Thursday Edition June 26, 2014 - Vol. 7 No. 25
Online readership yesterday 106,595
Price $80 (VAT Inclusive)
Online: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Indian contractor buys major components from US US$4M pumps…
In Pursuit of Order: Concrete blocks replacing demarcation lines at Stabroek Minibus Park yesterday.
GPL gets financing Luncheon’s Guyana Personal expects FATF nod for US$65M Assistant modernization project granted to waive - new transformers, hiring of managers, meter bail on theft blacklisting technology targeted charge Cost of Amaila Falls Road skyrocketing…
Final section alone pegged at US$13.5M
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Guyana expects FATF to waive blacklisting By Gary Eleazar Guyana will today learn its fate on whether the country will be blacklisted internationally following a review by the Financial Action Taskforce (FAFT) which began meeting on Monday. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday updated members of the media on the international review. Guyana is being represented by Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira. Despite the odds currently stacked against Guyana based on a report submitted by the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce (CFATF) that documented the country’s failure to pass the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism ( A M L / C F T ) B i l l , D r. Luncheon is still hopeful for a positive outcome. Teixeira has said to the
… after Gail Teixeira’s appeal to plenary government that a public statement by FAFT on the Guyana review and its decision would be made by today at the earliest. Teixeira addressed the plenary on Monday and according to Dr. Luncheon her presentation would have revolved around the uniqueness of Guyana’s situation where the government wants the compliant legislation passé, but it is the intransigent opposition that has refused its passage. According to Dr. Luncheon, the plenary considered her contribution in the context of the contribution that came from CFATF and its report to the plenary. He said that there is an expectation that FAFT’s decision would recognize the uniqueness of Guyana’s situation. A c c o r d i n g t o D r. Luncheon, given Guyana’s situation, FATF will have to
operate “outside the box” in coming to a decision on whether to blacklist Guyana internationally or not. Confronted with the fact that CFATF, when it made its decision against Guyana it did not delink Government from the legislature, Dr. Luncheon said, “I would dance with the devil to get C FAT F c o m p l i a n t legislation enacted…Hope beats eternally.” He conceded that there will be persons who would question the optimism. Given the intransigence of the opposition being the major hurdle, there is some merit in not being optimistic, “but we are made of strong stuff.” Dr. Luncheon said that Teixeira’s journey to the plenary in Paris, along with other efforts to get CFATF compliant legislation enacted, will not be daunted by reversals along the way.
“We just have to keep on struggling.” He said that it would be virtually intolerable for Guyana to be blacklisted internationally for failing to enact compliant legislation. The 36 members of FATF and representatives f r o m t h e FAT F - S t y l e Regional Bodies began meeting in Paris for the third and final plenary meeting under the presidency of Vladimir Nechaev of the Russian Federation. FATF sets standards and promotes effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF Plenary is the decision-making body of the FATF and is supported by a number of working groups.
Dr. Roger Luncheon
Items on the agenda of this week’s Plenary includes, the review of the implementation of measures taken by countries who remain in the ‘follow-up process’ to address deficiencies identified in their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures during the last round of mutual evaluation reports. The FATF plenary is also looking to identify jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT system and review progress made by
jurisdictions that had been identified at the February 2014 Plenary. It is also set to review and adopt typologies reports on methods and trends in money laundering and terrorist financing, including the report on the risk of terrorist abuse of the nonprofit sector. The plenary is also to engage with the FATF-Style Regional Bodies through the Global Network Co-ordination Group to ensure effective global implementation of the r e v i s e d F AT F recommendations.
Bargaining over AML Bill for compromise is democratic
U
sing the Antim o n e y Laundering Bill to negotiate or bargain is nothing new in the democratic process. “It is not only acceptable, but it is the very essence of democracy,” United States Ambassador to Guyana, Dr Brent Hardt, said on Tuesday. He was asked to comment on what appears to be the use of the outstanding Bill by the Opposition parties to have their various requests met by the Government. Ambassador Hardt said that it is through this very process that Bills get through any legislature; it is the process of compromise; give and take, he explained. The Ambassador added that when US President Barack Obama announced his historic health care Bill, what emerged was far different from what he had originally put forward and he was lucky to get (some 60 percent) of what he had originally set out to accomplish. Nevertheless, Hardt
– US Ambassador continued, the Bill has opened new venues for some Americans who can now access health coverage. “I don’t think that one can say that any Bill is beyond negotiation and compromise. At the same time, the Anti-Money Laundering Bill is very important.” Amb. Hardt said that the agency, during late 2012, had been instrumental in engagements bringing to the attention of the government and private sector the impending implications of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). It highlighted some deficiencies for some of the reviews running. He said that was the reason for organizing in April 2013,
public engagements on money laundering. Hardt said President Donald Ramotar was also present and the agency sought to bring technical expertise to look at the whole investigative process. “The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), while there initially, did not engage actively in that (investigative aspect) even though that was part of its purpose; and to me that highlighted some of the challenges Guyana faces.” “It is not only the passage of the legislation, because it’s really to
strengthen the investigative capacity. You can have all the legislation you want, but unless you actually use it and take the information that the FIU collects and in an interagency setting develop an investigation which could be turned over to the prosecutor for a case, you’re really, just wasting your time.” Hardt said that in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities there have been very effective in using money laundering laws to go after drug traffickers. “That’s actually one of the best ways to go after ‘the bigger fish’ because you can catch a lot of people at the airports and the ports but you
US Ambassador Brent Hardt really need to get after those who are organizing it and I think money laundering laws should give you the opportunity to do that if you have an effective investigative capacity.”
He added that investigative capacity is not something that Guyana needs to wait for from a Bill. “The (authorities) could be working on that and (Continued on page 15)
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Why let the calendar determine when we should retire? DEAR EDITOR, The recent letter titled: “Raising the Retirement Age” written by my long-time friend and highly respected professional colleague in Human Resource Management, Mr E.B. John, brought to the fore, once more, the issue of an appropriate retirement age for Guyanese, who are variously required to retire at 55 or 60 or 65 years of age. Given the paucity of skills, experiences and competencies required for the development of Guyana, I am, as I have always been, amazed at our rigid adherence to the practice of allowing the calendar (i.e. a pre-determined specified date) to decide when we should retire, as
opposed to basing the retirement decision on more relevant factors like health, ability, willingness and performance appraisal etc of the Staff member and the continuing need for his/her competency. Generally speaking, there are certain common characteristics among various age groups; similarly, there are significant individual differences within each age group. Simply put, there are some 65+ years old persons who are fitter, more efficient/productive/ effective than their 55+years old counterparts; similar comparisons can be made among septuagenarians and octogenarians. In recognition of these discernable differentials and for
good commonsensical, pragmatic, needs-based considerations, more advanced companies/ countries with betterendowed Human Resources have already opted for openended retirement age to take advantage of optional retirement after age 60 years. I believe Guyana will benefit significantly from a more needand performance-based approach to retention and retirement of competent staff. (I do not wish to personalize the debate, but in all humility, I am proud of the fact that at 77 years old, I feel and know from several unsolicited feedback that I am as productive and effective as I was decades ago!). Nowrang Persaud
The new passport regulation... From page 4 without paying thousands to travel to Georgetown to be sent home empty-handed. Their applications will be made in their regions and their passport will be processed in Georgetown using the same old system we had many years ago. After 48 years of Independence, to obtain a simple birth certificate has been a great problem. All the applications are done at GPOC then they go through old, dead, wornout books searching for applicants’ names. This again must be decentralized to the various regions to ease the paper work pressure. In this age of computers and the internet, passport applications should be done online; after payment a receipt is given to the applicant to be taken to their nearest Birth Certificate office to obtain their birth certificates. What’s the big deal to computerize this nation’s births with less than a million people? My next point: if these new laws are implemented then it should be in the passport form and be posted all over the media and pasted at schools, libraries, hospitals etc. to sensitize the Guyanese public. I have birth certificates for myself and families many years in brand new condition. Why is it that I have to get a new birth certificate for my child to get a simple passport? Then the other problem at GPOC is folks working there always spelling people’s names wrong and in some cases give them completely different names. I applied for a birth certifi-
cate three times for an old lady at my church. GPOC claimed the lady was never registered. I took the lady to them after she showed them her ID card, stating that she had an old red birth certificate but it was damaged. They found her name and mailed me the birth certificate one month later. To my amazement, they gave the lady a completely new first name. My last name on the envelope they called me ‘Leal’’ instead of Cecil. I wonder how many folks working at GPOC passed three subjects including English Language. I am thoroughly convinced we are governed by modern illiterates. This whole issue about this new law about a six months old birth certificate for a first applicant passport should be reviewed and a Bill should be tabled in parliament and approved before this unjust, ridiculous law is approved. Our present administrators make and break so
many laws they themselves cannot uphold. How many of our Ministers in government will wait two months for a birth certificate to get them a new passport? If my parent dies in the USA and I don’t have a passport, it means I can’t travel unless I have a new birth certificate. Can our erudite Minter of Legal Affairs tell me why this entire nation has to travel to Georgetown for a passport and birth certificate? How do we compare ourselves with our Caribbean neighbours? Who will compensate people travelling from Essequibo, Berbice, Linden, Lethem etc. to be turned down for their passport? They should file a lawsuit to be compensated for their expenses. I am thoroughly convinced that we are a nation behind human civilization when I compare our nation with countries I have been to. May God help us. Rev. Gideon Cecil
Children have feelings too DEAR EDITOR, In recent times we have seen an increase in the abuse of teachers, which is most disgusting, and needs to be addressed. While children face penalties such as suspension, detention and expulsion, there seems to be no change of behaviour. It has become incumbent upon the Ministry of Education to get to the root cause. I strongly believe that teachers are under immense pressure in keeping up with their curricula, their personal lives, etc. Our teachers are often referred to as “Nation Builders”, which cannot be denied, they often work hard, sometimes with little reward and all of these sometimes add to the pressure and may result in teachers becoming frustrated, angry and losing self-control. Not forgetting the removal of corporal punishment which was once the main tool used by teachers to correct inappropriate behaviours. The removal of corporal punishment from schools seems to cause teachers to feel powerless and a lack of control over students to facilitate discipline. This leads to teachers having to resort to other methods to curb indisciplined conduct of children in school. What was shocking to me are the treacherous remarks belched out at children if
found wanting, at a leading Secondary school on the East Bank of Demerara. At the last parent conference, we were shocked that some teachers call children belittling names and make disparaging remarks - one such was a male teacher saying to a fourteen-year-old student, “don’t smile with me, I don’t go in for li’l girls”. What a nasty and suggestive statement coming from a teacher to a student. It sickens my stomach to hear that a teacher who should be a second parent to a child would stoop to such lewdness. Another child was hit in his back and had to visit the doctor, while another was told that “his mother wiped his mouth with (you could imagine)”. There are so many more, but only the misdemeanours of children are highlighted, but not those teachers who are found in error. As a parent I am well aware that not all teachers engage in this kind of misconduct, but there are a few thorns among the wheat. Children feel as though teachers have no love and feelings for them, which may not very well be so, but if teachers continue to create an atmosphere of humiliation, then our children will resent them. Children are people too, just like adults, and because they are children they are subjected to insults and humiliation. A school
should be teacher- and childfriendly, where the rights of both teachers and students are not violated. Apparently teachers have a voice and they can speak out at any time, but children are to be seen and not heard. While we don’t want to raise disrespectful children, we want them to be assertive and enabled to bravely speak out when their rights are being disregarded. I do not intend to cause any child to feel it is right to disrespect teachers, but if we only punish the children and not address the teachers, then we will be cutting off branches from a tree, while its root remains and the problem is sustained. We do not want our children to be afraid of their teachers, but to respect them. Sadly they are fearful of teachers punishing them, but they do not respect them because of the verbal and psychological abuse meted out to them. I was once proud that my child was part of this school, when he was awarded a place after writing the National Grade Six Assessment. It now seems a nightmare, as children resent going to this place of learning and academic development. I wish that the Ministry of Education can look into the issues students and parents are faced with at this Secondary School. It no longer seems to be a school but a boot camp. Every Citizen is a child protector. Concerned Parent
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
All NIS contributions filed electronically
Murders, armed robberies skyrocket
…verification to commence in July – Dr. Luncheon
- despite overall decline in serious crimes
The days when staff at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) would have to delve through piles of contributions records should come to an end by December. The verification process for the computerized records is expected to start early next month. This was revealed yesterday by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly press conference. Dr. Luncheon said that the December 31, 2014 deadline was issued by Cabinet to the National Insurance Scheme and specifically to the board and management, to have all outstanding contribution records updated, uploaded and placed on the NIS data management system. The end of June report provided to Cabinet included the rather important developments of the almost complete data entry of outstanding contributions records. The Cabinet Secretary also noted that there were literally millions of these
contribution records that were on paper. By the end of June, the NIS management confirmed that all of the contributions records would have been electronically entered into their database. He said, “That leaves the time beginning July to December to concentrate on the verification of the data and this is endlessly more challenging. It extends to inputs wide ranging not only staff, not only individual contributors, employers, but all of them would have to play an incisive role were the December 31 deadline to be met for 100 percent verification.” “Cabinet was advised about timely resourcing of this effort. The dedication of the work force had been distracted into other not as important scheme functioning and responsibilities. For Cabinet purposes the steering committee was established weekly to monitor the implementation of that plan,” Dr. Luncheon noted. He also said that it is with some optimism that Cabinet
and particularly that sector are looking forward to the completion of this important task of computerization of all outstanding information. When asked whether the ten years of missing contributions were recovered and placed into the computerized system, Dr. Luncheon said, “I would say that these contributions records have now been converted. I wouldn’t say every one of the 15 million outstanding was converted. “The manual search for paper records to process benefits has definitely frustrated contributors and contributed to the thousands of appeals and some of them are still sitting in the system for as long as I have been there. This should have been done a long time ago but this time we want to ensure that it is done so properly and everything is done on the basis of data base system so that the days of tumbling up an office and looking for specific records after December 2014 would be history.”
The murder of Joyce Lewis remains unsolved Despite significant increases in murders and armed robberies the Guyana Police Force is reporting an overall decline in the number of serious crimes reported up to the end of May this year. Figures released yesterday by the Police Public Relations Department show that there was a 12 percent increase in the
Errol Khan number of murders compared to the same period last year, while robbery under arms skyrocketed by 27 percent for the same time span. According to the police there were 58 murders for the period in question, compared with 52 for the same period last year. There were 473 armed robberies up to May 31 2014, compared with 372 for the same period last year. The use of firearms during robberies also increased by a whopping 33 percent compared to May month end last year. The statistics revealed that Georgetown and its environs and the interior locations accounted for most of the murders —- with 17 apiece. Essequibo and the West Demerara district accounted
for the fewest— one murder each so far. There were significant increases in the number of murders committed during robberies as well as domestic murders. There were also increases in two other categories of serious crimes although there was an overall decrease of five percent in the total number of serious criminal offences reported up to May 31. The total number of serious crimes reported for the period mentioned was 1523, compared with 1605 for the same period in 2013. Among the serious crimes policed by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping. This year saw the return of kidnapping; that of Foulis, East Coast Demerara businessman Rajendra ‘Sunil’ Singh in April. A $25M ransom was demanded. His body was subsequently dumped in the Le Repentir Cemetery. Meanwhile the Police Force is taking the opportunity to remind the public of measures that can be taken in order to avoid being easy targets for criminals. Among them are “(1) Do not ignore the presence of strange vehicles and Continued on page 24
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Cameron under fire from Labour, judge in UK hacking scandal (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron came under fire yesterday both in parliament and from a senior judge after a court convicted his ex-media chief for being part of a phone-hacking conspiracy. Labour MPs demanded Cameron explain why he had ignored warnings in hiring Andy Coulson, while the judge who presided over the phone-hacking trial criticised him for commenting publicly on the case before the jury had delivered all its verdicts. Coulson, who ran Cameron’s media operations from 2007-2011, faces a jail term after the jury at London’s Old Bailey court found him guilty on Tuesday of the phone-hacking charges. The conviction for offences committed when Coulson was still a newspaper editor forced the prime minister to make an abject apology on Tuesday for hiring him in the first place, even though the jury was still considering verdicts on two other charges.
