Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL DIVISIVE ANTI-CUBA RANTING It is said that when politicians are being attacked at home on a number of issues, including the economy, lack of jobs, crime etc., they often turn their rancor to other countries to bolster their fortunes at home. A classic case exists with our northern neighbour, Venezuela. Two years ago, President Maduro had threatened to seize two-thirds of Guyana’s territory due to the fact that he was harshly criticized for the economic and political chaos in Venezuela. This is also true of United States President Donald Trump who is reeling from what has thus far been a failed legislative agenda. Faced with multiple probes from the Congress, the FBI and a Special Counsel into his campaign ties to Russia, his sudden dismissal of FBI director James Comey and allegations that he has attempted to obstruct justice, Trump has turned his venom on America’s arch enemy, Cuba. In what seems like a personal agenda, hatred, or an act of disdain for the Castro regime, President Trump visited Miami last week and told Cuban Americans opposed to the Castro regime that he has cancelled the deal brokered between Cuba and the Obama administration. He claimed that Cuba continues to violate the human rights of its citizens and blamed the Obama administration for looking the other way. In his longwinded statement, Trump listed some of the Castro regime’s anti-United States actions, which dated back to more than six decades. They ranged from the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Mariel Boat lift, to Joanne Chesimard who fled to Cuba after her conviction for murdering a State Trooper in New Jersey. However, all this is being said by a President, Trump, who has praised authoritarian leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and the oppressive Saudi Royal family. Not to mention his racist and Islamophobia executive orders banning Muslims from entering the United States; his malicious attack on the Muslim Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and his undermining of the independent judiciary. It seems that Trump is making a mockery of human right violations which are occurring in many countries. Many believe that President Trump’s gripe against Cuba is personal and vindictive, and they could have serious implications for the Caribbean and undermine America’s standing in the region. It is nothing more than his spiteful efforts to reverse all of Obama’s policies which could lead to mistrust and thus undermine his ability to make deals with leaders in the region. As with his ill-advised Mexican border wall, Mr. Trump’s policies are divisive and isolationist. And while he is concerned with human rights violations in Cuba, he continues to ignore reports of deliberate efforts by Russian operatives to attack one of America’s most important institutions: its democratic process. He should be reminded that isolationist policies have not worked in the past. It was a major foreign policy blunder, yet it is being practiced by the Trump administration. The leaders of the 15-member CARICOM states should not be tempted to make individual public statements in response to President Trump’s provocative and hostile antiCuba rhetoric in Miami. What they should do instead is to wait for their annual summit meeting scheduled for July to craft an in-depth forward-thinking collective response to President Trump’s tirade against Cuba. They must let Mr. Trump understand that Cuba stood up to the US’s Cold War policies on Cuba which are outdated. Although they had some negative impact on Cuba, they did not cause the collapse of the Castro regime. Mr. Trump should know that Cuba has survived decades of US economic sanctions and its revolution has heroically endured a succession of bellicose US leaders, and will survive the Trump administration.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

GuySuCo insulted the nation on Enmore Martyrs Day Dear Editor, GuySuCo in its submission to the Government in October, 2016 is seeking to cease providing its medical services that has been in place for almost 65 years. It is saddening mere days after our nation celebrated the heroism of the Enmore Martyrs that GuySuCo is obviously seeking to alter history. On the Weekly Production Incentive (WPI) scheme, the Corporation should be ashamed to call attention to this. For the first time, p r o b a b l y s i n c e t h e s c h e m e ’s introduction over 28 years, no worker benefitted from any WPI incentive during the just concluded 2017 first crop. On the strikes in the industry, we reiterate that the majority of the strikes are confined to workers in a gang and are not all industry-wide as the Corporation seeks to paint. Most of the strikes are related to price disputes that arose from sub-optimal field conditions, and which are deemed legitimate in keeping with the agreement between GAWU and GuySuCo. Interestingly, price dispute strikes pre-dated GAWU’s presence in the industry. Ms. Thomas went on to refer to 150 strikes in 2016 but does not say man-days lost by strikes were the third lowest between 2001 and 2016. We ask GuySuCo: doesn’t it find it paradoxical that whilst the rate of unemployment is steadily growing it has a difficulty to attract workers? Two (2) years of no-pay increases; shortchanged API in 2015 and no API in

2016; arbitrary cutting down of workers benefits; present and potential threats of closures have certainly not been helpful in the company’s cause in its recruitment drive. We note too the reference to $17M lost daily as a result of strikes, that figure was also quoted in a whole page ad that appeared under the hand of ‘Concerned Guyanese’ in the June 15, 2017 Kaieteur News. It seems the plot is thickening. We take serious and utmost umbrage with GuySuCo’s view that the GAWU is engaged in sabotage. This is completely unfounded a n d a f i g m e n t o f s o m e o n e ’s imagination. The necessity of “customs and practices” is also questioned by the Corporation. Its reference, in our view, points to continued efforts to withdraw long established practices which have evolved over the years and are reflective of the unique nature of the operations in the sugar industry. Moreover, the Corporation also seems to question the wisdom of the workers protest actions. But wouldn’t any rational person whose livelihood is threatened take a similar approach. Ms. Thomas and her colleagues ensconced in the comforts of GuySuCo hierarchy would sing a different tune had the shoe been on the other foot. In passing, Ms. Thomas needs to be reminded that workers and the tax-paying public are still awaiting an account of the big sums of monies given to GuySuCo in 2015, 2016 and this year with no showing of any noticeable or tangible results. It’s quite befuddling that when the company’s

intent is to lower even the current low production to 147,000 tonnes per year, it speaks of its efforts to increase production and productivity in sugar. GuySuCo seems to be in a haze of confusion. GuySuCo says it will demand very soon a “higher level” of service from GAWU. But such a call is best suited to GuySuCo. For instance, we have seen press reports of the intended expenditure of $1.5B of what is styled the Uitvlugt Estate Improvement Programme (UEIP) and the intention to produce 40,000 tonnes sugar by 2020 for which the Union nor the workers of Uitvlugt have not been engaged and remain clueless about at this point in time. We wish to caution Ms. Thomas that our Union is working and will continue to work in the interest of our members. We are not a vendor or service provider to GuySuCo that the Corporation can seek us to provide them (GuySuCo) with better quality service. It seems the Corporation wishes to go back to the days of Company Unionism. We wish to advise the GuySuCo that that ship has long sailed. GAWU wishes to assure Ms. Thomas that it will continue to appropriately respond in defending and safeguarding the interests of our members and to inform the public about the grave dangers that lurk from the plans for sugar at all possible forums. Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

Thoughts on the recent prison murder in Berbice Dear Editor, Have the prisoners taken charge and become their own judge, jury and executioners? Permit me to pen my thoughts before they run totally amok. Following the recent news article of the deadly prison attack on the Jagmohan brothers while incarcerated in the New Amsterdam Prison, I have been forced to rethink even the basic of basics ”What are prisons for? The idea that it is a place to treat, reform and rehabilitate now appears obsolete or unattainable when it comes to the prison system in Guyana. In fact, it is apparent that the prisons and prison system are there solely to serve the courts. Point finale! The recent stabbing death of Neshan Jagmohan, by fellow inmates using jukers reveals a culture of sheer dehumanization, where lives no longer matter, neither does what happens to individuals behind bars. After all, in the first instance they have been incarcerated on account of murder. So figure it out. Safety

inside prisons depends on a multiplicity of factors among them being adequate supervision, adequate staffing and scrupulous surveillance, all of which was lacking in the New Amsterdam prison. According to Divisional Commissioner, Ian Amsterdam following post – incident statements taken from the inmates, the deceased and his brother were extremely aggressive towards other inmates, and he was further made to understand that the bothers dominated. Pointing the finger in the other direction, taking into full consideration the fact that these brothers were not newcomers/new kids on the block, then the poignant question that must be addressed is; prior to this sad saga was the prison personnel p r i v y t o t h e aggressive/dominant behaviour of the brothers? Were any reports made by other inmates, if so how were they dealt with? Or are these reports of their behaviour now surfacing as an alibi for those accused.

Is the Guyana Correctional Services guilty of gross negligence, and breach of duty of care in allowing the prisoners to become judge, jury and ultimate executioner? It has been said that the attack stemmed from a murder plot, does it not stand to reason that somewhere along the line as the plot was thickening the inmates’ behavior may have been sickening, in a manner that was prejudicial to good order and discipline. It is apparent that both the incubation and the hatching of the plot progressed totally unnoticed in an environment totally controlled by perimeter architecture, disciplinary rules, internal security and surveillance. It is a known fact that prisons can be dangerous places, undoubtedly and newspaper sources report that the accused may be facing murder and attempted murder charges. However, the call is now being sounded and many more besides the accused inmates should be held accountable. I am

calling on the President and all appropriate authorities to carry out an immediate and through investigation aimed at determining whether the well-established duty of care owed was exercised, and was the occurrence foreseeable. An appropriate reactionary and justifiable measure would be to segregate the prisoners for their own safety, while the prison officials painstakingly review their inhouse surveillance and supervisory procedures and the likely breach thereof. As for the construction of jukers or other implements of harm, the officials had better take notice and bear in mind that one day they may be at the receiving end. Prisons - that stressful anxiety producing environment have been known to bring out the strangest behaviour in individuals who find themselves behind its walls, but let this incident serve as a pressing need for the corrective personnel to take careful heed. Yvonne Sam

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Kaieteur News

Six important facts to know about ethanol replacing sugar DEAR EDITOR; We need to understand the math of the situation when we look at ethnol as a replacement for sugar; at a yield of 26 tons of cane per acre and 2 tons sugar per acre @ US$480 US dollars per ton sugar, the monetary yield of sugar per acre is US$960 / acre/ year, so to make $10.4 million US we would need to have 10.4M/960=10,833 acres of cane land; but from this same acreagewhich is already under cane, were we to manufacture fuel grade ethanol at 10,833 acres x 26 TCA x 22 gal E x US$3/gal = US$18.6 million. So an earning of US$10,400,000 from 10,833 acres growing cane f o r s u g a r, c o m p a r e d t o US$18.6 million if we grew cane to makeethanol fuel for the Guyana marketplace alone, at a 10% mixture, and a selling price of 3 US per

gallon. Now any person looking at this equation, would have to conclude that it might be worth the effort to investigate this further, and would legitimately be right to ask what is GuySuCo doing? Why is it advising the government so badly? And he/she would be absolutely right. Especially in view of the following additional facts 1. Guyana would not have to find US$10.4 Million per annum in foreign exchange to buy Gasoline. 2. Because the ethanol is being produced locally, the price it can sell at can be set at 3 dollars US per Gallon for GuySuCo.5.3 million gallons @ US$3/Gallon= US$15.9 million/year to help them. 3. For the factory to produce Ethanol, let’s say Enmore/LBI,it will be far less

expensive to buy and operate, it will consist of just the mills, the fermentation tanks and the distillery and will use much less energy, therefore the process will be cheaper, in addition it entails much lesson going maintenance costs than a factory to produce Sugar and molasses. 4. High TC/TS which is our biggest problem now, will no longer be an issue with the stop and start nature of current operations due to shortage of labour, so the deterioration of cane sugar or sucrose which happens almost immediately after burning, will not affect Ethanol production, sugar cane biomass including trash does not deteriorate quickly for ethanol production, it can be in the punt for quite a while and not affect its ethanol yield. 5. Because distilling the

The acceptance of the legacy of Walter Rodney can purify the politics of Guyana DEAR EDITOR, In letters to the editors of Kaieteur News and another daily, by Minette Bacchus, dated June 15 and June 18, 2017 respectively, and with captions “This is a Dictatorial Party Whose Leaders Were Never Elected” and “Rodney was no Saint”; reference was made to Mr. Ivan Van Sertima (1935-2009, aged 74) as someone worthier of recognition in Guyana than Dr. Walter Rodney (1942-1980, aged 38). Both great Guyanese have dominated on the world stage and their works live on in various academic fields such as history, anthropology, economics, politics and philosophy. I will not dwell on the works of Mr. Van Sertima in this article. Suffice to say, what Rodney has done for Guyana exceeds and triumphs any works done by other Guyanese. My conviction is that of the Guyanese icons, Dr. Walter Rodney is the preeminent Guyanese. While both deserve awards and the naming of institutions in their honour, as do several other Guyanese. Having a Walter Rodney day as a National Holiday is quite deserving for this great son of Guyana soil. Walter Rodney’s Magnum Opus and Seminal book on “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” was published in 1972, when Walter was thirty years of age. The book became required reading in several Universities across different continents. In the introduction to the book, which encompassed communalism, feudalism, capitalism, colonialism and Imperialism; Vincent Hardy,

Robert Hill and William Strickland referred to the book as “an unparalleled work of historical analysis”. Walter was revolutionary scholar akin to Jean-Paul Sartre’s description of Che Guevara, thus, “I believe this man was not only an intellectual, but the most perfect man of his time”. Walter Rodney died as a martyr for the freedom of Guyanese, during his remarkable efforts to diminish the colossal oppression and subjugation of the masses. There is a visceral connection between the political, social, and working-class groups to the life and works of Rodney that transcends status and race. Rodney’s death was as a result of his efforts on behalf of progressive people, against human degradation of Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese, Native Americans and other race admixtures. Without prejudice, it is my view that a National Holiday for Walter Rodney would be most fitting. Vincent Harding on first meeting Rodney noted “Like many persons at the conference, my first impression of this slightly built, soft spoken, dark skinned brother from Guyana was his capacity to speak without notes – and without rhetorical flourish – for more than an hour, and yet have his highly informative material so carefully and cogently organized that it would have been possible to take it directly from a transcript and publish it.…” After the cancellation of his appointment at the University of Guyana in 1974, the following was noted in the Introduction of How Europe

Underdeveloped Africa: “Walter Rodney, the revolutionary-scholar, began once more to dig deeply into the soil of his native land. In spite of invitations and appeals from many places, he steadfastly refused to leave Guyana on any permanent basis…Father Bernard Dark, a priest who was a reporter for the Catholic Standard, was fatally stabbed in the back as he stood observing a pro-WPA demonstration outside the court building… From that point on, a repressive situation deteriorated into police beatings and escalating threats of “extermination” by Burnham against Walter and other leaders of the opposition WPA.… He had ominously told some of us in this country that we might not see him again… For Walter Rodney, the WPA was one element of the job and his research and writing was another. He saw no contradiction between them. All elements of the task were held firmly together by the righteous integrity of his life, the disciplined power of his visions and his undying love for the people and their possibilities…But, as it was said of Malcolm X, so it could be said of Walter: “He become much more than there was time for him to be.” Rodney was multilingual; fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Swahili. Any serious student of African history will consider it necessary to read the seminal work of one of Guyana’s finest sons. I will continue my analysis in another submission. Nigel Hinds

cane juice to make ethanol is so much less energy hungry than making sugar, co-generation of electricity becomes a real possibility due to surplus bagasse. 6. In addition work is currently going on, with some success, to convert the sugar cane biomass or cellulose to alcohol, this can never happen in converting cellulose to sucrose but it means that the cellulose of the sugar cane stalk and leaves is expected to become more important in time to ethanol production, the Brazilians have already done it. 7. Finding finance for such “green projects”, in view of climate change, could be financed by many agencies/grant aid programs. 8. In time ethanol can power other things, in fact recently a government owned Brazilian Company has signed a 10 year agreement to operate an ethanol power generating plant for the Brazilian national grid. i.e.”On 19 January 2010, Brazil’s state-owned company Petrobras launched

the world’s first ethanolfired power plant. Situated in the city of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, approximately 180km north of Rio de Janeiro, the plant generates electricity on a commercial scale using sugar cane-derived ethanol. The plant’s technology, engineering and field support was provided by General Electric (GE). The plant has an installed capacity of 87MW, which is enough to power a city of 150,000 inhabitants. It is connected to Brazil’s electricity grid and has power supply contracts for the next ten years”. All of this technology is available today from our neighbor to the south, who wants us to give them access to the Atlantic Ocean, and I suspect that they would be only too happy to partner with us for that benefit. GuySuCo has never sent anyone to Brazil, or invited anyone from there to come here to advise us. They are advising the government to close estates, when we have

not, in my opinion, explored all of the possibilities and alternatives. These things are not done by mediocre men with no vision. And frankly if this is not diversification from sugar [sucrose] production, I wouldn’t know what is? I agree that we should not be just closing these estates, Wales has taught us a lot, we must phase in profitable enterprises more suitable to out conditions, as we are phasing out the sugar. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not offering this as a complete answer to our problem, but we must look at it more closely and we have not! We certainly can’t have GuySuCo executives in Parliament telling the Economic Services Committee, that this will destroy our rum industry. Furthermore work is going on in the US and Brazil to convert the cellulose in the sugarcane biomass to ethanol using enzymes, which can possibly double the amount of ethanol from one ton of cane in time. http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae493 Tony Vieira

The Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce is at work DEAR EDITOR, The Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) welcomes the announcement made on Tuesday, June 20th via a press release by Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Ileana RosLehtinen (R-FL), the Chairman Emeritus of the Committee, of a new United States Government Strategy on future engagement with the Caribbean, including Guyana. The GACC fully supports the recommendation of the lawmakers that there be an increased commitment on the part of the United States to its relationship with the Caribbean region and its

Diaspora in America. The Chamber is especially pleased that among the recommendations is “announcement of a trade and investment conference with the Caribbean focused on increasing bilateral trade and improving the region’s investment climate and regulatory environment.” The GACC wishes to express its sincere thanks to all the Members of the US Congress for their approval of the Bill (HR 4939) which was signed into law last December by then President Barack Obama. The GACC has worked closely with the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in its consultations with

the US Congress and the US State Department over the past year including contributing to a paper which outlined the recommendations of the Caribbean Diaspora. Later today and tomorrow representatives of the Chamber will join other Caribbean American business and civic leaders in discussions with key members of the US Congress, including Senator Marco Rubio, on the new strategy. These discussions are part of Caribbean American Heritage Month Legislative Week being held in Washington, DC. Wesley Kirton President GACC

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Videos with two ministers’ antics have gone viral DEAR EDITOR, What kind of example are we setting? The video of Minister Raphel Trotman completely humiliating the former President and current Leader of the Opposition has gone viral. We have no doubt that has been archived as a political ad that will be aired in the Indian strongholds of the PPP. In the video Minister Trotman call the Skeldon Sugar Factor – that Mr. Jagdeo built – “A behemoth” (a huge monstrous creature). While he was saying that, his ministerial colleague and Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordon, shouted, “200 million US.” (It actually cost the country US$280 million. That is the equivalent of about 60 billion Guyana dollars). He said Mr. Jagdeo behaves as if he is the world’s greatest economist but he is not, and therefore should not be lecturing the current administration. To much pounding on the desks on the government s i d e o f t h e H o u s e , M r.

