Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

The effects of a global economy The global economic conditions hurt many countries and forced a change in economic policies in many countries.

Government bailed out banks, bought out important companies that threatened to fold, and bailed out major concerns, charging them an interest of course.

In some European countries, the government actually bought up banks. At the same time people found that they could not hold on to their homes which they bought under conditions that appeared favourable but which paper proved burdensome when the crunch came.

It was a bad time in the world and to this day the effects are being felt. Guyana was not immune to the problems although its economy was relatively well protected. This country had not been investing heavily in foreign companies, and it therefore escaped some of the harshness.

But there were companies that did not escape because they relied on investment overseas if they were to pay profits to their depositors. Clico (Guyana) invested in its sister organizations who in turn invested in American companies.

Clico lost money. It was the same with some other local companies like Hand in Hand Insurance company.

However, while Guyana escaped the harsh effects of the global economic crisis, other countries in the region, particularly those in CARICOM, could not say the same thing. The end result is that they have had to cut back on their contributions to the operations of the CARICOM Community. From the start of the Community the various countries pledged a percentage of their Gross Domestic Product toward funding the Community.

It was this money that formed a part of the budget. It enabled CARICOM to undertake operations designed to aid in the smooth functioning of the body. It paid the rentals for the Community, helped in the functioning of the Caribbean Court of Justice, paid salaries and funded the operations of the various departments within CARICOM. Now that there is going to be a reduced CARICOM budget, the Community is going to have to cut back on its operations. There is no increase on foreign funding although CARICOM has established relationships with extraregional countries and agencies. The Regional heads are now meeting in Grenada and high on their agenda is the impact of the reduced budget. They are going to have to think long and hard about what programmes they would have to scale back.

They are also going to have to discuss staff cuts because once programmes are going to be cut then the staff recruited for those programmes would have to be let go. One must assume that CARICOM, before it introduced programmes, would have thought long and hard about these. For example, its Regional Security Network would have only been fashioned after some serious discussions of the various threats that face the region.

For example, crime is an area that would demand a concerted effort. It is common to every CARICOM country.

Fighting it at the regional level is always going to be costly. There are the drug dealers who are in partnership with international drug producers with tons of money. For the region to fight them would cost a tidy sum especially since there would be need to fashion programmes that would remove the temptation from the potential drug runners. It has long been the belief that the weak regional economies help facilitate the drug trade. People go after the returns because they recognize that their physical needs can be easier met through the drug trade than by the efforts of their governments.

CARICOM was therefore called on to devise policies and programmes to thwart the move by people to drugs.

Whether CARICOM will be able to sustain these programmes in the face of the reduced budget is left to be seen.

Other social programmes, health programmes and the like would be cut or scaled back with some adverse consequences.

It merely follows that when the big countries get hurt, the smaller ones suffer more. And the big countries lament at the extent of our outward migration which benefits them anyhow.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Donald Ramotar was given a lesson in his relative impotence when the state paper published this story DEAR EDITOR, Imagine that a new prefect is chosen to maintain order in a class in the schoolyard, one in which the former prefect lords it over a group of unruly boys. Now, imagine that former prefect, now the schoolyard bully, gets one of his henchmen to throw a stone which hits the prefect in his head, and he does nothing about it.

The henchman then takes the same stone to the class weakling and orders that weakling to throw it at the prefect, which the weakling does, again hitting the prefect in the head. The difference is,

this time the prefect calls in the weakling and slaps him for throwing the stone.

That scenario is essentially what played out over the past few days in Guyana. Days before Donald Ramotar’s beleaguered administration is set to present what threatens to be the most contentious budget in the history of the PPP’s twenty two years in government, the ‘results’ of a clearly concocted poll appear in the Guyana Times, owned by former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s good friend Bobby Ramroop, declaring that Jagdeo is by far the best PPP candidate for the next general elections. It is useful

to note here that not only is Jagdeo constitutionally barred from running again, but also that Ramotar is barely halfway through his own first term – that is the stone first being thrown, and prefect Ramotar does nothing.

The next day, the same stone is thrown, this time by a different hand but really under the same direction – the story appears in the Guyana Chronicle.

This time, however, the lead editorial staffers on duty at the time are called in to Office of the President and at the end of it, Linda Rutherford, acting (Continued on page 7)

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox The actions of the opposition to hold govt. accountable needs the support of all citizens DEAR EDITOR, Note is taken of the call made by Mr. Yesu Persaud in Stabroek News (15th March, 2014) to President Donald Ramotar, Messrs.

David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan to pass the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) bill in parliament.

The call urges the opposition to abandon their just demands tying passage of the Bill to some areas of governmental weakness that threaten the realisation of maximum benefit intended with the passage and implementation of the AML/ CFT. Having established a

track record of mistrust and deceit it is an unfortunate reality that the Opposition in Parliament cannot place trust in the government when it comes to implementation of laws and respect for decisions made in the highest decision making forum of the land.

It is unfortunate that under successive PPP regime the rule of the lawless takes precedent over the rule of law and where there should be honour and dignity there is now dishonour.

This nation is reminded that the PPP continues to flout domestic laws and agreements, even international agreements, such as the St Lucia

Statement, Herdmanston Accord and Hoyte/Jagdeo Agreement.

Successive PPP governments particularly between the years 1997 to present day, have squandered any trust that was vested in them in 1992.

Mr. Yesu Persaud is reminded that the domestic laws of a country are not in isolation, but more analogous to international public laws, which influences behaviours of nation states.

The symbiotic nature of this relationship between domestic and international laws reinforces the need for domestic adherence to good governance that respects, not

only the passing of bills, but the assent to bills passed, the implementation and where necessary the reinforcement.

This serves to solidify the intent behind the law which is to fundamentally protect society. It is within this frame work that the nexus between good governance, the AML/ CFT Bill, Guyana Constitution, and regional and international conventions and charters is established and which the AML/CFT must pass.

The AML/ C F T ’s i m p o r t a n c e i s recognised particularly since it has been established in a U.S court of credible justice that Guyanese civilian

Tribute to Mrs. Deborah Backer DEAR EDITOR, It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I pen this letter to pay tribute and respect to, arguably, one of Guyana’s most loved politicians.

I have known Mrs. Deborah Backer for many years and during those many years I had great difficulty using a single adjective to describe her.

There was feisty Debbie, controversial Debbie, jovial Debbie, charismatic Debbie, heckling Debbie, interesting Debbie, witty Debbie, and fearless Debbie, to name a few. Madam Backer, as I sometimes called her, had a personality that was highly infectious, she captivated people with her humor and brilliance.

News of Mrs. Backer’s passing triggered initial doubts, anxiety and serious disbelief on my part. I knew

she was not well, but I thought she was on her way to a great recovery.

I tried to imagine her lying still, lifeless, not breathing but all I could see was a fidgeting and curious Debbie.

I tried to imagine her not talking but the image of her being simply numb did not fit her persona.

I was finally convinced she truly left this world after the fourth phone call I received that reaffirmed the “inconvenient truth”.

Deborah Jan Backer has truly gone to the great beyond.

Debbie was truly gone!

Deborah, Debra, Debbie Backer was no ordinary politician. She was smart, deliberate, tactful, strategic, opinionated, logical and more than anything, humorous.

Her presentation and hard work in the National Assembly was a testament to her belief in preparation. I

believe that it was her work in this arena, coupled with the various roles she played in the PNCR, which has created lasting impressions of her on even the most naïvely political minded Guyanese.

Mrs. Backer was never timid or fearful to speak her mind, she had an opinion and she simply thought she had a right to be heard.

She took her various responsibilities in the Parliament very seriously and worked to ensure that she represented well.

She never let up on an opportunity to represent the people of Guyana as she skillfully found ways to make necessary and critical

interventions. I have had the opportunity to sit at the level of the PNCR executive committee with Debbie Backer, I have served alongside her in the parliament of Guyana, we’ve had several campaign experiences together, we protested alongside each other, we shared many spaces on the local political stage, and there was never a dull moment.

Our views did not always coincide, but we were always respectful of each other’s views. I am humbled and fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with this talented woman, who has (Continued on page 6)

Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan who is now enjoying the hospitality of the U.S penal system was able to purchase a government to government triangulating computer system.

This was purchased by a government minister to fight narco- turf wars in Guyana during an era that left many ”prominent” and “respected” citizens, law enforcement officers, businessmen and “alleged” criminals dead or missing.

The passage of the AML/ CFT Bill is also important, since it is possible that “respected “ and “prominent” businessmen and money launderers can also use illgotten assets to access government contracts, partner with government for development and buy/gain national respect and influence. We are reminded of

the gated community established by Roger Khan, his acquisition of prime property and assets (still not confiscated) and his involvement in helping government to fight crime.

Guyana is also under surveillance for international terrorism though these threats, so far, have had no linkage or association with government.

The parliamentary actions of the opposition with regards to conditionalities set for the passage of the AML/CFT Bill as a means of holding government accountable to good governance and forcing them to act with basic decency needs the support of all citizens.

Leslie Gonsalves President, Guyana Trades Union Congress

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Crass ingratitude to the country from The PPP’s violations far exceed Burnham Govt’s sins whence they derived their roots DEAR EDITOR, As a patriotic Guyanese, no matter where in the world am, I find it many times disconcerting when Guyanese who have settled in the U.S.A. keep on disparaging their country in some way.

This is to my mind not only unpatriotic, but displays a crass ingratitude to the country from whence they derived their roots, not to mention a blatant disregard of any obligation to give back something to this nation.

I know that many of these emigrants do contribute to the welfare of their relatives by sending cash and goods, but I feel this hardly makes up for the bad-talk which I witness from many of them.

It is also true that Guyanese have excelled in their work situations, and used the values which were in-grown to accumulate wealth and otherwise uplift themselves financially and

acquire possessions which they probably never dreamed of having in the country of their birth.

But I also see instances when they have forgotten these values and adopted the negative elements of the American way of life, which can lead to inordinate spending, waste, and neglect of any form of spirituality in their lives.

I believe there are still many avenues by which the diaspora can contribute to the development of this country, as a whole, and to individual citizens who are not so well endowed.

I myself am working on some ideas to achieve this, and I shall be delighted if others can express such a desire so that we can act together to improve the lot of our fellow Guyanese.

Roy Paul

Tribute to Mrs. Deborah...

From page 5 certainly helped to reposition, and redefine the role of, women in politics. We shared our last stage together in December 2012, when I introduced her at a massive public meeting at the Stabroek Market Square.

This was a meeting organized by Youth Coalition for Transformation, where the organization announced its support for Mrs. Backer to be Speaker of the National Assembly When I called her to inform her of the decision of the group she immediately responded in her usual jovial way “Lurlene ya all ain’t setting me up, right?”

We laughed then she humbly expressed gratitude and indicated that she will be at the meeting.

To loud cheers and chants of “Debbie, Debbie” from the large enthusiastic crowd, Debbie humbly thanked the people, for their support then exited the stage.

As I reflect on her tenure in the parliament there are

some interesting moments which immediately caused me to chuckle. One such moment was when she asked Minister Rohee to spell the “big word” he was pronouncing.

Many including the most obstinate members of Parliament could not hide their emotions and so simply laughed out loud while others tried desperately to keep a straight face.

Debbie’s intervention was sudden and sharp and left her target startled. Debbie Madam Backer was an “outside the box thinker;” she thought of the most novel ways to make things happen.

I recalled that during the Death Squad era we had planned a protest action, during a parliamentary sitting, against the then Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj.

As we tried to decide on the form of action Debbie suddenly lit up and said lets wear baby bibs with slogans and put them on in the parliament and this we did.

Debbie Backer’s passing

is a wound to the PNCR, the National Assembly and to Guyana. She has made her contribution, to national development.

Her fight against injustice and discrimination is well noted. Guyana has lost a brilliant and capable politician, a patriot and daughter. The people have lost a role model, and a friend.

The PNCR has lost a dependable and capable comrade. I thank her family for sharing her with the rest of us. Sincere condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the Late Deborah Jan Backer, may you find comfort in the fact that she has been a positive influence in the life of the nation, she has impacted the lives of many, she has made her contribution, she has fought the good fight and God is still in charge.

Mrs. Backer will surely be missed! May her soul rest in peace! Sleep on champion, sleep on!

Lurlene Nestor

DEAR EDITOR, I refer to a new item on page 14 of the March 21, 2014 edition of the Stabroek News captioned; “PPP slams SN editorial for ‘tarnishing’ Jagdeo administration successes,” in which the PPP’s statement describes some of the deplorable acts of violence committed under the Burnham presidency I am absolutely sure this newspaper and countless others would just shrug their shoulders and ask who will buy this righteous claim by the PPP when everyone in and out of Guyana knows of the countless horrors the PPP administration has perpetuated on Guyana since Jagdeo became president.

While I agree with that sentiment and I see it expressed to me everyday, however, there is something we miss.

There are lots of Guyanese who would be enlightened by a juxtaposition of the depravities of the Burnham Government (certainly not the Desmond Hoyte administration, which, to date, is the best government we have ever had) and Mr. Jagdeo’s.

This juxtaposition would be so graphic, vivid and incredible to the eyes that it destroys the righteous claims that the PPP Government continues to make about the Burnham Government.

And for the basic reason; the PPP hopes the litany of Burnham’s egregious mistakes would obfuscate the contents of their house of horror. But the mask could exist if Guyanese do not present this juxtaposition.

Here is a brief schema starting with five items listed in the

PPP’s statement 1 Walter Rodney. If the Burnham state killed Rodney, the same can be said of the PPP government about Ronald Waddell.

2 Two Guyanese killed in Berbice in 1973 protesting rigged elections. Three unarmed persons were shot dead a few years ago during a protest in which they ran into the compound of the Office of the President.

3 Father Darke’s murder.

But the claim is widespread that protestor Donna MC Kinnon was shot from Freedom House during post election protest in 2001.

4 The Lindo Creek massacre. This writer and many of my colleagues in the media are absolutely convinced from the logical deduction we have made from the evidence we have seen that an elite squad of the security forces was involved.

5 The Mash Day jail break and subsequent violence. We in the media have incontrovertible evidence that high party and state officials were involved in extra-judicial violence between 2002 and 2005 in which hundreds of youths were murdered.

The controversy of Leslie Ramsammy’s involvement will never go away.

I will now include other juxtapositions.

1) Walter Rodney job denial at UG. My UG contract was terminated five months before its expiration. In an editorial on my dismissal, the Stabroek asked the question; why wasn’t the contract not allowed to run for the remaining five months. I was never even given a hearing.

2) Five charged for treason under Burnham. Four charged for treason under Jagdeo including a mother of two small children.

3 )Moses Bhagwan’s wife dismissed from her State job at Guyana Pharmaceutical corporation under Burnham.

Under Jagdeo, my wife was literally hounded out of her job at GOINVEST. Twice the Stabroek News reporters have asked me for elaborations but I have said that a detailed description would conclusively point to

a whistle-blower who is still employed at a very senior level with the Government.

Any discussion of what happened to my wife at GOINVEST may bring victimization to that person. I will definitely talk about it the day he leaves his state job 4) Under Burnham, state employees forced to attend State functions. In 2011, civil servants were forced to picket outside Parliament against opposition budget cuts 5) State media control under Burnham. Nothing could be as horrific in this context as what the PPP has done since it came to power in 1992.

6 Attacks on antigovernment activists during the seventies and eighties.

Three times I have been attacked and could have lost my life. In 2005, when I exposed certain persons including a certain Minister, in extra-judicial killings. In May 2010 and August 2012.

The Burnham Government never sought to harm me physically.

7) Ethnic discrimination under Burnham. Under the PPP this type of politics is simply heart-breaking.

8 Attempts at stifling the media under Burnham with newsprint denial for the Mirror. The denial of State advertisements to the Stabroek News under Jagdeo 9) Bypassing negotiations with individual unions over salary increases under Burnham; exactly the same thing under Jagdeo and Ramotar.

I will stop here because I believe my point has been made. Since this is a comparative framework, it did not include the terrible atrocities committed under Jagdeo that never occurred under Burnham. Just briefly; (1) The accusations against Jagdeo by his common-law wife that has no precedence anywhere else in the world.

(2) Rohee’s visa controversy.

(3) Unbelievable corruption under Jagdeo the likes of which the Caribbean has never seen. I will give a numerical account of these when I see more comical accusations by the PPP. Frederick Kissoon

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox Donald Ramotar was...

From page 4 Editor-in-Chief is demoted.

There was only one value in that fiasco - it was to show Donald Ramotar, in the midst of what is a massive PR crisis buffeting his administration, that he had no effective control over a crucial component of the machinery available to any president, the media. Indeed, Ramotar effectively has no direct influence upon any mass media entity in Guyana – the Guyana Times is loyal to J a g d e o , a n d t h e Chronicle’s present structure was consolidated under Jagdeo, as was NCNs, and was GINA’s; even the composition of the Office of the President staffing is largely the former president’s.

Donald Ramotar’s fatal flaw is that while he was essentially cocooned both physically and ideologically inside Freedom House, Mr. Jagdeo built up a complex and effective superstructure of private sector interests, party apparatchiks and strategic state postings that allow him effective control over what is supposed to be a Ramotar administration.

Therefore, even though (as I have been reliably informed) the original article earned the President’s ire, he was given a lesson in his relative impotence when the state paper, which comes under his direct purview as Minister of Information, published the same story, and even with his nephew as Editor-in-Chief.

The PPP is imploding, and the society crumbling along with it.

The party’s undeniable fear of local government elec-

tions is understandable considering that, for example, two of its core support demographics, the sugar and rice industries, are currently in a state of what is effectively rebellion, and despite two industry reps, Komal Chand and Dharamkumar Seeraj respectively, being PPP MPs. No member of Ramotar’s cabinet, which is basically the Jagdeo cabinet redux, has escaped the stain of either incompetence or impropriety, very often neither; indeed, the only significant cabinet appointment made by Ramotar, Ganga Persaud, only recently resigned in a cloud of scandal.

To quote a popular television show, power resides only where men believe it resides, and increasingly the public is being shown that the power of the presidency of Guyana does not reside in the person of Donald Ramotar, despite his occupation of the office.

The demotion of Linda Rutherford for an article she was not responsible for, and which she would have allowed to be published only because acquiescence to official orders from above is what is the determinant for both ascension and survival in the state media, is to willfully ignore the source of the problem.

It is the prefect being pelted under instruction of the schoolyard bully, and beating up on the weakling that was ordered to throw the stone.

In short, Mr. Ramotar was proven to be weak and only conveniently reactionary in the face of clear and unequivocal provocation and

preening by his predecessor.

I am no fan of his party, and while I find him affable in person, I am certainly no admirer of the politics of Mr. Ramotar.

That said, he is the elected President of Guyana and I find the brazen moves to undermine his authority from within, and in favour of vested interests, to be far more sinister and dangerous to the democratic process than he claims the elected legislature, in which his government is a minority, to be.

It is time that the President realistically recognizes and acknowledges his position – both his weakness within the body politic of his own administration, and the tremendous powers invested in his office – and seek out strategic alliances both inside the alienated old guard of his own party, as well as outside of his political and philosophical comfort zone.

In too many circles he is already seen as Guyana’s version of Dmitry Medvedev, a presidential placeholder for the real power behind the thrown – if he fails to counter this, both his image and his authority will continue to be undermined with impunity.

Ruel Johnson

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Tain Murder trial…

Second prosecution star witness testifies There have been some interesting developments in the Tain murder trial now ongoing in the Berbice High Court before Justice Diana Insanally and a mixed jury.

On trial are Joshua Persaud, called ‘Sunny Boy’ and ‘Bun Boy’, 22, and Raphael Rene Morrison, called “Red Head”, 24, both of Bloomfield, Corentyne, Berbice. The two men are accused of murdering Marlon Andrew Ramcharran on June 3, 2013, along a street in Block C Tain New Housing Scheme.

When the matter continued on Friday, the second prosecution star witness, Rakesh Jaikarran, gave his evidence in chief. He was led

by Prosecutor Renita Singh.

Jaikarran was called to the

stand after the first star witness Nicholas Beharry who had given his evidence in chief since last week failed to return to court. He is still to be cross examined by the defence.

It is understood that Beharry has expressed fear since he reported that he was being threatened by the relatives of the accused and that his photograph is being constantly snapped.

In his evidence in chief Jaikarran, who along with Nicholas Beharry were eye witnesses to the chopping to death, described what happen.

Jaikarran related a similar story to that of Beharry.

The man stated that he knew Ramcharran for a long time. He is now dead. On the night in question he, Nicholas,

who he called ‘Nico’, and Ramcharran went out. He said that he was with Beharry when they heard the deceased cry for help.

They ran to the scene and saw the two accused injuring the deceased. He asked them what they were chopping the man for and he and his friend were chased by the two accused. He had to run and hide in a yard until the accused went away.

He subsequently indentified the number two accused, Morrison, whom he saw at the station. Morrison denied that he had a cutlass.

He said that on the night in question he had a piece of wood.

A few days later, he identified the number one (Continued on page 60)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

2 more deaths in Venezuela before dueling marches CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Two more people were reported dead in Venezuela as a result of antigovernment protests even as supporters and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro took to the streets yesterday in new shows of force.

Argenis Hernandez was shot in the stomach by an angered motorist while he and a group of student protesters were manning a barricade Friday on a highway outside Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city and major focal point of recent unrest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and died Saturday before dawn, local officials told The Associated Press. Meanwhile in San Cristobal, the city that spawned the wave of unrest, 31-year-old bus driver Wilfredo Rey was shot Friday night after a group of Maduro supporters entered an antigovernment neighborhood on motorcycles and began firing indiscriminately, according to Sergio Vergara, who has been running San Cristobal’s government since Mayor Daniel Ceballos, an outspoken critic of Maduro, was arrested last week on charges of fomenting violence.

With the two deaths, at least 30 people have been killed during five weeks of clashes between protesters and security forces who are sometimes joined by

motorcycle-riding civilians loyal to Maduro’s socialist government. Hundreds more have been wounded and arrested.

The threat of violence didn’t deter thousands of Venezuelans from congregating peacefully in the capital Caracas and other cities yesterday to demand an end to the use of force against dissents by what opponents have taken to calling Maduro’s “dictatorship”. The demonstrations come a little more than a month after the arrest of Leopoldo Lopez, a leading voice of the opposition who had been urging Maduro to step down.

He is charged with conspiracy and arson tied to the first wave of deadly protests.