With just under a year to go before a national election the Labour party is trying to use the case to argue that Cameron, the leader of the ruling Conservative party, lacks good judgment and doesn’t listen to advice from others. It has criticised Cameron for hiring and retaining Coulson, even though he had already resigned from the News of the World tabloid when two of its employees were jailed in the scandal. Their activity involved the hacking of voicemails left on the phones of celebrities, politicians and crime victims, in the hunt for exclusive stories. Labour contend that Cameron wanted Coulson in order to curry favour with media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and his British media outlets, which included the now defunct News of the World.In sometimes heated exchanges in parliament, Labour leader Ed Miliband repeatedly called Cameron’s judgment into question,
accusing him of disregarding warnings about Coulson from the media and colleagues. Cameron, he said, did not have any answers to a series of troubli n g q u e s t i o n s about the scandal. “Today we know that for four years the prime m i n i s t e r ’s h a n d - p i c k e d closest adviser was a criminal and brought disgrace to Downing Street. We now also know that the prime minister wilfully ignored multiple warnings about him,” said Miliband, referring to the British leader ’s central London office. Cameron told parliament he was sorry he had hired and then retained Coulson on the basis of assurances that had since been shown to be false. “I take full responsibility for employing Andy Coulson, I did so on the basis of assurances that I received. I am sorry, this was the wrong decision,” he said.
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Antigua opposition will boycott first sitting of Parliament – Spencer ST. JOHN’S, Antigua CMC – The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) says it will boycott the first sitting of the new Parliament since the June 12 general election after claiming that it had not been given adequate notice of the sitting. Parliament was due to meet yesterday to elect a Speaker as well as a Deputy Speaker and for legislators to take their oath of office. But UPP leader and former prime minister Baldwin Spencer said that he had only been informed of the sitting on Monday. Spencer has written to the Clerk of Parliament, Ramona Small, indicating that the opposition would not be present at the sitting. “I wish formally to inform that a sitting of the House requires, by Standing Order 8(4), at least seven days notice which must be given by your good self. “In the circumstance, it would be unreasonable to expect us to participate in the sitting of Parliament, which on its face is unconstitutional,
Baldwin Spencer illegal and in breach of the Standing Orders of Parliament,” Spencer wrote, adding that it was a misconception to believe that the meeting of the House did not constitute a sitting because its purpose was only to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker. “Every meeting of the House is a sitting, whatever the business to be conducted, and the election of a Speaker (and a Deputy Speaker) is a necessary formality…” Spencer wrote.
But Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who led his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP) to a landslide victory in the June 12 poll, has described the UPP’s position as unwarranted and churlishness. Prime Minister Browne also described the Opposition Leader’s actions as unjustified. “Getting done the business of the people by taking an oath is not a burdensome requirement. The exercise will not require you to read any proposed legislation or to debate any bill. There will likely be congratulatory statements only which is likely last no more than sixty minutes,” Browne wrote. “Your letter displays an unwarranted churlishness unbecoming of you, Sir. It clearly suggests that you intend to have a belligerent relationship with the majority; yet, your words, issued on the morning of June 13, when it was apparent that the Government was sure to be in different hands – suggested that you would be taking a different path.”
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
JFJ sex-ed controversy deepens … Children’s homes received money for training KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Child Development Agency (CDA) has found that there were several breaches of Jamaican regulations when a controversial sex education programme was implemented in six privately-run children’s homes. It has also found that the homes each received a monetary contribution from the Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) for the use of their premises for the training, without the approval of the Youth Minister, Lisa Hanna. The findings of the CDA are contained in an interim report dated June 20 presented to Hanna, who has responsibility for children’s homes. According to the report, the administrators of the homes flouted the regulations of the Child Care and Protection Act when they allowed the JFJ training programme without the approval of the minister. Where educational programmes are provided at the home, the licensee shall ensure that(a) those programmes are in accordance with a curriculum approved by the Minister; (b) any substantial deviation from the approved curriculum is entered in the daily journal and a notification
Lisa Hanna thereof is sent forthwith to the Minister; (c) a copy of the timetable for each programme is conspicuously displayed at the home. The interim reports notes that as part of an investigation, CDA monitoring officers conducted a preliminary focus group session at the homes found that the children were exposed to the controversial material that promoted oral and anal sex. This contradicts the claim of Randy Finnikin, the chairman of Sunbeam Children’s Home, who has insisted that the controversial module was not taught at his facility. “Information gleaned from the sessions confirmed that the material was
delivered,” read an excerpt from the report. It continued: “The children expressed varying views on the materials presented. For example one child said that ‘I was taught that anal sex is not healthy for the body but if one wants to have anal sex it is his rights and no one should try to hurt that individual’.” The report also notes that administrators of the children’s home gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs. But at no time did the administrators inform the CDA or the Youth Minister, as required by the Child Care and Protection (Children’s Homes) Regulations, 2007. In light of the breaches identified, Hanna has asked the directors of the homes to respond t o t h e f i n d i n g s within seven days. The training programme entitled “Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly: JFJ ’s P i l o t Intervention in Children’s Homes” was taught at: The Alpha Boys Home; St. John Bosco; Jamaica National Children’s Home; Sunbeam Children’s Home f o r B o y s ; E l s i e Bemand Home for Girls and Best Care Foundation.
Grenada expects IMF “thumbs up” for fiscal policies ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has told Grenadians that he expects the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to give the thumbs up to the “Home Grown” fiscal policies of his administration when it meets today. The Mitchell administration has embarked on a three-year programme that is aimed at turning around an ailin g economy and reducing the island’s low growth and high debt, estimated at more than two billion EC dollars (One EC Dollar = US$0.37 cents). Mitchell, addressing the latest Constituency Forum at Carriacou, said he expects the Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d financial institution to make its first disbursement one day after the executive meeting today. “From all indications we expect a positive adoption of the Grenada programme”, Mitchell
told the gathering, adding “when I asked how soon we can expect resources; they say two to three days after you will receive the first tranche that was promised” The government said it expects to receive US$21.9 million from the IMF by the end of this month under the structural adjustment progarmme it has with t h e Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d financial institution. Mitchell told the Carriacou meeting that his administration is also expecting financial assistance from the World Bank and the European Union (EU), whose boards are also meeting in July to endorse the programme. “The World Bank had promised to give us US$10 million a year for the three years of the program; but because of what they have noticed- the significant steps that government has taken to correct the situation, instead of giving
us US$10 million, they say they will now give us US$15 million, which is approximately EC$40 million; and that will come very soon to this country. “The Caribbean Development Bank has already indicated a positive endorsement of our programme; and they will release US$10 million, or approximately EC$ 27 million dollars”, Mitchell said, indicating that support is also assured from the European Union, which is providing grant support of a significant nature. “In other words sisters and brothers the program will result in significant cash to the country that is a big positive,” he said, adding “in addition to the cash, there will be at least US$ 100 million for d e v e l o p ment activities. We w i l l b e g e t t i n g significant development assistance, which goes to the heart of growth and development in the country”.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
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BETTER NEEDS TO BE DONE! I have read the official response by the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) to complaints about the long waiting time experienced by consumers transacting business at its Main Street, location. I do not think that the GPL gets the point that is being made by those complaints. The GPL is contending that it has in place a ticketing system that ensures that persons are attended to in a non-discriminatory way. In effect when you go into the GPL’s Main Street Office you have to a take a number and when your number is called you will be attended to. The numbers run consecutively and therefore you will be attended before the person that comes after you. Fair enough! But that is not the point being made. The point is the long time it takes for your number to be called. The Peeper knows what he is talking about. It can at times take hours for your number to be called. You can also spend as long as forty-five
minutes in the line to pay your bill. The problem is a simple one. There are not enough persons to attend to the large numbers of persons to descend down on GPL on a daily basis. As many as two hundred persons can at times be in the Head Office of GPL. This is especially so when there is a disconnection campaign on. The bulk of the persons who go to GPL head office do so for two reasons. The first is to pay their bills and the second is to query their bills and to question why they were disconnected. The lines to pay your bills are always long and slow. The queue to query bills and arrange for reconnection can take a long time also. And the reason for this is that while there are a number of teller windows, not all are in use at the same time. The GPL has to address this problem by ensuring that at any one time all of the tellers are in place. You cannot run an efficient service to thousands of consumers unless all the tellers are in place. People have a psychological
aversion to waiting in lines. Burnham and Hoyte used to have people standing in line for hours on end for food. People do not like lines in Guyana. They bring back painful memories. The problem today with many public institutions in Guyana is that they do not see persons having to line up as a problem. In fact, there are some places where it gives some bureaucrats a sense of importance when they have persons waiting on them. There is also the related issue, also from the past, that many Government businesses tend to feel that it is the consumer who has to wait on them, rather than the other way around. As such, there is a terrible neglect of good customer service in government offices. I have seen, for example, in the past how immigration officials at the passport office talked down to persons applying for passports. I have seen silly regulations in that very office prohibiting the use of cell phones in the waiting area where hundreds of people gather each day. What sort of regulation is that?
Bail was yesterday set to the tune of $150,000 for a 23year-old labourer who hails from Calcutta, Mahaicony. The labourer, Kelvin Hodge, was charged for chopping an acquaintance on June 21, last. Hodge was charged for unlawfully and maliciously wounding Wendell Crawford with intent to maim, harm, disable or disfigure him on June 21 at Iwang Backdam, Mazaruni.
He pleaded not guilty. He is being represented by his lawyer, James Bond, who said that his client has no wife or children. Bond stated that the victim, Crawford, has been discharged from the hospital and that the altercation stemmed from what was described as a “ya me, ya you” situation. The lawyer explained that the complainant had his client
in a choke hold and pulled a knife on him. He said that his client, however, pulled a knife and struck him on his hands “to ensure his life was preserved.” There were no objections to bail from Police Prosecutor, Corporal Bharat Mangru. The case was transferred and is set to be called before Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court on July 4 for statements.
Labourer charged for chopping acquaintance
Dem boys seh...
Gee Nah producing people wid sticky hands Things really bad when Luncheon right hand get lock up and nobody ain’t even try to help he. De boy get ketch pun camera trying to get rich like some of he boss. He ain’t had access to de money from de treasury; he ain’t in a position fuh get kickbacks from dem contracts and he surely is no friend of Bharrat and de Bees fuh get a steady raise. So de boy decide fuh try he luck outside and get ketch. Dem boys seh that right away Luncheon tell de shop man that de boy deh pun he own. De story didn’t have to go suh far but Donald seh that he ain’t getting mix up wid any corrupt transaction. Three years back de boy would walk away from any charge because he boss woulda mek one phone call and that woulda be de end of de matter. A big one in Ohh Pee, when he hear de story, tell dem boys that when you mek you bed hard you got to lie pun it. De poor boy had to lie pun de floor in de Kitty lock ups. Dem boys want to know why he didn’t reach out to Kwame. After all dem is colleagues and birds of a feather. Kwame coulda reach out to
de boy. He might get blacklist like how de money laundering people planning to blacklist Guyana or like how some of de senior people at de Waterfalls paper get blacklist by dem boss. This thing happen to dem last week. Just like Guyana who fail to carry out instruction and pass de anti-money laundering Bill, dem senior people fail to complete de paper before dem head home. Now de boss man ain’t talking he have nutten to do wid dem. He blacklist dem. But fuh all that wuk still going on and nobody ain’t try a hustle like Luncheon pardner. It got to be that Gee Nah got a demon that does mek people get really attracted to money. Bharrat use to sit down and talk pun Gee Nah and he end up collecting nuff money. Brazzy, Ash Knee, Rob de Earth, Irfaat all of dem had de Gee Nah connection and dem rich. This li’l boy use to wuk wid Gee Nah too, just like Martin. He and Martin get ketch but de others get away. Talk half and watch you pocket wid people who wukking wid Gee Nah.
What security arrangement is being breached if someone makes a phone call while waiting to submit their passport application? At one stage an officer threatened an applicant who was waiting for hours that she would lose her turn simply because he felt she had answered her phone. That was some time ago, and I would hope that by now the concentration camp approach would have been abolished and more emphasis would be placed on serving the public in a timely manner. But back to GPL! The utility company should see everyone that comes into its Main Street office as its customers and regardless of whether that customer has defaulted the GPL should be bending over backwards to ensure that they are attended to promptly. People should
not have to stand in a long snaking line to pay their electricity bills. That should never happen. It does not require rocket science to solve this problem. It just requires a different approach to customer relations. The waiting time at the GPL Main Street office can be improved. But it also requires that there be different sections dealing with different complaints. And there should be trained persons directing customers to the section where they need to go. Each section should have its own numbering systems so that customers are attended to on first come, first serve basis. Customer service at its Head Office is one area where GPL has fallen down tremendously. But credit must be given where credit is due. There has been tremendous progress under the present Chief Executive Officer. GPL is the
only utility in Guyana where you can go on line and check the balance of your account. You cannot do that at the moment to check your landline telephone account or your water bill. You can only do it for GPL. Emergencies are also handled promptly. If you have a problem with your electricity supply and you file your report, you can bet that within a few hours, a GPL crew will be looking into the problem. So there are many things that are working commendably for the GPL. However, when it comes to the Main Street Office, better needs to be done!
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
The Rodney hearing: Moral desecration of the evil kind
One of the things we humans must at all times respect is the feeling, emotion and pain that stay with a victim and the victim’s family for the rest of their lives. You cannot understand trauma if you have not experienced it. At all times we must try to fathom what goes on in the mind of those who were victims of oppression. Could any human being
understand the pain Denise Dias has to live with everyday of her life? Can any human even attempt to comprehend what a mother goes through after she hears a crash, looks up the road, one block from where she lives and sees her daughter dead on the road? Denise Dias’ daughter was killed by an irresponsible motorist. Pain and death comes in many forms but the resulting mental torment and permanent emotional anguish are the same; they live on forever. I have a particular feeling of anger at those who demand an apology from the PNC for wrongs committed against the Guyanese people but are barefaced and morally obnoxious to deny an apology from the PPP for violence committed on others. So aren’t the victims of the PPP’s atrocity humans
that have families? For people like Dolly Hassan, I guess not. This was a long introduction to my position on Walter Rodney’s family request to the PPP Government to hold a judicial inquiry into the death of Walter more than 33 years after he was killed. I would like to think that you can’t blame a wife whose husband was murdered. I suppose you cannot blame children who lost a father. I know the way my own kid felt when I was attacked twice. Both times in the night and I had to come home to a grieving family. The family’s request then has to be seen in the context of trauma and trauma has no statute of limitation. But is it possible that the Rodney family played into the sinister hands of the PPP? My honest opinion is that I think it has.