Trotman called his fellow colleague (Dr. Jagdeo) “A Doctor of doom”. He then went on to enunciate the perceived failures of Mr. Jagdeo - “Skeldon is down, the Berbice River Bridge is barely holding up, every sector that he (Jagdeo) touched is down, so is the National Insurance Scheme; so is the Marriot Hotel; just seven years ago we had become a pariah state, awash with drug money and corruption (with obvious reference to the USA embassy revoking the PPP embers visas there are people in this House who could not travel abroad; who are these Pharaohs who have just showed up and tried to tell us how to run a country?” Trotman said the Opposition Leader has to remember he is in the opposition, and has to remain in the opposition; “we will not be lectured…we will not take a lecture from you (Jagdeo)!” The camera did not show Mr. Jadgeo’s fa-

cial expression or his body language neither did the video show if Mr. Jagdeo responded. However, the United Republican Party (URP) would like to ask the Guyanese people if they think that these very public, accusing and humiliating rants justify the way Trotman behaved? We a l l k n o w o f t h e atrocities of the last PPP administration, however, this public display of contempt for the former President was over the top. And those sharing the video must know that it is very embarrassing to those who believe in the policies of Mr. Jagdeo. Then immediately on the back of this humiliating, viral, video from Minister Raphel Trotman, another video has gone viral. This time from the Coalition Minister, Simona Brooms. Again, with obvious contempt for the former President and the Opposition, she walks around the Parliament with her selfie stick and in a mimicking,

mocking, manner, she kept yelling, “Boom out…!” At one point she said, “Look at me, you people have to come here, and to see the Parliament of Guyana. Right here, behind me here is the Opposition Leader seat. His name is Bharrat Jagdeo. Boom out…” In the video she referred to Mr. Jagdeo as “The doctor of failure”. She said he is “irrelevant and insignificant.” Again I ask; is this the way we want to portray the Parliament of Guyana; the highest legislative body in the country? This kind of behaviour can only lend to the further deterioration of the political discourse in Guyana. These mannerisms do nothing to foster social cohesion and of course they do nothing to win people over to your side of the political divide. The URP calls for an immediate cessation to these embarrassing and humiliating kinds of performances on the national stage. Our children are watching and learning. Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP

G/T City Council always puts the cart before the horse DEAR EDITOR, It has been reported in the press that the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown have given themselves or the so called Parking Meter Committee an additional month to complete its consultations, as the initial three month period which was granted by Minister Bulkan seemed to be insufficient. Is this not simply ludicrous? Ninety days and these people cannot complete a simple review of the scandalous parking meter initiative? Do they need a year? And why did it take one whole month for Pat and Roy

to form this committee after the suspension? Were they awaiting instructions of who should be placed on the committee? And why are they only now seeking to acquire pertinent documents from the contracting parking meter company, Smart City Solutions Inc. (SCSI) including the socioeconomic feasibility study that was purportedly undertaken. Are any of the members of this committee legally trained and qualified? Do they have any experience in parking meter systems? Will they be in contact with other cities that

have successfully implemented paid parking? Clearly they don’t need any more time to consult with the citizens as the citizens have shown evidently that they have no interest in discussing the parking meter behemoth with this Kangaroo Committee. The citizens have made their position pellucid and that is a big no to parking meters but more importantly they demand the complete scrapping of the illegal and disgusting contract entered into by the Fantastic Four. It is my sincere hope that this committee of councillors

is not going to seek to be given special remuneration outside of their regular stipends and allowances for undertaking this task. This would be adding insult to injury, as the Council is supposedly cash strapped and was the entity that created the problem in the first place. One can always rely on the Georgetown City Council to put the cart before the horse and bungle everything they undertake and that is because they lack a competent and honest administration. Amber Valentine

My thoughts on two sports items and one on politics DEAR EDITOR, There were two sport items which appeared in KN Friday, June 23 2017 edition, that caught my attention. The first, it was a red letter day with the admission to full test playing status for Afghanistan and Ireland. These two countries have been knocking on the door of test cricket for quite some time. It sure is

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

a landmark achievement for these two nations. We do look forward to their conquests in the longer format of the game as they have proven themselves in the other formats. The other item has to do with the AAG. It seems this organization has found itself in a financial dilemma after hosting the recent South American Junior Champion-

ships. This is indeed a most unfortunate outcome, but from the article it can be discerned the Organization, it seems went into negotiations with a rush of blood after the original host, Bolivia, reneged on its commitment to host the Championships. There are no winners in this debacle, only losers, as athletes, looking forward to this weekend’s Senior Championships in Paraguay, will

have to miss the event, unless they can pay their own way to attend. What an inglorious end to what was supposed to be a feather in the cap and a shining moment for the AAG. On an unrelated matter, following on the position articulated by an opinion writer ‘There cannot be a ministry with other ministries inside of it’ (KN June 21) perhaps it can be explained how the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport within the Ministry of Education has a permanent secretary of its own? Shamshun Mohamed

Elderly folks must operate within organized groups DEAR EDITOR, I read the recent letter dealing with the difficulties of the elderly in Guyana; particularly the vulnerability of women. I found this to be so when I relocated to the country for roughly 4 years in the 1990s, and lived on my own - without a personal telephone throughout, despite applying for one from my first day here. Fortunately for me, I was up most of the night and had lights on in my fully grilled house in Section K, Campbellville, and my neighbours kept dogs, that barked at times. But I realised my vulnerability when a (recommended) workman had to repair a leak in the roof, grossly overcharged for the job, and left a ladder leaning at the back of the house for at least two nights before starting the job. Fortunately, a house in the street backing my home had an all-night watchman, who sat facing the back of my house, so that was great. The workman had another young man assisting him. One day I walked into my bedroom and there was the young man on top of my wardrobe, trying to repair the roof - without my knowledge or permission! After the job was completed and they had

left, I found a huge file on the inside ledge of my grilled kitchen window; it was not mine. After a while I got so frustrated with living conditions in general, that I decided to “cut and run”. I was ‘existing’ not ‘living’, having to monitor everything, just in case. The elderly have a tough time, even in industrialised countries. In the UK, the subject is constantly debated in both print and electronic media. However, we still serve a purpose in the NHS - for advanced students in cataract operations and for test marketing with health products new to the market. I often wonder if the NHS people know we are wise to their ploys. The elderly section of the community must operate within organised groups, with strong support from wellwishers and under effective leadership. And may the good Lord help us all. In the meantime, dogs may be our best friends. Unfortunately, as an asthmatic, animals are a “no-no” for me. But I am not complaining - my husband and I often relive our youthful days spent with our circle of friends and the amusing capers we got up to! Geralda Dennison

GRA should have the capacity to publish its Annual Report on its website DEAR EDITOR, I refer to the Commissioner General (CG) of GRA, Mr. Geoffrey Statia’s response to my letter captioned ‘Why has the GRA’s Annual Report for 2015 not been laid in Parliament?’ While I welcome the steps he has outlined and his commitment to correct the inherent mal-functionality in meeting its fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers, we must recognize that the Revenue Statement is not the published Annual Report. So the fact remains that the 2015 Annual Report of the GRA is still incomplete. So what next Mr. Statia? From Mr. Statia’s discourse, it now begs the question how can the public read the 2016 Annual Report of the Bank of Guyana (BoG) since April 2017, but cannot read the same for the GRA? Only the 2014 Annual Report for the GRA is complete? Isn’t GRA according to Article 9 of the Revenue Authority Act, (1996), an independent body corporate similar to the BoG that has the power to trigger its own audit and

its own annual report? Even if the GRA is dependent on the Audit Office to complete the laying of its report in Parliament, there is nothing stopping Mr. Statia and the GRA from following the culture of public accountability that exist at the Central Bank. The GRA is struggling to adhere to the basics when it comes to transparency and accountability. I am hoping the Minister of Finance especially Minister Jaipaul Sharma who is known to be a stickler for following the law, will have a word with the GRA so that they can get into financial shape. This is an easy fix, like the Bank of Guyana, GRA should have the ability to publish its annual report on its website. The rule of law provides for it, the Guyanese taxpayers would welcome it and therefore the only missing link is whether there is a firm commitment at the very top of the GRA to transparency, financial accountability and following the rule of law. Sase Singh

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Magistrate frees robbery accused after police fail to complete investigations Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman dismissed a robbery under-arms charge against former murder accused Jamil Charles, due to the police failure to conduct investigations in a timely manner. Charles, 29, of Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown was told he was free to go by Magistrate Latchman, after spending almost two months on remand for the offence. The charge against Charles had alleged that on August 12, 2016 at 33 Robb Street and Orange Walk, Bourda, Georgetown while armed with a gun, he robbed Juliet Kowlessar of $900,000 and a Bank of Guyana cheque, property of Sudesh Persaud. On every occasion that the matter was called, Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves always disclosed that investigations in the matter were incomplete and that statements were not ready to be filed. Last week Monday, the prosecutor was warned by the Magistrate that the matter would be dismissed yester-

ROBBERY ACCUSED: Jamil Charles day (peremptory date) if the status of police investigation remains the same. At Charles’ first court appearance, Prosecutor Gonsalves had told the court the accused was positively identified by the victim and that he confessed to the crime in an oral statement. However, Charles remains on remand for a $9M robbery which occurred at the Princess Ramada Casino, Providence, East Bank Demerara on April 29, 2016. Three other men are also charged with the robbery. Wayne Griffith, 29 of Bagotville, West Bank

Demerara; Junior Stuart, 30, of 141 Thomas Street, Kitty, Georgetown and Andre Blackman, 35, of 6 Middle Street, McDoom, East Bank Demerara, were all previously charged in connection with the Princess Ramada Casino robbery. The three men are currently out on bail. According to reports, gunmen entered the casino and discharged several rounds. They allegedly relieved a security guard of his shotgun and ordered patrons and staffers to lie on the ground. It was reported that the armed men also held a cashier at gunpoint and made off with a quantity of local and foreign currency. Charles was also charged with the March 10, 2015 murder of Agricola, East Bank Demerara shopkeeper Randy Persaud. But the matter was discharged by Magistrate Dylon Bess on March 9, due to insufficient evidence. Based on reports, 27-yearold Persaud was gunned down while sitting in front of his home at Lot 83 Third Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

Improvised weapons, drugs, other items found at N/A prison raid A raid executed by law enforcement authorities at the New Amsterdam Prison over the weekend found several improvised weapons, a quantity of drugs, along with other illegal items. According to a Prison Official, three improvised weapons and 39 small Ziploc bags containing seeds stems and leaves were discovered. The marijuana was weighed and amounted to some 30 grams. Nineteen razor blades, twenty nails, one pair of scissors, nine smoking utensils, five metal spoons, two cell phone batteries, two SIM cards, two ear pieces, three adapters, four cigarettes, two pieces of mirror and a quantity of wire, were also discovered. The raid was conducted after an inmate and his brother were stabbed by other prisoners using improvised weapons. Meanwhile, a Post Mortem examination carried out on the body of Neshan Jagmohan revealed that he died from a

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punctured heart, lungs and kidneys. His brother Ramnarine Jagmohan has since been discharged from the hospital. Neshan Jagmohan, 27, and his brother Ramnarine Jagmohan had just returned from court on Wednesday and were in the “strong cell” when they were attacked by three other inmates. Neshan Jagmohan was stabbed to death while his brother was left fighting for his life with several stab wounds about his body. Neshan reportedly sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest, neck and other parts of his body, while Ramnarine received a stab to the upper part of his body and injuries to his head. Investigations thus far have revealed that on Tuesday last, word got around to one of the inmates who attacked the Jagmohan brothers, that they allegedly were scheming with a fellow inmate

to kill him. One of the Jagmohan brothers was said to be the main supplier of improvised weapons. Meanwhile, the three inmates who have since been identified as the alleged attackers, and were on remand for murders committed in the past, were placed in solitary confinement. They are likely to face additional charges of Murder and attempted murder respectively. Divisional Commander Ian Amsterdam confirmed that the case file is incomplete, but will be sent for advice shortly.

Teacher hangs self weeks after husband’s death A young woman, who went into a state of depression after waking up next to her dead husband a little over three weeks ago at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), has committed suicide. Cindy Dawson, 28, hanged herself at the side of her brother’s home in Essequibo. She was last seen alive around 23:00 hrs on Sunday and around 05:00 hrs yesterday, her sibling discovered her hanging by a piece of electrical wire, from the roof. It is suspected that she might have killed herself after failing to cope with her husband, Kevin Dawson’s death. The teacher, who was residing at Cumming Lodge with her husband, had moved in with her brother after she was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital on June 08, last. She was being treated at the hospital for depression and malnourishment. On June 05, last, the woman was discovered in her

Dead: Cindy Dawson

Dead: Kevin Dawson

apartment with the decomposing body of her husband, two days after they had not been seen or heard from. Kevin Dawson was suffering from typhoid and malaria and it is suspected that he might have died in his sleep on the morning of June 03, last. After the couple had not been seen for two days, a friend of the woman went to the house and called out for them.

This newspaper was told that the 28-year-old woman answered from the kitchen window and collapsed shortly after. She was picked up and rushed to the hospital. When she regained consciousness, the teacher could not recall what had happened. She only remembered when she was rescued. She could not recall that her partner had been dead, and went into depression after finding out about his demise.

