Kaieteur News
PAGE 04
Friday June 24, 2016
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
Changing habits
AND ATTITUDES Whenever a new administration is elected to office, as was the case in this country last year, it is generally assumed that it brings with it change of habits and attitudes that should inspire and refashion the behaviour and perspectives of people. It is not a case of being impractical or trying to be unreasonable; it should in essence be a reality. It is true that when access to one’s comforts and even necessities has become limited, he/she will have to adjust as well. It is clear that the consequences of greed and corruption by some in the previous administration - which have in no small measure contributed to the current state of the economy - are now the responsibility of this government. It was the hope of many that commonsense would dictate a radical change of the priorities and value systems of some in the new leadership and a reshaping of the previous administration’s dealings with the people, but this has not been the case. Scandals and acts of alleged corrupt practices, though on a smaller scale, have re-emerged. Many in authority are acting greedily and selfishly like their predecessors because they apparently believe that there will not be enough for them, and for all those who are in competition with them, for the country’s resources. Protocols are being ignored, and systems and structures established to preserve order are being bypassed, because some in the upper echelon have become power drunk. Most politicians knowingly make false promises, because they see themselves as the only ones who matter. And many of them live off the people rather than for the people. They have to change their habits in order for this generation and those coming after us to have a life with dignity and respect. They have ignored the fact that everyone feels the need to be treated fairly and seen as having value. In fact, love and compassion represent the very nature of our existence. Everything else cascades from that fact. We are created to be productive citizens to serve our communities, which no single person, politician or otherwise has all the answers to make them fully developed. Our richness, diversity and admirable tolerance have provided us with the will to peacefully share in the country’s wealth and resources - despite the avarice of the all-powerful among us. If our politicians could only recognize and act out of that realization, they would not need to be greedy and grasping, because they would know that there is indeed enough for all. Rampant corruption and theft of the country’s resources and finances were the hallmark of the last administration, which had abandoned the idea of equitable distribution of the goods necessary for everyone to live a dignified life, especially the weaker and most vulnerable. Those self-seeking and covetous acts, which should by no means be part of the agenda of good governance, were the norm for those who governed the country in past years. Even though it may prove to be more difficult than expected, the incumbent administration must make every effort to end the evil practices that have stagnated the nation’s progress, and clarify which needs have priority in our multi-racial society. In collaboration with those who have political authority, every citizen needs to work for the common good, that is, the sum total of the social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilled desire in life more easily. Until and unless we, all of us, undertake to radically change our habits and attitudes for the upliftment of our society, we will predictably continue on the downward spiral to irrelevance, which no forwardthinking people can afford.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Pastor Jeffrey is wrong about Bryan Hunt DEAR EDITOR; Pastor Wendell Jeffrey’s letter (KN 22 June 2016) seems to accuse outgoing American envoy Bryan Hunt of undue influence. Mr. Hunt’s perspective on the implications to be drawn from the findings of the Audits was reasonable and sensible. Mr. Editor, it seems ok for Guyana to ask USA taxpayers for ‘development assistance’ but it is not ok for the representative of the USA to comment on wide ranging illegalities that are directly and indirectly connected to it. It seems that the USA should speak out against the PNC, which was accused of dictatorship, but the beneficiary, the PPP, who inherited the government since 1992, can engage in looting of state property, on a scale unknown in recent Caribbean history, and presumably it should be silent. Sometimes influence saves a country from itself, especially when the population lived under political domination and in fear and may be incapable of preventing the country’s self-destruction. Incidentally, Ambassador Hunt was right about local government elections as well. In taking
this position, we make no case for intervention but rather a case against hypocrisy, cynicism and implied convenient invocation of sovereignty. Mr. Hunt hails from a country where the rule of law has a strong influence on behavior of people while they are in government, and where the public is intolerant to corruption involving taxpayer’s money. Ask all of those Guyanese who now call the USA their home what happens when officials are caught. Most likely, Mr. Hunt was expressing a view based on the implications that follow logically from the principles underpinning the rule of law. Confusing politics and law is always dangerous. Indeed, the Audits prove the folly of conflating politics and law, and partially why Guyana is such a mess. The authorities can choose to delude themselves but they cannot deceive the public. The envoy has a clear, not a convoluted, sense of justice. Those who were entrusted with taxpayer’s money have callously gutted that trust. He rightly advocates what all reasonable people would. His point may
well be that failure to take action will have grave implications for the future. For example, on what grounds will a future administration prosecute, for corruption, any official from a government which preceded it, or indeed, any official who works for it? What happens when the next lot empties the treasury? What should the PPP do when it returns to power and it unearths corruption, nothing? How does one justify victimization of the citizens of a country in perpetuity, without redress? There has to be a beginning, otherwise action can never be taken, an impossible predicament for any country worthy of that title. He may be pointing to the very grave implications for governing a country where some people are punished for far smaller transgressions against the state. What would be the justification for punishing such citizens? In an earlier letter we suggested that two beacons of a progressive society are, that it must create opportunities for all and that it must be just. How does a government (Continued on page 7)
Ramotar says PPP made Guyana one of the freest countries in the world DEAR EDITOR; The June 20, 2016 editorial in the Kaieteur News is a classic example of Goebbels-like propaganda. The principle is ‘tell big lies and repeat them as often as possible and people will eventually believe them.’ That editorial is filled with half truths, distortions and downright inaccuracies, all repeated for years even though many have been answered more than once. I refer to the headline of the editorial ‘Anarchy at City Hall.’ Instead, more than half of the editorial criticizes the PPP/C for projects and procurement under its administration. The misrepresentation of the PPP/C’s record is to soften the anger of the people as to what appears to be corruption in the handling of the parking meter issue at City Hall and in the APNU+AFC regime generally. In passing, the editorial spoke about the ‘reign’ of the PPP. We know that the PPP/C served ‘terms’ of government
and not ‘reign.’ That word was deliberately used to once again paint the PPP/C administration as a dictatorial one – a characteristic that was totally absent during the PPP/C in office. Indeed, the twenty years of the PPP/C was the freest and most democratic period in our country’s history. Already, many are complaining of the reversals under the APNU+AFC regime. It is true that intense work by the Kaieteur News and likeminded media did a lot to distort and lie about that as well. Without doubt under the PPP/C government, Guyana was one of the freest countries in the region and the world. Let’s get back to the facts of the PPP/C government’s projects and procurement matters. The process of awarding the government’s projects and procurement of goods and services in a transparent manner via the tender procedure was introduced by the PPP/C administration from the inception of its administration
in 1992. Before that, the PNC regime issued these contracts to whomever it wished. There was no open and fair process. It was totally discretionary. All were given to friends of the PNC. Therefore, the use of the term ‘secret contract’ is absolutely unjustified, but it is being repeated and drilled into people’s heads as a fact. The whole idea is to create a perception that is different from reality. Under the PPP/C government, contracts for projects and procurement were publicly advertised. When the tender box was being opened, it was done in the presence of the media, the contractors and other persons who had an interest in the contract being awarded. It was open to the public. The Tender Board then evaluated the bids and made an award. That award was sent to Cabinet for its ‘no objection’. The result was then announced publicly. So the public had (Continued on page 7)
Accusations against Hamilton Green DEAR EDITOR; Not a single Guyanese should be in the least bit surprised that a competent, qualified and decent officer such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority Myrna Pitt has resigned from her post. Had she not done so that she would have spoiled the long and odious record of the Chairman of the CH&PA Board Hamilton Green. If one were to look back at the various ministries he headed,
one would see the difficulties experienced by the Permanent Secretaries, Departmental Heads and other technical staff who were all certified, capable and experienced. But one does not have to look so far back, one just has to look at the last twenty one years that he spent as Mayor of the Georgetown Municipality, to see the long list of casualties including Town Clerks, City Engineers, City Treasurers etc. Note however that his getting rid of
all of these senior staffers did not make thing any better at City Hall, in fact they made them far worse, with the Council being at its apex in corruption and irregularities when he finally left a few months ago. It should also be noted that most of the victims were women. How could the government give this cruel octogenarian more opportunities to destroy the lives of honest public servants who do not agree to dance to the tune that he is playing? Mark Roopan
Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
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Accusation against The Teachers’ Union defends itself the teachers’ union DEAR EDITOR; Facebook reminds me today that one year ago dozens of teachers including myself were promoted to senior positions. Today, a year later the teachers union has still blocked these promotions in the High Court and has stagnated the entire process, handicapping the Ministry of Education from its mandate and functions....for what? Greed, selfishness, and oh yeah...power and ego. Why couldn’t they pick out those cases that deserved attention instead of preventing every single teacher who was promoted from taking up their positions. The education sector has suffered so much because of this stagnation over the past academic year it’s a shame and disgrace ...schools near
“to be eligible for any HOD position the applicant MUST possess a degree in the subject area for which he/she applies”. Having said this, I wish to make this pellucid. Mr. Suseran did not meet the criteria to gain the position of HOD English for which he was promoted, since he possesses a Bachelor ’s Degree in Social Studies and a T r a i n e d Te a c h e r s ’ Certificate in English. Mr. Editor, how then can he be promoted HOD English? It is quite simple. He does not have a degree in English, therefore should never have been promoted to the status of HOD English. Mr. Suseran questioned the reason for stagnating the
to close for the Summer vacation and no promotion... no debunching, no uniform money, no increases, and for me...still no vacation ( Whitley Council) money ... This is the worst the teaching sector has been since I joined 15 years ago. I applaud the fortitude and courage shown by our Teaching Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to fight this matter. Frankly I don’t know on whose side the union is at this time ....clearly it’s not on the side of the teachers who were promoted, since their ( the union’s) actions have not only hurt our professional career over the past year but has demoralised us in the acting capacities of our functions. DEAR EDITOR; Leon Suseran I write to give my bit on the ongoing Graduate Senior bicker pertaining to city parking meters Assistant Master slated for the capital. After reading in the newspapers the information coming from the Mayor and City Council and pairing it with that said in past weeks, I remain disappointed at the type of reporting that was done and the apparent hunger for that the check can still be publicity by Deputy Mayor Sherod done, since the allegations Duncan, whose agenda now seem clear. are still flying thick and fast. In past letters I have always It will be interesting to see conveyed my burning desire to see which side will do it first. Georgetown grow, develop and become Riad Kamal like other great cities I have seen around
Parking meter scandal continues DEAR EDITOR; I have been following the ongoing parking meter controversy in the media with much interest, (maybe the better word is dismay?) more especially since as a driver in Georgetown; the issue is likely to directly affect me and my pocket at some time or the other. Maybe a better approach to the whole thing would have been for someone to verify the authenticity of foreign companies who they would wish to do business with by utilizing the resources available to them within Guyana, such as a credit check on the parking meter company in this case. Since we have a credit bureau in Guyana now, shouldn’t their services be utilized to do these checks? This would certainly have saved the council some embarrassment and negative publicity. In fact, I would say
DEAR EDITOR, Permit me space in your newspaper to respond to Mr. Leon Suseran about denial of promiotion which he has made public. The author claimed to have been denied promotion along with dozens of other teachers but failed to acknowledge that his promotion on the preliminary list published by t h e Te a c h i n g S e r v i c e Commission (TSC) was one which breached the criteria as laid out in the advertisement which was prepared and published by t h e Te a c h i n g S e r v i c e Commission, in most of the newspapers in Guyana. The criteria stated that,
promotion process as,” Greed? Selfishness? And oh yeah, power and ego?” I ask the question; who is the greedy, selfish, power drunk and egoistic person here. He knowingly applied for a position which the criteria ruled out. Is this honesty? The TSC supported his dishonesty by granting him the position. Mr. Suseran’s case is one of many such cases where there was a direct breach of the criteria which should have been observed and followed by TSC and School Board Secretariat. Think about how Mr. Suseran’s promotion has disinfranchised another teacher who rightly satisfied
the criteria. This decision taken by Guyana Teachers Union to challenge the Te a c h i n g S e r v i c e commission along with the School Board Secretariat was indeed a long overdue one, because we believe that while some persons were wrongfully promoted others have suffered for over 20 years, as admitted by TSC. I urge Mr. Suseran to be truthful and present facts when writing since his promotion as HOD English can be described as a favoured one. In simpler t e r m s S i r, y o u w e r e promoted ahead of someone who rightfully deserved it. GTU President, Mark Lyte
Disappointed with Sherod Duncan the world during my travels. But given this country’s culture of nip and grab, sensational journalism and corruption, I think transition even to the positive will be hard for some. Before I speak on the sensational media coverage,’ I will first address the Deputy Mayor who excited the whole event in his bid to become popular -as his tenure, in my view, is just a step up in his political career. Mr. Duncan took to social media and made utterances, then told the media that he was not aware of an invitation from the parking meter company to Mexico and Panama, making it seem as
if something terrible was amidst. Is Duncan for the Mayor and City Council or its citizens or is he just being a politician seeking to capitalize on the tarnished image of a once inadequate Municipality? Is he trying to gain popularity as this decent, outspoken, truth-loving person at the expense of the Municipality? I think this is exactly what he is doing. He is new to the Council so why did he not wait until the team’s return from overseas to have an in-depth conversation that would address his concerns and if that was not (Continued on page 7)
Friday June 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Ramotar says PPP made... Disappointed with Sherod... From page 4 full knowledge from beginning to end. What then is so secret about this process? It is also apposite to point out that the Kaieteur News always had its reporters present at both the opening of bids and when the results were announced. We can only conclude that the Kaieteur News speaking about ‘secret contracts’ is dishonest and is designed to deceive to mislead and to slander. Take for instance the Skeldon factory. That project was subjected to an open tendering process. Guysuco had bids from contracting firms in Japan, China and India. All the companies were evaluated by a Booker Tate specialist and it was concluded that all of these companies had the capacity to build the factory. Price therefore became the most important consideration. On that basis, the decision was taken to go with the lowest bidder. The Marriott Hotel project had two bidders – the Chinese company and a French company. The Chinese company was $US10M lower than the French company. The contract was therefore awarded to the lowest bidder. The result is there for all o see. The Amaila Falls access road project was also awarded to the lowest bidder. If any of these were awarded to a higher bidder, that too would have been contentious and made an issue by the Kaieteur News and the then opposition. We can go through in detail the processes involved before a contract was awarded to show the reasoning behind the granting to this or that company. It is also a distortion to say that …”the building of the Specialty Hospital and the Enmore Packaging Plant by Surendra Engineering was suspicious because they did not have the necessary experience needed to do the work.” The fact is that these projects were being financed by concessionary loans from India. The Indians also had to give its ‘no objection’ because they are more familiar with the companies. Surendra Engineering had the lowest bid. To be fair also, the Enmore Packaging Plant was completed and working well as far as we know. It is true though that some of these projects had problems at the implementation stage. In the case of the Specialty Hospital, the PPP/C government ended the contract and took Surendra to court. The company’s representatives was not allowed to leave until the PPP/C won the case and got judgment. The PPP/C was also pursuing this matter in India. The PPP/C administration in an ef-
fort to recover the money from Surendra, took possession of eight containers of steel that the firm had on the wharf. The PPP/C government paid the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for storage etc., and placed the containers in the Ministry of Health’s compound. The value of the steel was far more than the $400M that Surendra owed the government. So, the PPP/C had recovered the money owed by the company. It was the PPP/C government’s intention to execute the judgment by levying on those containers. The APNU+AFC regime turned over those eight containers of steel to BK International. So our taxpayers lost due to the act of this APNU+AFC regime. A lot of distortions and lies are being spread about the Skeldon Project. Attacks have been continuous on the PPP/C administration and the Chinese company, much of which has been misplaced. The Skeldon project was supervised by Booker Tate. It was on Booker Tate’s recommendation that payments were made. To appreciate the Chinese company’s position, at least the journalist/s writing on the subject should have sought their view as well. True, it had its problems, but the corporation did a lot to correct it. An assessment of its performance in 2015 will clearly show that it was well on its way to fulfilling its promise. This APNU+AFC regime has not supported the industry enough and has allowed it to slip back. Maybe it is a ploy to close the industry. It is now time that the APNU+AFCcontrolled and friendly media stop distorting the progress made under the PPP/C government. We need honest journalism here. We need professionalism in the media. To re-emphasise, all the projects were subjected to a transparent tender process and everything could be explained rationally. The APNU+AFC regime audits, even though they were conducted by mainly antiPPP auditors, some actively involved in politics, were unable to produce any substantial evidence of corruption. Even though the auditors did not interview some of the CEOs and/or refused to publish their responses, they have come up short. They now use their friendly media, like the Kaieteur News, to spin, distort, lie, etc., to create false perceptions and poison the minds of people. In the case of the editorial mentioned above, they are doing this now to disguise the corruption taking place in government at all levels, including City Hall. Donald Ramotar Former President of Guyana
From page 5 forthcoming then go to the press. Unfortunately for Mr. Duncan, he embarrassed himself in my view, to say that he did not know about the invitation when relevant evidence (minutes) was provided that all Councillors were notified at a Statutory Meeting, announcements made by the Mayor. It goes to show whether Mr. Duncan actually reviews his minutes which he and other Councillors adopt whether he is breezing through his duties. Duncan said he did not have a copy of the contract. What I realize and from small chats with persons when I visit the Council, our incumbent body is still learning the ropes and that’s why the orientation activities were deemed necessary I was told. I understood that some Councillors believed they were paid depending on the amount of committees they are on and based on activities they perform. One even thought he would have received his own office and $250,000 monthly pay was fitting for him, he said. But unfortunately for these budding politicians your positions are almost voluntary, that is why you only receive small stipends. I say this to bring light on the mindsets out there. So, was Mr. Duncan waiting for personal copies of the contracts to be delivered to himself and all Councillors? Which organization works that way? It would be easy for anyone to interfere in the process of the investment as the Mayor told the media. But I ask again whose fault is it that he did not read his minutes or pay attention to the meeting and how feasible is it to give every Councillor copies of contracts?