Maduro has denounced the protests as part of a USbacked, “fascist” conspiracy to stir violence and oust him from power just a few months

after his party prevailed in nationwide municipal elections. The hand-picked successor of the late President Hugo Chavez, he was expected to address another rally called Saturday in Caracas by loyalist students denouncing arson attacks that have kept several universities shut for weeks.

“This Venezuelan rightwing is especially conspiratorial and is trying to drive a hole through our democracy,” Maduro said in televised remarks yesterday.

While both sides are digging in for a prolonged battle, Venezuela’s economy continues to wobble, with many analysts now forecasting a recession this year and no end in sight for widespread shortages and galloping inflation that hit 57 percent in February.Maduro on Friday estimated damage caused by the protests at $10 billion.

BOY, 12, CHOKES TEACHER Trinidad Express - A 12YEAR-OLD pupil of Jordan Hill Presbyterian Primary School Friday pleaded guilty to slapping and choking a teacher and is to be sentenced on April 11.

The boy pleaded guilty to the charge before Princes Town Second Court Magistrate Avason Quinlan.

When asked by Quinlan about the incident, the schoolboy said he “tripped off” because other pupils had provoked him about his mother, who died three years ago. Police prosecutor Sgt Mohammed read the facts that the 32-year-old female teacher had observed the schoolboy during recess throwing bottles at other pupils, and she spoke to him about his behaviour.

Around 2 p.m., the teacher again approached the child to scold him, and that was when he slapped her several times and choked her. Both of them fell to the ground, and the

Pupil tells magistrate he tripped off after being heckled by schoolmates teacher broke free.

A report was made to Princes Town Police Station and the teacher was taken for medical treatment. A medical report submitted to the court stated she had suffered bruises and swellings. Acting Sgt Rampersad laid the charge.

The schoolboy’s older sister, who is an adult, appeared with him. An attorney from the Legal Aid Authority represented him.

Quinlan instructed that the boy visit a probation officer and ordered a report be submitted to the court.

She placed the schoolboy on $5,000 bail with his sister as a surety, and postponed the case to April 11 for a decision.

Meanwhile, a six-year-old pupil of Curepe Presbyterian Primary School, who

allegedly slapped a teacher during a class session on Thursday, is to receive counselling.

The Express was told officials of the Student Support Services Division of the Ministry of Education visited the school yesterday and offered counselling to the child and his parents. The teacher who was allegedly slapped was also at school.

On Thursday during a class session, the First Year pupil allegedly slapped the teacher after she enquired about scratches and scribbles seen in a book. Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association second vicepresident Lynsley Dood-hai has expressed alarm at the level of school violence, especially in primary schools.

He said he expects to visit the school tomorrow.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 9

Don’t be fooled by “Elections DONALD STOP Budget” APNU warns ALL EYE PASS Dem boys seh

Donald is surrounded by some cutthroats, scamps and snakes. Dem boys seh that is not no easy snake. Is snakes that ready fuh strike at you when you least expect. They strike even if you sleeping. Sometimes they strike at you even when you close you eyes as if you sleeping. Kwame is one of dem that Donald got to be extremely careful with.

Dem had de story bout some poll promoting Jagdeo fuh be de next presidential candidate fuh de party. That story appear in de Chronicle Friday gone. It come from de biggest snake, Jagdeo, through Kwame. He, Kwame, call de Chronicle and instruct de heditah gyal fuh carry de story.

Everybody know, except Jagdeo, Bobby, Brazzy and de rest of scamps who fleece this nation, that Jagdeo can’t run back fuh president. De Donald seh suh, even before he become president that nobody can serve more than two consecutive term.

Fuh de Chronicle run a story like that pun de front page had to get de man vex. De man ain’t even done he first term.

He ain’t seh whether he gun run again and he eligible. Even if he nah want run back he must be given de opportunity to seh who he got in mind fuh replace him. That should be in de Chronicle because de man is de head of state.

Suh fuh anybody go against that, much less promote a man who been deh before pun de front page suggest dem eye pass de man. Dem boys seh he do de right thing by demoting de heditah but he should go a little further and fire de mudda— who instruct de woman to carry such a story.

De Chronicle Board looking fuh Kwame and can’t find he.

When de story buss he did put through a telephone call to a Minister crying, “Ow Ministah, That wasn’t me.”

Was de same thing he seh when he get ketch pun de tape crying fuh Julius. (‘That wasn’t me.” And he think dem li’l children believe.)

De story seh how he, Jagdeo, can win 51 percent. Dem boys got something fuh tell Donald. Jagdeo might get 51 per cent of de votes, yes; not de national votes; Freedom House votes. Dem is de people he done corrupt and full dem craw wid de taxpayers dollars. Dem boys seh Donald know all dem snakes and he still got dem around he. He think is a zoo he running.

Dem boys got a simple solution. All Donald got to do is send three of dem Minister packing and he bound to win ten more elections. If he get rid of Jagdeo from de party he would win 40 more elections.

Dem in de state media get a wakeup call.

Everybody smiling and laughing because dem now see that Donald in action. Dem even talking how dem want more change. Dem want Donald cleanup all of dem Minister who think dem still wukking fuh Jagdeo and can use de state media even if dem fart. Just because dem have presidential ambitions dem think dem have a right to be in de state media.

One man seh that unless Ramotar stamp he foot even if he got to mash Kwame and couple of dem mouth, things will remain de same. He send a message but he got to send a stronger message. Other people seh suh. Not dem boys.

A drunk man, not Sue Zee, who smelled of beer sit down in de National Park next to Kwame Gilbacker, de priest.

The man’s tie was stain up, ee face full of red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle Banko sticking out of his pocket. He opened de waterfalls paper and start fuh read.

After a few minutes ee tun to Gilbacker de priest and seh, “Father, wha does cause arthritis?”

Gilbacker reply “My Son, it’s caused by a wild life, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and not bathing.”

The drunk man shake he head and seh, “Oh me Gaad.”

And gone back reading he paper. De priest, thinking about what he tell de man, apologized: “I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you feelings. How long have you had arthritis?”

The drunk seh, “Me nah got it, Father. I was just reading here that Bishop Ten Edghill got it.”

Talk half and watch Donald do d right thing.

While the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh is expected to present Budget 2014 in the National Assembly tomorrow, members of the opposition have made a strong call to members of the public to not be swayed by a possible “elections budget”.

This call was piloted by A Partnership for National Unity’s financial expert, Mr. Jaipaul Sharma during an interview on Friday last.

Sharma said, “I think the onus will be on the government to produce a good budget and I think it might be an election year budget.

We might very well see a lot of goodies in this budget.

I don’t think the government will risk bringing a budget that will dissatisfy or not be accepted by the people. It might very well be a good budget.

It might include a lot of things for the poor and ordinary people and we expect to see things for the poor and ordinary such as a large increase in salary, increase in the threshold, old age pension and public assistance.

“We will be vigilant and we will be looking for a number of things. Last y e a r ’s b u d g e t h a d n o increase for public

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

Jaipaul Sharma

assistance and we think they will be doing that.”

Sharma added that whilst people may become excited by a possibly good promise, he said that citizens must not be fooled.

“Pay close attention to how the opposition will reveal the hidden traps of the budget through careful examination of its merit.

“We cannot be fooled by the goodies in the budget. There will be other parts of the budget, I am sure, that will conflict with the people’s interests. I would urge the Guyanese people wait and watch things as they unfold.”

Through a recent notification the Ministry of

Finance said, “It is expected that this year’s budget will continue to promote the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)’s commitment to accelerate economic growth and social development.”

The Ministry said that the 2014 Budget “will emphasize macroeconomic stability through the continued creation of investment opportunities, expanding and upgrading physical infrastructure, improving the quality of social services, and strengthening institutional and regulatory environments.”

It had also said that despite the recent disagreements between the government and the political

opposition on issues of national interest, the budget provides the ideal opportunity for all parties to work together in the interest of the people of Guyana.

“Minister Singh nevertheless calls on the Parliamentary Opposition to embrace the opportunity to work together with Government to ensure smooth passage of the budget through the National Assembly in the coming weeks,” according to the Ministry.

APNU Leader, Brig.

David Granger said, recently, “We have not had the opportunity to insert our concerns into the budget so we don’t know what will be announced by the Minister of Finance. The minister said he is hoping that we will support the budget but hope is not a good planning strategy …it is too late to hope.”

His Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge, has also threatened during the week that the Opposition will ensure that the budget supports and promotes the interest of all Guyanese and if need be they will cut or lightly trim where necessary to ensure that budget is in line with the Constitution.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Former Jamaican anti-corruption boss urges region…

Sunday March 23, 2014

Walter Rodney COI ...

Appoint special Minister, ban Ruling party calls on PNC, WPA to poorly performing contractors cooperate with investigations

Former Contractor General of Jamaica, Greg Christie, has urged the region to take tough measures against corruption.

These measures should include banning of firms which consistently fail to perform.

Christie, a tough-talking regulator, was making a presentation at the University College of the Cayman Islands’ 2014 International Conference on Friday, according to a story published yesterday in the Jamaican Gleaner.

Speaking on the topic ‘Toward a Corruption-free Caribbean: Values, Ethics and Morality’, Christie drew on Jamaica’s anti-corruption model with reflections and lessons for the region derived from his role as Contractor General.

He noted that despite having what many have come to regard as one of the most robust anti-corruption architectures in the Commonwealth Caribbean, Jamaica is generally ranked as the most corrupt country within the region, second only to Guyana.

He recommended the implementation of a national and regional system for certification, de-certification, debarment and crossdebarment of Government contractors who engage in fraudulent practices or who consistently fail to perform

Former Jamaican Contractor-General, Greg Christie their contracts to required standards.

Christie is also suggesting that the Jamaican and regional governments require the public filing and disclosure of assets, income and liabilities for all Parliamentarians, politicians and critical-level public officials.

Christie, who first recommended the establishment of a single anticorruption agency in Jamaica with prosecutorial powers to tackle corruption, is now proposing the appointment of an anti-corruption Cabinet minister with responsibility also for ethics and good governance, the Jamaican Gleaner report said.

Jamaica’s Justice Minister,

Senator Mark Golding, recently tabled that country’s Integrity Commission Act, which seeks to consolidate the laws relating to the prevention of corruption, and the award and monitoring of government contracts.

An attorney by profession, Christie argued that successive Jamaican governments and parliaments have failed to implement repeated recommendations which have been advanced to strengthen the effectiveness of the country’s anticorruption institutional framework.

He commented that decisive and courageous leadership “to do what is right” was lacking in Jamaica as opposed to “what is politically expedient”.

Jamaica’s fight against corruption would mirror that of Guyana.

Guyana has passed several laws to battle corruption, including its own integrity regulations.

However, the Integrity Commission has not been functioning as expected, with members still not appointed although being assented to since 1997.

Currently, public officials in high offices, have to disclose before June 30th each year their financial assets and liabilities. However, not much (continued on page 55)

The People’s Progressive Party blazed the political opposition yesterday for their attempts at discrediting a Commissioner of the Dr. Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI) as well as the Terms of Reference (TOR).

The ruling party also called on the Opposition to cooperate fully with the COI and submit their written memoranda to the Commission by the March 26 deadline. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had expressed concerns about one of the Commissioners assigned to the Walter Rodney Inquiry, Guyanese-born Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam, who has been practicing in Trinidad and Tobago since 1979.

The coalition was particularly concerned with the fact that there may be room for bias on Jairam’s part as he was retained as a lawyer for the PPP/C during the 2012 budget cuts court case. The APNU had been very vocal as well about its concerns about the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry. But the Commissioners had referred the APNU to the sponsoring authority, the Government, if they wished to have the terms amended.

The PPP lashed out at the APNU yesterday for its criticism of the Terms of Reference as well as their attacks on the credibility and impartiality of Jairam.

The PPP deemed the criticisms to be “mere tactics being employed to discredit the work of the Commission.”

“Despite his public statement to the effect that he is not afraid of the outcome of

The Late Dr. Walter Rodney the COI, David Granger’s every utterance and action seems to be one of uneasiness and apprehension at the least.

The PNC Leader and his Executive have every reason to be fearful of the revelations that would flow from the Inquiry into Walter Rodney’s untimely death.”

The PPP also reminded that the Commission of Inquiries Act resides with the President. He alone has exclusive power to appoint a Commission of Inquiry on such terms constituted by those whom he deemed fit in any matter of national concern.

The APNU had also expressed concern over the fact that they were not included in the formation of the Terms of Reference, given their experience.

However, the PPP set the record straight by stating that a request was made by Mrs. Patricia Rodney, widow of the late Dr. Walter Rodney, to not

involve the WPA or the PNC by way of consultations.

“It is our understanding that Mrs. Rodney did not want the process to be politicised. Had David Granger himself drafted the Terms of Reference, he would still be uncomfortable.

Because since Rodney’s death, the accusatory finger has always pointed in the direction of the political party he now leads, the People’s National Congress -PNC.” The PPP also said that it hopes the PNC uses the opportunity to exonerate its members whether past or present, from any illegal behavior that may have led to the death to the distinguished politician on June 13, 1980.

Members of the PNC and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) had indicated that with the way their concerns are being handled they cannot say when or if they would participate in the Inquiry.

However, the PPP is calling on both parties to fully corporate with the COI. “Perhaps the outcome of this Commission of Inquiry will unlock yet another mystery, one that will provide some clue to justify the reason Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, and other senior members of the WPA would agree to collaborate and ‘lay in bed’ with the same PNC that is widely believed to have caused the death of the WPA’s founding member/ leader. This great betrayal must surely have Walter Rodney turning over in his grave every day.”

Magistrate orders police probe as one-eye victim alleges corruption in criminal case A senior Magistrate has ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption after a man who lost his right eye when he was stabbed by another with a broken bottle appeared at the city court claiming that several police ranks made efforts to jeopardize the case.

On February 8, the victim, Lennox Williams, was allegedly attacked in North Ruimveldt by 50-year-old Orlando Carrington.

During a dispute between the two, Carrington allegedly brandished a broken bottle and stabbed the victim in his right eye. He had to be hospitalised.

The case was only called before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Friday, six weeks after the act.

Carrington was not called

to respond when the charge of unlawful wounding with intent to maim or disfigure was read to him since it was laid indictably.

He was subsequently granted $100,000 bail.

During the proceedings, the victim requested to speak to the Magistrate.

“A police Corporal and another (both named) take money from this man family.

I’m asking the court to summon the doctor to come to court and explain my injuries.”

Williams told the Court that he lost his right eye and that the two police officers destroyed the medical report in an attempt to pervert the course of justice. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant confirmed that there was indeed no medical report in the

file. Henry requested bail for his client stating that he was placed on station bail and that he presented himself willingly to the court.

The Chief Magistrate said that the victim was making serious allegations and ordered the Prosecution to investigate his claims.

She said that Carrington had presented himself voluntarily to the court so he was not perceived as a flight risk thus conditional bail was granted. He was ordered to lodge his passport with the court and report to an officer fortnightly.

The Magistrate also instructed the Prosecutor to ensure that he receives advice on the case and follow up on the medical report. The case will be called again on April 23 for report and fixtures.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Gold industry affected as world market prices decrease…

Pawn shops, brokers affected by falling prices in gold

By Kiana Wilburg With the falling prices in gold, some of our pawn shops and brokers have been struggling to stay afloat. And there has been much speculation about when the valuable metal will rebound to its high prices.

In fact, some of the representatives of several pawnshops complained of the fear of bankruptcy as recovering the money they lent is now a harder challenge.

The situation has even forced some pawnshop owners to consider exploring other viable avenues as the situation does not seem to be changing anytime soon.

The pawnshop has served many as a convenient means of getting a quick loan without the hassle of filling too many forms. One’s credit history does not even come into question.

But the pawnbrokers are not the only ones that are affected by the falling prices.

A wide cross section of the commercial industry has complained about the economic strain it has placed on some businesses to maintain its profitability while struggling to avoid huge losses. A number of the local pawn shop managers and representatives who spoke with this publication yesterday asked that their names be kept anonymous.

Nonetheless, one representative of a pawnshop said that their business has been on a serious decline since the beginning of the year.

He added, “When a customer comes to a pawn shop is to do one of two

things; pawn jewellery in exchange for a loan or sell it.

In order to buy the gold jewellery you need a license and we don’t have that so we only offer the first service.

“We give our customers up to a certain time to pay back for the item after we have valued the item. Now when we have this item in store, and the client fails to honour the terms of the agreement, we are forced to sell it so that we can recover the money we lost.

“Now I don’t know about the others but when gold was expensive, business was good. We could have afforded to give customers an increased or better loan for their item but now that prices have fallen we can’t do that.

“Some clients don’t hold up their end of the bargain and what you find is that we can’t even recover the money we lent because of the plummeting gold prices. Plus the uncertainty as to when this will improve is an added stress. Customers end up looking for the next pawnshop that can give them a little more than we do. It’s hard.”

A manager of another pawnshop in Georgetown said, “I don’t want to go into details but all I can say is since the beginning of the year we have been unable to maintain the profits we had last year.

“I don’t want to go into how much we made but what I can say is that we have declined by 20 percent in terms of profits we normally make and it is because of the falling prices in gold.

“We have taken measures to help decrease the extent of losses we would suffer but

Is it worth pawning my jewellery? we can’t do too much changing to our system because customers are accustomed to a certain system and we don’t want them to leave either.

“It’s a ticklish situation; having to manage the way you run the business whilst ensuring that the changes don’t scare away customers.”

Another representative said, “Listen, this is not something we are experiencing now; falling gold prices is something that has been around and some of us

should have understood how to operate with this market.

“The high price whenever we get it is not a guarantee that will be permanent and people who are in the business should have known by now to get into another avenue just for safety. When the prices fall pawnshops are not able to give the same price for a pawned item and then when that happens the customers that come also slow down because they realize they won’t get the price they are looking for.

“I would say have a safety net because no one knows when things are going to get better.”

Another manager of a pawnshop said that the falling prices in gold have caused his owner to consider closing his business and investing in another avenue. “We have been severely affected by it.

We even had to lay off some people because we are a small business and can’t keep up with some of the other bigger outlets.

“We have lost a lot of money from last year to now.

We are now looking for other avenues to invest.”

With the aforementioned in mind, many of the representatives of the pawn shops have now asked a critical question, “Can any of the financial experts say when the prices are likely to improve?”

The question comes in light of the fact that these businesses are looking to ascertain as quickly as possible when they would be poised to return to booming profits or if drastic changes would need to be made.

However, according to online reports, last year was deemed one of the most terrible years for the gold industry. Economists have also predicted that this year may also be a rough one. A more detailed review of what some economists have to say about the falling prices of gold and their predictions for the rest of the year can be had at http://libertarianmoney. wordpress.com. and http:// investorplace.com.

Additionally, one online article written in 2013, http:// www.rferl.org, also shed some light as to why gold prices Continued on page 56

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

Seven-year-old APNU to write to CFATF to clarify brings loaded Hernandez AML comments handgun to school …Weapon goes off in classroom A second grade student reportedly brought a loaded handgun to a city private school and it accidentally went off in her classroom.

Reports out from the school indicate that on March 13, last, the gun was discovered by another student who went into the seven-year-old’s bag for a pencil.

The pupil who found the gun purportedly believed it was a toy and whilst handling the weapon accidently fired it off in the classroom, hitting the blackboard.

No one was hurt in the incident and it was then taken away by school officials.

The parents were purportedly unaware the student took the weapon to school and there seems to be no criminal charges pending since the police claim that they have received no official report of the incident.

The school has since taken steps to handle the incident administratively.

Additionally, in response to concerns raised, the school’s Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) held a meeting Friday last to discuss the issue.

This news comes in the thick of an ongoing gun crisis.

Recently, it was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs that gun-related robberies has seen a 62 per cent increase nationwide.

In January, Parliament unanimously amended the legislation in an effort to curb gun crimes in Guyana.

When assented to, the new law will see persons being prosecuted for having possession of even a component of a weapon with the possibility of serving up to ten years in jail and being fined up to $5M.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has expressed its intention to clarify definitively if the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Advisor Roger Hernandez did say that APNU’s amendments to the Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Legislation might make the Bill non complaint.

Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh had said in a public missive that Roger Hernandez, had “stated that APNU’s amendments can render certain areas of the Bill which were already complaint, non-compliant”, a position that was reiterated by the Private Sector.

Speaking on the issues was APNU’s Carl Greendige who said that the meeting with Mr. Hernandez and Parliamentarians never required Mr. Hernandez to look at APNU’s proposals.

“We never discussed APNU’s proposals with him.”

He said, “It would’ve been rather foolish to take their word as it regards our proposals, given… the continuing distrust of the articulation of the Opposition’s position by the Attorney General and Ministers

CFATF Advisor Roger Hernandez of the Government then met us, don’t discuss the proposals with us and then pronounce on those proposals in circumstances where he clearly told us his mandate.”

According to Greenidge, he knew that some of the media houses insisted in their reports that they have recordings that “Mr. Hernandez claimed to have examined the APNU proposals and he claimed that they were risky and a whole set of adjectives used for them.

“I think if that is true it is really unprofessional behavior because if an official

APNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance Carl Greenidge has a difficulty with a proposal that has been made, he has to discuss that with us not discuss it as delivered by another advocate in circumstances in which there is great distrust and we will take that up with the CFATF authorities.”

How they intend to do that according to APNU’s Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon, is by sending a formal letter requesting clarification over the issue.

“To pronounce when you haven’t seen the final draft you haven’t even discussed with the people who are the sponsors of that document, whether in fact this is there document you are pronouncing on, so Mr.

APNU’s Executive Member Joseph Harmon Hernandez will have to explain that so we will write to CFATF to get a clarification on it.”

“In the meeting with Mr. Hernandez, he said that he was only here to determine whether the government was compliant or non compliant and he couldn’t comment on anything else. He said further that any independent Parliament can impose higher requirements on any recommendations proposed by CFATF. “He couldn’t examine when our amendments would have to be submitted in the report to CFATF and when it reaches CFATF, only then CFATF could look at them to see whether the recommendations collide with any of the recommendations that they imposed.”