Fyrish/Gibraltar pump unable to work, communities remain flooded The Fyrish and Gibraltar communities in East BerbiceCorentyne are currently experiencing flooding, as is common in a number of villages along the coastland. Based on reports received from Councillor Crandon within the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) yesterday, the current situation in the area is worse than what prevailed in 2016. He said that a number of yards in the area are under water and some residents have lost their livestock while some would have had their kitchen gardens covered in water, thereby damaging their cash crops. He said that an excavator

has been loaned to the NDC to assist in desilting drains and canals leading to the Borlam Outfall. He said that the material that was dug up from the canal has been placed on the nearby road and has taken up a lot of space. According to Crandon, a request was made to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) to have the mud placed in areas around the community that need to be built-up, for example the Community Centre Ground. However, no request has been granted, so the material has not been moved. Further, he said the pump at the outfall is unable to work since

there is still silt in the canal that needs to be excavated. If the pump is turned on, the silt can damage the impeller. During last year’s scenario, the pump was not working which caused the residents of the area to be under water for two months. The pump had been out of order for six weeks. In addition to that, the main drainage koker was ineffective since the same problem - the build-up of silt - had caused blockage of the outfall channel. Similar to what is going on currently, farmers’ crops were damaged and their livestock were forced to seek refuge on the roadways as (Continued on page 8)

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Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

Nandlall urges SOCU probe into $605M drug purchases Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, wants the police to launch an investigation into the controversial purchase of over $600M in drugs and other related supplies for the country’s hospitals and health centres, Nandlall yesterday made it clear that the Health Minister contradicted herself on the reasons for the purchases when she appeared before the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) recently. Referring to a headline in the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, Nandlall, an Opposition parliamentarian disagreed with the what the story contended- “FED A BUNCH OF LIES - Min. Lawrence says she never approved purchase of emergency drugs.” The story reportedly said that Lawrence has denied approving the purchase of some $605M worth of emergency drugs by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) when she appeared

before the Public Procurement Commission. Minister Lawrence appeared before the commission on Friday as an investigation continues into the controversial procurement of over $605M in critical drugs in short supply in March 2017 for GPHC. According to Nandlall, the Minister is reported to have informed the PPC that it was former Chief Executive Officer, Alan Johnson, who, apparently, acting without the Ministry’s authorization, engineered the controversial purchase. “In short, Minister Lawrence threw Johnson under the proverbial bus. If what the Chronicle published is the truth, then the Minister deliberately and calculatedly misled the PPC, last Friday.” The statements by the minister to PPC would contradict an earlier one issued by Lawrence’s own ministry. Nandlall noted that in the

Opposition MP Anil Nandlall

Health Minister, Volda Lawrence

public statement issued by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) on March 11th 2017, the Ministry detailed the situation of a drug shortage at the GPHC and said of Minister Lawrence:

“To this end, she sought to fast track the procurement of these pharmaceuticals to minimise the negative effects on patients due to the shortage of some critical drugs. This influenced the decision

to seek the greenlight from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for ANSA McAL to supply drugs and pharmaceuticals to the tune of some G$605M.” According to Nandlall, this statement was prominently carried and extensively quoted in a newspaper article. “Significantly, the aforementioned MOPH statement has disappeared from the Ministry’s website; neither can it be found on the Department of Public Information’s website. I refuse to believe that this is accidental or coincidental. It is by design,” Nandlall contended. “In the circumstances, I call on the Commissioner of Police and the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to immediately launch an investigation into this matter. After all, this transaction involves the misuse or unlawful use of $605M of public monies. They are

multiple breaches of, inter alia, the Procurement Act, the Public Corporation Act and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act.” The purchase had sparked a quarrel after it was learnt the Trinidadian-owned Ansa McAl received the bulk of it. The manner in which the award of the contracts was made - heavily defended by the administration - had even reached the floors of the National Assembly. Drugs purchases for the state’s hospital and health centres have over the years been a sore point. Under the previous administration, billions of dollars were being spent annually, but with certain suppliers close to the then government being preferred. In some cases, state auditors found that one entity, New GPC, and its sister company, received almost 80 percent of the value of the contracts.

‘Threesome’ peeper beaten to death Spiritualist denies involvement in boy’s death - Woman among three arrested The police are investigating the murder of a man, who was reportedly beaten to death after staring at three people having sex on Third Avenue Beach, Bartica, yesterday. The incident occurred between 04:00-08:00 hrs.

The victim has only been identified by the alias “Radika”. He died while receiving treatment at the Bartica Hospital. Up to press time the police were trying to determine the victim’s identity. A female is among three people in po-

lice custody. According to information received, the victim was asked to remove from the beach by the suspects who were reportedly involved in a “threesome” but he refused and continued staring. As result of this, he was given a severe beaten. An eyewitness summoned ranks to the scene where the suspects were arrested and the victim was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. He died while receiving treatment. The body of “Radika” is at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination.

- cops to approach DPP A woman, described as a spiritualist, has denied having anything to do with the death of eight-year-old Isaiah Smartt, whose body was pulled from a shallow drain in her ‘E’ Field Sophia, Georgetown yard. The mother of one was taken into police custody on Friday after a Post Mortem examination revealed that the child had been strangled. His body was pulled from the drain on Tuesday night, one day after he went missing. He lived with his mother and sisters in a shack one house away from the spiritualist’s home. Yesterday, a source said

that the woman is presently in custody at the East La Penitence Police Station. She has denied being associated with anything related to the child’s death and claimed that she only saw his body when his cousin pulled him from the water. When Smartt’s remains were found, the woman was in her home—reportedly cursing out persons who had gathered in the yard. Apart from the spiritualist, investigators have no other suspect in Smartt’s death, and the boy’s family is convinced that the woman had something to do with his

Dead: Isaiah Smartt murder. The source said that ranks will be sending the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice in the case.

Fyrish/Gibraltar pump unable to work... From page 7 pens and yards were inundated. On Saturday, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson had said that Guyana should prepare themselves for at least three more days of consistent rainfall. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder had said that as far as Charity on the Essequibo Coast to Moleson Creek,

Corentyne would experience this prolonged period of rain. Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Frederick Flatts, had said that all 58 of the NDIA pumps around Guyana are working to get the excess water off the land, including the Corentyne area.

Tuesday June 27, 2017

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Kaieteur News

The importance of medians must be emphasised Guyana roadways are a death trap. The high levels of societal indiscipline and the poor design of the road system make the roadways accident-prone. Guyana has a double problem when it comes to road safety. The roads are poorly designed and the road culture is deadly. Asking the police to take action is wasting time. The police themselves need to exercise greater discipline on the roads. You cannot ask law-breakers to enforce the laws, even though it is said that there are many good policemen. There are constables in Guyana who are driving heavily-tinted vehicles. What moral authority there-

fore do these constables have to charge anyone who breaks the country’s traffic laws? Of course, SOCU is not asking where these constables get the money to buy the vehicles they have and to maintain it on their small salaries. But SOCU is pelting charges at people, selectively, for not filling out ledgers. It may have escaped the notice of the authorities that ever since the median was constructed on Carifesta Avenue to place lamp poles and flags of the countries of the Caribbean Community, there have been no fatal accidents on the street. The median has had un-

intended consequences. It was built for decorative purposes, but it has drastically reduced fatalities on that strip of roadway by preventing vehicles from overtaking, the major cause of head-on collisions. This past weekend there was a terrible accident on the Railway Embankment Road. A vehicle, for reasons not yet known, slammed into a bridge, killing one of its passengers and leaving four others injured. The accident was the talk of the town yesterday. There was no place where you could have gone, where the accident was not being discussed. Some

Dem boys seh ...

Soulja Bai got to watch who advising him on de oil king At least one man vex because de Waterfalls paper exposing ExxonMobil, how scampish they are. Jagdeo, that scamp, bring dem in de first place to see if Guyana got oil. When dem find he sign an agreement fuh one per cent royalty. De agreement still secret. Nobody don’t know how much Jagdeo collect or yet to collect fuh that one per cent deal. De new boys tek over and de people find more oil. Right away Trotty seh one per cent can’t wuk, suh de people deliver two. Now that got dem boys wondering how much bribe pass in de first deal, because knowing that company, anything is possible. And is not dem boys seh that. Other countries wha dem deh in,

seh suh. This company like to go to oil-rich countries that are corrupt, have non-transparent governments and are unstable. Dem corrupt nuff government officials and carrying away all de people’s wealth from inside each country. Dem boys expect de exact thing gun happen here and dem sounding de warning bells early fuh all Guyana to hear. This country got its share of corrupt politicians. Only de other day some of dem was de rulers. When ExxonMobil come, nobody didn’t know. Is only Jagdeo and he kavakamites did know. Some of dem in this new govt behaving just like Jagdeo. One of dem vex wid de Waterfalls paper fuh exposing ExxonMobil. De

things he seh mek dem boys believe ExxonMobil is either he child or ee wife. He don’t want nobody seh nutten bad about that scampish oil giant. He upset that de Waterfalls paper exposing everything, and he got de nerve to seh wha ExxonMobil do in another country ain’t got nutten to do wid Guyana. Dem boys seh nuff people does boast how dem don’t mek de same mistake twice. That same shaat fella who upset that dem boys exposing scampish Exxon seh he don’t mek de same mistake twice. He does mek it like five or six times, you know, just to be sure is a mistake. Talk half and remember this is de man who representing Guyana’s wealth.

BOG remains optimistic about Guyana’s economic growth Despite the fact that the global economic growth is projected at 3.5 percent, Bank of Guyana is still optimistic that Guyana’s economy will grow by 3.8 percent. Bank of Guyana’s outlook for the end of December, as reflected in its Quarterly Report and Statistical Bulletin, noted that the global economic growth is projected at 3.5 percent, with cyclical recovery in investment, manufacturing and trade. It said that stronger activity along with more robust global demand would help commodity prices recover from their low level. Economic performance in both developed and developing countries are expected to be robust during the year. “The Latin America and Caribbean Region are expecting positive growth of 1.1 per-

cent. Higher commodity prices will help headline inflation and reduce deflationary pressures. Accommodative monetary policy will continue in the Euro Area, however, a faster-than-expected pace of interest hikes in the US could tighten financial conditions and cause an appreciation of the US dollar that will impact negatively on emerging economies.” Notwithstanding that, Bank of Guyana said that the country’s economy is projected to expand by 3.8 percent at the end of 2017. The Bank said that the mining, agricultural, and to some extent the services sectors, are expected to contribute a significant portion to real output and household income. Further, it said that the rate of inflation is targeted at 2.5 percent for 2017, owing

to anticipated increases in fuel and some non-fuel commodity prices. The overall balance of payments is budgeted to record a surplus of US$19.9 million at the end of 2017 due to a capital account surplus despite a current account deficit. The report stated that “capital account surplus will result from flows to the public sector through bilateral and multilateral agencies, and to the private sector through foreign direct investments and capital transfers. The current account deficit is expected to expand, stemming from a higher merchandise and services import bill. Notwithstanding, gross international reserves of the Bank of Guyana are projected to increase at the end of 2017.”

women were seen openly crying upon learning of the death of the young woman. It was sad indeed. Many others have suffered a similar fate because of the reckless use of our roads. No amount of police campaigns are going to change the road culture in the country or correct the flawed road designs which allow for two-way traffic on narrow roads. The solution has to be two-fold. Guyana needs an efficient and safe public transportation system. Too many vehicles are on our narrow roadways. This is encouraging indiscipline, congestion and road rage. An improved public transportation will mean fewer vehicles on the roadway once the system is properly planned, and which includes various options for commuters. One option has to be, using some form of mass transportation to move hundreds of persons at any one time. It can be by boat, using the Demerara River,

or it can be by railway from some of the large housing areas to the city. The objective has to be to reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. The second solution has to be the redesign of our main public roads. They can no longer be twoway roads without a median. Where there are no medians on the East Bank Public Road, the East Coast Public Road, the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, the Corentyne Public Road and the West Demerara Public Road should be redesigned to incorporate medians, where this is physically possible. This will prevent vehicles from overtaking which is the main culprit in head-on collisions. It will cost moneylots of money - but it will save lives. The redesign of Guyana’s roads must make provision for motor cycles and bicycles. Right now, it is dangerous to be riding either on any public road. Cyclists are at high risk of

being run over and the motorcyclists are just as reckless as some of the minibus drivers. There is no way that any public education or police campaign is going to change the road culture in Guyana. It is not going to happen. Guyana has a lawless road culture. Minibus drivers are no longer the chief culprits. Hire car drivers have become far more lawless. Passengers no longer speak up for their rights, because the majority of other passengers enjoy the lawlessness. You cannot change that culture of lawlessness overnight. Nor can it be changed without social engineering.

Ansa McAl salesman charged with embezzling over $22M A salesman who worked in the construction department of Ansa McAl Trading was yesterday placed on $2M bail for embezzling over $22M from the company. Thirty-three-year-old Apollos Manoharlall of Lot 299 Fourth Street Alexander Village, Georgetown, appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he pleaded not guilty to five counts of fraudulent embezzlement. Manoharlall denied the charges which stated that during the months of March and April, while being a clerk or servant at Ansa McAl Trading Limited, he embezzled $4.4M on March 17; $5.5M on March 24; $6.3M on March 28; $1.9M on March 30 and $4.5M on April 7. Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. The Prosecutor told the

Apollos Manoharlall court that Manoharlall received the monies from Zhung Hu, the owner of R&S Enterprise, on the behalf of the company, and he never handed over the monies to Ansa McAl Trading Limited. Manoharlall was represented by an Attorney who, during his bail application for his client, told the court that his client is willing to comply with any conditions attached to bail, even if it means sur-

rendering his passport. The lawyer further told the court that last Friday his client made an appearance before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce in the Magistrates’ Courts, where he was charged for uttering a forged Bank of Nova Scotia cheque for $2M, knowing that he did not have the sufficient amount of cash to satisfy the said amount. However the matter was dismissed, since the virtual complainant told the court that he was compensated. The lawyer further told the court that his client is not a flight risk and if granted bail he will return to court for the trial. The Magistrate ordered the defendant to post $400,000 bail on each of the five counts of fraudulent embezzlement. The father of one will make his next court appearance on July 17 before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for statements and assignments.

Parents seek help in finding missing teen Relatives of 15-yearold Charylyn Stephens are seeking the assistance of the public in locating her. The teen has been reported missing for the past two weeks. Her f a t h e r, Alfred Stephens, said that h i s daughter disappeared a day after Father‘s Day, from her parent’s home in Laing Av e n u e ,

Georgetown. Stephens said that this is not the first time his daughter has run away from home. She had run away five times before. The matter has been reported to the police and Welfare Department. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the teenager is asked to contact 6582901 or 231-0926.

Missing: Charylyn Stephens

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Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Not one woman, not one homosexual. What a country! Magistrate Judy Latchman sentenced Ronella Junior to 36 months in prison for stealing $200, 000 from her employer. Ms. Junior, the court was told, was a first offender. Interesting to note that in prison terms, three years are not calculated as 36 months. In court a year is ten months. When the accused is sentenced in months, not years, then twelve months are twelve months. I have written enough of Judy Latchman. If you Google ‘Freddie Kissoon and Magistrate Latchman’ you will see how many times I have jour-

nalistically indicted her. I wrote the Judicial Service Commission asking for an investigation into a particular incident. I received a letter from the then-Chancellor, Carl Singh, telling me an investigation found her not guilty of wrongdoing. There was no formal appearance of Ms. Latchman, because there was no formal hearing. I didn’t follow up, because I knew why the Chancellor acted that way. I wrote the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) again when Kwame McCoy and company were charged for assaulting me. My submission

argued that because of my trenchant questioning of Latchman’s ability on the bench, the JSC should request that she recuse herself. I stated in my communication that the Magistrate had rejected such a request from me. I never heard from Chancellor Singh. I know why he did not intervene. I guess my readers will never know why the Chancellor acted that way. I cannot include that story in my published memoirs. In writing about the possibility of penning my memoirs in a column a few years ago, I did opine that should I do so, I would have to climb the court steps everyday answering libel writs. This same magistrate fined Sonia Baksh $50,000 for stealing a Galaxy phone valued $160,000. How do you

explain the discrepancy in the Junior and Baksh decisions? This same magistrate put bail at $60,000 on a man for throwing oil in his neighbour’s yard. The same magistrate put $60,000 bail on two security guards at Charlestown School who exchanged fistic blows. One of the reasons I have focused on some magistrates is because of the nature of the sentencing. Wasn’t there something wrong when Magistrate McLennan sentenced a driver to pay a fine of $100,000 for violating a stop sign and killing a motorist and badly injuring his daughter? A driver is convicted for death by dangerous driving and is fined a mere $100,000. Such a situation cries out for investigation. Wasn’t there someone in the legal profession who stood back and said, “Wait, something is wrong here?” When you see sentences like the one in McLennan’s case, it has to draw curiosity

and should probably engender questions from the Chancellor, who at the time was Carl Singh. The same magistrate has now been promoted to judgeship. Really! This is the land of incredible things. Do you sentence a young woman to three years as a first offender for stealing $200,000? Where are our feminist groups? Where are our homosexual groups that are constantly calling for justice for the LGBT community? This country is one big circus and the clowns are unstoppable fools. I like Mark Benschop’s characterization of the Bar Association in a letter published in this newspaper two weeks ago. That necessitates a separate article, and indeed there are some colossal clowns in the Bar Association. But let’s return to the LGBT. I read a reply to one of my columns by three LGBT groups and there was a hilarious section that I laughed so outrageously that my coffee spilt and burnt my leg. These three groups, after informing me about their existence of the activism on behalf of the human rights of LGBT victims, suggested that I join them in the picket line when they have their activities. Not a bad exhortation.

