Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
GRDB fraud case…
SOCU hands over audit report to defendant The forensic audit report which is the subject of a court matter involving ex-Guyana Rice Development Board, (GRDB) Head, Madanlall Ramraj has been produced. When the court met on June 5, Justice Navindra Singh ordered that the Special Organised Crime Unit hand over the forensic audit report prepared by Accountant Nigel Hinds to Ramraj or his attorney. Ramraj, a former Deputy General of GRDB and People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) member, was arraigned on 34 fraud-related charges. He was charged jointly with GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh and Peter Ramcharran, a former accountant, who is in custody in Canada, pending extradition. However, through his team of lawyers, which includes former Attorney General,( Nandlall), Ramraj approached the High Court seeking a declaration that the failure of the Prosecution to disclose a copy of the forensic audit report on the GRDB prepared by Nigel Hinds, a Forensic Auditor.
Anil Nandlall
Solicitor General: Kim Kyte
The report formed the basis for certain investigations launched by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) against him, he said. He added that it constitutes a violation of Article 144 of the Constitution of Guyana, more particularly, the right of the Applicant to be afforded facilities for the preparation of his defence and other protections of the law secured under and guaranteed by the said Article 144. The applicant also sought orders for a permanent stay of
proceedings, or an order quashing, vacating or setting aside the charges of Fraudulent Omission, contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8. Last week, the matter came up before Justice Navindra Singh. The Judge gave the State five days to produce the forensic audit report. Nandlall, who reportedly displayed a copy of the report, told the media yesterday that the forensic audit report produced on behalf of the
State does not satisfy the grounds for a permanent stay of court proceedings against Ramraj. He claimed that 98 percent of the document containing 160 pages, served on him on Friday was redacted (blacked out) by some instrument, which rendered the document "unreadable and indecipherable." The lawyer said, too, that he sought the opinion of the Judge on whether the document amounts to compliance of the order. “On Monday, the 11th day of June, 2018, at approximately 9:00am, out of deference to the Honourable Justice Navindra Singh and for clarification purposes, I showed the said document to the Judge and inquired respectfully, whether the said document was in compliance with His Honour’s order made on the 5th day of June, 2018. “The Judge, in the presence of a State Counsel from the Attorney General’s Chambers, examined the said document and expressed the opinion that the same does not comply with his Order and
therefore the criminal charges against Mr. Ramraj remain permanently stayed. He lied. There was no hearing on the matter, yesterday. But, the AG chambers in a statement yesterday confirmed that Nandlall lied. The Chambers explained that Nandlall was present yesterday in the chambers of Justice Navindra Singh but for two other matters. At the conclusion of the first matter, Mr. Nandlall reportedly sought to engage the Judge on the Ramraj case. “After raising it, the Honourable Justice Navindra Singh correctly cautioned Mr. Nandlall that the said matter was concluded, had no return date, was not listed and if he, Nandlall had any issues with the purported ‘non-compliance’, he should properly approach the court for an order for directions.” “State Counsel, Collene Liverpool, was present in court for the other matters with Mr. Nandlall when in her presence the Judge reprimanded Mr. Nandlall for approaching him on this manner. “The Judge made no or-
der on the 11th June, 2018 staying the fraud charges against former GRDP Deputy General Manager, Madanlall Ramraj. The Attorney General Chambers in the strongest terms refutes these allegations,” the AG chambers added. In a subsequent statement, Solicitor General, Kim Kyte also refuted Nandlall’s claim. According to her, the matter was not scheduled for hearing before any court, yesterday. Kyte explained the forensic audit report was handed over to Nandlall on Friday as requested by the Court. However, the S.G. explained that parts of the report were blacked out since they were not relevant to the case against Ramraj. “Those parts contained other people’s names and do not concern the case against Ramraj.” Further, she noted that State complied with the order by producing the report. “This was an issue raised in Magistrates’ Court; the High Court basically enforced the order of the Magistrates’ Court,” she said.
Eight graduate to work with special needs children - Diagnostic Centre to be opened for new school year Eight persons graduated yesterday from a three-month training programme which equipped them with the skills to work at the Centre to Stimulate the Development of Children, Adolescents and Youth with Special Education Needs Associated with Disabilities. This centre is located in the compound of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. The eight individuals are the first batch of trainees to have been trained in this regard. According to the Ministry of Education, the graduates were Keenan Benjamin, Mycinth Robertson, Calvin Lawirie, Yolanda Williams, June Herod, Kalina Phillips, Michelle Nicholas and Kelly Coonjah. Delivering the feature address at the graduation ceremony, held at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), was Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry. She said the event would not have been possible without the collective commitment of the Cuban Ambassadors to Guyana, initially His Excellency, Julio Marchante and
now His Excellency, Narciso R. A. Socorro, along with the Government of Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge and CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque. She said that the initiative is an exemplary illustration of stakeholders working together for the common good of Guyana’s educational mandate, “Quality Education for All”. Minister Henry noted that it is encouraging to know that the Centre for Stimulation facilitates training for the management of persons with disabilities for not only teachers and social workers, but additionally training in the support and guidance of parents and family member of special needs individuals as well. “The centre will serve all of Guyana and also extend to the rest of the Caribbean as it is the central hub for the CARICOM region,” Minister Henry said. According to the Education Minister, the Centre for Stimulation comes at an opportune time since it dovetails perfectly with the Education Strategic Plan for the Special Education Needs (SEN) Unit. She said that the SEN
(Seated from right): Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Education, Mr. Vibert Welch, Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency, Narciso R. A. Socorro, Minister of Education, Hon. Nicolette Henry, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Public Health, Ms. Colette Adams and Chief Education Officer, Mr. Marcel Hutson posing for a photo opportunity with the graduates (Standing from right): Ms. Yolanda Williams, Ms. June Herod, Mr. Keenan Benjamin, Ms. Michelle Nicholas, Ms. Kalina Phillips, Mr. Calvin Lawirie, Ms. Mycinth Robertson and Ms. Kelly Coojah. Unit’s 2014-2018 plan has six broad areas and among them is the creation of a National Database for students with Special Education Needs. “Once a student would have been referred to, the Centre subsequent to a minimum of three interventions the student would then have an official classification and would have an officially drafted Individualized Education Plan (IEP). It is with this data, that the number of students with IEP would inform
the Ministry of Education with formal numbers of students with Special Educational Needs; therefore, required training for teachers and needed support services can be put into action.” Minister Henry noted that the Centre to Stimulate the Development of Children, Adolescents and Youth with Special Education Needs Associated with Disabilities will be opened for the new school year beginning September 2018.
Minister Henry stated that the eight graduates are now equipped with the skills to create individuals that can achieve their full potential for Guyana. “With your work, your students are given the opportunity to reach higher against all of the odds to shine as individuals without barriers, to be an inspiration to all of us.” Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Narciso Socorro, expressed his happiness that through collaboration, a beau-
tiful and important project became a reality. He said that the idea for the centre was birthed at the Fifth CARICOM-Cuba Summit in Cuba in December 2014. He said that the agreement for the Centre was signed between CARICOM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana and the Ministry of Education of Cuba in December 2015. According to Permanent Secretary within the Ministry (Continued on page 20)
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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
FIGHTING CRIME
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
ne of the most discussed topics in Guyana, and rightly so, is crime. It has impacted the lives of many citizens, not just the victims or their relatives, but others trying to avoid becoming victims. People are genuinely appalled and concerned at the alarming crime statistics in the country, especially against women, children and the elderly. But crime has less to do with statistics and more to do with the lack of societal ethos. However, in general, fighting crime should be the responsibility of everyone. Its reduction requires community activism and support. There will be little improvement in the reduction of crime without real and meaningful cooperation and participation by the citizens and the police. Murder and armed robbery continue to be a major problem in Guyana, despite police statistics, which show a seven percent decrease in serious crimes at the end of April, compared to the same period last year. The Guyana Police Force has indicated that in the first four months in 2018 compared to the same period last year, there was a 26 percent decline in murder; 32 percent reduction in robbery under arms where instruments other than firearms were used; nine percent drop in robbery with violence; 39 percent shrinkage in robbery with aggravation; 32 percent fall in larceny; 14 percent less rapes; and a seven percent plunge in break and enter and larceny. However, the police statistics also cited a 26 percent increase in robberies where no instruments were used; 13 percent rise in robbery under arms where firearms were used and a 17 percent upsurge in burglary. While the police statistics may be accurate, many have doubted it because they were compiled by the police without any independent verification from organizations. Others believe that the police statistics do not reflect the reality of the daily occurrence of crime in the country. A recent assessment from the United States Department of State has placed the country’s crime rate at a critical level similar to that in Jamaica. The report stated that based on a population ratio, Guyana, with a small population of roughly 750,000, has a general crime rate that is above the United States national average. Even though this may be true, it is very difficult for locals to believe, because of the large number of murders and other crimes that are occurring daily in the United States. The U.S. report cited serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery as being common acts of violence in the country and that handguns, knives, machetes or cutlasses are the weapons of choice used by the criminals. It identified drug trafficking as a serious concern to the government and the biggest challenge to law enforcement, because of its limited resources and manpower to effectively deter or respond to the criminals. According to the U.S. report, corruption is widely perceived to be commonplace within many Government Departments and Agencies and that police officers have been both the victims and the perpetrators of crime. Regarding the judiciary, the report stated that the courts are overwhelmed by the large number of cases and that the lack of witnesses coupled with limited resources and alleged bribery of some jurists have resulted in many cases being dismissed or postponed and the criminals set free on a regular basis. The U.S. State Department has warned those who might be travelling to Guyana to be extra careful and to exercise caution when visiting banks; to avoid walking or driving at nights; not to show signs of wealth, and not to physically resist any robbery attempt. Guyanese should heed this advice.
The prevalence of petty crimes and the ‘convenient’ Stabroek Market area DEAR EDITOR, The prevalence of petty crimes in Guyana is on the rise and in my opinion is not being addressed; a decrease in the reporting of crimes, due to lack of confidence in the security systems, might cause the actual figures to be significantly higher. Two days ago, I videoed three young criminals running away after robbing an individual, who I later learnt was one Avinash (only name given). How was I so lucky to be videoing at the same time these three young criminals had commissioned a crime? It’s nothing new. I have become known for having videos of crimes going down, but this was situation was different. I was sitting in a short drop car park around 5:15 pm on Sunday, just outside the Fire Station, and overheard the driver talking about the frequency in which robberies were happening in the area, and he made it sound like robberies happen every hour in that area. Being the type of person I am, I was thinking, if what this man said was true, then there was a high likelihood that if I was just
running my camera for the five minutes that we were sitting and waiting for more passengers, I might catch a scene - that was if what he was saying was true. So I started to record, and lo and behold, within two minutes, three young boys ran past, in clear sight of my camera, and someone could be heard shouting in the background. I was still sitting there for a few seconds recording before I realized that the three boys had just robbed a man. I exited the car and went to where I saw a man bracing a car and looking like he was dazed, by then a crowd had gathered around him, some were asking him if he got robbed, while others were talking about what they had seen. I asked the man - who looked like he was in his early thirties - what his name was, and was told Avinash. I then inquired what he was robbed of, and he said, a phone and about eight thousand dollars. I was about to take some facts from him, when someone who seemed to know him, came up and asked if he was robbed and was told the same thing I was.