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 21

GWMO appointed member of UN’s Mining Working Group The invaluable contributions of the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO) to expand opportunities for women in the extractive industry were recently recognized during the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The GWMO is now a board member of the Mining Working Group (MWG) at the United Nations. This body contributes to the UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the MWG at the UN, the body works for improvements in national and international law, policy, and practice to ensure that extractive activity: meets and upholds the highest human rights standards; cedes to ecological limits and planetary boundaries, takes all possible measures to minimize negative impacts at every stage, and includes effective guarantees for maximum restoration; and contributes to just and responsible economic, social, and sustainable development for the host country, with a priority for the local communities most directly affected.

Earlier this month, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Broomes made a presentation on “The impact of gender in the extractive industry and how it links to human trafficking” to the MWG. It was following this presentation that the GWMO was requested to be a member of the MWG.

Explaining some of the things that are happening is proving difficult for the lawmakers. They cannot understand why some people cannot take better care with their money, knowing that there are people watching their every move.

A woman and her husband are going to visit a commercial bank. When they leave they will be followed although some there are the police around.

And when the men pounce people would actually see the robbery but will not intervene.

It will be some time

Simona Broomes, President of GWMO (third right) and members of the Mining Working Group (MWG) at the United Nations Ironically, since the GWMO became operational two years ago, members have been advocating for a seat with voting rights on the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s Board.

However, Robert Persaud, Minister of the Natural Resources and the Environment, is only willing to give the organization, which has over 400 members, observer membership.

According to Broomes, the GWMO is not fighting to be a member on the GGMC Board for recognition or status, but to help make decisions relevant to the wellbeing of women in the industry.

She emphasized that while Government is boasting about gender equality at the political and educational levels, the

mining sector is a perfect example of gender inequality in Guyana. The sector continues to be maledominated and for this very reason “women are sidelined and treated lesser than reptiles”.

Broomes related that the Ministry invited the GWMO to have observer membership on the Mining School Board.

But, again the GWMO will have to refuse since it is unwilling to take any observer position on any Board.

She emphasized that the GWMO has a vision to see women exposed to similar opportunities like men in the extractive industry. And a learning institution would have been the best place to start the equality process since education is a liberator from poverty, Broomes added.

before one of the men would be caught, but only because he was committing another crime. ** The budget will be most interesting because the government is going to pit the opposition against their supporters. Some of the measures would be touted to

help the working class but the opposition would say that there is not enough information to convince them.

Of course, the government would say that the opposition is against development and another round of calls would go up for elections. ** All the talk in the near future would be the move for a former president to return.

The move would be initiated by friends of the president but it would only serve to weaken the support that the ruling party thinks it enjoys.

There would more talk of a rift.

However, she said, the GWMO is privileged to be part of the MWG and has welcomed this new role and responsibility that would allow the organization to contribute positively to the extractive industry worldwide.

According to Broomes, while focus has been placed

on gold and diamond mining because of membership, GWMO was created to benefit women in the extractive industry, which includes bauxite, sand and coal. As such, the organization will be reaching out to these other areas.

She noted that gravitating

more to the gold and diamond mining sector was based on her popularity among her fellow miners. In fact, her colleagues have been helpful in her fight to combat human trafficking which has plagued the industry for decades.

Within the past two years, because of the efforts of the organization to eliminate the stigma that women in the sector are prostitutes, more women are comfortable working in the gold bush. It is this new confidence that demands the eradication of social ills and construction of proper infrastructures.

Broomes said it saddening to see the Government boast about development in the mining sector when wealth is being extracted from the interior and no planned infrastructural development is taking place.

“We want to see real development coming into the mining sector. The GWMO wants to promote a better mining sector that is environmentally-friendly and must reflect the wealth that is being extracted,” she said.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

The case of the Kitty Strangler

By Michael Jordan Shortly after Mashramani Day in 2004, residents living in a long yard in Public Road, Kitty, became aware of an unpleasant smell emanating from one of the houses in proximity.

The house, a twobedroom property at Lot 57, was occupied by 50-year-old Fazia Insanally and her youngest daughter, 11-yearold Allia, a student of F. E. Pollard Primary.

It dawned on the neighbours that they had not seen the occupants since the day after Mashramani. But the neighbours weren’t very concerned.

They and Mrs. Insanally were constantly at loggerheads. One matter had even ended up in court, with a magistrate placing Mrs. Insanally and a female neighbour on a one-yearbond for fighting.

But when days passed and the smell grew worse, and there was still no sign of the occupants, the neighbours became somewhat uneasy.

Then, on February 28, 2004, the residents observed that something was dripping from Fazia Insanally’s floor to the ground below. They also observed that flies were gathering on the damp spot on the floorboards. Some speculated that Mrs. Insanally had gone for a holiday and that the contents of her refrigerator had spoilt and were dripping onto the floor. But others suspected the worst and contacted one of Insanally’s daughters.

The initial fear of the daughter was that her mother, an epileptic, had collapsed and died during a seizure.

At around 14:00 hrs, the daughter, Dianne London, accompanied by her husband and ranks from the Kitty Police Station, went to Insanally’s home. They observed that the lights were on, and all the doors and windows were locked. They then forced open the front door and entered.

In the front bedroom they found the decomposing body of 11-year-old Allia Insanally.

The child was still dressed in her school uniform.

The couple and police then ventured into the second bedroom, where they found Fazia Insanally’s body under her bed.

A post mortem revealed that she had been battered in the head and strangled.

According to another daughter, Latoya Mohora, the post mortem also showed that Mrs. Insanally had been

sexually assaulted, while 11year-old Allia was suffocated with a pillow.

According to her, evidence at the crime scene showed that the killers had consumed alcohol, smoked cigarettes and even used cocaine in her mother’s bedroom.

Relatives suspected that Allia had come home at around 18:00 hrs from lessons and the killer or killers had attacked her as soon as she entered the front door.

From all appearances, the motive appeared to be robbery, since the slain woman’s television set and many other valuables were missing.

Police detained several of the victim’s immediate neighbours, but found nothing to link them to the double-murder.

But there were two other

motives; one of which surrounded another murder in the same yard.

The victim, a female in her teens, had been stabbed to death by her boyfriend. One of Insanally’s daughters said that 11-year-old Allia had witnessed the murder from her bedroom window.

Although the alleged killer was caught and charged, she believes that the man’s associates feared that the child and her mother might provide the police with more evidence. One daughter said that the same man had tried to kill another girlfriend, but the victim had escaped by seeking refuge in their mother’s home.

But the second and stronger theory suggests that the victims had been slain by someone they knew well.

The suspect, known as ‘Felix’, had lived in the area

and did odd jobs for Mrs. Insanally. He was even sometimes allowed to enter her house. According to the daughters, ‘Felix’ disappeared after the bodies were found.

It is alleged that police located the murdered child’s schoolbag while searching the suspect’s house. They also reportedly found several sheared dreadlocks, which indicated that the dreadlocked ‘Felix’ had cut his hair to change his appearance.

‘Felix’ has never been seen since.

According to reports, the suspect, who travels frequently to Cayenne, has a deep scar on his face.

There are rumours that he was slain in Guyana some years ago after returning from

Cayenne. Latoya Mohora admits that the family is still traumatised by the unsolved case.

“We did not have a life (for a long time). We were scared to look under our beds.

I don’t sleep without a light.

It is hard, especially on Mother’s Day.” If you have further information on this case or any other, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office or by telephone. We can be reached on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, or 22-58491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon@ hotmail.com.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? Police are trying to locate Roger Brandt, who is wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Najidan Sadick (Khirul Najidam).

Brandt is of African ancestry, brown in complexion, and his last known address is Lot 169 Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown. Anyone with information that may lead to Roger Brandt’s arrest is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-7065, 225-8196, 227-1149, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.

Roger Brandt

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 23

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

I will boycott the Rodney Commission of Inquiry Everything about the evolution and shape of the Walter Rodney Commission is wrong. The human rights community, the antidictatorship society, the independent media, independent commentators, trade unions and the opposition parties will be disappointed. As for the opposition parties, they can clearly see what is coming.

The PNC has to be crazy to participate. The inquiry will turn out to be an inquisition against the PNC. If critical minds like David Granger (he is a bright academic) cannot see what the intentions were behind the shape from the beginning, then he opens for questioning his leadership qualities.

Before APNU or the PNC decides on giving evidence, I will urge the PNC leader to consult far and wide. The list includes past stalwarts like Haslyn Parris and people like Aubrey Norton, Vincent Alexander etc.

First, the Guyana Government consulted the Rodney family only. This was suspect from the beginning.

A commission into the death of a national hero should not be determined only by what the family wants. Rodney was a national figure who belonged to a national movement.

Just as the ANC was consulted on the affairs of Mandela, the Government should have dialogued with the WPA on the nature of the commission. It did not.

It was stated by the Government in the press that the Rodney family objected to the WPA being consulted.

The family has not denied this to date. If so, the family was unreasonable and unfair.

Rodney was great, but the WPA made him greater.

Too many WPA personnel sacrificed so much for Walter and gave so much to Walter, for the Rodney family to think that because they are Walter’s family, the

WPA should not have been asked for its input.

The Rodney family was wrong to have taken that course. This columnist knows of the many mistakes the WPA has made since the PPP came to power that would have exasperated the Rodney family, but that does not mean that the family should refuse to see the bigger picture.

The WPA takes the high ground on many occasions forgetting that many of its personnel have been, and are in bed with the PPP. I recall on one occasion on Walter’s death anniversary, I took the microphone to protest the continued invitation of Sam Hinds to the yearly event, only to be denounced on the platform, with Vanda Radzik reserving her wrath for me.

The speaker after me (not a WPA member) denounced me and praised Jagdeo as a democrat to loud applause.

No one supported my position, only Mark Benschop, who did so

publicly and for which I will always thank him. WPA highranking member, Stanley Humphrey of Linden, months after met me at a TUC symposium and with a smile as broad as the three great rivers of Guyana said, “Freddie, I agree with wuh yuh said about Sam Hinds.” I turned to him and said, “But Stanley I did not see or hear you clapping me.”

The two main organizers of the yearly Walter Rodney anniversary are Vanda Radzik and Jocelyn Dow. At the time of writing, I don’t know if they still retain their contracts with the Office of the President as consultants to the LCDS. Both traveled with President Jagdeo in that capacity to Copenhagen in 2010.

The late David de Caires once told me that the best column I have ever written for his newspaper was the one on strange bedfellows in Guyanese politics ( see my article in the Stabroek News

of Sunday, August 11, 1991, “All ahwe is one family or the new game of sucking up to both sides.”)

The second evolutionary fault in the birth of the commission was the nature of the Terms of Reference. It includes the intelligence operations of the Burnham presidency.

That is madness and it is equal madness for the PNC to accept that propagandistic vulgarity of the commission’s work.

What will happen is that PPP officials will testify on the type of intelligence work against the opposition the Burnham presidency did in the seventies and eighties.

The PPP will coerce former PNC officials who are now indebted to them (notably the rich man with the African first and last names) to go to the hearing and testify to the so-called horrible things the Burnham presidency did to the people of Guyana, including the PPP

Frederick Kissoon and WPA. The PPP will then show the world what a horrible government the PNC administration was and will tell its supporters that these are the people the WPA has joined with. Missing will be the most horrific things the PPP Government has done to this nation that make Mr. Burnham look like Mother Teresa.

In case you didn’t know, I was a critic of Burnham and he never tried to kill me.I almost lost my life three times since the PPP came to power.

Maybe I have more lives than a cat.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

Jamaican brilliance comes alive and raises key questions BOOK REVIEW…

BOOK: Jamaican Wisdom: The biblical groundation of Jamaica’s Proverbs by Tracy Ann A. Salmon CRITIC: Dr Glenville Ashby Tracy Ann Salmon’s Jamaican Wisdom is a successfully ambitious foray into oral tradition. It is a work that provokes two questions: 1. How do we explain the sheer affinity between the wisdom of our ancestors with the celebrated universal truths found in the Bible? 2.

How do we explain cultural lineages? Of course, inculturation and cultural adaptation are possibilities.

But this is hardly a conclusive argument.

Jamaican Wisdom raises key issues of a philosophical and metaphysical nature. It reflects the power of a unified humanity, cross-cultural oneness and more importantly, the often times proven saying, that, “there is

nothing new under the sun.”

Indeed, cultures have culled wisdom from what Carl Gustav Jung has called the collective unconscious.

On a more secular level, the origins of Jamaican oral tradition and its aphorisms can best be explained through ethnography and etymology.

Arguably, the lasting impact of African traditions, and not the Bible, is the solution to these questions. Again, possibly.

Salmon’s offering proves that the moral compass of a people depends little on their material station in life.

Interestingly, Salmon has single-handedly questioned (maybe inadvertently), the much touted belief that the

Bible is the unchallenged word of God and the paragon of wisdom. Wasn’t King Solomon the most sagacious individual to have ever lived?

But Jamaican Wisdom goes beyond one man, scouring the Old and New Testament for wise teaching and juxtaposing them with wise old Jamaican sayings It is impeccably done.

“Gud fren betta dan packit moni” “sits” alongside Proverbs 27:10; ‘If yuh hear di deebil a come, clear di way, ‘is followed by Thesalonians 5;22; ‘Wah sweet nanny goat a guh run im belly” is similarly expressed in Ecclesiastes 11: 9; “Cakroach nuh bizniz inna fowl fite” is visible in Proverbs 26:17.

Admittedly, some of the patois is cryptic, especially for the unschooled, for example: “Jankrow when

waan guh a low la, sea breeze tek im, im guh faasa.” But Salmon decodes the linguistic puzzlement, pointing to its biblical counterpart in James 1:14.

And comparisons flow, relentlessly, getting more interesting and revelatory along the way.

“If yuh waan gud, yuh nose haffi run.” ‘Wat dun inna daak, mus cum tuh lite.” “Fiah caan out fiah.” ‘Jackass sey di worl nuh lebel.” And more.....Interestingly, all biblical expressions.

Prodigiously researched, Jamaican Wisdom is keenly marketed, having been packaged as a pocket-sized handbook. Don’t precious things come in small packages?

In the foreword, Salmon writes: “Jamaicans have always used proverbs. At that moment when truth needs to

spoken succinctly we reach for a proverb to poignantly and pointedly drive it home.

This work links these proverbs with the Bible texts that convey the same essence, address the same issue, or otherwise similar. By sharing my observations with the world by way of observation, I hope to stimulate thought.”

And she effectively does.

Surely, Jamaican Wisdom is an endearing masterpiece.

Packing a whopping literary punch, it is replete with timeless injunctions. Only if

we knew their importance, especially now, when we are buried in strife and personal failings.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby Jamaican Wisdom: The Biblical Groundation of Jamaica’s Proverbs by Tracy Ann A. Salmon Northern Caribbean University Press ISBN 978-976-8246-00-4 Contact: email:salmonandas@yahoo.com Rating: Essential

What is cholesterol? What causes high cholesterol?

By Dr. Kumar Sukhraj, BSC, MBBS. Cholesterol is an organic (natural) molecule that can be both useful and harmful to the human body. Cholesterol is found in every cell of the body and has important natural functions. It is manufactured by the body but can also be taken in from food. Cholesterol is oil-based and so does not mix with the blood, which is water-based.

It is therefore carried around the body in the blood by lipoproteins (LDL, HDL and VLDL).

Cholesterol has four main functions, without which we could not live. · Contributes to the structure of cell walls · Makes up digestive bile acids in the intestine · Allows the body to produce vitamin D

· Enables the body to make certain hormones.

However if the levels in our body get too high then it becomes a silent danger and may cause a build-up of cholesterol which is part of the process that narrows arteries, called atherosclerosis, in which plaque forms and causes restriction of blood flow to many vital organs such as our heart, brain, feet etc.

There are modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for high cholesterol. Modifiable risk factors include diet, and sedentary life style (lack of exercise). People need to limit their intake of fat in their diet.

Take precaution and limit foods, in particular those such as Meat, cheese, egg yolks, chocolate, deep-fried and processed foods. Being overweight or obese can lead to higher blood cholesterol levels so exercise can help

manage this risk factor. Nonmodifiable risk factors are genetic conditions that are passed down from parents to children and cannot be avoided but can be treated.

Abnormal cholesterol levels may also be secondary to the following: · Diabetes · Liver or kidney disease · Polycystic ovary syndrome · Pregnancy and other conditions that increase levels of female hormones · Underactive thyroid gland. · Drugs that increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol (progestins, anabolic steroids and corticosteroids) Having high cholesterol levels may not present with any signs and symptoms.

Unless routinely screened through regular blood testing, high cholesterol levels will go unnoticed and could present a silent threat of heart attack, stroke or peripheral vascular disease. Signs and symptoms as a result of complications are as follows: · Heart attack-chest pains · Transient Ischemic attack/Stroke - temporary loss of vision, dizziness and impairment of balance, aphasia (difficulty speaking), paresis (weakness) and paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensation), usually on one side of the body · Insufficient blood supply to the legs may manifest as calf pain when walking, while in the intestines it may present as abdominal pain

after eating a meal. · Some types of hypercholesterolemia lead to specific physical findings.

For example, familial hypercholesterolemia (Type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia) may be associated with xanthelasma palpebrarum (yellowish patches underneath the skin around the eyelids), arcus senilis (white or gray discoloration of the peripheral cornea and xanthomata (deposition of yellowish cholesterol-rich material) of the tendons, especially of the fingers. Type III hyperlipidemia may be associated with xanthomata of the palms, knees and elbows.

High cholesterol can only be diagnosed by blood testing. The cholesterol test is done after a period of fasting - no food, drink or pills for 9 to 12 hours in order to enable an accurate reading of LDL cholesterol from the blood test. The screening also gives information about total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The guidelines set cholesterol levels that help determine the individual cholesterol level are as follows: LDL cholesterol · Optimal: less than 100 mg/ dL · Near-optimal: 100 to 129 mg/dL · Borderline high: 130 to 159 mg/dL · High: 160 to 189 mg/dL · Very high: 190 mg/dL and above.

Total cholesterol

· Desirable: less than 200 mg/dL · Borderline high: between 200-239 mg/dL · High: 240 mg/dL or above.

HDL cholesterol · Low: below 40 mg/dL · High: 60 mg/dL or above.

Changes that are recommended for all people with high cholesterol levels including those receiving drug treatments are as follows: 1. Eat a ‘heart-healthy diet’ (for example, use low-fat toppings and sauces, and avoid foods high in saturated fat; eat vegetables, fruits and fibre-rich whole grains) 2. Take regular exercise important measure that can reduce cholesterol levels.

3. Avoid smoking 4. Keep a healthy weight.

5. Regularly check your doctor and follow treatment options.

Below are some key facts about cholesterol. · Cholesterol is an essential substance that is produced by the body but is also available from foods. · The greatest risk factors for high cholesterol are modifiable lifestyle choices diet and exercise. · High cholesterol levels can be inherited with the genetic condition, familial hypercholesterolemia. · Having high cholesterol does not produce any symptoms. · Cholesterol levels should be blood-tested once every five years. · First-line ways to reduce

cholesterol involve lifestyle changes. · If lifestyle changes are unsuccessful or cholesterol levels are very high, lipidlowering drugs such as statins may be prescribed.

Please feel free to send an email to kumarsukhraj@ yahoo.com or call 6228032 for further enquiry and discussion on the topic.

Patient education plays an important in the diagnosis and management illness.

Please look forward for a continuation of the discussion on health issues in the next publication.

References 1. Biggerstaff KD, Wooten JS (December 2004).

“Understanding lipoproteins as transporters of cholesterol and other lipids”. Adv Physiol Educ 28 (1–4): 105–6.

2. Bhatnagar D, Soran H, Durrington PN (2008).

“Hypercholesterolaemia and its management”. BMJ 337: a993.

3. h t t p : / / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Hypercholesterolemia

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 25

My column

That insult to a serving president Politics is a remarkable game, and I say game, because people are always trying to outwit others and score points. It is not that some politicians are not keen to improve the welfare of the people, but it is simply that leaders do not always seem to motivate their followers enough.

At the same time there is always an element of disrespect for some leaders, because people try to compare them to those who appear to be more flamboyant. In Guyana, any leader who tries to negotiate with the opposition is seen as weak.

Sometimes, though, people take things too far and the result is not only embarrassment for some leaders, but also a move to promote something that is so out of the question. We saw that recently when two media houses sought to promote former President Bharrat Jagdeo. What should be recognized is that the former

president is not eligible for any future term at the helm of the country. The constitution does specify that no person shall serve more than two consecutive terms. Perhaps some see the consecutive terms in the clause meaning just that, but that the president could return.

In conversations with the Attorney General, I learnt that the framers of the constitution never intended the literal meaning. The conclusion is that having served two consecutive terms the president should go into retirement.

I also had discussions with other legal luminaries and they were all of the same conclusion. There is nothing after the two consecutive terms. Yet we see a news report of an opposition-sponsored poll that favoured Bharrat Jagdeo. When I saw the first story I smiled because I knew that the opposition would not sponsor a poll that would factor in Jagdeo. Secondly, I know that the opposition

parties are cash-strapped so they would find it really difficult to even consider a poll, not that they set much store by polls.

That caused me to wonder about the architect of the news report and the motive.

My mind went back to the flurry of activities when some thought that Jagdeo should have a third term. I saw the billboards and the flyers. In Trinidad in 2009 I did ask President Jagdeo whether he was considering a third term. His reply was an emphatic ‘no’. He then added that he had made a similar statement on previous occasions when he was asked the same question.

However what one says publicly is sometimes different from what he would say in private. There were people who said to me that Jagdeo did approach them and asked whether they would support his push for a third term. So when this news report first appeared in a newspaper with which

Jagdeo has close ties—some say that he is a major shareholder in the paper—my mind went back to the shortlived campaign for a third term. But then came the publication in the stateowned Guyana Chronicle.

The news report, I learnt, was sent to the Chronicle by an employee of Guyana Times. That alone would not have ensured publication.

Someone with control of the Chronicle would have issued a directive to the staff, who behave like rabbits. And I can say that, because I was once at the helm of the Chronicle. I was exposed to the directive of politicians, but the professional I was, I would simply point out to them that some of their requests would not set store by me.

They took me on many occasions before the then President Desmond Hoyte and when I explained my position, he would say that I was employed to do the job and that my decision would rule the day. This is not the

case today, largely because the people there believe that they need to hold on to their jobs at all cost.

So someone - and I have a suspicion I know who that person is - instructed that the report be carried and the headline displayed on the front page. However, when anger flared in Office of the President, those who so frontally ordered the Chronicle to carry the report, ducked for cover. They too want to keep their jobs.