Frederick Kissoon Human rights of all minorities must be respected. But what about the human rights of Ms. Junior? She got thirty six months for stealing $200,000 and she was a first offender. Does she deserve a picket to protest such cruelties? My answer is yes. Can the LGBT organizational leaders contact me so we can arrange a picket protest? What about the exciting, dynamic, brilliant feminist groups we have in Guyana. Will they denounce what happened to Ms. Junior? No they will not. You see, Ms. Junior is a non-entity that is dispensable. If it was a nice, little lady from middle class society with her Gucci handbag and BMW, and the magistrate had jailed her for running a red light, Red Thread would have seen red.

Tuesday June 27, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Calls for establishment of Local Govt. Commission

Minister to submit names for cabinet approval Amidst calls for the establishment of a Local Government Commission, (LGC) Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan has said that steps will be taken in the coming week, towards setting up the commission. In a brief conversation with this newspaper on the issue, Minister Bulkan noted that he will be presenting the names of possible candidates to the commission for Cabinet approval, this week. Bulkan stressed that although the LGC is part of allowing the democratic function of the local government authorities, its absence has not necessarily been detrimental to local government reform. Bulkan asserted that the efforts of reform have moved apace, despite the absence of the commission. In its simplest definition,

the LGC, provided for under article 78A of the Constitution, would, as it deems fit, deal with all matters related to the regulation and staffing of local government organs, and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs. When operational, the Commission is expected to reduce the influence of Central Government by placing the oversight of local democratic organs under the purview of a commission, and not a government ministry. With the operationalisation of the commission, the ministry will be freed of many of the administrative issues that have to be dealt with in relation to the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the municipalities. The Commission would comprise eight members, four nominated by Government,

one nominated by the unions operating in the local government sector, and three nominated by the Opposition. The legislation for the LGC came into being in late 2013, but the body’s operationalisation required a commencement order which was not given, up until the end of 2015. The Communities Minister inherited this undertaking, and subsequently provided funding for the Commission’s start-up in the 2016 budget. The work towards setting up the system has stalled since then. However, following recent calls for the establishment of the Commission, Minister Bulkan said that progress will be made in regard to setting up the Commission. During a recent press briefing, Dr David Hinds of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) noted that even

Trial of senior cop accused of assaulting subordinate to begin - despite case file being incomplete after three months Magistrate Dylon Bess will today fix a date for the commencement of trial of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Frank Thompson, who is accused of verbally assaulting Police Constable Leander Gillis, and threatening to kill Hemchand Budhai, a civilian. It is alleged that on February 22 at Broad Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, ASP Thompson used abusive language towards Police Constable Leandre Gillis. It was further alleged that on the same day, he used threatening language towards Hemchand Budhai. The senior police rank of 154 Back Street, Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, was released on a total of $120,000 bail - $60,000 bail on each of the two charges - after pleading not guilty. ASP Thompson, who was charged since in March, had initially appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, who instructed that the matter would go to trial despite a statement being missing from the police rank who made the allegation against Thompson. Magistrate Latchman ordered the prosecutor to rely on the statements that have already been filed in the matter and to exclude the statement of the

CHARGED: ASP Frank Thompson rank that put the allegation to the police officer. According to reports, on the day in question, Constable Gillis was on patrol duties at Broad Street, Charlestown, when he was stopped by Hemchand Budhai, who reported to him that ASP Thompson’s vehicle had crashed into his vehicle which at the time had occupants. Constable Gillis then accompanied Budhai to the scene. It is alleged that ASP Thompson upon seeing Budhai

approaching him and started to use a series of indecent expressions towards him and threatened to kill him and the other occupants in the vehicle. The court further heard that after Constable Gillis told Thompson of the allegation made by Budhai, Thompson then asked the junior rank, “what the (expletive) you gon’ do about it?” According to reports, when being questioned by the junior rank with regard to the accident in which he was involved, the senior rank, who appeared to be intoxicated, apparently became abusive toward Budhai and the Police Constable. The ASP, who was subsequently requested by the junior rank to drive to the nearest police station, turned to the junior rank, who found himself at the end of the ASP’s verbal onslaught. “You know me? Eh? Find out ‘bout me. If me had it me way, you won’t be a (expletive) recruit…Find out ‘bout me. Call ‘A’ Division. I would murder you (expletive) on the ground hey,” he allegedly exclaimed. In a video of the episode that was circulated on social media, the junior rank was heard pleading with the senior rank to desist from such actions; he however continued.

though Guyana has finally seen the return of Local Government Elections (LGE), the country still has a long way to go before realizing a full return of democracy at this level of governance. He made those remarks in relation to the non-establishment of the LGC. ”We feel that the Local Government Commission is long overdue, and that it should be put in place as soon as possible. We take local government very seriously. Guyana had Local Government Elections, but we think we should go further than just Local Government Elections.” Dr. Hinds continued, “There should be much more

reform in the Local Government system. One of the things we have advocated in the past is a return of the village councils, because we feel at that basic level in the community, we should be involved in making decisions”. Dr. Hinds said that the WPA is totally for the deepening of local governance. He added that Guyana has progressed in some areas, but in the WPA’s opinion, the nation needs to move further than it currently has. “Certainly we would like to see the Local Government Commission be put in place, and for the people in the communities to become much more involved in making decisions.”

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan

Mother of four accused of converting fake US currency A mother of four was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $300,000 after she appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman for uttering forged US currency and obtaining money by false pretence. Shellon Davis Gillians denied the first charge which alleged that on June 21 at Georgetown, she uttered to Marcia Lowenfield, six forged American 50-dollar bills. It was further alleged that on the same day in question at Georgetown, with the intent to defraud, she obtained

$60,000 from the virtual c o m p l a i n a n t (Lowenfield) by falsely pretending to her that the US currency she had in her possession was genuine. It is also alleged that on the same day in question without lawful authority or excuse she had in her possession six forged US$50 bills. Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves had no objection to bail being granted to the defendant. The prosecutor told the court that on the day in question the defendant went to the virtual complainant’s workplace which is located in

Kingston, Georgetown, and purchased a GT beer. The court heard that the defendant asked the virtual complainant to change US$900, but the woman only agreed to change US$300. After Gillians left the shop, Lowenfield discovered that the US currencies were fake and she contacted the police. Gillians was then arrested and charged for the offence. The Magistrate ordered Gillians to post $100,000 bail on each of the three charges. She will make her next court appearance on July 17.

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Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

Work at GPHC’s Oncology Dept. continues to expand In correlation with its mandate, the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC) continues to expand. This is according to General Medical Officer (GMO) attached to the Oncology Unit of the hospital, Dr. Latoya Gooding. D r. G o o d i n g s p o k e briefly about the work of the Unit yesterday following the presentation of a recliner to aid the department with its chemotherapy drive. The chair, which was donated by Audrey Joseph, was added to a line of chairs already utilised by the unit. During the interview, Dr. Gooding noted that the department currently caters for 12 chemotherapy patients at a time. The department has 12 chairs in addition to the one which was donated yesterday. She explained that the recliners are essential to providing comfort to patients during the chemotherapy sessions. Gooding told Kaieteur News that while the donation may appear small, it is essential to the care provided by the Oncology Centre. She added that such contributions are welcomed by the department. “Chemotherapy is a quite rigid treatment, so the

idea is to ensure that patient is as comfortable as possible during a session.” At present, Dr. Gooding noted, the unit has more than 100 patients on chemotherapy. Dr. Gooding said that patients will undergo chemotherapy treatment based on their diagnosis and the facilities available at the unit. She explained that chemotherapy would be administered at intervals during the various sessions. Dr. Gooding asserted that some patients would come for chemo in the morning sessions based on the regiment needed; they might return for a follow-up treatment the following day. The GMO explained that on a weekly basis some 55 patients undergo chemotherapy at GPHC. “The treatment is free; the patients are treated with care and confidentiality.” She continued that in the past, the unit was smaller, but the work began to expand because of the demand. At present the Oncology Unit has four doctors, three Government Medical Officers, three nurses, consultants, a social worker and a nutritionist. “We had to move the department to another section of the hospital to fa-

cilitate the demand for treatment. We have seen significant growth in the number of persons reaching out for an examination or treatment as well” Much like other staff in t h e U n i t , D r. G o o d i n g pointed out that the duty of the social worker is essential to meeting the emotional needs of a patient diagnosed and treated for terminal illnesses. “The social worker provides counselling for patients and also does house visits to help the patient and their families in coping with the illness. Pointing to a study on the Cancer Profile Guyana, Gooding noted that the diagnosis for cancer has improved significantly. “In the past, 80% of those diagnosed with cancer died without treatment, but that has changed now;

80% of the cancer patients are accessing some form of treatment.” Earlier this year, statistics presented by the Georgetown Hospital outlined that breast cancer has been reduced by 31%, which is a decline from 125 persons diagnosed in 2015 to 86 patients being diagnosed in 2016. 100% of the persons who have been diagnosed with any type of cancer have received some form of cancer treatment at GPHC. Wi t h t h e r e c o r d e d growth, the oncology department is slated to have its own building under the hospital’s budget for 2017. The then-CEO, Dr. Allan Johnson had opined that “the department has outgrown their space and this year we will put down [a]separate building for them”.

This new recliner will be added to the line of chairs used for chemotherapy at GPHC.

Man remanded for shooting with intent Edward Gudge, 38, of Remus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, appeared yesterday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of discharging a loaded firearm and an attempt to commit a felony. It is alleged that on Janu-

ary 27, last, at McDoom Public Road, East Bank Demerara, Gudge discharged a loaded firearm at Dharmindra Deen with the intent to maim disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm. It was further alleged that on the same day in question, while being armed with a gun, he attempted to rob Deen. The defendant denied

both allegations after they were read to him by the magistrate. Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. The prosecutor further asked that bail be denied, citing the fact that a weapon was used to carry out the of-

fences. Prosecutor Gonsalves told the court that when the defendant was arrested, the allegations were put to him, and he admitted in a caution statement to both offences. The prosecutor’s objection was upheld and the magistrate remanded the defendant. The father of one will make his next court appearance on July 10.

Duo charged with killing gold miner at Omai Landing Two gold miners were remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with the murder of Carlos Wong, who was chopped to death during a row over a water pump at Omai Landing. Dwayne Washington, 25, and Dorwayne Hollingsworth, 22, both of Phase One, Wismar, Linden, appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and were not required to plead to the indictable charge. The two murder accused were arrested two weeks ago on the East Bank of Demerara. They were remanded to prison until July 18, when they will appear in the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court. According to reports, Wong, 46, a miner of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden, died after he was chopped on the right hand at Omai Landing, Essequibo on June 9. Wong and the two men were involved in a heated argument over a water pump, when one of them armed with a cutlass, chopped the miner on his hand. Washington and Hollingsworth were represented by Attorney Dexter Todd, who told the

Dorwayne Hollingsworth (in white shirt) and Dwayne Washington court that his clients did not commit the offence. According to the lawyer, it is alleged that someone saw Wong stealing the pump and

escaping before jumping into a river. The lawyer added that his clients were arrested since they were the last persons who saw Wong alive.

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Thanks but No Thanks: Belize Prime Minister Rejects IMF Recommendations BELMOPAN, Belize,– Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has turned his back on International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendations to fix his country’s nagging economic woes, insisting that his Government will stick to its own programme. A team from the Washington-based financial body recently wrapped up Article IV consultations with the Barrow administration, warning that public debt remains too high and further fiscal consolidation is needed. It proposed a series of corrective measures, including a hike in the General Sales Tax (GST) from 12.5 to 15 percent and the removal of tax exemptions, among other measures. However, Barrow flatly rejected the advice, insisting it was not in the best interest of his country. “With respect to the recommendations as to raising the GST and as to doing away with exemptions and the recommendations having to do with pensions and public offic-

Former prime minister named honorary distinguished fellow

Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow

Photo in Tuesday as dean barrow *

ers, we absolutely reject those as we have made clear repeatedly,” he told Channel 5 Belize.”The Article IV Consultation is a prescribed, as it were, feature of membership and we will always…be respectful and treat the IMF team with extreme courtesy. But we absolutely will not follow any of the prescriptions which, in our view, would result, if followed, in a fracturing of the social compact,” Barrow added. The Prime Minister made it clear the Belize is quite capable of writing its

own prescriptions and suggested that its current efforts were working. Barrow said the local economy “is already on the rebound and I am absolutely certain that we can in fact find our way out of these temporary difficulties relatively easily and, certainly, most successfully”. On March 15, this year, Belize reached a restructuring agreement with private external bondholders on the debt estimated at US$526 million, or about 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). (Caribbean360)

Antigua regrets decision by Canada regarding visa-free travel

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda government Monday said it regrets the decision of the Canadian government to end visa-free travel for nationals of the twin-island. In a statement, the Gaston Browne administration said that “this decision relates to concerns over persons who obtain passports under Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP) in the Caribbean”. Under the CIP, several Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. KittsNevis and St. Lucia provide citizenship to foreign investors who make a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of the individual Caribbean countries. The statement noted that the Trinidad-based Canadian High Commissioner had advised Prime Minister Browne of the new development late on Friday “prior to an official announcement yesterday. “At the time, the Canadian official said that a concern is that Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Programme is not a residency programme. In respons e , A n t i g u a a n d Barbuda Prime Minister

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Gaston Browne pointed to the intense vetting of its CIP system, the revenues to the people of Antigua and Barbuda when the terms of trade and aid have declined and the banking system is threatened.” The statement noted that despite the end of visa-free travel, the official Canadian government statement said, “Canada continues to welcome visitors from Antigua and Barbuda. “Most approved visa applicants will receive a multiple-entry visa, which allows travellers to visit Canada as many times as they want, for up to 10

years. For each visit, travellers can stay for up to six months,” the statement noted. It said that Antigua and Barbuda is the last of the countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States(OECS) from whom the Canadian government has withdrawn visa-free travel, at a time of heightened security over terrorism and refugees. It said that of all 14 independent CARICOM countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Barbados were the only ones that had continued to enjoy visa-free travel to Canada.

Former Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The University of the West Indies (UWI) Monday announced that former Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller is to be named Honorary Distinguished Fellow. UWI Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles, said that the regional tertiary institution regards Simpson Miller, 71, who stepped down from ac-

tive politics earlier this year “as an elder who has so much more to teach. “Arrangements are already in place for the provision of an office at the Mona Campus that will allow access to her by our students and colleagues,” UWI said on a statement. “We have also made provisions for her formal association with the Institute for

Gender and Development Studies in order to facilitate her writing of memoirs and other literary productions.” The UWI said other ideas for Simpson Miller’s deeper induction into the university community are under consideration, adding that Sir Hilary noted that it will be a historic moment, and magnificent relationship as Simpson Miller has done so much for the university. Simpson Miller became Jamaica’s first woman prime minister after PJ Patterson retired in March 2006. She lost her first general election as prime minister to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) led by Bruce Golding in September 2007. But returned to the top post in government after she led the People’s National Party (PNP) to victory over the JLP now under the leadership of Andrew Holness, who in February 2016 returned the favour by leading the JLP to victory Simpson Miller served as PNP leader from 2006 to 2017, and as opposition leader from 2007-12 and from 2016 -17.

Overseas-based Lindener sees... From page 20 Lindeners whose susceptibility to respiratory diseases is high, because of the dust in the atmosphere. Lennox Haynes is a qualified respiratory therapist, who practices in Atlanta. He has been there for the past ten years. Having migrated to the United States over 40 years ago, Lennox said that his first job was as a factory worker. But he soon grew tired of that, as it was not his calling. So it was that subsequently, after a short stint in the banking sector, he enrolled at St Frances College, Brooklyn, New York. During the same period he also landed a job at a nearby hospital upon the advice of a friend, who told him that studying in the medical field

would always guarantee one a job. There he was trained as a respiratory therapist, for two years. He later registered at Long Island University where he obtained his Bachelor's degree in that field. Lennox would meet his wife Michelle Brenda Lee Shand, who was recruited as a nurse from Jamaica, and was working at the Long Island College hospital, where he was working. Having grown up in rural Jamaica, Michelle says that she loves Guyana, because it is so much like Jamaica. Reflecting on her recent vacation here in Linden, she said it was a blast, and that she felt like a celebrity, because of the way she was treated by the people, whom she described as extremely friendly and courteous.

