Kaieteur News

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Govt. must consult Saturday Edition NEWS with Parliament, citizenry on investment policy for SWF AIETEUR

June 02, 2018 - Vol. 12 No. 21

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Price $80

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…IMF says this is necessary to reduce the risk of unilateral decisions

Online readership yesterday 89,866

Four GGMC workers die during - exposure to mercury six-month period emission blamed p.16

Man remanded for murder after being a fugitive for 18 years

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Stabroek Block contractors get “cost recovery galore” for gas operations p.

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GBTI records $1.5B profit in...

Deonarine Bhikari, leaving court yesterday

A rocky year dented by $940M fraud, charges for Directors p.

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NDIA leaves project open to collusion between contractor and supervisory firm - Edghill p.

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Govt. must respond to questions about US$460M pre-contract cost - Jagdeo

Kaieteur News

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Saturday June 02, 2018

Govt. should release oil and gas info proactively …Natural Resource Charter warns that a ‘request process’ can be an impediment

By Kiana Wilburg Governance of the oil and gas sector requires that t h e A P N U + A F C Administration, and any other for that matter, be accountable to an “informed” public. But central to that equation is access to information.

This is according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).

The Institute noted that the rules governing access to information on resource management are usually spread across different documents in a country’s legal framework. It said that these rules can make

disclosure of certain types of information mandatory, or they can create processes that citizens can use to compel the government to release specific pieces of information.

The Institute said that while the government is expected to release information proactively, one must consider if the legal framework includes rules that enable access to information.

The Institute said, “It is important to consider whether proactive disclosure is mandated, or if disclosure is only required upon request. The government should release most

information proactively.

Request systems can be a useful complement to the proactive release of data, but they should not be the primary method by which citizens can access information, as the need to go through a request process can significantly hamper access.”

It continued, “If requests are required, what are the grounds on which an institution can deny a request? How quickly are institutions required to respond? What is the process for an appeal? Are there prohibitive fees for accessing information? Does the legal framework include

rules that prevent access to information?”

The Institute said that these are important questions that citizens of emerging oil-producing nations need to address.

The Institute also noted that important places to look for these provisions include requirements in sector legislation and regulations, information laws, and provisions in contracts between the government and extractive companies.

NRGI said that where contracts are not publicly available, it can be helpful to consider model contracts to see if there is a standard clause agreed between

Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson Snr. extractive companies and the government that prevents public access to contracts.

With the aforementioned in mind, the Institute emphasized that transparency in the oil and gas sector means making relevant and timely information easily available to all actors so that they can observe and analyze decisions made and actions performed by authorities.

In addition to deterring bad behaviour, the Institute articulated that transparency also helps lay foundations of

trust among citizens, the private sector and the government.

It commented that the need for transparency in the extractive industries is particularly strong, given that resource extraction and revenue management are processes that are highly technical, typically involve few people, and usually take place in locations that are physically distant from much of the public.

Furthermore, the Natural Resource Institute said (Continued on page 7)

GRA moving to “XX” series as “WW” nears end

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced that the registration of the motor vehicle series “XX” will soon commence in keeping with the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act. “In accordance with the Motor Vehicle and

Road Traffic Act Chapter 51:02, a motor vehicle registration series elapses after 9,999 vehicles have been registered by the Licence Revenue Office under that series.”

In his capacity as Chief Licensing Officer, the Commissioner General of the GRA, Mr. Godfrey Statia, has given his approval for the new “XX” series to be introduced.

“Motor vehicle owners are reminded that the Motor Vehicle Licence expires on the registration anniversary of the vehicle. Vehicle licences can be renewed at GRA’s headquarters or any of GRA’s Branch Offices,” the authority said.

“However, when the registration for a vehicle has to be amended, for example, transfer of ownership, change of colour, change of intended use, etc., the vehicle must be physically examined by the Licence Revenue Office of the GRA before registration is issued.”

GRA noted that registration and change of motor vehicle registrations are all done at GRA’s Headquarters, 200-201 Camp Street, South Cummingsburg.

“The examination process will be undertaken at the Smyth Street Office or any GRA Regional Branch Office. Persons who require additional information can call our Licence Revenue Office on 227-6060, extensions 1025-6 or Tax Advisory Services Section on extensions 1201 -1204.”

Authorities say that with a more liberal stance by the commercial banks, car ownerships have become easier now.

This has led to almost 10,000 vehicles being registered annually.

Saturday June 02, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Govt. must consult with Parliament, citizenry on investment policy for SWF

By Kiana Wilburg Most Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) require an investment policy; a set of guidelines, which govern how the moneys being held will be used while taking into account, the risks involved. But this is not a decision for the government to make on its own.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Administration of the day must consult with the Parliament, citizens and non-government organizations on this matter. The Fund said in one of its reports that this is necessary to reduce the risk of unilateral decisions by any single party.

The IMF also stated that while governance models may differ due to differences in political institutions, there are some common principles that must be considered essential to any well-governed

…IMF says this is necessary to reduce the risk of unilateral decisions SWF. Apart from consultations on the investment policy, the Fund said that the starting point in establishing the governance structure of an SWF should be to recognize that the bodies established to manage the assets of the SWF are essentially trustees on behalf of the people.

The Fund said that one fundamental concern is, therefore, to establish a structure that will underpin the legitimacy of the SWF’s operations and ensure that the decisions taken in the management of the SWF reflect the best interests of the people.

The IMF said that this requires a solid legal basis for the SWF and the establishment of a chain of governing bodies from the legislature down to the individual asset

managers with accountability at every level.

The Fund stressed that there must be a clear and transparent division of roles and responsibilities between the different governing bodies. It said that this is a necessary condition for achieving accountability and legal certainty.

The Fund said, “When the role of a particular body is unclear, it will not be possible to hold it to account.

Both gaps and overlaps in duties and responsibilities must be avoided. Overlaps give unclear division of responsibilities and undermine accountability.

“Gaps in regulations may create room for unchecked and unwanted risk taking.

There must be appropriate delegation of investment de-

Stabroek Block contractors get “cost recovery galore” for gas operations Chartered Accountant and Attorney at Law, Christopher Ram has pointed to what he considers to be yet another flaw in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed between the Government of Guyana and the three oil companies operating the Stabroek Block.

Ram has said that the three companies—Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil) Hess and CNOOC-Nexen—will be enjoying a “cost recovery galore” for gas operations.

Ram said that according to the contract, all costs incurred in carrying out an appraisal programme are to be charged as exploration costs and are recoverable as contract costs.

He said that similarly, “all costs without exception, which are incurred by the Contractor outside the production area but which are associated with an approved development plan for an export gas project, including costs associated with utilization of third-party infrastructure or construction of onshore processing facilities, are also recoverable contract costs to be borne as cost oil before Guyana can receive its half share of profit oil.”

Friendly, good faith negotiation Ram added that the agreement allows the Contractor to propose revisions to the agreement to the Minister.

This will constitute the basis for entering into good faith negotiations leading to better terms, which will provide the Contractor with a commercially competitive return on investment for development of the Non-Associated Gas discovery.

cisions from the owner to the asset manager and within the management organization.”

It continued, “Asset management is highly skill-intensive, and proper delegation to a professional staff is required for successful implementation of the SWFs investment strategies. Delegation also serves to focus the attention of each governing body to the issues that are critical for success at their level in the governance system.

“Too little delegation will risk overwhelming the top bodies of the system with operational issues that will distract from higher-level strategic issues.”

The IMF added, “While a sound and robust strategy is necessary for successful management of the SWF, there must also be flexibility in the implementation of strategy to deal with changing market conditions. In many cases, this will require faster decision making processes than a highly centralized system can provide.”

At the same time, the International Monetary Fund said that the governance structure must allow the

owner to determine the appropriate aggregate level of risk.

While investment professionals can make qualified statements about the relationship between risk and expected return in financial markets, the Fund said that the financial theory in itself cannot provide a definitive answer on the appropriate level of risk for a SWF. It said that this level depends also on the level of risk

aversion of the ultimate beneficiaries of the SWF––the people.

The Fund asserted that the implication of this is that the level of risk in the SWF should be set by a process that allows political bodies like the Parliament and/or the Ministry of Finance to establish at least a broad guideline for the appropriate level of risk for the SWFs investments.

Two jailed on separate break and entry charges

Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram However, the Chartered Accountant pointed out that the agreement does not define what a commercially competitive return on investment is “but it would be inconsistent and counter-intuitive if the numbers do not overwhelmingly favour the Contractor.”

The terms agreed to during the good faith negotiation will become part of and be included as an annex to the Agreement, and not only benefit from the Stability Clause but will benefit from additional extensions under the Contract.

Ram said that, for example, if a Non-Associated Gas field is known to have potential commercial value but cannot be developed because of market conditions, the period for retaining the field in the contract area can be extended for five years.

If the time required for the market to develop and for the consuming facilities to be constructed for the gas field

exceeds such extended period, the Contractor can request from the Minister a grant of further extended (unspecified) period.

Further Ram noted, “There is more latitude for the Contractor with timelines determined under Section 31 (1) regarding notification whether a discovery is of potential commercial interest, and 31 (2) regarding the application for a Petroleum Production Licence.

“How we came to pass an Act with such absurd provisions defies all logic but surely Minister Raphael Trotman did not have to apply such a discretionary power over such an extended Contract Area in a post-discovery oil contract.

“And that is not all. Negotiations on revised terms for Gas can run for twentyfour months or such further time as mutually agreed! For emphasis, the Articles require that the negotiations must be friendly.”

Two men who both admitted to separate break and entry charges were yesterday both sentenced to one year imprisonment each after they appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before two City Magistrates.

Junior Luther appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, and pleaded guilty to the charge which alleged that on May 31 last, at Pike Street, Kitty, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Suzette Grant and stole a quantity of articles, valued $268,000.

Facts presented by Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh stated that on Thursday about 09:00 hrs the victim secured her home and went to work. The court heard that around 17:00 hrs neighbours called the victim on her cellular phone and told her that someone had broken into her house; hence the woman contacted the police.

Police officers who responded promptly saw Luther exiting the house with a garbage bag containing the articles inside. He was then arrested and taken to the station where he admitted to the offence. The Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor sentenced Luther to one year imprisonment.

Meanwhile, a 23-yearold, who admitted to breaking into a house because he was hungry, was also sentenced to one year imprisonment by Acting Chief Magistrate

Jailed: Junior Luther

Jailed: Khemraj Ramgobin

Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Khemraj Ramgobin, of Timehri East Bank Demerara, admitted to the charge which alleged that on Tuesday, at Wismar, Linden, he broke and entered the home of Anthony Lieu-Ken-Pen. Facts presented

by Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield, stated that on the day in question, Ramgobin who was armed with a cutlass broke down the door of LieuKen-Pen’s home and made

his way into the victim’s kitchen. However, two of the victim’s children who were at home at the time raised an alarm and Ramgobin was arrested and taken to the station. When asked by the Magistrate if he had anything to say, Ramgobin stated, “I was really hungry and I was outside calling long, long and nobody ain’t answer so I went into the house to get something to eat.”

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Saturday June 02, 2018

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

FISHERMEN LIVELIHOOD IN JEOPARDY The recent ban on catfish from Guyana by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has dealt a blow to the local fishing industry.

On the Corentyne and on the Essequibo Coast, the fishermen say that they must sell their exports on the local market at a cost that is most unprofitable.

The decision has been in motion for a long time. It has negatively impacted the catfish industry because the majority of catfish and fish products exported from Guyana are sold mostly in the States where a high volume of Guyanese and Caribbean nationals reside.

The ban came at a time when the fishing industry is faced with low production due to constant attacks on our fishermen by pirates.

The ban has stopped the export of the catfish species, which include hassar, cuirass and gilbacker—about 70% of the overall fish export market to the U.S. at a cost of around US$2.2 million annually.

From coast to coast, fishermen have been reeling from the ban due to the fact that it has significantly reduced the price of catfish, in the country. Since the ban, fishermen have been very vocal about the challenges they face.

The Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture has noted that the U.S. ban on catfish has resulted from a change in the fishing Regulations in the United States on the import of certain species of fish. The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has inspected Guyana’s fish products processing system and concluded that it lacked certain requirements that had been put in place.

Since 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for handling the import of fish into the U.S. has changed certain regulations in the inspection process.

One of those changes is the FSIS reclassification of catfish as meat and not fish as soon as it is out of the water. It this becomes food and meat importation and must face rigorous inspection.

In order for the catfish ban to be lifted, the United States Department of Agriculture has recommended that certain conditions be met in Guyana’s fish processing system, according to U.S. requirements, but according to the Minister of Business, it was not acted upon.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that not only was the authorities in Guyana given adequate notice of the planned changes in U.S. regulations for the import of catfish, but that the country had been granted a significant extension on the deadline for implementing the changes within the extended timeframe.

Although Guyana has already made changes to some of its fish processing plants and is working to solve the deficiencies in others, it might take a while for it to regain the U.S. market.

The Minister of Business has conceded that the authorities must take full responsibility for the circumstances that led to the U.S. ban of catfish and the country’s loss of its multi-million-dollar catfish market in the United States.

However, some in the government see the move by the U.S. to ban Guyana’s catfish as an overall plan to reduce catfish imports significantly.

This assessment is based on several complaints by U.S. catfish fishermen that their share of the catfish market has been steadily decreasing due to imports predominately from Vietnam and other countries.

According to the New York Times, U.S. catfish industry became concerned since imports at one time accounted for about 75 percent of the market. The American catfish industry is concentrated in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

Unless the ban is lifted, the livelihood of fishermen could be in serious jeopardy.

Time to rally around the Judiciary DEAR EDITOR, In a State in transition to authoritarianism, it is the Judiciary that must stand as the bulwark to prevent the completion of that transition.

The Guyana Judiciary is currently so circumstanced. On an almost weekly basis, its independence is tested. Its mettle is challenged. Thus far, it has firmly stood its ground.

The latest exhibition was witnessed a few days ago through its Chief Justice, who delivered an erudite judgement, at the end of which an Order was directed to the Minister of Legal Affairs to bring the Judicial Review Act (JRA), into force. The Court found that the Minister has an “obligatory duty” to do so, which he had abdicated.

On 21/10/2010 the National Assembly unanimously passed the Bill. On 2/ 11/2010, it received Presidential assent. The current Minister of Legal Affairs was in the Opposition. He lauded the Bill, highlighting its grave importance to good public administration, accountable governance and the remedies it granted to prevent, curtail and rectify abuse of power in public office. I tendered the

Hansard of the speeches to the Court.

The singular reason why the Bill was not operationalised at that time (and before May 2015) was because the Rules of Court, in force then, were silent on judicial review and the procedure by which judicial review is to be applied for and the remedies, which the Act provides were to be accessed, are contained in the new Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), which were then in draft.

As a result, the draftsman resided a power in the Legal Affairs Minister to bring the Act into force by an Order, when the CPR is promulgated.

The CPR was promulgated in February 2016. Despite the legal profession’s and my best effort, the Legal Affairs Minister, obstinately, refused to bring the Act into force.

Hence the legal proceedings to compel him to do so.

The major contention advanced by the Attorney General (AG) in the Court, was that since the Legislature vested the power to bring the Act into operation, in the Minister, a member of the Executive, were the Court to compel the Minister to bring

the Act into operation, the Court would be abrogating the doctrine of separation of powers. It is simply tragic that such an argument would come from the leader of the Bar! JUSTICE NARESHWAR HARNANAN The legal truth is that the statute books of the British Commonwealth territories are replete with legislation by which Parliament has imposed duties, powers, and discretions on Ministers, other Executive Officers, Public Authorities, and other functionaries forming part of the Executive Government.

From time immemorial, the High Court has been vested with a supervisory power to compel them to perform their statutory duties, or exercise their powers, or discretion when they fail to do so, or, to quash and set aside the exercise of their powers or discretions or decisions when they act unlawfully. Indeed, this is the very raison d’être of the Judicial Review jurisdiction of the Court.

This hopelessly flawed contention was advanced quite recently by the AG in the case of Mohabir Anil

Nandlall v the Minister of Legal Affairs et al., 2017-HCDEM-CIV-FDA-78. In this case, the Minister of Legal Affairs had refused to appoint a Governing Board and other officers of the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority under the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority Act. An Order or Rule Nisi of Mandamus was directed to him calling upon him to show cause. Many of the arguments advanced in the written submissions in these proceedings by the AttorneyGeneral, were advanced in that case. In a reasoned judgment, Justice Nareshwar Harnanan soundly rejected every one of those arguments with supporting authorities.

The next contention advanced by the Respondent is that “the date of commencement of the Act is to be set in accordance with the legislative agenda of the Government of Guyana as determined by Cabinet.”

Again, the Court was burdened with an argument, which makes very little sense in law. This Act is already (Continued on page 06)

City Security Strengthening Programme Survey and the need for caution DEAR EDITOR, The findings of the above named survey are coming out by drips. First in the Chronicle of 29th and 30th May 2018 and then in the Kaieteur News of 31st May 2018. Nevertheless as a collective, these reports present us with findings that require careful attention if the true meaning is to be deduced. I will therefore comment on a few of these.

The Chronicle of 29th tells us that the survey found that 54.3 percent of prisoners surveyed did not complete secondary education and that 3.7 percent did not attend school at all. This seems to suggest a relationship between education and criminality.

Indeed, the survey went on to note that the absence of successfully completing formal education has been shown to be a major condition for later involvement in criminal activities, since education is linked to access to employment opportunity.

But there is something else that these figures on education might be suggesting. To help us uncover this new angle, we need to turn attention to what is carried in the Kaieteur News of 31st May 2018.

Kaieteur News tells us that ‘42.8 percent of inmates

were arrested during the same day of their offence. And a further “23.3 percent were arrested between a day and a week after the crime for which they were charged.” This means that the suspects were quickly apprehended. Indeed, we are further told, many were caught in the act.

When we place this beside what Chronicle reported, we can assume that there is a relationship between level of education attained and early detection of the criminal. The less educated the criminal, the more likely he/she is to be caught. If we carry this reasoning to its logical conclusion, we would have to assume that the people in our prisons are not necessarily the representatives of our main criminal class, but instead of those most likely to be caught.

