Kaieteur News

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Thursday Edition Handpicked appointments of NEWS several CID detectives highly questionable - Whistleblowers

AIETEUR

June 27, 2019 - Vol. 12 No. 26

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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Guyana accepts pittance from oil companies for training when compared to other nations Six years later… $98M spent to give

Forensic Lab DNA testing capabilities DNA Analysis Testing Machine

Automated Gunshot Residue Analysis Machine

Ex-President Alves to remain Edghill asks govt. to Donald Ramotar halt budget preparations on leave until OPR probe ends moves to court over until after elections oil blocks giveaway

- Ramjattan not worried about Force investigating itself

- Budget Day proposed for Nov. 25

Remanded prisoner 22-year-old $700M Port Kaituma Finance dead after bullying serial rapist Hospital Complex Minister appeals incident at Lusignan gets 62 years attracts further $150M contempt order

Stabilisation clause should not be supreme to rule of law and citizens' interests - NRGI

Kaieteur News

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Edghill asks Govt. to halt budget preparations until after elections

T

he Opposition is vehemently objecting to a move by Government to start preparations for the 2020 national budget.

Government is reportedly hoping to present the national budget by November 25.

The Ministry of Finance is aiming at national budget hearings with agencies between August 19 to September 27 and for the presentation of the constitutional agencies before the National Assembly on October 10.

In a strongly-worded Letter to the Editor yesterday, former Junior Minister of Finance, Juan Edghill of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), disclosed that he has become aware that moves are afoot to start budget consultations.

With recent rulings from the Caribbean Court of Justice that a December 21, 2018 no confidence vote in the National Assembly was valid, Edghill warned that any moves to start preparations is a clear

- Budget Day proposed for Nov. 25 attempt to lend legitimacy and would serve to create an environment of collision.

According to Edghill, Budget 2020 must be presented by a Government that has a mandate from the people through free and fair elections.

He said that on Tuesday night, the Finance Secretary of the Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 7/2019.

According to the PPP official, the letter that was sent to all Heads of Budget Agencies and Departments including Constitutional Bodies, and would come eight days after a “definitive and explicit ruling” from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and in the face of the operationalisation of Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution.

“Is someone being delusional or is it plain stubbornness or maybe it is a mentality that is being exposed that this Government believes that it can continue to hang on to

PPP's Juan Edghill power indefinitely. How desperate can one be?”

According to Edghill, the Coalition Government used an argument of the '34 majority theory' to implement the 2019 budget.

“And now they hope to use the argument of House-toHouse Registration to buy themselves more time so that they can formulate, prepare and present a 2020 Budget.

The Minister of Finance who

stood resigned on December 21, 2018 is presumptuously pursuing a path of provocation by causing this circular No. 7/2019 to be issued.”

Edghill called on all heads of budget agencies, Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers and heads of constitutional bodies to familiarise themselves with the rulings of the CCJ which are available “Do not be bullied! We in the PPP/C Parliamentary Opposition will not allow this folly and untamed ignorance coupled with the brazen arrogance of this APNU/AFC Government to go unchecked.

N o c a r e t a k e r Government, which is the current status of this G r a n g e r- l e d C o a l i t i o n should be allowed to be this blatant and disrespectful in its conduct. To pursue this illegality is to create an environment for (continued on page 18)

Thursday June 27, 2019

Guyanese 'model' who faked HIV results to spend 6 months in BVI jail R O A D TOWN, Tortola, VI- A Guyanese woman who had hired a man to obtain an HIV test in her name after arriving in the Virgin Islands in April 2019 has been sentenced to six months in jail.

Sentencing was handed down

by Magistrate Ay a n n a O .

Baptiste-DaBreo yesterday.

L o l i t a CallenderSkelton aka 'Lola Jailed: Lolita Callender-Skelton Doll', 28, had aka 'Lola Doll' been charged with Conspiracy subsequently applied for a to Impersonate on April 26, No case Submission, but this 2019. She had appeared was denied by the courts and before the Magistrate's the matter went to trial, Court and was granted bail where the defendant was in the amount of $60,000 found guilty. with $20,000 being cash.

Some 6 persons had Unable to post bail, testified on behalf of the Callender-Skelton, who is Prosecution while the said to be a model, was Defence had no witnesses. remanded to Her Majesty's (virginislandsnewsonlin P r i s o n . H e r a t t o r n e y, Stephen R. Daniels, had e.com)

Kaieteur News

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 03

Alves to remain on leave until - Ramjattan not worried about OPR probe ends Force investigating itself G

overnment says it is not worried that the police's internal Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating Deputy Commissioner of Police for Law Enforcement, Crime Chief Lyndon Alves.

Deputy Commissioner Alves, who steps up and performs the duties of the C o m m i s s i o n e r, L e s l i e James, in his absence, was sent on leave Monday following a fortnight of damning allegations of police corruption in Berbice.

Whistleblowing ranks, in shocking disclosures to Kaieteur News, gave details of colleagues taking money to protect criminals, and even on one occasion to kill a policeman who was set to give evidence in a drugs case.

Even more damning were allegations that a now dead bandit had made calls hours before his death to a senior cop in the city. There were allegations of ranks providing protection for drug shipments; interference on police cases; and even collection of bribes.

Berbicians claimed that police ranks openly mingled with known criminals.

Alves was one of four deputies appointed last year August by President David Granger in keeping with police reforms.

The reforms were spurred by the findings of an inquiry into an alleged assassination attempt into the life of President Granger.

The inquiry report recommended sweeping changes to the police force's

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan leadership.

Yesterday, a cautious Ministry of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, acknowledged that indeed there is an investigation going on involving Alves, the Crime Chief. Alves was a former commander of Berbice, a stronghold of the Opposition. According to the m i n i s t e r, t h e O P R i s conducting the probe.

It was disclosed that it was the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, who is the operational head of the police force, who asked that Alves be temporarily removed.

According to Ramjattan, such actions are “normal” when investigations this serious are being conducted.

If the Crime Chief is cleared, he will be back. If not, it is the President who will have to take the decisions.

The Minister said that the ongoing probe by OPR rose out of “certain allegations” i n t h e p r e s s .

The Minister did not explain what those allegations were.

OPR will have to take statements and then send those for legal advice.

Ramjattan declined to say whether the current Berbice commander, Paul Langevine, is affected by the current probe by OPR. Asked specifically if he was comfortable with the OPR investigating such a high profile case, the Minister said yes.

“Given the gravity, I am very comfortable with OPR, because who you want us to put?”

He said that whoever investigates, there will always be criticisms.

“People will have trouble with anybody, but we have to build institutions in Guyana to the extent of letting them get integrity and reputation, and unless we start doing that, nothing will grow in Guyana, because people say…well…police looking after themselves. If you take that suspect position, then all

Man, 59, guilty of rape “I am very sorry sir,” said 59-year-old Mahadeo Dasrat to Justice Brassington Reynolds soon after a 12-person jury unanimously found him guilty of raping a woman.

Dasrat had initially denied the charge which alleged that on April 11, 2017, he engaged in sexual intercourse with the 25year-old woman without her consent.

Following yesterday's verdict, Dasrat was remanded to prison. He, however, will be sentenced this afternoon after the presentation of a victim impact statement.

The convicted rapist was represented by lawyer, Rabindra Mohabir, while Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial appeared for the State.

This matter was heard at the Sexual Offences Court in Demerara.

RAPIST: Dasrat Mahadeo

To remain on leave: Deputy Commissioner of Law Enforcement, Lyndon Alves police investigations are suspect, and so institutionally we will never grow as a nation.”

The Minister stressed that OPR has conducted hundreds and hundreds investigation of police ranks over the years. “…and they have all been respected because they all can be analysed. They take their statements, their statements are there.

They then write their recommendations, and it goes for advice. So that is the first place you start. You do not want to… What you want to call a CARICOM commission to come in?

Please…I want reporters to be a little more responsible when they are making suggestions.”

The Minister said that if there is information of egregious conduct, it is investigated, “that is what you do in every police force.

We have everything in control, and even he who is at the highest, when they misbehave, we are going to investigate.”

Alves's sensitive position as Crime Chief with access of security matters had raised alarms after the allegations came out. Earlier this year, there were reports that he was due to retire since January, but Alves insisted

that he will not be 55 until next year.

The private sector in Berbice and regional officials recently called for an investigation into a spate of crimes in that eastern county.

On Monday, the People's Progressive Party, as the opposition, called for a separate, independent probe.

Last August, during the swearing in ceremony of the new commissioner and his deputies, the President urged them to ensure that they work vigorously not only to fulfil the mandate of the Guyana Police Force, but also to root out corruption and rebuild and regain public trust.

“Unless those officers are persons of integrity, intelligence and impartiality, this country will never be secure and our women and children will never be safe.

This country cannot move forward unless the Guyana Police Force preserves the environment, the peace and security of the State and the people to allow us all to go about our work without being harassed, without being threatened.”

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Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Who is going to investigate whom?

This society is in more trouble than it knows. When suspicions and reports swirl around the head of criminal investigations for a country’s law enforcement agency, that is a most grave situation. While every benefit must be given, on the face of things, there are too many connected and reasonable threads either to suppress or ignore.

The key is this: who is going to investigate? The investigators could, for the most part, be trusted insiders as previously recruited and placed in sensitive positions by him. The managers of such a probe could be contemporaries and institutional presences that go way back. Those are ties of a binding quality in regular life; in police life everywhere, there are those unswerving loyalties, that unalterable camaraderie. To the core, this is one of own; this is blood and family.

Conversely, there is almost national resignation to the fact that the GPF is saturated with the terrifyingly troubling: of character; of integrity; of clean, professional servanthood. Therefore, another question: aside from what may turn out to be friendly, superficial, helpful inquiries, who is there that is in a position (clean enough) to rise to the challenge of the circumstances? Who is there that is confident enough to dig deep enough, to push the envelope of the blue wall to get to the truths? Who is there that is concerned enough (and untouchable enough) to let the dots lead to where they connect? The territory is barren.

Separately, the exposures and hurts of alleged wrongdoing are in the heartland of an opposition stronghold, of an area with a particular and known racial concentration. A savaged, jaded, and vulnerable community assumes the worst. For when someone, whoever it is, can all the way from Georgetown, reach out with purpose and the accompanying power first to relay to wrongdoers, then to rearrange felony wrongdoing, and finally to recruit criminal forces to silence the threatening, then matters have clearly rushed past the ordinary. Though all of this still resides in the realm of allegations, the next question is: whither security? Any kind of security?

If only partially accurate, these are frightening developments. For if a nation cannot trust, not its constables and corporals foraging for cheap hustles and squeezes of criminal partners, but its captains and commanders in its law enforcement machinery, then what does it have? Truth be told, it has nothing. Nothing comforting. Nothing reliable. Nothing just.

Whether believed exaggerated or sickeningly unreal, this could be among the grotesque realities: that during times of severe trauma, spilled blood, and dead bodies, the men and women in the uniform of the state have come to the scenes of violent crimes to account for any loose ends, close out the deal, and go through the motions of professional and justice-driven investigations. This is what is suspected and feared in many stricken homes and communities across an increasingly beleaguered Guyana.

All of this may be found unthinkable and, thus, unacceptable to Guyanese; regrettably, this peculiarity would be only among the few remaining naïve and innocent in the midst.

This is not a good place, nor an authoritative place, from which any police agency of the state should find itself operating. Unfortunately, this is the place from which the Guyana Police Force finds itself functioning. The people on the inside are against it being otherwise. The broad, loaded criminal class on the outside knows how to undermine it and get its members, senior and junior, to be otherwise. And the besieged communities all over have come to realise and agonise it being this far gone, and seemingly unfixable.

Who will stand up from the inside? Where is the Frank Serpico from within, even one? Where is the groundswell of the concerned and conscientious from the wide world of Guyana? This has to be followed wherever it leads, whoever is involved.

Eliminate the code of silence to promote integrity and ethical behaviour in the Police Force DEAR EDITOR, In Guyana corruption is a good word to start a conversation with or even better to crank up an argument. Recent reports in the media alleged that whistle-blowers in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stationed at Berbice have surfaced with allegations of corrupt and unethical practices by senior and other members of the GPF. Let me be pellucid. I do not have any evidence that there are in fact whistle-blowers and if they exist how credible are they.

The Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating.

I hold no ‘beef’ for anyone.

What I am about to posit are my private views. They do not represent the views of any group of persons or organisation, which I may be associated with. I have an abiding interest in law enforcement. Hence, my regular letters to the editor. In this missive, I will briefly express some views on corruption and unethical behaviour as it relates to law enforcement.

The key elements of corrupt behaviour are that the conduct is prohibited by law or rule, involves misuse of position and involves a reward or personal gain for the officer.

According to Rothlein (2000), “Corruption is a corrosive element that will spread like rust if it is not contained and eliminated. Addressing unethical behaviour and corruption has become a top priority and major challenge for

police administration. The causes of corruption are complex. Many factors can contribute to corruption, including greed; personal motivators such as ego, sex, or the exercise of power; tolerance of the behaviour of the community; socialization from peers and/or the organisation; inadequate supervision and monitoring of behaviour; lack of clear accountability of employees’ behaviour; and no real threat to discipline or sanctions.”

Corruption takes on many forms. Something seemingly insignificant can put an officer on a slippery slope, leading to major crime. Research repeatedly confirms that most scandals starts with one employee doing relatively small unethical acts and grow to whatever level the leadership allows.

Quite often we hear the argument that there are just a few rogue elements, a couple of bad cops or some rotten apples that must be gotten rid of and everything will be okay.

Trautman (2000) contends, “The ‘rotten apple’ theory that some administrators propose as the cause for their demise is usually more than a self-serving, superficial facade, intended to draw intention away from their own failures.” Swope (2001) believes, “It is the unethical breeding environment of the barrel that generates the major difficulties. It is the barrel, the culture of the police organization that can cause the root shak-

ing scandals that periodically face some police organisations.” Swope also believes, “An officer’s behaviour is influence more directly by the actions or lack of actions in response to ethical shortcomings of his superiors than by the stated directives or written ethical code of an organisation.”

Perry (2001) likewise suggests examining the barrel: “The rotten - apple theory won’t work any longer. Corrupt police officers are not natural-born criminals...

The task of corruption control is to examine the barrel, not just the apples - the organisation, not just the individuals in it, because corrupt police (ranks) are made nor born. “ A good starting point for promoting ethical behaviour and integrity is to eliminate the code of silence. The code of silence encourages people not to speak up when they see another officer doing something wrong. Fulton (2000) stresses: “police commanders must exemplify the honesty and integrity they seek in their subordinates.” In addition, “Ethical mentoring and role modeling should be consistent, frequent and visible.”

McCarthy (2000) suggests seven steps that can help prevent unethical behaviour: (1) Recruit with care. (2) Establish appropriate policies and put them in writing. (3) Adopt a good employer evaluation process. (4)

Make sure your sergeants share management values and philosophies. (5) Develop operational controls. (6) Perform regular anti-corruption inspections and audits and (7) Implement ethics and integrity training into every training activity.

Law enforcement organisations are similar to all other organisations. They constantly change. Some change occurs in a revolutionary manner, but most often it is evolutionary. Change involves alteration of attitudes and work behaviour as individuals, as team members and as members of the department.

The police should concentrate heavily on their group of members who have the ability to create an organisational culture based on integrity: the sergeants and corporals. They may not be able to change the department but can change their squads; the junior officers and inspectors. They may not be able to change the department but they can change the large number of men under their control. Fast forward! At some point these junior officers, inspectors, sergeants and corporals will become the divisional and branch commanders where they will be able to change the department.

Yours respectfully Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)

The deep waters of oil production are filled with sharks DEAR EDITOR, The revelation that ExxonMobil paid for the Minister of Petroleum’s wife, First Lady Sandra Granger and Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe’s recent visit to Singapore is extremely disappointing to learn. It would seem that the Granger administration is incapable of comprehending what constitutes ethical and acceptable behaviour.

In coaching sport, we look for ‘teaching’ moments and then there are times when repetition of mistakes are so glaring that the coach must take the ‘hairdryer’ approach made famous by Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame and bellow at players.

This is not a teaching moment; that was in 2017 when five of Granger’s Cabinet went on an all expenses junket to ExxonMobil headquarters in Houston for unspecified reasons, which are yet to be made public.

The First Lady Sandra Granger should have been better advised and her office

should have stood all expenses for her participation in this ceremony, the naiveté of the Minister of Petroleum, President Granger is stunning and again raises questions of his competence in any area of governance.

Dr. Mark Bynoe, who has spent his time as Head of the Department of Energy engaged in talks with primary school children and in churches delivering sermons on ‘Christian oil and gas’, has seminally failed the people of Guyana by not producing a draft Local content policy, regulations and enforcing legislation. Dr. Bynoe is a professional and must have known that he cannot and must not accept any gifts, paid expense or reimbursement of any kind from any entity, more so one which he is expected to regulate.

Dr. Bynoe has compromised his office and himself beyond personal repair.

Arguments about the suitability of the First Lady for the launching of the Floating Production, Storage and

Offloading (FPSO) are a distraction, for that is not in question. The facts are that the Head of the Department of Energy and the wife of the Minister of Petroleum accepted an improper gift of travel; these are unquestionable facts, damming ones.

Editor, Mrs. Granger and Dr. Bynoe no doubt met with officials from companies such as SBM (Liza Destiny Constructor) who are notorious for bribing government officials all over the world. For example, SBM ordered a hull for the Liza Destiny weeks before being awarded the contract by ExxonMobil and were six months later were charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act by The United States Department of Justice. Other countries have had cause to prosecute SBM for corruption.

The SBM O f f s h o r e probe in Brazil is referenced as “Operation Black Blood.” Brazilian prosecutors allege that at least USD 46 million in “undue payments” were made in

Switzerland between 1998 and 2012 tied to contracts for floating oil production, storage and offloading ships (FPSO).

Renato Duque, former Petrobras executive, allegedly asked SBM sales agents for USD 300 million for the ruling Workers’ Party to fund its 2010 election campaign.

SBM has been awarded another contract by ExxonMobil to build the second FPSO vessel; these are costs that will be repaid by Guyana. We cannot become blind to the dangers posed by acceptance of gifts from those we are entrusted to do business with on behalf of the people of Guyana.

ExxonMobil representatives are aware that gifted travel compromises government officials; and yet they continue to dangle carrots.

The deep waters of Oil production are filled with sharks; let us use every caution of ethics and anti-corruption to avoid the fatal bites.