She is a qualified pediatric nurse practitioner, and currently works at the children's hospital in Georgia, in the United States. She also works in the Intensive care unit of the hospital. They are the parents of two boys, Bradley and Brandon. Lennox also has a daughter here in Linden, whom he had fathered before migrating to the United States. Last Father's Day was a first for the family in many ways, and according to Lennox, the most unique. It was the first visit back home with his family; his wife and children's first visit to Guyana; and for Lennox the first time meeting his daughter that he had fathered so many years before.

PAGE 22

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822

WANTED 1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com Hairdresser/Nail Technician apply at West Shore Plaza, 15 Public Road, Ruimzeight, W.C.D. Call: 269-1524/656-3561 Experienced caterpillar mechanic contact 223-5273/4 One cleaner to work at hotel contact 223-5273/4 Truck driver for TM and Model M trucks contact 2235273/74 Canter Driver; must have a lorry License contact 2235273/74 One live in domestic, must know to cook “roti & curry” from county side, 18yrs-25yrs old. Call: 680-7402 2 Waitresses ages 18-30yrs old. Apply in person @ Flatshop, 245 Sheriff St., C/ Ville (between Pike & John Smith Sts.) Opposite Sankar’s. Call: 697-4576 One maid attractive salary offered. Call: 663-4876 Waitress to work in Superbet Bar. Call: 628-4776

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL. COM

Hardworking, pleasant, physically fit, literate, team player (Plant Shop Staff) 1825 years. Tel: 646-2108, Georgetown One female domestic to work in Trinidad. ages between 25 40yrs. Free accommodation. Call or whatsap: 1868- 683-1528 Middle age couple (40-50) to live and work on farm/resort at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke Highway. Call: 643-0333/697-8008 Hairdressers and nail technicians to work at Modern Hair Fashion Salon. Call: 227-8613 or 226-1931

WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIAL OFFERS FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494

Water dredge operator, sailor, watchman for interior. Call: 675-0587/225-9304

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807 TAXI SERVICE

GT Express wanted contract cars, dispatcher, drivers. Tel: 231-0316/ 231-0002 ACCOMMODATION Journey Inn apartment rental, short term with AC & Kitchen, as low as -$15US. Call: 642-1783/ 646-3011634/718-2301695

G R TA X I S E RV I C E . CALL: 219-5000; 2271982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

PROPERTY FOR SALE

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

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461

Bully dogs mix with pit-bull puppies. Call: 684-9994/6878320 ask for Keno

Business spots to rent on Public Road, 15X15 space with A/C, PVC ceiling, 40X12 PVC Ceiling, running water. Call: 613-0448/672-8625

AT 192 Car, Price $450,000.00 negotiable. Tel: 643-4049 6 Cows for sale @ La Penitence, G/Town. Call: 6947796/231-0597/671-0614

Sawmill for rent in Linden: Ripsaw, portable mill, molder in excellent condition. Call: 673-9401

Paint Sale! Until supplies last! Coloured latex paint, 50% discount. Call: 265-3541/ 6954785/616-3411

One unfurnished two bedroom apartment at Eccles - $55,000 monthly. Call: 6487004

Sale! Laptops from -$40,000, netbooks -$29,000, Dell Desktop Computers with 19" Screen - $49,000 free games, etc. Call Futuretech: 231-2206

Two bedroom at self contained @ Tuschen $50,000. Call: 688-0087/ 6338484

Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999

Three storey 75ftX30ft building/bond, open floor, 2 offices & 2 washrooms, driveway @ 25B Princes St., Charlestown. Call: 223-0654/ 225-0605 1 2 Bedroom house to rent at Grove, E.B.D – Call: 266-0892/ 681-1047

LAND FOR SALE Prime Gold & Diamond Mining Land for sale contact 223-5273/74

Two bedroom apartment to rent @ Herstelling New Scheme. Call: 627-3882/ 6412311

Land at 42 Coglan Dam, size: 37X270 price -$5.5M negotiable. Call Mr. Howes: 677-9938 or Mrs Clarke: +13473870537

3 Bedrooms upstairs @ 74 Independence Street, La Grange, light & water inclusive. Call: 695-9386

La Parfaite Harmonie, main road, business spot - $2M, $1.4M, $1.2M, $1M, Farm $3.5M, Tuschen -$1.3M, Herstelling - $3.5M. Call: 6662326 VEHICLE FOR SALE La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.8M, $1.4M, $1.2M, $1M, Herstelling $3.5M, Tuschen Phase II $1.2M, Eccles -$5.5M. Call: 6046724/ 686-9608

3.5 TON & 4 TON CANTER, OPEN BACK WITH 4D35 & 4D34 ENGINE, PRICE -$3.8M & $4.2M. CALL: 617-2891

New Hope land - $4M, Enmore- $2M, Moblissa Land - $2M per acre. Call: 688-0087, 638-8484

TOYOTA FIELDER – 2009 WITH BODY KIT & RIMS $2.5M, SIENTA -$2.1M. CALL: 617-2891 1 Hilux extra cab, GVV series, 6L diesel, good condition. Call: 673-7876/730-3335/2336218

Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665

MASSAGE Neisha’s Massage Spa. Call: 674-8147

Rental @ Ogle, 4 Master bedrooms, luxury home $5,000US. Call: 688-0087/ 6338484

LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).

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Beautiful 2 storey concrete, 4 bedroom property for sale at Rumzeight Garden, W.C.D with AC/ Hot & Cold water. Call: 699-9666/ 269-0189 One three bedroom concrete house for sale Contact Mala: 917-254-2909, location: Vryheid’s Lust, North. Call: 699-4111/626-2208 Aubrey Barker - $28M, Greenheart -$25M, Norton Street -$11M, ½ Mile - $16M, Atlanticville - $28M, Kitty $10M, $30M. Call: 231-7805/ 618-7483 House and land available @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Etc, We also assist with financing. Contact Pacific Development: 2236035/ 227-8274 House for sale, 2 flat, no flooding, 6ft fence, price $18M negotiable. Call: 2335400, 218-0595 Goat Creek, Riverfront , 75 Acres land -$7M, Lanaballi River Front, 50 Acres -$9M. Diamond -$7.5M Call: 6880087, 638-8484

VACANCY One experienced pharmacy assistant to work in a reputable pharmacy in G/ Town (flexible hours). Call: 227-0630 Office Assistant: passes in Maths and English, computer Literacy, submit CV: ifsvs@hotmail.com One female cleaner for office in Eccles call 233-2745. Immediate vacancy for 2 females to work @ Ice Factory in Blairmont, must have Maths, English. Call: 2311408/642-9191 Accounts clerk: English A (Grade 1) , Mathematics, P.O.A (Grade 2), knowledge of NIS, PAYE, VAT &QuickBooks @ Technical Services, Eccles. Call 614-4358 Maid for Nandy Park. Please call 614-4358 Janitor/Cleaner @ Shakoor’s Seafood, Eccles. Call: 2332546 Female sales representative for fashion boutique age 1830, demonstrate passion for fashion. Call: 614-2986/email a p p l i c a t i o n : warren.wintz@gmail.com

Riviera Island: 145 Acres $30M, Tuschen property $5.8M, $6M, $15M. Call: 6880087, 638-8484

Male salesclerk apply in person with written application 4:00-5:00pm daily. Royal Jewel House, 137 Regent Street.

Tuschen 2 bedroom flat houses: $10M, land $2M. Call: 688-0087,638-8484

One driver that lives on Essequibo Coast to drive distribution vehicle. Call: 623-1615

Versailes luxury home - $US 500,000, Hague front property - $30M, Tuschen $25M, Canal #2 (15 acres) -$9M. Call:6880087,638-8484 1-3 Flat concrete house @ La Parfaite Harmonie, 3 bedrooms with 1 Master room, grilled PVC ceiling etc $12.5M negotiable. Call: 2533052/ 662-6818 TO LET 4 AC Rooms/ 1 extra room, for business/offices @ 21 Seaforth St. C/Ville, Georgetown. Call: 226-1877, 624-7436, 654-9350 Alberttown - $50,000, $80,000, $40,000; Mandela -$80,000, ($250,000 – business), South - $100,000, Eccles, Durban Backland & many more. Call: 231-2199/ 660-7710 Huge one bedroom upper flat apartment in Bougainvillea in Park, Farm, E.B.D, Available as of July. Call: 616-7635 Newly constructed apartments in a safe & healthy environment. Call: 698-6496/622-6512 Room in Albertown. Call:2253234

Admin officer, business associate/customer services, computer operator, brilliant & detailed oriented. Apply @ Executive office Services. Call: 623-3574 One experienced cook various types of vegetarian dishes Monday –Saturday. Call: 623-1615 Cook/ Baker for interior. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 FOR SALE/FOR RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578 EDUCATIONAL Canadian School of Arts & Science: Summer Classes 2017- Pre-K, Nursery, Primary, Secondary (July 10th – August 11th). Call: 216-6921/ 22 for registration I.A.E – Registered now for full-time secondary school, lessons, CXC/CSEC classes, adults, students, repeaters. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 Table Tennis Classes: play to keep fit, lose weight, build self-esteem while having fun. Call: 626-2629/676-6312

Tuesday June 27, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Guyana mulls joining independent group that probes aviation accidents Guyana is currently hosting the second meeting of the Caribbean Accident and Incident Investigation Organisation (CARAIO) which started yesterday and ends Friday. The event, being held at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s boardroom, Kingston, will see experts in the field of Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation deliberating on a range of issues. These include the legal framework, regulations, data processing and storage of accident reports, training and other technical issues related to conducting a comprehensive and impartial aircraft and other aviation-related accident investigations. According to GCAA yesterday, the meeting will also seek to spread the wings of CARAIO to provide those states within South, Central and Latin America, the opportunity to join the group.

Director General Lt. Col. (R’td), Egbert Field, yesterday flanked by other participants at the meeting An inves t i g a t i o n c a n be conducted with the help of investigators from the newly estab-

lished CARAIO if the assistance of the group is sought by a member state.

Guyana to augment Diaspora benefits with support from Mexico - move comes through UG renaissance project Mexico, through the University of Guyana [UG], is prepared to share its experiences with Guyana so that it can be in a better position to tap into its Diaspora with a view of augmenting beneficial gains. A partnership to realise this goal was last week vocalised by Mexican Ambassador, Mr. Ivan Roberto Sierra Medel. The occasion was a press conference hosted by the Mexican Embassy in collaboration with UG. Speaking at the press conference, Ambassador Medel said, “the Embassy of Mexico is pleased to work closely with the University of Guyana, and I personally want to express gratitude to Vice Chancellor [Ivelaw] Griffith for this partnership, because Mexico is eager to learn from Guyana, and also eager to exchange experiences in the many fields that effect development of our societies”. According to Ambassador Medel, immigration is one of the major issues in Guyana as it is in Mexico. Mexico, he explained, has a long history of immigration. He related that “it is a country of destination for immigrants, it is a country that is a source of immigrants, it is a country of transit and it is a country of return of immigrants.” As such, Ambassador Medel related that “over the years, the Government of Mexico has put in place policies addressing the need to engage with the 30-million strong Mexican Diaspora and we want to share this experi-

ence with Guyana. We want to share it with the University of Guyana and the best part of Mexico is inside of Mexico and the overseas communities”. He added, “We have the global Diaspora; we not only have immigrants in the United States and Canada, we have Mexicans living around the world and some of them, almost one million of them, are highly skilled...So the global network that brings together highly skilled immigrant Mexicans is a highly skilled best practice regarding Diaspora engagement, and we are very happy to have this opportunity to share this experience with Guyana”. As part of its partnership with UG, Mexico will have an integral role to play when it hosts a Diaspora Engagement Conference next month. Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, is particularly pleased to have Mexico on board. In fact, he has described Mexico’s support as a manifestation of a partnership between UG and Mexico. He revealed too that Mexico, through its Embassy, and UG have been developing, over the last year, several different strands of partnership. “Perhaps one of the more recent bits of evidence of that partnership is when the Government of Mexico, through its Embassy, sponsored someone to come directly from Mexico to be a part of our Turkeyen and Tain Talks, looking at oil [and] the experience of the Mexican reality

looking at its energy sector,” Professor Griffith said. According to the Vice Chancellor, “the Ambassador himself is one of the strong advocates testifying before the University Council among other places as we move to establish a school of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation.” He explained that an important element of that pursuit is “we are asking that each student that graduates from that school of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation has one language other than English. Spanish will be one of those languages [as well as] Mandarin and Portuguese, and Mexico has committed to enabling us to deliver the instructional reality where Spanish is concerned.” The whole collaboration with Mexico comes as part of a renaissance project being pursued by the national university under the guidance of Vice Chancellor Griffith. The project, he explained, is taking what some might call a non-traditional path since it is characterised by the “building of friendships and partnerships in a variety of ways.” According to Professor Griffith, “I want to signal the differentiation and the variety of our pursuits by having the evidence of one of those elements of the pursuits or partnership with Mexico be reflective of the significant strides of the renaissance that we are making”.

Director General, Lt. Col. (Retd) Egbert Field, in welcoming the participants, noted the importance of having an independent body conduct accidents and investigations within the aviation sector. The Director General said that it is difficult for a state to conduct an aircraft accident and incident investigation without the collaboration of other states and the formation of this group makes the task much easier to undertake. He foresees wider collaboration with other states within the region, including those in South, Central and Latin America. With the guidance of the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), the CARAIO Accident and Incident Investigation Group (AIG) will be established under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the region. In Guyana’s case, helicop-

ter accident and incident investigation is an area of interest considering the emerging oil and gas industry, the tourism sector and the diversifying agriculture sector. The importance of the CARAIO was underscored in the first meeting and reaffirmed in this second meeting due to numerous deficiencies regarding AIG issues. The establishment of this CARAIO group is supported by CASSOS, with assistance from ICAO, North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Office and Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA). This meeting, GCAA said, will continue the efforts to ratify a Memoran-

dum of Cooperation (MoC) to establish a separate Accident and Investigation Group under the auspices of the (CASSOS). CASSOS is an institution within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which was created by members of the Association of Civil Aviation Authorities of the Caribbean (ACAAC). Guyana is a member state of CASSOS. The other member states are Barbados, Haiti, Suriname, Jamaica, Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands.

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U.S. to list China among worst Canada nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer human trafficking offenders: sources jailed for life for murders (Reuters) The United States plans to place China on its global list of worst offenders in human trafficking and forced labor, said a congressional source and a person familiar with the matter, a step that could aggravate tensions with Beijing that have eased under President Donald Trump. The reprimand of China, Washington’s main rival in the Asia-Pacific region, would come despite Trump’s budding relationship with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the U.S. president’s efforts to coax Beijing into helping to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has decided to drop China to “Tier 3,” the lowest grade, putting it alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria among others, said the sources, who have knowledge of the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The rating is expected to be announced on Tuesday in an annual report published by the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. A State Department official declined to comment on the report’s contents and said the department “does not discuss details of internal deliberations.” Tier 3 rating can trigger sanctions limiting access to U.S. and international aid, but U.S. presidents frequently waive such action. While it was unclear what led Tillerson to downgrade China, last year’s report criticized the communist government for not doing enough to curb “state-sponsored forced labor” and concluded it did not meet “minimum standards” for fighting trafficking – though it still said Beijing was making significant efforts. The Trump administration has also grown con-

cerned about conditions in China for North Korean labor crews that are contracted through Pyongyang and provide hard currency for the North Korean leadership, which is squeezed for cash by international sanctions, said the congressional source. Since taking office, Trump has praised Xi for agreeing to work on the North Korea issue during a Florida summit in April and has held back on attacking Chinese trade practices he railed against during the presidential campaign. But Trump has recently suggested he was running out of patience with China’s modest steps so far to pressure North Korea, which is working to develop a nucleartipped missile capable of hitting the United States. The annual report, covering more than 180 countries and territories, calls itself the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-human trafficking efforts.