So, since it is among the poor that we are likely to find those who did not complete formal education, then it would be members of this group who will mostly populate our prisons and jails.

Further, when we recognize that because the educated and economically better-offs are better able to carefully plan and execute crimes, and can afford the best lawyers, we understand why members of this group are less likely to end-up in prison. In

addition, we must remember that modern criminologists hold (as I noted in a previous letter), that most crimes are committed by the well-to-do and the wealthy.

Then there is the finding of the said survey recorded by the Chronicle, which addresses prisoners from single parent homes. Specifically, the period of time such prisoners lived with one or the other parent. It showed that the high number of prisoners lived with their fathers. This seems to suggest that one’s chances of becoming a criminal increases with the absence of mothers. But since the study is not clear whether in the case of the absence of mothers, living with fathers meant living with him alone or in the company of a mother figure (his partner at the time), one can hardly conclude what would be best for the child if and when parents separate. This is important to determine, since separations are fairly high in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Further, one of the things I learnt while on attachment at the Georgetown prison is that most prisoners define themselves to outsiders as being innocent. Or they tend to blame someone else for their turn to crime. They do this for one or two reasons: (a) to gain sympathy and (b)

to make them (prisoners) feel good about themselves.

I would suggest that those who conducted this survey take a random sample of the participants and check with their friends and/or relatives on the accuracy of their description of their home situation when growing-up. It could be, for example, parents were far more present in their lives than they claimed.

Finally, we are informed that 4 out of 10 inmates indicated physical force by the police was used against them to compel them to change their statement. This is serious and could undermine all the findings, since in such a case ‘inmates’ would not equal criminals, and therefore conclusions reached in the survey about criminals would be undermined.

We are told that this Citizen Security Strengthening Programme Survey was conducted with the intention of informing “public officials on implementing adequate policies”. With its lack of clarity on so many issues, how will this be achieved? I know we are all anxious to get the criminal figures down. But I would suggest there is much more work to be done.

Let us learn from the experience of the USA, where during the late 1970s and 80s crime was high. The government, filled with anxiety and (Continued on page 05)

Saturday June 02, 2018

Poor DSL service from GTT DEAR EDITOR, Why is it, may I ask, that the GTT customer care representatives annoy us with the meaningless introduction, “Thank you for choosing GTT?” Does it really make sense? Does the customer have a choice? And if he did have that choice, would he have actually chosen the abysmally poor service being provided by that company?

It is an absolutely annoying introduction and I suggest that it be dispensed with forthwith. Like other frustrated customers, I have been experiencing woes since the end of last year with my DSL service. At one point, I was told that my router was at fault, and then I was told that the modem was the problem. I actually bought a new wireless modem from the company for $9000 odd. It did not work.

When I took it back to the

company, I was told that I had received a modem with the “wrong platform”.

I refused to accept the offer to rectify that and requested a refund. When I took the modem that I was using before, to the company’s BV outlet, I was told that nothing was actually wrong with it. The technicians eventually informed me that the problem resulted from deterioration in the service line and that line problems had no mandatory time scheduled for rectification.

Eventually, service was restored. This restored service lasted for just a few weeks. I am again without the DSL service and all of my work that requires that service is therefore interrupted.

I therefore must again go through the drudgery of calling, listening to that meaningless expression, and being

told no definite word could be given on when my agony shall be abated.

I am currently contemplating, as a last resort, turning to the Public Utilities Commission for help.

The contention that customers are given a rebate for the period that the service was not provided is no consolation. It cannot compensate for the loss that results from the lack of service and the fact that in order to stay in touch with the world, I have to resort to purchasing weekly plans and data bundles, from Digicel.

I continue to pray for the day that the government will stop pussyfooting and give Guyanese the right to choose from competing companies with much better service.

Deon Abrams Educator and Community Activist

Death of a child at Mabaruma Hospital DEAR EDITOR, The People of the Mabaruma sub-region (Barima-Waini) seem to be having never-ending problems with public officials sent to serve them by Central Government. In this regard, they are happy when their problems are exposed in the public domain particularly in the Kaieteur News. They also want to know what the purpose of Radio Mabaruma is.

It seems to be a white elephant.

On Tuesday 22nd May, 2018, a one-year-old baby girl, Prya La Cruz, was taken to the

Mabaruma Hospital by her parents for a slight cold. She was given an injection by a nurse and the following day Wednesday 23rd May, 2018 the baby started suffocating and her colour started to change to black, as though she was poisoned.

Baby Prya La Cruz died at 11:00 am. The mother of the child started screaming in the hospital and accused the nurse and doctor of killing their child, who was lively when she visited the hospital.

The doctor allegedly told the screaming mother not to report the matter to the police, but she did anyway. The Mabaruma police never con-

ducted any investigation.

A post mortem examination was conducted and it was said that the cause of the child’s death was pneumonia.

The parents of the child are not convinced this was the cause of death, given that their child was lively when she first visited the hospital.

They are asking for the Minister of Public Health to conduct urgent investigations into the death of their child at Mabaruma hospital, as well as the state of the hospital, which according to residents is rapidly becoming a death trap. May Prya’s little soul rest in peace.

Yours sincerely Peter Persaud

City Security Strengthening...

From page 04 bombarded by a scared citizenry to do something, hastily took ill-informed action that led to the needless overcrowding of prisons.

We would be foolish in

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Kaieteur News

the 21st century to make a similar mistake.

We must know, one of the realities of social research, is that very often research tends to give rise for the need of further research.

This Citizen Security

Strengthening Programme survey has in no way brought us to the point at which we can use its findings for “implementing adequate policies.”

Respectfully, Claudius Prince

Honouring the architects of independence DEAR EDITOR, What inspires the few that can soar beyond ordinary mortals, think and act beyond the institutional barriers of social, political and economic injustice that seek to confine them, conceive ideas beyond their time, and dare to implement the vision of changes others can only dream about?

Do lesser mortals each owe these champions an attempt to walk a mile in their shoes at the very least? How do you calculate the debt owed to these liberators and freedom fighters?

In the Caribbean and wider global context, breaking the entrenched shackles of imperialism and colonialism are a great lesson history has provided as a blueprint for the world, because we were forced to fight as insulated independent political units to gain independence.

World renowned Guyanese historian Dr. Walter Rodney, examined similar enduring injustices, trademark evil and perverse methods the British utilized in his seminal work, ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” (1972).

In “The Growth of the Modern West Indies,” Caribbean scholar Gordon K. Lewis noted that the failure of the West Indian Federation was largely due to British colonial policy, which “kept the islands unnaturally apart from each other for three centuries or more and then expected them to come together in less than fifteen years…Political imperialism, in brief, explains, more than any other single factor, the present disunity of the region, the aimlessness so distressingly apparent…with the resulting trend towards micro-nationalism…With the demise of the federation, each member nation was left to brave the unforgiving global economy alone, in what [Eric] Williams called a “disgraceful state of fragmentation,” as the islands were much weaker in-

dependently than in the proposed federation.”

Nobel laureate, Sir Derek Walcott, captures this injustice when he wrote, “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole. The glue that fits the pieces is the sealing of its original shape.

It is such a love that reassembles our African and Asiatic fragments, the cracked heirlooms whose restoration shows its white scars. This gathering of broken pieces is the care and pain of the Antilles, and if the pieces are disparate, ill-fitting, they contain more pain than their original sculpture, those icons and sacred vessels taken for granted in their ancestral places.

Antillean art is this restoration of our shattered histories, our shards of vocabulary, our archipelago becoming a synonym for pieces broken off from the original continent.”

Most of the British Caribbean was integrated as the new West Indies Federation in an attempt to create a single unified future independent state between 1958 and 1962, but failed. Eventually, the former British Caribbean island colonies achieved independence in their own right: Jamaica (1962), Trinidad & Tobago (1962), Barbados and Guyana (1966), Bahamas (1973), Grenada (1974), Suriname (1975), Dominica (1978), St. Lucia (1979), St. Vincent (1979), Belize, Antigua & Barbuda (1981), St. Kitts & Nevis (1983), after epic struggles.

T. Albert Marryshow of Antigua, Andrew Cipriani of

Trinidad, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow of British Guiana, and others, were the early leaders who inspired the Caribbean people and stirred them into political action, advocating for a reduction in the power and privileges of the ruling White elite class, and for more local representation in the colonies’ affairs, while championing the recognition of the trade union movement.

Inevitably, Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante of Jamaica, Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Vere Bird of Antigua, Robert Bradshaw of St. Kitts, and other leaders, overcame the odds, and accomplished the monumental attainment of independence for their respective countries.

Guyana has its own architects who deserve praise in this singular achievement, however their legacies are ultimately viewed. Dr. Jagan, Forbes Burnham, H. Aubrey Fraser, Clinton Wong, Janet Jagan, Sydney King, Ram Karran, Ashton Chase, Rudy Luck, Frank O. Van Sertima, Ivan Cendrecourt, May Thompson, Hubert Critchlow, E. Kennard, Theo Lee, Ulric Fingall, Jainarine Singh, Sheila La Taste, Joseph P. Lachmansingh, Cecil Cambridge, Fred Bowman, Pandit Siridhar Misir, and others, conceived of a free and independent Guyana, and, against all odds, bravely challenged colonial rule. They delivered the first death blow to the British Empire’s tyranny over Guyana, and universal adult suffrage was won in 1953.

The PPP, the first indigenous party originating within Guyana, won the elections that year.The core leaders of these visionaries consisted of (Continued on page 06)

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Live the truth; be real about Marijuana DEAR EDITOR, I would like to respond to a letter by Rooplall Dudhnath and published in the daily Kaieteur News on Saturday 26th May 2018, entitled “Legalising Marijuana has serious disadvantages.”

The comments made by Mr. Dudhnath lack empirical evidence. He merely speaks from the top of his head, Marijuana began to arrive in British Guiana in the year 1835 with the coming of the indentured servants from India who farmed the herb along the River Nile, and it is known that the indentured servants were allowed to bring the Ganja for their personal use, as it allowed them to relax comfortably after a hard day’s work. These were the days when the USA was cultivating Marijuana for industrial, medicinal, recreational and spiritual purposes.

Mr. Dudhnath is implying in his letter that the East Indians brought the soul-destroying poison to this land.

History will show that the Caciques of the Amerindian tribes were using the Marijuana in their religious ceremonies long before the coming of the Europeans. Marijuana was commonly used by tribes inhabiting the communities stretching along the River Nile all the way down to the Ganges River in India, bordering Africa.

Mr. Dudhnath, marijuana cures glaucoma, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, cures asthma, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, and a host of other illnesses.

The writer knows nothing about Marijuana when he states that Marijuana use may produce anxiety, fear, distrust or panic I find his comments very distasteful and full of prejudice.

Guyanese were using marijuana since in the early

19th Century and continue to do so until this day, yet there is not that large number of mentally ill persons to justify that biased argument.

We see young men imprisoned when they get drunk and disorderly, go home and terrorize their wives and children, cause mayhem on our roadways, commit incest and suicide, and kill one another over the rum bottle, yet it remains legal.

Yet Mr. Dudhnath does not zero in on the advantages of marijuana production and use. He must also write about the heavy health bill caused by the use of cigarettes and alcohol. Those mentally ill men and women out there are mostly cocaine smokers and alcoholics, why isn’t this truth advanced?.

Marijuana is the sacrament used by Rastafarians in our spiritual ceremonies, and we continue to demand our religious rites to worship.

Yours Respectfully RAS Aaron Blackman

Honouring the architects of...

From page 06 Cheddi Jagan as the Leader, Ashton Chase as the Chairman of the new party, Forbes Burnham and Janet Jagan. One must never forget the patriotic and loyal workers who supported them in the struggle.

These militant leaders were imprisoned and targeted, and could easily have all quit, but they stood head and shoulders above the rest, true to their cause.

We must always put aside relatively petty political differ-

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Kaieteur News

ences and remember these brave leaders who fashioned a new course and history of Guyana, free from British tyranny and oppression.

Political independence was the greatest achievement in these countries’ histories.

At the historic and symbolic lowering of the British flag and the raising of the Golden Arrowhead on May 26, 1966, this seminal day in history, Forbes Burnham and Dr. Cheddi Jagan put aside their political rivalries at the National Park to celebrate

Guyana’s new status as an independent country, and the realization of their shared dream and pledge to devote themselves to the liberation of Guyana.

Guyanese, and the Caribbean people, will do well to embrace that vision once again by pondering the questions asked above.

I have walked miles in their shoes here in the USA, and the journey was exhilarating, even if excruciating at times.

Albert Baldeo

Time to rally around the...

From page 04 passed by the Legislature and assented to by the President. It has absolutely nothing to do with Cabinet and the Government’s Legislative agenda. Parliament reposed a power in the Minister of Legal Affairs to bring the Act into operation, simply, by an Order. Parliament did not impose that obligation on the Government or the Cabinet.

The AG also argued that this “legislative agenda is presented by His Excellency, the President at the opening of every session of Parliament.”

The President does no such thing. Moreover, if he did, it is wholly irrelevant to this matter. In any event, this Act was passed by a previous Government and by a previous Parliament.

ERRANT EXECUTIVE OFFICER These and many moresimilar vexatious arguments were advanced by the Attorney General. They were all roundly rejected by the Court with supporting authorities. Expectedly, the Attorney General needs someone to blame. On this occasion, he could not blame me.

The Judge became the victim.

Judges cannot defend themselves in the press against public onslaught. It is the responsibility of the citizenry to defend and protect its Judges from abuse, moreover, when Judges come under scurrilous attacks for giving decisions, which enhance the public good.

In a Public Statement, the Attorney General has not only attempted to embarrass the Judge, but has clumsily interlaced political arguments, in his attempt to drag the Judiciary into the arena of partisan politics.

I take this opportunity to condemn the untutored verbosity of the AG in that Public Statement.

Our Judiciary must operate in an environment that is conducive to the flexing of its independent muscles. Our

Judges must function fearlessly. Our Judges must never harbour the apprehension that their rulings will attract any form of reprisal. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our Judiciary is secured by that impenetrable cloak of protection.

In his Public Statement on the Chief Justice’s ruling, the Attorney General asks three questions. I will take the liberty of answering them.

Firstly, can the Judiciary govern? The answer is yes. It is indeed an arm of Government – not the Executive arm – but the Judicial arm. It is this arm of Government, which ensures that the Executive obeys the laws of the land and does not abuse its powers; that the Constitution is obeyed; that the rule of law is maintained and that Parliament enacts laws for the good of the people and in compliance with the Constitution.

Secondly, can the Judiciary order the Government to create law? The answer is no. However, the Chief Justice did no such thing in this case. All that the Chief Justice did was to order an errant Executive Officer to perform his legal duty and bring into force a law already enacted by the Parliament.

This Public Official was holding the will of Parliament at ransom. The Judge had every power and indeed a duty to rectify that unlawful situation.

Thirdly, can the Judiciary direct the current Government to implement an Act that the PPP/C Government deliberately failed to implement during its time in office?

This case had nothing to do with which party is or was in Government.

The Judge made that very clear. The Judge also made it very clear that the Act could not be brought into force before the CPR was promulgated. The case had to do with a Legal Affairs Minister, who failed to discharge a duty, which the law devolved upon him.

THE PRESIDENT In his statement, the Attorney General concocted an argument, which was never advanced before the Court, that is, “Cabinet needed an opportunity to engage in wide consultations with the Guyanese people before bringing the Act into law.”

This is highly technical piece of legislation, designed only for the legal profession and does not require any form of consultation with the wider populace. The Cybercrime Bill does. Yet there is no such consultation.

This Act is the most modern of its kind in the Caribbean. Yet, the Attorney General argues that it needs to be reviewed “to bring it in line with established regional and international best practices” – nonsense! No such deficiencies were mentioned in his submissions before the Court. He would have been requested to identify them.

This is another manufactured excuse.

Significantly, in a Freudian fashion, the Attorney General conceded the reason for not bringing Act into force.

He says, “The PPP/C refused to pass the Act to prevent the Opposition and litigants from making claims under the Act which would give them a wide range of reliefs including compensation for damages.” This is the real reason why he refused to bring the Act into force, but he blames it on the PPP, as usual. Only an authoritarian Government will not want its actions to suffer the scrutiny of the ordinary man. The President started the disrespect of our Judges, when he remarked of the Chief Justice, “she is entitled to her opinion”. The AG took his cue and verbally assaulted Justice Franklyn Holder in open court. Now this. I hope that the lawyers’ associations will not remain silent. They have a duty to speak.

Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

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Saturday June 02, 2018

Prison system continues to attract NDIA leaves project open to collusion between contractor and supervisory firm rogue elements as wardens - Samuels The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has left room for the possible collusion between a construction company and the firm that has been given the job to overlook works.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill pointed this out yesterday.

Works at the Three Friends pump station in Essequibo, the project in question, are considered to be in jeopardy.

Edghill said that there is clear and concrete evidence that the construction company—Samaroo Investment—and the firm—C.B & Associates Inc.—are engaged in an incestuous relationship. He said that the very fact that NDIA knows this and, has chosen to ignore it, leaves one to question if that Agency is in on a deal.

Edghill said he would have sent out a statement highlighting the matter.

In the statement, Edghill said, “It has been brought to our attention that the consultancy firm, C.B & Associates Inc., which shares a close relationship with the Deputy Director of NDIA, re-

- Edghill

PPP/C Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill ceived a letter of credit of $15M from Samaroo Investment, the contractor on this project, to secure his bid and was subsequently awarded the consultancy services for this project.”

Edghill pointed that therefore, a consultant, whose financial security is dependent upon that contractor, is supervising the said contractor on a project. “All of this is known at NDIA, yet nothing has been done to bring an end to this incestuous relationship that exposes the state and tax-

payers. This is real Misconduct in Public Office. I hope that the goodly gentleman, Mr. Fredrick Flatts, the Director of NDIA, will not allow himself to be used again by the DPI to provide a cover up to obvious corruption.”