But at a complex level I empathize with Patricia Rodney and her children. They know Walter was murdered and they want Guyanese history to identify and blame his killers and record it for generations to come. In asking for the commission, I think the Rodney family had not the remotest inkling that the commission would be used for the most sickening of propaganda purposes. The Rodney family has made a strategic blunder – it doesn’t know the nature of the PPP. If the Rodney family thinks the PPP are nice people it is wrong. The lust for power brings out the most uncivilized instincts in humans. But surely, the Rodney family must know that 22 years is a long, long time. Why did the PPP wait in 2014 when its hold on power is slipping, and slipping fast, too, to have the inquiry? Surely, it must have crossed the mind of the Rodney family that something was wrong in
that Walter’s son protested more than a decade ago in front of the office of the Attorney-General to have this judicial inquiry and he was ignored. Then an egregious factor crept in that the Rodney family found distasteful. Prime Minister Hinds seven years ago told the media that it was the Rodney family that asked for postponement of the commission to which the family quickly reacted with a denial. Why then in 2014? Because it suits the Machiavellian scheme of the PPP, I am saying to the Rodney family that the PPP is morally desecrating the name of Walter Rodney. I am saying to the Rodney family that this commission has more to do with power play by the PPP than finding the truth behind Walter’s death. Why does the Rodney family think the PPP cares about finding the truth? The PPP wants to scandalize the PNC and its history for narrow political purposes and it is happening at the inquiry. This does not in anyway
Frederick Kissoon take away from the fact that Walter was murdered by state agents and my opinion is, I believe, President Burnham was involved. But the PPP’s motive is not to expose Burnham but to put the PNC on trial for reasons of brutal realpolitik. And it is playing out in nasty ways. The headlines of the Chronicle and NCN are taken from the commission each day that the commission is sitting. Doesn’t that tell you something? Surely, the Rodney family cannot be that naïve. Let us put ourselves in the place of the family. The logic would be why should we care about the PPP’s political manipulation? We are concerned with exposing Walter’s killers. I hope the commission finds the killers but I doubt they will.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 11
GPL gets financing nod for US$65M modernization project - new transformers, hiring of managers, meter technology targeted
GPL has been approved US$65M for a massive project to improve its operational and administrative efficiency. In one of its largest programs to date, the stateowned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has been approved almost US$65M to help reduce losses while at the same time increase its efficiency. The project is designed to ready GPL for the coming of hydro-electric power. According to the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) yesterday, the US$64.573M program will be used to enhance operational efficiency of GPL, improve corporate performance and fund infrastructure investments to reduce overall losses. “This new program will rehabilitate approximately 830 kilometers of GPL’s distribution network by implementing an integral approach to tackle overall losses while strengthening GPL’s management and technical capabilities.” It may also include hiring of experts, possibly from outside of Guyana, to help make GPL more efficient. IDB approved loans totaling approximately US$37.6M and has also secured non-reimbursable
investment financing from the European Union totaling approximately US$26.9M. Specifically the monies will help boost the efficiency and reliability of Guyana’s power system through “electricity loss reduction measures, improvements in the operational capabilities, and strengthening the management and corporate performance of GPL.’ According to IDB, reducing overall electricity losses can improve GPL’s financial performance, while alleviating the government’s fiscal commitments with regards to the energy sector. IDB said that the country is expecting a significant increase in electricity consumption during the next decade as a result of the growth of its residential and commercial sectors and the expected return of large customers to the national power grid. CHALLENGES “GPL is now facing various challenges in trying to provide additional electricity on an efficient and reliable basis, which include
high levels of electricity losses. As Guyana’s energy demand increases, the distribution infrastructure will experience greater stresses, and in turn, this will challenge GPL’s management and its ability to manage electricity supply.” IDB said that its previous experience in Guyana and other countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region have proven the importance of approaching electricity loss reduction measures in a way that tackles both technical and commercial losses, while highlighting the value of supporting improvements in management practices and operational systems. “The Power Utility Upgrade Program (PUUP) is designed as a holistic, integrated approach to support GPL with financing for critical infrastructure investments and technical support for GPL’s key
business areas. This support should increase GPL’s overall performance, reinforce GPL’s operational capabilities, and the achievement of a sustained trend in overall loss reduction.” After implementation, IDB said that it expects GPL to record a sustained trend in overall loss reduction; an improved and accountable management performance against consistent key performance indicators and within minimum international standards and a more modern, efficient, and reliable operational system. Under the IDB’s Grant Leverage Mechanism, the program will be the first to be co-financed with resources and those to be provided on a non-reimbursable basis by the European Union’s Caribbean Investment Facility (CIF). The total estimated budget is US$64,573,000. The IDB’s financing will consist of up to US$22,500,000 in credit from Ordinary Capital loan resources for a 30-year term, a 6-year grace period. A second IDB credit will total up to US$15,141,750 Ordinary Capital/Fund for Special Operations “parallel loans” for a 40-year term with a 40-
year grace period. The European Union is expected to contribute •19,375,000 (equivalent to US$26,931,250) through a Project Specific Grant (PSG), which will be administered by the IDB. NEW TECHNOLOGY Earlier this year, GPL officials said the program will include the changing of old transformers, improving metering technology and a host of other interventions including hiring of qualified personnel. One component may very well be the introduction of concrete or steel posts to replace the largely aging and hard-to-get wallaba ones. To date, it will be among the most challenging of projects for GPL which over the years has been concentrating mostly on increasing its generation to meet growing demands. Because of the absence of cash, it had led to critical infrastructure, like
transmission lines and transformers being affected, with no new investments. There have been fears that GPL’s current infrastructure, because of its leaky lines, transformers and equipment, would not have been ready to take off increased power, including from any hydro electric project, leading to waste and losses. Theft of electricity has also been a major concern with the project expected to introduce new technology to address this. Currently, a new 26mw plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Demerara, is being built to meet growing demands from especially new housing schemes. Another transmission line project with seven new substations, to the tune of over US$40M, is being run along the coasts. The PUUP project would be seen as a major shift in GPL’s attention, from finding monies for new generators to improving its efficiency; reducing losses in the Continued on page 23
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Kaieteur News
Trainee Medics achieve 88 percent passes at Midwifery examinations While the worrying results of student nurses continue to be an issue of debate among healthcare providers, trainees of the National Medex programme have achieved an 88 per cent pass rate at their State Midwifery examinations. Officials expressed confidence in the batch of students. “We are extremely proud of the batch. Their performance at the exams was above average. Of 25 students, 23 passed; they did exceedingly well at the exams, which they wrote in May. But we knew that they would have succeeded because although they were quite fresh out of secondary school, all the students filled the necessary requirements of basic science subjects at CSEC and one year nurses training,” an Administrator attached to the programme said yesterday. The official explained that the training will assist the students in delivery of primary health care services, with regards to mothers and babies. “Training health workers in this field is always relevant especially since we have been working to diminish the
incidence of maternal and infant mortality in Guyana. People need to be reassured time and time again of our capability to provide quality health care services. It is always positive to note that we have more qualified persons in the field of maternal and child health care.” The administrator explained that a Medic goes beyond providing health care; the services help to shape the lives of persons in the community. Participants of the programme hail from various parts of the country. Upon completing the programme, the batch will be dispatched to community health centres across Guyana. The programme which runs for almost four years will be concluded in another 18 months. The batch will then be dispatched to various centres. Some will be placed at interior locations, where their task will be essential to the extension of primary health services. Students of the Medex programme expressed excitement at the news of their performance at the State level exams. In an invited a comment, student representative, Mike Walters, said that he was
quite pleased at the results of his batch mates. The students attributed their success to their team efforts. “We worked hard and initiated study groups. We had class tests daily where we worked on past exam papers. While the midwifery course has its challenges, we were able to achieve success.” Parts of the training entailed management of infant and maternal health, high risk pregnancies and neonatal care with special emphasis being placed on the management of pregnancies linked to hypertension.” Before qualifying to write the exams, the students participated in a number of deliveries. “During the practical, we had to demonstrate how a delivery is done using a replica of a pelvis on a doll and we had to examine actual patients for signs of abnormality in their pregnancies. It was a learning experience.” The students are scheduled to complete the course within the next eighteen months. The batch will join a team of approximately 400 Medics, who work in the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Cost of Amaila Falls Road skyrocketing...
Final section alone pegged at US$13.5M
A completed stretch of the Amaila Falls Access Road The Amaila Falls Access Road was originally pegged at US$15.4M to be undertaken in seven sections but the final section is currently costing taxpayers at least US$13.5M. The road contract was initially handed to Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall’s Synergy Holdings Inc. who had budgeted section seven to be built at US$4.4M Having completed 25 per cent of the work in that section at a cost of US$1.1M, he was fired in January 2012. HN Pasha was then awarded a contract for US$4.1M to complete section seven of the Amaila Falls Road. That company was paid US$1.2 before that contract was terminated. China Railway First Group was then awarded a contract for US$8.2M to finish section seven of the road. This would have been after Fip Motilall completed 25 per cent of the work which was valued at US $1.1M and HN Pasha was paid US$1.2M
for the work they did, but China rail is yet to complete section seven. It was also recently revealed that in addition to the US$8.2M that was contracted with China Rail to build section seven, two plots of land were also given to the company as part of the agreement. China Rail’s original bid was for US$11.2M. However, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) agreed that the price would be reduced to $8.2M as well as provide two plots of land. By inference these two plots of land, a one acre plot at Liliendaal and a 7.5 acre plot at Friendship are worth US$3M. Section seven of the road Amaila Falls therefore comes at a cost of US$13.5M, which is 87 per cent of the original contract price of US$15.4M to build the entire road, including a pontoon crossing between sections two and
three along with a substantial bridge connecting section six to seven. The road project is also currently woefully behind schedule. The initial US$15.4M contract issued to ‘Fip’ Motilall which was initially inked in 2010 was also revised upwards by US$1.9M based on specifications provided by Sithe Global. During the course of construction in 2012, the scope was revised after taking account of third party inspections of the terrain, environmental consideration, maintenance requirements and the detailed negotiation at the time with China Railway First Group. This publication understands that the width of the road had to be increased from five meters to seven meters and the embankment had to be raised accordingly. Motilall was paid a total US$5.8M before his contract was terminated.
Mother of one charged for shoplifting alcohol Sharona Latchman, a cosmetologist and mother of one, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft when she appeared before a Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Police Prosecutor,
Corporal Bharat Mangru explained that on June 3, last, Latchman entered DSL Cash and Carry on Sheriff Street, Georgetown and left with a bottle each of Ciroc and Absolut Vodka stowed in her
umbrella. Mangru noted that she had not paid for the items so she was apprehended and charged for shop lifting. Latchman requested the court’s permission to compensate the store with $20,184 cash for the stolen items. Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine – Beharry, in response, consulted the company’s representative who was present in court, for his consent, and Latchman was allowed to pay him for the stolen items. At the end of the short court hearing, the Chief Magistrate indicated she will hand down her decision after she receives a probation report on the defendant. Latchman was released on self bail and is set to return to court on July 18, 2014 for ruling.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 13
Indian contractor buys major components from US US$4M pumps‌
M
ore than three years after G u y a n a signed a deal with India-based Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited for 14 large drainage pumps, the second fixed one has been commissioned at Patentia, West Bank Demerara. The over-budget $265M facility, built by contractor Harrichand Tulsi did not include the cost of the pump. Rather the contract to supply was signed with Surendra since May 2011 for the provision of eight fixed and six mobile pumps for US$4M ($800M). Government was tasked with constructing the facilities to house the mobile pumps. It is expected that at the end, more than $1B would be spent to build the facilities. The commissioning of the Patentia pump follows another which was commissioned one month ago at Rose Hall, East Berbice. On July 1, tenders for the construction of five more pump stations will be opened, says Lionel Wo r d s w o r t h , C h i e f Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). All the pumps are in the country now, he said. There have been questions over the award to Surendra, a company which was involved in the construction of the $2.5B sugar packaging plant at Enmore, but which had no immediate history in the manufacturing of pumps. For the pump at Patentia, Surendra would have sourced components from Texas and from John Deere,
a popular maker of tractors. D u r i n g t h e commissioning of the pump station yesterday, it was disclosed that the construction of the facility moved from $237M to $265M. Another facility, with a cost of approximately $150M, is currently under construction a few miles away, at Bagotville, an area at the head of Canal Number One. Wordsworth made it clear that the project is a justifiable one, and would serve over 1,500 acres of farmlands in the Canal Number Two area. With new housing schemes also in the West Bank Demerara area, the need for increased drainage capacity is more than crucial to prevent constant flooding in the area. It is the plan to use the pump alternately with a sluice that is located nearby. So far, Government has resuscitated 11 new pump stations across the country as part of a holistic approach to improve drainage. This is in addition to repairs to 10 sluices. Construction is ongoing to construct facilities for new pumps at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, Black Bush Polder, East Berbice, and Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast. The NDIA official said
that the weather conditions in the country have changed for the worst. While at one time Guyana was catering for around two inches of rainfall, climate change has seen the levels increasing dramatically, hence the need for a different approach to counter flooding. The pump, which has the capacity to discharge up to 900 gallons per second, will be managed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). According to Ali Baksh, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Government has plugged over $1B in recent times in the West Demerara area to maintain and protect the drainage and irrigation system which feeds large farming areas including rice fields. Emphasis has been placed not only on providing capacity to drain but also in ensuring freer flowing drainage. Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, noted that the new pump station will provide 24 hours drainage along with the sluice. Government is also preparing for a significant US$11M project that will shore up the conservancies in the East Demerara and Mahaicony/Abary area. A major Euro30M
The pump supplied by Surendra Engineering
project will also be looking at the situation in Berbice with the aim of creating a conservancy for
management of drainage and irrigation there. Government has said that together with the assets of GuySuCo, the
country will be boasting a capacity of almost 100 pumps, both fixed and mobile.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
UG symposium zeroes in on need for local law school
T
he common discussion thread w a s t h e establishment of a local law school when Moot Court Guyana convened a stirring symposium venued in the Education Lecture Theatre of the University of Guyana (UG) on Tuesday, which saw the attendance and input of a wide cross-section of local legal minds and even a few from the Caribbean, among others. An abundance of recommendations and opinions were forthcoming, all of which are expected to help guide the way forward as it relates to the attaining of legal education in Guyana which has recently been gaining some controversial attention. Moreover, the notion of establishing a local law school was supported by Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who at a previous forum had insisted that such an undertaking in Guyana would not be economically feasible. Nandlall, at the symposium on Tuesday, was reminded of his previous utterance in this regard by a
young lawyer in training who demanded that the Attorney General outline the “true” position of Government. According to Nandlall, Government is committed to supporting the establishment of a local law school, providing that it is done under the auspices of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) so that it will be a regional initiative ensuring that “Guyanese alone will not come here.” “We cannot pursue an agenda that can be regarded or can be construed or in fact be insular. We will work with the process as far as possible (but) if we see that the process doesn’t serve our best interest well then we may be forced to take insular positions, and I am hoping we don’t have to resort to those mechanisms,” said Nandlall. The CLE was created by an Agreement signed in 1971 by Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the University of the West Indies (UWI) and UG. It was established to provide training in the Region (rather than in Britain) for lawyers
A section of the gathering at the forum on Tuesday. wishing to practise in the Region. The Council currently operates three law schools: the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad - both established in 1973 - and the Eugene Dupuch Law School in the Bahamas which was
established in 1998. However, regardless of the direction embraced by Guyana, Nandlall emphasised that it must be one that is in the best interest of the students and by extension the country. As such, he noted that focus must be on guaranteeing a quality of legal education that is relevant, affordable and accessible. And quality legal education, Nandlall noted, must be one that “will make our students understand their roles and functions in society, the social institutional role of the law; the social institutional role of the lawyer to society, to democracy, (and) to the rule of law; the importance of the interconnectivity of all these concepts to the economic and social advancement of our people and our country....The solution that we will pursue here in Guyana must be one that will capture all of those.” Moreover, he amplified that, like the UG law programme which is recognised across the world, the Legal Education Programme which emanates from the CLE is recognised by the best universities in the world, by every bar in the United States and elsewhere. As such he stressed the need for quality control, pointing out that “education without integrity or a certificate without integrity is not worth the paper it is written on.” According to the Attorney General, who attended the forum in the capacity of a panellist, “a legal education in my opinion is valuable as a stepping stone to so many other disciplines that one may wish to pursue.”
REVIEW OF LEGAL EDUCATION And in order to examine the future of legal education in these parts, Nandlall disclosed that a study to review legal education is underway, an undertaking that is expected to be funded by an organisation out of Barbados which is financed through a grant from the Canadian Government. “Funding is always lacking and once you already have a source of funding it will augur well for expediency of the exercise being undertaken,” the Attorney General added. The review, according to him, is expected to follow on the heels of the Caricom Heads of Government meeting set to commence on July 1 in Antigua, a forum which will address the concerns relating to legal education in the Caribbean. Understandably, the review will also address this issue even taking into consideration the short and long term future of the graduates of the UG law programme. Although based on an agreement between UG, UWI and the CLE the top 25 graduates of the local law p r o g r a m m e a r e automatically granted placement at the Hugh Wooding Law School, the placements of the 2013 graduates were however under threat and therefore required intervention from Government. The matter was therefore discussed at a previously convened Caricom Heads of Government meeting after which it was taken up with the CLE. An eventual resolution was derived whereby the stipulated 25
local students of the 2013 programme were granted placements for the upcoming academic year and an additional 10 international students will also be granted placement at law schools within their respective zones. But according to Nandlall, “I am hoping that while the review is being undertaken we will have a short term solution, I am also expecting at the same time that the review will provide G u y a n a w i t h a comprehensive solution to its problem.” He however noted that Guyana is not in the existing dilemma in isolation even as he pointed out that Trinidad and Tobago, which is much more endowed in terms of resources, is faced with a similar challenge in spite of the fact that the Hugh Wooding Law School is located there. “In fact their (Trinidad and Tobago) Government is now completing a building that is earmarked to house a law school either under the aegis of the Council of Legal Education or not, because they have already begun discussions with organisations who administer the legal education certificate in the United Kingdom and to have some arrangement arrived at that would accredit their institution.” But it was Justice Duke Pollard of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) who queried the possible outcome of the comprehensive review touted by the Attorney General. He, in his contribution to the forum argued, “The CLE itself is (Continued on page 20)
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 15
GUYANA - best kept Luncheon’s Personal Assistant secret in South America granted bail on theft charge - National Geographic
H
ighlighting Wilderness Explorers’ award-winning Amerindian Guyana tour, National G e o g r a p h i c Tr a v e l e r presents 20142 s must-see places on planet earth. Guyana has earned a coveted exclusive spot on National Geographic Traveler 2014 list under Highlighting Wilderness Explorers’ award-winning Amerindian Guyana tour. Noted as a must-see place on planet earth, National Geographic says that Guyana may be the bestkept secret in South America, with most of the country still covered in wild
forest. Stunning natural wonders – stretching from newly restored mangroves near Georgetown to the mighty Kaieteur Falls to the pristine Iwokrama rain f o r e s t , G u y a n a o ff e r s curious travelers an opportunity to experience one of only four remaining intact rain forest ecosystems on the planet. And, as National Geographic points out, Green is the New Gold. Chances are you’ll have the place to yourself; Guyana has yet to make it onto bucket lists, in part because it remains, as Surama guide Gary Sway puts it, “blessedly undeveloped. Even many
Guyanese have little idea how vast our rain forest is. The Iwokrama reserve, down the road, covers a million acres.” The full Best of the World list can be found online, including the Guyana feature here. If you aren’t already a member on their site, you can bypass the registration requirement by using the “registered user” option then closing the resulting pop-up window. In recognizing Guyana as a top destination for 2014, National Geographic awardwinning Amerindian Guyana tour is singled out for an extraordinary adventure in this unexplored territory. They should know! They named the tour to their Best Tours list in 2011! National Geographic Travel is the travel arm of the National Geographic Society, one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, founded in 1888. National Geographic Traveler is the world’s most widely read travel magazine and has 14 international editions.