To my mind, the report disrespected President Donald Ramotar, who has not even completed his first term as president, and who would most certainly lead the party into the next elections. To suggest that he is a lame duck is too much for any leader to bear.

And to carry that report in the state media is to add insult to injury. I now ask, why would Jagdeo want to return as president? Is it that power is so addictive? Is he finding it difficult to adjust to life away

Adam Harris from the spotlight and therefore craves the publicity? There is talk that he presided over corruption and that would have overshadowed the things that he did to take Guyana into the twenty-first century. He has youth on his side and he is charismatic but then again, he could not motivate the voters in 2011 which suggested that his star had pitched.

So there is a scapegoat at the Chronicle and another push to have Jagdeo seize the limelight has crashed.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

The Anti-Money Laundering charade The Alliance For Change has been, and remains, greatly concerned with the prevalence of dubiously obtained wealth within the Guyanese economy and its effects on legitimate business investors. In particular, the party believes that the proceeds of a significant trade in illegal narcotics have become the basis for a façade of local investments aimed at plausibly accounting for huge sums of illicitly accumulated money.

This constitutes money laundering, and the scale of such operations and the ease with which they are funded make it difficult for legitimate businesses to remain competitive.

While money laundering is not new, and takes place in most countries of the world, it is generally addressed by constantly evolving legislation and the implementation of these by competent investigative and prosecutorial bodies. In other

words, some of the bad guys get caught and punished, and this signals to the general population that the authorities are serious about dealing with the problem and have systems in place to do so.

Today, most of the world has already signed onto a harmonized approach to deal jointly with Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism. Led by the Parisbased Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the effort in

each jurisdiction is concentrated in a legislative and regulatory framework that caters for the identification, investigation and prosecution of offenders and provides for the setting up of effective Financial Intelligence Units to act as the main coordinating agencies for addressing financial crimes.

Guyana has had an AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT) in place since 2009 and a Financial Intelligence Unit set up shortly thereafter. A previous Anti-Money Laundering Act had been around since the year 2000.

By now there ought to have been a number of prosecutions for offences under these Acts. This has not happened, and it is difficult to conclude that the PPP-C government is serious about dealing with the problem of money laundering in Guyana. In addition, Guyana has been noncompliant with the recommendations of the FATF’s regional affiliate, the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), for a number of years, culminating in that body issuing a public statement in November 2013, advising its members to “consider implementing counter-measures to protect their financial systems from the ongoing money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Guyana”. This has placed Guyana firmly on the

CFATF “blacklist” with the Government now anxious to avoid getting onto the broader FATF list of delinquent jurisdictions, when that body meets again in June of this year.

The Government’s attitude over the last year has been baffling. Having finally tabled a Bill of recommended amendments to the AML/CFT Act in April of 2013, it has since sought to create as much public anxiety as possible over its non-passage by the National Assembly. The opposition political parties have each set conditions for approval of this Bill, and these have so far been rejected by the Government. A series of deadlines have come and gone, each of which was to have seen severe sanctions imposed on Guyana by international financial institutions. To date, these have not come to pass.

Notwithstanding the urgency of ensuring that Guyana becomes fully compliant with all of the recommendations of the CFATF, the AFC believes that the Government of Guyana has deliberately set out to create a national crisis with the intention of deepening political divisions in the country and hopefully driving citizens back to traditional voting patterns.

Having dithered for years, they have suddenly become hysterical about passing legislation to deal with money laundering. They have spared no effort in depicting the Opposition as the bad guys – unpatriotic and

unconcerned about the future of our country. They have steadfastly rejected all of the Opposition’s conditions for approving passage of the Bill - and it needs to be stressed that none these conditions are unreasonable or unjust.

In fact, the people of Guyana would benefit immensely if the Government were to end this fiasco by agreeing to all of the demands of the Opposition. Local Government elections with reforms to the system and an independent Public Procurement Commission cannot possibly be bad for Guyana. The Government has also expended a great deal of effort into roping in various stakeholders and other spokespersons to help spread doomsday messages on the eve of each deadline.

Most of these messages conclude that the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering Bill is so vital it ought not to be used by the political opposition as a bargaining chip. The AFC utterly rejects this notion and will not be intimidated by full-page advertisements and other public statements that merely mimic the Government’s position. For decades Guyana has not been a wellrun country and the consequences of this are manifested in the daily hardship experienced by ordinary Guyanese. The strong and independent national institutions needed to reverse this situation will only come about as a result of political pressure applied against a government bent on long-term political domination. The Government of Guyana has a duty to all its citizens to resolve this problem and not to exacerbate it. However, it is clear from its posturing that it would rather spend time bashing the Opposition than working towards a solution.

It may not yet have dawned upon the geniuses at Freedom House that any undesirable consequences resulting from the current deadlock will reflect a failure on the part of the Government and not of the Opposition. Rather than wait for the penny to drop in Robb Street, the AFC has presented a road map showing how, in a few simple moves, this deadlock can be resolved in a way that maximizes the benefits to the people of Guyana and gives all three political parties what they want. At this juncture it is difficult to predict how the other parties will respond, but it is clear that the Guyanese public has had enough of this charade and wishes to move on.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 27

SUNDAY SPECIAL ARSON/MURDER AT PORT KAITUMA…RESIDENTS SAW TRAPPED CHILD SCREAMINGAT WINDOW -ALLEGED KILLER TELLS COPS HE WAS DEPRESSED OVER DEBTS Port Kaituma residents last week Saturday recalled seeing a child screaming at a barred-up window as flames engulfed the building that businessman Linus LaCruz had set alight with five family members inside two Fridays ago.

They also spoke of later seeing police ranks removing human remains that were so badly burnt that they were carted away in buckets. Police identified the dead as Lurlene LaCruz, 39; her daughters, Lea LaCruz, 14, Lavette LaCruz, three; and sons Labron LaCruz, 8, and one-year-old Levon LaCruz. The suspect’s 12-year-old daughter, Lisa LaCruz, was the lone survivor.

It is believed that the suspect, 50-year-old Linus LaCruz, soaked the heavilygrilled building with petrol before locking it from the outside and setting it alight.

He sustained burns to the head, back and limbs and is being kept under guard at the Port Kaituma Hospital.

Kaieteur News understands that LaCruz has indicated to police that he committed the act in a fit of depression over debts.

According to a source, LaCruz claimed that he owed several people money and “was depressed and frustrated.” A resident had told Kaieteur News on Friday that the businessman had appeared to be “stressed out.”

RAMOTAR MODIFIES POSITION ON FIU Head of State, Donald Ramotar, has agreed to insulate the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) from any form of politicisation.

Ramotar noted, last week Saturday that as regards the amendments proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), “Government is prepared to compromise on these amendments and indeed, we have laid in the Special Select Committee, counter-amendments.”

He said that the counteramendments proposed are designed and intended to address the major concerns raised by APNU in relation to strengthening the governance architecture of the FIU in the legislative regime, while at the same time insulating it from political

According to Granger, “At this point in time I would say that the contacts that were made were without substance and there is a danger therefore that if the concerns of APNU are not met, regardless of the ruling of Chief Justice Chang, we are going to disapprove of spending which we feel is not in the national interest.”

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MEASURES… OVER 200 CO-OP SOCIETIES FACE SUSPENSION FOR NOT COMPLYING

influence and indeed, any form of politicisation, in order to maintain its independence and functional autonomy.

According to Ramotar, “our counter amendments provide for the establishment of an (Anti Money Laundering) Authority as contemplated by APNU.” He said that the Anti-Money Laundering Authority shall comprise Heads of Agencies that have a role and responsibility in relation to the combating of money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

“We propose that the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Solicitor General, the Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Registrar of Deeds and Companies and a representative from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) in the area of banking and commerce, comprise of this authority and appointed by the Minister of Finance.”

MONDAY EDITION ARSON/MURDER AT PORT KAITUMA…TOP COP ORDERS PROBE INTO RESPONSE OF RANKS TO SURVIVOR’S REPORT - DNA SAMPLES TAKEN TO ID VICTIMS Did ranks at the Port Kaituma Police Station ignore 12-year-old Lisa La Cruz when she told them of her stepfather’s threats to her family?

Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell intends to get to the truth and has ordered an investigation into allegations that ranks at the Port Kaituma Police Station did not respond immediately when the child went there on

Friday night. Describing the allegation as a “serious” one, the Police Commissioner disclosed Sunday that he had asked Divisional Commander, Snr. Supt. Courtney Ramsay, to conduct an investigation.

“I have called him and we are investigating,” the Top Cop said.

Kaieteur News has been reliably informed that the onduty rank repeatedly ignored the 12-year-old when she told him about her father’s threats.

Instead, he reportedly told the child to ask her father to come to the station.

According to a source who spoke to the 12-yearold, Lisa La Cruz told the rank (name given) that her stepfather, Linus La Cruz, was threatening to burn down their house.

“She said she went to (rank’s name given) and said that her stepfather was threatening to burn down the house, and he (the rank) said ‘Tell your stepfather that (name given) say to come to the station’.”

According to the source, the 12-year-old told the rank ‘you not listening,’ and again explained about the threats that her stepfather was making, “and he said again, “tell your stepfather that— say to come to the station, and by the time she reached back (home) she saw the fire,” the source said.

ADMINISTRATION UNDER PRESSURE TO HOLD LOCAL GOVT. ELECTIONS – RAMKARRAN Ralph Ramkarran, a former Executive Member of the ruling Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) says that now that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has dismissed any notions that it is unprepared for the holding of Local Government Elections, the pressure is on

Head of State Donald Ramotar Government to set a date.

Ramkarran in his most recent writings on his media outlet, conversationtree.org, reminded that against the background of the passage in the National Assembly of the Local Authorities (Election Amendment) Bill, not yet assented to by the President, which provides that Local Government Elections be held

by August, the Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally, announced that they are ready to ‘go into election mode’ as soon as the date for Local Government Elections is fixed.

“This ends speculation about GECOM’s readiness…It also challenges the Government’s position on the holding of Local Government Elections.”

According to Ramkarran, Dr Surujbally’s statement nullifies that of Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee’s that GECOM is not ready.

TUESDAY EDITION 2014 BUDGET… APNU WILL DISAPPROVE OF SPENDING NOT IN THE NATIONALINTEREST Leader of A Partnership

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ronald Webster for National Unity (APNU) Brig. David Granger, expressed dissatisfaction with the consultation APNU has had with government over the Budget. He has now promised to disapprove anything that is not in the national interest, regardless of the ruling by Chief Justice Ian Chang.

The opposition coalition leader, in giving some insight as it pertains to their position, explained that he “personally requested the President in 2011 to establish a tripartite budget Committee. We ran into something I would call a car crash in 2012. “I repeated my request for a tripartite budget committee to be established and we ran into another crash in 2013. I was given the indication that on January 1, last, that some progress would be started so that the preparation of the 2014 budget would be less problematic than 2012 and 2013. This did not happen.”

Granger said the coalition feels that the attempts made

by Finance Minister Dr, Ashni Singh with respect to the Budget were not sincere in trying to bring about any joint endeavour in the preparation of the budget.

Government has moved to cancel over 200 Cooperative societies across the country as authorities move ahead with the implementation of internationally mandated antimoney laundering measures.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, in a notice on Sunday in Stabroek News, the 212 coops, as they are known, have failed to comply with Cooperative Societies Acts and with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering The Financing of Terrorism Act (AML-CFT).

The cancellations of the bodies will take effect from May 18th and could be appealed to the Minister of Labour, Nanda Gopaul.

“With effect from the date of cancellation, no one is authorized to transact any business on behalf of any of the societies unless ordered to do so by the Chief Cooperative Development Officer (CCDO) via public notice,” the ad said. The notice was placed at the behest of Carol Valz, the current CCDO. Under global laws to fight dirty money in the financial system, co-op societies have been pinpointed as one of several organizations, alongside banks, insurance companies, cambios, money transfers and pawnbrokers, which are prime targets for illegal proceeds being channeled. Regulations are now being implemented throughout the world that will demand agencies to report suspicious transactions, and introduce tighter measures that will require proper identification.

WEDNESDAY EDITION FOUR INJUREDAFTER ANOTHER PLANE CRASH A rescue team was Tuesday dispatched to the Region Seven community of Arau following another plane crash, involving a single engine light aircraft which, according to reports, crashed (Continued on page 37)

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

Death on Guyana’s roadways Monday’s colourful and joyful Phagwah celebrations were marred by a sad series of road accidents. Crashes occurred at Industry, East Coast Demerara; Vlissengen Road and Station Street, Kitty in Georgetown and Metenmeer-Zorg on the West Coast Demerara. The worst case was the accident in which a young man died at Houston on the East Bank Demerara.

Phagwah Day’s accident increased the road fatality total to 25 so far in 2014, one more than the corresponding period in 2013. Nine pedestrians, six motorcyclists and six passengers in motor vehicles have been among the dead. Speeding caused 13 deaths and drunken driving caused two.

Guyana continues to maintain a rough average of about a dozen road deaths every

month. Thousands more have suffered injuries or lost limbs. Traffic accidents are among the top ten causes of death and account for the greatest number of disabilities. Survivors have suffered untold disabilities and lifelong injuries. Victims have lost earnings and spent uncounted amounts on hospitalization. The road safety problem, as the records prove, has been aggravated by the fact that ‘new’ vehicles are being added to the roads at an increasing rate, estimated at about 1,000 per month. Too many vehicles travel too fast and far too few traffic policemen are deployed on the rural roadways where and when speeding is rampant, both by day and night. Former Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy had sounded the alarm years

ago over the high rate of road deaths and the soaring costs of medical treatment of the victims of road accidents.

With a death rate from road accidents of 21.8 per 100,000 of the population for 2006, Guyana maintained its unenviable rank of fifth place among countries in the Americas for traffic accidentrelated deaths.

Ramsammy had disclosed then that, of the 6,000-odd deaths Guyana experiences every year, road accidents are the seventh leading cause.

He estimated that the cost of care for accident victims amounted annually to more than $100M at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation alone. He complained that an average of 18 road accident victims received surgery every week.

PAHO estimated the economic cost of road deaths

and injuries at $552.6 million in year 2000. PAHO reported that about one Guyanese is killed on the roads every 48 hours. Half of the victims were pedestrians, most of whom were working-age adults 2054 years old and about a quarter were school-age children, 3-17 years old.

When the loss of employment and productivity and partial or permanent disability are considered, road accidents cost the country more than $500M per year. When expenses for vehicle repairs and replacements are computed, the costs easily add up to about $1B per year or more than 1.5 per cent of the national budget.

The reasons for the rate of deaths on rural public roads are not difficult to discern. These roads run through heavily-populated villages, but are often unlit at night. Most have no sidewalks and the verges are stony, muddy or encumbered by vendors’ stalls thus forcing bicyclists and pedestrians onto the

motorways. There they must compete with cars, horsedrawn carts, motorcycles, stray dogs, farm animals, parked or broken-down vehicles and piles of sand or mud.

The biggest contributory factor to fatalities, perhaps, has been drivers’ dangerous driving habits. Some, especially drivers of commercial vehicles and minibuses, simply do not have the skill, experience or temperament to be entrusted with responsibility for human lives on public roads.

Many drive defective or overloaded vehicles recklessly or at unsafe speeds and display aggressive behaviour and poor road discipline. Too many vehicles travel too fast, and far too few traffic policemen are deployed on the rural roadways where and when speeding is rampant, both by day and night. Fatalities on the roads, therefore, can fit into a fairly clear framework: First, many occur at night, on weekends or on holidays and on open

stretches of country road.

High-risk rural areas, however, seem to attract lowlevel attention from the traffic police. - Second, it is quite evident that there are many unqualified and incompetent drivers who are not fit to drive taxis and buses. - Third, a large number of accidents can be blamed on persons driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. - Fourth, the Police Force does not possess sufficient special equipment to determine cases of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. Fifth, there are insufficient competent personnel to certify the roadworthiness of the growing number of private and commercial vehicles.

An independent Commission of Inquiry is clearly needed to investigate road traffic accidents and to make recommendations for saving lives. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force have a lot more work to do to make our roads safe for our citizens.

Sunday March 23, 2014

From page 27 shortly after taking off from the area’s airstrip. One passenger, Ivor Williams, was seriously injured, while the pilot, Bernard Singh, 44, of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara, and other passengers; Troy Daniels and Leon Bristol, 24, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, are said to have suffered minor injuries. They were flown to the city by army personnel and later housed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Kaieteur News understands that the pilot and the three men who were identified as his employees were the occupants on board the United States-registered civil utility Piper Cherokee, which is a privately-owned plane.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) informed that the crash occurred around 11:14 hours Tuesday.

The newspaper understands that Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks were also dispatched to the crash site and conducted the evacuation of passengers from the valley where the plane went down, to the Kaikan airstrip, which is closest to the accident site.

The Piper Cherokee was said to have been operated by Singh, a Guyanese pilot.

A GCAA press release said that army medical personnel were flown on a Britten Norman Islander from Ogle to Kaikan.

Accompanying them were investigators from the GCAA who remained at the crash site “to comb through the wreckage for possible clues for the crash”.

FIRE DESTROYS MEDEX BUILDINGAT LILIENDAAL The Ministry of Health’s Medex building at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was completed destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. The edifice housed several administrative offices under different departments within the Ministry of Health, including Food Policy and Environmental Health, Veterinary Public Health, Health Sciences Education, and that of Government Parliamentarian and Chairperson of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indra Chandarpal.

THURSDAY EDITION WALTER RODNEY COI TO BEGINAFTER EASTER …WILL LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED IN GETTING TO THE BOTTOM – CHAIRMAN The

Walter

Rodney

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From left: Attorneys at law Nicola Pierre, Glen Hanoman, Commissioner Counsel Seenauth Jairam (SC), Chairman Sir Richard Cheltenham, Queen’s Councel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Attorney Latchmie Rahamant.

Commission of Inquiry is likely to begin sometime after the Easter Holiday weekend says Chairman Sir Richard Cheltenham (QC). The announcement was made Wednesday at a joint press conference with the Commissioners.

According to the Chairman, once there is enough material and witnesses available, the sittings will begin the Tuesday after the Easter holiday. He said that the Commission would sit for an initial nine days before taking a break for about two weeks and resuming again. The Chairman said that because the event which they are investigating goes back some 33- years and a lot of people below the age of fifty do not know much about it, several questions may surface such as “why go back? Will you have any witnesses and will there be evidence that would allow them to actually find out what happen?”.

Cheltenham said that the circumstances surrounding Rodney’s death weren’t fairly investigated and made known to the world, so it’s an unresolved issue for his family. “There has been no clear answer from any investigation to determine this,” the Chairman said.

Cheltenham said that they intend to “dig deeply” in relation to the facts and come to a conclusion as to who was responsible and why it was done. He said that to get an answer would be good, especially for the family, which is mainly the purpose for the inquiry.

ARAU PLANE CRASH…INVESTIGATORS FOCUSINGATTENTION ON ENGINE Investigators are making arrangements to have the single engine of the Piper Cherokee that went down in the Arau area, Region Seven, brought to the city as part of investigations into last Tuesday’s plane crash.

Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn told this

newspaper Wednesday that investigators have returned to the city but are now placing efforts on having the engine brought to the city.

Minister Benn said that as procedure, the engine will have to be disassembled and examined. In the meantime, Kaieteur News understands that the accident victims are still hospitalized .The pilot, Bernard Singh, 44, of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara; Troy Daniels, and Leon Bristol, 24, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, are said to have suffered minor injuries. Another passenger, Ivor Williams, is said to be seriously injured. Kaieteur News was able to speak with Bristol who complained of head injuries. He told the newspaper that he is experiencing serious pain in the head and back. Bristol explained that he was at the time employed with Singh who operated a private plane in the interior. The 24-year-old said that the last thing he remembered was entering the plane and waking up “after everything”. He said that the plane was leaving Imbaimadai to go to Eteringbang when it went down.

FRIDAY EDITION WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION UNDERSCORES NEED FOR “FUNCTIONING” INTEGRITY COMMISSION – APNU A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon has lashed out at the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee for comments he believed were grounded in ignorance.

Harmon recounted that Rohee during his “Tuesday Theatre” at Freedom House, expressed that he will not support baseless allegations that some of his colleagues in Government had amassed their wealth through corruption. The APNU parliamentarian opined that Rohee’s remarks were

“extremely preposterous”.

“It is not unusual for us to hear from Rohee that he doesn’t know. He hardly knows anything… But what is important is that he doesn’t want to have help in knowing these things because in the National Assembly, the Leader of APNU, Brigadier David Granger, presented several motions aimed at bringing closure to a number of these issues… Rohee can say he doesn’t know and that’s understandable, but what is not understandable, is when he had the opportunity to know and he chose not to utilize it.”

In relation to the question of government officials who amass wealth via corrupt practices, Harmon expressed that it reinforces the need for an effective and functioning Integrity Commission in the country.

“We have a system which requires public officials to report annually on their assets and I believe their liabilities too, to the Integrity Commission, but we have one that is not functioning. We have one that even while it was functioning, did not have the investigative capacity to go after information that was so clear and evident to all Guyanese citizens. APNU has always said that what this country needs is an integrity commission that can act autonomously.”

ECCLES BIKER SHOOTING DEATH…RONDY JAGDEO LET GO OF MURDER CHARGE Five months after being accused of gunning down a man who was said to be a good friend of his, Water Street businessman Rondy Jagdeo on Thursday walked out of the city court after the Chief Magistrate discharged the murder charge instituted against him. The 28-year-old had been accused of killing popular biker Kirk Davis on September 3, last year.

After spending almost two months on the run, Jagdeo surrendered to police custody and was then

brought before the courts to be arraigned for murder, appearing before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry on October 30, last.

On February 5, the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) got underway before the said Magistrate.

The businessman who was represented by Attorneys Mark Waldron and Roger Yearwood was being prosecuted by Corporal Bharat Mangru.

The pre-trial matter engaged the attention of the court for a little over one month and some seven witnesses were called to take the stand on behalf of the Prosecution. On Thursday, the Prosecution was ordered to close its case after failing on three occasions to produce its two remaining civilian witnesses to the court. After the Prosecution closed its case, Yearwood stood on behalf of the accused and made his nocase submission.

SATURDAY EDITION RAMOTAR DEMOTES CHRONICLE EDITOR AFTER ‘JAGDEO’ STORY A front page story in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle Friday suggested that former President Bharrat Jagdeo is the best choice for Presidential candidate in any forthcoming elections.