Respectfully Robin Singh

Thursday June 27, 2019

GIVE ME BACK MY MIND! DEAR EDITOR, Those who believe that racial ruction as in the past, is on the horizon anew for our Guyana are wrong! Try as any misguided Guyanese politician might, to inflame along racial lines, his/her efforts are doomed to failure. What is on the horizon is the rescinding of all, already signed oil contracts.

Right here in Lethem during our last Local Government Elections campaign, it was felt by some cock-sure people that one of the two largest parties, the PNC, ‘owned’ the people and could never lose here. But they lost!

Three years before they did win, seven to three on the Council. Three years later, they lost six to four. Racial politics is giving way to the power of the pocket, and so it should. Ask the Police and Soldier women and men who declined the invitation to vote by race at those same LG Elections.

We are a GOD believing people. Two maxims are therefore relevant and worthy of note: the first is about GOD, the second about economics: The opposite of faith is not doubt, it is certainty. And: Workers of all races lives are hard, while the few of all races live sweet.

Guyanese working people are taking back their minds. I hit a nerve on the Platform in Lethem when I shouted: “Guh meh back meh mind!”

As I explained to my brothers and sisters, that: “You already know all that I am saying, the only thing is, you don’t know that you know”.

This message reverberated, as I explained that a wall has been built in our minds by a centuries old bombardment of lies, to hide away the everyday half of our minds from the other half; a bombardment that harps on the rich and the poor to make us think that it must and will always be so.

Nothing of the sort!

The world is changing for the better for the many, but not for the few. British Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1962 in England introduced a new capitalism I call Modified Capitalism. Under the economics of Modified Capitalism, living standards of the many in the U.K grew, paid for by a progressive taxation

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Kaieteur News

policy that taxed the massive unearned incomes of the few - ninety-eight percent, in many cases.

Today, there are two capitalisms: Modified Capitalism and Capitalism of Plunder.

The latter, wants peoples’ resources for free, but workers in every country are getting vexed. That’s why the noticeable shivering and shaking on GOD’s earth.

Let it not scare us though!

It is nothing but an economic shake-up as took place when Feudalism gave way to Capitalism a few hundred years ago. It is just such another ideological morphing taking place.

As there are two Capitalisms today, so there are two groups of the few. One group is largely outside of most Third World countries.

These are the ninety or so billionaires who control the dissemination of nearly all world news that give us a distorted view of the world where they are always winning, over China, Russia, India, Africa and most other countries. But they are not!

These billionaires, these ‘C’s and ‘D’s, search the universities employing some of our brightest ‘A’s to programme our minds with rubbish. The billionaires then boast of their billions of unearned income. But alas, in every single country of the world, we, the many, are catching on.

Cheddi Jagan and Walter Rodney refused to sell out the rest of us. Others did; sell us out to the few.

It is true that business people with ‘soul’ should get a little more for their efficiency that all of us need. Not too much more though, or they’ll copy the lazy billionaires insane greed. Workers are demanding change because of that greed by the few.

This Guyana belongs to all of us. A few here have used the racial thing so that we’ll take what they do to us. We are thousands to one, but we have no media. That’s how they bamboozle us.

Rarely, do we find a privately owned media house owned by one man like Glenn Lall who will publish the views of all sides. Kudos to him!

New priorities to serve the interest of the many, and real,

genuine and long jail time for the corrupt are getting clearer and closer.

Via our oil, every eager and able adult must go to University, free!

Modified Capitalism means workers must also have good money in the bank.

To this end, we are prepared to share with the Exxon Mobil’s, a real fifty- fifty split, but we are not prepared to be made poorer than we already are!

Every day, in the Kaieteur News in particular, another fair minded person tells us something brand new and horrible about the contract that Granger/Trotman signed with ExxonMobil, a company that specialises in Capitalism of Plunder.

Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi freed minds.

They did not want workers to remain blind. The billionaires know that with drugs, crime, porn and other deliberate distractions, we cannot see through them all. We are too busy with hard work. That is how countries like ours with oil end up with workers’ bad living standards falling even further, with worse social conditions to boot.

Slave sugar, bauxite, gold and now oil, it is time we take back our minds.

That contract Granger/ Trotman signed with Exxon Mobil is illegal. Their “massa” needed to use only a little piece of bait. The oil is ours, but they do not care about our fate.

No more dividing us by race. Indeed, the PNC already see Sir - that this same Guyana is going to emancipate more of our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and elsewhere than just ourselves.Africa is bleeding oil and gas, and we are not to check how much of our oil will be going fast. Inflated bills will be more eye-pass, and those who signed that contract think we are all collectively, nothing but a jackass.

Yours truly, Eddie DaSilva

The ball is now in President Granger’s only from the manner in as saying that he is available court which he was appointed but to meet with the President any DEAR EDITOR, Retired Justice James Patterson has finally exited the GECOM stage. His resignation as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is a welcome development not only from the standpoint of adherence to the Rule of Law but more importantly in terms of voter confidence in the electoral processes of which GECOM is a key player.

It is unfortunate that the resignation of Mr. Patterson had to await a decision from the Caribbean Court of Justice. It was quite evident that he did not enjoy the full confidence of the political opposition, which resulted not

also from several decisions he took which seems manifestly partisan in favour of the ruling coalition. Such apparent biases resulted in several walkouts from GECOM meetings by opposition-nominated Commissioners, which served to further erode confidence and trust in the decision-making processes of that important institution.

The challenge now is to ensure that a new Chairman is appointed by President Granger within the shortest possible time and in keeping with the Price-Carter formula which has now been enshrined in our Constitution.

Opposition Leader Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo is on record

time and on a daily basis if necessary to conclude the process of the appointment of a new GECOM. This now puts the ball in the court of President Granger to have a new Chairman appointed within the shortest possible time and with due regard to the provisions of the Constitution.

I have no doubt that an agreement can be reached in good time on a date for elections and the appointment of a new GECOM Chairman.

The Guyanese people are looking forward to nothing less. At stake is the future of Guyana especially at this crucial conjuncture in time when a brighter future beckons.

Hydar Ally

Budget 2020 must be presented by a Government that has a mandate from the people through Free and Fair Elections DEAR EDITOR, Late last night, Finance circular No. 7/2019 was issued under the hand of the Finance Secretary who stated in the correspondence, this missive was penned as the delegated authority of the Minister of Finance pursuant to Section 13 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. It is unbelievable that a Government that was defeated by way of a No Confidence Vote on December 21, 2018 who by way of spurious and incredible arguments of a ‘34 majority theory’, used the legal system to buy themselves seven months and counting to implement a budget that they had no mandate to implement. Rather than offering goods and services to all the people of Guyana, they used questionable processes of procurement to award contracts to their political allies, friends and families to shore up political support.

This letter that was sent to all Heads of Budget Agencies and Departments including Constitutional Bodies

came eight days after a definitive and explicit ruling from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and in the face of the operationalisation of Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution. Is someone being delusional or is it plain stubbornness or maybe it is a mentality that is being exposed that this Government believes that it can continue to hang on to power indefinitely?

How desperate can one be?

So the charade continues, they used an argument of the ‘34 majority theory’ to implement the 2019 Budget and now they hope to use the argument of House to House Registration to buy themselves more time so that they can formulate, prepare and present a 2020 Budget.

The Minister of Finance who stood resigned on December 21, 2018 is (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6

What’s the reason for President Granger and his administration’s obstinacy?

DEAR EDITOR, Over the last few months, or so, numerous commentators across the spectrum of the media have directly and indirectly addressed, or attempted to, the reasoning behind Mr Granger and his administration’s obstinacy in adhering to the rule of law and complying with the no-confidence defeat.

These commentaries comprised a mix of diverging and converging positions, revolving mostly around (1) whether the government which was elected for a fiveyear term should be allowed to complete it; and (2) whether the ensuing elections require house-to-house registration to derive a ‘credible’ voters’ list. Like others, I take the view that both, the arguments for completion of the five years in office, and need for house-to-house registration, are severely flawed and contrary to provisions within the constitution and other relevant authority.

To begin, the President and his administration, as well as some of their supporters have chosen to interpret Art.70(3) solely as guaranteeing the government five years in office.

They have ignored the provisions in 70(1), (2) which deal with ‘prorogation’ and ‘dissolution’ of Parliament, and the phrase, ‘unless sooner dissolved’ in 70(3).

Furthermore, they have completely cast their eyes away from the confidence/no-confidence motion under 106(6).

Clearly, any of these provisions, once effectively trig-

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

gered, destroys the five-year term. While, the constitutional provisions in preceding paragraph may by virtue of their technicality pose problems for many, it is difficult to fathom the cries for a ‘credible’ list of voters.

Why the insistence on house-to-house registration when we have had in place ongoing/continuous registration for some years now?

The pundits, including current and past GECOM officials, have stated that the list can be cleansed/updated without engaging in houseto-house registration activities.

A perusal of the media would reveal several commentaries on how a credible list could be efficiently produced.

It begs the question therefore, as to why the government has held steadfastly to the notion of house-to-house registration. The response(s) to this question has evolved at least three possible interrelated reasons: First, the house-tohouse registration would allow the government to spend the five billion dollars earmarked for such/similar purposes. This would have an added benefit, in that, mostly handpicked agents to carry out the exercises will derive incomes, and potentially, many may see the cash as incentives for votes.

Second, there might be many foreigners who are seen as potential supporters who may provide other political benefits.

Third, the exercise may lead to deregistration of many potential voters. For example,

many names may not be included if the agents don’t find those persons on their visits, or if the agents failed to pay second visits. Herein lies a fourth possibility, i.e., the Opposition parties may not approve the ensuing list as credible, thus leading to further delay which the President and his administration have been pushing for ever since the Chief Justice declared the noconfidence vote carried.

In a nutshell, it is unclear why the President and his administration remain obstinate despite the long awaited final CCJ pronouncement(s) and recommendations.

The shock of the no-confidence defeat should have been over by now. It’s time for the fallen administration to accept the reality and engage the Opposition to arrive at an early date for elections; it’s time we move on with our national development objectives for optimum benefit for all. In essence, Mr President, let us give our fledgling democracy a chance to mature.

Yours sincerely, Ronald Singh (Barrister & Solicitor)

Shared Governance before Elections DEAR EDITOR, I applaud the recommendation by the newly found party ANUG for shared governance between the coalition (APNU+AFC) and opposition PPP until elections are held within three months (or longer if the two sides agree).

This advice should be given serious consideration.

The CCJ ruled that the no confidence motion was validly passed on December 21 . This means that elections should have been held by last March 22. It would suggest that government has been in office illegally since that time (some three months).

The fact is that the gov-

ernment has remained in office.

To remove any doubts that the coalition is not illegally occupying the corridors of power, it makes sense, therefore, for the ruling coalition and opposition to come together and jointly govern the country (under an equitable arrangement) until the next elections say three months or longer if there is agreement.

Such shared governance would help to eradicate the ongoing ethnic tensions that exist between supporters of both sides and will help to bring stability to the country.

It will also ease the minds

Minister Jordan should go to jail for the betterment of Guyana DEAR EDITOR, Permit me a space in your newspapers to add my bit to the saga with DIPCON and the Guyana government.

This company has reportedly been doing substandard work in this country as long as they existed as registered contractors and reportedly never had the capacity to build the East Coast road and

reportedly known for variations in every contract that they have been awarded.

As a supporter of this government, my simple advice to Honourabe Winston Jordan, is go to jail for 21 days.

The laws are clear, you can’t suffer twice, save Guyana 2.2 billion dollars.

This money will go into the

Budget 2020 must be presented by a...

From page 5 presumptuously pursuing a path of provocation by causing this circular No. 7/2019 to be issued. I hereby call on all Heads of Budget Agencies, Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers and Heads of Constitutional Bodies to familiarize themselves with the rulings of the CCJ, which are available on their official website. Do not be bullied!

We in the PPP/C Parliamentary Opposition will not

of the population over uncertainty of what will happen now that the CCJ has ruled that the government lost the no confidence vote and elections must be held.

It is uncertain which party will win the election and regardless of which side wins, there will be challenges to the results and tensions.

Shared governance is the way forward for Guyana to lessen tensions and to address ethnic insecurity . After the elections, all parties that win seats should partake in governance on an agreed pre-election formula.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

allow this folly and untamed ignorance coupled with the brazen arrogance of this APNU/AFC Government to go unchecked. No caretaker Government, which is the current status of this Granger led Coalition should be allowed to be this blatant and disrespectful in its conduct. To pursue this illegality is to create an environment for collision and confrontation rather than conciliation and preserving the wellbeing of our people.

The provisions in the Fis-

cal Management and Accountability Act provide for a Budget by March/April, 2020; there is no crisis. A Budget, which defines the vision, priorities and programmes for the prosperity and development of all the people of Guyana by a Government that is legal, constitutional and democratically elected through free and fair elections, is the only one that will be accepted.

Yours sincerely, Bishop Juan A. Edghill PPP/C MP

campaign coffers of the PPP. You will demit office as Minister of Finance and President Granger will give you an unconditional pardon to return to public office. He is the Executive President of Guyana Sir, have no fear. This is the time to show TESTICULAR FORTITUDE to the forces against us.

We need now more than ever to make statement, save your country dear Minister, Guyana can ill-afford such payments at this time.

Too many roads and bridges to be built, health care, housing just to name a few can immediately utilize that money.

Here is where a true leader takes a position and stands by it.

PLEASE SAVE GUYANA, HONOURABLE WINSTON JORDAN. Regards, Ronald Shepherd

Thursday June 27, 2019

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Kaieteur News

22-year-old serial rapist jailed for 62 years A “selfish and barbaric” serial rapist appeared emotionless as two of his victims showed remarkable courage to attend court, as he was sent to prison for a total of 62 years. The man, 22-year-old Leon Jordan, in a probation report denied any wrongdoing, although he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape when he was brought before Justice Brassington Reynolds about two weeks ago.

Yesterday, he was back in the prisoner’s dock, and all he did was shake his head as Justice Reynolds handed down the jail sentence. Jordan admitted that on February 02, 2012, he engaged in sexual penetration with a seven-year-old girl. He then admitted that on January 13, 2013, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 14-year-old girl. Added to these, he admitted to having sexual intercourse with a 28-year-old woman without her consent.

Jordan was jailed for 12 years on the first charge, 15 years on the second charge, and 35 years on the last count.

Justice Reynolds ordered that the sentences are to run consecutively. In this regard, Jordan will serve 62 years in jail, and only becomes eligible for parole after completing 30 years. The court ordered that he is to be seen by a psychiatrist during his incarceration. Addressing Jordan, Justice Reynolds told him that he cannot imagine what would cause a “handsome young man” to take such a direction in life.

According to the Judge, Jordan showed no emotions while his victims poured their hearts out to the court in relation to how the incidents have left them traumatised.

“But I don’t know if you have any feelings. For me you are less than a human being which you ought to be,” Justice Reynolds told the confessed rapist, who appeared to be listening a t t e n t i v e l y. T h e J u d g e

added, “Seven, 14, 28 was it going to be 56 next,” making reference to the age of the women that Jordan had violated.

Jordan, nevertheless, received a lighter sentence on the first two charges as the judge considered that he was a juvenile when he raped the underage girls.

State Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial told the court that on February 02, 2012, at around 14:30hrs, the seven-year-old girl had just finished school and was waiting to be picked up by her older brother. The p r o s e c u t o r a d d ed that Jordan would also visit the school to pick up his brother.

According to the prosecutor, Jordan rode up to the little girl on a bicycle. He then told her that his mother had sent him to buy chicken.

The prosecutor said that Jordan promised that he would take the little girl home, and then grabbed her hands and forced her onto his bicycle. He threatened the girl by telling her, “If you scream I will jook you with a knife.”

Instead of taking the child home, Jordan took her to the seawalls where he pushed her onto the ground and ripped off her tights and underwear.

He then held a knife to her neck and had sexual intercourse with her.

The court hea r d t h a t after the act, Jordan left the girl under a bus shed.

Somehow, the girl made her way home where she collapsed onto the kitchen f l o o r. T h e c h i l d w a s revived by her mother who she later related a story to.

She was also bleeding profusely from her vagina.

In relation to this incident, the prosecutor noted that Jordan had told police, “I went and pick up my brother and a ‘lil girl asked me to drop she home. I carry her by a koker and pushed by fingers in her vagina.”

In the second instance, the 14-year-old girl was

making her way home on January 13, 2013, when Jordan rode up to her on a bicycle and asked her something. Armed with an ice pick, Jordan forced the teenager onto his bicycle and took her to an isolated area where he pulled off her clothes and had sexual intercourse with her.

She was bleeding profusely from her vagina.

Jordan, then, made sure that the area was clear before he allowed the young girl to leave. A medical examination revealed that the teenager’s hymen was ruptured.

And in the other incident, on October 25, 2016, the 28year-old woman was heading to work. She was waiting on public transportation when Jordan rode up to her on a bicycle and told her that something was wrong at her home. The woman made her way back home. She was accosted by Jordan who dragged her to a bushy area.

A struggle ensued between them, and Jordan who was armed with a knife, bit off the woman’s left eyelid and spat it onto the ground.

With blood dripping from her eyes, Jordan forced himself onto the woman and had sexual intercourse with her.

Sh e was left hospitalised for five days and had to undergo corrective surgery to save her sight. A medical examination revealed that she had several lacerations to her vagina.

TRAUMATISED All the rape survivors related that the incidents have left them traumatised.

Via video/audio link, the seven-year-old girl told the court that nothing this bad has ever happened to anyone in her family. She recalled that after the incident, her entire body started to malfunction and she had to be in and out of the hospital which caused her to miss school.

According to her, she trusted Jordan since he

Man sentenced to two years for 20 grams of Cannabis A man was yesterday sentenced to jail when he appeared in a city court to answer to a possession of narcotics charge.

Darren Sears, 26, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty, who read the charge to him.

The charge stated that on June 25, at Hunter Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, Sears had in his possession 20 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Sears pleaded guilty to the charge and offered to explain.

“I clean fish and the salary aint that much, sometime I dont even receive a salary.

The night I was going home when I notice the bag with the weed and I pick it up, so I decide to take a chance.”

He then mentioned that after he picked up the marijuana, police ranks that were on patrol in the area stopped him and a search was carried out on his person, where they

found the cannabis. He was then arrested and taken to the police station.

During his explanation, Sears said, “I have a fifteenyear-old girlfriend, No wait, shes sixteen, past the age of consent your worship.”

