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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: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
An indefensible reputation The discoveries this week of three bodies at separate locations on the foreshores of East Coast Demerara have stunned the nation. We have in the past experienced the sickening period when gunmen left bodies everywhere but this current sequence, we believe, is unprecedented. It was last Sunday morning, in Kitty, when the battered body of a 29-year-old man was found on the seawall. Then on Wednesday it was the heart-rending discovery at Turkeyen of a 14-year-old female student of Campbellville Secondary School. And as if to erase from our memories the violation of those two poor souls, hours later the dismembered body of a woman, without a head, hands and feet, was found at Annandale. There is absolutely nothing that suggests we have become immune or insensitive to this murderous madness. We cannot ever. The bewildered faces of the curious onlookers at each scene, including very young children, told stories difficult to relate in words. These deaths are proof that resident evil lurks in our midst. The mutilated body at Annandale speaks to an elevated level of such malevolence. We are all deeply concerned about the current levels of violence in our society. There are almost hourly media reports of sickening varieties of violence. Despite justice system reforms and increased penalties for perpetrators of these heinous acts, nothing seems to serve as a deterrent. It is as if all of a sudden human life has no value. Of course, this has not happened overnight. It came about when parents relaxed on teaching their children moral values. In keeping with the adage that a village raises a child, older people in the community had no problem disciplining an errant child. But parents began to take umbrage and soon the very village took a backward step from correcting the child. The result is palpable; children began to push the limits of discipline. The more the village elders remained silent, the more the children pushed. Those brutal killings that we witness today are the result of that breakdown in society. Murders are not new to Guyana but the incidence is. For this year we have been recording an average of three murders every week. Yet these murders were not nearly as brutal as the one that occurred on the Annandale foreshore. This is an exceedingly brutal killing that suggests that the killer had no moral upbringing. Life has become more perilous for us all. There are no “safe” neighbourhoods. There is always a reminder of how vulnerable we are. Our exposure to extreme violence is ubiquitous. We are witnessing it ad nauseam. We consume daily reports of child molestations and unimaginable lewdness. On our televisions it is no different. War in foreign territories, with all its atrocities, as well as harrowing tales and depictions of murder, rape, and robberies also continue to invade our homes visually. One suspects that perversion and moral decline are the only elements that can spawn from all this. But there can be hope, a reversal of this trend that seems to be gaining momentum. For starters, people can begin to pay closer attention to their children with a view to making them better citizens. No one wants to cry when one’s offspring is caught up in an untoward situation that can prove detrimental. Just Thursday we heard the comments of parents who heard their sons get 75-year jail sentences. One parent proclaimed that the boys did not deserve such a sentence since they were not animals. But they did behave like animals when they killed a man on the roadway for no reason. Guyana is a small, developing nation with lofty aspirations, but our lawless reputation in many spheres of life is becoming indefensible.
Friday March 27, 2015
Letters... Where your views make the news
Has Bharrat Jagdeo ‘Putinized’ the PPP? DEAR EDITOR, One would have to be blind to not notice the re-emergence of former President Bharat Jagdeo within the political milieu of Guyana. For the discerning who follow international affairs closely, it is easy to observe the glaring similarities between the way Mr. Jagdeo functions and that of Vladimir Putin, President of the USSR. Putin served as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000. He won the 2000 presidential election despite widespread accusations of vote-rigging, and served as President from 2000 to 2008. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008. Dmitry Medvedev, whom it is widely believed was hand-picked by Putin, won the 2008 Presidential
election and promptly appointed Putin as Prime Minister, thus beginning a period of so-called tandemocracy. Putin’s second term as Prime Minister ran from 2008 to 2012. In September 2011, following a change in the law extending the presidential term from four years to six, Putin announced that he would seek a third, non-consecutive term as President in the 2012 presidential election, an announcement which led to large-scale protests in many Russian cities. In March 2012, Putin won the election, which was criticized for procedural irregularities, and is serving a six-year term. It is an open secret that President Ramotar was hand-picked and foisted upon the PPP at the end of Jagdeo’s second presidential term. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits,
President Jagdeo was ineligible to run for a third consecutive term. Like Medvedev, Ramotar most likely qualified for this position because he was perceived as being malleable. In return, President Ramotar has now given virtual carte blanche to former President Jagdeo to run the affairs of state after being forced to call elections following a vote of no-confidence. While all this is going on, there is the strange filing by a private citizen to allow for Jagdeo to run for a third nonconsecutive term as president. It is clear to see where this is all going. At the moment, one hears more from former President Jagdeo than the sitting hand-picked President Ramotar. Jagdeo’s likeness appears on election campaign posters with the same level of (Continued on page 31)
As Head of State, Mr. Ramotar should have been ashamed to make such hateful remarks
DEAR EDITOR, There should have been national outrage and perhaps a stampede among Guyanese in and out of Guyana at Mr. Ramotar’s dreadful statement in which he almost labeled Crum-Ewing a criminal, and even suggested that the opposition might have a hand in his death. His remarks were a deliberate attempt to smear the late Courtney Crum Ewing’s character and to sabotage the police investigations into the assassination of this young man. As head of state, Mr. Ramotar should have been ashamed of himself to make such derogatory and hateful remarks against a deceased citizen. It shows that he does not have any love or respect for Mr. Ewing’s parents, three young children and relatives. It is cold-hearted and unbecoming of a president to disrespect the dead. Is Mr. Ramotar so dumb that he does not understand his role as president? Is he so insensitive and irresponsible? And for him to say that the opposition might have had a hand in his death is utter foolishness. This is a classic example of an unsound and bewitched mind. This political fiasco by the president should convert many PPP believers into non-believers of the president who has descended to the lowest level by smearing a dead man. How could the
president of Guyana, however angry he may be, deface the character of a dead citizen whom he swore to protect? He did not even take a moment to realize the hurt and pain his offensive and inhuman statement would inflict on the family. The family has already suffered a great loss of a son and a father and this president has poured more salt into their wounds with his silly statement. Is he not trained in the art of diplomacy? Does he not have any social skills? His statement was a malicious attempt to create chaos and bolster those with ulterior and sadistic motives. Plain and simple, the murder of Courtney Crum Ewing was a political act by his enemies. The Commissioner of Police, the Crime Chief and none of the commanders who have taken an oath to be impartial have the gall to stand up and defend their right to be an independent police force. Instead, the Guyana Police Force has become the PPP Police Force. By alleging that Mr. Crum Ewing was a criminal, Mr. Ramotar has missed a golden opportunity to use Courtney’s death to sooth the hatred that exists and heal the wounds of the nation. This should have been his vested interest as president and not the tearing down of Courtney’s character as he did. For any
head of state to slander the character of a dead person is cruel and wicked. If that statement was not created out of malfeasance, then what is? No one with a sound and rational mind would do what he did. It is very sad to know that Courtney is dead and buried; and even in death they continue to torture him. They have killed him and will not let him rest peacefully. Very sad! Any adolescent with a modicum of common sense can deduce that such a statement was filled with anger and hatred against the young Courtney Crum Ewing, who was waging a battle against the power drunk for equality, justice and fairness. And anyone in whom authority is vested, and who assumes office swearing an oath of stewardship over the public good and to protect the people but has contrived to make such heinous remark is guilty of dereliction of his/her solemn duty. Courtney’s life was not a joke, he was serious man with a mission to make Guyana a better country, and so as a people, we must not fail him. They have murdered him and now they have damaged his character. He has paid his debts to society so we must crystallize his aspirations and fulfill his dreams. Dr. Asquith Rose
How much more infamy must come to the highest office of the land? DEAR EDITOR, ‘Back in the days’ when we were young men, we learned that those who use indecent language (cuss words) or other inappropriate words to express themselves in public were lacking in proper English vocabulary. And so we supplemented our reading with the use of dictionaries and encyclopedia to improve our language skills. In the process, we learned etiquette and how to conduct ourselves at the various levels of society. Recently, public discourse by some politicians leaves much to be desired. I have heard and listened to leading politicians the likes of Burnham,
Rodney, Hoyte and the Jagans and even Sam Hinds, and many others, and I have never heard such crass comments from them as that which we have heard and are hearing from Jagdeo and now Ramotar; calling a citizen a nuisance among some of the other idiocies which proceeded from his mouth. Never before in the history of our beloved Guyana has public discourse been as ignominious as what obtains today. Gone are the days when office holders conducted themselves with dignity and pride, and the citizens gave the due respect. Editor, it clear that these two men, Jagdeo and Ramotar, have brought the
Office of President into disrepute. It was evident a long time ago and clearer now that both these men, who are supposed to be honourable, are intellectually challenged, lacking in certain proprieties and aesthetics and have no oratory skills. Editor, how much more infamy must come to the highest office of the land before we as a people can say enough?! From the Shakespeare play, Antonius, at Caesar´s funeral, says “O judgement, thou are fled to bruthish beasts and men have lost their reason”. Have we lost our rationale? William Forde
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The coalition’s visit to the world’s leading democracy was not without disruptive heckling DEAR EDITOR, It is unfortunate that media reports are being carried about a Police arrest of me and the accuracy of such a report was not verified or validated. It should be stated clearly that I was never arrested by the Police and therefore could not have been released. This information could have corroborated by contacting me or the Police E Division. The source of the information of me being arrested and released is not only malicious but seems driven by intent to further discredit me in the eyes of the public as someone who is only capable of a street fight for justice. As a politician and citizen of Guyana who is fully aware of what it is to be a victim of state aggression, and as one who is committed to sacrifice my time and energies toward securing the rights of the people of Linden/Region 10 and all Guyanese, particularly our vulnerable women folk, I am
not against using every constitutional measure at my disposal to fight to protect these rights. As far as I am aware there is no law in my country preventing anyone from heckling any government official or politician. Our right to shout or speak (heckle) at a public meeting is enshrined in the right to the freedom of speech. Unfortunately, these freedoms continue to be violated in our beautiful country and more so in Linden, where a vindictive government has continued to deny us access to state media and the media that was a gift to the people of Linden by Greens Construction even though they agreed to return it in the 21st August 2012 Agreement with Region 10 Regional Democratic Council This leaves myself and the people of Linden/Region 10 with no alternative but to respond and express ourselves within our community on issues that affect us whenever
opportunity arises. It was Mr. Juan Edghill, government functionary, who has used the state media in Linden to verbally abuse me and the people of Linden. We have no access, no opportunity for other forms of response in Linden. Mr. Edghill is no gilded horse to the people of Linden and therefore the people of Linden are not in any way obliged to respectfully listen to him when he comes to address them. The right to heckle will be upheld in Linden/Region 10. And it is this right that I supported in representing one of my fellow Lindeners who was arrested by the police. Her arrest brings to the fore concerns of the people about the widespread police intolerance that is being encouraged as a means
of violating the rights of the people of Linden. As an opposition Member of Parliament, I call on the Commissioner of Police, Minster of Home Affairs Mr. Clement Rohee (though that might be a waste of time), the Human Rights association, my fellow politicians and the people of Guyana to denounce the effort and intolerance of freedom of expression in Linden and Guyana. It is instructive that some, even those who I least expect, seek to use the issue between myself and General Secretary Oscar Clarke, PNCR as a yardstick to judge my behaviour at any given time and to condemn my struggles to bring respect to women and to end the domination of a people and the violation of human rights
and dignity in my beautiful country. It is also instructive that persons are hasty to condemn me in a society where there is no respect for human rights, dignity and the rule of law. Further, even as I am condemned, it is noted that the visit of the coalition leaders to the world’s leading democracy (USA) was not without organised and disruptive heckling, not only outside but inside the private building rented for the event. The coalition’s supporters also counter protested the government organised protestors and engaged in heckling. Would the coalition’s supporters be deemed “counterproductive”? It is noted as per report that the Leader of the Opposition had to take a back entrance to avoid the government
organised protestors, or should I say hoodlums and ghetto people. It is time that Guyanese stop demonising those who are forced to use whatever legitimate means they have at their disposal to be heard. It is time that we stop condemning those who exercise democratic rights The Linden issue will not deter me in my efforts since I am prepared to use all available legal and democratic means to fight any force that threatens me and those who elected me to be their representatives. In this regard, I claim no unique courage for history is filled with women such as me and countless men, who in their struggles though defiled were able to make a difference in the lives of many. Vanessa Kissoon
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
CCJ president reviews the impact and influence of the Magna Carta on Caribbean law BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) — President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, recently presented a lecture at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, which underscored the impact and influence of the Magna Carta on Caribbean law. The lecture was in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter), a legal instrument that was issued under the authority of King John of England in 1215. It is an instrument upon which many constitutions, including those in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region, are based. Byron explained that the instrument “is known for promoting judicial integrity and impartiality and forbade the denial of justice and its delay to all citizens”. “It laid the foundation for the protection of the right to life; the right of personal liberty; the right to the protection of property; the right not to be arrested or imprisoned, outlawed, destroyed or put upon in any way except by the lawful judgment of one’s peers or the law of the land,” he added. “It stands for what has become one of the most fundamental and immutable ten-
Sir Dennis Byron ants of law and namely that no one is above the law,” said Byron, commenting that it is interesting that, though established 800 years ago, it has captured the concept that justice is local and that a person was entitled to the judgment of their peers. He further explained that the Magna Carta is part of the history of the struggle between power and freedom and had become a symbolic argument “in the fight to develop parliamentary democracy in 17th century England.” “The traditions developing from that have laid the pillars and foundation for
constitutional evolution in Britain,” he noted. Byron explained that in the Caribbean, in most of the former British Commonwealth colonies, the Magna Carta is considered to be the most significant landmark on the route to establishing the rule of constitutional law and that it has influenced Caribbean jurisprudence and Caribbean constitutions. “Even though it found expression in Caribbean constitutions, there wasn’t any constitution in England, although there are some commentators that would equate the Magna Carta with a sort of British constitution,” he said. Some features of Caribbean constitutions include generally constraining the actions of the organs of state whether the executive, the legislature or the judiciary and ensures that no one is above the law. They balance the enjoyment of individual rights with a public interest and determine the mechanisms through which sovereignty is exercised. The constitutions articulate core values such as a commitment to parliamentary democracy, constitutional supremacy, to the separation of powers to judicial independence and the rule of law.