Bargaining over AML... From page 3 strengthening that right now”. Along with his diplomatic colleagues, Hardt has been encouraging the government to get the investigative arm working as it moves forward to get the legislation approved. Guyana may be blacklisted today as the Financial Action Task Force ( FAT F ) c o m p l e t e s i t s meeting in Paris. Guyana, on Monday put forward its report on Guyana’s progress
with the Bill. The Opposition parties, the Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) refused to give their support for the Anti-Money Laundering Bill since they were not satisfied with contents forwarded by the government. They also refused to give their support since the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government would not compromise on what the Bill should say, nor would they
agree to pass the pending Local Government Bills and to set up the Public Procurement Commission.
P
ersonal Assistant to Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, and a staff member at the Office of the President (OP) yesterday appeared before the city court and was formally charged for swiping $1M cash from a general store last week. Azeem Khan, of Pere Street Kitty, who was arrested on Monday by ranks from the Kitty Police Station, is accused of stealing $1M between June 11 and June 12 from R&D Variety store owner, Rudolph Dyal. To the charge, he pleaded not guilty before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry. Dyal is the owner of a two-storey concrete and wooden structure, which houses a grocery shop and an apartment at the lower flat. Khan was a tenant of the apartment. The Prosecution said that there is a door that separates the apartment and grocery store. Dyal decided to install a surveillance camera after he discovered monies had previously gone missing from the shop. The entrepreneur placed $1M in a set of different boxes in his shop on June 11, last and the next day, he discovered that the money was missing. After reviewing the camera footage, Khan was allegedly seen stealing the
Azeem Khan (L) with Dr. Luncheon money. He was reportedly arrested on Monday after he failed to repay Dyal. During the court hearing, the prosecution did not object to bail. Khan was granted conditional bail in the sum of $100,000. The Chief Magistrate stated that he should lodge his passport with the Clerk of Court and report to the Kitty Police Station every Friday at 17:00 hours. The case was transferred to Magistrate Faith McGusty and will be called again on July 9.
Biting teenager scares Essequibo community
R
esidents of Lima S a n d s , Essequibo Coast, are worried about a teenager who they say preys on people, especially at nights. According to reports the teenager who is said to be 15years-old, lives in the bush. He would only be seen in the nights lurking around in the Village. According to one resident, the teen has a history of biting people ever since he was younger. The
resident said that the child is not of normal behaviour. “He lives in a shack he built for himself behind his parents’house.” On Monday night last, however, the woman said that one of her nieces was walking to her home at Lima Sands when she was attacked by the 15-year-old, who held her down and attempted to bite her neck. The woman said that her niece managed to escape from the teenager’s grip despite his physical strength
and ran to her home where she later related the incident to her family. The frightened woman also said persons in Lima Sands are afraid to step out of their homes at night because of the fear of being attacked by the teenager. Lima Sands, located some ten miles from Anna Regina, is in a remote area. The teenager does not attend School, and there were reports of him biting one of his siblings.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Former WPA activist denies party was collecting arms and ammunition-Ogunseye
W
o r k i n g People’s Alliance member, Tacuma Ogunseye, said yesterday that after 34 years he is more than convinced that former President Forbes Burnham and the security forces masterminded a plan to kill Walter Rodney. Further Ogunseye said that the “plan” was carried out by former army officer Gregory Smith. Ogunseye was called to the witness box yesterday as
the Rodney commission continued. In his estimation he said that arresting members of the WPA was “political tool”. “I slept in every lock up in Georgetown,” Ogunseye said. During questioning Ogunseye denied that the WPA was acquiring arms and ammunition even though several other witnesses had said that the party was involved in such an exercise. Ogunseye is also claiming that that extra
judicial killings were very rampant under the rule of the People’s National Congress (PNC) government. However, according to the witness, extra judicial killings worsened when the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime took office. He said that the WPA developed a political defence which was to win the army over and make them an ally of the revolution. He did point out that
among the Party’s objective was to overthrow the government outside of the electoral process and admitted that some leaders were given automatic pistols. The WPA Executive denied knowing of any plan to blow up the Georgetown Prisons, as was alleged, or that Rodney had any such plans. He said the WPA was not violent in any way in its revolution movement. He added that the Party never
killed any member of the Police Force or PNC supporters. Dr. Walter Rodney, a Guyanese political activist and intellectual, died on June 13, 1980, when a ‘walkie talkie’ exploded in his car. He is believed to have been murdered. He had written several books prior to his untimely demise. The COI, among other things, will inquire into who or what was responsible for the explosion that led to Rodney’s death, whether it was an accident or an act of terrorism and the role of some persons and agencies, if any, in his death. Meanwhile, Chairman of the ommission, Sir Richard Cheltenham, disclosed yesterday that the life of the Commission has been extended. Sir Richard was responding to a query from B a s i l Wi l l i a m s a b o u t whether the life of the Commission had expired and if it would be granted an extension. The Chairman explained that he has received correspondence from President Donald Ramotar instructing that the life of the Inquiry be extended to September 2014. The earlier expiry date was fixed at four months after the April commencement. According to the Chairman, he had written to the President and in his response he had promised that it will be gazetted. “I think your question is quite proper. Whether it has been gazetted or not I don’t know,” he added. The purpose of the commission is to receive
testimony and evidence from interested parties to enable it to examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to, the death of Dr. Walter Rodney in order to determine, as far as possible, who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in the death of Rodney. The commission would also “inquire into the cause of the explosion in which Dr Wa l t e r R o d n e y d i e d , whether it was an act of terrorism, and if so, who were the perpetrators as well as “examine the role, if any, which the late Gregory Smith, Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force, played in the death of Dr. Walter Rodney and if so, to inquire into who may have counselled, procured, aided and or abetted him to do so, including facilitating his departure from Guyana after Dr Walter Rodney’s death”. The Commission will also examine and report on the actions and activities of the State, such as, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana National Service, the Guyana People’s Militia and those who were in command of these agencies, to determine whether they were tasked with the surveillance of and the carrying out of actions, and whether they did execute those tasks and carry out those actions against the political opposition for the period 1st January 1978 to 31st December 1980. It will also examine, review and report on earlier investigations and inquiries done on and into the death of Dr Rodney.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
G
uyanese singing sensation, Lisa Punch gained the approval of millions of viewers on Sunday, as she made her debut on ABC’s new reality television series, “Rising Star.” The 21-year-old Brooklyn-based singer’s bubbly personality and charismatic performance were enough to capture the hearts of viewers and the votes of country music superstar Brad Paisley; music sensation Kesha; and hip hop artist and actor Ludacris, who served as an expert panel of the show. The Guyanese songbird scored 80% of viewers’ votes as she belted out the lyrics of Whitney Houston’s popular single “How Will I know?” Her performance earned her a place at the next round of the competition, which will air Sundays, on the US Television Network. The singer, who migrated to the United States from Guyana last December, gave viewers a brief but
Guyana born singer Lisa Punch
Guyana’s Lisa Punch gains approval for the next round of ABC’s Rising Star
touching insight of her journey to the big stage. The contestant talked of moving from Guyana, to live in Brooklyn, New York where she currently shares a two-bedroom apartment with 13 family members. Although she said that her
current situation “isn’t ideal,” the singer says she hopes to top the charts someday and help her family out. Lisa Punch was named among their top 30 finalists selected from 40,000 contestants who applied to participate in the new hit
series. The former Charlotte Street, Georgetown resident is no stranger to the stage. She was the first and only winner of the local talent contest, “Star Guyana.” The singer has a number of songs that were written and recorded locally. She is known for taking on different genres of music. Before migrating to the US, the singer also performed at a number of events in Guyana and Barbados. During the first three weeks of the show “Qualifiers” showcase approximately 30 acts and these episodes will be two hours each. But beginning July 13, the series would be one hour weekly. The next phases of competition are the duels, where acts compete one on one. Those who survive will return for the quarterfinals and perhaps semifinal rounds, as the field continues to narrow until the night of the finals, when just one of the remaining acts will be named the “Rising Star” winner.
Page 17
Year end start to alternative East Bank highway likely
President Donald Ramotar While he heartily congratulated the Private Sector Commission yesterday for its resolute positions on several issues of nationalistic importance, President Donald Ramotar also seized the opportunity to disclose Government’s plans to proceed with two major road projects. The President was at the time delivering his address at the 21 Annual General Meeting of the Commission at the Pegasus Hotel. st
President Ramotar noted that even though there is a political opposition which believes that its primary purpose is to obstruct every developmental project, the government he said, is still making progress. “We are still pursuing some projects of the past and to improve efficiency and transport we need another road going towards the airport area. “Right now, a feasibility study is being done for that and I am looking forward to it. Once that is positive, we will begin construction by the end of the year,” the President said. This revelation was met with much applause by the attentive audience. He added, “We are also looking at another crossing over the Demerara River. Only today we received the credentials of the new Brazilian Ambassador and we continued discussions to look at our road going down to the south of our country and to link that up with a deep water harbour.”
Page 18
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Police receive ATVs, satellite phone to beef up interior security
T
he Guyana Police Force (GPF) was yesterday presented with two All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), navigation and communication equipment by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) along with the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA). The presentation was part of an enhanced interagency monitoring and enforcement programme in the various mining districts. Present at the event which was held at the GGMC compound were Minister of Natural Resources and the
Environment, Robert Persaud; Commissioner of the GGMC, Mr. Rickford Vieira; Commissioner of the GPF, Mr. Seelall Persaud, representatives of the GGDMA and stakeholders and senior officers of the Guyana Police Force. Minister Persaud said that the new equipment is part of the continued collaboration with the security agency in developing their service in the interior mining locations. The Minister related that security is one of the major issues facing the mining industry and it has been reiterated by those directly and indirectly concerned with the sector. The Natural Resource
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Robert Persaud, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment and GGMC Commissioner Rickford Vieira, with members of the GPF and other mining officials. Minister said that some 18 new mining sections would be opened, while sights are already set on constructing and revitalizing roads leading to some mining locations. He pointed out too that logistics and communication have been constraints for the police
force. The Minister went on to say that it has been recognized that there is a heightened need for improvement in the provision of security in the interior locations hence the agencies collaborative effort to support the force.
Pm’s son to know fate next week C
ity Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond is set to rule in the case involving the embattled Prime Minister’s son next Friday following the defence submissions in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Samuel Hinds Jnr., 33, faced the courts on three charges which stemmed from an altercation with his teenaged sister-in-law in February. Reports are that Hinds, who had accused his 18-year-old sister-in-law, Tenza Lane of stealing one of his cellular phones, flew in a range and brandished a gun, thrashed and threatened to kill her. He subsequently faced the court for
unlawfully and maliciously wounding Layne, on February 27, last, at his Lot 83 Duke Street, Kingston residence. He is accused, too, of threatening behaviour towards Layne. Following the incident, they were both charged but the case against the teenager was dismissed. The charge he faced for threatening behaviour was also dismissed. Hinds is being prosecuted by Lance Corporal Jomo Nichols. He is represented by Attorney-at-Law Peter Hugh and is on $200,000 bail. Both the defence and Prosecution have since called several witnesses in this case. The Magistrate is expected to rule on July 4.
Accused: Samuel Hinds Jr.
Terry Singh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JAPARTS Mining Supplies, who was also present at yesterday’s handing over, explained that apart from the agencies donating the ATVs to the police, local miners normally have to help to get them in and out of the interior. He said the miners would have to take their own vehicles and transport the police, while in some cases they would have to help with transportation so that the police could go after criminals who would use the interior locations as hide outs. Singh encouraged miners to assist the police in any event whether with the provision of boats, ATVs or aircraft since the interior is a safe haven for criminal elements. He said the miners are left at stalk and have to resort to equipping themselves with defence mechanisms. The issue of security has
been an existing concern of mining stakeholders. Some have even recognized that poor security could be a factor in the low gold production already declared for the year. Region Eight Chairman, Mark Crawford, had highlighted that in his Region, Mining District Two, which covers from Ayanganna Mountain to Omai (the entire Potaro River), the police are very restricted in their mobility. He said that the location covers a vast piece of land with a number of locations, but there are about eight officers with one All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) servicing the area. He said that the unsafe interior was driving people away since many of them have refused to work in certain areas. Following the presentation, there was an interaction between senior officers of the Ministry and its agencies with the Commissioner of Police and senior members of his team. The various agencies are involved in consultation over the way forward as it relates to security in the mining sector. Gold declaration for the past five months has put the government on its toes since it has dropped by 20 percent. Hoarding and smuggling has been the most prominent of accusations.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 19
De Barros returned as head of Stabroek Lions Club Miss Odessa De Barros was re-elected President of the Stabroek Lions Club, at the recently held board meeting at the New Thriving restaurant. This is the 11th year that De Barros is at the helm of the organization,
which has just ended another fruitful year. In her acceptance speech, De Barros said that she is looking forward to working with her new Board of Directors. She also extended special thanks to
Nanny locks child in van to go on illegal shopping spree - fighting possible deportation to Guyana
Christine Nunes HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A nanny is accused of leaving a toddler alone in a hot minivan while she went on an illegal shopping spree inside a Long Island store. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville. Christine Nunes, 37, of Lynbrook left the three-yearold girl she was caring for in the backseat of a locked 2006 Dodge Caravan while she went inside a Target store, police said. Someone saw the child in the vehicle and called police. Detectives said the girl was in the minivan for about 35 minutes with the windows rolled up and was sweating and visibly hot when officers arrived, CBS 22 s Jennifer McLogan reported. “The officers quickly removed the child from the car,” Nassau County Police Insp. Kenneth Lack said. “The car was well over 100 degrees, according to officers at the scene.” The child was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for dehydration before being released to her father, police said. Nunes, who worked for a Plainview family, was arrested after she returned to the minivan with items she had shoplifted from Target, police said. The alleged shoplifting spree was caught on camera.
Defense attorney David Ledgin said his client is a “very troubled woman” with a history of mental health issues. “She’s alleged to have taken $45 worth of merchandise at a time when she had approximately $1,000 on her, that should tell you something,” Ledgin told reporters, including WCBS 8802 s Sophia Hall. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly knowingly, I think she’s just in a very bad place mentally.” “It’s a very tragic case, thank God it wasn’t worse,” Ledgin added. Nunes, who has four young children of her own, is charged with petty larceny and reckless endangerment. She has five prior arrests, mostly for larceny-type offences, Lack said. She was arraigned before Nassau District Court Judge Tricia Ferrell, who set bail at $50,000 cash or bond, 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reported. A stay away order was issued on behalf of the victim. Nunes’ husband also attended the court appearance in a show of support, calling her a great mother to their children, McLogan reported. Shoppers at the Broadway Mall told McLogan the incident, especially because Nunes has prior arrests, highlights the need for background checks when hiring nannies and baby sitters. “I think absolutely, makes me sick,” said Hicksville parent Nicole Hilton. “I can’t believe anybody to trust your children with,” said Bethpage parent Vanessa Marcotrigiano. Nunes has also been fighting possible deportation to Guyana, sources told Rivera. She is due back in court on Friday.
the business community for its support. She said that she is looking forward for their continued support for the ensuing year. The President also received an Award of Excellence. D u r i n g F r i d a y ’s installation of the new executive body, the Lions Club donated a wheelchair to 57-year-old Sandreny F r i d a y o f We s t B a n k Demerara, who suffered a stroke.