The gentleman took some money out of his pocket and gave the victim and told him to use it for passage, and told him not to bother to report it since it was a regular thing out there and the police would just waste his time. I attempted to explain to Avinash that to report the matter would be the right thing to do, but to no avail, Avinash’s facial expression was one that showed the loss of hope in a system. It was a very worrying sign to me. Because of my physical structure, and the fact that I am fairly well known in Georgetown, it is highly unlikely that someone would attempt to rob me, but if it were to happen, I too would feel beaten, lost and betrayed by a system that is supposed to protect me. This incident happened in clear view of the City Police outpost that is housed in the same building as the Fire Station, and is only feet away from the incident. Avinash had given up, but I had not given up on him. I was on my way to the police outpost at the back of the Fire Station, since me and the City Police don’t have one of the best relationships, (as a result
of the parking meter episode) when I realized time was of the essence. If Avinash was to get even just some satisfaction as it related to this incident, I would have to move fast. So I turned back and headed in the direction of the other bus parks - like Sophia, Back Road and Lodge - with the hope of seeing if I could put faces to the three youths whom I had only seen from behind, and only had a description of their clothes. My way there led just in front of the Stabroek Market. As I passed the point of the Market that was closest to Brickdam, where the 32 bus park is, and just mere feet away from the City Police outpost, I noticed something astounding; most of the persons in the vicinity were smoking weed. Two individuals were in some business dealings with a phone, and a number of others were conversing. I was given glances by those who didn’t know of me, and was ‘hailed up’ by those who knew me. What I can say, is most of the persons who are allowed (Continued on page 5)
There will be many challenges to make this very expensive circle workable DEAR EDITOR, The rule of law in this country has completely broken down. In a poll done a few years ago more than 60% of Guyanese don’t have any confidence for the court system. The breakdown of the rule of law is everywhere; you can see it clearly on the roads which is making a bad traffic situation worse. People block intersections, bore lines at traffic signals causing traffic congestion at the lights, stop wherever they want to stop blocking the road. The decent drivers are very tentative because of the bullyism happening on the road, they don’t trust others to obey the lights or signs when there are any that is, so they move off very slowly when they finally see the green, in fact if the light is still red with a count is 3 or 4 still to go, people are blowing on you to start driving, i.e. they’re blowing on you to break the law. On mo s t m a i n r o a d s people are boring into the main stream of traffic from side roads almost into the centre of the road, and you have to dodge between them further delaying traffic,
all of this insecurity further interferes with the flow of traffic. People move off from traffic lights which are set at 1015 seconds in the most insecure, tentative and therefore slow manner, and sometimes only two or three cars get through before the light turns red again, adding to the frustration and road anger. People do not stop at major roads, most of which, now that the rainy season has come, their markings have been erased. To make things much worse we have to drive over an excessive amount of speed bumps almost every corner now, and our roads are decorated with the worse pot holes of anywhere in the world. People make U turns on main highways. Mini Buses do not stop at the designated places marked on the roads. All of the above means that the police have completely lost the capacity to enforce our traffic laws. Roundabouts are really a great idea, and in many of the small cities in the US they are introducing them in preference to traffic lights. Since 2008 I began see them emerging in small towns close to
Miami, but we must be aware that they were changing them not at major intersections, but more on side streets within small towns or villages, but for it to work, everyone has to be disciplined and respect the rights of those already in the circle and yield to whoever is in the circle first. Yield? Discipline? I am afraid that discipline and yield are not in the vocabulary of most of our citizens who drive. I refer to a letter from Liebert Alleyne in last We d n e s d a y ’s K a i e t e u r News “Great fanfare for opening a roundabout” the writer asks what is so special about opening a roundabout when the Prime Minister has to open it personally, and actually it’s not our first roundabout, there is one in front of the Bank of Guyana in Main and Church Streets, where the cenotaph is, which was so badly abused that traffic lights had to be installed to back it up. So, the roundabout at Carifesta Avenue could very well turn out to be a place of total chaos, given that we have people in this country who are totally unprepared to be reasonable on our roads. I saw that there was a police-
man situated there all day on June 6. The only thing I see which is probably workable is that the traffic going West and East wont clash too much, since hardly anyone will come into the circle from the north. But if you are coming from Carifesta Avenue and travelling East to the East Coast highway, you should stay in the left [outside] lane, as the right lane keeps turning to Vlissengen Road. We have built this very expensive circle and we have done what we have always done, we have failed to put up signs of direction on how to use it properly. So let’s first see how the cars coming from the south on Vlissengen Road make out in this new system before we rush off not understanding our limitations and build more. I usually like to offer suggestions when I criticize, since I am one person who sacrificed a lot to put this government in power, so if I criticize them I have earned that right. In Trinidad some years ago when they also abandoned their train running from Port of Spain, East to (Continued on page 6)
Tuesday June 12, 2018
AFC should be more analytical in prioritizing its agenda DEAR EDITOR, In my view the AFC is missing a window of opportunity to reassert itself in the political space. While I think that the issue on whether or not to legalize marijuana, and to what extent, is an important one, I believe that the AFC’s timing in making this a priority agenda item, could work against the party. It was refreshing to see the PPP supporting the AFC on this matter, but while the act of this support is positive, this could be an expensive gamble for the AFC. The PPP still has high political capital and therefore could afford to take a gamble on issues such as these, but the AFC does not have that kind of political capital to risk.The AFC could be missing an opportunity, in terms of timing, to reassert itself, but the AFC has to understand what the Author, Chris Rose stated in his book ‘What Makes People Tick’; and while the marijuana issue is important, it does not make a large section of the supporters of the AFC ‘Tick’. APNU understands that very well. Rather, I should state, the PNC understands that very well. So the AFC, in particular, has to be more ana-
lytical about how it prioritizes agenda items. It is one thing for the executive body to feel strongly about a matter and to set the priority issues, but it is even more important that they understand what are the issues and needs of the wider support base. Since the 2005 Elections, many supporters of the AFC came from the PNC constituencies, and, based on my more than casual knowledge of how the Guyanese society operates, this is an issue that could push some PNC supporters from the AFC back to the PNC. I took the liberty of distinguishing the PNC from APNU because of the context in which I am writing; APNU was not in existence since in 2005. I thought that the AFC came out very firm from its last executive meeting and this was a good indication, the country needs strong leadership; but the party has to be much more analytical in prioritizing the issues for which it will pursue and mobilize support around. Other pursuits of the AFC, such as its position on the Bill before Parliament to amend Act No. 10 of 1990 – Local Authorities Elections Amendment Act, rejection of section
18 of the Cybercrime Bill, etc., among others, are good signs. Additionally, from a social standpoint, there are a number of gaps which could be prioritized by the AFC party before addressing the amendment to the anti-narcotic law that will effect changes to the section relating to marijuana. For example, a priority for the AFC could be to address the myriad issues affecting the institution of the family, including economics, education, etc; the family is really the base of the society. The reality of so many families in Guyana is horrendous, which contributes to a number of the problems in the society. Developing and strengthening social systems (safety nets) to provide support to those citizens in need of such support, should also be a priority. Other priorities should be to become more creative in pursuing Constitutional Reform; there is need for so many policies to shift the development approach from being more activity-/projectdriven to the establishment of clearly defined long-term policies. Yours faithfully, Audreyanna Thomas
The prevalence of petty ... From page 4 to congregate at that area, have some sort of criminal record, and that’s a fact. What I can also say, is they have strategically placed themselves at a position where they have the ability to look for victims and pounce on them a little down the road. There are thousands of individuals traversing that area on a daily basis and these criminal elements are allowed to be there, looking for unsuspecting victims and pouncing on them at free will. I subsequently learnt of another robbery that was com-
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mitted on an individual around 7:30 pm the same day. There need to be some questions asked of the authorities and I will ask them. 1: Are the security forces deliberately turning a blind eye to the famous Stabroek “under the Clock area” that is harbouring thieves? And why is this so? 2: Wouldn’t the Police patrols that frequent the seawall aback of the Marriott Hotel area every half hour starting in the evening, looking to catch persons in sexual acts, with the intention of exploiting them,(and I say exploitation, since I have not
heard of any recent cases of people being charged for having sex in a public place) better serve the Citizenry of Guyana by constantly patrolling the areas that are more likely to have criminal activity, like the Stabroek area? 3: How can a Police rank or patrol pass in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market area where more than 15 known criminal elements have congregated, and not be cognizant of the fact that persons who look vulnerable and passing that area, will be preyed upon? Guyanese Critic
It is in the national interest that we provide accurate information to the population DEAR EDITOR, In an article that appeared in the Kaieteur News on Sunday, June 10, which quoted Charles Ramson Jr., it was suggested in the report that the GYD$10B spent in Guyana with local companies is minuscule. The article was just shy of suggesting that we take to the streets to protest the supposed injustice. Some facts we should be aware of: Liza Phase-1 is expected to cost just over US$4.4 billion h t t p : / / news.exxonmobil.com/pressrelease/exxonmobil-makesfinal-investment-decisionproceed-liza-oil-development-guyana Guyana’s oil and gas industry is still in the upstream phase of activities. Most of the oil and gas activities in Guyana are still centered on exploration and we are now transitioning to the production stage. (still in upstream) Upstream activities usually require highly specialized knowledge, experience, skillsets and equipment. To date, a large portion of the expenditure for Liza project would have gone to foreign companies that would be undertaking large sections of the project. One prominent example would be SMB Offshore, contracted to design the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and Keppel Shipyard that will execute the convers i o n o f t h e Ve r y L a rg e Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker. This part of the project alone is expected to utilize close to 50% of the total project cost. Also, TecnipFMC, the company contracted to install the sub-sea equipment, would take another significant chunk out of the US$4.4B projected to be spent on the Liza Phase
1 development. It should be noted that TecnipFMC has recently hired 10 engineering students from the University of Guyana for the Technical Services Personnel Apprentice program. The students are currently receiving technical training in the US and Brazil. Two of the students were back in Guyana during the GIPEX Conference. [ h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / exxonmobilguyana/posts/ 368056343648872] Daily rig rates were as high as US$600,000 a few years ago, but reduced somewhat in the past few years and currently stand at around US$200,000 daily. The Stena Carron was recently joined by the Noble Bob Douglas drillship increasing the number to two drill ships operating offshore Guyana. While this area of activity may not send dollars directly into the pockets of Guyanese, since they also fall into the category of upstream activities, many Guyanese are already benefiting. The Stena Carron employed several Guyanese previously and the Bob Douglas was recently staffed with a crew of 30 Guyanese, Several Guyanese companies are also already engaged with provisions for the supply vessels. [https://ihsmarkit.com/ products/oil-gas-drillingrigs-offshore-dayrates.html] Our O&G industry is different in many ways from our neighbours in Trinidad and Tobago and some de-
velopments further afield. The Liza field is in (ultra) deepwater, whereas, in Trinidad, most of their discoveries were much closer to shore. The location of the field and the method of extraction means we will need fewer rigs and therefore less personnel, fewer supplies, etc. However, to give some context regarding the number of wells vs. returns; the CEO of Hess recently said 8 wells at Liza will produce more oil than Delaware Basin’s 1,400 - the 120,000 bbl/d of Liza will top the Delaware Basin’s 1,400 wells and peak oil production of 86,000 bbl/d. Mr. Ramson should certainly be aware of these intricacies. As we move into the mid and downstream activities, there should be a lot more engagement with local companies, and further, more Guyanese employed. Not necessarily directly by Exxon, but by the companies that will be servicing these areas. It has been discussed ad nauseum that the population will benefit from the boost in cash flow in the local economy as a result of the demand for existing products and services increase and the demand for new services and skills grow. This will be boosted further by significant capital expenditure by government on infrastructural projects, etc. It is in the national interest that we provide accurate information to the population. Michael A Leonard
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There are advancements in the public education system that need to be highlighted DEAR EDITOR, The Teacher Upgrading Programme that was relaunched earlier this year will be one of the most important and meaningful steps taken by the Ministry of Education to reduce the inequalities which exist in the quality of education being delivered in the hinterland communities when compared to what is accessed on the coast. It is a common feature in Guyana that the necessary facilities, infrastructure and opportunities are easily accessible in the capital city and along the coast, as against what prevails in rural and farflung areas. There are several reasons for this, one of which is the terrain. Transporting equip-
ment and supplies can present a serious hurdle for any government agency or Ministry wanting to enhance services offered in those remote areas. A d d i t i o n a l l y, s o m e might argue that population size may not warrant heavy investment to provide certain services such as post-secondary education, and that it would be better if those interested were to access same on the coast and then return to their respective communities. However, any government worth its salt would want to ensure that sufficient, efficient and quality service, regardless of sector, should be available to every Guyanese citizen, whether it is in
There will be... From page 4 the far end of the i s l a n d , they converted the t r a i n l i n e embankment to a road and only Mi n i Buses [Maxi Ta x i s ] a n d c e r t a i n e x e c u t i v e p ersons and diplomats can d r i v e o n i t , a n d f r a nkly you can police it better, since all of the usual subjects of chaos are on one road. I have found it to be far l e s s o f a m a d house in Trinidad than here on the East Coast with the Mini Buses, so why don’t we take that ex-
ample and convert the embankment where our old train line used to be, and use that to take care of some of the lawlessness happening on the East Coast highway in the morning. Of course making the East Coast road for Mini Buses and the embankment for private vehicles is also an option. But the Trinidad experience seems to be that separating them has proved to be very successful. Yours Faithfully Tony Vieira
healthcare, education, infrastructure, communications or security. As such, quality teacher training should be one service that is available throughout Guyana. This is so, since, with properly trained teachers, the quality of education delivery will be enhanced in these hinterland and riverine communities. According to a recent publication by the Ministry of Education, the Teacher Upgrading Programme will be conducted by CPCE through a locally-based coordinator for a maximum duration of two years. The Ministry had said that the estimated cost for the current training is a little over $21M annually. Already, based on reports, four teach-
ers have been registered on the Teachers Upgrading Programme. These teachers are from the Chenapou Primary School in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni). However, it is expected that 68 teachers from 18 communities will enrol in the programme. What makes this intervention even more exciting is that the Ministry of Education has launched its Smart Classroom. This technology, if used effectively, can further reduce the disparity which existed in the education system for years, in terms of what is offered on the coast and in the hinterland communities.It allows teachers to conduct classes on the coast and have it beamed to classrooms anywhere in Guyana that has an internet connection. This means that if in Region Eight, there is no
Social Studies teacher for a fourth form class, a social studies teacher on the coast can be asked to teach lessons within the smart classroom and have both video and audio transmitted to those students.It would be as though, there was never a void to be filled. By utilising this technology, the Ministry of Education can bypass a number of hurdles which exist that stymie the provision of quality education to certain remote areas. The relaunching of the teachers upgrading programme and the launch of the smart classroom, are monumental advancements in the public education system that need to be highlighted and appreciated in Guyana. The world is undergoing a technological transformation and day by day quality ser-
vices are being demanded by citizens, especially from the public service, as we all want value for our money. Despite the availability of these services, they are worth nothing if they are not being taken advantage of and utilised. Their impact can only be felt if Guyanese get involved. Therefore, I implore my fellow Guyanese to approach the Ministry of Education and inquire about how the Smart Classroom can be used for the benefit of their children, and I ask those teachers in Region 8 and neighbouring communities that need to be upgraded, to enrol in the programme that is being offered, so that ultimately, further steps can be made to enhance the delivery and quality of education in Guyana. Mark Thomas
ANOTHER HORROR STORY AT GPHC DEAR EDITOR, I take this opportunity to extend my sincere condolences to the relatives of now deceased baby Maleek Sandy. I read of their horror story at GPHC. A few weeks ago I wrote that the health care services in Guyana are death chambers. This characterisation also includes private hospitals. I came to this conclusion based on personal experiences and what I read in the media. When I expressed my opinion I received lots of stick. That’s okay, I’m used to it. I am no paediatric surgeon. I am no surgeon period. I’m no pediatrician. Why should a baby die from duodenal atresia? I am assuming the baby had no other congenital abnormalities. From what I have read, it appears that this unfortunate baby developed sepsis, which was complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation. Where was the source of this infection? Was it from the NICU? Had this infection originated from the New
Amsterdam Hospital where baby Maleek was born? And then no platelets at the GPHC. The country’s main referral hospital has no platelets. Wow! This reminded me of an unfortunate mother who delivered a healthy baby a few months ago and had a ruptured uterus and required blood transfusion. No blood was available in Linden, so the driver had to scurry to Georgetown to get blood. Of course the patient died before receiving the blood transfusion. Even if they did not have compatible blood, she could have been transfused with Onegative blood. All hospitals should have O-negative blood for emergency transfusion. To compound matters for these grieving parents was the attitude of the surgeon. Come on, show some compassion. Speak to the parents, they are hurting. Not speaking to them will only compound their pain. I guess in that wasteland called Guyana, doctors are Gods. They do not speak to mere mortals. Now the investigation.
The Guyana Medical Council will investigate this doctor or doctors. Guess what? This investigation would be done by doctors. How can doctors investigate themselves? In my opinion the Guyana Medical Council investigation panel should be independent of doctors, independent of the Guyana Medical Council, and be apolitical. It should be made up of lawyers, lay persons, non practising doctors and adjudicators. Practising doctors should only play the role of expert witnesses. Until that day where we desist from having doctors investigating themselves, doctors would not be held accountable and clinical negligence will go on unabated. I would also state that having persons affiliated with political parties on the Medical Council is not in the best interest of justice. I’ll tell you an experience I had. After finishing medical school, I did my internship at GPHC. No concerns were ever raised about my clinical practice. I was and still am very outspoken.
I spoke out against what was happening at GPHC by the PPP government. Some senior figures at GPHC who were affiliated with the PPP were a part of the medical council. When I applied to the medical council to be registered they did not want to register me. My consultant objected. As a result they were forced to register me. My consultant called me in his office the following day and told me I needed to be careful. I left that wasteland Guyana soon after and promised not to return. Not even my ashes would be taken there.I hope the Sandys get justice. They appear to be in a financial position to pay for justice. Unfortunately many Guyanese with similar experiences cannot do so. Their pain is just swept underneath the proverbial carpet. Regards Dr Mark Devonish MBBS MSc MRCP(UK) Consultant Acute Medicine Nottingham University Hospital UK
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Tobacco industry gets deadline to comply with new labeling requirements
Tobacco manufacturers and importers will face heavy fines if they do not comply with new packaging rules established by the Ministry of Public Health. Packaging and labeling regulations for the Tobacco Control Act 2017 were signed by Ministe r o f P u b l i c Health, Volda Lawrence, on May 18. It demands that the industry carries the displays on the unit package and any outside packaging and labelling, except cartons, of smoked and smokeless tobacco products. The regulations, which were published in the Gazette on May 26, last, gives the industry nine months to comply with the requirements set by the Ministry with strict rules on annual rotation for labels which must be 60% of the packaging. The industry has at least three months before the products are placed on the market for the first time, and for products already on the market,
within three months from the date of commencement of the Regulations. Every manufacturer, wholesale distributor or importer of smoked and smokeless tobacco products must submit samples of their products’ packages to the Minister not later than three months prior to the beginning of each rotation period. The labels, which are included in the Regulation, carry vivid images clearly intended to warn and scare potential users along with the warning of the danger posed by tobacco. ‘Smoking causes lung cancer’, one label reads, which shows a healthy lung alongside a ‘damaged’ one. Another label warned that ‘Smoking causes mouth disease and also causes bad breath, speech problems and makes it difficult to eat and swallow’. That label depicts an image of a damaged mouth. Other labels address smoking and its effect on chil-
dren and the fact that it can cause ‘gangrene which can cause amputation of your limbs’. The labels also include partially rotted toes and a cigarette bent downward with the warning that ‘smoking causes impotence’. Also required to be displayed is the written warning that “Smoke from this product contains extremely addictive nicotine and toxic substances such as tar and carbon monoxide. No safe level of consumption exists for this product.” Persons who fail to comply with the Regulations are liable on summary conviction to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three months and in the case of a body corporate to a fine of $9M. Health officials last month sent a clear signal that the tobacco industry must comply with the tobacco control legislation, which was enacted last December. Minister Lawrence and health officials outlined this
Pay rates, get better services -Region Four Chairperson With only 60% of rates being collected, Chairperson of Region Four Democratic Council, GenevieveAllen is urging residents to pay up if they are to see improvements in their neighbourhoods. “If you do a review of what happened last year, the rate collection might have been 50% or 60% of their rates collectible but there are large numbers of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) that have outstanding balances on rates, and this would have been accumulated over a number of years,” Allen told the Department of Public Information (DPI) recently. “NDCs are expected to provide the services of solid waste collection, environmental management and market facilities. They are required to maintain the burial grounds and cemeteries, recreational facilities and I speak specifically to recreational
grounds that are in their NDCs, and the drainage and irrigation waterways. It is not Central Government that takes care of the local services directly. Those services are provided by the local organ, which is that of the NDC.” Allen noted the rates being paid by many communities are unrealistically low and leave the NDCs hamstrung to provide adequate services. She referenced Unity Vereeniging on the East Coast as an example. “There is one particular NDC where the rates are very, very low because in that NDC, the residents only pay the rate for lands. They do not pay for buildings. So, if you take a walk through that particular NDC and you see all of the high-rise businesses, all of the huge structures; the residents don’t pay rates for their buildings and yet that NDC is expected to still provide all of
Region Four Chairperson, Genevieve Allen. the necessary services that are required of them.” During his presentation of Budget 2018, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said there would be property valuation exercises countrywide.