Further, Edghill made a public call upon the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Office of the Auditor General to immediately, investigate “these glaring breaches of our procurement laws.”

Edghill told Kaieteur News that he will be making a formal report to the PPC if nothing is done soon. He noted, however, “They (the Commission) do not have to wait until a complaint is made to start an investigation. So when this is made public, they are supposed to look into it and ensure something is done.”

Edghill said that many persons from NDIA remain in contact with him concerning other alleged wrongdoings at NDIA, which again involves the Deputy Director, Dave Hicks.

GRA seizes over 50 cases of Absolut, Yellow Tail Vodka in smuggling raid

The prisons continue to grapple with contraband, which is being facilitated by prison wardens. Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, told Kaieteur News that recruitment requirements have been beefed up, but officers continue to fall prey to the system.

“The problem is you cannot recruit an altar boy, but if someone allows an environment to influence him, which research has shown can be done; you can either be influenced negatively or positively based on the environment that you are in.

“Unfortunately for us, we have some persons who have allowed themselves to be influenced negatively,” Samuels said.He explained that every warden faces the same temptation and offers, but not all are corrupt.

Samuels is of the view that there is need to move towards using technology as a means to prevent contraband like marijuana from entering the prisons. “Like it or not, the human element tends to be rogue at times and unfortunately for us, we seem to have attracted a number of rogue elements who on a regular basis continue to tarnish the image of this organization,” Samuels stated.

He added, “I am quite sure

…Supports use of technology to curb illegal activity

Director of Prison, Gladwin Samuels that with the use of technology that is currently available across the world we can improve significantly the level of security we offer or provide at all our prison locations so that the tarnishing the image of the organization, the Ministry of Public security and persons associated with those agencies would not be happening as it is currently.”

Raid executed by law enforcement authorities at local prisons have led to the discovery of several improvised weapons, a quantity of drugs,

GRA moving to “XX” series as “WW” ...

From page 2 reminded that large sums of money are on the line. It said that in order to assess whether there is sufficient and effective transparency, citizens must consider the rules regarding access to information, how information is managed, what information is disclosed and how it is disclosed.

ACCESS TO DATA HERE Since the appointment of former Chief Justice, Charles Ramson Snr. as Commissioner of Information in 2013, Parliament is

The seized alcohol.

An intelligence-led operation by the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) resulted in a large quantity of uncustomed alcohol being confiscated at a location on the East Coast Demerara on Tuesday.

According to the revenue collection entity, the seized goods which included about 50 cases of assorted uncustomed foreign alcoholic beverages has a revenue value of approximately $6M. One person was arrested and subsequently put on bail.The alcohol included Absolut vodka, Yellow Tail wine and Ponche Kuba liquer.

According to GRA, it has been relentless in its pursuit of smugglers.

“Once caught, perpetrators and accomplices can be fined up to three times the value of smuggled items in addition to the items being seized.”

The GRA said it will continue to put systems in place to ensure its enforcement activities are enhanced.

“Assistance is always welcome from the public as it relates to sharing information on incidents of corruption and illegal activities that are geared towards reducing the payment of the correct duties and taxes that ultimately deprives the state of

revenue.”

GRA assured that persons with information can utilise various methods of providing information to the Law Enforcement abd Investigation Division by calling telephone numbers 227-6060 or 227-8222, extensions 3201-3208.

For the year, GRA has said that it has dented several smuggling operations, collecting millions of dollars in taxes that would have otherwise been lost.

GRA estimates that its losses from alcohol and cigarettes smuggling is up to $2B annually.

The entity has since introduced a stamping system for products to clamp down.

along with other illegal items.

Last month, inmates posted images to Facebook showing them brandishing expensive alcohol. This was done on Mother’s Day. Samuels believes that prison wardens are contributing to contraband in the prisons.However, he stated that there is not a problem with the recruitment process. According to Samuels, there is a Recruitment Board that pays a lot of attention to the process of potential recruits.

He explained that the Board includes civilians.

“We have a rigid review process and unless there are flaws throughout the entire chain, I don’t see any reason to change the current process,” Samuels explained.

Today, several potential recruits will take the written examination in hopes of joining the Prison System. Following the test, the recruits will have to pass a drug test and a process of public scrutiny whereby their names will be published in the newspaper.This allows persons to provide adverse information to Prison Authorities about a recruit.

yet to receive a single report on the application of the Access to Information Act as well as the operations of his office.

While Parliament is left in the dark about the work of the Commissioner of Information, Ramson Snr. continues to draw a salary of approximately $1.2M a month.

After 18 months in office, the Government is yet to take affirmative action on this matter.

Ramson’s office has also attracted intense criticisms for hampering the process of accessing information as opposed to assisting it.

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A rocky year dented by $940M fraud,charges for Directors …GBTI records $1.5B in profit The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), after a rocky 2017, has something to smile about despite a major fraud of more than $900M and the charges of its Directors for contempt.

In its recently released Annual Report for 2017, Chairman, Robin Stoby, S.C., admitted that 2017 was a “very challenging year” with the final results constrained by a “singular event”.

Stoby would most likely be referring to the $941M fraud at its Bartica branch, Region Seven involving gold dealer, Saddiqi ‘Bobby’ Rasul.

Rasul is facing fraud charges in court and the Bartica Branch Manager has been sacked.

The high profile fraud, which led to eventual yanking of Rasul’s gold dealer licence, involved the bank paying that massive sum against uncleared cheques deposited by Rasul.

According to the Chairman, the bank and its Board have addressed the weakness and its remote possibility that there will ever

be a repeat again.

“At our last General Meeting, I addressed the unfortunate issue of an act of gross employee’s dishonesty and collusion committed against the Bank that resulted in a customer fraudulently accessing a large uncleared deposit of $941M,” the official said in his Chairman’s report.

“I informed you that the matter was reported to the Police and appropriate criminal charges were instituted. The Bank also filed a civil case in this matter, both of which are now being heard in the Courts.

“I now wish to update you that the Bank initiated a claim under our insurance coverage for incidents of this nature, and we are pursuing the recovery of the amount so grossly denuded from our reserves.

“However, we will not cease to follow up all legal avenues to recover the full loss.”At the end of the year, the bank’s profit was $1.52B, down from $2.03B the previous year.

The bank, which operates 12 branches across the

GBTI has 12 branches across the country.

Chairman, Robin Stoby, SC country, says that $560M will be allocated to pay dividends to shareholders.

Stoby disclosed that the economies of the region’s major commodity exporting countries: Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname performed somewhat better in 2017 than in 2016 as international crude oil and commodity prices experienced modest upswing.

Locally, Guyana experienced growth in real Gross Domestic Product for

2017. Inflation is projected to reach a rate of 2.0% compared to the 1.3% for 2016, he said.

“Gold production again showed itself to be the country’s most valuable mining activity and a major contributor to GDP with declarations topping 653,754 ounces in 2017.”

The agricultural sector expanded on account of higher output of rice, fishing and other crops, with rice benefitting from growing optimism for its future due to

the gaining of Mexico, Panama and Cuba as new export markets. On the other hand, sugar output fell by 15.2 percent while forestry output also declined.

With regards to the bank’s financial results, the Chairman disclosed that the yearend profit of $1.5B was made on gross revenues of $7.4B. Deposits totaled $83B at the end of 2017 while gross loans amounted $48.4B. “The bank continues to

contribute significantly to the economy, returning $462M of profits to the Government in corporation and property taxes and providing $10B in new lending to businesses and individual customers to help them grow their ventures and achieve their life dreams.

Overall, the bank processed over 2.2 million transactions in 2017 for its business and retail customers.”

However, the bank’s operating income declined (Continued on page 12)

Was Mae’s School right to initially turn away the student who came to school dressed in traditional Amerindian wear? Was the school discriminating against the child when he wore shirtless indigenous regalia?

The first question is, “Whether the school was morally right to initially turn away the child for being shirtless even though this was part of his portrayal of indigenous wear?” The second question is, “Whether the act of turning away the child, and the alleged laugher by two teachers, amounted to ethnic discrimination?”

The controversy stems from an incident at Mae’s School. The school had extended an invitation to students to don ethnic wear to school on May 25, 2018 as part of the school’s observance of Guyana’s Independence anniversary, which was

the next day, a public holiday.

The child, a boy, turned up to school dressed in a tibisiri skirt (over underpants). He also wore a beaded chain around his neck and an Indigenous headband, along with decorative body paint.

The child was allegedly turned back at the gate of the school by the guard who said he was inappropriately dressed. The parent of the child objected, pointing out he was appropriately dressed in indigenous wear and the guard reportedly deferred the matter to two teachers who allegedly burst into laughter.

It is further alleged that a class teacher also determined that the child was inappropriately dressed. The school has issued a statement denying that any teacher was involved in the incident.

Whatever the facts, what is not denied by the school was that it refused entry to

the child because he was inappropriately dressed because he was shirtless. Was the school right to deny entry to the child because his upper torso was exposed? It is a moral question, which can be answered by another moral question In order to decide whether the dress was inappropriate, it needs to be asked whether school children should be allowed to expose the upper and middle torso of their bodies in school. Most people would say no.

Suppose, instead of the upper torso, the child had turned up with a loincloth, which leaves little to the imagination. Would that have been considered appropriate wear, even for an event, which promotes ethnic wear?

Relatedly, it must be asked whether the wearing of a shirt detracts from the child’s indigenous wear. One does

DEM BOYS SEH

Dem minibus operators just like a Canadian company When dem boys go to ketch a minibus de odda day, de bus strike pun dem. De drivers refuse to wuk. Dem boys decide to walk and nuff odda people walk.

But everybody know dat dem have people who love a scene suh people who had wuk to do and food to cook decide to stand up at de bus park to see de action. Dem is de people who want something to talk when dem meet up wid dem friends.De problem is dat dem boys decide to organize a proper strike; dem gun refuse to ride in dem minibus. Dat is wheh de fun gun start. De driver got to pay de conductor and give de bus owner money before

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he pay heself. Once dem boys decide to stop travelling is done de cuckoo party gun done.De bus people complaining about tyres. Dem vex because dem got to buy new tyres when in de past dem use to buy used tyres. Some of dem claim how de gas price too high and dem can’t mek money to feed demself.

Dem boys seh dat when things like dis happen people does feel sorry fuh de drivers but when de price of gas come dow,n de bus price doesn’t come down. Dat is when dem driver does mek a fortune.

Dat is not de only thing dat happening. A foreign company behaving just like dem minibus driver. De com-

pany decide to bring in a plane because dem claim de price of using de local plane too high. All de time, dem was using de plane dem didn’t have a problem.

Dem didn’t know dem was doing de country a good because when dem pay de local operators de same local operators use to pay taxes.

De company seh in three years, it pay US$5 million to de operators. At least US$1 million de government collect.Now de foreign company decide it gun save money and dat is true. It wouldn’t pay taxes.Talk half and watch how de minibus operating like a Canadian company.

necessarily need to be shirtless to be portraying indigenous wear.

Therefore, Mae’s does not have to apologize for demanding that the child wear a shirt. Mae’s acted correctly.

However, if the child was ridiculed (laughed at, criticized or mocked) by teachers for wearing that outfit, then the teachers should be sanctioned because it is ethnically and humanly insensitive. And in that instance, the teachers acted wrongly and the school should apologize and consider whether those teachers should continue to be part of the institution.

The second issue is the allegation of ethnic the discrimination. The argument here is that children of other ethnicities were allowed their wear but the child wearing the

Amerindian outfit was not.

But did the other children come shirtless or bottomless?

Did they expose parts of their torso?

Persons are protesting outside of the school because they feel there was ethnic discrimination against the child.

Discrimination has to involve differential treatment in similar circumstances. It assumes that one person is allowed to do something, not do something or benefit from something while another is not under similar circumstances.

If it can be established that another child, say one donning African or Indian wear, had turned up with either their top, midriff or lower torso exposed and was allowed entry, then a charge of ethnic discrimination can be sustained.

A case of discrimination can also be made if other children, who were not topless while portraying indigenous wear, were turned away. In other words, there was discrimination by other children donning indigenous wear even though their torsos were covered. In the absence of such evidence, the issue revolves around the principle of decency.

The issue to be decided is whether the school should allow entry to topless children regardless of their ethnic attire. The issue is a test of decency not discrimination.

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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The great philosophical decision of Zinedine Zidine

D

ays after winning one of the coveted football championships in the world as coach of Real Madrid, its iconic coach Zinedine Zidine has resigned. It will go on as the greatest irony in sports anywhere in the world in recent memory.

If you look at it from a sports angle, you may not understand his motive but if you use the philosophical approach, you may realize this was a sensible psychological decision that all humans should consider if they are in a similar position as Zidine.

Zidine, since 2016, has chalked up impressive victories in world football as manager of Real Madrid. That club won the Championship League three times with Zidine. As normal with human behaviour, why with such phenomenal success, would you want to leave? The reason is legacy. And there is no bigger example than Nelson Mandela. He figured out that a liberator ’s role and a president’s job are two different roads; the latter is paved with trouble, deep, serious trouble.

When he came to power as president of South Africa,

his record and legacy as one of the great liberators of the past hundred years was intact. Mandela probably figured that the climax of that legacy was to lead post-apartheid South Africa. And led he did. Sensibly, he asked the question; if I go on as president for two, three terms, could I endanger that great legacy that is emblazoned on the face of history?

The answer, I believe he told himself, was yes.

Mandela served for one, uncontroversial term. He died with his legacy in a state of impeccability.

Across the border, it wasn’t so for Robert Mugabe. One of the great freedom fighters of Southern Africa, his crowning success was the final moment of the liberation of his country when he became its first post-colonial president. Then it went wrong. One term became two, then three, then four, then five to the point where his legacy began to unfold. His role in history has been soiled.

There is the great Mandela. Is there the great Mugabe? The next generation in Zimbabwe will read that Mugabe wanted to make his wife the president and

that, along with other unacceptable attitudes, led the army to depose him.

It is a humiliating experience to see people who made a phenomenal contribution to a particular endeavour and create a historical name for themselves being ridiculed in the media, books, and magazines. Some are ridiculed by prime ministers and presidents and to read that they are no longer useful and to read about conspiracies to remove them. I can think of Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor was one of the world’s most talked about and photographed human. As she got into her sixties and seventies, she refused to see that time waits for no one. She still wanted to be the woman the world admired when she was in her twenties. She hung on to the coattails of younger celebrities. I remember seeing her appear at a concert with Michael Jackson, more than thirty years her junior, and she was booed.

It didn’t go well for our own, great cricketer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He was dropped by West Indian cricket at a time when he was 38 and didn’t have the form he did when he was 28. He

was subject to all types of criticism by the sporting media. Is it possible his credibility has been dented and that would not have happened if he had gracefully retired before he reached 38? He is 41 and still seeks selection to play regional cricket for Guyana. Is he taking the place of an eighteen-year-old who needs the opportunity?

It is possible that Zidine was thinking of his legacy?

Did he say to himself, let me leave while I am still a hero than five years down the road to have people call me a hasbeen and a geriatric and em-

barrass my family. That happens in sports and politics.

Extraordinary performers simply do not know when to ride away only to find people bringing the horse to their gate and urging them to get on the saddle and never come back.In sports, there are short memories and gargantuan ingratitude. Think of Golden State Warriors’s coach, Steve Kerr. He has put his team on the world map. But make no mistake; if down the road the Warriors begin to falter, the press will humiliate Kerr.

The great Kareem AbdulJabbar in a warning to LeBron

Frederick Kissoon James recently wrote; Ageing athletes are treated like terminally ill patients, with everyone speculating when our demise will finally come.”

Zindine did the right thing. It is best to walk away while a hero than fade away as a dying troglodyte.

‘Otisha’ charged with rape of 14 -year-old boy

A

well known transgender personality, Otis Pearson, called ‘Otisha’, 40, of Station Street, Kitty, who recently disclosed in a television interview that he has “a young boy for every day of the week” was yesterday charged with rape of a 14-year-old boy.

The courtroom of Senior Magistrate Leron Daly was packed with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTI) community who went to support one of their own.

Pearson was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that on December 24, last, at Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he caused a 14year-old boy to perform a sexual act with him.

The charge amounts to statutory rape since the boy is below the age of consent.

However, the matter was not held in-camera and members of the public were allowed to sit and listen to the charge as the Magistrate read it aloud in court.

Pearson was represented

by Attorney-at-law Ronald Burch-Smith, who asked that bail be granted to his client in a reasonable amount.

The lawyer went on to tell the court that his client was kept in custody beyond 72 hours and when released was voluntarily returning to the station whenever the need arise.However, Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh had no objection to bail being granted to the defendant but asked that it be in a substantial amount and that conditions be attached.

The Magistrate granted bail to the defendant in the sum of $300,000. Conditions of the bail are that he must lodge his passport with the court and report every Monday to the officer-incharge at the Alberttown Police Station.

- released on $300,000 bail

Charged: Otis Pearson The court orderly had a difficult time to handcuff the defendant who pulled away his hands several times. He even began shouting, “Madam, please tell this young officer don’t harass me.” The Magistrate in return had to ask the defendant’s lawyer to ask him to comply with the orderly.

Pearson was arrested earlier this year after accusations were levelled against him for having sexual relations with underaged boys after a photograph appeared on social media with Pearson in the company of a young boy.

It was reported that the Child Care and Protection

Agency was also assisting with the investigation and a file was compiled and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

According to reports, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) back in February closed its investigation into the alleged misconduct by Pearson, who was very vocal on social media and a television newscast that he “has a young boy for every day of the week”.

CC&PA Director, Ann Greene, conducted several interviews with the alleged victims who are all under age 16.

Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Commuters must not pay increased fares - Minibus Union The United Minibus Union (UMU) yesterday said it had not called the strike action, which is underway by several minibus operators on East Coast Demerara following fuel price increases.

President of the Union, Eon Andrews, told reporters that the commuters should not be paying any increased fares, which bus operators

have demanded since gas prices escalated locally.

“We want commuters to wait until we would have sat down with Government and we would have come to a consensus on the fares. We also do not support the current strike action because we want to sit with Government to determine how best we can move forward to cushion the

effects of fuel prices and the cost of operation,” Andrews stated.