Members of the Stabroek Lions Club present the wheelchair to Sandreni Friday
Page 20
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Growing health hazard on Vryman’s Erven plot of lands, says resident
The portion of land with stagnant water and bushes
A
Vr y m a n ’ s Erven, New Amsterdam family is calling on the relevant authorities and health personnel in Berbice to thwart what they deem a growing health hazard and threat. Kirt Wynter, a father of two, stated that his neighbour, Mr. Milton Payne, a resident of Angoy’s Avenue, has his plot of land in a filthy state. This plot is
next to Wynter’s. Wynter is claiming that his young daughter caught a bout of the Chikungunya disease as a result of the stagnant water prevalent in the drains next to his home. He said that he made numerous reports to the Regional Administration and to the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) Health Department, but to no avail. Each entity is putting the
responsibility to correct the matter, on the other, he noted. “The problem is the bush and he is applying for Prescriptive Rights to this land. He wants to fence the drain.” Wynter argued. “Plus he has stagnant water—the water is black! I went to the Council on many occasions and they are always coming and looking around and doing nothing! I don’t know if they are afraid.”
Wynter is calling for a drain to be dug so that the stagnant water on the land can “go out into the main drainage canal at the other end…and to clear some of the undergrowth that is blocking the water.” He claimed, too, that when Payne, a coconut vendor, sells coconut in the town, “he brings back all of the shells and throws them there, so the water going inside the shells and
breeding mosquitoes. There are also a lot of old tires and old tanks—so these too are breeding mosquitoes.” The man said that he tried having a civil discussion with Payne on several occasions to remedy the matter, but Payne does not seem to want to settle it in a peaceful manner. “I talked to him plenty times—up to this morning—but he said those are not bushes…he said it is
a farm.” “The Town Council does nothing! All they do is blaming Government. This comes under their jurisdiction! They are supposed to do this!” He said that he asked the Town Health Inspector, Mr. Ackloo Ramsudh, on several occasions to visit the site, “but Ackloo never came here…in all the years I’ve been having this problem, he never came here, and he is the Health Inspector—he always sending somebody and when that person comes, they look around and say they are afraid Payne brings the police- -We can’t be living like this!” Acting Town Clerk of the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (M&TC), Ms. Jenelle Codette, stated, “I am not familiar with the situation. Only (Tuesday) Mr. Wynter came and explained the situation. I’ve contacted the relevant person, Mr. Ackloo. He was to go [yesterday] to check the situation.”
UG symposium zeroes in on need for local law... From page 14 the culmination of a comprehensive review of legal education. Where is the CLE now? In total disarray!” Justice Pollard recalled
too that it was a comprehensive review in 1989 that the ‘Sonny’ Ramphal Commission was birthed which, according to him, made a lot of concrete
recommendations for a Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME), a Caricom Competitive Commission and the CCJ. “Where are these institutions
today? How successful are they? What confidence has the Region shown in having these institutions? What is the commitment and the loyalty of the state of Caricom to the CCJ and the CSME and to the Caricom Commission?” questioned Justice Pollard as he theorised that they have all had similar outcomes. And
given the track record of the aforementioned institutions, he hinted to the possibility that a comprehensive review may not be the ideal way forward to address the future of legal education in Guyana. GOVERNMENT’S OBLIGATION And while Attorney-atLaw Teni Housty vocalised his conviction that local law students must be able to take responsibility for themselves first before they source relevant support systems to aid them along, yet another Attorney-atL a w, B a s i l Wi l l i a m s , insisted that care must be taken to ensure that law does not become an ‘elitist’ profession. He pointed to the need to urgently address “whether we should have a local law school, or should our students be visited every year with this uncertainty; the stress, the anxiety of not knowing whether they are on or not...What will happen is that the law programme will become ‘elitist ’ and I believe the Government, this Government of the day owes its people an obligation to ensure that this doesn’t occur,” warned a very vocal Wi l l i a m s . A m o n g t h e
panellists at Tuesday’s symposium was Senior Lecturer of UG’s Law Programme, Christopher Ram, who recommended to the organisers that the outcome be used to formulate a policy with which students can approach the administration and the Faculty of Law Department. Also gracing the panellist table was President of the Bar Association, Ronald Burch-Smith, who in his remarks sought to inform the law students in attendance, “You are responsible for your own future not just in terms of what you do in the class room but how you organise yourselves...” Noticeably absent from the planned panellist contingent were CLE Chairperson, Ms. Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Chief Justice (Ag), Carl Singh. The symposium was held in collaboration with the University of Guyana Law Society and the University of Guyana Student Society with support from UG’s Department of L a w. T h e f o r u m w a s moderated by lecturer within the Faculty of Law, Ms. Christine McGowan.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Concrete replaces demarcation lines at Stabroek Minibus Park Concrete blocks have replaced demarcation lines at the routes 45, 41 and 46 Minibus Park, after initial efforts by ranks of the A’ Division of the Police Traffic Department to regularize the parking facility failed. The police have implemented stringent measures less than one week after a new parking system was put in place, to avoid chaos among commuters and minibus operators at the Stabroek Market. Last week, workers of the Public Works Ministry assisted ranks of the traffic department to paint yellow demarcation lines on the tarmac. The lines represented lanes for designated minibus operators. Two lanes were designated route 41(Guyhoc /South), two lanes to route 46 (Stabroek/Lodge) and three lanes route 45 (Main Street/ Lamaha). However, owing to the absence of vigilant traffic ranks to ensure order, minibus operators fell short of observing the new rules and the area soon returned to its regular state of chaos. As such, a decision was taken to place concrete blocks to replace the painted demarcation. Yesterday, the poles were placed on the tarmac by workers of the
Public Works Ministry. In a brief interview with this newspaper, Head of the ‘A’ Division Traffic Department, Calvin Brutus, explained that the system was implemented to bring order and deter the actions of ‘hot plate’ minibus operators. “The problem that we find is with the hot plate operators, who don’t want to join the line and come in the park to load in an orderly manner. They try to force through the demarcation or park around the edges of the tarmac so that they can load fast, “Brutus said as he explained that the initial demarcations were temporary. “We had always planned to implement the concrete blocks because we know the culture among road users in Guyana. Lines and markings placed along the road for navigation purposes are often violated. The concrete columns will better enforce the kind of order that is needed out here.” Brutus said that the concrete blocks will separate the three main operations at the Stabroek Market tarmac. “This will prevent intermingling of the three main operators, which will ease the chaos. Every set of operators will have their lane and points of entrance and
Nearly a week after salaries have been available, several teachers of the Black Bush Secondary School are crying out that their Headteacher is habitually tardy in uplifting their salaries. Teachers receiving cash payments said, yesterday, that the Headteacher, currently on one month’s Whitley Council Leave, seems to be making it a habit of not uplifting their salaries when due. Once the official pay date has arrived, the head teacher
of the school is the officer designated to uplift the paysheet at the Regional Administration Office of his District, then encash the cheque at a commercial bank. Should the Headteacher be absent, he or she can designate another senior teacher of the school to do same. However, the teachers of Black Bush Secondary School are claiming that no instructions were left to any other teacher. “It’s a norm that he just collects our salaries
Justice William Ramlal is expected to sum up the trial of Herstelling murder accused, Ramsahoi Boodhoo, called ‘Baijie,” today. On Tuesday, Justice Ramlal overruled a no- case submission which was presented by Defence Attorney, Peter Hugh. Boodhoo 43, of Lot 40 Herstelling Public Road, East Bank Demerara is indicted for the murder of Eon Daniels. Hugh had suggested that there was insufficient evidence against the accused in regards to the
murder which took place on May 8, 2011. The details of the case suggest that Boodhoo was engaged in a brawl with Daniels over a $500 cocaine debt. The brawl ended brutally around 01:00 hr that day, with Daniels a drug addict, also from Herstelling being knifed to death. During Boodhoo’s trial, which is before the Judge and a mixed twelve- member jury, State Prosecutor Dhanika Singh summoned 11 witnesses.
Public Works employees placing the concrete blocks along the demarcation lines of the tarmac exit under the new system,” Brutus said. He says that plans are in the pipeline to implement similar systems at various minibus parks. “However, there may not be need for implementation of the concrete blocks since most of the other parks are quite orderly, so the line demarcation will suffice for now.”
Black Bush Secondary teachers complain about late pay
Accused in drug deal killing to know fate today
late!” complained one member of staff. “Right now teachers, especially CPCE teachers are suffering.” The school has 16 teachers, many of whom are paid in cash. Teachers who receive salaries via bank have not been affected. The school is currently being run by a senior teacher, performing the duties of Deputy Head. According to reports, no instructions or authorization were left with that teacher to uplift the salaries. “He collected the school stamp to uplift the salaries,” but no teacher has been paid. A hostile Headteacher of the Black Bush Secondary School, when asked when the teachers would receive their cash payments and why there is perpetual tardiness in the payment of salaries, stated, “I won’t be able to say…I’m not well. I can’t answer any question.” The Region Six Education Officer, Ms. Volika Jaikishun, said that she was aware of the matter. “We put systems in place [to pay the teachers]. I spoke to him and it has been sorted out. They will get their monies by today or Friday.”
Meanwhile, observers expressed concerns over the absence of adequate lighting system and touts operating in the vicinity of the Bus Park. “They need to put in lights because plenty time, people does get rob out here
especially in the night. The confusion and so people does have to be extra careful …them touts adding to the confusion,” one man noted. Michael Moore, a representative of United Minibus Union expressed his
concerns. “The only problem we have now is with the front part of our lane. We park in one park, we operating Main Street /Lamaha alone and we got three lanes. We don’t need three lanes because it encouraging the touts.”
Page 22
Kaieteur News
VACANCY
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PROPERTY FOR SALE 1-2 storey wooden & concrete house with 5 bedrooms, upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $38.9M Tel: 642-7898
Repairs, sales & spares, air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032,647-2943
Now In Stock Whole plucked chicken at BM Ent. Inc. contact: 227-8175/8176 delivery available 1997 Suzuki 650 GSR: asking price - $700,000 or best offer, with vest, jacket & helmets Tel: 698-9368, 275-0081 One Tata Truck GEE 9962 in good working condition – Tel: 629-9286 One Toyota Hiace 2RZ minibus – Price: $1.5M negotiable, good condition – Contact: 677-9107 Household furniture, owner leaving country – Tel:226-9460
Thursday June 26, 2014
CAR RENTAL Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 225-7126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com ProgressiveAuto Rental: Cars & SUV for rental- $4,000 & up per day- Call: 643-5122, 628-2284 ,Email:pro_ autorental @yahoo.com Fab’s Car Rental- Call:6716051
CAKES & PASTRIES Courses for cake decoration, cake & pastry, bridal accessories, Floral Arrangement – Contact: Sharon: 672-8768, 612-4193, 223-3303
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Furnished new apartments USD$600-$1000 located in Ogle: Pool, parking, hot water, AC, Wi-Fi. Contact Richard: 622-7236 One bedroom furnished apartment, 1-2 bedroom apartment @ Lot 4 Henry Street, Werk-En-Rust – Call Winston: 660-6446 1 Newly built upper flat to rent @ Diamond EBD – Tel:6516263; 697-5933 2 BEDROOM UPSTAIRS FLAT, LARGE VERANDAH & WASHROOM, PARKING ETC @ LAMAHA GARDENS – SERIOUS ENQUIRIES – CALL:6098132 OR 672-8569 (MAX)
Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312, 627-3206 (Nick) For low cost: Repairs to fridge, freezer, A/C unit, microwaves, TV & washing machine - Call: 629-4946 or 225-4822 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar: 2310655,683-8734 NEED WORK CALL LABOUR READY STAFFING SERVICES AT: 603-6052 OR 227-2766 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $10,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766 Low cost TV commercials & branding visit: www.snappyadz.com or call: 603-6823
CATERING Roxy’s Snackette & Catering Services: Any occasion, daily breakfast, lunch, snacks, fruit juices, power porridge – Call: 223-0092; 2230095
TOURS Suriname Tour Return: July 4th/ Caricom Holiday 4-7 July – Tel: 639-2663, 644-0185, 6655171, 227-8290
VEHICLE FOR SALE 2006 Blue Nissan Titan. Fully Loaded GSS Series. Contact: 604-6108. 2009 Red Nissan Titan. Flex Fuel GRR Series. Contact: 604-6108. 1 Honda CRV, Toyota AT192, AT212, AE110 Corolla, Raum, Funcargo, Ep-71 Starlet, Nissan Pathfinder – Tel: 644-5096, 697-1453 One 8000 Forde Tractor, one 450 Forde tow truck, one Toyota Tacoma – Contact Floyd: 694-5599 Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered 212, Allex, old & new model Spacio, 05 & 03 Allion, Voxy- Call:6523820/ 665-4529 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 One Carina AT212, PMM Series, good working condition, leather seats, flash drive deck, rims – Call: 663-1576 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 One Leyland Daf dump truck $2,5M, One S130 Bobcat $2,1M -Contact 6500402; Serious Inquiries Only Noah/ Voxy, unregistered, (private or bus), Toyota Regius/ Super custom, unregistered (goods) – Tel: 603-9700 One black Toyota Starlet – PHH Series, excellent condition, sunroof and back vizor equipped – call:6492645 One newly registered Toyota Premio, PSS Series – Contact: 670-4484 One RZ minibus BKK Series – Tel: 684-0990 We Order: Tacoma/Tundra/ Titan Body parts & Accessories – Contact Eddie’s Auto Spares – Tel:227-2835, 227-5381 One 2006 Suzuki Escudo, newly registered - Tel: 6426079 Mazda RX8 Sports package, full aero kit, 18" staggered wheels, racing exhaust system & more - $2.1M negotiable – Tel:231-8694, 670-1638 2008 Infinity FX35,serious enquiries only , low mileage in excellent condition, $1.9M negotiable – Call: 231-8694 or 670-1638 One Starlet (EP82) -Tel: 6435161 (Continued on page 23)
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Body in cemetery identified as CJIA worker The man who was found dead in Le Repentir cemetery on Tuesday has been identified as a 37-year-old airport worker. Jermaine ‘Slinky’ Marshall, 37, of East La Penitence was reportedly spotted by cemetery workers in a clump of bushes near the Sussex Street section of the cemetery just before 13:00 hours on Tuesday. Reports are that Marshall was discovered in a sitting position with a bottle of water and a bunch of keys next to his body. Police had said that from all indications, the man may have committed suicide by ingesting poison since a white substance was seen on his lip, jersey and on his pants. A post mortem examination (PME) which was conducted yesterday revealed that Marshall died from ‘pesticide poisoning.’ When contacted, the family stated that they are unconvinced that Marshall could have committed suicide. Speaking with Kaieteur News, a relative described Marshall, who was employed in the ‘Floor Care’ department at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, as a funloving and family oriented
Jermaine Marshall person. She said that the family was beyond shocked when they received word that it was Marshall who was lying in the burial ground. “We’re beyond shocked that he was found there. It’s hard to believe that Jermaine was walking through the burial ground at that time,” she said. When asked of any situation that might have led to his death, the relative said he had showed no signs of displeasure with his life and
Letters... Where your views make the news
Expert guidance would be appreciated DEAR EDITOR, I possess a small collection of books which I would have acquired over the years because of my passion for historical artifacts. One such book within my collection is “The Silent Witness” which was written by British Guiana/Guyanaborn, the late Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who was knighted by the Queen of England, and American, Dr. John R. Thompson. The book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, USA in 1995. I am currently in the process of finding new homes for the collection of books, because I honestly feel that they need to be in the ideal preservation facility for caring. In layman’s terms, the baton needs to be passed on. The one special thing about “The Silent Witness” is the fact that it was the personal copy of the late Sir Lionel Luckhoo, a well accomplished son of the soil
(Guyana)...History books and Guinness Books of Records can attest to this fact. For the record, this book was under a pile of old rotten wood and junk which was headed to the dump. It was my decision to save this literature piece. It has also been confirmed by someone based in the USA that it is the authentic signature and handwriting of the late Sir Lionel. The mind-boggling question is whether this book is better kept in a museum in the USA (perhaps the Smithsonian Institute) or a museum in England. I would appreciate as much guidance from brilliant minds. On the other side of the coin, perhaps persons attached to the British High Commission or the US Embassy in Guyana with the knowledge of museums in their respective countries can also consider their contribution, which will also serve well. T. Pemberton
she insisted that he was never a person who “walks the cemetery.” The family member disclosed that he had recently moved out from his girlfriend’s residence in Soesdyke and went to live at his father’s home on Freeman Street, East La Penitence. She said that when Marshall left his home on Monday night, relatives had assumed that he was heading to another football match on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, due to his involvement in the ongoing Digicel Kiddies Football Tournament. The relative said, despite the reports and the PME, the family stands firm in the belief that it was not a case of suicide. His girlfriend, Keisha Williams, explained that Marshall had diabetes. She said that she was present with Marshall on Friday afternoon at a Kiddies Football match in Grove. “After the match, I left to visit my godmother and Jermaine headed home to Soesdyke where we rent an apartment together.” “When I returned home, I found his bag packed with clothes. His sister was in a car waiting to take him to his
father’s premises.” She noted that it was an unexpected move since they had been living together for the past three years and this was the first time he had moved out. Williams insisted that she had done nothing to result in his leaving. She recalled him being insecure about his lack of resources to “maintain and support her.” His girlfriend said that this was one of his problems. She explained that she visited Marshall at his father’s home on Monday around 14:00 hours and left at 20:30hours. Williams disclosed that the conversation was based on him needing time to ‘focus’ and ‘study’ about his life. After the visit, she said Jermaine escorted her to a bus, and told her that he would call her Tuesday. She noted, however, that instead of that phone call she had received the shocking news of Marshall’s demise. Marshall leaves to mourn a six-year-old daughter. Up to last evening, Marshall’s Facebook page was flooded with posts from friends and family expressing absolute disbelief at the turn of events.