Principal Magistrate McGusty after listening to Searss explanation, sentenced him to two years imprisonment, citing the fact that he used the first opportunity to plead guilty and didnt waste the courts time.

was older than her and would frequently visit her school to pick up his brother. She expressed that he had no right to disrespect her in the manner he did, and she hopes that he is locked away so that he cannot do these types of things to other girls. The, now teenager added, “I hope that with prayers I can heal.”

The woman, however, chose to face her attacker. She went into the witness box from where she gave an impact statement that brought some persons who were seated in the courtroom to tears. The mother of five related that she was not only a mother, but a wife, a rape victim, a survivor and an overcomer.

She recalled, “I screamed that day for help and no one came to my rescue. I saw death that day and all I could have said was the Lord’s Prayer.” According to the woman, Jordan repeatedly told her to “shut up” while she recited the prayer. “I was very conscious when he (Jordan) bit off my eyelid and spit in on the ground like an animal. I am full of emotions. I remembered telling him that he has a mother, a sister, and he would not like anyone to do something like this to them.”

But Jordan, she said, ignored her pleas and continued raping her. The woman related that she was raped six months after her marriage. The act, she confessed, has left her husband distressed.

Nevertheless, she said, she was eager to get over the

SERIAL RAPIST: Leon Jordan incident for the sake of her children, who would constantly ask her when her eye will get better.

Probation Officer Zola Cameron-Lubin described Jordan as “selfish and barbaric”. She revealed that one of the underage rape victims was thrown into a koker by Jordan, but luckily it was closed at the time.

The Probation Officer said that the rapist had shown no remorse, and had even denied knowing the victims who his actions have left with lifelong psychological

scars. She said that while some persons in Jordan’s neighbourhood described him as quiet, others said he used narcotics and associated himself with delinquent friends.

Notwithstanding Jordan’s mother portraying him as a good son, the probation officer urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons. Jordan was previously charged and freed for rape, kidnapping and robbery.

PAGE 8

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Finance Minister appeals contempt order Finance Minister Winston Jordan has appealed the decision of High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to issue a contempt order, to have him imprisoned for 21 days, if he fails to honour a judgment of US$2.2M which is to be paid to Dipcon Engineering Services Limited by Saturday, July 8.

In a notice of appeal filed on Tuesday, Jordan asked the Court of Appeal to set aside and reverse the order of the Supreme Court Justice. According to court documents seen by this newspaper, the Finance Minister is challenging the authority of the Su-

preme Court to issue such an order against him.

He is appealing the entire decision on the grounds that the judge erred and misdirected herself in law when she exercised jurisdiction to hear the application of contempt against him in his private and personal capacity as Minister of Finance for alleged monies owed by the State and Government of Guyana.

The application noted that Justice SewnarineBeharry erred and misdirected herself in law when she failed to appreciate that contempt proceedings were coercive in nature and such order could

not be made against the Jordan in his private capacity, since no act was committed by the Minister in his private capacity.

The application further stated that the Judge erred in her actions as she failed to consider sections of the State Liability Proceeding Act, which prohibits action being taken against the Minister in his personal capacity in civil proceedings against the State.

Additionally, Jordan contends that the learned trial judge erred and misdirected herself in law when she refused to grant the stay of the

order for contempt to permit the State and Government of Guyana to pursue in law the process of appeal.

As such, the Minister is asking the Appeal Court to set aside and reverse the orders of Justice Sewnarine-Beharry.

On Monday, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry ruled that Minister Jordan will be imprisoned if he fails to comply with the court’s order to pay out the outstanding monies by the specified date.

Justice SewnarineBeharry, in her ruling, pointed out that Minister Jordan had failed to comply with a judgment handed down sometime back by Justice Rishi Persaud, who ordered that the monies are to be paid to the company.

Added to that, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry pointed out that the Minister had also failed to comply with a writ of Mandamus issued by the Chief Justice for the monies to be paid.

Furthermore, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry also awarded cost to the engineering company in the sum of $3M, which she ordered be paid by the Minister.

According to the High Court Judge, there was no stay of proceedings granted on the two court orders, and the Minister, through his lawyers, has told the court that the National Assembly had approved monies to honour the judgment. Back in 2015, Justice Persaud, who was then sitting at the High Court,

Finance Minster Winston Jordan

Judge Priya Sewnarine -Beharry

granted judgment in favour of Dipcon.

The matter had stemmed from a multimillion-dollar contract dispute between the Trinidad-based company and the State.

Justice Persaud had ruled that Dipcon recover from government US$665,032.17 as money due to the engineering company for infrastructural works done under the previous PPP government, along with the sum of US$1,563,368.50 for increased costs incurred by Dipcon at the request of the government in the course of undertaking the aforementioned work.

Obviously dissatisfied

with the judgment, the Attorney General Basil Williams filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal. Based on reports, that appeal was out of time by about six months.

The Court of Appeal refused to allow the appeal and dismissed it. Williams subsequently sought redress at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In substantiating his case at the CCJ, Williams contended that there were good reasons for the belated appeal. For one, the Attorney General told the CCJ that the matter was handled by a private attorney and the State was not informed of the judgment until months after it was delivered. Noting the fact that the appeal was not filed within the prescribed time limit, the CCJ dismissed the appeal, among other things, noting that it was unacceptable.

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Justice for one and all A family was driving along Norton Street in the city when the vehicle transporting them developed a punctured tyre. The driver had almost completed putting on the spare wheel when bandits pounced on the family and robbed them. It was quite a traumatic experience for the persons who were robbed.

A female businesswoman was yesterday beaten and robbed of about $2M in cash and jewels. There, three bandits scaled her gate and invaded her home, which is located not far away from where the Minister of Public Security lives, beat her in her head and took away the loot.

A fisherman from Enmore is now a cripple, suffering injuries to his neck and spine.

He was robbed of a mere $20,000 while returning home from selling fish. He may never walk again.

None of these incidents was enough to eke a statement out of the Minister of Public Security or the Commissioner of Police. The aforementioned incidents are not allegations. They happened and have left their

victims traumatised. One of the victims may never walk again. There are no indications that the police are close to making any arrests.

The Minister of Public Security however was finally cornered and answered questions posed to him about the allegations made against the Crime Chief. But these are just allegations. Yet they were enough to elicit a comment from the Minister. Yet almost on a daily basis people are being brutalised and nothing is being heard from those who should be assuring the public that action is being taken.

The APNU+AFCs biggest failure has been on the issue of crime. Like the PPPC before, the ruling coalition has no answer to the ongoing crime wave. The crime is beyond the control of the Guyana Police Force.

The police have not been able to bring crime under control. Citizens remain at the mercy of the criminals. In the meantime, the authorities have sent the Crime Chief on leave on the basis of allegations said to have been made by whistleblowers.

At this stage there are only allegations against the Crime Chief. Nothing has been proven. No evidence has been made public against the Crime Chief. As such, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

However, credit has to be given to President Granger for at least asking that the Crime Chief be sent on leave.

Procedurally, it is best that he be removed from his position, so as to not be accused to influencing the investigation.

The Minister of Public Security has indicated that the Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct the investigation. This however is not likely to assuage public concerns about the independence of the investigation. The police should not investigate themselves, especially when the allegations are against senior officers.

Years ago, when former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene was accused of a sexual offence, the PPP government, under intense public pressure, brought in members of the Jamaican

Dem boys seh ...

Don’t allow oil companies to pump too fast Oil companies always want to pump everything as fast as possible. Since you miss dem talking about pumping wha you got.

Dem oil companies attitude and behavior is like a big man who see a nice gyal. She just come to town, suh he know dat she ain’t no shine gyal. She live she early life knowing decency and tekking she time wid everything she got to do.

But de big man want to lick up before she get shine. He forcing she hand to hurry up.

He pulling all kind of tricks. He telling she how she got an asset dat if she don’t use it right away by de time she ready to use it, it ain’t gon have a proper value.

She fall for it. Instead of getting a big fancy house, and anything wha rich people got or could get, she end up wid a one-bedroom apartment wid a bicycle.

By de time she get shine, de big man gone to anodda li’l gyal.

Dem boys warning Guyana don’t fall fuh dat talk, ‘bout hurry up wid de oil especially dem who telling Guyana dat de price gon

drop and let us pump it out quick.

Don’t buy into the hype. It is crap. Countries like Guyana would benefit more if we don’t hurry to pump fast.

De only reason de oil companies want to pump out millions of barrel of oil a day is to get back dem investment quick and to rob us.

Because we nah shine, dem got lopsided contract dat suit dem. Dem boys want to know dat all de oil companies doing now is trying to scare Guyana into thinking dat dem have to pump everything now.

At de same time de country gon accept any rubbish contract terms de oil companies offering.

Right now, Guyana dumb but over time it gon get smart and require better contract and better deals.

De faster dem lick up and go is better fuh dem. But dem boys want our leaders to tek heed.

Talk half and slow down de production.

Get some brains.

Remanded prisoner dead after bullying incident at Lusignan An inmate of the Lusignan Holding Bay who was struck with an object by a fellow prisoner during an argument on Tuesday afternoon, died yesterday as a result of his injuries.

Doctors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation yesterday pronounced Samuel Little, 23, of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, dead, the Prison

Service said.

The incident occurred around 14:00 hours in Holding Bay 4 at the Lusignan Prisons, East Coast Demerara.

Little was remanded to prison on June 19, 2019, after being charged for break and enter and larceny.

The prison service said that the suspect has been identified and is assisting with investigations.

They have also recovered the object, a piece of wood, that was used in hitting Little.

Unconfirmed reports said that Little attempted to bully another prisoner, who is now the prime suspect, for a bucket. Little reportedly armed himself with an improvised weapon while the suspect took up a piece of wood.

Little reportedly received several lashes to his head.

Police Force to investigate the allegations. Following the investigation, charges were recommended against Greene. He was able to eventually get the High Court to block charges against him.

He died in a motor vehicle accident after demitting office.

Allegations have been made against a senior official of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The allegation was said to have been made months ago. The allegation was made to the airport authorities. The airport authorities reportedly could not substantiate the allegation. This caused the

complainant to go public.

The police jumped into the matter saying that the airport should have reported the matter to them. This is pure poppycock. It is the complainant who has to make the complaint to the police, not the airport. The allegation was of a criminal nature and no matter what the airport found, it is the complainant, not the airport, which was required to report the matter.

It is reported that the official against whom the allegation has been made has now been sent on leave after a report was made to the police. Both the Crime Chief

and the airport official are entitled to a fair investigation.

They should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

These two high-profile cases should not be used to deflect attention from the daily terrors, which are being faced by members of the public. The victims of the robberies also deserve justice.

PAGE 10

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Dead meat escapes from the butchery Someone has to tell the AFC is it is the biggest clown in politics anywhere in the world. The party whose own internal election 12 days ago was described as rigged, wants a new GECOM chairman in two weeks’ time, because it says early appointment is critical to establishing public trust in the conduct of the upcoming general elections.

Three highly popular AFC delegates at its party congress on June 15 told me that the name of a certain protégé

of the Prime Minister was put on the list of delegates after nomination day was closed.

All three said that they have accepted to be named.

They are Amar Chinkan, chairman of Region 4 AFC; Region 5 AFC councilor, Abel Seetaram; and Region 6 AFC councilor, Derek Basdeo.

Last week I raised this illegality with the man who was general secretary at the time of the AFC’s congress, Marlon Williams. I was desperately looking

for parking space and fortunately found one just outside his real estate agency on South Road. I parked and there he was, so I approached him.

Williams said the name of the gentleman was always on the list, but he did not check and went into a rage outside the AFC’s office. I told Williams to his face he was being untruthful. The delegates for Region 4 have to be selected by the districts of Georgetown, East Bank and East Coast. The

names are then vetted by the head of Region 4, Amar Chinkan.

Up to the Friday evening, which was hours before the congress on Saturday, Chinkan told me he did not have that person on his delegates’ list. Then two wellplaced persons told me the defunct women’s arm of the AFC, Women For Change (WFC) suddenly sprang to life the night before the congress and were allowed to name delegates.

This was days after nomination closed. All major parties in Guyana since the fifties have tampered with their internal elections. On the eve of the AFC congress on June 15, cowboy politics and cowboy behaviour took place. People just said they have to be delegates and they were made delegates. It constitutes one of the most improper congresses ever held by a major political party in Guyana since anti-colonial politics took sway in the forties.

This very party that rigged its own internal elections just over a week ago now wants the quick appointment of a GECOM chairman so the elections could have a credible face.

Here are the words of the AFC, then you are going to get a heart attack when you are reminded of what

the AFC did when Justice James Patterson was appointed.

“The AFC is committed to the rule of law and to adherence to the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana and is of the view that the resignation of Justice Patterson as Chairman of GECOM subsequent to the Court’s ruling was correct and proper.”

But it was three AFC lawyers, who are also the three leading figures in the AFC, that advised President Granger that he can make an appointment outside of the Carter formula. The three are Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman and Moses Nagamootoo (the Cummingsburg trio). And how did the Guyanese people know this? Not through the courage of the Cummingsburg trio, but through a confidential email leaked to the press by the Canadian branch of the AFC, which broke with the AFC over the action o f t h e Cummingsburg trio. When the media, armed with the email, approached Ramjattan, the man who is aspiring to be the next prime minister acknowledged that he was the author of the email.

Now the same AFC which urged the president to do something unconstitutional did not have the moral courage to mention in its press

Frederick Kissoon release on the CCJ’s ruling, that it was the AFC which proffered nasty advice to the president. It makes you wonder which law books the Cummingsburg trio was reading. It has to be the lost law books from Timbuktu.

There wasn’t even a vague mention of an apology. The AFC press release calling for a quick GECOM chairman and the pledging its support for holding of elections “at the shortest possible time,” is dead meat speaking after it escaped from the abattoir.

The AFC knows that it and the PNC are facing early elections as will be mandated by the CCJ in a week’s time.

The entire world knew from what the CCJ judges were saying that the government would have lost. The entire world knows in a week’s time the CCJ will order early elections. Dead meat which was rotting since June 2015 is trying to become fresh.

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Civil Aviation has modern weather broadcast system - expected to reduce manual recording by Control Tower The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has made significant strides to enhance its operations as Guyanas air traffic continues to expand.

For 2019, the aviation sectors regulatory body has invested $60M to purchase equipment that will serve as a boost to its operations.

Speaking with the Depart-

ment of Public Information, Director of Air Navigation Services (ANS) within GCAA, Rickford Samaroo, explained the types of equipment that will be purchased and the benefits of these high-tech resources.

According to the ANS Director, as part of GCAAs work plan for 2019, priority was

placed on obtaining a Digital Automatic Terminal Information System (D-ATIS).

“The system is an automatic broadcast of weather information [and] safety information for pilots.”

He explained that the current system involves manual computation of the weather.

“So, every airplane that calls in, the controller would have to manually read out the weather information. What this system will do is automatically broadcast the information every minute or so, and then it updates every hour,” Director Samaroo noted.

The equipment will also allow for updates by the air traffic controller.

Expected outcomes of the D-ATIS are a r e d u c e d workload for air traffic controllers and pilots, timely presentation of accurate and updated information, reduced likelihood of human error and a modernised system that is compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and regional interoperability plans.

An Air Traffic Controller at Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Also, another piece of equipment to be brought on stream is a stand-alone pressure and temperature device. This device will be utilised in any case in which the D-ATIS system is offline for maintenance purposes.

Nevertheless, there will also be a new and improved GPS master clock system that will replace the existing sys-

tem. Director Samaroo stated, “all the systems in aviation have to be uniquely synched with one time and device, so this [equipment] will also add the system also to the project”.

With this equipment, GCAA will be allowed to add more applications and devices to the system. Director Samaroo mentioned that the current GPS system being

used has been in place since 2009, and therefore, a new system is needed since GCAA needs to keep abreast with updates such as those to the software.

GCAA has been in existence for 17 years and is responsible for managing and regulating civil aviation in Guyana, and to ensure that it complies with international standards.

$700M Port Kaituma Hospital Complex attracts further $150M

The $700M Port Kaituma Hospital project will attract a further $150M The $700M Port Kaituma Hospital project in Region One will attract a further $150M to complete construction. This is according to an official attached to the Ministry of Public Health.

The project commenced some five years ago under the previous administration but suffered several delays due to the actions of defaulting contractors.

“The construction of the doctors and nurses’ quarters, internal works such as the installation of air conditioning units, the medical gas system, water and electrical systems and painting the interior of

the building is still to be completed,” the Public Health Ministry official confirmed.

The official noted too that the additional work will include construction of a road, pavements and perimeter lighting in the vicinity of the hospital complex.

According to the official, the Ministry has already advertised inviting suitable contractors to the completion of works to the Port Kaituma Hospital Complex As regards the defaulting contractor, the Ministry referred to the Attorney General to take further action.

“We don’t know what

course of action the Attorney General will take as it relates to the contractors. We just referred the file to the AG.” Residents of Port Kaituma, Region One, have been questioning the pace of work at the $700M hospital.

The project was launched in 2014 under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration.

In 2017, during an inspection of the project, Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, expressed her dissatisfaction at the works carried out.

Back then, the Minister elaborated on the actions that

were likely to be taken against the defaulting contractors.

The Minister had also instructed the visitation of a team to ensure that what was being built met the specifications, and also that it is applicable to the services that the public health ministry is hoping to provide She noted that the main building of the hospital was long completed by R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company, the work undertaken by six other contractors was lagging behind.

The contractors were given three months to complete their respective works.

Kaieteur News

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 13

Stabilisation clause should Ex-employee, son accused of not be superior to rule of law robbing Republic Park businessman and citizens' interests - NRGI

A

W

hen analysing the impact of a country's fiscal terms that are part of its Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), there are several potential loopholes that require close monitoring. In the eyes of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), stabilisation clauses are a key one to watch.

The transparency body explained that petroleum and mineral contracts often have such clauses which state that the law that exists on the day that the contract is signed will govern the agreement, and that subsequent legal changes will not have any effect on the contract.

NRGI stated that these clauses offer investors some assurance that they will not be subjected to legislative action taken to drastically change a fiscal regime to the extent that it is dissimilar to the one on which they based their decision to invest.

But in order to protect the interests of citizens, preserve

state sovereignty, and remain flexible to changing economic and political circumstances, the Institute emphatically stated that stabilisation clauses should be narrowly drafted and limited to major revenue streams such as royalties, taxes, duties, and major fees.

NRGI stressed in no uncertain terms that stabilisation clauses should not freeze environmental, labour or other similar rules.

It is, in short, that these provisions are not more supreme that the rule of law or citizens' interests.