Yesterday, operators blocked the road at Coldingen and set fire to tyres. Police were called in to clear the road.

“We are not supportive of this action. We operate in a free market system. We cannot be responsible for the

drivers who have taken it upon themselves to stage strike action. We are not part of this,” the Union President explained.

Andrews explained that the Union’s request for an increase in public transportation fares is based upon the increase cost of operation directly relating to increases in driver’s licence fees, revenue licences, fitness certificate, and tyres.

The Union wants to sit down with Government to discuss their situation, but so far, there are getting the ‘royal run around’.

“We are not sure who we should be meeting because we checked at the Ministry of Business where the persons in the Trade Department have said that they are no longer responsible for minibus operations and fees. We don’t know who in Government to turn to,” Andrews explained.

He explained that increasing fares is one option.

“Since 2008, we have not had an increase in the fare, but operational cost has gone up about 90% during that time. One of the reasons is the ban on the importation of used tyres, which has forced us to pay about $20,000 on one tyre. Before, we could have purchased a high quality used tyre which would cost us far less,” Andrews

United Minibus Union President, Eon Andrews stated.

To meet operational cost, Andrews said that operators have moved to overcrowding and finding other means to meet targets.

The worldwide oil price increase continues to bite vehicle owners as gas prices escalate at fuel pumps across the country.

On average, fuel prices have increased by between $10 and $15 per litre over the past two weeks.

In response to the price hike, several minibus operators staged two separate protests, yesterday. They were

requesting Government to approve fare increases or take remedial action to stabilize prices.

This week, a group of route ‘42’ (GeorgetownGrove) minibus operators picketed the Ministry of the Presidency after they took their concerns to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Business.

In the face of ongoing protest and growing discontent, the government has not indicated its willingness to hold a meeting to discuss the pressing concerns of the operators.

A rocky year dented by $940M ...

From page 8 due to net interest income from its lending activities falling as the bank kept the credit quality of its loan portfolio “under control”.

On the strengthening of the banking systems, the Chairman said that a general review of internal policies and procedures was undertaken in the last quarter of the year.

Several measures were updated, particularly in the areas of credit quality, transaction approval,

procurement, AML compliance and premises security.

“We join with the business community in applauding the Government for the step it took in address’ calls for a revision of the rate of VAT, which was reduced to 14%, while the registration threshold was increased to $15 million, along with the revision of the income tax structure for workers.”

Recent legislation passed in Parliament, including the

Cybercrime Bill 2016 and the Protected Disclosures Bill 2017, will go a far way to strengthen the environment for doing business in Guyana, Stoby said.

“Further, as a member of the banking community we look forward to supporting efforts for legislations to promote greater development of financial investment products, especially in the areas of t mutual funds and bonds markets.

Saturday June 02, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Several hinterland roads for repairs as rainy season takes toll The Ministry of Natural Resources, with the support of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), is moving forward with the maintenance of several roads in the hinterland.

These are being done in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Under the GGMC Act, the Commission can assist in providing access to mining areas.

The announcement would come at a time when heavy rainfalls have been badly affecting hinterland roads and farm access dams across the country.

On May 3, 2018, six road contracts valued at over $650M were awarded to various contractors for the maintenance of the RockstoneMabura, Kurupukari-AnnaiLethem and the Linden-ItuniKwakwani Roads.

This is in addition to a previous contract awarded to JR Ranch for the Manari Bridge approach realignment in Region 9, Rupununi valued at $83,003,620.

According to the Natural Resources Ministry, the roads were identified following discussions with the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association and several miners and forest operators who had explained that the condition of the roads was hindering their production efforts and costing them more to move supplies in and out of the interior.

“Ultimately, it is

This was the situation recently with a truck that slipped into the waters along the Linden/Lethem road.

Government’s intention to assist miners and foresters to achieve and maintain high yields of production, and as has occurred in the past, the intervention became necessary. Concerns raised by hinterland residents during outreaches conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources also guided the decision by Minister Trotman to see the re-engagement of the Ministry of Natural Resources in hinterland roads maintenance.”

In particular, rehabilitation of the Linden-ItuniKwakwani Road, Region Ten will recommence at the end of the May-June rainy season.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission through the Ministry of Natural Resources awarded the contracts for the repairs to the

road to International Imports and Supplies to the tune of $239.7 M. The contractor has mobilised equipment on site; road marking has commenced.

According to the Ministry, the Linden-Kwakwani road is an important conduit for forest operators and repairs will also benefit the residents of these two communities and those along the corridor including the residents of Ituni and Aroaima.

Persons living along the Berbice River will also benefit.

The works include ditching, excavating, section repairs of soft spot and filling with laterite.

Also in Region Ten, maintenance of the RockstoneMabura Road should commence at the end of the rainy season.

“A $140.4 M contract was awarded to MMC Inc. for this project. Meanwhile, maintenance of the Annai to Lethem Road should commence in the first week of June pending facilitating weather.” A contract for $139.3 M was awarded to D&R Construction and Machinery Rental on May 3, 2018.

The contractor has submitted all bonds and the mobilisation advance is being processed.

“The contract for the continuing section of the road from Annai to Kurupukari was awarded on the same date to

The situation of the Linden/ Kwakwani road, Region 10.

MMC Inc. and work was scheduled to commence in the final week of May.” The re-alignment of the Manari Bridge approach is also expected to start at the end of the rainy season. An $83 million contract was awarded to JR Ranch for this project.

This realignment has become necessary following several accidents and a prom-

ise made by government to intervene to preserve lives and limbs.”

In his 2018 National Budget speech, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman had said that his Ministry plans to work with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to improve the intricate road network in the six mining districts.

(Continued on page 20)

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Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

Guyana joins ACP-EU Council in search of Cotonou successor Vice President and Foreign Minister, Carl Greenidge, yesterday joined counterparts of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and from the European Union (EU) in Togo for the fortythird session of the ACP-EU Joint Council to further discuss post-Cotonou negotiations.

Talks focussed primarily on challenges of diversity, among others, and explored a number of areas, including a joint ACP-EU declaration on climate change and migration.

For his part, the Foreign Ministry said, Minister Greenidge intervened on a number of issues of significance to the ACP, including the 15th Joint Ministerial Trade Committee, which met in Brussels, Belgium in 2017, as well as the problems of middle-income states and instruments that would be of use to assist them.

With the Cotonou Agreement set to expire in 2020, the organisation is looking towards post-Cotonou negotiations, which will be led and guided by a Central Negotiating Group (CNG). ”Guyana and Jamaica will represent the Caribbean region on this body. Minister Greenidge is deputy to the Chief Negotiator. The

Ministers of the 79 Member States of the ACP gather for the 107th Session of the Council of Ministers Honourable Minister first served as a member of the Negotiating Troika for Lomé III in 1983 when he was Minister of Finance of Guyana.”

The 79 ACP Member States have agreed to a draft negotiating mandate as a collective group and to seek a legally-binding arrangement

with the EU that builds on the current Agreement. The new agreement is expected to take account of the issues of middle income countries, small island developing states (SIDS), least developed countries and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).

Earlier in the week, the Minister led a team to Lomé, Togo, for the 107th Session of (ACP) Council of Ministers held from 28 to 30 May.

During the session, the ACP Group examined means to both revitalise the organization as well as its relations with the European Union (EU).

In 1975, the Georgetown Agreement, aptly named for being signed in Guyana’s capital, gave birth to the ACP Group, which brought countries from three distinct regions together to focus on trade, cultural cooperation and socio-economic develop-

ment, among other common interests.

At present, the ACP Group is looking to amend the founding agreement to better equip the organization to engage with other countries and bodies in the international arena.

Concurrently, in 1975, the ACP entered into a trade and aid partnership with the EU under the Lomé Convention, which replaced by the Cotonou Agreement in 2000.

Verdict looms for alleged killer of Edun Farm Poultry employee Next week, a 12-member mixed jury is expected to decide the fate of Mahendra Bishundial, who is accused of the 2012 murder of Edun Farm Poultry employee, Aga Khan.

Bishundial is on trial before Justice James BovellDrakes at the High Court in Georgetown for the killing which occurred during a robbery on November 6, 2012 at Busby Dam, Craig, East Bank Demerara.

A police release stated that Khan was attacked by four men, one of whom was armed with a handgun and the others with knives. Khan was driving motor lorry GJJ 2806 owned by Edun Poultry Farms, east along Busby Dam, when the men walked into the path of the vehicle causing the driver to stop.

One of the men then approached Khan and demanded cash. He was shot to his neck in the process.

Investigations were carried out and Bishundial was arrested and charged.

MURDER ACCUSED: Mahendra Bishundial

Aga Khan

Next Tuesday, the trial judge will sum of the evidence before sending the case for deliberation on a verdict by the jurors.

During the trial, the murdered man’s wife, Sunita Jaigobin, told the court that on the day of the killing, her husband left home at around 07:00 am for work at Edun

Poultry Farm. She said that around 17:00hrs that day, she received a call and as a result went to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where she saw her husband lying motionless on a stretcher.

According to Jaigobin, the dead man was clad in a white T-Shirt with what (Continued on page 19)

Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Saturday June 02, 2018

Four GGMC workers die during six-month period - exposure to mercury emission blamed vBy Abena RockcliffeCampbell Over a period of five to six months, four workers attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) died under questionable circumstances. The majority

of the staff at that entity is convinced that these deaths can be linked to the high levels of mercury emission that pollute the GGMC compound and its environs.

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) perceives this to be the case as well.

Yesterday, the party expressed “profound concern at the untimely deaths of four Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) staffers - Mr. Dwayne De J o n g e ( r a n g e r ) , M r.

Latchman Chiti (surveyor), Mr. Leroy Green (carpenter)

and Mr. Clement Proffit (lab technician).

“The deaths of these staffers, who were documented to have been affected by mercury poisoning, make it clear that every effort must be made to ensure that working conditions are safe.”

The party said that the deaths over “a short period of time,” should be a cause for

serious concern.

This newspaper contacted sources at GGMC who said that De Jonge, Chiti and Green are “almost confirmed” to be victims of the pollution.

“The first three we are sure about; I am not sure about the last one because he was ill since last year and I cannot say that his symptoms are consistent

with signs of mercury poisoning,” said one employee.

De Jonge died last month; Latchman died last week; Green died earlier in the year and Proffit died a few days ago.

Green was the first to die this year. He died in January of kidney failure. That complication is believed to (Continued on page 24)

Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

40 GRADUATE FROM COMPUTER LITERACY TRAINING COURSE IN LINDEN “We want more!” This was the all-around sentiment expressed by the 40 women in Linden who were presented with Certificates of Completion on Wednesday at the Linden Technical Institute.

They have completed Level I Computer Literacy training organized by the Innovation Department of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications.

According to Training Co-ordinator, Donnella Collison, this course is part of the Ministry’s ICT national training schedule based on the Government’s mandate to ensure that our children and entrepreneurs in particular are equipped with the knowledge and skills to engage with counterparts anywhere in the world.

The 12-week Computer Literacy programme got underway on March 6, last, as a pilot project that will be

replicated in most other regions of Guyana, tailored to the specific needs of each set of residents.

Course participants in Linden were mostly single mothers and self-employed women. They are now requesting further training in web design, social media management, coding and knowledge of advanced Microsoft Software.

Earlier in May, 14 children, ages 9 to 15 years, completed their Level I Computer Literacy training at the Learning and Resource Centre on D’Urban Street, Georgetown. All of them are resident at the Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre. One student has already gone on to the 12week Guyanese Girls Code training programme currently underway.

Four others will continue on to intermediate level training in programmes organized by the Ministry’s Industry

The course participants at Linden with their Computer Literacy Certificates at LTI.

and Innovation Unit.

In addition, 20 youths from West Demerara also completed a 12-week literacy programme facilitated by experienced computer technology instructors, Arti and Jaiaram Hirai, at their Vreed-en-Hoop A+ Computer Training Centre. They are to begin the second stage of training in July.

All training programmes are co-ordinated by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MOPT) are free of charge.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Saturday June 02, 2018

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PAGE 19

US donates special ID card-producing equipment for ports The US Embassy has donated equipment that will produce special access identification cards for port workers.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, through its Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), received a Transportation Workers Identification Card System (TWIC) from the United States Embassy in Guyana. The ceremony took place at the Kingston office of MARAD. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, disclosed that “in 2014, a team from MARAD paid a visit to Louisanna where they benefitted from the US Transportation Workers Identification Card System called TWIC and discussion as to how the Maritime Administration can implement such a system at its port facilities.

“In Guyana, the card will

be known as PSAC, pronounced as “P-Sac” which means Port Security Access Card.”

Minister Patterson further stated, “The purpose of the machine is intended to produce identification cards for all employees working at port facilities and reduce the security checks for other stakeholders who frequent port facilities.”

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, said, “Since 2010 the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) has provided over $437M in funds for training and equipment in the Caribbean. Today’s handover of equipment to MARAD is yet another piece of technical assistance designed to help ensure our mutual security in the region.”

Ambassador Holloway also stated that the “ID card

will allow MARAD to have greater governmental oversight on who is allowed access to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code complaint facilities in Guyana.”

Persons desirous of working as port security officers will have to go through and complete four modules of training in ISPS Security, First Aid, Security Communications and Skill at Arms.

The handing over ceremony was done in the boardroom of MARAD. Also attending the handing over ceremony were the Annette Ferguson, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure; Director General of MARAD, Claudette Rogers; Permanent Secretary of MOPI, Kenneth Jordan and other representatives from MARAD, MOPI and the US Embassy.

Bandits posing as Custom Officers rob Patentia Business The Boodramlalls family business where the robbery was committed.

Five bandits posing as Custom Officers, complete with handcuffs, radios and guns robbed the Deo & Sons Wholesale depot at Wales, West Bank Demerara, yesterday, around 13:00 hours.

Gayatri Boodramlall and Deonarine Boodramlall, the proprietors of the business located at 278 Patentia, WBD, are counting losses in excess of $900,000.

Individuals dressed like Custom Officers, came to the premises just after 13:00 hours

and demanded to see the boss, claiming that they wanted to search the bond to see if all the items there had taxes paid.

Mrs. Boodramlall had just minutes before, pulled in the grill to the business, since she does so every day at that time.

The slow rate of business allowed her to proceed to prepare lunch for her husband and kids. Only two of the four kids where home at the time.

Moments later, she heard sounds coming from the front

like someone trying to open the grill that she had just closed.

She ventured out to see what was the raucous about, only to find men dressed in white shirt jac, dark blue pants and wearing shine black shoes, making attempts to enter the business, Mrs. Boodramlall at first glance took the individuals for Customs Officers, since from time to time Customs would come and check their business.

(Continued on page 24)

Verdict looms for alleged killer of...

From page 14 appeared to be blood on it.

For his part, the brother of the deceased, Sharif Khan, testified to identifying the remains of his brother to Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh on November 9, 2012 at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary Also testifying was Saeed Edun, who told the court that Aga Khan was one of his employees. According to the poultry farmer, on that tragic day, Aga Khan collected the

keys to Canter truck GJJ 2806, while another employee uplifted the bill books and a cellular phone.

Edun said that around 17:00hrs that said day, he received a phone call from his wife, which caused him to leave their home at Busby Dam, Craig, East Bank Demerara. The witness said that the Canter truck was parked along the dam and he saw Aga Khan and another employee lying inside in a crouching position.

The poultry farmer recalled that he transported the injured men to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, after which, he left for the Grove Police Station to inquired about what had transpired. He disclosed that a total of $48,000 was missing from the Canter truck.

The murder accused is being represented by Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes. Leading the case for the state is prosecutor Mandel Moore.

From left- Minister Annette Ferguson, Ambassador Perry Holloway, Director General of MARAD, Claudette Rogers and Minister David Patterson with the equipment yesterday.

PAGE 20

Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

Cop says colleague and attempt murder accused were “friendly” Police Constable Rawle King told a 12-member mixed jury that his colleague, Lance Corporal Singh was “friendly” with a businessman who is currently on trial for two counts of attempted murder over shooting a man and his nephew, and as a result was removed from investigating the matter.

Constable King, who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, was at the time testifying in the trial of businessman Deryck Jaisingh.

The trial continued yesterday before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court on Georgetown.

It is alleged that on November 2, 2014, Jaisingh discharged a loaded firearm at Sherwin Hamilton, called Nasty Man, with intent to commit murder.

It is further alleged that on the same day, at the same location, Jaisingh discharged a loaded firearm at Welton Edwards, with intent to commit murder. Edwards is Hamilton’s uncle.

The accused, who is being represented by Attorneyat-law Nigel Hughes in association with Attorney-at-law Ganesh Hira, has pleaded not guilty to both charges. He is out on a total of $800,000 bail.

It is alleged that on the day in question, virtual complainants, Sherwin Hamilton and Welton Edwards, were at Old Road, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara when

they received a report that one of their relatives was being assaulted on the Land of Canaan Public Road.

When they arrived, the two men and Jaisingh allegedly became involved in a confrontation. As a result, it is alleged that Jaisingh, who was a licensed firearm holder at the time, took out his weapon and discharged some 13 rounds in the victims’ direction, causing them severe bodily harm.

During his time in the witness box, Constable Frank told the court that Lance Corporal Singh was the lead investigator, at some stage, during investigations into the shooting incident.

The witness, however, went on to tell the court that Lance Corporal Singh was subsequently removed from the case after certain allegations were leveled against him. As a result, the court heard from the police witness that the case was handed over to Sergeant Henry.

According to Constable King, Lance Corporal Singh and Jaisingh were “friendly and allegations were being made, so the matter was handed over to Sergeant Henry.”

When questioned by State Prosecutor Lisa Cave to explain what he meant by “friendly”, Constable King said, “I had seen them (Lance Corporal Singh and Jaisingh) conversing on multiple occasions while Jaisingh was in

CHARGED: Deryck Jaisingh custody at the Criminal Investigation Department at Timehri Police Station.”

Asked by Prosecutor Cave to describe how the men were conversing, Constable King stated, “Like two friends.

They were gaffing.”