Now Mr. Duncan has the media buzzing, corruption, corruption and being the Deputy Mayor the media credits him and endorses sensational, news-selling information of corruption. Until the team’s return, no media house had information or responses from them, but Mr. Duncan’s loose, uninformed statements that implied his resentment of not being chosen for the trip, made headlines. I saw a public notice on the M&CC’s Green City Facebook page highlighting all the confrontational statements and the responses, but all media houses, even
though they had some of the clarifications at the bottom of their articles, still leaned on the notion that something corrupt involved the parking meter project. Is it that the media did not believe what was said at the press conference? I thought their job was just to relate information especially after giving so much coverage to one side. That is a sad state for professional, unattached journalism. I on the other hand look forward to the parking meters. I have seen what it does to the organization and freeflow of a city. Akeem Bennons
Pastor Jeffrey is... From page 4 explain the actions of the state in punishing some of its citizens for similar transgressions (embezzlement, theft, bribery, malfeasance, call them what you will) while, in full view of those same citizens and all Guyanese, it refuses to sanction others. Does this mean that the case against Dr. Jennifer Westford must now be dropped, without further resolution before the Court? How does it govern? What about public perception regarding its responsibility, credibility, authority or indeed, its fecklessness?
Even if, as Pastor Jeffrey assumes, this is somehow about the influence of the USA on governance in Guyana, the issue on which that influence was brought to bear is valid. The facts are clear and the transgressions have been laid bare. This is not a matter of conjecture. This is about justice for an impoverished people who have been mercilessly robbed by a capricious and veracious regime. What is the principle for which Mr. Hunt could be accused of being unfair, unreasonable or wrong? Ivor Carryl
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Parking meter scandal…
Failure to disclose contract affecting City Hall - President Granger By Kiana Wilburg Perhaps the parking meter scandal that has plagued the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) over the past few days is what happens when such entities fail to engage in proper disclosure of commercial contracts. At least this is what President David Granger alluded to when he spoke with Kaieteur News on Government’s commitment to releasing the contracts of some of the most controversial projects and deals in recent times. The President emphasised, “I believe in full disclosure and this is the same problem affecting City Hall.”
The Head of State expounded further on this matter as he engaged two members of the media on the show, ‘The Public Interest’ which is produced by Lloyda Garrett. The Head of State expressed that while he is not privy to the parking meter contract, government has made a request to the M&CC to see the document. The administration has also ordered that the Ministry of Finance and Attorney General’s Chambers examine the contract for any illegalities. Granger said that he obviously wants to protect the national interest and as such, he is aware that there has been an outcry from the pub-
lic on the matter. The President acknowledged that the City Council has enough corporate authority to make decisions for itself, and it is for that very reason, Local Government Elections were held in March, last. Granger nonetheless expressed disappointment that there are members of the City Council who feel that they have not been consulted on the parking meter issue. The Head of State stressed that the whole purpose of having democratic elections is to have democratically-run councils. He remarked, “So as far as the government is concerned, we will insist that there is greater transparency. We can-
not overrule the council, but we can ask for transparent procedures to prevail in the City Council.” It was on Monday that top officials of M&CC told the media that regardless of the outrage by some sections of the society, the council will forge ahead with its parking meter contract with the National Parking Systems/Smart City Solutions (NPS/SCS). In fact, the Council stated that it will create, from September 1, 1,500 parking spaces in the area between South Road and Church Street, and Water Street and Camp Street. Present at that press conference were Mayor Patricia Chase-Green; Town Clerk, Royston King; Head of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, and other administrative officers of the municipality. These officials also came under fire for a trip to Mexico and Panama to check on how the consortium was managing the parking meters there. The issue has been dominating headlines, with Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan saying that he could find little evidence of the two companies and their work. NPS is owned by USbased Guyanese, Ifa Kamau Cush, who had submitted a proposal since 1996. Kaieteur News had found that NPS does not have an
office at the Park Avenue, Manhattan address that it lists on its website. And there is little information on Smart City Solutions Inc., the company with which NPS reportedly teamed up. Chase-Green, meanwhile, told the media that it is a shame that some people had to resort to the likes of Google and Wikipedia to search for the address of the company. She said she was satisfied that she visited the company’s locations in Panama and Mexico, and that their work is up to date. The Mayor declared that she is not going to disclose the controversial parking meter contract. Her excuse was that the M&CC has had painful experiences in the past where documents were leaked, including a proposal by Canadian Bank Note, causing the city to lose. Rather, councilors have the possibility of perusing the contract at the office of the Town Clerk. Meanwhile, Oscar Clarke on the matter said, “I have no apologies to make to anyone; I getting like Mr. Harmon.” He insisted that the Council’s decision to sign the agreement before going to see the actual product, showed the investors that the City was indeed serious about implementing the parking meters around Georgetown. The Finance Committee Chairman told the gathering that the only way they could have gone to do the physical verification, was by signing the contract back in November 2015. He informed that the sponsorship of the trips by National Parking Systems and Smart City Solutions was part of the contract they entered into. According to Clarke, it would have been “unethical” for the contingent to use the finances of NPS to go on the
President David Granger verification trips having not signed the contract. However, Deputy Mayor Duncan opined that “such levels of arrogance are not only nauseating and sickening, but place Guyana right back to the days of executive thuggery.” He said, “In this period in our history, people expect us to be more responsive to their concerns, because they elected us to office. They want to see a change. We are supposed to be more inclusive in what we are doing. “But at no time was the issue of the parking meters put to the council for a vote. I believe that these actions only represent a clear circumvention of the process for ensuring that we secure a package that is free from corruption.” The Deputy Mayor emphasized that the Council does not consist of only the “almighty” Clarke, ChaseGreen and King, but rather, the 30 members who sit at the “horseshoe table”. He insisted that the new Council must have an opportunity to pronounce on all contracts or projects in the interest of the nation. The Deputy Mayor insisted that he is going to “stand up for transparency and accountability”, and nothing shall stand in his way of doing so.
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
HOW WILL APNU vote? There has never been an issue over the legality of the contract signed between the City of Georgetown and the company which is expected to roll out parking meters in the city from September. There has been no issue over the legality of any contract. There has been an issue over the transparency of the arrangement. The Deputy Mayor has complained that he did not see the contract. Other councillors have been quoted in the media as expressing ignorance of the deal. Concern has also been expressed that this deal did not go out to tender. The public have had their concerns. Concerns have been expressed as to whether the council got the best deal possible. Reports have indicated that the city will get 20% of the revenues of the project. The decision of the government to review the legality of the contract does not really address the concerns that have been expressed. It does not address the issue of the secrecy of the deal, and it does not address the issue of whether the best deal possible was achieved. In addition, it certainly does not address the concerns of the public, who will now have to pay fees for parking in the city. The actions of the government, therefore, do not bring any relief or comfort to those who have issues with the deal, because the government is only examining the legality of the arrangement and not the transparency, or whether the council has been shortchanged. The government may have gotten a rude awakening, whether after it was reported that one Minister had
said that the deal was being placed on hold, officials of the Council implied that the deal was still going through. This may have made the government realize that it was impotent when dealing with the Council and that the only way it could have reversed the deal was to find an illegality. This is one explanation. The other explanation is that the government is in support of the deal, but recognizes the need to show the public that it is not deaf to the claims about lack of transparency. A third explanation is that the government is walking the tight rope between not interfering in the work of the Council, while trying to ensure that nothing illegal was done. All three positions leave the public out in the cold, because if the review does not establish an illegality, then this is licence for the council to go ahead. The public’s interest is not going to be addressed by the government, because the government is only looking at the legality. If there is an ille-
gality then all the Council has to do is fix it, except of course, if the illegality concerns the right to charge parking fees. The government may not be able to act, but it is not the government that is represented in Council, it is the political APNU+AFC coalition. The parties to this coalition can ask their members to either vote this measure down, or pass a vote of no confidence in those who made this deal behind their backs. It is left to be seen what position the leadership of both the AFC and APNU will do. The problem here is that the AFC does not command the same percentage of seats in the council as it does in the National Assembly, and the opposition has a negligible role in the Council. It is therefore all up to APNU to overturn this deal. How will APNU vote? For it or against it?
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
A conversation tree whose discourse is about commonsense If you are familiar with my offerings over the long years, you would know that I have done several (by several I think about a dozen) columns on non-functioning traffic signals, collapsing street lamps and non-existent street lights. You would also know that I live on the Railway Embankment, next to the Caricom Secretariat. So last week while driving, I saw the vehicles with technicians who were testing the new traffic signals installed at Conversation Tree Road and the Railway Embankment.
I wasn’t elated, even though I know that junction is a murder corner because I use it daily. I wasn’t joyful, because there is a more murderous junction a few yards from the Conversation Tree Road. So I slowed up, looked at the operation and heard a few technicians say, “Fredaay, Fredaay.” My amused mind couldn’t help being titillated. You are putting lights at a corner where a few blocks away there is a deadlier junction and the signals do not work. Let us examine the traffic
where I live. At the Railway Embankment and UG Road, the traffic there has to accommodate the following reality. There is UG from morning until nine in the night. There is Cyril Potter College. The Giftland Mall has increased the traffic in this area by ten times. The Convention Centre and CARICOM are in this area as is the National Aquatic Centre. National Hardware is building a housing estate next to Giftland Mall. Right at that very junction, the Rama Krishna Church is about to open its head office. There was a church service there two weeks ago and there was traffic madness because as usual, the signals were out. East of UG in Cummings Lodge and Industry, new housing schemes have gone up. This means that residents there have to use the signals at UG Road. At that junction
there is University Garden, a gated community where many diplomats live. A senior economist at the Ministry of Finance with whom I went to UG in my young days, turned up at my gate looking for the residence of the UNDP Head where there was an official function. He said he couldn’t find the place and since he knew where I lived, he thought he would ask me. There is the Gafoors’ gated community in this area too. All in all, the traffic that uses the signals at UG Road and Railway Embankment is simply enormous. When there is a popular movie or a huge sale at Giftland, the nightmare begins once the signals do not work, and the signals do not work, not to mention when there is an entertainment function at the Convention Centre or a singer from India at Giftland. So the wise men and
goodly women in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure have set up brand new traffic lights at Conversation Tree Road and the Railway Embankment. What’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. Motorists should be thankful. But in the midst of this gratitude, commonsense died. A few blocks up the road going east, you have a heavier use of the signals by countless numbers, but those signals do not normally work. My point? While you put new lights at Conversation Tree, you haven’t helped drivers with their nightmare, because the signals at UG Road do not work. Now here is the thing, and if it wasn’t such a sad situation you could find it funny. How long do you think those lights at Conversation Tree will endure? I have to take that road many times each day, so I will be monitoring them. I ask readers how long you give them before they become non-functioning. A month? Two months? Six months? But as night follows day, they will go. Why can’t they last for years? No traffic lights last for years. They have to be maintained. What I am confused about is what type of engineering system underpins these sig-
Frederick Kissoon nals that they are extinguished so often, and it takes months to fix them? The lights at Duncan and Sheriff Streets went out for more than six months and were fixed last month. What was so complicated about the mechanism that powered those signals that they couldn’t be fixed in days or weeks? What is really wrong with the mechanism at UG Road that those signals cannot function for one straight week? It is not a nice thing to say, but this country has a sad conversation with itself. When some powerful official gets slammed into at UG Road and the Railway Embankment, only then they will act. I don’t want it to happen. But it will.