For months, the stabilisation clause captured in the Guyana-ExxonMobil Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) has been condemned by local

anticorruption advocates as a mechanism that only serves to strangle the nation's Parliament and future governments.

In fact, this clause serves to protect ExxonMobil and its partners from any governmental or legislative changes that may affect its generous contract terms. It even grants the oil company compensation for any added costs due to future legislative changes.

Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe has since assured that in the review of the model PSA, Guyana would be amending the “rigid� stabilisation clause.

However, the extent to which it will be amended remains unknown.

One framework for small and medium scale miners - GSDS Vision 2040

S

mall and Medium Scale Miners currently operate within two separate regulatory frameworks.

According to the Green State Development Strategy Vision 2040, that needs to change.

Mining, which is currently the largest single sector of Guyana's economy, has been operating in three separate frameworks: small, medium and large. Small scale leases (at about 27.58 acres) are given to persons who have a land claim, by birth and/or naturalisation.

Medium Scale leases (at about 150-1200) are gained via prospecting, can be renewed annually, and can be converted to a mining permit with a duration of up to 25 years. Large scale leases (at about 500-12,000) are also renewable annually, and can be converted to a mining permit for up to 25 years.

The GSDS states that the division of frameworks for small and medium scale miners is not useful. This is due to the fact that methods of production are similar, and in many cases, the producers are the same. The strategy posits that the

division of frameworks increases the institutional and operational complexity of the GGMC. It reads that because the medium scale framework is more stringent, in terms of business and environmental safeguards, those safeguards could be used as the standards for small scale miners too. To support this argument, the medium scale framework is also afforded longer permits, the strategy states.

GSDS suggests, with such a merger, a reduction in the minimum acreage threshold. This is purported to save on costs of oversight for the GGMC, via the merging of its Land Management Divisions, thereby reducing the total number of registered properties and enforcing stronger social and environmental standards.

But even with this merger, the GGMC would still be vastly underresourced, as the number of miners relative to mining officers is quite high. The Commission has done a lot of work to map the country's mining districts, based on location and availability of

minerals.

So the strategy suggests that that workload could be decreased using advanced, modern, monitoring technologies, like drones, geo-referencing tracking devices and remote sensing devices. Further, it posits that sophisticated monitoring techniques could also involve human resources.

Residents of mining areas, community based organisations and local authorities are all in the fold.

It is also suggested that t h e m o n i t o r i n g responsibilities for small and medium scale mining be moved to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as is already the case for largescale mining operations.

father and a son yesterday stood in the prisoners' dock in a city court to answer to a robbery under-arms charge.

Imran Alli, 20, a carpenter, of 205 Campbell Street, Georgetown, and his father, Richard Edwards, 48, a Landscaper, of 30 School Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty.

The charge stated that on June 11, 2019, at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), while armed with a knife they robbed Tanuja Singh of a quantity of gold and diamond jewellery valued at $3M, and 1.7M in cash, property of Isaiah Komatch.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read to them by Magistrate McGusty.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail being granted to the defendants based on the nature, seriousness and punishment the offence attracts. He also stated that if granted bail, the two accused might interfere with the alleged victim.

The facts stated that Edwards was previously employed with Singh, giving him full knowledge of where she kept her jewellery and cash. On the day in question, Edwards and Alli went to the woman's home where they robbed her at knifepoint of the items mentioned in the charge.

The matter was then reported, and an investigation was then carried out leading to both of the accused being arrested and charged.

Prosecutor Blackman further mentioned that while in police custody, the men gave a

Richard Edwards (with head lowered) and Imran Alli

written statement admitting to robbing Singh.

After listening to the facts presented by the prosecutor, Principal Magistrate McGusty remanded both men to prison until July 17.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Thursday June 27, 2019

GDF welcomes newly-commissioned officers Scenes from the Commissioning Parade (DPI photos)

P

resident David Granger yesterday decorated the Ensigns of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)'s Standard Officer Course 50 and Reserve Officer Course 16 with their badges of rank.

D'Urban Park came alive

as ranks of the GDF marched and stepped in time to the beat of a military marching band, in a display of spectacular drills during the Commissioning Parade for the Standard and Reserve Officers.

The event commenced with the arrival of Prime

Minister Moses Nagamootoo followed by President David Granger.

The Head of State inspected the Guard of Honour before decorating the Ensigns with their badges of Rank.

In his address, the Head of State extended

congratulations to the ranks.

“Your commissions, are not merely certificates to mark the successful completion of a training course… they constitute the lawful licence for you to exercise authority as officers of the Guyana Defence Force.”

He reminded the ranks that Officership in the Defence Force entails the obligation to obey the Constitution, to comply with the provisions of the Defence Act of the Laws of Guyana and the obligation to practice the values and standards of the GDF. President Granger further challenged them to uphold the motto of the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School—"I serve Guyana”.

In 1969, the GDF began training its own officers and after 12 years, the Officer Cadet Division of Training Corps evolved into the first Officer Cadet School in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The school, which was established on 22nd September 1981, became known as the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS), in honour of Colonel Ulric

Pilgrim - the first Commander of the Force.

The Sword of Honour was awarded to Second Lieutenant Jehu West in the Standard Officer Course 50 with Second Lieutenant Robert Skeete receiving the same award for the Reserve Officer Course 16.

Among those who received their Instruments of Commission were four officers from the Belize

Defence Force (BDF).

Second Lieutenant Edwin Varela, Second Lieutenant Freddy Grijalva, Second Lieutenant Otto Garcia and Second Lieutenant Mark Choc, all of whom praised Guyana for the training they received.

Also attending the event were ministers, government officials, Members of Parliament and special invitees. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 15

$98M spent to give Forensic Lab DNA testing capabilities Six years later…

T

he Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL), through the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ministry of Public S e c u r i t y, y e s t e r d a y commissioned equipment designed at performing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and gun residue tests with the aim of tackling crime and other issues here in Guyana.

The two pieces of equipment, a DNA Analysis Testing Machine and an Automated Gunshot Residue Analysis Machine, were supplied by an Italian firm Q&T S.p.A, at a cost of US$454,000 (Approx.

G$98M).

At the GFSL building in

DNA Analysis Testing Machine

now a national pioneer for human identification, and it will enable us to conduct three main tests; DNA testing for comparison, p a t e r n i t y, a n d f a m i l y mapping,” France expressed.

The DNA samples can be collected through swabbing of the cheeks, semen, vaginal, and collections of hair and blood.

Automated Gunshot Residue Analysis Machine

Turkeyen, Public S e c u r i t y M i n i s t e r, Khemraj Ramjattan, the Director of Operations at the IDB, Lorena Solozan, Director of the GFSL, Delon France and Project Manager of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), Dr. Clement Henry commissioned the equipment with much enthusiasm.

The forensic lab will now be able to perform its own independent

testing after some six years of having to work in the shadows of international agencies, and gunpowder residue tests will resume for cases that have been stalled for several months.

“At first, the possibilities did not seem capable, but now the resources have been provided.

With the help of these agencies, we were able to overcome obstacles, and now we have the equipment and personnel to conduct DNA analysis and to resume gun residue tests. The lab is

The Director further added that with the future expansion of crimes, CSSP will commence provisions to establish a national DNA database which would require legal interventions through chapters of the law, especially the Police Act. He added that while the lab is equipped with the latest and more advanced (continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Ex-President Donald Ramotar moves to court over oil blocks giveaway

F

ormer President Donald Ramotar has moved to the courts against National Media and Publishing Company, Publisher Glenn Lall, and Editor-in Chief Adam Harris.

He is seeking an injunction against the named defendants and threatening libel for the publication of some advertisements over the award of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks. These blocks were awarded to two companies with no known experience in oil exploration in deep water.

At the time of the publication, only two companies globally are known to operate in deep water—ExxonMobil and Petrobras.

The action sparked news items critical of the actions by the Ramotar administration. It also caused people to examine the similarities between the action by the Ramotar administration and Senegal.

Both countries allocated oil blocks to companies with no known experience in the oil industry.

In Senegal, the oil blocks

were signed away to a convicted drug lord; in Guyana, the owners of the drug blocks were unknown until the newspaper tracked down the contracts.

The result was a series of advertisements highlighting the similarities between Guyana and Senegal with respect to the oil blocks.

Kaieteur Radio went further. It rebroadcast the investigative reporting by the BBC on the Senegal oil blocks and the corruption that ensnared the President, Macky Sall, and his brother.

The advertisement concluded that the situation in Senegal mirrored Guyana's.

There were other newspaper advertisements.

One likened the distribution of the two oil blocks, both of them in close proximity to the proven large oil basin in the Stabroek Block.

T h e s e c o n d advertisement made it known that sections of the oil blocks were sold to a more aggressive oil explorer.

This act yielded millions of dollars to people who, according to the newspaper, were gifted precious state

assets.

Another advertisement on the issue highlighted the impact of the 'give away' of the oil blocks.

In his lawsuit, Ramotar is claiming that the contents of t h e n e w s p a p e r advertisements are false and malicious. He further claims that his reputation and his character as a public figure, a husband and a father, have been 'immeasurably damaged”.

Ramotar claims that because of the publications, he is suffering “public humiliation, ridicule, anguish, pain and suffering.”

He wants damages in excess of $10 million for three of the publications. He also wants interest on any damages awarded to him.

For their part, the defendants propose to defend the action vigorously.

They have already instructed their lawyers to challenge the application for injunction, a tool used by people wishing to silence the media in the face of disclosures.

The matter is fixed for hearing on July 2, next, before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

Thursday June 27, 2019

Handpicked appointments of several CID detectives highly questionable - Whistleblowers

E

v e n a s Government insists that the police's internal Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) will be probing a series of shocking allegations of corruption and criminal activities in the force, there are now fresh reports of other irregularities in the police force. According to senior cops, in recent months several detectives whose track records were less than morally stellar were placed in critical positions at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the various police divisions.

The men are said to be loyal to a senior city-based police official. There is nothing wrong with being loyal, except that quite a few of the detectives appointed were over time under the microscope for wrongdoing, making their selection highly questionable.

For example, one of the men sent to a Region 10 location was accused of sexual misconduct while stationed in Bartica. The act was said to have been committed on a woman.

It appeared that matter was swept under the carpet.

Another detective, posted to Berbice, was investigated for the disappearance of a statement in a murder case back in 2008. It is unclear what came out of that.

On the East Coast, a lead detective sent there had a number of allegations facing him. He was accused of releasing persons arrested, mostly male teenagers, in return for sexual favours from them.

“You have to understand that there is a pattern here. If the OPR or whoever wants to know, let them check at the CID in each division. If they are looking, they will see the people there and it will paint a picture and tell a story,” a senior police official said this week. The disclosures have been rocking the force.

It is being alleged that countrywide, junior ranks are pressured to raise money for senior police officials, from kickbacks in traffic offences to protection for businesses.

It was alleged that the detectives who would have been serving well in the respective divisions and

familiar with areas, were removed because they would not be likely to “cooperate”.

“Let me explain. The police force has some good people who like what they do.

These are young persons who have been sent to other areas, sometimes in other divisions.

It is not about a shakeup.

It is organised crime. It is about control of certain detectives in critical areas in the divisions.”

The disclosures would continue to raise deep concerns in the force, especially with shocking allegations coming from Berbice in which ranks and officers are accused of working closely with criminals, including the provision of protection.

O n M o n d a y, t h e Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, ordered Deputy Commission of Law Enforcement, Lyndon Alves, to proceed on leave, pending an internal probe of the allegations carried in Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. The accusations were leveled by a number of junior and senior policemen from Berbice and Demerara.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Thursday June 27, 2019

NDIA pontoon was sent to clear outfall, not channel

The pontoon moored to the sluice with the excavators

T

o improve drainage for farmers on the Corentyne, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has dispatched two of its excavators on a pontoon to clear the foreshore at Number 43 Village.

The outfall of the canal was cleared by an independent contractor. To clear the outfall, two excavators were dispatched on a pontoon which is taken out to the foreshore for the

excavators to further clear the ends of the waterway.

The disclosures by the NDIA would come days after residents raised issues with the presence of two excavators on board of a pontoon.

The Corentyne residents around the Adventure channel and the Number 43 waterway, which drains Black Bush Polder, wondered who was collecting the cheque for the works, as a contractor had already been working to

clear the channel.

This is necessary, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NDIA, Fredrick Flatts explains: “As we are aware, recently there was flooding at Yakusari, Black Bush Polder… that is the same drain that is used to discharge water from the Yakusari area.

Because the flooding was fairly prolonged, the NDIA was not satisfied with the rate at which the water was being discharged from that area, and so to assist

with the drainage, we dispatched that pontoon with two excavators to help improve the rate of drainage.”

Flatts further explained that while the outfall channel is inland and cleared, regardless of how deep it may be, if the foreshore is not as deep as the outfall, the drainage efforts will be stymied. The outfall channel for the canal is roughly one mile long and was cleared by way of contract. This channel ends at the

beginning of the foreshore, which is where the damn for excavators to walk comes to an end.

“It's from there the pontoon takes over and the pontoon with the machines will clear into the Atlantic Ocean as far as is necessary, normally about 1,000 feet,” Flatts continued. “When that is done, the rate of discharge of water from a sluice, as in this case, will improve by four times. So, we have improved the drainage in Black Bush Polder.”

Flatts stressed that the excavator and pontoons are

not there to clear the channel, as that job was already contracted out; however, the machines are there to clear the foreshore.

“The point I am making is that the pontoon with excavators is not clearing the section which was recently cleaned by a contractor.”

In a few days, this operation will be repeated in the Number 51 and 52 outfall channels. The pontoon with the two machines is being moored inland at the end of the workday as a safety precaution to avoid them being lost at sea.

Edghill asks Govt. to halt budget preparations...

From page 2 collision and confrontation rather than conciliation and preserving the well being of our people.”

Edghill, the Shadow Finance Minister in the National Assembly, said that the provisions in the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act provide for a budget by March/April 2020 - there is no crisis that would force the Coalition Government to do otherwise.

“A budget which defines the vision, priorities and programmes for the prosperity and development of all the people of Guyana by a Government that is legal, constitutional and democratically elected through free and fair elections, is the only one that

will be accepted.”

He said that it is unbelievable that a Government that was defeated by way of a noconfidence vote on December 21, 2018 “who by way of spurious and incredible arguments of a '34 majority theory', used the legal system to buy themselves seven months and counting to implement a budget that they had no mandate to implement.”

The former minister said that rather than offering goods and services to all the people of Guyana, “they (government) used questionable processes of procurement to award contracts to their political allies, friends and families to shore up political support.”

Kaieteur News

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 19

42 youths get a second chance at CSEC

F

orty-two youths were informed that they will have the opportunity to re-write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC) in September.

This was made possible through a collaboration between the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), attached to the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Education.

The announcement was made yesterday during a forum entitled 'Horizon to a brighter future' hosted at the Sophia Night School.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott noted that the initiative will ensure school dropouts are also given a second chance.

“Where you are at now is not your future, where you want to be is your future and the steps you take to achieve your plan will determine your success,” the minister encouraged.

In her remarks, Assistant Chief Recruitment and Manpower Officer, Yolanda Grant noted that the CRMA is also putting measures in place to address the issue of youth unemployment through a multifaceted and diverse approach.

Assistant Chief Recruitment and Manpower Officer, Yolanda Grant noted that the “aim is to empower youths to apply their skills, knowledge, drive and vision needed to achieve employment so that they can become productive citizens”.

She added that as the country prepares to embark on oil production in 2020,

Minister Keith Scott addressing the youths at the forum held yesterday at the Department of Labour.

Guyanese youth must be equipped to take advantage of every opportunity available to them.

“Empowering our youths will not only provide them with a certificate but they will receive the necessary technical training that will be beneficial in the

oil and gas sector.

We will be looking for our youths; we will be giving them a second chance; we will guide them so that they can be a part of the successful transformation of Guyana.”

The CRMA is a division of the Social Protection

Ministry that registers applicants for employment, taking specific note of their occupational qualifications, experiences, and desires; it evaluates, if necessary, their physical and vocational abilities. Its objective is to place individuals seeking jobs in suitable employment

while providing career guidance and counselling.

The Government of Guyana established the agency in October 1944.

The agency is expected to be visiting every administrative region to empower more of Guyana's youth. (DPI)

STARR Computer receives HP Platinum Plaque

S

tarr Computer Inc. has been in the technology business for quite some time and has been a collaborating partner with the American multinational information t e c h n o l o g y c o m p a n y, Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the last 25 years.

At a simple ceremony yesterday, Starr's president Mike Mohan was presented with the HP Platinum Plaque, for their outstanding contribution to the U.S. company's products across Guyana.

Mohan said that it was the sixth time for the year

- to collaborate with U.S. Company to prepare for oil industry that they have had international vendors coming down to Guyana to share their products and services, and to “tell you more about what they can offer us here in Guyana”.

Gustavo Narniez, the HP District Sales Manager, said that out of all the Englishspeaking countries in the r e g i o n , o n l y 11 h a v e received the prestigious award and Guyana was one of them.

“I would like to present Mike with the HP Platinum

Plaque for the fiscal year 2019. It is an honour that is very difficult to achieve as it's based on partnership, sales, and how they help us move our product within the country.

T h e s e c o n d announcement I want to make is that Starr Computer has completed their courses and has become an authorised service provider for HP products,” he said, as he presented the award.

Lois Rivero, who is also attached to HP, gave the

$98M spent to give Forensic ...

From page 15 equipment in the field of forensics, “we should note that proper evidence collection is equally important to the outcome of results”.

He says that training will be conducted with police officers on proper evidence collection.

As the only forensic lab in Guyana, France assured that they will continue growing to meet the diverse world of crime, not just nationally, but internationally, and he added that collaboration on international treaties will soon arise to combat crime.

Minister Ramjattan in his speech added that, “This is good news for the Guyanese people. Guyana's history will now be remarkable, because we have moved away from the

rudimentary methods in scientific detection to a truly systematic scientific mapping. Our police today will employ DNA, spectrographs, blood grouping, ballistic markets and so many other tools, and to identify that which we cannot see to analyse.”

The minister noted that the commissioning of the forensic equipment shows that the government is committed to improving the security of the country.

Meanwhile, Ramjattan related that, “there are a number of statistics that shows that we [the Government] are on the path to making the country safer,” and he stated that he is the only one who seems to believe such.

According to him “from all of the comparative statistics, we have seen that

there has been a decline in crime, but decline does not mean disappearance-because the fact that these crimes appear on the front pages of the newspapers, there is a cognition level that there has been an increase.

This is not such.”