Costa Rica fires ambassador in Venezuela after vocal support of Maduro SAN JOSE (Reuters) Costa Rica fired its ambassador in Venezuela after the diplomat gave an interview in which he defended the Venezuelan government, the Central American country said on Wednesday. Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis had said that the government did not
share the opinion of ambassador Federico Picado, whose interview with local newspaper La Nacion was published last weekend. “The content of the statements and the possibility of giving an interview was not previously discussed,” as is the rule, Costa Rican Foreign Minis-
ter Manuel Gonzalez said in a news conference. In the interview, Picado, who had been in Caracas for two months, asserted that a shortage of basic products was due to “political factors” and “big business” trying to destabilize the country and hurt the government’s credibility.
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Friday March 27, 2015
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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ELECTION STRATEGIZING IS NOW A SCIENCE AND NOT AN ART Old people have a saying. “You either know or don’t know. If you know, you know. If you don’t know go and find out.” The euphoria of the launch of the APNU-AFC coalition has subsided. Reality has stepped in. Certainty has given way to uncertainty. The coalition is now no longer as certain that they can beat the PPP as when they began their campaign. They are now waking up to the reality, as was suggested in this column, that it was always going to be easier for the parties to go their separate ways than to coalesce. Not coalescing would have made it easier to reduce the ruling party’s share of the vote from 49% to 41%, than it would to increase the combined opposition take to over 50%. Coalition has created a different dynamic. The value of the combined coalition is not equal to the sum of its parts. The din and excitement of the Pegasus, Linden, Brooklyn and Queens has died down. The surefootedness has gone. This is why we are now seeing signs of jitters within the coalition. This is why we are hearing talk from within about a bloated voters’ list. This is why we are hearing talk about how many Guyanese have migrated. The opposition does not know how the election will turn out. They have no ideas of the numbers that will vote for them. And they now realize that the PPPC is no pushover, have never been, and that winning the election is not going to be easy. They have also forgotten that election strategizing is now a science and no longer an art. The planning of
election strategy is no longer done by lawyers, politicians and ex-army officers. Elections strategy is now the forte of public relations firms, political pollsters and statisticians. It is the latter two that develop models that tell you where to concentrate your energies and resources and how to target and win over swing votes. If you do not have the right persons in place to plan your strategy, if you are depending on people on the ground and on the experience of activists, you are going to be left far behind by those who are employing more superior and scientific means to develop their campaign strategies. The opposition does not know how the electorate is divided. But instead of trying to find out, they are creating their own narrative. They believe what they want to believe and they are creating their own stories to justify what they want to believe. This is why we are now seeing references to how many immigrant visas were approved for Guyanese in the United States. We are also
being provided with how many non-immigrant visas were issued. A narrative is under construction. That narrative is that PPPC supporters are migrating in droves and therefore they do not have the numbers to beat the combined opposition. This is the narrative that is being spun to boost support for the coalition. But it is not a new narrative. In 1992 we heard the same thing. We heard that during the hard years most of the supporters of the PPP left for Canada and the United States and therefore the PPP did not have the support to defeat the PNC. The PNC lost the 1992 elections. But yet the narrative did not die. We heard it again in 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2011. The PPPC won all of those elections despite the massive number of its supporters who it is said are overseas. Just last year there was a rumour making the grounds that the US Embassy was giving away visas to mainly East Indians so as to encourage them to leave the country. It was said at one time that some 50,000 persons
had been issued with visas because the US wanted the PPP out. That reminds me of the rumour that led to the creation of the AFC. The rumour within the PPP was that one PPP leader was feeding information to the US Embassy. This was the falsehood that was pedaled within the PPP leadership and which led to the expulsion of a member of the Central Executive. It was one big lie. The Wikileaks cables did not reveal any contact with that
person or subsequent support by the embassy for the AFC. In fact it revealed that the main interlocutors of the embassy were persons within the government and the security services. In other words, the US was getting most of their information from these sources rather than from the AFC. The immigrant visa numbers are once again being provided to prove that migration is continuing. But only this time those presenting the numbers do
not realize that the growth in the numbers is declining. They seem to have missed the significance of their own numbers. They should have the statisticians look at the numbers. They should have the pollsters run some surveys. If you don’t know, find out. Do not try to convince yourself with speculation and convenient narratives.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Kicking asses: The story of unlimited power If any country in the last fifty years since the fall of Fascist Europe after World War Two shows the psychological invincibility that takes over leaders who rule without opposition, it is the reign of Bharrat Jagdeo in Guyana. Mr. Jagdeo told his audience in Berbice on the occasion of the 2015 death anniversary of Cheddi Jagan that Mr. Ramotar was not a strong enough president. He said that Mr. Ramotar should have kicked some asses during the period 2012 to 2015 when his term ended. In expressing that attitude, Mr. Jagdeo was displaying his psychological invincibility. What Mr. Jagdeo was totally oblivious to was the fact emblazoned all over Guyana and that only he, Jagdeo was not conscious of, that Mr. Ramotar was not a majority president therefore any kicking of asses meant he was kicking the people who won the 2011 General
Elections. There can be no doubt that Mr. Jagdeo was serious in his advocacy. Had he won the 2011 plurality of votes and become a minority president, he would have kicked asses as if he was the majority president. Why did Mr. Jagdeo advocate that a minority president should have pulverized his opposition? Because Mr. Jagdeo’s psychology was shaped by the enormous excesses that he got away with when he was president. The excesses were criminal, depraved, sick and semi-fascist. Mr. Jagdeo in negative contexts did the unimaginable, the incredible, the unbelievable and simply got away with it for about ten consecutive years - 2001 to 2011. Operating with such a colossal licence, Mr. Jagdeo’s psyche underwent a deep metamorphosis – he thought of himself as unassailable in every conceivable way. Mr. Jagdeo knew that no colonial governor and no post-1966
head of government in Guyana had such unlimited power as he did and it made him omnipotent. Mr. Jagdeo committed one huge atrocity after another, and each time he escaped unscathed he grew more fascist and took more latitude. Mr. Jagdeo was not stupid. He knew that many of his morbid excesses should have cost him his throne. But as the phantasmagoria of violations kept piling up on the heads of the Guyanese people, Mr. Jagdeo’s monarchial illusion grew stronger. When Mr. Jagdeo’s fake marriage and psychological abuse of his wife were exposed, Mr. Jagdeo actually thought he would have had to resign. As they say in common parlance, Mr. Jagdeo was “like a fish out of water.” He went to several persons in a depressed mood seeking advice. This columnist has proof of that. But the society refused to be uncompromising and
demand his resignation. The Opposition remained in their seats in Parliament and it was business as usual. Mr. Jagdeo survived and his ego grew larger. Roger Khan was reportedly killing people the way we swat flies and acting like a one-man army in Chato’s Land. The society refused to confront Jagdeo and remove him from office. The Opposition remained in their parliamentary seats and it was business as usual. Mr. Jagdeo’s boldness enhanced his sadism. He jumped the natural successors in the army’s chain of command and chose a Rear Admiral for obvious reasons. In a plural society such as Guyana where ethnic sensitivities have to be observed, the army refused to react and Jagdeo’s Rear Admiral ruled the Guyana Defence Force while Jagdeo ruled Guyana. Mr. Jagdeo introduced lie
detector tests for the public sector. Dozens were dismissed without legal basis, because there is no law that sanctions dismissal for the failure of a polygraph. Mr. Jagdeo was on the verge of monarchial power. He elevated a criminal-minded policeman as Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Greene. The American Government informed him that Greene was engaged in criminal conduct and should not be promoted to head the police force. The society let Jagdeo have his way. Mr. Jagdeo elevated a known associate of Roger Khan who actually took up residence in Khan’s Queenstown home when Khan was on his rampage. Mr. Jagdeo gave him a top antinarcotic position. It was a clear and nasty example of Dracula being appointed as the head of the blood bank. Mr. Jagdeo got away with it. His illusions of being as
Frederick Kissoon powerful over his country as Hitler was in Germany were complete. By 2010 Jagdeo had become the de facto king of Guyana. A virtual non-entity who bypassed some of the great names in the PPP’s leadership to become President, Mr. Jagdeo had become so power drunk that he turned Cheddi Jagan’s party into his play thing and even humiliated and insulted Jagan’s widow. From 2001 to 2011 Mr. Jagdeo kicked countless asses. His only moment of cowardice was when he ran away from the libel trial.
Dem boys seh...
Govt notice to de public service Downsizing is a word de developed countries does use when dem want to knock off people to reduce de workforce. In Guyana, to reduce de workforce dem does seh knock dem ass off. Jagdeo, like de ass, love to use de word ‘ass’ and de Ducklin’ now following that jack. Now de government, under de Ducklin’, develop a new and more fancy term than even de people in de developed world. To implement this new term in Guyana he put a notice which reads: Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown in the economy, the Government has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 50 years of age and above on early, mandatory retirement, thus creating jobs and reducing unemployment. This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early). Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to the government to be considered for the SHAFT program (Special Help After Forced Termination). Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW program (System Covering RetiredEarly Workers).
A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as the government deems appropriate. Persons who have been RAPED could get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependents & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance. Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by the government. Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. The government has always prided itself on the amount of SHIT it gives our citizens. Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring this to the attention of your local Member of Parliament, de Chat-3, who has been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle. Sincerely, Jagdeo, President of The Committee for Economic Value of Individual Lives (E.V.I.L.) Talk half, read back and digest this notice.
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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“My brother was not a double agent” - Anne Wagner tells COI By Sunita Samaroo A day after she testified that lone murder suspect, Gregory Smith, was made a scapegoat by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Anne Wagner maintained that her brother was a member of the said party and had not been operating as a secret agent for any other entity in those days. Wagner made the assertion while under cross examination by People’s National Congress (PNC) lawyer, Basil Williams during the Commission of Inquiry into the death of WPA’s leader, Dr. Walter Rodney. On June 13, 1980 Dr. Rodney died when a “walkietalkie” exploded in his lap in the vicinity of the Georgetown Prisons, Camp Street, Georgetown. This was shortly after he reportedly uplifted a device from Smith and was testing it. Nearly 35 years later, Wagner returned to testify that Smith, a former Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), had not been an agent of the ruling party - the People’s National Congress, the then Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham or the State. She maintained too that the late politician’s death was an accident which was caused by his negligent handling of the device he had. Her brother, she said, had handed Dr. Rodney a triggering device, but Dr. Rodney had not used the device as instructed. Wagner made clear her belief that the PNC government had not killed Dr. Rodney. The witness had previously testified that on that fateful night, the late Politician set out to further his cause by “any means necessary” and had earlier recruited Smith to build a triggering device for a bomb. The 72-year-old woman had told Commissioners that as far as her brother knew, the explosive was to be used on a building and Dr. Rodney could not ascertain whether anyone would be hurt in the process. Wagner, who migrated to the United States of America in 1970, testified for the third time before a High Court Library packed with reporters, family, lawyers and political activists. Her tale was based on conversations she had over the years with her brother. The witness authored ‘Assassination Cry of a Failed Revolution: The Truth about Walter Rodney’s Death’ with her brother and the book has come under intense scrutiny by lawyers during the inquiry.