That story has landed a number of Chronicle senior staff in hot water.

The headline, “Jagdeo favoured as PPP/C presidential candidate”, has led to one senior staff being replaced as acting Editor and demoted. The Board of Directors is questioning how the story ended up in the newspaper in the first place.

According to the Guyana Chronicle article, a poll conducted by the combined Opposition revealed that in terms of popularity, Jagdeo is way ahead of candidates from both A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC). The Opposition has since denied knowledge of the poll.

British Scientist Frank Skuse APNU Leader Brig David Granger said that he never polled Jagdeo. Khemraj Ramjattan of the Alliance For Change said that the party never even gave Jagdeo a thought after he left office.

According to the “poll”, Jagdeo is the one most favoured to be the PPP/C presidential candidate for the next general elections, “particularly given that election fever is in the air, brought on by the ongoing gridlock in the National Assembly.”

President Ramotar was not mentioned at all.

A source close to the Office of the President said that President Ramotar accused the Chronicle of promoting mischief. He said that Jagdeo is not eligible for any re-election, now or ever.

The question of him ever being a Presidential candidate must have been concocted by a wild mind or by someone with a business interest.

The article appeared one day after the Guyana Times, a newspaper reportedly owned by Jagdeo and Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, carried one quoting unnamed Opposition sources on the polls and headlined, “Jagdeo most formidable candidate – combined Opposition poll”.

How the article, along similar lines, ended up in the Chronicle was what the Office of the President wanted to know on Friday.

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Sunday March 23, 2014

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EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN

By Ralph Seeram I am writing this article from my hospital bed, and by the time you read it on Sunday, I hope to be home. At least that’s what my doctor told me a few minutes ago, that is, if my infection clears.

A little over a week ago I was enjoying great health.

Then within 36 hours, I was within “heaven’s” door, even though some may argue it was probably nearer to hell. It’s a funny thing.

You suddenly don’t want to go to heaven if you think you are dying; you want to live, get back to good health.

Despite our complaints, life is still “sweet on earth”. We are never in a hurry to see the Good Lord.

We all take our health for granted, a mistake most of us make, until we get struck by serious illness. A week ago, Saturday, I started to experience hot and cold fever, then upset stomach, then weakness. So I am saying I can handle this; some tablets for the fever, ginger tea for the stomach, by Sunday it was coughing junks of mucus and

problem breathing.

Still in denial, I opted to go to an emergency clinic instead of the emergency at the hospital. I was hoping that they give me a prescription and send me home. Instead after a few minutes with the nurse, she ordered me to the Hospital Emergency.

My son rushed me to the Hospital Emergency Department where they saw that I had difficulty breathing.

Before you know it there were tubes and wires protruding from all parts of my body. They said that I had severe pneumonia and that I was being admitted.

Pneumonia! I am thinking I had the flu. Where in hell did I contract pneumonia?

Pneumonia can wipe you out in 48 hours if untreated.

Speaking of heaven, the personnel at this institution try to make it as comfortable as can be for you. Medical care is very competitive business here in the U S, especially Florida.

This institution, Florida Hospital South, is owned by the Seventh Day Adventists Church group, a nonprofit

organization. It’s rated Number One in the state of Florida for Cardiac Care and other specialties’ and in the top ten National Hospitals.

I want to share some of my observations with readers especially those in Guyana.

Most of the medical personnel are made up of foreign born or has foreign born parents, including doctors.

So my nurses are Guyanese, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Pilipino, Africa and also from various Spanish speaking countries. Everyone is very pleasant, genuinely friendly, and try to respond to your every request. Even the most troublesome patient (and there are many) is met with a smile.

My next door neighbor rings for the nurses so often that even I get tired of it. I am sure they must be annoyed at the unnecessary calls, but they come with a smile. When you think you have heath problems this guy makes you look healthy. He has diabetics, high blood pressure, Crone disease, his bowels keep blocking up, pancreatic cancer, tumor in the brain, four heart attacks and four stents.

Can it really get worse for any human?

He is always in excruciating pains, and gets high doses of pain killers. The

guy is so depressed that I overheard him telling the nurses, he doesn’t mind “going to sleep and don’t wake up.” Before you know it counselors were at this bed to counsel him. To top it off he said that he will be homeless when he is discharged.

How tough can life be?

When you think you got problems, look over your shoulder.

I lie down and think of the service people receive at the hospitals in Guyana. You read of the horror stories, shortage of drugs, children dying because of no oxygen and the list goes on.

When you think that former President Bharrat Jagdeo, chartered a plane to Florida for a simple illness like dengue fever, you can tell how much confidence he has in his health care system in Guyana.

I think of the time I went

to the New Amsterdam Hospital a few years ago, and hear nurses and other staff berating patients and members of the public.

These were real “long mouth pigs” in uniform, who carried an air of superiority about them. They forgot that they work for and were paid by the public and not the other way around.

One came to me with that attitude and I “put her in her place immediately “. I let her know exactly who she works for. Part of the problem is that the public feels that there is not much recourse, and journalists are lazy to do investigative journalism.

I live in Florida but I get first hand information on the irregularities and corruption at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

I get it from nurses themselves.

You want to know what is

ironic? Those same nurses if they working here in the States would have a completely different attitude because they would be fired.

The hospitals strive to give the best service because they know that there are “ambulance chasing” lawyers waiting for them to make a mistake so they can sue them.

That is a rarity in Guyana; there is no accountability.

You want to know the most touching part of my stay in the hospital? The first night I came in, and it’s was now 1.30 in the morning, a male nurse, a six footer was attending to me. In my pain he assured me, “Don’t worry pops, I will take care of you; you are like my father”. He was from Kenya.

It can’t get any better than that.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email ralph365@hotmail.com.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

FOR SALE One Reciprocating Saw (brand: Chicago Electric) one 600 Amp jump starter (brand: peak) – Call: 621-9604 FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Live/pluck chicken call: 650-4421, 220-9203 Fishing boat, 5" nylon Seine, 40 Hp Yamaha - $1.6M Tel: 267-1563; 691-3501/ 4162667627 One 14" river dredge in excellent condition - Call: 669-8985 One hardly used cradle $20,000 with accessories & one brand new play pen $33,000 - Call: 670-2343 Tractors: MF285 $2.8mil (neg) Ford 5000 $3.2mil (neg),Both Good Condition -Call 257-0212, 628-8487 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 Extra Cab 2002, Nissan Frontier $2.9M, 4X4 Extra Cab 2002, DJSystem - $2.8M– Tel:6959807 Black & white photocopy and colour copy Tel:626-8586 Tibetan Terrier pupsCall:225-4780; 601-5927 COMPLETE SAWMILL with all new industrial machine, going business with contract - (Wanted Kabukalli Logs) - Tel:6845868.

Tacoma Tundra lights & Parts - Tel: 641-1127 1 Toyota Raum fully air conditioned – Tel:678-6108, 692-8419, 266-2771 Land with foundation and columns @ Tuschen, Middle Income, H/Scheme E.B.E $7M – Call:682-7220; 6020268 Household items: Stove, bed, sofa, dishwasher, dresser, sewing machine, coffee dispenser, printers & more – Call:227-1028; 223-9719 Large beverage cooler, two doors, 3 wheel motor bike – Call:227-1028; 223-9719

FOR SALE Toyota Forklift - Excellent condition, 4,000lbs capacity, 117" Lift, Solid Wheels, Automatic Transmission, 4 Cylinder LPG Motor. Call: 6046108.

Toyota Corona Station Wagon with back & front windscreen, also 4 door windows and slide glass – Contact:698-4898

1 Stall @ Stabroek Market – Tel:658-0115; 718-757-8031

Exclusive Designed Saris made in India. Price $5,000$6,000. Also Shalwars & Ghararas - Tel:216-1210; 6488961 (In Berbice) 336-6223

· 2 Flex house 10ft- 5", 2 sheet 6mm aluminum plate, 2 – Hydraulic pump, 1-BT 121 Earth Auger STIHL drill, 2 Amplifier – Tel:625-1621

Clean Garden Earth and builders waste also Bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling down- Call:6160617 or 663-3285

1 Canon Image runner #2525 – Contact: 652-0709 Cooler chest/fridge 15 cubic, good for shop use - $100,000Call:683-4803, 225-9871 Barge 200ft in length as is – Call:623-4045 1 Chair & dryer, styling chair, combination wardrobe, Sony DVD, home theater system & north star (Air Compressor Pump) – Tel:683-7102 1 complete pools table, 1 no frost fridge, 1 electric stove, 1 compressor C/W spray kit & air-tool assembly. Owner migrating – Tel:641-6239 1 Raum: DVD player, alarm system, mag rims - $1.2M negotiable, excellent condition – Call:627-9424

Cheap earth delivery to spot E.C.D and E.B.D- Call:6279977, 698-0182 2700 PSI Pressure washer, Total Gym - Call:216-2363; 683-4700 Motorized Wheelchair by hovearound. New batteries – Call:225-0271; 623-8192 Pools Table-Call:216-0413; 696-9099 1 Music system, 3 crown amps, Numark CD player crossover & mixer, 2 base box with 15” Mid range & tweeters – Call:619-2800 Top Quality concrete spindless, post, crowns, etc, etc. No weak mixture C a l l : 6 2 1 - 2 2 0 0

Canadian rebuilt Perkins Duetz engine, Lincoln generator welder, model M with winch, 320 excavator – Call: 691-2921 One 6 Base music set in parts – Call:641-2088; 266-2503 Dell Computers with 20" LCDs - $65,000, Laptops $50,000, I-phone 3GS - $30,000 at Futuretech – 231-2206, 6446760 One Mobile Food Caravan Contact: 675-5448

EDUCATIONAL Balloon decorating classes – April 05 - Call: 225-3133; 6137513 for more information and to register.

Practical Electronic courses begining 7th April at Abdol Electronics - Tel:226-6551; 225-0391

Games PS2 $900, PSP $900, XBox 360 $2600 & PS3 $2600 & Original Games Call: 672-2566 6½ Month old Germand Shepherd, fully vaccinated – Contact:683-4832 or 263-5755

1 Toyota Minibus pit-bull, BRR Series, immaculate condition, owner leaving country – Tel:629-3663 1 Toyota Hilux Single Cab 4X4 solid Axle pickup -$2.7M Tel: 658-5193; 638-2525; 648-4374 EP-82 Starlet – Call:685-9696 Unregistered 2002 Toyota Fielder Body Kit, mags, HID fog lamps – Contact: 644-9277 ($2.2M negotiable) 1- 2007 Toyota 4X4 Tacoma for sale Call: 670-3328 for more information.

Toyota Tundra 4X4, Clean $2.450M – Call:662-6024

TOURS Lethem Rodeo - Tour to Bontin Moco-Moco Falls 17th to 21 April - Call:639-2663;644-0185; 665-5171;227-8290 VACANCY Salesgirls to work in store: $20,000 weekly - Contact:2230595

VEHICLE FOR SALE AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN & RZ & Pitbull buses, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms. Call: 680-3154 2004 Toyota Raum $2M @ MRR Autos, Cheap online vehicle deals – Call:691-7475; 626-9590 1 -1RZ, 15 seater, automatic mini-bus, BNN 3760 - $1.7M Negotiable. Good condition, never used for public transportation – Tel:628-0310 ; 672-5429 One registered Allion 2003.

Colour: Silver, In excellent condition- Call:665-4529; 6523820

One unregistered vehicle, Toyota Premio – Call Sunil:227-5950; 681-5470

Smart Choice Auto Sales: Unregistered: Premio, Allex, IST, Spacio, Allion – Call:6523820; 665-4529

Toyota 4 runner grey. Good condition – Call:227-1028; 223-9719

AT150 Carina, PGG 5408 manual - $170,000 – Call: 6544635

First Class Auto: Avensis, Allion, IST, 212, Premio, Spacio, Raum, Passo, Fielder, Verossa -Call:609-8188; 602-6307

Hilux Surf, 3Y Engine/ Automatic, SUV 4 Doors, PGG 8871 - $1.4M negotiable – Call: 663-7518

Unregistered Toyota Premio $2.450, Toyota Spacio $2.250 Tel: 616-3001; 628-4284 AT192 - Call: 602-0236 Toyota Raum, Spacio, AT212, AT192, AT170, NZE and LTouring wagon, Nissan E24 Caravan – Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 One Honda accord DX manual transmission, excellent condition – Call:618-5972; 685-57-27; 218-1204.

1 Freight liner hauler with sleeping cab, 1 -48ft trailor with treated wood – Call: Rakesh 613-6979 1 DAF 4X4 Bush Truck Winch - $3.8M - Tel:658-5193; 638-2525; 648-4374 Unregistered Toyota Raum 2004 & Spacio -2003 - Tel: 6175536

1 Used Model M Truck with winch. Price:$5M negotiable – Contact:601-0763 Just Arrived from Canada: 400Amp Miller, 300-Amp Lincoln, 3 Cylinder Perkins.

Rentals of Metal Scaffold! – Call:660-1514; 644-0153

VEHICLE FOR SALE

Toyota Fun Cargo, RZ minibus, IST, 4X4 Hilux pickup - Tel: 644-5096; 6971453 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 BJJ series, long base RZ minibus – Call:667-6045

Passenger Diesel Turbo Bus, Late “NN” Series – Call: 6173124 1 Toyota Will VS fully loaded, drop springs, etc. 1 Toyota Auris Fully loaded – Call:6232999 600 CBR BIKE -$350,000, 3VZ Tacoma Engine $400,000 – Call:617-7113 Unregistered 2004 Toyota Tundra, owner leaving country, $3,200,000 negotiable – Call: 231-0144; 689-6009 2004 VVTI automatic, bus, BNN series @ Bargain Price, Excellent condition. Serious Enquires! – Tel:697-0203 CHEAPEST: - Pitbull, Manual Buses, IST, Allion – Tel:616-7635 Toyota extra cab pick-up (22 R engine) manual, (EFI) 4×4, (GPP series) price $2.5MContact Rocky 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 Toyota RZ bus - $1.5M. Immaculate condition [Hardly Use] – Contact Rocky: 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 Suzuki R1 wagon (Jeep) Automatic, Fully Powered with A/C, hardly used – Price:$1.3M Contact Rocky: 621-5902/ 225-1400 RX8 Price - $3M – Tel:6026024.

VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Extra Cab [RZ] pickup, 4X2 automatic $2.1M -Contact Rocky: 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 - Toyota Raum, automatic, fully loaded - Price: $1.2M Contact:Rocky: 621-5902 or 225-1400 1 AT 212 Carina (Private) Automatic, fully powered with AC, alarm - Price:1.3M Contact Rocky:621-5902 1- AT 192 Carina (Private) automatic, fully powered, mags, A/C - price$1.2M Contact Rocky:225-1400 One RX-8 Mazda fully air conditioned, stick gear, wheel lights, fog lamps, power windows – Tel:653-2477 Toyota Hilux Solid axle pickups, gasoline & diesel.

Unregistered, excellent condition - Call:691-2077

MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:678-7499 The Gents Spa: Deep tissue, Swedish massages, sport massage, aromatherapy, body scrubs Call: 657-5979 LEARN TO DRIVE Shalom Driving School @ 2 Croal street. Fee $16,000Call:227-3869 Soman Son & Outar Driving School @ Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 689-5997 Ultravoilet Driving School – Contact:231-2372; 6022583;658-4015 Alleyne’s Professional Driving School @ 651 East Ruimveldt, Best Prices Call :226-9181; 613-0223; 6689331 PEN PAL Foreign Man: loving, generous & loyal seeks female Guyanese friend (1736yrs), Email picture to iluvguyanesewomen@ yahoo.com / Tele: 1-246-8356908 (7pm – 8pm) Meet your match! Lifelong partners/friends, singles only, confidential – Tel:592223-8237; 592-648-6098.

8:30am-5pm (both phones same hours) Continued on page 55

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 55

Appoint special...

From page 10 has been done with those declarations.

The Opposition has been calling for a functioning commission.

The Commission, according to its website, has the power to do anything for the proper performance of its function and in discharging its function, “it is not subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. The Commission has the authority to regulate its own procedure and may make rules for that purpose.”

When a public officer ceases to be a person in public life, he/she should disclose his/her assets and liabilities to the Commission within thirty days from the date that individual ceases to be a person in public life.

Guyana has been rated as one of the worst in the region by watchdog groups, a charge that the administration has dismissed.

There have been harsh criticisms over the seemingly soft manner in which Government has been dealing with contractors who did not perform according to obligations.

There has been glaring cases of overpayments, signaling collusion with corrupt engineers who are charged with signing off on work.

There has also been evidence and complaints that some contractors would switch from region to region, with little systems in place to track them for nonperformance or poor performance.

The National Assembly is currently considering names to the Public Procurement Commission, which would regulate state contracts and take complaints from aggrieved parties.

Some analysts believe that as much as 20 per cent of the contract price is lost to bribery of public officials.

FOR SALE/RENT Vacant corner lot 58"X30" @ Garnett & Republic Streets, Newton, Kitty – Tel: 645-0616 1 Property: ideal for manufacturing & other options, Situated in the Industrial Area, 3 Phase power & generator included Contact: 619-0037

Continued on page 54 PROPERTY FOR SALE

TO LET

2 Income properties at bargain price - $40M negotiable - Tel: 686-4899; 684-3718

Fully furnished rooms for foreigners in Diamond – Call: 687-1392

Property for sale - Call:627-5416 Unfinished two storey concrete house @ Bladen Hall E.C.D – Call:688-6316 One 3 bedroom house in La Parafaite Harmonie -$16M negotiable – Contact: 6221782; 658-5803; 264-0042 Regent Street -US$800,000 negotiable – Call:623-4045 Campbellville (2buildings) $25M, Near Regent Street $35M, Lamaha Gardens $55M – Call Diana:227-2256; 626-9382 Sophia ‘C’ Field - $3M – Call:618-7483; 611-3835 Prime Business property, huge land space, 200’X50', next to Police Outpost @ Mc Doom 233-0570 Large land space @ Airstrip Road Goedverwagting – Tel:649-1330; 663-4287; 2225928 Prime Property for sale at Light Street, Alberttown – Contact:639-3619, 619-7299 2 Storey Transported property with 2 kitchens, 6 bedrooms, 2 toilet & bath @ Tuschen East Bank Essequibo Tel:650-2982 LAND FOR SALE Romrima Trust Versailles @ W.B.D - Tel: 652-3707

Campbellville - $90,000, Queenstown -$US800, Atlantic Garden - $US600.

Contact Diana:227-2256; 6269382 Complete sawmill (i.e woodmizer mill, moulder etc) @ Eccles Industrial Site EBD. Call Ricahrd: 609-7677;2332614 Single room apartment (furnished) in Eccles – Call:233-2770

Schoonard (100ftX50ft) $1.6M -Call: 675-7292 Parafaite Harmonie - $1M Call:675-7292 Herstelling (110ftX60ft)$3M -Call:675-7292

WANTED One experienced welder t o work in interior – Call:681-6044

3 Acres Land @ Parika Backdam E.B.E– Call:617-4837 25 Acres land @ Mouth of Bonasika Creek – Tel:6267212 Canal No#1 - Call:672-3662

MOVE IN ready fully furnished two bedroom upper flat apartment @ Atlantic Gardens - US$1,000 dollars negotiable - Call:6009981 2 Bedrooms apartment @ Samatta Point Grove. $35,000 per month: Monthly rent, monthly security – Call: 6137596 GT TOOLS RENTAL, RAMSON SPECIAL - TEL: 675-0767; 627-5098

SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773

Vreed-En-Hoop Junction: games station, stationery shop, photocopying machine & printing store, lessons, internet – Call:680-9905

Experienced hairdresser, must know to do hair & nails, experienced barber for interior location – Call:6655812; 233-2186; 697-6726

One upper flat @ 6th Street Cummings Lodge ECD – Call:622-3580

Natural Beauty Salon & Spa: Grove Market Street EBD Tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women WANTED Live in assistant ca regiver – Tel:664-8150

Parafaite Harmonie - $1.2M -Call: 675-7292 One Farm at Yarrowkabra 20.1 Acres and one house and land – Call: 265-3586

One 2 Bedrooms bottom flat Tel: 613-6402

Semi Furnished 3 bedroom (self-contained with H/C shower) Omai Street, Prashad Nagar, Garage for 2 cars US$1,100 monthly.

Call: 642-0325

House lots in Friendship. Tel: 692-8513

Bachelor’s Adventure, E.C.D, 100ftX120ft, title land - Tel: 680-5944

One experienced excavator operator with minimum of 5yrs experienced. Apply: Lot 10 Barima Avenue BelAir Park

Wings Two bedrooms apartment – Tel:643-113;2253234

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

VACANCY Barbers – Contact:683-1534; 609-4983

House in Diamond/Grove Tel:692-8513

1,2,3 Bedroom @ Lot 2 Anna Catherina W.C.D – Call J.Ali:276-0818 One Semi furnished apartment to rent at Industry ECD – Tel: 222-6001 One Apartment to rent: Call:216-0413; 696-9099 Two Bedrooms concrete bottom flat with bathroom & toilet inclusive. Located at East La Penitence Area – Contact: 698-4898 Spacious one bedroom, self contained apartment at Lot 31 Doctor Dam La Grange W.C.D – Call: 658-9619

Sales clerk.

Written application @ Perfume Dazzle, 137 Regent St. Live in housekeeper 30-45yrs to take care of infant, long term employment - Call: 6978797 Mill Wright, Porters, clerk woodmizer, moulder and bandsaw operator, timber grant, manager - Call Richard:609-7675; 233-2614 Caregiver with Year One and Two Childhood Education at a Daycare. Between age 2535years – Call:649-0564

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves.

Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 6472943 COOL TECH: Repairs Services & Installation of all types of home appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 2332008; 675-4959 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Masons seeking job work – Tel:678-9043 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.

Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) We refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699 Technicians available for appliance repairs – ashers, dryers, microwaves, stoves, deep fryers, etc – Tel:6190793; 218-0050 Computer Repairs & Ink refilling in homes – Call:6757292 Design Team Neher, The most dependable, professional, trustworthy landscapers in Guyana – Tel: 648-1821 or 2190468 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician: FB/ Brian.Moe.165/ Home and Office visits at your comfort!!

