alleviated significantly enough by Monday morning. Rogers was informed of the decision by Brukner, the coach Darren Lehmann and the captain Michael Clarke as training began on Monday at Windsor Park. “He won’t be returning to training until he’s fully recovered,” Brukner said. “He’ll have a return to play process once he’s symptom-free of a few days, gradually increasing his activity before he gets back to it.” Rogers is expected to be fit in time for the second Test in Jamaica. The decision meant Marsh is set to open along-
Gaskin Memorial Awards
Chris Rogers had also been hit on the helmet while fielding against India in Brisbane in December © Getty Images side David Warner in Roseau, having made a polished hundred in that position against a WICB President’s XI in Australia’s only warm-up fixture, in North Sound. It was the second time in the space of six months that Rogers had been hit on the head. He had suffered a blow to the back of the helmet while
fielding at short leg during the Brisbane Test against India in December. After that knock, which took place only a matter of weeks after the death of Phillip Hughes, Rogers looked decidedly upset and admitted to briefly pondering his future. He has since said the West Indies and England tours will be his last.
Guyana’s leading youth and sports organization, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club is seeking the assistance of the Berbice community in obtaining nominations for two major award ceremonies to be held in July. The club would be hosting the 3rd annual Ansa McAl Award of Excellence and the 3rd annual Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award Scheme. Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC, Hilbert Foster stated that both awards ceremonies would be held on Friday 17th, July 2015 at the St. Francis Community Developers Complex and the club would be inviting President David Granger to give the feature address. Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnarine would also be invited under the Ansa McAl Award of Excellence. Four outstanding Berbicians would be rewarded for their outstanding contribution to Berbice in the field of sports administration, education and community development. The general public is invited to submit nominations of persons who have excelled in a leadership capacity un-
der the sub-heading of sports, education and community development. The awardee would be selected based on years of service, impact on society and role model status. Nominees must be over 40 years old and has served for over fifteen (15) years under one of the categories. The Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award Scheme sponsored by Sentinel Security Inc. would see the RHTYSC sharing out four awards – Berbice Sportsman of the Year 2014, Berbice Sportswoman of the Year 2014, Berbice Sports Personality of the Year 2014 and Berbice Sports Organisation of the Year. The long serving RHTYSC Secretary/CEO disclosed that club members are not allowed to nominate any person and RHTYSC mem-
bers also cannot be nominated. Each of the Awardees would receive a plaque, trophy, a medal of excellence and a collection of gifts. Nominations can be sent to the club’s office, Area ‘H’ Ground or via email at the following address:foster_hilbert@yahoo.com before the 5th of July, 2015. Only persons living in the ancient county are allowed to make nominations and are allowed only one nomination under each sub-heading. Persons must also submit their full name, address and contacts. The winners for both awards would be selected by the RHTYSC Awards Committee headed by veteran Journalist and Sports Administrator Gregory Rambarran.
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Tuesday June 02, 2015
Heather Rabbatts: FA member withdraws from Fifa role BBC Sport - Football Association board member Heather Rabbatts has withdrawn from Fifa’s task force against racism and discrimination with immediate effect. Rabbatts, the FA’s only female board member, said it had “not been an easy decision”. But she added her desire to try to tackle racism and discrimination was “outweighed by the disastrous effect on Fifa’s reputation of recent events”. Fifa re-elected president Sepp Blatter last week despite corruption claims. Seven top officials of world football’s governing body were arrested in Switzerland two days before last week’s election as part of a US prosecution that indicted 14 people. A separate criminal inves-
tigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated has also begun. Blatter, 79, has faced calls to resign from Uefa and the FA but was still voted in for a fifth term in his role. He has received support from Brazilian three-time World Cup winner Pele but John Whittingdale, Britain’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, says the government will “do all in its power to help bring change about” at Fifa. The decision of Rabbatts comes in the wake of FA vicechairman David Gill rejecting a place on Fifa’s executive committee while Blatter is president. “Like many in the game, I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform Fifa,” said Rabbatts. “It is clear from the re-elec-
Heather Rabbatts tion of president Blatter that the challenges facing Fifa and the ongoing damage to the reputation of football’s world governing body are bound to continue to overshadow and undermine the credibility of any work in the anti-racism arena and beyond. “My commitment to challenging discrimination across
China’s Su runs historic sub10 second 100m in Eugene EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - China’s Su Bingtian became the first Asian-born athlete to run a sub-10 second 100 meters when he finished third in the Diamond League meeting in Eugene on Saturday. The 25-year-old clocked 9.99 seconds in the race won by American Tyson Gay in 9.88. “I am so proud for my result. I can write my name into history now and will work harder and run faster,” Su told Xinhua. “This is definitely a huge boost for me.” Su’s time is not the fastest by an Asian athlete, however, with Qatar ’s Femi Ogunode having clocked 9.93 at the Asian Games in South Korea last year on his way to a sprint double. Ogunode, though, was born in Nigeria but moved to the Gulf state in 2009 and became a naturalized citizen a year later, in time to race at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, where he won the 200m and 400m titles. Japanese teenager Yoshidie Kiryu ran a windassisted 9.87 at a meeting in Texas in March, also indicating his ability and a sign that Su’s milestone may soon be surpassed. Su’s compatriot Zhang Peimeng had held the previous fastest time for an
Bingtian Su (CHN) celebrates after finishing third in the 100m in a national record 9.99 during the 41st Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Asian-born athlete with the 10.00 flat he clocked at the 2013 world championships in Moscow, a n d S u h o p e d they would be able to replicate that at this year ’s
worlds in Beijing. “In Moscow, Zhang Peimeng was ranked ninth with 10 seconds, which made me feel that we are very close to entering the top eight and beating 10 seconds,” Su added. “I hope in this year’s world championships, I can work some miracles for my country in 100m and 4x100m relay.”