…maintains he was WPA member
Political Activist, Dr. Walter Rodney
Author, Anne Wagner (centre) flanked by Gregory Smith’s wife, Debra Johnson and son, Aubrey Johnson. At far left are Wagner’s sons and husband It was under Williams’ questioning that the witness confessed that when she embarked on producing and publishing the book, she had no experience in writing books or investigating stories. Moreover, she told the commission that in her dealings with her brother she did not require him having his signature affixed to his manuscript; something she did not believe she needed to have. Williams probed too whether the witness was told by the Commission that she needed signed supporting statements for each chapter of her book, and she said she was not told so. She said too that she was surprised by the apparent need for signed statements. In fact, Wagner said she had no idea that her book would have been the focus of the cross examination. She said she had no inkling that that would have been required
of her. The witness said that had it not been so, she would have walked with the necessary documentation. She was asked when her brother recounted his experience in relation to the book, whether she had additional information that what he had told her happened in 1980, and she said no. “I had no cause to doubt him or double check him on anything,” the Commission heard. The chapter where Smith spoke of an imposter coming to his home indicating that he was his son came under question. Smith had not seen the boy since he was nine, but they had a photograph. The Commission heard that when he saw the person, the individual bore some sort of resemblance, but eventually he realised the person was an imposter. Wagner was questioned extensively about how she
went about verifying the stories told to her by Smith. These are stories of specific instances where these events and threats to his life took place in Cayenne. Lawyer for the WPA, Christopher Ram pointed to a chapter that was written by Smith’s wife, Debra Johnson, in Cayenne, where she recollected certain events. In her piece she set out a specific timeline. Counsel questioned that the portions by her match the portions that have been added to Smith’s chapter, but were not present in his manuscript. Essentially, Ram probed whether it was taken from the wife’s piece and placed in Smith’s chapter, but Wagner maintained that she had not changed anything, and there was a piece of the manuscript that she had not brought to the Commission. Counsel probed where the
deviations of the book came from and if they were added by Wagner or the publisher and if those deviations and additions were made by someone other than Smith, how reliable they would be. She was questioned too about portions in the book which was compiled by other people and a part contributed by his daughter, Ann Johnson, who was born to him, while he was going by the name Cyril Milton Johnson, also came under question by Ram. Also, a Stabroek News article also came under question by the WPA lawyer. Wagner said that the article had inconsistencies in Smith’s story and the one published by the local daily. She said, however, they had never challenged the newspaper about the contents. The article had claimed that Smith was heading to Berbice to get help from his father when it appeared as though the WPA was accusing him of Rodney’s death. This contradicted the account Wagner provided to the Commission as well as the one provided by Smith in the book. “The inconsistencies, the fabrications in the news, the lies: all those things support Gregory’s theory of the WPA’s involvement in Dr. Rodney’s death,” she said. She contended that a lot of
Former GDF Sergeant, Gregory Smith reports peddled in the media were fuelled by non-truths. She said that her brother was driven out of Guyana. She insisted that her brother was not responsible for the politician’s death. The Commission heard too that Smith was an electronic technician, but the witness stated she did not know if he was qualified to handle the triggering device. “Do you realise you have made some serious charges against the integrity of the Working People’s Alliance?” the lawyer probed. Unmoved, the witness said yes. Ram asked her whether she had any personal evidence to support her claims, but she said no, since her account was from her brother’s experience. The WPA lawyer completed his line of questioning yesterday and Wagner will return to stand today for cross examination by the PNC lawyer.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
Opposition coalition shocked at Ramotar’s statements on Crum-Ewing A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition has expressed shock at recent
statements made by President Donald Ramotar, with regards to murdered anti-government protestor Courtney Crum-
Ewing. The President had said that Crum-Ewing was more of a nuisance than a threat to his ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic, likening him to the slain criminal Linden ‘Blackie’ London. Ramotar, who made the statements during an address to a section of the West Berbice business community, had accused Crum-Ewing of spewing racist comments on his Facebook account. But the APNU+AFC coalition in a statement released to the media yesterday said that the President’s remarks “bear all the hallmarks of inciteful language designed to create an atmosphere of anxiety and unease”. Crum-Ewing was gunned down on March 10 while using his bull horn to urge residents of Diamond, East Bank Demerara to vote out the ruling PPP/C at the upcoming General Elections
slated for May 11. Although the police have not established a motive for his killing, there are many who believe that Crum-Ewing’s murder had to do with his activism. The coalition attacked the remarks of the President, claiming that “Guyana has discovered new trenches of indecency when the Head of State hides behind the cloak of immunity and uses the protection of the Presidential Office to maliciously attack and slander a deceased patriot by calling him a criminal and a nuisance”. “Courtney Crum-Ewing, during his lifetime protested against a caste system which was proudly enunciated by the Attorney General in a recorded telephone conversation and which concept was never disputed or refuted by the President, but merely considered contextually
President Donald Ramotar
Courtney Crum-Ewing misplaced,” the APNU+AFC said. It added that after CrumEwing’s death, the Head of State who “could find no voice during the lifetime of Crum-Ewing to condemn his Attorney General’s endorsement of the caste system in a multi-ethnic society, can only now in his death, find it possible to call him a criminal and a nuisance”. The coalition referred to the words of the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, during his 1963 address to the United Nations General Assembly and which were repeated in song by the legendary Bob Marley in the 1970s. “The philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior (must be) permanently discredited and abandoned.” The President had also
suggested that Crum-Ewing was a pawn used by the opposition coalition for their own aims. “If his death was political as they are saying, well I would say that he was a pawn that was sacrificed for their own political ends, because we certainly don’t have anything to gain by that type of activity,” Ramotar stated. “Which government will want to do something like that, to destabilize itself?” Ramotar asked. But while the President’s statements came as a shock to the coalition as a whole, it did not come as a surprise to some in the opposition. Cathy Hughes of the coalition, in an invited comment, had told this newspaper that the President’s remarks were not unexpected. “It was true to form,” she said. So far the police have not indicated that they have any evidence to support the President’s claim. APNU+AFC repeated its call for the Guyanese populace not to be provoked and to remain calm. “Use the power of your vote to exorcise Guyana of this Executive hatefulness and divisiveness. Only the ballot can stop the bullet.”
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 13
C/wealth backs Guyana’s sovereignty in face of Venezuela’s territorial claim The Commonwealth has restated its support for Guyana following repeated claims by neighbouring Venezuela for vast swaths of this country’s territory. According to a statement from Government yesterday, the Commonwealth Secretariat spokesperson has disclosed that the body received an update on recent developments concerning the challenge to petroleum exploration within what Guyana maintains to be its exclusive economic zone. “The spokesperson recalled the Commonwealth’s consistent and unequivocal support for the preservation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and said that Guyana’s concerns had been brought to the attention of all Commonwealth member states.” The spokesperson added that the Commonwealth has remained engaged with the issue and looks forward to the settlement of differences bilaterally, through dialogue and cooperation. The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 53 independent and equal
Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro
President Donald Ramotar
sovereign states, is home to 2.2 billion citizens. It includes some of the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries, spanning five regions. The statement by the Commonwealth follows that of CARICOM which recently also supported Guyana. CARICOM is calling for an early resolution of the controversy which has arisen as a result of Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral award of 1899, which definitively settled the boundary between the two
countries, is null and void. Recently, Venezuela in a strongly worded statement in Kaieteur News warned that it is prepared to take action following the recent start of oil-drilling activities by a US exploration firm, in what it considers disputed territory. But the Government of Guyana stood firm, calling on its neighbour to be respectful of the age-old boundary award Venezuela had warned US-owned ExxonMobil, one of the world’s biggest oil companies, not to drill for oil
The ExxonMobil oil exploration ship that has sparked a resuscitation of an age-old territorial claim by Venezuela against Guyana. in what it considers its waters, offshore Georgetown. However, ExxonMobil insisted that it has an agreement with Guyana and not Venezuela. A drilling ship is in the concession and has reportedly started its activities in earnest. Following the warning to ExxonMobil, Guyana sent a protest note to Venezuela stressing that the
neighbouring country is stymieing the development of Guyana and its people, and that would be in contravention of international law. The situation is a delicate one for Guyana and Venezuela, as the two countries are part of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) under which a number of lucrative
trading deals have been reached. In the case of Guyana, Venezuela has for almost a decade now been selling oil at concessionary rates and in return, this country has been supplying rice. A new deal was recently signed for almost 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy, much to the relief of Guyana which would have (Continued on page 29)
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
PMTCT programme yielding noticeable successes, ...but too few men involved says NAPS Manager A keen effort is currently being directed to having more men included in the national Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Programme. The Programme is one that is geared towards helping to tackle the transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) from a mother to her unborn child. Explaining the process recently to this publication, Manager of the Ministry of Health’s National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr. Shanti Singh, said that the original intent of the entity is to ensure that once a mother enters an antenatal clinic and is tested positive for HIV, efforts are then made to ensure that she is placed on Antiretrovirals (ARVs). And according to Dr Singh, the number of persons that have benefited from the programme has been significant. In fact she
disclosed that close to 90 per cent have been tracked by Case Managers. With the aid of Case Managers, Dr Singh asserted that the transmission levels have noticeably declined. “Last year we had about a 1.7 per cent transmission rate and that has decreased from 2.1 per cent the previous year but I don’t know exactly what it stands at this year.” She nevertheless dubbed the programme a “remarkable initiative” as from all indications it has been working well. But although the programme has been yielding successes, Dr Singh noted that one of its expected outcomes has not met the desired expectation. She disclosed that while reducing mother to child transmission is the primary aim of the programme, the programme was also designed to incorporate the support of the male gender as well.
Dr Singh said it was hoped the mothers-to-be would have been accompanied by their spouses and also be tested at the same time. While some persons have taken advantage of this, the NAPS Manager pointed out that “I think progress has been slow in that regard; for example you look at the number of the women who have been tested positive and compared that to the number of male partners, it is relatively low.” “I can’t remember the number off-hand, but I recently looked at the PMTCT programme figures and I don’t think it has reached a two-digit figure,” said Dr Singh of the males enrolled in the programme. However, deliberate efforts are being made to ascertain if and where these males have been tested. One of the focuses of this effort is to determine if they would
have been tested at one of the regular Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Sites that are located across the country. “What we think and have been trying to figure out is a way of verifying this...if some of these males have been visiting VCT sites, if at all,” said Dr Singh, as she pointed out that the aim of this initiative is to include these men in the PMTCT programme. Moreover, if a man has been tested at one of these sites, Dr Singh said that “they can walk with that result and we can make the documentation,” as she insisted that this tactic is gaining immense attention. And yet another area that was brought on board over the past two years, and has been gaining close attention, is that of a Case Management System . Through this system, Dr Singh outlined, there are assigned case-trained managers to work with every single pregnant mother who are HIV-positive. “So if that mother comes
NAPS Programme Manager, Dr. Shanti Singh and is tested HIV-positive, a Case Manager then takes up that mother and makes sure that she is taken to an HIV treatment site, makes sure that she is registered at a treatment site, is placed on ARVs, and follows that mother until that baby is born... and then also follows the mother and baby until 18 months thereafter until a second test is done to ascertain whether that baby is HIV-positive or negative,” Dr Singh detailed.