Some of the labels, which are required to be used by the tobacco industry during a meeting with representatives and lawyers of the Demerara Tobacco Company (DEMTOCO) on the enforcement matters. The meeting was convened with the industry to ensure compliance with the new laws. Health officials have stressed that no smoking in public places and public transportation must be
observed while advertisements of tobacco products are prohibited. President David Granger assented to the Tobacco Control Act 2017 in July 2017; however, the commencement order was issued on December 15, 2017, by Lawrence. Guyana has joined its Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) sister countries, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica and Suriname by passing tobacco control legislation to safeguard the health of present and future generations from the devastating health and socio-economic effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
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Kaieteur News
Govt. signs tough new fishing regulations - $1M fines for illegal fishing; stricter penalties for turtle protection Government has signed new fishing regulations which tout tougher fines and stricter monitoring of high seas operations. The order, signed on April 21 by Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, is known as The Fisheries (Exemption from Registration and Licensing) Order 2018. It was gazetted on May 26. The order will revoke the 1957 fishing regulations. It will come at a time when the US and other large customers are demanding Guyana put into place tougher checks and balances to ensure that fishing is legal and that the process is verifiable. Among other things, boat owners and captains have to ensure certificates of not only the vessels but the installation of geographical monitoring systems and devices to protect turtles and other protected species. Failure to implement could see Guyana losing its markets. Already, one large fishery operations, BEV Processors, is preparing to close from midJuly. The company’s owner, Bruce Vieira, has cited tougher conditions, on certifications and deadline and
market prices, as the main concerns for the decision. With regards to the new regulations, foreign fishing vessels may operate but have to be licensed with the operators mandated to keep meticulous records of catches and for these to be submitted within 15 days to the Chief Fisheries Officer (CFO) or its designates. The regulations forbid the transfer of catches to and from the foreign vessels unless these are approved. According to the order, even the fish pens and pin seines which are used to trap fish have to be licensed. It is a no-no for the permits or licences to be sold or in any way transferred without the permission of the CFO. Boat operators have to monitor traps and cannot leave them unattended for more than two days. The traps and other equipment, including buoys, all have to be marked or will be disposed of. Failure to have a by-catch reduction device and a certificate could see fines of up to $250,000. Notably, once the fishing
Minister Noel Holder boats have set their traps, it is not allowed for any other fishing activities to take place within a nautical mile. This is to prevent overfishing. There are even tougher fines for fishing vessels without a Turtle Exclude Device (TED). The fines could go to $1M. Any turtles caught must be released and if hurt will have to be resuscitated according to established procedures. All vessels must also carry a spare TED.
Among other things, vessels will have to introduce ‘by catch reduction’ devices to protect endangered species. In another arsenal to fight illegal fishing, the regulations also speaks of the Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). The equipment allows for a vessel to be located on the waters, wherever it is. The regulations speak to the establishment of a Fisheries Monitoring Centre in the Agriculture Ministry which will be responsible for operating system for control and surveillance of fishing activities. The Minister will have the sole discretion for the installation of the equipment which will not be more than two months. The regulations warned about tampering of the equip-
ment to distort the position of the vessel. Under the regulations, the VMS has to be programmed to automatically transmit the identification of the vessel, the most recent geographic position of the vessel of not more than 500 meters and the date and time of the fixing of the position of the vessel. When illegal fishing is identified by VMS coordination, an illegal fishing card shall be created, Breaches will result in the suspension and revocation of the vessel. Under the order also, vessels have to submit the names of its crew and master (cap-
tain). Fishing more than three times in a prohibited area could result in the licence being suspended up to 100 days with the crew and master barred from being on board of a fishing vessel. The regulations also speak to the authorities having the powers to designate no fishing zones and to place observers, as it sees fit, for the purpose of monitoring and inspection. Fishing is a hot-button topic with thousands of persons dependent on it for a living. It has been beset by piracy, lower catches and price constraints, in recent times.
At almost mid-year, Region Seven has only spent 32 percent of monies The Region Seven Democratic Council (CuyuniMazaruni) is hoping to expend at least 70 percent of its budgetary allocation by the end of the next quarter. Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford said, last week, that only 32 percent of its budget, for this year, has been expended, “due to a number of setbacks, including the current rainy season.” According to the Chairman, some projects had to be put on hold especially road works. “I’m not that satisfied with that, but we have been forging ahead,” he told DPI. He said the Region “needs to pick up the pace and get going.”
However, at the same time, he cautioned that there will not be any “rushing through,” since the Council is “very wary of sub-standard work.” According to the Chairman, the Region’s focus is to provide renewable energy and boost agro-processing. The region is also examining ways to improve its road networks, which will allow businesses to truck products in and out of far flung interior areas. During the examinations of the 2018 Budget estimates, $2.5B was allocated to the region. Some $2.2B will go towards current expenditures, and $255M will go towards the capital expenditures. The
Regional Chairman, Region Seven, Gordon Bradford. allocated sums will be spent on regional administration and finance, public infrastructure, education delivery and health services.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Why do we need cadets in the Ministry of Education? Non-technical staff are being demoralized within the public sector. They are being generally bypassed for higher appointments, with favour of persons from outside of their respective organizations. There used to be a time in Guyana when you could aspire to join a company at the bottom and eventually work your way to the top. Not anymore. Even when it comes to filling non-technical positions, vacancies are often advertised externally. A case in point is the decision of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) to advertise for a Circulation Supervisor. In normal circumstances in the past, this position would have been filled internally. It is not a technical position. The job specifications require entry-level qualifications. Yet the GNNL has decided to advertise this position, rather than advertising it internally alone. Why would any company wish to invite persons from outside of its
operations to apply for a supervisor post? This is part of a bigger problem within the public service in which persons who are senior and who may have been acting in a position or have a legitimate expectation to be promoted are bypassed in favour of hiring someone from outside of the company. If someone is fit and proper to act in a post, and if that person performs satisfactorily while acting, should that person not be promoted rather than having someone from outside the firm assume that post through a process of competition? If someone is good enough to be a deputy, should that person not be good enough to hold the principal post? If the person is not good enough, then he or she should not be acting or holding the deputy post. This practice of external advertising is abused. In
some cases, it is employed in order to bring in friends families and political appointees to the fill vacancies. It is an area, which needs to be looked at since it is denying persons within the public sector, promotions, which are due to them. Another interesting advertisement appeared in this week’s edition of the daily newspapers. The Ministry of Education, headed by a former military officer, is recruiting cadet officers. This is how militarized the society is becoming under the APNU+AFC Administration. We now have persons being recruited as Cadet Officers for the Ministry of Education. The advertisement does not state what these Cadet Officers will be expected to do but one can only presume that it have something to do with having our children parade in the sun as part of military
Dem boys seh ...
De Chat-3 does lie to get in de papers Some people does do anything just to get in de news. When Jagdeo was president, he know dat he gon always deh in de news; suh he never use to keep press conference. He use to just walk out he office and meet with people and he gon see he picture in de papers. He is not president no more and from de time dat happen, he start fuh do nuff things fuh mek de news. Rohee was de General Secretary and he use to meet wid de press every week, suh he been in de news. Jagdeo see dat and he decide dat he gun tek way de General Secretary from Rohee. Now he got a steady press conference because he
know if he don’t do dat, he wouldn’t mek de news. Well dem boys believe dat is everybody in de whole party stay suh. De Chat-3 now telling nuff lie when he want to mek de news. He tell a lie pun a judge yesterday and de next thing, dem boys know is de whole court system start wondering who right and who wrang. One lawyer hear when de judge tell de Chat-3 dat he got to file some action if he think things wrang. De Chat-3 either didn’t hear or he believe dat he gon tell a big lie. Some people who always like put he photo in de media believe him and nearly cause no end of trouble. And de man ain’t got shame. He gon watch all dem
reporter and tell dem another lie fuss thing in de morning. All of dem trying to follow Donald Trump. He always in de news. De world never see a president who mekking de news every minute. Dis time he gone to meet wid Kim Jung Un. Dem boys had to smile because dem two will meet in a room all by demself. Dem wouldn’t got no secretary, no nutten, just two interpreter. And dem boys certain dat at certain time dem gon chase dem interpreter and de two of dem gon just sit down, look at each other and smile. Talk half and watch how people does try to get in de news…!
drills. The Ministry of Finance’s Student Loan Agency is looking for a Legal Officer. Now why would that Ministry, with access to resources of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, have to employ its own legal officer? Is it planning to take students who are not honouring their obligations to court? Another interesting vacancy, which was advertised concerns the post of a legal clerk in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The job requirements call only for four GCE/CXC subjects including English Language; alternatively anyone who has a pass at the Public Service Clerical Entry Examination conducted by the Public Service Commission may apply. Now, why would the Of-
fice of the DPP be asking for some alternative qualification? Is it assuming that a person with a pass in the Public Service Clerical Examination is at the same intellectual level as someone with four CXC subjects? Why not simply ask for the applicants to have a minimum of 4 CXC subjects with good grades? The Supreme Court of the Judicature has invited applications from suitably qualified persons to fill a vacant position of Protocol a n d Communication Officer within the Supreme Court. The first question to be asked, ‘is why the Supreme Court needs a Protocol and Communication Officer?’ The second is the qualification requirements. The applicant is expected to have a Master’s Degree in International Relations, Development Stud-
ies, Public/ Business Management or Public Administration plus a minimum of six years working experience in diplomacy or protocol; or a Bachelor’s Degree in the same subjects plus a minimum of 8 years working experience. Given these advertisements, it is not surprising that workers are not looking forward to long-term careers in the public sector. The whole system of employment needs to be revamped.
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Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
The unsinkable Titanic sank in 2015 Three important occurrences last week should be noted – the court ruled that the President could select a GECOM Chairman of his own choice bypassing the Carter formula. Secondly, Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington have received more criminal charges. Thirdly, after a long absence
from the public gallery, Roger Luncheon surfaced to accuse GECOM of discrimination in employment. Inside the psychology of all PPP leaders after their 1992 victory was that the PPP could never lose an election and was only kept out of power by electoral fraud. For all PPP cadres, once there is a
general election, the PPP will win. By the time Jagdeo won a second term in 2006, the PPP’s collective psychology was saturated with invincibility. The 2011 failure to capture a majority did not cause any reflection because the PPP still had power. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t a majority; for the PPP, the 2011 election kept the PPP in control. There was no analysis because the invincibility fever would never disappear. Then an explanation came by randomly. It went like this; PPP supporters felt that the PPP would always win, so quite a number of them didn’t see it as urgent to go out and vote. PPP leaders actually accepted that self-destructive illusion as objective reality. So from 2011 onwards, no breathtaking policy was embarked on. No innovative thinking was pursued. In fact, the post-2011 PPP behaved as the pre-2011 PPP – with invincible pomposity. But another illusion was embraced after 2011. With the opposition yearly cutting parts of the national budget, the PPP saw a golden egg dropped in its lap. It can reclaim the percent-
age it lost in 2011 by painting the APNU and AFC as parties that put people out of jobs with their “spiteful” slashing. With blinding spectacles that Dr. and Mrs. Jagan gave them a long time ago, the Champion of Dirt and De Donald in 2015 could not see the iceberg ahead. They rammed the iceberg disemboweling the invincible ship Papa Cheddi and Mama Janet built. The great Titanic constructed on Robb Street sank. My reading of the situation is that the PPP will not be in power in 2020. The present ruling Coalition will be back in office. I am choosing my words carefully here. I will not say that the APNU+AFC will win in 2020. I am confining myself to the words, “will be back in office” in 2020. I think from hereon we will see the decline of the PPP and in years to come, new leadership will emerge. This is what happens when power destroys the mind. All the tears the PPP are shedding now are crocodile tears. They had 23 years to re-think the Carter formula. However, the PPP will always win. It will be a PPP president that will have to agree to the
opposition choices. So why bother to change the system. Why bother to change institutions that feed your lust for longevity. In fact, the PPP birthed new institutions that quenched its thirst for unbridled power. With Mark Benschop, Oliver Hinckson and other critics in mind, the PPP changed rules that existed for centuries. A person faces a jury and that jury’s decision, either way, is final. The state can now appeal a jury’s not guilty verdict. In changing the law, the PPP wanted to keep in jail its critics who were freed. It will come back to haunt the PPP. Every acquittal of PPP leaders in the High Court will be appealed. God knows how many more charges will be forthcoming for corrupt leaders from the PPP who ran Guyana like it was a private playground. Singh and Brassington have to face the court on new charges. They probably will face a third and a fourth and a fifth indictment. Huge resources were sold for a song. PPP leaders could have given away any part of Guyana they wanted. And why not? They were an un-
Frederick Kissoon stoppable juggernaut. Here is what I found morbid and sick. Even if you sold state land cheaply to a private investor, you should have tied his hands. He had to build houses and not resell the land. However, in many cases, the lands were in turn sold to individuals and the developer made prodigious profits. Meanwhile police, soldiers, nurses, labourers were on a waiting list to be contacted 20 years later. By the way, isn’t Jagdeo open to investigation? He sold his Pradoville 1 houselot less than a year after purchase. The requirement is ten years after. Memorabilia from the Titanic is constantly on sale at auctions. I heard Freedom House artifacts are on sale.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Caribbean member States engaged on alternative sentencing for drug related offenses Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Acting Chief Justice, Roxane GeorgeWiltshire; Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Dion McCalmont; and National Anti-Narcotics Agency Head Michael Atherly; are on an official five-day visit to the United States of America. They, along with officials from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, will attend meetings in Chicago and New York, aimed at exploring Problem Solving Courts and Alternatives to Incarceration
for drug related offences. The meetings end on June 15. They will provide the opportunity for the high-level decision makers of Caribbean countries to experience innovative models first hand and to ask questions of those directly involved in programmes’ implementation and operation. The initiative is a result of a commitment made by the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (ES/ CICAD) and Secretariat for
Multidimensional Security of the Organization of American States (OAS). The commitment embodies the goal of providing technical assistance to OAS member states in the implementation of alternatives to incarceration programmes. ES/CICAD is currently supporting the development and/or implementation of various problem-solving court models including, but not limited to, drug treatment courts for adults and juveniles, diversion programmes, re-entry
courts as well as community courts. For the visit, ES/CICAD has also partnered with the Chicago based Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) and the New York City based Centre for Court Innovation (CCI). Both organisations are recognised in the field for their commitment to design, implementation and promotion of alternatives to incarceration. Additionally, they play a critical role in monitoring and evaluat-
ing alternatives under rigorous scientific scrutiny. The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission is the western hemisphere’s policy forum for dealing with existing drug problems. The CICAD Execu-
tive Secretariat supports the commission by strengthening the human and institutional capabilities and channelling the collective efforts of its member states to reduce the production, trafficking and use of illegal drugs.