The DNA machine can run eight samples all at once and the results can be provided in two hours, which would equate to an improved investigation closing rate.

But, even better, this initiative will also save the Government significant sums of money, as sending DNA samples for testing overseas was very costly and timely.

Currently, there are four staff members who are academically and practically fit to conduct the forensic tests.

feature address, saying that there were some key things that she wanted to share with the gathering. Firstly, how they saw their products with regards to enabling their customers to do multiple things.

“HP is now designing all the products based on some key things - the design and security amongst others since the trends in the market are changing and they needed to match these changes in order to stay competitive.

In the middle of all these things, security is one of the major components, basically

because it's something that concerns all of us. Some of us would think that it's just an IT problem that somebody else has to fix,” she said.

She went on to say that oil and gas needs devices with very proactive performances to know where what is, at any given time, and to be able to generate data to ensure that the investment was a wise one.

“The workstations are computers that are part of a special line of products that could process hundreds of gigabytes of data in a short period of time and they have

an impenetrable security system, which are perfect for the job.

The computer also has a very modern up-to-date system when it comes to graphic designing and they could also handle seismic data, which Guyana would be using very soon in the industry.”

HP will continue to partner with Starr Computer as the company currently has a number of new products in the making and are placing heavy focus on introducing technology to Guyana that could stay in line with the Oil and Gas Industry.

Venezuelans remanded for North West break-in

T

wo Venezuelan n a t i o n a l s y e s t e r d a y appeared in a city court where they were made to answer to a break and enter charge, in which they allegedly stole articles and cash valued at a total of $273,300.

Oscar Jaramillo, 23, a mechanic, and Alexis Zapata, 22, both residents of Venezuela, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The charge read that between June 21, 2019 and June 22, 2019, at Kumaka Waterfront, North West District, they broke and entered the shop of Alicia

Wong and stole four packs of Werewolf boxers, six men's jeans, three packs of Hanes boxers, two packs of t-shirts, one Merrell slippers, two pair of boots, two bags, seventeen bottles of cologne and some socks valued at a total of $256,300. They are also accused of stealing $17,000 in cash during the break-in.

They both pleaded not guilty. The men spoke through an interpreter.

Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield made objections to bail being granted to the defendants.

The prosecutor added that they are flight risks given the fact that they have no ties to Guyana.

Chief Magistrate McLennan remanded both men to prison.

Meanwhile, another Venezuelan national was charged and brought before the court for being in possession of the stolen articles. Nilko Garcia, 36, also appeared before the Chief Magistrate.

The charge stated that between June 21, 2019 and June 22, 2019 at Kumaka Waterfront Northwest, he received from Oscar Jaramillo, the articles mentioned in the charge against him.

Garcia also pleaded not guilty. The three men were remanded to prison until July 8.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAHO launches course to address alcohol use in pregnancy

W

ASHINGTO N (CMC) – The Pan American Health O rg a n i z a t i o n ( PA H O ) , worried that the rates of alcohol disorders among women are higher in the region of the Americas than in any other region of the world, has launched a new initiative to provide health care workers with the technical skills they need to identify and address alcohol consumption in pregnant women and those of reproductive age.

Th e o n lin e co u r s e, “ Wo m e n ' s h e a l t h a n d pregnancy: holistic approaches to preventing problems relating to prenatal exposure to alcohol”, provides health workers with the latest, evidence-based information on health promotion strategies for pregnancy; the early detection of alcohol use in

pregnancy; and how to support women to reduce alcohol use.

“Alcohol use in pregnancy p r e s e n t s a significant risk for both pregnant women and their fetus, leading to a number of negative outcomes such as miscarriage, low birth weight and preterm birth, and can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which are irreversible” said Dr. Maristela Monteiro, Senior Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse at PAHO. “It is vital that health care workers have access to the latest research in order to implement a p p r o p r i a t e interventions before women become pregnant, as this will ensure the best outcomes for mother and child,” she added.

PAHO said that while men have historically been

the bigger consumers of alcohol and suffer from more alcohol-induced consequences, women are increasingly drinking larger amounts of alcohol and more often.

It said most women are unaware of their status in the first months of pregnancy, and may continue to drink, unknowingly putting their unborn child at risk.

“This is particularly significant in the Americas, where 3.2 per cent of women aged 15 years and older are estimated to have an alcohol use disorder, which is two and a half times the global average of 1.3 per cent.

This puts them at increased risk of a number of other health problems, including breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. It is more difficult to reduce or stop drinking when a disorder already exists, and even more difficult during

pregnancy. “ According to PAHO, alcohol use is a clear risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, intrauterine growth impairment, and low birth weight.

It said, globally, the prevalence of alcohol use in pregnancy among the general population is 9.8 per cent, while in the Americas, including the Caribbean, this figure is 11.2 per cent.

“Consuming alcohol during pregnancy, even in

small amounts can cause the unborn child to develop fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD includes mental disorders such as learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and speech and language delays, and physical disorders, including abnormal facial features, vision and hearing problems, and heart, kidney or bone conditions.

“These disorders affect people during their entire l i f e t i m e . FA S D i s infrequently diagnosed in most countries of the Region

so health professionals need to become more aware of these conditions, so that early detection results in the necessary health, education and social services being made available to affected individuals,” PAHO added.

PAHO said that the online course is designed for health professionals, including nurses, psychologists, doctors, and community health workers, as well as others who work in primary health care, maternal health and mental health.

Bus conductor jailed 20 years for raping female friend

A

32-year-old man who was accused of raping a female acquaintance back in 2017 has pleaded guilty to the charge and has been sentenced to a total of 20 years in jail.

Clarence Arthur called “Bung”, of D'Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, appeared before Justice Jo Ann Barlow in the Berbice High Court..

Arthur, a bus conductor, committed the act on October 15, 2017, at a village on the West Bank of Berbice.

The court heard that the accused and the woman were among some friends who went out to a disco during the night. It was on that evening that Arthur, armed with a knife and in the company of another man, forcefully had sexual intercourse with the woman against her will.

The matter was reported and Arthur was arrested and charged. In court, he pleaded guilty and expressed his remorse.

Justice Barlow before handing down sentence told the accused that she had in mind a total of 30 years, but she would deduct 10 years for his early plea, which would leave a total of 20 years.

She also mentioned that the authorities would deduct his time spent in jail from his sentence.

Jailed: Clarence Arthur

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

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Private Customs Brokerage Training Certificate Course, Asycuda World & Trips July 2019-Register Now. Call: 6948322 or 690-4225 SUMMER SCHOOL & LESSONS, COMMON ENTRANCE, PHONICS, READING, WRITING (414YRS) NURSERY/ PRIMARY, FULL DAY SCHOOL Call: 677-0296 PROPERTY FOR SALE

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807

House for sale, Eccles Housing Scheme. 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets and bathrooms enclosed. $28.5M. Call 6420391/ 001447587233657/ yasharabhola4@gmail.com

TO LET

Buy,Rent or Sell House or Land, Advertise for freeguyanarealestateservices.com or contact# 614-2128

Office space to let.74 Brickdam opposite GT&T, 2 Floors fully Air conditioned, Generator, parking available.Call:226-6771/2264537.

Rooms in Albertown #2259223/225-3234

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Roxanne Burnham $20M, North $18M, Norton $17M, Durban $16M, Parfaite $7M, Russle $22M, Thomas $240M GME #231-2199/618-7483

FOR RENT

WANTED

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Position in Puruni River & Cuyuni River. Contact #6714239

Seamstress. Contact: 6911918. Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm Security to work in and around Georgetown, Experienced firearm holder, training would be preferable. Call: 223-7165

Hair Stations/ Makeup/Nails & Barber, Available for rental, New market street. #699-6505

1 Truck Driver, 1 Sales girl from EBD #223-9677

3 bedroom fully furnished apartments for rent in Providence. Call:682-6238 or Whatsapp #1-246-833-9739 3 bedroom house for rent, La Grange, Public road WBD. #665-7636/691-5701 A Newly refurbished 1 bedroom apartment, Great Diamond EBD. Contact No. #696-6463 or 621-0352 VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Honda CRV. includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crash bar, Low mileage. PTT Series (First Owner) Contact #6490956

1 Live-in domestic. Salary : $65,000 monthly Call: 695-1229

1 Male able-bodied clerk.

Contact# 231-2029, 616-5954 Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel. Contact 6165419, 265-7075 Experienced Waitress 18-25 years from ECD. #610-3974 Live-in Domestic, must be good in cooking 25-45 yrs. #610-3974 1 live-in caretaker to take care of property in Land of Canaan, housing provided. #227-0373/ 223-9888

VACANCY Accounts clerk to work in Charity. Contact# 771-4180/ 654-7162 or email barry @adamantiumholdings.com NAIL TECHNICIAN. Contact#223-5273/223-5274 Experienced male sales attendant, stocktaking knowledge, computer literate, excellent service attitude, able bodied.Key Food McDoom Village.

Diesel Mechanic. Contact #223-5273/74 Driver, Bond Clerk, Factory worker, must have CSEC. for more information, please call: 223-0090 Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown.

Tel#227-8748/622-4970 Vacancies exist:- Cooks, Counter staff/Servers, Supervisors, Bakers/Pastry Maker, Hot & Spicy Creole Corner #225-6255/226-9000

1 Nanny to take care of baby girl in Bel Air, must have experienced. #227-0373/2239888

Female cleaner office & home.

Call: 642-9823

Allion, primo, spacio, allex, noah, RZ pitbull bus, mazda axela, bluebird, 192 fielder wagon. 650-7501

1 person to care for elderly person from 6pm-8am New Haven Bel Air. #227-0373/2239888

Looking for a job & educational services?

Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 502-4002/600-8457

Old model Ford Pickup, price $500,000 neg. Call: 6841247

1-house & land (4300 sq ft) with 4 master bedroom, gated community located @ Schoonord WBD. Contact #650-0402/603-1402

1-Toyota Tundra 4 wheel drive $2.2M, 1-BMW 318 $1.6M, 1 Audi convertible $2.9M, 1-Honda S2000 $2.5M Contact#650-0402/603-1402 Honda CRV, Low mileage, PWW series, year 2012, excellent condition, price $5.8 neg. Contact# 638-5828 For Sale- (1) 2005 Extra cab manual Toyota Tacoma, (1) 2005 BMW mini cooper, prices negotiable. Contact #673-3988 LAND FOR SALE Farm road front E.B.D. Behind Park Vue hotel. High income land. Tel#669-5781, 696-7777 Foundation, Column & Curb wall already bulit 57ft x 30ft for 2 storey house Lot 1402 Westminister, WBD. Call: 6825813 Friendship $30M Sarah Johanna, Supply $35 M (River), Loo creek 35 acres, Canaan $9M US (River), South 100 x 100 GME #2312199/618-7483

1 Experienced cook to work in a bar. Contact Tel#679-2612 Welder/Fabricator for interior location. Applicants must experienced. For further information. Call: 618-2020 One maid. #225-9223/225-3234 Driver for route 42 minibus, taxi drivers, washbay staff with drivers’ license. Call: 664-0802 Driver with minibus license living in G/town to work with company. Call: 646-8748 Experienced Cashier, Waiters, Waitress, Counter Server, Apply with written application, 5 commerce St. ACCOMODATION Fully furnished air conditioned apartments to rent daily. $5000 and $6000 per day. Call/Whatsapp #6785827 VACANCY General Domestic to cook & clean for East Bank. Call: 6144358

Industrial Sales Representative, 5 Subject CXC Age 25+ Experience in Sales, must own vehicle, email r e s u m e : vacancy@josarltd.com General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook.

Apply with 2 references.

KeyFood McDoom village One live-in Domestic to work on resort in Mahaicony River. #225-6571/649-3783 LORRY DRIVER/porter, basic education, honest.

Telles Steel, 74 Hadfield St. 226-6771 LABOURERS- Honest and hardworking. Telles Steel, 74 Hadfield St. 226-6771 A S S I S T A N T S U P E R V I S O R DELIVERIES, sound education, honest. Telles Steel, 74 Hadfield St. #2266771

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Thursday June 27, 2019

Drug bust in Canje River…

Duo jailed for 4 years, fined $18M A 43-year-old man who was a known drug dealer in the Canje River area and one of his cohorts, have been jailed for four years each and fined $18M each.

Kembleton Dorway called “Merciless” “Kempe” and “Boss Man”, of 177 Wallace Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice and 26-yearold Vickram Balgobin, a labourer, of 19 New Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh in the Reliance Magistrates Court and were found guilty.

The court heard that on July 31, 2018 at Ekura Creek, Canje River, Berbice, the men were in possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and cultivation of prohibited plants.

They were among five men, including a juvenile, who were arrested during a police operation. Two men had initially pleaded guilty while the matter against the juvenile was withdrawn.

The Prosecution case as

presented by Inspector Althea Solomon was that, around 03:00hrs on the day in question, a joint services team conducted a 16-hour operation in the Canje River. The team first went to a location at Ekura, Canje River, Berbice, where two camps with several occupants were seen.

The men fled into the thick vegetation, leaving behind three single-barrel shotguns.

The guns were retrieved.

The team travelled further up the Canje River at Wakie, Ekura Creek, where they descended on two more camps with six males. Five of the males were arrested and taken into custody while one man managed to escape.

A search of the camps revealed a 9mm pistol with three live rounds; two single-barrel shotguns and a quantity of processed cannabis. There were several cannabis plants ranging from one inch to three inches in height nearby.

The others held were Lloyd Samuel, 27, a labourer of Bagotstown, West Bank

Demerara, Damion Peters 33 of Pitt Street, New Amsterdam and a 15-year-old boy. They were initially on four charges each - possession of arms without being the holder of licence, possession of ammunition without being the holder of licence, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and cultivation of prohibited plants.

Samuel had pleaded guilty to three of the charges - possession of arms, possession of narcotics and cultivating of prohibited plants. He was sentenced to four years each on the first two charges and three years on the other charge, a total of 11 years which are to run consecutively. Peters subsequently pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition and was sentenced to four years in jail.

Dorway had initially claimed responsibility of the camp and items, but subsequently changed his story.

The court is to move against the drug dealers possessions.

Indigenous alphabet book completed –500 copies to be printed The much-anticipated Indigenous Arecuna alphabet book is finally completed.

This was disclosed by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe during an interview with the Department of Public Information.

The formulation of the Indigenous alphabet book forms part of the ministry’s aim to revive Indigenous languages across the country.

The completion of the publication coincides with the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages which is being observed this year.

Minister Garrido-Lowe said that the book will be launched on Stephen Campbell Day, September 10 which coincides with Indigenous Heritage Month.

The Arecuna alphabet has 22 letters and not 26 as is customary in the English alphabet. Both Indigenous elders and children were involved in the formulation of the alphabet. The children were responsible for the drawings representing each of the 22 letters.

“We chose the best to put in the alphabet book. It is finished, the illustrations looked quite good and we will be printing 500 copies,” the minister stated.

Additionally, it was highlighted that the ministry, in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority

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Kaieteur News

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe (GTA), will be publishing a handbook of common Indigenous phrases with English translations. Printing of the handbook will commence shortly and be distributed to tourists and government agencies.

The International Year of Indigenous Languages aims to focus attention on the risks confronting Indigenous languages across the globe, especially those significant for development, reconciliation, good governance and peacebuilding.

The sum of $36M was allocated in the 2019 National Budget to promote Guyana’s nine Indigenous Languages, through collaboration with

the UN’s Indigenous Peoples Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Some of the activities proposed throughout the year are a Language Revival Programme, Village Welcome Signboards to be erected at the entrance of each village in their respective language, Radio and Television programmes, a Children’s Book, a Tourist Hand Book, a Short Story competition, debates in four languages (Patamona, Akawaio, Wapishana and Makushi) at the Umana Yana, an Indigenous Food festival, a Calendar of Nations 2019 and establishment of an Indigenous Summer School.

(DPI)

Handyman remanded on robbery charges A 31-year-old man was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared in a city court where four charges of robbery underarms were read to him.

Cheddi Bacchus of 28 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The first charge stated that on May 12, 2019, at Cemetery Road, Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Basil Agard of a gold chain valued at $150,000 and a cellular phone valued at $10,000.

The second charge stated that on the said date and location, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Amid Ferguson of a Jialing motorcycle valued at $275,000, and a cell phone valued at $10,000 as well as $3000 in cash.

The third charge read that on the June 20, 2019 at Princes Street, Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Onika Hinds a gold chain valued at $46,000.

And the final charge stated that on the same date and location, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Ashanti Wilson of a LG cellular phone valued

$46,000, a gold chain valued $120,000 and a Anne Klein watch valued at $15,000.

Police prosecutor Seon Blackman made objections to bail being granted to the defendant based on the prevalence, nature and punishment the offence attracts. The prosecutor highlighted that dangerous weapons were used to commit the offences.

Added to that, the prosecutor said that Bacchus provided police with a confession statement.

“Officer is me and a friend went and he went up to the man and robbed him of his motorcycle, and carried it on Chapel Street in a yard and Im sorry for what happened,” Bacchus said to the court. However, the defendant denied that he ever gave the police any statement and that he was ever placed on an identification parade.

Bacchus, who was unrepresented, gave an explanation to the court stating, “Since last month to now, Corporal Singh always locking me up like he has an issue with me”. He further stated that Corporal Singh sat down in front of a computer and typed out four charges and then said he will “put me in jail”.

After listening to what the prosecutor had to say and the explanation that the defendant gave to the court, Principal Magistrate McGusty remanded him to prison until July 3.

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Thursday June 27, 2019

Thursday June 27, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Photo of drowned migrants triggers Dozens’ killed in foiled Ethiopia fight over Trump asylum clampdown coup attempt: regional government MATAMOROS, Mexico (Reuters) - A harrowing photo of a Salvadoran migrant and his young daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexico border became the focus on Wednesday of a U.S. political debate over President Donald Trump’s asylum policies.

The picture of Oscar Alberto Martinez, 25, and his 24-month-old daughter Angie Valeria put a renewed focus on the plight of refugees and migrants who are mostly from Central America. The pair had traveled from El Salvador and were seeking asylum in the United States.

U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called the image “horrific” and said the president’s migration clampdown made deaths more likely.

“Trump’s policy of making it harder and harder to seek asylum - and separating families who do - is cruel, inhumane and leads to tragedies like this,” he wrote on Twitter.

In turn, Trump blamed the Democrats, whom he said were blocking his government’s attempts at closing “loopholes” in U.S. law that encourage migrants to apply for U.S. asylum.