Dem boys seh...
Jagdeo is an unbelievable scamp Jagdeo tell heself that he is a financial wizard; some people believe that. But dem boys know de opposite. He is a scamp. He tell de nation how he buy accounting software to monitor and record govt financial transactions. This brute only install de part wha dealing wid de income, but he did not install de part wha deal wid de spending. He had Irfaat keeping de whole Ministry account-billions of dollars-wid lead pencil. He had Brassington selling Guyana in pieces, plus all de state machinery and buildings. Instead of putting de money in one account dem put it in different, different accounts all over de place. That was to confuse people, de auditors seh. But dem boys know different. Dem can understand a man sell he tractor, a house and couple acre rice field and put de money in different, different accounts. Don’t ask why he do that. It got to be that he hiding de cash from he wife and children, and definitely not de tax man who gun ketch him in any bank. That is his money. He can do what he want wid it. In Jagdeo and Brassington case, de money is not dem own and dem suppose to put it in one account and keep proper records for de nation. Dem boys believe that dem deliberately hide it in different accounts to move it quietly, later. To this day de auditors want explanation. Dem want to know why Irfaat use lead pencil to tally de people money; why Ashni did not install de part in de computer to check dem spending. And why Brassington hide away de money in different accounts. Remember Brassington and Jagdeo borrow money from Republic Bank in Trinidad to build Marriott because dem seh dem didn’t have. But when de auditors check de books dem find that Brassington had US$5 million hide away in a secret account. Today, Guyana paying unnecessary interest to de bank. Talk half and hope Soulja Bai mek dem pay de loan plus de interest from dem mudda bank account.
Friday June 24, 2016
PAGE 11
Kaieteur News
Mother of raped 3-yr-old Security guard charged with remanded on neglect charge abducting wife A 25-year-old Corentyne man who is reportedly always in the habit of abusing his wife, and had locked her in his car trunk during the hours of the night before driving away with her, was yesterday remanded to jail on a charge of abduction. The man, Neeshwar Dhoray, of 206 Block X Hampshire, South, Corentyne, Berbice, is accused of abducting his wife on June 18, last, from their home with intent to secretly or wrongfully confine her. He appeared before Magistrate Marissa Mittelholzer at the Albion Magistrate’s Court, and was remanded to jail. Prosecutor Inspector Orin Joseph said that about 22:00 hrs on June 18, last, the woman, Farida Dhoray, was in bed when the man came home from work. He immediately rushed into the bedroom and began beating her. He dealt her several slaps and struck her behind her head. He then pulled her off the bed and dragged her out of the house. The woman was then forced into the trunk of his car, HC 97. He then locked the trunk. The woman began shouting for help. The man then turned up the music loud so as to drown out her screams, then entered the car and drove off at a fast rate of speed. The man subsequently stopped the car and opened the trunk. That was when the woman noticed that she was at a lonely place. She subsequently recognized that it was
‌allegedly placed woman in car trunk in the vicinity of the front of the Port Mourant Community Centre. She noticed two security guards and began calling for help. She jumped out of the car and started to run towards the public road. However, she was chased after and caught before being taken back to the car and placed to sit in the back seat. The woman tried to escape, but was prevented as the accused drove off with her. The man then drove for some time until he slowed in the vicinity of the R and S Cross where the woman opened the door and jumped out of the moving car. The matter was reported and the man was subsequently arrested and charged. In court, Inspector Joseph opposed bail on the grounds that the accused is on a bond arising from a matter of similar nature before the court. It is the third time the two are before the court. On each occasion the charge has been more serious. The Prosecutor also objected to bail on the grounds that there is a possibility that if granted bail the accused will tamper with the witness. D h o r a y, a s e c u r i t y guard attached to the Albion Estate, was remanded to jail until July 11.
A Corentyne woman was yesterday placed on remand after being charged with Neglect of her child contrary to Section 28(A) of the Summary Jurisdiction Offenses Act, Chapter 8:02. Due to the serious nature of the offense, the matter was held in-camera, therefore members of the public were not allowed inside the court room. The 38-year-old accused appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charge read to her by Mag-
istrate Rabindranauth Singh. The charge states that between Saturday 18th June, 2016 and Sunday 19th June, 2016 at Kingston, Corriverton, she willfully neglected her 3year-old daughter in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to her health. The unrepresented woman is said to be an alleged alcoholic. According to the facts given, the woman, on the day in question went on a drinking spree with her friends and returned home at 20:30 hrs where she retired to bed with
her children. She reportedly awoke at around 01:30 hrs to discover her 3-year-old daughter missing from the bed. Upon checking, she discovered the child lying on the floor bleeding from her privates. The toddler was taken to the Springlands Police Station. Her mother was advised to take the child to hospital, where a medical examination confirmed sexual assault. The child was then rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and currently remains
a patient. The woman was not required to plea to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until next Monday, June 27th. The male friend of the mother was released on $100,000 bail on Wednesday as investigations continue.
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Amidst fraud, other irregularities on 1,000 Homes project‌
Central Housing to sack entire team Amidst growing concerns over the management of the 1,000 turn-key homes project at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, authorities yesterday took a decision to fire almost 15 staffers. The decision was made during a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), chaired by former city mayor, Hamilton Green. A number of alarming findings have been rearing up over the ambitious project which was announced by the administration of former President Donald Ramotar. Since taking power last year, the David Granger-led government has been expressing disquiet over the
management of the project, with a new board of directors investigating several reported instances of alleged irregularities. According to a senior housing official yesterday, the decision was taken to send home all the staffers of the project after it became clear that mismanagement, fraud, and a number of irregularities were discovered. For instance, several of the staffers, including management officials, were not listed as being part of CH&PA. Rather, they were being paid out of a questionable fund. The staffers will be paid their entitlements. The project was managed by former Finance Director of
CH&PA, Taslim Baksh, until he resigned late last year. Housing officials said yesterday that they discovered that a number of the staffers on the project were related to Baksh. During the board meeting, there were heated discussions as to who was in charge of the project, with Project Manager Fazal Wahab and Chief Executive Officer, Myrna Pitt, distancing themselves. The project has so far cost CH&PA in excess of $1B. Infrastructural works have been completed, with 59 homes occupied and another 141 under construction. CH&PA, however, has spent up to $16M to repair a number a defects in the two-bedroom
homes which cost around $4.9M each, sparking concerns over the level of supervision that was done by the authority. CH&PA had also been examining startling findings, including how the bond at Perseverance where building materials were being kept, was reportedly broken into several times between August 2014 and present. Very little reports of the breakins were made to police, and it was estimated that more than $25M in material went missing from the bond as well as from the new homes. What made the matter more galling was the fact that CH&PA did little to correct the situation by penalizing the security personnel and supervisors involved in the project. In one case, the board found that the Procurement Officer was a 22-year-old Data Entry Clerk who somehow
CH&PA’s Chairman, Hamilton Green was promoted and given authority to purchase over $500M in materials for the project. There was little details on records how he got that job. With regards to the material bond at Perseverance, there was a marked lack of records at CH&PA to
CH&PA’s outgoing CEO, Myrna Pitt determine exactly what inventory the authority had on hand. Reportedly, among those to be sent home are the Superintendent of Works, Field Auditor, and Site Engineer. The Store Keeper has not reported to work since last week, housing officials said. It became clear that the project was in deep trouble this year, with home owners complaining of poor quality work, including sinking floors, leaking roofs, and steps that were shifting from the structures. Board members and officials from the Ministry of Communities had found poor systems of supervision. They announced that money will be spent to fix the defects. According to housing officials yesterday, it is more than likely that new persons will be hired to manage the project, as CH&PA moves to determine exactly what went wrong. CH&PA is facing tough times, with accusations of mismanagement of billions of dollars that had been allocated (Continued on page 31)
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
NDIA Audit recommends…
Special investigation to determine if contractors returned agency’s assets A forensic audit into the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), for the period November 1, 2011 to May 31, 2015 has revealed several instances of irregularities. The auditors have also made recommendations to be taken into consideration by the Management, Board of Directors, to enable the agency to function efficiently. Under the heading “Recommendations” the auditors stated that special investigations must be done covering the past four years to examine those contracts which provided for purchase of assets for specific projects, and to determine whether those assets were transferred by contractors to the NDIA after project completion. The report stated that there are 23 motor vehicles listed as belonging to the agency. These motor vehicles were pick-ups, motor cars, trailers, tractors and SUVs. The auditors continued that the motor vehicles’ list presented for audit did not include information on acquisition values. An examination was carried out on the Certificates of Registration which showed that 16 motor vehicles were registered in the name of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), one in the name of NDIA, four were without Registration, and two were in the name of contractors. Further examination showed that five additional Registrations were in the possession of NDIA. These were registered in the name of MoA and one in the name of a contractor. The ownership documents are kept by the Admin-
istration and Human Resources Manager. However, the auditors stated that the Finance Staff have little or no knowledge of the vehicles owned by NDIA or in the possession of the agency. The auditors expounded that the vehicles registered in the names of contractors were bought for specific projects and after those Projects were completed, the vehicles were to be transferred to NDIA. The Finance staff, according to the auditors, provided examples of two specific contracts awarded in August 2014 and October 2014 to contractor Roopan Ramotar Investment for construction of a drainage pump station at Gangaram and Joppa, Corentyne, Berbice. NDIA assets were provided to the contractor to execute the Projects after which these assets were to be returned to NDIA. “For instance, the contract awarded in August 2014 provided for the purchase of G$11.5M worth of assets and these are to be transferred to NDIA after completion of the contract.” The auditors could not confirm whether these assets were returned to the agency however, they re-
ferred to a letter that was written by the accountant, Wasir Mohamed, to the Acting Chief Executive Officer on August 11, 2015 captioned “Reporting and Recording NDIA Assets held by Contractors’’. The letter informed the Acting CEO that it was a breach of administrative and accounting procedures when assets were acquired by NDIA through these contracts and were not reported to the Finance Ministry since these assets would form part of the NDIA’s asset portfolio. The auditors stated that given the poor quality of Fixed Asset management, it is therefore important that a special investigation be done covering the past four years to examine those contracts which provided for purchase of assets for specific projects, and to determine whether those assets were transferred by contractors to the NDIA after project completion. The CEO explained to the auditors that there were eight such contracts but this would need to be confirmed and to determine if assets purchased through those contracts were transferred to the NDIA.
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PAGE 14
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
UK envoy knocks City Hall for lack of transparency, arrogance The parking meter deal... By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell Sticking faithfully to the
principles the United Kingdom has been known to abide by, High Commissioner Greg
Quinn has weighed in on issues surrounding the parking meters deal. The envoy
opined that there is much to be desired. Kaieteur News yesterday conducted an ex-
clusive interview with Quinn that covered a range of matters. Speaking specifically on the parking meters controversy, the envoy touched on three issues identified in the media which he said do not comply with the standards that a transparent and democratic council should hold for itself. The envoy pointed to the lack of transparency; the lack of a democratic process in Council deliberations and the fact that in the face of it all, the public was told that no apologies will be offered. Britain, the United States and Canada had strongly lobbied for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) that was absent in Guyana for over two decades. The ABC countries repeatedly called for LGEs as they held out that it is imperative for a State to make sure that democracy exists at all levels - Central and Local Government.
UK High Commissioner, Greg Quinn the right to an opportunity to give his or her say on everything that the council does.” The High Commissioner said that councillors should always be highly informed as ultimately every member of the council would be held responsible for everything the council does. “Therefore I would expect the council to operate in an open manner and to consult with all the councillors,” said Quinn.