And according to the NAPS Programme Manager, although there have been some reports of challenges in sourcing ARVs to cater to the general national AIDS Programme, this is certainly not the situation that obtains. In fact she categorically asserted that “we haven’t any challenges in sourcing ARVs...” As such she noted that NAPS earlier had cause to issue a press release to clarify that there are no challenges regarding the procurement of ARVs. She disclosed that currently the procurement of ARVs is handled by the Ministry’s financial partners Global Fund, which is tasked with procuring “our first line and PMTCT ARVs through the Voluntary Pool Procurement (VPP) mechanism. So what that means is that we just place the order to the Global Fund and the VPP would basically do the rest and we would receive the ARVs.” Also aiding the procurement of the ARVs, Dr Singh said, is the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Programme. Through the PEPFAR programme the Supply Chain Management System, the Ministry’s in-country partner, the second line and the paediatric ARVs are procured. “Over the last three years, if I can jog my memory back, we haven’t had any major issues with procurement of ARVs as it relates to stock or risk of being stock out or so,” asserted Dr. Singh.
Page 26
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Court battle as Govt. terminates BK Int'l Haags Bosch contract From page 21 egregious bad faith, as part and parcel of practice and pattern of conduct victimizing BK, the Minister and/or the Permanent Secretary abusing their power.” The 28-page affidavit detailed BK's allegations of the Minister's alleged acts of victimization and bad faith. He claimed the Ministry “constantly delayed and changed design instructions of the Haags Bosch Landfill due to shoddy design work, expecting BK to immediately adapt to the Ministry's ever-evolving needs, while at the same time
pressuring BK to accept and process an increase of almost double the amount of waste originally contemplated at an incredibly high standard.” And this occurred “all against the backdrop of maliciously withholding payment for operational or construction costs from BK for years at end, and failing to establish required accounts necessary to fund the Ministry's shortfall in payments to BK as agreed, all in a deliberate but futile attempt to stifle BK and force a termination of the parties' contract, cornering BK to expend and utilize its own resources to comply
with the Ministry's ever increasing unreasonable demands”. BK claims that it “has not only complied with the Ministry's demands and constructed and operated the landfill site without any failure whatsoever, but has invested more than five years and millions of dollars of its own money into the project, with the reasonable and legitimate expectation that it would reap the benefit of its hard work until the end of the contract in 2019 at agreed revised contractual rates, and that the Ministry would act in good faith”.
BK alleges that “upon information and belief, no other large contractor working on a project with the M inis try w orth US$7,000,000 or more, has been treated in such a manner” and that the Ministry's conduct “is epitome evidence of egregious bad faith, the decision to terminate being one which no reasonable government agency or official would have taken in light of the surrounding circumstances”. BK International is r e p r e s e n t e d b y Attorney–at–Law Devindra Kissoon of the London
House Chambers. The Attorney General's Chambers has appeared for the Minister and Permanent
Secretary. The Ministry has 21 days to reply to the order and parties will return to court on April 20.
Woman’s headless ... From page 15 also discovered the battered body of 29-year-old Ramesh Katarnauth on the rocky seaside of the Kitty seawall. There were a number of bruises on the victim's face and upper body. Last month the decomposed body of 40year-old fisherman Sadeia Sanchar, a father of four, of
Seawall Road, Montrose (ECD) was fished out of the Atlantic Ocean, in the vicinity of Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara. His body was discovered 10 days after he allegedly fell from the fishing boat that was carrying him and five other crew members. He reportedly fell overboard in the vicinity of Melanie Damishana, ECD.
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 27
East Bank four-lane completion set for mid-year The four-lane East Bank highway expansion to Diamond will not make the month-end deadline. Rather, delays have forced the Ministry of Public Works to now look at midyear completion. According to Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, among the major works to be completed is the Diamond Bridge located in proximity to Demerara Distillers Limited. Parts of it have been dismantled and a bypass created to allow for traffic. The US$20M four-lane extension from Providence to Diamond, divided in three lots, has been facing numerous delays, with the deadline pushed back from time to time. Lot 1- from Providence to Covent Garden was awarded to DipCon while Gaico Construction had the piece from Prospect to Diamond, in the vicinity of the DSL Shopping Centre. BK International had the remainder to the Diamond traffic light, including the crucial Diamond Bridge. According to Minister Benn, in Section One, there are delays with the Providence/Herstelling
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn Bridge. Another major problem which had led to a war of words between BK, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Ministry, was the removal of utilities, including utility poles and water pipelines. Benn explained that sometimes, contractors found that the utilities were not where they were supposed to be. “There was some breakdown in communication sometimes with their schedules and maybe not seeing the completion as important to our schedule.”
Work on this bridge at Diamond will delay the completion of the four-lane extension, Government says. The Minister admitted that Government is very much cognizant of the problems that cropped up on the East Bank four-lane expansion. The same kinds of difficulties are expected during the West Demerara road expansion recently announced. Questioned about seeming lax attitude that Government has in not penalizing contractors for delays, the Minister pointed
out that it is a fact that contracts specify what conditions and delinquencies that a company can be penalized for. “We are concerned that perhaps some of the contractors have too much to do. We have been talking about overall project management and oversight and diligence with respect to projects. We are working with consultants and remain
concerned.” The official said that his ministry had attempted to get contractors to even work in the night, but concerns over workers’ safety and willingness have stymied progress in this area. Contractors have also complained about the increasing costs of material. Commuters are daily facing congestion on the busiest roadway in the
country. The roads, because of the construction, are also in bad shape, leading to more frustration from the public. The project kicked off in early 2012 and was expected to end late 2013. The roadway itself not only links West Demerara via the Demerara Harbour Bridge, but leads to the main international airport at Timehri, and Linden, a main gateway to the hinterland.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
Princess Hotel waitress No bail for gold miner on cocaine charge accused of coke trafficking Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry remanded a gold miner to prison after it was alleged he had cocaine in his possession. Lloyd Munroe, 36, of West Coast Berbice, denied the accusation which stated that on March 25, at 111 Mile Mahdia, he had four grams of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Munroe’s attorney Jerome Khan, strongly contended for his client to be released on bail. He stated that his client is firmly denying the accusation. He added that the defendant should be released on bail because of the quantity of drug involved in the charge. Khan argued that his client was found with four grams and not four pounds of cocaine. Counsel explained that on
Lloyd Munroe the day in question, his client went to the police station to lodge a complaint about his missing money. While at the station, Munroe was told by the police that they needed to carry out a search of his belongings. Munroe and the
police proceeded back to the area, which is accessible to the public. The police found a substance suspected to be cocaine and arrested his client, counsel said. On the other hand, prosecutor police corporal Bharrat Mangru’s facts differed. He told the court that on the day in question the police went to the home of the defendant and conducted a search. During the search the police found a small container that was on the floor containing the illegal drug. The prosecutor objected to bail on the ground that the lawyer did not provide the court with any special reasons. However, the lawyer advanced special reasons; he told the court that the next sitting at the Mahdia Magistrate’s court is in April, and that it would be unfair for his client to be incarcerated until that time. Counsel’s bail application was refused and the defendant was remanded to prison. His matter was transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for April 28.
A Princess Hotel waitress, who attempted to traffic cocaine to Barbados, was yesterday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. Marsha Maria De Caires, 22 of 56 Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara, denied the allegation which stated that on March 24, at the Ogle International Airport, she had in her possession 3.770kg of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Customs Anti Narcotics Unit prosecutor (CANU) Oswald Massiah provided the facts of the matter to the court. He informed the courtroom that De Caires resides with her father at the aforementioned address. He stated that during her course of employment at the Princess Hotel and Casino, Providence, she met someone who linked her up with a male (name withheld). De Caires and the man then became acquainted and
they both decided to meet at the Botanical Gardens. Further, Massiah added that the man promised De Caires US$2000 to traffic the drug and she consented. The man provided the defendant with G$10,000, to purchase her needs. He also bought her an airline ticket and informed her that she would be travelling to Barbados On March 24, the defendant was in the process of boarding a LIAT flight, destined for Barbados. Before doing so, the man gave her a bag with four packets containing the illicit substance. As she was preparing to board the flight, CANU ranks apprehended her and conducted a search on her luggage. After the search was carried out ranks unearthed the cocaine which was concealed in baking powder packets. Subsequently, De Caires was arrested, cautioned and charged.
Marsha Maria De Caries Attorney Mark Waldron made a bail application on the defendant’s behalf. Waldron informed the court that his client has no antecedents and she is the mother of one minor. Nonetheless, bail was refused and the defendant was remanded to prison. She will make her next court appearance on April 1, at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
3 months jail for stealing car mirrors Desperate times definitely calls for desperate measures. This was the case of Osafo Gordon yesterday, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Gordon was sentenced to
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
three months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of rearview mirrors. The charge read that on March 24, at East Street, North Cummingsburg, he stole the items valued $30,000, belonging to Joel Sooklaal. After pleading guilty, Gordon explained to the court that on the day in question he was very hungry, so he decided to ride around and look for work.
He said that he saw “a big man” who offered him $3,000 to take off the mirrors. The convict further stated that the man carried him, showed him the mirrors and he removed them. He added that as he was about to ride away with the articles the virtual complainant snatched him and summoned the police. Gordon asked Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry to be lenient when sentencing him.
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
Body on seawall…
Schoolgirl spoke of impending death in letter to mom immediately contacted relatives and friends to ascertain her child’s whereabouts, but none of them was of any help. According to Williams, it was not until Wednesday afternoon that she learnt of her daughter’s fate. Williams said that she first headed to the Sparendaam Police Station since she was
By Michael Jordan Detectives are examining a letter in which 14-year-old Alicia Ali spoke of her impending death while accusing her mother of restricting her movements. Investigators reportedly found the note in Ali’s bedroom, two days after the Campbellville Secondary School student’s nude body was found on the seawall near the University of Guyana (UG) Access Road at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. In the letter, which appeared to be addressed to Maylene Williams, the teen’s mother, Alicia Ali reportedly complained about being deprived of her freedom, and accused her mother of restricting her movements. The teen also reportedly stated that by the time her mother read the letter, she (Alicia) “would be dead.” Police said that the handwriting in the letter and in the teen’s notebooks appeared to be similar. A source said that the letter’s contents have given police second thoughts about how the teen met her death. A post mortem is scheduled for today. Meanwhile, police are questioning the victim’s boyfriend, who is said to be in his twenties. The man has reportedly stated that he last saw
Alicia Ali Alicia Ali about three weeks ago. He also denied ever having a sexual relationship with the minor. Ali’s body was discovered on the seawall by passersby among the boulders that form a part of the sea defence. A source said there were black and blue marks on the victim’s face. Investigators believe that the injuries were caused when the corpse was slammed repeatedly against the boulders. Ali was reportedly last seen by her mother, around 20:50 hours on Tuesday, when she left her home to go to a nearby shop. Her mother said that she became worried when her daughter did not return home, since it was not normal for Ali to stay out of her home late at nights. The woman said that she
C/wealth backs... (From page 13) been left holding a huge surplus had Venezuela backed down. In October 2013, an armed Venezuelan navy vessel reportedly entered Guyana’s waters and detained a seismic survey vessel which was under contract with Anadarko. Anadarko had a petroleum prospecting licence to search for hydrocarbons in the Roraima block offshore Guyana. Venezuela took almost a three-quarter page advertisement in Kaieteur News with a statement on the issue of ExxonMobil. “…the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as a promoter of peace, unity and solidarity development as inherited patterns of behavior of our Liberator Simón Bolívar and the Eternal Commander Hugo Chávez, reserves the right to execute all actions in the diplomatic field and in accordance with international law, that might be necessary to defend and safeguard the sovereignty and independence of our country
under the border dispute over the Essequibo Reclamation Zone.” “The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, ratifies its commitment to international peace and the unity of the Latin American and Caribbean peoples, and ratifies the full exercise of its just claim to the Essequibo territory, including its coastline, and calls for national unity to all Venezuelans to defend the territorial integrity of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.” In its response issued by Director General, Elisabeth Harper, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Guyana said it is extremely perplexed by Venezuela’s statement, which, while declaring as false Guyana’s statement, that country’s actions are aimed at stymieing Guyana’s development, “that same Government seeks to publicize those very objections to Guyana’s development initiatives – by also utilizing Guyana’s local media.”
told that ranks there were conducting the investigations. From there she was escorted to the mortuary where she positively identified her daughter’s body. So far none of her clothes has been recovered. Her mother told Kaieteur News that she is not aware if her daughter had any friend
who might have lured her to the location where her body was found. Police have reportedly been unable to glean any valuable leads information from any of the teen’s friends. Ali’s body is the second to be discovered on the seawall within the past week. On Sunday, police also discovered the battered body
of 29 year-old, Ramesh Katarnauth, on the rocky seaside of the Kitty seawall. A post mortem revealed that he was beaten, strangled and thrown overboard. Yesterday, the body of a woman, with head, arms and legs missing, was found on the seawall near Annandale, East Coast Demerara.