“If they fixed the laws you wouldn’t have that. People are coming up, they’re running through the Rio Grande,” he said, referring to the river known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico that forms a large part of the border between the two countries.

“They can change it very easily so people don’t come

up, and people won’t get killed,” Trump told reporters.

Record numbers of Central American migrants are reaching the United States this year despite a crackdown

by Trump. Many flee their homes in Central America to escape poverty, drought and high levels of criminal violence, much of it carried out by street gangs.

U.S. border patrol agents have apprehended 664,000 people along the southern border so far this year, a 144 percent increase from l a s t y e a r, s a i d B r i a n Hastings, chief of law enforcement operations for the U.S. Border Patrol.

“The system is overwhelmed,” he said.

To m a n a g e a s y l u m flows, the United States has in recent years implemented a system known as “metering” which puts daily limits on the number of asylum seekers processed at ports of entry, leading to weeks-long waiting lists in dangerous border towns.

The controls have contributed to growing numbers of migrants crossing the border illegally to hand themselves in to authorities and ask for asylum. Migrant rights activists say such limits on people’s access to asylum can put them in harm’s way, while driving migration underground and squeezing it into new routes.

Enrique Maciel, director of the migrant agency of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, said the Martinez family had decided to cross the river after being told they needed to

register for a waiting list to apply for asylum at the Matamoros-Brownsville port of entry.

Martinez’ mother on Wednesday told Reuters she had urged her son not to leave, fearing danger would meet him on the long journey north.

The photo of Martinez and his toddler daughter — face down in the mud on the river bank, with her arm draped around his neck — has gone viral on social media around the world.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, put the picture on its front page and Pope Francis expressed “immense sadness.”

Mr Martinez’s wife and t h e d a u g h t e r ’s m o t h e r, Tania Vanessa Ávalos, 21, said they had been living in Mexico for two months on a humanitarian visa, AP news agency reports.

Frustrated after being unable to present themselves to US officials and seek asylum, they had decided to cross the river.

Mr Martinez managed to get across with their daughter and set her down on the bank, then began returning for his wife, she told Mexican police. But alone on the riverbank, Valeria panicked and jumped in after her father.

He made it back to her but both were swept away by the river’s dangerous currents.

“I begged them not to go, but he wanted to scrape together money to build a home,” Rosa Ramírez, Óscar’s mother, told AP.

Bahamas welcomes “new impetus” to economic cooperation with United States NASSAU, Bahamas CMC – The Bahamas government says it welcomes the “new impetus” shown by the United States towards “greater economic cooperation between our nations” as Nassau marked the 243rd anniversary of independence in the North American country.

The official US Independence anniversary is July 4, but at a ceremony held at Albany on the western tip of New Providence, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said that the friendship between the two countries have prospered over the years.

“We once again celebrate the friendship and the enduring bond between our two sovereign independent nations. Our nations are linked

by geography and a history that predates the independence of the American colonies,” he said.

“But in addition to our physical proximity and the bonds of kinship, we share a proximity of values as democratic states. These values include an enduring commitment to self-determination and freedom, and the preservation of a treasury of democratic rights.

“These rights include: freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, which is under threat throughout the world,” he said, noting however that as with all values, they require eternal vigilance and ongoing perfection.

He said the shared interests and values resulted in the

re-establishment of the Fulbright Programme for Bahamian scholars and artists.

“I am pleased with the new impetus to foster greater economic cooperation between our nations. This includes the promotion of more US private and public investment in The Bahamas, including in infrastructure in our Family Islands.”

Earlier this year, the Bahamas, was among three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, whose leaders were invited to a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the ongoing economic and political situation in Venezuela where Washington is supporting opposition forces in a move to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power.

BAHIR DAR, Ethiopia (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed in fighting during a foiled coup by a rogue state militia in Ethiopia’s Amhara region at the weekend, the regional government spokesman said on Wednesday, the first official report of significant clashes.

The militia attacked the police headquarters, ruling party headquarters and president’s office — where they executed three top officials — in Amhara’s regional capital of Bahir Dar on Saturday, Asemahagh Aseres told Reuters on the sidelines of a state burial for the officials who were killed.

The militia was a recently formed unit of the region’s security services. It had appealed for others to join its take-over were rebuffed, Asemahagh said.

“They are part of our police. They are not independent,” he told Reuters. “(But) most of the forces were not with them. They defended (us) very well.”

The fact that the militia were state forces rather than

independent raises the stakes for the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has rolled out a package of economic and political reforms since taking office in April last year.

He has lifted a ban on political parties, released journalists, rebels and prisoners, and prosecuted officials accused of abuses. But his shake-up of the military and intelligence services has earned him powerful enemies.

His government is also struggling to contain discontent from Ethiopia’s myriad ethnic groups fighting the federal government and each other for greater influence and resources.

Outbreaks of ethnic violence have displaced around 2.4 million people, according to the United Nations.

The spokesman said the militia had detained him when it took over a guesthouse for government officials and also tried and failed to take over the region’s state media. He said the militia was then chased out of the city.

A journalist confirmed to Reuters that militia members had approached, but withdrawn without firing at the media building’s armed security. Regional state-run media has reported 13 deaths in the violence so far.

Reuters could not independently verify Asemahagh’s death toll, but two independent witnesses Reuters interviewed in a coffeehouse the night before confirmed the militia attacked the three targets he named.

Details of more deaths in a separate but possibly linked attack in a neighboring state also emerged on Wednesday.

Men in camouflage uniforms killed more than 50 people and injured 23 others in the Metakal zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz region early on Monday, the region’s peace and security bureau head Abera Bayeta told Reuters.

“We are still investigating but we have our suspicion that those attackers might be the same people who were involved in the coup in Amhara region,” he said.

Trump, without offering evidence, accuses Mueller of crimes WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, without offering evidence, on Wednesday directly accused former Special Counsel Robert Mueller of committing a crime, saying Mueller had illegally “terminated” FBI communications as part of his Russia investigation.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

“Mueller terminated them illegally. He terminated all of the emails. ... Robert Mueller terminated their text messages together. He terminated them.

They’re gone. And that’s illegal. That’s a crime,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network, referring to two former Federal Bureau of Investigation employees

who exchanged disparaging messages about the president.

Trump made the remarks ahead of Mueller’s scheduled testimony before lawmakers next month about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow.

The Republican president, who formally launched his re-election bid last week, repeatedly railed against Mueller’s probe during the two-year investigation and accused several of the team’s investigators of being Democrats targeting him.

He has also accused Mueller of having a business conflict of interest tied to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in

Florida, as well as for meeting with him early in Trump’s White House term about the possibility of leading the FBI a second time.

Mueller, who was subpoenaed, will testify about his report in front of the Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary and House Intelligence Committees on July 17. In his report released in April, Mueller found that Russia did meddle in the 2016 U.S. election but that the Trump campaign did not illegally conspire with Russia to influence the vote. He also laid out a number of instances where Trump had committed obstruction of justice but stopped short of concluding the president had committed a crime.

Grenada to benefit from UN-EU project ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC – The Grenada government has welcomed a decision by an international organisation to providing funding to the island in its efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Grenada is the only Eastern Caribbean country to receive funding from the Spotlight Project, which is a partnership between the European Union and the United Nations.

The island is expected to receive two million Euros (One Euro=US$1.29 cents) and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said his administration welcomes the grant funding from

the group.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the OECS, Didier Trebucq, said that there is a regional component that involves other countries but Grenada is the only OECS country to benefit.

Trebucq attributes this to the enabling environment that exists which increases the potential to maximise the impact of the project and described it as an opportunity to deepen cooperation, given the already solid partnership between Grenada and the United Nations.

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Opposition legislator loses legal challenge to prevent Parliament debating report P O RT O F S PA I N , Trinidad - CMC – High Court Judge Jacqueline Wilson yesterday refused to grant an interim injunction to opposition legislator, Dr. Roodial Moonilal, aimed at preventing Parliament from debating a report in which he is a central figure.

Moonilal had sought the Court to grant the injunction pending the hearing and outcome of a constitutional motion he had filed against the constitution of the Privileges Com-

mittee to which he had been referred.

Moonilal had, during the budget debate in October last year, had made a statement in which he said someone with the alias “Snake” would harm the Minister in the Office of the Attorney General Fitzgerald Hinds.

“Snake have lead (gunshot) for you,’ Moonilal said, during the cross talk in the legislative chamber.

‘Snake, whose real name is Richard Marcelle, was identified as the per-

Russia withdraws military ‘technicians’ from Venezuela - Embassy Moscow (AFP) - Russia was withdrawing its military “technicians” from crisisstricken Venezuela yesterday, the Caracas embassy said, as President Vladimir Putin gears up for talks with US leader Donald Trump later this week.

The move comes three months after Moscow drew US ire by deploying around 100 military experts in Venezuela after Washington indicated it could use force to oust beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro, a Russian ally. “The Il-62 plane which is carrying Russian technicians who have been in Venezuela over the past months… is leaving Caracas for Moscow on June 26,” the Russian embassy in Caracas said in a post on Facebook.

An embassy press attaché told AFP “one plane” was eparting for Moscow, declining to explain the timing of the move or provide any other comments.

In the statement, the embassy sought to play down the nature of cooperation as “fairly routine maintenance work”, saying it would continue. “Russia delivered to Venezuela high-level equipment that requires regular maintenance. Furthermore,

Russian specialists provided technical training to Venezuelan staff”,” the embassy said.

“Unlike reported, it was not a Russian military presence but the fulfillment of maintenance contracts, without any purpose of destabilisation.”

Russian experts are leaving Venezuela as Russia’s Putin is gearing up for talks with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan tomorrow.

In March, Moscow sent around 100 experts and equipment to Caracas, where Russian mercenaries are also believed to be operating.

Moscow said at the time that they will remain in the country “for as long as needed.” The highly publicised move was seen as a show of support for Maduro, who has been locked in a months-long power struggle with opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In January, Guaido declared himself acting president, claiming Maduro’s reelection last year was illegitimate. More than 50 countries led by the United States lined up behind national assembly head Guaido, but Russia and China have backed Maduro.

son charged with assaulting Hinds during an incident in the Beetham Gardens last year.

After he made the statement, Moonilal was referred to the Privileges Committee by the Speaker of the House, Bridgid Annisette-George. But on February 4, he filed a constitutional motion, claiming the committee infringed his constitutional right to a fair hearing; challenging the authority of the House to appoint temporary or substitute members to the committee; and seeking an injunction against the committee continuing hearings.

In the constitutional

motion, he is seeking to have the court declare that the committee was in fact improperly constituted.

The motion came up for hearing at the High Court on February 5, the same day that hearings of the committee on the issue were to take place.

The Speaker ruled that given the court matter, she was giving an undertaking that the hearings will be adjourned pending the outcome of Moonilal’s constitutional claim.

However, the investigation into Moonilal subsequently recommenced. The report of the Privileges Committee said the under-

taking was given for the hearings to be adjourned on the basis that the constitutional motion would have been dealt with in an expeditious manner.

The Committee had called for Moonilal to apologise to Hinds.

Moonilal told reporters on Tuesday that while he no problem with apologising to Hinds, the current issue went deeper than just issuing an apology.

‘I Roodal Moonilal am not above the law. This is not just a simple matter about apologising to Mr Hinds or not apologising to Mr Hinds. I have no diffi-

culty apologising to Mr Hinds. In Parliament, we always apologise for what we said, what we do. That’s a run-of-the-mill type of thing, so it is not an issue as to whether you apologise or not.

‘There are serious and deeper issues here as to the rule of law as to constitutional rights and protection of those rights. The court is where you come to assert and protect your constitutional rights, not the Parliament,’ he said then.

Given the High Court ruling, the report of the Privileges Committee will be laid in Parliament later on Wednesday.

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Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

AG wants life sentence for gun crimes

Police officers with guns they found Trinidad Express - Attorney General FarisAl-Rawi has piloted legislation which imposes life imprisonment for gun-related offences.

The Firearms (Amendment) Bill targets repeat offenders and persons with three convictions will suffer jail for life.

Firearm-related fines have also been increased up to $1 million.“If you are going to prosper in gang activity, if you are going to transfer firearms

to people, if you are going rent a gun out as reputed in this country, if you have been caught on three occasions, you ought to forfeit your rights and privileges in this country,” said Al-Rawi.

He pointed out that in countries such as Singapore the sentence is death.

The AG said the Bill speaks to a new provision for trafficking of firearms.

He said the police have found high-powered weapons in many parts of Trinidad and Tobago.

Al-Rawi said a person who has in his possession two or more firearms or prohibited weapons commits the offence of trafficking. He said the Bill imposes a burden on the accused to prove his innoc e n c e . A p e r s o n f o und guilty of this offence is liable: (a) on summary conviction for a first offence to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for 15 years; or (b) on conviction on indictment for a first offence to imprisonment for 20 years; (c) on conviction on indictment for a second offence to imprisonment for 25 years; and (d) on conviction on indictment for a third or any subsequent offence to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.

The AG provided figures from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) to justify the increased fines and sen-

tences.

He said firearms seized in the last ten years, between 2009 to 2019, totalled 6,387.

Al-Rawi said of this figure, the numbers of machine guns and high-powered weapons have been increasing in the past few years. He said there is a prevalence of hundreds of highpowered weapons.

The AG said the reports of firearm-related offences for this same period totalled 17,363. The number of arrests for possession of firearms was 5,391. Al-Rawi went further to state that from 2015 to June 2019, there were 1,679 murders that were gun-related.

He said 638 of these were gang-related.

He further disclosed that in remand there are currently 354 inmates who are charged with firearm-related offences.

In the prisons, he said, there are 246 who have been convicted for firearmrelated offences and of those 37 are repeat offenders.

The AG said the figures for w o u n d ings and shootings are in the thousands.

Al-Rawi said legislation speaks to no bail for persons with high-powered weapons.

“You have no reason on this good planet to find yourself in possession of an AK47, of high-powered weapons and sub-machine guns, and be asking a court for bail,” he said.

St. Lucia complains of steady migration of trained nurses CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – Health authorities here are expressing concern over the steady departure of nurses for employment opportunities overseas.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Felix St Hill, speaking on a radio programme here, said an average of two nurses quit the health service on a weekly basis severely affecting primary and secondary health care. “The fact is that in the past we used to get one or two nurses per month, but now it is almost like one or two nurses per week,” St Hill said, adding that like other Caribbean and small developing countries, St. Lucia is facing the problem of the migration of nurses.

“But I think the good thing about St. Lucia is that

we have a number of nurses who are unemployed,” he said, recalling that an estimated 175 nurses had been trained in Cuba in recent time.

“These nurses, while quite a number of them have been employed, there is still a large number that has been unemployed. So what we do is as soon as we get the issue of the resignation of the nurses, we send recommendations to the public service commission for replacement of those nurses almost seamlessly.”

“As soon as I get resignations from two nurses and we send that to the Public Service Commission to say that these nurses have resigned and we need to replace them, then we get a resignation from another two,” he told radio listeners.

According to St Hill, this is not only affecting the secondary care unit at Victoria Hospital, the island’s main public health institution, but also the primary care unit where there are 33 wellness centres throughout the Island.

He said that local nurses, including experienced ones, are opting to take up employment in the developed countries rather than stay at home.

St Hill said the conditions of service and the salaries offered must be more attractive in order to lure them, noting however that the problem is not limited to the labour market for nurses.

“This is probably affecting all kinds of professions within the Caribbean,” the senior official in the Ministry said.

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

IOC approves exclusion of boxing body from Tokyo 2020 Games LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee yesterday officially took over the boxing qualification and competition for next year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics and suspended international boxing federation AIBA following a vote at its session.

The IOC voted unanimously to implement a recommendation of its executive board to oust troubled AIBA from the Tokyo 2020 Games over issues surrounding its finances and governance and suspend the body until the issues are resolved.

AIBA has been in turmoil over its finances and governance for years with the federation $16 million in debt and

an ongoing bitter battle over the presidency that has split the body internally.

Serbian IOC member Nenad Lalovic, who heads an IOC task force to look into the ties with AIBA, earlier on yesterday delivered a damning report to the IOC session, saying the association could reach a debt of as much as $29 million.

He also said AIBA had failed to reform at the top of the organization.

AIBA president Gafur Rahimov suspended himself from the post in March because of his presence on an U.S. Treasury Department sanctions list “for providing material support” to a criminal organization. The Uzbek

strongly denies the allegations.

Rahimov’s presence on that sanctions list was extremely damaging to the IOC though he has been replaced on an interim basis by Mohamed Moustahsane.

“It exposes the IOC and its commercial partners to unacceptable reputational, legal and financial risks,” Lalovic said.

He said AIBA’s debt meant money would not go to sports and the athletes in the future and the organization still faced problems with refereeing.

START FROM SCRATCH Among those voting in favor of the exclusion was

Guest are seen in front of the Olympic House, the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters, after the inauguration ceremony in Lausanne, Switzlerland June 23, 2019 ahead of the decision on 2026 Winter Games host. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS) former AIBA President CK Wu, who was Rahimov’s pre-

Thursday June 27, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may feel extra dreamy today, Aries. Your moods may fluctuate. It may be hard to get other people to share your boisterous good humor.

Trying to get people to jump on your bandwagon of excitement may be difficult.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Don't get sad if no one is laughing at your jokes today, Libra. It doesn't mean you aren't funny. It just means that people may not be in the mood to laugh.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Pay close attention to your friends today, Taurus. One of them may be going through a tough time and need a little extra support and attention.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't be shy today, Scorpio.

Express how you feel. The more you share with others, the more they will be encouraged to share themselves with you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your artistic nature is especially heightened today, Gemini. Your heart and brain are working together to create something great. Use your creative abilities to make a bold statement.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Nothing will escape your attention today, Cancer. Your sixth sense is right on target.

Your mind is razor sharp and emotions extra sensitive. You will move through this day with your radar fully intact.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may feel like you're ready to get the party started today, Leo, but for some reason, the people around you aren't exactly following suit. Perhaps you need to slow down and wait for others to catch up.

They may end up not coming around at all.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Don't worry so much about getting things done today, Virgo. Instead, concentrate on your feelings and relationships.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Hold your temper today, Sagittarius. No one wants to argue. It may be tough to connect with the people around you, but this isn't a reason to get upset. Tone things down and speak more softly. Listen to what others have to say.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Today is an excellent day for you, Capricorn. You will discover many opportunities.

You would do well to work with others by tuning into your sensitive nature and chiming in to the energy of the group.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today is a good day for you, Aquarius. New opportunities will abound in your regular routine. Work with a group to accomplish something greater than you could do by yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your intuition is more reliable than your mind today, Pisces.