“It takes great strength and character to say sorry whenever you are wrong and offer comfort to the public by saying how you are going to make it right”- Quinn LGEs were held in March. Three months later, Kaieteur News asked Quinn whether he feels democracy is alive in the newly-elected City Council. The diplomat did not offer a yes or no answer in this regard. However, his response pointed out the lack of a key principle of democracy. Inclusiveness is the main pillar of a strong democracy. The UK High Commissioner told Kaieteur News yesterday that all members of the council should be included in the decision-making processes. Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan had told the media that he was largely left in the dark about the parking meter deal. It has been reported that the contract for the project was not circulated to members of the council. Quinn said that fundamentally, “Every member of the Georgetown Council has
The envoy added that decisions should only flow from processes that involve consultation. PRIVATE CONTRACT At a recent press conference, Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen told the media that she is not prepared to release the contract to the public out of fear that the parking meter idea would be stolen. The Mayor did not point finger as to whom she was worried would steal the idea. Quinn said that the Council has to recognize the need for transparency. He said that Chase-Green “may have a good reason for not publishing the contract. But I think if there is a reason, it needs to be made clear.” Quinn said that good reasons for not wanting to make the contract public should harmonize with reasons (Continued on page 31)
Friday June 24, 2016
PAGE 27
Kaieteur News
Linden residents suspect plot to hijack TV station By Jacquey Bourne While the representatives of the Mayor and Town Council and the Regional Democratic Council are now satisfied with age-old decision made by the Prime Minister four months ago pertaining to the Linden Television Station; some councillors are not in agreement with the chosen representatives. During a press briefing yesterday in the Mayor’s Parlour, Mayor Carwyn Holland, said he was specially invited by the Prime Minister to attend a meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency with regards to the Linden Television Station. Holland claimed that a consensus was arrived at to increase the members of the Region Ten Broadcasting Inc Trust. “Instead of an individual being on the trust, there will be entities represented. “I am not authorized to speak on behalf of the Trust but on behalf of the Council. We moved from four to 15 members which includes two MPs from Linden, two members from the Mayor and Town Council, three from the Regional Democratic Council, one from the Linden Chamber of Commerce, one from the NDC, one from the Union and one representative from the Religious body, and in fact that one is being looked at carefully, because it would increase after the 15 would have met.” Holland said that
in his capacity as Mayor he is automatically on the Trust. “The Prime Minister picked who were in the room including me, but not everybody, because you had to represent an organization. I stood up and argued my way to have a second rep from the M&TC, and I selected my Deputy Mayor being the next in command of the Municipality.” According to Holland, the new Chairman of the Trust is the Regional Chairman. “It was established that the authority of the TV station will first stand with the region, that the people of Linden will have a true representation, and the second in command will be the Mayor and Town Council, because we represent the township as is seen from the numbers we have on the Trust.” He commended Sharma Solomon for leading the fight for the TV station. He also said, “I am happy that the Trust does not give any one person authority over the TV station.” Secretary of the Region Ten Broadcasting Inc., Sharma Solomon, said that no Chairman was elected or selected. “When the members of the Trust meet, a chairman will be elected.” Councillor Lennox Gasper is peeved over the choice of representatives claiming the Mayor did not hold a meeting with the councillors for a decision to be made. “Now the Mayor is saying it is there that he lobbied
Councillor Lennox Gasper for the Deputy Mayor to be on that committee, when I was privy to information that her name was there. She said she would get back to the council. I therefore felt that it is incumbent that the Mayor reach with the council and say to the council that this is the situation; he had ample time to make a decision on this.” Gasper said he is with the council; he was also a part of the information committee under the administration headed by Solomon, with regards to the television station issue. He said that he is sur-
prised he is sidelined. “Myself and Devin Sears are also on the Communication Committee on this council and we are not considered. We understand right now that the Mayor has his hands full, but I feel there is a deliberate move to hijack this station for personal agenda. “We need to put the people’s interest forward and I dare ask or petition that they follow a democratic approach. This one is not democratic.” He also expressed his dissatisfaction that the council is being left out under the guise that the Mayor is the council, in the absence of the council. “But again it is how you interpret the law. If every minute you go and make decisions and you don’t consult that is a problem. I knew that was going to be a sensitive issue, so I asked him if it will
be discussed. “He said ‘yes’ so I told him let us have a consensus on what we are going to discuss. He didn’t. “We are not operating in isolation. This is what he has been doing all the time in this council as if he is ‘The Boss’ and ultimately that is what was said in various forums, and that is not what the constitution said.” Gasper said the Mayor needs to give the council, the democratic body, a chance. “Only if there is a dire need and he is overseas, but as soon as possible he should inform the council. That is what we call a round robin. He could have postponed this press conference to be able to have a quick talk with his councillors. “There is where I have a problem, because he constantly keeps doing this, go-
ing ahead and making decisions without consulting the council. This council will not go forward if he is going to represent this body, because he was not even around with the whole issue of that television station. “You are commending people with one mouth and in another way you want to hijack the television station? It is not right.” The councillor said that he heard that Phillip Bynoe was also named as a representative. “These are people who were not around during the struggle in Linden for the television station.” “If the President and other senior Ministers cannot come and rectify the situation in Linden, then maybe the people in Linden will have to take to the streets, because lives were lost for this television station.”
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Former Customs officer German gunman takes jailed for cocaine in mail hostages, shot dead
(Reuters) A masked gunman took hostages at a cinema in western Germany yesterday before police stormed the complex and shot him dead, police said. No other people were injured, a police spokesman said. The attacker, who carried a rifle or “long gun”, acted alone and appeared to be a “disturbed man”, the interior minister of Hesse state, Peter Beuth, told the regional parliament. Police have not identified the man or established his motive, spokesman Bernd Hochstaedter said, adding that nothing immediately pointed to him having a militant background. German television showed pictures of heavily-armed police, wearing helmets and body armour, storming the Kinopolis complex in Viernheim, south of Frankfurt, and a couple fleeing the building. Cinema employee Guri Blakaj told Reuters the gunman, who was aged about 18 to 25 and about 1.7 metres tall, entered the cinema at around
3 p.m. and told workers to go into an office. He then went into a cinema theatre. Blakaj, who said there were about six staff and 30 cinemagoers in the building, then heard shots fired. Police special forces stormed the building and shot the gunman. The identity and motive of the attacker remained unclear. A police spokesman said investigators found no identification documents with him. There was still a heavy
police presence at the scene into the late evening, and a helicopter circled overhead for several hours. Some 300 police officers and special forces were involved in the operation. U.S. President Barack Obama was briefed about the hostage situation at the cinema, the White House said. Spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters U.S. officials were in contact with their German counterparts, but had no details.
A customs officer formerly attached to the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) was yesterday, jailed for three years after he was convicted for trafficking in cocaine in a mail bag destined for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Clive David, between April 9 and April 11, 2014 at GPOC, Robb Street, Georgetown, had 647 grams of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Magistrate Fabayo Azore also ordered the convict to pay a fine of $1, 941,000. Ranks attached to the police Narcotics Branch were
Jailed: Clive David conducting routine searches at the airport when they found the illegal substance in several envelopes inside a mail bag.
The bag was about to be loaded onto a Caribbean Airlines flight destined for New York. The prosecution had contended that David confessed that he posted the envelopes knowing that the illicit substance was concealed inside. David had told police that he had collected the envelopes from a “Yankee” to post to the USA and was promised US$1,000 remuneration. It was revealed in court that David, of Princes, Street, Georgetown, had worked for nine years at the Guyana Revenue Authority, prior to his arrest.
Several Gov’t housing schemes to get electricity by next month About 34,000 people are expected to benefit from the installation of electrical distribution networks in 16 government housing schemes across five regions. According to a Government statement, the communities will be receiving the electricity through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for housing, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson,
disclosed that the agency will be taking electricity to the areas as early as next month, and will be spending over $500M on the intervention, which is expected to serve almost 8,320 house lots (or approximately 34,000 beneficiaries). The communities include Lust-en-Rust, Zeelugt Phase Two and Three and Zeeburg in Region Three, Eccles Industrial Site, Perseverance Phase Four, Peter’s Hall, Farm Phase One and Two, Covent
Garden, Diamond Commercial and Diamond Residential in Region Four, Hope and Experiment in Region Five, Kilcoy/Chesney and Baltyock in Region Six and Five Miles Bartica, Region Seven, Minister SharpePatterson said. The supply of electricity to the communities is catered for from the approximately $5.189B provided for in Budget 2016 for the CH&PA for community infrastructural works (installation of electricity, pure water supply and distribution network, construction of roads, drains and drainage structures) in eight regions. The spending is in line with government’s programme of establishing cohesive communities in which serviced lots, other social infrastructure and amenities, including green spaces, parks and recreational facilities, are provided to ensure an improved quality of life for Guyanese.
Friday June 24, 2016
PAGE 29
Kaieteur News
PM orders audit into NLCB Planes arrive in T&T to collect
Trinidad Guardian - Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has instructed Finance Minister Colm Imbert to institute an audit into the affairs of the State agency, National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), which is under the microscope for awarding millions of dollars in questionable contracts and to unregistered companies. He said he had also instructed Imbert that if the audit proved individuals or organisations received money under false pretences, “then ask them to pay it back.” Addressing a PNM town meeting in the San Fernando West constituency on Tuesday night, Rowley also identified NLCB and the TDC as two national State companies which spent over one million to slander him in the lead-up to the 2015 election campaign. He told the meeting, which was also addressed by Housing Minister Randall Mitchell and Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Critchlow Cockburn, that was an example of how public monies were being spent in T&T with no one being held
Dr Keith Rowley accountable. He spoke about an inflation in the cost of housing over the past five years from $350,000 to $1.3 million and food card fraud which would see the Government saving over $100 million as a result of weeding out people who were not qualified card holders. The Prime Minister said the owner of a supermarket chain told a friend his business was down by $12 million a month because of the PNM’s administration tightening up of the food card ar-
rangement from what previously existed. “The abuse was astounding,” he said of the food card programme Recalling Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar description of Government dipping into the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) as a “bran tub”, Rowley countered: “The bran tub was at the NLCB and that is widespread all over the public sector... all over.” In a wide-ranging 50minute address, Rowley said corruption was a problem in T&T. “I warned you all before, if the top of the management of the country is corrupt, people who normally will behave properly underneath, sees what is going on at the top and if the priest could play who is me... so all of them start to play.” He said what he was now seeing would have started in 2013. “I have every reason to believe that it was the tone and tenor of 2011 and 2012 that encouraged people to behave like that because they believed they would get away with it, he added.”
food supplies for Venezuela
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - (CMC) – Two Venezuelan aircraft landed at the Piarco International Airport early yesterday to collect food and other supplies needed in the South American country This follows an agreement signed between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to supply manufactured goods through the establishment of a US$50million revolving fund. Food and basic household items valued at TT$29.6 million (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) will be transported from the twin island republic to Venezuela as yesterday and over the next few days. Items to be exported include ketchup, mayonnaise, flour, white rice, margarine, chicken, and powdered milk. The delivery of the prod-
Cargo employees load boxes of foodstuff onto a truck at the Piarco International Airport yesterday. The items are bound for Venezuela following a meeting with Venezuelan officials and the Ministry of Trade on Tuesday. Some of the food items include flour, pasta, milk and ketchup. (Trinidad Express Photo) ucts follows a meeting earlier this week between officials of the Ministry of Trade and Venezuelan Trade offi-
cials. At that meeting the officials finalised terms to begin a first tranche of supply.
PAGE 30
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Register now for summer courses in cosmetology and nails between 2nd -25th August – Cost $15,000 Call Abby: 619-7603
Corner property in Grove, 1 block from Main Road- Flat House, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 1- Cat 320 BL excavator, 1 Cat 428 Back Hoe, 1-930 Cat loader, 1-Cat D44 bulldozer. Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 1-Pneumatic Roller 9 wheels, 1-55 Leyland Daf Truck. Call: 275-0538; 683-7225
1 Complete high volume, 3stage water purification systems, UV light, water tanks, freezer, reasonable , owner migrating – Call: 649-8430 Two -20ft Container chassis for sale- price $1,260,000 each for information call: 623-1615
Bedford TM 6X6 parts for sale – Call: 697-5437
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
Property for sale in prime commercial location in Rose Hall Town, 2 lots for $6M (50X120)- Call: 683-5629
MIX BREED PUPS –CALL: 615-0146
Guy Tech Repairs Service & Spares: Solar system, deep fryer, pizza oven, etc. Call: 684-2119; 680-2377 Guy Tech Repairs Service & Spares: treadmill, washing machine, refrigerator, pressure pump, air condition, etc. Call: 684-2119; 680-2377
SALON
Pure German Shepherd pups, 7 weeks old, vaccinated & have clinic cards – Call: 6535702
Building Construction: house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 Ramdass Visa application & immigration services, room A-4, Maraj Building, Georgetown. Call Samantha: 227-0295; 615-9295 Hello the doctor is back! Have your gas stove repaired and serviced. Call: 601-0595; 220-4073
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
5 Chinese Seine, 1-50HP outboard engine, 1-31 FT flat bottom boat, 1000 lbs nylon seine –Call: 691-3633; 2234552 PEN PAL Middle age man is seeking female for long term relations 32-40yrs. Call: 670-7969
Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities–Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 House & land 150X100 @ 6 Good Hope EBE, Double Lot @ 41&44 Vergenogen E.B.E, Double lot (business spot) @ Zeelugt. Call: 642-6642 One flat house 2 bedrooms at Grove New Scheme 2nd Bridge, large land space $11M. Call: 626-1263/ 680-9593
Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494 FOR SALE/RENT American pool table – Call: 277-0578
Truck Porter to travel in and out of Interior. Call: 618-2020 Lorry DRIVER/Salesman, Part time Welder/ Fabricator 676 6700 One fitter machinist & one welder - Call: 613-1588; 234-0780
Zeelugt-(2)storey concrete building, Good Hope-(2)storey concrete building, Tel:2319690,231-9693 call between 8:00hrs-16:00hrs (Mon-Fri). Parfaite Harmony-(2) storey wooden & concrete building. Prices negotiable. Tel:2319690,231-9693 call between 8:00hrs-16:00hrs (Mon-Fri). 1 Front building & 1 -2 storey back building @ 180 Charlotte Street Bourda (30X120), price negotiable- Call: 2265183; 227-6817; 624-7341 Enmore: Hope West, 1-two storey 3 bedrooms wooden building, overlooking FoulisCall: 602-2818; 649-1434 2 Storey house, 5 bedrooms semi-furnished for business, 65 Palmyra Village, East Canje Berbice, price negotiable. Call: 670-6688; 621-2060 3 Bedrooms house in Tucville, asking price -$15M, needs repairs. Call: 645-6498
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807
Republic Park Ph1: 2 flats 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, well maintained, including yard $51M-Call: 609-6516; 6170758; 645-2580 Business property located at Vreed-en-Hoop Public Road, few houses away from junction, serious enquiries only! Call: 671-9035
Hallow Blocks maker- Call: 233-2767 1 Driver for East Bank area – Call: 233-2745 Experienced Driver apply in person with handwritten application @ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St. Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Cleaner, Security, DJ, waitress, bartenders,1 experinced secretary between ages 18-25, must have CXC–Call: 668-8332; 638-5303
Experienced sewing machine operators.Apply in person @ R Sookraj & Sons 108 Regent Street (OPP. GBTI)
Experienced driver/salesman and porter to drive & sell beverages. Experienced is an asset. Call: 226-9800
Marketing Representative between ages 25-35years old, must have driver’s License. Call: 223-0090
M&S Taxi and Transportation Service wanted Hire Car Drivers around Georgetown. Call: 638-0704. Experienced female Accounts clerk passes with English & Mathematics. Apply at Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling.