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Kaieteur News
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1 Cook for home in the interior – Tel: 691-6260 1 Cook for interior locationCall: 669-2678 Two general workers @ Land of Canaan E.B.D – Tel: 2256337 Urgently needed live-in waitress - Tel: 693-4154
Friday March 27, 2015
EDUCATIONAL Alpha is registering now for cosmetology, body massage, dressmaking, cake decoration, cakes & pastries & more- Call: 264-1052; 663-7930 Accounting is easy! Sign up now for CSEC P.O.A classes for a guaranteed excellent grade. Call: 654-1723 Pre-Easter Computerized Accounting, 4 Courses: Ptree, QuickBooks, POS, Excel 2013 $30,000.00 @ MicroGraphics Vreed-En-Hoop, Tel: 264-3057 2 Weeks of fun Learning, Kids Easter Computer Classes, $5,000 @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-EnHoop - Tel- 264-3057 Pre-Easter Computer Classes; 9 Courses: Office 2013, windows 7/8, $30,000.00 @ MicroGraphics Technology Vreed-En-Hoop, Tel: 264-3057 Private Custom brokerage certificate course starting 13 April 2015 – Call: 681-7567; 223-1506; 694-8322
Brand New, Power fist, 6,500 watts gasoline generator (on wheels) 110/240 volts AC/ DC – $145,000 -Contact: 6172205; 681-1032 Great Deals on video games and all gaming consoles – Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 XBOX 360 4 GB with 7 original, Top games with 2 wireless controllers, cheapCall: 683-8386 AMERICAN BULLY PUPS GOTTILINE REMYLINE – CALL: 220-7933; 6674845; 610-0068 Sale! Dell Computers from $50,000, Iphone 3GS - $22,000, HTC Touch screen phones $29,000 @ FutureTech – Tel: 231-2206 Tent Sale! Ladies & kids clothing & footwear, low prices, Saturday March 28 @ 455 Aubrey Barker Road – Tel: 626-6335 32 Feet boat, 15 Yamaha Engine, seine 4½” and 5" catguts – Tel: 668-9077 45 KVA Generator, 45 PSI Boiler with water tank, Ingersoll Rand T30 Compressor – Tel:688-3925; 695-8113 PS2 $15,000, Nintendo DS $12,000, PSP $15,000, XBox360 $30,000, PS3 $50,000, plastic barrel $6,000 - Call: 603-8643, 621-7497
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 One 2 bedrooms apartment @ 35 Howes Street- Contact Pet Boy Shop, between the hours 11am-6pm - $40,000 monthly Business spaces for rent @ West Shore Plaza Building, Ruimzeight, W.C.D, Public Road – Tel:269-1524; 6563561 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, , JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE - CALL: 675-0767, 627-5098 2 Bedrooms to rent located at D5 Wallers Delight W.C.D – Tel:674-4929; 662-0187 Concrete 3 bedrooms upper flat house fully grilled, parking available @ Agricultural road Mon Repos, E.C.D- Call:687-1050 Rooms for rent - Call: 638-5335 2 Bedrooms apartment top flat @ 16 Stanleytown, W.B.D- Contact: 684-0864 Sophia new 2 bedrooms $40,000 @ Diamond, South house, Parfaite, Campbellville – Tel:231-2200; 618-7483; 2317805 One fully furnished apartment located in Campbellville - $1300US, preferably overseas guest. Contact: 650-8289 Refurbished 2 bedroom apartment @ Liliendaal (between Bel Air & Turkeyen) parking space – Call: 910-551-4109 (whatsapp & viber)
New BLU studio 5.0 Cell Phone/ GB ram, one H/P 8600 business printer – Tel: 2318414 One mining block in Puruni District – C o n t a c t : 6 5 0 8289 One Toyota Tundra in excellent condition, mag rims – Contact: 650-8289 Wholesale cane juice for saleTel: 690-7780 One V6 Toyota Four Runner, left hand drive, good condition, price negotiable – Call:623-3231; 259-0953 1 RZ PJJ Series, tip top condition - $875,000 negotiable – Tel:679-1813; 682-5540 Frigidaire ($150K), Nissan pickup ($800K), prices negotiable-Tel: 624-4076 One Mazda Demo – Contact: 600-0241
VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$4.7M Neg. Call: 643-2403 Toyota Voxy to be registered in “G” - $1.7M – Tel:6172891 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, Spacio, Fielder, Carina 212, Sienta, IST – Call: 652-3820/6654529 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma - Call: 680-3154 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 One Noah Van - $1.4M negotiable – Tel:641-2763; HL2 Hilux - $6.4M negotiable – 641-2763 Nissan Titan for sale, immaculate – Call: 647-3924 First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Bluebird, Sienta, Runx, Axio, Verossa, Mark 2-Call : 609-8188; 638-3045 Unregistered Toyota Spacio with body kit, spoiler, rims, fog lamp -$2M - Tel: 6172891 Toyota Avensis $2.550M negotiable – Tel:645-0078; 603-0078 Toyota Tacoma 2010; Price $4.5M negotiable – Call: 6727709 Hilux Surf – Tel:695-8113 or 688-3925 Unregistered 2003 Toyota Spacio front & back camera, TV/ navi / CD player 52000 KM - $2.250M – Contact: 682-5117 Unregistered Toyota IST fully Loaded - $2.1M – Call: 657-1796 Toyota Pit-bull 2008 Model BSS - $3M negotiable, TV, Navigator, A/C, excellent condition – Tel: 690-4373; 639-4165
ACCOMODATION Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor /Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504. FOR SALE 37.5 Acres farm land @ High Way, one stall @ Stabroek Market, serious calls only – Tel:679-1151; 225-7794 MASSAGE Relaxing massage therapy – Tel: 674-8147
Toyota Hilux Vigo GSS series – Tel:656-3561; 697-6510 Lowest prices @ best quality: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, Axela, new model Fielder wagon- Call:6163413,626-7478 City Motors Blow Out Sales @ Star Cars Auto Sale- Premio, Spacio, Bluebird, IST, Benz, Alteeza, free alarm- Tel: 679-3140 Leyland Truck, DAF GSS 6715; GNN 5366, Toyota IST PMM 755 – Contact: 6135212; 664-1030 WANTED One Company Secretary for Greenfield Rice Milling Company. Call 610-9493 Continued on page 31
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 31
Letters... Where your views make the news
PM Hinds presided over the GPL, which suffered from one crisis to the other DEAR EDITOR, In a letter of March 22, Prime Minister Hinds stated that failure to implement the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) on the Potaro River will stunt growth of the economy and continue to keep Guyanese poor. He claimed that the PPP Govt has been on the forefront to convert the State’s electrical power source from petroleum based to renewable energy but the opposition party leader Mr. Granger has sabotaged their efforts with counter opportunistic promises to retooling AFHP into a Potaro Development Authority to boost growth of the manufacturing sector. The promises however were short on specifics. Unfortunately, AFHP has become a football for the politicians as the financial environment suggests that the project will not become a reality for many years to come for several reasons. Firstly, Guyana would be unable to obtain finance for such a costly project as the previously touted sources the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB) do not have the substantial finances expected from them to invest in AFHP. The World Bank, which is the largest source of financing with low interest rates for hydropower projects development in emerging countries, was never approached for financial assistance to develop AFHP by Guyana. One of its members and Minister Hinds could enlighten us all why this was so, since borrowing for high risk projects from the world’s capital markets could be very expensive as was evident from negotiations with the Blackstone Group. Many were expecting a partnership with Brazil to develop a hydro-electric project in Guyana. It was plausible that if former President Jagdeo had entered into negotiations in good faith with former President Da Silva of Brazil, a deal could have been struck to make hydrogenerated electricity a reality. However, this expectation is now history as Brazil’s economy is sputtering as the country faces a budget deficit of 6.75 percent of GDP and an external debt of over US$250 Billion. Therefore, Brazil’s
Has Bharrat Jagdeo... From page 4 prominence as that of President Ramotar and the Prime Ministerial candidate Mrs. Elizabeth Harper. Jagdeo is holding press conferences; Jagdeo is demonizing his mentors the Jagans. His voodoo economics dominate the airwaves extolling his virtues as the greatest leader Guyana ever had. One cannot open the newspapers or turn on the radio and not hear of Former President Bharat Jagdeo who looms large and ominous over the political landscape of the PPP. This is Guyana’s moment of tandemocracy. The PPP seems bereft of ideas and the poor showing at their meetings is proof of a population that thinks this government has had one term too many. Despite all this, the PPP remains smug and confident of victory, while debates rage
about the size of the electoral list which has shown phenomenal growth since 2011. Could this be the PPPs trump card? Should the PPP win on May 11, would the laws be changed to allow for a third non-consecutive term in office for the former president? Is former President Bharat Jagdeo our own homegrown Putin? We wait with bated breath. Clifford Barnes
parlous finances leave no room for debt financing of any large overseas project as its gross public debt is at 66 percent of GDP. The Moco-Moco hydro plant penstock failed because of inadequate geo-technical investigations of the site prior to design. It was possible that with a re-design penstock by experienced and competent engineers the plant could have been re-activated within reasonable cost limits, but under Minister Hinds’ watch, the damaged facility was vandalized to the extent that it has now been abandoned. A similar fate befell the Tumatumari Plant and it is doubtful that Dynamic Engineering would be able to mobilize the necessary financing to resurrect the facility to enable it to once again generate a reliable and cost effective source of electricity the market for which is still to be determined. National Election is due in May and neither the PPP nor the PNC has developed any strategic plan to grow the economy and create jobs for all those Guyanese waiting to enter the workforce. Cheap electricity from hydro, wind or solar will help, but it is not a panacea for development of the country’s economy to get poor Guyanese out of the rut they are stuck in, as thriving countries such as Denmark, Holland and Singapore have no hydro electricity, but they do have good governance which provides their people with reasonable living standards. Therefore the political mud-slinging as to who and what is responsible for keeping Guyanese poor are just ploys by their elected representatives who have
failed them badly to shift the blame for their shortcomings. Minister Hinds claimed that he has been responsible for energy and electricity for over 20 years. During this period he has overseen Guyana’s only source of electricity - Guyana Power and Light (GPL), which suffered from one crisis to the other, making it one of the most costly, inefficient and unreliable utilities in the region, with daily black-outs being the order of the day. Instead of concentrating his efforts in improving the management, reducing the thefts of electricity and make the generating and transmission systems dependable, he has neglected his primary responsibilities and instead hobbled GPL with subsidies to consumers for political gain, thus making the utility a loss-making state power monopoly and falsely expecting that AFHP will return GPL to profitability and provide cheap electricity for Guyanese. Further, he became a dreamer pursuing alternative energy possibilities with projects such as AFHP, which will be going nowhere anytime soon with or without the support of Mr. Granger and despite the costly expenditure on an access road for a doomed project. It is no small wonder he has been shown the exit. Hopefully others who have been milking the State while doing nothing to improve the lot of the people, except to assure them with false election promises for a good life, will suffer similar fate at the May election. Charles Sohan
TO LET Eccles: Large two storey concrete building with all conveniences – Call: 641-2939 Fully Furnished vacation home with all amenities- Call during working hours – Call: 227-1218 One upstairs & downstairs 3 bedrooms house in South Ruimveldt Gardens -$130,000 – Call: 610-5087 between 11:30-14:00 hrs, Mon – Sat. Kitty 2 bedroom apartment; cable TV, internet, parking, security cameras - $100,000 monthly – Tel: 645-0247 One apt to let to a female tenant. Newly constructed. Rental $15,000 per month. Call 610-9493 for Deon.