ExxonMobil shows two faces to... From page 3 was actually paying lobbyists to deny the impact of climate change. ExxonMobil has been accused over the years of funding certain groups and government officials/parties to promote disinformation about the effects of climate change. It has of course denied this to the end, but the media reports on this matter are overwhelming. The Guardian (www.theguardian.com) is just one media site which has placed this issue in the spotlight. The news entity has reported that ExxonMobil has been funding anti-climate groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec). It based this conclusion on tax records. ( h t t p s : / / www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/15/exxonmobil-gave-millions-climatedenying-lawmakers) In addition to the aforementioned, civil proceedings have been filed against ExxonMobil by some of its own shareholders who feel deceived by the company regarding the truth about climate change and the toll it will take on the business's fortunes as most nations are being encouraged to move in the direction of cleaner sources of energy. According to www.insideclimatenews.org. ( h t t p s : / / insideclimatenews.org/news/ 18112016/exxon-climatechange-research-oil-re-

serves-stranded-assets-lawsuit), the deception by ExxonMobil led to the investors paying inflated prices for Exxon stock and subjected them to financial losses because the company knew the value of its oil reserves was less than what it was telling investors. This was also noted in the lawsuit which was filed in a Texas federal court this year. (see link for full lawsuit: h t t p s : / / www.documentcloud.org/ documents/3215695-ClassA c t i o n - E x x o n Complaint.html) . In the court action, the plaintiff is calling for compensation for all damages sustained as a result of the defendant's wrongdoing, in an amount to be proven at trial, including interest thereon. The plaintiff is of the firm belief that, “During the Class Period, as detailed herein, Defendants made false and misleading statements and engaged in a scheme to deceive the market and a course of conduct that artificially inflated the price of Exxon common stock and operated as a fraud or deceit on Class Period purchasers of Exxon common stock by misrepresenting the value of the Company's business and prospects by overstating its earnings and concealing the significant defects in its internal controls.” The lawsuit goes on to state, “As Defendants' misrepresentations and fraudulent conduct became apparent

to the market, the price of Exxon common stock fell precipitously, as the prior artificial inflation came out of the price. As a result of their purchases of Exxon common stock during the Class Period, plaintiff and other members of the class suffered economic loss, i.e, damages, under the Federal Securities Laws.” Adding to ExxonMobil's climate change woes, is the fact that even the Security Exchange Council (SEC) has also launched an investigation in an effort to ascertain if the oil king has been completely honest with investors about climate risks and accounting issues concerning its reserves. CONCLUSION With the aforementioned in mind, it would not be irrational for Guyanese to urge Government officials to be wary of the nature of the oil king it is dealing with and to act cautiously. It would not be unreasonable for Guyanese to urge the Government to monitor the operations of the entity; to craft an air-tight contract/ agreement that will safeguard the nation against the abusive and greedy nature of this mega-corporation. It would not be unreasonable to call on the Government to learn from the painful and irreversible mistakes made by other nations. Failure to do so, would surely lead the nation into a position where 10 years later, it would be worse off than it is today.

Elizabeth Wettlaufer A Canadian nurse who used insulin to kill eight elderly patients in Ontario care homes has been sentenced to life in prison, local media report. Elizabeth Wettlaufer, 49, pleaded guilty earlier this month to killing five women and three men in two nursing homes between 2007 and 2014. Wet t l a u f e r w a s d e scribed by the judge on Monday as a “shadow of death” that passed over her victims, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported. She was told she may never be released. “I caused tremendous pain and suffering and death,” Wettlaufer said after receiving her sentence, adding: “Sorry is much too small

a word. I am extremely sorry.” Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas said Wettlaufer was a “predator” who took the lives of those she was supposed to protect and care for during her time as a nurse, CBC reports. Many of the victims’ relatives were present in the courthouse for Wettlaufer ’s sentencing and were told by the judge to take their time when reading their victim impact statements. Friends of some of the victims also gathered outside the courthouse in Woodstock, Ontario, on Monday to express their hurt and anger. “I think she should spend the rest of her life in a small box contemplating what she’s done,” said Laura Jackson, a friend of Maurice Granat, one

of the victims. Arpad Horvath, whose father was also killed by Wettlauffer while in her care, said the former nurse’s statement in court only made him angry. “An apology like that is just a waste of time, paper and air,” he said. Police launched an investigation into the nursing home deaths in September. We t t l a u f e r r e s i g n e d from the College of Nurses of Ontario a day after that, and was arrested in October. In January, police brought six additional charges - four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault - against Wettlaufer for other incidents that took place in care homes between 2007-16.

Bloodied and broken: Rising toll of Philippines’ war with ISIS Iligan, Philippines (CNN) During the rainy season on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, storms are foreshadowed by flashes of lightning in the distance, visible above the treetops. When the rain finally comes, it is a vicious, torrential downpour, which ends as abruptly as it begins. While the rains come and go, the flow of wounded into a military hospital in the north of the island does not. Just as two ambulances pull into the hospital at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro, the skies once again open up, muddying the dirt courtyard. They discharge yet another 10 soldiers, wounded in what is becoming a bloody, protracted insurgency by ISIS-affiliated militants.

Lt. Col. Jonna Dalaguit, the facility’s chief medical officer, looks exhausted from the constant stream of broken men who are ferried into her hospital, brought in displaying the wounds of war — “bullet wounds, blast wounds, fractures,” she tells CNN. “We have (admitted around) 330 casualties since day two of this crisis.” It’s the worst count she’s ever seen. It’s been like this for a month, since ISIS-aligned fighters stormed the northern Mindanao city of Marawi, capturing key government buildings and setting fire to churches and schools. In the weeks that followed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have slowly clawed back territory in the city, but a stubborn remnant of around 100

fighters clings to a handful of inner city neighborhoods, despite a sustained — and some argue indiscriminate — campaign of government airstrikes reducing much of the city to rubble. The siege, which appears to have taken authorities by surprise, has come at a high human cost — ISIS has killed at least 66 Philippines soldiers and wounded hundreds more since the conflict began. It’s the highest military death toll in recent Philippines history. It’s so overcrowded at Camp Evangelista that around 30 soldiers, who aren’t in critical condition, lie in camp beds in an open-air hallway. From here they watch their comrades, bloodied and broken, rushed in from the battle.

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Billions pumped into Caribbean Airlines since 2011 PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The stateowned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has received an estimated three billion dollars

(One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) in subsidies since 2011, Finance Minister Colm Imbert has said. Responding to a question

posed by Opposition Chief Whip Dr. David Lee in the Parliament on Friday, Imbert said that the government gives a subsidy of TT$50 per adult

seat for CAL’s Tobago airbridge. He said the airline had benefited from subsidies in recent years from both the

former People’s Partnership government and the present Keith Rowley administration. He said the subsidies also applied to other routes operated by CAL. According to Imbert in 2011, CAL received TT$243 million comprising TT$136 million in subsidies and TT$106 million in transfers, while in 2012, the airline benefitted from TT$1.139 billion, made up of TT$412 million in loan guarantees and TT$726 million in subsidies. Imbert said that in 2013, CAL got TT$860 million, comprising TT$413 million in loan guarantees and TT$477 million in subsidies, while in

the following year, it received one billion dollars consisting of TT$140 million in subsidies and TT$859 million in transfers. The Finance Minister told legislators that for 2015, the state-owned airline was given TT$655 million and last year it received TT$481 million. Imbert said that steps are now being taken to make CAL self-sufficient with the implementation of cost-relevant strategies, revenue enhancement aimed at a breakeven position, developing a strong brand for CAL and building the necessary corporate culture.

Authorities seize more than... ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) says it has seized more than EC$1 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) in illegal drugs and detained six people, including two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals, during a 24-hour exercise over the weekend. In a statement, the ONDCP said that 295 pounds of marijuana had been seized during the operation and that the six men, including nationals from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica, are

most likely to appear in court on Tuesday. The ONDCP said that in the first operation in the All Saints Villiage, a St. Vincent and the Grenadines national as well as an Antiguan male were nabbed in the process of transporting 103.25 pounds of marijuana with a street value of EC$413,000. It said the Jamaican was nabbed during the second operation in the Mock Pond Area where he was held with 34.8 pounds of compressed marijuana and a small quantity of marijuana seedlings with a street value estimated at EC$139,200.

Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kaieteur News

Terror suspect to be released on bail after 5 years without trial (CNN)A federal judge in Denver h a s o r d e r e d t h e release of an Uzbek terror suspect who was held without trial for more than five years. Jamshid Muhtorov is also the first defendant to be prosecuted on evidence gathered by a controversial NSA surveillance program. U.S. District Judge John Kane was to outline the conditions of Muhtorov’s release yesterday afternoon. His trial is expected to begin early next year. M u h t o r o v, a refugee from Uzbekistan who lived in Aurora, Colorado, was charged five years ago with providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization called the Islamic Jihad Union, or IJU, according to court records. Muhtorov was taken into custody in January 2012 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, when he was about to board a flight to Istanbul. Court records show that federal investigators monitored phone calls and Internet activity by Muhtorov, who also uses the names Abumumin Tu r k i s t o n y a n d A b u Mumin. Judge Kane’s ruling Friday came a day after Muhtor o v f i l e d c o u r t

documents accusing the d e t e n t i o n c e n t e r ’s w a rden of violating his rights to a speedy trial. In his 11-page order, obtained by CNN, Kane said that his ruling was precipitated by the postponement of the trial of Muhtorov’s a l l e g e d c o - c o n s p i r a t o r, Bakhtiyor J u m a e v. Jumaev’s trial has been pushed to January 2018. The judge also said Muhtorov was not a flight risk, citing his family and community ties. “That is not to say that the government’s charges are without merit or that the words and conduct of Jamshid Muhtorov are not serious or without consequence,” Judge Kane said in the order, signed Friday.

“To the contrary,” the judge wrote. “The government, by its actions in surveilling and apprehending Mr. Muhtorov, may have thwarted an actual plan to provide smart phones and services to the IJU. “ T h e c o n t e n t o f M r. Muhtorov’s conversations with (alleged accomplice) Mr. Jumaev are abhorrent, the videos and pictures on his phone revolting. His professed desire to join a movement that justifies the murder and maiming of all who dare to think differently than he does on matters of faith and religion deeply offend our values of religious liberty, the sanctity of life, tolerance, justice, and the rule of law.”

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Strong U.S. world team could match Rio success SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (Reuters) A worldclass group of jumpers, shot putters and women’s hurdlers should have American athletes heading to the podium often at August’s world championships in London. Double Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor and fellow Rio gold medalists Ryan Crouser, Dalilah Muhammad and Tianna Bartoletta, plus hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison and Aries Merritt, all qualified at the cutthroat U.S. championships that concluded on Sunday. “It looks entirely possible that Team USA could match its impressive Rio (Olympic)

tally in August,” international athletics expert Mel Watman told Reuters. The Americans won 13 gold medals in Rio after underperforming at the last world championships in Beijing two years ago with just six. One-two punches in the triple jump, men’s and women’s shot put, women’s long jump and women’s 400 meters hurdles plus strong showings in the relays could all produce gold for the U.S. in London, Watman said. But the Americans, who love their sprints, will likely face major roadblocks in the men’s events even though they have the year’s fastest

at 100 meters (Christian Coleman, 9.82 seconds) and 400 (Fred Kerley, 43.70). World record holders Usain Bolt, who is retiring after the London 100, and Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa in the 400 will be the fans’ favorites. Olympic silver medalist Justin Gatlin, winner of the U.S. 100 over Coleman, also should be a contender in the London race as he faces Bolt for the last time. Rio medalist Tori Bowie highlights the U.S. women’s sprints, but must again face Jamaican double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson in the 100.

The U.S. should gain medals in many of the same events where they made the podium in Rio, with 22 of the 29 individual medalists qualifying for London. Defending triple jump champion Taylor and Olympic silver medalist Will Claye again rank 1 and 2 in the world with Crouser and Olympic runner-up Joe Kovacs sharing similar honors in the men’s shot put. Taylor is approaching Jonathan Edwards’ triple jump world record, and Crouser delivered the longest shot put in 14 years at 22.65 meters on Sunday. Bartoletta and Olympic silver medalist Brittney Reese, who has the top jump in the world this season, will be

Kiwis put... Tuesday June 27, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Uncertainties about your personal life are probable. Don't blow situations out of proportion. You may be confused emotionally. TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You can make money if you are careful not to let it trickle through your fingers. Your confidence is growing and advancement is apparent. Be sure to pay attention to your financial status. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can utilize your versatile mind and dazzle others with your speed and accuracy. Travel will entice you; however, a tendency to overspend is quite possible. Visitors are likely to drop by and chances are, they may even stay a little longer than you want them to. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Short trips may be tiring but rewarding. Look into ways that you can make extra cash. Opportunities for travel and communication are evident. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Children will be of major concern if you haven't kept the lines of communication open. You could meet an interesting individual you'll want to get to know better. Don't jump too quickly regarding an investment that appears to be good. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You will be extremely receptive to new and progressive methods at work. Your tendency to dramatize may be a little much for your partner to take constantly. You will be able to contribute a great deal to organizations that you join.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Residential moves will also be advantageous for all concerned. Refuse to get involved in idle chatter; it will only make you look bad. If you can't get away, make plans to do something special with friends or relatives. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) People trying to entice you to join in will be less than trustworthy. Your social skills with people may be more than just helpful. Be cautious and use your head wisely in situations that deal with the use of machinery or vehicles. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Try not to get involved in other people's problems. If you have to deal with large institutions, be careful not to make waves. Uncertain changes regarding your personal life are evident. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You will learn a great deal from the foreigners you meet. Emotional deception will cause friction on the home front. Don't trust a deal that looks too good, or a lover who appears to have it all. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't put all your cash in one place. Your ability to be practical in business will help. Mingle with those who have similar interests, and you should be able to start something. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You haven't been watching your spending habits and you may have been neglecting your duties. Go with the flow and don't let the unsettled atmosphere get on your nerves. Your high enthusiasm will be sure to inspire anybody around you.

(From page 30) New Zealand. It was the Kiwis’ third cup success but first triumph since 2000. They had match point in the first-to-seven final after winning both of Sunday’s races. As the champagne flowed at dockside, skipper/tactician Glenn Ashby, the only survivor on the Kiwi boat from the 2013 meltdown, said: “It was a hard pill to swallow in San Francisco – this is great redemption.” Peter Burling, 26, an Olympic gold medallist, became the youngest winning helmsman in the cup’s 166-year history. His flawless technique – and a faster boat in light winds – proved the difference. Jimmy Spithill, Oracle’s 37year-old Australian helmsman, got off to a perfect start in Monday’s race and held a three-second lead on the short reach to mark one. But Burling quickly took command and the Kiwis crossed the winning line a commanding 55 seconds ahead.

RHTY&SC Cricket... (From page 29) bags and cricket balls, while close to $1M worth of exercise books would also be donated to the educational sector in Region 6. Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Xavier Henry’s mother, Ruthel Henry, expressed gratitude to the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club for its continued assistance to her son’s quest to become a top rated Karate expert. She wished the Club continued success in the future and urged its members to uphold the high standard they have set themselves.

tough to defeat in the women’s long jump with Raven Saunders and Danie Bunch the best two women’s shot putters of 2017. They will be joined by Olympic gold medalist Michelle Carter. No event was more impressive in Sacramento than the women’s 400 meters hurdles, though, with Olympic gold medalist Muhammad leading three women under 53 seconds for the first time ever in the same race. All three could claim medals in London. Watman, the co-editor of Athletics International, also was impressed by Olympic bronze medalist Sam Kendricks, who provided the

first six meters pole vault of the outdoor season and the U.S. 4x400 meters relay’s chances. “In Sacramento four men ran 44.50 or quicker in the 400m final didn’t include vastly experienced LaShawn Merritt who has a wild card,” he said. Rio Olympic pole vault silver medalist Sandi Morris also could be in the mix for medals, Watman said World 400 meters champion Allyson Felix also is moving into contention after working on her speed in the 100 and 200 at Sacramento. Gold medalists Matthew Centrowitz (1,500m) and Kerron Clement (400m hurdles) also qualified.