LAND FOR SALE 25 Acres land for sale @ Linden Highway –Call: 683-1521 Tuschen -$2.2M, $1.4M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.1M, $1.6M, $2.5M, $1.2M, Eccles -$5.5M, New Road V/Hoop $17M, $30M. Call: 604-6724 50 Acres @ Plantation Elizabeth Ann, Right Bank Demerara River. Call: 6723886; 600-5266 Herstelling (corner lot) 100ftX50ft -$3.5M, (pay 2$M now & the rest later), La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M. Call: 604-2207; 611-7223 Land situated at 33 Area F Zeeburg South W.C.D, size: 150X55’.Call:615-1594;668-3293 West Minister Major Road already fenced & water in La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M, Bartica- $2.5M- Call: 6818897; 651-1969 Land located at Nouvelle Flanders West Coast Demerara. Call: 662-0187; 674-4929
High value transported land and 2 bedrooms newly built house, Greater Diamond E.B.D -$16M negotiable. Call: 684-7234 CAR RENTAL
WANTED
2 Live -in/ live out waitresses to work at Caribbean Heat in Good Hope, East Coast Demerara. Call: 613-2650 or 627-5607
La Parfaite Harmonie $20M, $25M, $6M, New Road -$17M, $2.5M, La Grange Public Road $18M. Call: 604-6724
Property located @ Waller’s Delight W.C.D- Call: 6620187; 674-4929 CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL @YAHOO. COM
VACANCY Hair/nail & barber stations for rental, discounts for new comers @ New Market St. Call: 638-1106
PROPERTY FOR SALE Large 4 bedrooms concrete house for sale at Ruimzeight Garden, W.C.D, residential area. Call:269-0189; 268-3214 Business property @ 21-24 Main & Magdalen Street New Amsterdam Berbice. Call: 233-0091; 683-9031
One experienced Hauler driver, apply in person at Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling Stabroek. Salesgirl contact 1883 Festival City, North Ruimveldt –Call: 682-4159 from 4pm to 10pm Girls to work in bar @ E.C.D location- Call: 612-2522 Needed one female cleaner to work in bond, apply in person to Alabama Trading, Georgetown, Ferry Stelling. Land @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Eccles & also vehicles. Call:604-6724 We buy land in Eccles, Herstelling, Farm, La Parfaite Harmonie, Uitvlugt, Zeelugt, Bartica –Call: 6511969; 681-8897 1 Male to cook in the Backdam-Call: 678-0565 One administrative assistant- email CV to nwscompanygy@gmail.com 1 Maid for East Bank Area. Call: 614-4358 Experienced male salesperson must be able to multitask, communicate well & have computer skills @ KeyFood Trading McDoom. Experienced Fish processors, filleters and labourers. Earn between $3,000 and $4,000 per day. Call 223-5180 One accountant and one assistant accountant. Must be knowledgeable with Quick Book experience. Very attractive salary. Call 697-5221 (Continued on page 31)
Friday June 24, 2016
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Kaieteur News
UK envoy knocks City Hall for... Central Housing...
From page 14 usually offered by world leaders for keeping the public in the dark about a particular issue. “As I said, she (Chase-Green) may have a reason, but she needs to supply a little more detail to make it come across clearly,” the High Commissioner stressed. Quinn said that even if good enough reason exists as to why Chase-Green may want to withhold the contract from the public, Councillors still need to be informed. NO APOLOGIES Turning his attention to the “no apologies” statement made by Chairman of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, Quinn said that those words should not be used by a public official. As he addressed concerns made about the project and his trip to Mexico, Clarke said, “I have no apologies to make to anyone. I getting like Mr. Harmon.” Minister of State Jo-
seph Harmon had expressed similar sentiments when asked about the salary increases given to Ministers who had spent just a few months in office. Quinn said, “I don’t think you should ever say you would not or don’t have to apologize for anything.” Further, Quinn said that public officials are given a glorious opportunity anytime they are allowed to apologize to the public. “I think, in fact, it is a mark of your strength if you are willing to apologize whenever you do things. By apologizing, you demonstrate to the population that you are strong. It takes great strength and character to say sorry whenever you are wrong and offer comfort to the public in saying how you are going to make it right,” said Quinn. The issues surrounding the impending implementation of parking meters in the City are becoming endless. The main issue, however, is the fact that the contract is being kept private.
Brazil woes stall multi-billion... From page 6 to access the fund seems not to be clean to everyone. But it is a substantial fund and we are looking forward to pursuing the offer so that the road can be built. DEEP WATER PORTAND THE HYDRO PROJECT As it relates to the Deep Water Port, the same issues apply, the Minister stated. He continued that there were several discussions on this matter and also on the Hydro Project, and stated: “In those cases, the Government of the State of Roraima also approached us when we went for a meeting with the President. The Head of the Finance Committee of the Senate, who
happens to be a senior official of the Roraima Region, also came and we discussed these matters at some length.” Greenidge stated that as such time as Brazil “settles down at the political level, we are not likely to see much progress in that regard, but most certainly at the level of the Central Government and definitely at the level of Roraima; it is something that they have a strong interest in” It is intended that the proposed land link will join the northern states of Brazil through the Guianas and facilitate shipping access from port(s) in Guyana for imports and exports to and from Roraima, and the Amazonas, with the northern Atlantic, the
Caribbean, and North and Central America region. The development of this land transport link between the two countries and the development of a deep water port are also seen as critical in the fostering of the integration process for the Caribbean region as a whole. It is envisaged that Guyana's integration with Brazil will open up foreign markets to Guyana's exports, improve transportation costs, while at the same time, increasing competitiveness through increased economies of scale, and also, increasing the flexibility of labour supply which will result in less unemployment.
More than 40 percent of... From page 17 cost billions.” The late or nonpayment of land rates is seen as a major bugbear on the ability of the MMA/ADA to develop not only the available 15,000 acres in phase one, but phases two and three. COSTLY Charles revealed that the current cost of maintaining the scheme is almost $700M. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, described the land rent and the cost of drainage and irrigation as ridiculous. He noted that rentals need to be adjusted upward in line with inflation. Charles credits the success of the agricultural district to the drainage and irrigation works since the establishment of the MMA/ADA in 1978. According to him, feasibility studies were carried out prior to the selection of the district and established Region Five as the area with the potential to be one of the country's leading districts in the production of rice. The works were to be carried out in three phases; phase one between Berbice and Abary, phase two between Abary and Mahaicony and phase three between the Mahaicony and Mahaica riv-
ers. Addressing the need to finance the development of the new phases (phases two and three), Minister Holder told GINA that given the success of MMA/ADA's phase one, the authority ought to have had monies set aside to aid in the development of the other phases. Holder further explained that, “to get funding you will have to go to the international agencies, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) or World Bank or whoever, who will fund you probably 80 percent. You will have to find 20 percent. That 20 percent is supposed to be found from the surpluses of phase one, but as you see, they are taking money from the treasury instead of putting money in or having a fund to get phases two and three going, and there is the dilemma.” ILLEGALRENTING Minister Holder also explained that while agencies like MMA should be putting money into the consolidated fund to finance it and other government services, it is now taking money out of government's coffers at the detriment of other government expenditures such as increased salaries for public ser-
vants. MMA has received in excess of $200M of government's budget for 2016. It has been disclosed that contrary to the lease agreement, many lessees are subletting plots leased from the MMA, at rates between 10 times and 15 times higher than that paid to the MMA/ ADA while not paying outstanding debts due. This remains a challenge, which Minister Holder pointed out, “The act doesn't allow that and the leases they have don't allow sub-letting.” “The breaches are straight forward. MMA should come down on them. It's not a government thing, it's an MMA thing, they should enforce (the laws), the previous government had a 'hands off' approach on those things, but I think this government has to put the law in place and I think that is what we aim to do. I mean what's legal is legal what's illegal is illegal when you start bending the laws it leads to chaos. I think that needs to stop.” While Charles said the ultimate sanction for defaulters is reclamation of the land from lessees, he quickly pointed out that it is not the intention of the current Board of Directors to go in that direction, immediately.
From page 12 for housing schemes. Several plots of lands on the East Bank of Demerara have also been allocated under questionable circumstances to private developers, with CH&PA paying little attention to ensure works were done to
meet the conditions of the agreements signed. The new board has been making changes, with the Chief Executive Officer announcing recently that she is not interested in renewing her contract which expired last month.
16 years each for... From page 3 said that the crimes were committed with a high level of brutality. She told the court, “I have noted that the injuries suffered by the victims in this matter were of a very serious nature. The medical certificates showed that the injuries were life-threatening for both of them. While the men were attacking the victims they showed little or no consideration for whether the victims would survive or not.” The Magistrate underscored that Narine, Millington and McKenzie were all charged as accessory to each of the offences, and she found them equally culpable of the crimes. However, Narine, Millington and McKenzie in a plea of mitigation maintained their innocence. They said that they played no part in the crimes. They pleaded with the Magistrate for leniency in her decision. The Land Court judge and her husband were at home with their 11-year-old son located at Montrose, East Coast Demerara on July 9, 2015. The family had retired to bed when a group of men invaded their home and attacked and robbed the couple. During the incident Pierre
and her husband were able to see their attackers, since the men wore no masks. The intruders threatened them and demanded money and other valuables. At the time of the robbery, the lights were on in the couple's home, in particular the room in which the couple was attacked. Narine, Millington and McKenzie disarmed a female security guard before storming the home. The convicts left the home and shot at a security guard in their bid to escape. Police were called in to investigate and the three men were arrested and charged.
From page 30
TO LET 2 Bedrooms apartment to rent @ Diamond for more information. Call: 685-1640
VEHICLE FOR SALE Mazda RX8 – Call: 602-6024 One silver colour RAV 4 J PNN 6469, excellent condition – Call: 625-2323; 254-0530 1 Long base canter -$2M, 1 short base Canter -$1.2M, 1212 car -$1M, 1 RZ bus $1M, 1 Galant - $800,000 – Call: 604-6724 Toyota Voxy/ Noah unregistered, 2008 model $2.5M. Call: 603-9700 Mitsubishi GLX Sports $400,000, MR2 Sports Toyota -$500,000, 200 Mercedes Benz -$300,000. Call: 226-8013 One Hilux Tiger 4X4 for sale, 5L engine, stick gear, diesel, 15 inch mag, roof rack & back covering. Call: 692-9577; 2292379 AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BRR, RZ & Pitbull, Pajero Junior, Spacio: Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 1 Mazda Axela, in excellent condition -$1.2M negotiableCall: 681-8543 2010 IST -$2.6M, 2011 BLUEBIRD -$2.7M, 2001 RACTIS -$2.6M, 2009 AXIO -$2.4M, 2009 BELTA -2.4M. CALL: 617-2891 One Silver Premio excellent condition, PRR 3854 -$1.7M negotiable. Call: 682-4742 2008 Toyota Axio, registered (PVV), immaculate conditionCall: 618-6207; 673-1617 (no reasonable offer refused) TO LET 1-2 Bedrooms lower flat apartment situated at 529 Section ‘B’ Block ‘X’, Great Diamond, ‘10th Street Back Half’. Call: 689-1518; 6613288; 216-4200 WANTED One baby sitter and one maid. Attractive salary. Call or text, 223-5180
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Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Britain heading to remain in EU (Reuters) Voting closed in Britain’s bitterly fought referendum on whether to quit the European Union on Thursday, with a prominent Leave campaigner saying he expected to lose and early surveys suggesting voters had chosen to remain in the bloc. Nigel Farage, head of the UK Independence Party and a leading voice in favour of leaving the EU, told Sky News he did not expect to be on the winning side. “It’s been an extraordinary referendum campaign, turnout looks to be exceptionally high and looks like Remain will edge it,” Farage told Sky News. A spokesman for Farage declined to elaborate. The survey by pollster YouGov showed Remain ahead by a margin of 52 to 48 percent. Unlike a classic exit poll, it was based on online responses by a pre-selected sample of people rather than a survey of voters as they left polling stations. Pollster Ipsos-MORI also put Remain in the lead, saying that surveys it had carried out on Wednesday and Thursday gave it a 54-46 margin of victory. An Ipsos-
MORI poll published earlier had just a 52-48 split for Remain. The pound climbed to its highest for this year to $1.4989 GBP=D4, from around $1.4906 just before the poll closed, a move of 0.56 percent. It also firmed against the yen GBPJPY=R. The four-month campaign has sharply polarised the nation and the final outcome of the vote could change the face of Europe. If Britain becomes the first state to leave the EU, the socalled Brexit would be the biggest blow to the 28-nation bloc since its foundation. The EU would be stripped of its second-biggest economy and one of its two
main military powers, and could face calls for similar votes by anti-EU politicians in other countries. If it votes to stay, Britain has been promised a special status exempting it from any further political integration, but European leaders will still have to address a sharp rise in euroscepticism across the continent. In a letter, 84 eurosceptic Conservative lawmakers called on Cameron to remain prime minister regardless of the result. But despite the statement of loyalty, Cameron would face huge pressure from the country at large to step down as prime minister if Britons have defied him and voted to leave.
Ja Received US$794m In Foreign Direct Investment Last Year – Report The Gleaner - The justreleased 2016 World Investment Report is indicating that Jamaica received US$794 million in foreign direct investment last year. This is a 34 per cent increase over the $591 million received in 2015. According to the report, the inflows were associated with activity in the tourism
sector, as well as infrastructure a n d b u s i n e s s p r o cess outsourcing projects. It also said in 2015 Jamaica had the highest increase in investment inflows in the region and attracted 40 per cent of all announced new investments green field in Small Island Developing States.
A green field investment is a form of foreign direct investment where a parent company builds its operations in a foreign country from the ground up. Commenting on the report, President of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards, said the agency has seen a steady increase in investor interest in Jamaica for the past few years.