CAR RENTALL Dolly’s Car Rental- Call: 2257126/226-3693- dollysauto rental@yahoo.com/ www. dolly sautorental.com Aidan’s Car Rental & Pickup Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Wings Car Rental - Call: 6431131

Computer Repairs low price $2,500 – Tel:661-0515; 6227036 USA, Canada & UK Visa application forms filled electronically @ Mohamed’s Internet Café – Enmore Call:256-4001 or 2563464

WANTED Looking for a handyman with Mechanical and welding experienced – Tel: 233-2473 Taxi Drivers. Apply at Gems Taxi – Call:667-9013 One live in maid for Georgetown preferable from country side. Contact:6995359 Cook & female bouncers.

Apply in person @ El Club Latino, during 4:00pm6:00pm (Tues – Sat) @ 57 Hadfield & Lime Streets, South Cummingsburg Salesgirls & Porters. Apply with written application at Lot E Dennis & Middleton Street, Best Buy Food Supplies.

CHAINSAW LUMBER: Kabukalli, Shibadan, Silverballi, Simarupa, etc – Tel:653-9752 Live in , live out babysitter Tel: 225-6070 Live in waitress. Call:6439007/ 697-2978 Do you need excavator operator 12 years experienced in mining , I’m Available Call:Tel:696-2510; 254-1874 Experienced driver & dispatcher @ Princess Hotel Tel: 265-7075; 265-7076; 6165419 One kitchen assistant. Apply to Dian’s Deli, opposite Kitty Market.

Urgently needed 2 plots of land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie – Tel:675-7292 Experienced Taxi Drivers @ Gem’s Taxi – Call:627-9424 One driver for supermarket on the East Coast, Valid License & reference need Call: 642-1141 Urgently needed live in waitresses to work in Bar. Offering reasonable salary.

Tel: 259-0574 1 general domestic to cook, experienced cashier, counter servers, pastry makers, handy-boys Apply @ Hacks Halaal, 5 Commerce St Live in couple 30-50yrs for caretaking duties, driving an asset, labourer Car/Van driver – Tel:227-1830

Page 56

Pawn shops, brokers...

From page 11 may be dropping. According to the article, Julian Jessup, head of commodities research at Capital Economics in London, England said that he expects that the gold prices would stabilize soon.

Jessup said, “Our gut feeling is that gold probably will find a floor fairly soon. A lot of the factors that have undermined it recently are probably a bit overdone.

“But, equally, we don’t expect it to return to anywhere near the highs where it has been over the past few years because that was very much pricing in the prospect of a worst case with a global hyperinflation or the possibility of a complete breakdown of the financial system and I think those fears have passed, too.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

Guyana lauds positive move to restructure Air Passenger Duty system Guyana’s Tourism Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali has lauded the positive move by the British Government to restructure the four-band Air Passenger Duty (APD) system. This announcement was made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, the Hon. George Osborne.

“This is indeed fantastic news, not just for individual countries but for the entire Caribbean. The restructuring of the APD will help us in boosting arrivals from the UK to Guyana, as the country has a large Diaspora in the UK. This move will now afford

more persons the opportunity to return to Guyana to invest, retire or to rediscover the beauties of the country.

Guyana has stood steadfast behind the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)’s lobbying against the APD band system and now this will make the Caribbean countries more competitive and will undoubtedly lead to economic growth in the destinations,” Minister Ali declared.

He noted too, that the new reduced fee structure in turn should open up travel opportunities from the UK for leisure travellers whose interest lie in Eco Tourism,

Wildlife and Bird Watching, and who are travelling to Guyana to experience these tourism products.

Meanwhile, CTO, in welcoming the announcement, added that “effective April 2015, the APD will be simplified into a two band system: band A for short haul flights of less than 2000 miles from London and band B for all long haul flights more than 2000 miles from London.

The new band B will be charged at the planned rate in 2015-16 (£71 for reduced rate passengers and £142 for standard rate passengers).”

The changes will come into effect in April 2015 and

will see the axing of APD bands C and D for flights of more than 4,000 miles. All long-haul flights will now carry the same, lower, band B tax rate, meaning persons travelling to the Caribbean will pay the same as if they were travelling to the United States.

Britain introduced the controversial travel tax in 1994. The APD was increased regularly, making billions in revenues for the UK government but increasing the price to travel from the UK to regions such as the Caribbean; APD is an excise duty which is charged to passengers flying from a United Kingdom airport.

The non-appointment of a new board for the Closed Areas Committee and the manner in which the committee operates are sore issues that have the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO) questioning whether these are deliberate schemes.

In January, Robert Persaud, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment said that the board for the Closed Areas Committee had expired at the end of 2013. And, like other

boards and committees, it was being resuscitated.

However, the Minister has not yet submitted the names of the board members to Cabinet for approval.

Persaud said that he will submit the names shortly.

According to Simona Broomes, President of the GWMO, “This is a sore issue…sometimes it crosses your mind that this is deliberate…Because, without the board functioning it holds up the

whole process.”

The first Broomes raised this matter was at GWMO’s second anniversary celebrations January last. She said that the GWMO believes that the Closed Areas Committee is biased in the allocation of mining lands, limiting opportunities for small and medium scale miners.

Broomes related that years ago miners could have identified available lands for mining on a map. But now a majority of the land is identified as closed areas, preventing miners from applying for the areas.

Emphasizing what members of the GWMO find unfair, she said that oftentimes the same blocks that are marked as closed areas are awarded to some miners. The explanation behind that is that the miner, perhaps practicing mercury free mining, applied for the

blocks.

The application is considered by the Closed Areas Committee, which forwards the recommendations to the Minister for the final say.

According to an Officer of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), in 2007 the Prime Minister signed a document bringing the Closed Areas Committee into being. Every year the committee is expected to be regulated so as to direct its functioning.

But, according to the Officer, this has not been the case. The committee is unregulated. It was noted that GGMC is currently allocating state lands but the Minister has the ultimate say when it comes to lands under the Closed Areas Committee.

The official said that without the Committee Persaud could review the regulation and give out lands.

CLOSED AREAS COMMITTEE A SORE ISSUE - GWMO

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

Shots fired as Russian troops force their way into Ukrainian base in Crimea

Ukrainian soldiers walk out of an air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, yesterday. (AFP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) BELBEK AIRBASE, Crimea (Reuters) - Russian troops forced their way into a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea with armored vehicles, automatic fire and stun grenades yesterday, injuring a Ukrainian serviceman and detaining the base’s commander for talks.

A Reuters reporter said armored vehicles smashed through one of walls of the compound and that he heard bursts of gunfire and grenades.

Colonel Yuliy Mamchur, the commander of the base, said a Ukrainian serviceman had been injured and that he himself he was being taken away by the Russians for talks at an unspecified location.

Asked if he thought he would return safely, he said: “That remains to be seen. For now we are placing all our weapons in the base’s

storage.”

Belbek was one of the last military facilities in Crimea still under Ukrainian control following Russia’s armed takeover and subsequent annexation of the peninsula, which has a majority ethnic Russian population and is home to one of Russia’s biggest naval bases.

Earlier, the deputy commander of the base, Oleg Podovalov, said the Russian forces surrounding the base had given the Ukrainians an hour to surrender.

After the Russians entered, a Ukrainian officer who identified himself only as Vladislav said: “We did not provoke this, this was brute force. I do not know whether this base will be formally in Russian hands by the end of the day.

“Ever since World War Two, this place has been

quiet, and they came in here firing, with APCs and grenades. I am very worried now.”

Mamchur, the commander, told his troops he would inform the high command that they had stood their ground. The soldiers applauded, chanting “Long live Ukraine!”

Many stood to take pictures of each other in front of the Ukrainian flag, which continued to fly over the base. The Russian takeover of Crimea has been largely bloodless, though one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two others wounded in a shooting in Simferopol last week.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that Crimea’s bases were still formally under Ukrainian control, but most are now occupied by Russian troops and fly Russia’s tricolor flag.

Michelle Obama tells Chinese students internet freedom’s a universal right (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Michelle Obama told an audience of college students in the Chinese capital yesterday that open access to information - especially online - is a universal right.

But Obama stopped short of calling on China to offer its citizens greater freedoms on a visit in which she is expected to steer clear of more complicated political issues, but rather try to build goodwill through soft diplomacy.

“It is so important for information and ideas to flow freely over the internet and through the media,” Obama said told an audience of about 200 U.S. and Chinese students at Beijing’s prestigious Peking University. “My husband

and I are on the receiving end of plenty of questioning and criticism from our media and our fellow citizens, and it’s not always easy,” she added. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

Censorship in Chinese news media and online is widespread, and internet users in the country cannot access information about many controversial topics without special software to circumvent restrictions.

The United States frequently criticizes China’s human rights record, including its lack of protection of freedom of speech. Obama, a Harvardeducated lawyer, is focusing on promoting education and cultural ties during the weeklong trip, and will also visit

the Great Wall, the historic city of Xi’an, and the southern city of Chengdu along with her mother and two daughters.

Former U.S. first ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton both criticized other countries’ human rights records on trips abroad while their husbands were in office.

U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus also touched on internet freedom on Saturday in remarks to the students before Obama’s speech.

“Between texting, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat we’re all interconnected,” he said, describing how technology enables better communication between cultures.

Twitter and Facebook are both blocked in China.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

China spots new possible plane debris in southern Indian Ocean

Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines, flight MH370, turn to journalists to shout their demands for answers after Malaysian government representatives left a briefing in Beijing, China, yesterday. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) KUALA LUMPUR/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - China said yesterday it had a new satellite image of what could be wreckage from a missing Malaysian airliner, as more planes and ships headed to join an international search operation scouring some of the remotest seas on Earth.

The latest possible lead came as the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 entered its third week, with still no confirmed trace found of the Boeing 777 or the 239 people on board.

The new potential sighting was dramatically announced by Malaysia’s acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, after he was handed a note with details during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, scooping the official announcement from China.

“Chinese ships have been dispatched to the area,” Hishammuddin told reporters.

China said the object was 22 meters long (74ft) and 13 meters (43ft) wide, and spotted around 120 km (75 miles) “south by west” of potential debris reported by Australia off its west coast in the forbidding waters of the southern Indian Ocean.

The image was captured by the highdefinition Earth observation satellite “Gaofen1” early on March 18, two days after the Australian satellite picture was taken, China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) said on its website.

It could not easily be determined from the blurred images whether the objects were the same, but the Chinese photograph could depict a cluster of smaller objects, a senior military officer from one of the 26 nations involved in the search for the plane said.

The wing of a Boeing 777-200ER is approximately 27 meters long and 14 meters wide at its base, according to estimates derived from publicly available scale drawings. Its fuselage is 63.7 meters long by 6.2 meters wide. Flight MH370 vanished from civilian radar screens early on March 8, less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on a scheduled flight to Beijing.

Investigators believe someone on board shut off the plane’s communications systems, and partial military radar tracking showed it turning west and re-crossing the Malay Peninsula, apparently under the control of a skilled pilot.

That has led them to focus on hijacking or sabotage, but they have not ruled out technical problems.

Since Australia announced the first image of what could be parts of the aircraft on Thursday, the international search for the plane has focused on an expanse of ocean more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Perth.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said one of its aircraft reported sighting a number of “small objects” with the naked eye, including a wooden pallet, within a radius of 5 km.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3 Orion aircraft took a closer look but only reported seeing clumps of seaweed. It dropped a marker buoy to track the movement.

“A merchant ship in the area has been tasked to relocate and seek to identify the material,” MSA said in a statement.

The search area experienced good weather conditions on Saturday with visibility of around 10 km and moderate seas.

Australia, which is coordinating the rescue, has cautioned the objects in the satellite image might be a lost shipping container or other debris, and may have sunk since the picture was taken.

“Even though this is not a definite lead, it is probably more solid than any other lead around the world and that is why so much effort and interest is being put into this search,” Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters, before latest Chinese image was reported.

China said its icebreaker “Snow Dragon” was heading for the area, but was still around 70 hours away. Japan and India were also sending more planes and Australian and Chinese navy vessels were steaming towards the southern search zone.

But the area is known for rough seas and strong currents, and Malaysia’s Hishammuddin said a cyclone warning had been declared for Christmas Island, far off to the north.

“There are vessels heading in that direction. They may have to go through the cyclone,” he said.

“Generally, conditions in the southern corridor are very challenging,” said Hishammuddin. “The ocean varies between 1,150 meters and 7,000 meters in depth.”

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

UG academics secure grants for investigative research With funding amounting to US$329,000, nearly two dozen academics from the University of Guyana (UG) will, within the next 18 months, be working towards completing a number of investigative projects.

The privileged academics will be divided into eight groups tackling research work ranging from ‘the carbon storage potential of the mangrove forests in Guyana’ to ‘the impacts of artisanal and small-scale mining and their associated road infrastructure on biodiversity in the Mahdia mining district’.

Team leaders of each group gathered in the University of Guyana’s Education Lecture Theatre on Friday, along with Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Opadeyi, to sign agreements to undertake the projects which once successfully completed are expected to help market the tertiary institution.

The research undertaking is gaining funding from the University of Guyana Science and Technology Support Project (UGSTSP) which is based on a US$10 million loan from the World Bank to the Government. The project is being executed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the University of Guyana.

The project is also catering to strategic reform

and civil works at the University which is also gaining funding from the programme. Earlier this month contracts valued at US$800,000 were handed over

by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, for the reform and civil works.

As part of the continuance of the execution of the UGSTSP, the eight grants awarded on Friday, one to each team, are intended to facilitate the stimulation of research in Low Carbon Development areas.

The objectives of this component of the project, according to Project Coordinator, Vedyawattie Looknauth, are to encourage the generation of knowledge products which will directly contribute to Guyana’s LCDS and support the development of a broader research and knowledge generation, Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, said that the research project “is yet another milestone in our efforts to transform this University into an international University of substance.”

“This initiative to provide over US$300,000 for our colleagues to undertake research is the beginning of more things like that to happen. I really feel sorry for those who won the grant because you have to ‘blaze a trail’ for others to follow.”

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand (centre) is flanked by the academic awardees, Vice Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi (fourth from left) and Permanent Secretary within the Education Ministry, Delma Nedd (fifth from left).

And since there will be something of substance to show at the end of the research projects, he disclosed that “your names will be placed in the records as a forerunner who did substantial research that the World Bank, the whole country will be proud of.”

It is expected that the results of these investigations will lead to the formulation of public policy recommendations; the development of LCDSrelevant services and products; generation of field research skills among academics at the University and the production of baseline information against

which the impact of economic activities can be measured.

The initiatives are therefore designed to provide an enabling environment for sustainable research and knowledge generation not only at the University but also at a national level.

Minister Manickchand who lauded the move towards academic research expressed her conviction that the University is embarking on something that will become a culture.

“We know Guyana has an amazing amount of talent; we have always had an incredible amount of talent residing amongst us...and we have

to find the missing man.

Miguel was suspected to have drowned after he accidentally fell off the wharf into the river.

According to reports, the labourer and his wife Rose Miguel had traveled to Charity to do shopping. The 39-year-old man reportedly sent his wife home, after telling her he would join her later. The man had reportedly been consuming alcohol at the time of the accident.

He leaves to mourn eight children and his wife of sixteen years.

the four science and technology faculties at the University of Guyana (Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences and Technology and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences), to better prepare graduates for jobs in low carbon industries and build sustainable capacity to operate the University and plan for its future growth.

The project is focused on improving the quality of science education through curriculum reform, support for research in Low Carbon Development areas, improved physical infrastructure and capacity building.

Civilians to form new group to champion child rights The group of public spirited citizens calling for justice for the one-year-old toddler who suffered abuse at the hands of her 19-year-old babysitter has stated that

…says justice for abused one-year-old is still being overlooked they will be forming a new group to proactively campaign for child rights.

The organiser, Sarah

Police recovers body Second prosecution... of missing labourer The body of a labourer, who accidentally fell from a wharf into the Pomeroon River on Wednesday, has been recovered.

Police at Charity, Essequibo Coast have confirmed that the body of Andrew Miguel, a labourer from Manawarin, BarimaWaini, was found floating in ‘Judge Creek,’ an area not too far from where he fell.

Kaieteur News understands that the discovery was made at around 9:00 hrs yesterday after relatives and police mounted a meticulous search

always had resources that are waiting to be explored, waiting to be discovered,” said Manickchand.

Within the next two weeks a second call for proposals will be published and academic staff of the University will be allowed a period of three months to prepare and submit proposals for consideration. Overall, it is estimated that a total of 40 grants will be funded under the UGSTSP, according to Looknauth, who disclosed that a study is also expected to commence soon for the establishment of a research and innovative fund at the university. The objective of the UGSTSP is to strengthen

From page 7 accused Joshua Persaud.

Persaud had stated that he had the cutlass and Morrison had a piece of wood. He saw them injuring the man for about five minutes.

So far the Prosecution has called a number of witnesses including Detective Assistant Superintendent of police Gary Mc Alister who testified to visiting the scene and taking a statement from Morrison; Detective Constables Emmanuel Rajnauth and Andel Doris who testified to the parts they played during the investigations; and Police Constable Nkofi Austin who arrested the number one

accused Joshua Persaud at Black Bush Polder.

Two other witnesses also took the stand, including Surendra Ramcharan, the dead man’s father. He identified the body. Molchan Raghubir also testified that on the night in question the number one accused, Persaud, went by his house in company with Morrison and demanded a cutlass from him which he subsequently gave to him.

The court had also visited the scene of the crime at Tain on the request of the defence.

The matter is expected to continue on Monday when both witnesses are expected to be cross examined.

Balgobin, claims that the case of the abused one-year-old toddler glaringly exhibits that more ought to be done for the rights of children.

She claimed that those human rights groups who protest for the 19-year-old babysitter are still failing to acknowledge the real victim in the case.

Fatima Martin is the 19year-old at the centre of the confrontation. On February 14, she was hauled before the courts and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment after she confessed to inflicting grievous bodily harm on the one-year-old child who was in her care.

Reports are that the babysitter, who flew in a fit of vexation with the toddler, dealt her several slaps and even choked her. However, amidst public outcry over the sentence, pro-bono lawyers moved to appeal the sentence and have since secured $100,000 bail for the young woman.

The group has since been calling for justice for the afflicted child as they gathered for several nights in front of the Guyana Human Rights Centre which houses the association on Hadfield Street and Austin Place.

In response to the views publically expressed by Karen De Souza of Red Thread, the organiser laments that demonstrators and human rights’ groups need to be more responsible with the way they respond to cases.

In light of admission that they did not know the extent

of the child’s injuries, Balgobin expressed that human rights’ activists should conduct investigations before going public.

Balgobin acknowledges that there are allegations against the child’s parents but recommends that those groups focus on the accusations separately and not continue to neglect the need for justice for the child who is the real victim in the situation.

She made pellucid her belief that any responsible citizen should stand up and speak out against violence against children.

“We are talking about a defenseless baby who cannot speak yet her rights continue to be over looked; any responsible citizen would speak out.”

Balgobin expressed willingness to work alongside Red Thread and other human rights organisations to battle injustice and violence.

“There is a need for persons to champion for children and I am willing to work with other nongovernmental organisations to help further the cause.”

She explained that when formed, the group will have clear cut goals, objectives and approached geared towards issues affecting children.

“It is not an effort to discredit any organisation.

We are looking forward to being more vocal and proactive for issues affecting children.”

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 61

“Playing to full potential can win ICC WT-20 2014!”

Last week, at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad & Tobago, to see the end of T&T’s 4-day game v Leeward Islands, and to have a short meeting with Dr. Nigel Camacho, one of the head honchos of the new West Indies Retired Players’ Foundation, another man I had never met before said something especially profound.

All would probably remember that it was also Dr. Camacho, a tremendously talented individual who sometimes runs marathons, and is also my family’s dentist, who was one of the original guys who put together the first fully feasible travelling supporters club of West Indies cricket – “The Trini Posse!”

Our meeting went very well indeed and more would be available about this new venture for all past West Indies cricketers in the near future. I sincerely hope to be fully involved in WIRPF. But what also focused me afterwards was what the stranger, neck tie loose, just having a relaxing late

afternoon aperitif, shouted to us: “Hey guys, I am sure that you know that if all West Indies players now at ICC World T-20 2014 in Bangladesh play to their full potential, West Indies cannot lose at all in this tournament!”

Paraphrasing that would mean that West Indies would successfully defend its 2012 championship in 2014!

Truthfully, pound for pound, that stranger was absolutely correct. If WI team really plays as it can, players having matured in the last two years since winning ICC WT20 2012, then they really should not lose!

Today, Sunday, West Indies starts that defence against a team, India, which has already shown that they too mean real serious business.

India’s utter strangulation of Pakistan, in their Group 1 encounter, the same group that also contains Australia and Bangladesh, was like the web of spiders, or spinners, weaving traps that entangle batsmen!

“India’s spinners set up facile victory” screamed the headline on ESPN/Cric-Info.

Pakistan never emerged from the silky entrapments spun

by India’s spinners, the 2009 ICC WT-20 champions only managing 130 in their 20 overs, a run-per-over average of only 6.5, always way below par for India’s batting might.

How WI cope with “Man of Match” v Pakistan, Amit Misra, bowling right arm legbreaks, googlies, sliders and top-spinners, and whose 4-022-2 v Pakistan included one very expensive over that cost thirteen runs, will be seen today, also exposing how adept present WI players really are to good spin bowling.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captaining the winners of ICC’s inaugural T-20 world competition 2007, has several weavers in his armory. Very much concentration would be necessary for WI to overcome them.

Left arm orthodox spinner Ravindra Jadeja was even more frugal v Pakistan; 4-018-1; showing that, as

Sunday March 23, 2014 ARIES (March 21 April 19): Today you'll likely awake, look around your home environment, and realize that there is much room for improvement. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 May 20): You are a hard and conscientious worker, Taurus, and certainly have been applying your skills and doing your best for some time now. efforts. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 June 20): You may find yourself thinking of looking for a new job in order to increase your income, Gemini. ******************** CANCER (June 21 July 22): You have a lot of charm and tremendous social skills, Cancer. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): This is a day when you could greatly benefit from spending some time outdoors in quiet reflection, Leo. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 Sept. 22): You're a hard and conscientious worker, Virgo, and sometimes you work so hard that

LIBRA (Sept. 23 Oct. 22) : Today may find you longing for some spots of color in your life, Libra. ********************* S C O RP I O ( O c t .