24-hour lab services introduced at New Amsterdam Regional Hospital
A Medical Technologist attached to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital at work. The New Amsterdam Regional Hospital is now offering 24-hour operations in its medical laboratory. The round-the-clock service began in February after the labs were relocated to a new building within the hospital compound. Services include microbiology, serology, bio-chemistry and haematology tests. D r. Samantha Kennedy, Technical Advisor to the Minister within the Ministry of Public Health recently had a walk-thru of the labs. She told the DPI, “I remember when I was working here a couple of years ago…from 2007 to 2009, the problem we had was that there was no place for the lab technician to sleep at night and
40
so it was an extra cost on the hospital. Every time somebody comes in and needs the service after 4pm, you would have to get a driver, a vehicle to go for that person and it takes time because people are living at various distances. So for that person to get the care, they needed in terms of labs, it took a long time.” Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Colin Bynoe, added, “Our labora tory services have improved because of the new structure that we have and we are working on getting the backlog of lab work…and on getting more equipment so that we can move at a faster pace.”
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Jagdeo expresses worry over absence of GPL Board Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has expressed worry over the fact that Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has been operating for almost six months without a Board of Directors. Jagdeo highlighted this as his most recent Press Conference last Thursday at his Church Street Office. At that forum, Jagdeo noted that GPL is raking in billions of dollars in revenue and decisions are being made concerning the company but “Where is the Board? There is no Board.” Jagdeo said that appointing a Board is not a time-consuming exercise, “yet Govern-
ment has failed to appoint one since January 2018. The question is, “Who makes the decisions for the company?” GPL’s “Corporate Governance Code” states that a functioning Board is imperative for the company’s operation. The code said that the “shareholder” which is the state, “shall appoint the members of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer.” The code said that the “The Board’s objective is to acquire individuals with the skills and experience that can be of assistance in managing the Company’s business. Directors should possess the
- Questions, “Who makes the decisions?” highest level of personal and professional ethics and integrity and be committed to representing the long –term interests of stakeholders (including the shareholder).” Further, “They must also have inquisitive and objective perspectives, practical wisdom and mature judgment. Directors must be willing to devote such time as may be required to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively.” Concerning, the relationship between the Chairman of the Board and the company’s
Tall man gets 10yrs for killing wife Desmond August Gordon, called ‘Tall Man’, 52, the cane cutter of Lot 196 Mangrove Street; Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice who was on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed Jury in the Berbice High Court for killing his wife, was jailed for 10 years. His sentence followed a probation report which was ordered by the Judge. Gordon was charged with murdering his reputed wife, Bhagmattie Angad, called “Bhagmattie Etwaroo”, “Kamini”, and “Kamani Etwaroo”, 50, a housewife of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice on May 16, 2016 at their Rose Hall Town home. But he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The probation report was presented by Probation and Social Service Officer, Maisie Sheppard. It highlighted that the accused was born and lived his early life on West Coast Berbice. He is a father of five and the fourth of 10 children born to his parents. He dropped out of school at an early age due to financial constraints and began to work as a labourer with many businessmen and farmers. He subsequently began working as a cane cutter at the Albion Estate. It stated that Gordon was involved in two relationships before hooking up with the deceased. They have no children together, but she has children of her own. It was reported that the woman was addicted to cocaine and marijuana and had developed a promiscuous lifestyle. They both were heavy consumers of alcohol and involved in numerous fights. The accused was very remorseful and regretted what
has occurred. The report went on to state that the Gordon was a disciplined and well mannered inmate whilst incarcerated. He always adheres to the rules. He was once admitted to the National Psychiatric Hospital back in 1998. Attorney-at-law Tuanna Hardy presented the State’s case. The couple had been together for about eight years and reportedly shared a very abusive relationship. They were imbibing during the day when an argument subsequently erupted. Loud screams were heard coming from the premises following which the woman was seen running from the house with Gordon in hot pursuit. He had a cutlass in his hand. He reportedly used it to inflict several incised wounds about her body, including her head and neck. The accused was seen with blood about his body. He was subsequently arrested and charged. A postmortem examination conducted by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan showed that death was due to shock and haemorrhage due to multiple incised wounds.
In a plea of mitigation, Defence Attorney Sasha Roberts of the Legal Aid Clinic begged the court to temper mercy with justice. She said that her client has thrown himself at the mercy of the court. He did not waste the court’s time. Even though a life was lost, the probation report has shown a number of good qualities of the accused. She said that with all that her client went through, he managed to stay strong, but it was a moment of weakness that a life was lost. Before passing sentence, Justice Reynolds told the accused that his circumstance was a nature of his own circumstances and socialization. A life has been lost and you must suffer the penalty. It helps that you did not waste the court’s time. It helps that you have been a model prisoner. Given the life expectancy of men in Guyana is at 63 years. I will start between 18 to 25 years. I will start with the lower figure. The Judge subtracted five years for the guilty plea, two for time served and one for his good conduct leaving a number of 10 years.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the code says, “The Chairman shall not hold the position of CEO or any other executive position in the Company. The Chairman shall work closely with the CEO and the Board Secretary to finalize information which will flow to the Board, set meeting agendas, and arrange meeting schedules; (ii) will chair meetings of the Board; (iii) call special meetings of the Board as needed; (iv) serve as a channel of communication between the Board and the CEO;
(v) ensure that Directors receive important information in timely advance of meetings; and (vi) receive communications from the shareholder for transmission to all Directors.” Further, the code said that the Board is supposed to hold twelve scheduled meetings per year; special meetings are held as required. It says, “Every effort should be made to schedule meetings sufficiently in advance to ensure maximum attendance at each meeting.”
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
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Kaieteur News
Nandlall files appeal to overturn CJ’s ruling on GECOM Chairman appointment Concerned that among other things, Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George-Wiltshire S.C. misconstrued and misinterpreted the role of the Leader of the Opposition in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Attorneyat-law Anil Nandlall is now asking the Court of Appeal to overturn a recent ruling by her concerning the appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The appeal was filed yesterday by Attorneys-at-law Anil Nandlall, Manoj Narayan, Sasha MahadeoNarayan, Rajendra Jaigobin and Anuradha Deodatsingh and Devindra Kissoon on behalf of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) executive member Zulfikar Mustapha. Mustapha had moved to the Courts to challenge President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of 84-yearold Justice (Rtd) James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM. The appointment was made on October 19, last year. The challenge, which had engaged the Courts for some
time was on Friday, last, dismissed by the CJ, although she found that the President should have given reasons for his rejection of the nominees submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. She ruled that the President enjoys the right to reject the list of names provided by Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, and unilaterally appoint someone from the judicial category as Chairman of GECOM, as outlined in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana. The appeal concentrated on 14 grounds. Lawyers for Mustapha argued that the decision of the acting Chief Justice is wrong, misconceived and erroneous in law as it allows the President to reject a list of names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution and make a unilateral appointment of a person of his own choosing. They have argued, too, that the CJ “erred and misdirected” herself in law in construing Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana by failing to give effect to the in-
Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall
Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George S.C.
Chairman of GECOM Justice (Rtd) James Patterson
President David Granger
tentions of the framers of the said Article. They have also argued that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law when she failed to apply or failed to properly apply the purposive canon of interpretation in construing Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. “The Learned Hearing Judge erred and misdirected Herself in law when Her Honour misconstrued and misinterpreted the role of the
Leader of the Opposition in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in so far as Her Honour’s interpretation or misinterpretation has reduced the role of the Leader of the Opposition to being merely perfunctory,” the appeal stated. According to the appeal, the CJ also erred and misdirected herself in law by omitting to review or properly review the exercise of the power and discretion, which Article 161 (2) resides with the President. The President rejected three sets of names submitted to him by the Leader of
the Opposition pursuant to the said Article. Nandlall wants the appellate court to determine whether the President exercised that power and discretion lawfully and reasonably and not irrationally, capriciously, whimsically and influenced by irrelevant and extraneous considerations and not guided by relevant considerations. Further, the lawyers are contesting that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law by ruling that the President has the power to reject a list of six names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition in accordance
to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana. In their petition to the Court of Appeal, the lawyers further argued that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law when she failed to pronounce on whether the President has the power to request more than one list of six names from the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution. Another ground for the appeal states that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law when she failed to take into account the first (Continued on page 23)
Betsy Ground man gets 18 years for raping boy, 13 A man who is well-known to the authorities, and who with his friend ambushed, and raped a 13 years old boy back in 2010, has been jailed for 18 years following the presentation of a probation report. Mahadeo Ramnarine, called “Clifton” and “Dougla”, 46, of Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, was handed the sentence on Monday in the Berbice High Court by Justice Brassington Reynolds. The man was earlier found guilty on the charge of rape of child under the age of 16, but a probation report was ordered. The Probation report highlighted that Ramnarine was the product of poor upbringing and had a mixed past. He dropped out of school at an early age. Although he had many siblings, he was the only one born during the union of his mother and father. His parents separated early and he grew up with his grandmother and other relatives. Resident in the village had mixed views about his character. He is the father of five from different relationships. The state’s case, which was presented by Attorney-
at-law Tuanna Hardy was that on Saturday August 14, 2010 about 10:00hrs, Ramnarine raped the child. The accused was not represented when he appeared in court. He was placed on $200,000 bail following the PI in the Magistrate Court. At the time of the incident, the teen resided in the same village with the accused in East Canje, Berbice along with his parents and other siblings. He knew the accused and one Boyo for about six years. On the day in questioned, he was sent in the nearby village to purchase cow milk. When he left home, he was without shirt. On his way back, he saw the two men under a tamarind tree on a street in the village. As he was about to pass the tamarind tree, he was pulled into some bushes by Boyo. The men promised to give him something and violently removed his clothes. He began to shout for help but was overpowered .His underwear was placed into his mouth, his hands were tied behind to his back. His feet were tied together while a white thing, which he was told was a tablet was placed into his nose.
He was then placed to lie on his abdomen after which the men held him down and took turns in raping him. During the time, he lost consciousness. When he caught himself, he was lying in the same position. He was feeling dizzy and was subsequently rescued by a woman who was in the bushes picking tamarind. He did not find his clothes and ran home and told his mother. The matter was reported and the teen was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was examined and it was confirmed that he was sexually assaulted. Before passing sentence, Justice Reynolds told the accused that he was baffled by the nature of the offence. After committing such an act, you went on with your life. You have shown no remorse. After tying up the victim, you left him in the bush probably to dispose of the body later on. The judge told the accused that that maximum sentence for the act is life in prison. He however told Ramnarine, he would not sentence him to life in prison.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
GWI workers urged to up competence Staffers of Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) are being challenged to pull out the stops to improve their competencies. This was Dr. Richard Van West-Charles’ message to Operations, Sanitation and Sewerage workers during an internal meeting on Friday, June 8, at GWI’s Corporate Complex. The Managing Director encouraged the workers, the majority of whom are male, to hone the skills they possess in their respective areas. Only then, he said, will they be able to move up the rank and ensure a better service to customers. He added, too, that feedback from employees on the quality of service in their area is a good indicator if any improvement is needed for the rest of the community. Dr. Van West-Charles said that Guyana would be left behind otherwise. He alluded to President David Granger’s call for equity among the livelihoods for all Guyanese, on the coast and interior locations. GWI has held a number of training programmes for the staff and continues to make other opportunities available for them to better their indi-
vidual skills. Speaking to the risks associated with the nature of their jobs, the Managing Director told the workers that they make up the company’s most valuable assets and therefore following the correct occupational, health and safety procedures is vital. This includes being attired with the correct gear on the job. “For the staff going down [in the sewerage system], they have a right to know their limits. Once we set the limits of safety for human health and they ask to see what the results are showing at this point in time before they go down, they have a right to know. And they should know what the limit of relatively minimal risk is.” In this regard, he pointed out that training is critical, in terms of being knowledgeable of what has to happen if a casualty occurs. “What have to be put in place are mass casualty drills, the management, what is the level that is minimal risk to you, with respect to the gases and the calibration of equipment has to be done with a degree of regularity to know that this equipment is functioning properly”, the Manag-
GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West Charles speaks with the workers in Friday. ing Director added. Dr. Van West-Charles, who was joined by the Executive Director of Human Resources, Management and Development, Mr. Elvis Jordan and other senior managers, also addressed some of the burning concerns of the staff from the two departments. He used the opportunity to speak to the gathering of men about the issue of domestic violence and call for more social interaction. He encouraged them to be more understanding in their thinking and to resolve their problems at the earliest possible time.
Taxi driver beats spouse when in bad mood Despite serious objections to bail by the Court Prosecutor, Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, yesterday granted a taxi driver bail in the sum of $107,000 after he allegedly beat the mother of his two daughters. The man, 30-year-old Clarence Barkoye was yesterday granted bail on malicious wounding and disorderly behaviour charges. Barkoye, of 209 Lamaha Street, Newtown, Georgetown denied both allegations after they were read to him by the Magistrate. The Court heard that on June 7, at Lamaha Street, Newtown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Neeto Latchman. It was further alleged that on June 8, last, at the Kitty
- court hears
Charged: Clarence Barkoye Police Station, he behaved in a disorderly behaviour. According to the prosecutor on June 7, last, the victim and the defendant got into an
argument and he armed himself with a piece of pipe and dealt her several lashes to her hands and about her body. As a result of the blow, the victim received injuries to both hands and a finger. The prosecutor objected to bail being granted based on the severity of the defendant’s actions, adding that, the defendant is in the habit of hitting the woman whenever he is in a bad mood. Despite the prosecutor’s objection, Magistrate Latchman released the defendant on a total of $107,000 bail. He was instructed to make his next court appearance on June 15.
PAGE 20
Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
Alert guards stop smuggling Teen recalls horrors of seeing dad fatally attacked by cousin into Lusignan jail It appears that alert security at the Lusignan Prison, East Cost Demerara, has foiled a major smuggling attempt. According to the police, yesterday, the incident occurred shortly after midnight. The police said that about 01:00hrs, alert police and prison personnel manning the eastern towers of the Lusignan Prison, heard “crashing sounds” coming from the bushes. They then saw a male, wearing a ‘hoodie’, coming out from the bushes. “A “warning shot” was fired and he fled back into the thick vegetation. The area was immediately combed; the male was not seen but three bags containing the following items were found and lodged.” In them, the police said, 141 packets of cigarettes, four cell phone and 11 lighters were found. Authorities also confiscated one power pack to charge cell phones, one ear piece, a phone charger, 15 packets of small Ziploc bags and 1,794 grams of cannabis. Contraband in the prisons is a big business, reportedly an arrangement involving inmates and prison officers. While there have been re-
The seized items from yesterday’s attempts.
ported incidents of items being thrown over the walls, there have also been cases of prison officers themselves who are involved in smuggling items. Cigarettes and ganja and the smuggling of phones and
chargers are said to be highly popular. Authorities have stepped up security at the prisons after a deadly fire and escape in recent years, which leveled sections of the Camp Street jail.