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Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
OAS chief blames Maduro govt. for Venezuela crisis WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The head of the OAS regional bloc, Luis Almagro, yesterday said the government of President Nicolas Maduro was directly to blame for Venezuela’s crisis, which he argued had altered the constitutional order in the South American OPEC nation. Addressing the permanent council of the 34-nation Organisation of American States (OAS), Almagro argued that Maduro’s government had violated basic democratic principles in its handling of the country’s political and economic crisis. Almagro, a former foreign minister from Uruguay, is pushing to invoke the OAS’s democratic charter, which could lead to Venezuela’s suspension from the organisation. Despite opposition by Venezuela and allies like Ecuador and Bolivia to halt proceedings, Almagro won the backing of a majority of member states to take up the issue during a vote at the start of yesterday’s meeting. The meeting comes as the United States opens new talks with Maduro government to ease tensions between the two countries, but also to push for international mediation between the government and opposition. Almagro said Venezuela’s crisis had reached breaking point. “These challenges cannot be blamed on external forces,” Almagro said. “The situation facing Venezuela today is the direct result of the actions of those currently in power.” “I ask you be mindful of the lives, the health and the commitment of the people of
Luis Almagro
Venezuela,” he said. He urged member countries to act to address Venezuela’s “unprecedented and unnecessary” humanitarian crisis, the jailing of opposition members and reports of torture. Almagro said Venezuelans’ call for a referendum to recall Maduro should be supported. “Fundamental freedoms, human rights and democracy don’t exist just when it’s convenient. We are compelled to indicate problems wherever they may exist, especially so in a difficult context,” Almagro said. “It is in keeping with these standards that we believe the constitutional order in Venezuela has been altered,” said Almagro. He said Venezuela was facing unprecedented high levels of poverty and violent crime, despite being one of the richest countries in the region. “The confrontation between the government has led to a failing of the political system which has worsened the economic and social and humanitarian conditions in the country,” said Almagro, citing a record inflation rate, low
economic growth and skyrocketing external debt levels. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, addressing the council, accused Almagro of orchestrating an attempted coup against Venezuela. “This is a coup that is being carried out in this organisation to overcome the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro,” Rodriguez said. “How far will we go? What precedent will this set?” She accused Almagro of meeting with leaders of Venezuela’s opposition at the OAS headquarters just before the council meeting. “This organisation is being used to attack Venezuela,” Rodriguez said, “It is a clear infringement of the rules of this organisation. Is this how far we’ve gone?” she said, accusing Washington of supporting Almagro’s efforts. “You are using this organisation to twist the arms of the countries that are not subjective, but Venezuela will not subject itself to the instructions of any foreign government nor...to the interference of coups that the secretary general is trying to support,” she said.
Former Antiguan diplomat dies awaiting trial in UN bribery scandal ST JOHN’S,Antigua – The former president of the United Nations General Assembly and Antigua and Barbuda’s permanent representative to the UN, John Ashe, has died before facing trial for tax fraud in a scandal that involved him allegedly taking more than US$1.3 million in bribes while in his UN post. He died of a heart attack Wednesday at his New York home. In a statement issued yesterday, UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft said that “despite the many as yet unproven accusations made against him, Mr. Ashe was for many years a hard-working and popular member of the diplomatic corps in New York and at the
United Nations.” Ashe served as President of the UN General Assembly – the highest policy-making body in the 70-year old organisation – from September 2013 until September 2014. Prosecutors say he used bribe money to support a lavish lifes t y l e t h a t i n c l u d e d spending $59,000 on handtailored suits in Hong Kong in 2013 and 2014; buying two Rolex watches in 2014 for $54,000; year paying $40,000 to lease a new BMW X5 later that year; and a $69,000 membership at a South Carolina country club. In October last year, he was arrested and charged not with bribery but with tax fraud. He was
facing two counts of filing false federal tax returns because of his failure to declare the money he allegedly received. However, bribery and bribery conspiracy charges have been lodged against five others, including Ng Lap Seng, alias David Ng, a billionaire real estate developer from the Chinese territory of Macau who allegedly provided the bribe money; and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for the Dominican Republic Francis Lorenzo, who pleaded guilty to bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering, tax fraud and illegal bank accounts in March, and claimed he helped channel bribes from Chinese businessmen to Ashe.
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
The eliminator before the decider
Match facts Friday, June 24 Start time 1300 local (1700 GMT) Big Picture Before this tournament it would have been bold to suggest that of the three contesting sides it would be West Indies getting two opportunities to qualify for the final. But a pair of staunch victories plus the washout between Australia and South Africa granted them an effective double chance in their final two qualifying matches, and they stretched Steven Smith’s side on Tuesday before falling short. The result means the meeting with South
Africa is effectively an elimination match for both teams, as they vie to make it into the competition decider on Sunday. On a variety of pitches, West Indies have prospered through a combination of high-quality batting from Marlon Samuels and canny spin from Sunil Narine in particular. But they were made to look ordinary by Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir in their most recent encounter with South Africa, and will need to improve vastly on that display in order to progress. Complicating matters for the hosts is a hamstring strain to the captain Jason Holder,
who will be restricted in his movement even if he does take the field. Should he be ruled out, Denesh Ramdin will lead West Indies. Given their world ranking of No. 3, it would be a significant embarrassment for South Africa to fail to qualify against a Caribbean side that will miss the Champions Trophy in 2017 having let their own ranking slip out of the top eight. AB de Villiers has spoken positively of the side doing well under pressure (this isn’t an ICC event after all), and the pace of the Kensington Oval pitch should allow his players plenty of opportunity to
Scotia Bank support for RHTY&SC... (From page 35) among others. The Club’s Educational Committee co-chaired by the Club Secretary and his Asstistant Secretary/CEO Franklyn Ross and the cricket teams would be responsible for researching and editing the historic magazine which would be distributed free of cost to residents of the township, schools, the business sector among others. Noting that Rose Hall is a small community with a rich
tradition in education, culture, sports and business, Foster said that it is important to document its history so that future generations would be aware. He encouraged all former and current residents of the town who have facts of the township or historial photos to submit them at the Club’s Office at Area ‘H’ Ground or via email to foster_hilbert@yahoo.com . Marketting Executive of Scotiabank Ms. Jennifer
Cipriani hailed the relationship between the Bank and the Club which has been benificial in a positive way in the lives of many. Recording the history of Guyana’s history, Cipriani stated is important and the Bank is delighted to be part of the project. The teams spearheading the project are Rose Hall Town Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermiade, Metro Females and Gizmos and Gadgets Under 21 and First Division teams.
SEL FINALE winning Coach... (From page 37) dominated totally and open a gap of points and still have to play a championship game.” Dover is of the view that there must be a review of the league’s format: “I think in fairness, Slingerz should have already won the league and gone home; but to know that they have to play two more games, tonight and the next game is unfortunate.” Slingerz ended the FINALE phase of the SEL six points clear of second placed Fruta Conquerors on 34 points; Alpha was four pints back on 34 with Pele in 4th on 17. The West Demerara based side was the only unbeaten team in the FINALE drawing just a single match out of 14. These four teams made it to the semi finals which saw Slingerz and Alpha defeating Pele and Conquerors respectively before they faced off in the final which Alpha won on kicks from the penalty mark, 3-0. The final of all finals will be played on Sunday at the GDF ground. (F.Wilson)
Marlon Samuels whips one to the leg side en route his 28th fifty, West Indies v Australia, 8th match, ODI tri-series, Barbados ©AFP express themselves. Significantly, Friday also looms as Morne Morkel’s first appearance in the tournament - his late addition to the equation may be enough to tilt the balance South Africa’s way. In the spotlight - A pair of stunning innings against Australia have underlined Marlon Samuels’ value to the West Indies top order, but he
is yet to have the same impact against South Africa with scores of 1 and 24. Clearly motivated by Australian verbal jousting, Samuels will need to find a way to rev himself up for the contest against de Villiers’ team. Another strong display at Kensington Oval would make a big difference to the hosts’ chances of progressing, whether batting in the afternoon or chasing in the evening. Left out of the South Africa team in Guyana and St Kitts, Morne Morkel was finally chosen for the match against Australia in Bridgetown, only to see it washed out. On a surface that offered appreciable pace and bounce when compared to the earlier venues, Morkel may well be a significant figure today, especially given the struggles of West Indies’ young openers against the sped of Mitchell Starc. A lack of match practice will provide a challenge for Morkel to get into his best rhythm right away, however. Team news - Jason Holder
is a doubtful starter due to a hamstring strain, though West Indies will wait until the afternoon of the match to make a call. Should Holder be ruled out, Jonathan Carter is expected to come in, while Ramdin is in line to captain. West Indies (probable) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk/capt), 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Jonathan Carter, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Shannon Gabriel South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir Pitch and conditions - There will likely be decent bounce and pace from the Kensington Oval wicket, though it can be expected to take some spin later on. (ESPNcricinfo)
Friday June 24, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You can expect to face opposition on the home front. You can enjoy entertainment if you join in and follow the crowd for a change. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Relationships will become stronger. Do your best, but don't make too many promises or you may exhaust yourself. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) This will not be the time to give too much to your children. This will not be the best day to sign deals or to take care of other people's financial matters. CANCER (June 21–July 22) It will do you some good. Your ability to take hold of a situation will surely bring you popularity and leadership. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You will do well with clients today. Don't be too confident that coworkers are on your side. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Minor fevers or infections will develop if you're overstressed. You can meet a new romantic partner or secure the love connection you already have by going out and entertaining yourself.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Don't delay; go to your physician or dentist and get to the bottom of the discomfort. A change of attitude has probably disrupted your home environment. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your mate is going to want and need some attention. The locks, stove, gas, or electric wires may not be secure. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Put your energy into self-improvement programs that promise to make you into a better you. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Calm down and take a step back. Your home environment may be hectic, which could result in emotional upset if you aren't well organized. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Advancement can be yours if you put your efforts into work related matters. Don't start any arguments unless you're prepared to accept irrevocable results. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You can meet friends who will let you know how valuable you are. Refrain from using the highway as a racetrack.
Friday June 24, 2016
GFA/Stag Premier League
Western Tigers blank Northern Rangers; Santos overpower Beacons as title race heats up By Franklin Wilson The race for the Georgetown Football Association / Stag Premier League title intensified following wins by the front runners, Western Tigers and Santos on Wednesday night at the Georgetown Football Club ground. Randolph Wagner’s brace propelled Western Tigers to their 4-0 win over Northern Rangers while a hat-trick and a double from Shawn Mohamed and Ryan ‘Bum Bum’ Hackett carved out a 61 triumph for Santos in their clash with Beacon. Northern Rangers held their own for the first 37 minutes of the match before the Tigers netted the first of their goals which came via a beautifully taken header from Wagner on the end of a corner kick. Wagner rose above the Rangers defense and goalkeeper Enkosi Whyte to power his shot into the back of the nets in the 37th minute. One minute to the half time whistle, Michael Pedro doubled the advantage. Two more goals were to come Western Tigers’ way in the second half as they domi-
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Kaieteur News
Ryan Hackett (center) is flanked by Shawn Mohamed (left) and Dellon David – Santos FC. nated their rivals. Delon Kelly in the 76th minute and Wagner again one minute later sealed another solid win for the Tigers. Santos was too hot for Beacon FC to handle as they ran away 6-1 winners. Santos wasted little time in stamping their authority on proceedings, scoring in just the second minute of the game, Mohamed netting his first. One minute later it was Hackett’s turn to double the lead. Six minutes later, Dellon David got into the act as Santos raced to a 3-0 advantage in under ten minutes of
play as they overwhelmed the hapless Beacon side. Hackett completed his double in the 24th minute and thereafter, there was a lull in the scoring until after half time. Three minutes after the break, Mohamed sent his side further ahead with his second goal with the score reading 50. Sixty minutes on, Mohamed fired in his third and Santos’ sixth of the match. Beacon was able to pull one back for consolation sake in the 69th minute thanks to Steve Edwards strike. Two more matches were scheduled to play last night.
Nominations for Ansa McAl Award of Excellence and Gregory Gaskin Memorial Sports Award invited by RHTY&SC The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) is inviting Berbicians to submit nominations for two of its major awards, the fourth Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence and the Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Awards. Theses awards are administered by the Educational and Public Relations Committee of the club and the final awardees are chosen by a panel of judges headed by Veteran journalist Gregory Rambarran. In a release from the club, Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster informed that the Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence will honour four outstanding Berbicians for service of the highest standard in the fields of sports administration, e ducation, health and community development. All of the nominees must Berbicians, be positive role models to youths, have completed between 20-30 years of dedicated and outstanding service in the four fields listed above. The club would like to inform that functioning as a member of Parents/Teacher Associations does not count
as dedicated service in the field of education. The Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award would also see four persons being rewarded. Nominations are invited for the Berbice Sportsman of the Year 2015, Berbice Sportswoman of the Year 2015, Berbice Sports Personality of the Year 2015 and the Berbice Sports Association of the Year 2015. The two individual awards would be selected based on outstanding performances during 2015 while representing Berbice, Guyana or the West Indies while the Sports Personality award would be given to the individual who worked beyond
the call of duty to promote their sports throughout the ancient county. The Sports Association Award would honour the association that has consistently organised tournaments and training programmes in promotion of their discipline. Foster is encouraging Berbicians to submit their nominations via registered mail to the RHTY&SC Office, Area ‘H’ Ground, Rose Hall Town or email to foster_hilbert@yahoo.com. The name of the person nominating, their address, telephone number and email address must be included along with detailed reasons for the nomination.