23 - Nov. 21): Today you may discover that you have more in common with your neighbors than you thought, Scorpio. ******************** S A G I T TA R I U S (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): You may receive some kind of windfall today, Sagittarius. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): Romance is very much highlighted today, Capricorn. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 2 0 - F e b . 1 8 ) : Anything you attempt to do today is likely to turn out really well, Aquarius. ********************* PISCES (Feb. 19 M a r c h 2 0 ) : To d a y you'll likely find that you begin to make real progress on a project that may have been stagnating for a while, Pisces.

expected, spin will definitely play its main part for whichever team hopes to win this year’s competition.

Compounding that smothering web for India, tall off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, opening the bowling v Pakistan, also delivered snarling strings with his impressive adhesives; 4-0-230; really tight, sticky stuff!

Incredibly, India’s main spinners delivered 12-0-63-3, effectively snuffing out Pakistan’s batting life!

West Indies are extremely similar to Pakistan. Both teams play such mercurial cricket, majestically magnificent now, depressingly deficient then.

Which West Indies team turns up is the big question!

No Pakistanis played to his full potential. Only Umar Akmal, 33 from 30 deliveries, looked close enough. Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and captain Mohammad Hafeez all looked woefully ensnarled into India’s web.

WI batting line up today, down to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin and captain Darren Sammy, should read Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Ramdin and Sammy, all interchangeable, perhaps Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree as bowlers.

To date, WI main batsmen returns are as follows: Gayle 37 T-20-I’s; 1096 runs; avg. 33.21; strike rate 140. Smith 22 T-20-I’s; 398 runs; avg. 18.09; s/r 133.55.

Samuels 30 T-20-I’s; 748 runs; avg. 31.16; s/r 129.18.

Simmons 25 T-20-I’s 587 runs; avg. 26.68; s/r 113.53. Bravo 44 T-20-I’s; 803 runs; avg.26.76; s/r 115.37. Ramdin 41 T-20-I; 334 runs; avg. 17.57; s/r 125.09. Sammy 47T-20-I; 362 runs; avg. 13.92; s/r 136.09. Russell 22 T-20-I’s; 140 runs; avg. 12.72; s/r 113.82.

Are those numbers good enough to beat India and its superlative spinners? Today we will know that!

Reading those numbers, one has to hope that today, as a West Indies supporter, that Gayle strikes the ball robustly, Smith muscles sixes regularly, Samuels caresses deliveries smoothly, and Ramdin, Sammy, Simmons, Bravo and Russell slog the way only they can, to get West Indies in the vicinity of 190-200.

Also, WI has spinners of its own, spinners who are truly world class too!

T&T’s spin twins Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine are considered world-wide as highly, if indeed not more so, as Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez or India’s Ashwin, Misra and Jadeja.

Colin E. H. Croft says: So, this first encounter for West Indies, v India, can be described, like that old cartoon, as “spin v spin!”

If India win today against West Indies, they are almost through to semi-finals. West Indies must therefore play to their full potential to pick up where they left off in 2012, on that winning streak. Enjoy!

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

All set for Kennard Memorial Turf Triple centurions in Regional Club annual Phagwah race meet today First Class cricket 1920 to 1996 All roads lead to the Rock Movie Star, California among those in action.

Kennard Memorial Turf Club today when it stages their grand annual one Day Phagwah horserace meet at their racetrack at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

Eight races are listed on the day’s card with $6M in trophies and cash incentives up for the taking. Over 60 horses have entered to participate.

A number of companies have rolled in with sponsorship to make the meet a memorable one.

The feature event is for horses classified ‘A’ and lower. There is also the F and lower and the G and lower races, while there is also the 3-yrs-old race for Guyana bred and born horses.

Most of the top stables, with multiple entries, have registered their horses to b e a p a r t o f t h e d a y ’s proceedings.

The full list of events are the feature A class race which will cover a distance of six furlongs for the hefty $1M winner’s money and trophy with the other placing receiving $500,00, $250,000 and $125,000 respectively. The race will see the return of Score’s Even as it competes against

Strike, Treacle, Jack is my Style, Got To go, Money in return, Milwaukee Blitz, and Force entry among others.

Horses running in the D3 and lower event will aim for the top prize of $400,000 and trophy also over six furlongs with the likes of Run Nana Run, Settle in Seattle, Country Armagh, Stormy Flame, Some Legend, Red and Lovely and City Tune in action.

The G and lower contest will see the winner running away with $300,000 and trophy over seven furlongs.

Among those entered to run are Quiet Strom, Damascus Dream, Wild Grinder, Gold Rush, Princess Paige, Super Bowl and Bridal Stone Corner. Swift Way, Noble opponent, Key for the Killer and Triple are among those lined up for the three year old Guyana bred maiden event where the winner will get $250,000 and trophy over six furlongs.

The ‘I’ class matchup is another six furlongs race with the pole position takings being set at $250,000and trophy with Funny Side, I want Revenge and It’s MY Turn

There is a race for three year old Guyana and West Indies Bred Horses which has a winning pocket of $400,000 and trophy over seven furlongs with among others Unsettled and Shooting star lined up to compete.

There are two J class races with the animals classified J1 and lower competing for a top purse of $150,000 and trophy over 1 mile, while the J3 class event is a five furlongs affair with the winner taking away $ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 a n d t r o p h y.

Among animals entered to run in the two events are De Gump, Party Time, Pick Pocket, Sun Riser, Windy Killer, Summer Breezer, Sun Set and Red Jet. The top individual performers, including top jockey, top trainer and top stable will be presented with their silverware compliments of Mr. Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall Bourda Market and the organisers.

The event is being conducted under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) Race time is 12:30hrs. (Samuel Whyte)

Bramble scores maiden fifty, but Guyana on the back foot against CCC From page 63 decorated with eight fours and a six.

His positive approach was a refreshing sight and was in almost total contrast to the rest of the batsmen except Skipper Leon Johnson, but he quickly ran out of partners with Devendra Bishoo (6), Veerasammy Permaul (2) and last man Ruan Johnson (3) all being quickly cleaned up by Austin who h a s p l a y e d t w o Te s t s against Bangladesh.

Guyana lost their last four wickets for the addition of 56 runs in 51 minutes yesterday as 23year-old Bramble was left high and dry on 64.

When CCC began their reply 25-year-old Thomas started like a run-away train with the first ball from Johnson being cut with m u r d e r o u s p o w e r, o n e bounce to the point boundary. The pugnacious right-hander then disdainfully smashed the 6ft 5inch West Berbician for three strength boundaries as the opening over cost 18 runs.

Thomas then gloriously stroked Barnwell to the cover boundary and top edged a short ball from Johnson for a six over third man before an exhilarating hook next ball sailed over square-leg for six.

While Guyana took two hours or the entire first session yesterday to crawl to 44-without loss, the CCC openers needed only 7.4 overs to gallop to 44 without loss as Thomas started with a flurry of boundaries.

A magnificent off drive from Thomas when Barnwell pitched up, brought up the CCC 50 off 48 balls with Thomas dominating the stand with his vicious assault on the Guyanese bowlers. His fourth 50 at this level took just 29 balls and 44 minutes and included seven fours and a six while Anthony Alleyne played the supporting role.

The track still had some bounce for the pacers while the outfield, like on the opening day, was far from lightening fast although being cut yesterday but the difference between the Guyanese and the home

team was the mindset of the batsmen in the opening session.

By Lunch the Students were 70 without loss from 16 overs, 195 runs adrift of the 265 made by the team from the only English speaking South American country.

After Lunch Thomas continued to muscle the bowlers around and a hit Bishoo back over his head for four before the lefthanded Alleyne (12) was removed by Narsingh Deonarine at 86-6.

Kyle Corbin joined Thomas who got to his century with stupendous drive back past the ankles of Johnson from 143 balls, 141 minutes with 11 fours and two sixes before he was dropped at square-leg by Ta g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul as he pulled at Barnwell on 107 with the score on 123-1.

The pair added 64 for the second wicket before Corbin (20) was trapped LBW to Bishoo at 150-2 The penultimate day of this contest is scheduled to start at 15:00hrs today.

From P.H. Tarilton to Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Clyde Walcott

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Frank Worrell

Statistician Charwayne Walker this week looks at players who would have hit triple centuries for the West Indies over the years. Walker recounts a period going back to the 1920’s to 1996 when Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul added his name to the illustrious list.

P.H. Tarilton’s 304 not out in the Barbados vs Trinidad and Tobago game in 1920 at the local Mecca of cricket, Kensington Oval, was the first and resulted in Barbados winning by an innings and 31 runs.

Barbados 623 for 5 declared: P.H. Tarilton 304 Not out, George Challenor 104, H.W. Ince 80, C.F. Browne 79. Bowling for Trinidad, A. Cipriani took 1 for 27 from 7 overs, J.C.S. Rogers 1 for 80. Trinidad first innings 131 All out, A. Cipriani 48 not out; bowling for Barbados George Challenor took 4 for 16 from 12 overs, O. A. Pilgrim 2 for 49 from 10 overs, K. Mason 2 for 30. Trinidad second innings following on; 461 all out, J.A. Small 102 not out, W.H. St. Hill 96, C.P. Cumberbatch 64, F. De Gannes 72, A. Cipriani 48.

Bowling for Barbados B.I. Gilkes took 4 for 83, from 29 overs. Frank Worrell 308 not out in Barbados vs Trinidad 1944 match at Kensington Oval.

RESULT MATCH DRAWN. Trinidad & Tobago first innings 490 for 8 declared, Jeffrey Stoll Meyer 210, Gerry Gomez 94, P. Jones 60 Not Out, A. I. Trestral 44. Bowling for Barbados N. E. Marshall took 2 for 88 from 22 overs.

Barbados first innings 650 for 3 declared, Frank Worrell 308 not out, John Goddard 218 not out, Clyde Walcott 55.

Bowling for Trinidad C.L. Pouchet took 2 for 107 from 27 overs. Trinidad second innings 70 for 4.

Clyde Walcott 314 not out in the 1946 Barbados vs Trinidad at Queens Park Oval.

Result Match drawn.

Barbados first innings 246 all out, Herman Griffith 49, N.E. Marshall 42; Bowling for Trinidad, C.L. Pouchet took 6 for 52. Trinidad first innings 194 all out, P.E. Jones 47, E. Constantine 27; bowling for Barbados E.A.V Williams took 4 for 56, L.R. Pierce 3 for 26. Barbados second innings 619 for 3 declared, Clyde Walcott 314 not out.

Trinidad second innings 576 for 8, Gerry Gomez 213 not out, K.B. Tr e s t r a i l 1 5 1 , A n d y Ganteaume 85; Bowling for Barbados L.R. Pierce took 3 for 161 from 23 overs.

Jeffrey Stollmeyer hit 324 vs British Guiana at Queens Park Oval 1947. Result Trinidad won by an innings and 125 runs.

British Guiana first innings 326 all out, J.L. Thomas 94, C l i ff o r d M c Wa t t 5 6 ; Bowling for Trinidad, Wilfred Ferguson took 6 for 120 from 33 overs.

Trinidad first innings 750 for 8 declared, Jeffrey Stollmeyer 324, Gerry Gomez 190, R.P. Tang Chong 82 not out, K.B. Trestrail 75. Bowling for British, Guiana Berkley Gaskin took 5 for 228 from 48.7 overs. British Guiana second innings 299 all out, Clifford Mc Watt, 123 not

Jeffrey Stollmeyer out, Robert Christiani 89.

Bowling for Trinidad, H.J. Burnett took 4 for 70 from 2 0 . 6 o v e r s , Wi l f r e d Ferguson 2 for 117 from 23 overs, Gerry Gomez 2 for 23 from 9 overs.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit 303 not out Guyana vs Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1996. Result match drawn.

Guyana first innings 559 for 5 declared Shivnarine Chanderpaul 303 not out, Roger Harper 124, Andre Percival 78. Bowling for Jamaica Joseph Grant took 3 for 112 from 27.5 overs.

Courtney Walsh 1 for 100 from 30 overs, Denville McKenzie 1 for 88 from 21 overs. Jamaica first innings 154 all out, Nehemiah Perry 56, Delroy Morgan 21, Mario Ventura 19; Bowling for Guyana, Roger Harper 5 for 38 from 22.1 overs, Mahendra Nagamootoo 2 for 15 from 6 overs, Barrington Browne 2 for 73 from 18 overs.

Jamaica second innings following on, 370 for 6, James Adams 120, Nehemiah Perry 56 not out, Tony Powell 56, Robert Samuels 52; Bowling for Guyana, Mahendra Nagamootoo 3 for 105 from 35 overs, Roger Harper 2 for 74 from 44 overs.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 63

World Twenty20 2014: Sri Lanka World Twenty20 2014: NZ beat deny South Africa in Group One England in storm-hit Chittagong BBC Sport - Sri Lanka beat South Africa by five runs in an absorbing Group One match at the World Twenty20 in Chittagong.

Left-hander Kusal Perera hit 17 in the first over and made 61 with six fours and three sixes as Sri Lanka posted 165-7, spinner Imran Tahir taking 3-26. Quinton de Kock (25) gave South Africa a similarly fluent start and JP Duminy hit two sixes in his 39 from 30 balls.

They needed 19 off the last two overs but David Miller (19) was run out in the final over and they closed 1608.

It was fitting that the two strongly fancied teams in the group, which also includes England, New Zealand and the Netherlands, produced a high-calibre contest.

In one of the more remarkable starts to an international match, the world’s premier fast bowler Dale Steyn was struck disdainfully for two off-side fours and then a flick over mid-wicket for six by Perera, playing in only his 12th match.

Steyn completed the opening over by rattling Tillakaratne Dilshan’s stumps for a golden duck.

Perera, a 23-year-old natural right-hander, remodelled his technique to emulate his childhood hero Sanath Jayasuriya, and there were distinct similarities with the former Sri Lanka opener as he reached his fifth T20 fifty from 29 balls.

However Tahir applied the shackles with a spell of 2-16 in three overs, deceiving Kumar Sangakkara and Perera into top edges, and it needed a workmanlike 43 from 32 balls

by Angelo Mathews to take the Sri Lankans to their highest T20 total in five matches against South Africa.

South Africa had their own dashing left-handed opener in the form of wicketkeeper De Kock, also

Kusal Perera smacked 61 off 40 balls © Getty Images

Rain had the final say with the groundstaff taking the necessary precautions. (AFP)

playing his 12th T20 international, and the wiry 21year-old dispatched Nuwan Kulasekara for two fours and a six in the third over.

His exciting innings was ended on 25 by Lasith Malinga’s third ball when he was brought into the attack in the fifth over, a trademark yorker giving the unorthodox paceman a record 34th wicket in World T20 matches.

When the rate began to rise, Duminy accelerated with two fours off Thisara Perera and, in the same over, somehow managed to flick a full length ball from the paceman over his own head, over the wicketkeeper’s head and over the ropes for one of the more unlikely sixes.

Duminy shared 28 in barely three overs with AB de Villiers, who manoeuvred the ball expertly before an uncharacteristically reckless swipe brought about his

dismissal caught behind with 56 needed from the final six overs, while Duminy was caught at deep mid-wicket with 47 required from 26 balls.

Powerful left-hander Albie Morkel thumped spinner Ajantha Mendis for successive sixes way into the leg-side distance but in attempting a third maximum hoicked a full toss to the fielder on the mid-wicket rope.

South Africa’s susceptibility in close finishes resurfaced and a shrewd penultimate over from Kulasekara over cost only four runs. In the final over from Malinga, the big-hitting Miller was well short of his ground attempting a frantic second run, and Tahir’s six off the final ball was academic.

Scores: Sri Lanka 165 for 7 (Kusal 61, Tahir 3-26) beat South Africa 160 for 8 (Duminy 39, Senanayake 222) by five runs.

Regional Four-Day cricket

Bramble scores maiden fifty, but Guyana on the back foot against CCC

By Sean Devers in Barbados In association with Star Party Rentals & Payless Varity Store Host Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) were 154-2 replying the Guyana’s 265 all out by Tea on the second day of their fourth round Regional four day cricket tournament at the 3Ws

Oval last night with Jamaican Shacaya Thomas leading the chase with an explosive unbeaten 115.

Anthony Bramble scored his maiden First-Class fifty with an unbeaten 65 as 32year-old off-spinner Ryan Austin grabbed 5-73 from 29 overs for his 18th five-wicket haul at this level.

Six minutes into the day’s play, Chris Barnwell (22)

departed when he was well caught at extra-cover off Austin without addition to the overnight score of 209-6.

Bramble was in a no nonsense mood and took three fours off Vincentian pacer Kesrick Williams after dumping Austin for a thunderous six over long-off to post his maiden fifty from just 51 balls, 79 minutes, (Continued on page 62)

BBC Sport - England lost to New Zealand under the Duckworth/Lewis method as their World Twenty20 group match in Chittagong was abandoned because of a thunderstorm.

Moeen Ali (36) put on 72 with Michael Lumb (33) as England made 172-6.

Brendon McCullum struck a six to put the Kiwis ahead of the rate at 52-1 when the rain descended and his team were awarded victory by nine runs.

“We should have come off earlier, that was distinctly average by the umpires,” England captain Stuart Broad said.

It was a galling way to start the tournament for England, who posted a competitive total and restricted New Zealand to 311 after four overs to be ahead on points in boxing parlance.

Five overs needed to be bowled in the second innings to constitute a match and that fifth over was not only completed but brought about a complete contrast in the outcome.

Astute skipper McCullum, conscious of the dramatic flashes of lightning moving ever closer to the stadium, stepped down the pitch to hit counterpart Broad for six over mid-wicket, then edged over slip for four more before hitting the final ball of the over down the ground for another maximum.

After familiar feelings of dread at 1-1 from one over having been put into bat, lefthanders Ali and Lumb had invigorated England with some delightfully clean hitting on both sides of the wicket in a seven-over p artnership.

Ali was particularly destructive with

a spell of four fours and a six in six balls faced.

But he picked out deep mid-wicket in the eighth over and Lumb was superbly caught by Corey Anderson at third man in the next.

Buttler kept the scoreboard moving, while Ravi Bopara, Chris Jordan and Tim Bresnan all struck sixes in cameo innings, before the torrential storm thwarted prospects of an intriguing finale.

England will hope for better fortune in the second of their four group matches, also under the floodlights, against Sri Lanka at the same venue on Thursday.

Scores: New Zealand 52 for 1 (Williamson 24*, B McCullum 16*) beat England 172 for 6 (Moeen 36, Lumb 33, Buttler 32, Anderson 2-32) by 9 runs (D/L method).

Ali welcomes challenge in higher categories He dominated the Rookie category, but now has his sights set on doing the same in the Group 2A and B categories in his Toyota Levin and Honda Civic cars.

His name is Roshan Ali of Team Fullworks, a team that also includes his brother Asad, who is also a very formidable opponent that races in the same two divisions. Ali speaking with Kaieteur Sport ahead of today’s showdown in the Guyana Motor racing & Sports Club Race Meet at the South Dakota Circuit expressed confidence of doing well, urging fans to

come out and enjoy a day of entertainment and exhilarating racing.

Ali, apart from his sibling will have to contend with the likes of Chet and Raj Singh, Shairaz Roshandin, Syed Hassan, Afraz Allie, John Joseph, Oliver Tjin-Liep-Shie among others and while a lot of focus is customarily placed on the Group 4 and Superbikers, these two categories have steadily grown in stature and has become a keenly contested showpiece in local motor racing. The local speedster agreed that his elevation to the higher categories would

have presented him with a lot of challenges, but he told this newspaper that it is a feature of the sport that he is willing to confront since he has confidence in his own ability and the quickness and reliability of the cars.

“I know that moving up would not be easy, but we as a team is eager and willing to put our skills to the test against the opposition and we believe that come today wel will come out victorious,” Ali said.

Some twenty seven races are cared for the day and fans could expect a full day of excitement.

Page 64

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

GFA General Secretary Naughton, David guide MSC to first innings honours urges clubs to take their responsibility seriously GCA/Hadi’s World City Mall 1st division 2-day

By Zaheer Mohamed Kefa Naughton and Hakeem David featured in a fifth wicket stand of 156 as Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) grabbed first innings points from Transport Sports Club (TSC) when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)\Hadi’s World Inc City Mall first division 2-day tournament resumed yesterday with one match.

In reply to TSC total of

163, host MSC were 208-3 at stumps on the first day enjoying a lead of 45 with David not out on 58 and Adrian Smith on 01.

Naughton and David came together after the home team lost a few early wickets and frustrated TSC with level headed batting. Naughton stroked eleven fours and four sixes before he was dismissed for a well played 93, while David has so far hit four fours. Keon Morris, Shawn

Massiah and Kevin Ross have so far one wicket each.

Earlier, TSC were bowled out for 163 in 42.3 overs after they decided to bat. After losing their first wicket at 26, Charwayne McPherson and Joshua Ram put together 53 for the second wicket before McPherson went for 27 (5x4).

Ram then added a further 48 for the third with Ryan Hemraj, but off spinner Shaquille Williams got the breakthrough when he

removed Hemraj (06), Steven Alves (07) followed shortly, before Ram and Massiah added 38 for the fifth wicket.

Ram was dismissed for a top score 40 (7x4), while Massiah made 20 (2x4). Apart from Sunil Singh with (16), the rest of the batting failed to fire and TSC were sent packing in 42.3 overs. Williams was the pick of the bowlers with 4-34, while Samuel Tixey claimed 2-16. Today is the final day.

Kraft Junior Skill Level Tournament

Islam clinches Category C title Anthony Islam continued his win streak on Friday night to clinch victory of Category C of the Kraft Junior Skill Level Tournament organised by the Guyana Squash Association through the corporate support of reliable sponsor Digicel Guyana.

The much improved Islam twin overcame Jael Gaskin in an intense battle that lasted four games 9-11, 11-3, 11-3, 1412. Anthony lost the first game 9-11 but came right back to win the second and third games, 11-3 in both instances.

Gaskin put up some resistance in the fourth game and pushed Islam to the limit.

Nevertheless, the 12-year old Anthony Islam triumphed 1412, in the fourth game to extend his win streak to four

wins in four matches. Islam’s closest challenger is Michael Ramroop, who he defeated on night two of the tournament.

Savannah Mendes completed a stunning win against Makeda Harding 119, 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7 in the tightly contested Category C. Earlier in the week Harding had secured a commanding straight game win against Sarah Lewis, and Lewis had comfortably defeated Mendes on night two.