Eight graduate to work... (From page 3) of Education, Mr. Vibert Welch, the training of the eight officers will ensure that all children, whether gifted or challenged, are given opportunities to develop their intellect. Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Public Health, Ms. Colette Adams congratulated the officers and
advised them to absorb all that they can to positively influence the lives of all children they will encounter. Project Coordinator, Mr. Jorge Ramirez said that the opportunity exists for the children with special needs to reach their full potential. He told the graduands that the work that they will embark on is vital and has the potential
of changing the lives of special needs children as well as families and communities. During the ceremony, the guests were treated to musical renditions performed by the Bishops' High School Steel Orchestra, a dance by students of the David Rose Special School and the Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
A 17-year-old girl recalled the horrific scene at Skull City in Patentia, West Bank Demerara, where her father was allegedly stabbed to death by her cousin and her cousin’s reputed husband. Zalina Ramsundar was called to testify yesterday in the trial of her cousin, Vishwantie Ragnauth, called ‘Shelly’ and her cousin’s reputed husband, Nyron Thakurdyal, called ‘One Eye’, who are accused of the 2014 Boxing Day murder of her father, Sunil Ramsundar. The two murder accused have retained Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes. In her opening remarks, Prosecutor Orinthia Schmidt told the court that Ramsundar is an uncle of Ragnauth, the number one accused in the murder trial. The Prosecutor said that on the day in question, there was a family problem, which resulted in an altercation between Ramsundar and his niece. According to the prosecutor,, Ragnauth held onto her uncle, Sunil Ramsundar, whilst her reputed husband stabbed him with a knife. The prosecutor also revealed that the woman also stabbed her uncle. Ramsundar sustained injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Prosecutor added. After stepping into the witness box from where she took an oath to tell the truth, Zalina who was just 14 when her father died, told the court that Vishwantie is a cousin of hers. The young girl said that she and her father visited a shop at around 20:00hrs on December 26, 2014. It was at this point, that the young witness broke down in tears and from all in-
MURDER ACCUSED: Nyron Thakurdyal
MURDER ACCUSED: Vishwantie Ragnauth
dication; it was after she saw her cousin and her cousin’s reputed husband seated alongside each other in the prisoner’s dock. The witness fought hard to maintain her composure and was directed by the judge to step out of the witness box. Once she had finished wiping away her tears, Zalina stepped back into the witness box from where she continued telling the jurors what transpired on that fateful day. Zalina said that her father was ‘gaffing’ at the shop when his sister emerged from a passage way crying. She further said that her father inquired from his sister why she was crying and she told him something. Zalina added that her father then queried why Nyron (the number two murder accused) “beat up” his sister. The teenager said that some time after, her cousin (Vishwantie) who is also known as ‘Shelly’ came out of a passageway and an argument ensued between her and her father. Questioned by Prosecutor Schmidt as to why her father was arguing with her cousin, Zalina told the court that they were arguing because Nyron had beaten up her father’s sister. A while after Shelly and Nyron went home and about three minutes after, the now dead man came back, and he was in the passageway by himself, the witness recalled her father was quarreling about the incident between his sister and Nyron. According to Zalina, while her father was in the passageway her cousin came out and pushed her father and a scuffle started between them. “When (Shelly) pushed my father, my father braced her to the fence.” The witness explained that Shelly began fighting back and during that time, Nyron ran out from the passageway. Nyron, she said, held onto her father’s hands
and Shelly began cuffing her father in a back and forth motion. Zalina told the court that she ran away while Nyron was cuffing her father. She stated that it was not long after that a little boy told her, “They just bore up yuh father.” She said that from where she was standing, she saw her father collapsed to the ground. When she went closer to the scene, Zalina said that her father, whose jersey was covered in blood, was braced onto a fence. Also testifying was Police Sergeant Detective Krishnadat Singh who is currently stationed at the Leonora Police Station, West Coast Demerara. Sergeant Singh testified that during separate interviews with Ragnauth and Thakurdyal, they both denied killing Ragnauth. The police witness recounted that on December 27, 2014, he put a murder allegation to Ragnauth and she replied, “Me and Sunil pull one another. Me nah know how he get bore. Nyron part we.” The detective said that he put a similar allegation to Thakurdyal and he responded, “Officer, me and Vishwantie nah murder Sunil. All she do ah push he and me push them away.” Under cross-examination by Hughes, Sergeant Singh admitted that during investigations into the murder, he received certain information about the knife, which was allegedly used to stab Ramsundar. The defence counsel Hughes asked the sergeant if he sent the alleged murder weapon for analysis, the police witness told the court that he instructed a junior rank to do same. The witness, however, admitted that he did not inquire from the two murder accused whether they were armed with a knife at the time of the incident. This trial is continuing.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Jamaica PM invited to attend G20 summit in Argentina KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Prime Minister Andrew Holness has been invited to attend the first ever G20 Summit in Argentina on November 30, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister here yesterday. It said that Holness had also been invited to attend the Special Oceans Summit in Oslo, Norway, following his successful historic presentation at the outreach session of the just concluded G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Canada. The statement said that Prime Minister Holness was specially invited by the Argentine President, Mauricio Macri and the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg. In Canada, Holness spoke of the need to strengthen resilience through integrated adaptation planning, emergency preparedness and recovery, while promoting gender-responsive approaches He told the G7 summit that there are no forces with greater capacity to transform the lives of millions, from poverty to prosperity, than the forces of inclusive and sustainable economic growth. “Yet, Jamaica and the
Caribbean have struggled with low levels of economic growth and high debt, made worse by the ravaging effects of climate change on our islands which are situated in the midst of great bodies of water.” He said the challenges with growth and high debt, have constrained the region’s ability to effectively and sustainably exploit the vast resources and potential that exist in our surrounding oceans and seas. “We also have not been able to effectively respond to the threats emanating from our oceans and seas, such as rising sea levels, and the stronger hurricanes carried over ever warming waters. The ironic and circular reality is t h a t o u r inability to effectively and sustainably exploit the resources of our oceans and land environment is negatively impacting our growth prospects. We need a virtuous nexus between our economies and our environment.” Holness said that small island developing states (SIDS) like the countries of the Caribbean need to be empowered to take charge of their development and prosperity, through economic growth rather than debt, while being good stewards of our
environment. “This will undoubtedly require enlightened thinking and partnerships, as already recognized by e a c h a n d e very country which has signed on to Agenda 2030.”
Holness said that with the steadfast suppo r t of bilateral friends and multilateral partners, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries have made substantial progress in implementing painful, but
necessary economic and structural reforms across political administrations, which have delivered previously elusive macroeconomic stability. “In so doing, Jamaica is a leading example to the world
of what can be achieved when countries resolve to take responsibility for their economic direction, forge consensus at home, supported by international partnership and cooperation.”
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
Female cyclist, Beyonce, loses race with tumor WANT
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It was a tough battle to fight for 15-year-old, Rose Hall Town youth, Beyonce Ross, the teen who made the news after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She lost the fight to stay alive yesterday. She took her last breath around 2:30 am at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Ross was on life support after going brain dead a few days ago but her mother, siblings, relatives and friends were hoping for a miracle that would have her regain consciousness. Her mother, Yonnette Clarke, was inconsolable after she received the news of Beyonce’s demise. She could not say much but a relative told this publication that they are still in shock even though the chances were slim. The woman said that Ross and her mother shared a tight knitted relationship since it was her only daughter among her four sons. ”They use to tell each other everything and they always had laughter in their conversations. They were very close so it is very hard on her (Clarke) because it’s as if she lost her best friend,” the relative stated. Clarke received a call yesterday morning from GPHC informing her that her daughter had died. They last saw her during visiting hours between 4:00-6:00 Sunday. Meanwhile, Minister of
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Beyonce Ross before her illness took over Social Cohesion George Norton extended his condolences to the family and stated that “Ross’ death is a tremendous loss to the cycling fraternity” and that she would have been among the top sportswomen in the country. On Monday May 28, the biopsy results for Ross returned and revealed that the brain tumor was not cancerous. This gave the teen’s mother hope that her daughter would make it and return to normalcy with time. However, two days later Ross became brain dead and had to be rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. She was transferred subsequently to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she remained until she eventually succumbed. Ross began experiencing headaches in February. When her condition seemed serious, her mother took her to the Port Mourant and New Amsterdam Hospitals respectively. Her condition worsened and she was then taken to a private doctor in the city. An MRI scan was recommended by the doctor and the results of the test were not what they were expecting. It revealed that young Ross had a developing tumor in her brain that could possibly be malignant (cancerous). They could not know until the result of the biopsy, which was done on Wednesday by a doctor visiting from Jamaica. Clarke explained that the MRI scan had revealed that the tumor was situated in the centre of the brain and there was excessive fluid retention. They were referred to the leading Neurosurgeon in the country Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi. The three-time junior gold medalist underwent her first surgery on April 13, 2018 at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
CHPA staff slapped with house, land fraud charges A junior staff attached to Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) who allegedly collected money from several individuals, by promising them house and land was yesterday slapped with two fraud charges. Tiana Gibbons, of 383 Fifth Street, appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The first allegation stated that between February 8 and February 17 at Water Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she obtained from Tashana Jerrick $170,000 by falsely pretending that she was in a position to grant her a house and land located at Dazzell Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, knowing same to be false. It was further alleged that between February 20 and March 15 at Water Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she obtained from Jevon Thomas $205,000 by falsely pretending that she
Charged: Tiana Gibbons was in a position to grant her a house and land located at Dazzle Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, knowing same to be false. She denied both allegations after they were read to her by the Magistrate. Police Prosecutor, Arvin Moore had no objections to bail being granted to the defendant. The court heard that the
victims were introduced to the defendant by a friend and she told them that she was going to provide them with documents for them to acquire houses and lands at a cheap price. The victims them handed over the monies mentioned in the charge to the defendant who give them certain documents for them to acquire the lands. The prosecutor added that it was only recently that the victims realised that the documents were not authentic so they went and reported the matter to the police. An investigation was then carried out and the defendant was arrested for the offence. Magistrate Latchman after listening to the prosecutor granted the defendant bail in the sum of $200,000. The mother of one was instructed to make her next court appearance on June 25, for statements.
Bandit apprehended in carwash robbery, shooting …Police seek second suspect Mere hours after carwash operator, Leroy Robinson, was robbed and shot at his 17 Broad and Lombard Streets business, one of the suspects was arrested. Robinson was shot around 22:00 hrs on Sunday night after he was approached by two individuals who robbed him before shooting him in his left leg. The incident was witnessed by Robinson’s mother, Bridgette Robinson, and the mother of his children, who later identified one of the suspects whom police apprehended just a few hours after the incident.
When Mrs. Robinson recounted the incident to this publication on Sunday night, she said she heard someone saying, “Nobody don’t run”. Soon after, she heard two gunshots, she also noted seeing her son lying on the ground and bleeding. His sister then took him to the hospital. The mother had also said, she thought the robbers had killed her son. She was thankful that he survived the attack. When asked if this ever happened before Mrs. Robinson said, it was the first time anything like this happened to the father of four, who has been
operating the carwash at that location for over five years. On Monday, police issued a statement suggesting that they had received a report of the incident, and prompt action by a rank on a motorcycle patrol resulted in the apprehension of the armed suspect, a short distance from the scene; a .38 revolver with a spent shell was found in his possession. Efforts are being made to have the other suspect quickly apprehended. The victim, who is receiving medical attention at a government medical institution, is said to be in a stable condition.
Technician charged with attempted murder One year after a technician allegedly dealt a man several lashes in his head with a piece of wood and fled to the interior, he was yesterday slapped with an attempted murder charge. Twenty-three-year-old Himchand Kenswin, of D’Urban B acklands Squatting Area, Georgetown appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. He was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that on April 14, 2017, at D’Urban Backlands, with intent to commit murder, he unlawfully wounded Trevor Smith. Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield, objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the serious nature of the offence and the
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penalty the charge attracts. The prosecutor also based his objection on the fact that the defendant was on the run for over a year. He added that it was last Thursday, that police saw the defendant in Georgetown and arrested him. The court heard that on April 14 last year, the defendant and the victim had a disagreement. He picked up a piece of wood and dealt the victim several lashes in his head. The victim was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was admitted as a patient for five days. The defendant was remanded to prison and he was instructed to make his next court appearance on June 15.
Remanded: Himchand Kenswin
Hospitalised Minister Amna Ally for overseas medical checks Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, is in good spirits and resting “comfortably” at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where she sought medical attention yesterday after complaining of feeling unwell.
As a precautionary measure, Minister Ally is being kept for observation. She is scheduled to travel overseas on Wednesday, to seek further medical checks. This is also as a precautionary measure,” a government statement said. Yesterday afternoon,
President David Granger visited Minister Ally and “lifted her spirits further”, it was disclosed. Minister Ally is the Government Chief Whip in the National Assembly. It was only on June 5 that Minister Ally celebrated her birthday.
Murders down by 23%, robberies up - police Police statistics shows a seven percent increase in robberies where firearm were used in their commissioning. In a statement released yesterday by the Guyana Police Force, which also gave statistics to show a seven percent decrease in serious crimes as of the end of May 2018, relative to the same period last year. It went on to state a 23% decrease in murders, an eight percent increase in robberies where no instruments were used; a 28% decrease in robberies under arms where instruments other than firearm were used; a 15% decrease in robbery with violence; a 33% decrease in robbery with aggravation; a 34% decrease in larceny from the person; a four percent increase in rape; a three percent increase in burglary; and a four percent decrease in break and enter and larceny. As it relates to the 36
murders so far this year, nine were domestic related, seven were in the commissioning of robberies, 17 were listed as disorderly, and three as unknown. There were no recorded execution style killings. There were also 55 illegal firearms taken off the streets so far this year, compared to 64 for the corresponding period last year. ‘A’ Division being the Division where 27 of those guns were seized, followed by ‘B’ Division with 11 guns seized, while 17 guns in total were seized from the other divisions. As it relates to traffic incidents, there was a 7.3% decrease in fatal accidents recorded at the end of May 2018. Serious and minor damage accidents have also been decreased by nine percent, 32% and 7.2% respectively. Of the 38 fatal accidents that occurred between January and May this year, 24 were caused as a result of
speeding, four by speeding and driving under the influence, four involved pedestrians crossed into the path of approaching vehicles, five were as a result of inattentiveness, while one was due to failure to confirm to sign. Between January and May this year, 44 road users were killed, 16 of them were pedestrians, five were motorcyclists; pedal cyclists accounted for eight, the occupants of cars who died in this period were 10, while two passengers of minibuses died. One pillion rider and two drivers also lost their lives in fatal accidents. Of the 37,019 cases, the Guyana Police Force made out against errant road users, 8,301 were for driving under the influence of alcohol. Driving while using cell phone accounted for 1,674, while some 2,549 cases related to careless driving. There was a list of other traffic offences accounting for the remainder.
Nandlall files appeal to overturn CJ’s ruling on GECOM Chairman appointment (From page 14) and the second list of names submitted by the Leader of the Opposition upon the request of the President pursuant to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution. The appeal further argues that, “The Learned Hearing Judge erred and misdirected Herself in law by finding that the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is empowered to reject the list as unacceptable although one or more persons on that list is or are acceptable to the President; “The decision of the Learned Hearing Judge is wrong, misconceived and erroneous in law as it has destroyed a delicate but fundamental balance in the composition of the Guyana Elections Commission, which the framers of the Constitution intended to repose in a Chairman appointed by a formula captured in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution which ensures that such a Chairman enjoys the confidence and acceptance of both the Leader of the Opposition and the
President.” In the legal document seen by this publication, lawyers for Mustapha have contested that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law by ruling that the President lawfully and properly invoked the proviso to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution. The lawyers’ petition outlined that the CJ erred and misdirected herself in law by failing to correctly and properly construe and interpret the circumstances when the proviso to Article 161 (2) of the Con-
stitution can be activated. It continues, “The Learned Hearing Judge erred and misdirected Herself in law by failing to impugn the appointment of Mr. Justice James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM after Her Honour ruled that reasons are required to be provided by the President for the rejection of the list submitted by the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution and after having ruled that the President provided no such reasons.”