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Friday June 24, 2016
Kaieteur News
Police win Arthur Chung Memorial Track and Field title By Edison Jefford Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) won the Arthur Chung Memorial Track and Field title at the Leonora Centre yesterday against a depleted Guyana Defense Force (GDF) team. The meet is a precursor to the Joint Services showdown in September. Police amassed 278 points opposed to GDF’s 207 points to win the 14-events competition. Police’s United Statesbased College star, Alita Moore battered opponents in the sprint events at the meet that was held at the National Track and Field Centre Leonora. Moore ran 11.75 seconds to win the Women’s 100m ahead of GDF’s, Aniqua Powley, who ran 11.92s, and her team-mate, Jevina Sampson (12.43s) respectively. More returned to separate her class from the field in the 200m with a 24.30s victory ahead of the talented Powley (25.80s) and Sampson (26.20s). Moore is on scholarship at ASA College, New York. Ascending sprint ace, Davin Fraser cruised to victory for a sprint double, re-
cording the blistering 10.1 seconds (hand time) in the 100m. Fraser was in so much control of the race that leaves very little to chance that he had time to glance at his opponents. Fraser put the Army on show. Police’s Kevin Abensetts was second in 10.32 seconds with Tevin Garraway (10.5s) third. Fraser won the 200m ahead of Garraway and Linton Mentis. Times were not available in this event. Sampson won the 400m Women in 59.40 secs ahead of Soldier, Shawna Park (1:01.2) and Kezia Bess (1:03), representing Police, in that order. Police’s Winston Dummett won the male race in a time of 48.9 seconds while Wayne Harlequin (49.5) and Mentis (50.1) were second and third respectively. GDF’s Odwin Tudor recorded the biggest win of his career when he staved off a challenge down the back straight from distance king Cleveland Forde to win the Men’s 1500m race in 4:09.8 that edge Forde’s 4:10.6 in an exciting finish. Police’s
-Fraser scintillates to continue ascendency
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (fifth, left) hands over the winning plaque to Coach of the Guyana Police Force Athletics Team, Lyndon Wilson yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre. Nathaniel Giddings (4:22.3) was third. Police’s Joanna Archer (5:15) won the female race ahead of Ashanti Scott (5:18) and Alicia Jack (5:25) respec-
tively. Archer also won the 800m in 2:21 with Kezra Murray (2:21.8) chasing her to the finish line in another close finish. Ashanti Scott (2:29.3)
finished third. Quacy Morian won the male 800m race ahead of Tudor and Police’s Trevor Scotland. No times were available
in this event as well. Police won the Women’s 4x100 metre relay race with GDF taking home the Men’s 4x100m title.
Euro 2016: Wales & Northern Ireland ‘have belief to win tournament’ Wales and Northern Ireland both have the belief they can win Euro 2016, according to their respective forwards Gareth Bale and Kyle Lafferty. The two sides meet in the last 16 of the tournament tomorrow. Real Madrid’s Bale, 26, and 28-year-old Lafferty, who plays for Norwich, both scored seven goals in qualifying. Bale said Wales’ “ultimate goal” is to win the Euros, while Lafferty said he believed Northern Ireland “can go all the way” in France. Chris Coleman’s Wales side qualified for the last 16 as Group B winners - ahead of England - while Michael O’Neill guided Northern Ireland to third place in Group C. They are in the opposite side of the draw to England, current world champions Germany, reigning European champions Spain, four-time World Cup winners Italy and hosts France. ”Obviously you come to the tournament for one reason - to win, not to play three games and go home,” said Bale, who is Euro 2016’s joint top-scorer with three goals in the group stage. “The ultimate goal is we want to try and win the tournament. ”It’s a cliche but we’ll take each one as it comes. Yes, we would love to win it, but all our focus now is on Northern Ireland.” Lafferty, who is yet to score at the tournament, said: “We honestly believe
Gareth Bale (left) and Kyle Lafferty top-scored for their countries in qualifying for Euro 2016. with our heart and determination that we can beat anyone. ”With the squad we have I honestly am sitting here thinking we can go all the way. If we get a bit of luck we can upset a few teams. “Stopping Bale is the big question. He’s a very big part of their team as a player of that calibre is going to be. We’ll look at areas where they are strong and areas that we can exploit. ”It’ll be interesting to see who it wants it most on Saturday. I believe we’ll come out on top.” Prior to their defeat by England in the group stage, Bale suggested Wales had “more passion and pride” than Roy Hodgson’s side - and the two-times Champions League winner thinks his team have more in common with Saturday’s opponents. ”They topped their [qualifying] group, you don’t do that by mistake,” said Bale. “They have very similar team
spirit to us. They are a bit more defensive than us -it will be difficult to break them down, but we will try our best.” Meanwhile, veteran Northern Ireland defender Aaron Hughes, 36, expects the supporters of both teams to make the match a memorable occasion. “It’ll be a fantastic game,” the 102-capped player said. “I think the atmosphere will be tremendous as good as any here. ”Everyone has seen how good our fans have been so far and the Wales fans have been similar. One of the best atmospheres I played at was against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in 2004.” Hughes’ fellow-centre back Jonny Evans added: “We’re in such a position here to create history that can last a long time and we don’t want to let go of that. ”We want to go as far as we can and not waste this opportunity.” (BBCsport)
Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
Scotia Bank support for RHTY&SC in quest to document history The Cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club continues to create history as they would be documenting the club’s history as part of a programme to mark the Township’s 46th anniversary in September. The 40-page booklet will be fueled with the support of one of the club’s longest serving sponsors, the Bank of Nova Scotia. Spearhead of the project, club Secretary/CEO Hilbert informed that the booklet would be historic as it would be the first time that the h i s t o r y o f G u y a n a ’s
township would be researched and documented for future generations. The booklet, he disclosed would be one of over 20 projects the club would be undertaking to make the 2016 Rose Hall Town Week, the best organised in the
history of any township in Guyana. Articles in the booklet would include: Rose Hall village, the slaves who bought the village in 1842, Towhsip status in 1970, Mayors and Town Clerks 1970-2016, achievements in sports, youth leaders, develop m e n t o v e r t h e years, the business sector, profiles of outstanding residents including Clarence Hughes, J.C. Chandisingh, Assad Fudadin, Andre Percival, David Ramnarine, Viv Persaud and Alex Foster (Continued on page 32)
Browne is new Chairman of Selectors St John’s, Antigua – F o r m e r w i c k e t k e e p e r, coach, and talent manager, Courtney Browne will be the new Chairman of Selectors for the West Indies Cricket Board. Browne has been on the senior men’s selection panel for almost six years and he has had oversight for selection for the women’s and under 19 programmes for the last two years while being regional talent manager for the same period. Before joining the selection teams, Browne served as Chairman for the senior selection panel in Barbados and also served as an alternate selector for the West Indies senior men’s team. Before becoming a selector, he was the wicketkeeping coach at the High Performance Centre in Barbados. Browne thinks that with the increased exposure to matches in various formats “players will now have an opportunity to be seen.” The comprehensive technical programmes being offered by the WICB “will give players so much more chances to solidify their skill sets.” The new appointment will take effect immediately and will run for two years. Browne is awaiting his final results following his recent completion of an MBA in G e n e r a l Management/Business Administration. He also has an Executive Diploma in Project Management. The England-born Barbadian played 20 Tests
Courtney Browne ©Getty Images and 46 one-day internationals for the West Indies over ten years. He was the wicketkeeper. CLIVE LLOYD The WICB, effective October 1, 2016, will appoint the former Chairman of Selectors, Clive Lloyd, as a special Ambassador. While in this role, Lloyd will be responsible for being a spokesperson for the Board at special events in and out of the region. Lloyd will end his stint in the current role on September 30, 2016. “The time as Chairman was quite rewarding and I am hoping my contribution would have added value to the current system.” For the period up to the end of that contract Lloyd and Browne will ensure there is a smooth transition and hand-over. About the new role, Lloyd said “I made every attempt to serve with distinction and I was pleased to contribute to the game again. I look forward to the new role. The details of that arrangement will be
discussed and will be released shortly.” The former captain has served the WICB in multiple roles. Among his most noted was captaining the 1975 and 1979 teams to victories in the World Cup. This significant appointment coincides with Lloyd’s 50th anniversary of representing West Indies Cricket. He made his test debut against India in December 1966. The President, Dave Cameron, thanked Lloyd for his service and for the selfless contribution made to We s t I n d i e s C r i c k e t . Cameron noted that “we are s a t i s f i e d t h a t C l i v e ’s upcoming role will serve as another great opportunity to promote the best of West Indies Cricket.” (WICB)
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GOA Open Badminton tournament serves off
The Guyana Olympic Association Open Badminton Tournament in observance of Olympic Day served off on Wednesday last at the National Gymnasium with competition in the Men’s, Ladies and Mix Doubles categories. A l t h o u g h S c h o o l ’s Examinations are currently ongoing, The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) has expressed delight that the players have turned out to participate in this annual event. Following are the results on day one: MEN DOUBLES QUARTER-FINALS Ronald Chang Yuen &
Avinash Odit got past William Holder & Haymant Ramdhani: 21-16, 21-16 Narayan Ramdhani & Jonathan Mangra beat Priyanna Ramdhani & Ambika Ramraj: 21-5, 21-10 Darrell Carpenay & Marlon Chung trounced Dr. Harry Gorle & Nandha Kishore: 2 1 - 1 1 , 2 1 - 8 Gokarn Ramdhani & Nicholas Ali hammered Cecil Abrams & Fardeen Alli: 21-9, 21-9 MEN DOUBLES ROUND 1 Dr. Harry Gorle & Nandha Kishore defeated P. Ramnarayan & Armand Ramdhani: 21-3, 21-15 Priyanna Ramdhani & Ambika Ramraj beat Tyreese Richards & Jamaal Humphrey: 21-5,21-9 LADIES DOUBLES SEMI-FINALS Priyanna Ramdhani & Ambika Ramraj defeated Kara Abrams & Wonita Ya n g : 2 1 - 7 , 2 1 - 8 Ayanna Watson & Emelia
Ramdhani beat Priyanka Shivnauth & Gabriella Pertab: 21-19, 19-21, 21-12 MIX DOUBLES QUARTER-FINAL Jonathan Mangra & Ambika Ramraj got past William Holder & Angelica Holder: 21-15, 17-21, 21-14 Darrell Carpenay & Ayana Watson were too good for Fardeen Alli & Priyanka Shivnauth: 21-8, 21-6 Competition will continue today at the National Gymnasium from 17:00hrs. Olympic Day is observed worldwide each year on June 23, and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) celebrate the occasion on the Sunday closest to that day. Olympic day is the only annual worldwide event of the Olympic Movement. The majority of the NOCs on the five (5) Continents take advantage of this occasion to share the Olympic spirit with people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Kaieteur News
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Friday June 24, 2016
FIFA’s Regional Development Officer concludes another successful visit to Guyana The FIFA’s Regional D e v e l o p m e n t O f f i c e r, Howard Mc Intosh, concluded a successful three-day visit to Guyana after being involved in multiple meetings with key stakeholders across the country including Lethem and Georgetown. The visit, which began on Sunday, June 19th,saw Mc Intosh witnessing the finals of the Stag Elite League Finale at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora. He also visited Lethem, Region 9, where he met several stakeholders and opened the G F F - N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 League. He was accompanied by the President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde. In brief remarks at the opening of the Rupununi Football Association’s
(RFA) leg of the GFFNAMILCO Thunderbolt F lour P ow er N ational Under-17 Tournament on the Monday, June 20, Mc Intosh said “the Rupununi is a gold mine of talent that must be harnessed with urgency.” He expressed his appreciation to the RFA for the grand welcome extended, which included being serenaded by groups of participants displaying multiple welcome signs then garlanded by traditional ornament. GFF President Wayne Forde, noted the importance of the hinterland to the national development of football and committed to the development of football in the regions. “Without the strategic involvement of the hinterland communities, Guyana’s national football programme will continue to labour wastefully and
FIFA Regional Development Officer Howard McIntosh and GFF President Wayne Forde with Rupununi players. therefore without the support of the GFF and, more importantly the Government of Guyana, the hinterland football programme will be unable to achieve its human development goals and deliver on its patriotic contribution to national life and the advancement and aspirations of its players.” He concluded his address
by appealing to all stakeholders to partner with the RFA in the interest of the development of the sport of football; “We all have a moral obligation to our young people and we must honour that obligation. They are not only the seeds of our future but rather the harvest of our present and we must cultivate them wisely.” Among the key stakeholders met during the one-day visit to Lethem on Monday were personnel from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI)
and Republic Bank respectively; teachers and students from the St. Ignatius Secondary School and the Executive of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA). During these meetings, development initiatives and integration strategies for hinterland teams into the national programme were discussed as well as general football development in the region. On Tuesday June 21st, Mc Intosh and Forde met with representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Department of Sports respectively to
discuss the implementation of a national schools’ football programme and access to land for building football pitches across Guyana. Present at that meeting were the Ministry of Education’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Olato Sam and the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones. Additionally, the team held a meeting with the CEO and representative of NAMILCO to discuss the development structure of the National U-17 tournament. Mc Intosh departed Guyana on Wednesday.
Chess players vie for ‘Andrew Arts Memorial’ trophy The recent intense rivalry among local Chess players has witnessed scintillating performances from the likes of Anthony Drayton, Wendell Meusa, Taffin Khan and top female p l a y e r M a r i a Ve r o n a Gonsalves. These players have taken Chess to a higher level and one is never certain which of
them will cart off the spoils. And so it is with that the pundits will be hard pressed to establish a winner when the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) stages a 3 days FIDE-rated tournament dubbed the ‘Andrew Arts Memorial’ and slated for the National Resource Center, Woolford Av e n u e , t o m o r r o w
afternoon starting at 13:00hrs and culminates next Saturday, July 2, at 12:00hrs and Sunday July 3 at 09:30hrs. The registration fee is GY$500.00. The GCF has expressed its gratitude to Andrew Arts for its generous patronage, and invites all chess enthusiasts to participate.
Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17
Bartica leg fires off with wins for Wolves, Rising Stars and Potaro Strikers
Leon Chan (left) and Ryan Richards - Wolves United The Bartica Football Association leg of the G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National Intra Association Under-17 League kicked off last weekend with three of the four scheduled matches at the Bartica Community Centre ground. Rising Stars FC needled Millballers thanks to a Paul John 15 minute goal. Wolves United roared to a 2th
Joshua Jones Beacon FC Bartica 0 triumph over Agatash United. Leon Chan in the 7 minute and Ryan Richards in the 19 were the players on target for the Wolves. Potaro Strikers took full points via the walk over route from Lazio FC which did not make an appearance while Beacons and Riversview battled a 1-1 stalemate. Joshua Jones scored for Beacons while Mellon Richardson th
th
Mellon Richardson - Riversview FC
responded for Riversview. Matches are set to continue this weekend at the same venue at 14:00hrs and 16:00hrs respectively. Tomorrow, Beacons will come up against Ballers FC with Rising Star taking on Riversview. On Sunday, Potaro Strikers are down to play Wolves United which would be followed by a match between Lazio and Agatash.