(From page 30)
VACANCY Work from home: Earn $5,000 - $20,000 daily, 9am 5pm, Monday to Saturday Call: 233-6517/ 638-0595 or www.jobfairworldwide.com Exists for: Chef & Assistant Cook- to work & live- in with new business in TuschenContact:660-6099, 644-3338 Vacancy exists at Confidential Cabs for experienced dispatcherCall:231-4000, 231-8601 Exist for cashier at Nirva Supermarket; apply in person with written application – Tel: 227-5771 Hotel attendant, porters, driver, salesman office clerk – Call: 227-7714; 223-3448, 2310951 (no calls on Sunday) SECURITY GUARDS, CANTER DRIVERS, SALESMEN, MARKETING ASSISTANT with Drivers Licence. Accommodation Available. Tel. 266 4427 Internet Café attendant, send application & CV to future2zone@yahoo.com or call: 642-2028 Floor Supervisor, Bond Supervisor, Delivery Clerk, apply with written application & passport size picture @ Survival, 173 Sheriff St., Campbellville –Tel: 227-5286-9 One 1 office clerk starting $60,000 per month and real estate agent (commission paid) please text: 618-7483 Domestic maid @ Diamond – Contact: 626-8003; 227-8529 1 Person to operate a super bet machine – Tel: 618-3575 Cashier @ Shell Service Station Providence E.B.D shift work – (6am-3pm & 3pm-12pm) email:shellramsburg@gmail.com; submit to name above
PROPERTY FOR SALE Two storied concrete house, two bedrooms upstairs, two bedrooms downstairs $20Million @ Block “8” Mon Repos, E.C.D- Tel:625-1514 Houses & land available for sale in Non- Pariel, Enmore, Providence & Diamond Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480 Parfaite Harmonie, West Minister, Onderneeming, Cornela Ida, Tushcen, etc Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480 Business property located at Mc Doom Public Road, newly renovated, huge bond for restaurant, spare parts etc – Tel: 622-5721 Property @ Lot 63 West Ruimveldt, Estate Housing Scheme Georgetown – Contact Mark: 618-9744 3 Bedrooms property @ Good Hope E.C.D – Contact: 6211722 One business on residential property located on the E.B.D, Friendship, Public Road, 120X46 - $19.5M – Tel:693-6304 One 3 bedrooms 2 storied concrete house @ Parfait Harmonie; size 25X57 feet – price: $13.5M negotiableCall: 622-1782; 658-5803; 2690642 House and land for sale (business spot) – Contact: 696-0705; 276-3552
LAND FOR SALE
PEN PAL Indian male seeking female; reply with picture & phone # to M.D 7475 Gorewau Drive #47 Mississauga on – L4T3T3 Canada LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front - $100M Negotiable, serious enquiries only! Tel: 669-8152 Blankenburg, 3 lots 75X76 each, $15M, all 3 lots, Parika, Peter Street, lot size 38’X150' - $7.9M-Contact # 650-0402/ 260-4988 Houselot: Parcel No: 100, Block XV, Granville Housing Scheme, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Call: 227-1907
Page 32
Kaieteur News
Special edition gold-plated coins issued by Bank of Guyana Gold-plated special edition coins were issued by the Bank of Guyana (BOG) yesterday to commemorate its 50th Anniversary. Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and Governor of BOG Dr. Gobind Ganga were the keynote speakers at the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Ganga reflected on how far the Bank had come over the years. Dr. Singh extended congratulations to the Bank on its achievements. According to the Finance Minister, the Bank was not just founded as a financial institution, but as preparation for Guyana’s independence. “The establishment of our own Central Bank was a prerequisite for the attainment of Guyana’s independence. It’s significant that in only a few months, October, after the Bank would have celebrated 50 years, Guyana would have celebrated 50 years of independence.” “It is a limited edition piece, so you are buying a part of Guyana’s history. So I urge Guyanese living here and abroad to delve into the vastness of our history.” He also spoke about Guyana’s strong financial status, stating that it did not happen by accident, but as a result of specific choices the Government had made over the years, such as legislative
Friday March 27, 2015
C’tyne man gets 13 years for killing daughter
- in commemoration of 50th Anniversary
Two of the special edition gold-plated coins JAILED: Charles Albert
Dr. Ashni Singh and Dr. Gobind Ganga pose with one of the coins interventions that deepened the financial market. He also took a moment to reflect on the passing of former Governor of BOG, Lawrence Williams, who he described as his friend.
Williams died in May last year. Only 1000 of the goldplated coins have been made. They will be available from tomorrow for G$7000 each. Interested persons can call BOG at 226 3251-9.
EU and CARIFORUM launch Euro... (From page 6) training in specific areas of the implementation of the EPA. She said too that the fundamental objective of the workshop was to strengthen partnerships among the policy stakeholders while facilitating the effective implementation of the agreement. “As such, a related outcome I would expect is the strengthened public/private dialogue and collaboration on trade issues and a
coherent program developed and implemented over the next 2 years for ongoing action and collaboration in the areas previously mentioned,” Rodrigues-Birkett said. The 11th EDF agreement between CARIFORUM and the EU is currently underway, Marie said. He said that a similar approach to that of the 10th EDF is being taken with the new agreement. He revealed that the 11th EDF will be valued at •346M.
Fifty-four year-old Charles Albert, who was being tried for the third time in the Berbice High Court for the murder of his daughter which was committed in 2011, has been jailed for 13 years by Justice Brassington Reynolds. This was after the accused had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and a probation report was ordered by the judge. This was also after Psychiatrist Dr. Mayda Grajales was called to the stand and ruled that the accused was fit to stand trial. This course of action was taken after the second trial was aborted after the man had displayed abnormal traits and a psychiatric evaluation was ordered. Albert called ‘Charles Greaves’ of Lot 56 Princetown, Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, was on trial for killing his daughter Rowletta Onica Greaves, 32, on the 12th of December 2011 following a misunderstanding between the two at his aunt’s home. On the first occasion his trial was aborted after he could not find a third lawyer who would take his case after the first two had pulled out. The man had also exhibited abnormal traits during the brief moments on those occasions. In presenting the probation report Senior Probation and Social Services Officer Voonashewarie Gopal stated that the accused was the fifth of 10 children born to his parents, however he grew up with his aunt and her husband. He secured a number of subjects at the GCE ‘O’ level examinations and was subsequently gainfully employed in the Guyana Defence Force. He is the father of four daughters
from two visiting relationships - three with one mother and one with another. However, he does not contribute to the upkeep of the children. It was revealed that he and his daughter had a close relationship and she would assist him and her great aunt where her father resides, by cooking and cleaning. He was an inmate at the National Psychiatric Hospital, but escaped after a short while. The gruesome murder had allegedly taken place while Rowletta was visiting the elderly woman’s home to help with her chores, which was a regular routine. It was revealed that Charles Greaves was discharged as a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) over 25 years ago for being mentally unfit for duty. Relatives had stated that the man does “trip out” from time to time. In her account to the court, State Prosecutor Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Judith Gildharie-Mursalin in her summation stated that it was a senseless tragedy of a father killing his daughter, and asked the court to show the man the same lack of mercy he had shown his daughter. She stated that on the day in question the man and his daughter had an altercation which got out of hand resulting in her death. The prosecutor reported that Albert and his daughter were first seen arguing under a star apple tree. He had a piece of wood and she had a cutlass. They were warned to stop. However the argument continued during which time the man admitted to killing his daughter. When persons heard the commotion and ventured into the yard they met the young woman lying motionless under a verandah
DEAD: Onica Greaves in a pool of blood. She was taken to the Skeldon Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Greaves was subsequently arrested and gave the statement to the police. The post mortem examination performed by Pathologist Dr. Vivikenand Brijmohan observed that the woman sustained a gaping wound to the head with extensive fractures and copious bleeding in the brain as well as a lacerated scalp wound. He gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage, laceration to the brain and fracture of the skull. In mitigation, attorney at law Raymond Alli stated that his client is remorseful for the crime committed and cannot tell why he committed such a dastardly act. The attorney drew the court’s attention to the fact that the accused and his daughter had a good relationship. He begged the court to be lenient with his client. Justice Reynolds before passing sentence stated that he noted all what was said. He said that from what was garnered the accused seems to be having some problems and what he would term ‘going and coming’ in local parlance. However, he said that while it was revealed that the man and his daughter had a good relationship, the act committed was a dastardly and brutal act . He told Albert that what he had perpetrated was the sad, savage and senseless killing of his own daughter. Justice Reynolds told Albert that the fact that he seems to ‘go and come’ would not work in his favour, since the Psychiatrist had testified that he is fit to stand trial. He told Albert that he is a big man and he was inclined to sentence him to 20 years in jail. He however deducted five years for not wasting the court’s time, and four years for the time spent in jail, but added one year for the brutality of the crime.
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 33
Co-pilot deliberately slams plane in Alps; families ask why PARIS (AP) — Passengers with moments to live screamed in terror and the pilot frantically pounded on the locked cockpit door as a 27-year-old German co-pilot deliberately and wordlessly smashed an Airbus carrying 150 people into an Alpine mountainside. The account Thursday of the final moments of Germanwings Flight 9525 prompted some airlines to immediately impose stricter cockpit rules — and raised haunting questions about the motive of the co-pilot, whose breathing never wavered as he destroyed the plane and the lives of those aboard. “We have no idea of the reason,” Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin said, revealing the chilling conclusions investigators reached after reconstructing the final minutes of the flight from the plane’s black box voice recorder. Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz’s intention was “to destroy this plane.” French, German and U.S. officials said there was no indication of terrorism. The prosecutor did not elaborate on why investigators do not suspect a political motive; instead they’re focusing on the co-pilot’s “personal, family and professional environment” to try to determine why he did it. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose nation lost 75 people on the flight, said the conclusions brought the tragedy to a “new, simply incomprehensible dimension.” Devastated families of victims visited the crash scene Thursday, looking across a windy mountain meadow toward where their loved ones died. The Airbus A320 was flying from Barcelona to Duesseldorf on Tuesday when it lost radio contact with air traffic controllers and began plunging from its cruising altitude. Eight minutes later, it slammed into the mountainside. An analysis of transponder data by Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, showed that the autopilot was re-set to take the plane from 38,000 to 100 feet. The prosecutor laid out in horrifying detail the final sounds heard in the cockpit extracted from the mangled voice recorder. Lubitz, courteous in the first part of the trip, became “curt” when the captain began the mid-flight briefing on the planned landing, Robin said. The pilot, who has not been identified, left the cockpit for an apparent bathroom break, and Lubitz
Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz
took control of the jet. He suddenly started a manual descent, and the pilot started knocking on the door. There was no response. “It was absolute silence in the cockpit,” the prosecutor said — except for the steady breathing he said indicated Lubitz was not panicked, and acted in a calm, deliberate manner. The A320 is designed with safeguards to allow emergency entry into the cockpit if a pilot inside is unresponsive. But the override code known to the crew does not go into effect if the person inside the cockpit specifically denies entry. Instrument alarms went off, but no distress call ever went out from the cockpit, and the control tower’s pleas for a response went unanswered. Just before the plane hit the mountain, passengers’ cries of terror could be heard. “The victims realized just at the last moment,” Robin said. “We can hear them screaming.” Their families “are having a hard time believing it,” he said, after briefing some of them in Marseille. Many victims’ relatives visited an Alpine clearing Thursday where French authorities set up a viewing tent for family members to look toward the site of the crash, so steep and treacherous that it can only
be reached by a long journey on foot or rappelling from a helicopter. Lubitz’s family was in France but was being kept separate from the other families, Robin said. German investigators searched his apartment and his parents’ home in Montabaur, Germany, where the curtains were drawn. The prosecutor’s account prompted quick moves toward stricter cockpit rules — and calls for more. Airlines in Europe are not required to have two people in the cockpit at all times, unlike the standard U.S. operating procedure, which was changed after the 9/11 attacks to require a flight attendant to take the spot of a briefly departing pilot. Canada and Germany’s biggest airlines, including Lufthansa and Air Berlin, as well as low-cost European carriers easyJet and Norwegian Air Shuttle announced new rules requiring two crew members to always be present. Some experts said even two isn’t enough, and called for rules to require three. “The flight deck is capable of accommodating three pilots and there shouldn’t ever be a situation where there is only one person in the cockpit,” said James Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board,