Earlier on in his testimony, the police witness told the court that around 12:15 am on November 3, 2014, he was performing duties at the Inquiries Section of the aforementioned police station, when he received a phone call regarding a shooting incident, which involved two men in the vicinity of Old Road, Land of Canaan.

He said that he and two other police ranks travelled to the scene and upon arriving they saw Edwards lying face down on Land of Canaan Public Road. He further said that

Reintroduce the Guyana National Service - says Region Three REO At a youth forum held in the boardroom of the Region Three Democratic Council, Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikaran J.P. called for the immediate reintroduction of the Guyana National Service.

The forum was organised by the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency on Tuesday.

Jaikaran said that young people deserve the opportunity to benefit from the various skills training programmes that were once available in the country through the Guyana National Service. The Guyana National Service ensures that discipline is paramount and patriotism is promoted, he said. It is visible to all that since the closure of the Guyana National Service, love for country has deteriorated and indiscipline is rising at a fast rate.

The REO believes that Interior Towns can be created

while inspecting the man, he noticed two dark spots on his lower body, which appeared to be gunshot wounds. The police witness also said that Edwards was bleeding from both eyes.

Constable King recalled that after receiving certain information, he went to Old Road Land of Canaan, where he saw Hamilton lying in the middle of the road in what appeared to be a pool of blood.

“He (Hamilton) was crying out for pain. I raised up his jersey and saw what appeared to be gunshot wounds.”

According to the witness, an injured Hamilton was placed in a vehicle and transported to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was told by a nurse that there were no doctors on duties.

This, he added, led to Hamilton being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was admitted as a patient. About a month after the shooting, Constable King recounted

that he visited the Registry at the Georgetown Public Hospital from where he uplifted two medical certificates—one each in favour of the virtual complainants.

He said that the documents, which were lodged at the Grove Police Station, were later tendered as evidence by him in the Magistrates’ Courts.

Yesterday, after no objections were raised by defence counsel, the medical certificates were tendered by Constable King and were also admitted and marked as evidence in the trial by Justice Kissoon.

Also testifying was Gregory Hamilton, a brother of Sherwin Hamilton. Gregory testified that during November, 2014 he resided at Land of Canaan.

He stated that on November 3, 2014 at around 12:10 am, he was awakened by his girlfriend who he said told him something. As a result, Gregory said that he went to the gate where he saw his mother and sister, who both told him

something.

According to Gregory, he and his relatives ran out to Land of Canaan Public Road, where he saw Sherwin lying on the ground with what appeared to be gunshot wounds on his body.

“I and officer King picked up Sherwin and put him into my brother-in-law’s car and rushed him to the Diamond Hospital. I drove the vehicle.

When we were there, the nurse told us something and then the car I was driving ran out of gas,” Gregory recounted.

Based on what he was told by the nurse, the witness added that his brother was placed into another vehicle, which was driven by Constable King, and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

During cross-examination

by Hughes, Gregory was asked if either he or his brother knew Constable King prior to the incident. The witness responded in the negative.

This trial is continuing.

Bridges collapse, vehicles overturn on dangerous Linden/Lethem trail A number of truck drivers and minibus operators plying the Linden/Lethem route may be grounded for awhile as the trail worsened overnight with heavy rainfall and flooding.

The weather caused massive deterioration along the trail. Mabura to Kurupukari, Lethem to Kwakwani among others that have been inundated with floodwaters and there are huge craters in the road.

Drivers plying these areas over the past days have encountered severe hardships. Two bridges are said to have collapsed and a few trucks have overturned.

There are no reports of any serious injuries but many

are concerned about the risks.

Mohan Narine, a truck driver, said that coupled with the deplorable roadways drivers are now required to pay $5,000 extra to pass through Linden, a cost added to the stipulated $4,000 at the crossing.

He said that with the recent increase in fuel prices, it takes an additional $30,000 in fuel per trip. These conditions are not isolated to Region 10 alone.

Reports are also coming out from the West Berbice area where farm roads are filled with slush forcing farmers to abandon operations since it is impossible for them to bring

out their produce. The same situation has been reported along farmlands and roads on the West Bank.

The weather forecast for the next week shows steady rainfall making matters worse for farmers and drivers plying the affected areas. Just a week ago, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure announced the possible signing of a contract for the rehabilitation of the Ituni-Kwakwani road. But concerns were raised that the trail needs a permanent solution because the rehabilitation works is a waste of money.

The trail will go bad again once the rain pours and creek waters rise. (Zaheer Khan)

Several hinterland roads for repairs... through the reintroduction of the National Service because more people will become economically empowered and a greater level of self-sufficiency will be created.

Additionally, economic activities will be enhanced

much to the benefit of the associated players and country as a whole.

The REO further believes that the Guyana National Service can play a major role in the management of the country’s natural resources which will ensure involvement of Guyanese and promote prosperity of the people.

Jaikaran believes that the reintroduction of the National Service will curb abnormal social behaviours that currently exist among our young people.

From page 13 Approximately $2 billion has been earmarked for repairs under this initiative.

“This joint initiative of the GGMC, Ministries of N a t u r a l R e s ources and Public Infrastructure, to maintain and rehabilitate the roads, is aimed at providing the physical i n f r a s t r ucture necessary for these operators to maintain production in the extractive industries and r e s i d e n t s are urged to monitor the works in their communities and to make reports o n t h e p r o g r e s s or lack thereof.”

The condition of the Linden/Lethem road/trail.

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Saturday June 02, 2018

Prevention is the first step in primary health care “We need to discontinue the use of sugar water, however it is bottled; we need to discontinue the use of preserved and processed food which are packed full of sodium and other chemicals that contribute to hypertension, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”

This was the appeal by President David Granger as he addressed the audience gathered on Wednesday at the opening of the 2018 Health Expo venued at the National Exhibition Site, Sophia, Georgetown.

The President was at the time attempting to emphasise the need for prevention in the quest to advance primary health care.

He asserted, “Prevention is the first step in primary health care. Preventive care is central to universal public health coverage.” He made it clear in his presentation that preventive health care is central to universal public health coverage, to primary health care and the delivery of public health services.

“No public health system and no national health strategy would be complete or successful without emphasising the importance of preventive care. In Guyana therefore, prevention is at the centre of our national health strategy,” said President

- President Granger highlights

President David Granger Granger. He was at the time addressing the opening of the 2018 Health Expo at the National Exhibition Site on Wednesday.

He pointed out, too, that prevention is the principle of the public health intervention and one of the principle means to improve citizens, mental, physical and social well-being. “But where does prevention start?” the President rhetorically asked.

“It starts with you; it starts with mommy and daddy, it starts at the home. Prevention of lifestyle diseases is part of the human socialisation process; it beings in the home, in the family, in the household [and] it is reinforced at school and at work and it is fortified at the

neighbourhood national and regional levels,” said President Granger.

Prevention is particularly important, the President said, when dealing with lifestyle diseases.

Directing his focus to his audience, he asserted, “...Alcohol and drug abuse are unhealthy and a cure is expensive. The excessive consumption of processed and fast foods is unhealthy and expensive, the lack of recreational sports and inactivity have contributed to the increased incidents of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and obesity.”

Compounding the burden caused by the lifestyle dis-

Skeldon Hospital fiasco...

Director meets with affected patients; staff to undergo training

The Skeldon Public Hospital

S

hortly after an inci dent, which took place at the Skeldon Public Hospital between staff and patients, the Director of Health Services for Region Six, Jevaughn Stephens, yesterday morning, met with the people who clashed with one of the hospital clerks attached to the Registry Department.

The incident, which stemmed from an alleged “special preference” treatment causing persons to wait in long lines for hours to be registered for medication,

raised eyebrows with the events that unfolded.

Sharda Mangra, who complained about the alleged treatment meted out to her and other patients, said that the Director offered his apology and promised that an incident of such nature would not occur again.

“He was very nice to us and apologized numerous times on behalf of the health sector.

He says, he would address this matter immediately,” she relayed.

It was also disclosed that

the staff will undergo some training to better improve the delivery of service they are offering at the institution.

Efforts to seek a comment from the Director in relation to the new developments were futile.

Mangra, who accompanied her ill sister to the hospital to be treated, said on Thursday that they were waiting in a line that was getting longer as time passed, while the attending clerk at the Registry Area was singling out persons who were not (Continued on page 26)

eases on the health sector, is that of injuries caused by road accidents and those caused in the workplace.

“The public health care system has to bear a huge economic cost and the fastest and most effective way of reducing that cost is by ensuring that at the level of the individual, the household, the school and the workplace, we separate ourselves from the causes of these lifestyle diseases – excessive alcohol, addition and fast foods,” said President Granger.

But the work of the health care system must go on.

The National Public Health System has at its apex the Ministry of Public Health and that Ministry in accor-

dance with the Health Act has the responsibility to deliver and where necessary oversee the delivery of health care throughout Guyana, the President said. It is also mandated to effect plans and policies to monitor quality and to evaluate outcomes.

“The Ministry’s mandate, therefore, includes ensuring citizens’ mental, physical and social health by promoting health services when and wherever they are accessible, acceptable and affordable and of course appropriate within the means of the Ministry,” said the President.

He went on to announce that the regional public health system is one that is responsible for coordinating the

work of regional health workers, assisting with specialist medical personnel and referring patients to tertiary health institutions and managing the region’s soft and hard health infrastructure.

The President, however, asserted that “it is at the neighbourhood where a system of neighbourhood health centres which are the main and primary providers of health services within communities, and these neighbourhood health centres are to be accessible to all citizens everywhere...

“They must guarantee citizens’ access to public health care especially the provision of primary health care,” said President Granger.

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Kaieteur News

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Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Have your house,fence & yard to pressure wash? Call: 666-2326

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Apartment buliding includes (1) 3 bedroom, (1) 2 bedroom 1 studio location Lamaha Park, Georgetown, $60,000,000 Neg. Call: 681-2500 1 Long base canter, very good condition, owner leaving country or 1 canter driver needed for hire. #6091040 One Unregistered 2011 Toyota HiAce with manual transmission. Call#627-2005 for more information.

35 ft boat flat bottom 400 pound cat guts seine.

Contact# 676-6002/665-6585 Gold and Diamond mining,Claim virgin land in the Quartz stone, Cuyuni mining district Guyana for sale.

Contact#592-671-9478 1 Minibus, Full custom.

Contact #664-0090/613-0138

DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 226-3693Make-up Courses with Mac, DOLLYSAUTORENTAL B a r e M i n e r a l s , etc.- @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D Cosmetology Courses: $90,000 - OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Nail Technician Course: $35,000.

PROGRESSIVE CAR Call: 647-1773/688-0009 RENTAL: CARS FROM NOTICE $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ Ian Griffith of 430 North East 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , LaPenitence, Please make ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO contact with Cherril Henry RENTAL@YAHOO.COM on Tel# 664-9325/696-1680 AIDAN’S CAR FOR SALE/RENT RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 American Pool Table for sale SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY & rent. Tel# 277-0578 OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 TOLET SALON

1 bedroom apartment, Lot 1 Yarrow Dam, West Riumveldt. Contact#227-1317 Ms Bacchus.

2 & 3 bedroom fully furnished luxury apartments short and long term rental Tel# 6642143,691-1432,666-7028

WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! .

CALL: 690-6494

Advertise in Kaieteur News Classified Ads and get fast results.

WANTED Wanted urgently: 1 experienced cosmetologist.

Call: 647-1773.

1 Air compressor 15HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 6281486/698-1134.

Looking to buy a house or empty land, Preferences-EBD Public road. Buyer #1917-6225810/694-3331

2 bedroom apartment, Top and bottom flat. Lot 4633 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Rasville. Tel#618-5305/6674691

1 Mechanic to work in the interior, must know about Cummings/Perkins & Deutz engine. #699-4718

Hair station, Barber station to rent or furnished salon to rent.

Contact# 616-7151

Experience Cashier, Drivers, Roti/Puri cook. Apply Hack’s Halaal with H/written application 5 Commerce St.

Furnished 3 bedroom Apt for rent # 611-4552/685-0265 2 Bedroom apartment at La Grange Independence St. Call #663-1280 2 & 1 bedroom Apt furnished in Providence. Call #6721906, 216-2299/Whatsapp #1246-833-9739 Display rack, space & parking lot to rent. Contact# 624-6783 LAND FOR SALE Parfaite Harmonie. $1.3M Farm (East Bank) $2.4M Schnoord $2.2M Herstelling $4.5M & $1.8M Uivlugt $2.2M Tel#656-1345 18,731 acres mining land Gold & Diamond Mazaruni $5,000,000 USD Contact: 6951356, 687-8445

CAR RENTAL

2 bedroom house fully A/c in Somerset court.

Herstelling EBD Tel#6614849 Rooms in Albertown. #2259223/225-3234

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620

2 acres of title land situated @ 1st St Garden of Eden EBD $6.5M Neg. Call Terrence #638-7836. email: Latchmanrich@gmail.com Continental Park (Double) $24M Land of Canaan (acres) $5.5M Schnoord $3.5M First St, Triumph Seaside. #2312199/608-0772 Parfaite Harmonie $1.3M $1.5M $2.5M $3M Farm $3.5M Herstelling 2nd Bridge $4M Uivlugt $2.8M. Call: 666-2326

Security to work in Georgetown. Tel#227-1717 One General Domestic, must know to cook. Apply @ Keyfood, next door to Post Office, McDoom One Financial Investor for mineral land in the Mazaruni area. Phone: 672-8844 Pastry Chef, apply @ Shanta’s 225 Camp St. Office Clerk, East Bank preferable 30-55 years old.

Call: 226-1100/629-9450 Purchasing clerk valid license MC/MV/ML 30-55 years old.

Call: 226-1100/629-9450 Wanted parts for Toyota Crown Deluxe 1972, 6 cylinder, 3 speed gearbox, body & other parts. #218-0663/6190757 One security guard for private residence. #609-3650 Hire car drivers. Tel#225-9223 Drivers, Porters, Office clerk.

Apply to Lot 10 Vlissengen Rd Survival Wholesale Depot Land to buy within the vicinity of Tuschen and Zeelugt Scheme. Tel#678-3958/6534820 Arc/Acetylene welder, experience in designing gates/grill work. #227-1830

Tuschen house $5M Tuschen corner lot $1.5M Diamond $4M Eccles $6M. Call: 6662326 Excellent offer land, suitable for number of purposes situated in New Amsterdam (1000ft x 211ft) Contact Bobby Realty #679-2497 2 storey concrete house and land @ No 44 Village measuring 62ft by 1 mile.

Contact Bobby Realty #6792497 Track AB CD situated at Begal Corentyne. Contact Bobby Realty #679-2497

EDUCATION Electronic course, Practical beginning 1st June. Learn to fix flat screen TV’s etc. Abdul Electronics. 225-0391/2266551 IAE- Register for CXC, full time evening & adult classes.

Mathematics, English, Business & Science subjects #683-5742/621-7365

VACANCY Vacancy exist for 1 Security & 1 Receptionist. Apply with application at Millenium Manor Hotel 43 Hadfield & Camp Street.

Farm worker, Travel agent.

Tel#265-3586 Maid, East Bank area to cook & clean #614-4358 Articulated hauler/ dump truck operator for interior, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Experienced Driver, Apply in person, Wieting & Richter, Water Street Georgetown.

Pump attendant (Shift work 7am-3pm & 3pm-11pm) submit application : Shell Service Station Providence EBD E m a i l : Shellramsburg@gmail.com One general domestic, One gardener. Apply @ R.Sookraj & Sons. 108 Regent Street, Georgetown.

TAKE NOTICE that PAMELA GRANUM a/k as MYRTLE PAMELA GRANNUM of lot 244 Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, Demerara has presented a Petition for Declaration of Title by Prescription to the property described in the schedule hereto.

ANY PERSON intending to oppose the said Petition must within one (1) month after the date of the first publication of this notice, file in the Registry of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Georgetown Demerara, a notice of his/her opposition and an affidavit in support thereof upon the said PAMELA GRANNUM a/k as MYRTLE PAMELA GRANNUM. The said Petition is accompanied by a plan of the property which may be inspected at the said Registry during office hours.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Village.

West Coast Berbice. 49ft by 10,314ft. $18M. Contact:6487109/686-4818 3 story commercial building,120ftX60ft Building 62ftX30ft Location- Lot 1486, Plot B Herstelling, EBD, reduced price Contact: 6093777/686-0522 Corner Lot Diamond, EBD Land 61’x110'- House 30’x50' G$32M Furnished Serious enquiries only. #613-6631/6182603 2 storey property for sale EBD, Grove. Contact No: 609-3527 Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445

Dated at Georgetown Demerara This 6th day of April, 2018 SCHEDULE Sub-lot lettered ‘A’, being a portion of lot numbered 244 (two hundred and forty four) being portions of Pike Street, Kitty Village, situate in the City of Georgetown, in the County of Demerara Guyana, the said sub-lot lettered `A’ containing an area of 0.139 (nought decimal one three nine ) of an acre and being shown and defined on a plan by Denesh D. Sukhai, Sworn Land Surveyor dated 24th day of August, 2013 and recorded in the department of Lands and Surveys on the 26th day of September, 2013 as plan No: 57012.

MEMORANDUM:The Petitioners’ address for service and place of business is at the chambers of her Attorney-at-law Ms. GEM I. SANFORDJOHNSON and/or ANASTASIA N. SANFORD VEHICLE FOR SALE of ‘Sharon’s Bldg.’, lot 154 1 RZ Minibus BNN excellent Charlotte and King Streets, Lacytown, Georgetown, condition. Call: 233-3430 Demerara.

1 Nissan Dualis 2007 #622LEGAL NOTICE 2 9951/689-9447, lady driven.

PETITION #127-P NO -P 0F 2018 (BERBICE) IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF J U D I C A T U R E 2 Hino 30 seater bus in (DECLARATION OF TITLE) excellent condition. Contact NOTICE Bobby Realty. #679-2497 GUYANA WATER INCORPORATED, a PEN PAL company incorporated in Mature Gentleman seeking Guyana under the Companies female 38 & over for Act 1991 of the Laws of relationship. Call Amanda Guyana and having its #592-691-9383 Continued on next page Mazda Axela - $1.4M Neg Nissan Bluebird - $1.75M Neg. Cars in excellent condition.