Payless Varity Store to host ‘Atwell fund raiser’ tomorrow The Owner of Payless Varity Store on Wellington Street, Georgetown, Joseph Ramkumar will host a fund raising event tomorrow outside the store to help Clive Atwell, the National Featherweight and Lightweight Boxing Champion who also holds the WBC CABOFE Super Lightweight and Featherweight titles. On October 24 at the Giftland Mall during the ninth round of his WBC FECARBOX Lightweight title fight against Dexter G o n z a l e s , 2 7 - y e a r- o l d Atwell fell to the canvas and was later diagnosed with bleeding in his brain. An emergency surgery was done by Dr Amernauth Dukhi to save Atwell’s life and a second ‘corrective surgery’ to insert a plate was recommended. The cost for travel to Trinidad, accommodation and the surgery is approximately $ 5 M i l l i o n . Saturday’s event will start at 09:00hrs and go up to 17:00hrs and persons desirous of helping to save the young father’s life can drop off their contribution at Payless Varity Store where Atwell will be on hand to collect himself. Fans can get photos with him while DVDs of his World
Clive Atwell Title fight in Mexico and other fights including his slit decision win over Jamaican Sakima Mullings in their WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE)
welterweight title fight. A lot of well known personalities from the local sporting and entertainment world would be present and all those who contribute will receive a stamped receipt. Since the news of his plight became public the Boxer has received just over $1million excluding what the Government of Guyana has promised and all contributions will verified by chartered Accounts firm Parmasar & company. Persons wishing to make a contribution to the success of this surgery can do so by calling 642-9961, 672-9215 or have the funds placed into Atwell’s Republic Bank Account # 2429702.
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Bartica to host Caricom Athletic Road Race as Jubilee celebrations continue Bartica has recently been promoted to township status and has elected a Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councilors to conduct its a ff a i r s . C o n s e q u e n t l y, officials of the Town have been engaged in a variety of a c t i v i t i e s i n acknowledgement of Guyana Jubilee of Independence and those activities will continue with t h e ‘ B a r t i c a M a y o r ’s Caricom Athletic Road Race scheduled for Saturday July 2 from 15:00hrs. Officials explained that the race was organized to provide valuable activity for athletes in schools and clubs in the Gold Mining Town and its environs. Athletes will compete in several categories including the U-13, 15, 17, 19, Open and Masters and outstanding performers will receive trophies and medals for their efforts. Participants will convene at Agatash for the start of the race and proceed into 2nd Avenue then east into First Street and South into 1st Avenue to finish at the entrance of the Bartica NDC Office. The race is the brainchild of Mayor Gifford Marshall
Displaying some of the trophies and medals at stake are Bartica Mayor Gilford Marshall (left) and Organiser Ras Aaron Blackman. and coordinated by Ras A a r o n B l a c k m a n . M r. Blackman also said that those athletes that have won medals and trophies at an earlier meet, the Rockville Hotel Promotions 4 miles road race, will receive their awards during the presentation ceremony for this race. Participants are asked to assemble at the Bartica Community Centre at 14:00hrs to be transported to
the starting point. Organizers are also appealing to members of the corporate community for their patronage to ensure a successful event. Meanwhile, registration forms can be uplifted at the NDC Office while registration will close on July 1st. Athletes not residing in Bartica are also invited to participate in the 2 ½ mile race.
SEL FINALE winning Coach Dover, calls for review of format -cites Slingerz position as unfortunate Head Coach of reigning local league champions Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover is calling for a review of the Stage Elite League (SEL) format. The experienced coach who also serves as an Assistant Coach at the National Level believes that Slingerz’ position in terms of dominating the inaugural
SEL FINALE and having also won the GENESIS but now must still play another match in order to determine the overall winners, is unfortunate. ”It’s kind of unfortunate that the league did not play on a round robin basis and end there. If I was in Slingerz’ place I would have felt the pain to know that we (Continued on page 32)
Wayne Dover – Alpha United Head Coach
Kaieteur News
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Warriors get first practice under lights Play against Guyana X1 today & tomorrow
Stephen Katwaroo plays on the off-side to Sohail Tanvir in a match at Providence. The Guyana Amazon Warriors had their first practice session under floodlights on Wednesday when the team participated in a simulation game. Both non-Caribbean pacers, 31-year-old left arm ‘Rawalpindi express’ Sohail Tanvir and 25-year-old Rookie American Muhammad Ali-Khan who was also born in Pakistan, looked impressive on the slow and low Providence track. Ali-Khan got both Stephen Katwaroo and Assad Fudadin before they had reached double figures while Jason Mohamed who stroked a 27-ball unbeaten 40 and Devendra Bishoo (17) featured in an unfinished 50-run partnership.
Chris Barnwell who was leg before to Bishoo cheaply and Bajan Dwayne Smith also had ‘knocks’ under a cloudy night sky. The players were also involved in an earlier simulation practice from 09:00hrs to mid-day. The Warriors continue their preparations for the CPL Tournament when conclude their training Camp with two practice games against a Guyana XI Captained by Leon Johnson, this season’s leading runscorer in First-Class cricket. Today’s match starts at 18:00hrs (6pm) while tomorrow’s contest starts at 12 noon in preparation for their day game at Providence on July 10. Guyana squad: Leon Johnson (Captain), Robin
Bacchus, Rajendra Chandrika, Keemo Paul, Gajanand Singh, Kevin Boodie, Tevin Imlach, Sherfane Rutherford, Keon Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Steven Sankar, Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, Raun Johnson, Totaram Bishun. GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS SQUAD: Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan), Chris Lynn (Australia), Adam Zampa (Australia), Muhammad AliKhan (USA), Dwayne Smith, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammad, Orlando Peters, Stephen Katwaroo, Christopher Barnwell, Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l , Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs, Shimron Hetmyer.
Friday June 24, 2016
CPL signs Stadium Agreement with Ministry of Education
Guyana Amazon Warriors Team Operations Manager Mr. Omar Khan holds the contract with Minister within the Ministry of Education, Hon., Nicolette Henry in the presence of Permanent Secretary, Alfred King. Georgetown – Team Operations Manager of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Mr. Omar Khan recently met with the Minister within the Ministry of Education, Hon., Nicolette Henry, Permanent Secretary, Alfred King and Legal Officer, Kelly-Ann Hercules-Payne to sign the Stadium Agreement for the 2016 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. This is the fourth year the Guyana National Stadium will be hosting the CPL. The stadium will feature four big match es o n J u ly, 7th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs), July 9th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, July 10th Guyana A m a z o n Wa r r i o r s v s Trinbago Knight Riders and
July 12th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Lucia Zouks). These four matches will no doubt attract thousands of Guyanese to the National Stadium. Guyana is regarded as one of the countries in the Caribbean with the largest cricket fan base. Following the recently held WICB Tri-Nations Series, the management of the Stadium is working along with the CPL organizers to improve the state of the pitch. Already a number of international cricketers are in Guyana preparing for the upcoming competition. The inclement weather has not deterred training as the Stadium has the best drainage system in the Caribbean. While at the Ministry, Mr. Khan presented Minister Henry and PS King with Amazon Warriors T-Shirts. The CPL 2016 Line-up Proteas batsman Faf du Plessis will line up for the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots alongside West Indies duo Samuel Badree and batsman Lendl Simmons, Australian international Brad Hodge, retained players Evin Lewis and TabraizShamsi as well as Canada’s Nikhil Dutta (ICC Americas) for the coming season. Australia’s two-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner Shane Watson will join his former international team-mate Michael Hussey as well as West Indies World T20 captain Darren Sammy at the Zouks. They will team up alongside the likes of Johnson Charles and Andre
Fletcher as well as South African paceman MorneMorkel and batsman David Miller. The highly-decorated former ICC Cricketer of the Year Kumar Sangakkara, will return to the Jamaica Tallawahs after helping them seal the inaugural trophy in 2013 and he will join the electrifying Chris Gayle, Sri Lanka fast bowler LasithMalinga, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and local favorites Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton. Ta l e n t e d d u o Christopher Barnwell and VersammyPermaul will be aiming to provide the local backbone for New Zealand star top order batsman Martin Guptill for the Guyana Amazon Warriors as they bid to go one step further and seal the coveted CPL title which has eluded them on two occasions in 2013 and 2014. They will be joined by the hugely talented Dwayne Smith and Pakistan’s SohailTanvir who has moved from the Patriots. The recently re-named Trinbago Knight Riders will welcome back the number one ICC WT20 international bowler Sunil Narine and he will be joined by left arm spinner Sulieman Benn and Pakistan wicket-keeper Umar Akmal.Proteas batsman HashimAmla and Dwayne Bravo, Kevon Cooper as well as former Black Caps captain and ‘marquee’ player Brendon McCullum who will be making his first appearance this summer at the biggest party in sport.
Kaieteur News
Friday June 24, 2016
Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ National Futsal Competition
History of grudge between G/town and Linden resumes tonight; Sparta, Channel 9, Team 25, Wisroc into semis
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Digicel Schools Football Championship….
Nelson, Martin lift Stewartville to 2-1 victory over Zeeburg
Chris Nelson (right) celebrates after scoring the opening goal.
Players battle for possession in one of the quarterfinals of the National Playoffs. Sparta Boss, the reigning champions roared into the semi-finals of the National Playoffs following two impressive victories on Day One of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal Competition which opened on Wednesday night at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac. The champs looked back to their best and it will take a special performance from Wisroc to impede their progress to the final tonight at the same venue. In their first encounter, they dispatched Stewartville Gunners by a 4-1 margin with Gregory Richardson, Dennis Edwards, Sheldon Shepherd and Roberto Osbourne the players on t a rg e t , w h i l e D w a y n e Charles responded for the losers. Channel 9 Warriors also recorded notable performances in their two encounters with wins over Shwostoppers and a strong North Ruimveldt unit and seems to be a good bet to make it to the final which would be a dream matchup should Sparta Boss make it to the championship game. Sparta Boss had beaten them in the Georgetown final in a close encounter. The two Linden teams also showed good form despite surviving some close battles and they may have a say in this year’s national playoffs.
Team 25 is led by the wily Collie Hercules and he has been inspirational i n h i s d i s p l a y, w h i l e Wisroc has already shown that they are a tough unit to beat. The last four should provide fans with two exciting encounters, especially with the Georgetown versus Linden scenario a reality. The two communities have had a long history of grudge in sports over the y e a r s a n d t o n i g h t ’s showdown promises to be no different. The night’s full results are seen below: 1st Round: Game 1 Wisroc-1 vs North Ruimveldt-1; Wisroc won 54 on sudden death kicks. Wisroc scorer Clarence Huggins 15th. North Ruimveldt Travis G r a n t - 2 0 t h . Game 2 – Channel-9Warriors 2 vs Showstoppers 0. Kemo Lawrence-6th, Dennis Edwards-13th.
Game 3 - BV-B-1 vs Team 25-1; Team 25 won 3-2 on penalty kicks. Team 25 Scorer Collie Hercules-17th; B V- B S c o r e r S t e p h e n Miller-3rd. Game 4 - Sparta Boss-4 vs Stewartville Gunners-1. Sparta Scorers Gregory Richardson-3rd, Dennis Edwards-9th, Sheldon Shepherd-11th, Roberto Osbourne-14th. Stewartville Scorer Dwayne Charles17th. 2nd Round: Game 5 Wisroc-1 vs Showstoppers0; Clarence Huggins-20th. Game 6 - Channel-9Wa r r i o r s - 2 v s N o r t h Ruimveldt-0; Joshua Fiffee4th, Kemo Lawrence-7th. Game 7 - Team 25-2 vs Stewartville Gunners-0; Quacey Johnson-2nd, Keron Smith-20th. Game 8 - Sparta Boss-4 v s B V- B - 0 ; D e v o n Millington-11th and 12th, Gregory Richardson-13th and 14th. Semi-final matchups: Semi-final Sparta Boss v Wisroc; Team 25 v Channel-9.
Goals either side of play from Chris Nelson and Shane Martin guided Stewartville Secondary to a 2-1 victory over Zeeburg Secondary when the Digicel Schools Football Championship continued yesterday at the Leonora Track and Field Facility. Both teams looked lackluster in the opening exchanges and failed to create any real scoring chances in the first 20 minutes. Stewartville had the first opportunity to go ahead, but Jamal Knights sent his shot wide from inside the area. Z e e b u rg ’s K e v i n Baichandeen then fired his shot over the bar moments l a t e r. B a i c h a n d e e n ’s teammate Chris Prince then wasted a fair chance to put his team ahead with only the
goalkeeper to beat from inside the area he wasted much time in taking a shot which allowed the defenders time to deny him. However, Chris Nelson produced a brilliant solo effort to give Stewartville the lead in the 31st minute. He collected the ball from just over his opponents half and ran down the left side before waltzing his way into the box, beating goalkeeper Ganesh Jitlall to his right. Gitlall produced two fine saves to deny Shane Martin and Jerrimiah Albert after the break, but Martin’s left foot strike found the back of the net from outside the box to extend the lead in the 49th minute. Zeeburg looked more purposeful in the second half and created several chances
before Baichandeen slotted home in the 50th minute to make it 2-1. The goal seemed to energise Zeeburg and several scoring opportunities came their way but shots went wide of goal. Stewartville on the other hand were denied on several occasions by some smart work by Gitlall between the uprights, nevertheless they secured a spot in the next round. In other matches Rosignol Secondary beat Fort Wellington 2-1 at Mahaicony, Berbice High School overcame Manchester Secondary 3-2 at Burnham Park, Annandale thumped Bladen Hall 5-2 at Beterverwagting, Aurora got past Johanna Cecelia 3-1 at NOC in Essequibo and Wakapoa beat Eight of May 3-1 at Anna Regina. (Zaheer Mohamed)
t r o Sp
Police win Arthur Chung Memorial Track and Field title -Fraser scintillates to continue ascendency
Police’s US-based sprint phenom, Alita Moore (left) takes command of the Women’s 100m to eventually win easily yesterday at Leonora.
Ascending sprint ace, Soldier, Davin Fraser glances over his right shoulder as he glides across the finish line to win the Men’s 100m yesterday.
GFA/Stag Western Tigers blank Premier League Northern Rangers; Santos overpower Beacons as title race heats up
Randolph Wagner Western Tigers’ Randolph Wagner (#14 ) heads the ball into the back of the nets for his side’s opening goal against Northern Rangers. (Franklin Wilson photo) Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210