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Glaring transparency and accountability issues over GuySuCo’s US$150M bond deal – Opposition There is need for the Coalition Government to explain several issues, which have emerged in relation to the $150M syndicated bond secured for the four sugar estates which were closed last year. This is the view of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who raised several questions about the deal, in a statement, yesterday. According to a statement from Jagdeo, the Government has failed to provide the Parliament or the public, with details on how the monies will be used. The state-owned National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) received roughly US$85M, which was disbursed on May 24, 2018, with the residual tranche to be issued to NICIL as is needed. NICIL is expected to raise US$65M through a combination of local and regional investors, including those in Trinidad and Jamaica. NICIL’s team lead by Colvin Health-London, the head of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU), structured the bond to recapitalize GuySuCo’s operations. “Government has a duty to explain why it did not borrow the money itself if a sovereign guarantee was being issued. Government typically borrows at interest rates below 2% and repayment terms over 30-40 years. Why is the NICILGuySuCo SPU borrowing at
4.75% and repaying this over five years, with a full Government guarantee?” Jagdeo questioned. According to the Opposition Leader, there is no information as to what assets were used to secure the bonds. He said that there is extreme concern about the risk of the Treasury having to pay back the investors and have serious concerns on whether investors are simply relying on this guarantee when there are glaring transparency and accountability issues. He reminded that the Parliament recently raised the debt ceiling to guarantee debt to the amount of $50B. Apart from a mere reference to a $30B GuySuCo bond, Jagdeo stated that not a single detail was provided. In the past, Jagdeo noted that funding for projects like the Berbice Bridge or the Marriott Hotel, were accompanied by considerable documentation and studies. “Where are the documents and details for this huge US$150 million bond? Why is it a secret when a public guarantee is being issued? The Berbice Bridge and Marriott did not have sovereign guarantees,” Jagdeo stated. Republic Bank was reportedly able to tap successfully the local investor market to raise mutually beneficial financing for the Guyana Government
The Enmore Estate, which was closed last year.
and investing subscribers. Reports indicated that the bond was oversubscribed by the local investor market shortly after its announcement. GuySuCo has struggled to raise the funds needed to revamp its operations and has relied heavily on Government bailouts to stay afloat. The estates have been placed under the SPU which is tasked by Government to execute privatization plans for the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales Estates that were closed in keeping with Government’s ‘rightsized’ approach for the sugar corporation.
Man who threatens to bomb stores charged with inciting public terror A l a b o u r e r, who recently posted on his Facebook account that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela and that he will bomb all the stores in G u y a n a , w a s y e sterday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan who cited public safety. Twenty-three-year-old Shiam Wazir Nazir, of Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts late yesterday afternoon, where a charge of inciting public terror was read to him. The allegation against Nazir stated that between June 1 and June 3 at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, with
intent to cause public t e r r o r, h e w r o t e o n h i s Facebook post that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela and that he will bomb all the stores in Guyana one by one. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield strongly objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the seriousness of allegation. The prosecutor further submitted that should bail be granted, the defendant would not return to court for the trial. The Chief Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor remanded the defendant to prison until June 26, when he will appear at the Leonora Magistrates’ Courts.
Remanded: Shiam Wazir Nazir
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Trump, Kim launch historic Singapore summit with a handshake SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shook hands and smiled as they started a historic summit today, just months after they traded insults and threats of nuclear war. For both men, the summit, the first between leaders of North Korea and the United States, is likely to be a defining moment of their careers. The meeting would have been unthinkable last year when tensions spiraled in the region over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs as it raced toward the goal of developing a nucleartipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump vowed to prevent that happening and threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen”. He mocked Kim as “little rocket man” on a suicide mission. Kim denounced the U.S. president as the “mentally deranged U.S. dotard” who would be “tamed ... with fire”. But once North Korea conducted an underground test of a thermonuclear bomb last September, Trump began taking
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore this morning. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Kim more seriously. Trump can look back to President Richard N i x o n ’s 1 9 7 2 t r i p t o China, when the ardent anti-communist defied conventional wisdom to meet Chairman Mao Zedong, irrevocably shifting the Cold War balance
and setting China on a path to opening up. Trump and his senior officials have in recent weeks been referring to Kim as “Chairman”. For Trump, cutting a deal to end the North Korean nuclear threat with his approach to Kim, in defi-
ance of the U.S. security establishment’s long-held ways of dealing with the North, would be a success unmatched by any predecessors. It would justify his supporters’ faith in his art of deal-making and allow him to repudiate the naysayers with a
foreign-policy success he will be able to hail. S o m e s u p p orters have said he could win the Nobel Peace Prize. For Kim, about half Trump’s age and representing the third generation of North Korea’s ruling dynasty, the summit affords both him and his
long-isolated country the international legitimacy his father and grandfather could only dream of. North Korea has faced years of economic sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs since it conducted its first nuclear test in 2006.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
Out-of-favour Pooran in Windies B for Canada League
Correction: Moonsammy not Munilall
I
n yesterday’s coverage of the UCCA Awards Cer emony it was mistakenly stated that Chimwala Munilall was inducted into the UCCA’ Hall of Fame along with Sydney Jackman and Imran Jafferali when in fact it was the late Sonny Moonsammy who was inducted instead of Munilall. Moonsammy was born on June2, 1929 in Skeldon, Berbice and died at age 34 in December 1963 following a Motor Lorry accident in Lombard Street Georgetown. The Right-hand batsman represented British Guiana twice in first class cricket, in Barbados in 1959, as a 29 year-old because Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher and Joe Solomon were on tour in India. Moonsammy, the first player from the Upper Corentyne to play First-Class cricket, was an outstanding fielder and first played for Berbice in 1952, British Guiana Indians in 19541958 and British Guiana 1959. With cricket failing to harness his youthful energy, Moonsammy started a lumber business in Skeldon and after his two belated appearances for his Country in 1959 he disappeared from the game altogether. Kaieteur News apologises for the mistake.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Forgotten Twenty20 International batsman, Nicholas Pooran, has been included in a youthful 14-man West Indies B squad which will participate in the inaugural Global T20 Canada League starting later this month.The 22year-old Trinidadian played three T20Is against Pakistan two years ago but has not turned out for the regional side since. He is the only player in the squad with international experience.Pooran has been joined by the likes of West Indies Under-19 stars Alick Athanaze and Shamar Springer, with Guyana Jaguars wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Bramble set to lead the squad.“With our Test and A Teams currently on tour, the
Tuesday June 12, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your intuition is heightened almost to the point of telepathy today. Aries, you may be able to sense what others want and need even before they know it themselves. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A get-together with a group of your closest friends could bring about some intense communication, with many revealing some of your deepest concerns, Taurus GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A heightened level of intuition and understanding of others might catapult you to the center of attention at a gathering, Gemini. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Contact with friends who have traveled widely could have you hankering to take the first plane to a distant place that you've always wanted to visit. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Dreams or visions could put you in touch with deep feelings that you may not have been aware of before, Leo. This could enable you to release traumas from your past and give you a new sense of lightness. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Relationships of all kinds are likely to be strengthened by an increased level of understanding today, Virgo.Your thinking is greatly enhanced by your emotional intuitiveness.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today your emotional intuition intensifies your mental abilities, Libra. Friends and family members are likely to grow closer to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Dealing with the ups and downs of other family members could be easier for you today than usual, Sagittarius. You're less inclined to be logical and more apt to identify with what other people feel. . SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Dealing with the ups and downs of other family members could be easier for you today than usual, Sagittarius. You're less inclined to be logical and more apt to identify with what other people feel CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today your mind is strongly influenced by feeling and intuition, Capricorn, so you'll be able to communicate especially well with others. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) IYou generally like to think of yourself as someone who faces life logically and rationally, Aquarius, but today your intuitive side could prove a valuable resource, especially when it comes to dealing with others. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your intuition is usually very strong, Pisces, and your level of empathy enhances your relationships. Today, however, a burst of logic.
Windies T20 left-hander Nicholas Pooran.
Global T20 presents an opportunity for the panel to see some of our developing players in the region,” chief selector Courtney Browne said. “The exposure and added development will assist us with identifying players with the potential to develop into international T20 cricketers.”
West Indies B will be one of six teams contesting The Global T20 Canada league, which runs from June 28 to July 15 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in Toronto. The round-robin preliminary round will feature 22 matches, followed by the playoffs and final.West Indies in-
ternational stars like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell are all down to turn out in the competition.Director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, believes the tournament will be beneficial to the development of the group.“This is a great opportunity for players and feeds into the organization’s wider high-performance program which looks to develop all-round skills sets of the players and officials,” the former West Indies captain noted.Roddy Estwick, the former Windies Test squad bowling coach, will lead the squad along with another former Windies coach, Stuart Williams.SQUAD – Anthony Bramble (captain), Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Roland Cato, Justin Greaves, Derval Green, Kavem Hodge, Brandon King, Jeremiah Louis, Obed Mcoy, Khary Pierre, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Shamar Springer.
Law backs in-form ...
From page 32 but averages only 2 in Tests. However, he averages 32 in his last 11 Tests inside the last year with a highest score of 90 against minnows Zimbabwe last October. He had a mixed series against New Zealand last December, registering a dreaded ‘pair’ in the final Test but Law said the player seemed to have brushed off that disappointment.“To be honest, this Test match is probably the best I’ve seen him play,” the Australian pointed out.“In the lead-up to it in Barbados at the camp, he was striking the ball [well] and was probably our best player coming into this Test match and he showed that out there.” Much was made of the Queen’s Park Oval pitch which yielded 414 for eight declared for West Indies in their first innings but then saw Sri Lanka dismissed cheaply in reply, as the hosts went on to nail an emphatic 226-run victory on the final day. Law believes the strip was a decent one for Test cricket where both batsmen and bowlers had a chance to excel.“The wicket has been good. The first two innings it was difficult to bat on and our boys applied themselves really well,” he explained. “And to bowl Sri Lanka out for [185] was a testament to that. It was difficult, we had to fight it out but it got better and better.”The second Test bowls off Thursday at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.
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Terence Crawford shows he’s on his own level with one-sided beatdown of Jeff Horn
Yahoo Sports - LAS VEGAS — Three things were plainly obvious Saturday from Terence Crawford’s destruction of Jeff Horn in their WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden. Crawford is on an entirely different level from most everyone else in boxing. Only WBC lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. are in the same universe as Crawford in terms of talent and accomplishment. Crawford’s one-sided beatdown of Horn, which came to an end at 2:43 of the ninth round when referee Robert Byrd mercifully stepped in and halted it, shows how badly shot Manny Pacquiao is. Horn won a decision over Pacquiao last year in Australia, and while it was a close call that many Pacquiao fans moan should have gone their man’s way, there is no disputing that it was life-and-death in there. By contrast, Crawford was dominant from the beginning to the vicious end and there was never a doubt who the better man was. The bout also showed the incredible chin Horn possesses. ‘He was taking clean, hard shots from Crawford throughout, but particularly from the third round forward. He went
down at the end of the eighth after a combination but otherwise ate blistering shots and kept trying until Byrd wrapped his arms around him to save him from any more damage. There appear to be few other than Spence who can compete with Crawford at welterweight on even terms. Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter are exceptional fighters and would give Crawford a battle, but Crawford just seems a cut above. His footwork is magnificent and enables him to quickly get into punching range and then slip out. He has good head movement and is able to slip shots, and is an a c c u r a t e p u n c h e r who sees the tiniest of openings and can exploit them. Most of all, though, he’s a boxing savant who knows how to control the pace and rhythm of a fight in a way that legends like Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard and few others could. We are looking at an alltime great in the making, a guy who can wind up as one of the greatest of this era if he continues on the path he is on. There is nothing he can’t do, and he’s getting better with each outing. He was cracking Horn, who was perceived to be the bigger and stronger fighter going in, and never was in danger.
Terence Crawford, right, lands a punch on Jeff Horn, of Australia, in a welterweight title boxing match, Saturday, June 9, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo) “Like I said before, I was the stronger guy,” Crawford said. “I’m stronger than him. I just had to get in the ring and prove it. You saw what I did in there. Now I want all the champions at welterweight.” Crawford was so good that Dean Lonergan, Horn’s promoter, said “He’s a future Hall of Famer.” It was such a dominant victory and stress-free performance that it allowed promoter Bob Arum to rail on President Donald Trump at the post-fight news confer-
ence. After calling Trump “a traitor to this country,” Arum turned his attention to Crawford and compared Crawford to the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard is among the three best welterweights ever and one of the Top 10 fighters ever, so it was huge praise, though not totally out of line. Crawford needs to string together a lot more significant wins to be on Leonard’s level, but he appears headed in that direction. “The highest praise I can
give to a fighter at welterweight, or in any of the midlevel weight divisions, is to say that he reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard,” Arum said. “To me, that’s a great, great compliment. I thought Ray was the best and this guy is equal or superior to him.” Crawford is so masterful in the ring that he’s two or three steps ahead of his opponents. Spence is a massive puncher, but Horn trainer Glenn Rushton said he’d go with Crawford in a mythical matchup between
the two welterweight greats. “I believe Terence Crawford is too slick for Errol Spence Jr.,” said Rushton, who added he thinks Spence’s one significant edge over Crawford is power. It’s always easy to rave about a fighter after he scores an impressive win. The true test of the greats is consistency over time, beating the best again and again. That’s the next test that will confront Crawford, who said he wants to fight all the elite welterweights in a bid to unify the titles again. If he could do that, it would put him in rare company. “Incredible,” 2016 U.S. Olympian Shakur Stevenson, who scored a second-round stoppage of Aelio Mesquita on the undercard, said of Crawford. “That was amazing.” Indeed it was. It was the best fighter in the world putting away a tough, gritty championship-caliber opponent in one-sided fashion. Crawford led on all three cards, 80-72, and never seemed threatened by Horn. He’s the best there is at this point and the good news for boxing fans is that he seems to be getting better each time out. The best is yet to come.