Nevertheless, Mendes upped the ante and captured the first two games before Harding battled right back to level the match. Harding was hit by the swing of Mendes’ racquet in the fourth but still managed to win that game. Mendes reclaimed the momentum and won the fifth and final game

to claim her second straight win of the tournament after losing her first two matches.

After losing a crucial battle against Category B’s top contender Shomari Wiltshire, Alex Cheeks suffered another tough loss on Friday night, this time at the hands of Matthew Phang 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9.

Phang rebounded after losing the first game 9-11, to win three straight and sink Cheeks.

Rebecca Low also secured an emphatic straight game win against Mahendra Khusial 11-6, 11-5, 11-6. The tournament concludes today.

Friday Night’s results Category B Shomari Wiltshire defeated Daniel Islam 13-11, 11-5, 11-4 Matthew Phang defeated Alexander Cheeks

9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 Rebecca Low defeated Mahendra Khusial 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 Category C Michael Ramroop defeated Maya Collins 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 Anthony Islam defeated Jael Gaskin 9-11, 11-3, 113, 14-12 Savannah Mendes defeated Makeda Harding 11-9, 116, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7 Category D Gianni Carpenter defeated Dominic Collins 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 Brandon Debidin defeated John Phang 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 Category E Michael Alphonso defeated Madison Fernandes 11-2, 11-5

HRC Athletes/Managers Meeting deemed a success

- Matthias advocates clubs place emphasis on youth development After a prolonged calm the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) eventually got things started with the launching of its Division One League, at Camp Ayanganna ground yesterday.

Shortly before the commencement of play, the eight participating teams were involved in a March Past before President of the Guyana Football Federation Christopher Matthias, General Secretary of the GFA Odinga Lumumba and its Vice –President Lavern Fraser Thomas.

Lumumba in brief remarks first thanked Chief of Staff Mark Phillips for allowing the Association the use of the facility, adding that it could spell the beginning of a solid alliance with the Army.

The GFA official assured that football will be played throughout the year among the association members and urged clubs to take their responsibility in helping to further develop the game seriously.

Lumumba told the gathering of team officials and players to respect their clubs, referees and the GFA, adding that unless there is a collaborative effort between the respective parties, any attempt to promote the sport will fail.

He closed by thanking the GFF President for putting in his appearance following an arduous journey from a FIFA

Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.

Matthias in his presentation echoed similar sentiments expressed by Lumumba, while informing that those clubs that take the sport seriously will be rewarded.

He advised them to ensure that they are constitutionally correct which according to him mandated by the CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA. He reminded that the world governing body is adamant that come 2015 most of its resources will go towards the development of youth football and clubs should therefore ready themselves to benefit from the Body’s goodwill.

The clubs competing in the Division One League are: Beacon FC, Flamingo FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Georgetown Football Club, Guyana Police Force, Northern Rangers FC, Pele FC and Sunburst Camptown.

Meanwhile, the competition got started with a double header featuring Georgetown Football Club versus Northern Rangers and Sunburst Camptown taking on Fruta Conquerors.

Play in the Division Two League commences today with a double header that features University of Guyana against BK Western Tigers from 13:00 hrs and Santos opposing Houston Stars at 15:00 hrs.

NAWF Girls U17 InterSecondary Schools Football

thletes, Managers, GABBFF executives and Judges meeting with the HRC Committee yesterday in the Banks DIH Board Room, Thirst Park.

Hugh Ross Classic Committee Chairman, Hugh Ross, has described yesterday’s Athletes/ Managers meeting which took place in the Board Room at main sponsor Banks DIH, Thirst Park, a resounding success.

The meeting, which was interactive in nature, sought to address a number of issues relating to Saturday’s fourth Malta Supreme Hugh Ross Classic Body Building and Fitness Show to be held at the National Cultural Centre.

Areas of focus were the final week of preparation, training, diet, water, tanning, posing, grooming, attire, music, weigh-in process, contest attire, punctuality and backstage expectation.

President of the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation, Keavon Bess and other executive members were also present at the meeting, including a number of the judges that will be working on competition night.

Time was dedicated to a

discussion on the judge’s expectation on competition night. There will be three female categories: bodybuilding (females who are of a more muscular body type); Miss Figure (athletes who are symmetrical and toned) and the Miss Bikini (for the softer and more feminine eye pleasing type of figure).

The male categories are: Bantamweight – up to 65kgs (143lbs), Lightweight – up to 70kgs (144-154lbs),

Welterweight – up to 75kgs (155-165lbs), Light Middleweight – up to 80kgs (166-176lbs), Heavyweight (176 and over).

The respective category winners will then face off in the Overall battle to decide Mr. HRC 2014.

Mr. Hugh Ross Classic 2012, Kerwyn Clarke, will be defending his title and will face stiff challenges from a number of seasoned and not so seasoned athletes. Tickets are on sale at the National Cultural Center at $1,500 each.

Final preliminary game on tomorrow The final preliminary game in the National Association of Women Football Under-17 eight-team Inter Secondary School tournament on the West Demerara is fixed for tomorrow at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground.

The group ‘B’ clash, which will decide the winner of the group, brings together Leonora and Stewartville from 15:00hrs.

In the lone game played on Friday, West Demerara and Zeeburg played to a nil all stalemate, the result did not matter as both schools were eliminated from the tournament.

The tournament organisers are extending thanks to businessman Eton Cordis for contributing to the event.

Please send your letters, comments and suggestions to: 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown. Email us at: Kaieteur_Kaieteurgy @yahoo.com, or fax us at: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Trophy Stall/EBFA U-15 League Rd 2

Soesdyke Falcons and Grove Hi Tech notch up wins

Action in the Grove Hi Tech, Diamond United Under-15 clash.

Soesdyke Falcons and Grove Hi Tech recorded comfortable wins when competition in the Trophy Stall sponsored East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Under-15 League continued yesterday at the Grove Playfield.

Contesting the feature game, Soesdyke Falcons came from one goal down to

defeat the ever improving Herstelling FC 4-1, while the opening encounter saw home team Grove recording a 3-0 win over Diamond United FC. Herstelling, without a win in the tournament so far, took the early lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute, Denzel Devon netted with ease. The

leaders maintained the advantage for an admirable amount of time but could not keep the Soesdyke boys at bay for long.

In the 34th minute, Kevin Marshall evened the scores and this was followed by a brace from Shane Meusa in the 46th and 50th minute.

The game was put beyond the reach of Herstelling

when Kevin Sobers inked his name on the score sheets in the 52nd minute.

Grove, eased to their win on account of goals from Akel Forde in the 17th minute, Trevon Pluck in the 30th and Ronaldo Simmons in the 69th minute.

Matches will continue at the same venue on Saturday.

Sammy smiles at Raina jibe MIRPUR, Bangladesh – West Indies captain Darren Sammy laughed off Indian batsman Suresh Raina’s claim that the big-hitting Caribbean cricketers cannot rotate the strike and dared the Indians to stop his batsmen from hitting sixes in the opening World T20 match today.

Having played against and with West Indies players in the IPL competition, Raina did not doubt the bighitting prowess of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo or Marlon Samuels.

“West Indies will be a totally different team as they have a lot of players who can hit sixes but they don’t have an idea about how to rotate the strike against spinners by taking singles and twos,” Raina told reporters.

“Therefore, the more pressure we put on the bigger players, the better it will be for us,” the 27-year-old lefthander said on the eve of the group two super 10 stage match at the Sher-e-Bangla

Darren Sammy laughed off Indian batsman Suresh Raina’s claim. (WICB) National stadium.

Less than an hour after Raina left, Sammy was in the same room, spinning on the swivel chair with childlike

glee before the questions began.

“Raina has a right to say whatever he wants. But if he feels we’re (just) six-hitters,

then they got to stop up from hitting sixes,” the eversmiling Sammy said Focusing on the serious task of defending the World Twenty20 title, Sammy said his team’s batting strength should see them through in Bangladesh.

“The good thing in our team is we don’t really have to rely on any one person.

We have at least four, five, six potential match-winners.

“Yes, it is important to handle spin better but like I said, I’m quite happy with the team and batting lineup is not a concern.

“In the shorter format, the bulk of your runs have to come from the top four-five.

We have strong guys at the top of the order, (in the) middle Marlon and (Lendl) Simmons or (Dwayne) Bravo and coming down to me and (Andre) Russell.

“We’re not looking at one person to deliver. You may have a brilliant team but it takes a total team effort.”

Page 65

CARIFTA Games medallist impress at trials - Sampson, Abbensetts make selection claim

By Edison Jefford Last year’s CARIFTA Games medallist, Tirana Mitchell, Jason Yaw and Cassie George were all impressive yesterday at the trials for the 2014 Games at the Police Sports Club Ground, with the talented Jevina Sampson and Kevin Abbensetts putting up performances that could earn them the right to be shortlisted.

Mitchell seemed to be fully recovered from an injury, which kept her out of the National Schools Championships last year, when she blasted 12.00 seconds to win the Under-18 Girls’ 100m in a canter ahead of Christianburg’s, Onasha Rogers and Enmore’s, Cassie Tixey, who were second an third in 12.20 and 12.60 respectively.

The Mercury Fast Laners’ athlete, Mitchell, is a 2013 CARIFTA Games 200m bronze medallist. In the Boys’ U-18 100m race, Running Brave’s, Dequan Vancooten sprinted to 10.9 seconds to b e a t C h r i s t i a n b u r g ’s , Compton Caesar (11.0) and Police’s, Linton Mentis (11.10) in a keen battle.

R u n n i n g B r a v e ’s , Shoquan Daniels ran 12.10 seconds to win the U-20 Girls race ahead of Upper Demerara’s, Shannon Griffith (12.30) and Police’s, Onika Eastman (12.30) in that order.

Mecury’s Fast Laner, Abbensetts then continued his excellent form last year with a stormy 10.4 seconds to win the U-20 Boys event from Samuel Doris (10.7) and teammate, Quacy Simpson (11.30), making a definite claim for his selection on the 2014 CARIFTA Games team.

Last year’s 400m bronze medallist, Yaw obliterated the field in the 400m Boys race with a time of 49.4 seconds.

The Running Brave athlete left Mercury’s, Kwesi Blair (52.9) and Running Brave, Carlston Whyte (55.60) in his wake with a dominant performance in the U-18 race.

The young prodigy, Running Brave’s, Sampson, then made light work of her opposition in the 400m Girls U-18 race with 57.7 seconds, which was better than Avon Samuels 58.50 and Natricia Hooper’s 59.60 seconds.

Running Brave Athletics Club swept the event down

to fourth place (Kenisha Phillips 64.30).

Another Running Brave athlete, Shomane Daniels won the U-20 race in 63.10 from Sasha James (74.70). Police’s Arinze Chance beat Simpson (52.10) and New Amsterdam Conquerors, Leon Blair (53.20) in the Boys’ U-20 event with his time of 50.0 seconds.

Christianburg’s double CARIFTA Games medallist from last year, George, then set the field alit with a sensational 1500m run in 4:47 that clearly set her on path to be once again selected for the Games. Christianburg’s, Shontel Hinds (5:07) and Running Brave, Claudrice McKoy (5:09) were second and third respectively in the U-18 race.

Police’s Grivon Grant won the 1500m Boys U-20 race in 4:22 from Running Brave, Orin Prince (4:28) and Carl McKenzie (4:29).

Meanwhile, in the field events competition, Upper Demerara’s Chantoba Bright won the U-18 Long Jump with 4.97m ahead of Mercury’s Mearisha Carter (4.91m) and U p p e r D e m ’s K e l a n i e Griffith (4.71m) respectively.

Enmore’s Joel Thom won the Boys event with 5.95m while Running Brave’s, Whyte (5.52m) and Upper D e m e r a r a ’s , S h e r w i n Vangendern (5.20m) was second and third. Jabary Joseph won the U-20 Long Jump event with 6.57m while Miguel Williams (6.09m) and Damon Williams (6.05m) finished in that order.

Mercury’s Khadija Ba won the U-18 Girls Shot Putt with 9.08m with Prystal McAllister second with 5.69m. Jamal Joseph won the Boys event with 12.18m while Mentis (10.97m) was second and George Jacobs (9.57m) third.

Christianburg’s Keoma Dover won the U-18 Boys Javelin Throw with 42.14m ahead of Jamal Joseph (36.11m) and Jermaine Simmons (34.18m). Clarence Greene was superior in the Under-20 Boys event with 52.59m with Damon Williams (46.19m) second.

Competition in the 2014 Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) CARIFTA Games trials is scheduled to continue today at the same venue from 10am.

Page 66

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 23, 2014

First female President as Tennis elects new executive

First female President of the GLTA Grace McCalman (5th from right) and her executive take time out for a photo following the elections.

The Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) elected a new board of executive members during its Annual General Meeting held on March 20th 2014 at the Georgetown Cricket Club Pavilion on Shiv

Chanderpaul Drive in Bourda. Grace McCalman is now the President, blazing a trail of becoming the first female to hold the position in the Association.

Six tennis Clubs were represented at the meeting

i n c l u d i n g G e o rg e t o w n Tennis Club, Roraima Tennis Club, Diamond Tennis Club, Le Ressouvenir Tennis Club, Non Pariel Tennis Club and Park Players Tennis Club.

In the outgoing president’s report, Ramesh Seeb a r r an

reflected on his term as president of the GLTA and pointed to the many tournaments that were held including those sponsored by companies such as Assuria Insurance, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry,

Malta Supreme HRC Body Building and Fitness Show

Guest Poser arrives tomorrow ahead of Saturday’s show International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro athlete, Jeff ‘Classic’ Beckham, the Guest Poser for the fourth Malta Supreme Hugh Ross Classic Body Building and Fitness Show will arrive in Guyana tomorrow ahead of Saturday’s event slated for the National Cultural Centre from 19:00hrs.

The 32-year-old, who packs 280 pounds of muscles on a very aesthetic frame, says he is very excited to come to Guyana on the invitation of his long time friend and colleague, Hugh Ross.

“I am looking forward to being in Guyana and I can’t wait to travel around and enjoy your beautiful country. The planned visits to schools among other things would be exciting for me as I intend to savor every moment of it.”

Beckham also stated that

Hugh Ross and Jeff Beckham

he has something special in store for the fans on competition night, “But of course, they have to be there

to see and enjoy what I intend to show off.”

Beckham was also a Musclemania Pro and

became an IFBB Pro after winning the Overall title at t h e N P C ’s N Y Te a m Universe in 2012.

Trophy Stall and Courts and the annual training camp that was sponsored by P&P Insurance Brokers. He gave a comprehensive account of all activities the GLTA participated in between January and December 2013 as well as the first two months of this year. He thanked the ITF for their unwavering support which was the key to bringing the association thus far and his colleagues on the outgoing GLTA Board. However the outgoing president lamented the need for Guyana to have new and better tennis training facilities, especially a facility that meets international standards for the hosting of regional and other tournaments with at least six courts along with proper accommodations for players and spectators.

Meanwhile, new President Grace McCalman expressed great appreciation for the vote of confidence by the electors. She committed herself to continuing to work tirelessly for the development of tennis in Guyana and noted that although she is aware of the challenges which includes the need for the GLTA to have a permanent home, improving discipline among players and making the Coaches association function better, is very optimistic of clearing these hurdles and taking our tennis to a new and higher level.

She recounted her path from helping to reestablish the GLTA in 2004 with others and

reiterated that her position of Presidency is not intended to change plans because the plans have been sound. But that she will strive to ensure that her executive provides her with the same level of support that she provided over the last few years and that the strength of the executive does not decrease so that the plans can be implemented successfully.

She noted that 2013 was the firstyearinrecent tennis history that the association received support from the Government and this is significant for tennis going forward. A major item on the agenda of the new executive shall be the hosting Inter Guianas Tournament that is slated to be held in Georgetown in late October of this year.

Other executive committee members are: 1st Vice-President– Andrew Sawh 2nd Vice-President – Ramesh Seebarran in acting capacity Secretary – Selma Rahman Treasurer – Elizabeth Persaud Committee Member – Rebecca Mitchell Committee Member – Jamal Goodluck Committee Member – Tandy Primo Committee Member Surendra Khayyam Public Relations Officer – Waynewright Orderson Assistant Public Relations Officer – Jamal Goodluck

Sunday March 23, 2014

Kaieteur News

Day 1 CFU Club Championship

Alpha beat TT Defence Force 2-0 in opening fixture Kingston, Jamaica Bayamon FC, Waterhouse FC, Caledonia AIA and Alpha United secured maximum points, while Centro Dominguito and Unite Saint Rosienne drew 0-0 as the 2014 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship kicked off successfully at all three venues.

At the Harbour View Stadium, Alpha United beat Defence Force 2-0 thanks to goals from Andrew Murray Jnr in the 19th minute and Grenadian import Kithson Bain in the 48th.

Alpha coach, Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover was happy with the result and performance of his charges, but said the margin of victory could have been larger. Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson missed a few chances that would have increased the margin.

Dover was high in praise for goalkeeper Ronson Williams, who he said did an outstanding job between the uprights and

Andrew Murray

Kithson Bain

ensured Alpha were well on their way. He noted that it was a confidence booster as they move onto face Jamaica’s Harbour View today.

Meanwhile, Bayamon FC outplayed Bodden Town FC 5-0, Waterhouse FC held back Inter Moegotopoe 4-0 and Caledonia AIA defeated Association Sportive de Mirebalais 3-0.

And Surinamese club

SV Notch has withdrawn from the tournament and in a statement, the CFU informed of the withdrawal and informed that the club will be fined US$51,269.44 and must pay within seven days of their withdrawal.

The Surinamese club cited internal issues that were unresolved in time for them to travel. The club could also face additional sanctions.

GCA/Hadi’s World City Mall 1st division 2-day

Naughton, David guide MSC to first innings honours

By Zaheer Mohamed Kefa Naughton and Hakeem David featured in a fifth wicket stand of 156 as Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) grabbed first innings points from Transport Sports Club (TSC) when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)\Hadi’s World Inc City Mall first division 2-day tournament resumed yesterday with one match.

In reply to TSC total of 163, host MSC were 208-3 at stumps on the first day enjoying a lead of 45 with David not out on 58 and Adrian Smith on 01.

Naughton and David came together after the home team lost a few early wickets and frustrated TSC with level headed batting.

Naughton stroked eleven fours and four sixes before he was dismissed for a well played 93, while David has so far hit four fours. Keon Morris, Shawn Massiah and Kevin Ross have so far one wicket each.

Hakeem David (left) and Kefa Naughton E a r l i e r, T S C w e r e bowled out for 163 in 42.3 overs after they decided to bat. After losing their first wicket at 26, Charwayne McPherson and Joshua Ram put together 53 for the second wicket before McPherson went for 27 (5x4). Ram then added a further 48 for the third with Ryan Hemraj, but off spinner Shaquille Williams got the breakthrough when he removed Hemraj (06),

Steven Alves (07) followed shortly, before Ram and Massiah added 38 for the fifth wicket.

Ram was dismissed for a top score 40 (7x4), while Massiah made 20 (2x4).

Apart from Sunil Singh with (16), the rest of the batting failed to fire and TSC were sent packing in 42.3 overs.

Williams was the pick of the bowlers with 4-34, while Samuel Tixey claimed 2-16.

Today is the final day.

Page 67

Ravens, Raiders renew Georgetown vs. Linden rivalry - National Basketball title on the line tonight

Ryan Stephney

Akeem Kanhai

By Edison Jefford Last weekend, I pinned the success of Linden’s Retrieve Raiders in their semi-final game against Amelia’s Ward Jets squarely on the shoulders of Dwayne ‘Sugar’ Roberts. But destiny unfolded when Roberts did not play, owed to work commitments, yet Raiders grounded Jets for a place in the National Basketball Division I Club Championships Final.

I did say in my analysis, though, that two other players, Roberts’ national teammate, Neil Marks and Louis James will have to step up big to support him, and they did; the result was an addition to a Cinderella story for the fourth seeded Linden team.

Roberts’ appearance has been confirmed for the final sojourn on the ‘Road to Mecca’, which is the official name of the national competition, that continues tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 6pm with an interesting and entertaining menu.

The night gets underway with a match-up between Diplomatic Corps and Media United before a third place showdown between Colts and Jets precede the grand

finale. Local songstress Candace Fields will sing the National Anthem before tonight’s final.

With Roberts being back, Neil Marks going for 20 points, seven rebounds in the semis and Louis James throwing up a doubledouble, Raiders have its ‘bigthree’ firing before a final that they will need to be at their best to have any chance at winning.

Add guard, Keon Cameron to the line-up for Raiders, you have a reasonably formidable team to combat the Ravens. But four players cannot do it alone. Raiders’ bench will have an important role to play in this ultra-big game at the Mecca of local basketball.

The two teams have one thing in common: Raiders are ranked number four in Linden and Dyna’s Ravens are ranked number four in Georgetown. It is ironic that the number four seeds in the two biggest basketballplaying blocks are playing for the national title.

Ravens’ biggest challenge seems to be behind them when they ousted the G e o rg e t o w n t o p s e e d , Pacesetters in a three-point win. Ravens then beat Colts

Dwayne Roberts in another humdinger in what was easily the most difficult road to the finals of the two groups.

There was clear consistency coming from junior guard, Dominic Vincente, who has landed big shots for Ravens throughout the tournament after being handed an increased role.

Ryan Stephney has also been very consistent in the backcourt for his team.

Ravens’ advantage tonight is in the guard to small forward positions where players like Akeem Kanhai, Ryan Gullen and Rodwell Fortune are definite threats.

They may seem overwhelming to Raiders’ Cameron alone, which again brings into focus Raiders’ bench.

But the balance in tonight’s final is simple: what Raiders lose in the backcourt with insufficient ball-handlers, they make up in the frontcourt with Roberts, Marks and James.

It is vice versa for Ravens with the strongest backcourt and weaker frontcourt, not taking anything away from Rudy James and Jermaine Slater, this battle will be nothing short of classic.

t r o Sp

GFA General Secretary urges clubs to take their responsibility seriously -Matthias advocates clubs place emphasis on youth development P.64

Teams participating in the GFA Division One League seen assembled following the March Past yesterday at Camp Ayanganna Ground.

Bramble scores maiden Ali welcomes challenge fifty, but Guyana on the in higher categories back foot against CCC P.63

Team Fullworks Roshan Ali waves the chequered flag at a previous Race Meet.

P.63

Anthony Bramble pulls Ryan Austin during his unbeaten 65 against CCC yesterday.

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