Tel#233-2793/615-8502

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Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Man remanded for murder after Man slapped with living a fugitive for 18 years eight fraud charges Deonarine Bhikari, 53, was yesterday remanded by Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court where he appeared charged for a murder he allegedly committed 18 years ago.

Yesterday, the man was not required to plead to the charge. Bhikari had legal representation but did not seem to have the support of his family in the courtroom.

The court heard that Bhikari was not residing in Guyana so the magistrate sought to get his address. He appeared very calm in the prisoners’ dock when his matter was called and the charge was read to him.

At the time, the children and other relatives of the deceased were in the courtroom looking at the man who chopped their loved one to death back in May 2000.

When it was time for the lawyer to provide the court with basic information on her client, she on every occasion that the court asked, had to check with her client.

That prompted the magistrate to give the woman a short time to become familiar with her client with whom her chambers had been in contact with, from the time the he was arrested on Sunday last.

Yesterday Magistrate Hugh remanded Deonarine Bhikari until June 15, 2018. The prosecution told the court that their file was not completed.

LEGAL NOTICE 2 cont’d principle place of business at Vlissengen Road & Church Street, Bel Air, Georgetown Demerara, has presented a Petition for a Declaration of Title by Prescription to the Property described in the schedule hereto.

Any person intending to oppose the said Petition must within one month oppose from the date of the first publication of this notice, file in the Registry of the High Court of New Amsterdam, Berbice and/or Georgetown, Demerara, notice of his/her opposition and an affidavit or affidavits together with a notice on the said GUYANA WATER INCORPORATED .

Nigel Niles and/or Tiffany David Attorneys-at-law for the Petitioner SCHEDULE Plot ‘Well Site’ being a portion of Lot 42 (b) Section ‘A’ Eldorado or Lot No. 50 West Coast Berbice, Guyana as laid down and defined on a plan

by L.L Rutherford Sworn Land Surveyor, Dated 17th day of October, 2016, and recorded in Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission on the 21st October, 2016 as plan number 65220 Dated New Amsterdam, Berbice This 4th day of April, 2018 MEMORANDUM The address and service of the Petitioner is at its place of business at Vlissengen Road & Church Street, Bel Air, Georgetown, Demerara.

Deonarine Bhikari

They were given until June 15 to have those reports ready. They had initially requested three weeks but that was not allowed by the court.

Back in May 2000, Deonarine Bhikari murdered Daniel Singh because the man was not in favour with a relationship between Deonarine and his 19-year-old daughter.

A man was yesterday placed on $800,000 bail after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, to hear eight fraud related charges read to him.

Thirty-two-year-old, Jason Aaron, of 232 Block ‘X’ Section ‘D’ Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, denied the charge which stated that on May 16, last, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged one Irrevocable Power of Attorney, property of Raymond Austin.

It was further alleged that between October 8 and October 28, last, at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $230,000 from Keron Kasaiwan by pretending that he had the money in his account at the Bank of Baroda, knowing that he did not have the said sum

Poor quality fish raised in key Trini workshop TrinidadAt the conclusion of its second fisheries value chain Management Training Workshop, which was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad between May 22 and May 24, 2018, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and its partners have expressed delight.

In their evaluation, several participants stated that the workshop content was ‘relevant’ and ‘very useful’ and that it was ‘an eye-opener’, especially with regard to experiences in Iceland and the region about identifying new products and markets that ensure all parts of the fish catch are used for maximum economic gain, and even for ‘making more from less’ when necessary.

Eleven of the workshop’s 21 participants were senior representatives from the processing arm of the fishing and seafood industry.

Two Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Allison Butters-Grant of Global Seafood Distributors, in Guyana, and David Lanser, from Trinidad Seafoods Ltd., shared key lessons and success stories from their long years of experience working in the industry.

“Lanser and ButtersGrant each highlighted the importance of maintaining a reputation of being a processor associated with a good quality product, while both also lamented that if they rejected fish in poor condition, fishers would often sell the sub-standard product

to another processor at a lesser cost.”

Lanser also took the opportunity to highlight concerns about a possible decline in supplies of fresh fish in Trinidad.

“This was a potential stumbling block for further development of any fish processing business, as the workshop acknowledged that proximity and quality of the fresh product and raw material were vital for the best quality, price, and diversity of end products.”

According to the Iceland experience, the diversity of end products from fish raw material is huge, as Iceland makes products like fishmeal for the aquaculture industry, fish oil and fish calcium for use in human dietary supplements, other fish extracts for use by the cosmetic and medical industries, and fish leather for the fashion industry.

Iceland, through extensive industry research support, continues to explore new fishery products, as well as new options for making their entire fishery value chain more efficient in terms of mechanization, time, and use of renewable energy.

Although the Workshop was not expected to focus on the challenges faced by the public sector in achieving a sustainable source of raw material supply, several lectures intimated the need for private sector to keep itself fully informed about the often changing nature of harvest operations as an integral part

of good fishing industry business planning.

“In her role as a resource person for the workshop, Butters-Grant supported this call for closer public-private sector collaboration and cooperation for achieving sustainable fisheries.

“If there is no sustainability there will be nothing to add value to, as unsustainable practices will lead to decline of economically important fish species.”

Private sector participants proposed that future training sessions should include at least one field exercise, and spoke about the need to include fishers as well, perhaps beginning with examination of an entire value chain for a specific, selected resource/product.

“On the other hand, public sector personnel had recommendations pertinent to their own area of work – they identified the need for future policy setting to facilitate more holistic approaches to support value chain management and value creation for the industry, and also the need to improve the timely flow of public sector information to the private sector.”

For this workshop, CRFM had teamed up with the United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme, the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus, and the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute (CFTDI).

in his account to satisfy the amount.

Police Prosecutor, Arvin Moore, had no objection to bail being granted to the defendant but asked that it be in a substantial sum because the defendant has a matter of similar nature in the court.

Facts presented in relation to the obtaining money by false pretence stated that the victim and the defendant are known to each other. The court heard that the victim would sell items to the defendant and he would pay with cheques.

It was later discovered that the defendant did not have money in his account to honour the cheques.

Facts in relation to the forging of the Power Attorney stated that the defendant and the victim are known to each other. The court heard that the victim is the owner of several properties in Guyana so both of them embarked in doing business.

Charged: Jason Aaron The victim later found out that the defendant forged his Power of Attorney, so he made a report to the police station.

Magistrate Latchman after listening to the prosecutor granted the defendant $100,000 bail on each of the charges. The father of two was instructed to make his next court appearance on June 5.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Bandits posing as Custom ...

From page 19 The men got the gate open and entered, then asked for the boss. Mrs. Boodramlall told them to wait and went and called her husband.

On her return, the men told her and her husband that they wanted to see the bond.

Mrs. Boodramlall led two of the so-called Custom Officers to the bond, while three of them waited at the front of the shop.

Her husband, at this time, was getting up his documents, to show the men that he had paid his taxes up to date.

The men then asked to see who else was in the house, Mrs. Boodramlall told them that two of her children were upstairs, to which the men requested to go upstairs and see them.

This came as no surprise to the Boodramlall’s, since when Customs came on previous occasions, they asked

to see the upstairs and whoever else was home.

It was then the Boodramlalls would realize that they were being robbed.

When they reached upstairs, the bandits had them all together. They took out gloves and put them on, and drew their guns.

They told the family to lay on the floor. The Boodramlalls who were robbed twice before, were very calm. This caused one of the bandits to take out the magazine from his gun and show them and telling them, “We ain’t joking; we gonna kill you if we don’t get some money.”

The Boodramlalls handed over $500,000 in cash, after which the bandits took all the cell phones in the house.

The bandits also took the DVR system, which stores all the video footage from the house and businesses security cameras. They then warned the Boodramlalls, not

to follow them since that would have dire consequences.

After a few minutes, when the family thought the coast was clear, they got up and called neighbours and told them what had happened.

The police were called, and responded promptly.

When the Boodramlalls ventured downstairs, only then did they realize that the three bandits who were downstairs, were not just looking out, but were actually packing rum and other items, in bags, which they took with them.

Mrs. Boodramlall said the men were all of African descent and varied in age from 25 to 35. The household expressed thanks for still having life, and the fact that their children were not hurt.

One of the two children who was home is preparing for CAPE, and another is about to write CSEC.

Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Four GGMC workers die during ...

GGMC building From page 16 have been associated with high exposure to mercury. “He was a fairly young man; he worked for years at the carpentry workshop which is close to the lab where the burning is done,” said one employee.

Employees said that no effort was made to compensate the families of the victims.

Further one employee said, “We are very worried; they gave us all these medications but a lot of employees are complaining of not feeling well. And to top it off, some managers are saying that employees are taking advantage, that they are not believing when we say we are ill.”

Yesterday, PPP/C said that GGMC workers and other people living and operating businesses in the area should be consulted and be told how they are going to be protected.

“This is not a political issue. The PPP will support the Government of Guyana to ensure that every effort is made to guarantee the health and safety of our people…We, therefore, urge immediate ac-

tion by the relevant authorities, including the management of the GGMC and the Ministry of Public Health, to ensure the occupational health and safety standards are in place and the welfare of all staff and citizens are protected. The GGMC and the Ministry of Public Health must also operationalize all precautionary measures including testing and appropriate treatment of all staff, and persons in neighbouring communities, whom may have been exposed.

“This should be done at the cost of the GGMC. The PPP/C also supports the sourcing of specialists to respond to this matter before it becomes a bigger public health crisis.”Effects of sustained exposures to high levels of mercury emissions include disturbances in vision, hearing and speech, numbness in fingers and toes and lack of coordination, kidney failure and muscle weakness.

Mercury also proves to cause a serious health risk to unborn children whose mothers have been too exposed.

There was no public announcement when GGMC workers were found with elevated levels of mercury in their blood. However, after media reports, GGMC admitted the incident.

Workers complained that despite many of them being in the danger, the matter was not being treated with urgency.

But then GGMC and Gold Board sent out a joint statement acknowledging that there was a problem with mercury emissions but said that there is disagreement that matters are at a “crisis stage” and that many are “in danger zone” as was reported by this newspaper.

The agencies said that while there is indeed a situation where the typical treatments are presently unavailable, “the GGMC has made other arrangements to address this shortfall.”

Staffers said that for over six years, there was no testing of workers, “so the man might have had high levels of mercury in his blood but never knew.”

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Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Director meets with...

From page 21 in line and looking after them.

After a few hours had elapsed with hardly any movement in the lines, she opted to take photographs and video the process since she was already frustrated with the waiting.

This sparked an argument between the clerk and her while other patients waiting also chimed in against the clerk.

The staff then closed the door to the Registry for the remainder of the day.

Additionally, a maid on duty at the time was also seen

yelling at the top of her voice while hurling abuse at the patients who complained that they were “disgusting”.

Alex Foster, Focal Point to the Ministry of Health, had stated that he received a report from his staff at the Skeldon Hospital that people were behaving disorderly and that they were asked to call the police.

The police later arrived and detained the patient and relative for “disorderly behaviour”. He said that at that point, the staff felt threatened by the woman and patients’ alleged hostility.

Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

Saturday June 02, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Griezmann among scorers as France cruise past Italy BBCsport - France continued their impressive build up to the World Cup with a comfortable victory over Italy in Nice. Samuel Umtiti set the hosts on their way after Kylian Mbappe’s effort was parried by the Italian goalkeeper, Salvatore Sirigu.

The French doubled their lead when Antoine Griezmann converted a penalty after Lucas Hernandez had been fouled. Leonardo Bonucci reduced the arrears for Italy but Ousmane Dembele’s chip rounded off a fine French display. France beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 on Monday.

France have now won five and drawn one of the six games played between the two nations since Italy - who have failed to qualify for Russia - defeated them on penalties to win the World Cup final in 2006.

While this was far from

the level of that high stakes encounter in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, it did nevertheless prove a worthwhile exercise for France manager Didier Deschamps.

With seven changes from the team that defeated the Republic of Ireland, Deschamps appeared to utilise the midfield and forward combinations to be deployed in France’s World Cup opener against Australia on 16 June.

Mbappe in particular sparkled in a fluent up-tempo display alongside Dembele and Griezmann and was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Florian Thauvin late on. The pace, power and guile of that trio often left the Italian defence bewildered and the margin of victory might have been wider, with Dembele and N’Golo Kante both hitting the

woodwork for France.

Deschamps’ side play their final pre-tournament friendly against the United States on 9 June before facing Australia in their World Cup opener a week later. Les Blues also face Peru on 21 June and Denmark on 26 June in Group C. Italy’s new head coach Roberto Mancini celebrated a 2-1 victory in his first game against Saudi Arabia on Monday but this was a step up in class for his team. The four-time World Cup winners are not at the finals for the first time in 60 years, and the deficiencies behind that absence were exposed by France.

However, Mancini, who has brought Mario Balotelli back after a four-year international hiatus, believes his team can reach an equal footing within 12 months. “This

Saturday June 02, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Love and romance are likely to be tops on your agenda today, Virgo. You're feeling especially warm and loving now. Current and potential love partners could feel strongly drawn to you.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you've considered a career in publishing, Taurus, this is the time to go for it. It's also a great day to enroll in law school, an advanced degree program, or any field of higher education.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your dreams could be vivid, pleasant, and full of information to help you make a decision. New and exciting contacts could come into your life today CANCER (June 21–July 22) Today you're likely focused on sex, romance, and committed relationships. The planetary energies surrounding love are promising, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you should be glowing with good health, energy, and stamina, and be doing well at work, whether career, volunteer work, or a personal project.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Love and romance are likely to be tops on your agenda today, Virgo. You're feeling especially warm and loving now. Current and potential love partners could feel strongly drawn to you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Important enterprises centering on your home could take up a lot of your energy over the next few days, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some absolutely wonderful news could come your way, Scorpio, possibly about career or financial success, perhaps involving positive changes in your neighborhood.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You should feel especially warm and loving today toward just about anyone you meet, Sagittarius. Good news about money may have caused you to feel especially positive.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Capricorn, you should be looking beautiful and feeling especially positive, warm, and loving - attracting people of all kinds to you. Your self-confidence, optimism, and determination should peak over the next few days.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Creative inspiration could come from deep within today, Aquarius. Visions, dreams - anything that excites your imagination could bring ideas for new projects.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Group activities prove beneficial on several levels, Pisces.

You might project powerful warmth and love for all life.

You're feeling especially optimistic about the future.

Kylian Mbappe’s effort at the back post fell into the path of Umtiti and the Barcelona defender made no mistake. can help to gain experience,” he said. ”Nobody likes to lose, ever, but there were moments where we had the chances to make it 2-2. ”At this moment, unfortunately, France are superior to us and have so many players available to them. We must work and learn to get close to them, but we’re on the right track. ”Perhaps the most important thing is that the debutants did well and if we continue like this, in a year we’ll be at their level, or close to it.”

In other results yesterday: Australia stepped up their World Cup preparations with a comfortable 4-0 win against the Czech Republic in Austria - a record defeat for the Czechs.

Hertha Berlin winger Mathew Leckie struck twice for Australia, who are set to make their fifth finals appearance.

The Czechs did not qualify for Russia, finishing behind Northern Ireland in qualification. Urawa Dia-

Blackwood, Reifer...

From page 32 June 22 to July 2, with the final slated for the Oval.Mohammed will lead the side while former West Indies captain Floyd Reifer continues as Head Coach.

SQUAD – Jason Mohammed (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Rahkeem Cornwall, Dominic Drakes, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Chemar Holder, Andre McCarthy, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Devon Thomas, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican.

monds striker Andrew Nabbout also scored before an own goal from Jakub Jugas.

Tunisia drew 2-2 with Tur-

key, Egypt and Columbia played to a 0-0 stalemate, Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated South Korea 3-1 while Georgia needled Malta.

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Saturday June 02, 2018

Kaieteur News

Novak Djokovic battles through Davenport hails Serena’s ‘powerful to last 16 at French Open message’ for sporty mums

Djokovic is seeded 20th this year - his lowest ranking at a Grand Slam since the 2006 US Open.

BBCSport - Novak Djokovic came through a gruelling four-hour match against Spanish 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the last 16 at the French Open. The 12-time Grand Slam champion was given his toughest test this year but won 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 after three hours and 48 minutes.

The Serb, 31, is seeded 20th as he searches for his best form following his return from an elbow injury. “It was a great test. I had to earn my victory,” said Djokovic. “The last set was actually the best set that I have played so far in the tournament. I don’t feel too exhausted. That’s the good news.”

He will play Spain’s 30th seed Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round. Verdasco, 34, earned a shock 7-6 (7-4) 62 6-4 win over Grigor Dimitrov - the Bulgarian fourth seed and reigning ATP World Tour Finals champion.

After a quarter-final defeat

by Dominic Thiem last year, Djokovic returned to Roland Garros not expected to challenge for the title following a year disrupted by an injury which needed surgery after the Australian Open in January.

A lack of action since has resulted in him dropping to 22nd in the world rankings below Bautista Agut. But his greater pedigree eventually shone through in a physical encounter on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

The former world number

one has now made the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the 43rd time, tying with Jimmy Connors on the all-time list.

Djokovic’s history with the French Open has been a varied one, having suffered three final defeats in 2012, 2014 and 2015 before eventually landing the prize in 2016 - finally sealing his career Grand Slam with victory over Andy Murray.

And he again experienced a range of emotions - delight, disappointment, anger - at Roland Garros in an epic match which ended with two weary players smiling as they hugged at the net.

Djokovic ‘not proud’ of tantrum - Djokovic controlled the opening exchanges without earning a break point and, after a slight wobble midway through a tight set where the pair traded baseline blows, converted his first opportunity to clinch the set.

Momentum continued to flow with Djokovic at the start of the second, breaking at the first chance, only to allow Bautista Agut back into the set when the Spaniard claimed his first break point of the match for 4-3.