This is a terrific day in which you should enjoy a good mood and clear head.

decessor before stepping down in 2017 after a bitter dis-

pute with his own executive committee.

“I think that today... all members of the AIBA Executive Committee will understand that we need to unite and say goodbye to the old,” AIBA executive committee member Umar Kremlev said in a statement.

“Everyone guilty of what brought AIBA to this, must confess, apologize to the boxing community and leave. Our task, as members of the AIBA executive committee, is to unite, to accept early reforms and to start everything from scratch together to bring boxing back to a high level.”

AIBA largely depends on Olympic Games revenues to survive between Games and has started letting people go as a result of its Olympic exclusion.

The sport’s governing body will discuss the IOC decision at its executive committee meeting on Thursday.

Japanese IOC member Morinari Watanabe, president of the international gymnastics federation, heads the task force to organize qualifiers and the Tokyo Games competition.

The IOC will almost treble the number of women boxers in Tokyo to 100, up from 36 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Men’s numbers will be reduced from 250 to 186 with the total of 286 boxers remaining identical from Rio. There will be four regional qualifiers — Africa, Europe, Asia/Oceania and Americas — between January and April 2020 while hosts Japan can directly qualify four men and two women.

A final Olympic qualifying event will probably be held in May next year to allow athletes a second chance to qualify, the IOC has said.

PAGE 30

BCB 2nd Brian Ramphal Awards Ceremony RHTYSC, MS Patron Funds donates $200,000 worth of cricket balls and rain coats to Clubs The ten Cricket Teams of Guyana’s most active youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS on Sunday 23rd June, 2019, continued to make a positive contribution to the promotion of sports.

The teams under the RHTYSC Patron’s Fund donated $200,000 worth of cricket balls and rain coats to thirteen clubs and groundsmen at the Albion and Port Mourant Cricket Grounds.

The Patron’s Fund is a programme under which the cricket teams of the RHTYSC make a positive difference in tribute to its Patron His Excellency President David Granger on his birthday. The president on the 15th July, 2019 would be celebrating his 74th Birthday and the Club

would be sharing out about $2M worth of cycles, school bags, cricket balls and cricket bats to youths across Berbice.

The Club with support from Mr. Suresh Jagmohan of S. Jagmohan Construction and his brother Joe Jagmohan of International Imports donated $150,000 of cricket balls which were shared out to the Clubs under the Patron’s Fund.

The Clubs receiving the balls were Albion Cricket Club, Fyrish Cricket Club, No. 73 Young Warriors, No. 72 Cut and Load, Rose Hall Tigers, Toopoo, Tamarind Root, Belvedere United, Tain Block 4, Big Star, Albion Open and East Bank Blazers. The groundsmen at the Albion Community Centre and the Port Mourant Ground also benefitted from a donation of

rain coats to assist them during the rainy season.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC, MS Hilbert Foster who is also the President of the Berbice Cricket Board stated that one of the main objectives is to assist every Club in Berbice with a box of balls for the 2019 Cricket Season.

The Berbice Cricket

Federer seeded No. 2, Nadal No. 3 at Wimbledon; Serena 11th WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Eight-time champion Roger Federer was seeded No. 2 for Wimbledon, one spot ahead of Rafael Nadal, reversing their positions in the ATP rankings and creating a debate about whether the All England Club’s seeding system should be changed.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, was seeded No. 1 yesterday at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, where recent results on the surface are used to help determine seedings. The other majors do not do that.

Nadal told a Spanish TV station that he doesn’t think it makes sense that Wimbledon is the only tournament that uses its own seeding system. Former U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe and former player and coach Brad Gilbert tweeted that they thought Nadal should have been seeded No. 2.The ATP’s top 32 men are seeded at Wimbledon, but the order is based on a formula that gives players additional credit for ranking points earned at tournaments played on grass over the preceding two years.

That allowed Federer, who won his 10th title at Halle, Germany, last week, to jump ahead of Nadal, who potentially could have to beat both Djokovic and Federer to win what would be his third championship at Wimbledon.

Nadal is coming off his

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Swiss Roger Federer hits a backhand in the tennis ATP final against Belgium David Goffin in Halle, Germany, Sunday, June 23, 2019. (Friso Gentsch/dpa via AP) record 12th title at the French Open, which is played on clay, and he did not enter any sort of tuneup event on grass this year. He rarely does.

While Nadal did reach the Wimbledon final in five consecutive appearances in the tournament from 2006-11, he had not been so successful of late until a run to the semifinals last year. From 2012-17, Nadal never made it past the fourth round at the All England Club, including one exit in the first round and a pair in the second.

There were other examples of shifts from rankings to seedings. Last year’s runnerup, Kevin Anderson, was seeded No. 4, even though he is ranked only No. 8 this week; 2018 semifinalist John

Isner is seeded No. 9, ranked No. 12; 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic is seeded No. 13, ranked No. 18.This year’s women’s seedings at the All England Club strictly follow the WTA rankings, so French Open champion Ash Barty is at No. 1.Naomi Osaka is No. 2, followed by Karolina Pliskova.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is seeded 11th, the same place she holds in this week’s rankings. A year ago, early in her return to the tour after having a baby, Williams was ranked just 183rd but seeded 25th.

She wound up reaching the final before losing to champion Angelique Kerber.

The draw is Friday; play begins Monday.

Board, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and former BCB President Anil Beharry last year assisted over 80 clubs with $1M worth of balls and Foster stated that for 2019, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has already assisted 33 clubs with balls. Beharry and Foster would both spearhead the raising of the remaining funds to assist the other clubs.

The energetic President

RHTYSC Executives Robby Kissoonlall and Keith Hicks posed with representatives of the Clubs after receiving the balls.

also informed the gathering that before the end of the third quarter of 2019, Clubs would receive assistance in form of water pitchers and white T/ Shirts.

The Berbice Cricket Board with the support of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has already assisted dozens of clubs with trophies, medals, prizes, stumps and score books. In its developmental programme as well, the Berbice Cricket

Board would also stand the cost of coaches for major clubs in Berbice to host cricket Academies during the August holidays.

The Berbice Cricket Board is also making attempts to obtain large pitch covers that would be stored at the Albion Ground.

The ten cricket teams would like to express gratitude to Suresh and Joe Jagmohan for the sponsorship of the balls.

FIFA defends VAR ahead of women’s World Cup quarter-finals PARIS (Reuters) - FIFA yesterday defended its VAR review system, saying referees had reached a 98% accuracy rate in decision-making during the group stage of the women’s World Cup in France.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has made a controversy-filled debut in the women’s game at World Cup level, baffling players and coaches, and frustrating fans.

Scotland and Nigeria exited the tournament after their opponents were awarded penalty retakes when VAR ruled their goalkeepers had stepped centimeters off their line. When France knocked out Brazil in the last 16, three goals were disallowed following reviews.

Cameroon’s players were so indignant at the VAR interventions during their match against England that they appeared to stop playing on several occasions. A competitive Japan side went out in the last 16 after a controversial penalty decision.

A French sports newspaper described VAR’s interventions as “incomprehensible”.

“VAR cannot be blind, cannot ignore,” said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee. “If you have a tool that offers you the possibility to check, you have to check.”

The logo of FIFA is seen in front of its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland September 26, 2017. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann) Although it has no power of adjudication, VAR’s viewing ability enables minor infractions — sometimes imperceptible to the human eye, Collina admitted — to impact a game.

FIFA says that without VAR the group-stage accuracy rate would be a less impressive 92.51 percent and officials have expressed surprise at the anger directed at the system.

“We can never be perfect.

No one player, no one coach is perfect,” Massimo Busacca, Head of FIFA’s Refereeing Department, said yesterday. “We are not perfect.

What’s the problem?”

At a similar point in last year’s men’s World Cup – the first time the video replay system was used in the global showpiece event — FIFA celebrated a major controversyfree tournament, thanks in large part to VAR. FIFA said 99.3 percent of

match-changing plays — those leading to goals, penalties, red cards or instances of mistaken identity — were called correctly in Russia, a number that would have been 95 percent without the observational power of VAR. But it has been a different story at the women’s tournament and questions have been raised over the lack of exposure women players have had to the system and the training women referees received before the tournament.

No women’s leagues have implemented VAR, and referees attended only four FIFAorganized seminars.

Still, Collina refuted the idea world soccer’s ruling body was still testing the technology.“We are not experimenting,” said the Italian who refereed the 2002 men’s World Cup final. “We are simply implementing the laws of the game.”

Thursday June 27, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Azam century leads Pakistan to victory over New Zealand BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Babar Azam’s patient unbeaten century guided Pakistan to a sixwicket victory over New Zealand yesterday and revived their hopes of reaching the Cricket World Cup semifinals.

New Zealand, unbeaten in their first six games of the tournament, remained second in the standings behind Australia and should still make the last four comfortably, while Pakistan are now only one point behind hosts England.

“Whenever we are in a corner we play our best, it was a great team effort,” Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said.

“All the bowlers bowled well and there was some of the finest batting I have ever seen. Babar played one of the best innings I have ever seen.

They handled the pressure so well.”

The match was delayed

by overnight rain and New Zealand collapsed to 46-4 after deciding to bat.

Captain Kane Williamson steadied the ship with a gritty 41 before Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 132 which lifted the Black Caps to a respectable total.

Neesham struck three sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 97 and De Grandhomme made 64.

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman fell cheaply to Trent Boult and Imam-ul-Haq was brilliantly caught by a diving Martin Guptill off Lockie Ferguson for 19 but Azam and Mohammad Hafeez steered Pakistan to 110-2.

Hafeez departed for 32 but Haris Sohail joined Azam and the pair calmly added 126 to take their side to the brink of victory before Sohail was run out by Guptill for 68.

Pakistan’s Babar Azam celebrates his century against New Zealand to propel Pakistan to victory. (Action Images via Reuters/ Andrew Boyers)

Pakistan’s Haris Sohail is tapped on the head by Sarfaraz Ahmed as he walks off after losing his wicket. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers) Azam held his nerve, however, and guided Pakistan to their target with five balls to spare.

The 1992 world champions play Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their last two

group games and will be confident of making the last four while England will be sweating as they prepare for difficult matches against India and New Zealand.

“We are not thinking

BCB and Region 6 RDC honours Isaiah Thorne and Rampersaud Ramnauth

Regional Chairman David Armogan presents the bat to Rampersaud Ramnauth.

Regional Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop presents the bat to Isaiah Thorne.

“Both of you have made us proud to be Berbicians and you are following in the footsteps of numerous cricketing legends. We are very confident that you would uphold the high tradition set by Kanhai, Trim, Butcher, Solomon and Fredericks. As you leave to represent the West Indies Under15 Team, I would like to urge you to be discipline, hard working, dedicated to always remain humble.

Remember the people who assisted you along the way, be kind to everyone and most importantly have faith in the God you believe in”.

Those were the inspiring words of President Hilbert Foster at the 2nd Annual Awards Ceremony of the Berbice Cricket Board as the Board honoured West Indies Under-15 selectee Isaiah Thorne and Rampersaud Ramnauth.

The Berbice Cricket Board joined hands with the Regional Democratic Council of Region 6 to honour the two young Berbicians who would be leaving shortly for England. Foster sternly advised the youths to be discipline at all times of their lives, to be humble and not to let fame get the better of them.

Noting that Berbice is known across the cricketing legends, he urged the attentive duo to always fly the flag of the Ancient County high at all times. Foster pledged the Berbice Cricket Board assistance in every step of the players career and stated that under his leadership, every youth in Berbice would be given the opportunity to fulfill his/her full potential inspite of race, creed or status.

Regional Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop stated that the Regional Democratic Council was pleased to work along with the Berbice Cricket Board as it was a perfect example of how a sports organisation should operate. Cricket, he stated is now one of the top financial earner for athletes and he urged Thorne and Ramnauth to grab their opportunities with both hands.

Regional Chairman David Armogan in a passionate speech recalled speaking to Indian Superstar Amitabh Bachan during his visit to Guyana and Bachan telling him that he only knew of Guyana because of Rohan Kanhai. Like the two other speakers, Armogan spoke of the importance of discipline and culture of being humble.

The Regional Democratic Council, the Regional Chairman said would continue to invest heavily in Sports as it was a safe avenue for youths.

He told the packed Port Mourant Community Centre Hall that the Berbice Cricket Board was privileged to have Hilbert Foster as its President because like King Midas, everything and projects he touches turned to gold.

Both West Indies selectees received a cricket bat valued at $30,000 each from the RDC. Ramnauth during the ceremony also won the BCB Under-13 Player of the Year, while Thorne took home the Most Promising Male Player Award. Both Players expressed gratitude to the Berbice Cricket Board and Regional Democratic Council for the bats, while they also pledged to make Berbice very proud of them.

about 1992, we are going match by match,” Sarfaraz said.Williamson was not too despondent after his team’s first loss of the tournament.

“The surfaces in the last three games have been difficult and we were outplayed on a tough surface by a strong side,” he said.

“We were right in it but

their batsmen played beautifully well and took the game away from us. There are so many games in the round robin you can’t win them all.”

Scores: Pakistan 241 for 4 (Babar 101*, Sohail 68) beat New Zealand 237 for 6 (Neesham 97*, de Grandhomme 64, Shaheen Afridi 3-28) by six wickets.

Russell undergoes successful surgery

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell.

MANCHESTER, England, CMC – Beleaguered West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell successfully underwent corrective surgery here yesterday to address the long-standing injury to his troublesome left knee, which earlier this week ruled him out of the ongoing World Cup. The 31-year-old, who has suffered with the problem in recent years, is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks but remains hopeful of returning to full fitness in time for India’s tour of the Caribbean starting in August.

He will now return to Jamaica to undergo rehabilitation in preparation for upcoming assignments, including the Caribbean Premier League starting in September.

Russell entered the World Cup on the back of an outstanding Indian Premier League where he scored 510

runs at an average of 56 and grabbed 11 wickets, but played only four of West Indies’ six matches before being replaced by batsman Sunil Ambris.

He was in visible discomfort in each match, repeatedly leaving the field for treatment during bowling spells. Overall, his impact was negligible, snatching two wickets for four runs in a hostile threeover spell in the side’s opening win over Pakistan in Nottingham, but finished with just five wickets from 19 overs.His batting, for which he was mainly selected, yielded 36 runs from three innings.

He left a West Indies campaign at perhaps its lowest ebb, the Caribbean side managing just one win to be eighth in the standings on three points, with just three matches remaining.

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Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

West Indies legend Lara discharged Tuschen overcome Goed Fortuin from Mumbai hospital to win Region 3 female final AFP - West Indies batting legend Brian Lara was given the all-clear and discharged from a Mumbai hospital yesterday, a day after he was admitted because of chest pains.

“He was discharged at 12:00 pm (0630 GMT). His condition is normal,” a spokesman for the hospital told AFP. Lara was rushed to hospital on Tuesday in India’s financial capital where he is currently working for Star Sports, the official broadcasters of the ongoing cricket World Cup. The 50-year-old Trinidadian underwent an angiography “as a precaution”, he said. “His health is good,” he added.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle wished Lara a “speedy recovery” from Manchester where the team will play their World Cup game against India on Thursday.

“We are wishing him well. Although I don’t know what transpired with Brian,” Gayle told reporters at Old Trafford yesterday.

“But like I say we wish him well. Hopefully he’ll have a speedy recovery and get him back on the puck as soon as possible,” said Gayle.Lara released an audio recording on Tuesday night in which he said he was “fine”.

“I may have just extended myself in the gym this morning,” he said, thanking people for their concern.

He added that he was “chilling” in his

Nigel Hope presents the winning prize to the victorious Tuschen girls team.

Brian Lara was rushed to hospital in Mumbai earlier in the week with chest pains.

(AFP/File / Noah Seelam) hospital bed watching the England versus Australia match and joked that he hoped Australia would win.“Not a big fan of England,” he said.

Australia went on to thump England by 64 runs to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals.One of the best batsmen of all time, Lara holds two world records — the highest Test score of 400 not out, and the highest first class knock of 501 that he scored in the English county championship in 1994.

The former skipper retired in 2007 after a dismal West Indies campaign in the World Cup.

Gayle to face India in ODIs MANCHESTER, England, CMC – Talismanic opener Chris Gayle has rescinded his One-Day International retirement and will now be available to face India in a threematch series in the Caribbean this August.

He made the announcement here yesterday, four months after indicated the ongoing ICC World Cup would be his swansong from the ODI format.

“My plans are for the World Cup. Maybe a Test match against India and then I’ll play, definitely play the ODIs against India,” he told media here ahead of today’s contest against India at Old Trafford.

“I won’t play the T20s.

That’s my plan after World Cup.” India play West Indies in two Tests, three ODIs and three T20 Internationals from August 3-30.

Gayle, who turns 40 in September, is West Indies’ most experienced player at the World Cup. He has played 295 ODIs and scored 10 345 runs, along with 25 hundreds.

He played the last of his 103 Tests five years ago and has amassed 7 214 runs with 15 hundreds at an average of 42. Significantly, Gayle is one of just four players in the history of the game with two triple hundreds.

Reflecting on an illustrious career, Gayle abandoned all modesty as he placed himself among the greats.

“I’m definitely up there.

Tuschen defeated Goed Fortuin by nine wickets to win the female final of the Region three leg of the AL Sport and Tour Promotion National Sports Commission 22nd Annual End of School Year “Edward Cobenna Memorial” Primary Schools five-over Windball Cricket Champions Trophy which was contested recently at the National Gymnasium.

Goed Fortuin batted first

and scored 63-3 with Chiyedza Heywood scoring 38 including five sixes.

Tuschen replied with 65-1; player of the final Jezzel Chichester struck nine fours and in a top score of 36 while Julia Allicock and Daniela Williams contributed 10 each.

Meanwhile, in Georgetown zone Saint Pius and Saint Margaret’s played to a tie. Saint Margaret’s after been invited to bat made 52-5

while Saint Pius responded with 52-3; Tehannam Mendonca made 20.

In another fixture, St. Pius scored 91-0; Telrsha Taylor made 48 and Keystal Archer got 37. Ketley were restricted to 65-2, in reply. Tattianna Gordon , Tia Fowler and Ommianna Vanderhyden scored 12 runs a piece.

The Georgetown zone continues on Monday 10:30am.

As expected, Kevin Durant reportedly opts out of contract with Warriors Chris Gayle reacts during West Indies’ loss to New Zealand in the ICC World Cup last Saturday.

I’m definitely up there with the greats without a doubt,” he said.