(From page 22)
VEHICLE FOR SALE New Toyota Noah: TV, Camera, 15" Rim – Tel:6632700, 629-2619 Toyota Rav 4 PKK series, aero kit, TV, spoiler, roof rail & more - $2.5M negotiable , excellent condition- Tel:2318694, 670-1638 2001 Mercedes Benz C200, 2000 CC engines, backup camera, sunroof, back & front sensors, leather interior - $3.5M- Tel:670-1638 2004 Lexus GX470, fully loaded, 20" chrome wheels, tow hitch, excellent condition – Price: $8M negotiable – Tel:231-8694, 670-1638 Toyota Allion PPP 6146, low mileage, excellent condition - $1.750M negotiable – Tel: 231-8694, 670-1638 One 2003 unregistered Premio – 55000KM, excellent condition - $2.5M negotiable – Contact: 657-2790; 225-6810
GPL gets financing... From page 11 process. GPL has around 170,000 customers on the coasts. Losses including technical and commercial had been a worrying 30-plus percent for GPL. Studies have found that weaknesses in the distribution network increase technical losses, due to the low capability of handling the distributed energy and also hinder efforts to reduce
commercial losses, due to lack of antifraud type installations and adequate control support. It has been noted that these factors, together with lo w technical and executing capacities of GPL, high costs of generation and constraints to raise already high tariffs, contribute to poor financial results and constrain capital expenditures, among other undesired consequences.
MASSAGE The Gent’s Spa: Come be pampered by beautiful attendants. Check our monthly specials - Tel: 6575979 Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heaven’s touch, visit us today! – 6684554
WANTED Experienced roti/puri Cook, curry cook, handy boys Apply at Hacks Halaal, 5 Commerce Street, Georgetown Wanted to buy: 18 months coconut plants; any quantity – Tel: 223-5273/4. Over edge, straight stitch, button & button tack operator to work at garment factory – Call:222-2541 Driver wanted to work AE100 Corolla, must be from West Coast Demerara – Please Contact: 650-9721 Silverballi and Kabakalli logs - Tel: 653-9752 Experienced: 1 PAYE/NIS Payroll Clerk with office assistant duties – Tel:231-0363 One experienced general domestic. Must know to cook a variety of dishes; pleasant & trustworthy- Tel: 656-6388 Two persons to work on Poultry Farm in the Interior. Contact: 627-6416 Heavy duty sewing machine and sorgors needed – Tel:622-4386; 627-5378 Female worker needed, 3 CXC subjects or sound secondary school education - Call: 612-1595 Female customer representative – CXC English, Mathematics and computer knowledge & customer friendly, written application- Call: 643-9268 INTERIOR EXCAVATOR OPERATOR SEEKS EMPLOYMENT WITH 8YRS KNOWLEDGE OF INTERIOR WORK, WELDING MACHINE – CONTACT:681-1605 Workers for land dredge – Tel:616-6702 Live-in experienced domestic must know to cook & bake - $60,000 monthly & live-in waitress 18-25yrs - $50,000 monthly – Tel: 610-3974 We buy all low income land in La Parafaite Harmonie, Herstelling, Eccles, and NonPariel – Call: 218-5591 or 6757292 Salesgirls and drivers for Mohan Variety Store @ Brassonic Building, 42 Water Street - Contact Heera: 6732887; 227-6873 Couple from country. Wife: Domestic & Husband: Driving; free accommodation, high salary – Tel: 227-1830
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Murder accused changes June is deadliest mind about plea month so far this year
Mini buses accounted for eight of the 41 road fatalities up to May month end With four more days still to go before it is completed, the month of June has already copped the unenviable title of the deadliest month so far this year in terms of road fatalities. So far, 13 persons have lost their lives as a result of 11 accidents for this month, outnumbering January and March with 11 and nine road deaths respectively. February, April and May all recorded eight road fatalities. So far this year there have been 54 road deaths, according to figures released by the police Public Relations Department. Speeding was listed as the main cause of the 41 deaths that included five children, between January and the end of May this year.
Pedestrians have been the main road users affected with 15 such persons having lost their lives at the end of May 2014. Seven motorcyclists, 10 pedal cyclists, four drivers and eight passengers of motor vehicles also lost their lives up to May 31st. The other categories of accidents – serious, minor and damage – have seen reductions to the end of May this year, in comparison to last year. Georgetown/East Bank Demerara accounted for most of the deaths between January 1 and May 31, with 20 fatalities, followed by Berbice with eight and West Demerara and Essequibo with five apiece. Private cars continue to be
the category of vehicle most involved in fatal accidents, accounting for 16. Motorcycles, 11; pedal cycles, 10; motor lorries, nine; minibuses, eight; hire cars, seven and motor pick-ups with two make up the remaining accidents. Traffic enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 32,997 cases being made against errant motorists unto the end of May 2014. Of this total, 8,781 cases were for speeding. In addition, 137 persons were charged after they were found soliciting passengers for public transportation vehicles and 178 cases were made against motorists who failed to give the right of way to approved vehicles sounding siren.
Fazal Mohamed
Shaheed Muknauth
After first indicating to the court by way of a letter, that he wanted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, murder accused Fazal ‘Mongoose’ Mohamed, called ‘Boy’, 23, of Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, decided at the last moment to change his mind and face a full trial for murder. Mohamed is accused of murdering Saheed ‘Buddy’ Muknauth, called “Shiam”, seven, of No 68 Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice on August 20th 2012. The accused had indicated to the court that he
wanted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. However, when he turned up in the Berbice High Court on Wednesday, before Justice Brassington Reynolds, the man, through his lawyer, Attorney at Law Raymond Alli, informed the court that his client will want to adopt a certain course of action. It was then announced that he will no longer plead guilty to manslaughter, but will undergo a full trial. He was remanded to prison until a later date. According to information, on the day in question, Mohamed who is well known
From page 6 individuals in your community, near your residence and place of business; (2) Record the registration numbers of strange and suspiciouslooking vehicles, in your
community. If possible, discreetly take photographs and forward all information by BBM to pin numbers 2828B269 or 79B17F8B and/ or by text to cell numbers 6236072 or 623-6068; (3) Take note of the physical description of
to the family had taken the child from his home to buy food. He was reportedly the last person seen with the lad the day he disappeared. Muknauth’s body was discovered at the back of a rice mill two days later. His body was found with the face badly disfigured and large portions of one of his legs stripped of the skin. An onthe-spot post mortem was done by the doctor since the body was too decomposed to be moved. “Mongoose” had allegedly confessed to killing “Buddy” and had claimed he was drunk and was troubled by demons. It was also learnt that the child’s mother, Anita Persaud, had earlier in the day ingested kerosene and was admitted at the Skeldon Hospital. The woman was ‘fed up’ of being abused by her reputed husband. She had later in the afternoon taken a self-discharge to be home with her six children, when she discovered Saheed missing. Reports had indicated that the boy and his five siblings were left at home without adult supervision. The children ages ranged from 12 years to two months. The 12 year old had to take care of the others.
Murders, armed robberies... suspicious-looking individuals. This information may prove useful, subsequently. If possible, discreetly take their photographs and forward all information by BBM and/or by text to the pin and cell numbers provided above; (4) Be extra alert for suspiciouslylooking vehicles and persons near your home, if you are expecting persons from the airport; (5) As far as possible, make greater use of debit cards, cheques and other non-cash instruments to transact business; and (6) Business persons are urged to request from potential employees, certificates of good character (obtained from both the Guyana Police Force and persons of good standing), and make use of cash transport services and surveillance systems on their premises, as far as possible.” The police are also advising, “Do not leave valuables such as cash, laptop computers, important documents, etc., in parked vehicles, call your neighbours, relatives and/or friends and alert them about the presence of suspiciouslooking vehicles and persons, and as far as possible, avoid displaying excessive jewelry and expensive electronics such as mobile smart-phones.”
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Iraq insurgents seize oilfields, hit air base as U.S. advisers arrive
Members of the Iraqi security forces take their positions during an intensive security deployment west of Baghdad. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad BAGHDAD (Reuters) Militants attacked one of Iraq’s largest air bases and seized control of several small oilfields yesterday as U.S. special forces troops and intelligen c e analysts arrived to help Iraqi security forces counter a mounting Sunni insurgency. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is fighting for his job and is under international pressure to create a more inclusive government, said he supported starting the process of forming a new cabinet within a week. In northern Iraq the Sunni militants extended a two-
week advance that has been led by the hardline Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) but also includes an amalgam of other Sunni groups angered by Maliki’s rule. They blame Maliki for marginalizing their sect during eight years in p o w e r. T h e f i g h t i n g threatens to rupture the country two and a half years after the end of U.S. occupation. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraqi officials to form an “inclusive” government during a visit this week and urged leaders of the autonomous Kurdish region
to stand with Baghdad against the onslaught. A parliament session is planned within a week that will start the process of forming a new government based on t h e r e s u l t s o f elections held in April. Maliki’s Shi’ite-led State of Law coalition won the most seats but needs support of other Shi’ite groups, Sunnis and Kurds to build a government. “We will attend the first session of parliament,” Maliki said on state television, adding the commitment stemmed from “loyalty to our people” and respect for a call by Iraq’s foremost Shi’ite clergy.
Boehner readies House lawsuit over Obama executive orders (Reuters) - Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said yesterday he plans to sue President Barack Obama, accusing him of abusing his authority by going around Congress to implement his policy agenda. The suit, to be filed by the House of Representatives later this summer, takes issue with executive actions Obama has taken on issues ranging from healthcare to energy to foreign policy, Boehner said. But he declined to be specific about which administration actions he would challenge. “The Constitution makes it clear that the president’s job is to faithfully execute the law. In my view, the president has not faithfully executed the law,” Boehner told reporters.
Speaker John Boehner (right) and Barack Obama In a memo to Republican lawmakers, the speaker said Obama’s actions risked giving the president a “kinglike authority” at the expense of U.S. voters and Congress. Obama has increasingly used executive orders this
year to advance his agenda in the face of a gridlocked Congress. He raised the minimum wage for federal contractors and stopped the deportation of young people brought to the United States illegally by their parents.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
Chase Academy thump Tutorial Secondary... From page 30 net. Nine minutes later, David Briton made it 3-0 sending his long range shot over the outstretched hands of Blue. Blue failed to grasp Reddy’s shot form outside the 18 yard box in the 45th minute and Trotz made no mistake in tapping home, handing his team an 4-0 lead at half time. Chase continued to attack after the interval and Reddy found the back of the net in the 56th minute before Shamar Barrow slotted home two minutes later. Barrow was
again on target in the 61st minute, while an own goal in the 74th completed the scoring. At Police Sports Club, Eve Leary, Troy Carrington gave East Ruimveldt the lead in the 11th minute and stretched the advantage in the 39th as his team enjoyed a 2-0 lead at the interval. Marian efforts to find the back of the net after the break were greeted with stern defence by the opposition. East Ruimveldt’s trio of Carrington, Alton Benn and
Romell Legall proved a handful for Marian back four and Benn made 3-0 two minutes into the second half. Marian pulled one back in the 77th minute when Damani Thomas fired home from outside the 18 yard box, but Legall stole the show thereafter. He first tapped home a cross from Carrington from the right side of the area in the 80th minute before scoring his second four minutes later and completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute.
ThursdayJune 26, 2014 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): Although you should be feeling especially close to friends, lovers, and family, Aries, you might find it hard to communicate with them today. *************************** TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): A desire to do some redecorating, perhaps in anticipation of hosting a social event, might prove frustrating today. You probably have some definite ideas, Taurus, but can't find the materials you need to produce the results you want. *************************** GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20): Travel could be on your mind. You're probably excited about a forthcoming vacation. You might need to finalize some arrangements today but find it difficult to reach people you need to speak to. This is frustrating, Gemini, but it shouldn't lessen your enthusiasm. Keep trying. *************************** CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): Today you might need to execute some paperwork regarding money, Cancer. Bills might need to be paid, deposits made, or checks collected. Minor incidents could interrupt you, causing some frustration. *************************** LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): Today you might be feeling particularly warm and loving toward a romantic partner, and the feeling is likely reciprocated. You could have trouble reaching each other to make arrangements to meet, Leo. ************************ VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): Ideas for creative, artistic, or serviceoriented work might be coming thick and fast, although you could be torn between different possibilities, Virgo. All your ideas seem workable, yet you feel you should settle on one for the moment. It might be a good idea to ask the advice of others.
LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): Your enthusiasm for group activities and social events is high, Libra. You might want to discuss your ideas with others. *************************** SCORPIO (OCT 23 - NOV 21): You might be expecting some visitors to your home, Scorpio, and looking forward to it. However, your plans could be frustrated in some way through miscommunication, undelivered messages, delays due to traffic, or other obstacles. *************************** SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 DEC 21): Today you might feel a powerful need to write down your thoughts, Sagittarius, but they could prove a bit too amorphous for you to put into words. You might also have difficulty making contact with friends or loved ones. You may keep missing each other. *************************** CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): A small financial windfall might have you in a bit of a quandary about how to spend it, Capricorn. You could have a bill you particularly want to pay, but you might also want to treat yourself to a minor luxury of some kind. The best option now might be to indulge yourself a little. Y
*************************** AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): Communication with those closest to you might prove difficult today, Aquarius. You might end up playing endless phone tag. This can be a bit distressing, because you're feeling especially warm and loving toward them right now. *************************** PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): Today you might work on an artistic project of some kind. You'll put in a lot of effort, Pisces, yet the results may not turn out to be exactly what you wanted. This could result in many revisions.