Bautista Agut saved a set point on his serve at 54 down, fighting off two more at 6-5 to force the tiebreak, then taking his third set point in the decider to level.

That came immediately after a furious Djokovic lost his temper when he missed a simple forehand, breaking his racquet by hammering it three times into the

ground, drawing whistles from the crowd as he went to grab a new one.

Djokovic still had a moody expression when he returned to court for the third set - but that release of anger eventually seemed to work in his favour. There were six breaks of serve in an erratic set before Djokovic clinched the tie-break shortly after the match clock passed the threehour mark.

That gave him the impetus in the fourth set, going two breaks up before taking his second match point with a thumping overhead that Bautista Agut could not reach. Bautista Agut is one of the most consistent players on the tour having climbed into the world’s top 20 for the first time in July 2014 and not dropping out of the top 30 since.

However, he has never been able to break into the top 10 and has struggled to beat higher-ranked opponents on a regular basis. It was anticipated the Spaniard would provide a sterner challenge to Djokovic than any of the Serb’s previous opponents and his fighting spirit not to mention his all-round game - troubled his decorated rival.

But it was remarkable Bautista Agut was even playing at Roland Garros following the death of his mother Esther on 21 May, days before the tournament began.

The 30-year-old said he wanted to play to take his mind off his loss.

Paris (Reuters) - With only one mother having won Grand Slam titles over the last 38 years, Lindsay Davenport hailed Serena Williams for delivering a “powerful message” that shows it is possible to “pursue personal goals even when you’re a mum”.

As the winner of 23 majors, Williams is already considered one of the all-times greats and has very little left to prove in the sport. However, her desire to come back to the Grand Slam arena nine months after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia is grabbing as many, if not more, headlines than those that followed her major triumphs.

As one of the few people in the world to have experienced the same spectrum of emotions that goes with being a tennis-playing mother, Davenport hopes Williams’ comeback will encourage more mums to play professional tennis. ”I hope players now feel that (coming back to play after having children) is an option. For a long time it didn’t feel like that was an option,” Davenport told Reuters in an interview at one of Roland Garros’s hospitality suites yesterday. ”They feel like they’ve got to quit by 29 to be able to have a family. Now it’s wonderful for them to be able to look at (playing on following a maternity break) as a possibility.” Almost a decade ago, Belgian Kim Clijsters and her toddler daughter Jada melted hearts as mother-and-daughter celebrated her 2009 U.S. Open triumph on court together.

Clijsters went on to win two more majors but she is the only mother to have claimed any of the four slams since 1980. While Williams did not play any pro-tennis during the first six months of Alexis Olympia’s life and Clijsters took a 17-month break following the birth of Jada, Davenport incredibly came back to the tour three months after giving birth to

Lindsey Davenport

son Jagger Jonathan through an emergency c-section in June 2007. And she won her comeback tournament. ”It was pretty crazy,” Davenport, who had not won a title for three years before her triumph in Bali, said with a laugh. ”Looking back now I have no idea how that happened.

That’s like the one trophy we have up in our family room because there is a picture of me holding him on the court because it seemed so surreal.

I can barely remember it.”

GREATEST TIME The memory of the time when she clutched the Bali trophy with her right hand while cradling her baby in her left arm still makes the threetimes Grand Slam champion smile. But with Williams highlighting how she suffered lifethreatening complications following her daughter’s birth, Davenport realizes she herself is among the “lucky few” who felt “so exhilarated and happy after giving birth”. ”I healed pretty well after the c-section and I was out hitting tennis balls 2-1/2 weeks later even though you’re not supposed to do that,” said the 41-year-old Davenport, who is an ambassador for the Oct. 21-28 WTA Finals in Singapore. “It was honestly the greatest time of my life.”

She also quickly figured

Serena Williams

out that her focus would never again be 100 percent on tennis. ”Once you have a child, your mind is never clear. It’s always worried. I remember playing one match in Bali and I could see the nanny holding him (in a building overlooking the court) and I was like, ‘The sun’s like right there on top of him,’ and I couldn’t get that out of my mind,” she said. ”Then I told the nanny that she couldn’t come because if I saw or heard him, my mind went into overdrive.

It’s a learning experience because you figure out what works and what doesn’t work.”

Following her triumphant comeback, Davenport won three more WTA titles but retired a year later as her body was “breaking down” and it got more challenging traveling with her son as he got more mobile.

With hindsight, Davenport wished she had not waited until she was 31 to have her first child. “I remember joking with my husband that we should have had kids when I was 22 and then gone back to play,” said the motherof-four who now coaches American hope Madison Keys. ”Some women stay (with their babies) 24 hours and that’s amazing. But leaving my son for four hours a day, especially a lot of the times when he was napping... to pursue my own goals, I didn’t feel like it made me a worse mum. ”Kim really set the tone by having the success that she had. But I think Serena’s message is even more powerful. She is doing a phenomenal job at 36. “Having accomplished as much as she has and still having these goals, she’s showing that you can have these goals while still being a mother. I love the message that she is sending.”

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SLC temporarily brought under the Sri Lankan government ESPNcricinfo - The running of Sri Lanka Cricket has temporarily been brought under the Sri Lankan government after a “Competent Authority” was appointed to oversee day-to-day affairs.

The move comes after the term of the present board, headed by Thilanga Sumathipala, ended on May 31, even as the election of a new governing body failed to materialise.

The elections had been postponed due to procedural violations, with an injunction having been imposed by the courts. The Competent Authority is headed by the secretary of Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry, Kamal Padmasiri.

For the time being it is unclear how this will affect SLC’s standing in the eyes of the ICC, which in the past has not taken kindly to government interference in cricketing affairs. In 2015, when the government had appointed an interim committee, SLC had had its ICC voting rights suspended, while payments due to SLC were also held in escrow.

Sumathipala, who emphasised that he was against government intervention, said he would have preferred to be allowed to run the board until fresh elections could be held, for the sake of stability. ”With a South Africa tour, Asia Cup, and England tour coming up, these next fourfive months are incredibly challenging for us, and we require stability to carry out these responsibilities,” he said. “As the ICC could demote us to observer status, it is also doubtful if we will receive the next set of funds from them. These are huge problems that need to be considered.”

However despite pleas by Sumathipala for an extension so as to allow him and his officials to continue in their posts till elections are held, Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Faiszer Mustapha maintained this was the only decision available to him given the circumstances. ”We have to act within a particular legal framework and as per the advice of the At-

Sri Lanka’s players warm up Associated Press torney General, I have chosen the most prudent approach,” Mustapha said. “I believe in a democratic process, and that democratically elected office bearers should run sports bodies. But, conse-

quent to a writ application and an interim order, I am compelled to take this decision to ensure the continuation of Sri Lanka Cricket.”

This appointment is the latest turn of events in a

months’ long election saga in which SLC has twice run foul of Sri Lanka’s sports law, despite seemingly being granted special dispensation by the Sports Ministry on each occasion.

As it stands, the announcement of fresh elections will be contingent on the matter being taken up in court on June 14. Mustapha has stated that elections will take place by at least July 31.

World Cup dilemmas

From England’s unproven midfield to Brazil relying on an unfit Neymar... problems facing the eight leading contenders in Russia Managers of the 32 countries competing at this summer’s World Cup in Russia will have a pretty good idea who will be named on their team sheet for their opening game but issues still need to be resolved.

Whether it’s formation, personnel or formation – questions still need to be answered before the tournament kicks off in under two weeks’ time. Here, Sportsmail looks at the eight favourites to see what needs to be addressed if they are to have a successful tournament.

BRAZIL - Will Neymar be fully fit for the World Cup? That’s the question on everyone’s lips ahead of the tournament in Russia and the Brazilian needing treatment on his right foot, the same one he underwent surgery on after breaking a metatarsal bone, will only raise more doubts over his fitness.

Neymar hasn’t played in a competitive match since February 25 so manager Tite may have to deploy his plan B - likely involving Gabriel Jesus or Roberto Firmino - if the PSG star has another injury setback.

GERMANY - Joachim Low must decide who will start the tournament as his No 1 with Manuel Neuer yet to prove his fitness following

Neymar needed treatment on his right foot during Brazil’s training session on Wednesday. an injury-hit campaign.

Neuer made just four appearances for Bayern Munich before a foot injury curtailed his season in September. The 32-year-old is Germany captain so Low will wait until the final moments before finalising his choice. MarcAndre ter Stegen is an able deputy if Neuer is not 100 per cent but Low still has a decision to make.

FRANCE - Too many

cooks spoil the broth comes to mind when assessing France’s squad. Les Bleus have the best squad on paper but will Didier Deschamps be able to keep all of his highprofile stars happy?

Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Ousmane Dembele are among the players competing for spots in Deschamps’ starting line-up. Pogba’s form for Manchester United has

been underwhelming but France will be hoping he’s saved his best for the World Cup. SPAIN - Alvaro Morata looked certain to lead Spain’s line 12 months ago but a poor season at Chelsea has led to Julen Lopetegui not even including him in his 23-man squad. It means Spain will be relying on Diego Costa to lead their attack, which fans in England know is not al-

ways the finest idea due to his character. His disciplinary record isn’t the best so Lopetegui needs to weigh up his options if Costa loses his head.

ARGENTINA - Jorge Sampaoli has the attacking players to win the World Cup with the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain in his ranks but defenders are not up to scratch.

Spain highlighted Argentina’s flaws when they hit six past them back in March and their defensive personnel has hardly changed since then. Can Sampaoli rely on Marcos Rojo and Nicolas Otamendi to keep the world’s best attacking players at bay?

ENGLAND - Gareth Southgate appears to favour a formation which requires three central defenders and wing backs. He may choose to deploy Eric Dier as one of the three at the heart of his back line, which would leave him short of central midfield options.

Jordan Henderson looks certain to start in the engine room but the main question is who plays alongside him. With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out injured, Southgate needs to see whether Ruben LoftusCheek - who only has two

caps to his name - is ready to start for the Three Lions.

BELGIUM - Roberto Martinez has a squad filled with stars who are competing for trophies at the bigg e s t c l u b s . Yo u a l w a y s have a chance of winning silverware when you have a spine of Thibaut Courtois, Vi n c e n t K o m p a n y, K e v i n D e Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku. But Belgium do not have the collective experience of making it to the latter rounds of the World Cup. They reached the quarter-finals of the last two international tournaments but lost to Argentina and Wales respectively. Only time will tell if they can go a step further.

PORTUGAL - Fernando Santos has decided to ring the changes to his squad with Nani, Renato Sanches Euro 2016 final matchwinner Eder all left out of his 23-man team.

Hopes continue to rest on Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoulders but the question is does he have the support cast to guide Portugal to another successful tournament?

It appears not but they have shown anything is possible. (Mailonline)

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The Arrogance that PervadesPolitical and Administrative Power…

Firstly, let me clear my debt to Cicero by thanking him for crystallizing the four Cardinal Virtues: Justice, Wisdom, Courage and Temperance. Courage in my opinion is the greatest virtue and underpins all other virtues; yet lack of temperance is the most challenging of virtues to inculcate into your character.

The gains in character and honour from not acquiescing to ill-will, ingratitude, insolence, arrogance and disloyalty far exceeds any soup one may receive from the process of groveling and prostrating oneself to persons in high office.

The pure joy garnered from sports in terms of inspiring the masses of a nation are unparalleled, the ethos of cohesion, solidarity and, connectivity are immeasurable; be it in Cricket, Football, Basketball or any of the other sports.

To a considerable extent, certain sports are played by the underprivileged, and for these individuals, it is the platform for the building of selfconfidence, opportunities to travel, self-esteem, discipline, status, love of country, development of friendships and the perseverance to succeed.

Studies have shown that participation in Sports has reduced crime, indiscipline and idle behavior.

The Guyana Basketball Federation is at a sweating point not a breaking point.

We sent letters on May 7, 2018; seeking funding from the Government by writing letters to Minister Norton of the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Minister Harmon of the Ministry of State for Guyana’s Men and Women to participate in the 2018 Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships in Suriname from June 15-30.

By some quirk in the structure of the government

apparatus; Senior Minister Harmon is the subject Minister of Senior Minister Norton, among other Minister/s under his domain. In addition, Minister Harmon is de facto the most powerful Minister in Guyana and his decisions can only be counteracted by President Granger; especially since, he is the spokesperson for the President.

We have not received a formal response from the Government, since we hand delivered the letters to the abovementioned Ministries on May 7th, 2018, with the letters emailed days earlier.

Of course, rumors abound about my writings in the media; causing a backlash against funding for our female team that includes: five high schoolers from President College, one from Mackenzie High School, two from St. Roses, one from Bishops, one from the Guyana Police Force, one from Marian Academy, one from Guyana School of Agriculture, two from Kwakwani under the age of twenty-three, among others.

Most of the players from the Men’s squad have completed High School; six are from Region 10; one from Region 6, and ten from Region 4 – all are Guyanese born. Aside from the great honour to play for Guyana, it is a great psychological boost and an impressive achievement to represent your country, as many of us know.

Where is the commonsense juxtaposition for my writings in the media and the failure to action letters requesting funding for National Teams to represent Guyana at Regional Championships?

For that matter where is the logic in this protracted delay?

Over $150,000 in costs are incurred daily, just to keep the basketball squads in training.

The Guyana Basketball Federation is owed $4.3 Million

since 2016 by the National Sports Commission (NSC); during the hosting of the Under-16 Caribbean Championships in Guyana we expended more than $7.8 Million on structural improvements to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, which the NSC Chairman and other Commissioners promised to reimburse promptly; so far only $3.5 Million has been repaid.

My fervent wish for our country is that leadership from the green and red parties be forward looking and disavow our decades long political culture that has been filled too often with callous vendetta and spite.

Walter Rodney’s recognition of the need for a multicultural and multiracial approach to the governance of Guyana must be embraced for Guyana’s upliftment. Dr. Rodney himself underwent a change from his Pan Africanistic outlook; after grounding with all races in Guyana, after his return to Guyana in 1974.

This change in Dr. Rodney’s outlook is as clear as day, when one reads his pronouncements between 1974-1980 as it relates to Guyana. It is crass nonsense to link the expressing of my opinion in the media on matters such as my rejection of the Production Sharing Agreement between Esso, et alia & the Government of Guyana and the overt support of this administration for an illegal and unconscionable contract, and the covert and discretionary silence of the opposition and the Private Sector at it relates to seeking remedies against Esso and its minority partners; my view that the forensic audits have to a significant degree been used as a tool of persecution; my pronouncements that the destruction of the sugar industry is based on partisan

French Open 2018

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina knocked out in third round BBC Sport - Fourth seed Elina Svitolina became the highest-profile casualty in the women’s draw at the French Open after a surprise straightsets defeat. The Ukrainian lost 6-3 7-5 to Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu, the world number 33 who had never won a Grand Slam match before this week.

But Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki eased into the last 16.

Wozniacki, the second seed at Roland Garros, defeated France’s Pauline Parmentier 6-

Elina Svitolina

0 6-3. She will next face Russian 14th seed Darya Kasatkina, who beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1 1-6 6-3. ”Today, really, I was off and couldn’t find my rhythm, my game. I was really struggling,” said Svitolina. “On the other hand, she was playing great tennis. She was really, really on the ball.”Play was later cancelled for the day following a heavy spell of rain with eighth seed Petra Kvitova and 10th seed Sloane Stephens yet to start their matches.

politics and racism; akin to the invasion of Red House and the denial and subsequent neophytic excitement and spitefulness that the now expired Gaming Authority Leadership displayed during their term in office, in its palavering and prating over the second application for a Casino Licence by Sleep-In International Hotel and Casino.

Hopefully better sense prevails from the New Board.

Also, allow me a little more of your high value space, to also reference my public pronouncements in the media re: 1) That President Granger had the authority vested in him by the inherent weaknesses in the constitution to appoint a Chairman of GEOCOM, once he rejected the first list, by finding any individual on the list: unfit or improper or both.

2) My support of Minister Harmon, when I felt the President acted without temperance to axe Mr. Tiwari as Business Advisor to Minister Harmon.

3) Personal funding though the Guyana Basketball Federation to resurface Burnham Court at a cost of more than $10 Million and arrange the best image we have in Guyana of our first Executive President on a 25X10 foot billboard, in all his charismatic splendor. Many Guyanese have been going to Parade Ground/Burnham Court to take photos under his image and suchlike.

4) My writings on the AFC overreach for power within the coalition was also written about in the media; look no further than their efforts to undermine Minister Harmon.

A spectacular failure, as is even more evident now.

5) The obsequious behavior of the WPA, though not as extreme now, still exists to this day.Guyana is the richest nation in the world per capita in terms of natural resources, we have 83,000 square miles to develop; yet we squander our time on the rights and wrongs of using a few acres of formerly pasture land in Pradoville or building a magnificent hotel in Kingston, on then unused land.

The Marriott now stands as a flagship hotel in Guyana and I have not seen a better Marriot in Suriname, Barbados, Jamaica or Trinidad – that our Marriott is often used by investors and potential investors in Guyana is an understatement.

The Corporate Community has been supportive to sports in Guyana, but the culture and systems are not in place for organised funding.

The level of funding required for sports in schools, clubs and at the National level is just not sufficient from the corporate community event, while we acknowledge some in the business community are supportive.

Most of the funding must come from Government and

budgetary provisions for such funding has to be increased ten-fold at a minimum, to avoid this malaise from continuing degrading of youth and sport.

We have a Lotto Fund that is used in a most mysterious, curious and arbitrary fashion; though monies in the Lotto fund are supposed to be for community development and sports; this is the exception rather than the norm. The hundreds of millions that pass through the Guyana Lotto fund can well allow for significant allocations to our lead Sport Federations and Associations, as is done in Barbados and other countries.

I recall, as if it happened yesterday, when we were informed by our National Coach, Mr. Hewley Henry at St. Stanislaus Basketball Court that President Forbes Burnham died. The date was August 6, 1985; the Coach asked that we stop the training session and have a minute silence in a show of respect on the passing of our President. Hewley Henry was a staunch WPA supporter at the time; and his show of cohesion and solidarity that involved all the players in the silent prayer still motivates. ”The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.”