Bolt brings sunshine... (From page 28) and world gold medalist joked that sweltering temperatures and sunshine in the Czech Republic feels more like home in Jamaica as he prepares to compete in the 100 meter race tomorrow. “I am happy that I got to come here, it’s one of my favorite meets, and to be here for the last time, it’s a great feeling,” the 30 year-old told a news conference broadcast live on the event’s Facebook page. “For me the weather stands out... I am shocked that it’s so warm, I guess I brought some sun from Jamaica.” The double sprint world record holder, who has

amassed eight Olympic golds and 13 world championship medals, will take his final bow in August in London, where he will only run the shorter sprint despite having a wild card for the 200 meters. But Bolt confirmed he would not run the 200 meter event in London and said he had no regrets about stepping aside as his glittering career winds down. “For me now, I’ve done everything I wanted to, now it’s coming to an end and I am fine with it, definitely looking forward to coming back to Ostrava, and just watch, to be part of the crowd, to see the younger generation coming up,” Bolt said.

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Can Guyana land its first U17 title this year? By Zaheer Mohamed The U17 trophy is only title that has eluded Guyana at the Regional age group level. Fielding arguably the strongest team in last year’s tournament, Guyana were favourites to win the title, but rain put a halt to their quest after their last game against host Trinidad and Tobago was completely washed out. The Guyanese then had to settle for the runner up spot behind the host nation who finished with 20.6 points, while Guyana ended on 20.3. Guyana played unbeaten throughout the tournament, but Trinidad and Tobago’s success was largely due to the 0.3 fast

bowling bonus points they gained more than their closest rivals. Bhaskar Yadram and Joshua Persaud have since graduated to the West Indies U19 team, while Ashmead Nedd, Kevlon Anderson, Sachin Singh and Kevin Omroa still have another year at this level. These players have brought Guyana glory at the U15 level and have done well at the inter-county tournament this year. With the current crop of players available in the pool, Guyana can be deemed favourites to win the tournament, but their success will depend on how well they play as a unit. All-rounder Nedd is the most experienced player and

Alex Algoo

Kevlon Anderson

should be named captain, while Kevlon Anderson is likely to be his deputy. While Sachin Singh, Alphius Bookie, Orlando Jailall and

Pradesh Balkishun add strength to the team’s batting, many will be looking at how well Anderson and new find Alex

Algoo perform on the surfaces overseas. No Doubt these two players are match winners Anderson scored a century against Essequibo in the recently concluded Hand-inHand U19 tournament, while his fellow Berbician Algoo, who opens the batting, was the leading batsman in the U17 competition this year. Anderson has displayed tremendous powers of concentration, while Algoo is one of the hardest hitters of the ball, and a lot will depend on them. Sachin Singh and Alphius Bookie have been out of form recently, but while form is temporary, class is permanent; they have proven in the past that they

can rise to the occasion when it matters most. Singh played for Guyana in last year’s regional U19 competition and another good year at the U17 level can land him a spot in the U19 tournament this year. Fast bowler Reyaz Khan and spinner Kevin Umroa are dangerous players, while Nedd and Balkishun are capable all-rounders. While the adverse weather have restricted their preparation somewhat, as long as these players play together, stick to the basics and adopt the acronym KISS (keep it super simple), they can give their fans much to shout about. Without doubt they have what it takes to bring back glory.

Djokovic to have Agassi in his corner throughout Wimbledon EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND (Reuters) Novak Djokovic will have coach Andre Agassi in his corner for as long as required at Wimbledon as the Serb tries to claim back one of his lost grand slam titles. The 30-year-old teamed up with the eight-times major winner before the French Open, having split with his long-time coaching team. But the American had already flown home before Djokovic crumbled against Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals. The exact details of the arrangement between 12times grand slam champion Djokovic and Agassi remain vague, and Djokovic says they are “going with the flow”. But he says he will able to count on the 47-year-old’s wealth of experience throughout the Wimbledon fortnight. “He will be in London for Wimbledon and he will

stay as long as I stay in the tournament, so that’s great news,” Djokovic told a news conference at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park, where he has taken a wildcard for the Aegon International. “Obviously Roland Garros, the eight or nine days that we spent together, were very valuable for me to get to know him, to learn from him. We shared a lot of experiences on and off the court, things that he has been through that I can relate to. “So having him around is not only great for myself but a l s o f o r t e n n i s . H e ’s supposed to arrive for the weekend. So he’s going to be there before the tournament starts.” A year ago Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon as holder of all four grand slams. This time, he is down at world number four having seen all of his prized crowns removed from his possession — the rot setting in at Wimbledon last year

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during practice. (Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs)

when, as defending champion, he fell to Sam Querrey in the third round. Djokovic is playing a grasscourt warmup tournament for the first time in seven years and looked relaxed as he walked about in the south coast sunshine yesterday. “This year I knew I wanted to play one, but I thought Queen’s and Halle would be too early for me,” Djokovic, who has been running on the pebbly beach since arriving, said. “I haven’t had too many matches this year all in all. That’s the reason why I came to Eastbourne. “For me it’s great to visit a new place, be part of a new event. I don’t get to experience that too often. We have more or less the same schedule each year over and over again.” Djokovic said he needs to rediscover the level of consistency that saw him dominate men’s tennis. “It does feel different

than 12 months ago when I had the four grand slams under my belt, and coming into Wimbledon, completely different than I mentally am

today. “I still have to trust myself, my abilities to play well, and to win against anybody on any surface. I

will just try to reach that consistency level that I need, because I felt like that’s something that I was lacking.”

Reggae Boyz dethroned after Curacao defeat Elson Hooi … scored twice for champions Curacao.

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique, CMC – Jamaica’s Reggae Boys surrendered their CFU Caribbean Cup crown when they were upset 2-1 by Curacao in the final of the tournament here Sunday night. Goals in each half from the Denmark-based Elson Hooi condemned the Caribbean houses to the defeat, with Rosario Harriott scoring the lone goal for the deposed champions. In the preceding third p l a c e p l a y o ff , F r e n c h

Guyana also stunned hosts Martinique to come away with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Sloan Private’s 74th minute strike. In the feature contest at the Stade Pierre-Aliker, Curacao struck the early blow when Hooi’s soft volley from the top of the 18yard box put them ahead in the 10th minute. The lead held until halftime and afterwards, Jamaica resumed their quest for the equaliser and it finally came eight minutes from time. Shamar Nicholson’s

header connected with a free kick from Michael Binns, and the ball fell for Harriott who sneaked in at the left post to beat goalkeeper Eloy Room. At this stage, the game seemed headed for extra time but Hooi spoiled Jamaica’s plans just two minutes later. Good work by Gino van Kessel down the right saw him pass off to Hooi who made no mistake from 10 yards out. Curacao were making their first-ever appearance in the Caribbean Cup final

Kaieteur News

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Rose Hall Jammers continue dominance in Berbice basketball tournaments

Action in the Berbice Basketball Association competition game between Rose Hall Town Jammers and Hopetown Stealers last Sunday at Litchfield court.

Rose Hall Town Jammers defeated Hopetown Stealers 5745 when the Berbice Amateur Basketball Association 2017 Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Nigel Hinds, for teams in Berbice continued Sunday last at the Litchfield Basketball Court. The venue had to be changed from Hopetown to Litchfield as a result of the inclement weather. Roy Borne Murray top scored with 21 points for Jammers. He received excellent support from Mikel Lewis (15) and David Hope (11). At the end of the first quarter, the Jammers led 17-11 and when the half time whistle came it was 24-20 in favor of the winners. Ruel Edwards and Kelon Webster top scored with (18) and (13) each for Hopetown. Ithaca Hardliners will next take on Canje Knights at the Vryman’s Erven Basketball Court in New Amsterdam. Six teams are involved in the competition which is being played on a round robin basis in two zones. Zone A includes Canje Knight, Fryish Black Shark and Ithaca Hardliners, while Zone B comprises of Rose Hall Town Jammers, Hopetown Stealers and NA Warriors. Trophis, cash and other incentives are up for grabs. The tournament is being organized by President of the Berbice Basketball Association Vibert Garrett.

River View crowned inaugural Continuous registration of Bartica Guinness champions Futsal clubs in Guyana underway -book place in July 8 National Playoffs

River View became the first winners of the inaugural Bartica Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Football Tournament after they prevailed 1-0 in a penalty shootout against Police as the curtains came down on the event on Sunday, at the Bartica Community Centre Tarmac. Played before another massive turnout that included Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste and Outdoor Events manager Mortimer Stewart, the two teams battled to a 2-2 stalemate in regulation and extra time, forcing referee Wayne Griffith to order penalty shootout. In the shootout, Police got off to a disastrous start when the reliable Mark Boyce sent his effort wide, but River View was unable to take advantage when their shooter missed as well. Police’s woes continued when the next player missed the mark, before River View netted to take a 1-0 lead. Needing to score in their third attempt to stay in the encounter, Police for the third straight occasion failed to hit the mark, conceding defeat to River View, who walked away with the top prize of $350,000, the championship trophy and just as important a trip to the national playoffs. The Lawmen was rewarded with $150,000 and a trophy for their efforts.

In regulation time, Gavin Gentle’s fourth minute strike had given Police the lead, hitting home a redirected pass. They increased their advantage when Boyce slammed in a powerful shot in the 13th minute to make it 2-0. Needing to respond, River View’s Stephen Edwards hit back one minute later with a stinging shot to reduce the deficit by one. Anzel Edwards then answered in the 26th minute to draw level at 2-2. In the third place playoff, Campbellville outlasted Potaro Strikers 2-0 on penalty kicks after regulation time ended goalless. Campbellville won $100,000, while Potaro Strikers received $75,000. Earlier, in semi-final action, River View squeezed past Campbellville 3-2. Romario Lake booted in a brace in the 23rd and 28th minutes for River View, while Andel Norton added the other in the fourth minute. For Campbellville, Marvin Jacobs scored a double in the 17th and 19th minutes. Police eased past Potaro Strikers 2-0 with Roderick Hamilton and Boyce on target in the 24th and 26th minutes respectively. The National Playoffs commences July 8. In the earlier exhibition

rounds, Bartica Ladies defeated Almanac Girls 2-0, while River View Girls squeezed past Fal Mouth Girls 1-0 in a penalty shootout after normal time ended scoreless. The night’s full results: Final Police-2 vs River View-2 River View won 1-0 on penalty kicks Police Scorers Garvin Gentle-5th Mark Boyce-12th River View Scorer Stephen Edwards-13th Anzel Edwards-26th 3rd Place Campbellville-0 vs Potaro Strikers-0 Campbellville won 2-0 on penalty kicks Semi-final Stage Game-1 R i v e r Vi e w - 3 v s Campbellville-2 River View Scorers Romario Lake-23rd and 28th Andel Norton-4th Campbellville Scorer Marvin Jacobs-17th and 19th Game-2 Police-2 vs Potaro Strikers-0 Roderick Hamilton-24th Mark Boyce-26th Exhibition Game-1 Fal Mouth Girls-0 vs River View Girls-0 River View won 1-0 on penalty kicks Game-2 Bartica Girls-2 vs Almanac Girls-0

Given the current interest in Futsal locally, the Guyana Futsal Association (GFA) is stepping up its registration of clubs all across Guyana. The GFA is a registered affiliate association of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), which was established to exclusively spearhead the professional development and administration of Futsal in Guyana. The GFA is managed by a team of elected office bearers comprising a P r e s i d e n t , Vi c e President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executives are as follows: President (a.g) Kenrick Noel, 1st Vice President (a.g) Mark Young, Secretary Rawle Adams and Treasurer Aubrey Major Jnr. Registered clubs have the following privileges and benefits: •Become familiarized with Futsal as a discipline of the Global Football industry •Receive technical assistance from the GFA so that they can become formalized •Engage in tournaments and competitions organized and approved by the GFA •Attend training workshops, retreats and other educational activities •Contribute to the development of Futsal in their communities and Guyana as a whole. Since Guyana is yet to seriously acknowledge Sports, and in particular

Kenrick Noel President of the Futsal association. football, as an instrument for Social Cohesion and Economic Development, the Guyana Futsal Association (GFA) is optimistic that this registration exercise would pave the way for Clubs, sponsors, and other stakeholders to become motivated towards elevating Futsal locally to new heights.

Interested individuals, club owners and executives can contact any of the GFA’s Executives as follows: President (a.g) Kenrick Noel 687-4680 1st Vice President (a.g) Mark Young 621-1313 Secretary Rawle Adams 623-3323 Treasurer Aubrey Major Jnr. 691-5460.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Tuesday June 27, 2017

GBA Shuttle Time Programme concludes The Guyana Badminton Association’s used this year’s Guyana Olympic Association, Olympic Day series of activities to conduct the Shuttle Time Programme between June 23 - 25 in Guyana and get their longterm plan to have Badminton prominently in schools underway. Fifteen (15) participants were awarded their Teachers Training Course Certificates at the conclusion of the course. Those participants are: Anson Ambrose - St. Roses High School, Abigail Alves New Guyana School, Candyss Pauldon - Bishops High School, Cleon Critchlow - Jo-sel Private School, Nema Flue Bess - St. Joseph High School, Kevin Singh - Annandale Secondary School, Al Junior Wilson-Bladen Hall Multilateral School, Denise Stephan- Stewartville Primary School, Sarah Sylvester-Scott - School of the Nations, Priyanna Ramdhani - Marian Academy, Vanessa Shelto GBA, Darrell Carpenay GBA, Ravin Singh - GBA and 4 participants were awarded the Tutors Training Course Certificates; they are: Narayan Ramdhani GBA, Ambika Ramraj GBA, Emelia Ramdhani GBA and Marlon Chung – GBA. The programme, which falls directly under the B a d m i n t o n Wo r l d Federation (BWF), is geared to make badminton the most popular sport in schools globally.

The participants of last weekend’s GBA Shuttle Time Programme display their certificates after the event.

It’s quite a simple method; it’s premised on educating Physical Education teachers to conduct badminton lessons. The three-day course, which opened on Friday morning last at the Guyana Olympic Association boardroom, was conducted by Jamaican Richard Wong. Wong, who is a BWF Shuttle Time Tutor and Coach, told that the programme is not in-depth and is not structured to make the teachers coaches. “We want to make the lessons fun, safe and have the kids experience success from the very beginning, and the Shuttle Time has been instrumental in that. The Shuttle Time Programme has been implemented in various countries across the Caribbean, and it actually

helped in promoting the sport because it gets, as I said, teachers, P.E teachers or even regular teachers to teach a badminton lesson,” Wong explained. “The programme is very simple; all the resources have been provided for the teachers, so basically when a teacher takes a Shuttle Time course and decides to implement the programme all they have to do is go back to their school, look in the resources we give them free and just decide what lessons they want to teach,” Wong pointed out. The target group is Primary and Secondary school teachers, and while the aim is to introduce children aged 5-15 to badminton, the programme can be adapted to any

settings. Shuttle Time is the first such programme to be hosted in Guyana, and it came to fruition following the Guyana Badminton Association president Gokarn Ramdhani making representation at the BWF’s AGM in Gold Coast, Australia, last May. “It’s going to be a very good course for Guyana, especially for the teachers training the children for CSEC. It is also a basic programme to help us with the development plan for badminton in Guyana because now the teachers will be assisting us to get up the players and then we get them out into the areas and the teams and clubs we would want them to go,” Ramdhani asserted.

The Badminton Association, over the years, has been clamoring for the sport to be prominent in schools nationwide, and Ramdhani believes the hosting of the Shuttle Time Programme is a positive step in that direction. “Because we’ve tried implementing badminton in a lot of schools for the past 7 8 years; we donated racquets, shuttlecocks and nets…we did programmes for them but nobody ever followed up. So now that we

get the P.E teachers, I hope this is a better way to get it more developed,” Ramdhani revealed. Guyana is now the 106th country where the Shuttle Time Programme has been introduced. The programme involves both theoretical and practical sessions. The GBA would like to express special thanks to the: Guyana Olympic Association, National Sports Commission, Banks DIH and Mr. Nicholas Fraser of the Ministry of Education.