referring to the “jump seats” all airliners are equipped with. Others questioned the wisdom of sealing off the cockpit at all. “The kneejerk reaction to the events of 9/11 with the illthought reinforced cockpit door has had catastrophic consequences,” said Philip Baum, London-based editor of the trade magazine Aviation Security International. Neither the prosecutor nor Lufthansa - the parent company of low-cost carrier Germanwings - indicated there was anything the pilot could have done to avoid the crash. Robin would not give details on the co-pilot’s religion or his ethnic background. German authorities were taking
charge of the investigation into Lubitz. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said that before Thursday’s shocking revelations, the airline was already “appalled” by what had happened in its low-cost subsidiary. “I could not have imagined that becoming even worse,” he said in Cologne. “We choose our cockpit staff very, very carefully.” Lubitz joined Germanwings in September 2013, directly out of flight school, and had flown 630 hours. Spohr said the airline had no indication why he would have crashed the plane. He underwent a regular security check on Jan. 27 and it found nothing untoward, and previous security checks in 2008 and 2010 also showed no issues, the local government in Duesseldorf said. Lufthansa’s chief said Lubitz started training in 2008 and there was a “severalmonth” gap in his training six years ago. Spohr said he couldn’t say what the reason was, but after the break, “he not only passed all medical tests but also his flight training, all flying tests and checks.” Robin avoided describing the crash as a suicide. “Usually, when someone commits suicide, he is alone,” he said. “When you are responsible for 150 people at the back, I don’t necessarily call that a suicide.” In the German town of Montabaur, acquaintances
told The Associated Press that Lubitz appeared fine when they saw him last fall as he renewed his glider pilot’s license. “He was happy he had the job with Germanwings and he was doing well,” said a member of the glider club, Peter Ruecker, who watched Lubitz learn to fly. “He gave off a good feeling.” Ruecker said he remembers Lubitz as “rather quiet but friendly” when he first showed up at the club as a 14- or 15-year-old saying he wanted to learn to fly. Lubitz was accepted as a Lufthansa pilot trainee after finishing a tough German college preparatory school, Ruecker said. Lubitz’s Facebook page, deleted Tuesday, showed a smiling man in a dark brown jacket posing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was restored as an “In Memory” site following the French prosecutor ’s news conference. At the crash site, helicopters shuttled back and forth Thursday as investigators continue retrieving remains and pieces of the plane, shattered from the high-speed impact of the crash. The principal of Joseph Koenig High School in Haltern, Germany, which lost 16 students and two teachers in the crash, said the state governor called him to tell him about the probe’s conclusion. “It is much, much worse than we had thought,” principal Ulrich Wessel said.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
Despite bailout, bad loans plague Bahamas bank NASSAU, Bahamas — Non-performing loans continue to plague the Bank of The Bahamas, and the institution continues to suffer from what managing director Paul McWeeney conceded are “systematically high loan delinquencies and reduced values on collateral holdings,” despite the transaction with Bahamas Resolve Limited (Resolve). In his remarks accompanying the bank’s second quarterly report for fiscal year 2015, McWeeney reiterated that the bank sold Resolve $100 million in non-performing loans and advances including accrued interest completed during the currency of the quarter ended December 31, 2014. McWeeney said that through the sale the bank recognized $100 million in unsecured promissory notes issued by Resolve, a government-owned and controlled entity. “The assets sold provided some relief for the bank’s balance sheet and substantially regulated the prior breaches in the bank’s regulatory capital ratios,” the executive said. “However, the Bank’s overall financial results as at December 31, 2014, still reflect the continued challenges with systematically high loan delinquencies and reduced values on collateral holdings characteristic of the current economic environment,” he said. McWeeney reported that loan loss provisions of $5.1 million during the quarter and $8.8 million year to date contributed to a net loss of $5.7 million for the quarter. “The $0.7 million and $5.8 million respective reduction in interest income for the quarter and year to date is directly attributed to the chal-
Paul McWeeney lenges of increased nonperforming loans plaguing the portfolio; while the $.5 million and $1.3 million respective decrease in interest expense is due to an average lower deposit base year over year and reduced yields on our existing deposit obligations,” he said. McWeeney also reported an overall increase in operating expenses, which he attributed to increased business licence fees. “The Bank continues to maintain a strong balance sheet with total assets of approximately $832.3 million and the composite of loans and advances net, stood at $597.3 million as at December 31, 2014. We are pleased to note that the Bank’s primary capital adequacy ratios as at De-
cember 31, 2014 regularized as a result of the transaction with Bahamas Resolve Limited and the total risk adjusted capital ended at 20.18 percent, above the Central Bank’s required guidelines,” he reported. The opposition Free National Movement has recently also raised questions about the bank’s ability to continue to deal with other banks in the jurisdiction and outside who have as a policy matter no deposits from the online gaming industry. Questions are being asked about the bank’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime in light of the bank’s decision to accept deposits from the web shops. (Nassau Guardian)
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Cameron wins first TV encounter of close election - poll (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron won the first TV encounter of a close national election in Britain, an opinion poll showed, but opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband leveraged a rare opportunity to promote himself on a national stage. With Cameron’s Conservatives neck-and-neck in the opinion polls with Labour, both are trying to grab an elusive lead over the other before the May 7 ballot to avoid another possible coalition or even a minority government. Britain’s future in the European Union and its territorial integrity could ride on the outcome as Cameron is pledging an EU membership referendum and Miliband may need to do a deal with Scottish nationalists intent on breaking up the United Kingdom. Cameron and Miliband were interviewed separately but back-to-back in their
toughest cross-examinations in years, and subjected to question and answer sessions from a studio audience on Sky News and Channel 4. A snap Guardian/ICM poll afterwards showed 54 percent of those asked thought Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, had won, compared to 46 percent who judged Miliband had triumphed. Cameron refused to debate Miliband head-tohead, saying he felt the leaders of other minor parties should be included too. His aides are thought to have advised him that there was no upside to such a debate which they feared could help Miliband look like more of a prime-minister-in-waiting. Cameron, 48, initially appeared uncharacteristically unsettled and conceded he’d made mistakes during his five years in power, but asked voters to give him a second term to finish the job
of rebuilding the economy. “If you’re saying we haven’t gone fast enough to cut the deficit, I would agree. We need to complete the job,” said Cameron, who was unable to give precise borrowing figures for the government. With most of the British press set against him, Thursday’s TV appearance — which covered everything from immigration to economic policy — was a rare opportunity for Miliband to talk to voters directly. He duly used the opportunity to reject persistent criticism from some of his own MPs and the country’s mostly right-wing press that his image as “a geek” made him an electoral liability, saying he didn’t care what people said about him. “The thing is they see you as a North London geek,” Jeremy Paxman, a famously robust interviewer, told Miliband.
Obama attracted to Jamaica’s credibility The Gleaner - Jamaica’s restoration of credibility in the international marketplace has been cited as the reason United States President Barack Obama is to visit the country next month. Closing the 2015-2016 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives Wednesday, Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips said the country’s performance under the programme has led to a reestablishment of credibility in the international market place. “That is why we can raise finances in the international capital markets at the lowest rates ever; that is why the managing director of the International Monetary Fund feels able to visit; that is why the president of the IDB visited Jamaica, and that is why we are on the itinerary of President Barack Obama,” Phillips said. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced recently that Obama will pay a state visit to Jamaica on April 9 and will hold bilateral discussions on a range of issues of mutual interest. During the visit, Jamaica will host a meeting between Obama and the heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for discussions on issues on the CARICOM-USA agenda, including security and trade. It is the second time that a sitting United States presi-
Dr Peter Phillips dent is visiting Jamaica, a country which Colin Bullock, director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), once said was seen as a pariah by the country’s international development partners. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), visited Jamaica last June, and IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno, last December, both to demonstrate their support of Jamaica’s efforts under the economic reform programme. Wednesday, Phillips said Jamaica’s reputation was badly damaged by the previous administration. He said this caused onerous burdens to be borne by Jamaicans under the current four-year ex-
tended fund facility agreed with the IMF in 2013. He noted that under the standby agreement, during the tenure of the previous Government, there were three programme reviews completed by the IMF Board in August 2010, December 2010 and February 2011. By April 2011, the programme had already begun to go off track. “... No effective or meaningful discussion regarding the programme took place between the IMF and the then Government after that visit of mid-2011,” Phillips said. He said that in January 2012, when the new Government took power, it found that the primary surplus for fiscal year 2011-2012 was approximately three per cent of GDP as compared with the target that had been lowered by the IMF to 6.8 per cent. “In effect, Jamaica, under the previous administration, simply took the money and ran,” Phillips said. The minister said that an assessment in early January 2012 showed that all borrowing had dried up and no drawdown was available from the IMF or the World Bank. He also said that the European Union suspended grant funding and, despite a loan with the IDB having been signed in late 2011, no funds were transmitted.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
Gibson back as England pace Nestle Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition Dolphin, Chase Academy bowling coach for Windies tour LONDON (Reuters) Former West Indies paceman Ottis Gibson will return for a second spell as England’s fast bowling coach for next month’s tour of the West Indies, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday. Gibson, 46, previously worked with England’s pace attack from 2007-10 before being appointed as West Indies coach. ECB managing director Paul Downton said the appointment was a short-term one as they seek a replacement for David Saker who will join Big Bash franchise Melbourne Renegades in September. “We are delighted to have
set up dream final
Ottis Gibson chats with Andy Flower (R) REUTERS/Philip Brown secured a bowling coach of Ottis’ calibre as he is highly respected among the fast bowling fraternity and his knowledge and experience of local conditions will be invaluable in the Caribbean,” Downton said in a statement.
“No decision has yet been made on a long-term replacement for David and we will need to review how we staff this position going forward following the c o n clusion of the West Indies tour.”
Friday March 27th 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You're apt to feel stronger within, helping you to connect the inner and outer sides of your personality. You may feel like you have all your troops united on a common front and are making tremendous progress toward reaching your goals. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) There's an explosive quality about the day. You may walk along, minding your own business, when someone accidentally bumps into you. Your first reaction may be to push that person back. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You have a tremendous amount of drive and enthusiasm to help you move forward in your projects, Gemini. Be careful that you don't act hastily or impulsively. CANCER (June 21–July 22) A relationship with a close partner may get a bit confused. You could react quickly to a situation without really thinking before speaking. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may run into a great deal of opposition from just about every quarter. The most frustrating part about this is that even the people you turn to for help will transform the situation into an even bigger mess. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You're becoming much more perceptive, Virgo. At the same time, your psyche and unconscious knowing are also more acute.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're likely to act with great immediacy, Libra. You will instantly know what to do in a situation, especially a crisis. You're likely to be thinking at top speed and moving with efficiency and courage. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) If someone tries to criticize you, Scorpio, don't be afraid to defend yourself. Other people aren't going to be afraid to speak their minds, and you shouldn't either. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Be a friend to someone new and lend a hand to a greater cause than just your own advancement, Sagittarius. Ally with people by offering your support instead of asking for it. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The gas is on, Capricorn. One spark can cause an explosive fireball. There's a tremendous amount of potential energy to the day just waiting to be unleashed. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) This is truly a day of new beginnings, Aquarius. You can start a fresh cycle of emotions and understanding that can help you develop the quality and depth of your relationships. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Stop dwelling on old projects and routines based on situations that have long since expired. Note the changes that have occurred around you and adjust your plans.