Marcus Aurelius.

Yours in Sport, Nigel Hinds

Four new teams in the ICC’s ODI rankings The four latest teams to gain ODI status have been integrated into the ICC team rankings for ODIs, effective June 1, 2018. Scotland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have slotted into 13th and 14th places respectively, while Netherlands and Nepal will be added after they’ve played four more ODIs (teams need to play a minimum number of ODIs to get a ranking).

The addition of these teams did not affect the standings of the 12 Test-playing nations above them on the table. Netherlands secured ODI status by winning the World Cricket League Championship last year, while Scotland, Nepal and UAE earned ODI status by finishing as the leading Associates (along with Netherlands) at the World Cup Qualifier 2018.

The introduction of these four teams means that any matches they play against each other or the 12 other ODI teams now count for rating points, which will influence

UAE captain Rohan Mustafa lets out a victory scream after winning WCL Division Two Peter Della Penna. their ranking. The initial rankings for the four new teams are based on games played - under various criteria - since May 2015.

For all teams on the rankings, matches played between 1 May, 2015, and 30 April, 2017, will be weighted at 50%, while matches played after 1 May, 2017, will be weighted at 100%.

The ICC ODI rankings 1 England (125 points)

2 India (122) 3 South Africa (113) 4 New Zealand (112) 5 Australia (104) 6 Pakistan (102) 7 Bangladesh (93) 8 Sri Lanka (77) 9 West Indies (69) 10 Afghanistan (63) 11 Zimbabwe (55) 12 Ireland (38) 13 Scotland (28) 14 UAE (18) (ESPNcricinfo)

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GABF to announce reduced local squad by Monday for Barbados series - Travis Belgrave positive on making 12-man squad With Just over two weeks before Guyana’s senior men’s team begin their quest for their first taste of glory at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships which will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname from June 17 - 30, training has intensified at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) as the athletes look to do their best before the 17-man squad is reduced to twelve on Monday.

This twelve-man man team to Barbados from June 7 - 11 will play the home side in a three-match friendly series as they both look to get in high level practice for the CBC tournament which will also serve as the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) Americup qualifiers.

The games will be contested at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Wildey, St. Michael on the 8th, 9th and 10th from 20:00hrs each night.

Guyana’s 12-member squad travelling to Barbados will consist mostly of local based players and they all will look to impress in a bid to be a part of the final local contingent which will join the overseas based players for CBC action in the Paramaribo.

The current 17-man squad training locally reads: Anthony Moe, Shaine Webster, Stanton Rose, Harold Adams, Kevon Wiggins, Timothy Thompson, Akeem Crandon,

Orlando Glasgow, Domair Gladstone, Travis Burnette, Chris Williams, Nikkoloi Smith, Travis Belgrave, Nathan Saul, Denson Fraser, Dominic Vincente and Carlos Edwards. Meanwhile, Curt English, Shelroy Thomas and Terron Welch are on the injury list.One of the most certain picks in the final 12 to head to the ‘Land of the ‘Flying Fish’ will be 18-year-old Stanton Rose who had carried over his outstanding form on the local circuit to Suriname late last month when his club, Bounty Colts, battled Suriname’s national senior men’s team in a two-match

friendly series.

The Suriname Basketball Association (SBA) that will be hosting the 2018 CBC male and female championships had used the series against Colts that featured six players that are up for Guyana’s National trials including Rose, as an opportunity to see their level of preparedness before the region’s premier basketball tournament bounces off.

Suriname won both games but Stanton Rose emerged undeniably the best player on both sides when final buzzer rung. Georgetown based Eagles Basketball Club’s Travis Belgrave, in an inter-

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James staged one of the coolest walkouts ever after losing patience with a reporter’s repeated line of questioning following Thursday’s dramatic overtime defeat by the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

LeBron had been left stunned in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter when, with the score tied at 107-107, team-mate J.R. Smith collected an offensive rebound from a missed free-throw only to run away from the basket, rather than sinking a gamewinning two.

Witnesses originally assumed that Smith had got the score wrong and thought his side were winning, although he later said in an interview that he knew it was tied and was expecting LeBron to call a timeout.

Facing the media after the game, LeBron — who scored 51 points on Thursday — was asked: ‘Everybody’s reaction to the play at the end with J.R. getting the rebound... t h e r e ’s s t i l l c o n f u s i o n about whether J.R. thought the game was tied or whether he thought you guys were ahead. From where you stood on the court and from talking to him after the play, what’s you reaction to it? What’s your version?’

LeBron — who was calm, but clearly irritated — said: ‘What do you mean, “What’s my version?” After being asked whether Smith thought the game was tied, LeBron then quipped: ‘How do I know that?’ The reporter’s next question was: ‘Did you discuss it at all with him after the play?’

LeBron, referring to an

earlier question from another journalist, hit back: ‘No, they asked me if I talked to J.R. about it... I said no already.’

After shrugging, he added: ‘I knew it was a tied game. We were down one, George Hill went up, made the first one (free-throw), we got the offensive rebound... ’I thought we were all aware of what was going on.

That’s my view. I don’t know what J.R. was thinking. I don’t know what question you’re trying to ask.’ The reporter persisted: ‘I’m just trying to see if you knew exactly what his state of mind was. Did he think you guys had it won or was he trying to make a play?’

After LeBron shook his head, the reporter said: ‘You’re not sure.’ An increasingly frustrated LeBron added: ‘What do you mean, “I’m not sure”? No, I don’t know his state of mind.’ The

Shane Webster

Bounty Colts’ Timothy Thompson (left) and his club mate Stanton Rose stretches before a training session at the CASH. view with Kaieteur Sport has expressed optimism of being a part of the travelling team.

Belgrave noted that the 17 players training make up a very talented bunch but he believes that he has the quality to make the final 12.

Rightfully so, the 19-yearold has been the leading player for Eagles Basketball Club and had began the 2018 National Club Championships (Road to Mecca V) in fine form, turning in some stellar performances. His gamehigh 30 points in a narrow 6866 round-robin loss to Nets remained the tournament’s highest individual score.

Pacesetters’ Nathan Saul had an impressive showing in Road to Mecca V and it was a close race between himself and Colts’ Domair Gladstone who was eventually awarded most improved player in Guyana’s flagship tournament, they will also be in contention to make the final cut.

Shaine Webster, Anthony Moe and Kevon Wiggins are names that are also almost certain to be in the final makeup. In the regional tournament, the Guyanese men are in Group A with Suriname, St. Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines while Group B comprises, Barba-

dos, Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti and Montserrat.

Head of the GABF, Nigel Hinds, informed Kaieteur Sport that his association had set a budget of $10 million for Guyana’s participation in the CBC Championships in Paramaribo and the federation had approached the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Ministry of the Presidency for financial support.

He noted that although neither has given a formal response to his request, he is confident that the Government of Guyana will support the athletes.

‘Do better tomorrow’: LeBron James’ message for reporters as he coolly walks out of press conference

LeBron vents his frustrated at Smith after the buzzer for the end of regulation time on Thursday. final question of the press conference came from the same reporter who asked: ‘Did you know if he knew the score?’

At this point, LeBron calmly stood up, collected his glasses, headphones and bag, then exited the room. ‘Do better tomorrow,’ he told the

reporter as he passed by, before pointing to somebody else in the media conference and saying: ‘What’s up baby?’ (Mailonline)

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GCB/DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL Cornwall signals selectors District 2 crowned Essequibo again in drawn tour match Zone Champions

Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – All-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall continued to press his case for senior selection with a polished unbeaten halfcentury as the three-day tour match against Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw here yesterday.

Resuming the final day at the Brian Lara Stadium on 223 for seven, the CWI President’s XI were dismissed for 272 in their first innings, with Cornwall converting his overnight 23 to 54. Jomel Warrican failed to add to his overnight eight when he was lbw to fast bowler Lahiru Kumara off the second ball of the day.

However, Cornwall propped up the innings, adding 47 for the ninth wicket with Miguel Cummins who scored 10. All told, the righthanded Cornwall faced 84 balls in nearly two hours at the crease, striking seven fours.

The 25-year-old has been in decent form this year, getting good starts in the West Indies A series against England Lions and plundering two hundreds during the Regional Super50. Off-spinners Akila Dananjaya (3-46) and Dilruwan Perera (3-50) finished with three wickets apiece while seamer Lahiru Kumara (3-47) was also among the wickets.

Armed with a lead of 156, Sri Lanka enjoyed more valuable batting practice head of next week’s start of the first Test, with openers Kusal Mendis hitting an unbeaten 60 and Kusal Perera, 50.

Mendis, who got a first-ball “duck” in the first innings, belted five fours and a six in an innings that required 113 deliveries in just over 2-1/4 hours.

He added 95 for the first wicket with Perera who made his second half-century of the match, facing 54 balls and notching seven fours and a six in a breezy innings. Sri Lanka will now turn their attention to the first Test against West Indies which bowls off next Wednesday at Queen’s Park Oval.

Kusal Mendis

Rahkeem Cornwall

Essequibo Coast Combined (District 2) beat Essequibo Islands, Bartica, East Bank Esesquibo Combined (District 3) by 78 runs in the Essequibo Zone Final of the Guyana Cricket Board/ Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited/ National Sport Commission/National Secondary School Cricket League at the Imam Bacchus ground on Thursday, last.

After excellent work by the grounds staff to get the venue in a playable condition following heavy overnight and morning rain in Region 2 which had threatened abandonment of the game, the host batted first on a good track and sluggish outfield as the sun reappeared intermittently from behind ominous clouds.

Komesh Lall (26) and National U-17 fast bowling allrounder Sheldon Charles (22)

Sheldon Charles produced another half-century opening stand but Raphael David (17) was the only other batsman to reach double figures as Essequibo Coast Combine ended on 1199 in a game reduced from 50 overs to 25 overs due a two hour late start.

Wazim Mohammed (2-13), Ryan Atkinson (2-17) and

Fitzroy Reythmyer 2-11) bowled well for the District 3 unit who were bundled out for 41 in 15.1 overs as Trevor Andries (3-7), Charles (2-6) and Romel Dario (2-6) did the damage with ball in overcast conditions.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Anna Regina Multilateral School got past Essequibo Islands Secondary of Wakenaam by 51 runs in a rain affected Essequibo District Final which was surprisingly reduced from 30 to six overs.

Lall (38) and Charles (31) added 76 in an unfinished first wicket stand as the pair batted out all six overs. The visitors reached 25-5 off their six allotted overs as only Davindra Hamraj (12) reached double figures. Badesh Parsatom took two wickets while Raphael David, Lance Roberts and Lall supported with one each.

Blackwood, Reifer for England Tri-Nations Series St John’s, Antigua, CMC – Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood and all-rounder Raymon Reifer have been named in a West Indies A squad for a Tri-Nations Series in England later this month, as selectors continue to finetune their plans for next year’s World Cup. The 26-year-old Blackwood, who played the last of his two One-Day Internationals nearly three years ago, was recently dropped from the Test squad to face Sri Lanka starting next week. He was included in the 13-man CWI President’s XI squad for the ongoing threeday tour match against Sri Lanka in Trinidad but has not played.

Blackwood was in good nick for Windies A earlier this year, scoring two half-centuries in a three-match one-day series against England Lions in Antigua. Reifer, currently campaigning in the Sri Lanka tour game, played his only Test against New Zealand last December.

A steady left-arm seamer and lower order batsman, the 27-year-old is yet to play an ODI. Sunil Ambris, meanwhile, has the chance to continue his comeback with his inclusion. He made his ODI on last September’s tour of England before making his Test debut against the Black Caps three months later, where he broke his arm in the second Test.

Jermaine Blackwood

Raymon Reifer

He made a return to competitive cricket in the ongoing tour game and is one four players in the A squad with Test experience, with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican also named. All-rounder Rovman Powell and Jason Mohammed, both fixtures in the ODI side, are joined by 20year-old speedster Keemo Paul in the squad, which also sees the return of veteran wicketkeeper batsman Devon Thomas.

The 28-year-old Thomas has played 23 ODIs but has not represented West Indies in five years. He, however, struck an impressive unbeaten hundred in the Super50 Championship last February.

Highly-regarded 20-yearold Barbadian pacers Dominic Drakes and Chemar Holder have also gotten the

nod. ”As we look ahead to preparing for the 2019 ICC World Cup, the panel has included a mix of current ODI players and also some exciting young fast bowlers that are part of the fast bowling camp currently ongoing in Antigua,” chief selector Courtney Browne said. ”Sunil Ambris is also returning from injury. The panel is looking forward to also identifying any talent that can be part of the 2019 ICC World Cup squad.”

West Indies A play warmup one-day matches against Warwickshire on June 17 and Worcestershire two days later, before opening their TriNations campaign against England Lions on June 23.

The tournament, which also involves India A, runs from (Continued on page 29)

Kaieteur News

Saturday June 02, 2018

PAGE 35

Southland Int’l Inc. support ‘Champion of Champions’ Domino

S

o u t h l a n d International Inc. became the latest entity to add its name to the Champion of Champions’ Domino Tournament which is being organised by Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Domino Association (GDA) Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire.

O n T h u r s d a y, t h e distributors of XL Energy Drink handed over a quantity of jerseys and an undisclosed sum of money to Wiltshire, at its Head office in Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Making the presentation on behalf of the entity was Daniel Ramlagan, who in the presence of fellow staffer Chris Pasrameri handed over the sponsorship to Wiltshire.

Wiltshire shortly after thanking the entity for its support said the tournament will see teams that finished first and second in competitions this year battle invited teams from the three counties in Demerara,

Berbice and Essequibo.

The experienced domino executive said over $300,000 in prize monies and trophies will be up for grabs with the winning team set to receive $175,000 and a trophy, while the second, third and fourth place finishers will take home $75,000, $35,000 and $20,000 respectively, along with trophies.

Entrance fee is $12, 000 per team which must be paid on or before the start of play.

The top female player and the Most Valuable Player will receive $5,000 respectively. Wiltshire added that all prizes are guaranteed and interested teams can contact him on tele#665-5855.

Among the teams anticipated to participate are: Gold is Money, All Seasons, Mix Up, Spartans, Rage, Providence, Gangster, C7, C6, Thunder, Phantom, R & R , Tu r n i n g P o i n t , Masters, Gold Star, Angels and OPKO. The invited teams are:

Southland International Inc. Daniel Ramlagan hands over the sponsorship cheque to Mark Wiltshire in the presence of fellow staffer Chris Pasrameri.

Orange Walk, NIS, East Taxi Service, Sun Flower Hotel out of Essequibo, Rockets, Players, Uprising, Mark Fitness Gym, Yhip’s Bakery, Lippy Lotto from Bartica,

Golden Masters, Beacons, Medi Care, Geology & Mines Commission, Caricom, Lil Boys and Lion.

Some of the sponsors

include: Dynasty Sports Club, All Seasons Racing Service, Tony’s Jewellery, CBB&L Import & Export and Boston Casting Jewellery among others. The

competition commences tomorrow, at the R&R Sports Bar situated at 76 Meadow Brook Gardens and food and drinks will be on sale throughout the day.

Grand Coastal Golf Eight ball Pools tournament on Classic set for tomorrow tonight at Grand Central Sports Bar

The much anticipated Grand Coastal Hotel annual Golf Classic Tournament is scheduled to be played from 08:30hrs tomorrow at the Lusignan Golf Club Grounds after Superintendent Deanand Bissessar informed that sunshine today would be sufficient to enable a good tournament, given the improved drainage of the Grounds.

Grand Coastal Hotel and Conference Centre, located on the East Coast Demerara, has been sponsoring Golf tournaments for past 12 years and had partnered with DIGICEL in 2016 to sponsor the annual Guyana Open International Golf tournament.

As a joint initiative of Grand Coastal’s CEO Kevin Daby and LGC President Aleem Hussain, Grand Coastal began its partnership with the LGC by offering the incentives of special rates in addition to free Golf Coaching at the LGC to its Guests.

Daby reiterated Grand Coastal’s pleasure in continuing the years of sponsorship which was started by his father in support of Golf in Guyana. Tomorrow Daby will be inducted as an Honorary

Member as a gesture of appreciation for Grand Coastal’s long and continuing support of the Golf Club.

The Grand Coastal Classic is open to all golfers in Guyana (members and nonmembers) who feel that they can take on the challenge of the “Green Anaconda” the proposed brand name for the Lusignan Golf Club.

Non-members are required to pay a nominal tournament fee which covers the green fee, lunch and a caddie for the18-hole tournament and are asked to contact the Club at 220 5660 or 668 7419 for information on how to register.

Prizes will be awarded for first to fourth Best Net scores, Best Gross score, Longest Drive and Nearest to a designated Pin. The public is invited and reminded that to witness this tournament and enjoy the ambience of the improved Lusignan Golf Course and there is no charge for entry.

Free introductory Golf lessons will be conducted tomorrow. Information can also be had by email, lusignangolf@gmail.com or by visiting the Club’s Facebook page Lusignan Golf.

The Guyana Snooker and Billiards Club will be hosting an eight ball pools tournament today at the Grand Central Sports Bar, popularly known as Jerries, Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

According to the organiser of the onenight competition, Ryan Baksh, the event will be the first of its kind on the East Bank and will follow a four-player team, knockout format. Baksh noted that at least 12 teams are expected for the event which will see the winners walking away with a top prize of $60,000, 2nd place $40,000 and third, $20,000.

The registration fee for each team is $10,000 which needs to be paid by 16:00hrs at the event’s venue. Breaking time is 17:00hrs sharp and entrance to the competition will be prohibited after the first

round is completed.

An action packed evening is anticipated tonight and for any information persons are asked to contact organiser, Ryan Baksh, on cell phone numbers 652 8152 or 656 2488.

P. 31 Eagles’ Travis Belgrave (with ball) is optimistic about making the final cut.

rt o p S Travis Belgrave positive on making 12-man squad

GABF to announce reduced local squad

by Monday for Barbados series P. 32

GCB/DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL

District 2 crowned Essequibo Zone Champions

Essequibo Coast Combined, the Essequibo School Champions.

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