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Murray in a hurry, Venus... From page 31 least join her sibling in the second week this time. “I guess I haven’t held up my end of the bargain,” the 34-year-old told reporters of her struggles. “I tried. I just haven’t had the luck I’ve wanted.” Women’s seeds flourished in cool, sunny conditions early on Day Three with world No.2 Li Na untroubled by Austria’s Yvonne Meusburger and 2012 runnerup Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded four, opening action on Center Court with an easy win against Australia’s Casey Dellacqua. Twelfth seed Ernests Gulbis’s hopes of making an impact following his semi-final run at Roland Garros ended in defeat to Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 6-3 7-6(5). The Latvian is the highest-ranked men’s casualty so far although defeat by the net-rushing Stakhovsky, the man who knocked out seventimes champion Roger Federer at the same stage last year, was not a complete sur-
Buxton.... From page 32 Thuesday’s day when he received a pin point offering but yet again failed to take full advantage. Consequently, at the end of the first session, all both teams had to show for their efforts were rued chances. During the intermission, staunch Buxton supporters predicted that during the second session, their team would have made amends for its glaring mistakes of the first. True to prediction, Deshawn Bacchus sprinted down the right flank to the opposition’s goal and then sent a perfect offering across to Ato August. The latter player failed to collect cleanly and the goalie first got to the ball. However, he also blundered and the ball bounced back into play for August to repair the damage. Goal number two came after Wright collected a dolly of a pass from the right flank, trapped the ball and then gently tapped it past the advancing goalie. It was almost 3-0 less than 2 minutes later but for the agility of the Hope Secondary custodian who sprang across and tipped a sharp shot over the crossbars. The final act in the play came after Lesndray Brown performed a solo but erred badly at the finish with a soft shot that the Hope custodian effortlessly scooped up. The shrill sound of the final whistle sent the Buxton ball weavers and their supporters into unbridled ecstasy. The tournament continues today at venues countrywide.
prise. “BIGGEST WEAPONS” “Two of my biggest weapons, my serve and return, wasn’t there,” said the 25year-old. Murray is unbeaten at Wimbledon since the 2012 final against Federer. A few weeks after that emotional defeat he returned to win an Olympic gold medal and last year he scaled the heights to win the grasscourt grand slam against Novak Djokovic. An early defeat at the warm-up tournament at nearby Queen’s Club raised a few doubts over Murray’s form coming into Wimbledon but those were cast aside in a one hour 24 minute masterclass against the unfortunate Rola. Murray treated fans on Court One to some delightful shot-making, whether a backhand pummelled on the line, a delicate lob or the grasshugging slices that drive far better opponents than Rola to distraction. The 23-yearold Rola, playing at his maiden Wimbledon and
against a top-20 player for the first time, had the temerity to earn a break point in each of the first two sets, both times Murray responding with a booing ace. Murray, who endured some roller-coaster rides during his run to the French Open semi-finals, was clearly in no mood to work any overtime as he accelerated to victory. “Getting games finished quickly helps,” Murray said after coming off court. “I feel like that cost me a little bit at the French Open not that I would necessarily have beaten Rafa (Nadal), but I played a lot of sets and in a lot of those sets, I was up.” Petra Kvitova, another former champion, was also in a hurry, beating Germany’s Mona Barthel 6-2 6-0. The Czech faces a heavyweight third round against Venus Williams. “All of our matches have always been tough,” Williams said. “I know I’ll have to get out there and play better than her. That’s really what it boils down to.”
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 26, 2014
GNA holds successful meeting Guyana ‘Ruggers’ depart for USA today with Doves Netball Club ‘US team very beatable’ says - meetings on today and tomorrow with All Stars and Emanie at CASH
Members of the Doves Netball Club pose for a photo following their meeting with GNA Secretary, Warren Wilson, centre, front row. Club Coach Ms. Pinkey Arthur is second right. Secretary of the Guyana Netball Association (GNA) Warren Wilson has informed that he held successful discourse with members of the Doves Netball Club including their Coach Ms. Pinkey Arthur on Sunday last at the Smythfield Drop-inCentre, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Those attending expressed appreciation to the
GNA for hosting the meeting while voicing their displeasure and dissatisfaction at the current state of their beloved sport. Some of the issues discussed included plans for the revitalization of the sport in Guyana; one such plan is a Netball Marathon scheduled for July 19 next at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall tarmac.
Wilson took the opportunity to share information with the clubs on building a successful club and club structure, how to create and execute a work plan and marketing their club among others. Club members stated that their biggest frustration is the lack of competition and balls. Wilson promised to make two
balls available to them; he also handed over one set of coaching cards to assist with training. Meanwhile, Wilson is set to meet with All Stars Netball Club today from 17:30hrs at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and tomorrow from the same time and venue, Emanie Netball Club would be the focus.
Bosnia end Iran’s World Cup campaign BBC Sport - Iran’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup last 16 ended as they lost to already-eliminated BosniaHercegovina. Carlos Queiroz’s Iran side could have progressed to the second round with a win but their hopes were dented when Edin Dzeko gave the Bosnians a deserved lead with a crisp shot from 25 yards. Roma’s Miralem Pjanic slid home a second after the break. Reza Ghoochannejad pulled one back but Avdija Vrsajevic sealed it to give Bosnia their first World Cup win. Their first ever victory in a major tournament at least gives the Bosnians something to show for their efforts in Brazil. Safet Susic’s side were knocked out before Wednesday’s match after narrow defeats by Argentina and Nigeria in their opening two games, but had created enough chances to have taken something from both games. Dzeko’s well-taken goal
against the Iranians was scant consolation for the Manchester City forward after he had an effort ruled out incorrectly against Nigeria when the score was 0-0, and subsequently missed a number of opportunities to get his side back in to that game. His 23rd-minute strike was little more than the Bosnians deserved after a positive start in which the City man had twice forced saves from Iran’s Alireza Haghighi. With the Iranians needing to win and hope Nigeria lost if they were to progress, they went on the attack immediately and Masoud Shojaei saw his shot come back off the crossbar less than a minute after Bosnia had scored. It would have been their first goal in a World Cup finals since a 1-1 draw with Angola in 2006, but the half ended with Susic’s side looking more likely to be the next team on the scoresheet. They made it 2-0 with just
Edin Dzeko scores pinpoint drive for Bosnia. (Getty Images) under an hour gone when Iran conceded possession needlessly 40 yards from goal and Tino Susic moved forward before sliding through to the marginally offside Pjanic, who finished coolly into the corner. Iran - under the management of former Manchester United coach Queiroz for the final time pulled themselves back into it when Ghoochannejhad
tapped home at the back post after Bosnia failed to clear a corner but any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Almost immediately after the restart, Sejad Salihovic played full-back Vrsajevic through on goal and he showed composure to score his first international goal. It ensured that Iran have now gone out at the group stage in all four of their World Cup campaigns.
Skipper Ryan Gonsalves By Sean Devers A 27-man National Rugby squad inclusive of 23 players is scheduled to depart Guyana this morning for Atlanta in the United States of America (USA) to take on USA South on Saturday in the final of the North America and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Men’s 15’s Rugby Tournament. Guyana won the right to face the USA South for the NACRA Men’s 15’s title after defeating Trinidad and Tobago 15-8 in the final of the Northern Zone at the National Park in Guyana, while the USA South beat the Cayman Islands 34-30 to capture the Southern Zone crown. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport after the team’s final practice session at the National Park yesterday afternoon, Captain Ryan Gonsalves said he was very satisfied with their preparation which began just over two months ago. Gonsalves disclosed that his team were extremely confident of coming away with the title especially after looking at the US team in their game against the Cayman Islands. “They (US team) only won by four points which shows how close is the standard of play Caribbean teams are from the North Americans. We have been together for over three years as a team and judging from their style of play I think they are very beatable,” a confident Gonsalves said. Coach Clinton ‘Stiffy’ Clarke shared his Skipper’s view in relation to the preparation adding that since beating defending Caribbean 15’s Champions T&T the team have played two practice games. “We have four overseas based players in the squad including three from Trinidad who were here from last week practicing with the team. US based Vallon Adams will join the Guyanese contingent in the States, so we have good experience and skill in our team,” Clarke pointed out. The T&T based trio of Richard Staglon, Rondell Mayers and Peabo Hamilton along with Adams all played against T&T and along with Gonsalves, Claudius Butts and Theodore Henry will be relied on for solid performances on Saturday. According to the garrulous Gonsalves, the above mentioned players have been exposed to
International Rugby against teams like England, France, New Zealand and China, against whom they registered their first International win in Hong Kong and have helped Guyana to hold its own over the last three years, especially in the 7’s format. Gonsalves admitted that on home soil the Americans will be a tough and confident opposition and the Guyanese biggest challenge will be the size and weight of the US players. But Coach Clarke said that while they are bigger than his boys their style is much slower and compact and his plan is to play a much faster game. “Everyone has gotten US Visas and we would like to thank the US Embassy for the role they played in assisting the players to get their Visas in a very short time. We are in high spirits following our success against Trinidad. They provide us with a stern test whenever we play them but qualifying for this final has not been overwhelming for us since we all know there is a job still to be completed,” Gonsalves revealed. Gonsalves said that everyone if fit and rearing to go, adding that the team is still short of amount of funding they require but was focusing on the game at hand. “We are in a very good position to take the title once we play well on Saturday. We have to minimize our mistakes, stick to our game plan and execute and finish every scoring opportunity,” Gonsalves said “This team is one of the most successful sporting teams in Guyana. We only lost once in the Caribbean in the last six years, and dominated, especially in the 7’s format and Government should rally round us and come on board a bit more,” Gonsalves added He informed that the team is still awaiting word from Government, whose only contribution so far has been to provide a weaver on their departure tax. Gonsalves lamented that a lack of funds prevented the team from participating last year when Trinidad won to book a spot at the Commonwealth Games. “We must thank John Fernandes Ltd, BK Super Mix, New GPC, Caribbean Containers Inc for their sponsorship, while GT&T yesterday provided the team with travelling Polo shirts. Banks DIH give us training shirts,” an upbeat Gonsalves concluded.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
GOA ‘Discover’ Open Badminton tourney
Narayan Ramdhani and Nicholas Ali capture the Men’s doubles title
GOA Discover Badminton top finishers to date enjoy the moment. The GOA ‘Discover’ Open Badm i n t o n tournament, which started on Saturday June 21 last at the Queen’s College Badminton Courts, continued on Monday June 23 and is one of a series of events the GOA has planned during the month of June annually. Players from Guyana and China are participating. National Junior and Senior Champion, Caribbean & South American C h a m pion Narayan Ramdhani teamed up with Nicholas Ali to capture the Men’s doubles
title by defeating Noel Shewjattan and Jonathan Mangra. Ramdhani is also in the Men’s Singles and Mix Doubles finals set for tomorrow at 18:30hrs at QC. In results from the matches played: Men’s Singles Semi-Finals: Narayan Ramdhani defeated Jonathan Mangra: 21-10, 21-14 Nicholas Ali defeated Avinash Odit: 21-17, 21-15 Men’s Doubles SemiFinals: Narayan Ramdhani & Nicholas Ali defeated William Holder & Avinash
Odit: 21-7, 21-19 Noel Shewjattan & Jonathan Mangra defeated Steve Peng & Ian Xiong: 21-11, 21-10 Men’s Doubles Finals: Narayan Ramdhani & Nicholas Ali defeated Jonathan Mangra & Noel Shewjattan: 21-17, 21-19 The tournament continues on Friday with the Finals for the Men Singles (Narayan Ramdhani Vs. Nicholas Ali) and Mix Doubles (Narayan & Priyanna Ramdhani Vs. Nicholas Ali & Ambika Ramraj).
BBC Sport - Argentina and Nigeria have both qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup despite two Lionel Messi goals condemning the African side to a 3-2 defeat in their final group game. The Barcelona forward netted a fierce opener, but Ahmed Musa equalised within 80 seconds with a curling finish. Messi made it 2-1 before the break with a 25-yard freekick, but Musa grabbed his second after bursting through. Marcos Rojo scored Argentina’s winner, knocking in a corner with a knee. The result means Argentina finish top of Group F with three wins from three games, while Nigeria qualify in second with four points after Iran failed to defeat Bosnia-Hercegovina. Both teams will surely
need to tighten up if they are to advance to the latter stages of the competition, with neither teams likely to win any plaudits for their defending. However, the crowd crammed into the Estadio Beira-Rio on Wednesday saw another goal-laden World Cup match. It only took three minutes for the net to bulge when Messi arrived like a train to smash home after Angel Di Maria’s effort came off a post. The celebrations had barely died down when Nigeria levelled. Midfielder Michel Babatunde - who was later stretchered off with a wrist injury - fed the ball into the left side of the area for Musa, who shifted to his right before curling in. It was the first time in World Cup history that two opposing teams had both scored inside the first five
minutes. The forwards on show continued to expose the fragility of both defences, but it was not until stoppage time in the first half that the next goal arrived. Messi, who moments earlier drew an exceptional free-kick save from Vincent Enyeama, this time struck his dead ball over the wall and beyond the reach of the Lille goalkeeper. It was the 27-year-old’s fourth goal in three matches at Brazil 2014, having scored just once in his first eight World Cup appearances. Nigeria knew that BosniaHercegovina had taken an early lead against qualification rivals Iran, but they did not rest on their laurels and were level within two minutes of the restart. It was Musa again who hit the target. This time the
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Mackeson awards ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ winner
Mackeson Brand Manager Jamal Douglas (third, left) hands over the Championship trophy and cash prize to West Front Road captain, Hubert Pedro, yesterday. The 2014 Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Futsol Champions, West Front Road were officially handed the Championship trophy and prizes yesterday at Ansa McAl Headquarters with Captain, Hubert Pedro, revelling in reaping revenge against Sparta Boss. “The tournament was challenging and we can’t take anything away from Sparta. They are a good team and it was a good final. We won all our games on penalty kicks and we didn’t concede any goals in the tournament,” he said. “They defeated us last year and now we won this
year that makes it 1-1 between us, so we are looking forward to facing Sparta again” added Pedro. Sparta Boss had defeated West to win the title last year. Sparta’s Jerome Richardson said that the tournament started on a good note and they wanted to reach the final. He noted, “It was a good tournament and we will work harder to get to the final next year”. Mackeson Brand Coordinator, Jamal Douglas said that the tournament was a success and like the captains had said “the competition has improved”
and Mackeson is looking forward to continue supporting community sports. He said the fifth edition will be bigger. West Front Road pocketed $300,000 for winning after dethroning Sparta Boss 3-2 on penalty kicks, following a nilall score at the end of normal and extra time. West also received football turfs and cleats from Colours Boutique and Clairans respectively; they also got football socks and balls compliments of Footsteps Megamall. Sparta Boss received $200,000 and football turfs from Colours Boutique.
Nigeria through despite Messi double
Messi gave Enyeama little chance with his free-kick. (Reuters) CSKA Moscow forward played a one-two Emmanuel Emenike before slotting the ball past Sergio Romero. Argentina pressed once more, with Di Maria twice
forcing Enyeama to make good stops. But the Nigeria goalkeeper was beaten again eventually, when defender Rojo used his knee to convert a corner from the left.
A desperate Di Maria was thwarted again by Enyeama in the closing moments, as the match ended in the same thrilling manner in which it began.
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Kaieteur News
Ann’s Grove captures NCE Screen Printers Schools Thrill Draughts tourney On June 21st last, NCE Screen Printers LTD hosted their 2nd Inter Schools Draughts Tournament, The Thrill Tournament, sponsored by the Caribbean International Distributors Inc. at the Bladen Hall Multilateral School. Ann’s Grove Secondary clinched the title, beating Golden Grove Secondary and Annandale respectively in the team event. The top schools then competed in the Champion of Champions event with New Campbellville Secondary representing Georgetown and Ann’s Grove of the East Coast, which the latter claimed for the double. Denzil Wilson of Hope Secondary was named the most outstanding individual player. The Guyana Draughts Association led by senior Mark Braithwaite supervised the tournament, which was played using their rules. Director of Sport Neil Kumar supported the event. At the formal opening ceremony the students were greeted by the management of NCE Screen Printers Ltd and also officials from the EPA who enlightened the students about the issue of litter and its effects, and what the Government of Guyana has been doing in that regard. They emphasized the need to make the commitment now to join with other Guyanese to not be a litter bug. Mr Braithwaithe from the Guyana Draughts Association explained the
Part of the action in the NCE, Thrill sponsored, Draughts tournament at Bladen Hall Multi School. rules of the game and supervised the tournament. Presentations were made to the winning schools. The trophies awarded to the outstanding schools; Ann’s Grove Secondary, Golden Grove Secondary and Annandale Secondary were donated by the National Sports Commission. Drinks and water were donated by Thrill Caribbean International Distributors Inc. and snacks by H.A. Snacks and NCE Screen Printers Ltd for the students. Draughts Games were printed on fabric by NCE Screen Printers Ltd and sponsored by Noble House,
BM Soat, EPA, Carib Foods inc, Baracara Quarries, Farfan and Mendes, Ramchand Auto Sales, Rubis, Ansa McAl, David Persaud Investments and Demerara Bank. The schools that participated were Ann’s Grove, Annandale, Bygeval, Bladen Hall, Buxton, Beterverwagting, Golden Grove, Hope, Lancaster, Lusignan, LBI, Mahaicony, Novar, Plaisance Secondary’s and President’s College. NCE has understood the value of board games for years and always manufactured them as part of their educational toys and games line.