the game remains undiminished and I will continue to work with the FA and other international partners on this
fundamental issue in our game.” Meanwhile, Pele says he was in “favour” of Blatter beating Prince Ali bin alHussein in the Fifa presidential election. “It was necessary because it is better to have people with experience,” he said. “He’s a man who has been there for 25 years [with Fifa], you have to respect him, it was an election.” However, MP Whittingdale has met with FA chairman Greg Dyke to discuss the situation regarding
Fifa. “Fifa needs to change and to change now, and I can assure the House that the government will do all in its power to help bring change about,” he said. “I have just spoken to Football Association chairman Greg Dyke and assured him that we stand behind the English FA’s efforts to end the culture of kickbacks and corruption that risk ruining international football for a generation. “I agreed with him that no options should be ruled out at this stage.”
Letter to the Sports Editor
In support of Shiv Chandrapaul Dear Editor, I wonder if the decision by Chairman of Selectors Lloyd and coachSimmons is not one to feather their bed at Shiv Chandrapaul’s– Tiger’s – expense. After all they are elected officials who need to justify the confidence reposed in them and to enhance their electability. If the team wins without Tiger, they become instant heroes, even immortals. If the team loses without the Tiger they earn accolades for boldness in experimenting with a youngster. They win either which way– “reminiscent of the three-card monte.” If one of the eleven current players falls out and is replaced by Tiger the entire cricketing world would be willing to bet that Tiger’sperformance would enhance the team’s fortune more than his likely substitute, and this is buttressed by his dominant performances especially against Australia over the years. Everyone has a bad patch which ends abruptly with a sterling performance. The argument of his age is unintelligible, unless a godlike creature can prove it is the cause of his bad patch. The argument of sentimentraised by Freddie Kissoon is even more ridiculous and represents an attempt to substitute base metal for pure gold. Winning is about desire, dedication, determination, boldness, commitment, patience, and understanding oneself, as well as one’s opponents which add up to confidence. Tiger has proven the most steadfast and greatest example of the above qualities in the cricketing world. Although cricket has some physical attributes it is essentially a mind game.
Those of us who do not understand this, are yet to learn the game. Unfortunately, too many of our players, organizers, promoters, managers, commentators, and officials fall in this latter category. The omission of certain members from a team can psychologically devastate that team. By the same token the presence of certain players can inspire and motivate a team and simultaneously devastate the opponent even if the individual did not appear to contribute much. No one could be so mentally impoverished to believe that Tiger ’s association with the team for a further two weeks (two matches) could be injurious to the outfit that he carried so long, and gave so much hope so recently. His inclusion is abundantly more realistic for the team’s success and thereby the satisfaction of the West Indian cricketing community. If indeed there is such a “David” (a giant killer) waiting in the wings as Chairman Lloyd and coach Simmons seem to believe, the two weeks would only help them to determine if their would-be instant hero possess the right mettle, dedication, determination, and discipline which could only be learnt by the sterling example of the Tigers of the game. Faced with an open heart surgery Chairman Lloyd and coach Simmons and their ilks would every time choose one of the best tried and proven surgeons in the world in place of a budding one. Why then foist upon an unsuspecting West Indian community and cricket fans such an odious alternative? What does being thirty nine years and eleven months old as against forty years old
have to do with it? What does sentiment as unwittingly argued by Mr. Kissoon have to do with it? Tiger is that master surgeon, that essential glue, that rock which anchors the team in its current winning position. His removal can have the effect of shattering team spirit and eroding its confidence, a recipe for disaster which no amount of peptalk can supplant. Tiger’s average of over seventy runs in seven tests only months ago in 2014 speaks volumes. Mr. Kissoon speaks glibly but misguidedly of context. The real context here is that the West Indies eleven materialized into a knitted team as reflected in the final test match against England. Tiger ’s vast experience, towering persona, and gritty performances especially against Australia would have been a source of inspiration and awe for his younger inexperienced teammates. Removing Shiv is tantamount to loosening that essential glue. This is the context – context of team spirit – that Mr. Kissoon and ilk’s need to deal with, not the irrelevancies of age sentiments and overhauling or not overhauling Brian Lara’s record. It should not be too difficult to understand that you bring an organization down when you remove or starve it of experience. West Indies cricket was brought to its knees when socalled intellectuals initiated the exercise of discarding experience for youth. Of late it was derisively said that West Indies expertise lies in its ability to find a way to lose thanks to those who illadvisedly believe that the team could succeed without experience. Respectfully Yours, Wilfred White.