“Like I say, I enjoy each and every moment of West Indies, playing for West Indies. It’s still not the end. I still have a few games to go.

Maybe another series to go – who knows? We’ll see what happens.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs. I’ve got to say I really enjoy each and every moment but we share some quality moments with some quality players as well. I started my career with the likes of Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose. You watch them on TV and you realize they’re in the dressing room, it’s just a bunch of guys.

“And Brian Lara, the first captain as well, Carl Hooper.

So it’s some quality moments when you look back on it. I’ll have to analyse it and give you full details, a better ex-

clusive interview on that particular moment and then you can take it further. But like I said, I could not have had a better career as a player representing the West Indies.”

Over the last decade, Gayle has also become the face of shortest format and is currently the leading run-getter with nearly 13 000 runs from 384 matches with 21 hundreds.

However, he said his exploits in Test and one-day cricket had been the stellar moments in his career to date.

“Two triple centuries in Test cricket – those two will definitely be on top,” he said.

“A double century in the World Cup as well – those are a couple of the moments to come up with at this particular time, but there’s a lot more to actually talk about. If I get into detail it will be a long list, to be honest with you but I’ll stick with those for now.”

NBC Sports - I can give you 6.7 million reasons this was going to happen, no matter what Kevin Durant decided to do this summer.

Durant has opted out of the $31.5 million final year of his contract with the Warriors, clearing the way to sign a $38.2 new max contract with the Warriors or someone else in July, something first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Durant had to do this to maximize his earnings. Since coming to the Warriors, he has always signed short deals, both to give himself options and leverage, and to keep making the new, higher maximum when the salary cap went up.

While Durant tore his Achilles that dynamic didn’t change. He still has multiple teams lined up to offer him max contracts, and whether he signs for four years with another team or five with the Warriors, or takes another shorter deal, his new starting salary will be $38.2 million.

Durant, along with Kawhi Leonard, will be one of the franchise-changing players

Kevin Durant

whose decision will shape both the balance of power in the NBA and this summer’s free agency. All season long, most around the league thought he was going to be a New York Knick, but that dynamic seems to have changed. He could re-sign with the Warriors (although there appears to be some issues in his camp, and maybe with Durant, on how the Achilles injury went down after Warriors’ doctors told him all he could do was reinjure his calf). Brooklyn has

emerged as a possible destination, and the Clippers were always in the conversation on some level. Durant’s camp is playing this close to the vest right now and may take multiple meetings.

Durant is going to be in the spotlight again this summer, as he was a few years back when the Warriors players and management went to the Hamptons to convince him to come West. Opting out of his contract was just the first step in making that happen.

Thursday June 27, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey C/Ship

Branford bangs home 11 goals in massive Hikers’ win

T

uesday evening’s matches of the 2019 Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey Championships witnessed the first showing of the mighty PEPSI Hikers who amassed the highest total of goals for a single match with 21 to signal a real threat to their opposition.

Apart from the Hikers, GCC and Saints also had productive evenings in both the male and female competitions.

The PEPSI Hikers, boasting a plethora of senior national players, seemed to be on cruise control as they crafted goal after goal against the junior YMCA OFHC Champs. The Champs began with a 12-goal handicap, the Hikers would pull within two by the half and then continued their dominance in the second half en route to a victory of 21 goals to 12. Prolific striker Aroydy Branford was the standout of the match in terms of goals as his total of 11 in a single game is unmatched for the tournament so far.

A fit and fast YMCA OFHC Top Form indeed

seemed to be in top form as they took on the seasoned Hikers Generals.

Top Form beginning on a 5-goal handicap to the Generals 9, they would first need to make up a four goal deficit to draw even. Top Form earned a penalty corner in just the second minute of play which was converted with much aplomb by marksman Omar Hopkinson in what seemed like the beginning of a long and difficult match for the Generals.

The seasoned Generals, led by former national Devin Munroe, stemmed the tide and held Top Form scoreless for the rest of the half. The second half of play seemed a carbon copy of the first as Hopkinson slammed home a second penalty corner goal two minutes after resumption but was unable to produce any further goals for the match. The final outcome saw the Generals stroll off with a 9-7 victory.

GCC Vintage chalked up their second win of the competition by defeating the YMCA OFHC Pacesetters by

15 – 13. While Vintage enjoyed a five goal handicap, they still needed six goals just to draw even with the Pacesetters with a handicap of eleven goals. Veterans Dwayne Scott and Alan Fernandes led the charge for Vintage who made up the deficit before the end of the first half and cruised to victory in the second.

The ladies competition saw two close matches with the unbeaten GBTI GCC Spice with a zero handicap facing the Bingo Spartans with five goals.

From the opening whistle, the Tigers applied pressure on their junior opponents and Dacia Woodroffe’s opening penalty corner goal in the fifth minute signalled their intent to win.

The highly contested match between the two undefeated sides saw their unbeaten records remain intact as the final score read 6-6.

The Saints ladies, with a five-goal handicap, took to the court for the first time in the other female matchup of the evening against the

GBTI GCC Tigers Striker Shebiki Baptiste in action against Jasmine Assanah of YMCA.

YMCA OFHC Bellatrix with a nine-goal handicap. Captain and national striker Tekeisha Deleon led from the front for

Saints scoring four goals for her side, while young speedster Charlia Webb added a single.

The five unanswered goals, the last of which came in the final minute, saw Saints edge the Bellatrix by 10 – 9.

Nigeria beat Guinea to book place in next round of Cup of Nations

Honduras leave Gold Cup with win against rival El Salvador

Guinea’s Ibrahim Kone and team mates look dejected after conceding their first goal. (REUTERS/Suhaib Salem)

Rublilio Castillo (#11) who scored the decisive goal for Honduras against El Salvador in the last game for both teams in Group C of Gold Cup on June 25th, 2019 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Honduras picked up a 4-0 win against rivals El Salvador on the final Group C matchday in front of 22,503 spectators at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

Felix Crisanto sent a warning shot from distance that was saved by El Salvador goalkeeper Henry Hernandez in the 31st minute.

On the opposite end of the field, Carlos Portillo had one of the best chances for El Salvador but was denied by Honduras keeper Luis Lopez in the 41st minute.

The teams went to their locker rooms scoreless at halftime.

Jorge Alvarez broke the deadlock with a rocket from the penalty arc to place Honduras in the lead in the 59th minute.

Rubilio Castillo doubled the lead in the 65th minute with a clinical finish inside the box.

Bryan Acosta received a long ball that he would convert into a third goal for Honduras in the 75th minute.

Emilio Izaguirre drove in the fourth goal of the night in the 90th minute to cap off the night.

With his 19th Gold Cup appearances, Maynor Figueroa passed Boniek Garcia for most matches by a Honduran national in the tournament.

The result signifies El Salvador’s exit from the tournament gives and Curacao’s first appearance in the knockout stage. (Courtesy of ConcacafGo.com)

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Nigeria became the first side to advance to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday as they beat Guinea 1-0, having taken more than an hour to break the deadlock for the second straight match.

Nigeria centre back Kenneth Omeruo scored the only goal of the game after 73 minutes, rising unchallenged to head home a corner from Moses Simon at the Alexandria Stadium.

It was Nigeria’s second Group B win from two games, but was another testing encounter after they beat Burundi 1-0 in their opener having taken 77 minutes to break down the resilient rookies.Nigeria’s six points guarantees progress to the last 16 after a major improve-

ment in their form from the opening game of the tournament.Nigeria changed their approach and sought to use the flanks with Simon on the right wing and Ahmed Musa on the left among five changes to the starting lineup made by coach Gernot Rohr.

The impact was almost immediate as Simon beat his marker to deliver an inviting square pass inside the second minute, but Alex Iwobi hesitated and the chance was lost.

Musa then gave notice of the threat he might pose with a surging run and delivery from which Odion Ighalo could have scored had his first touch not allowed the ball to bounce away from him.

Simon got away again down the right just after the half-hour mark, with Ighalo galloping up in tandem.

Simon did not deliver the pass, however, and chose to go on his own instead, hitting the side netting from a tight angle.

After the break, Iwobi’s shot forced a save from Guinea goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone, who was included in the team after coach Paul Put criticised the performance of Aly Keita in Guinea’s 2-2 draw with debutants Madagascar in their opening game.

Kone also punched away a free kick just after the hour mark from Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo.

Guinea’s Naby Keita started his first match since he suffered an adductor injury playing for Liverpool against Barcelona on May 1, but he was taken off after 70 minutes having received several knocks in the game.

PAGE 34

Thursday June 27, 2019

Kaieteur News

Golden Jaguars and Soca Warriors battle to 1-1 draw Guyana earn first points on debut at 2019 CGC Kansas, USA: Guyana’s Golden Jaguars have closed out its debut at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup in fine style by registering its first points in the prestigious tournament when they battled old rivals Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca Warriors” to a 1-1 draw yesterday afternoon at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

Urged on by a near-capacity crowd, inclusive of a few dozen Guyanese and Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde and Executive Member Dion Inniss, the Guyanese proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that they belong.

Neil Danns, the elder statesman of the Golden Jaguars at age 36 years, was again magical for Guyana when he broke the deadlock in the 54th minute with a well-orchestrated strike to beat Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o ’s custodian Adrian Foncette in the final match for both nations at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. The first half of what was billed as the Caribbean derby, the penultimate match in Group ‘D’ action between the

neighbours, was locked at 00 as both sides moved the ball from end to end in the middle third mostly and were not too eager to take the attack into the final third at both ends.

Ball possession at the end of the half was shared 46% to 54% with the Twin-Island Republic enjoying the advantage.

The second half saw an increase in urgency by both teams, Guyana making two substitutions at the start, Anthony Jeffrey and Pernell Schultz were replaced by Callum Harriott and Brandon Beresford respectively.

The Guyanese, aiming to consolidate their advantage, made their final substitution in the 73rd minute when Sheldon Holder who had scored against the Twin Island Republic when the two sides met back in 2017 (that match ending 1-1) made way for Emery Welshman.

Trinidad, not being able to score in seven (7) previous matches, finally broke that through and equalized in the 80th minute compliments of a Kevin Molino goal. Guyana’s debutant in

Enterprise Legends softball team thank sponsors

Action in the Gold Cup contest between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago yesterday which ended 1-1. t h i s m atch, goalkeeper Quillian Roberts had a fantastic game pulling off some wonderful saves, three in the first half and played a pivotal role in Guyana’s debut at this level ending on a high.

Danns had a chance to

pull his country back into the lead late on but that was not to be even while being cheered on by the USA fans who were backing the ‘Golden Jaguars. Of note also was the fact that Guyana ended the group in third place

ahead of T&T with a better goal difference, both ending with a point each.

Guyana scored three goals and conceded nine while T&T scored a single goal and conceded 11.

Head Coach Michael

Johnson in his post-match press conference said that while he was disappointed with the result, he believes that it was a fantastic tournament for the team and it’s something to celebrate and enjoy.

Lewis stars as Ariel Masters lift Wayne Jones softball title

Enterprise Legends softball team has extended gratitude to its sponsors on the successful hosting of their softball competition which was held on Sunday last at Enterprise ground, East Coast Demerara.

The competition which attracted three teams; Savage Masters, Success Masters and Fisherman Masters was sponsored

by Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports, Enmore, High Performance Paint, Dave, Enterprise Legends and Hafeez Ally of Rockaway Auto Sale.

The competition was won by Fisherman Masters who made 121 in 15 overs in the final and restricted Success Masters for 110 in reply.

In the exhibition games, Enterprise batted first and made 81 in 10 overs, while Rockaway Masters replied with 76; Enterprise Legends overcome Strikers in their encounter.

National Senior Athletics...

From page 35 Guyanese athlete in the 100m, which is 10.29 seconds recently and we are very excited to see him go faster.”

Hutson also relayed that while the event is not far off, the condition of the track is definitely a concern for the AAG, whom he noted has been working tirelessly with the management of the NTFC to see if any repairs or reme-

dial work can be done to have the facility ready for the upcoming meet in a timely manner.

The AAG will simultaneously be holding a fundraising barbecue along with the meet. Any patron purchasing a barbecue ticket for $1200 will be afforded entry to the event, while regular tickets to the event would cost $300.

Troy Lewis (right) accepts his man-ofthe-match prize from Wayne Jones.

A belligerent knock of 81 from Troy Lewis, coupled by a decent bowling performance, led by Rudy Rodrigues, handed Ariel Masters the Wayne Jones 20-over softball title following a 105-run victory over Wellman Masters in the final on Sunday last.

Lewis knock led Ariel Masters to 177-6, batting first at the

The victorious Ariel team.

Everest Cricket Club. Mohamed Rafeek supported with 32, while Kemy Dindyal made 31. Wellman Masters were bowled out for 72 in 17 overs in reply. Wayne Jones made 18 not out as Rodrigues picked up 3-25 and Peter Persaud 2-21.

Earlier, Ariel Masters beat HS Masters and Wellman Masters overcame Regal Masters.

Kaieteur News

Thursday June 27, 2019

PAGE 35

Government of Guyana roars with Golden Jaguars; GFF express profound gratitude Kansas, USA: The Government of Guyana (GoG) has made a timely monetary contribution towards the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Golden Jaguars’ inaugural sojourn at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA. This commitment was made even as Guyana wrapped up its participation at the premier tournament with its final match yesterday against Trinidad and Tobago in Kansas City.

GFF President Wayne Forde, who is in the USA following the progress of the team, commented on the support given by the GoG and singled out the Hon. Dr. George Norton MP, Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport for the role he played in making the investment possible: “The GFF wishes to express deep appreciation to the Government of Guyana and the Minister of Sport for this timely show of tangible support, which certainly empowers the programme and our desire to show the football world what Guyana is capable of. I can assure you that your partnership has given the players and

technical staff a major boost knowing that the government is fully behind them in their quest to represent the Golden Arrowhead with pride in this historic journey.”

President Forde correspondingly said that the momentum built at the Concacaf Gold Cup would be strengthened going forward reminding that Guyana will, in September, be contesting the Concacaf Nations League ‘B’ competition, Group ‘G’, which also has Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda and Aruba. Guyana’s first match would be away to Aruba on September 6.

“We look forward to the continued strengthening of this partnership with the Government and Ministry of Social Cohesion as we work to build a product that will fly the Golden Arrowhead with pride in both the male and female segments of our beautiful sport.”

Following their final prematch training Tuesday evening, Golden Jaguars’ Head Coach Michael Johnson, joined in expressing gratitude for the contribution: “On behalf of

the Men’s Senior Te a m , e v e r y b o d y connected to Guyana, just want to say how much we appreciate your kind gesture in supporting the programme. It really does go a long way to ensure that we can do as best as we can to make the nation proud. So, from the bottom of our hearts, just one more time, thank you so much.”

T h e G F F, l e d b y President Forde, had pulled out all the stops to ensure that Guyana was well prepared for their Group ‘D’ matches against defending champions, USA, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago by investing in an overseas camp, which saw the team travelling to Bermuda and Costa Rica where they engaged in friendly internationals against Bermuda and Haiti, the latter played in Costa Rica.

This investment came at a great cost to the GFF but President Forde disclosed that it was absolutely necessary given the fact that the Concacaf Gold Cup is the pinnacle of rivalry in the confederation and therefore warranted the Federation giving the team the requisite high level of preparation.

CWI second foundation course concludes at GNS

Guyana Jaguars skipper Leon Johnson demonstrates during a session at the National Stadium.

T

he second edition of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) foundation coaching course concluded on Tuesday last at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The course attracted 17 participants and served as a lead up to the CWI level one course which is set for July 1821 and the level two programme which will be held on July 26-29. A total of 30 participants took the two foundation courses.

According to Territorial Development Officer, Colin Stuart, there was a positive feedback with the majority of participants having high praise for the programme. He said that such courses helped to carry out coaching functions effectively and the participants were upbeat about this venture,

whereas they are keen not only to develop their game, but to help the youths of their respective clubs.

Stuart added that they have also shown an interest undertaking the course at higher levels. Those that participated are Guyana Jaguars skipper Leon Johnson, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Adams, Steven Jacobs, Akshaya Persaud, Bhaskar Yadram, Subrina Munroe, Kenroy Joseph, Keyron Fraser, Kwesi Maltay, Gregory Crandon, David Baird, Shamar Angel, Azoomah Alfred, Aditya Basdeo and Nadir Baksh.

Sessions were conducted by Stuart and fellow former West Indies fast bowler Reon King with assistance from experienced level two coach Michael Franco.

Saying Thanks! Guyana’s Senior Team Head Coach Michael Johnson (left) with the 23-man team joins in saying thanks to the Government of Guyana for its tangible support after the team’s final training session at the Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City.

Guyana’s flagship senior team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ gave a very good account of themselves in their matches against Concacaf powerhouse USA, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago, the

three nations collectively playing well over 100 Concacaf Gold Cup matches between them, Guyana playing a mere three.

While many felt that the only English-speaking

country in South America was just at the Concacaf Gold Cup to make up numbers, they were all pleasantly surprised by the level of play and passion exhibited by the Guyanese.

National Senior Athletics C/Ship confirmed for this weekend The country’s top athletes will converge for the 2019 Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) sponsored National Senior Championships, which has been shifted to this weekend (Saturday and Sunday), at the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC) on the West Coast of Demerara with events running off at 10:00hrs each day.

Head of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson, in an invited comment with the media had posited that, “The National Senior Championship is one of the most anticipated events in Guyana’s sports calendar.

There are many athletes, overseas and local, who are trying to gain the time and attention of the AAG to get a chance to go to the World Championships this year.”

Carifta Gold medalist, Anisha Gibbons of Ruralites will be on show this weekend in the Javelin throw.

He further shared that on the local scene, “I look forward to great competition, especially the rivalry that has been going on for the last couple of years. We know that

Akeem Stuart (left) will be looking to lower his 10.2 seconds in the 100m this weekend.

Akeem Stewart and Davin Fraser will have their battle when they meet in the 100m final. Akeem would have run one of the fastest times as a (Continued on page 34)

rt o p S

Golden Jaguars and Soca Warriors battle to 1-1 draw Guyana earn first points on debut at 2019 CGC P.34

Guyana players looks to move the ball forward during yesterday’s action in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago.

P.26

Branford bangs home 11 goals in massive Hikers’ win Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey C/Ship

P.33

Saints’ Captain Tekeisha Deleon controls the ball against Tamala Glenn of Bellatrix.

Aroydy Branford (#18) scores one of his many goals for the Hikers.

Azam century leads Pakistan to victory over New Zealand

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