Warriors’ Durant hints at retirement - when he’s 35 Kevin Durant has won back-toback NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards and a regular-season MVP, and has nine All-Star appearances. Yesterday, the 29-year-old forward and 11-year NBA veteran said that he can see the light at the end of the tunnel of his playing career. “This game, your craft, you have to continue studying it. No matter how much you enjoy it, nobody wants to be in school that long. I know I don’t,” Durant told ESPN. “At some point, you have to be ready to graduate. Thirty-five, that’s just a number in my mind.” Durant, who has worn the No. 35 all throughout his career with Texas, Oklahoma City and now Golden State, averaged 28.8 points during the Warriors’ four-game sweep of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, which ended Friday. Durant scored a career playoffhigh 43 points in Game 3, highlighted by a crucial 3-pointer in the final minute.Over two seasons with Golden State, Durant has averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1
assists. The former No. 2 overall pick spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise. (The team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City following his rookie season.) A four-time NBA regular-season scoring champion, Durant has been viewed as a threat to Kareem AbdulJabbar’s all-time record of 38,387 points. He currently ranks 36th alltime with 20,913 points. However, Durant told ESPN breaking Abdul-Jabbar’s record isn’t important to him. “It’s not about the record,” Durant said last week. “I can leave the game knowing I did everything I wanted to do, my way, on my terms.” Durant, who turns 30 in September, is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason but has already said he plans to remain with the Warriors. He could sign a max fiveyear deal in July. His business partner, Rich Kleiman, told ESPN that Durant told him in the past the he could retire at age 35.“I heard him say that, but I’ll believe it when it happens,” Kleiman said. (Field Level Media)
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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33rd Concacaf Ordinary Congress closes in Moscow
Focuses on inclusive growth through competitions expansion and core development efforts Moscow, Russia – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) held its 33rd Ordinary Congress in Moscow Russia yesterday, where delegates celebrated the accomplishments of the Confederation in 2017. ”Following the completion of a successful governance reform effort over the last two years, our Confederation has forged a new era. Working together as a family we have delivered on our One Concacaf Vision to continue expanding and producing tangible benefits to our game,” said Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. “This is an era of resounding commitment to serving our Member Associations and increased investment in development and broader, more inclusive competitions.” The Congress approved
the 2017 Concacaf Council Report; as well as the 2017 audited financial statements and the 2018 budget. As part of the commitment to continue ensuring the integrity and transparency of the organization, and to comply with governance standards, the Confederation made public its Congress Book, including the financial statements and the 2018 budget. In other events occurring at the Congress, Randolph Harris from Barbados was elected as Vice President of the Concacaf Council. Mr. Harris ran unopposed for the position. Concacaf also presented the General Secretariat Report on the full year achievements as a result of an efficient organizational structure consisting of the Confederation’s functional areas — Football Operations, Commercial, Member Associations, Fi-
ESPNcricinfo - Dale Steyn has been included in South Africa’s Test squad to tour Sri Lanka next month. Steyn, who returned to competitive cricket for Hampshire six months after a heel injury saw him break down in the New Year’s Test against India, is three wickets away from breaking Shaun Pollock’s record as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker and will have the chance to do so in the two-Test series. Kagiso Rabada, who was forced out of the IPL with a stress fracture, will be fit to return to action alongside Vernon Philander, as Lungi Ngidi replaced the retired Morne Morkel. South Africa included three spinners in their squad: regular specialist Keshav Maharaj was joined by left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who has one Test cap to his name, and legspinner Shaun von Berg, who received his maiden Test call up. In the batting department, AB de Villiers’ retirement created room for Heinrich Klaasen to remain in the Test squad. Klaasen, who will also act as back-up wicketkeeper, will compete with Theunis de Bruyn for a place in the line-up. Klaasen toured with South Africa to New Zealand in March 2017 and was part of the squad to play Australia in March, but is yet to play a Test. Klaasen has played four
ODIs and three T20Is for South Africa and earned an IPL deal with Rajasthan Royals for the 2018 season. He was not among the top 25 run-scorers in last season’s first-class competition but p l a y e d seven matches, scored 426 runs and averaged 38.72 with two centuries and a half-century, and was preferred over the domestic tournament’s top three runscorers Rassie van der Dussen, Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Pieter Malan. The rest of the batting line-up takes on a familiar look, with Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram to open the batting and Hashim Amla holding the fort at No. 3. Temba Bavuma may move into de Villiers’ spot at No.4, unless captain Faf du Plessis opts to promote himself with the vacancy for de Bruyn or Klaasen at No. 6, if South Africa choose to play seven specialist batsmen. If they opt for six, Quinton de Kock will bat in the No. 6 position, with the bowlers to follow. Notably, South Africa opted not to pick an allrounder in the squad, leaving no room for young Wiaan Mulder who was around the Test group last summer, and also limited their selection of quicks to four. That means there is scant cover if Steyn, who has been hampered by injuries for much of the last three years, or any of the other quicks breaks down.
Concacaf President Victor Montagliani
nance and Administration, and Legal and Compliance. The governing body announced the increase of its One Concacaf Funding Programme by more than 35 percent for the 2018 edition of the programme, continuing the commitment to invest directly in growing its Member Associations as enablers of the game’s success.
2017 marked a defining moment on the evolution of Concacaf’s competitions. On the clubs tournaments front, the Confederation launched the new single elimination Scotiabank Concacaf Champions L e a g u e a n d Scotiabank Concacaf League formats, while redesigning the Caribbean Championships. On the
national teams’ front, Concacaf also announced a newly expanded format for its premier competition, the Gold Cup. From 2019 onwards, the Gold Cup will include 16 teams and a pan-regional footprint with the upcoming selection of additional venues in the Caribbean and Central America. Earlier this year, the Confederation unveiled the Concacaf Nations League, an innovative and inclusive national team competition set to kick off this September, bringing meaningful sustainable national team football for all the Member Associations. The Concacaf Nations League is an on-the-field extension of Concacaf’s new image and brand architecture, which was also recently announced, framing the Confederation’s efforts around the core One Concacaf Vision of developing and
stewarding the game on the pillars of Unity, Access, Football and Quality. In that spirit, the Nations League will provide greatly expanded access for Concacaf’s Member Associations to international football, enhancing the development of football across the region at all levels. The annual meeting was attended by Concacaf Member Associations delegates. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, CONMEBOL President, Alejandro Dominguez, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, members of the Russian Football Union and the Local Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. Also present at the event were Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and Liga MX President Enrique Bonilla, as well as Concacaf strategic partners.
Steyn returns to Test squad for SL tour
Dale Steyn is back in South Africa’s Test squad to tour Sri Lanka. (ESPNcricinfo Ltd) Steyn has only just returned to first-class cricket and could feature in as many as three matches for Hampshire before the Sri Lanka tour. Originally, Steyn was only due to play in the ongoing fixture against Surrey, in which he has already bowled 26 overs and taken 2 for 91, but he will stay on after national team-mate Hashim Amla had to leave the squad with injury. Steyn is now also due to play in matches against Yorkshire and Lancashire, and in an interview with ESPNcricinfo at the weekend, he indicated his interest in playing Test cricket “for as long as I can”. “It is very welcome news to have Dale back in our pack
of world-class seamers particularly in view of the retirement of Morne Morkel,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors said. “A key factor in our selec-
tion process was to cover all our bases and all possible conditions that we may encounter in Sri Lanka. The two additional spinners to back up
Keshav Maharaj have both had excellent records in recent times in our domestic cricket. Von Berg also gives u s a d d i t i o nal batting strength in the lower order.” While Shamsi only played four first-class matches last summer and took 17 wickets at 37 per piece, von Berg finished third on the wicket-takers’ list, with 29 wickets at 41.75. He was well behind the leading wicket-taker Simon Harmer, who took 47 wickets at 21.85, who chose to sign a Kolpak deal two years ago, and has since extended it until 2019, and could not be considered for selection. South Africa will play a two-day practice match at the P Sara Stadium in Colombo on July 7 and 8 before the first Test in Galle from July 12 and the second in Colombo from July 20. They are yet to name their squads for the five ODIs and the lone T20I that will spill into August.
James Lewis’ Pre-fathers’ day domino competition on this Friday Sports organiser James ‘Kool’ Lewis, who is attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Sports Committee, is set to run off the biggest Inter-Ministries/Government Agencies knockout 20/20 four-game domino competition for the Prime Minister Trophy. The one-day event is set for this Friday at the Ministry of Agriculture canteen on Regent Street from 17:00hrs. All teams have until to-
morrow to enter into the competition and to do so they can contact the coordinator James Lewis on cellphone 672-6179 or 628-1656. No late entries will be permitted to enter the competition which is being used as a pre-fathers’ day event and apart from the Prime Minister’s trophy, there will be cash prizes for the winners, runner-ups and third place teams.
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
Regal upbeat ahead of NYSCL Echevarria produces Independence tourney huge leap in Stockholm
Mahendra Hardyal By Zaheer Mohamed Regal will looking to keep the Golden Arrow Head aloft when they journey to the United States of America to participate in the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Annual Independence Cup later this month. Regal will be fielding two teams, the Masters and All stars in the tournament which will commence on June 29 and conclude on July 1. Regal became the first team to win both Masters and All stars titles on foreign soil. Following their double success in the Guyana Softball Cup in 2016, they repeated the feat in the NYSCL tournament the said year. They went on to win both titles in the South Florida Softball Cricket League in 2017 and captured the All stars title, while taking the runner up spot in the Masters segment of the Orlando Softball Cricket League earlier this year. While their preparation has been somewhat affected by the inclement weather, Captain of the Masters team Mahendra Hardyal told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that while the All stars have been pegged back slightly with the absence of a few players who
Anand Persaud
have opted to play for overseas teams, the Masters’ is very confident of going all the way and will not be taking any team for granted. “We know what to expect, other teams will definitely come hard at us but we always relish the challenges,” he said. He added that the players will be looking at the possibility of having a few net sessions on the tarmac due to most grounds being in a soggy state. “Every player is capable enough of holding their own; it’s just about getting the players to gel. One of the main factors will be to play as a unit and stick to the game plan. The team is a balanced one and I am confident we will go the distance this time around.” W h e n q u i z z ed about what areas he would like the team to improve in, Hardyal said there is always room for improvement. “There are a few areas we have to work on especially the way which the batmen apply themselves. Our bowling looks good and I am confident they can restrict oppositions.” While the composition of the foreign teams is not yet known, Hardyal feels another Guyanese team defending
champions Floodlights will be a main treat in the tournament. “I can only speak for the teams here, but definitely the overseas will come harder this time around,” he stated. The Masters team includes Laurie Singh, Rudolph Baker, Troy Kippins, Eric Thomas and Mahase Chunilall, David Harper and Parsram Persaud. The experience trio of Richard Latif, Safraz Esau and Navin Singh has opted to play for foreign teams and while they have been instrumental in Regal All stars success in the past, their absence may not be missed much since their replacements, Le n n o x Marks, Shilander Ramnauth and Nandsham Boodhoo are capable of filling the gaps. Manager of the Allstars unit that took the runner up spot in last year’s tournament Anand Persaud said his players are eager to go. “Despite the loss of those players, the team still remains a balance one,” he informed. Persaud expressed confidence of winning the title but added they will not be taking teams for granted. The All stars team will be led by Rohit Dutchin and includes Sachin Singh, Fazal Rafiek and Patrick Roopall.
Six-member Grenada team confirmed for Schoolboy boxing tournament Grenada is the first country to officially register boxers for the third annual Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Tournament, according to head of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle. The confirmation came on Sunday evening when the registration form of the Island
was received by the GBA. Grenada will be fielding a total of four boxers; three males and one female, and two officials including a coach and a referee/judge for the tournament which will punch off from August 17th to 19th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). Ninvalle revealed to
Kaieteur Sport that at least 10 countries are expected to be part of the competition which the Guyanese are rigorously preparing for. Only last weekend, the GBA had the first of its fortnightly preparatory schoolboy competitions at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym and the next will be held on June 23rd.
(Reuters) - Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria produced the furthest long jump in 23 years — 8.83 meters — in winning the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm on Sunday but a tailwind denied him a place in the record books. The 19-year-old raced to the stands to celebrate with supporters after producing the fifth longest jump in all conditions, behind Mike Powell, Bob Beamon, Carl Lewis and Robert Emmiyan. Even though his delight was tempered by the ruling that the wind of 2.1 meters per second was just over the legal limit, Echevarria was still delighted with the mark which bodes well for the rest of the season. “Today I wanted 8.5 meters but I didn’t think I could jump so far,” he said. American Powell holds the world record with 8.95 meters from the 1991 world championships. Echevarria finished first ahead of American Jeff Henderson (8.39m) and South Africa’s world champion Luvo Manyonga (8.25m). On the track, Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba posted his fourth Diamond League race win this year to take the 400m hurdles in a league and Asian record time of 47.41 seconds. It was Samba’s fifth consecutive sub-48-second clocking, the first time that has been achieved since Derrick Adkins in 1995. “I was looking for something big and I got that today,” said Samba, who finished ahead of Norwegian world champion Karsten Warholm. “It was windy on the back
Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s 100m event. (TT News Agency/Christine Olsson via) straight so that made us push too hard but it was amazing to get the Diamond League record and a PB today. Now I’ll get back training then I might compete (in the next Diamond League meeting) in Paris.” In the men’s 200m, Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev, who won gold at last year’s World Championships, clocked 19.92 seconds to win although the victory was slightly marred by an injury to Bahamian St e v e n G a r d i n e r, w h o pulled up with 100 meters to run. Britain’s Dina AsherSmith continued her recent excellent form to win the women’s 100m in 10.93, a time only 0.01 seconds slower than her British record of 10.92 which she set in Oslo on
Thursday. Asher-Smith finished ahead of Ivorian Murielle Ahoure (11.03) with Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye third in 11.11. The men’s race was won by Hassan Taftian in a season’s best 1.07, 0.03 off his own Iranian national record. Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay coasted to victory in the women’s 1,500m in a meeting record time of three minutes 57.64 seconds, finishing ahead of Briton Laura Muir, whose 3:58.53 was her season’s best. American Brianna McNeal impressed in the women’s 100m hurdles, posting a world-leading time of 12.38, with Jamaica’s Danielle Williams (12.48) second and Alina Talay of Belarus third in 12.55.
HEMP /Bedessee small goal tourney
Eastville, La Warriors, West Side Ballers win On Saturday last Young Footballers from the East Ruimveldt Community got much needed competition when the Final of the East Ruimveldt Inter Block 5-a-side small goal competition was staged at the East Ruimveldt Community Centre ground. The tournament was sponsored by the Guyana HEMP Industries and Verman Bedessee CEO of Bedessee Imports Inc of the USA and launched on Saturday June 2 by Bedessee during a visit to Guyana to participate in the just concluded HEPM Awareness Week which was held
under the theme ‘Removing the Barriers –Don’t block Industrial HEPM. During the launch Bedessee Pledged his full support to the development of youth Football in Guyana and promised a donation of Football gear and equipment along with educational Materials. The final was watched by a vocal crowd of supporters who saw entertaining Football as Eastville defeated East Ballers 2-1 in the U-15 Final with Anton Vasconcellas and Brian Burette scoring for the winners. Casion Warren scored the consolation goal
for the Ballers. In the U-17 Final, La Warriors defeated Texas Warriors 2-nil as Shemar King netted a brace, while Syrus Johnson scored the winning goal as West Side Ballers beat Golden Star 1-nil in the U-13 Final. During the presentation Chairman of the Georgetown Single Women HEMP Association, Timbi Hendricks, urged the youths to be always disciplined, respectful and committed to their sport and Education. The competition was conducted by Coaches Lloyd Smith and Danella Barrow.