Bolt brings sunshine and heat on his last trip to Golden Spike meeting

Sports World Classic 2017 Invitational - T&T

Fortune cops women’s physique bronze; Grimes place4th in men’s physique The lone female amongst the group of bodybuilders that ventured to the shores of the Twin Island Republic last weekend to compete at the Sports World Classic 2017 Invitational, copped a bronze medal in the body fitness segment of the show. The indefatigable Alisha Fortune, who is also one of Guyana’s leading Masters Athletes, flexed her way to a podium spot and was the only member of the contingent that achieved such. Ya n n i c k G r i m e s , competing in the men’s physique was aiming to

better his 2016 achievement of a bronze medal but did not succeed as he ended just outside of last year ’s position, in fourth. The other athletes, Emmerson Campbell and Caerus Cipriani who also c o n t e s t e d t h e m e n ’s physique competition and the lone body building class athlete, Rashleigh Bentick, failed to make the top five. Apart from assisting to raise funds on their own, each athlete was assisted by the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation with half their air fares to the Twin Island

Republic. Federation President Coel Marks in an invited comment prior to the departure of the team had stated that the federation will endeavor to promote and assist as many athletes to do more regional shows as a means of improving their understanding of international competitions which would create a solid stepping stone to this region’s marquee championship, CAC. Marks also offered a comment on the performance of the team: “In keeping with our mandate of

creating opportunities for exposure for our athletes, the federation is pleased with the returning contingent bringing home a bronze and fourth place. The experience garnered by all the athletes who vied cannot be overstated and they all expressed gratitude and recommitted their focus to the sport.” Apart from the host nation and Guyana, the other participating nations were Suriname, Barbados, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica, St. Maarten, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt reacts during a news conference before the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic. (REUTERS/David W Cerny) (Reuters) As Usain Bolt deals with the emotions of closing the curtain on his record-breaking career, one thing that won’t trouble him as he prepares for his ninth

and final appearance at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting is the heat, he said yesterday. The multiple Olympic (Continued on page 25)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday June 27, 2017

PAGE 33

Georgetown/East Coast NSBF Regional Playoffs

Marian Academy, Plaisance, President’s College advance Marian Academy brushed aside St. Roses High School girls to set up a fitting rematch with President’s College when the Georgetown and East Coast Regional Playoffs of the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) continued Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Marian defeated St. Roses 18-7 with Jada Mohan the top performer with 13 points and seven steals, while Renuka Ramcharran 2 points and six rebounds and Kellian Sauers two points and five rebounds, offered support. Jamaica Blair fought hard for St. Roses with figures of four points, four rebounds and four steals. Meanwhile, Plaisance Secondary overwhelmed Tutorial High School 63-32 to confirm their favourite status. Andrew Johnson top scored with 19 points, while Nigel Bowen recorded a double-double with 12 points and13 rebounds; Reuben Reid added 10 points and 8 rebounds. Denzil Logan had 15 points and Zion Gray six points and 10 rebounds for Tutorial. The Government Technical Institute (GTI)

National junior forward, Timothy Thompson goes up for an uncontested put-back off the glass at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the NSBF Regional Playoffs.

was too strong for the young Adult Education side, winning 62-39 with Shamar Huntly scoring 14 points and seven rebounds and Nickosie Allicock 14 points and eight rebounds; Richard Telford had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Terrence Ardain had 15 points and four rebounds and Shamar Keiler 10 points and nine rebounds for Adult

Education. Marian Academy booked a place in the Under-19 semifinals with a 59-21 victory against The Bishops’ High School. National junior giant, Timothy Thompson was dominant with 25 points and 24 rebounds, while Jahleel Young chipped in with 14 points and 19 rebounds. Joshua Smith was the top

scorer for Bishops’ with seven points. In what can be called the final quarterfinals of the night, President’s College and St. Roses High went down to the wire, with the former edging their rivals 55-53 to clinch a semi-final spot. Anthon Fileen had a game high 29 points, Akeem Crandon added 10 points and

Plaisance guard Nigel Bowen explodes to the basket for a right-handed layup in the NSBF Regional Playoffs Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

eight rebounds and Kennon Roberts 12 rebounds for President’s College to secure the big win. A n t h o n y Ya n s e n scored 25 points with seven rebounds and six steals and Kwesi Roberts 10 points and five rebounds for Roses in the losing effort. The U-19 semis will see PC taking on Plaisance from

5:00pm and GTI taking on Marian Academy from 6:00pm on Thursday at the Sports Hall. The Georgetown/ East Coast Regional Finals are set for Friday, June 30 from 4:30pm. Edward B Beharry Group of Companies Ltd and The National Sports Commission are the sponsors of the tournament.

RHTY&SC Cricket Teams and O-35 Group continue to make positive difference The eight cricket teams and the Over-35 Group of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, continue to make a positive difference in the lives of residents in Berbice. The teams and the Over-35 Group made donations to the St. Joseph Anglican Church, Sitawattie Ramcharran of West Coast, Berbice, Xavier Henry of Edinburgh, East Bank, Berbice and the J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School. The St. Joseph Anglican Church received an electric music box to assist in its worship, while handicap senior citizen Sitawattie Ramcharran collected a wheel chair to assist her to move around in her home. Ten years old Xavier Henry received financial donation to assist him to fulfill his ambition of obtaining a black belt in Karate, while

the Sport Department of the J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School received a donation of trophies, medals and a box of cricket balls towards the hosting of a fundraising cricket tournament for the school. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that for 2017, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has already assisted over 700 individuals, NGOs, Youth and Sports Club, Churches and schools with close to $6M worth of trophies, medals, educational materials, clothing, sport gears, food items among others. Foster stated that the main objective of the outreach programme is to make a positive difference in the lives of others and to assist groups to fulfill their mandate to serve people in their areas. The Rose Hall Town

RHTYSC Vice President Mark Papannah makes the donation to representatives of J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School. Youth & Sports Club, Foster proudly states is the only sports organisation to assist others and disclosed that the Club on a weekly basis receives a minimum of twelve requests from across Guyana and does its best to

assist every one of them. The Club, he stated strongly believes in assisting others as the more you give, the more you receive. He cautioned the recipients to make sure that the donations are used for the intended

Over-35 Chairman Neville Beaton hands over the donation to the Parish Priest of St. Joseph Anglican Church. purposes. Foster also disclosed that during the month of July, the

Club would be sharing out $2M worth of cycles, school (Continued on page 25)

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Tuesday June 27, 2017

Kiwis put 2013 nightmare behind them to lift Cup Emirates Team New Zealand leads Oracle Team USA in race nine of America’s Cup finals. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Peter Burling, Emirates Team New Zealand Helmsman celebrates with the America’s Cup trophy after defeating Oracle Team USA. (REUTERS/Mike Segar) DOCKYARD, Bermuda, CMC – Challengers Emirates Team New Zealand put a 2013 nightmare behind them when they defeated defenders Oracle Team USA by a crushing 7-1 margin in the Great Sound yesterday to lift sailing’s 35th America’s Cup.

The Kiwis were 8-1 up and one point from wresting the cup from Oracle in San Francisco four years ago before the Americans staged a dramatic recovery to win 98 in one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time. But there was no

comeback this time as the Kiwis, who began the final – known as the match – with a one-point deficit after Oracle won the qualifiers, dominated their rivals, winning eight of the nine races to take the cup – known as the “Auld Mug” – back to (Continued on page 25)

National Novices Tournament

Battle lines drawn as GDF, Republican and other gyms declare war The battle lines have been drawn and the National Gymnasium is expected to be transformed into a war zone when the Andrew Lewis National Novices tournament punches off this evening. The three-day Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) event has attracted the best Novice fighters in the country and explosive action is anticipated from first bell tonight at 7:00pm. GBA president Steve Ninvalle had earlier stated that this year’s activity would not be a walk in the park for reigning champion gym, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Ninvalle had simply said, “It is no secret that the Republican Gym has been hard at training. They have given the Army its toughest challenge in recent times and just three years ago was able to take the coveted Champion Gym title. It is quite clear that from the amount of work put in, they are looking to emulate the 2014 feat.” Whether his prediction comes true or the GDF are able halt the Republican ‘army’ in their tracks will be known over the next few nights at the Gymnasium. Clashes between the two top gyms have always

Steve Ninvalle

Terrence Poole

brought out the best in action inside and outside of the ring. Within the ropes fighters from Republican and GDF have intense rivalry, while on the outside supporters of the two gyms frequently engage in battles to see who is loudest at beating drums. With the service of veteran AIBA Three Star Coach Terrence Poole the GDF are a very formidable foe, Adrian Thomas, Coach of the Republicans, has done very well, being very capable in the coaching role and very hungry for success. He has been able to whip his charges into top shape

and they will come a hungry lot which spells trouble for all comers. Over 75 boxers representing 10 gyms will participate in the tournament which has been named after G u y a n a ’s f i r s t w o r l d champion. Action commences at 7:00pm nightly and the tournament concludes on Thursday evening. The GBA has partnered with The National Sport Commission, Courts, Guyana Olympic Association, Trustee’s Pawn Shop and Delmur Shipping in order to make the tournament a reality.

Rafiek, Kippins confident of back to back titles as NYSCL bowls off on June 30 Regal All Stars and Regal Masters captains Mohamed Rafiek and Troy Kippins have expressed confidence of their teams winning back to back titles when the New York Softball Cricket League commences on June 30 at Canarsie Park in New York. Regal All Stars defeated New York All Stars by two wickets, while Regal Masters overcame Guyanese rival Floodlight by five wickets to win the Independence and Legends finals respectively in 2016 which were contested at Roy Wilkins Park. Regal then went on to win the Open and Masters titles in Florida earlier this year and also won the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc Independence Masters crown; they took the runner up spot in the Open category after losing to Speedboat in the final. Twelve teams from around USA, Canada and Guyana will be taking part in the Legends Cup with another 12 teams battling for the Independence title. Bot h t o u r n a m e n t s w i l l b e p l a y e d simultaneously and conclude on July 2 at Roy Wilkins Park. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday, Rafiek said that his boys are confident of winning the title once again. “Most of the teams will be coming hard at us, but we have a good idea of what to expect, and as long as we stick to the basics and keep it simple we will be hard to beat,” he added. Rafiek, who is one of the three opening batsmen on

Mohamed Rafiek the side, explained that the lack of preparation due to the inclement weather will not affect their chances for his players are capable enough to hold their own. The All Stars side includes Richard Latif, one of the most decorated players in this category, Rohit Dutchin, Safraz Esau and Patrick Rooplall. Regal Masters Skipper Kippins pointed out that they are aware of the challenges ahead and will not be taking any team lightly. “We will take it one game at a time and try to reach the final four and take it from there,” he posited. He said that this year’s tournament will not be an easy one so it will be important for them to play as a unit. Eric Thomas, Mahendra Hardyal, Mahase Chunilall and Eon Abel are among those in the team. Teams - Regal All Stars; Fazal Rafiek (Capt.), Richard Latif, Navin Singh, Sachin Singh, Rohit Dutchin, Sewchand Budhu, Safraz Esau, Marvin Babb,

Troy Kippins Delroy Perreira, Amir Nizamudeen, Patrick Rooplall, Privnauth Motilall and Davindra Ramnauth. Parmanand Persaud (Manager). Masters; Troy Kippins (Capt.), Mahendra Hardyal, Mohendra Arjune, David H a r p e r, E r i c T h o m a s , Mahase Chunilall, Eon Abel, Fazleem Mohamed, Rudolph Baker, Laurie Singh, Abdool Samad, Parsram Persaud, Shaun Massiah and Rudy Rodrigues. Clyde Butts (Manager). Inderjeet Persaud (Media liaison.) Meanwhile, the management of both teams would like to thank Ricks and Sari, MYO, GNIC SC, Crown Mining, Grey Wolf Resources, Top Brandz, Star Party Rentals, Elegant Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Veisa Stationery Cologne Panama, Quick Stationery Panama, HC Furnishing Panama, Mae’s Shopping Centre Cologne Panama, Regal Sports, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre and fans for their support.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday June 27, 2017

PAGE 35

Australia v West Indies, Women’s World Cup, Taunton

Bolton century leads Australia to breezy win over Windies ESPNcricinfo - An opening partnership of 171 between Nicole Bolton and Beth Mooney paved the way for Australia women to begin their title defence with an eight-wicket win against West Indies, the team they beat in the 2013 final. Mooney made 70, while Bolton remained unbeaten on 107 as Australia completed their chase of 205 in 38.1 overs. At no point were West Indies on top after they chose, after all manner of toss-related confusion, to bat first. Four of their top five got starts, but none of them got past fifty, as Australia’s bowlers, led by Ellyse Perry, kept striking regular blows to ensure that an innings struggling to get out of second gear never built significant momentum. Wickets through the middle overs cut short any partnership that threatened to blossom. Jess Jonassen, who dropped the opener Hayley Matthews on 27, made amends by bowling her with an arm ball just when she was looking dangerous, having added 19 off her last 18 balls. That ended a second-wicket stand of 52 between Matthews and Chedean Nation.

Nicole Bolton scored her third ODI hundred © Getty Images

Hayley Matthews pulls one over the leg side, West Indies v Australia, Women’s World Cup, Taunton, ©Getty Images

Then came a cameo from Deandra Dottin, who put on 34 in 29 balls with her captain Stafanie Taylor for the fourth wicket. Dottin may have just begun to worry Australia’s think tank when Perry brought a swift end to her innings. Having just conceded two successive fours - a pull and a flick, both placed wide of midwicket - she came up with the perfect riposte, an inducker that bowled Dottin through the gate. West Indies, 157 for 4 at

that point, simply couldn’t pick themselves up, with Taylor finding no support at the other end. The last seven wickets fell for 47 runs, Taylor eighth out for 45 off 57 balls. Australia were never going to sweat over a target of 205 unless they lost wickets up front. Bolton and Mooney ensured that wouldn’t happen, serenely seeing off West Indies’ newball bowlers. Shakera Selman found late swing into the stumps from over the

wicket to the two lefthanders, while the taller, quicker Shamilia Connell went round the wicket and extracted bounce from just short of a good length. The first five overs brought only 15 runs, but neither batter looked anything but secure. Then Mooney, profiting from Connell dropping too short, picked up two fours in the sixth over before Bolton clipped Selman to the square-leg boundary in the seventh. Australia were away. Mooney and Bolton

barely had to stretch themselves thereafter, as the spinners and medium-pacers kept offering up a boundary ball roughly every second over. Mooney led the scoring through two-thirds of the opening stand, bringing up her fifty 2.5 overs before her partner, before Bolton left her in her wake with a blaze of boundaries. Stepping out whenever she saw some flight and punishing the inevitable short balls that followed, Bolton raced from 45 off 69 balls to 92 off 96,

her sprint to her third ODI hundred interrupted only by Mooney’s dismissal at the other end, bowled by Taylor’s offspin. Taylor picked up another wicket, Meg Lanning miscuing a big hit, but it was only a consolation, as Bolton and Perry steered Australia home with no further drama. Scores: Australia women 205 for 2 (Bolton 107*, Mooney 70, Taylor 233) beat West Indies women 204 (Matthews 46, Taylor 45, Perry 3-47) by eight wickets.

GuyanaNRA Smallbore Section .22 Precision Shoot

‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson trumps rivals again; Milling is junior winner Continuing to display match winning form, veteran marksman Harold ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson has once again out shot his rivals in claiming the top spot in the Guyana National Rifle Association (GuyanaNRA) Smallbore Section .22 Precision shoot held on Saturday last at the Tactical Services Unit Range of the Guyana Police Force. H o p k i n s o n ’s f o r m , which allowed him to do well in the just concluded Grenada Gun and Rifle A s s o c i a t i o n ’s S e c o n d Annual six Stage, Level 2 IPSC competition in the Spice Isle, still held as he amassed 232 points along with two V Bulls to win the senior category. Taking the second place was Chad Melville who ended with 228 points the same as Dr. Johan DaSilva;

The respective senior and junior top shots along with other competitors show off their trophies following the presentation. however, Melville shot 4 V Bulls which meant that Dr. DaSilva had to settle for third place. The senior competitors

shot from the 10 and 15m distances, while the juniors aimed from the 5, 7 and 10m distances. The leading junior on the

day, the top three competing in their first precision pistol match, was Terry Milling, who accumulated 232 points and one V Bull.

Second was Michael Tang with 225 points and 5 V Bulls, while third place went to Sherwin Solomon who tallied 221 points and 1 V

Bull. This was the third such competition held by the GuyanaNRA Smallbore Section for the year.

t r o Sp Sports World Classic 2017 Invitational - T&T

Fortune cops women’s physique bronze; Grimes place 4th in men’s physique

Yannick Grimes strutting his stuff on stage in T&T. Bronze medalist Alisha Fortune (left) with the gold and silver medal winners display their awards.

River View crowned inaugural Bartica Guinness champions -book place in July 8 National Playoffs

Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall hands over the trophy to River View Captain in the presence of teammates, Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste (right) and Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stewart (second left) during the presentation ceremony on Sunday.

Australia v West Indies, Women’s World Cup, Taunton

Bolton century leads Australia to breezy win over Windies 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