Dolphin Secondary urged on by a large band of supporters including the school’s cheerleaders came from behind to send defending champions Lodge crashing out of the Nestle Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition when semi-finals action ended yesterday, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue. Playing in front of a capacity crowd that included local and regional Nestle representatives, Dolphin were led to victory through goals from Leon R i c h a r d s o n a n d Joshua Perreira who netted in the 50th and 76th minutes respectively. Earlier, Shemar Smith’s 13th minute strike had given Lodge the lead. In the other semi-final game, Chase Academy squeezed past an obstinate Morgan’s Learning Centre by a 1-0 margin with the speedy Marlon Nedd’s 38th minute strike unscrambling the two teams. In the Lodge versus Dol-
Romel Jagroop General Construction... (From page 43) competitions. This gesture by the contractor was initiated by BCB marketing and finance committee member Imran Saccoor. At a simple presentation, Saccoor, representing the sponsors, was high in praise for the work of the board despite their many challenges and said that they have recognized that cricket is a costly game and the board alone can’t do it. A representative from the board thanked the contractor for his kindness and assured that his money will be used for its intended purpose and called on other businesses and private individuals to come on board and assist with the further development of the game. Calls were also made to schools and parents to play their part in the resuscitation of school cricket in Berbice, emphasizing that these competitions were missing for a while. The A. Ally and Sons Secondary Schools U-17 Competition will be concluded soon. The Dalchand Rambharose U-15 will commence soon after.
phin encounter, the former champions took the lead after thirteen minutes when a clinical through ball from just over the halfline was raced on to by Fabian Boters, who then delivered a cross from the left wing and a partial save from the opposing goalkeeper landed into the path of a lurking Smith, who ran in and tapped into an empty goal. Dolpihn responded through Leon Richardson, who netted a penalty after the referee deemed that the goalkeeper had fouled an opposing player and he placed a low shot to the right of the goalkeeper. With all to play for now that the scores were level, Dolphin bouyed by the partisan support suddenly attaacked with fervour and got the go-ahead goal through Perreira, who collecetd a pass from centrefield, ran towards goal
and dribbled the keeper, before firing into the goal in the 76 th minute, a lead they would hold until the final whistle sounded sending their fans into a frenzy of celebrations. In the feature game, both Chase Academy and Morgan Learning Centre treated the fans to some scintillating football, but it was the speedy Nedd, who scored the decisive goal in the 38 th minute to ensure that they stay on target to play for the title. In the day’s full results: Lodge Secondary-1 vs Dolphin Secondary-2 Dolphin Secondary Leon Richardson-50th Joshua Perreira-76th Lodge Scorer Shemar Smith-13th Game-2 Chase Academy-1 vs Morgan Learning Center-0 Marlon Nedd-38th
Friday March 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition
Quarter-finals on this evening Quarter-final action in the East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition will be played this evening at the Haslington Tarmac. In the opening encounter, BV ‘A’ will square off with their ‘B’ counterparts in what is anticipated to be an intriguing matchup. This game will be followed
by the clash between former champions Plaisance ‘A’ and Paradise and this too promises to be a keenly contested affair, but the former should start as favourites judging from their exciting performances in the preliminary phase. Warren Gilkes and Kester Greene will be keen tro continue their goalscoring form,
while Paradise’ strength lies in their defensive capabilities. Buxton who looked formidable against an equally strong BV ‘A’ unit face Melanie ‘B’ and this encounter is a difficult one to predict a winner and in the final matchup of the night, defending champs Melanie ‘A’ go up againstNabaclis.
Part of the action in this year’s East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition.
Brazil put three past France BBC Sport - Brazil recorded their seventh successive victory since their 2014 World Cup humiliation as they came from behind to beat France in Paris. Raphael Varane powerfully headed in Mathieu Valbuena’s left-wing corner to put the French ahead. But Oscar equalised when he linked up with Roberto Firmino and poked the ball past France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Neymar made it 2-1 as he collected Willian’s pass and shot past Mandanda before Luiz Gustavo headed in a third. The victory maintains Dunga’s 100% record since he took charge of Brazil for a second time in July. He is helping to restore some pride to Brazilian football after the side suffered their heaviest ever World Cup defeat when they were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semi-final in
Belo Horizonte. Luiz Felipe Scolari resigned as coach after the tournament, which also saw Brazil lose 3-0 against the Netherlands in the third-fourth play-off. Only two of the first XI from that Germany defeat started in Paris and Dunga will be pleased with their fightback after they fell behind to Varane’s 21st-minute header. Chelsea midfielder Oscar equalised before Neymar put the South Americans ahead with his eighth goal in seven internationals. Dunga, who was previously in charge of Brazil from July 2006 to July 2010, will also be happy with his side’s defensive strength. Varane’s goal was only the second Brazil had conceded in seven games and they had to hold on under sustained pressure in the second half when the score was 2-1. Mamadou Sakho,
Moussa Sissoko and Antoine Griezmann were denied by Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson, before Karim Benzema fired a volley over the crossbar. Those misses proved costly for the French as Gustavo ended the game as a contest when he met Willian’s corner. It was France’s first defeat in seven games since their World Cup quarter-final loss to Germany and the scoreline could have been wider as Willian’s low shot was well saved by Mandanda. For Brazil, who play Chile at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it was another pleasing night as their footballing recovery continues. Elsewhere, Chile suffered a shock 2-0 friendly defeat against Iran, while Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao scored twice as Colombia thrashed Bahrain 6-0.
Real Madrid centre-half Raphael Varane scored his second international goal for France. (AFP)
ECB chairman says Windies team mediocre PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Trinidad Express) – The incoming head of English cricket has handed Phil Simmons a welcome key card prior to his first series as West Indies head coach. Colin Graves, who takes over as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman on May 15, told BBC Radio that he would “certainly be disappointed if we don’t win the West Indies series because I am pretty sure the West Indies are going to have a mediocre team”. He claimed that “a lot of their stars are going to be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) anyway, not in the Tests, so we should win that series.” The reality is that there are six West Indian “stars” in the IPL that conflicts with the three England Tests. Chris Gayle’s creaking back led to his withdrawal from the England series; he has already missed four of the West Indies last five Tests. Dwayne Smith has retired from red ball cricket, Andre Russell’s solitary Test was more than four years ago, Lendl Simmons’ eighth, and last, in 2011, Dwayne Bravo’s last of 40 in 2012. Sunil Narine is a master of the short form game yet has just 21 wickets in six Tests at an average of 40 per wicket; what is more, he remains concerned over the legality of his action. The record confirms that the West Indies’ eighth position among Test teams is justified, with or without their IPL players. Graves, head of the
Coscutter chain of stores, has been described as “a straighttalking Yorkshireman”. His straight talk as the incoming boss of English cricket was denigrating disrespect for his team’s opponents. Like the infamous remark of captain Tony Greig, a straight-talking South Africa, that he would make Clive Lloyd’s team “grovel” in the 1976 series in England, it is enough to provoke retaliation from Simmons’ charges through performances on the field. The 2015 West Indies bear no comparison to Lloyd’s combination of proven players and emerging superstars Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Michael Holding. The majority have just returned from a chastening examination in South Africa and the World Cup where they
often buckled under pressure. Yet there is nothing more infuriating for any sporting team than to be belittled by their rivals’ top man even before the contest starts. History is replete with examples of upsets triggered by such arrogance. It has the potential to add a few mph to the clocking of Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and the other pace contenders and to the bounce of Jason Holder, to heighten the proven resolve of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite, to influence Marlon Samuels against repeatedly wasting his wicket, to sharpen their slack fielding. If they aren’t fired up, as they should be in any case for a series against England, Graves’ assessment, however condescending, would prove to be spot on.
Bassarath: Meeting speaks to confidence Trinidad Guardian - Port of Spain, Trinidad - President of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) director, Azim Bassarath says that the fact that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to keep their annual meeting in Barbados, shows that they have confidence in the WICB. Bassarath said: “This decision to come to the Caribbean for the annual meeting was taken after the issues we had with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It represented to me that the ICC still had faith is us as a major cricketing nation and they wanted to show that by coming here.” The meeting takes place in Barbados from June 22-26 and will see over 50 delegates from the cricket playing nations around the world, gather in Barbados for the meeting. President of the ICC N Srinivasan said : “We are delighted to be taking the ICC Annual Conference to the West Indies for the first time and I am sure both the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the island of Barbados will prove to be excellent hosts for these important meetings.”
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 27, 2015
Smith shines as Australia down India to reach final
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Steve Smith’s sublime century laid the groundwork and Australia’s pace bowlers finished the job to send the cohosts storming into a seventh World Cup final with a 95-run victory over champions India yesterday. Australia move on to the Melbourne Cricket Ground and a shot at a fifth title against New Zealand on Sunday, while India head home after four months Down Under having come up short in their bid to retain the title they won four years ago. Smith’s 105 helped Australia to a total of 328 for seven, the highest in a World Cup semi-final, and although skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a defiant 65, India were dismissed for 233 in the 47th over. “We thought 330 were around par but we knew we had to bowl and field well and the boys did a terrific job tonight,” said Smith. “Just happy we got over the line in the end. I’m just looking forward to Melbourne. It’s going to be a hell of a day.” India might have fancied their chances of chasing the target down after a solid start on a good pitch in perfect weather conditions and backed by the majority of a crowd of 42,330 at the Sydney
Steven Smith and Aaron Finch added 182 together, Australia v India, World Cup 2015, 2nd semi-final, Sydney, March 26, 2015 ©Getty Images
Cricket Ground. Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood had other ideas, however, and they tore the heart out of India’s top order by sending Shikhar Dhawan (45), Virat Kohli (1) and Rohit Sharma (34) back inside six overs. When James Faulkner, who had been hammered for 23 runs by Dhawan in his first two overs, got into the act by dismissing Suresh Raina (7), India had lost four of their most coveted wickets for the addition of just 32 runs to fall to 108-4. Johnson’s bowling was as potent as it has been all tournament and the delivery that clean bowled Rohit a ball after the opener had the temerity to hit him for six sent one bail flying 20 feet behind the stumps. Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane (44) set about rebuilding the innings with a partnership of 70 but when the captain was run out ambling down the wicket by a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell, the die was cast. “We came back quite well but we could have bowled better,” said Dhoni, who said he would not be retiring. “A lot of people did not think we’d come so far in the tournament.” Faulkner added a flourish by bowling Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohit Sharma in
successive deliveries to finish with 3-59 but Umesh Yadav blocked the hat-trick ball. Smith had earlier reprised his role as India’s tormentorin-chief, rarely looking troubled in his 122-minute, 93ball knock and sharing a second-wicket partnership of 182 with opener Aaron Finch (81). The 25-year-old hit 11 fours and two sixes to give India a rude reminder of his prolific form in the test series around New Year, when he scored a century in all four matches. He secured his fourth straight half century at the World Cup in 53 balls and was soon surging towards his fourth ODI century, which he secured from 89 balls with a six and a four off successive deliveries. With Yadav (4-72) to the fore, however, India struck back to remove Smith and then the power-hitters in Australia’s middle order. A late Johnson cameo of 27 not out off nine balls helped bolster Australia’s tally and India will rue their failure to dismiss their opponents for the first time in eight matches at the World Cup. Scores: Australia 328 for 7 (Smith 105, Finch 81, Yadav 4-72) beat India 233 (Dhoni 65, Faulkner 3-59) by 95 runs.
Contractor Chowramootoo sponsors BCB cricket in W/B’ce The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) will benefit from the sponsorship of Alvin Chowramootoo of Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services as the Company sponsors a t20 cricket competition for second division teams in West Berbice. This follows other second division competitions sponsored by Hand-in-Hand Insurance and the New Building Society Limited. The sponsor is the President of the successful D’Edward Sports Club and explained that he is a keen follower of cricket and is al-
ways impressed with the confidence other stakeholders of cricket have shown in the BCB and as a result was convinced that the board was doing something right. He added that he is also impressed with the mileage received by sponsors and the level of transparency of the work of the BCB. On the other hand, he said that he is disappointed with the manner in which the West Berbice Cricket Association (WBCA) President runs cricket in the area adding that sponsors have lost confidence in their work because of lack of accountability. Chowramootoo alluded to the fact that there is hardly any organized cricket competitions by the WBCA. He said that after a long while, the WBCA organised a club T20 tournament and was disappointed that clubs had to pay an entrance fee of $10,000. To make matters worse, his team won the competition and the incentives for the final were paid by cheques, which were dishonored by the bank. The BCB thanked Mr Chowramotoo for his confi-
dence in the board and promised that the tournament will be smoothly run with a grand finale. The board indicated that village cricket is very important to keep the family structure alive, improve health awareness, keep the grounds in good conditions, keep the youths away from idleness and at the same time produce cricketers for Berbice, Guyana and West Indies. The BCB added that with the amount of cricket now played in the villages there is a rise in the interest-level for the sport. The BCB added that the board is committed to the development of the game of cricket at all levels and this competition follows similar ones in the Lower Corentyne area (Raffik and Sons Construction Services) and East Bank/New Amsterdam/No 19/ East Canje Area (Ramnarine Appiah Memorial). The board boasted of the long list of sponsors that have already this year indicated their interest in Berbice Cricket. Sponsors so far are A Ally and Sons Secondary Schools Under-17, Dalchand
Sponsor Alvin Chowramootoo (holding trophy) with representatives from the clubs in West Berbice. Rambharose Secondary Schools Under-15, The New Building Society Limited Second Division, Hand-in-Hand
Second Division, Raffik and Sons, Ramnarine Appiah Memorial and Berbice Bridge Company.
The board has expressed its gratitude to all those that contributed to the success of the Berbice Board.