Tuesday June 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
National School’s Cycling Champ Beyoncé Ross dies Fifteen year-old Berbician National School’s Cycling Champion, Beyoncé Ross, slipped into a Coma last Wednesday and never woke up.Beyoncé, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour, was brain dead and on life support and died at 02:22hrs yesterday morning at the Georgetown Pubic Hospital. According to her mom Yonette Clarke, Beyoncé was getting severe headaches and vomiting but was treated for a stomach infection before an MRI indicated a tumour in the middle of her brain. Not surprisingly Doctors informed that the surgery could not have been done here and overseas treatment was required. On Sunday Beyoncé’s vital signs had improved slightly but she was still in Coma and on life support and the family was praying for divine intervention. Even if the cost for the airfare and surgery was acquired, unless the Rose Hall Town resident and lower Corentyne Secondary School
student woke up from her coma she would not have been able to travel. There was an outpouring of support on social media with prayers and donations for the teenager after she had stopped responding to medical treatment. It was hoped that she would have regained consciousness and travel overseas with the option of doing the surgery in Trinidad. Brain Cancer survivor, Cricket Commentator Sean Devers had arranged for her family to get free accommodation for the entire duration of her recovery at the Cascadia Hotel in Trinidad and Mrs Clarke had made contact with the St Clair Medical Centre where Devers did his surgery. “We are praying for a miracle for her to wake up first of all and then to raise the money for the Surgery but our faith in God is strong and we can’t stop believing that Beyoncé will pull through this,” her mom had stated on Sunday evening.But sadly
Beyonce’s mom Yonette Clarke that was not to be as Beyoncé failed to reach to finish line in her final and most important race. Misfortune seems to fol-
Dowrich leaps 20 spots in ICC batting charts LONDON, CMC – Shane Dowrich’s unbeaten hundred in the recent first Test against Sri Lanka in Port of Spain has seen him vault 20 spots in the ICC Test batting rankings. In the latest rankings released yesterday, the 25-yearold had improved to 66th, representing one of the biggest movers.The right-hander struck 125 not out – his second Test hundred – to dig West Indies out of trouble in the first innings at Queen’s Park Oval and help set up their eventual emphatic 226-run victory just after lunch on the final day.All told, Dowrich faced 325 balls in a shade over 7-3/4 hours, striking 12 fours. He shared a crucial centurystand for the seventh wicket with tail-ender Devendra Bishoo (40) which got West Indies up to 414 for eight declared.“I feel pretty good right now. Making a century was one thing but winning the game was more important for me,” Dowrich said following West Indies’ win on Sunday. “There’s always pressure playing Test cricket but I think Bish (Bishoo) really stood up, took his time and spent a lot of time out there and that really helped me to be confident in what I was doing.”The victory was the Windies’first win over Sri Lanka in 10 years, and it gave them an important 1-0 lead in the three-
Wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich. match series ahead of Thursday’s start of the second Test in St Lucia. Dowrich said having the series lead was crucial since in recent times the Caribbean side had not started tours confidently.“It’s always good to get off to a good start. Of late we haven’t been starting series well so for us to start this one well and go 1-0 up is good for us,” he pointed out. “Hopefully we can take this confidence into the next game and we can come out and win that one as well.”He added: “It’s a spirit-lifter, the guys are geed up. I think everyone is in good spirits for the next game.”
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who failed twice in the Port of Spain Test, has slipped to 17th but is the highest-ranked West Indies batsman in the charts topped by Australian stroke-maker Steve Smith. In the bowling rankings, part-time off-spinner Roston Chase’s second innings haul of four for 15 has earned him a four-place jump to 51st. Speedster Shannon Gabriel has moved up one place to 23rd to be the highest-ranked Windies bowler following his four wickets while Holder also jumped one place to 35th.England seamer Jimmy Anderson is number one on the list.
Beyonce (left) with her team mates at Nationals last year. (photo taken from her facebook page)
low the family since Beyoncé’s elder brother Keith Ross was left crippled in 2015 after being involved
in motor vehicle accident. When contacted for an update yesterday morning Mrs Clarke revealed the bad
news but said “God knows best”. The Funeral is tentatively set for Sunday in Berbice. RIP Beyoncé.
RHTY&SC to host Annual Cricket Academy and Republic Bank Educational Camp The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS is preparing for a very hectic July/August, 2018 period when schools across Guyana would be on vacation. Guyana’s most dynamic youth and sports organisation would be hosting over 40 major activities during the holidays for youths. The two major programmes that the ten cricket teams of the Club would be hosting in July/August, 2018 are the 28th Annual Cricket Academy and the 12th Annual Republic Bank Summer Camp. Asst Secretary Simon Naidu stated that the Cricket Academy would be held from Monday 9th to Friday 20th July, 2018, at the Area ‘H’ Ground. The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club would be catering for one hundred youths between the ages of twelve to eighteen years old. Sixty Club Members would be part of the Cricket Academy while forty non members would be accepted. The Academy would be conducted by Level III Coach Winston Smith with the assistance of several Pre Level One Coaches from the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club. The Club would provide all the necessary cricket gears and educational materials for the Academy, while the top performers would also be
Simon Naidu the RHTYSC Asst Secretary/CEO honoured. The eighteen years old Asst Secretary stated that the main objectives of the two weeks Cricket Academy are to make sure that every Club Member is properly prepared to play the game, that they understand their roles as Ambassadors of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and are educated about the rules and tradition of cricket. Parents interested in having their children enrolled in the Academy can call Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster on 337-4562 to do so. The five weeks Republic Bank Holiday Camp would also start on Monday 9th July,
at the Area ‘H’ Office of the Club. The main aim of the Camp is to assist Primary School Students to make a successful transition to Secondary School when the new school year begins in September. The Camp would cater for 50 students who recently wrote the National Grade Six Exams and would be conducted by a Senior Educator. Students would be taught Maths, English A, English B, Social Studies, Geography and Basic Spanish. They would also be involved in a series of lectures on topics of importance to them including Peer Pressure, Importance of Education, Choosing Friends, Personal Hygiene and Public Manners. The Holiday Camp participants would also be involved in basic Cricket Coaching with the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS Coaching Staff as part of the Club’s S a y Ye s t o S p o r t s Programme. Naidu disclosed that the Club is currently accepting applications from students for the Camp with priority being given to those from the R o s e H a l l To w n , P o r t Mourant, Tain, Belvedere and Cropper Primary Schools. Application forms are available at the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Area ‘H’ Office.
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Tuesday June 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
Third Annual Albert Rose Memorial Cycle Road Race
Paul DeNobrega, Briton John, Junior Niles, Gordon Spencer and Shenika Teixeira are category winners
Cyclists showcase their trophies following the presentation ceremony. Evolution Cycle Club’s Paul De Nobrega, Briton John (United We Stand CC), Junior Niles (Team Coco’s), Gordon Spencer (Evolution CC) and Trojan CC’s Shenika Teixeira came out as the respective senior, junior, veterans under & over-45and female winner when the Third edition of the Albert Rose Memorial 60-mile Cycle Road Race was contested in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden on Sunday last.De Nobrega who sprinted away with three primes,
crossed the finish line in a time of 2:43:37 to win the contest from Jamal John, Cortis Dey, Briton John, Junior Niles and Silvio Inniss who capped off the top six positions. Deeraj Garbarran also won three primes with Rastaf O’Selmo copping two. The starting and finish line was outside Gregory Variety Store, Republic Avenue. Competitors traversed all the way to Moblissa Hill on the Linden Soesdyke Highway and repeated this course for three
times. John was followed to the line on the junior clash by Adealie Hodge and Ajay Gopilall. Niles won his segment of the race from Warren ‘Forty’ Mc Kay and Jaikarran Sookhai, while Spencer got the better of Ian ‘Deaf Boy’ Jackson and Garfield Lorimer. On the distaff side, Teixeira was the best with the 2nd and 3rd places occupied by Abigale Jeffery and Cliveica Spencer. There was also a number of BMX races and the
results are as follows: BMX 12-14 - 1st Jaheme Henry, 2nd Shaquille Dow, 3rd Mark Lewis. BMX 6-9 - 1st Jhai Lewis, 2nd Javin Henry. BMX 9-12 -1st Shaquelle Dow, 2nd Jaheme Henry, 3rd Mark L e w i s . The event was held in memory of former Linden and Guyana cyclist Mr. Albert Rose who made his name in the 70’s and 80’s; he was also the Founder and President of Hurricane Cycle and Athletic Club which was founded in
Paul DeNobrega receiving his trophy from Joan Rose, wife of the late Albert Rose. 1988. The passionate sports lover was also integrally involved in the birth of Topp XX FC which became one of the nation’s best exponents of ball weaving. Other sponsors that contrib-
uted towards the success of the event were Clear Waters, Bernard’s Variety Store, Mc Rae’s Supermarket, Cody Taxi Service, Foreign Links, Semple and Sons and the Anthony family.
Hamilton relieved, thankful Law backs in-form after fifth place finish Powell to strike it big
MONTREAL, Canada, CMC – Gratitude was the only word on Lewis Hamilton’s lips after he survived engine problems to finish fifth in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. His Mercedes struggled with cooling issues at the start and after an early pit stop, Hamilton lacked power for the remainder of the race as polesitter and nemesis Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari took victory. “I could have lost a lot more points today. [I’m] super grateful that I finished. I’m just so happy that I finished,” the defending World champion said. “We’ve got to do more. We’ve got to keep working, which I know the guys are, and I think we just need to stay positive. “There’s no reason to lose control or anything like that. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, keep our heads down and keep motivated, keep pushing because [Ferrari] will falter. “We’ll keep applying the pressure. We didn’t apply the pressure this weekend, but I’m really going to make sure I
Lewis Hamilton … relieved after finishing fifth in Montreal. come back strong in the next race.” Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, had little headaches in contrast, finishing second after securing a share of front row on Saturday. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third while teammate Daniel Ricciardo trailed in fourth. Hamilton said finishing among the points was a relief especially since he drove the entire race expecting the engine to fail. “From the start, I was
down on … power and my engine was saying it was over temperature and I couldn’t get the temperatures down,” he explained. “I just thought it was going to fail, and every single lap, I was kind of on the edge waiting for the power to drop away and disappear, because it kept dropping and coming back and dropping.” Vettel took over the points standings with the victory, relegating Hamilton to second spot but just one point behind on 120.
Stylish left-hander Kieran Powell. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies head coach, Stuart Law, expects stylish left-hander Kieran Powell to convert one of his many starts into a hundred very soon. The 28-year-old has endured a frustrating run since his return to the Test scene last year following a threeyear self-imposed break, getting a number of decent starts
but managing just three halfcenturies.Powell looked set to break the jinx in the opening Test against Sri Lanka but fell agonising short of three figures on 88 in the second innings.“It’s just a shame he got out the way he did. He was playing so well – using his feet to the spinners and driving down the ground straight against the quicks,” Law said. “He’s go-
ing to hurt someone soon, let’s hope it’s in the next Test match that he gets a big hundred. That would be great for him and great for the team of course.” Powell has three Testmatch hundreds – two coming in his 12th Test against Bangladesh six years ago in Dhaka – along with five half-centuries (Contininued on page 27)
Kaieteur News
Tuesday June 12, 2018
CBC C/ships warm-up
A
fter losing their first match to Barbados by 17 points due to nervousness, the Guyanese got rid of all the 'nerves' and won the remaining two games to take the three-game friendly series away to Barbados 2-1.The games which were used as a warmup for the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships which tip off in Paramaribo, Suriname next week will see participation from both teams. Heading into Sunday night's final game at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, the series was level and the visitors played with intent with a reasonable and loud backing from some
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Guyana defeat Barbados in game three to take series 2-1 Barbados based Guyanese fans. Guyana's 18-year-old Captain Stanton Rose led from the front with 15 points inclusive of three three-pointers from five attempts, while Ray Victor netted 13 points inclusive of one three-pointer from six attempts. Orland Glasgow scored 11 points, while 19-yearold Travis Belgrave in his first game of the series swooshed eight points inclusive of one threepointer from one attempt for Guyana.Junior Moore (13 points) and Andre Lockhart (10 points) were the main scorers for the losing Barbados side. At the CBC tournament in Suriname, the Guyanese Men are in Group A, with
Some of the Guyanese fans waving the Golden Arrowhead at the Sir Garfield Sports Complex during game three. hosts and rivals Suriname, St Lucia, Grenada and St
Vincent and the Grenadines, while Group B
comprises Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua &
Barbuda, Haiti and Montserrat.
BCB acquires Overseas sponsorship Bramble to lead Windies 'B' in for Joseph ‘Reds” Perreira visit in July Canada T20 league Rutherford also included Plans by the Berbice Cricket Board to host International Cricket Commentator and outstanding Sports A d m i n i s t r a t o r, J o s e p h ‘Reds’ Perreira, has received a major boost with a financial donation from an overseas based Berbician Mr. Vernon Thorne. The former New Amsterdam resident donated (US$500) $100,000 to the Berbice Cricket Board for the visit, while another New York based Guyanese has agreed to stand the cost of the remainder of the visit. The handing over ceremony for the second donation would be done next week when the sponsor returns home from a vacation. Both donations were obtained through the tireless hard work of Berbice Cricket Board Liaison Officer in the United States, Oscar Ramjeet. Ramjeet is an Attorney-at-Law and former Secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board in 1964. Berbice Cricket Board President Hilbert Foster stated that the legendary Guyanese Cricket Commentator would be in Berbice from the 18th to 22nd July, 2018. He would arrive at the Ogle Airport via Liat Flight on the 18th July, at 14.30 hours and then make his way to the Ancient County. The main objectives of the five days visit are to educate Cricket Administrators of their roles and duties, to assist all
Vernon Thorne
cricket clubs in Berbice to get properly organised with Management Structures, to educate young cricketers on the history and traditions of the game and to inspire all Stakeholders of Berbice Cricket to greater success. Perreira would have meetings with Berbice Cricket Board Executives, Female Cricketers, Umpires Association and Senior Cricketers. He would also be involved in an all day Stakeholders Conference on Saturday 21st July, at the St. Francis Community Developers Training Centre. The Berbice Cricket Board would also be honouring their guest in a special way o n F r i d a y 2 0 t h J u l y. Courtesy calls would also be made to the Regional Chairman and Mayors in Region 6.
Foster expressed confidence that the visit would be of great benefit to Berbice Cricket and most importantly, would achieve all of its objectives. He expressed gratitude to Thorne and Ramjeet for their support of Berbice Cricket. Vernon Thorne expressed delight to been given the opportunity to support the Ancient County and expressed confidence that Berbice Cricket would once again rise to the top. Ramjeet stated that he is a proud Berbician and readily agreed to assist when he was approached by the Berbice Cricket Board President. Perreira in an invited comment stated that he was looking forward to the visit and was delighted to be of assistance to the Berbice Cricket Board.
Cricket West Indies now has a WINDIES B squad. That is the squad that has been assembled to travel to Canada for the inaugural Global T20 Canada League which will run from June 28 to July 15. The international tournament is set to attract other elite T20 players from across globe, but Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams thinks “this is a great opportunity for players to feed into the organization's wider high-performance program which looks to develop all-round skills sets of the players and officials.” Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne has said “with our Test and A Teams currently on tour, the Global T20 presents an opportunity for the panel to see some of our developing players in the region. The exposure and added development will assist us with identifying players with the potential to develop into international T20 cricketers.”
Anthony Bramble
Sherfane Rutherford
This WINDIES B squad is: Anthony Bramble (Captain), Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Roland Cato, Justin Greaves, Derval Green, Kavem Hodge, Brandon King, Jeremiah Louis, Obed Mcoy, Khary Pierre, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Shamar Springer The Team Management Unit includes: Stuart Williams – Coach, Roderick Estwick – Coach, Denis
Byam – Physiotherapist, Cyril Cox – Strength and Conditioning Trainer, Trent Sargeant – Analyst The Global T20 Canada league will see 22 matches played in a round-robin format followed by playoffs and the championship match to be held on July 15. All contests will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club in Toronto. The contingent is set to leave the region on June 14.
rt o p S
Six-member Grenada team confirmed for Schoolboy boxing tournament P. 30
Some of the participants of the Pepsi Mike Parris Under-16 competition held on Saturday at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym.
Echevarria produces huge National School’s leap in Cycling Champ Stockholm Beyoncé Ross dies Guyana defeat Barbados in game three to take series 2-1 P. 30
Juan Miguel Echevarria of Cuba competes to win the men’s long jump event. (TT News Agency/ Christine Olsson via REUTERS)
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Dowrich leaps 20 spots in ICC batting charts Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.