Cricket For Unity T20 Match
Buddy’s Gym chips in Buddy’s Gym, located at 137 Sheriff Street, Campbellville is the latest corporate entity to come onboard in support of the Cricket For Unity T20 match that is slated for July 5, 2014 at the Demerara Cricket Club, ground. Yesterday, Administrative Assistant of the gym, Marcia D’Olivera handed over the entity’s contribution to Chairman of the Cricket For Unity Organising Committee, Dexter Garnett. D’Olivera said that Buddy’s Gym has always been in support of sports and its development in Guyana and they see this match as another avenue to continue this tradition. She wished the organisers every success and challenged the players to bring their ‘A’ game on the 5th. Garnett thanked D’Olivera and Buddy’s Gym for their support.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Over 60 entered, more sponsors onboard for Rising Sun/Inshan Bacchus Horserace meet Over 60 of the country’s top racehorses have taken entry for the much anticipated Rising Sun Turf Club/ Inshan Bacchus ‘Hard Runnings’ Trucking Service grand one day horserace meet set for Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice even as more sponsors come onboard. The eight race event has over $8M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. The latest sponsor to add their name to the growing list is the Shariff Racing Stable and Business Enterprise who on Tuesday handed over a substantial amount to the organisers of the meet at the Shariff Farm at No. 6 West Coast Berbice. With the attractive prize monies on offer most of the events have attracted full entries. The feature event is for horses classified D1 and lower with a lucrative first prize of $1M and trophy up for the taking over 1500M. A full gate has been assembled for this event with the likes of Treacle, Swing Easy, City Tune, Run Nana Run, CP Got Even, Tororoso, Milwaukee Blitz, Jack is My Style, Red and Lovely, Africanist and Goodwill Boy all entered. There is a rich collection of horses lined up for the rest of events with horses such as - Fresh Again, Savion, Shooting Star, Cat Messiah, Royal Empire, Unsettled, Easy To Win, Iron Man, Mary Ann, Ameera’s Joy, Church House, War Craft, Damascus Dream, Release the Beast, Today is my Day, Quiet Dancer, Goodwill Boy ,It’s my Turn, Appealing Harvest, Captain Crook ,Rosetta, Another Jet, Settling Jet and Bridal Stone Corner, Silent Night, It’s My choice, Fairy Landing, She So Special, I want Revenge, De Gump, Keep On Swinging, Smarty Light, Affinity, Windy Killer, Prince Bayaya, Princess Alisha, Today is My Day,
William ‘Kitty’ Fraser (left) assistant trainer of the Shariff Racing Stable hands over the sponsorship cheque to Ravindra Mohabir of the organising committee. Top horse Damascus Dream is in the backg round with apprentice jockey Andy ‘Jugu’ Jameson on mount. Famous Pride, Royal Cash, Little and Happy Choice. The other events are the co-feature event for threeyear-old Guyana and West Indies - bred animals which will fetch a winner’s take of $600,000 and trophy over 1400M. There is a race for animals classified F1 and Lower also over 1400M with the winner set to take home $500,000 and trophy. The G3 and Lower event is once again expected to be competitive as the animals will race over 1000M for a winning take of $400,000 and trophy. The H1 and Lower horses will run for a top prize of $400,000 and trophy also over 1000M. The event will likely see the introduction of the Twoyear-old Guyana and West Indian- bred horses for this
year and they will compete over 600M for a first prize of $300,000 and trophy. Horses running in the I1 and Lower 1000M race will run for a first prize of $250,000 and trophy. The final event for the day is for animals classified J and Lower for a winners money of $200,000 over 1000M. Top individual performers including top jockey, trainer and stable will receive incentives compliments of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the organizers. Last minute information can be obtained by contacting C. Ramnauth on 337-5311, Fazil Habibulla on 657-7010, Inshan Bacchus on 629-9419 and Chandu Ramkissoon on 232-0633/6249063. Race time is 12:30 hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
Digicel Schools Football championships
Chase Academy thump Tutorial Secondary 8-0, East Ruimveldt hammer Marian 6-1
Buddy’s Gym Administrative Assistant Marcia D’Olivera (right) presents the cheque to Dexter Garnett.
Chase Academy and East Ruimveldt registered convincing victories when the Georgetown zone of the Digicel nationwide Schools football championships continued yesterday. Chase Academy, led by doubles from Andre Trotz and Shamar Barrow, handed Tutorial Secondary an 8-0 trashing, while Romell Legall netted a hat-trick as East Ruimveldt hammered Marian
Legall scores hat-trick Academy 6-1. Forward Trotz put Chase ahead at the Ministry of Education ground, 10 minutes into play when he lofted the ball into the six yard box that eluded the hands Tutorial goalkeeper Kelly Blue and went into the roof of the net. Chase dominated possession and continued to press forward, but sent a number of
shots wide. Tutorial’s efforts to find an equalizer were thwarted by Chase back four and Daniel Ross doubled the lead in the 25 minute. Isaiah Reddy marshaled the midfield well; he passed to an unmarked Ross on the right side who scampered towards the goal before firing his shot into the back of the (Continued on page 27)
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
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NMSS ‘B’ wins Neal and Massy Dominoes title
Officials and members of the competing teams in the final take timeout for a photo. NM Security Solutions (NMSS) ‘B’ scored 83 games to emerge winners of the Neal and Massy Inter-Company Dominoes final played recently at NM Staff Facility at Ruimveldt.
Led by a top score of 17 games from captain Julian Vozlosa and 16 games from Gerald Fowler, NMSS ‘B’ made light work of NMSS ‘A’ who made 72 games to finish in the runner-
up spot while Bermudez ended on the carpet with 59 games. Fay Bispham and Desmond Singh with 15 games each were also in good form for the winners
while Keith Moore top scored for NMSS ‘B’ with 16 games. Askoke Birju was the main con t r i b u t o r f o r Bermudez with 15 games. The lovebirds were
Ivan Bob-S emple of NMSS ‘A’ and Dardatt Budhpal of Bermudez. The tournament attracted teams from the f o l l o w i n g companiesAssociated Industries
Limited (AINLIM), CCS, Demerara Oxygen Company (DOCOL), NMSS and Trade and Distribution Inc. (TDI). Prizes were donated by Neal and Massy Sports Club.
Murray in a hurry, Seventh Republic Bank Summer camp for Grade 6 students unveiled Venus rolls back years The seventh edition of the annual Republic Bank Summer Camp for Grade six students organised by the cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) has been recently unveiled. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster announced that the camp will commence on Monday July 14 at the Area ‘H’ ground and would be conducted by experienced educators and University of Guyana graduate, Rohan Etwaru. Its main aims are to properly prepare Grade 6 students to successfully make the transition from primary to secondary school; to instill in them the importance of discipline and education and to expose them to basic coaching in the sports of cricket, volleyball and basketball. Sixty (60) students would be catered for and will be drawn from across the Lower Corentyne area. Subjects including Maths, English, Spanish, Integrated Science and History would be taught while the students would also benefit from lectures on other topics of importance. These would include drug abuse, peer pressure,
Venus Williams recovered from trailing 3-0 in the opening set to win it on a tie-break. (AP)
RHTY&SC Office Manager Moonish Singh (left) receives the sponsorship cheque from Harry Dass Ghaness, Branch Manager of Republic Bank, Rose Hall Town. the importance of discipline, HIV/Aids, importance of religion, personal hygiene and public manners. Foster stated that his club was determined that the students understand the importance of sports as an alternative to a life on the road and as such they would be exposed to basic coaching in several disciplines especially cricket, volleyball and basketball. The veteran club official expressed confidence that
the camp would be another successful one and praised the cricket teams for working hard to not only maintain the sponsorship from Republic Bank but also for achieving all the objectives of the camp over the years. T h e C l u b ’s O ff i c e Manager and Cricket Coordinator Moonish Singh expressed gratitude to Republic Bank for its continued support of the camp and pledged that they would always uphold its
tradition of striving for excellence. The camp is being organised by the Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Gizmos and Gadgets Under21 and First Division and the Metro Female cricket teams. Interested parents are asked to register their children at the club office Area ‘H’ ground or call 337 4562 or 612 5308 for more information.
Li Na reached the third round of Wimbledon. (Getty Images) LONDON (Reuters) Andy Murray obliterated the second obstacle blocking his path to consecutive Wi m b l e d o n t i t l e s o n Wednesday as he ended Blaz Rola’s All England Club adventure in brutal fashion. The home favorite, who last year ended Britain’s 77year hunt for a men’s singles champion, flattened the Slovenian 6-1 6-1 6-0 to reach the third round without dropping a set and stretch his winning streak at the All England Club to 15.
Veteran American Venus Williams, another player who thrives at the spiritual home of lawn tennis, if not in recent years because of illness and injury, battled into the third round with 76(4) 6-1 defeat of Japan’s Kurumi Nara. Williams, level with younger sister Serena on five Wimbledon singles titles, m i s s e d l a s t y e a r ’s tournament and exited in the first round in 2012 but the 30th seed hopes she can at (Continued on page 27)
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Thursday June 26, 2014
4th Annual Digicel Schools Football Competition
St. John’s impress en route to 6-0 trouncing of LVI St. John’s Secondary School (white jerseys) seen in attack on the Leonora Vocational Institute goal area in their clash yesterday at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground.
By Rawle Welch Despite the occasional lopsided results and the inability of players to genuinely showcase their skills due to most of the grounds being affected by the inclement weather, fans could feel assured that they will see a high quality of play in this year’s 4th Annual Digicel Schools Football Competition. Yesterday, at the Den Amstel Community Centre g r o u n d , S t . J o h n ’s Secondary School trounced Leonora Vocational Institute (LVI) 6-0 and the manner in
which they marched to victory much surely place them in pole position to win the Region 3 Zone. The St. John’s lads were a class above their opponents and had they finished with more accuracy in the final third the scoreline might have been even more emphatic. They opened the scoring as early as the 11th minute when Rolex Henry leaped high in the air to deliver a glancing header following a cross from the right flank. Eight minutes later, St. John’s lead increased when
Cordel Walcott reached on to the end of a clinical pass from Trevor Clarke, before rifling a fierce and low rightfoot shot past goalkeeper Lexroy Wright to make it 20. Playing with confidence and exhibiting plenty p a n a c h e , S t . J o h n ’s controlled much of the possession, stringing together an abundance of passes and stretched their advantage further in the 30th minute through Clarke, who neatly trapped a well directed cross and with the little room that was gifted
fired past Wright for a 3-0 lead. Clarke was denied an opportunity to score a second goal when his rightfooted belter produced a brilliant save from Wright, who tipped it over the bar for a corner. The half came with no addition to the score, but LVI searching for confidence and an opening goal, but clearly not possessing a player with the quality to manufacture one. The final period started with St. John’s resuming where they left off, attacking
with menacing intent and won a penalty after Henry was fouled inside the ‘red zone’ forcing Referee Lenval Peart to award the spot kick which was netted by Captain Stephon Bentick in the 62nd minute of play. Even after opting for several substitutions, LVI just could not break the impregnable backline of St. John’s and eventually fell further behind when Wright fumbled a curling corner kick that slid through his hands and landed into the goal. That occurred in the 68th minute.
The die was cast for certain when Wright, who must have felt dispirited with the amount of goals that were being scored, made another blunder, allowing a free kick that was taken by Akimbo Henry from about 25 metres out to slip through his grasp and roll over the goal-line in the 75th minute. The error summed up his afternoon and that of the team, before the final whistle sounded to their relief. The competition resumes today with Patentia taking on La Grange at Uitvlugt from 15:30 hrs.
Digicel Schools Football Championships
Buxton Secondary School triumph 2-0 over Hope Secondary in keenly contested duel Despite enjoying home advantage, the lads of Buxton Secondary School were forced to work hard to eventually secure a 2 nil victory over Hope Secondary when action in the Digicel Schools Football Championships continued at the Buxton/Friendship Community Centre Ground, Buxton East Coast Demerara yesterday afternoon. Ato August (54) and Dillon Wright (68) were the players on target for the winners and their efforts occurred after a goalless first half riddled with missed chances. The battle for
possession was fierce during the initial exchanges with both teams demonstrating admirable resilience in the middle. The passes were pin point when the respective teams wended their way to each other’s berth. It was close to the goal where tactical applications and accuracy were necessary that both team erred. Buxton striker, Ezekiel Prince, was gifted a superb pass just in front of the opposition’s goal early in the first session but with only the advancing goalie to contend with, he lost his nerve and delivered a misdirected kick that slid
down the right side of the goal. The blunders continued, this time it was a player from Hope Secondary who wended his way to the opposition’s goal and was on the verge of sending in a mighty kick when the referee blew offside and spoiled the moment for him. Shortly afterwards, Buxton player, Jamal Thuesday, was gifted a pass that landed on his right foot; he failed to find his footing and sent in the tamest of kicks that the Hope Secondary custodian had no difficulty scooping up. It was definitely not (Continued on page 27)
Dillon Wright and Ato August (stooping left and right) is surrounded by their teammates moments after the final whistle.
Thursday June 26, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Local TT players participate in high level camp in China By Edison Jefford Leading Guyanese table tennis players are currently participating in a high-level Training Camp in China that Guyana’s Table Tennis Association (GTTA) had initiated through the International Table Tennis F e d e r a t i o n ’s ( I T T F ) Education and Training Programme. ITTF Director of Education and Training, Polona Cehovin Susin and Mikael Anderson, also of the ITTF, supported the GTTA initiative along with the Guyana Olympic Association and some local sponsors, Wa r t s i l a , S a f e t y a n d Industrial Supplies and Nabi’s Engineering and Construction Limited. “Some of Guyana’s elite players were able to benefit from an unprecedented highlevel training camp in China,” GTTA President, Godfrey Munroe confirmed with Kaieteur Sport yesterday. He said the effort is geared at improving the quality of local players. Those currently encamped in China include Chelsea Edghill, who is an ITTF ‘With the Future in Mind’ player that Continental Group of Companies sponsors under its Sunburst Juices brand; the talented Edghill was named on the Commonwealth Games team this week. In addition to Edghill, this newspaper understands that negotiations allowed for rising prospect, Shemar Britton to benefit from the programme in China along with Trenace Lowe. The National Coach, Idi Lewis is with the contingent. “Paul David is also currently in Beijing China doing extensive preparations for his participation in Scotland (where the Commonwealth Games will be held). He is with National
Guyanese table tennis players pose in China with their Chinese trainers during the June 3-21 ITTF Education and Training Programme. Junior Player, Stephan Corlette, who Banks DIH Limited sponsored,” Munroe informed. “This represents the first time in the history of local table tennis that players from Guyana would be participating in such a camp, which is key and critical to their preparation in key international events,” the GTTA President, who will be g o i n g w i t h t h e Commonwealth Games team i n t h e f o r m o f Manager/Coach, told this publication. Munroe said that the Pan American Festival slated for Mexico, July 17-20 for which the women team has qualified, is high on the GTTA agenda. In addition, he stated that the Commonwealth Games are also on the agenda. Guyana will also be represented at the 2nd Youth
Olympic Games, Nanjing China, August 16–28 in the form of Chelsea Edghill. The P a n A m e r i c a n Te a m Qualification scheduled for August 28-31 and The Central American and Caribbean Games in November are also among the important competitions that the GTTA hopes to make an impact, hence the Chinese camp. The training camp was planned and designed in close partnership with the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the Shanghai Administration of Sports and features in-depth education and new coaching ideas from Olympic gold medalist, Li Xiao Dong. World and Olympic Champions, Wang Liqin and Jorgen Persson are also among the facilitators that the ITTF pin-pointed. According to Munroe, the ITTF Education and Training Programme
represents one of the most exciting table tennis training camps in the history of the ITTF Global Junior Programme. “It’s a pathway the GTTA wants to adopt in view of raising the level of our payers to compete at an even higher level and ultimately becoming world champs. It’s a model of constant exposure to high level training with world class players,” Munroe said. Additionally, “we feel that there are long term benefits to be derived from going through the kind of technical and tactical expertise that the local players will be exposed to,” the GTTA head said. The national association will be exploring the possibility of similar camps in Sweden and Brazil, all in an effort to fortify local players for international competitions.
Godfrey Munroe
Digicel Schools Football championships
Chase Academy thump Tutorial Secondary 8-0, East Ruimveldt hammer Marian 6-1 Legall scores hat-trick
Andre Trotz (#15) shot is about to beat Tutorial Secondary custodian Kelly Blue for his second goal.
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Part of the action between Chase Academy (red shirt) and Tutorial Secondary yesterday.
Guyana ‘Ruggers’ depart for USA today ‘US team very beatable’ says Skipper Ryan Gonsalves
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Ryan Gonsalves
National Rugby team in practice at the National Park yesterday under the watchful eyes of Coach Clinton Clarke (extreme left). Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210